#the first time but then immediately after i also heard epic iii and it made me sob my eyes out and i concluded the show must be good

[eerna]

Reading Hadestown criticisms is funny bc they're always like "this is a bad show because WHY are they CONSTANTLY talking about a TRAIN but WE NEVER SEE A SINGLE TRAIN"

[percabeth4life]

i want to know the original version of hades and persephone story. there are so many versions I've read and i wanted to know which one do you believe in or which one do you think is the real one?

Okay so to start with. If we wanna really go back, Hades came into existence after Persephone. But alas, we aren't speaking of this version.

We are talking about the version where Hades sweeps Persephone away without so much as a hello.

The problem is a lot of the stories of Ancient Greece are well... They're lost. They were primarily shared through oral tradition, and written down over time. And so many stories we may not know. On top of that, many that were written down were lost, destroyed or just vanished, to time. Plus, we don't know how to translate Linear A, but we do Linear B, and there may be a version somewhere in Linear A. Overall, it's just possible we don't know the earlier versions.

But the earliest version we do have is from the Homeric Hymn, from the 7th or 6th B.C.E. This hymn is actually one to Demeter, not Hades or Persephone. The myth, while speaking of the two, is actually about Demeter.

It is, for the time period it is from (and you must keep in mind the culture of the time to understand the myth) a feminist myth.

So the culture of the time.

In the time period women did not have the greatest of rights, something improved upon today, but it means that the Father (and/or King) had full rights to hand their daughters off to another man.

That is what happens in this myth, Zeus tells Hades he may have Persephone's hand... But Persephone did not wish to go. And likewise Demeter was not informed.

By the culture of the time that does not matter, but Demeter *makes* it matter. She searches for her daughter first, then when she discovers where Persephone was taken and who was the cause (Zeus) she is angered.

Demeter then refuses to step upon Olympus, not allow any plants to grow, until she sees her daughter again.

This is obviously a problem, so Zeus sends Hermes down to retrieve Persephone (who btw was unhappy and missed her mom). Persephone leaps up with joy to see her mother again and Hades agrees immediately. But he secretly feeds her pomegranate seeds just to be sure she would return.

The reason this is a feminist myth is because of Demeter, because she refused to accept her king and her daughter's father handing their daughter off in marriage. And she refused to such an extent that they had no choice but to compromise with her (and had Hades not forced Persephone to have the pomegranate seed she wouldn't have even had to compromise).

For the culture of the time, Zeus and Hades were taking actions that were more than okay, nothing they did would be considered wrong. But Demeter stood against it.

Demeter stood for her daughter to not be married off, and demanded she be returned, and Persephone (tho she came to love Hades) was relieved to return to her mother.

Many of the "new adaptions" have Persephone wanting to leave Demeter, wanting to be with her husband, and Demeter being overbearing. But originally it was mutual love, Mother and Daughter missing each other and the Mother fighting to get her daughter back when everything of the time said she had no right to.

And so the myth as we know occurs. This is the myth I ascribe too, being the oldest we have, and I do wish more realized how Demeter's actions are why the myth is so important.

I have copied the Hymn in it's entirety below the cut. It is fairly long and four parts. If you have questions about it, feel free to ask!

Homeric Hymn 2 to Demeter (abridged) (trans. Evelyn-White) (Greek epic C7th or 6th B.C.) :

I. HAIDES ABDUCTS PERSEPHONE

"[Demeter's] trim-ankled daughter whom Aidoneus [Haides] rapt away, given to him by all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer. Apart from Demeter, lady of the golden sword and glorious fruits, she was playing with the deep-bosomed daughters of Okeanos and gathering flowers over a soft meadow, roses and crocuses and beautiful violets, irises also and hyacinths and the narcissus, which Gaia (the Earth) made to grow at the will of Zeus and to please Polydektor (Host of Many), to be a snare for the bloom-like girl--a marvellous, radiant flower. It was a thing of awe whether for deathless gods or mortal men to see: from its root grew a hundred blooms and it smelled most sweetly, so that all wide heaven (ouranos) above and the whole earth (gaia) and the sea's (thalassa) salt swell laughed for joy. And the girl was amazed and reached out with both hands to take the lovely toy : but the wide-pathed earth yawned there in the plain of Nysa, and the lord, Polydegmon (Host of Many) [Haides], with his immortal horses sprang out upon her--the Son of Kronos (Cronus), Polynomos (He Who has Many Names).

He caught her up reluctant on his golden car and bare her away lamenting. Then she cried out shrilly with her voice, calling upon her father [Zeus], the Son of Kronos, who is most high and excellent. But no one, either of the deathless gods or mortal men, heard her voice, nor yet the olive-trees bearing rich fruit: only tender-hearted Hekate (Hecate), bright-coiffed, the daughter of Persaios (Persaeus), heard the girl from her cave, and the lord Helios (the Sun), Hyperion's bright son, as she cried to her father, the Son of Kronos. But he was sitting aloof, apart from the gods, in his temple where many pray, and receiving sweet offerings from mortal men. So he [Haides], that Son of Kronos, Polynomos (Of Many Names), Polysemantor (Ruler of Many) and Polydegmon (Host of Many), was bearing her away by leave of Zeus on his immortal chariot--his brother's child and all unwilling.

And so long as she, the goddess, yet beheld earth and starry heaven and the strong-flowing sea where fishes shoal, and the rays of the sun, and still hoped to see her dear mother and the tribes of the eternal gods, so long hope clamed her great heart for all her trouble . . . and the heights of the mountains and the depths of the sea ran with her immortal voice : and her queenly mother heard her.

II. DEMETER SEARCHES FOR PERSEPHONE

"Bitter pain seized her [Demeter's] heart, and she rent the covering upon her divine hair with her dear hands : her dark cloak she cast down from both her shoulders and sped, like a wild-bird, over the firm land and yielding sea, seeking her child. But no one would tell her the truth, neither god nor mortal man; and of the birds of omen none came with true news for her. Then for nine days queenly Deo wandered over the earth with flaming torches in her hands, so grieved that she never tasted ambrosia and the sweet draught of nektaros, nor sprinkled her body with water. But when the tenth enlightening dawn had come, Hekate, with a torch in her hands, met her, and spoke to her and told her news : ‘Queenly Demeter, bringer of seasons and giver of good gifts, what god of heaven (theon ouranion) or what mortal man has rapt away Persephone and pierced with sorrow your dear heart? For I heard her voice, yet saw not with my eyes who it was. But I tell you truly and shortly all I know.’

So, then, said Hekate. And [Demeter] the daughter of rich-haired Rheia answered her not, but sped swiftly with her, holding flaming torches in her hands. So they came to Helios (the Sun), who is watchman of both gods and men, and stood in front of his horses: and the bright goddess enquired of him : ‘Helios, do you at least regard me, goddess as I am, if ever by word or deed of mine I have cheered your heart and spirit. Through the fruitless air (aitheros) I heard the thrilling cry of my daughter whom I bare, sweet scion of my body and lovely in form, as of one seized violently; though with my eyes I saw nothing. But you--for with your beams you look down from the bright upper air (aitheros) over all the earth and sea--tell me truly of my dear child if you have seen her anywhere, what god or mortal man has violently seized her against her will and mine, and so made off.’

So said she. And the Son of Hyperion [Helios] answered her : ‘Queen Demeter, daughter of rich-haired Rheia, I will tell you the truth; for I greatly reverence and pity you in your grief for your trim-ankled daughter. None other of the deathless gods is to blame, but only cloud-gathering Zeus who gave her to Aides, her father's brother, to be called his buxom wife. And Aides seized her and took her loudly crying in his chariot down to his realm of mist and gloom. Yet, goddess, cease your loud lament and keep not vain anger unrelentingly : Aidoneus Polysemantor (Ruler of Many) is no unfitting husband among the deathless gods for your child, being your own brother and born of the same stock: also, for honour, he has that third share which he received when division was made at the first, and is appointed lord of those among whom he dwells.’

So he spake, and called to his horses: and at his chiding they quickly whirled the swift chariot along, like long-winged birds. But grief yet more terrible and savage came into the heart of Demeter, and thereafter she was so angered with [Zeus] the dark-clouded Son of Kronos that she avoided the gathering of the gods and high Olympos. She [Demeter] vowed that she would never set foot on fragrant Olympos nor let fruit spring out of the ground until she beheld with her eyes her own fair-faced daughter.

III. THE RETURN OF PERSEPHONE

"Now when all-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer heard this, he sent Argeiphontes [Hermes] whose wand is of gold to Erebos, so that having won over Aides with soft words, he might lead forth chaste Persephoneia to the light from the misty gloom to join the gods, and that her mother might see her with her eyes and cease from her anger. And Hermes obeyed, and leaving the house of Olympos, straightway sprang down with speed to the hidden places of the earth. And he found the lord Aides in his house seated upon a couch, and his shy mate with him, much reluctant, because she yearned for her mother. But she was afar off, brooding on her fell design becuase of the deeds of the blessed gods. And strong Argeiphontes [Hermes] drew near and said : ‘Dark-haired Aides, ruler over the departed, father Zeus bids me bring noble Persephone forth from Erebos unot the gods, that her mother may see her with her eyes and cease from her dread anger with the immortals; for now she plans an awful deed, to destroy the weakly tribes of earth-born men by keeping seed hidden beneath the earth, and so she makes an end of the honours of the undying gods. For she keeps fearful anger and does not consort with the gods, but sits aloof in her fragrant temple, dwelling in the rocky hold of Eleusis.’

So he said. And Aidoneus, ruler over the dead, smiled grimly and obeyed the behest of Zeus the king. For he straightway urged wise Persephone, saying : ‘Go now, Persephoneia, to your dark-robed mother, go, and feel kindly in your heart towards me : be not so exceedingly cast down; for I shall be no unfitting husband for you among the deathless dods, that am own brother to father Zeus. And while you are here, you shall rule all that lives and moves and shall have the greatest rights among the deathless gods : those who defraud you and do not appease your power with offerings, reverently performing rites and paying fit gifts, shall be punished for evermore.’

When he said this, wise Persephoneia was filled with joy and hastily sprang up for gladness. But he on his part secretly gave her sweet pomegranate seed to eat, taking care for himself that she might not remain continually with grave, dark-robed Demeter. Then Aidoneus Polysemantor (Ruler of Many) openly got ready his deathless horses beneath the golden chariot. And she mounted on the chariot, and strong Argeiphontes [Hermes] took reins and whip in his dear hands and drove forth from the hall, the horses speeding readily. Swiftly they traversed their long course, and neither the sea nor river-waters nor grassy glens nor mountain-peaks checked the career of the immortal horses, but they cleft the deep air above them as they went. And Hermes brought them to the place where rich-crowned Demeter was staying and checked them before her fragrant temple.

And when Demeter saw them, she rushed forth as does a Mainas (Maenad) down some thick-wooded mountain, while Persephone on the other side, when she saw her mother's sweet eyes, left the chariot and horses, and leaped down to run to her, and falling upon her neck, embraced her. But while Demeter was still holding her dear child in her arms, her heart suddenly misgave her for some snare, so that she feared greatly and ceased fondling her daughter and asked of her at once : ‘My child, tell me, surely you have not tasted any food while you were below? Speak out and hide nothing, but let us both know. For if you have not, you shall come back from loathly Aidao and live with me and your father [Zeus], the dark-clouded Son of Kronos and be honoured by all the deathless gods; but if you have tasted food, you must fo back again beneath the secret places of the earth, there to dwell a third part of the seasons every year: yet for the tow parts you shall be with me and the other deathless gods. But when the earth shall bloom with the fragrant flowers of spring in every kind, then from the realm of darkness and gloom thou shalt come up once more to be a wonder for gods and mortal men. And now tell me how he rapt you away to therealm of darkness and gloom, and by what trick did strong Polydegmon (Host of Many) [Haides] beguile you?’

Then beautiful Persephone answered her thus : ‘Mother, I will tell you all without error. When luck-bringing Hermes came, swift messenger from my father the Son of Kronos and the other Sons of Ouranos, bidding me come back from Erebos that you might see me with your eyes and so cease from your anger and fearful wrath against the gods, I sprang up at once for joy; but he secretly put in my mouth sweet food, a pomegranate seed, and forced me to taste against my will. Also I will tell how he rapt me away by the deep plan of my father [Zeus] the Son of Kronos and carried me off beneath the depths of the earth, and will relate the whole matter as you ask. All we were playing in a lovely meadow, Leukippe and Phaino and Elektra and Ianthe, Melite also and Iakhe with Rhodea and Kallirhoe and Melobosis and Tykhe and Okyrhoe, fair as a flower, Khryseis, Ianeira, Akaste and Admete and Rhodope and Plouto and charming Kalypso; Styx too was there and Ourania and lovely Galaxaure with Pallas who rouses battles and Artemis delighting in arrows: we were playing and gathering sweet flowers in our hands, soft crocuses mingled with irises and hyacinths, and rose-blooms and lilies, marvellous to see, and the narcissus which the wide earth caused to grow yellow as a crocus. That I plucked in my joy; but the earth parted beneath, and there the strong lord, Polydegmon (Host of Many) [Haides] sprang forth and in his golden chariot he bore me away, all unwilling, beneath the earth : then I cried with a shrill cry. All this is true, sore though it grieves me to tell this tale.’

So did they then, with hearts at one, greatly cheer each the other's soul and spirit with many an embrace: their hearts had relief from their griefs while each took and gave back joyousness. Then bright-coiffed Hekate came near to them, and often did she embrace the daughter of holy Demeter: and from that time the lady Hekate was minister and companion to Persephone.

IV. GIFT OF AGRICULTURE & THE ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES

"And all-seeing Zeus sent a messenger to them, rich-haired Rheia, to bring dark-cloaked Demeter to join the families of the gods (phyla theon) : and he promised to give her what rights she should choose among the deathless gods and agreed that her daughter should go down for the third part of the circling year to darkness and gloom, but for the two parts should live with her mother and the other deathless gods. Thus he commanded. And the goddess did not disobey the message of Zeus; swiftly she rushed down from the peaks of Olympos and came to the plain of Rharos, rich, fertile corn-land once, but then in nowise fruitful, for it lay idle and utterly leafless, because the white grain was hidden by design of trim-ankled Demeter. But afterwards, as spring-time waxed, it was soon to be waving with long ears of corn, and its rich furrows to be loaded with grain upon the ground, while others would already be bound in sheaves. There first she landed from the fruitless upper air (aitheros) : and glad were the goddesses to see each other and cheered in heart. Then bright-coiffed Rheia said to Demeter : ‘Come, my daughter; for far-seeing Zeus the loud-thunderer calls you to join the families of the gods, and has promised to give you what rights you please among the deathless gods, and has agreed that for a third part of the circling year your daughter shall go down to darkness and gloom, but for the two parts shall be with you and the other deathless gods: so has he declared it shall be and has bowed his head in token. But come, my child, obey, and be not too angry unrelentingly with the dark-clouded Son of Kronos; but rather increase forthwith for men the fruit that gives them life.’

So spake Rheia. And rich-crowned Demeter did not refuse but straightway made fruit to spring up from the rich lands, so that the whole wide earth was laden with leaves and flowers.

Then she [Demeter] went to [the leaders of Eleusis] . . . she showed them the conduct of her rites and taught them all her mysteries . . . awful mysteries which no one may in any way transgress or pry into or utter, for deep awe of the gods checks the voice. Happy is he among men upon earth who has seen these mysteries; but he who is uninitiate and who has no part in them, never has lot of like good things once he is dead, down in the darkness and gloom. But when the bright goddess had taught them all, they went to Olympos to the gathering of the other gods. And there they dwell beside Zeus who delights in thunder, awful and reverend goddesses. Right blessed is he among men on earth whom they freely love: soon they do send Ploutos (Plutus, Wealth) as guest to his great house, Ploutos who gives wealth to mortal men.

And now . . . queen Deo, be gracious, you and your daughter all beauteous Persephoneia, and for my song grant me heart-cheering substance."

[another-rogue-trevelyan]

If you liked Dragon Age Masterlist

If you’re anything like me, you’re into niche market, high fantasy, single player RPGs, preferably with a historical setting and romance options. So if you’re looking for a new game, here I am with some suggestions!

Sorted by studio:

Bethesda:

Oblivion (2006)

“In the shadow of evil, a hero will rise from the ashes of a fallen empire. The gates have been opened, and the battle has begun. Only one thing can save the world from Mehrunes Dagon and the demonic hordes of Oblivion. The true heir of the Septim line must be found and restored to the Imperial throne. The fate of the world rests in the hands of one. Find him, and shut the jaws of Oblivion.”

The Elder Scrolls series were my gateway into RPGs and hold a special place in my heart. Oblivion features a wide open world, immersive combat, and the ability to customize race, class, and gender.

Skyrim (2011)

“The Empire of Tamriel is on the edge. The High King of Skyrim has been murdered. Alliances form as claims to the throne are made. In the midst of this conflict, a far more dangerous, ancient evil is awakened. Dragons, long lost to the passages of the Elder Scrolls, have returned to Tamriel. The future of Skyrim, even the Empire itself, hangs in the balance as they wait for the prophesized Dragonborn to come; a hero born with the power of The Voice, and the only one who can stand amongst the dragons.”

I have sunk so many hours into this game and still have not experienced all there is to experience. Just like Oblivion, Skyrim offers the ability to customize your character and find a play style that suits you. A huge open world offers tons of opportunity for exploration and questing. You could play this game many, many hours and not even touch the main quest if you wanted to.

BioWare:

Mass Effect Legendary Edition (2021)

Just do it. Just fucking do it I’m still sobbing I’ve never had a game wreck me in this way. I might possibly like it more than Dragon Age which feels sacrilegious to say but it was so good. You follow Commander Shepard (customizable) for three whole games and the choices have serious consequences. Also, romance. Truthfully this might be the most well written storyline I’ve ever seen in a video game. Also, same studio as Dragon Age.

CD Projekt:

The Witcher III: Wild Hunt (2015)

I’ll let the website description speak for itself, but Witcher III was good enough that I didn’t mind being forced to play as a man (those who know me know that I exclusively prefer to play women and often dislike games where I can’t do so)! The characters that make up this story are captivating and suck you into their world, leaving you with some tough choices to make. Also, bonus points for romance! (Yen is one of my all time favorite characters, Triss never stood a chance for me. Sorry Triss fans 😂)

Larian:

Divinity Original Sin 2 (2017)

“The Divine is dead. The Void approaches. And the powers lying dormant within you are soon to awaken. Choose your role in a BAFTA-winning story, and explore a world that reacts to who you are, and the choices you make. With five races to choose from, and an adventure playable solo or as a party of up to four, lay waste to an oppressive order in a world afraid of magic. Become the God the world so desperately needs.”

Full disclosure, I have not finished playing this one yet and will update when I do, but what I’ve played so far has been great! A classic, turn-based RPG that allows you a wide range of character customization. I find this game incredibly satisfying to be a rogue (my preferred class) because it lets me live my dream of throwing knives at people. Also, romance!

Baldur’s Gate III beta (2020)

“An ancient evil has returned to Baldur's Gate, intent on devouring it from the inside out. The fate of Faerûn lies in your hands. Alone, you may resist. But together, you can overcome. Gather your party.”

Fair warning, as of my most recent update to this post (March 30th, 2021) this game is still in a beta phase, which means it is NOT complete and has aspects that are missing, glitchy, or subject to change. With that being said, I’m so obsessed. It’s so, so good already and is only getting better. Another wide open world to explore with a group of companions with strong and sometimes clashing personalities, choices are abundant in this game and will affect how your party members think of you. This game so far gives me the feeling that choices are complicated and aren’t always easy to tell which is morally right, which I personally love. Also, I can be a sarcastic ass with a good heart, which is always fun. Astarion basically owns me now, but if you can resist him there are plentiful other romance choices as well! Customization is already a wider range than I’ve seen in most RPGs and they haven’t even finished the character creator yet, which has me SO excited for the finished product. Also - good hair?!??!! I love it!

Lionhead:

Fable III (2010)

“Lead a revolution to take control of Albion, fight alongside your people, and experience love and loss while preparing to defend the kingdom against a looming threat. Your choices as ruler will lead to consequences felt across the entire land.”

I’ll be honest, this one isn’t my favorite on the list, but was good enough to still make it! This game allows you to choose between playing as the prince or the princess on a quest to save your kingdom from itself, and then a greater threat as well. The game takes place in a kingdom loosely modeled after industrial England, and what did score it some major points were (SPOILER WARNING - skip the purple if you don’t want to know!) that the last act of the game lets you play as the monarch, where you are forced to make some tough decisions in order to save your kingdom. It is very easy to back yourself into a corner, pinch pennies in order to fund the army and save the kingdom, but make your citizens hate you because of it. You’re gonna have to be very, very careful, which is something I did really enjoy about this game. (I’ve heard Fable II was better, and that’s also on my list to try, will update in the future!)

Nintendo:

Fire Emblem Three Houses (2019)

“War is coming to the continent of Fódlan. Here, order is maintained by the Church of Seiros, which hosts the prestigious Officer’s Academy within its headquarters. You are invited to teach one of its three mighty houses, each comprised of students brimming with personality and represented by a royal from one of three territories. As their professor, you must lead your students in their academic lives and in turn-based, tactical RPG battles wrought with strategic, new twists to overcome. Which house, and which path, will you choose?”

Currently playing this one and I’m so addicted! This one is slightly outside of my usual taste but it has made me interested in playing more games like it. The player controls Byleth (you can rename them if you wish), who becomes a professor of combat and battle tactics despite their young age at a monastery and finds themself in charge of a house of students. Battles are tactics and strategy based and classes are highly customizable. I sunk like 30 hours into this game in the last three days. I won’t say more about the plot to avoid spoilers, but it’s been a ton of fun and also has slow burn romance

Spiders:

Greedfall (2019)

This game destroyed my soul in the best way and when I finished it I immediately started a new game to play it again. You play as Lady or Lord De Sardet, Legate of the Congregation of Merchants and effectively the right hand of your cousin, who has been appointed governor of your new colony on the island. While I enjoy the combat in this game, which allows you the choice between one handed, two handed, magic, and pistols or rifles (save that ammo for when you really need it!), this game focuses heavily on diplomacy and relations. Be careful what information you give to whom and how you treat every decision. The enemies you make early on might be people you need on your side later. I also love that choices aren’t always clearly right or wrong, and often are more complicated than they first appear. Even the best intentions can sometimes go awry.

Ubisoft:

Assassin’s Creed, Syndicate (2015)

“London, 1868. In the heart of the Industrial Revolution, lead your underworld organization and grow your influence to fight those who exploit the less privileged in the name of progress”

Another one that I’ll admit, I haven’t finished, and is definitely the odd one out on the list because it’s set in Victorian England, but I was having fun with what I had played so far before Greedfall distracted me. In this game, you alternate between controlling twins Jacob and Evie Frye as you explore and liberate London while meeting famous historical figures and running a gang on the side.

Assassin’s Creed, Origins (2017)

“Ancient Egypt, a land of majesty and intrigue, is disappearing in a ruthless fight for power. Unveil dark secrets and forgotten myths as you go back to the one founding moment: The Origins of the Assassin’s Brotherhood.”

In the spirit of honesty, I haven’t started this one yet, but I am so confident that I’m gonna love it when I do that it’s here anyway. I’ve purchased it, and will get to it soon, I swear! In the meantime, I wanted to put it here because I’m confident some of you will enjoy it. Will come back with a review once I know more.

Assassin’s Creed, Odyssey (2018)

“Write your own epic odyssey and become a legendary Spartan hero in Assassin’s Creed® Odyssey, an inspiring adventure where you must forge your destiny and define your own path in a world on the brink of tearing itself apart. Influence how history unfolds as you experience a rich and ever-changing world shaped by your decisions.”

Y’all this game owned my soul for a while. I’ve sunk so many hours into it. You have a choice to play as either Kassandra or Alexios and navigate the wonders of Ancient Greece. The world is stunning, the choices are important, and this game took a big step for the assassins creed series in becoming a true RPG. I can’t recommend this one enough, you should absolutely go for it!

Assassin’s Creed, Valhalla (2020)

“Become Eivor, a legendary Viking warrior. Explore England's Dark Ages as you raid your enemies, grow your settlement, and build your political power in the quest to earn a place among the gods in Valhalla.”

This game is brand new, hot off the press, and has already been a massive hit. I have only JUST started playing it and am about an hour in, but so far so good! It’s here on my recommendations list because of its wild popularity and because I’ve already enjoyed other games in this series, so I feel confident that some of my fellow dragon age fans will enjoy it. Will update again once I get further in.

Other games on my To Be Played list (otherwise known as things I don’t want to recommend because I know almost nothing about them but will update here after I know more)

-Pillars of Eternity 1 and 2

-Horizon Zero Dawn

-Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag

-Fable 1 and 2

-Kingdoms of Amalur

-Breath of the Wild

-Crimson Desert (not out yet but I’m intrigued)

[swanlake1998]

Dance Magazine Article: The Singular Elegance of American Ballet Theatre's Calvin Royal III ​

Date: June 11, 2020

By: Marina Harss

In an iPhone video of a Romeo and Juliet rehearsal made in early March, Calvin Royal III stands in a corner of an American Ballet Theatre studio, arms reaching far into space, chin slightly raised in welcoming anticipation. There is such warmth and openness in his stance, you can understand why Juliet would want to hurl herself halfway across the stage into his arms. He looks directly into the eyes of his partner, Cassandra Trenary, and then lowers her into a swoon.

"He approaches everything with a sincerity that I love," Trenary says later. "No matter what he dances, he is always authentically himself."

Royal and Trenary were meant to make their debuts in the ballet on April 4, in Abu Dhabi. The following month, he was scheduled to perform as Romeo to Misty Copeland's Juliet, and make his Albrecht debut, at New York City's Metropolitan Opera House. But then the COVID-19 crisis hit, bringing the entire world to a halt and putting all premieres on an indefinite hold.

Royal—tall, lanky, with a silken, elegant way of moving and a gentle and open stage manner—would seem ideally suited to play Romeo. There is a quiet persuasiveness to his dancing. He doesn't show off. Instead, he imbues each movement with an aura of beauty and lyricism. As Kevin McKenzie, the artistic director of the company, puts it, "Calvin has an inner light."

Romeo is a role Royal has craved since he began to study dance. At times, though, he has wondered whether the opportunity would ever arrive. Royal wasn't a prodigy. His ascent has been gradual, even painstaking at times. You get the feeling he has earned every role, every opportunity through determination and the integrity of his dancing, but without ever losing that grace that makes him such a joy to watch onstage. He is hungry without being driven by ambition.

His quietly serious way of working has been one of the constants of his career. "Slow and steady, every day a little bit better, and absolutely consistent," Raymond Lukens, who taught him at the ABT-affiliated Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis School, says of his approach.

Royal didn't get his start in ballet until age 14, at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School in St. Petersburg, Florida. Before that, he had been a serious piano student. It was his grandmother Linda, a social worker and a lover of classical music, opera and dance, who first encouraged his artistic tendencies. When he was 10, she bought him a Yamaha electric keyboard for Christmas. "I'll never forget it," she says. "He called me one Sunday morning and said, 'I want you to listen to something.' " On the other end of the line, he started to play Beethoven's Für Elise. He had learned it by ear.

Royal excelled at his piano studies, but also loved to move. For a few years, he took part in a local production called The Chocolate Nutcracker, which included hip hop, West African and other styles of dance. One of his fellow participants encouraged him to audition for the high school dance program. Without ever having taken a formal dance class, he was accepted.

There was so much to learn, he sometimes felt he might never catch up. "I think it intrigued him that ballet took so much effort," says Suzanne Pomerantzeff, his main teacher at Pinellas. The intellectual challenge drew him in as much as the physical.

That focus carried him through some difficult times at home. In his sophomore year, he injured his back in a car accident and had to sit out ballet classes for several months, excruciating given he had only just begun to make progress. He would take notes on the side, "visualizing dance in my mind," as he puts it. Dance became a lifeline, a source of steadiness and hope.

In his junior year, he competed in Youth America Grand Prix, where he was spotted by Lukens and Franco De Vita, of the JKO School. "I was immediately struck by his elegance, his musicality and his coordination," remembers De Vita, who offered him a scholarship.

After a year in the school and two and a half in ABT II (now the ABT Studio Company), he got into the main company, initially as an apprentice, at 21. He was still getting his technique where he wanted it to be—quick footwork and beats were a challenge for his long, lithe physique. ("I wanted to move like those little guys," he says, "but it wasn't easy with these legs.")

But he also wondered whether he fit the typical mold of a principal dancer at the company. "It was only when I came to New York that I started to become more aware of race in ballet," says Royal. In Florida, his ballet classes had been mixed. In New York City, less so. When he first joined ABT II, he overheard other dancers from the company making snide comments about a fellow African-American dancer there. "Oh, well, I guess they needed a black girl,' " he heard one of them say.

He began to wonder whether he might never be given the chance to prove himself as a leading man by McKenzie and the rest of the artistic staff. "Will they see me as Romeo or Albrecht? Not only because I'm black, but also because I'm gay?"

