#recreate kingdom hearts ending

[thefreshprinceofjunes]

part of your world - the little mermaid (1989) // kingdom hearts II (2005)

[valtharr]

Imagine someone made a mod for Kingdom Hearts 2 where they perfectly recreate the world of Dark Souls. Rip all the textures and sound files and dialogue and so on from Dark Souls, recreate the whole world within KH 2. Rebuild the maps, apply the textures, place NPCs, which will give out the dialogue if spoken to. They're also taking KH 2 enemies and reskinning them to look like Dark Souls enemies. They're replacing the names and descriptions and illustrations of KH 2 items with those of Dark Souls items. But, critically, they're not actually changing anything about the actual gameplay. You are, for all intents and purposes, still Sora fighting Heartless and Nobodies, but they all just look different. It looks like Dark Souls, but plays like KH 2. Instead of slow, deliberate combat, it's fast-paced, flashy, and mostly airborne. Instead of only being able to level up at bonfires, and risking losing all your Souls when you die, you automatically level up as soon as you have enough EXP. Instead of respawning at a bonfire after dying, and having to make the trek back to where you died, you can just respawn there immediately.

Now let's say we have someone who already KH 2 on PC, and is interested in playing Dark Souls. They heard good things about the games, and really want to play them. But then, they find out about that mod. And they're like "hey, nice, I can just play that mod! I don't have to learn any new game mechanics or control schemes, and don't have to spend any extra money!"

Do you think this person would get an authentic Dark Souls experience? Do you think they'd get what it is about Dark Souls that people actually like?

Sure, they may still have fun. I mean, they probably will. After all, they already like Kingdom Hearts, and they're essentially just playing more Kingdom Hearts.

But also... they're essentially just playing more Kingdom Hearts!

They'll probably have fun with that, but they're denying themselves an opportunity to find something new that could be fun for them! Something different! Something that they can't get from just playing Kingdom Hearts! They end up settling for a cheap, surface-level imitation of the looks of Dark Souls, while completely ignoring that a team of game designers has worked really hard to create a set of game mechanics that can convey the appropriate feel of Dark Souls! They will travel the same spaces and fight (visually) the same bosses as people who play Dark Souls, but they won't actually get what made those spaces and bosses special in the players eyes. They'll never have the same kinds of stories to tell that Dark Souls players have to tell.

Anyway, that's what it's like when people homebrew D&D for a genre it's not meant for instead of even looking at games made specifically for that genre.

[theladyheroine]

Characters for the New TMNT 🐢

❥ Hello everyone! So this will be similar to my previous Kingdom Hearts posts where I’ll try to predict a few things for the future! It’s just for fun but I hope you guys enjoy! 💚

⚠️ Also quick warning, there are spoilers for the Mutant Mayhem movie & the Tales of the TMNT on Paramount! ⚠️

Casey Jones - Okay, so I understand there was a scrapped concept art for Casey Jones from the Mutant Mayhem movie. But whether Casey ends up being a boy or a girl, I really wanna see their friendship again! They always have good chemistry together, & I can imagine them meeting if Raph tries out for the hockey team at school! Jones is like the best player on the team so Raph has some beef. 😅 Not intentionally but I can see a rivalry happening (lol).

Karai - This was more of a what if moment but since the Shredder will likely appear in the sequel movie, Karai would be like one of those characters that turns good in the end. Likely because she never wanted to serve the Foot Clan in the first place. It would also be cool if she went to the same high school as the main cast, either before or at the end of the film.

Slash - This character was also what if moment, since Slash is usually a small villain. But I really like what the 2012 TMNT did, making him a hero during his arc! I feel if he did show up in MM universe, I can see him being a bit of an antihero at first? Or some kind of mutated crook before agreeing to help the turtles out.

Mona Lisa - Raph’s love interest I feel was pretty underrated until the 2012 version put their own spin on things! She’s one of my favorite characters & I’d love to see her again! For this version, I would like to see a human design since we haven’t seen that before! But then she gets mutated later on & perhaps that can be a new story in the future? With humans getting mutated too at some point.

The Rat King - So, I’m actually not so sure for this one? I know Splinter was the Rat King temporarily during the Tales of the TMNT show. But I did see a post, unfortunately I can’t remember where 😅🙏, but someone said that Bad Bernie might end up being mutated? I can see that, especially since he already looks like a rat or mouse. And he did come back after the East River 3 Arc.

Miyamoto Usagi - Okay this was a lot tougher than I thought. 😅 I understand Usagi is like from an alternate dimension usually? And for a funny spinoff series, that could still work? But maybe more on the science-style of things rather than the magic side? Like maybe TCRI makes a giant portal & the turtles get sucked into it. Landing in Usagi’s dimension by accident!

Venus de Milo - I have yet to see the 90s movies but I’m still a big fan of Venus de Milo! She is so cool & I feel she’s a good contrast to the boys. I’m not sure if she’d be related to them or not, but we can stick with the cousin thing for now. Anywho, for her backstory, I feel maybe she was another experiment from Baxter Stockman? Or maybe TCRI who wanted to recreate his project but she escapes! And meets the turtles!

Irma Langinstein - So I only know Irma from the 2012 version of TMNT, but if she were introduced into MM I feel there’s a lot of cool stuff she could do! Maybe she’s a human friend April makes or she’s some kind of ninja turtle fan girl (lol)! But so far I’ve seen people portray her as a super smart kid & becoming best friends with Donnie, which I like!

[masterfuldoodler]

Top Art Post for each month of 2024

January - (meme comic)

February - (Wingfeather Saga fanart)

March - (oc art)

April - (The World Ends With You fanart)

May - (Kingdom Hearts fanart) TOP POST

June - (Kingdom Hearts meme redraw)

July - (ArtFight attack)

August - (artistic recreation of life)

September - (oc art)

October - (My Hero Academia fanart

November - (Kingdom Hearts fanart)

December - (oc gif)

[raphsmuneca]

𝓔𝓮𝓷𝔂, 𝓜𝓮𝓮𝓷𝔂, 𝓜𝓲𝓷𝔂, 𝓜𝓸𝓮

[Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe] The Introduction

NSFW/18+/suspense/romance/softsmut/agedturtles

Yes, I’m back! 💕

The Introduction

𓆉✩.･*:｡≻───── ⋆♡⋆ ─────.•*:｡✩

‘It’s been 5 years now?! Well damn.’

