#me: wow this is so sad for him *immortalizes it forever in drawing*

[tilescel]

POV you disappointed your senpai and theyre disappointed about it and give NO hugs wtf man

[spaceskam]

A Boy Like That

Summary: In which teenage Lan Xichen dotes on Nie Huaisang to flirt with Nie Mingjue. 

Word Count: 4,016

Warnings: implied separation anxiety

ao3

Nie Huaisang quite liked Gusu.

There were many more things to see with many more colors than in the Unclean Realm. That was all gray and boring, but the Cloud Recesses were all pretty blues and pure whites and tons of plants. The men inside were all stunning and, although he couldn’t see them, he had to assume the women were as well. Everything was endlessly beautiful. 

Including the very important person Da-ge was speaking to.

Lan Xichen stood tall and thin, his hands behind his back and his smile easy. He looked at Da-ge in the exact opposite way that he was looking at him with his shoulders back and his face permanently angry. It always was when there were others around to see. The only thing that made Nie Huaisang sure his brother wasn’t all stone was the fact he didn’t let go of his hand even when clutched his saber in the other.

“I can help you study,” Lan Xichen offered, voice just as pretty as he was, “I understand not everyone can learn by reading.”

“I learn just fine,” Da-ge said, but even he couldn’t keep his angry voice around Lan Xichen. Nie Huaisang couldn’t stop staring at him. Nothing in the Unclean Realm was like him; he was a character in a storybook who was the definition of elegance. 

“I don’t mean to insult you, Nie-gongzi,” he said, “One future sect leader to another, I think we need to work together if we want to be better than our predecessors, don’t you? Especially if it means surviving the elder sect leaders we’ll inevitably have to work with. Sect Leader Yao is going to outlive us all out of spite, I’m sure of it.”

 Da-ge let out a slow breath and looked to the side for a moment. Lan Xichen never once looked bothered. He was all patience. Nie Huaisang studied his face anyway, the smile that gave away nothing. Every single time he saw him, he had that smile. Nie Huaisang tucked it in the back of his mind for later.

“It isn’t that I can’t study, it’s that I can’t focus with my secret weapon,” Da-ge said, lifting his arm and lifting Nie Huaisang off the ground with ease. He giggled quietly and smiled at his brother. Lan Xichen’s expression changed just enough to show his complete fondness.

“Ah, I’d say he could play with A-Zhan, but A-Zhan doesn’t really play,” he said, crouching down just a little to get on eye level with Nie Huaisang, “But you’re in luck because I do.”

Nie Huaisang smiled shyly and pressed into his brother’s side.

“Xichen, you don’t need to‒”

“Let me help you, Da-ge,” Lan Xichen said, raising to his full height again. Nie Huaisang noticed the way his smile changed with his voice into something teasing. When he looked up to his brother, he saw him softening up just a little.

“If he gets to be too much, bring him back,” Da-ge said, “And he will get too much.”

“Nonsense,” Lan Xichen said, holding out his hand, “Come, A-Sang, let Da-ge study.” 

Nie Huaisang checked with Da-ge first before reluctantly grabbing Lan Xichen’s hand, but he kept a hold on his brother. He wanted to make sure this was actually what they were going to do. He didn’t really like leaving Da-ge’s side. It was always a bad idea. But Da-ge nodded and released his hand.

“Don’t cause trouble, do you understand?”

“A-Sang is not trouble, Da-ge is trouble,” he said. Da-ge glared at him until Nie Huaisang’s laughter made it go away. Lan Xichen chuckled.

“We’ll be just fine,” he promised.

Da-ge gave Nie Huaisang a once over before he reluctantly headed towards the library. He looked over his shoulder to him just once before he disappeared into the room that was full of things that Nie Huaisang could make a mess with. He felt a little nervous when he could no longer see his brother and he really thought about running after him and promising to be quiet. Lan Xichen was pretty and nice, but it wasn’t the same. What if something bad happened? 

“Don’t worry, A-Sang, we’ll have a lot of fun,” Lan Xichen said, his voice calm and reassuring. Nie Huaisang nodded and leaned into Lan Xichen’s leg. He was taller than Da-ge by just a little.

He led the way as they headed away from the buildings and into some of the pretty trees. Nie Huaisang reached out to touch the grass and leaves as he passed them, careful not to pull on any of them even when he really wanted to. Lan Xichen, oddly enough, had a much firmer grip on his hand than Da-ge. He was pretty and elegant like in storybooks, but he was strong. Maybe that’s why he’s the only one Da-ge didn’t hate.

They eventually came to a stop when they got to a small clearing with a stream nearby. Bunnies hopped around freely and Nie Huaisang watched them with wide, intrigued eyes. Lan Xichen loosened his grip on his hand.

“Now, you can play, but this is still a quiet place, A-Sang,” Lan Xichen said softly, couching down to look at him in the eye so he would understand, “This is A-Zhan’s favorite space, but I don’t think he’ll mind us playing here as long as we take care of it.”

“Yes, Lan-gongzi.”

Lan Xichen laughed softly, “That’s too formal, call me Er-ge.”

Nie Huaisang thought about telling him that was too informal, but if he told him it was okay then it must be. He nodded. 

Lan Xichen let him to the middle of the small clearing and gestured for him to sit down. Nie Huaisang watched all the bunnies hop around and he just wanted to chase them and grab them and hug them, but he knew that was wrong. So he sat and watched Lan Xichen intently, watching for what to do next. 

“If you’re very nice, they’ll be your friend,” Lan Xichen said softly, reaching out to pick up one of the braver bunnies. He put it on Nie Huaisang’s lap. “Be very gentle.”

He nodded, petting the bunny as softly as possible. It took a lot of self-control, but he tried really hard. He didn’t want to scare the bunny away.

“A-Zhan loves these rabbits. One time, I couldn’t find him anywhere I went, even here, but then it turns out he’d just been so still they’d all piled on him while he took a nap,” Lan Xichen said. Nie Huaisang looked up at him with wide eyes. He couldn’t imagine staying that still for so long. Da-ge said he kicked in his sleep, too.

“Wow,” Nie Huaisang said. Lan Xichen smiled, reaching his hand out to some of the shy bunnies. They sniffed his fingertips before hopping a little closer. “I can’t do that.”

“It’s alright. Everyone is different and they like different things,” he said, tilting his head, “What do you like?”

“I like…” Nie Huaisang said, watching Lan Xichen for a moment. He knew that he was supposed to say swordplay. He had gotten in trouble because he didn’t like swords. But Lan Xichen seemed like he might not get mad at him for that. “I like stories.”

“Stories? What kind of stories?”

“Like… Like the one where the big strong warrior saves the fair maiden and they, they fall in love and, and they get married. Or the one where the Sect Leader who was the strongest cultivator ever reached immortality and, and he fell in love with a lesser cultivator, but he spent years helping her so they could be immortal together and, and then he left his Sect to be a rogue cultivator with her forever!” Nie Huaisong said, getting a little too excited that the bunnies ran off. Lan Xichen didn’t seem bothered by it as he smiled. “Da-ge read me that one, he said it was his favorite.”

“Da-ge has a favorite love story?” Lan Xichen asked. Nie Huaisang’s eyes widened and he gasped, switching to his knees as he shushed him.

“Shhh, Da-ge said it’s a secret,” he said. It took him a few seconds before he realized he’d just shushed the heir to the Lan Sect. He was about to apologize, but Lan Xichen was smiling so maybe it was okay.

 “So Da-ge’s favorite story is of a Sect Leader and his love becoming immortal and running away together?” Lan Xichen said, smiling, “That’s very romantic.”

“Romantic,” Nie Huaisang repeated, dropping his shoulder and nodded insistently.

“I read one about a female cultivator who was so strong and wise, but she fell in love with a common man and gave up everything for him. I’ll have to find the book for you,” Lan Xichen offered. Nie Huaisang smiled wide and nodded.

“Yes, thank you, Er-ge.”

Lan Xichen smiled to the point his eyes got all crinkly. Da-ge never did that. It made him look even more handsome, Nie Huaisang thought. He wondered how many female cultivators pictured him when they dreamed of their future husband. Probably too many to count.

“What else does A-Sang like? Poetry? Music? Drawing?” Lan Xichen. He didn’t even once mention swordplay. Nie Huaisang really liked him.

“Yes! Da-ge lets me skip calligraphy practice to draw sometimes,” Nie Huaisang said, but he soon realized what he said and his eyes went wide, “But, but don’t say anything because Da-ge got in trouble.”

“I won’t, I promise,” Lan Xichen said, still smiling, “Da-ge is a very good big brother to you.”

“He’s the best,” Nie Huaisang said. Lan Xichen smiled and looked down for a moment. He almost looked a little sad. Before Nie Huaisang could say anything to make him feel better, though, he looked back up.

“Would you like to see something?” he asked. Nie Huaisang nodded instantly. Lan Xichen reached into his sleeve and pulled out a xiao. “Its name is Liebing.”

Nie Huaisang leaned perhaps a bit too close, eyes wide with intrigue. There weren’t really instruments in the Unclean Realm. They weren’t valued unless they were used in battle, which was a skill typically only used in the Lan Sect‒anything that wasn’t useful in battle wasn’t valued. He only got to see them when he ventured outside which wasn’t often. He’d never seen one so up close.

“And you use it to fight?” Nie Huaisang asked.

“I could, but the Lan Sect has many other uses for their instruments. We have songs to communicate with ghosts and songs to purify someone’s golden core and songs to help heal someone‒almost anything you can think of,” Lan Xichen said. Nie Huaisang nodded easily. Then Lan Xichen smiled and leaned a little closer. “But, if you can keep a secret, I quite like playing for fun.”

“A-Sang can keep a secret,” he promised. Lan Xichen nodded.

“I bet you can.”

He brought Liebing to his lips and played a couple of notes. Nie Huaisang was entranced. He scooted close and tried to see all the things Lan Xichen was doing. It sounded so pretty and it was so cool. Lan Xichen laughed.

“Here, look,” he said. He handed Liebing to Nie Huaisang and it felt like the biggest privilege in the world. He held it very carefully as Lan Xichen showed him where to hold it near his mouth and adjusted his fingers over the holes. “Now blow just a little bit. Not too hard. Gentle, like you were with the bunnies.”

Nie Huaisang nodded and a soft, pretty sound came from it. He nearly jumped out of his body with joy. He wanted to run around and make as much noise with it as he could, but he couldn’t because that was against the rules. So, instead, he smiled and tried to keep calm even though he was already moving. Lan Xichen didn’t seem bothered as he moved his fingers to show him another note.

They did that for a while until Nie Huaisang was struggling to stay still and Lan Xichen indulged him just a little, letting him chase around the bunnies for a few minutes. He knew it was against the rules to run inside the Cloud Recesses, but Lan Xichen urged him to get it out of his system. A-Zhan never felt the need, he’d said, but he understood wanting to.

“A-Sang should find things to entertain his hands when his body can’t run around or draw,” Lan Xichen said, “It will help.”

Nie Huaisang eyed him for a moment. It seemed like he was slowly leading in to tell him to practice swordplay, to keep him entertained. He wouldn’t know what to say to that. Lan Xichen didn’t seem like the type to particularly enjoy swordplay in the same way most disciples were expected to. He played music and read romantic stories. Was he really going to suggest swordplay?

“Does A-Sang know how to braid?” Lan Xichen asked. Nie Huaisang stared at him. 

“No.”

“It keeps your hands busy. Perhaps it will help you allow Da-ge to focus a bit more when he’s studying, it’s a very important skill,” Lan Xichen suggested. Nie Huaisang nodded and walked a bit closer to him. He sat down beside him again and stared up at him.