At the time, he says, the company culture was different: "There was this sense of machismo, and this idea that the guys had to look sort of like football players." Ethan Stiefel, José Manuel Carreño and other powerhouses in that vein were company stars. Just a few years earlier, in 2003, the company had put out a video, Born to Be Wild, that depicted its male dancers as testosterone-driven guys who rode motorcycles and posed as matadors.

Since that time, much has changed. Fewer international stars come through ABT; a new generation of home-bred principals has risen to the top, and they are anything but cookie-cutter. (Only one, however, is black: Misty Copeland.) Rigid notions about what Romeo or Siegfried should look like have finally begun to relax, to the benefit of the dancers.

Royal's particular qualities have been recognized and put to artistic use, especially by choreographer Alexei Ratmansky, ABT's artist in residence. In 2013, Ratmansky gave him a major role in his evening-length Shostakovich Trilogy. Three years later, he created an extra-ordinary, melancholy solo for him in Serenade after Plato's Symposium. The solo showcased the gracefulness of Royal's port de bras, the inwardness of his dancing, and his capacity to communicate thought and emotion through movement. Others have danced it, but none with the same poetry.

Royal also leads one of the three debut casts of Ratmansky's newest ballet epic, Of Love and Rage, originally scheduled to have its New York premiere during the company's spring season at the Met. That too will have to wait, for now.

The poetry in Royal's dancing is related to his deep, subtle musicality; music flows through him. It's not surprising that his partner, ABT pianist Jacek Mysinski, is a musician. Their work spills over into their downtime; Mysinski practices at home, and they talk about the ballets in the rep. When Mysinski is playing from the pit during a performance, Royal can feel his presence, he says: "It's almost like having him at my side, almost like a partner."

Royal was promoted to soloist in 2017, nearly seven years after joining. At some point along the way, he admits, he had begun to spin his wheels. "I got my hopes up and then I got my hopes shattered. I even started thinking about exploring other options, maybe another company or something completely different."

What kept him going, he explains, were outside projects that fueled his creativity and imagination, as well as his confidence. He danced for several seasons with Daniil Simkin's touring group Intensio. And, perhaps most meaningfully, he became a repeat visitor to Damian Woetzel's yearly Vail Dance Festival in the Rockies, where he got to dance a completely new repertory: works by Balanchine and Merce Cunningham, new creations by Pam Tanowitz and others.

"Year after year, he has become ever more himself onstage," says Woetzel, who has become an important mentor. "His level of comfort in everything he does has become expansive." This year, he selected Royal to be the festival's artist in residence, leading workshops, performing in various premieres and taking part in initiatives related to the challenges boys face in ballet. "I see a real leadership quality in Calvin," says Woetzel.

Last summer at Vail, Royal danced excerpts from Apollo, one of the pinnacles of the male repertoire. A few months later, McKenzie asked him to make his debut in the full piece in New York, with ABT. It was a remarkable moment—he looked completely at home in the role of a young god. He may have to wait a little longer for his debut as Romeo, but his time, it seems, has finally come.

[dumbbitchnumberone]

Maybe its one of their birthdays,,,

Okay so this ficlet… kinda got away from me. It’s 3500 words. That’s longer than 2 of the full fics in TVG, but I just started writing and couldn’t stop. without further ado, enjoy:

Truth be told, the only reason Wade looked the kid up on Instagram in the first place was because he needed to figure out where he��d be and when to prevent him from getting assassinated, but even after the hitman situation was dealt with he found himself checking the kid’s profile every now and then.

Peter posts pretty frequently, but when he does it isn’t like there’s any sort of strongly curated theme. He doesn’t just post aesthetically pleasing pictures of coffee and designer clothes—he posts what’s going on in his life.

There’s a picture taken from a hospital bed in Avenger’s Tower. There’s a picture of a cool looking pigeon. There are multiple pictures of cute dogs he passed on the street and some dumb selfies with his friends. The thing is, those aren’t the ones that catch Wade’s eye.

The ones that catch his eye are the off-guard ones of the tall girl he hangs out with. The pictures of the city that had to have been taken while the kid was webbing his way around the city. A shot of the kid’s aunt (she’s his aunt? Is she old enough for that?) drinking coffee and sitting on the fire escape. Peter has quite the eye for what makes a good picture, but it’s obvious he doesn’t have anything to take pictures on other than his phone that’s quite a few generations out of date.

Wade has money. Granted, he’s been known to spend it all on plastique explosives so that he can build himself a throne out of them, but right now he has money. He’s also spent a lot of his life being poor—both regular poor and power shut off in the winter, breaking up bits of furniture to burn in a grate in the floor so you don’t freeze to death poor—which is why he knows that the kid won’t accept a gift from him without a good reason. Peter hasn’t talked about being poor exactly, but Wade has heard some of his epic rants about how annoying it is that Stark is always throwing money at his problems and trying to give Peter a new phone or laptop because “this one still works just fine—why would I get rid of it?” That along with the way he hardly ever goes out anywhere (if his Instagram stories are anything to judge by) and wears the same worn but well taken care of clothes almost every time Wade sees him as a real person is enough context for him to get a grasp of the kid’s attitude. It helps that Matt mentioned the kid’s aunt is a nurse and the uncle is dead. Living in New York on a nurse’s salary with a kid? That can’t be easy on the old wallet.

It isn’t until he’s leaning out of Matt’s bedroom window so that he can smoke without bothering the guy that he finally thinks of a time the kid might accept a gift. Peter always says that he’s almost sixteen, but there haven’t been any sweet sixteen posts on his Instagram, meaning his birthday is still coming up. The only question is when.

Wade stubs the cigarette out on the brick outside Matt’s window before dropping the butt to the street.

“Hey, when’s the kid’s birthday?” he asks, turning to look at where Matt is lying on his stupid, wonderful silk sheets.

Matt raises his eyebrows. “Considering what your heart just did, that is not the question I was expecting.”

Wade snorts. “Very funny. Seriously though, do you know when it is?”

“August tenth,” Matt answers. “Why?”

Thank god—still a week or so out. “Cause I wanted to get him something. Sixteen is a big deal and all.”

“That’s true,” Matt agrees, pulling himself up into a sitting position. “I’ve been trying to think of something to get him, but I’m not sure what he’d like.”

“I want to get him a camera—one of the really nice ones. You wanna go in together on it for him?” Wade offers.

“Sure—but why a camera?”

“If you could see his Instagram then you’d know,” Wade teases, and Matt snorts.

“Asshole. Well, I don’t know anything about cameras. Do you?” he asks, and shit, Wade doesn’t know anything about cameras.

Matt must be able to read that realization in his pulse or whatever, and the smirk it puts on his face is so incredibly annoying.

“Shut up,” Wade says.

“I didn’t say anything,” Matt replies with the smirk still on his face.

“Yeah, well you didn’t have to.”

Matt must take pity on him for once, because the smirk fades away to a much nicer smile. “Put your clothes back on and I’ll help you track down Jess and get her to tell us about cameras.”

“You really want me to put my clothes back on already?” Wade tries, because he is but a man and asshole-ish smirk or not, Matt’s got it goin’ on.

After a second of consideration Matt says, “No, I guess not.”

-----

“Okay, seriously, let’s go find Jess and get this figured out,” Matt says eventually as he’s doing up the buttons on his stupid fancy shirt.

Wade gets that matching clothes can be hard—but a suit every day has got to be some form of penance because no way in hell would anyone other than a Catholic willingly do that to themselves.

“Ugh, fine. Give my healing factor a second,” Wade groans.

Matt snorts and throws Wade’s shirt at him. “Don’t be a bitch. I’ve seen you walk off stab wounds quicker than that.”

“Haven’t seen anything,” Wade mutters under his breath, getting his pants thrown at him as well for his efforts.

Once they get down to the street looking like the world’s strangest yet most fitting couple (seriously, a horribly scarred guy and a blind guy—the perfect combination), Wade realizes that he’s the one blindly following after Matt.

“Hey, where are we going? Did you call Jess when I wasn’t looking?” he asks even though he highly doubts that’s the case. With Matt it’s almost always something stranger.

Wade’s hypothesis is proven once again as Matt shakes his head. “I know where she is.”

“… why do you know where she is?”

Matt shrugs. “We were hanging out last night and she mentioned she was getting lunch with her sister today around now. I know the general area she’ll be in, and I can find her from there.”

Freak.

“You’re so fucking weird,” Wade says, and Matt just smiles brightly at him.

He follows after Matt for another two blocks before the man stops abruptly and turns onto the next street then into a café that Wade doesn’t recall seeing the last time he was in this part of the city.

Matt heads straight for a table near the back, and Wade takes his arm so that it at least looks like the blind guy is the one being led.

“Jessica,” Matt says as they come to stand at the edge of a table tucked into a corner.

Jessica looks up from where she had been talking to a blonde lady who looks absolutely nothing like her yet still strangely familiar. Jess groans, and the blonde one just gapes at the two of them. Wade’s used to it, so he just waves at her. She looks embarrassed and immediately tears her eyes away from his face.

Jessica gives them a scrutinizing look and wrinkles up her nose. “Really? You couldn’t even bother taking a shower before you came and tracked me down?”

“We tried,” Wade replies, putting his arm around Matt’s waist and yanking him closer even if it does get him an elbow in the ribs. “We just got distracted.”

“Gross. What do you want?” she says, though she doesn’t actually sound all that grossed out.

“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friends, Jess?” the blonde one asks, but it’s really very clearly a demand.

Jessica sighs. “They aren’t my friends, they’re a pain in my ass. The blind one’s Matt—my lawyer. You’ve met him once,” Matt smiles his charming smile in the blonde’s general direction. “The burn victim is Wade. Assholes, this is Trish. Now, tell me what you want.”

“We need to know about cameras,” Wade chimes in.

“What about them?” she asks.

“What’s a good one for someone who’s new to photography,” Matt asks.

“Sorry Murdock, but no matter how fancy a camera you buy, the pictures are still gonna come out blurry.”

Matt gives her a very flat look. “It’s for Peter. His birthday is coming up.”

Jessica’s demeanor softens a little bit at that, and it’s precious—not that Wade would ever say that out loud. But he’s noticed that at least he isn’t the only one who has a Peter-shaped soft spot in his heart.

“How much are you guys willing to spend?” she asks.

“I just took a job,” Wade says.

Jess nods in understanding. “Foreign or domestic?”

“It was in Brazil.”

“Ah, thought that one might’ve been you. Usually you’re more obvious though,” she says.

“This one called for subtlety. Made the paycheck higher, so I can’t complain too much.”

Trish looks like she’s just dying to ask what Wade’s job is, but she must be smart considering she doesn’t.

“Well, if money isn’t an issue, you can’t go wrong with a Sony Alpha A7 III. It’s around 2000, very beginner friendly, but if he has any trouble with it then I’ll be more than happy to show him how to get started with it,” Jess replies, taking out a pen from her pocket and scribbling something down on a napkin. “Get this lens with it—it shouldn’t be more than 500.”

“You’re a godsend,” Wade says, taking the napkin from her and blowing her a kiss.

Jessica rolls her eyes. “Save it for someone who’ll put out, Wilson.”

“Wonderful talking to you as always,” Matt says. “Nice to meet you properly, Trish.”

“You too,” Trish says with a smile.

Wade and Matt leave the restaurant and trek all the way up to the nearest Best Buy to get their hands on the camera and lens Jess recommended. The sales associate looks at them a bit strangely, and when he asks what they’re going to be using the camera for Matt somehow knows to slam his hand over Wade’s mouth and answer himself. Good choice; Wade’s answer would’ve been nudes.

“Do you know how to wrap presents?” Wade asks, looking at the boxes the camera and lens are in and then looking back to Matt to see the bitchiest look on his face.

“No, I don’t know how to wrap presents, Wade.”

“Well do you know anyone who knows how to wrap presents?”

“Yes,” Matt says with a defeated sigh.

-------

Half an hour later, Wade finds himself in a rundown apartment building with a two thousand dollar camera in a bag on one arm and a roll of Spider-Man wrapping paper from the dollar store with Matt standing beside him and knocking obnoxiously on the door.

“I know you’re in there, asshole,” Matt calls out, thumping his fist against the door again. “Stop calling me a bitch under your breath and say it to my face.”

“You’re a bitch,” comes a response that’s loud enough for Wade and his sad, normal hearing to pick up.

“To my face,” Matt repeats.

“I’ll shoot you!” the voice calls back.

“That’s a lie!” Matt says.

There’s silence for a moment followed by the sound of heavy footsteps and the door opening.

“What the hell do you two clowns want?” Frank asks, pinching the bridge of his nose much like a put-out parent.

“We need help wrapping a present for Peter’s birthday,” Matt says.

Frank looks like he just might shoot them both. “And why the hell did you decide to come to me for that?”

“You were the nearest fully functional adult I could think of. Take it as a compliment. Help us wrap the present and we’ll put your name on the card too.”

Frank stares at them for a moment but eventually loses the stare-down with Matt and lets them in.

While wrapping the present, he interrogates them on their choice of gift. Once he gets an answer that he deems suitable for that, he moves on to giving them shit about the choice in wrapping paper. Then he gives Matt shit for something Hell’s Kitchen related that Wade has very little interest in.

“Are you two done flirting?” Wade asks when Matt and Frank are still talking long after the present’s been wrapped.

“Why? Eager to be alone with me again?” Matt shoots back.

Frank gags.

Matt punches him in the shoulder.

They leave after that, and it’s determined that Matt should be the one to keep the camera safe until Peter’s birthday. Wade gets to keep the definitely-not-officially-licensed Spider-Man wrapping paper though, so it’s a pretty fair trade.

----

Peter’s apparently got his hand full with a combination of school, his internship, and dealing with the lowlifes of Queens, so Wade doesn’t get a chance to see the kid—either as himself or his alter-ego in the next week. In fact, it isn’t until he’s scrolling aimlessly through Instagram that he sees a picture of a poorly-made cake on the kid’s story and realizes that it’s the tenth. One frantic flurry of text messages to Matt later, he confirms that Matt hasn’t had the chance to see the kid either thanks to being up to his non-functional eyeballs in lawyer work for the entire week.

Matt isn’t a fan of texting, so he elects to call Wade instead of suffering through any more grammatical errors and excessive punctuation.

“Should we bring it to him tonight?” Matt asks.

“I mean, it’s his birthday. I doubt he’s going out as Spider-Man on his sweet sixteen,” Wade points out. “Come on orphan, at least pretend you have a functional knowledge of childhood milestones.”

“I’m flipping you off right now,” Matt says.

“Glad to hear it—wait, he just added to his story again.” Wade taps on the gradient circle surrounding Peter’s profile picture and sees a short video of the kid, his aunt, and the two friends he’s always with at a restaurant. Wade’s pretty sure he actually knows that restaurant, and that’s confirmed when he checks Peter’s location on Snapchat. “He’s like, six blocks from your place. Carmine’s—you ever been there?”

“Ugh—yes. Worst date of my life,” Matt replies, and Wade makes note of that comment so he can wheedle out all the wonderful, cringeworthy details at a later date.

“Great, meet me there. Don’t forget the camera.”

“Don’t forget the card,” Matt shoots back before the line goes dead.

Wade won’t forget the card. He put way too much effort into the card to forget it—including hand-done illustrations and glitter. Rather than bother Dopinder or, god forbid, take the subway, Wade just gets an Uber and talks the poor driver’s ear off the whole way there.

When they pull up outside, Wade sees Matt standing casually outside the restaurant and the driver is more than happy to have the weird, rambling burn victim out of his car.

“Matthew!” Wade calls, pulling Matt into a half hug. “You’re here!”

“Of course I’m here, dumbass,” Matt replies in that charming way of his. “Peter and his people are still inside—let’s go give him the present. Oh, by the way, his aunt thinks I’m his Spanish tutor, and I don’t think either of his friends know who I am either. Let’s keep it that way.”

“Um, well, his friends definitely know who I am, so how are we gonna explain how Deadpool knows his Spanish tutor?” Wade says, and god bless poor Matt for having to keep all these different stories in order. Super-secret identities are a bitch.

“I’m Daredevil’s lawyer, I met you through him,” Matt answers.

“Wow, you had that one prepared. Have to use it a lot?”

“More often than you’d think. Come on, it smells like sewage out here,” Matt says, putting his free arm through Wade’s and dragging him towards the restaurant.

Even with Wade on his arm, Matt still manages to charm the maître d’ into escorting them to the Parker’s table.

“Hey, kiddo!” Wade says, loud enough to get the attention of everyone at the table, but not so loud as to draw unwanted attention. Contrary to popular belief, he can manage some sort of subtlety on occasion. “Thought you could ditch out on us on your birthday?”

Peter looks shocked at first and then pleasantly surprised by the two of them. That adorable smile spreads across his face, quite the contrast to the unreadable look on the girl’s face and the awed one on Ned’s. Peter’s aunt is doing a pretty good job of not staring at his general appearance, so props to her.

“Wade—Matt, hi!” Peter says. “What’re you guys doing here?”

“Wishing you a happy birthday. And giving you a reminder—what did I tell you about Snap Maps the first night we met?” Wade says.

“Hitman’s best friend, I know, Wade. You’re one of, like, six people who can see where I am,” Peter answers in a very exasperated ‘yes, dad’ sort of way.

Wade is touched by that, and he puts his hand over his heart.

“Hi, Matt. It’s good to see you again,” the kid’s aunt says with a smile that Matt can get from any woman on the planet. “And Wade, was it? I don’t think I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you before,” she adds on with a very deliberate look at Peter.

“Pleasure’s all mine,” Wade says. “I’m a friend of Peter’s. From work.”

May’s eyebrows shoot to her hairline and she gives Peter another look.

“Um,” Peter says, looking over at Wade who gives him a big ole thumbs up. “Deadpool,” he whispers to his aunt.

She looks shocked, and Wade speaks up to fill the silence.

“Anyway, sorry DD couldn’t be here, but you know how much of a bitch he is about his stupid secret identity. He sent his lawyer to serve as a proxy. We come bearing gift.”

Matt sets the nicely wrapped gift onto the table. “Courtesy of my clients.”

Wade sets the card on top of the box and pushes both towards Peter.

Peter picks the card up off of the box and admires Wade’s doodles on the front of it before opening it up to read what Wade wrote inside.

Hey kid, happy birthday! You might be sixteen, but I’m sure we’ve all stressed you out to the point your heart is in its mid forties. We might be a bunch of dysfunctional alcoholics with the emotional maturity of thirteen year olds, but here’s hoping you’ll be the first of us to break that cycle. With so many examples of what not to do, how hard can it be? Anyway, we’re proud of you for sticking (ha! Get it?) with us. I like to think I’m pretty observant, so I think you’ll be able to put this gift to good use. You can thank Jess for lending her experience in the area to DD and me, and Frank for being the only adult we know who can wrap presents.

Happy birthday, webhead.

–Wade, DD, Jess, and last but not least Frank.

Peter smiles up at Wade after reading the card. “Thanks, Wade, and tell DD thanks too. And Ms. Jones, and Mr. Castle.”

“I’ll be sure to pass it along,” Matt says with a smile of his own.

Peter sets the card aside very carefully before taking care in opening the package. As soon as he sees the box, the kid just gapes up at Wade.

“This is too much,” he says, and Wade is reassured in his choice of waiting for a special occasion to give the gift.

“Baby-child, there’s nothing I’d rather do with my paycheck from murdering a druglord and burning down his empire than get you something you’ll undoubtedly put to good use,” Wade replies, earning himself a rather horrified look from the kid’s poor aunt.

Rather than being disturbed by Wade’s declaration, Peter gets up from his place at the table and flings himself into Wade to hug him.

“Thank you,” Peter mumbles where his face is smushed up against Wade’s chest.

Wade smiles down at him.

“You’re welcome, kid.”

[eggoreviews]

12 ‘Unpopular’ Viddy Game Opinions

I’ve seen this topic floating around a lot, but didn’t think I had enough ‘unpopular but maybe not’ opinions about games to make a post. Turns out I do! So if you see this and I say something blasphemous, remember it’s just my opinion and my personal experiences with the games I list. Hope you enjoy or hey, maybe even agree with some of this!

Note: Can’t stress enough. This is just me. Also, spoilers under the cut!

12. The opening of Kingdom Hearts II isn’t as terrible as everyone says

Okay, so it’s not brilliant, but at the same time, I don’t think it’s the worst. For those not in the know, KH2′s opening is a basically a massive slog where you play as a character you don’t know or care about with seemingly no real link to the events of the previous game. The general consensus is that there’s some interesting stuff in here, but it’s buried among endless dialogue that really doesn’t mean much. And they’re right, but I really think there’s some great stuff here that people tend to gloss over. The music and the motif of Twilight Town is atmospheric, there’s some genuinely intriguing plot elements that are woven into Roxas’ story and believe it or not, the stuff that happens here is intrinsic to the rest of the game. So yeah, it drags on a little, but I don’t think KH2 would be miles better without this opening.

11. I loved Breath of the Wild’s final boss

One of the problems I see talked about with Breath of the Wild is that the boss fights are fairly mediocre, especially the very last one, Dark Beast Ganon. And I couldn’t disagree more. I think every boss in the game is wonderfully crafted, intense, challenging and great for testing you on what you’ve learned throughout the game by encouraging you to make creative use of your slate powers and the flurry rush technique. And while Mr. Pig Man at the end here is sort of easy and short, it serves as a brilliantly epic finale to damn near perfect game. While the difficulty is mostly gone after the mammoth fight with Calamity Ganon, it’s still just as intense as you frantically fire off arrows into the massive beast in front of you. Plus, the design of this thing is one of the best looking monsters in the game, so I really don’t understand the dislike for this ending.

10. I really like Crash of the Titans

Okay, so maybe childhood nostalgia has something to do with this pick, but every Crash fan I’m aware of seems to hate this game. But I don’t really know where the hate comes from! I played the PS2 version of this and I thought it was a genuinely fun 3D platformer with a variety of locations, good visuals, well-designed boss battles and even a vague story you can sort of follow! The game’s main gameplay feature is also brilliantly integrated, as using Aku Aku to possess various monsters throughout the game keeps everything interesting. One thing I will say though, that tiger dude you have to fight about halfway through is the most annoying thing I’ve ever had to endure in a game.

9. Life Is Strange: Before the Storm is BAD

I loved Life Is Strange when it first dropped, so I was beyond excited when they announced a prequel from Chloe’s perspective. But I really think they dropped the ball and they dropped it hard. But everyone else seems to adore this game! For me, this wasn’t a touch on the original. For a start, they dropped out one of the main mechanics of the first game, the time travel, which they then replaced with a much less interesting ‘Backtalk’ feature, which was then only used about twice throughout the game. Instead of interesting, developed characters reacting to genuinely dangerous or heartfelt situations, it felt to me like a bunch of one-dimensional teenagers who are edgy for the sake of being edgy. Chloe spends the majority of the game being a dick to her mother and bunking off class to spend time with Rachel, who she has literally known for like a day and their sudden relationship drops out of nowhere. Not that I didn’t enjoy the emotional moments of their relationship, it just didn’t feel like it stemmed from anywhere, unlike Max and Chloe from the first game. And the game’s attempts at villains were also rubbish compared to the first, with Damien (random scary knife guy who doesn’t really tie into the plot that much) and Eliot (who doesn’t appear for the whole game and suddenly goes full incel on Chloe when she breaks into Rachel’s house). Yeah I think you can tell I had some problems with this one.

8. Dishonored: Death of the Outsider was also a hot mess

I LOVE the Dishonored series. The first game and its DLCs are amazing, the second game was arguably even better. And then this happened. In this one, you play as Billie Lurk, a character I love, and Daud comes back, a character I also love. But both of them are incredibly badly written and it doesn’t feel like there’s any development to them or even much reason for them to do what they’re doing. This entry took the mystery surrounding the Outsider and basically did a big poo on it, giving us the revelation that he was apparently HUMAN this whole time. I think that was the nail in the coffin that made me sort of think this was a bit rubbish. While the combat and side missions were as brilliant as ever, the level designs felt less creative than other entries in the series and lacked variety or colour, all the side characters were entirely forgettable and to wrap it all up, they killed Daud offscreen. Out of nowhere, they just killed him, mentioned it offhand in a cutscene and that was that. If you like this game, fair enough, but it kind of baffles me that more people don’t see this in the game.

7. Mario Galaxy 2 is good. It’s just sort of good

Some people cite this as being one of the best 3D platformers of all time, and that’s fair enough, but I just kind of see this one as ‘good’. Sure, it has a good, satisfying control scheme for the most part, the level design is creative and the bosses and puzzles are pretty standard for a Mario title, but still enjoyable. However, sometimes, the floaty physics and weird knockback effect from jumping into walls led to quite a lot of unfair deaths, especially if I’d been punished for messing up already by losing a life, only to then immediately be punished again by falling into the void. Plus, I found Yoshi near impossible to control at some points with the motion controls. So yeah, this one is genuinely enjoyable, but I don’t think I’d personally put it with the best of all time.

6. I LOVE Dragon Quest IX TO DEATH

This is a game in a legendary franchise that consistently almost always see ranked at the very bottom of the pile in the series. But I really don’t understand how or why. Okay so your protagonist and party are basically silent and don’t have a lot of character, but I don’t see this as a reason to totally write off the game! The side characters, villains and story are all amazing and well-developed, the world is huge, colourful and interesting, the monsters are brilliantly creative and Dragon Quest’s signature lame sense of humour is gratefully carried through the whole game. The music is always brilliant and atmospheric and the bosses are just as memorable as each character you meet. What was everyone’s problem?? This is genuinely one of the best RPGs I’ve ever played and if you haven’t had a chance to pick it up, it is so, so worth it.

5. Sonic Adventure is a broken mess

So before I kick this one off, I’m not someone who hates Sonic and I’m not here to slate the whole franchise, but considering this game is often considered to be one of the best in the series, I thought it was definitely worth addressing. When I first played this, I literally couldn’t believe this was made in 1998, AFTER Mario 64 and yet it’s so broken! The physics and control scheme are totally wonky and hard to control, the unending amount of glitches make a fair amount of the stages almost unplayable, the voice acting and facial animation is cringey and oddly broken and yet, this was all on the Dreamcast. The most powerful console of the time. And I don’t think I even need to mention how boring some of the later stages get, with Big the Cat’s fishing section being the main offender. I can’t vouch for Adventure 2 as I haven’t had a chance to play yet, but I really hope it isn’t like this.

4. Dragon Age Origins is the best Dragon Age

Dragon Age has always been a popular RPG series, but I think it properly shot to fame once Inquisition dropped in 2014. And don’t get me wrong, I liked Inquisition! The world was colourful and expansive and the characters were fairly memorable, but I still think the best experience you can get is in the series’ first entry, Origins. While it’s pretty easy to see that it’s slightly dated considering it’s ten years old now, the best characters and story in the series I think is here. Each companion you recruit is varied and developed and the story wraps up brilliantly in the end with each companion and army you meet playing a different role in the final battle. Plus, I kind of can’t forgive Inquisition for making Leliana lose her sense of humour and making her kinda boring.

3. Oblivion is better than Skyrim

Okay so I’m not sure exactly how unpopular this is, but I just thought Oblivion was miles better than Skyrim ended up being. Just to clear it up, I still love Skyrim and I thought it built on the series’ combat system and variety of enemies really well and still provided an enjoyable experience. But Oblivion feels like more of an adventure you feel at home in. The story is dense and full of twists and turns. The soundtrack has some of the most atmospheric music I’ve ever heard, the world is full of bright colours, each city is vastly different and has its own lore and I found some of this to be absent from Skyrim. I’d go into more detail, but I think the simple fact is that Oblivion had so much more I liked than Skyrim.

2. I don’t think The Witcher III is all that amazing (in some regards)

This by no means says that I don’t like the game, because I do, but I think it has more flaws than people let on. Now, don’t get me wrong, a lot of the stuff people praise about this game is true, the quests are in-depth and masterfully crafted, the characters, especially Geralt, are extremely memorable. In fact, Geralt is one of my favourite game protagonists. But most of the problems I had were in terms of the gameplay. The combat, while fast-paced and satisfying, can sometimes feel a little finicky, so a lot of precision is needed. However, I felt that the world itself didn’t particularly interest me and the music is often ambient but outside of combat, isn’t anything special. Mostly though, the leveling system I found to be a bit wonky. I did absolutely everything I could in the first area of the game; all the side quests, treasure hunts, killed a whole bunch of monsters etc. And then I arrive in the second area and find I’m too underleveled to do literally anything. The majority of the quests have too high a level cap, a lot of the monsters kill me very quickly. And because the bulk of EXP farming is in the quests, I’m sort of stuck in an endless loop of constantly not being strong enough to do anything. On top of that, all my equipment keeps breaking and I’m finding that repair kits are extremely few and far between and that makes me even WEAKER. It’s something I’m gonna need to persevere with I think, but hey, this is just my experience with it.