For five unbearable years you’ve had to put a clutch on your womanhood because of the world’s most dominant MAJOR DICKS! Their names? Jerk, Asshole, Pansy, and Half-Wit!

Jerk, aka Leo, ughhh…. What is it with his monarch-like superiority? Given your exceptional teamwork, he’s never satisfied. If his balls were cowbells the resonant clanks would create structural damage to the roads that kept Manhattan’s traffic flowing. You’ve never seen a whiner less creative than he. When you first met him he was vehemently constructing new schemes for the new world of criminals, but now? He is just as boring as his daily cup of tea: green, no milk, no sugar, no steam, just cool green tea. Bleh!

And what of the orifice of all arses, you ask? Care to venture a guess? No need! He’s the one caricature in your mini series of sketches that remains as solid as his “musk-les.” Parodying his temper should make him easier to describe, yet he remains the same insufferable individual. No imaginary weapon or wily tool could crack through that thick skull. He was like that hidden underwater kingdom Aquaman was reaching for; except you lacked Atlantean armor and power. ‘Damn you, Raph!’

Then there’s America’s unrevealed gifted scientist and mathematician, “Dr. Pansy, MD.” He’s Mozilla’s next Firefox “X.” You’ve been treated like nothing but a demi-decade, shrinking violet by this blind scholar. He’s a walking firewall! You speak, he hums. You cry, he hums. You laugh, he hums. The same bland expression on his face makes you question both your humanity and belonging. His focus is strong, but it’s never on you. There was a time Donnie would join conversations to be heard, but now he's as unresponsive as a deaf mule.

And then there's the “half-wit” - I'm not mincing words!! He's obsolete and shows poor judgment, failing to consider the consequences for the rest of us. Are you all emotions and no substance, Mikey? He’s 25 and still can’t grasp the concept of responsibility! I know he means well, and his heart will forever be in the right place, but we don't need a showman; we need someone to hold down this fort since it's falling apart. And, as crazy as it sounds, he's the only one who can wake the rest up. Let's be honest, Mikey's the bass of this beat, and without him, there's no sound.

……

Here we are, after one of our misadventures led us to a faraway planet, at an unknown time, arranging our pre-planned escape, but I must choose to wed one of the four aforementioned idiots. However, with a twist of their own alien-like minds, they have decided that before my chosen one and I can marry, we must first make amends and recreate a romance for their benefit. They possess the technology to alter the ending, yet they permit the victim to select an ending of their liking before taking the next step, which, under my circumstance, means we are trapped in this hell. For their honeymoon, the newlyweds are allowed to travel anywhere in time only this once. That's our one gate! We've been stranded here for three weeks, with all escape attempts unsuccessful.

This is it! I have to choose one of these duds and pretend to care in order for us to make an escape; the problem is, which one do I choose, and how does that story play out?

I managed to convince them to let me tell all four untold stories before making a decision to improve our chances, but, why is it so difficult to go through with this? Because in the last year my bond with any of the turtles has declined. I struggle to hold conversations with them, let alone pretend romantic interest, even if our lives are at stake!

I’ve got quite the parody in my sketchbook, but they lit a candlestick to my ass with this one!

Here we go…

(Part 2 Leo’s Version <-)

Parts 3, 4 & 5 will be added accordingly… DO NOT REPOST!

@thelaundrybitch @eveandtheturtles @margoteve @m1dnyt3-w0lf @raphslovemuffin80 @leosgirl82 @happymoonangel @replicasey @inspiredwriter @fyreball66 @dressycobra7 @avery73 @raphaelsrightarm @android-cap-007 @moonlightflower21 @waterstar2016 @iheartchv @foxflamewarrior

[6point5crows]

Kuwei is a character often mischaracterized by the fandom, having been boiled down to just being “Wesper home wrecker” and the hurdle for Wesper to get over. People hate Kuwei because that’s all they seem him as, a tool to give Wesper issues. This shows a lack of understanding for his character as a whole and shows that people will not take the time to understand certain characters.

To begin, his whole life had been spent on the run and hiding. Running from the government due to being Grisha, running from Fjerda, being captured by Fjerdan, trapped in Fjerda, being captured by the Crows, running with the Crows, hiding the whole run of Crooked Kingdom, running from death itself, running away to Ravka, and now hiding out in Ravka. He lives in a constant state of holding onto what little self-preservation he must have left just to keep fleeing at a moments notice, never to turn back and face what chases him because everyone tells him to run and hide.

Why?

Because he’s just a prop to everyone. To Fjerda, to the story, to Ravka, and even to the Crows. He’s just a prop— a bargaining chip— a job. He’s hardly treated as human by anyone in the books, and is constantly spoken about as if he’s an item to be exchanged. Even the fandom speaks of Kuwei like this sometimes, or maybe they hardly take a moment to remember him at all.

Not to mention how much trauma he must have gone through? We don’t know what happened with his mother but we know Fjerda killed his father— Likely in front of Kuwei. Then they tortured him and tried to force him to recreate a drug that Kuwei didn’t even know how to make in the first place. Then he’s saved by kids his age only to discover their plan was just to trade him off to somebody else originally because to them… he’s just a prospect for money. And who knows what would have happened then? Would the Kerch government have gone to torture him too? Force him to do what the Fjerdans were doing? Maybe sell him off once more? What if it was back to Fjerda? Then he was put under constant fire and attacks, always in danger, tucked away somewhere without light and warmth for so long.

If he wasn’t friends with death before, he definitely was now.