“Okay.”

Lan Xichen smiled and pulled some of his own hair over his shoulder, separating it into three separate strands. He showed him the proper way to cross them slowly and didn’t say a word when Nie Huaisang leaned in super close to get a better look. When Nie Huaisang took his own hair and tried to copy him, Lan Xichen offered him ample amounts of patience even as he messed up over and over. He never once got frustrated when he was playing his xiao or chasing rabbits or braiding hair. Nie Huaisang considered asking to stay here with him forever.

“In a few years, you’ll come to study at the Cloud Recesses with other disciples your age,” Lan Xichen said softly, smiling and nodding in approval as Nie Huaisang finally got the hang of the braids, “It will be very beneficial if A-Sang finds tasks that keep his hands occupied and his mind free. You have all the makings of a very strong cultivator. You learn very quickly.”

Nie Huaisang didn’t have the right words for that. He had no real interest in being a strong cultivator. He’d much rather live a life full of stories and spending time with pretty people like Lan Xichen who played music for him and helped him break the rules. But he couldn’t say that.

He had to follow the rules and he had to do as he was told.

Nie Huaisang smiled, doing his best to copy the way that he’d seen Lan Xichen smile. “Thank you, Er-ge.”

“Nie Mingjue, your Da-ge, is a very strong cultivator,” Lan Xichen went on, “One of the strongest of all the junior disciples here, but he has a bit of a temper. If A-Sang studies and practices and keeps his smile and his wits, I think the two of you could make a rather unstoppable team.”

“Like the brothers in that story Da-ge read where they fought all the bad guys all by themselves?” Nie Huaisang asked. Lan Xichen nodded firmly and smiled.

“Brotherhood is very important and so is balance. A-Sang balances Da-ge very well. The Nie Sect has had many fearsome and angry warriors‒it seems all of the light has been saved for you,” Lan Xichen said fondly. Nie Huaisang felt his cheeks grow a bit warm at the praise. “And you bring out the light in your Da-ge. One day, the two of you could be legendary leaders together. A-Sang must take care of Da-ge the way Da-ge takes care of A-Sang.”

Nie Huaisang nodded, never breaking eye contact. It seemed important not to. He never saw Da-ge as someone that needed to be taken care of, but Lan Xichen maybe knew more than him. Maybe they could.

As fun and smart as Lan Xichen was, Nie Huaisang felt infinitely more at ease when they got to the room he and Da-ge shared. He immediately barrelled into his brother for a hug and clutched him tight. Da-ge, for all his angry stares, pet his head and put a hand on his back to hold him in place.

“Did A-Sang have fun with Xichen?” Da-ge asked. Nie Huaisang nodded against his stomach.

“He taught me his xiao,” he said, “And he taught me how to braid. He said it was a very important skill.”

“Important?”

“Yes, he said so,” Nie Huaisang argued.

“I did say so,” Lan Xichen’s soft voice said. Nie Huaisang twisted his head just enough to see him politely standing in the doorway.

“Thank you, Xichen,” Da-ge said, taking his hands off Nie Huaisang just long enough to bow. They went back to his hair and his back once he was done.

“My pleasure,” Lan Xichen said, “I take great pride in being entrusted with Nie-gongzi’s most sacred of weapons.”

Da-ge hummed in a noncommittal fashion, petting Nie Huaisang’s head perhaps a little too rough. He didn’t mind as he hugged his brother a little tighter in retaliation. Da-ge never asked for hugs, but when he did things like that it usually meant he wanted one. Or, at least, wouldn’t reject one.

“Both Nie-gongzi and A-Sang should attend dinner with Grandmaster tomorrow evening,” Lan Xichen suggested, “It would be good for Grandmaster to meet you both.”

“Would it?” Da-ge asked, his tone of voice suggesting a little more than Nie Huaisang could put together. He tilted his head up to see if there was anything on his face giving it away.

Then, he remembered the way their father screamed and sent them both to punishment for little things and instilled fear in so many and yet still got praised with ‘at least he’s nicer than the previous Sect Leader’. That and Lan Xichen’s mention of Da-ge having a bad temper. Maybe that’s what it was.

“It would,” Lan Xichen said calmly, “Because then this disciple would not have to explain when I ask to attend with Nie-gongzi on my own.”

Da-ge was quiet for a very, very long time. So Nie Huaisang spoke for him.

“A-Sang thinks that’s very important,” he said, echoing the way Lan Xichen had spoken earlier in the day. The smile he got in return from the storybook-like man made it worth every effort. 

“Okay,” Da-ge said, “Okay.”

“Okay,” Lan Xichen replied, “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Er-ge!”

“A-Sang.”

“Goodnight, Nie-er-gongzi,” Lan Xichen said, amusement in his voice even though he gave him a stern face and bowed deeply for Nie Huaisang to earn a laugh. He stood up straight with a smile and looked over his head to Da-ge. “Goodnight, Mingjue.”

“Goodnight, Xichen.”

Lan Xichen exited with that same ease he always carried. He seemed to float. Had A-Sang not felt his strength with his own hand, he might’ve thought he was simply air itself. The moment he was gone out of sight, though, Da-ge grabbed Nie Huaisang’s wrists and pulled him off his feet. Nie Huaisang laughed as he wrapped his arms around his brother’s neck and got a proper hug.

Da-ge breathed in deep as he squeezed him tight and breathed out. Nie Huaisang suddenly understood what Lan Xichen meant about taking care of his brother a little bit better.

“A-Sang missed Da-ge,” he said. Da-ge didn’t respond as he just held him for a little while. He wondered just how big he would have to get before he stopped lifting him in the air liked that.

He hoped he never got too big.

After they retrieved their dinner for the night and brought it back to their room, Nie Huaisang was finally allowed a bit of freedom. He ate while he talked and ate while he wandered around the room, looking at all the little things the Lan Sect put in their dormitories. He’d already looked at most of them, but they were usually too interested to ignore.

Eventually, Da-ge let him get a hold of his hair and he started adding braids everywhere he could. He didn’t fight him about or even look at him like he was angry, he just let him do whatever he wanted. He was his favorite person in the world.

“Did Da-ge study?” Nie Huaisang asked, again remembering what Lan Xichen had said as he took a bite off the spoon that Da-ge held out to him. 

“I did,” Da-ge said, “There’s too many rules and logistics here and not enough real-world application. I think I would’ve gotten as much knowledge with you asking what everything was the whole time.”

“A-Sang can do that tomorrow.”

Da-ge nodded in agreement.

After a bath and getting into their Lan-white night robes, Nie Huaisang lingered by the cot that had been set up for him when Da-ge had shown up with him attached to his side. It wasn’t usual for disciples to bring siblings too young to study inside the Cloud Recesses, but they’d made an exception after he promised to be on his best behavior. It usually meant sleeping in past Da-ge’s classes and then hanging onto his side after that.

“Sleep, A-Sang,” Da-ge said, lifting him onto the cot. He draped the blanket over him and pet his head.

Da-ge made it all the way to his bed and laid all the way down and extinguished all of the candles before Nie Huaisang slid off of the cot. He tip-toed over and crawled under the blanket, his head popping out of the top beside his brother’s. He didn’t yell at him or tell him to go back to bed, he just gave a tiny little smile and nodded.

“Er-ge looks like the cultivator from the love stories,” Nie Huaisang told him softly. Da-ge breathed in slowly.

“Does he?”

“Er-ge is pretty like them,” he explained. Da-ge didn’t answer, but Nie Huaisang reached out to put his palm on his cheek. He felt warm. “Da-ge thinks Er-ge is pretty.”

“I don’t think anyone is pretty.”

“A-Sang is pretty,” he refuted. Da-ge turned his head to look at him, smiling in that way he only did when there was no one around to say anything. Nie Huaisang smiled wide enough to make up for them both.

“You’re right, A-Sang is very pretty.”

The next morning, it only took a little persuasion to get Da-ge to keep the braids that hung around to frame his face. Nie Huaisang put a handful of random ones in his hair as well so he wouldn’t be embarrassed. It felt fair and Da-ge looked pretty.

By the time they ran into Lan Xichen, it was nearing midday. His eyes lit up and he stepped close, touching one of the braids in Da-ge’s hair.

“Da-ge, your braids! They’re so pretty!” It was the most vibrant Nie Huaisang had ever heard from any Lan disciple, even if it was teasing, and he felt the excitement grow in his chest in response.

“I blame you for this,” Da-ge grumbled, still managing that angry stare even when someone who looked like Lan Xichen was being so friendly. Nie Huaisang bounced onto his toes, laughing slightly.

“This disciple accepts responsibility,” Lan Xichen said, bowing slightly. His playful expression didn’t fade as he looked to Nie Huaisang. “A-Sang did such a good job.”

“Thank you, Er-ge.”

Lan Xichen nodded and stood up a bit straighter. He looked at Da-ge and Da-ge looked at him and they seemed to have a whole conversation without saying a word of it. It ended with Da-ge nodding twice.

“Would A-Sang like to draw while Da-ge studies?” Lan Xichen asked. Nie Huaisang’s eyes widened with excitement and he nodded, accepting Lan Xichen’s hand when he held it out.

The three of them walked to the library together and if he deliberately stayed on his best behavior when Lan Xichen leaned a bit closer to help Da-ge with his calligraphy, they would be none the wiser.

[minijenn]

Happy Birthday, Keys to the Kingdom!

Yeah as of today my own special little slice of hell known as Keys to the Kingdom has existed for the world to see for two years now. And its still going strong even into its second half (which I’m VERY much looking forward to!) I didn’t really plan a big huge celebration for Keys’ 2nd birthday (though ya’ll are more than welcome to do something special for it if you’d like, I’d love you forever if you did) But I figured it would go fun to go back through every chapter of Keys written so far and list my top ten personal favorites. So this is that list. Enjoy!

10. Chapter 30: Recuérdame: This was a really fun chapter if I remember correctly; its a nice mix between plot progression and the Coco stuff (featuring some of my favorite scenes from that movie, so playing around with those was great) but I also loved writing the first in story reveal for Xion and the fight between Sora and Xigbar while set to Imelda singing La Lorrona? Fuckin Iconic if you ask me, this one is great 

9. Chapter 31: Destined Reunion: This is mostly a very dialogue heavy chapter where not a lot happens but honestly I just really like a lot of the interactions in it; there’s a lot of Sora being salty towards Riku in here which tbh is kinda fun to write? But there’s also some soft Sokai stuff and towards the end we get some fun/foreshadowy interactions with our resident Goth Club so overall its a pretty neat one :3

8. Chapter 24: Where the Dream Takes You: So I really love the second Atlantis chapter? It veers away from the movie and also follows it just enough to feel unique in its own right and it has a lot of plot progression for the main story, especially in regards to our good friend the Lingering Will; I like the action in this one a lot and I really love the Trinity Trio’s little emotional talk with each other at the end, it tugs at my heartstrings every time I read it :3

7. Chapter 38: So This Is Love: otherwise known as Prom! Honestly this one is just a sweet, cute fluff-fest and it was so much fun to write the kiddos just relaxing and having a good time for a change. The Destiny Trio in particular just filled my heart with so many warm fuzzies here, especially towards the end when they really start romancing it up! Plus everyone in their fancy outfits was a delight to draw and to write about, overall its a grand time for all ^_^

6. Chapter 21: Depths of Despair; golly this one is just a bit ol drama fest but I think its a pretty great one. Sora spends the whole thing captured and tortured and poisoned and it really is just the biggest shift in the tone of the story so far because of that; Maleficent gets to be the center stage baddie for a chapter, Pete gets a bit of development, and we also get some strong moments from Kairi and Axel and the Restoration Committee, and the scene where Kairi brings Sora back from rage form near the end is still one of my favorites; overall there are a lot of little moments in this one that I love in here, its a really good one. 