1. Ocarina of Time, as amazing as it is, may have overstayed its welcome as best game of all time

I reckon this might be the most controversial, so it’s number 1. Let me preface this by saying I really like Ocarina and I agree that it was innovative for the RPG genre at the time. There’s a hell of a lot in this game that we have to thank for the games we have today. But considering how far the gaming industry has come since then and the sheer amount of high quality games we’ve been getting year after year, is still fair to call this the best game ever? When more recent games have taken what Ocarina started and built upon it? Games like Breath of the Wild, Horizon Zero Dawn, Red Dead Redemption II, God of War all gave us expansive, beautiful worlds and a story you can really get stuck into. And all the time, more and more games of this caliber are coming out. So yes, of course Ocarina of Time deserves a place in the hall of fame, it was revolutionary and still holds up really well today! I just can’t help but think there have been plenty of games since then, as flawed as some of them may be, that have improved upon the formula tenfold since Ocarina’s release.

Thanks for reading if you got this far! Just to reiterate, these are all just my opinions and my experiences with the games I mentioned, so pls don’t attack me. Got any viddy game opinions you think are sort of not popular? Drop them down below if you feel like it!

[happy-meo]

Masquerade IV: The Dark Side (Jin x Reader x Tae) Part 3

While love may bring out the best in us, it could also bring out the worst.

** If you haven’t read them already, please read the following BEFORE starting this story: Silver Spoon, Masquerade I, Masquerade II, Masquerade III, Masquerade 3.1 & 3.2 drabbles **

Summary: You were never lucky in love. Through disastrous dates, consistent unrequited crushes, and broken relationships, you’ve constantly been searching for someone to give you genuine love and romance. And through it all, one person had remained your constant shoulder to lean on. Although you had never seen his face, he had given you a sense of confidence and a place of comfort in Club Masquerade. The more times you’ve failed in love though, the more you realized that may be no one would ever choose you. However, one fateful encounter, thanks to your dog, made you want to hope one more time. Did fate bring you to the one who would finally end your streak of being broken-hearted? Or had the right guy been with you all along?

Jin x Reader x Tae (ft. previous Masquerade characters, Silver Spoon characters, & Got7 Jackson) Fluff, Smut, Angst, Romance Host Au, Cook!Jin, Vet!Tae, Bartender!Tae

**If you need a refresher on connections, here’s the diagram: Connections **

Parts: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 (Finale)

A/N: Happy New Year everyone <3 Hope your first week of 2018 has been going well :)

          Strangely enough, the kindness from the masked waiter who saved you gave you the spurge of courage you needed to take a step forward. So you found yourself throwing on your best dress, curling your hair, and painting your face with make-up the next day to finally head to the Burlesque Club.

           Would Tae even remember you? Would he remember he owed you a free drink? How should you greet him?

           You take a deep breath to stifle down your panic. If some stranger was able to put his job on the line for you, then you could put yourself on the line for well, yourself.

           With renewed determination, you pushed the entrance to Burlesque and soon enough, your ears were immediately flooded with jazzy music and light chatter. It felt warm and welcome, and not at all the raunchy club scene you were expecting. And fortunately, your eyes immediately locked with a very stunned looking Jungkook in front of you.

           "Hi!" You squeaked out, relieved at the familiar face.

           He gawked at you for a few more seconds before coming to his senses.

           "Tae!" He called out and gestured his head towards the bar, clearly aware of what...or more so, who you came for.

           You blushed and smiled gratefully as you made your way there. Soon enough, Tae appeared with a wide grin, laughing at something someone said or did behind the kitchen doors. A simple piece of cloth wrapped around his forehead as a bandana knocked the wind out of you. Who knew something so small could hold so much power?

           Your awe must've been quite apparent because his smile widened even further and he pointed to his headband.

           "I wear this during surgery too, I swear." He teased.

           You turned warm and nodded shyly.

           "Oh, let me take your coat. We have this rack over here." He pointed as he came around the counter.

           You fumbled. "Oh, it's okay - I can-"

           "Don't worry. It's normal customer service." he chuckled. "You're not that special."

           You instinctively glared at him then hurriedly changed your expression before he caught you.

           Tae smiled warmly after he hung up your coat. "You look like you need a drink. Come on."

           Biting your lip, you knew he could tell you were nervous, but you were glad he was taking care of you regardless.

           "Bourbon on the rocks, good?" he questioned.

           "Sure." You nodded as you took a seat in front of him.

           "Have you ever heard of a burlesque club before?" He asked as he fixed your drink up.

           "Not really. I just heard the music one day and saw that it was packed in here."

           "Then you ran away." He chuckled.

           "I...uh..." You couldn't think of an excuse fast enough.

           He simply slid your drink to you and you hurried to throw back the liquid courage.

           "Have you ever been to a strip club?" he asked.

           You choked and started coughing. "What?"

           "No?" Tae laughed. "Well think of this is a classier strip club without too much stripping."

           You blinked. "What?"

           "You might need this second drink then." Tae looked highly amused as he refilled your already finished glass. "The next performance is why most people are here. You came at a good time."

           "Oh?" You glanced at the stage, intrigued.

           The sensual music began playing as the curtains slowly raised to the reveal the next act. The audience roared obnoxiously, surprising you, because the person hadn't done anything to constitute cheers yet.

           "It's that time of night again." Jungkook snorted as he put his tray down and leaned against the counter. "Heard she got a new outfit sponsored by one of the rich people here."

           "An executive from Gucci." Tae beamed.

           "Didn't know they were into kinky shit." Jungkook smirked.

           "They got inspired, I guess." Tae shrugged.

           Once the two fell silent, a powerful and beautiful voice began to command all corners of the room. Your eyes immediately flickered to center stage and gasped.

           "She-she's...she's...." You stammered as you pointed at the Receptionist touching herself on stage and earning hoots and hollers. "Mr. Park's...coffee..."

           "You didn't tell her?" Jungkook shook his head. "How cruel."

           "I figured it'd be more fun to surprise her." Tae giggled as he leaned against the counter to admire your stunned expression. "I mean look at that face."

           Jungkook exhaled, "Gotta tend to the thirsty people."

           Meanwhile, you were mesmerized by the Receptionist's stage presence. The music seemed to be drowned out by your intense focus on her movements and facial expressions, how she had all of the people in the crowd wrapped around her finger. You had always looked up to her- the way she carried herself with such confidence, her candid nature, her boldness, and her unmatched sexual appeal and beauty. But she also always made you feel incredibly inferior. She was everything you weren't. She was everything you wanted to be. She had the looks, the talent, the man.

           On the other hand, Tae was watching you curiously. Every little emotion flitted across your face unapologetically so he could tell you were in amazed yet in deep thought, slightly sad. Silently, he refilled your glass, letting you sort out your thoughts. He had seen it enough times to recognize the effect Receptionist had on people. He spotted you looking down at your outfit and frowning, fiddling to pull your skirt lower conscientiously. Sighing, he knocked on the counter, gaining your attention in hopes to break your apparent train of negative thoughts.  

           You flinched, remembering who it was right in front of you. You had come here with confidence, but now, you were feeling so small, so...unattractive. Part of you wanted to run out and make some lame excuse that you needed to get home. All you wanted was to just throw on pajamas to hide your body and sleep off this memory. If Taehyung watched the Receptionist every day like this, why in the world would he look twice at you?

           "She doesn't have everything you know." Tae stated, surprising you.

           "What?"

           He shrugged, not bothering to repeat himself. "Drink up so I can replace the ice. It doesn't kick you as much watered down."

           You nodded and chugged down the drink.

           "So it took you long enough to come visit me." He grinned, stealing your attention before you can turn back to the performance.

           You blinked. "Were you waiting?"

           He chuckled, "Well usually when someone invites someone else, they expect them to come. Especially when there's free stuff involved."

           You took another sip to hide your pleased smile.

           "So Jungkook told me you had some fancy shmancy office party this weekend." Tae segued.

           You chuckled, "I'm sure you knew already since you were hiding the dress for Dark Angel."

           He smiled. "You remembered."

           Blushing, you swallowed down the rest of your drink. Tae replaced it with another.

           "How did the reveal go? Was it epic? Jungkook's not very good with telling story in details, and obviously my cousin only saw Jungkook. Did people scream?" Tae beamed excitedly.

           Your face brightened, recalling the movie-like way the scene panned out, as you recounted it for him with as much description and detail as you could throw in. His eyes were on you, taking in everything you were saying, and you felt yourself relaxing. You had come here for him, regardless of what was happening around you, and you had his undivided attention despite all that. It filled you with incredible happiness.

           "I helped pick that dress you know." Tae bragged.

           "Really? Wow. You need to help me revamp my wardrobe then." You chuckled.

           "Will you be able to handle it? I quite like patterns and silk." he teased. "It'll make you stand out at work. I know they like those grays and blacks over there."

           "So you dress like someone in their 90's when you're not at work?" You laughed.

           "It's fashion!"

           You giggled.  

           But soon enough, the warm, comfortable atmosphere immediately dissolved when the very source of your negative thoughts took a seat beside you.

           "You know how I like it, Tae." Receptionist grinned.

           Jungkook coughed behind her, "Slut."

           She spun around and shook him. "Say that to my face child. I raised you!"

           "Why does everyone say that?" Jungkook complained. "I was already grown up when I met ya'll!"

           You tensed up at being in close proximity to her. Now that you were side by side, Taehyung would surely see the vast difference between the two of you.

           "You're scaring off Miss Puppy, woman!" Jungkook stated, trying to find a way out.

           "Miss Puppy?" She glanced over and you looked down awkwardly. "Oh wow! Hi! Fancy seeing you here!"

           "Your performance was very nice." You complimented.

           She was still wearing minimal clothing so you weren't sure where to look.

           "Why don't you try wearing clothes for a change?" Jungkook raised an eyebrow.

           "This is sponsored so I have to flaunt it. Plus I'll probably take it home with me." she winked.

           Jungkook groaned. "Gross."

           "Oh please. Wouldn't you like to see Dark Angel in something like this?" she smirked.

           "Don't you dare answer that." Tae hissed.

           Jungkook gulped and spun around hurriedly.

           Receptionist blushed. "Sorry...forgot she was your cousin."

           Tae hummed as he slid the drink over.

           You glanced between the two of them; something awkward yet comfortable was there still, much like their encounter at the cafe.

           "So," Receptionist turned to you. "how about you Miss Puppy? Want to join the group?"

           Your eyes widened. "M-me?"

           "Why not? You liked my dance. You could probably do the same too with the right training."

           "Oh no...I couldn't..." You frowned.

           Receptionist shrugged and spun to face the crowd, crossing her legs to fully show off her stiletto heels. "It's not for everybody."

           It irked you so you spun around and crossed your legs too. It might've been the alcohol in your system or the fact that she gave up on trying to convince you to be like her and dance on the stage so easily, but for some reason, you were overcome with the thought of showing her you could be her. And there was a slimmer of intoxicated hope that spoke to you, encouraging you that you could beat her. So you mirrored her every movement subtly, and it soon became an unspoken competition between the two of you as you sipped your drinks faster and faster.

           Tae bit his lip in amusement. No one had ever challenged Receptionist before, not like this anyway. There had been many cat fights with jealous girlfriends, but never a silent challenge of wits and perseverance. So he complied to refilling their drinks, trying his best not to make it obvious whose side he favored. But he knew you had had a head start of a few beverages already so he began filling yours with juice and water halfway through.

           You looked up as you sipped your drink, knowing what it was. Tae caught your eye and winked. Shyly, you smiled to yourself. He was rooting for you after all.

           In no time, a crowd had gathered around you two as more and more people began noticing your drinking battle.

           "Whoa there girls." Tae half-heartedly warned. "You sure you want to continue?"

           "Yes." The two of you firmly resolved.

           "Miss Puppy. You already had a few more drinks before this. You sure you'll be okay?" he acted.

           "I can handle it." You nodded confidently.

           There were cheers from the crowd for you, and you grinned as you threw back the juice Tae had given you with confidence. But you knew you had to act a bit more than the tipsy you were feeling to make it convincing, so you put your head down a little to "collect yourself" before raising your empty glass. Receptionist frowned and chugged her glass too, spilling a little down the side of her lips. You spotted Tae giving a nod to Jungkook, who disappeared soon after.

           "Y-you..." Receptionist slurred. "You're so pretty!"

           You were surprised as she slapped your shoulders.

           "But I don't lose!" she pouted cutely. "Okay?"

           "Do we give up?" Tae questioned.

           "NO!" Receptionist yelled. "I'M GOING TO WIN!"

           Tae sighed and poured you both an actual drink this time. You winced unexpectedly, but let it burn your throat regardless. It made you dizzy with how strong it was, and when you glanced at the Receptionist, it seemed to be the last straw, because her eyes rolled back and her body swayed.

           "Gotchu." Jungkook appeared and chuckled, scooping her up in his arms.

           Everyone bellowed for your victory and you grinned, feeling excited and empowered. You glanced at Tae who was clapping for you too and gave you a knowing wink. Giggling, you basked in your temporary triumph. You had worked as a team, and that meant more to you than beating Receptionist. As soon as he chose your side you didn't care whether you lost or not anymore.

           "Alright. Time to close up. Get outta here." Tae laughed as he shooed everyone to make their way out.

           Tae's phone began ringing, and he grinned as he picked up, "What do I owe the pleasure?"

           "WHAT DO YOU MEAN MY GIRLFRIEND IS LEAVING ME?" Jimin bellowed. "WHAT DOES JUNGKOOK MEAN BY THAT MESSAGE?"

           "Help! Your girlfriend is making moves on me while she's drunk. You should get over here quick before ---" he playfully hangs up.

           He cackled.

           You suddenly felt awkward, realizing that maybe you were out of place by staying.

           "I should go..." You started sliding off your chair, but he grabbed your wrist.

           "Don't go anywhere. I'll walk you out." He smiled.

           In a few minutes, Jimin arrived, disheveled and in a huff. "Get your hands off her Kim Taehyung!"

           Tae was grinning widely, sitting on his counter, and swinging his legs innocently. Jungkook on the other hand was sleeping on the arm of the couch he had thrown the Receptionist on.

           "What happened?" Jimin raised an eyebrow as he smacked Jungkook's face to wake him up.

           Jungkook smirked. "She lost in a drinking battle and blacked out."

           Jimin rolled his eyes. "You little shits. You better not have taken advantage of her."

           "Please." Jungkook snorted.

           Jimin sat down beside her gently. "Baby, let's go home."

           She whined and pouted.

           "Damn she looks hott in this." he hissed. "Get me her coat."

           "$5 they'll do it in the car." Jungkook whispered to Tae.

           "$20 they'll do it in the parking lot here then later before getting to the house then a 3rd in their house." Tae bargained.

           Jungkook hummed. "$30, adding that they won't get to their bed once they're in the house."

           "$35 she'll end up barfing in 5 seconds." Tae grinned.

           "Deal." Jungkook shook his hand.

           "3...2..." Tae smirked as he kicked the trashcan over to the couch.

           On cue, Receptionist sat up and hurled into it.

           "What the fuck?" Jungkook raised an eyebrow.

           "The last drink doesn't sit well with her." Tae giggled. "Works everytime."

           "That's not fair."Jungkook frowned.

           "You shook. Now pay up." Tae wiggled his fingers.

           You smiled at their interaction, but were slightly disturbed by their close knowledge of the two's bedroom activities. But maybe you shouldn't be as surprised, considering Jimin and Receptionist both were walking bodies of sexual appeal.

           "Alright. I'm going home." Jungkook yawned.

           "Home...or?" Tae squinted.

           "Do you really want me to answer that?" Jungkook smirked.

           Tae rolled his eyes. "I can't believe my precious little cousin got suckered into your charms."

           Jungkook blushed happily as he threw his coat on.

           "Thanks, Tae." Jimin carried Receptionist on his back.

           "I remember when it was the other way around back in the day." Tae waved. "How the tables have turned."

           Jimin snorted and shook his head.

           "Have a good night." Tae called out.

           And needless to say, it was finally just the two of you.

           "You feel okay?" He looked down at you.

           "Yeah. I'm just a subway stop away anyway." You smiled.

           "You don't drink too often, huh?" He chuckled.

           "Was it obvious?"

           "I like girls who don't drink too much." He shrugged as he hopped off the counter.

           Your heart fluttered at his comment, even though it wasn't really directed at you.

           "Can I ask you about something?" You mumbled. "Sorry if it's overstepping or something...maybe I shouldn't ask...ah..."

           "Just ask." Tae urged. "Better out than in and better to know the truth than make assumptions."

           You relaxed. He was right.

           "Um...about the Receptionist...you all seem so...close...how --"

           Tae chuckled. "We used to date."

           Your entire body froze. "...what?"

           "We dated first. Jimin and Hoseok were her best friends. Then when we were dating, Jimin realized his feelings for her and it got all complicated. But in the end, I don't think me and her really matched so we decided to end things." He shrugged.

           "How so?"

           "Mmm..." He hummed. "I guess we were both immature at the time? Maybe ignorant? I thought that letting someone else do what they wanted all the time was the way to express love. But I think it was more stifling than loving. Because maybe she felt selfish, restricted by constantly getting her way. I had put aside my preferences to put hers above my own, and she hid away part of herself to match the image she thought I wanted. Neither of us were really being our true selves."

           You stared at him, your heart racing at his depth.

           "But at that time I didn't really know who that was, you know? The real me." He chuckled. "I thought I was being open-minded, but it was really being naive and confusing."

           "I know what you mean." You smiled warmly.

           He grinned as he handed you your coat.

           "I thought I was expressing my love by showering guys with things and surprising them, but I might've been smothering them with things I wanted them to do for me rather than what they wanted me to do for them." You explained. "So it's like I expected them to reciprocate with the same intensity. I'd get disappointed if they didn't and it was an ugly cycle."

           "Relationship's are tricky things, huh?" Tae chuckled. "It's natural to project your desires in your actions, but it's also a lot of observation, understanding, and consideration."

           You nodded as you two stepped outside.

           "How long has it been since your last relationship?" You asked him after he finished locking up.

           "Receptionist was my last one and that was almost 3 years ago?" Tae pondered. "You?"

           "Maybe a year and half ago. Then I swore off dating for a while."

           "Cause of fear?" Tae replied understandably.

      ��    "Something like that."  

           He stepped closer to you, "And where do you stand with that now?"

           "You've been distracted lately, Jin."

           Jin flinched as Crumbs appeared beside him at the register. "Huh?"

           "Exactly." She shook her head. "What's going on with you?"

           Jin exhaled. "I'm not sure. I feel like I'm kind of swimming through life right now."

           He didn't know what to make of what Hoseok had told him or whether or not to even take his advice. It all seemed so...risky. Everything seemed so out of his grasp, like he was trying to juggle so much but never successfully doing it. Even though his bakery was doing well, would this be where he would settle? Was he settling right now? Or simply waiting for an opportune moment to take the next step to his dream? Now an added factor of his unexpected feelings made him dizzy. He felt he was reaching for elusive strings recently.

           She chuckled, "But that's everybody."

           "What do you mean?" He blinked.

           "Nobody knows what they're doing. We're all winging it, buddy. Welcome to reality." she nudged him.

           Jin smiled. "I guess I just never had to worry about that because I thought my path was set for me for the longest time. But now...it's a little hazy."

           "Are you talking about reaching your dream or getting the girl?" Crumbs questioned.

           Jin snorted. "Both honestly."

           Crumbs nodded in understanding. "If you're uncomfortable then that just means you're living life."

           "Is that a thing?" Jin raised an eyebrow.

           "Discomfort means taking risks and stepping out of your bubble, which leads to experience, change, and progression. You're growing, Jin." Crumbs patted his hip. "You'll figure it out."

           He sighed. "I hope so. I'm already so far behind everyone else."

           "Everyone has their own timeline." She frowned. "Don't get caught up comparing yours to others."

           Jin nodded yet still unconvinced.

           "Hey." She pinched his cheek. "You always told me to take it a day at a time. Focus on what you can do today. Listen to your own advice."

            His lips curled up gratefully. "Thanks."

           Suddenly, the door to the shop opened, to their surprise.

           "Oh we're not op--" Jin stopped short when he realized who had stepped into his shop. "H-hi!"

           "Kim Seokjin." Farm Girl had her arms crossed, annoyed.

           "Cat's out of the bag, sorry." Dark Angel shrugged. "Told you she'd find out eventually."

           Yoongi squinted his eyes at Crumbs, who raised an eyebrow at him in return.

           "Family reunion ~ woo!" Jungkook cheered playfully.

           "I tried calling you if I could tell her cause we were in town..." Yoongi frowned. "Sorry, Jin."

           "I can't believe you two kept this from me! I thought you were out travelling or whatever for some fun and soul searching." Farm Girl scolded. "Why would you keep this from me?"

           "I uh..." Jin panicked.

           Crumbs exhaled, knowing the true reason why he had wanted to keep it hidden from his famously successful younger sister that he was still at rock bottom of the business world.

           "We have the first batch of pastries ready if you'd all like to sample them." She stated, diverting their attention.

           Jin glanced at her surprised, knowing she hated giving the first batch away since she needed time to "warm up" and it wasn't "her best", even though it was perfect every time.

           "I'm in!" Dark Angel and Jungkook hurried to the counter excitedly.

           "I swear you'll probably fly over here every morning from Daegu after eating this." Jungkook complimented.

           "Don't put ideas in Yoongi's head." Farm Girl snorted.

           "Come, Jin." Crumbs tugged at his hand. "I can't carry the batch out by myself."

           Jin nodded and quietly followed her.

           "Take some time to sort yourself before coming out." Crumbs stated quietly. "They're family so you don't need to be down on yourself. They're here to support you. Deal with your insecurities on your own time. Okay?"

           "You know, this is exactly why he kept it from you, Sis." Dark Angel rolled her eyes.

           "What do you mean?" she frowned.

           "He's your older brother. But you treat him like he's younger than you." Yoongi added. "He's doing things his own way. Why can't you just be proud of him instead of scolding him?"

           "I am proud! I was just hurt he kept this from me..."

           "Well you weren't this mad when we kept the fact that I was working under Jimin and Hoseok from you." Dark Angel shrugged.

           Farm Girl exhaled. "I guess Jin was always the one encouraging me...him not telling me makes me feel like he didn't think I'd do the same."

           "I don't think he sees it like that." Crumbs appeared and chucked a piece of bread by the door, where Leo soon appeared. "He just wanted to show up confident and cool in front of you guys in the end. He didn't want sympathy or worries or offers of help from you."

           "I would not --" Farm Girl stopped short as everyone looked at her disbelievingly. "Okay, alright. I would've...but who are you?"

           "I'm his assistant is all." Crumbs offered them a tray.

           "She's the backbone of this store." Jin appeared with a big smile and another tray. "While I am its gorgeous face."

           Crumbs snorted. "Only cause they haven't seen mine yet."

           "Oh yeah?" Jin smirked.

           "I agree!" Jackson burst through the doors excitedly.

           "Oh for the love of..." Crumbs hissed.

           "My love!" Jackson pulled her into a tight hug.

           "I'm going to put a restraining order on you, I swear." She pushed him back and huffed. "And I told you to stop coming here!"

           "Yoongs. Farm Girl. Jungkook. Jin's other cousin." Jackson greeted. "What's up?"

           "Jackson." Yoongi nodded as the others waved at him.

           He tried to swipe a pastry from the tray, but Crumbs slapped his hand and disappeared into the kitchen.

           "That's her way of flirting." Jackson grinned. "She loves me."

           "It is not." Crumbs came out with a brown bag. "Here. This is a family affair so get out."

           "Aww I knew you cared for me." He ruffled her hair as he accepted the bag.

           "Stop saying things like that!" She argued.  

           They began bickering.

           "Wow this is really good!" Yoongi's eyes brightened as everyone took a bite. "I can totally eat this every morning with my coffee!"

           "You want me to make you some? We have hand drip coffee." Jin offered.

           "If you wouldn't mind?" Yoongi blushed.

           "Not at all."

           "Hey! You took my piece!" Jungkook whined as Dark Angel cackled and stuffed it into her mouth.

           "You're too slow."

           Jin smiled as he watched the pairs interacting while making the coffee. They were all adorable in their own way. Each of them so in love and comfortable with their other half, that he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.

           And in that moment, something seemed to click inside him. A realization came to fruition.

           He wanted this with you. He wanted the mundane things with you. He wanted to bicker playfully and tease each other. He wanted to show you off to the others; introduce you to his family.

           The vortex of confusion in his chest dissipated with his revelation. Hoseok was right. He needed to take the risk. Nothing would change unless he took the leap.

           He knew what he was going to do.

           He was going to ask you out tonight.

           Jin put on his best suit and tie, and threw gel on his hair to reveal his forehead. You had told him once that it was a turn on for you, and he would do whatever he could to increase the chances of you saying yes to his proposition.

           It was crazy. To suggest seeing each other outside of Club Masquerade. To step out of the comfort zone that the room provided you two. He knew you were contemplating on dating again, but would you want to risk it with him? This was putting the relationship you two built on the line, but he knew he needed to take it, because he needed to be more with you. He was sure of that now.

           "Jin! Jin! Jin!" You fluttered into his room and flew into his arms excitedly.

           "Well hello to you too." He spun you around; his heart doing a thousand somersaults as he realized how perfectly you fit in his arms.

           "Wow, you dressed up. So handsome." You studied him intently.

           "I have something I want to tell you before we start anything." He smiled warmly.

           "Me too." You grinned.

           "You go first then." Jin chuckled as he put you back down on the ground.

           "Okay." You took a deep breath.

           He stepped closer to you, "And where do you stand with that now?"

           You felt magnetized by his gaze so you felt yourself shift closer to him too as you whispered. "I'm a bit more open to the risk if the person is right."

           Tae's lips curled up, "Then would you be open to going on a risky date with me, Miss Puppy?"

           You grabbed Jin's hands enthusiastically. "Jin, my crush asked me out...and I said yes!"  

.

.

.

.

PART 4

[adelmortescryche]

Halcyon Days (Evil Author Day III)

AN: And here’s my final post for EAD!  For those who aren’t familiar with EAD, Evil Author’s Day gives authors the opportunity to post WIPs guiltfree, with no promises attached. Meaning there’s no set date on when I plan to fully post or complete these fics, though they are WIPs.

This is the 3rd and final of three: 1, 2, 3

Warnings/Tags: Gen Fic, Crossover between KHR (Katekyo Hitman Reborn) and ES21 (Eyeshield 21). This was written... a while back? So the writing style is markedly different from what I use currently. *wry grin* It’s also a multichap fic.

Summary: Hiruma used to be an informant for the Vongola as a kid, but he wizens up and backs out of the temptation of mafia connections. Tsuna's on the run from the Vongola because he's tired of being treated like a monster in his Mafia Academy classes in Italy. While laying low in Tokyo, Timoteo offers him the opportunity to finish his education in Japan before returning to the Vongola, but only if he can find Hiruma Yoichi. 

(Queue a manhunt of epic proportions, because Hiruma? Does not want to be found. Especially not by the Vongola.)

Chapter One 

The incessant ringing had to stop.

There were no two ways about it. If it didn’t stop, he would melt its source to a molten puddle on the ground.

Gritting his teeth painfully and holding a pillow protectively over his head, one Sawada Tsunayoshi, tenth heir to the illustrious Vongola Famiglia, tried not to wail at the ear-splitting sound that was being emitted by the gadget sitting on a shelf high above his head. Where it had been placed by him the night before, since he knew that he wouldn’t wake up on time if he placed it anywhere closer at hand.

Flinching at the unending sound, Tsuna slowly extricated himself from under his barrier of cloth and feathers, eyes still closed against the light streaming in through the windows. Dragging his legs out from underneath the quilt and carefully pressing his feet to the ground, he glared blearily up at the inappropriately cute lion themed clock ringing above him. That was the last time he was going to accept any innocent looking gifts from Haru, even if this one was supposed to be a housewarming gift. Pushing himself off of the bed, he reached up with a sigh, fingers easily locating the right button to switch the alarm off. Eyeing the time flashing down at him from between the grinning lion’s teeth, he pursed his lips.

Right on time to start getting ready, of course. He’d made the right decision while putting the clock up so high.

Which wasn’t to say he wouldn’t like another, say, two hours of sleep. Of course.

Rolling his eyes at himself, he made his way to his closet, wondering what he should wear for the day. Something that wasn’t too eye-catching, definitely. No overly bright colours. And nothing too black, either. He needed to look normal, however difficult that seemed off late. Normal was good. Normal was what college students needed to be. And that was exactly what he was, as of his discussion with the Ninth a few days ago.

Just your average eighteen year old, joining up for his first day of college at Enma University.

*

Tugging his grey, hooded jacket a little closer around his form, Tsuna had to control the wide smile that was threatening to break out on his face. He’d stepped through the large gates of his new University, eyes focused on the ground and more than a little nervous and uncomfortable, but he’d been completely overlooked by anyone and everyone walking past. A few years ago, that might have made him feel resigned and even a little hurt, but currently, he felt like standing on a rooftop somewhere and cheering.