Furthering on that, he had to watch as every single country became so after him, that the only solution was to fake his own death in front of them all— like a rabbit in front of wolves. Something which if done wrong, could literally end in his death (though maybe at this point, he was okay with that. It’s not like he’s really been living that whole time anyways). Or the plan could go wrong and somebody could make a grab at him. What if the Crows betray him and instead let him be sold off? What if they all fail? So they have a mock auction— which was real to everyone but Kuwei and the Crows— so Kuwei got to see just how much countries were willing to fight over him. Even if he knew the outcome of this auction, it would not be any less terrifying to hear as the price of yourself be called out. To hear you be auctioned off. To listen as you were reduced to nothing but money.

Then he was back on the run to Ravka, finally able to see the sun, finally able to relax. Right? But after all that, could he ever really relax? Could he ever exist as if any of this was normal? He’s still technically hiding in Ravka, without the freedom to go anywhere else. If he did, he would be killed, sold, used, tortured. And after all that… he’s still just a background character for all these stories. An item. A prop.

Yet he’s meant to represent a Phoenix— of rebirth and fire, to live even when all says he should be dead. To show that Grisha do not need to slouch in captivity or be used, to show that there is hope to fight back. He is meant to represent the fire in Grisha’s’ hearts, to build a better world and to use all of this attention he’s gained to help free the Grisha.

And yet he’s still on the run.

And yet he’s still traumatized.

And yet the fandom and characters still treat him like a prop.

Kuwei is more than just Wesper, Kuwei is more than just a prop, Kuwei is more than everything he’s been reduced to.

[ifuckinglovedinosaurssomuchjesus]

Chaos Theory Thoughts:

Episode 1

I like the intro, a recreation of a deleted Dominion scene where Rexy disrupts traffic. Surely she'll appear in the show proper at some point? Wouldn't be surprised if they're contractually obligated to put her in every Jurassic World product.

I cannot stress enough that this is just the ideal aesthetic. Dinosaur footprints creating potholes in an asphalt road that a truck has to avoid. This kind of casual urban anachronistic prehistory is my entire jam, I want to live in a world where Sauropods block traffic.

I like that Pachyrhinosaurus gets the obligatory "wow" moment this time around. It's a fine if unremarkable design, but it's really nice to see in the flesh after the little screen in Fallen Kingdom name dropped it as one of the species taken off the island.

One thing I already prefer about Chaos Theory over Camp Cretaceous is that everyone is a fully fledged adult. It tugs on the heart strings to see them grow and I always just feel a bit more comfortable connecting with characters around my age. Darius worked with the DPW in that four year gap between the end of CC and now. Is it bad that I wish we got to see that instead? The "getting wrapped up in illegal trafficking" plot is nice and all but I desperately just want an episodic series of the DPW dealing with dinos.

Kinda hate this scene, not gonna lie. The franchise's dead-set insistence on treating every herbivore as a harmless cow is a teeth grinding pet peeve. Yeah, go up to a wild agitated elephant and pull a thorn out of its foot, you absolutely won't get popped like a grape.

Allosaurus vs Pachyrhinosaurus. I like that the Allo is pretty outmatched, and it runs away after taking a couple smacks to the ribs. The franchise can forget that carnivores have survival instincts at times. Plus we get to up the score to 3-0 for Ceratopsians against Theropods!

A fun twist on a franchise trope, now it's the car chasing the dinosaur!

I like the themes of drifting away from old friends and the loss of relationships over time. The writers understood that it's a big time jump, the characters have grown up, to use that to drive the emotion is... surprisingly mature.

I adore this scene, as Ben's antics and rant in the dead of the night begin to illuminate the danger they're in before he's vindicated by an ominous shadow in the window, gives me chills.

Enter the Atrociraptor. Unfortunately they don't quite live up to the tension, the attack in the cabin is just a bit too contrived. They're loud and smash into everything like they're half blind, victims of falling bookshelves and railing on stairs. Very clumsy assassins.

[danger-high-voltage]

What I Want for the Kingdom Hearts Missing Link Ending

The final cutscene is a recreation of the cutscene from Dark Road where the elderly Player passes on while watching Xehanort on the beach of Destiny Islands. Except the camera focuses on Player's heart floating away before the scene fades out.

Next we cut to a scene of a woman preparing a meal. When she's done she says, "Sora, dinner's ready! Sora?"

[firestorm09890]

more disorganized organization xiii warrior cats thoughts

Vexen medicine cat would be really funny. Zexion medicine cat apprentice is the next logical step which I think recreates the early Jaypaw Leafpool dynamic which is even funnier because Jayfeather was the first character I was ever obsessed with

also completely erases any competition for Saïx though. so. congrats Zexion you get to live

wait I just realized none of these bastards are canonically specialized for healing. the closest would be Vexen (knows how the body works) and Zexion (highest magic stat and only true caster, and cure/cura/curaga are spells)

back to Saïx, even though I think the "Luna Diviner" title is lame as fuck and doesn't represent Saïx very well, when you consider the line in kh2 where he asks Sora if he can hear the euphoria of the hearts gathered in kingdom hearts + the part of that one short story where Saïx asks Axel if he can hear the world's screams and Axel goes "what the hell are you talking about", I think he probably CAN actually hear that shit. which means he's definitely one of those cats constantly being plagued by visions of dead ancestors

that's the medicine cat's job though and generally cats who can hear that stuff from early on end up going into the medicine cat role but look at Saix he is NOT about to be a fucking medicine cat. middle manager assigning missions is basically the same as deputy assigning patrols, he's the deputy I've decided

actually... Vexen doesn't seem like a very spiritual guy... maybe it's like Mothwing and her apprentices, where he only does healing and Zexion handles all the prophecy omen StarClan stuff as well. He would be into that

I think Roxas being an apprentice to Axel sounds about right but idk about Xion... could be a situation where her mentor is Saix and he's being absolutely shitty about it but if the Chain of Memories crew is still alive in this setting I think. maybe. he should not be the one mentoring her.