5. Chapter 33: Song as Old as Rhyme: A great example of a Disney chapter where the overarching plot kind of takes more of the center stage. This one is a wild ride for sure with a lot of action and intensity, and its Not a very good time for our boy between him having a panic attack over Maleficent confronting him again to getting shot in the damn shoulder to being grounded by his boyfriend for lying it really does tear Sora down quite a bit but I looooooved wriiting all that so its high on my list for sure because of it 

4. Chapter 36: Return to Depart; this chapter features two really great scenes right at the start of it, Sora bonding with Aqua and soft Soriku fluff/angst hour. But then I doubled down by giving the boy an identity crisis between all of the different hearts inside of his and wooooooow I love how I wrote it, its trippy and wild and intense and dramatic; even to the end this one is great because we get our first hints of the bond between Sora and Ven and its soft yet solemn all at once and wow despite carrying some scenes from the game I still think this one is pretty standout 

3. Chapter 35: Distorted Reflection: Whoooooo boy this chapter is hella dark and kind of a mind fuck but golly if it wasn’t such a delight to write. Having Sora essentially hear himself list every fear he has and everything he hates about himself is some quality Character Study stuff; there are so many lines in this chapter I keep coming back to in more recent chapters and I really will continue to do reference it as we move along; it’s also pretty standout that Sora doesn’t even win against his phantom in this chapter, my original plan was for him to win but then I was like “no that’s not thematically right, the entire story is basically about him fighting a battle against himself that he can’t win so why should he win the literal battle against himself?” so I made it sad and had him lost until the Mystery Light came around to help him (I also love that entire part, its such a nice bit of comfort after all the angst this chapter brings). Overall, I love the deep intensity and feels of this one its a classic.

2. Chapter 22: Rise and Fall and Rise Again. Basically a biiiiiig ol bundle of hurt/comfort with some soft angst and romance mingled it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this chapter really is just another big long character study for Sora and golly if it doesn’t have some of my favorite moments in the entire fic so far, despite those moments being quiet and understated and mostly emotional more than anything else; I also really love Kairi in this chapter and I love how it develops her relationship with Sora even more towards their eventual Relationship Upgrade. Its also the first chapter of Keys I got teary eyed while writing soooo ya know there’s that. 

1. And finally, my favorite chapter so far: Chapter 27: What Once Was Mine. Gooooosh this chapter has EVERYTHING. It starts out soft and fun and fluffy with some cute romancy moments, then it gradually starts getting more tense and it builds until basically everything’s gone horribly wrong and ends in a really sad kind of solemn place and we get such nice pairing between the Tangled stuff and the Keys overarching plot stuff. This chapter has so many exceptional moments but I really love the entire section where Sora finally comes clean to Donald and Goofy bc I’m destroyed by Trinity Trio feels every time I read it. Overall, I adore this one but I really do think that it’s very soon about to be outclassed by some stuff I have planned for Keys in the very near future :3

And some Honorable Mentions: Chapter 20: Immortals (mostly for its second half, its first half is pretty weak which is why its not on this list); Chapter 10: Sinister Whispers (aka the chapter where Keys finally starts fucking picking up the pace XD), and chapter 16: Unspoken, Unheard (a nice little Kairi character study)

And those are all the chapters of Keys I really love, feel free to drop me a line about what your favorites are (or even just your favorite moments, general discussion about Keys, things you’re looking forward to seeing, stuff like that). A HUGE thanks to everyone who’s stuck with Keys thus far, I can assure you that the best is certainly yet to come.... :3

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers #232: And Now... Starfox!

June, 1983

“From Titan with love... Starfox!”

oh god no

Err. Anyway.

Last time on Avengers Z, the Avengers were bad enough dudes and lady dudes to rescue the president from wooden dopplegangers. The sinister and badly dressed Plantman (not to be confused with a Mega Man boss) summoned a giant-sized man-shaped swamp thing to battle the Avengers. They were doing a decent job fighting it when Starfox crashed his spaceship into it in his rush to join the Avengers.

And now, what happens after that.

Hawkeye is a terrible patient.

So also last time, a ceiling fell on Hawkeye’s leg and it be broke. He’s apparently the kind of dude who thinks its more manly to refuse anesthetic so She-Hulk has to literally pin him down long enough for Ordinary Doctor Donald Blake to cast it up.

And wow, that cast goes all the way up!

Where did you break your leg, Clint? At the sternum?

Actually this reminds me of Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes because Hawkeye got his arm snaked and in-this-version-a-paramedic Jane Foster was asked to look at it but Hawkeye was similarly uncooperative there.

I wonder if that was an intentional reference or whether an accurate portrayal of Clint’s sparking personality just gets you there naturally.

But with the casting call done, Dr. Donald Blake makes to leave, making a point to mention how lucky that he was in town instead of in Chicago where he supposedly lives.

THUS Thor’s secret identity is secure forever.

Wasp and Captain America take Ordinary Doctor Donald Blake to the elevator to show him out but really, he just transforms back to Thor in the elevator.

Because Cap and Wasp already know his secret identity. As does Dra- oh wait, he’s dead. As does Iron Man.

In fact, after Cap mentions he doesn’t think he’ll ever get used to seeing Dr. Donald Blake transform, Thor mentions very few mortals have ever seen the change.

Thor: “E’en Iron Man -- with whom I did share the secret of my dual life -- seldom watched me assume my godlike form. I believe it disturbed him.’

Wasp: “Uh-huh.”

Uh-huh is right. That’s a weird, random character beat! I wonder why it bothered Tony. Is it the god part? Transformation in general? Would it bother him to watch Bruce Banner turn into the Hulk? Or Captain Marvel/old broke version and Rick Jones chaaaaange places?

I’m intrigued. And yet there’s no further information. Hmm.

Anyway, the three founding or retroactively made a founding Avengers pass through two sets of ultra-security doors because obviously the thing in your base you most want to protect is your conference table.

Its got the cool, personalized chairs. Don’t judge.

As always, I wonder what symbols the other Avengers get.

Wasp delayed the resumption of the Avengers meeting (because it got interrupted by presidential ransom situation last issue) by a half hour because she wanted to run some things past Thor and Cap.

Wasp: “After all, we are the only core members on active duty and... well... I wanted to ask you both first... should I step down as Avengers chairwoman?”

Thor asks if she feels unduly burdened by the job but she says no, in fact it makes her feel so aliiiiiiiiiiive.

Cap: “Then stick with it, Jan! You’ve been doing a fine job! What on Earth made you even think of stepping down? Surely you don’t blame yourself for Iron Man leaving -- ?”

Surely in fact, she does do.

That weird call they got from an Iron Man quitting the team has shaken her. She probably thinks its because of Wasp dumping him. And in fairness, Tony ghosting the team happened not very long after that. But its not actually related.

Also apparently, Captain Marvel (the new cool one) was made a full active member and not an in-training to fill the vacancy Iron Man left. But now Hawkeye has gotten injured and there are no reserve members available.

Hercules is off doing him knows what. Beast is with the Defenders. Wonder Man is on the West Coast, presumably trying to make it in Hollywood. Vision and Scarlet Witch are trying to be civilians.

Wasp: “We used to have too many members around. Now we may not have enough!”

Yeah, ever since the roster shake-up that was soon followed by Hank’s No Good Very Bad Day, the Avengers have had a bit of a difficulty in keeping the team at good numbers.

Dammit, Hank!

Thor suggests, hey, we have Eros of Titan hanging around asking to be made a member. Why not... let him?

Thor: “Perhaps we should induct the brash Eros! He is swift -- and nearly as strong as an Asgardian!”

Cap: “Yes, but is he Avengers material? Does he have the proper training?”

Wasp: “Training! That’s it! We could try him out as an Avenger-in-training! It worked for Captain Marvel! She was almost totally unused to super-powers when she came to us, but she developed into a peach of an Avenger! With a little on-the-job training, I’ll bet Eros would fit in, too!”

So she calls the White House and asks if the president is back from his kidnapping yet. She has networking strings to pull.

And this honestly brightens her right up. Being group leader really does make her feel so aliiiiiiiiiiive. That and being able to call in favors from the government.

Twenty-six minutes of calling in favors later, Wasp reconvenes the meeting, this time with special guest Eros.

She asks why he wants to be an Avenger.

Eros: “Why not?”

This gives Hawkeye an anger and he bangs the table and also accidentally bangs his broken leg.

Eros decides to expand on his answer and says that he’s a lover of adventure and what better way to seek it than as an Avenger? He’s already aided them in the past so they already know of him.

Thor: “Aye! Against the threat of your mad brother, Thanos!”

Eros: “Too true. But I believe your brother Loki has also given the Avengers trouble hasn’t he?”

Wasp has to interrupt and tell the two to keep family matters out of the conversation. She makes a better moderator than some.

Eros: “You are quite right, Wasp! I hold no one -- god or man -- responsible for the actions of relatives! I seek but your fellowship! Indeed, I can think of no assemblage so appealing... so charming... anywhere in the cosmos!”

Wasp, Captain Marvel, and She-Hulk seem to approve of this answer.

... WAIT ARE YOU USING YOUR CHARM POWERS ON THEM? EROOOOOOOOOOOOOS!!!

Anyway, since Hawkeye is out of action-

Hawkeye: “What do you mean, ‘out of action’? Who says I am?”

Cap(tain America) says he is and tells him he can’t be expected to charge into action with his leg in a cast. Which Hawkeye sadly agrees.

Anyway, since Hawkeye is out of action, Wasp decides that the Avengers can accomodate Eros as an Avenger-in-training. But the government did have one condition for letting his alien man become an Avenger.

He needs a codename.

Wasp: “Frankly, the president was hesitant to approve of anyone named Eros. He would rather you were called something less provocative in public.”

Hey, fuck you, Reagan.

But Wasp has an idea.

Wasp: “You’re a pretty foxy guy... and you’ve been out among the stars... how about ‘Starfox!’”

Good god, Wasp. Did you really just name this man Spacehunk? You’ve gone mad with power.

Also, I jumped the gun last post. I didn’t realize that Wasp comes up with his codename here so I was using Starfox to refer to him already.

Also also, he has a fox emblem on his shirt. Why does he do that if he wasn’t Starfox yet? What does the fox represent in Titanian culture??

Eros: “Starfox? I don’t know... Is this necessary?”

Captain America: “Well, it could make things easier, and you’d still be Eros to your friends. After all, my real name isn’t Captain America!”

Eros: “It isn’t?”

Hah.

I adore that last exchange.

Imagine the incredulity in the tone. ‘I thought that Earth names were Just Like That.’

Anyway, Eros accepts the name Spacehunk Starfox and the position of in-training so Wasp decides to get him started right away.

Remember that thing with the president and the wood men? Happened like an hour ago?

Well, there’s a Navy task force tracking the submarine which was spotted escaping from the scene and they’ve requested Avengers help. But, eh, why send the whole team?

So Wasp sends Thor, Captain Marvel, and Starfox-in-training.

And in fairness! That’s a trio that can handle a whole heck of a lot with their respective powers!

So off they go.

Starfox: “Duty and glory, Thor! Songs shall be written about this day -- even if I must write them myself!”

You know. That’s actually a very good attitude to have. Eros will be the fanfiction he wants to see in the world.

With that issue handled, Cap(tain America) and Wasp head off to take care of some other business.

Leaving She-Hulk and Hawkeye with only each other as company.

Hah.