He’d been right. Joining a university in Japan had been the best decision he’d made in his entire life. This was so much better than going for classes in the Italian University he’d been enrolled in along with Gokudera. No one knew him here, and there was enough distance between here and Namimori that there weren’t any ugly rumors that had carried over from his high school days, either.

The sudden explosion of noise from a few meters away made him stumble back in shock. Turning apprehensively towards the admission boards and cursing his ability to find trouble everywhere he went, he couldn’t help but gape at the sight of two seniors tossing a freshman high in the air while two other freshmen screamed from below. Figuring that it could only be in his best interests to avoid such situations, he slowly backed away, keeping his eyes warily focused on the strange scene until he reached the main building, immediately ducking inside once he was certain he wouldn’t attract any untoward attention.

Once he had gotten as far away from the grounds as possible, he leaned back against a wall, breathing in deeply and wondering if he hadn’t made a mistake in coming to this university, after all. He’d considered Saikyoudai earlier, but his instinct had all but screamed for him to consider another option. Honestly, he didn’t think he could get the kind of grades Saikyoudai usually expected of its students, so he figured that it was for the best. But, even with his intuition telling him not to go anywhere near the much-touted ‘genius’ school, he still felt like he was making a mistake not going there.

Finally, after thinking over the issue, he’d decided that Enma would be the more comfortable option, as it had fewer constraints over the students. And, anyway, Saikyoudai was still relatively close by, so he could always check it out later.

Pulling away from the wall, he took a deep breath to calm himself down and then looked around. Which way to the office, again?

*

His quest to track down the office was taking a lot longer than he’d expected, seeing as he had managed to get himself utterly lost in his earlier unease. Sighing, he figured that it would be best if he back tracked the way he came back to the grounds, and see if he could find someone that could point the way out to him. Thankfully, that took a lot less time than tracking through the building itself.

He’d barely taken a step out into the grounds, though, when he heard a loud yell, telling him to get out of the way. Blinking, he glanced up, and tried not to scream when he noticed the slim figure running at full-pelt towards him. Too fast to stop. Too fast for him to even consider getting out of the way.

The crash that resulted was bad enough for both of them to get catapulted straight back into the main building. Tsuna tried to twist both himself and his unexpected assailant into a better angle, but they were inevitably covered in scratches and bruises when they finally screeched to a stop, colliding against a wall.

The low groan of pain that escaped from his throat was echoed by the teen that had collapsed on top of him. Obviously male; there was no scope for confusion with the way they were tangled together after their collision.

“Crap… I’m so sorry! I didn’t think I wouldn’t be able to stop, my shoes aren’t-”

Tsuna winced, and tried not to laugh right after at how ridiculous the situation was. The teen had somehow pried himself away and was waving his hands energetically, looking horrified, and more than a little embarrassed, his brown hair horribly mussed up from the tumble they had taken down the hall.

The hilarity of their predicament didn’t stop Tsuna from noticing the foreign expletive at the beginning of the other teen’s garbled apology, though.

“It’s okay, you obviously didn’t crash into me on purpose,” he offered wryly, smiling when the brunet stopped to grin awkwardly back at him.

“I don’t usually crash into people like this. I was late for a meeting, and I’d been looking around for my friends. I didn’t notice you when you stepped outside.”

“Like I said, it’s – ow – okay. Help me up and we can forget about this.” Tsuna flinched at the raw feeling in his wrist. And his back, since he’d been the one to hit the wall first. He couldn’t feel anything in his legs, since they’d gone numb, but he got the feeling that one of his ankles might be twisted.

What a great first day of college. And he hadn’t even figured out whether the management would let him enroll without giving the entrance exam, yet.

“Yeah, here-” the deceptively slim hand that wrapped around his arm right above the elbow smoothly guided him up to his feet, the teen easily lifting himself up at the same time. As they stood dusting themselves off, Tsuna couldn’t help but notice that his assailant was around the same height as him, and both of them had a similar build as well. And, if the small glances and bemused expression on the other’s face were any indication, he wasn’t the only one to notice.

“I’m Sawada Tsuna.” He offered impulsively. The teen looked up at him, the process of dusting off his jeans, and grinned.

“Kobayakawa Sena.”

Once they were done ensuring they were relatively clean and could move around comfortably, Tsuna looked behind him with a sigh. The questioning glance from the other brunet made him smile self-deprecatingly.

“I’d actually been coming outside because I couldn’t track down the office earlier. Do you know where it is, by any chance?” But the apologetic expression on his face immediately told Tsuna that the other teen had no idea where to go, either.

“You could come along with me, I’m sure one of my friends might know where to find it.”

Tsuna considered the offer, then shook his head with a sigh.

“No, I should get going. I’ll look around a bit more and see if I’m any luckier this time…”

“Well, I think I’ll be out on the football field. If you still can’t find it, I’ll help you look. It’s the least I can do for crashing into you like this.”

Both teens grinned at each other, mutually amused with their odd encounter, before turning and heading off in opposite directions.

Tsuna considered the strange, slight teen, and after noting the speed the teen was capable of in his mind, he carefully tucked the encounter away to think about later. Reborn had always taught him to keep the environment in mind, wherever he was. And, even if all he was trying to do was lead a normal college life over here until he had to return to Italy and the mafia, there was no telling what could happen. A freshman capable of the kind of speed necessary to leave even Tsuna unable to dodge definitely had to be remembered.

Growling at himself for the kind of thoughts he was having, he shook his head and shoved any mafia related thoughts out of his mind. He didn’t have the time to think about these things, and he didn’t even know the other teen all that well. He was probably just as normal as any other Japanese teenager, just a little faster than usual.

…

Okay, a lot faster than usual, but all the same. He didn’t have the time for this, he needed to find the office and convince them to let him enroll, somehow.

He was almost regretful about stopping Shoichi from hacking into the university database and entering his name into the list of accepted students, but he immediately shoved that thought away as well.

Normal. Was that so difficult to be, after the kind of things he had gone through in the last couple years?

*

To his relief, he did manage to find the office this time around. And surprisingly, it hadn’t even taken much convincing to let him enroll. The principal had told him to come in early the next day to give the entrance exam, but he had assured Tsuna that writing the exam was only a token, and that he would be accepted into the university anyway.

Leaving the office building and feeling more than a little uncomfortable with the fact that he had gotten in so easily, he quickly walked across the grounds towards the main gate. He’d been informed that the first day wasn’t much more than a meet-and-greet, giving them the opportunity to explore and acclimatize themselves to the grounds. But, the discomfort that still remained, both from the discussion with the principal as well as from the fall he had taken earlier, made him wish for nothing more than to get back home and sleep the rest of the day away.

Fate was never kind enough to let things go his way, of course.

The loud screech of a car coming to a halt right in front of him made him jump back in surprise, and he wasn’t given much of a chance to get his bearings right before he was hailed by the driver, who lithely threw himself over the side of the convertible.

The very red convertible. That was attracting far too much attention from other college students as well as people that were simply passing by, but not nearly as much as its driver, who was dressed about as eye-catching-ly as he usually was. 

“JUUDAIME!”

Tsuna paled instantly, and he didn’t stop to think, instead speeding forward to grab his loud friend by the wrist, dragging him back to the car and shoving him into the driver’s seat. Without further ado, he tossed himself into the passenger seat and tersely told the Gokudera to drive. Thankfully, he didn’t need much prompting. They were back on the roads before any spectators had the chance to memorize their features.

They didn’t speak until they were back at Tsuna’s apartment complex, and Tsuna ignored Gokudera’s increasingly pained glances until they were past his front door.

Once the lock was in place, he turned to stare at the fidgeting teen.

“What are you doing here?” he asked tightly, though he kept his face carefully blank. Gokudera didn’t shift his gaze away from the ground, though the expression that slid onto his face was all too stubborn.

“I’m here to help you, if you need me. I’m supposed to be your-”

“Yes, yes. My right hand. Which I agree with wholeheartedly, but you were already attending classes back in Palermo, in a very good university, so what are you doing here?”

Gokudera looked up to give him a very characteristic scowl, and Tsuna had to fight the exasperation that the expression gave rise to.

“I’m here for my own reasons; you shouldn’t neglect your education-”

“I’m not. I managed to get myself enrolled in Oujou University.”

Tsuna’s eyes almost bugged out. Oujou University? Oujou? The same Oujou that was supposed to have an entrance exam that was nearly impossible to get through? Of course, he knew just how intelligent Gokudera was, so he wasn’t surprised that he had managed to get into such a high level institution. Then again…

“I’m surprised you didn’t consider Saikyoudai.” He mused, strangely disappointed. If he had, then Tsuna wouldn’t have needed to keep and eye on the university at all; Gokudera would have been completely capable of finding any information that was required.

“I actually did. But, I heard a lot of troublesome students got enrolled last year, and that they’re expecting even more trouble this year. I didn’t think you’d want me to attract too much attention to myself, so I went with the more low-key option.”

Gokudera’s eyes were sharp, and Tsuna couldn’t contain the smile that slid into place on his face.

“Then, Oujou’s definitely the better option. Good call, Gokudera-kun.”

The sharp look was instantly traded for a beaming, giddy expression that made Tsuna laugh. He toed off his shoes, gesturing for Gokudera to do the same before showing him around the apartment. He listened intently as Gokudera described the apartment that he had taken up, surprisingly nearby to Tsuna’s, as well as Oujou’s grounds. Tsuna was actually a little relieved that he wouldn’t be going to Oujou, himself. The place sounded very rigid. When he asked why Gokudera hadn’t decided to follow him into Enma, the silver haired Italian looked a little embarrassed.

“I didn’t think you would want me to attend the same university, Juudaime, since we would attract a lot more attention if we were together. I’d definitely prefer attending the same university, though, since that would be safer.” 

“I don’t think there’s anything that could hurt me over here, Gokudera-kun.” Tsuna said patiently. And pointedly didn’t think of the way he had flown down a hallway and then crashed into a wall just an hour or so earlier.

Gokudera stared at him, the sharp look from earlier back in his eyes, but finally, he just huffed and leant back against the couch, looking irritated. Tsuna turned his face back to the sitcom running on the television, considering the battle won for now. He knew that Gokudera wouldn’t fight against anything he said, but that would hold good only as long as Tsuna took care of himself. The moment any trouble reared its ugly head, Tsuna wouldn’t be surprised if Gokudera managed to find some way to transfer himself over to Enma.

 Of course, if the situation ever got that bad, he knew that he would only be relieved for the additional company and support.

 “What about everyone else?”

 Gokudera hummed thoughtfully, before rolling his eyes. He looked even more irritated than before, if that were possible.

 “Exactly where they were before. The baseball idiot’s still in the US, and the lawn-head’s still running all over the place on that training trip that Colonello put him on. Though I heard a new rumor, that it’s gotten connected to the Varia in some way.”

Tsuna’s eyes narrowed immediately. He’d have to get in touch with Reborn and see if he could get the Arcobaleno to part with any information on that front, since no one else would be able to give a clear answer. His only other option would be to get in touch with either Ryohei or Xanxus, and he was all too sure that neither would be willing to give him any answers. Ryohei wouldn’t tell him anything about the training trip because Colonello would have told him not to. And Xanxus was, well… Xanxus. The man wouldn’t give him any information if he could help it. He wouldn’t give any information even if he couldn’t help it.

“As for the others, Hibari and Lambo are both still in Namimori, and Chrome’s still in Italy. She’s still lying low at the estate, but you can never say with her. Or Mukuro.”

Tsuna nodded in understanding, trying not to smile at how sour Gokudera’s expression was. Obviously because no one else had dropped everything and come running back to Japan right after him. As they were ‘supposed to’, Gokudera would say, and follow it with about a dozen expletives in Italian that Tsuna would pretend he couldn’t understand.

He carefully diverted his explosive storm guardian’s attention back towards the sitcom, and distracted him with questions about what courses he had taken up at the university.

Later, once Gokudera had left, though only after promising repeatedly that he would be back the next day, Tsuna collapsed bonelessly into his bed, wearily turning himself around to stare up at the ceiling.

He really didn’t understand how his supposedly normal, unassuming day of college had managed to go so pear-shaped.

Forcing any and all thoughts out of his head, the brunet sighed, and turned again, tiredly burrowing into his pillows. It felt like a million years had passed since morning. He could use the sleep. If nothing else, by the time he woke up, he would only need to eat and then get some more sleep before getting ready for the next day.

Joy. He was looking forward to it already.

[slow-smiles]

Dark Swan Rising by slow-smiles

III: Small Things

Under Hades’ guidance, Emma’s actions as the Dark Swan escalate, and Regina and Robin are shaken by their predicament with Zelena. Henry finds himself dragged into a drama far more complex than a black and white game of heroes and villains while Belle and Killian search for a breakthrough in light of new revelations. The Knights of the Round Table are keeping secrets as the tension in Storybrooke draws toward an inevitable explosion.

A (somewhat) rewrite of 5A in four parts.

Part I / II / III

Also on AO3.

“It’s like a sleeping curse, in a way. They’ll be locked into the vision you’re giving them, no way to escape or wake up. Well, True Love’s kiss, of course, but since they’ll both be under at the same time, there’s no risk of that happening.

“You’re lucky your parents share a heart,” Hades continues, “considering how tricky some of the ingredients will be to obtain. You’ll only need to make one spell to affect them both,” Hades says.

“What kind of ingredients?”

“For one thing, you’ll need the crushed dust of an untainted heart. I think you know where we can get one.”

Emma breathes out, a fierce smile cutting across her face. “Rumplestiltskin.”

“He’s unconscious in his shop,” Emma says. “No one will protect him. I don’t think even Belle has any sympathy left in her. He’s done too much for that.”

She turns to go, but halts when Hades suddenly appears directly in her path. “Not so fast, Savior. You can’t just kill him,” he says.

She feels her rage bubble up inside of her as she approaches him and hisses, “I will just kill him. Do you have any idea what he’s done to the people I love? He deserves every bit of the pathetic death that’s coming for him.”

Hades is unruffled. “I’m not discouraging you from ending his long and bloody life. I’d personally love to see the man blundering his way through the Underworld, given how many of its residents he personally put there. No, there’s simply a small hitch that comes along with the untainted heart.”

“And that is?”

“The exact words in the spell are ‘an untainted heart willingly given.’ Rumplestiltsken needs to give you his heart of his own free will, or else your spell goes nowhere. And unless there’s a baby somewhere in Storybrooke whose untainted heart you’d be willing to sacrifice, the old Dark One is your only choice.”

Emma’s rage is replaced by the feeling of deep illness and she steps back as though she’s been slapped. “A baby?” she chokes.

Hades answers blithely, “Children are born already willing to give their hearts. How their heart grows depends on who they happen to give it to.” He shrugs, nonchalant. “Quite a tragedy in some cases, but such is life. So unless you’d like to make a sweep through Storybrooke’s maternity ward, I’d start thinking of ways to get Rumplestiltsken to give you his heart.”

“Belle,” she says immediately. “He’ll give it up for Belle.”

Hades raises a brow. “And how do you plan on orchestrating this grand exchange?”

Emma feels her light magic stirring, the weaker version of you, Emma Swan, and feels like she should be regretting what she’s about to say. She should be feeling a sympathetic response, that frisson of moral disquiet running through her heart.

You are no longer nothing, Emma Swan, we made sure of that. The whisper of the darkness once felt so out of place, an intrusion in her mind. Now it’s--

It’s a part of herself she didn’t know was missing.

“I’ll find Belle. Take her quietly so no one comes looking for her. We find a way to wake Gold. He’ll exchange his life for hers.” It’s easy. It’s so easy, and Emma wants to laugh because she’d never even opened her eyes before this. There’s always been a clear path to what she wants, she just never had the strength to take it.

Hades looks pleased. “Concise, neat, with that lovely Dark One twist. I think you’re getting a hang of this, Emma.”

She can’t help but smile.

Belle veritably bursts into the library, startling Hook and Henry out of their attempts to continue researching.

Henry’s mom and his grandparents are orchestrating repair efforts to fix the damage done to the city by Zelena and her minions, while Robin is coordinating the Merry Men and the Camelot knights in search and rescue efforts.

The hunt for Emma is temporarily postponed while they recover.

Henry’s more than a bit sour on that. He knows Hook feels similarly, but it seems the pirate has focused his frustrated energies into researching as quickly and effectively as possible. Henry wishes that he could do the same, but all he feels is worry and angry impatience deep in his gut. Hopefully whatever Belle has will make him feel like they are being productive.

“I have something,” is all she says at first, stalking over to their table, dubbed ‘Command Central,’ with singular purpose.

“What is it?” Henry and Hook ask in unison, abandoning their current pursuits in favor of listening to Belle.

Command Central is organized chaos with sections of books and papers separated by realm of origin, and subsections dedicated to fiction, non-fiction, and unknown. Anyone who doesn’t know Hook’s and Belle’s system would just see a mess, Henry supposes.

Belle starts sorting through the pile dedicated to fiction from Camelot. “Do we…” she mutters something to herself. She looks at Killian. “The Epic Histories of Merlin. I know I saw it somewhere--”

Hook immediately reaches for the Misthaven pile and slides one of the older books from underneath. “The author was from Misthaven,” he reminds gently.

“Right,” Belle nods, and takes the book from him. She mutters something else as she begins to flip.

“Perhaps speaking so that we can hear you would help, love,” Killian quips.

“Oh,” she looks up. “Yeah, sorry. It’s just that this,” she lays her finger down on a page, “is the only story that we’ve found that mentions the Dark One in relation to Excalibur.”

Henry leans over to look at the page Belle is referencing. The War of Humans and Hades. “Hades?” Henry asks.

“Excalibur?” Hook asks.

Belle says, “I’m not sure about Hades, but Excalibur is the important part. Ruby inferred that there’s a connection between the Dark One and Excalibur.”

Henry’s brow furrows. “‘Inferred?’”

Belle sighs. “It seems like the Knights of the Round Table, or the Council of Merlin, aren’t very generous with what information they share.”

Hook scoffs. “Bad form to ask for trust but offer none in return.”

“I don’t disagree with you,” Belle says, “but if Ruby is with them, then I don’t think we should distrust them either.” Hook bristles a little. “Look, they helped us when Zelena attacked. You wouldn’t risk life and limb for a group of people you don’t know unless you had good in you.”

Henry interrupts before Hook can voice more dissent, “We can talk about whether to trust them or not later. What does it say in the story?”

Belle flips a couple of pages, “There’s a bit on the Underworld and Hades… the build up to this war… um… here it is:

“‘To save the realms and the cause of the human race, the great wizard Merlin wove the darkness wielded by the god of the Underworld into a curse. He planned to destroy it and restore the balance with the sword of power, Excalibur. Unfortunately, the Godkiller agent of Hades shattered the sword in two, changing its magic and destroying the great wizard’s plans.

“‘With the sword broken and it’s power fractured, a brave soul was forced to step forward and take the curse, acting as a vessel for the Darkness which the two pieces of Excalibur would contain.’”

“I think I heard about this,” Hook says suddenly. “Well, not this exactly, but in my quest to destroy the Dark One, I’d heard whispers of another dagger, one that could kill the Dark One and not pass on the curse. I’d always assumed it was just a story.”

Belle nods. “Listen: ‘If the sword, broken, it’s forger long dead, could be rejoined, it could end the Dark One for all of time.’”

Hook growls, “Sounds an awful lot like killing to me.”

Belle gives him a look. “It could mean that, but you know how magic has back doors.”

Henry says, “Okay, whatever it does, wouldn’t it be helpful to figure out where Excalibur was?”

“Oh!” Belle exclaims. “That’s the other thing. Emrys has it.”

“Emrys,” Henry says. “The wizard with Ruby?”

Nodding, she pushes the book over to Henry. “I’m thinking… the other ‘dagger’ that you heard about, Hook, is Excalibur.”

Killian drags a hand over his chin in contemplation. “If the sword Emrys carries is broken, we would never know. He didn’t take it out once during the fighting.”

“If they have a way to stop Emma and end the Dark One curse,” Belle wonders, “then why wouldn’t they just tell us?”

Hook scoffs again. “They likely know we’d object to killing her, I’d imagine.”

Belle looks at him sharply. “Ruby said they’re going to do everything they can to keep it from coming to that.”

“A fancy way of saying, ‘We’re leaving enough room for failure.’”

She gives him another look. He appears only slightly chastened. Henry feels a bit out of place as Belle softens and says, “Look, I understand what you’re feeling better than anyone, but your fatalism isn’t going to help Emma. But you know what will?” She turns, grabs the biggest book that she can find, and plops it down in front of him. “More research.”

They settle into their system, and Henry truly feels like a third wheel now, but at least they have a bit more direction after Ruby’s veiled revelations: find more information on how the Dark One and Excalibur are related. The War of Humans and Hades is unhelpfully vague, as it doesn’t include any new information about the Dark One, Hades’ place in all this, or how to reunite Excalibur. Belle takes the book to scour it for more clues in other stories while Killian starts filing through some of the other books they’ve gathered.

Henry, as usual, is relegated to fetching duty. He feels like he has a good enough grasp on the Dewey Decimal System at this point to be a librarian in the Library of Congress. At least at that job he wouldn’t feel as though Belle and Hook were awkwardly trying to include them in their operation.

Right, and his mom was still missing. With no one looking for her. He thought he’d at least have an ally in Killian for that particular crisis, but it looks like he’s decided to clench his jaw and wait.

“Hey Henry?” Belle’s soft voice breaks him out of his reverie, and when he looks up he has to bite down the urge to scream because she’s holding up a little piece of paper with a call number written on it. “Would you mind getting this book for us?”

He has to swallow down the snarky retort and an eyeroll. “Sure,” he replies flatly, and walks into the shelves.

The book is in a back corner, Hook’s and Belle’s voices dampened by the thick tomes of paper surrounding him. He pulls it off the shelf--the library sticker on the spine is new in contrast to the worn leather cover, and the title is in some language Henry doesn’t know. He tucks it under his arm and takes a step towards the front of the library when there’s a shimmer of magic, a red dome sealing over him, and then:

“Hello.”

Henry nearly jumps straight out of his skin and the book falls to the floor with a slap, and Henry whirls around to see Emrys standing behind him. He breathes in relief, but only just. Hook hadn’t been wrong about Storybrooke’s newcomers--sometimes people aren’t as trustworthy as they seem. His eyes go immediately to the sword at Emrys’ side, the red gem at the base glowing faintly. Excalibur.

“Sorry if I startled you,” Emrys says. Henry’s gaze then darts towards where Hook and Belle appear frozen in place, bent over the table. “No need to worry,” Emrys assures, “I’ve frozen us in a moment of time. We can converse without being heard or missed.”

He looks around them pointedly. “The privacy bubble doesn’t really inspire confidence in your trustworthiness, buddy.”

His shoulders rise and fall in a sigh. “I need you to hear me out, and I’m afraid your companions over there might not be so accommodating. You are important, Henry, more than you can possibly know.”

“Last time I believed someone when they said that, it almost got my whole family killed,” Henry says, remembering Neverland and the heady rush he got when Pan told him that he was the Savior. That he would be the one to save everyone.

“That was before you were the Author,” Emrys replies.

“Wait, how do you know about that?” Henry asks, backing up until he is at the very edge of the bubble.

“Well, my Apprentice was in charge of overseeing all of you. I always know exactly who has the pen.”

It takes an instant for the answer to fall into place for Henry. “You’re Merlin.”

He smiles. “Got it in one. Knew it was a good choice to make you the Author. Creating that quill was no easy task, so it’s good to see it in promising hands.”

Henry’s brow furrows. “Wait, creating... The way my mom explains it makes it sound like magic is energy transference. You know, Newton’s Third Law, can’t be created or destroyed and all that.”

“I’m unaware of this sorcerer you speak of, but he is correct. Magic cannot be created nor destroyed. Unless, of course,” Merlin says, halting Henry’s protest, “you’re you.” Merlin seems to find that amusing and smiles broadly, but Henry doesn’t share his mirth.

“What?”

“I did not create the magic in the pen, merely harnessed the power of creation.”

“I still don’t-- I can create magic?”

Merlin gives a small shrug. “If done carefully.”

“That’s-- but--”

“It’s a lot to take in,” Merlin concedes. “I’m the first human who was given magic and have been alive longer than you can comprehend, and even I still can’t always fully explain its ways.”

Henry’s mind is reeling, a dozen questions coming to mind, but feeling a bit dumb when the first thing that tumbles out of his mouth is, “Is that how you look so young?”

He smiles, if a bit sadly, and gestures to his face. “I have Zeus to thank for this.”

Henry almost laughs. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Next thing you’re going to tell me is that Prometheus and Athena and Jupiter are all real.”

“They were,” Merlin answers, “until all the gods of old were slain because of the savage ambition of one brother who felt he’d been looked down upon.”

He doesn’t need much more than a bare knowledge of Greek mythology and popular culture to know that one. “Hades?”

If Merlin is surprised by Henry’s knowledge, it doesn’t show. “Hades razed the entire realm and joined it with the Underworld.”

“So how did you get your powers if Hades destroyed all the gods?”

Merlin seemed to settle in, and Henry got the sense that he needed to pay close attention to what he was about to say. “Zeus escaped, and managed to find his way to one of the realms of the humans; you know it as the Enchanted Forest.

“Prometheus had risked his godhood many years before to give us fire. Artemis had been secretly blessing hunts for centuries. Many gods over the years had used their power to help us, even though it was forbidden.

“These gods sang many praises of the human capabilities of strength, resilience, and their surprising capacity for goodness. Zeus had once dismissed these praises, but once Olympus was gone…”

“He had to listen,” Henry deduces. Merlin nods. “So… he gives you magic. You… give it to other people? And why did you create the Author?”

Merlin grimaces ever so slightly. “I was not the only one to whom magic was given. And the way magic spread...”

“Let me guess,” Henry asks drily, “It’s a long story?”

Merlin has the decency to look a little sheepish. “I’m afraid there’s much you don’t know, and that I do not have the time to share with you.”

“Well, considering you told me we’re in a suspended time bubble, I’d say this is probably the most time we’re going to get in Storybrooke with Zelena and my mom still out there,” Henry says.

“I cannot hold this spell forever,” Merlin says. “It is similar to the magic that went into creating Pandora’s box,” he explains, “and that was truly an undertaking without compare.”

“Was that you too?” Henry asks.

The dark look crosses Merlin’s face again. “Pandora’s Box was not a creation of mine, no.” He waves a hand. “But we’re getting off track. Henry, as the Author, you hold the key to ending the Dark One curse forever.”

Merlin’s declaration is met with Henry’s sharp intake of breath. “But I--I broke the Author’s quill, I can’t--”

With a simple gesture, Merlin reproduces the quill in his fingers and holds it out to Henry. “Magic, as your sorcerer Newton said, isn’t created nor destroyed, but transferred. Generally back to the person who cast it. Now,” he wiggles the quill in his fingers, “care to take this back? It is rightfully yours, after all.”

Henry takes the quill back, and it feels like coming home, in a way. Like he never should have let it go in the first place. “So what do I need to do to save my mom?”

Merlin looks around at the bubble. “I seem to have wasted quite a good deal of time telling you about my history, so I will have to be brief--”

Henry feels a flash of annoyance. “No, you need to explain everything to me now. My mother is tied to the Dark One curse. She took it on to save all of us! And now we need to save her.”

Merlin gives him a tight smile, and Henry sees him wave a hand across the arc of the bubble. It shimmers once again. Merlin shudders, ever so slightly, but the momentary lapse is gone in a moment. “There is a way to save your mother and destroy the Dark One forever. You know that the curse is tied to the Dark One dagger, yes?” Henry nods. “That is the lost piece of Excalibur,” Merlin says, the intensity of his gaze pinning Henry like a moth to a board. The wizard reaches for his belt, and Henry hears the sharp <i>sling</i> of metal on scabbard.

The intricately crafted sword reeks of ancient power, the designs on the blade reaching from the base to the end, where the sword abruptly ends. Where it is shattered, Henry can see the beginnings of the wave-blade and black-burned etchings characteristic of the Dark One’s dagger.

“This is no ordinary sword. It was forged by Prometheus himself to be powerful enough to hold the darkness. I can’t simply take the dagger and put them together back, not even with my magic.” He resheathes the sword and places a hand on Henry’s shoulder. “The only person who can reforge them is the Author, using the pen to write them together.”

Henry’s brow furrows. “Wait, but that’s--” He looks down at the pen in his hand and back at Merlin. “You’re asking me to change things.”

“Not things, Henry. Just one.”

He steps away from Merlin, shaking the wizard’s hand from his shoulder. “That’s exactly what I’m not supposed to do! The Apprentice told me altering reality will have consequences.”

“It can, if done improperly. Look at the last Author. We’re not trying to create a different reality, but very slightly alter this one. And by doing so, you will save your mother.”

“There has to be another way,” Henry insists.

“Perhaps there is,” Merlin says, “but we don’t have the time to find it. Right now, this is the best solution.”