Vexen can't do it though if he's the medicine cat and Xion's going to be a warrior

wait would this au have Vexen be Xion's biological father

then who's the mother

the worldbuilding of this group is in shambles

I have backstory for Zexion (abandoned kit found on the edge of territory) and no one else

okay that's not true I have one for Xemnas

Xemnas is the leader. he started out as a loner and then joined the clan and either charisma'd his way to being leader or there was a violent coup, which would imply... a number of things

like they'd definitely be put in their place after a coup if there were any other clans around

why is the group so small? why are they exclusively growing the group by recruiting outsiders when warrior cats almost all hate doing that? if we start with an established group where Ansem the Wise is theoretically the leader and Xemnas takes over after they collectively beat Ansem's ass, what happened to the entire rest of the clan? also where are the women

Lauriam/Marluxia and Elrena/Larxene's deal is somewhat similar to Jay's Wing/Jayfeather, Dove's Wing/Dovewing, and Lion's Roar/Lionblaze, but instead of reincarnations they're time travelers. I don't think they get magic powers as a result because they didn't get any more special powers than the other org members in canon

I'll come up with warrior names for all of them I promise

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 4.5/5

Book Blurb: June Hur, bestselling author of The Red Palace, crafts a devastating and pulse-pounding tale that will feel all-too-relevant in today’s world, based on a true story from Korean history. Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.

1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.

Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.

Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.

When Iseul's and Daehyun's fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever seen:

Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.

Review:

A girl willing to go to great lengths to rescue her sister from an evil king soon finds herself working together with the king's half brother in order to stage a coup and destroy the king. Based and inspired on real historical events/figures, the story is set in 1506, Josean, in which the evil tyrant King Yeonsan rules. Known for his cruelty and horrific abuse of women and girls, King Yeonsan will kidnap married women and young girls to abuse, traffic, and use as playthings. When seventeen year old Iseul's older sister is taken to become the king's latest prey, Iseul will do anything to get her back. The king's power is absolute and to challenge him would mean certain death. Prince Daehyun has not only witnessed but committed many horrifying acts in order to simply survive in his half brother's rule. He has been forced to shut his emotions off in order to just survive... having to watch King Yeonsan's rampant executions and abuse of people... and Daehyun has been bidding his time, patiently waiting to stage a coup and dethrone his brother. Daehyun and Iseul's path cross and despite their dislike for one another, their deeper hatred for the king will bond them together as they seek to free themselves of this monster. All the while a different monster is on the loose, a killer known as Nameless Flower, prowls the street, leaving behind dead bodies and messages to the king. Can Daehyun and Iseul make it out alive or were their chances impossible to begin with? This was such a heart wrenching and brutal read, especially since it is based on real history and on real atrocities committed. I cannot even begin to imagine the horrors that had occurred. The story was a fantastic look into this moment in history and despite how hard it was to read at some points, I was absolutely gripped until the very end and was so happy with how things turned out. I would absolutely recommend this for anyone who enjoys stories based on history, heart wrenching stories, and just a good read!

*Thanks Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Feiwel & Friends for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[theblueprincess590]

To be A Captain of the Sea and Sky-An Analysis of Kingdom Hearts

In each of the previous Disney worlds Sora’s character has been explored and analyzed. From his role as a Fairy Tale Guardian and Hero to his willingness to endure for his ideals. The main strengths of his character are explored in their entirety showing how his past adventures have shaped him to the person he is now. But one thing the disney worlds have yet to do in 3 is change him. Sora for the most part has remained a static figure in other people’s stories. Helping others with their own goals and encouraging them to grow all while remaining the same himself. That has to change. If Sora is to defeat Master Xehanort, if he is to win the Second Keyblade War then he must change, must become a man. And So when Sora returns to the world of a free sea and sky he embarks on a quest to become his own man, to become his own Captain.

When Sora first Returns to The Caribbeans he is emboldened by the love of the sea and indulges in a flight of fancy and nostalgia. He recreates the raft he created as a child and attempts to sail the High Seas with it. Sora appears to be making progress, acting like his own man and following his own lead. Then he fails. Sora not knowing where he’s going ends up leading the makeshift raft off the literal edge of the world and into World’s End. This is because Sora wasn’t acting like a man but instead like a child, pursuing fantasies that he should have moved on from instead of creating his own ideals to live by. So in the wake of this failure Sora relapses and defers to the authority of Jack Sparrow. No longer wanting to be a leader he once again becomes a follower. And at first that doesn't seem so bad. Through Jack’s teachings Sora is able to become a better pirate and discover the legendary ship Leviathan. However because Sora is a follower rather than a Captain then loses the right to the ship as Jack claims it for his own. He also comes to see Jack’s failings as the mumbling Trickster accidentally reveals to Luxord the location of the Dead Man’s Chest.    

It is now clear to all those that see that if Sora is to truly become a pirate and get what he wants he must become his own man. After following Jack’s order one last time and collecting the White Krabs to repair Leviathan, Sora is given a test. Jack asks Sora why he is so dead set on getting Leviathan? Why does he want to be a pirate? And Sora finally acting as his own man gives his answer straight from his heart. He tells Jack that he wishes to explore the seas and be as free as the winds. Sora has done the greatest thing any person can do, he has created his own ideals to live by, following his own heart and not anyone else's, to become his own man and Pirate. Ultimately rewarding Sora with not only leviathan but the blessing of the goddess of the sea Calypso, an honor given to only the greatest of pirate captains.

By overcoming his failures, learning from his friends, and listening to his heart Sora grew into a fine pirate captain holding Ideals that put him in the same league of the adults that sail The Caribbean Seas. This is reflected in the gameplay. In the Caribbean after officially receiving Leviathan The player is given the ability to freely explore the open sea however they see fit. They are able to travel to every island discovering lucky emblems, find the rarest treasure chests in the game, and collect more white crabs in order to make Leviathan even more powerful. None of this is forced on the player. Instead they are just like Sora given the choice to act as their own person and decide how they wish to travel the seas as pirates whether that be by becoming a world class treasure hunter, a hardened battle captain, or an experienced explorer. In fact if the player manages to do everything and level up their Levithan to the max level, they are rewarded with the ability to sail Jack’s legendary Ship the black Pearl. Showing that Both Sora and the Player have become Jack’s true equal.