On their way to the mission, Captain Marvel zooms all around, practicing her cornering in flight. As a new superhero... like its been under a month, I think? Captain Marvel still thinks flying is the neatest thing.

And she’s right!

But she’s also discovered a new ability. Since her energy form is made of energy and she has control over energy. Instead of flying around as a vaguely her shaped glowing blur, she can concentrate to create a light image of herself, why not!

She has made herself harder to draw but easier to portray!

Thor: “Your radiance rivals that of the golden apples of immortality!”

Captain Marvel: “I’ll have to take your word for that!”

Hah.

She zooms over to where Starfox is flying. Captain Marvel has been eyeing him throughout the book, which Wasp has been assuming was because he’s a space hunk.

But maybe she just wanted to learn more about Captain Mar-Vell because that’s what she asks Starfox about.

Starfox: “He was a gentle warrior... a noble soul. He was a true hero... Worthy of rank and name!”

I guess the description or the sadness Starfox still has at Mar-Vell’s death makes Monica feel like shit, like maybe she isn’t worthy, so she zooms ahead to let the navy know the Avengers are on their way.

Starfox: “Have I offended her?”

Thor: “Eros, I begin to wonder if your reputation with the ladies is truly deserved.”

Hah.

But also: If you have magical fuck-me powers you don’t need to actually be charming, I guess? Dammit, Starfox!

Captain Marvel arrives on the deck of the navy task force flagship as a bolt of lighting (SHAZAM!), alarming the navy in two ways.

First, lightning. Its just so loud! But second, wait the Avengers only sent one person?

Captain Marvel goes nah I got Thor and Spacehunk but they’re slowpokes. Not moving the speed of light. Imagine.

Admiring Admiral: I don’t know who the redhead is, but I’d sail into Hades itself with Thor in my crew!

Its fun the insight we get into how respected and beloved Thor is. I don’t think that’s the case anymore with modern Thor. The marvel citenzry has just become jaded to the cool hammer man.

The admiral explains the situation. That they’re chasing the submarine seen in the area of the presidential ransom attempt. But its hiding in an undersea canyon that navy frogmen kero kero can’t reach and that its somehow been deflecting depth charges.

The admiral was going to wait for navy subs to arrive but hey, if the Avengers want to try, this is their book.

Meanwhile, in aforementioned sinister submarine, the horticultural horror... Plantman! Nah, just kidding. He’s a goofus and I will point and laugh.

His cool sub lets him pre-explode the depth charges before they reach his sub but even he doesn’t want to tangle with trident-class submarines so he wants to skedaddle. And if the navy is blocking his way, the navy gotta pay.

He activates his PLANT RAY which is a real thing, look it up, and energizes the kelp in the undersea canyon.

The kelp reaches up like a kraken, a kelpken, and starts trying to pull the navy ships under.

Thor: “‘Tis an attack by yet another form of plant! Our unknown foe has struck again! Stand you back... the son of Odin shall end this threat!”

And then Thor jumps into the ocean, leading a confused Starfox to ask whether Thor needs to breath.

Captain Marvel helpfully informs him and the audience that Thor can hold his breath for hours.

Thanks, Monica!

And then some kelp yanks Starfox and then Captain Marvel off the ship.

Meanwhile, a very expensive Manhattan apartment occupied by a grumpy Tony Stark.

Tony Stark: “Why waste good money getting a T.V. remote control fixed, when I can do it myself faster an’ better? Hah! When I’m done with it, it’ll do more’n change channels... it’ll walk the blasted dog!”

... Tony, how though?

And do you have a dog?

What is going on in your mind?

His remote repair reverie is interrupted by a binging and a bonging on his chamber door. Only this and nothing more.

He grouses about the interruption but HEY ITS HIS FAVORITE PEOPLE! Its Wasp and Captain America!

They’ve been stalking him, a little.

The pressing matters they had to attend to was running down a list of homes owned by Tony and searching them one by one to find him.

He’s happy to see them though and offers them some morning whiskey. Or bourbon. Or perhaps chocolate soda.

Look, I googled eyeopener and its booze you drink in the morning to wake up although I’m pretty sure its afternoon now and if you need to drink booze to wake up, you might want to consider limiting your intake actually. Especially for Tony Stark who had an entire story arc about alcoholism. Dammit Tony!

Wasp: “Eye-opener?! Tony Stark, where’s your mind? We’ve been worried sick about you! No one’s been able to find you for days on end -- you haven’t answered Avengers emergency calls -- and when you did call this morning it was to resign!”

Tony Stark: “Now jus’ hold yer horses! Maybe I have been outta touch... but I’ve had my own ‘mergencies to handle! An’ I didn’t call you this morning! I don’t even know what you’re talking about!”

Iron Man: “He’s right! I’m the one who made that call!”

Imagine being someone who reads Avengers and not Iron Man. How blown would your mind be seeing Iron Man fly into a room Tony Stark is already in?

Somewhat, right? Somewhat.

Imagine being Captain America and Wasp and seeing Iron Man fly into a room where Tony Stark is when you know for sure that Iron Man and Tony Stark are the same guy.

Cap demands to know whats going on and who is in Tony’s armor.

Tony Stark: “Jus’ who he appears to be... Iron Man, my faithful armored companion and bodyguard... jus’ like it says in the Stark International press releases! Ya see, boys an’ girls, ol’ Uncle Tony has decided to quit the hero biz while he’s still ahead of the game! No more playin’ Iron Man for me! Nosirrebob! Time to let a younger man wear the boilerplate!”

Oh.... Tony.... if this only weren’t the perpetual superhero narrative, you might be able to bow out gracefully.

And its not like this is gracefully anyway. As indicated by the charmingly tousled look, the slurred speech and the morning drinking in the afternoon, Tony is quite drunk.

Wasp asks New Iron Man to confirm and he does. He clarifies that the reason he quit the Avengers is because he doesn’t feel experienced enough yet to hold his own on the team.

And apologizes for the confusion. The Iron Man helmet has voice modifying circuits so New Iron Man (secretly James Rhodes) sounded just like Old Iron Man (aka Tony Stark). He didn’t realize that the Avengers knew Tony’s secret so didn’t realize he’d just be creating an intriguing mystery prompting readers to check out the Iron Man book slash confuse the Avengers.

Tony Stark: “Yeah... I forgot to tell ya that Cap an’ the Wasp were in on the ol’ secret. Thor, too! Oh, well... no harm done!”

Then he drinks some more booze alcohol. Cap asks him doesn’t he think he’s had enough? And Tony is like hey no I don’t and don’t butt into my life kthx.

Wasp: “We don’t want to pry, Tony! We just don’t want to see you throw your life away... like Hank did.”

Tony Stark: “I am not Hank Pym, lady! I’m nothin’ like your ex-hubby! I don’t need your help -- an’ you don’t need mine! The Stark Foundation will pay the Avengers’ bills with or without me! So, if you’ll kindly get out of my life -- !”

Oof. Why does everyone Wasp dates turn out to be a jerk?

I assume she was just leaning into it the time she dated Havok. But otherwise, oof.

They really have no choice but to leave Tony to make his own bad decisions. At least he was responsible enough to get someone else in the Iron Man armor?

Geez though. Geez.

Hate seeing you like this, Tones.

Meanwhile, back in the Atlantic Ocean... Captain Marvel fairly casually assesses the situation of being dragged into the water.

Captain Marvel: “Never saw any kelp like this before! It grips tighter than an octopus, and it feels as tough as steel! I could just turn to some form of energy and slip out of it, but then it could grab some poor sailor!”

So instead she explodes, which she can do, shredding the kelp holding her.

Then off she goes to find how Starfox is faring.

He’s faring okay. Just casually punching some kelp like it ain’t no thing.

But since teamwork does make the dream work, she blasts the kelp for him. Starfox thanks her though also says that he could’ve kelped himself.

They discuss how they can hear each other perfectly well underwater thanks to SCIENCE! The science of water conducting sound. I find it a bit dubious but whatever. Not as dubious as the next bit.

Captain Marvel asks how Starfox is breathing underwater.

Starfox: “A thin shell of air clung to me as I was pulled under... due to the gravitic potential of my body, I suppose! It all relates to my flying abilities. I was surprised myself! This is the first time I’ve ever taken an ocean plunge!”

Fun way to discover that, huh!

Also, heck, how long does a thin shell of air last underwater? How shallowly do you breathe, man!?

-google- Huh, Wikipedia has this description of his powers using almost the exact words (although not the word order) from this scene. I feel that it does not come up much so this is the primary source.

It also says that he doesn’t need to breathe as much as a normal hooman. So that’s answered.

The two newest Avengers find Thor already has things well in hand freeing the propeller without need for any further kelp.

So all three Avengers surface (and Thor retrieves his helmet, which in a nice bit fell off when he dove into the water and just floated on the surface).

Thanks to ex-boat cop Monica Rambeau knowing navy semaphore, she recognizes the signal from the navy vessel that the enemy sub is making a run for it.

And since none of these three Avengers have trouble fighting underwater, Starfox suggests they give chase.

Plantman: “NO! Not the Avengers! Not again!”

Yes, again. Yes, always.

He shoots some anti-personnel torpedoes, hoping they’re enough to stop the Avengers.

“They’re not.”

Hah. I love when captions get sassy.

The Avengers soon are busting into the sub, breaking through bulkheads and coming for Plantman.

Plantman realizes that they’ll have him trapped in the control cabin in seconds. So he pulls the last resort lever that his silent partner told him to pull as a last resort.

Some manner of escape sphere forms around Plantman, launching him high into the stratosphere and capsizing the sub right on top of the Avengers.

I mean, they’re beefy. I’m sure they’ll be fine.

But no time to verify that, SCENE CHANGE.

Over on Central Park West, She-Hulk has carried Hawkeye all the way from Avengers’ Mansion to his apartment. On foot.

Dang! Mighty nice of her! Even Hawkeye points out that he could have gotten a cab.

(But do we believe that Hawkeye has money for a cab?)

After gently dumping Hawkeye on his couch, She-Hulk asks if he wants to have her stick around. She literally has nothing better to do today.

Hawkeye: “Will you get out of here and leave me alone!!”

She-Hulk huffs off in anger because this is a rude way to thank someone who helps you home.

Hawkeye even realizes that he shouldn’t have yelled “but I can’t stand to have anyone mother-hen me! Besides, I have things to do... important things!”

Yeah, Hawkeye does seem like the kind of guy who hates getting any help at all because men are self-reliant and junk. Toxic masculinityyyyyyy!

And the important things? I dunno! He calls his head of security workplace Cross Technological Enterprises and tells them to send a car for him.

That’s probably going to be a thing in another issue. God forbid it be a thing in another book. I’m not made of time. I’m still dreading West Coast Avengers where Hawkeye goes off and makes his own team. The jerk.

Okay, back to the plot.

Thor, Captain Marvel, and Starfox of course shake off a submarine imploding on their heads without much effort. Starfox is the most shaken by it. Guess the new guy isn’t used to submarine implosions lol.

Meanwhile, Plantman’s escape pod keeps escaping up, up, and away but mostly just up.

Then a prerecorded message from Plantman’s ‘silent partner’ and/or ‘mysterious benefactor’ plays.

Wizard: “Plant-Man! This is a recording. If you have been so stupid as to get yourself in a predicament where you needed to use the emergency handle, you are now hearing this message.”

“While I appreciated your aid in escaping prison, the equipment I gave you should be considered payment in full. I owe you nothing more than an explanation.”

“Thanks to my anti-gravity generators -- which you activated along with this module -- you will soon find yourself safely in orbit!”

Plantman: “In orbit!”

Wizard: “There, you will be of no further embarrassment to me or our ‘partnership’ as you so distastefully called it. You will be beyond harm... for as long as your oxygen holds out. Farewell!”