Henry bristles. “You keep using ‘not having time’ as an excuse, and I don’t get it. I don’t trust you, and I won’t trust you until you find the time to actually explain to me what’s really going on.”

“There’s no time, Henry,” Merlin says slowly, “because the longer I’m here, the more likely it is that the Dark One will discover that fact. We’re acquainted, and it won’t be happy to see me again. And if the Dark One finds out I’m here…” Merlin visibly shivers. “Something much worse won’t be far behind.”

“Something worse?” Henry asks.

“The being I helped lead a war against. The god who is responsible for the creation of the Dark One curse. He’s the reason Zeus granted me eternal youth--so that I could keep him and the Dark One in check.”

Hades, Henry realizes. Hades is responsible for all of this.

Merlin continues, “If Hades comes here…” He shakes his head. “It doesn’t matter now. We must prevent it from happening, and the only way we can do that is by saving your mother.

“Emma Swan is a part of something much larger than you realize. Being the Savior is no small thing,” Merlin says, tone flat and commanding, “This is the only opportunity we will have to destroy this curse without taking a life until another Savior voluntarily takes it on. That has not happened since its inception. We cannot afford to fail, and our success hinges on you.”

“You’re saying… that since she’s the Savior you can destroy the Dark One without killing her?”

Merlin nods. “If we can find a way to pull the curse from her, we can destroy it.”

“What about True Love’s Kiss?” Henry asks.

“Possible, but unlikely. The Dark One curse is a strange beast. Loving is still possible, but hard to keep pure.”

Henry feels a pang deep in his chest, and it’s not pride; not this time.

It’s fear. He doesn’t want to be the one to have to do this. In this moment, he would give anything to go back to before he was the Author.

“I know you and your family have been working non-stop to free Emma,” Merlin continues, reaching down to the floor to pick up the book Henry had dropped. Merlin holds it out to him. “but you are only hitting dead ends. And you’ll continue to hit dead ends until you decide to help me. You’re a brave young man, Henry. I have faith you’ll make the right decision.”

Henry takes the book back, but before he can say anything else, the magical dome deteriorates, and Merlin disappears right along with it. A cold brush of air sweeps past him as he rejoins the normal flow of time. An errant scrap of paper swoops past him, fluttering and settling a few feet in front of him.

“Henry? What was that?” Hook calls, but Henry barely hears him.

His eyes are still locked on the space Merlin had just been occupying. “It was nothing,” he answers, barely remembering why they sent him back here in the first place as he shuffles the book beneath his arm and turns back towards the front of the library.

But if what Merlin told him was true, then this book would hold no answers.

Several hours had passed since they’d reengaged their research efforts on finding Merlin, and Killian’s already thin patience had vacated him around hour two. If yet another suggestion given by his research partners fails to produce the mythical wizard himself in front of them, Killian can’t promise that he won’t snap.

Beneath his annoyance lies an undercurrent of worry. Henry had been strangely reticent for most of those hours. When he did speak, he was curt and a bit rude. Killian and Belle had shared a few looks over these moments, both assuming his attitude was simply the result of teenage maturity and the stress that they were all under, but Killian suspects it might be more than that.

Adding to his worry, Belle had received a call from the fairies watching over Rumplestiltsken just under an hour ago. Something about their services being needed with an individual infected by one of Zelena’s flying minions, and wondered if Belle wanted to come keep an eye on her comatose husband. “I shouldn’t be gone too long,” she had said, but as the clock ticks closer to the hour mark, Killian feels his worry begin to outweigh his annoyance.

The door of the library opens, and Killian looks up eagerly, hoping to see Belle back safe and sound. Instead, he sees Ruby, concern etched on her features.

“Hey, is Belle around here?”

Killian shakes his head. “She was called to her husband’s side so the fairies could visit a victim of Zelena’s spell. I imagine you’d find her there.”

“What? All the victims are out of the hospital. I was just with the fairies. They’re still with Rumplestiltsken and we haven’t seen Belle.”

“But she said--” He meets Henry’s gaze over the table and feels his stomach drop. “That’s not possible,” he says urgently, pulling his phone out of his pocket.

He swiftly dials Belle’s number, trying to keep his hand steady despite the tension creeping up his neck. Each passing second sees fear being etched onto Ruby’s face.

With each tinny ring, his flimsy hope that maybe this is all just an innocent misunderstanding disintigrates. Ruby steps closer. “Anything?”

He swears when he hears Hi, you’ve reached Belle French and slams his phone to the table.

“We’ve got to find her,” Ruby says, her eyes glowing faintly yellow.

Killian can feel his anger and frustration beginning to boil. “We don’t even know where she is. Why would Zelena lure Belle into a trap?”

“Zelena?” Ruby asks.

Henry replies, “Who else would want to take her?”

Ruby laughs harshly. “Emma’s the Dark One! Belle knows more about magic than just about anyone, and we have no idea what is up her sleeve.”

“But if Zelena wanted to hurt Rumple,” Henry says, “the best way to do that is through Belle.”

“She’s not just some bargaining chip!” Ruby shouts. Her eyes flash bright yellow before she closes them, taking a calming breath. “We do not have time to sit here arguing about who took her and why. All we know is that someone lured Belle out and now we can’t find her.” Ruby’s eyes open again, their natural brown once more. “I’m going to look for her. If I can pick up her scent, I can track her down.”

“I’m coming with you,” Henry and Killian say at the same time.

Belle moans as she comes to, her head feeling like it’s filled with cotton. She’s seated, her back pressed against something rough, solid, and cold with her hands lying limply at her sides. A shiver zips up her legs and she curses herself for wearing a skirt. Her eyes flicker open and she tips her head forward, the aftereffects of whatever magical knockout potion took her down quickly slinking away.

She’s in some sort of cave--if she had to guess, she’d say she was in the mines, but mysterious caves seem to pop up all over the place in Storybrooke. There’s some sort of magical barrier blocking the only entrance to the cavern, a spell that she doesn’t recognize. It ripples like water, glimmering iridescent in the near darkness. The only sources of light are two torches high on the walls--Belle wonders if she might be able to reach one.

“Wake him up,” Belle hears, and she whips her head around to see Emma Swan standing against the right side of the cavern.

Next to her, underneath a thick blanket and lying on a stone pedestal, is Belle’s husband.

Her first instinct is to shout. Stop. Don’t hurt him.

She doesn’t act on that instinct. She rises to her feet, unsteady as the effects of the magic wear off, and instead says earnestly, “Emma, whatever you’re doing, it’s not worth darkening your heart. We can help you fix this. We can find a way to save you.”

Emma fixes Belle with a coldly condescending look and for a startlingly selfish moment, Belle is glad it’s Emma holding the curse rather than her husband. She couldn’t handle it if he was the one imprisoning her. Again.

“Everyone seems to want to fix me these days. Tell me, Belle,” Emma says, pacing in front of her leisurely. “Why couldn’t Rumplestiltsken give up this curse? Hm?”

Belle’s breath catches. “A curse isn’t a curse if the afflicted wants it.”

Emma nods sagely. “What would you have done?” she asks. “What would you have done to snag yourself a completely uncursed Rumple? Quite a lot, I imagine, given how much you seemed to love him. Still love him, maybe.”

Belle doesn’t answer, pressing her lips together in a stubborn show.

Emma is not amused. “Regardless of how you now feel about him, I need him, and I need him awake.” She considers. “Would a True Love’s kiss work, do you think? I’m sure his love for you is plenty, but what about yours for him?” Emma shrugs. “I wouldn’t blame you for not loving him anymore. He’s treated you like an object for so long, someone that he can just bring along for his ride no matter how battered and bruised you get from being dragged behind him. But it was never enough,” Emma says, voice going soft, almost understanding. “You were never enough.”

“Stop,” Belle protests weakly.

“No,” Emma replies. “I need him awake, and I need to know if True Love’s kiss can do it. So, dearest Belle, if you still truly love him, call me a liar and wake him up.”

She remembers her marriage vows as though they were said yesterday. Yearns for the simplicity of their short honeymoon, for the blissful early days of their marriage when she was completely unaware of what kind of man her husband really was.

Which isn’t--

That’s not right. She’s always known, she’d just always managed to convince herself that she would be enough.

Something falls into place for Belle in that cave, with a new Dark One staring down at her with quiet menace and the man she thought she’d always wanted with his life in her hands.

A lone tear falls when she finally answers, “I can’t.”

Deep relief swells in her, so strong and potent she nearly gasps, the power of admitting that she doesn’t love him anymore, that she doesn’t forgive him for everything he’s done, everything he’s done to her, nearly knocks the wind out of her.

(She’ll never be lied to again, controlled or manipulated or invaded by him, will finally feel safe in her own skin.)

“I was afraid of that,” Emma says. Before Belle can blink, Emma is in front of her and plunging her hand into Belle’s chest and pulling out her heart. “If your love won’t awaken him,” she says, “perhaps your pain will.”

A pain unlike anything Belle has ever known radiates from her chest and through her body. She groans, strained and heavy, as her knees give out beneath her. She doesn’t even feel the rough stone cutting into her knees, focused as she is on the hot, bitter, deep pain radiating from her chest. Through it, her eyes remain open, fixated on where Rumple still lies dormant. Emma is standing over him, the red of her heart lighting his face with its proximity.

The seconds stretch for hours, as Emma carefully watches Rumple.

He does not move.

Emma growls, nearly crushing Belle’s heart in her frustration. “This should’ve worked,” she whispers. With a shout of rage and a sudden lunge, she jams Belle’s heart back into her chest.

Belle gasps in pain at the roughness, and clasps a hand over her chest protectively as Emma swoops away just as suddenly as she’d drawn close.

Emma is murmuring something under her breath, and Belle can’t quite make it out. All she knows is that the Dark One is angry, and she’s been on the receiving end of a Dark One’s ire enough to last several lifetimes. She scrambles backwards into the wall, the rough stone scratching at her palms as her heart flutters, settling back into her chest in a way that makes her feel short of breath.

She’s not eager to prod the beast any more than she has to, but Belle has had enough of letting the Dark One control her.

“They’ll find us, you know,” she says. “When they realize both Rumple and I are gone, they’ll figure out your plan.”

Emma laughs, sounding unhinged. “No, they’ll just think you’re missing. Him? I made a replica. Perfect projection magic. They won’t even know he’s gone until it’s too late.”

“There’s no such thing as too late,” Belle says. “Even for you.”

Emma laughs again. “Even for me? I don’t need your pity sympathy. I’ve already gotten enough of that to last a lifetime,” she finishes softly, contemplative.

Belle studies Emma in the silence that follows, trying to pick out differences between the Emma she knew and the one in front of her now. She’s still in her Storybrooke clothes, none of the extravagances of an Enchanted Forest Dark One. Her skin doesn’t bare the scaly glimmer that had been Rumplestiltsken’s signature, and her long blonde hair remained unchanged.

Although--

“I’ll be back,” Emma says suddenly. “Try not to get into too much trouble while I’m gone,” she adds, and it’s almost like old Emma when she says it, light, with a hint of a smile.

Before Emma teleports away, Belle could swear she sees a streak of pure white through the pristine blonde.

The Dark One coalesces in a swirl of black and white smoke next to Zelena. Emma’s visit isn’t surprising, but still a bit unexpected.

The Wicked Witch had been pleased to find her farmhouse in the same condition that she’d left it in. A bit of dust here and there, but nothing her magic hadn’t been able to fix. She’d been idly wondering about setting up a nursery when the crackle of powerful magic caused her to turn to the resident Dark One-slash-Savior.

“The Dark Swan,” Zelena says. “To what do I owe this honor? I was under the impression that our deal was fulfilled.”

Emma seems to be only half-listening as she walks slowly around the room. The only outward reflection of the curse she holds is a wide streak of silver running down the left side of her hair, disrupting the golden curls. The silver streak, plus the distractingly powerful and confusing magic signature she’s giving off. Otherwise, she looks much the same as she ever did, sensible boots and jeans paired with a black leather jacket.

The Dark One does not cease her slow perusal of the living room.

“I know this isn’t a social call,” Zelena observes dryly. “What do you want?”

Emma half smiles. “Direct. I’ve always liked that,” she says quietly, almost to herself. “Tell me something,” she says, turning to face Zelena and coming to a standstill by the window. “How are your cravings?”

“What?”

“When I was pregnant with Henry, the only thing I wanted were jelly beans. The prison commissary had a cheap kind that were half way satisfying, but I couldn’t afford them most of the time.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

Emma’s smile is thin. “If there’s anyone who can be sympathetic to being pregnant behind bars, it’s me.”

Zelena remembers Regina’s god awful eating restrictions and the way the mute janitor had secretly slipped her the children’s book against her sister’s orders and bristles. She doesn’t let it show, and she uses her magic to conjure a bag of onion rings and sits in an armchair. “Well, I’m not behind bars any longer, thanks you to.”

She takes a bite of one of the fried rings and sighs. Still hot, just the right amount of crispy. Sometimes her magical abilities truly still delight.

Emma cocks her head. “Can I have one?”

“Seriously?”

She shrugs, looking for all the world like she isn’t carrying evil incarnate inside of her. “I like onion rings.”

After a moment, Zelena holds the bag out. Emma steps forward, reaching carefully in and pulls one out. “Thank you,” she says, sounding genuine before she bites in.

Another moment of silence follows, the rustle of greasy paper filling the silence.

“I ask again, what is it that you want?”

“I’d like for us to be allies.”

“Allies?” Zelena says dubiously.

“At some point you’ll need one to protect your baby from Robin and Regina. They won’t just let the kid go without a fight.”

Zelena growls. “They won’t get to my child. I won’t let them.”

Emma scoffs. “Right, the same way you weren’t going to let Regina take your pendant when she beat you the first time?”

“The light magic caught me off guard,” Zelena acknowledges, “but it won’t happen again.” She eats another onion ring, her satisfaction sullied somewhat at the thought of Robin and Regina. Despite her confidence in her abilities, Emma isn’t exactly wrong. Regina has a team of heroes behind her. Zelena has no one. Or, perhaps one. “What exactly does me being allies with you look like?”

Emma just smiles, a secret, dark little smirk that does little to settle Zelena. “When I call, you answer.”

Zelena hates vagaries, unless she’s the one giving them. Dropping her onion rings to the coffee table and crossing her arms over her chest, she says, “I’m not your errand girl.”

Emma looks unconcerned. “You’re whatever I want you to be as long as you’re afraid of something.”

A fire roars up in Zelena. “I killed Neal,” she reminds. “I killed him and I loved every minute of it.”

Zelena expects anger, or forced stoicism concealing hidden menace. What she does not expect is a chuckle, a smile that looks almost genuine. “I should thank you for that.”

“I’m sorry?”

The smile drops off the Dark One’s face. “The kind of adult man who would get a seventeen year old girl pregnant and sent to prison for a crime she didn’t commit isn’t the type of man I ever want around my son. It took me a long time to realize that. Too long,” she finishes quietly.

Zelena pauses, thinking. “Your parents don’t know about this do they?” She laughs. “Oh this is rich; they even named their little whelp after him. Does your son know?”

Emma doesn’t answer but her grimace is visible. Zelena is pleased. The Dark One isn’t the only one with tricks, now.

Zelena raises her eyebrows tauntingly. “How awkward for you.”

The Dark One does not seem amused. “Consider my offer. You’ll want to take me up on it sooner rather than later.”

Zelena chuckles. “I think I see what this is now.”

“This?”

“The difference between you and me, Emma, is that I don’t mind being alone.”

Her expression remains as blank as ever, but Zelena can feel Emma’s darkness stirring and eclipsing the flagging light magic, inner anger and insecurity stoking an already chaotic fire.

Emma looks back at Zelena’s front door. “You’ll want to answer that,” is all she says before she teleports away in a swirl of black and white smoke.

A knock sounds through the house moments later.

BREAK

Regina supposes she could’ve just teleported to her sister’s house, but the drive allows her to clear her head and gather her wits about her. She doesn’t quite know what to expect from this encounter but is hopeful Zelena’s condition will make her less likely to start a physical fight.

As she locks her Mercedes, taking her time in placing the keys in her pocket, she layers on her emotional armor that she wore for years as the Evil Queen, steps up to the door, and knocks.

A few moments past an awkward length of time, the door opens to reveal the Wicked Witch herself, dressed down from when Regina last saw her at the head of an army of flying monkeys.

Despite lack of black dresses and green gloves, Zelena still looks prepared for a battle. She opens the door just enough to lean her head and shoulders out. “Why are you here?” Her tone matches her posture, brittle and untrusting.

Regina sighs, eyes tilted up for a moment. “A lot of reasons,” she answers before shaking her head. “Do you mind if I come in?”

“I do mind, actually,” Zelena answers. “Why should I let you into my home?”

Regina fights back her annoyance. Along with the armor comes the Evil Queen’s sharp tongue, and she knows that won’t help the situation if she falls back into that persona. “Because we need to have a talk where we aren’t actively trying to kill each other.”

Zelena seems to consider slamming the door in Regina’s face for a few moments, but doesn’t move.

Regina tries again, “Despite…. everything, we’re sisters. And even if we weren’t, we’re family now in a way that can’t be undone.” She looks meaningfully at Zelena’s hidden stomach.

Mentioning the child changes Zelena. Where she once looked ready for battle, now she seems prepared for a siege. “This child is mine,” she snaps. “You and your pathetic thief of a lover will never touch them.”

Regina can’t stop the anger that courses through her. “If this is how it’s going to be--” A flick of her fingers sends Zelena stumbling back, the door listing backwards on its hinges. Regina strides into the house and closes the door behind her before Zelena can recover. “Thanks for inviting me in,” she comments dryly before venturing towards the kitchen.

“You bloody fucking bitch,” Zelena snarls, and Regina can feel her sister gathering magic, preparing a strike. Before it can come to fruition, Regina passes into the kitchen and casts a protection spell over the room.

Regina can hear the offensive spell fizzle out on the barrier before she even turns around. “Best protection spell I know that doesn’t include blood magic,” she explains. “You’re not getting me out of this house until I choose to leave.” The spell is completely transparent, but the magical sisters can feel the film of it as though it was an actual barrier between them.

Zelena looks ready to just knock the house down on top of Regina, but slowly her posture straightens, her fingers uncurl. Then she snorts a harsh laugh. “You’re unbelievable.”

Regina summons one of the kitchen chairs and sits down facing the doorway. “Might want to pull up a chair,” she suggests.

Zelena’s mouth is slightly gaped, and Regina supposes it’s since she’s living up to her bloody fucking bitch reputation. Zelena doesn’t complain out loud, but every single bit of body language screams it as she copies Regina’s action, summoning one of her living room chairs and seating herself in it.

“So how is this going to work?” Zelena asks. “You want to hammer out a custody agreement. Will my refusal need to be in writing, or will a series of verbal insults work well enough for you?”

Regina’s temper flares. “I’m doing this for you. Believe me, it would be much, much easier to just cut you out of our lives once the baby is born. But you…” Regina takes a steeling breath. “You’re my sister, and you didn’t do half the things that I did. I’m no more deserving of a redemption than you are. All it took was Henry, and having that unconditional love in my life made me my best self.”

“You don’t want me,” Zelena sneers. “I’m just an inconvenience to you and your happiness with Robin. That’s all I will ever be to you.”

Regina’s lips righten. “Please don’t bring Robin into this right now. I’m trying very hard to forgive you, and the things you have done to him and his family aren’t making that easy for me.”

Zelena is silent--Regina hopes contemplative.

“I led a terribly lonely life as a child,” Regina begins, Zelena’s predictable scoff only spurring her onwards. “Our mother…” Regina struggles to conjure the proper words to describe Cora. She sighs. “Our mother was not a kind woman. She was manipulative and frightening and not afraid to use her magic to make sure I stayed in line. And I know that the family you ended up with wasn’t sunshine and roses either.”

“Is this supposed to make me like you?” Zelena asks. “Share our tragic childhoods and magically we’re the best of friends? Would you like for us to exchange stickers and braid each others’ hair? Please, Regina, you’re not that naive.”

“I’m not trying to fix everything between us. I’m trying to give you a reason to do better.”

“I don’t need my ‘better’ being measured by the heroes’ yardstick. I might have started this to hurt you, but this child is mine.”

Regina tenses. “No, they’re not. They also have a father.”

“Who clearly doesn’t want them.”

“Don’t you dare insinuate that Robin does not love his child,” Regina snaps. She softens, memory and sympathy rolling through her. “You know, we have a word for what you did to Robin in this land. Rape. In the Enchanted Forest, we didn’t have a term for it, it was just… done, and rarely with consequences.” Regina’s own tangled past with Graham makes it difficult for her to maintain her place on her high horse, but she also remembers being the barely-adult bride of a much older man. Doesn’t have to reach back that far to remember Robin’s difficulty sleeping since he came back to Storybrooke. (If there was nothing else that made her regret what she did to Graham, Robin’s suffering would’ve done it.)

Regina continues, “I don’t know if you can properly imagine what you are putting him through. He is so devoted to his children it takes my breath away. But here he is, torn between his love for his child and his hatred of you.” She wonders if she shouldn’t have revealed so much about Robin, but it’s already been said. She supposes that however they heal, it has to start with honesty.

“Robin wants sole custody,” Regina says, “and I’m not inclined to argue with him on that.”

Zelena shoots to her feet. “How could you? You’re a mother! How could you do that to me?”

“Right there is exactly why,” Regina responds, pointing an accusing finger at Zelena. “Because you’re only thinking about yourself. This will hurt you, but I’d rather it be you than your child.”

“Then it seems you’ve already decided. You’re going to take them away from me.”

“That’s why you’re going to do better,” Regina presses, “Not for me, not for yourself, but the child we won’t allow you to see until you drop this wicked charade and just be their mom.”

Zelena riles, tensing like a spring coiled. “This isn’t a charade. I just learned a long time ago that if you want any modicum of respect in this world, simpering and smiling won’t get it for you.”

“I understand that more than you know,” Regina says. “But there’s a difference between commanding respect and being cruel.”

“The way I see it, you can’t have one without the other.”

Regina squeezes her eyes shut, pinching at the bridge of her nose. “Look, what it comes down to is this: I’d rather take them away from you if it meant saving another child from an unfit mother.”

Zelena leans forward against the magical barrier between them. “Don’t you dare make this about you, Regina.”

“I can’t not make this about me, because you have entangled all of us in this goddamn web of yours, and you can’t ask me to divorce what Cora did to me from my decision making.”

“Mother left me,” Zelena hisses. “I would never leave my child.”

“At least you were spared from her.”

Zelena lets out an incredulous breath. “How much do you really know of my family? The family I ended up with after Cora left me to die?”

“Enough,” Regina says, but Zelena is already shaking her head.

“Clearly not if you think our mother leaving me spared me from anything.” She sits back down, as though all the wind has left her sails.

A heavy silence settles between them.

Regina feels a tug at her heart. “I’m sorry.” She may not have Emma’s superpower, but Zelena seems the most sincere she’s ever been.  “Neither one of us…” Regina sighs. “Neither one of us had the upbringing we might have deserved. And it helped put us on a path to doing terrible things. But we don’t have to keep following that same path. Like I said, once I had Henry--”

“It made you your best self,” Zelena finishes.

Regina smiles, just a little bit. “Yeah. But Henry wasn’t the only reason I was able to change. I also found a remarkable group of people who were willing to forgive me, and I think there’s a part of you that wants the same.”

“Maybe.” Zelena looks thoughtful, quiet. Her faces pinches for a moment, and she rubs a hand across her belly.

“Are you okay?”

Zelena nods. “Yeah, I’ve just been feeling a bit odd after I ate those onion rings. It’s nothing.” She continues, “I’m willing to… to try.”

Regina lets out a relieved breath. “That’s all I’m asking for,” she says, a genuine grin blooming across her face.

Zelena grimaces again, a strangled sound coming from her. Her hand goes once again to her stomach.

Regina rises. “Zelena?”

“I don’t underst-” A scream rips out of her throat as she bends forward in her chair.

“Oh god,” Regina takes the magical barrier down between them and crosses the threshold to her ailing sister. “Zelena, talk to me.”

“I don’t know what’s happening,” Zelena cries, leaning back again, and Regina’s jaw drops.

Zelena is only a month into her pregnancy. Judging by the now-apparent curve to her belly, she’s got to be at least seven.

“What the hell,” Regina breathes.

Zelena grinds out another sound of pain. “Something is wrong. I’m--” She falls silent as another wave of pain goes through her.

Regina suddenly knows. A contraction. Zelena is having contractions.

“Hey,” Regina says firmly, “look at me.” She takes Zelena’s hand. “It’s going to be okay. You and the baby are going to be just fine.”

Zelena’s breathing is erratic and her eyes wildly panicked, but she nods at Regina’s sure words.

“I’m taking us to the hospital, all right?” She squeezes Zelena’s hand. “Don’t let go.”

The sisters are enveloped in a cloud of smoke, and within a moment, they are gone.

BREAK

Considering that they have no idea how this happened, Zelena’s labor progressed without issue. Regina only let go of Zelena’s hand long enough to call Robin.

(“But it’s--it’s too early. It’s not even--”

“It got accelerated somehow but now she’s full term and having the baby, so you need to get here right now.”)

The labor itself was even accelerated, only lasting about two hours. And looking back, Regina realizes what an awkward two hours those really were. Robin, standing in the corner watching the woman he loves coaching the woman who raped him through the birth of his child (and assisted by Dr. Frankenstein himself, but that was neither here nor there.)

In truth, Regina had almost forgotten Robin was there at all until the baby’s cries announced her arrival into the world and Dr. Whale told them it’s a girl.

Robin had laughed a little in the corner, a relieved, quiet thing, and said, “A girl.”

“Is she okay?” Zelena had asked, frantic in that way all new mothers are. She stayed awake long enough for them to place her daughter on her chest, assure her that everything is okay, that Zelena herself is okay too, even though she might pass out from exhaustion given the magical strain of growing a full-term child in less than an hour.

In a few minutes, Zelena does just that; her hand had been curled over her daughter’s head, awe and shock and love in her eyes, and it slides away as she falls unconscious.

A nurse takes the baby so that she can be washed and wrapped and Regina steps backwards until her back collides with Robin’s chest. His arms automatically go around her waist and she turns into his embrace.

Regina is at a complete loss for words. There’s a maelstrom brewing in her heart, emotion making her uneasy and on edge. There’s only one person in Storybrooke who would’ve done something like this, and Dark Ones aren’t known to do things without a plan.

Emma has a plan for this baby, and if Regina knows anything about Dark Ones, no part of that plan is good.

“Does Dad want to hold her?” comes the voice of the nurse who had taken the baby, disrupting Regina’s thoughts. She’s wrapped up in a pink blanket, her puffy, red face peeking out.

“Yes,” Robin breathes. “Yes.” Regina steps away to give Robin free rein to take his daughter in his arms.

He holds her with the confidence and ease of someone who’s done this before but with all the reverence of a new parent. “Hello, my sweet,” he murmurs, and Regina’s heart melts, worries disappearing for a brief moment. His expression is blindingly happy, awestruck and humbled and thrilled and Regina has never seen anything like it on his face.

She wishes she could be that happy, but a shot of jealousy creeps into her belly.

And then it hurts all over again because the experience of having a child is what I always imagined having with you.

He looks up at Regina, and she forces a smile onto her face. “I have a daughter,” he says--whispers, really, a stunned, reverent thing that matches his expression.

“She’s beautiful,” Regina replies softly. Regina reaches out hesitantly, not really sure what her end goal is. She ends up placing a hand on Robin’s arm and squeezing.

Regina feels the prickle of powerful magic creep up the back of her neck and raise the hair on her arms the split second before a swirling storm of black and white smoke coalesces in the middle of the hospital room.

Zelena, even unconscious, must have felt it, because she lets out a soft moan and shifts on the bed.

“Get behind me,” Regina orders Robin tersely. He follows her directive immediately and cradles his daughter closer to his chest, almost tucking her into his jacket.

Her own magic sizzles in her palms as the teleportation spell dissipates and the former Savior is revealed.

She looks--remarkably like Emma. If it weren’t for the new white streaks running through her hair, then she could pass as being the same old sheriff of Storybrooke. When she turns her gaze on Regina, any semblance of familiarity seems to dry up.

Emma smiles, almost; it’s more of a sneer, a gleeful little expression of twisted delight that Regina most certainly recognizes.

“Hello, Regina,” she says. And it’s-- it’s not Emma.

It hurts more than Regina could have ever anticipated.

“You’re not getting your hands on this baby,” Regina replies.

Emma smiles again, this time like a parent whose child refuses to understand. “Oh I don’t need her.” She laughs. “That is, unless her mother doesn’t cooperate. Then I might need her. Oh, Zelena,” she singsongs. “Time to wake up.” A snap of her fingers, and Regina feels a jolt of magic run through the room. Zelena bursts awake with a gasping breath.

“There she is,” Emma says. “Now, I need you to come with me. And no one else will have to get involved.”

Zelena’s eyes are panicked as they flick between Emma and where Regina stands between her and Robin and the baby. “But you said that I’d get to keep her,” Zelena says. “You said that if I helped you, I would get to keep my baby.”