Ship Combat also comes into play with the Sora’s growth. While traveling the seas Sora will come into conflict with a pirate ship helmed by the heartless. Despite waving the colors of the pirates these ships are nothing more than an insult. The Heartless are not men who pursue freedom but rather monsters bound by a hive mind that follows a single and thoughtless desire to consume. They bear no ideals of their own, mocking everything a pirate stands for. So they are fittingly destroyed by one who went from a follower to a captain. Using his authority Sora destroys the Fleets of Heartless Ships with the Levitan’s situation commands that represent Sora’s newfound power as a true Man. Shown best through the phrase “Hear My Call” that he chants whenever he uses one of the three situation commands. 

At the end of the world Sora’s growth is challenged upon reaching Shipwreck Cove and joining The Pirate War. Meeting up with his allies Sora comes to learn that they have all lost hope. They attempted to use the goddess Calypso and her power in order to win the war but in doing so they gave up following their own hearts. Instead of acting like adults and fighting for their own ideals and beliefs they choose to act like children and seek help from an authority figure to solve their problems. They submitted themselves to a higher power instead of living freely, they were no longer true pirates. And So Calypso abandoned them. Yet her blessing still remained with Sora, for he never stopped following his heart, ironically enough making the child the most adult one in the room. Sora inspires the other pirates to continue the fight, to remind them why they sail The Seven Seas and what the colors they hoist in unity mean. By being the one to lift the pirate army's spirits it becomes Sora’s responsibility to protect them when Luxord unleashes the Kraken upon the black pearl. For if a man can not protect those they inspire then they have no right to instill hope. 

As The Pirate’s Light of Hope Sora comes to clash with those who refuse to grow up as they insult or betray the ideals of pirates. Luxord is a gambler, a man who treats life itself like a game. And at first this makes him the perfect man to enter The Caribbean. After all, who better to be a pirate than a man who pursues thrills even at the cost of his own life? However it is actually because Luxord treats everything like a game that he is unfit to be a pirate. Luxord does not understand the gravity of this war, does not respect the ideals the pirates fight for. To him both sides are nothing more than players in his game, with the rules they live by nothing more than cheats for him to abuse. Luxord much like a child refusing to empathize and understand others as he ignorantly pursues his own entertainment. And because of his childish ignorance Luxord fails to defeat Sora in any of his games and is ultimately beaten by his rival Jack Sparrow. 

Davy Jones on the other hand acts as Sora’s final test of adulthood. In a childish act of spite Davy Jones kills Sora’s friend Will Turner for no reason other than to hurt the skyward captain. Davy Jones forces Sora to face the harshest truth of war, sometimes you lose those closest to you. And in this final test Sora falters. He becomes a boy once again and throws a tantrum, giving in to his anger as he mercilessly attacks Davy Jones. Blinded by his rage Sora acts recklessly tossing aside his Keyblade so that he may beat the monster of a man with his own two hands. Because of this lapse of Judgment Sora fails to defeat Davy Jones leaving it to the other adults Jack and Elizabeth, who must stomach their grief in order to finish off Jones and save what is left of Will’s soul

In the End Sora makes both great progress and regression in adventures across the Caribbean. By sailing his own ship and proving himself worthy to the goddess of the seas Sora becomes his own man joining the Pirate War. In this war Sora proves himself Jack’s true equal, giving hope to the other pirates and beating those who disrespect the ideals shared by Sora and his allies. And Yet despite all he’s accomplished Sora shows that he still has room to grow. For when faced with true tragedy he fails becoming a child once more in his anger and despair. Ultimately Sora relies on Jack’s words to move forward, and restore his faith in reunion. Hinting that Xemnas’s words might be true. That Sora might not be ready for the Second Keyblade War.  

[one-winged-dreams]

Charming

ship: so i stayed in the darkness with you (adri x terra) source: kingdom hearts word count: 933

the FIRST of the v-day content, I decided to just do one for terra and one for angeal because i can't think of anything polyship related ;_;

tag list: @dearly-beeloved @camellias-and-coriander @rebel-wolf13 @sunstar-of-the-north @mahitoslittlebird @goldenworldsabound @edencantstopfallininlove @adoredbyalatus @dorothys-wife @faerie-circle-ships @kylars-princess @little-miss-selfships

"So… I'm gonna give you your gift now, okay?"

Terra arched an eyebrow in Adri's direction, taking in the characteristic color scheme of black and purple on a frilly dress that was outright thematically appropriate for the occasion.

He only allowed himself to be distracted by the sight for a moment before shaking his head and blinking, the secondary detail brought to his attention being the pose - Adri standing with a bright blush on his face and his hands behind his back.

"U-Uhm," Terra cleared his throat, finding a light blush begin to creep up his own cheeks, "you sure? You don't have to…"

Adri shook his head, biting his lip apprehensively for a moment.

"N-No. It's better to do it now." he seemed to mutter something about 'before I lose my nerve,' but Terra pretended not to hear it. "It's… Well, it's something I'd like to… WEAR. While we're out today."

"Wear…?" Terra asked, tilting his head in puppy-like curiosity.

Adri's blush deepened.

"Ah! Uhm, I hope it's okay, I still don't know if you're the type for accessories or anything. I've been trying to figure that out for a while now, actually?" he laughed nervously.

Terra smiled shyly, chuckling.

"Just a couple of years by now," he light-heartedly teased.

Adri returned to the chuckle, though not any less nervously.

"Y-Yeah, I know…" he said, looking down wistfully before shaking his head again. "B-But anyway, uhm… It's a matching set. Here's yours."