Oof. Ice cold.

Ice cold, the Wizard.

Captain Marvel phases through the pod floor to basically say the same thing.

Plantman begs her to save him from his own dumb decision making. She’s like huh look, I don’t really know about anti-gravity but I do have an idea.

Then she blows a hole in the side of the pod.

And the pressure difference blasts Plantman out of the pod, right through Captain Marvel who has turned into intangible energy.

Captain Marvel: “Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”

HAH!

That was mean, Monica. I love it.

But as Plantman hurtles screaming toward the ground, Thor catches him and tells him to stop screaming beside.

Thor: “Cease your cowardly whining! The Avengers do not wantonly kill their foes... not even such as you!”

These days though... well... probably still not wantonly? Depending on how you define it? Maybe during War of Realms though. The kid gloves came off then.

Starfox is loving this by the way. The whole thing that just happened.

Starfox: “What grand sport! Yes, I think I’m going to enjoy being an Avenger!”

‘Ha ha we made that guy think he was going to die!’

Also, Plantman’s outfit looked green and purple in the sub. I guess it was the lighting because its just jolly green now. But its still a terrible outfit.

Meanwhile, back at Avengers’ mansion, Wasp is back from Tony Stark locating duty! She-Hulk is back from being angry at Hawkeye duty!

She-Hulk mentions that she took Hawkeye to his apartment and for a loudmouth, he has a really nice apartment.

She-Hulk: “I wish I could find a nice apartment, but I’m still getting lost in this town. I don’t know where to begin looking.”

Wasp: “Well, if you’re so set on getting a place of your own, why don’t I give you a hand?”

Wasp is going to fulfill her delayed promise to take She-Hulk apartment hunting! And hey, why not focus her efforts on a friend that will let her help?

So Wasp changes into street clothes (or since we see her shrink later, its more that she changed her Wasp outfit and put clothes over it, which is almost like getting dressed in street clothes) and takes Jen out on the town.

Apparently, the Daily Bugle has the largest section on rentals and real estate of any New York paper. I guess they need something aside from diatribes about Spider-Man to attract subscribers.

Ben Urich’s award winning investigative journalism can’t pay all the bills.

Because this is the same New York which frustrated Tigra, some idiot immediately starts hitting on She-Hulk at the newsstand.

Some idiot: “‘Ey, beeg mama! I love that green body paint! You need any help removing it? Huh?”

She-Hulk: “Stuff it, creep! Or better yet -- stuff you!”

And she puts the garbage man in the garbage can. Where he belongs. While Wasp literally looks the other way.

She-Hulk: “Sorry, Jan, I just don’t care for men with fresh mouths. This sort of thing would never happen in California.”

Wasp: “Oh, fer shure...”

That sounds like the polite way of saying ‘Doubt.’ Surely there are sexist jerks everywhere?

Sadly for the She-Hulk Apartment Hunt, her expectations are also a little LA centric. You’re just not going to find an affordable condo with a hot-tub in New York.

Wasp asks what She-Hulk has against the free rent at Avengers Mansion with its built-in sauna that they’ve apparently always had but never mentioned.

Avengers Mansion is real nice!

She-Hulk says she can’t get behind the idea of living where she works but as someone who works from home its actually highly recommended! Although, She-Hulk’s situation is more ‘firemen live in the firehouse’ so it lacks the ‘don’t have to wear pants to work’ aspect.

Then the apartment hunt is interrupted by an incoming crossover slash a stampede.

She-Hulk grabs a random panicking passerby out of the crowd and asks whats going on but he can’t give a good answer.

She-Hulk: “Hot dog! I was hoping something would happen to break up the monotony. So far, this afternoon has been a big, dull...” -THUD-

First, I love She-Hulk’s enthusiasm for punching.

Also, hey, who put thin air in She-Hulk’s way!

There’s some kind of invisible barrier right across the sidewalk.

She-Hulk instantly decides that the thing to do is to TEAR INTO THE PAVEMENT TO SEE HOW DEEP IT GOES.

Instead of, y’know, feeling to see how wide it stretches.

Wasp tries blasting thin air too but to no avail.

Despite She-Hulk reminding everyone that “at close range, your sting can knock down a wall!”

And when she really tries, a whole house.

She-Hulk: “Wasp... This is impossible! We’re Avengers! Nothing can stop us!”

Wasp: “She-Hulk... I’ve the strangest feeling it just did.”

And apparently: this is to be continued in THE ANNIHILATION GAMBIT! Which is a crossover with Fantastic Four!

Which means I actually need to pop over to an Avengers Annual first because despite running into the invisible wall (Sue, is that you?) the Avengers are doing stuff on the Moon before getting involved.

I dunno. I’ll see when I get to it.

And you will too! Provided you follow @essential-avengers​! Also maybe like and reblog? Who can say.

[darkestdesired]

Immortal Guardians

Part 1

WARNING: THIS IS REALLY SAD IN THE BEGINNING, I LITERALLY CRIED WHILE WRITING IT, IF YOU CANT HANDLE PARENT DEATH THEN DO NOT READ!

AN:I imagine the reader to be 6 years old and she's extremely kind and innocent. Like anyone who meets her instantly falls in love with her.

"Why are we here?" rosalie sighed as her and Edward walked over to carlisle. "It's (Y/n)..there was an accident. " their eyes shot open, edward was too worried to read through his thoughts. "What happened, is she okay?!" rosalie was panicked, i was like a little sister to the Cullen's children, ever since emmett saved me from a rogue vampire while he was out on a hunt.

He was heading back home when he heard screaming. He quickly rushed towards the sound when he saw a vampire holding me up in the air by my throat, i was crying and kicking while the rogue laughed. Emmett quickly kicked the rogue and caught me as i fell, i grabbed onto him as i gasped for air. Jasper and alice appeared next to him, alice took me from emmett and ran to the house while Emmett and jasper tore the rogue to pieces and set him on fire. It took a while for me to calm down but they waited patiently and explained everything, after that i visited them regularly since my father was a fellow doctor at the hospital with Carlisle.

Carlisle sighed, "(Y/n) ,and her parents were on their way home from lunch when a drunk truck driver crashed into their car, her parents died on impact because they weren't wearing seatbelts, but luckily she was in her carseat, it saved her life. (Wear your seatbelts!) She made it out with only a broken arm along with scrapes and bruises." Rosalie covered her mouth and they both looked over to see Charlie walk out of the room.He walked over with a sad look,"Shes asking for all of you,i thought it would be best if someone she trusted told her. " Carlisle nodded. "Thank you. " Charlie gave a sad smile before walking away. Alice,jasper,emmett,bella,and esme hurried over, "We came as soon as i saw, Where is she?" Alice was panicking, Carlisle had a sad expression. "She's waiting for us, follow me. " He led them into the room, there were a few gasps when the saw me, i was laying flat on my back as i cried, i turned to them and held out my hand, Esme quickly ran over after carlisle shut the door, she sat in a chair next to the bed and held onto my hand. "It hurts. " esme nodded, if she could cry, she would be. "I know sweetheart, your such a strong girl." I looked around the room at them all. "Where are mommy and daddy?" They all felt their immortal hearts break.Carlisle clenched his hands together tightly,he hated the fact that he had to tell a 6 year old that her parents are dead "I'm so sorry sweetheart their gone.. " i furrowed my eyebrows sadly. "Where did they go?" they all felt a pain in their chest from my innocence. "Oh sweetheart, he means they passed on, they didn't make it. " Esme spoke softly, It clicked, Edward and alice had to turn away, bella held onto edward while jasper held Alice's hand. "T-Their dead...? " Esme nodded,she could see the pain in my eyes. I started crying harder while Esme pulled me into a hug. We sat like that for a while, after about an hour i fell asleep from exhaustion.They quietly went into the hallway, "What do we do, we can't just leave her." Emmett stated, Bella furrowed her eyebrows while she thought. "Doesn't she have an uncle?" Carlisle nodded, "Yes but he is unable to take her in due to medical reasons. " Edward and alice shared a look. "What if we take her in?","We're all she has!" Rosalie wanted to interject but she knew they were right,i was basically family anyways. "All in favor of (Y/n) living with us raise your hand."Their hands all shot up even if Rosalie was a bit hesitant,"I'll settle the paperwork,watch over (Y/n)." They nodded and split off.

It had been a month since the accident, most of my bruises and scrapes healed, although their were still scars, and my arm was getting better due to the constant checkups from Carlisle. I was sitting in my room while my family sat downstairs, they were waiting for a group called the 'Volturi' I was told they were a group of very powerful vampires that had three kings that controlled all of the vampire race. The Volturi were coming to check up on Renesmee,and they hoped that she would distract them from me.

They arrived at the house in a matter of seconds, Ciaus sniffed the air. "There is a human inside. " Aro grinned."Come now brother, i am sure there is a reasonable explanation." Caius growled as they walked up the steps.Carlisle greeted them at the door and allowed them inside. Aro was talking with renesmee while Caius was interrogating the cullens, Marcus used this as a chance to investigate the human they smelled. He made his way quietly upstairs and opened my bedroom door, he was so quiet that i hadn't noticed. I was currently drawing flowers on my cast, Marcus watched me with a soft expression, he noticed how sad i looked, he knew that look all too well, it was the face of someone who had lost loved ones. I noticed Marcus out of the corner of my eyes and gave him a kind smile, this caused a smile to form on his lips as well. "Hello, I'm (Y/n),What's your name?" Marcus looked down at me as i walked over to him. "I am Marcus, little one. " i smiled again. "Are you a king?" Marcus chuckled, "Yes i am." my eyes lit up. "Cool, Do you live in a big fancy castle?" Marcus found my curiosity adorable, he offered me his hand, i took it as he led me downstairs. "Yes i do, maybe one day i can show you. " i nodded. "That would be awesome. " Everyone was in the living room, they all turned to me. "Look, i made a new friend!" Marcus smiled down at me. Caius turned to the Cullen's, "You brought in a human child?! " Aro held out a hand to shush Caius when he saw me flinch,i hid behind Marcus and held onto his cape. Aro walked over and knelt down, "What's your name Sweetheart?" i looked up at him. "(Y/n)." I mumbled. "Well (Y/n),you don't have to be afraid,ciaus wont hurt you,He's all bark. " Aro teased, Caius growled. Aro held out a hand for me, i looked up at Marcus,he smiled and nodded. I slowly reached out and took his hand, Aro's face changed a few times before giving me a sad look. He cleared his throat and stood up, "I see, i shall let this slide. " Caius furrowed his eyebrows. "What do you mean, what if she tells someone?" Aro glared at Caius, "Then we'll have to keep a close eyes on her as well,won't we brother? " Marcus nodded in agreement. I noticed Jane and alec staring at me, i let go of Marcus's hand and walked over to them. Jane's eyes widened as i tugged on her dress, she hesitated for a moment before crouching down. "Hello child, what is it that you want?" I giggled. "You're pretty." Jane's mouth parted she blinked a few times before patting my head. Alec picked me up after Jane stood, "What about me?" I giggled. "You're pretty too!" Felix and Demetri snickered,Alec shot them a glare. Aro smiled, "Why don't you four take (Y/n) outside to play while we finish up here?" Rosalie growled and stepped forward but Alice put out a hand to stop her. "They won't hurt her,trust me." She reluctantly backed down,emmett rubbed her back. Alec carried me outside while Jane,Felix and Demetri followed. They watched from on the porch as alec followed me around while i picked flowers and put them in a small pile in his hands. "Wow, we finally found someone with the same energy as him. " Felix teased,Demetri laughed. Jane watched with a smile, i ran over to her with a flower ring. "Jane, Jane, Look what Alec taught me!" Jane crouched down and giggled. I took her hand and placed the ring on her palm, "For me?" she had a confused expression, i nodded and smiled. She felt a smile tug on her lips, "I shall cherish it forever. " I smiled and gasped. They watched curiously as i reached into my dress pocket and pulled out a black marker, "Sign my cast!" Jane raised a brow before they each took the marker and signed their names.Everyone came outside and Esme helped me put on my grey coat since it was getting chilly.I hugged them all, even caius, which caught him off guard.Marcus booped my nose, "You are always welcome to the castle little one." I smiled and hugged him. They hadn't expected it, but their unbeating hearts were stolen by a 6 year old with a heart of gold,What new adventures would i bring? Only time would tell.