Emma just keeps smiling. “Yes. If you help me.”

Zelena’s panic settles into determination, mingled with some white hot anger. “Fine.”

“Wonderful,” Emma says, and with a flick of her wrist and a swirl of black and white smoke, both she and Zelena are gone.

Belle sits across the cavern from the comatose Rumple.

Once upon a time, she might have thought that she did love him truly enough to break any curse. She supposes she should’ve always known--they’d married and in any of their kisses, she’d never managed to free him from the Dark One curse. She’d poured everything she had into their relationship, poured everything she had in her heart and soul into making him a better man and it--

It never worked.

“Maybe I should’ve just accepted that I was never going to fix you,” she says, and then laughs, harsh and self-deprecating. “Listen to me. Talking about fixing you. As though that’s…”

She sighs again. “We were never meant to be, were we? How many good relationships you know of start with a kidnapping? Or, well, technically more of a hostage situation. And then everything with the Queens of Darkness? It was bad enough that you lied to me about the dagger and then you tried to kill someone I consider a friend. I didn’t even recognize you anymore. You became more obsessed with your power than… than anything and I can’t…” She closes her eyes and tips her head back against the wall. “I was afraid of my own husband. I was afraid of what you would do to me, what you would do to Will, what you would do to any of our friends. What kind of life is that?

“And now you don’t have it. The curse is gone, and for years that’s all I ever wanted.” Even though there’s no chance he can answer, she can’t look at him as she says, “But even though I know that, I’m still afraid of you. I’m afraid of what you’ll do without it, of who you’ll become trying to get it back. All these years I could just… blame it on the curse. That there was a good man beneath it all. But there’s--” She breaks off when her voice shakes, tears threatening her eyes. “I don’t think I want to know what the man underneath the curse is like anymore.”

“Heartbreaking,” says Emma and Belle nearly leaps out of her skin. She hadn’t heard her captor return, and she scrambles to her feet so that she can retain some sense of her dignity and turns to face her.

She gasps when she sees that Emma has brought a visitor.

Zelena, dressed in a thin hospital gown and looking for all the world like she’s beyond exhausted but still willing to fight tooth and nail, is on her knees next to the Dark One.

The Wicked Witch growls, “I’m here. So what do you need me for?”

Emma takes a few contemplative paces around the space. Belle swears she feels the temperature drop as Emma walks past her, a study in serenity, and it makes Belle feel sick to her stomach for what must be coming.

Finally pausing over Rumplestiltsken’s prone form, Emma speaks. “As a student of magic, Zelena, what would you say is wrong with this man?” She turns to face Zelena, a teacher awaiting answer.

“Are you kidding me? You dragged me out of my hospital bed and away from my daughter for a little bit of magic consultation?”

Daughter? Belle thinks. Zelena was only one or two months pregnant, last Belle knew. What could’ve--

Belle bites down on her tongue when she realizes. Emma must’ve sped it up. An image of the Dark One’s plan begins to shape in Belle’s mind against her will. She doesn’t want to imagine how this will end, doesn’t want to imagine how Emma is going to get Zelena to cooperate, can’t--

“I’ll drag you out of wherever whenever I please,” Emma replies harshly. “Now tell me. Why isn’t Rumplestiltsken waking up?”

Zelena still looks annoyed, but she gingerly lifts herself off the floor and limps over to where Rumple lies on the stone.

The way Zelena looks over him looks almost medical, checking his eyes and pulse, save for a faint glow in the palms of her hands. Her mouth purses in frustration--she clearly didn’t find what she’d expected to. Then she places a hand over his forehead, tilting her face downwards and closing her eyes. The light in her palm changes to purple, glowing bright for a half a second before it fades.

“It’s like he’s not even there,” Zelena says quietly, almost in wonder. When she realizes she’s spoken aloud, she turns to Emma, who waits expectantly.

“I tried to find his consciousness,” Zelena explains. “The essence of being, the spark of life. Name your metaphor. But it’s like there’s nothing knocking around in there anymore. Just empty brain activity.”

Belle’s heart wrenches.

Emma doesn’t seem surprised, and asks, “That’s because he’s here,” she says, tapping her temple. “All the past Dark Ones are.”

Zelena’s brows furrow. “Then why did you bring me here if you already know what’s wrong with him?”

“I need him awake,” Emma answers, matter-of-fact.

“Well I can’t do that,” Zelena answers in frustration. “I can’t just magic his consciousness back into his body--”

Emma cuts her off with a laugh. “That’s not what I need you for.”

“Bloody hell, then stop speaking in goddamn riddles and just tell me so I can go back to my daughter.”

Emma tilts her head to the side, studying Zelena. “If you think about it for a moment, I’m sure you’ll get it.”

But Belle understands what she wants first. “She wants to swap your life for his,” she says, the realization of what Emma has planned starting to dawn on her. “That’s why she accelerated your pregnancy. A life for a life, isn’t that right, Emma? Just like the spell Snow used to kill Cora.”

Emma smiles. “I knew Rumple kept you around for more than just a plaything.”

Belle recognizes it for what it is--a carefully placed barb meant to shut her up--but her angry reply is only cut off by Zelena’s outraged, “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Oh, I would,” Emma assures. “Being the Dark One wasn’t exactly in my life plans, but now that I have it, I’m seeing a much clearer path to what I want. And what I want is for you to die.”

“But you said I’d get to keep my daughter!”

Emma shrugs. “Unlike the last Dark One, I’m not much for contracts.”

“You can’t make me do this,” Zelena says, and suddenly hurls a ball of green energy at Emma.

The Dark One looks unconcerned, redirecting the blast at the wall of the cavern. The impact shakes the walls, and Belle looks up at the ceiling, praying it doesn’t come down on them.

Zelena growls, and releases a barrage of green offensive spells that Emma deflects much like before. Belle has only had a passing familiarity with Emma’s magical abilities before, but this still looks beyond any of the skills she’d possessed as the Savior. Either being the Dark One has fully granted her several lifetimes-worth of new knowledge, or someone’s been teaching her (but Belle can’t possibly imagine who that could be.)

“That’s enough!” Emma eventually shouts, and lets loose a blast of black and white magic that makes the hair on the back of Belle’s neck stand on end. It forces Zelena back against the wall and holds her there.

Even immobilized, the fight doesn’t go out of Zelena. The tendons in her neck press hard against her skin, her jaw clenches as she leans against the invisible force pinning her down.

“You can’t make me do this,” she growls.

Emma still looks unconcerned. “I won’t be forcing you to do anything.”

That makes Zelena pause, confusion flickering across her face.

The Dark One examines her nails and says, “I need an untainted heart willingly given,” she says. “So I have two options. One, revive Rumplestiltsken and take his. All scrubbed clean. My second option,” she strides towards Zelena slowly, purposefully, “is your daughter’s heart.”

Zelena’s face goes white. Belle feels as though a knife has pierced her chest.

“What?” Zelena chokes out.

Emma simply stares.

“You--you…. You wouldn’t do that,” Zelena stammers. “She’s just a baby.”

“Exactly. Her heart would serve just as well as Rumplestiltsken’s. You simply get to decide which one I use.”

“They--Regina will protect her,” Zelena says. “They won’t let you get her.”

Emma snorts a soft laugh. “Just like you just tried to?”

A tear slides down Zelena’s cheek. “I didn’t even--” she breaks off in a breathy sob. “I didn’t even get to hold her.”

Belle looks at Emma, denial running through her. Emma wouldn’t do this. Emma would never. Emma is the Savior, even being the Dark One couldn’t possibly erase all that, it’s not--

“And if you don’t do this, no one ever will.”

Tears fall freely from Zelena’s eyes now. All the fight and bluster she’d had goes out of her all at once, her body sagging against the magical bonds. Softly, shakily, she says, “You’re a monster.”

The Dark One smiles. “Only on the inside.”

The small placard on the open crib reads “Baby Girl Hood” and that alone is enough to make Regina smile, at least a little.

She is smaller than Henry was. Face puffier, skin still red and little eyes nearly swollen shut. She’s managed to free her hands from her swaddling, small fingers grasping around nothing and Regina reaches down on impulse. Her breath catches when little fingers wrap around one of hers, and she can’t stop staring at those tiny little fingernails. The little one opens her mouth, a yawn (maybe her first) and Regina can’t help but melt at the little squeak that comes from her mouth. It’s when she lets go and her face pinches up that Regina knows what’s coming. She’s been a mother for far too long to not know what the little pants mean, that they’re slowly going to build into whimpers, then cries, so she moves on instinct, picking her up and cradling her in close.

When she got Henry, he was old enough that he could support his own head, but she’d done enough reading going through the adoption process that she knows exactly what to do. Robin’s daughter squirms just the slightest bit before Regina tucks her in closer, whispering, “It’s okay, little one. No need for that, now.” She frees up one of her hands, letting the baby grasp her pinky with her newborn strength. Regina gives into the temptation to gently stroke the little girl’s cheek, and her baby soft skin is warm against her fingertips.

“That’s a good look on you,” she hears quietly from the doorway, and she startles slightly, but not for long because she knows Robin’s voice anywhere. “Sorry,” he apologizes.

“It’s fine. Usually people can’t sneak up on me.”

“I am very skilled at sneaking.”

She smiles. “I know, Mr. Thief.”

“And,” he adds gently, warmly, “you seemed a bit distracted.”

She looks back down at the baby in her arms, then back at Robin. “She’s beautiful.”

She can hear the pride in his voice when he answers, “I know.”

“Have you thought of any names yet?” she asks. She can hardly keep calling her ‘little one.’

He scratches the back of his neck, mussing his hair as he says sheepishly, “Not in the slightest. I’m afraid that one of the few advantages of pregnancies being nine months is that you’ve nine months to decide on a name. I was hoping you might have some suggestions.”

“Me?”

“Of course, you.”

“I--I just… I didn’t expect…” She looks down at the infant in her arms, suddenly feeling all sorts of things for this child that isn’t hers. (But she’s been down that road before, and she knows where it got her.)

“You’re going to be a part of her life, Regina,” he says, and adds, far less certain, “That is, if… if you want to be.”

“I do,” she answers. The little one yawns again, but she seems very content to stay where she is in Regina’s arms. She laughs a little then, looking back at Robin, “I thought we would have more time to talk about this. Now she’s here, and we’ve barely had time to sit down and talk to each other.”

“We have been a bit busy,” he says with that understanding smile, “What with the new Dark One and all.”

“Speaking of, are there any leads on where Emma may have taken Zelena? And has there been any sign of Belle?”

His lips tighten, so slight and unnoticeable that she would’ve missed it if she didn’t know him so well. “There are groups in the woods and in the mines, but so far there’s been no luck. Ruby and Hook returned to ask Emrys about a locator spell, but wherever they are being held, they’re hidden from that magic.”

Regina exhales, coming to a decision and setting Robin’s daughter back in the open crib. They need to do this sooner or later, and she’d rather not have a baby in her arms for it. “We need to talk about her. Zelena.”

His jaw clenches, his eyes going angry, and she hates what this is doing to him, but there’s no more putting it off. “Then perhaps we should take this somewhere more private.”

They don’t go far. Despite Emma’s claim that she didn’t need her, Regina isn’t comfortable leaving the child with no protection. (She casts a protection spell over the nursery doorway to keep anyone with bad intentions out just in case.) The deserted hospital corridor affords them a sightline on the viewing window, but is far enough that they wouldn’t disturb anyone.

Robin clearly doesn’t intend to start this conversation which bristles her just a little bit. This is his daughter’s future they are considering. “I know you don’t like talking about what Zelena did to you--”

“Damn right I don’t.”

Regina breathes in. Out. Tries to not think of the consequences of what she’s about to suggest. “But I’d like to give her visitation rights.”

Robin snaps immediately to attention, going completely still. “I’m sorry? I don’t think I quite got that. You’d like to <i>what</i>?”

“I’d like to give her visitation rights,” she says again. “Heavily monitored by one or both of us. We’ll set up wards so that she can’t teleport away. I’ll layer as many protection spells as I can to make sure you feel safe--”

“I’m sorry,” he interrupts, not sounding sorry in the least, “I’m sure you have a very detailed plan, but I’m still trying to wrap my head around the idea that you would give Zelena visitation to my daughter. That you would make me hand her over to that bloody witch at all.” His voice is rising, and Regina can feel her own temper starting to flare. “I don’t care how many protection spells are between me and her. I don’t care if there’s a hundred foot thick stone wall between us, or if she’s in a damned different realm. I can’t forgive what she did to my family. I can’t forgive that for a while, Roland thought he had his mother back. I can’t forgive that I had to give my own son a forgetting potion because not remembering would be less painful than the reality. And I know I can’t…” His voice drops out, posture withdrawing. “I can’t face her every week for the rest of my life. I can’t do that, Regina.”

“Then I won’t make you face her. I’ll handle everything.”

That makes him snap again, “See, you don’t get it. No matter what happens, she’s always going to be in my life if we do this. I’m always going to have to hand my daughter over to you to go and give to <i>her.</i> She’s always going to be on the periphery of my life, reminding me of what happened, and I’m not--” Robin’s breath catches, just the slightest bit, and she wants so badly to reach out to him. “I’m not strong enough to face that. No distance you could put between us would make what she did any easier for me to deal with.”

“Robin, she deserves a chance to be good.”

“She’s had a chance to be good. You’ve given her more second chances than anyone deserves. I don’t know how anyone can call you the Evil Queen anymore because this is damn well near <i>sainthood.</i>”

“You don’t understand--”

“What I <i>understand</i> is that Zelena murdered my wife, masqueraded as her for months in order to--” he cuts himself off painfully. His voice picks up again a few moments later, cold. “I had to live with her for months. I had to share my bed with a woman who deceived me to get there. I understand that you want to give her another chance. It’s because I understand that I am so bloody angry. I don’t want her near my daughter, I don’t want her near my family, I don’t want her near me.”

“Everything you’ve accused her of, I’ve done doubly worse. She murdered your wife? So did I in some alternate world before Emma and the pirate messed it up. She manipulated and used you? I couldn’t even give you the names of all the people I’ve done that to. I have murdered, I have tortured, I have cast curses that would make the darkest of souls quiver in their boots. She might be wicked, but wicked’s got <i>nothing</i> on evil.”

“She is not you, Regina. She does not have a good heart.”

“You’ve seen my heart. It’s not good.”

“No amount of blackness I’ve seen can change what I see in you, what Roland sees in you, what your son sees in you. But her?” he spits, “She’s said it herself, time and time again. She’s wicked and she’s no intention of changing. Even if she had, I’d want no part in it. And I certainly don’t want my daughter to be a part of it, either.”

“Robin, can you--”

He holds up a hand, and she can see his eyes close, his breathing coming slow and heavy. “Regina, I can’t right now. I’d rather not say something I’d regret.” Then he turns and paces back towards the room. Back towards his daughter.

Regina swallows heavily and lets him go.

“Emma always told me you have rum,” Regina says on approach.

“Lovely to see you too, Madame Mayor.”

“Shut up. Do you have any or not?”

Hook stares hard at her for a moment, a quirk in his brow before he removes a flask from his jacket. “And here I thought you ‘didn’t do rum.’ Any particular reason you’re seeking out my liquor?”

“It’s 2 in the afternoon on a Sunday. I might have created this town, but our liquor stores are still closed, and I’m not going to show my face at the Rabbit Hole.” She snatches the flask out of his hand, unscrews the cap, and takes a long pull.

She knows how to handle her liquor, but she struggles to not make a face. Hook must notice anyway. “Bit stronger than your usual?”

“I prefer whiskey,” she says, and the sour mood that particular statement brings prompts her to tilt the flask back for another long drink.

“This about your quandary with your sister and Robin?”

She shouldn’t answer. She owes him nothing, yet she nods anyway.

“I heard the little lass was born. I feel like I should extend some sort of congratulations to you.”

“Why?”

“Well, you and Robin are going to raise the child, are you not?”

“We--we talked about it. Sort of.”

“Sort of?”

“The due date being moved up eight months didn’t leave much time for that. Besides, there’s not much down time when the resident Savior has become the Dark One. But we… talked today. I want to give Zelena at least some sort of visitation.”

“And how does your beloved feel about that?”

“Not as enthusiastic.”

“Well, you’re far more charitable than I, love. Had someone done to Emma what Zelena did to Robin I would have no qualms disemboweling them with my hook.”

Regina could laugh, but drinks instead. “She’s got nothing on me.”

“I’d heard the queen entertained unwilling bedfellows.”

Regina’s blood goes icy, her jaw clenching. “Just one. I’m not proud of it. You’re a pirate, I can’t imagine you haven’t done the same.”

“Much as it may surprise you to hear, no. Even at my worst, I believed in good form. Didn’t always uphold that in my quest for revenge, but in that way I did. And quite frankly, with a face like this it was hardly a fight to find company.”

Regina rolls her eyes. “And you wonder why I don’t want you giving my son advice on girls.”

“No, I don’t wonder at all,” he answers, surprisingly quick. “I admit, that you allow him near me at all is somewhat of a surprise.”

“He likes you. And it would be hypocritical of me to call him my son if I wouldn’t let him be around you. I’m sure my body count is higher than yours.”

“Wouldn’t want to wager money on it. I have been around for several centuries longer than you, love, but I see your point.”

She takes another drink before she says, “That’s why I feel like I can’t keep Robin’s daughter away from Zelena. Since when did I become righteous enough to decide who gets a shot at redemption?”

“Regina,” Hook says in a teasing tone. “Are you asking for my advice?”

“I don’t ask for advice,” she shoots back. The alcohol is making her warm, and she can feel it swimming in her brain and eyes, but she’s far from drunk. It’s exactly what she came here for. “Why am I even talking to you?” she mutters and moves to turn away.

“Because in our little band of heroes, I’m the only other villain,” he says simply.

That stops her. Her fingers tighten around his flask.

“Unless you count the Crocodile, which I sincerely doubt.” She doesn’t turn back, but he keeps speaking. “No matter how much good you do, no matter how hard you try, you still wonder if they have as much faith in you as you do in them.”

She turns back to him then. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” A pause, and it’s probably the alcohol that prompts her to say, “All of them love you. They keep you around even when they don’t need you.”

Hook responds, “Emma’s family has offered me far more charity than I deserve, something I’ll forever be grateful for, but don’t count yourself out. They all care very much about you.”

She holds back a scoff. “Maybe.”

He looks like he wants to say something else on the subject, but instead says, “Look, regardless of your apparent desire to wheedle away your afternoon drinking my alcohol, you came here for my advice and I’m going to give it to you.” She notices him turning his gaudy rings with his thumb. “It was only when I met Emma that I felt I was worthy of redemption. Because she saw someone worthwhile in me, I realized that I might be able to one day see what she saw. It feels like all your sins can be forgiven when someone loves you, and feeling like that… It’s like feeling the sun on your skin for the first time in centuries.”

Regina nods in understanding. “I know.”

“I never dared to expect that she would love me back.”

“Didn’t you?”

“I certainly hoped, and after Neverland it seemed…” He shakes himself out of some sort of reverie. “It was the first time I’d hoped for something good in centuries. That’s a powerful thing.”

“I don’t think Robin will ever see it that way.”

“I don’t expect he will. I should clarify, I’m on his side of this.”

“After what you just told me, how can you say that?”

“Our situations vary vastly from your sister’s. Zelena doesn’t want to change. She wants someone that will have no choice but to love her despite whatever villainous path she takes, and I’ve no sympathy for parents like that.”

“Because of what your father did to you?”

He ignores her prod and says, “Parents are supposed to protect their children, to hell and back. The only thing I can see Zelena protecting is herself.”

Regina holds the flask out to Hook, and he shakes his head. “I’m not imbibing today, thank you.”

She silently watches as he carefully keeps his eyes forward, notices the way his fingernails scrape across the top of the dock barrier and the muscle tic in his jaw. She can feel the significance of his answer, and screws the cap back into place. “Want it back?”

He nods wordlessly, still not looking at the flask as he stuffs it back into his jacket.

They simply stand in quiet companionship, listening to the churning waves. It feels like it’s been so long since Regina has felt like she hasn’t needed to be anywhere, or protect someone, or prove herself, or confront the painful reality that is her life. She never thought she’d find this sort of solace with the pirate, but life has never gone completely as expected for Regina Mills.

“Thank you, Killian,” Regina says simply. She’s fairly certain none of this would be happening without his rum loosening her tongue, but she doesn’t regret the catharsis.

He laughs, not at all what she was expecting. She turns, seeing that he’s wearing a pleasantly surprised grin, a complete reversal from earlier. “What, no ‘Captain Guyliner?’ No ‘One Hand Wonder?’ Where are the bon mots tonight?”

She rolls her eyes. “Don’t be an ass. Let me thank you and we’ll just be done with it.”

“Fine, then. You’re more than welcome, Regina.”

She feels like she could laugh at the sheer force of sass he manages to put behind the words, and his sincerity makes it break free.

It’s been too long since she’s laughed like this. No matter how short lived it will be, Regina relishes every moment.

And short lived it is; a minute later, both Regina and Killian turn towards the sound of running feet pounding against the pier. It’s Ruby, slightly breathless and with her eyes fixed on Regina. “Zelena was spotted in the woods. It looked like she was heading for the wishing well.”

Regina turns back to Killian, panic in her eyes and urgency opening up a chasm in her stomach.

“Go,” he says. “I’ll hold down the fort.”

“I’m coming with you,” Ruby says to Regina. “She might know where Emma is holding Belle.”

Regina has no desire to waste time talking the wolf out of it, so without fanfare, she grabs Ruby’s arm and envelops them in magic.

When they coalesce near the well, and Regina can feel the weight of dark magic over the small clearing. Zelena stands next to the stone structure, her hands held over the mouth as though she were conjuring something. It looks like she already has--a blue light emanates up from the well, lighting Zelena’s features. She looks distraught, her eyes swollen and face drawn and pale, and she looks up in surprise when the two figures materialize in front of her.

“Regina?”

“Zelena, what are you doing?” Regina asks as she steps towards her sister, motioning for Ruby to hang back.

“Stop!” she shouts, and Regina freezes. “This magic is hard to control. I don’t want you to--” Zelena seems to cut herself off when she realizes what she was about to say.

Regina takes a moment to try to decipher what sort of spell Zelena has performed. It looks unfamiliar to her, and while she can feel some sort of transference magic in it, it’s beyond anything she’s ever seen. It feels old. It feels ancient and powerful and almost malicious, and Regina wants her sister away from it now.

Ruby asks, “How did you get away from Emma?”

Zelena laughs. “She let me go.”

“Why on Earth would she--” Regina starts but Zelena doesn’t let her finish.

“Because she needs me to die,” she says flatly. “She gave me this enchantment because she needs Rumplestiltsken awake for her own goddamn spell, and she’s keeping Belle as leverage--”

“Where?” Ruby demands, stepping even with Regina. “Where is she keeping Belle?”

“Ruby--” Regina says, but is cut off again.

“No, she’s been through enough because of goddamned Dark Ones. Where the hell is she?”

“I didn’t exactly get the grand tour,” Zelena says sharply. She winces when a tendril of the spell leaps out, licking at her hand. “If I had to guess, somewhere in the mines. An offshooting cavern of some kind. There was a protection spell over it, so you probably won’t find it until Emma wants you to.”

“I don’t care,” Ruby replies, and she morphs from woman to wolf in a blink. The massive werewolf doesn’t spare a second glance at the sisters and bolts to the west, towards the nearest entrance to the mines she can find, Regina imagines.

A heavy silence settles over them for a few moments.

It’s broken by a thin chuckle from Zelena. “This isn’t exactly how I imagined I’d earn my Best Heroics Girl Scout badge.”

“Why are you doing this Zelena? What could Emma have possibly done to make you decide to give yourself up for that man’s life?”

Zelena’s answer is prompt and straightforward. “She threatened my daughter.”

“She what?”

Zelena looks down at the spell at the well’s mouth, the incandescence of it shining off her face. “She said that she needed an untainted heart willingly given.”

Regina knows enough magic theory to understand the context of the threat. She feels like she could vomit.

“Emma would never--”

“Yeah, well, she’s not exactly just Emma anymore, is she? And you and I have plenty of experience with the last Dark One to know exactly what they’re capable of when they want something.”

Regina’s mind reels. “So we--we protect her. We’ll take her out of town, or we can ask the fairies and the Knights of the Round Table to help us. Emrys has strong light magic, maybe even as strong as Emma’s, and I trained her. How much does she know that I can’t counter--”

“And that’s all well and good, but have you considered that she’s more powerful than any protective measure you can conjure? Who knows if the town line is even open to cross anymore, and the remaining fairies are so weak any sorceress with half a month of training could cut them down. We know nothing about this Emrys bloke, and you? Regina, you’re talented, but I threw everything I had at her and she didn’t even--” Zelena breaks off in a self-deprecating scoff. “She didn’t even flinch.” A heavy beat. “This is the only way.”

“Zelena, it doesn’t have to end like this. We can find another way, it’ll just take some time--”

“Time that we don’t have,” she snaps. “With my daughter on the line, I’m not willing to risk it.” Zelena looks down at the well again, the spell crackling away under her palms. She closes her eyes and says, “What you said about redemption--” she looks up to meet Regina’s gaze. “Did you mean it?”

“Of course I did,” Regina replies, voice thin and eyes burning. More words of hope are on Regina’s lips, possible solutions whirling through her head faster than she could truly comprehend, but Zelena sees this and interrupts her.

“I need to do this. If the choice is that she lives and I don’t…” The rest remains unspoken. It’s a quiet understanding between mothers, and it’s not in Regina’s nature anymore to give up, to submit, to accept defeat, but this isn’t something that she can fight against. She knows that if Henry were the one in danger, Regina would be doing the exact same thing.

“Just make sure she remembers me?” Zelena says, a tear trailing down her cheek. “When she gets old enough, tell her I’m sorry I wasn’t there. Tell her I love her no matter what.”

Regina can only nod as her own tears start to fall.

“And…. And I want you to tell Robin that I’m sorry. He didn’t deserve….” She swallows heavily. “Just tell him?”

“I will.”

A long, heavy pause precedes Zelena’s final request. “I want her to have a mum.”

That startles Regina.

Zelena just nods. “I want her to have a real, proper mum who will love her and--and make her sweets and give her advice and show her how to use her magic if she has it and--and….” She meets Regina’s eyes again, more urgency in this appeal than any of her others. “Give her what we never had.”

Regina will never remember what her response was. Years later, when she thinks back on this moment, she will remember saying something, remember Zelena’s resolute nod.

They never said I love you, that Regina knows. It wasn’t the right time for it, too soon, their last conversations not doing enough to stitch together all the raw and gaping wounds they’d caused each other in the years of their acquaintance. And while it hadn’t been enough it was still--

It was still something. It was the promise of more. It was a small spark that could painstakingly grow out of the darkness if they just tried.

Later, when Regina makes her peace with that day at the well, after she makes her peace with Emma for being responsible for Zelena’s death, she’ll be able to appreciate that.

But at that moment as Regina watches her sister, the last living member of her family, plunge her hands into the shimmering blue web of the spell, she does not feel peace or relief. It’s effect is nearly instantaneous, the spell running up her arms and over her body like an electric shock before withdrawing back into the opening and down into the depths of the earth.

A shockwave pulses from the well, a clear, magical tremor that Regina hardly notices as she runs to her sister’s side, catching her before she hits the ground.

At that moment, Regina watches that spark fade before her eyes.

At that moment, the profound feeling of loss carving a canyon in her chest is filled with the familiar river of rage.

Emma feels the moment Zelena dies--Rumplestiltsken’s consciousness is plucked out of the thousands of lives within the Dark One and within one breath and the next, his body reanimates in front of her.

She hears Belle’s quiet gasp of shock behind her but ignores her entirely.

His eyes flicker open, confusion written across his face.

Emma smiles down at him.

“I’ve been waiting for this.”

[creative-type]

Worth A Thousand Words III: Oda and Stealth Character Development

So...what’s the point of the Skypiea arc? It’s a question One Piece fans and detractors alike ask. I don’t know the answer, but it was probably because Oda thought it would be cool. By its very nature One Piece is not a tightly woven story. Rather, it’s  a sprawling adventure epic, and it does sprawl epically.

Skypiea is, however, an excellent arc when it comes to Straw Hat development, and today I want to focus on one scene in particular with regards to my favorite Nico Robin. 

No, not that one. 

While there is a certain significance to the fact that a survivalist like Robin would choose to side with the Straw Hats over the hugely powerful Enel, the moment Zoro catches Robin is more important to Zoro than Robin. He was the most openly against her, the one who trusted her the least for the longest amount of time. Here Oda is showing us in big flashing lights that, yeah, Zoro has accepted Robin as part of the crew. 

But I don’t want to talk about big, flashy character moments. I want to talk about this

Robin actually gets a pretty decent chunk of screen time during the Sky Island Saga as a whole. It was easier back then because Oda was juggling six main characters instead of nine, but it’s pretty easy to tell he was giving Robin special focus. 