Blinking, Terra watched as Adri pulled a black box out from behind his back while simultaneously taking note of the fact that one of his hands still remained hidden. With a sort of tentative curiosity, he accepted the box, looking up at Adri as if to ask permission to open it. When he received a shy nod in return, he did so, unsure of what to expect.

Inside was a silver bangle, custom to his size, it would appear. It didn't take Terra very long to notice the charm that was nestled in the cushioning of the jewelry box, a perfect recreation of the charm at the end of Black Magic, Adri's keyblade. It was hardly the first thing Terra would have expected as a Valentine's Day gift, a soft breath leaving him as his eyes widened by a margin.

"Adri…" he started, unsure of how to express himself.

"A-And I don't want you to think it's some egotistical gesture on my end or anything! L-Like I said, it's part of a set, uhm… And this one… Is mine," Adri let out his own breath, bringing his hand out from behind his back at last and holding it out to show a matching bangle, this one with a charm replica of the one at the end of Earthshaker.

If the first part of the gift reveal hadn't completely knocked the air out of Terra's lungs, this addition to the gesture had. His eyes widened further, and his blush increased.

"That's…" he once again found himself incapable of speaking, overcome by an array of emotions.

"God, I hope you like it. I was worried it would be a stupid idea, augh, if they're not your thing, I can return yours. I hope you don't mind if I keep mine, though…" Adri clasped his hands, wringing them nervously as he looked down at the floor.

Finally, Terra swallowed the lump in his throat that had prevented him from speaking. Or that's what he told himself, at least.

"Well," he started, "I sure would hope that you keep it. Because I'm definitely never going to take mine off. I-If I can help it, I mean," he stated as steadily as he could manage.

The way Adri's head lifted, his brown eyes practically sparkling, was enough of a bonus present to make Terra feel almost guilty.

"R… Really? You actually do like it?" Adri asked, seemingly needing reassurance that Terra wasn't just trying to make him feel better. Not intentionally, at least. He had long since learned to trust again if not mostly just Terra. The rest of the group as well, but it seemed Terra especially.

Regardless, if it was reassurance Adri needed, then Terra would provide. He immediately tucked the box under his arm, clasping the bangle around his wrist with purpose. The way he stopped to admire the way it looked around his wrist, however, wasn't so much a show of reassurance as it was a genuine emotional response.

A smile crept across his face as he took in the shape of the charm, and suddenly, his arms were around Adri's shoulders without a second thought as to how he could express his gratitude.

"They're… perfect," he spoke into Adri's hair, no amount of shyness getting in the way of placing a kiss on the top of his boyfriend's head.

He should have probably expected to hear a sniffle, spinning the image of emotional tears before he could even consider they might have been inevitable.

"I'm glad…! I love you…!" Adri whimpered into his chest, wrapping his arms around Terra's waist.

"I love you too…" Terra returned the sentiment, smiling gently before pulling himself away with an amount of reluctance. "Come on. Aqua and Dae have probably already met up with Demyx and Bee. If we hurry we won't be TOO late."

Adri blinked, still seemingly the only one left in the dark.

"Okay, but can you tell me where we're going NOW?" he asked as Terra put a hand on the small of his back and began nudging him forward.

"And leave you the only one unsurprised? Definitely not."

[cptn-m]

One Piece chapter 1133 review

Man, I don't even want to go deep and analytical with this one. It's just nice, you know. It's an incredibly sweet thing that's happened for a character that deserves it all and more. The perfect thing to follow the relentless darkness of Kuma's story and the loss of Vegapunk in the last arc. Yes, the plot pauses for it, but this reunion has been so long coming that using these pages to indulge it feels absolutely earned. Hold on, hold on, there's something in my eye.

Okay, got it out. There's a little space to be grumbly at the start of the chapter here. I've been holding my peace on the cover story because I've seen before how slowly these things build up, but the Holdem thing isn't doing it for me. Somehow I doubt he's the mastermind, and even with his hostage it's doubtful he's going to be any kind of challenge for Yamato. What could the next installment possibly be (that we'll have to wait weeks for with Christmas breaks and a colour spread coming up) besides a recreation of Luffy's punch to Holdem from the start of Wano? Maybe some of the lingering Yamato crewmate truthers will find that parallel compelling, but it stirs nothing in me. Wouldn't it make more sense to set them up to copy an Oden moment instead of a Luffy one? Give them the chance to either measure up or show they can do it different to their idol? I'll wait and hope for a surprise.

The new details of Robin's past are grim reminder how much she's been through and how far she's come. I wonder if any of these scenes were things cut for time from the original run. Eagle-eyed readers might spot the traitorous old woman Kanezenny from the old flashback selling her out. The scene on the cliff and the tragic attempt to draw Ohara back into the atlas break my heart.

We spare a moment for the beautiful whimsy of the Svarr (which makes me think of the jaw-dropping ascent to the Stormwind Arc in Zelda Tears of the Kingdom) and the interesting note that Elbaph has the perfect climate for a lot of things that Egghead needed island-wide conditioning to support. Did Vegpaunk base parts of the Egghead setup on his time in Elbaph, and if most of what he made was recreations of ancient technology, does that mean Elbaph was connected to that tech in the past too?

It can be pretty random what aspects of being a captain Luffy does and doesn't take seriously, but I like his determination to meet Saul for Robin's sake, even though he presumably hasn't even listened to the full story of what happened between them. All he needs to know is that this man is important to Robin. Chopper and Usopp's drive to help when they hear Saul's fallen warms me inside as well.

You don't need me to that the reunion scene works and why. The recreation of their first meeting. Robin getting it right away. And she cuts off all the serious stuff that's usually her territory and just asks to be praised. This woman has spent so much time wondering if surviving is worth it at all, facing the guilt and blame of being the only one to make it out of a genocide, finally coming to trust the people around her enough to want to live at all, and the only thing she asks of the last parent figure left in her world is validation that she did it right and that it was good for her to have done it. Damn it, I'm tearing up again just writing about it.

What a lovely, warming chapter to get right before the end of the year. I'm moved, I'm fulfilled, I'm happy to see it all come full circle. And that's all that really needs to be said.