[nadziejastar]

KH3 had way too much focus on the trios in general. The opening theme is a recap that focuses on the trios instead of the series as a whole. Namine gets next to no focus and doesn't come back till the end because she isn't part of a trio. Axel and Kairi seem to form a friendship, but the moment RAX is reunited he stops caring about her to the point where he doesn't even blink when she's murdered in cold blood.

This was one of my biggest complaints about the story, and exactly why I never wanted Roxas, Xion, and Naminé to come back as separate characters in the first place. KH3 spent more screen time devoted to figuring out how to get replicas to bring back superfluous characters (though I would classify them as alter-egos more than separate characters), who disappeared, instead of exploring all the meaningful connections between the existing characters. There was too much going on, and way too many characters, but it was still SO boring. I never wanted everyone to be imprisoned in their own segregated trio. There was no time for Lea to interact with Riku or Aqua. Or Kairi with Ven. I personally don’t find Lea being stuck in the Roxas/Xion trio to be as interesting as exploring his connections to Ven and Kairi and everyone else.

A big reason is because Roxas and Xion had no memories before the Organization. They had no past or previous relationships of their own. Their entire identity literally revolved around their connections to previously established characters and the one year they spent in the Organization. Which makes them boring to me as individual characters. There’s not much to explore about them on their own, without their connections to Sora/Kairi/Ven. Kairi’s past in Radiant Garden was left blank. You give Roxas’ memories to Ventus, and Xion’s memories to Kairi, and suddenly you open a much larger avenue for interesting growth and character development. And I think this was the reason why Nomura was so frustrated while writing the story. He couldn’t build on any of the connections because everyone had to remain separate.

Marluxia: In this place, to find is to lose, and to lose is to find. That is the way in Castle Oblivion. Here you will meet people that you have known in the past. And you will meet people you miss.

It really bothered me how Kairi and Lea’s relationship was undermined like that. Especially since they put so much care into how they were connected. Axel’s whole story arc in Castle Oblivion was parallel to Sora’s arc involving his memories of Kairi. Everything he told Sora actually applied to himself as well.

As Axel fanned Sora’s curiosity, he fell into thought himself.

Nobodies are controlled by memories. And because they control us, we stop being able to remember. Maybe that has happened to me.

And, now, Sora has entered this castle and his memories are being twisted and tangled by Marluxia and the power of the witch—Naminé.

We have to switch out Sora’s memories here, in this castle, Axel thought. And so he continued his speech to lay the groundwork for their plan.

It’s even hinted at it the novel. Sora’s relationship with Naminé was based on his memories of Kairi. And Xion was created from those same memories.

Marluxia: To reunite with those you hold dear—

Sora: What’s this, a card?

Marluxia: It is a promise for the reunion you seek. Hold the card to open the door. And beyond it, a new world. Proceed, Sora. To lose and claim anew, or to claim anew only to lose…

So for Axel, his relationship with Roxas and Xion was meant to be part of the whole Castle Oblivion experience. The main idea was that Sora, Roxas, and Xion brought back memories for Axel.

Axel: And you passed. Congratulations! You’re ready now—ready to take on Castle Oblivion. You will need to follow your memories. Trust what you remember and seek what you forget. Then you’ll find someone very special.

Goofy: You mean King Mickey and Riku?

Axel: Heh… You’ll just have to give some more thought to who it is that’s…most important to you. Our most precious memories lie so deep within our hearts that they’re out of reach. But I’m sure that you can find yours, Sora.

Axel’s Castle Oblivion journey was the foundation of his character arc. And his Keyblade awakening was meant to be similar to Kairi’s.

Roxas: I saw someone today and…he was talking about something like that. It was so important he couldn’t even think about losing it. Xaldin told me that’s a weakness.

Roxas asks Axel what’s most important to him.

Axel: So, okay, say you don’t need a heart for things to be important to you…I guess the closest thing we Nobodies have got is our past. You know, memories of the stuff we couldn’t bear to lose, back when we couldn’t bear to lose it.

And he said it was his memories of the past—of things he lost.

Day 150: Too Precious to Lose

Xion didn’t come to the clock tower again today. She and Saïx had some kind of argument. Axel and I talked for a while about the things we can’t bear to lose. Axel thinks that for Nobodies, it’s our pasts, because that’s all we have to remember the pain of losing something. I don’t remember my past, but the idea of losing the present—Axel or Xion—scares me.

These memories were considered too precious to lose. Just like Sora’s memories of Kairi.

Sora: I was lost in the darkness. I couldn’t find my way. As I stumbled through the dark, I started forgetting things—my friends, who I was. The darkness almost swallowed me. But then I heard a voice—your voice. You brought me back.

Kairi: I didn’t want to just forget about you, Sora. I couldn’t.

Sora: That’s it! Our hearts are connected. And the light from our hearts broke through the darkness. I saw that light. I think that’s what saved me. No matter how deep the darkness, a light shines within. I guess it’s more than just a fairy tale.

Kairi was Sora’s light in the darkness. She brought him back when he turned into a Heartless. Their hearts were connected, and since she never forgot about him, her light was able to bring him back.

Sora: Kairi, even if we’re apart, we’re not alone anymore. Right?

Kairi: I can’t help?

Sora: You’d kind of be in my way.

Kairi: Okay. You win. Take this. It’s my lucky charm. Be sure to bring it back to me.

Sora: Don’t worry. I will.

Kairi: Promise?

Sora: Promise.

Kairi: Don’t ever forget. Wherever you go, I’m always with you.

That’s when Kairi made her promise and gave Sora her good-luck charm. Even if they were apart, they’d always be together. It’s shaped like a paopu fruit, which meant a lot to her.

Selphie: Hey, Sora. Have you heard about the legendary power of the paopu fruit? They say if you share it with someone you really care for, it binds you together forever and ever through eternity! It’s so romantic.

Sora drew Kairi eating a paopu fruit on the cave drawings they made as a kid. It means their destinies are intertwined.

Axel: You’ve lost sight of the light within the darkness.

Axel lost sight of what friendship felt like.

Day 96: Friends

Author: Axel

Xion regained her ability to wield the Keyblade. I don’t know how or why. Maybe there’s more to the Keyblade master they’re not telling me about. I feel like I’ve been spending more time talking to Roxas and Xion lately than my old friend, Saïx. This has to have been what it was like, friendship.

He admits it on the day Xion got her Keyblade ability back.

Roxas: So…friends are people who have ice cream together?

Axel: Sort of… That, or laugh at stupid stuff that doesn’t make any sense. Like those kids we just saw–they were friends. C'mon, I’ll show you how it works.

To Axel, friendship means eating ice cream together.

“What’re you talking about? It’s ice cream; of course it’s cold. Got it memorized?”

“Salty, too.”

“But sweet!” Lea added, and Isa smiled a bit.

It’s rare for Isa to smile.

Well, eating ice cream together, talking about silly stuff, laughing together—it was just what friends did.

Wonder what he’s doing now—Ven, was it?

Lea started thinking this on the day he met Ven, as a kid. He was eating it with Isa and he smiled.

Lea: I want everybody I meet to remember me. Inside people’s memories, I can live forever.

Isa: I know I won’t forget you. Believe me, I try all the time.

Lea: See, I’m immortal!

Lea and Isa’s conversation is similar to Sora and Kairi’s where she was his light in the darkness.

Roxas: I just…want these days to last forever. Hanging out, the ice cream, the sunsets…

Axel: Nothing lasts forever, man. Least of all for a bunch of Nobodies. But you know, we’ll still have each other…even if things change and we can’t do this anymore.

Roxas: Yeah?

Axel: As long as we remember each other, we’ll never be apart. Got it memorized?

Roxas: Ha ha, wow, Axel. That sounded ridiculous.

Axel: What? I thought it was pretty deep.

When Xion thanked Axel for standing up for them, he was sad and asked for an ice cream. When Axel said they’d never be apart, it sounded similar to Kairi when she said she’d always be with Sora, no matter where he went. This conversation happened immediately after Xion got her Keyblade back. Axel mentioned Saïx in his report, which is a hint that Axel’s words were directed to Isa.

Axel: And it seems that you’ve forgotten that you forgot.

Axel forgot that he forgot.

“Well, most kids spend the whole thing playing with their friends. Then when the summer holidays are almost over, they do the homework together,” Axel said, as if he was remembering.

Maybe, Axel has memories of summer holidays from when he was a human…?

“It’s fun to play with friends… I’d forgotten, since becoming a Nobody,” Axel murmured, almost to himself, and looked at Roxas. “So, what did you get up to?”

During his day off, he said he forgot how much fun it was to spend time with friends.

“Everyone’s got secrets they can’t even tell their friends. Got it memorized?” Axel said. The smirk hadn’t left Axel’s face, but his voice was low and solemn.

Roxas spent his day off having fun playing with Hayner, Pence, and Olette. Axel spent all day in bed. Later he brought up his dark secrets, before saying he has to go back to Castle Oblivion. Lea has a tragic past, but he was one of the few subjects who didn’t turn into a Heartless. I think that during the experiments, Isa was his light in the darkness.

Saïx: Hmph. What took you?

Axel: It’s my vacation. I can take all the time I want. Since when do I have to check in with you?

Saïx: You’re letting yourself get too attached to them.

Axel: Yes, sir, whatever you say.

Saïx: You’ve changed.

Before he leaves for Castle Oblivion again, Saïx tells Axel he changed.

Day 118: You Changed, Not Me

Author: Axel

Talking to Roxas and Xion always brings back memories of my human life, back when I was a kid. It’s a weird sensation. I ought to be able to share all this with Saïx, but I just don’t feel like it anymore. It’s strange, but I’m content with just missing what’s gone. I’m not the one who changed. You did.

But Axel says Saïx is the one who changed, and he feels like it’s better to just miss what’s gone.

Axel: But be forewarned… When your sleeping memories awaken, you may no longer be who you are now.

Xion passes out on a mission after remembering when Kairi gave Sora her good luck charm.

Axel: Keep your mouth shut.

Saïx: You have changed…Something at Castle Oblivion changed you. Does the past mean nothing to you now?

The scene was made to look similar to the scene where Roxas passed out in Agrabah because he was so afraid he’d never see Axel again. When Axel returned from Castle Oblivion, Roxas was worried about him, and Saïx wasn’t. Axel is worried about Xion, and Roxas found it unusual. This all happens on Day 193 ~Memories~. Axel’s sleeping memories awakened in Castle Oblivion, and he changed.

Axel: I mean, you think about it, I don’t need to go out of my way, right?

Roxas: I guess not.

Axel: You wanna know why I do? Because you’re my best friends. The three of us…we’re inseparable.

Roxas: We are?

Axel: That’s right–get it memorized. And you know what? Best friends are willing to deal with complications.