This makes sense. Firstly, Robin was a former enemy, so there’s a need to separate Nico Robin from her Miss All Sunday persona. Secondly, as important as Robin’s dreams are to the narrative as a whole, her position on the ship is the only one that isn’t strictly necessary. Any pirate crew requires fighters, cooks, navigators and the like, but very few would deem  “archaeologist” as a position needing to be filled. So immediately after adding her to the crew Oda makes up a situation where Robin’s skills are helpful and necessary

In this scene Robin also establishes she’s the only one in the crew who’s even heard of the sky islands, while giving some much-needed wisdom to Nami. This, along with what we’ve seen in chapter 218 and the end of 217 gives us what we need to know about Robin’s personality and position in the Straw Hat’s crew. Then shortly after stealing Jaya’s eternal pose from Masira (showing off yet another skill usually relegated to Nami) Robin almost disappears from the narrative entirely and is largely absent from the Jaya sub-arc.

To be fair, up until this point she had been wearing Nami’s clothes, and Robin is, like, almost a foot taller than she is. Some shopping is justifiable here, but it brings me to one of the most important things to keep in mind when analyzing Robin as a character:

Isolation and Distance

One of the best ways to visually convey that a character is emotionally distant is to physically separate them from other people. When Robin first showed up as Miss All Sunday she was sailing the ocean alone. During her confrontation with the Straw Hats about their route she sat far above them where she couldn’t be touched. She left that argument with only her rad turtle ship for company, and spent a surprisingly large amount of the Baroque Works Saga apart from Crocodile despite ostensibly being his partner in crime.

Robin continues to be less than engaged after joining the crew. Luffy, Chopper, and Usopp  fool off with one another constantly. Sanji and Zoro fight. Even Nami is known to smack the rest upside the head when they’re being stupid. Robin alone sits above all their antics, not showing her first face fault in a series lousy with them until well after the timeskip.

It’s pretty easy to pick up in the dialogue that Robin never calls any of the Straw Hats by their actual names, preferring to refer to them by their occupation (or their nose, in Usopp’s case). But the use of impersonal nicknames can’t be the reader’s only clue to Robin’s personality. Both Vivi and Robin have a habit of calling Zoro “Mr. Bushido”, but while the desert princess is kind, personable, and if anything cares a little too much, Robin is distant, standoffish, and at times even cold towards others around her. 

You can even glean some insight from her fighting style. Robin doesn’t have to be in the same room with someone to kill them. She attacks from a distance, relying on stealth and surprise to snap necks and dislocate limbs. It’s brutally efficient and deeply impersonal, perfect for an assassin - or, perhaps, a young girl who was forced to learn on the fly how to fight against much larger opponents who showed no restraint or mercy.  

This is something that was emphasized more in the anime where they had the benefit of knowing Robin’s backstory ahead of time and working little clues into the post-Alabasta filler. They’re a little on the nose at times, but episode 131 is a good example of what I’m talking about here, especially when emphasizing the fact that during the early chapters after joining the crew Robin often doesn’t speak unless directly addressed. To quote Oda in the Volume 71 SBS:

Reader: Robin always talks about creepy things in front of the crew. But her own thoughts, she often thinks of fun stuff like “cats” or “Dress Rosa”. Why doesn’t Robin talk about these things with the crew to make them laugh?

Oda: Even though Robin likes cute things, she’s a bit dark/creepy herself, so if she tries to put these cut thoughts into words there is a chance it may come out as scary/ominous. That’s the kind of woman Robin is.

Robin censers herself to avoid sounding weird. There’s enough evidence of her macabre sense of humor (spoke aloud) to assume that she has embraced her morbid self...most of the time. But Robin has been an outcast her entire life. Even before the Buster Call the citizens of Ohara were calling her demon/monster/creep/insert appropriate insult here.

(For those who don’t remember, the bruise on her cheek is from the other kids who were throwing rocks at her )

Robin spends large stretches of the Skypiea arc by herself, which further emphasizes the importance of what group interaction we do see. Robin has been hiding behind a well-crafted facade for nigh on twenty years because she needed to be a demon in order to survive the cutthroat world in which she lived. 

Which takes us to point number two

Survival

Robin is all about living to see another day. Or she was until Crocodile shanked her (more on this below) Because of her past, she views the world through the lens of a survivor. It shapes how she thinks and how she acts, and Robin at this point doesn’t know any other way to live. 

Robin has been miserably lonely for a long, long time, but believes if she allows herself to get close to others they’ll betray her. She learned the hard way not to trust anyone and that to let your guard down is to die. We see in Alabasta that Robin isn’t afraid to use deadly force against those who get in her way. 

She’s got a bit of a mean streak, too. Though Robin didn’t kill Tagashi, she almost crippled her. That leg injury could have ended Tashigi’s career as a swordsman, which is almost crueler than killing her outright.

When Robin’s backstory is revealed in full the audience is always shown as Robin being the one betrayed, and never the betrayer. I think this helps garner sympathy, but her interaction with Crocodile shows that she’s not above a little backstabbing herself. Aokiji says that every organization she’s ever been a part of no longer exists, and I think that’s only possible if her reputation is at least somewhat deserved. When it comes to finding out the truth of the Void Century, Robin has literally the worst tunnel vision ever.

Which brings me to my last point

Openness to Change

Throughout the Sky Island Saga Robin is a woman who has lost her reason to live. Her only lead to the Rio Poneglyph was a dead end, and she doesn’t find Roger’s message until the end of the arc. That leaves a big chunk of time where she’s staying with the Straw Hats just because she can.

I think if she were as truly as fiercely pragmatic as she (and others) claim then she has no business on the Going Merry. Half of what the Straw Hats do is idiotic and should get them killed, and it’s amazing that they’ve survived this long as it is. Since Robin had resigned herself to death during the tail end of the Alabasta arc, we can assume that the idea of dying doesn’t bother her. Yes, Luffy made her go on, but she’s still stuck in this directionless limbo.   

This is important because it gives Robin something other to focus on than the Void Century. Her desire to find the True History consumed her to the point where she was willing to work with Crocodile for four years and bring a “good” country to the brink of ruin. Without this obsession driving every decision Robin makes, she can take a step back and see the Straw Hat Pirates for what they really are.

The Stealth Character Development

Robin is not the focus of chapter 253. It’s a transition chapter situated between the first and second halves of the Skypea arc. The Straw Hats have reunited had their obligatory split the party moment that happen with frighteningly regularity. The crew are setting up camp as night approaches, comparing notes of what they’ve discovered so far.

Until this point, Robin has been with Zoro and Nami. These two make up 2/3 of the Straw Hats who showed initial distrust to Robin, and at this point Zoro stil hasn’t accepted her as one of their own. Yet they treat her with respect, and Nami especially seems to look up to her as an older sister figure.

Then Nami finds the other half of Cricket’s house, and without hesitation Zoro follows the comparatively weaker crew mate through the incredibly dangerous forest, which displays a trust for one another that would be very appealing to someone like Robin.

When the Straw Hats finally reunite, everyone is on good terms with one another. Remember, at this they’ve have stumbled into the middle of a civil war, made enemies with an unknown entity with a god complex, branded themselves as criminals, and almost gotten their ship destroyed. Some of their misfortune is just that - misfortune. But bad decision making plays at least a part of their current circumstance. It would be easy to turn on one another, and I think most pirates would. Just see how Usopp reacts when he sees what’s happened to the Merry

Anyone who has read the Water 7 arc knows how much Usopp loves this ship, but his first concern is Chopper. Compare to how any one of the Baroque Works agents reacted when someone failed a mission. Instead of falling apart during a time of crisis, the Straw Hats come closer together. 

Chapter 253 begins with the crew setting up camp. Once again Robin goes off and does her own thing, this time finding a hunk of rock salt to use for cooking. Sanji predictably praises her, but he also reveals that he’s got a brain in his head by saying how important salt is to survival. Tick another box in the Straw Hat’s favor.

Every one of the Straw Hats helps set up camp, even the captain (useless as he may be). More than that, they each reveal a little of their talents. It’s sort of a reverse of what happens earlier in the arc when Robin showed off for the rest of the Straw Hat’s benefit. Through this Robin sees that the Straw Hats aren’t just good fighters, but smart and skilled as well. 

After establishing the location of the gold and making plans for the next day, Robin makes a practical suggestion

This sequence marks the beginning of Robin’s stealth character development. She’s speaking here as a pragmatist and a survivor. Her point is valid, and any sensible person would have agreed with her. 

The Straw Hat Pirates are many things, but sensible isn’t one of them. Luffy turns to Usopp in complete disbelief, while Usopp basically says “Go easy on her, Cap, there’s no way she could have known.”

Until this point, Robin has not been questioned by the Straw Hats. She’s not seen this sort of reaction directed at her, especially by Luffy. Her face says it all

Robin’s expression is pretty neutral here, but you can’t hide that sweat drop XD. She’s genuinely concerned that she’s made some sort of mistake. Remember, in Robin’s dog-eat-dog world a making a mistake is tantamount to death. She’s spent twenty years allying with people who at the very least distrust her, and more often than not try to kill her. And now, stuck up in in such a precarious position 10.000 meters above ground she has to be especially careful.

It’s okay, Robin, you’ve not done anything wrong. Luffy is just a dork

Note that Nami - the other survivalist in the crew - immediately jumps to her defense. They’re outnumbered by Zoro and Sanji, who have already made a giant bonfire. 

Before we know it, the Straw Hats are partying with a bunch of wild wolves (Oda, plz...). They’re stuck deep in enemy territory on the night before a planned raid on the city of gold...and the Straw Hat Pirates are having a blast. Usopp’s playing the drums, Nami’s getting plastered, the rest are dancing their little hearts away, and Robin...Robin is smiling. This has got to be one of the most surreal, bizarre situations she’s ever seen.

 Which brings us back to the image I started with

This says a lot about where Robin is at this point in the story. We can’t see her face clearly, but it’s established on the other half of the spread that she’s enjoying herself. Yet she remains distant, both physically and emotionally. The only thing that’s keeping Robin from joining in is Robin herself.

The Skypiea arc is important to Robin’s development because it rekindles her dream, but more than that it gives us moments like this where Robin is exposed to something she’s desired for twenty years, something we see later she’s always wanted but never believed that she would have.

The Straw Hat Pirates accept Robin unconditionally and show her a side of life that she’s never seen before. Even without knowing her entire backstory, by the time the Water 7 arc rolls around the audience genuinely believes that Robin would sacrifice her life, and the lives of every one else in the world, just to save the Straw Hat Pirates, and that wouldn’t be possible if Oda hadn’t given us this scene and others like it. 

To put it another way, I fully believe that Robin would still make the same decisions during Water 7/Enies Lobby regardless of whether she found Roger’s message or not. The Skypiean Poneglyph furthers Robin’s part of the plot, but chapter 253 furthers her character arc.

What makes this all the more impressive is that Oda trusts his readers enough to figure it out for themselves. Unlike the anime, he never calls attention to Robin’s isolation and her gradual warming to the crew. Gan Fall wakes up on the very next page, and the focus shifts to more exposition, ending with the big reveal of what vearth is and why in the it’s so important. The development is stealthy. 

Oda never makes a big deal of when Robin starts calling the crew by their real names during Thriller Bark. He doesn’t shove it in our face when she feels comfortable enough to tell Franky off for being stupid in Chopper’s body during Punk Hazard. He’s constantly using small moments all throughout the series to show how the crew has changed and grown, which is partially why people don’t think the characters have much depth.

It’s there, but without reading carefully it can be lost with everything else that’s going on. Just compare the Skypiean party to the end of Enies Lobby and tell me that Robin hasn’t changed. I dare you.

[wordsofphandom]

What I Wouldn’t Do - A Phanfiction Part III

At a book signing, Phil, a succesful author of children’s books, meets the five-year-old Dylan and his gorgeous single father Dan. Though they are instantly drawn to each other, certain issues, let alone a lively five-year-old complicate things for Dan and Phil, and they have to find out just what they would - or wouldn’t do, to be together.

parent!phan / fluff/ angst/ singlefather!Dan / children’s author!Phil / Dil Howlter (kind of)

Wordcount: 4.1k Warnings: none

Part III Phil loved Christmas time in London. There were lights everywhere, making the cold and wet streets look cosy and magical. Pleasant smells were coming from the shops, the cafés and the booths that had popped up at every corner and in every park. And not to mention the music and the cookies and the heartfelt ads. Yet, there was one event, coming up this weekend, that Phil did not look forward to at all; the Christmas Party at his publishing company. In the last few years, this festivity had been quite fun. Phil had met lectors, designers and other authors (and had even made out with an up-and-coming YA author in an unoccupied office last year), had drank some sparkling wine and had had a great time all together. This year would be different; everybody would be asking him about the movie deal, and when they heard that he hadn’t decided yet, would try and persuade him to sign the rights away – or keep them, depending on who he would talk to. This pending decision was bugging Phil. The trip to L.A., two weeks ago, had been fun and exciting, but it hadn’t really helped him make up his mind. Hazel was all for it – she thought it was a great opportunity for him and his brand. His mum was against it, as she feared it would commodify his characters too much. And while she loved spending holidays in Florida, she also had a healthy mistrust of most things American. But they weren’t on the forefront of Phil’s mind. He kept thinking about Dan. After their last meeting had ended in a disaster, he had seen neither Dan nor his son, and he was missing the two of them a lot. It was crazy, considering he didn’t truly know the two and had only met them a couple of months ago. Regardless, Phil knew that they were the main reason he was still sceptical about the deal. If he were to sign it, he would be spending much more time on the other side of the planet – far too far away from the little family he wanted to be part of. Not that him becoming a part of the Howell family seemed like a probable option at the moment. He had messed up so epically he would be thankful to catch a sight of either Dan or Dylan from across the street. On the day of the party, it was the Saturday of the second advent weekend, Phil spent most of his time in his office. The Kitten and Tomcat characters that he was working on were starting to get a story. Repeatedly, Phil drew them in a shelter. Maximillian was fiercely protective of Felix, and the two of them lived in constant fear of separation. Although Phil was not sure whether he really wanted them to take their story in that direction, it was a fun idea to play around with. Outside, it was raining dreadfully, so Phil truly was not tempted to leave the comfort of his flat. But he did have to face the weather eventually, when he walked from his front door to the cab. Just those few steps got his coat soaked. As usual, the party was an informal event and it took place at the office building where Phil’s publishing company was based. The entrance hall as well as the big conference room on the ground floor and several smaller meeting rooms were refunctioned to host the employees and the guests. A large Christmas tree had been set up in the hall, and there even were presents underneath. Phil was going to give his editor Eloise a present, but he hadn’t brought it. After all, Christmas was over two weeks away. “Mr Lester” someone called him. He turned his head and spotted fellow author Catherine Liu, waving at him, so he walked over to her. She was standing in a group with several other people Phil didn’t know. “This is Phil Lester. You all know him. He’s Daddy’s favourite child” Liu said, a cheeky, but slightly sardonic grin on her face. “Says the enfant terrible” Phil countered, earning some laughter from the others, including Liu. The novels she wrote were infamous and controversial, and in fiction, they were the antithesis to Phil’ books. “Tell me, Lester, what are you working on at the moment?” Liu asked. “A new book. It’s a story about a kitten and his father. That’s all I got right now” Phil was glad to tell the others, who seemed pleased with his answer. “My daughter loves your books” said one of the men. “She’ll be so excited when I tell her I met you”. Flattered, Phil smiled at him. “What’s her name?” “Marissa”. “Tell me, Mr. Lester, do you have kids?” Liu chimed in, smiling sweetly at him. “Uh, no” Phil said, somewhat sceptical. “How about you?”. “Certainly not! I’m not the mothering type… But do you have a wife? A girlfriend?” “No, I’m single” unfortunately, he added in his thoughts. “Why? Are you interested?” Liu laughed dryly. “I’m not asking for myself” she said cryptically and would not say anything more. Eventually, Phil just accepted it. They chatted amongst the group for a while, then Phil moved on to the buffet which looked wonderful. He loaded as much food as he could possibly balance onto a plate, grabbed a glass of sparkling wine and sat down at a table. He was not left alone with his food for long, though, as Richard George took the seat next to his almost immediately. Mr George was CEO and editor-in-chief at the publishing house and keenly interested in the movie deal. If it was only his decision, he’d have sold the rights straight away. “Philip!” he exclaimed, grabbing Phil’s hand and shaking it vigorously. “It’s great you’re here. What a party! Are you enjoying yourself?”. “Yes, Sir” Phil answered dutifully. “Excellent! Listen, son, I don’t want to bother you for long, I know there’s plenty of people who want to chat with you tonight, but I was wondering about L.A…. How was it? Have you arrived at a decision yet?” “L.A. was great, Sir. But…” Mr George’s face fell. “You don’t want to sell the rights”. “No, I just don’t know yet”. “As is to be expected. I know it is a big step for you, either way”. He put his hand on his arm. “May I give you a piece of advice? I saw you talked to Miss Liu earlier. As you know, she’s had three of her books adapted into beautiful films. She’ll be delighted to answer you all the questions you may have”. Phil had not known about her films. “Thanks, I’ll be sure to talk to her”. “Excellent!” Mr George kept staring at him. “Oh, you mean right now?” “No, not at all. Please do take your time” he was quick to assure Phil, but the wavering of his smile gave him away. “Okay then… Sir” Phil said. In one go, he emptied his champagne, stuffed the last little canapé into his mouth and left the editor-in-chief at the table to make his way over to Catherine Liu again. On the way there, he grabbed two more glasses of champagne, one of which he handed her when he arrived at the table she was standing at. “Hey” he said, somewhat awkwardly. “Lester! Back again so soon? And here I thought I’d chased you off with all my questions” she laughed. “Yeah, actually, you did a bit” She laughed again. “Sorry about that. There’s a bet amongst the authors…” Phil raised his eyebrows. “A bet? About me?” “About your sexuality” she clarified, sipping from her glass. “Oh, that… What did you bet on?” he wanted to know. “Nothing. I thought it was undignified and wanted to end it”. That, Phil hadn’t expected. “Thank you!” he said wholeheartedly. “No worries” she smiled. “I definitely wouldn’t like it if people bet on my sexuality”. “They don’t. As far as I know, at least” Phil said. “Great!” she exclaimed. “I’m bi, if anyone’s asking”. “Me too” Phil admitted. She clinked her glass to his. “Good to know we’ll have each other’s backs”. Phil smiled at her, warmly. Catherine Liu had always been a little scary to him, but this conversation was going great. “There’s actually something you could help me with…” “Okay, shoot!” “I’ve heard that –“ But at that point, his mobile phone started ringing.

When Dylan was about one year old, Dan and Jess had sat down with Jess’s parents and had discussed who would take care of Dylan. For the first six months, they had lived together – Mummy, Daddy, Baby – in a small flat in Wood Green. After that, Dan had had enough and he had moved out, leaving Dylan behind. He had gotten his own flat and a promotion, and he had asked Jess if he could take Dylan. Jess had happily agreed. If it’d been entirely up to her, she’d have handed over her son and never seen him again. When her parents had heard, they’d gotten involved. So, that day, on one of the hottest days of the summer, they’d met at Dan’s new flat and they had laid down the rules: Dan and Jess would continue to share custody, but Dan would be the primary care giver. Dylan would mainly live with Dan, but Jess would have him every second week from Thursday evening to Monday morning. Back then, it had seemed like a good idea. An idea, that Dan had been happy with. He wasn’t anymore. Every “Mummy-weekend”, he spent anxious and restless, waiting for Monday afternoon to arrive, when he could take his son home again. It would not be different this weekend. On Thursday morning, Dan packed a bag for him, while Dylan ate porridge in the lounge. “Are you excited to see Mummy today?” Dan asked, when he was finished with the bag. “Yes” Dylan said. “But when will I see Phil?” Guilt tugged at Dan’s heart. “I told you, Dylcakes. It’ll be a while until we meet Phil again”. “But why?” Dylan asked. “You know that Phil is very busy”. Sulking, Dylan hopped off his chair and went into the hall, to put on his school coat, while Dan put the bowls into the dishwasher. Before he went to meet his son in the hall, he took his lunch from the fridge and looked at the calendar that was stuck to it with magnets. Nothing planned for tonight – no one to distract him from worrying about Dylan. “I meet Phil all the time” Dylan informed him, putting on his shoes. “Why can I see him not?”. Dan smiled. “It’s ‘can’t I see him’” he corrected Dylan. “And Phil really is busy these days. I think he’s working on a new book”. It was his best attempt to distract Dylan, but the little boy suddenly had tears in his eyes. “You’re lying! Phil doesn’t like me anymore” he said. Seeing his son like this made Dan want to cry, too, so he scooped him up in his arms and hugged him tightly to his chest. “No, that’s not true, Dylan. Phil likes you very much. I promise”. “Are you sure?” Dylan snuffled.  “Yes, I’m absolutely sure” Dan said.  “But why can’t I meet him?” Dan grabbed Dylan’s reading bag, his overnight bag and his woolly hat with his free hand, then managed to open the door and step outside. “It’s because Phil is very cross with Daddy” he explained, prompting Dylan to look up to him with huge eyes. “Why?” “I was very mean to him”. Dan started walking down the road, taking the route to Dylan’s school. Usually, he did not carry him on their walk, but today, it seemed appropriate. After all, Dan did have to confess to something. “Why? Do you like Phil not?”. Despite himself, Dan chuckled. “It’s ‘don’t you like him’, love. And yes, I like him very much. But adults sometimes do mean things to people they like”. “Then you have to apologize” Dylan said, quite sternly. “I want to play with him again”.  “You’re right, I should apologize”. If only it was that easy, Dan thought.

When they arrived at school, Dan kissed Dylan Good Bye, an odd feeling of premonition in his stomach. He wished Dylan didn’t have to go to Jess’s this weekend. Occasionally, when Jess had been exceptionally neglectful, Dan revoked her privilege to see Dylan. But she’d been on her best behaviour two weeks ago, so there was nothing he could do. He watched Dylan disappear in the classroom, then he went to work, which was rather uneventful. He spent his lunchbreak with two colleagues and in the afternoon, he went shopping. Very rarely, he took Dylan on a shopping trip. Even on his own, being surrounded by too many people stressed him out, but having to keep his eyes on his son at all times gave him a headache. That meant he was in desperate need of a new pair of jeans. Except for the one he was wearing that day, all the other jeans he owned had a gaping hole somewhere. The city was crowded; Christmas was two weeks away and people wanted to shop for presents, marvel at the lights or drink mulled wine. Despite feeling uncomfortable, Dan managed to buy some presents for his parents and his brother, and he even bought a woolly blanked for Jess. Maybe he was trying to bribe her, to take good care of his son. He bought a pizza on his way home and arrived quite late. The flat was cold and quiet, and while Dan ate his dinner in front of the TV, he felt a bit lonely. Without meaning to, he thought of Phil, and he already had his mobile out, his thumb hovering over the phone button, when he decided he wouldn’t call him. Almost two weeks had passed since that dreadful morning, and still, Dan wasn’t sure exactly who to blame. Himself, probably… But he was still angry with Phil, too. Maybe it was the best after all to never get in contact with him again. Dylan would be sad, of course, but he’d forget soon enough. It should have been a comforting thought but Dan only felt sadder and lonelier.

Friday was exhausting; Dan spent the entire day waiting for a disaster, that never happened. On Saturday, he slept in. When he woke up, a thick and heavy rain was drumming onto the windows. He slipped on some sweatpants and a t-shirt and went into the kitchen to get some coffee and some breakfast. The world outside was soaked and grey. Dan liked this sort of days. It was the perfect excuse to go right back to bed – which he did. With a mug and a steaming bowl of porridge in his lap, he watched a few episodes of his favourite anime and afterwards had a very long, very hot shower. It was almost 3pm when he was dressed and ready to go out. In the afternoon, he met up with a friend. Originally, they had planned to see an art installation at Kensington Garden, but since it was still raining, they went to the V&A instead and visited their exhibition about bridal gowns. Afterwards, in the lobby, they were discussing what to do for dinner. Dan was leaning towards Indian food, his friend wanted Chinese. Suddenly, Dan’s phone started vibrating in his pocket. Jess was calling.

“Hi Jess” Dan answered, already exasperated. “Don’t freak out, but we’re at the hospital”. It felt like a punch in the stomach. “What?!” “Dylan fell on his head and had to get stitches”. “What?” “He had to get stitches. He’s alright though”. “He had to get stitches! He fucking isn’t alright!” Dan said quietly, trying to supress his anger and fear. There was a pause. When Jess finally answered, she sounded annoyed. “I’m just calling you out of courtesy. I don’t have to tell you anything”. “Yes, you fucking do! He’s my son! Where is he?” “We’re at the University College Hospital” Jess answered, reluctantly. “They want to monitor him for another two or three hours, but you don’t have to come”. “Of course I’m coming!” Dan said, “Dylan needs me”.

Everything was over and dealt with when Dan arrived at the hospital. Dylan had gotten three stitches at the back of his head, but the wound was mostly invisible underneath his thick, curly hair. He’d been examined by an expert for traumatic brain injury and been put into a bed on some light pain killers. He’d slept for about an hour, but now he was awake and happy. “Daddy!” he shouted excitedly, when Dan entered the room. Jess was sitting next to him on the bed, so Dan sat down at his other side and pulled him into a careful hug. “Hello my love. How are you feeling?” “Good. I got a lolly” Dylan said. “See” Jess said impatiently. “He’s fine”. “Is that what the doctor said?” Dan asked anxiously Jess frowned. “She’s going to be back in 30 minutes to tell us”. To pass the time, they watched some TV together. The hospital room was meant for two children, but for now, Dylan had it to himself. Snug between his parents, watching his favourite show, he seemed very contend. When the doctor arrived, she took one look at Dylan and immediately declared he didn’t need to spend the night. Just to be sure, she asked him and Jess some more questions, tested his reflexes and shone a small torch into his eyes. “Your son was lucky” she explained to Dan and Jess. “He isn’t concussed and the wound is superficial and should heal nicely and quickly. You can take him home now. Just make sure he gets a good night’s rest. A day like this can be very exhausting for such a small body”.

Outside, they hailed a taxi. “Where to?” the cab driver asked. Dan gave him his address. “Absolutely not!” Jess exclaimed. “I’m taking him home, Jess” Dan said. “He should sleep in his own bed tonight”. “He’s got a bed at my place, too. And it’s my weekend! He’s coming with me!” Dylan, sat in the middle between them, looked from one to the other, lost. “You got him into hospital! Don’t you think you’ve done enough this weekend?” “You can’t do this! It’s against the rules. It’s my weekend!” Jess shouted. “Shut up!” Dylan screamed, interrupting his parents. Stunned, they looked at him. “Are you done?” the cab driver asked, audibly annoyed. “Where to?” Dan said his address again, and this time, Jess didn’t complain.

They spend the cab ride in icy silence. In each hand, Dylan held one of his parents’, but even he didn’t say anything. Obviously, the events of the day had worn him out. Dan couldn’t blame him. Bleeding from a head wound and having to ride in an ambulance must have been terrifying. He could blame Jess though. He was so angry at her. When they arrived, Dan payed the driver while Jess and Dylan got out. Jess had picked up Dylan and was holding him to her chest. Seeing that, Dan got even more angry, though he could not explain why. “Let’s go” he said and headed down the stairs to open the front door. Fortunately, Jess did follow him und she and Dylan got inside. “Will you please let Dylan down?” Reluctantly, Jess put their son on his feet. They all took off their coats and shoes, and Dan send Dylan to go brush his teeth. “It’s way past your bedtime, my love”. “That’s not fair!” Jess said, as soon as Dylan was in the bathroom. “It’s my weekend!” “Yeah, well, I don’t care about fairness” Dan threw his phone and his keys onto the couch. “All I want is for Dylan to be safe. He needs to rest”. “He can rest at my place!” “Can he, though?” Dan said bitingly. Jess crossed her arms in front of her chest. “It’s my weekend! You have him all the time!” “God, Jess! He’s not a toy!” They were getting louder. Usually, there was a rule in Dan’s mind that he would never shout at Jess when Dylan was around, but she so deserved to be shouted at. “I know that! He’s my son, my son! You cannot take him from me!” “Take him? You basically abandoned him at my door step!” “That was years ago!!” “Like you’ve gotten any better! You weren’t fit to care for a child, and you aren’t now”. There were tears in Jess’s eyes now, her cheeks and her neck were burning red. “I try so hard!” “Trying and failing, obviously”. “Dylan, what are you doing?”. In his pyjamas, Dylan was standing in the hallway, Dan’s phone to his ear.