[msbilberry]

Mirror for the bride of the King under the Mountain.

MsBilberry

Summary:

Erebor was retaken, Thorin and his nephews survived, and now restoration work is in full swing in the kingdom. Bilbo begins to feel lonely and unwanted and looks for a reason to return home. But it’s very difficult for him to do this, because his love for Thorin, which he never admitted, breaks the hobbit’s heart. And then, one not very wonderful day, the reason is found - Bilbo learns a secret that was hidden from him until the last: Erebor is preparing for the wedding of the King under the Mountain.

Chapter 1 of 5

Of course, the fact that Erebor was successfully recaptured and was being restored right before our eyes could not but rejoice. It is amazing how quickly the dwarves resurrected the former appearance of this mighty kingdom, recreating it even more magnificent and perfect than before. No less surprising for many was the fact that Thorin, the son of Thrain, a mighty warrior and now the rightful King, worked equally with everyone, from moving stones to working in a forge.

However, for those who were closely acquainted with Thorin and knew him well, this was not something out of the ordinary. All 12 dwarves from the squad, during their long journey together, managed to get to know the future King well enough to understand that in his soul he remained the same as they remembered him that evening in Bag End, when their long adventure was just beginning. The fourteenth member of the group, the hobbit named Bilbo Baggins, also seemed to understand this. Thorin's dragon sickness finally subsided, and the fact that he managed to survive the Battle of the Five Armies finally freed Thorin's mind from thoughts about gold and riches as the meaning of life, gave him strength and inspired him to restore his kingdom. Still, Bilbo felt some discomfort. Something has changed in Thorin's attitude towards the hobbit, but what? Bilbo could not give himself an answer to this question that tormented him so much.

Yes, Thorin had become distant, they no longer spent as much time together as before. There were no more long conversations until dawn, no more gatherings around the fire when you could sit closer to Thorin and slightly, as if by chance, snuggle up to him, as if by accident. Now Bilbo could not even see Thorin for a whole day, because he was either working in the forge, or sitting with Balin and other visiting dwarves in the library for papers, or receiving important guests. And then he even began to go with his nephews or Dwalin on visits to other kingdoms, leaving Erebor for a long time. However, maybe these visits were not so long, but for Bilbo, who realized that Thorin was not in Erebor and that he had gone somewhere far away, these days became real torture. He spent hours sitting by the window in his bedroom, which had a stunning view of the Mountain. But neither the wonderful view, nor the richly decorated room that was assigned to him, nor even the delicious food that was now in abundance in the kingdom, pleased Bilbo. And okay, everything else, but the fact that the hobbit wasn’t happy with the treats was definitely a bad sign!

Bilbo didn't understand why he was here. Now that Erebor had been retaken and its restoration was underway, the hobbit was no longer needed here. He probably already looked out of place under these stone arches, replete with inlays of precious stones. He is just a little hobbit, who was once invited by 13 dwarves on a journey and given a unique opportunity to take part in a real adventure. His mission here is completed and he must leave. This thought, although heartbreaking, firmly took hold in Bilbo’s mind and he gradually got used to it. And it broke his heart for only one reason, whose name was Thorin. Bilbo could not, did not want to part with him. The hobbit really wanted to see his cute mink again, return to his native land and again become just Bilbo Baggins from Bag End. But he understood that even if he left, his heart would forever remain here, with Thorin. The little hobbit’s little heart belongs to Thorin, and he doesn’t even know about it. Bilbo needed to leave, but he still couldn’t bring himself to do it. He was looking for a reason to delay his return home, and since all the dwarves from the detachment, and even those whom he had met already here, after the battle, were only glad that Bilbo was still with them, the hobbit still remained in Erebor , tormented by melancholy and a feeling of loneliness and uselessness.

And Thorin continued to solve state issues, only occasionally devoting some of his precious time to Bilbo. But Bilbo was happy with these crumbs too. At such hours they talked again, walking in the fresh air or sitting in the huge library by the fireplace. Sometimes Bilbo caught the gaze of blue eyes on himself, when, as it seemed to Thorin, the hobbit did not notice that they were looking at him. When they were alone, Bilbo always thought that Thorin wanted to tell him something, but did not dare. And when the king did start a conversation, it concerned exclusively matters of national importance and political issues. Bilbo was not interested in these conversations, but he listened carefully, because it was Thorin, his Thorin, speaking. And it doesn’t matter at all what was discussed, just to hear this velvety, familiar voice. Always hear. And at such moments the hobbit felt a lump in his throat. He again remembered that this could not last long.

[recusant-s-sigil]

So you know how the card combat system in CoM is never brought up again in the mainline series (non-mobile games)? This got pretty long, so it’ll be under the cut. Spoilers for Union Cross. TLDR: Ven’s presence in Castle Oblivion is what made it have the card system.

According to the 8th of Ansem the Wise’s secret reports in KH2, “[Castle Oblivion] consists of 13 floors above and 12 floors below ground, with the contents of its ‘White Rooms’ transforming in response to its visitor’s memories.” Those memories are etched onto cards, created by sampling specifically Sora and Riku’s memories. Who is the first person we see create these world cards?

Marluxia, who also teaches Sora how to use the cards to his advantage in combat for some reason. Come to think of it, why does Marluxia show Sora how to use the cards? In-universe, I mean. And how do the CO-assigned Org members know how to use them as well? But I’m getting off-track. We’re here to talk about why the cards are the combat system, not how the characters know how to use it.

Castle Oblivion is a place tied to the Age of Fairytales by its inhabitants, both as the Castle and as the Land of Departure. Ven is from then, as are Marluxia and Larxene, who both end up there. Eraqus is (probably but not confirmed to be) descended from Brain. Xehanort calls the Land of Departure a second home and is also related to a Union Leader, Ephemer. Remember, the contents of the White Rooms reflect the memories of the Castle’s visitors, so what then would happen if someone resided there? Would their memory, no matter if they consciously are aware of it or not, affect the whole castle to such a degree that the combat system reflects that of a bygone era?