This is the day where Axel says Roxas and Xion are his new best friends and they are inseparable. The Genie was really worried about Aladdin, and said they were inseparable. I think the implication was that the memories of Day 193 involved Isa who had collapsed just like Xion did. It brought back memories of the past for Saïx. Xion reminds him of the broken, defective failure that he used to be and it disgusts him. He thought the past meant nothing to Axel and was disappointed, because he wants revenge for how he was treated like a puppet. But it also brought back memories of the past for Axel.It’s the only time we see him get so angry at Saïx. It was more than just about Xion at that point. Saïx’s words were a direct insult to the feelings Lea had for Isa, and how worried he was about him. It was so hurtful, that Axel needed to declare that he had new best friends that day.

Kairi: Maybe…waiting isn’t good enough.

Axel: My thoughts exactly! If you have a dream, don’t wait. Act. One of life’s little rules. Got it memorized?

Kairi: Who are you?

Axel: Axel. I happen to be an acquaintance of Sora’s. Why don’t we go see him?

Kairi: …Sora?

Axel: We’ve got something in common, Kairi. You and I both miss someone we care about. Hey, I feel like we’re friends already.

Axel is the whole reason Kairi became a wielder. Sure, he was trying to kidnap her, but he was what allowed her to find Sora and awaken her Keyblade. Without Axel, Kairi never would have left the island in the first place. Kairi also allowed Lea to wield. He sacrificed himself to atone for what he did to Kairi, and it’s why Mickey and Yen Sid were able to trust him in KH3D. He was reborn with a heart. Not only can he personally apologize to Kairi, but he can use a Keyblade now. He left on a similar journey that Kairi did in KH2.

Lea: What a drag. Could they not have been recompleted at all?

Ienzo: Well you see–

Lea: Ah! Forget it. You know what? I’ll bring ‘em back myself.

Ienzo: Huh? How, exactly?

Lea: Why do I always get stuck with the icky jobs?

Kairi got sick of waiting. Lea wasn’t gonna sit around and wait, either. Memories weren’t good enough anymore. He wasn’t content to just miss what was gone while gazing at the sunset. He wanted to bring Isa back. The point was that they both missed someone, and it led to both of them awakening the ability to wield the Keybalde. It was the reason they started training together. They were the sole rookies. Neither of them set out to be Guardians of Light. They just wanted to reunite with someone they cared about.

Axel: Somehow I just knew you’d be here. I tell ya, Kairi, you’ve got a lot of guts, jumping right into the darkness like that.

Kairi jumped right into the darkness to find Sora.

Mickey: You used the darkness to get here? That was reckless.

Just like Lea did to find Isa.

Yen Sid: I must warn you again–the road will not be easy.

Lea: Fine. Let’s jump right in.

He wanted to jump right in, too. I do think that Kairi and Lea were planned to be friends ever since the story arc for KH3 was thought up. And I think their similarities were deliberately focused on as well. Both were tired of feeling like they’ve been left behind by their Keyblade-wielding friends.

Kairi: His voice always used to be there…but now it’s gone. I can’t think of his face, or his name. I feel awful about it. So I told myself–I’m not going to the island until I remember everything about him.

Kairi didn’t wanna go back to the island until she remembered Sora.

Kairi: A letter… I wrote it yesterday, to the boy I can’t remember. I said that no matter where he is… I’ll find him. One day. And when I stopped writing, I remembered we made a promise, something important. This letter is where it starts. I know it.

She vowed to find him, no matter where he was. She knew she made him a promise. The letter she wrote Sora opened the Door to Light. She was still writing Sora letters in KH3.

Donald: Kairi, you were great!

Kairi: Oh?

Sora: You are different, Kairi, but I’m just glad you’re here!

Kairi: You and Riku never came home, so I came looking for you.

Sora: I’m sorry.

Kairi: This is real…

Kairi awakened the power of the Keyblade when she saw Sora in danger. She came swooping in, Keyblade in hand. Her Keyblade is called “Destiny’s Embrace”. Kairi wanted to share a paopu with Sora, so that their destinies became intertwined. That’s what her heart desired most. When she saw Sora in person again, the possibility was finally real to her, and her heart awakened the ability to wield. She embraced him when they reunited. As a Guardian of Light, she used the power of waking on Sora.

Xion: Please don’t hold back, Axel. Promise.

Axel: What’s your problem? You both…think you can do whatever you want. Well, I’m sick of it. Go on, you just keep running. But I’ll always be there to bring you back!

Axel made Xion a promise, and Roxas reminds him of this promise in a dream before he wakes up in KH3D. And he uses the same words while looking for Isa after he is recompleted. If I had to guess, I would say that Lea made Isa a promise to bring him back home, when they were humans.

Xigbar: Axel!

Lea: Axel? Please. The name’s Lea. Got it memorized?

Xigbar: You’re not supposed to be here!

Lea: Promises to keep. I’ll always be there to get my friends back. What, bad timing? You had your perfect little script, but you kinda forgot to write the sequel. Now, let’s find out what happens!

Lea: Isa!

Lea came to find Isa. When he mentioned his promise, Xehanort used Isa to attack him. Instead of finding his friend as a complete person, he was a vessel of Xehanort. Lea was in shock. It wasn’t what he was expecting at all.

Sora: What? You wanna be a Keyblade Master?

Lea: Yeah. I mean, I came here to learn how to wield one.

Sora & Riku: YOU!?

Lea: Hey, thanks for the vote of confidence. You know, I was gonna come swooping in, Keyblade in hand! But I just couldn’t get mine to materialize. Must be in the snap of the wrist or something.

He wanted to swoop in like Kairi, but he couldn’t get his to materialize. His heart couldn’t awaken the power until he learned the truth. After saving Sora from being a vessel, and hearing Master Xehanort’s true plans, his heart awakened the Flame Liberator.

Kairi: So, you gonna try yours on?

Lea: Uh…I dunno. Maybe later.

Kairi: But you always wear the same thing.

Lea: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. This is how you pick me out of a crowd. I make myself easy to remember.

Lea didn’t wanna take off his Organization cloak, just like how Kairi didn’t want to visit the island. I think it was because Isa was Subject X. He didn’t wanna take off his cloak until he knew his friend remembered everything about him and was finally free from the Organization’s clutches for good. He always felt like he forgot something while talking to Kairi. Remembering Xion and the promise he made to her during this process would give him hope that the heart never forgets.

Riku: You wanted one, didn’t you?

Sora: A paopu fruit…

Riku: If two people share one, their destinies become intertwined. They’ll remain a part of each other’s lives no matter what.

I think the major resolutions for both of them involved both the paopu fruit and ice cream. Kairi and Sora finally shared an actual paopu fruit before the final battle. Kairi said she’d keep Sora safe, and she did. She was his light in the darkness, and used the power of waking on him.

Axel: Well, I think you can be inseparable even if you’re apart.

Roxas: Really?

Axel: Sure, if you feel really close to each other. If you’re best friends.

Roxas: What’s it like having a best friend, Axel?

Axel: Couldn’t tell ya. I don’t have one.

Ice cream had the same meaning to Axel. Eating it made him feel connected to the past, which he desperately yearned to go back to, and always tried to keep in his memory.

Sora: Kairi, remember what you said before? I’m always with you, too. I’ll come back to you. I promise!

Kairi: I know you will!

Lea’s moment where Isa gave him the ice cream should have been the major moment of the ending for him. Personally, I think that he looked the happiest at that moment. It was all he ever wanted. I think he would have had a much better story if he got to be Isa’s light in the darkness and used the power of waking, like Kairi did for Sora.

[zalrb]

Hey Zal, I went thru the archives but haven’t seen whatI was looking for. Could you do a post on how Goblin & Buffy did a good job showing immortality vs. humanity whereas TVD failed ?

It’s interesting to answer this kind of ask in the midst of the debate that’s sort of happening with me and followers about TVD and daylight rings because with BTVS, I mean, the show isn’t flawless but one of the ways Joss and the writing room encapsulated immortality well through the lens of vampirism is that they created a culture. It’s not as consistent or prevalent or detailed as True Blood but there’s still a culture.

Like if daylight jewellery in TVD is non-transferable and can be only linked to a single person then that should be played up more instead of it just being a piece of jewellery that keeps them from being burned, it should have a lot of importance for a vampire, it should be like a part of the vampire, it should be something very personal and the only time it’s ever sort of shown that it’s personal is when Kai melts Elena’s but the sentimental value is related to Stefan not the fact that it’s a part of her.

In BTVS they don’t have that but they have a world, they have a culture that is rooted in how long they’ve been alive

Like from this entire exchange, the viewer understands that every vampire says that they were at the crucifixion in order to seem venerable, in order to seem ancient, in order to seem powerful.

Even Mr. Trick, one of the most underrated BTVS characters I think, when he thinks the Mayor is going to tell him to leave Sunnydale he brings up how he’s always been unwelcome in the community and that the speech got old long before he became a vampire thereby bringing up a legacy on anti-blackness that he had to live through as a black vampire.

On a more comedic note, when we’re introduced to BTVS in the pilot, Buffy can automatically tell who the vampire in The Bronze is because their clothing is out of date.

On the flipside of that, Giles shades both Angel and Spike for only being a couple centuries old, their age isn’t actually what makes them unique within the context of demons and vampires and monsters, it’s the fact that they’re both supposed to be unusually cruel.

And the concept of immortality and vampirism is brought up quite consistently and how it actually isn’t all that it’s cracked up to be

because vampires aren’t people

With Angel, his age is constantly brought up

One of the Halloween episodes is dedicated to Buffy having a romanticized idea of what women were like when he was human and being transformed into one

The age never goes away, the fact that they’re from a different time, that they’re not human and that they’re old never goes away, you never forget that.

With TVD, it’s mentioned once or twice and it feels like a checklist, like Caroline brings up the fact that Stefan is still going to be hot when Elena is old and that happens once in 2x04, in 2x20 Stefan talks about how sadness can turn into despair and it’s hard keeping your switch on when you feel everything so deeply. And yet Jeremy and Ben and other emo, angsty humans wanted to become vampires to shut everything out but then we find out that you can never really shut out your emotions as a vampire so is that the big secret about vampirism then, is that the big weight of immortality, that you feel?  OK but so what? What does the show do with that? Humans feel and vampires feel and ... ... ... ....

With Goblin, I find that it’s more in the physicality and the reactions that Kim Shin and Reaper have as well as the reactions to the both of them. You can feel the weight of their conditions and their immortality through how they navigate the world.

One of my favourite examples of this is when Reaper finds out that he’s actually Wang Yeo because his response is chaotic, he’s crying hysterically, he throws things off the table, his pain is fresh because his memories are fresh:

And then it cuts to Kim Shin who is just sitting there quietly in despair because he has been living with the memory of what Wang Yeo did to him and his family for 939 years and it’s not fresh and it’s not new, it’s an anchor that’s been dragging behind him for his entire existence so he’s just like

but that’s not always how he deals with being alive for so long, his reactions to things are erratic and shift

And he consistently visits the people in his life who have died and on one of the tombstones his own picture is there

and when Sunny figures out that in her past life she was his sister she wonders aloud how come it doesn’t feel like a memory for him, how come he’s acting like his life continued since the tragedy

and it’s because it has so he has nearly 1000 years of rage and sorrow so when he hugs Sunny, it’s like he’s holding his sister from a millennium ago and he reacts that way

to the point that Sunny has to remind him that she is not Kim Sun (his  sister), she is still a different person with her own personality.

There are even small details such as the fact that Eun Tak asks him what his actual name is and he has to change identity every so often

or sometimes Eun Tak or Deok Hwa will listen to him speak and ask why he’s talking like he’s in a historical drama (and this never happens with TVD. Once in 1x04, Stefan speaks more formally and Elena kind of gushes over it but their speech is never confused, there is no wonder or awe about watching the world change around them)

Modernity is often mentioned

historical figures are often mentioned

time and age are mentioned

When he comes back from the in-between world, it’s in the clothes he died in from the Goryeo era

and when someone he loves dies, which always inevitably happens, Eun Tak empathizes with the amount of death he would have to endure in a lifetime of immortality

With TVD, we could’ve done this because season 1 had the beginnings of everything I’m mentioning and then they never followed through on it.

Like Stefan goes back to high school for Elena, I get that premise and they have Damon say a couple of words about him joining the football team but if we actually saw how bored Stefan was interacting with vapid teens when he’s been around for so long, it would not only endear the SE narrative even more to its shippers because he’s suffering through mundane ongoings of high school for her being over 100 years old but it would also reiterate the fact that while he is 17 he also isn’t 17.

Even during the double date, it would’ve been cool if Caroline and Matt remarked at how calm Stefan is being throughout the entire night because it’s all pretty high school. Caroline is putting Matt through a test to see how over Elena he is, he mentions making out with Elena in a sports car so Caroline gets irritated, Elena is doing the friend duty (poorly) by seeing if she’s OK, Matt’s like oh shit my bad, and Stefan is being incredibly mature for a 17 year old in the situation being like, you guys have a history it does no one any favours to ignore that. I’m not saying teens can’t be mature for their age but THAT mature in this situation, that should’ve had Matt be like … …. wow, you sound like a grown up?

I remember a while ago we were were discussing on this blog that Klaus is legit 1000 years old and he doesn’t come across as 1000 years old, he’s way too well-adjusted, there is nothing to suggest that he’s been around that long, like Shin is tired and spends time just drinking because he is SO exhausted

and yet when the possibility of him dying comes up his reaction is strong

and TVD vampires aren’t provided with this kind of nuance when it comes to immortality and the amount of time they’ve been alive, they’re just OK and if they’re not OK, if it’s Damon yelling about how he misses being human so much he can’t stand it,

the show hasn’t done anything to substantiate Damon’s claim.

I understand why Stefan would miss being human because Stefan is the only vampire where vampirism is actually seen, where hunger and blood and despair and darkness actually manifests

so I can see why he would want to be human but why would Damon in that moment? With Goblin, we see the sadness and depression that comes from the fact that everyone around Shin dies and that Wang Yeo is a Grim Reaper so his job is death, which is depressing, with Shin he’s still in the state of sorrow and rage because the person he served and loved massacred his entire family and he just wants the rage and pain to end, death is meant to be peace and life is meant to be a punishment

but with Damon everything is wrapped up in Katherine and Elena which doesn’t explain wanting to be human, it’s more about Damon’s choices in women, so it comes out of nowhere.

And of course that’s if we’re going the emotional route. Because I enjoy the way vampirism is portrayed in True Blood I usually draw comparison between the two of them because with True Blood it’s about losing their capacity for emotion through immortality

and it depends on the age of the vampire.

Godric is 2000 years old and just done with the world, he’s over it, it’s just time to die

Eric is 1000 years old and is super uninterested and bored, nothing really excites him anymore (except Sookie and getting a rise out of Bill) but he’s not over living yet

Bill is over 200 years old and he’s doing his best to remain as human as possible

Jessica JUST turned and she’s in this everything is new, I’m going to live forever, this is awesome phase

Then you have characters like Russell, I’m not sure how old he is, who just want to eat humans and subjugate the world to vampires

And then you have TVD where they legit just act like humans who sometimes have super neat tricks.

[theteaisaddictive]

tag games, all in one post

for everybody’s sanity i’m not going to come up with new questions, but here is everything i’ve been tagged in:

@lumiereswig

are you more introverted or extroverted? introverted, all the way

what’s something dorky you were into whe you were younger? i’m kind of into all the same things now as i was then, so that doesn’t help :P

what’s something dorky you’re into now? um. beauty and the beast? i guess?

go on a rant about some aspect of the dorky thing you love. 1991 MAURICE WAS NOT A COWARDS HE WAS A BRAVE MAN WHO HAD A TENDENCY TO HYPER-FOCUS ON ONE THING AT A TIME. WHEN THAT THING IS HIS INVENTIONS, HE’S A LITTLE SPACED OUT AROUND HIS DAUGHTER. WHEN THAT THING IS HIS DAUGHTER, HE DOES ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING HE CAN TO KEEP HER SAFE, AND HE LISTENS TO HER WHEN SHE TELLS HIM THE BEAST ISN’T ALL BAD.

Got any rituals when you write/draw/etc? no, alas i am very boring

Tea or coffee? Chocolate or pastries? Dogs or cats? tea, pastries, dogs because i have 2

hell, why not, flatter me. have you read my fics? do you have a favorite? i really liked the one where the servants became human in modern europe and had to travel to find each other -- did you ever finish that?

HAVE YOU LISTENED TO GREAT COMET YET. YES

WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO MAKE YOU LISTEN TO GREAT COMET. NOTHING IT’S AMAZING 

THOUGHTS ON GREAT COMET. ALL THE FEELINGS FOR THE SAD RUSSIANS. ALL OF THEM.

favorite shakespeare play? much ado about nothing

@rosemoon621

If you could be a batb character, who would you be? belle, for sure

What is your favorite song of the moment? party tattoos or would you be so kind, both by dodie.

What series are you currently watching? i’m on episode 19 of critical role, if that’s an acceptable answer

If you could live in a place of your dreams FOREVER, where would you go? maybe my childhood town? i’m a homebody who likes what she already knows, though, so this is the most boring answer

If you could come to a country in South America, which country did you want to go to? i think brazil would be a really interesting country to visit!

How old are you now? 20

What is your favorite youtube video? oh c’mon, asking me to choose anything? i do love that one try guys video where they taste test the sexy drinks, because i just about suffocate laughing every time i watch

What song are you listening to while answering this question? no songs, this gets my full attention!

When is your birthday? i’m not sharing that on tumblr.

In a modern au, can you imagine what profession Adam would be in today? i can see him as an anger management therapist, actually.

What is your favorite tumblr blog? nobody! you’re all brilliant and lovely!

and

1. Can you imagine what happened minutes after the kiss at the end of the movie? i like to imagine that they hugged, maybe cried a little. belle asked the prince what his name was, and she tested it out a few times before saying that it suited him. 2. What is your favorite character, and why? belle, because of the self-insert feels. 3. What is your favorite song in the movie? (it can be either the 91 version or the 2017 version) something there, for either. 4. What character of the movie would you be in if he existed in real life? probably the beast, for self-insert reasons 5. When was the first time you saw the movie? i don’t remember, i would have been a child. 6. What’s your favorite fanfic (more than a chapter) about the movie? Kissed By A Rose, by SamoaPhoenix9 7. What movie character would you look at if he existed in real life? last time i did this i chose kelsi from hsm, so i guess that still stands. 8. What was the craziest thing you imagined involving this movie? that belle and plumette are sisters (this has 0 basis in canon, but you can pluck the idea from my cold dead hands) 9. What part did you dislike about the 1991 version? how short the falling in love parts are 10. And what was the point that you did not like the 2017 version? it’s a four way tie between the shirtless scene, the growl at the end, the lack of lines for the prince, and the goDDAMN MAGIC BOOK THAT MAKES NO SENSE 11. What was your favorite part of the 2017 version? the costumes!

@hathor-frozen (technically didn’t tag me, but i like their questions)

1. Do you like Mrs Potts in the animated or live-action BatB more? Why? animated, because she a) doesn’t do the weird kiss-pout thing in Be Our Guest, and b) Angela Lansbury’s accent is miles better than Emma Thompson’s.

2. Out of all the various meals mentioned in “Be Our Guest” which can you (or would like to learn to) make? beef ragù always sounded interesting to me

3. Have you ever tried any of the meals mentioned in “Be Our Guest”? that would be a no

4. Imagine they had announced they were cutting out your favourite servant from the live-action. Whom would you be most sad/angry to see go? mrs potts, because --  well, can you imagine the movie without her? cause i can’t!

5. What about least sad to see go? probably babette (from 1991 -- sorry, babette stans!), since she doesn’t really contribute much

6. Ballroom scene: 1991 or 2017? 1991 for sure! the little gulp when belle guides his hands to her waist, the beautiful colours, the brilliant smiles on their faces . . .

7. If 1991!Belle and 2017!Belle met, do you think they’d get along? Why/why not? i think they would! they’re similar people; i feel like 1991 belle would just kind of nod along to 2017 belle’s mechanical talk, since she doesn’t seem that interested in her dad’s work, but they’d probably get on well enough.

8. If you could have any role in the castle, what would you be? i might be mrs. potts, honestly

9. Which BatB film’s “Little Town” do you prefer? 1991, because it’s fast-paced, keeps everything at the same pitch, and has the immortal line ‘marie! the baguettes! hurry up!’

10. Which BatB film’s “Something There” do you prefer? again, 1991, because it’s the first time we hear the prince’s voice.

11. If you could redesign any of the costumes in the live-action film, what would you pick and why? probably the yellow dress, because it doesn’t really wow me as much as i think it could have.

@myfellowcandlesticks

if you got turned into an enchanted object in the castle, what would you be? probably like a bookmark or something

if you could have only one dish from “be our guest”, which one would you eat? i’ll try the grey stuff, since it’s so intriguing

what are your thoughts on the last scene in batb 2017, when mrs. potts sings a reprise of “tale as old as time” and gives maurice A Look™? i think it’s a sweet nod to the people (LIKE ME) who ship 1991 maurice and mrs potts. but it doesn’t work if she has a husband already. (cue me getting the horrible idea to write a three-way love triangle ending in maurice and mrs potts being together, but involving infidelity and divorce, which means i’ll never write it)

in a modern day au, is plumette a hipster or an art hoe? art hoe 100000%

same modern day au; is lumiere a star trek or a star wars fan? star wars, purely for the in-jokes.

WHAT HOGWARTS HOUSE IS COGSWORTH IN?? I’VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THIS FOR AGES i think he’s a gryffindor. sure, he’s a stickler for rules, but so was hermione and that didn’t make her any less gryffindor.

you know what? place everyone in their hogwarts houses! adam is a slytherin and that is a hill i will die upon. belle is either a ravenclaw (dat intelligence) or a hufflepuff (loyal to her dad/the castle, works at her inventions and books). mrs potts and lumiere are both gryffindors. plumette and chapeau are slytherins. 

do you have any headcanons about belle and adam as parents? i think they’d always let their children know they were loved, and they’d always try their best to support them. 

what does chip grow up to be? i mean what job do you think he chooses? there was a really nice fic juliejeanette (civilwarrose) wrote where he became a sailor in the french navy, and i think that fits him pretty well)

what’s your favorite song of the moment? (doesnt have to be batb, i’m just curious to know what yall listen to) already answered!

what’s your favorite book? (not romeo and juliet like belle, i hope) again with making me choose! uhhhhh jane eyre, villette, the woman in white, fangirl, the lunar chronicles, ink heart series, his dark materials.

and

name: rachael

gender: cis woman

height: like 5″2′

hogwarts house: hufflepuff

favorite animal: dog/cat/dolphin

average hours of sleep: right now about 9 because i’m sick, but usually about 7

dogs or cats: dogs

how many blankets i sleep with: two in winter, one in summer

dream trip/vacation: i’d love to go back to canada one day, especially p.e.i. again.

dream job: nurse

when i made this account: july 2012, but i didn’t really use it until like 2013

why i made this account: to keep up with bernie su’s bts posts about the lizzie bennet diaries

number of followers: 460

reason for url: i like tea