Did you know that Kingdom Hearts χ, the browser game, used cards as its combat system? Ever wonder why Flick Rush exists? Dark Road also uses cards in its combat system, though it’s less a game of War and more “hit the enemy with sleights as fast as possible before their turn arrives”.

In Unchained χ and Union Cross, instead of cards, your player character uses Medals, which function basically the same but are exclusive to that specific game. Medals don’t show up anywhere else in the series, unlike cards.

At the end of Union Cross, it’s revealed that the events of Unchained χ were taking place inside a datascape, a digital recreation of the real Daybreak Town. Makes sense, then, that Medals only appear in that specific stretch of time/gameplay. We also discover that Dream Eaters, both Spirits and Nightmares, are actually wielders whose hearts have been kept safe by their Chirithy, transforming it into the technicolor Pokémon ripoffs of Dream Drop Distance. Only makes sense that they’d use cards for Flick Rush in that case, right?

Ever wonder why Luxord’s title is the Gambler of Fate when his attribute is time? Cards and dice, the main weapons he and his subset of Nobodies use, have been associated with fortune-telling since they were invented. Card reading, especially Tarot, are popular forms of attempting to predict the future or find out something important about yourself and others pertaining your/their destiny. But in this series, destiny is never left to chance, meaning no need to gamble. Perhaps Luxord is hoping to game the system while staying within the rules.

Back to world cards. Doesn’t the way they work seem oddly familiar? They use the memory of a person to project a world for them to interact with within a single location. Sounds very much like the Book of Prophecies creating worlds from the future it saw (the memory of that future etched in its pages) for wielders to collect Lux from the safety of Daybreak Town, since the actual worlds are too far away to get to besides using a Corridor of Darkness or similar.

I could go into how Skuld, Sigurd, and the Dark Road Norse Name crew connect to this (and possibly speculate about Sigurd’s role in Missing-Link), as well as the strange pods in CO/the Mansion and the significance of the Master’s Defender Keyblade being the one used to lock away the LoD but that’s more research than I could possibly stomach right now so I’ll save that analysis for another time. Besides, that’s more related to fate in general and not specifically cards so it’s probably best to keep that separate anyways.

If you made it this far, I want to thank you for reading! This is something I’ve had on my mind for a while and it feels great to finally get it down on paper (or rather, in a post).

[lucyav13]

Characters

This chapter will be dedicated to all those characters who accompanied us on our adventure for the pure hearts, so I hope you like it :) 

Queen Jaydes, Grambi y Luvbi

(Image credits to its author)

Queen Jaydes is the kind-hearted (but strict) queen of Underwhere. As ruler of The Underwhere, she possesses power over life and death. Queen Jaydes is named hence the god of the underworld in Greek mythology, Hades, as well as "upset," meaning "unenthusiastic" or "bored" (both qualities she possesses). Fun fact: she bears a certain resemblance to the Queen of Shadows.

Following Dimentio's defeat, Jaydes travels to The Overthere upon learning that Luvbi has returned to life. There, she promises to give Luvbi all the love she can and encourages the heroes to visit her to judge her when they finish her games, as thanks for her hard work.

Gambi

His name is a portmanteau of "grandfather" and "Nimbi."

Just as Jaydes is based on Hades, the ancient Greek lord of the underworld, Gambi may be based on Zeus, the sky god and ruler of Mount Olympus in Greek mythology. Additionally, as The Overthere also borrows from Christian theism, certain aspects of Gambi are shared with God, such as his position as head of the angelic Nimbis and his conflict with Bonechill (whose story closely resembles that of Lucifer). However, Grambi is not credited with creating the world or life and is neither omniscient nor omnipotent.

Luvbi

Her name is a combination of the words "love" and "Nimbi." After Bonechill's defeat, Luvbi assumes his true form to save all the worlds. After saving all the worlds, Luvbi recreates herself as a true Nimbi girl independent of the white Pure Heart. (A/N: I have a theory that explains how, so check out the Pure Hearts chapter ;))

Fun Fact: Luvbi plays a similar role to TEC-XX from the previous game, in that they both make a sacrifice to help Mario and his friends at the end of Chapter 7, only to be inexplicably revived upon Mario's defeat the final boss.

Kalamarx

After the heroes defeat Mr. L in the heart of the Whoa Zone, Squirps reveals to them that he is the prince of a forgotten kingdom, Squirpia, and that his mother, Squirpina XIV, was entrusted with the Pure Heart by the Ancients. She then placed Squirps in a hibernation capsule for 1,500 years, so that he could lead the heroes to the Whoa Zone when they arrived in Outer Space. After relaying his mother's message to them asking them to save all worlds, the prince hands over the Blue Pure Heart. The post-chapter narration reads that, his quest finally done, Squirps lay down near the statue of his mother and closed his eyes to rest. He was presumed dead by the heroes; however, returning to Outer Space at any time afterward reveals that he had only fallen asleep, and the player can replay the chapter as normal.

After beating the game, the heroes can find Squirps in the Whoa Zone near his mother's statue, assuring her of the world's safety and that he would restore Squirpia someday.

Tipptron, with her tattle says: His full name is Squirp Korogaline Squirpina. It seems he is actually the prince of a space kingdom... He dreams of ascending the throne someday. I'm sure he has what it takes...

Some fun facts: Squirps' reaction to being fed a chocolate bar can be seen as a callback to Gourmet Guy from the original Paper Mario, who acted similarly when fed Cake and also impeded Mario's progress in Chapter 4 of that game.

He is also somewhat similar to Flavio, as both claim themselves to be gourmets and are initially hesitant to accept the edibles Mario brings them.

Excluding enemies, Squirps is the only character in the game who flips into 3D as the player does; this is the case even when they visit him in the Whoa Zone.

Squirps is the second character in the Paper Mario series to fall asleep and be mistaken for dead by Mario and co., with Admiral Bobbery being the first.