Phil got his phone out of his pocket and gazed at the screen. “Dan Howell” it said. He looked at Liu apologetically. “I’d better take this” he said calmly, not giving away the excitement he felt. Finally, a sign of life from Dan. He took a few steps away from Liu and answered. “Hello?” “Phil?” That was a child’s voice. “Yes, it’s Phil. Dylan, is that you?” “Hello”. Phil had to take that as a yes, he supposed. “Hey, buddy, how are you?”. “Mummy and Daddy are fighting” Dylan informed him. Suddenly, there were some muffled noises and Phil could hear Dan’s voice saying something along the lines of “not allowed to use my phone” and “who did you call”. Then: “Phil, are you there?” “Hey, Dan” Phil answered, a sinking feeling in his stomach. “Uh… hey” Dan said, sounding quite awkward. “Sorry, sorry about that… I was distracted and Dylan got my phone”. “It’s fine… he said you and Jess were fighting? Is there anything I can do?” “Um, no… uh… that is, if you don’t mind… You don’t have to…” “What is it?” Phil demanded. “Well, if you’re free right now, maybe you could come by and look after Dylan? I’d – not now Jess! – I want to talk to Jess without him listening in. Is that at all possible?” Phil looked around. His editor Eloise wasn’t here yet, the prospect of talking to Mr George again was frightening and Catherine Liu was also intimidating. He’d much rather spent his time with the Howells.

“Sure, I’ll be right there”. “Thanks, Phil. You’re a lifesaver!” They hung up and Phil went back to Liu. “Hey, sorry, something’s come up and I’ve got to go. Can we get back to this later?” Catherine raised an eyebrow. “Sure, no problem”. They exchanged phone numbers, then Phil hurried outside and hailed a cab.

When he arrived at Dan’s flat, he rang the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened and Dylan fell forwards and hugged Phil’s legs. Phil swallowed. “Hey, Dylan”. “I missed you” Dylan’s voice sounded muffled against Phil’s jeans. Smiling, Phil bent down and plucked the little boy from the ground. Dylan wrapped his arms around his neck and put his head against his shoulder. Embraced like this, Phil went inside and met Dan and Jess, who were sitting silently at the kitchen counter. Jess gave him a once-over and wrinkled her nose. “Oh, it’s him” she said. “Yeah, I told you” Dan said. “You’re not sleeping with him, are you?” she asked, making Phil flush. “Not in front of Dylan, please” Dan scolded her, but Jess only shrugged. “Phil has never slept here” Dylan informed them. “Can we have a sleep over?” That made Dan and Phil both smile. “We’ll see” Dan promised. “For now, he’s going to stay here with you, while Mummy and Daddy go out to discuss some grown-up things” He turned to Phil. “Will you be okay here?” “Sure!” Both Jess and Dan kissed Dylan Good Bye, then Phil carried him into his room and sat down on his bed with him. Looking already much sleepier than he had minutes earlier, Dylan climbed off him and under his blanket. “May you please stay here until I sleep?” he asked, looking up at Phil drowsily. “Of course!” Dylan patted the bed beside him. “Lie down” he commanded. So, Phil kicked of his shoes and lay down next to him. Contend, it only took Dylan a few minutes to fall asleep, but Phil stayed with him longer. It was very peaceful to lie there with the sleeping child and to listen to his steady breathing. After a while, when he was certain Dylan would not from the movement, Phil got up and tiptoed into the lounge, where he sat down on the couch. He watched a bit of TV, but mostly, he wanted Dan to come back. He wanted to talk to him, about what had happened, to apologize. Maybe, he wanted to hold him. But two hours passed, and then a third and Dan still wasn’t home. Eventually, Phil turned off the TV stretched out on the couch, and slowly, he fell asleep.

[justanothercinemaniac]

Epic Movie (Re)Watch #123 - Back to the Future Part III

Spoilers below.

Have I seen it before: Yes

Did I like it then: Yes!

Do I remember it: Yes.

Did I see it in theaters: Yes.

Was it a movie I saw since August 22nd, 2009: Yes. #385.

Format: Blu-ray

1) I like really enjoy this film and I don’t know why. In some ways it is my favorite of the trilogy (but not really, the first one is my favorite). There are just so many things I love about it. The Western genre, the greater emphasis we get on Doc, Thomas F. Wilson as Mad Dog, there are just a lot of things about this film that really work for me on a base level. Outside of the original, this is the one I watch most of the trilogy.

2) Universal decided to unveil a new logo at the start of this film because 1) it was the studio’s 75th anniversary and 2) this was their most popular series at the time. It is the rare occasion when a logo actually adds to the weight of a film, as it feels more magical and we have a greater sense of time than we did with past logos.

3) Because the last film ended with the climax of the first film, and because this film’s opening scene was the ending of the last film (kudos if any of that made sense to you), this means that the end of the clock tower scene is the only sequence to appear in all three Back to the Future films.

4) The film’s opening theme actually introduces a new love theme from composer Alan Silvestri. A lighter melody which reoccurs throughout the film which I always tied to Doc and Clara’s relationship. But in hindsight it could just as easily be used to relate Doc and Marty’s friendship.

5) I mentioned in my post about Back to the Future Part II that the sequels play with the idea of history repeating itself by recreating scenes from the original in new circumstances. This trend continues in Part III immediately when Doc doesn’t believe that Marty actually came back FROM the future and refers to him as, “future boy,” only for Marty to talk to Doc through a locked door and convince him otherwise.

6) Doc reading the letter his future self wrote to Marty from 1885 is great. We get to see a lot of fun from 1955 Doc in reacting to ideas like the flying Delorean and briefly thinking that, “Einstein,” was someone other than his own future dog. Also it makes both Doc & Marty tear up. I’m all for tearful bromances.

7) As I mentioned before, this film does succeed in some nice emphasis on Doc’s character. Before he was a funny enthusiastic scientist and we didn’t get MUCH of his backstory, but here we get nice little details which flesh out his character more. Notably, his love for Jules Verne inspiring his desires to be a scientist. We also learn that he LOVED the Old West and as a kid he wanted to be a cowboy. That’s such a fun idea!

8)

Marty [after finding a picture of his great-great-grandfather Seamus McFly, also played by Michael J. Fox]: “That’s him. Good looking guy.”

9) So Doc is about to send Marty into the old west dressed as a “cowboy” and Marty points out he never saw Clint Eastwood dress like this.

Doc: “Clint who?”

Marty [looking at the movie posters]: “That’s right. You haven’t heard of him yet.”

The movies featured at the drive-in - Revenge of the Creature and Tarantula -both actually feature a young Clint Eastwood in them!

10) According to IMDb:

The drive-in theater was constructed specifically for this film. It was built in Monument Valley, and demolished immediately after filming. No films were ever screened there.

I would have LOVED to go to that drive in. Like that would be a must see destination for sure.

11) This is a nice callback to the original:

1955 Doc (telling Marty about how he’ll have to drive through the desert): “Remember where you’re going there are no roads!”

12) The gag with the Native Americans is pretty clever. For those of you who haven’t seen the film: Marty is concerned about running into the drive in wall with the Native Americans on it but is concerned he’ll hit them, but Doc points out he’ll travel back in time when there was no wall. Except when he travels back in time, there’s a group of (possibly stereotypical) Native Americans charging right at him (because they’re being chased by the cavalry).

13) Michael J. Fox as William McFly.

Fox continues his excellence of acting out multiple characters from the first film with his performance as Marty’s ancestor Seamus. He plays it totally different than he does Marty. Quieter, kinder, a little less brash, and with a killer Irish accent. Like his acting in the previous film, you never feel like you’re watching Fox play against Fox. They’re two totally different characters and he does well to show that.

14) Not only does this film play well with preexisting gags, but it also adds to them.

Marty: I had this horrible nightmare. Dreamed I w-... dreamed I was in a western. And I was being chased by all these Indians... and a bear.

Maggie McFly: Well... you're safe and sound here, now, at the McFly farm.

Marty: McFly farm? (Marty jolts out of bed to see Maggie) Why, you're my, you're my, my...(realizes he’s never actually met this woman in his whole life, as opposed to all the times he’s done this with his mom.) Who are you?

15) Just as Fox plays Seamus well, Lea Thompson does a great job as Maggie McFly.

Maggie is so different from Lorraine or...huh, I guess she’s only played different versions of Lorraine before. But she’s a little fiercer, being an immigrant at all, is able to hold her own with her husband, and again the Irish accent is great! I very much enjoy Maggie.

16) Robert Zemeckis directed Who Framed Roger Rabbit before the two Back to the Future sequels...

17) Think about this: we have seen seven full generations of Marty’s family.

His great great grandparents, Seamus and Maggie.

His great grandfather, William (as a baby).

His grandparents, Sam and Stella (in the original film)

His parents and his mother’s siblings (in the original film)

His parents.

Him and his siblings.

His children.

That gets to an excellent point about this series: it’s not about random time travel, it’s very much about family and the relationships we form between blood and friends. The fact that we meet seven generations of one kid’s family I think illustrates that perfectly.

18) Marty wandering through town illustrates how he wanders through town in the earlier films, giving us some nice throwbacks/foreshadowing (I don’t know which it is in a time travel movie) when we see A. Jones Manure Company.

19) The three bar patrons:

Dub Taylor, Harrey Carey. Jr., and Pat Buttram made careers out of playing sidekicks, town drunks, and colorful townsfolk in hundreds of westerns and television shows. Buttram in particular provided memorable voice over work in The Fox & The Hound as Chief and Disney’s Robin Hood as the Sheriff of Nottingham.

20) Bufford ‘Mad Dog’ Tannen.

This was Thomas F. Wilson’s favorite film to shoot out of the Back to the Future trilogy because he got to be a cowboy pretty much. Wilson is truly underrated throughout this film. In so many ways Mad Dog is a wildly different character from Biff and Griff. He’s more of a classic thug, he feels like he’s straight out of an old western and Wilson is chameleonic in the part. You don’t see Biff or Griff or any of other Wilson’s work, you just see Mad Dog and I will forever shout to the heavens that Thomas F. Wilson does not get enough credit for his work in this film.

21) These films really lucked out in their pop culture references. From the original we’ve had references to films, TV and music which have stood the test of time. These include Star Wars, “Star Trek”, Jaws, and - in this film - Clint Eastwood and Michael Jackson. Marty’s Michael Jackson dance when Mad Dog asks him to Dance is great!

22) In each film Marty pisses off a Tannen family member in a place to drink and is chased through town by him and his gang. This film is a bit more serious with that idea, as Mad Dog and his crew ride their horses and practically hogtie and lynch Marty. It’s the one time the town chase has not ended with Marty coming up on top, needing Doc’s sharpshooting to save his life. According to IMDb:

Thomas F. Wilson who plays Buford Tannen, performed all his horse riding stunts himself. He also did the trick where he lassoes Marty just before we meet the 1885 Doc.

When "Mad Dog" tried to lynch Marty, Michael J. Fox was accidentally hanged, rendering him unconscious for a short time. He records this in his autobiography "Lucky Man" (2002).

23) I never knew how amazing Doc Brown as a badass gunslinger would be until I saw this film.

24) It’s interesting to note that Doc does not remember helping Marty get to the Old West when he did so thirty years earlier. My working theory is this: we know that Doc hit his head a lot, so I’m guessing at some point he just banged himself up so much he forgot his own future in the Old West.

25) The Mayor in Part III was a part which was offered to Ronald Reagan after his presidency, as he was a fan of the original film. He ended up turning it down.

26) The whole idea of an act committed by Marty and Doc changes the name of Clayton Ravine to Shonash Ravine then to Eastwood Ravine is basically a more obvious version of the Twin Pines/Lone Pine Mall joke in the first film.

27) Clara Clayton.

With the exception of Lorraine, the Back to the Future films don’t exactly excel at representing female characters (they literally left Jennifer on the porch in the middle of the last film and she won’t show up again until the end of this film). Mary Steenburgen as Clara Clayton is a nice change of pace for that. Although largely introduced as a love interest for Doc Brown, she is developed into an interesting character to match Doc’s. She has the same love for Jules Verne and science as he does (a rarity in the Old West), she’s able to fend for herself around Bufford Tannen, but she and Doc also connect on a really fascinating level. Even though they just met, the chemistry between Lloyd and Steenburgen make you really believe that these two love each other (the scene where Doc agrees to fix her telescope is so cute!). I love Mary Steenburgen in this film, and she’s a worthy addition to the trilogy.

28) With the extension of the story to a trilogy, we get to see when the famous Hill Valley clock starts clicking in 1885 (in Part III) and when it stops clicking in 1955 (in the original film). Thinking it through, you can figure out exactly how long the clock ran. The clock in the clock tower started running at 8:00 p.m. on September 5, 1885 (the date is provided by the caption on the photograph Doc gives Marty at the end of the movie). The lightning strikes the clock tower at 10:04 p.m. on November 12, 1955. This means that the clock tower operated for exactly 70 years, 2 months, 7 days, 2 hours, and 4 minutes.

29) Much like how Huey Lewis made a cameo in the original film, ZZ Top (who sings the song “Doubleback” which plays during the credits) cameos as the 1885 town bad during the dance.

According to IMDb:

According to the book "Billy Gibbons: Rock & Roll Gearhead", ZZ Top was hanging around the set and was asked to be the town band. During one take, the camera broke. While waiting for the camera to be repaired, Michael J. Fox asked if they would play "Hey Good Lookin'" which they did. Afterwards, more requests were played. Two hours later, someone inquired if the camera had been repaired. Robert Zemeckis replied that it had been fixed for quite a while, he just didn't want to stop the party that had evolved.

Also the song they’re playing is an acoustic version of “Doubleback” from the film.

30) I’m sharing this largely for the first 22 seconds.

After watching the modern “Doctor Who” series I immediately think of this:

You Whovians get me.

31) I’ve seen this film probably around ten times (maybe eleven now) but this was the first time that the actor playing the Colt salesman looked familiar to me.

Well that’s because the last time I watched this film and my most recent viewing I’d see Blazing Saddles twice and, well...

32) And of course this has to continue because it wasn’t resolved in Part II:

Mad Dog [to Marty]: “You yella?”

Again, I don’t have an issue with this as much as other people do, but it’s hardly my favorite aspect of the trilogy.

33) This part makes me laugh every time:

Mad Dog: Then let's finish it, right now!

Gang Member #1: Uh, not now, Buford. Uh, Marshal's got our guns.

Mad Dog: Like I said, we'll finish this tomorrow.

Gang Member #2: Tomorrow, we're robbin' the Pine City Stage.

Mad Dog: What about Monday? Are we doin' anything Monday?

Gang Member #1: Uh, no, Monday'd be fine. You can kill him on Monday.

Buford "Mad Dog" Tannen: I'll be back this way on Monday!

34) Doc and Clara stargazing melts my cynical heart.

(GIF sources unknown [if these are your GIFs please let me know].)

35) The only time in the entire trilogy when the catchphrases are flipped!

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

And I laugh every time.

36) It is a truly fascinating scene to watch when Doc tells Marty he wants to stay in 1885, but Marty knows Doc so well he is able to pretty easily convince him otherwise (mainly by appealing to the scientist in him). It shows just how great a friendship these two have.

37) You know what I never got: why does Doc not want to take Clara with them to 1985?

SHE’S SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD ANYWAY!!!!

38) My heart breaks every time Doc tries to tell Clara the truth about himself, and each time I watch this film there’s a part of me that thinks it won’t happen this time. I’m always wrong.

(GIF originally posted by @whatshouldwecallme)

39) This fucking scene:

Doc [after a traveling salesman tells him you never know what the future holds]: “Oh...the future. I can tell you about the future.”

(Feel free to stop watching after 1:44)

40) I’m starting to realize this film has some of my favorite gags in the whole trilogy.

Marty [after Doc faints after taking a shot]: “How many did he have?”

Bartender: “Just one.”

Marty: “‘Just one’?”

Bartender: “Now there’s a man who can’t hold his liquor.”

41) Marty realizing what we all should when dealing with someone like Tannen:

(GIF source unknown [if this is your GIF please let me know].)

42) If I didn’t ship these two enough, just listen to how Clara describes Doc:

Clara [asking about Doc]: “Was this man tall, with great big brown puppy dog eyes and long silvery flowing hair?”

I love it!

43) Originally Mad Dog Tannen (after falling in manure) was arrested for killing Marshal Strickland and this was said by the deputy. However, this scene was deleted as the filmmaker decided it was too dark. They pointed out the fact that no one dies and stays dead in the Back to the Future films. Hence the re-dub.

44) When Doc blows the train whistle he gleefully exclaims, “I’ve wanted to do that all my life!” This sentiment would be repeated by the main character in 2004′s The Polar Express, also directed by Robert Zemeckis.

45) The entire climax with the train - while no Clock Tower scene from the original - is a great ride! It keeps the film’s standard for exciting and well done action in check while also feeding in incredibly into the western genre. It’s just a lot of fun!

46) This moment:

(GIFs originally posted by @gif-weenus)

HIS FACE! HE’S JUST SO HAPPY AND I LOVE IT! YES!!!!

47) It’s so sad when we think that Marty will never see Doc again because the Delorean is destroyed. Thank god for time travel.

48) Needles looks like a moron. Did people really dress this way in 1985?

49) In the last film it was established that Marty got into a car accident with a Rolls Royce after being called chicken, a decision which sent his life spinning down the toilet. This time we see the scene itself and while Marty decides not to race Needles (and in doing so he avoids the accident), because of time travel something is different this time:

JENNIFER IS IN THE PASSENGER SEAT OF THE CAR! JENNIFER WOULD’VE FREAKING DIED!

That could’ve been very bad for Marty.

50) I have a lot of fan theories in my head that fill up a lot of plot holes, but one thing I can’t figure out is how did Doc get the barriers to the railroad to drop before he traveled back in the time train to meet Marty & Jennifer?

51) Jules & Verne.

If you watch carefully, you can see the younger of the two - Verne - doing random stuff with his hands during the wide-shot. That’s because a crew member was in charge of doing things with his hands that the child actor would mirror, mainly with petting the dog. But when the crew member started gesturing for someone to come by them Verne continued mirroring him. And it’s in the final film.

52) This is a great closing message for the entire trilogy.

I love Back to the Future Part III. I love all the Back to the Future movies honestly, but something about Part III just really does it for me. I love the Western setting, I love the emphasis on Doc, I think Lloyd and Wilson get to really shine, and Clara is such a wonderful addition to the story. It’s just a really great way to close out one of the best film trilogies in movie history! So go watch it! Not just this film, the whole trilogy. You won’t be sorry.

[vampireadamooc]

Lecture II: Suggestions And Perversions Of The Rite

2.3 - A New Nature Through New Blood

It was a primeval idea, of universal sway, that the taking in of another's blood was the acquiring of another's life, with all that was best in that other's nature. It was not merely that the taking away of blood was the taking away of life; but that the taking in of blood was the taking in of life, and of all that that life represented. Here, again, the heart, as the fountain of blood, and so as the center and source of life, was pre-eminently the agency of transfer in the acquiring of a new nature.

Herodotus tells us of this idea in the far East, twenty-four centuries ago. When a Scythian, he said, killed his first man in open warfare, he drank in his blood as a means of absorbing his fairly acquired life; and the heads of as many as he slew, the Scythian carried

Berwick's Daily Life and Origin of Tasmatnam, p. 89; cited in Spencer's Des. Soc., III., 43,

in triumph to the king; 1 as the American Indian bears away the scalps of his slain, today. Modern historians, indeed, show us other resemblances than this between the aboriginal American and the ancient Scythian.

The Jesuit founder of the Huron Mission to the American Indians, "its truest hero, and its greatest martyr," was Jean de Brebeuf. After a heroic life among a savage people, he was subjected to frightful torture, and to the cruelest death. His character had won the admiration of those who felt that duty to their gods demanded his martyrdom; and his bearing under torture exalted him in their esteem, as heroic beyond compare." He came of a noble race," says Parkman, 2 "the same [race], it is said, from which sprang the English Earls of Arundel; but never had the mailed barons of his line confronted a fate so appalling, with so prodigious a constancy. To the last he refused to flinch, and 'his death was an astonishment to his murderers.'"

"We saw no part of his body," wrote an eye-witness, 3 "from head to foot, which was not burned [while he was yet living], even to his eyes, in the sockets of which these wretches had placed live coals." Such manhood as he displayed under these tortures, the Indians could appreciate.

Hist., IV, 64

Jesuits in No Am. in 17th Cent., p. 389 f.

Ragueneau; cited by Parkman.

Such courage and constancy as his, they longed to possess for themselves. When, therefore, they perceived that the brave and faithful man of God was finally sinking into death, they sprang toward him, scalped him, "laid open his breast, and came in a crowd to drink the blood of so valiant an enemy; thinking to imbibe with it some portion of his courage. A chief then tore out his heart, and devoured it."

Not unlike this has been a common practice among the American Indians, in the treatment of prisoners of war. "If the victim had shown courage," again says Parkman, concerning the Hurons, "the heart was first roasted, cut into small pieces, and given to the young men and boys, who devoured it, to increase their own courage." 1 So, similarly, with the Iroquois. 2 And Burton says of the Dakotas: 3 "They are not cannibals, except when a warrior, after slaying a foe, eats, porcupine-like, the heart or liver, with the idea of increasing his own courage." Schomburgk, writing concerning the natives of British Guiana, says: "In order to increase their courage, and [so their] contempt of death, the Caribs were wont to cut out the heart of a slain enemy, dry it on the fire, powder it, and mix the powder in their drink." 4

Jesuits in No. Am., Introduction, p. xxxix.

Ibid., p, 250.

City of the Saints, p. 117. See also Appendix.

Reisn in Brit. Guian., II., 430, cited in Spencer's Des, Soc., VI., 36.

The native Australians find, it is said, an inducement to bloodshed, in their belief like that of the ancient Scythians that the life, or the spirit, of the first man whom one slays, enters into the life of the slayer, and remains as his helpful possession thereafter. 1 The Ashantee fetishmen, of West Africa, apparently acting on a kindred thought, make a mixture of the hearts of enemies, mingled with blood and consecrated herbs, for the vivifying of the conquerors. "All who have never before killed an enemy eat of the preparation; it being believed that if they did not, their energy would be secretly wasted by the haunting spirits of their deceased foes." 2 The underlying motive of the bloody "head-hunting" in Borneo, is the Dayak belief, that the spirits of those whose heads are taken are to be subject to him who does the decapitating. The heads are primarily simply the proof like the Indian's scalps that their owner has so many lives absorbed in his own. 3

A keen observer of Fellaheen life in Palestine has reported: 4

Trans, of Ethn Soc. new series, III., 240, cited in Spencer's Des. Soc, III., 36.

Beecham's Ashantee and the Gold Coast, p. 211; cited in Spencer's Des Soc., IV , 33.

See Tyler's Primitive Culture, I., 459; also Bock's Head Hunters of Borneo, passim.

Mis. Finn's "Fellaheen of Palestine" in Surv. of West. Pal. "Special Papers," p, 360.

"There is an ugly expression used among the fellaheen of South Palestine, in speaking of an enemy slain in war 'Dhabbahhtho bisnany' ('I slew him with my teeth') l; and it is said that there have been instances of killing in battle in this fashion by biting at the throat. In the Nablous district (Samaria), where the people are much more ferocious, the expression is, 'I have drunk his blood'; but that is understood figuratively."

An ancient Greek version of the story of Jason, telling of that hero's treatment of the body of Apsyrtos whom he had slain says: "Thrice he tasted the blood, thrice [he] spat it out between his teeth;" and a modern collator informs us that the scholiast here finds "the description of an archaic custom, popular among murderers." 2 This certainly corresponds with the Semitic phrases lingering among the Fellaheen of Palestine.

In the old German epic, the Nibelungen Lied, it is told of the brave Burgundians, when they were fighting desperately in the burning hall of the Huns, that they were given new courage for the hopeless conflict by drinking the blood of their fallen comrades; which "quenched their thirst, and made them fierce." 3

This is Mrs. Finn's rendering of it; but it should be "I sacrificed him with my teeth." The Arabic word is obviously dhabaha (أضحية), identical with the Hebrew zabhakh (לְזַבֵּחַ) "to sacrifice."

Lang's Custom and Myth, p. 95 f.; also Grimm's Household Tales p. lxvni.

Cox and Jones's Pop. Rom. of Mid. Ages, p. 310.

With their added life, from the added blood of heroes, they battled as never before.

"It strung again their sinews, and failing strength renewed. This, in her lover's passion, many a fair lady rued." 1

Is there not, indeed, a trace of the primitive custom thus recognized in all quarters of the globe of absorbing the life of a slain one by drinking in his blood, in our common phrase, "blood-thirstiness," as descriptive of a life-seeker? That phrase certainly gains added force and appropriateness in the light of this universal idea.

It is evident that the wide-spread popular belief in nature-absorption through blood-appropriation, has included the idea of a tribal absorption of new life in vicarious blood. Alcedo, a Spanish-American writer, has illustrated this in his description of the native Araucanians of South America. When they have triumphed in war, they select a representative prisoner for official and vicarious execution. After due preparation, they "give him a handful of small sticks and a sharp stake, with which they oblige him to dig a hole in the ground; and in this they order him to cast the sticks one by one, repeating the names of the principal warriors of his country, while at the same time the surrounding soldiers load these abhorred names with the bitterest execrations.

Lettsom's Nibel. Lied, p. 373.

He is then ordered to cover the hole, as if to bury therein the reputation and valor of their enemies, whom he has named. After this ceremony, the toqui, or one of his bravest companions to whom he relinquishes the honor of the execution, dashes out the brains of the prisoner with a club. The heart is immediately taken out, and presented palpitating to the general, who sucks a little of the blood, and passes it to his officers, who repeat in succession the same ceremony." 1 And in this way the life of the conquered tribe passes, symbolically, into the tribal life of the conquerors.

Burckhardt was so surprised at a trace of this idea in Nubia, that he could hardly credit the information concerning it; "although several persons asserted it to be a fact," he says; and he "heard no one contradict it." 2 As he learned it: "Among the Hallenga, who draw their origin from Abyssinia, a horrible custom is said to attend the revenge of blood. When the slayer has been seized by the relatives of the deceased, a family feast is proclaimed, at which the murderer is brought into the midst of them, bound upon an angareyg; and while his throat is slowly cut with a razor, the blood is caught in a bowl, and handed round amongst the guests;

Thompson's Alerdo Geog. and Hist. Dict. of America, I., 408; cited in Spencer's Des. Soc., VI., 19.

Travels in Numbia, p. 356.

every one of whom is bound to drink of it, at the moment the victim breathes his last" The forfeited life of the murderer here seems to be surrendered to, and formally appropriated by, the family, or clan, which he had, to the same extent, depleted of character and life.

A practice not unlike this is reported of the Australians, in their avenging the blood of a murdered person. They devour their victims; who are selected from the tribe of the murderer, although they may be personally innocent of the murder. The tribe depleted by the murder replaces its loss by blood which is life from the tribe of the murderer. Indeed, "when any one of a tribe [in New South Wales] dies a natural death, it is usual to avenge [or to cancel] the loss of the deceased by taking blood from one or other of his friends." 1 In this way, the very life and being of those whose blood is taken, go to restore to the bereaved ones the loss that death has brought to them.

Strange as this idea may seem to us, its root-thought, as a fact, is still an open question in the realm of physiological science. The claim is positive, in medical works, that insanity has been cured by the transfusion of a sane man's blood; 2

Trans, of Ethn. Soc., II, 246, and Angas's Austr. and New Zeal., I, 73, 227, 462, cited in Spencei's Des. Soc. Ill , 26.

See Dict. Med et Chir. Prat, Art. "Transfusion"; also Roussel's Transf. of Blood, pp. 78-88.

that a normal mind has been restored, through a normal life gained in new blood. Moreover, the question, how far the nature, or the characteristics, of an organism, are affected, in blood transfusion, by the nature, or the characteristics, of the donor of the transfused blood, is by no means a settled one among scientists. Referring to a series of questions in this line, propounded by Robert Doyle, more than two centuries ago, Roussel has said, within the past decade: "No one has been able to give any positive answers to them, based upon well-conducted operations"; and, "they still await solution in 1877, as in 1667." 1

Transf. of Blood, p. 19.

[virginieboesus]

The History of Final Fantasy

These days, it’s actually really hard to imagine the gaming industry without Final Fantasy. No matter if you’re a fan of RPGs or not, you’ll almost certainly have heard of the franchise. In fact, you’ve probably seen the adverts for Final Fantasy XV all over TV, billboards and YouTube, especially with the mobile game that is now available as well. But there was a time before this behemoth (pun intended) of a franchise existed and it is a story well documented amongst Final Fantasy fans.

However, in the effort to write up a really cool and educational post, I’m going to cover it once again! Why not, right? So, without further adieu, let’s dive into the deep end of Square Enix’s past and look at the history of Final Fantasy.

It’s All In The Name

It all started as the console market was being revolutionised by the brand new Nintendo Famicom, eventually released outside of Japan as the Nintendo Entertainment System. Around that time, a young 21-year-old developer joined a small company then known as Square, with hopes to bring them into the limelight of the computer games industry. His name was Hironubu Sakaguchi.

At that time, the Famicom was gaining huge strides due to the likes of Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda, which also meant that expectations of video games were rather high. Therefore, it was definitely a turbulent climate for a small company to try and make their way into.

Nevertheless, Sakaguchi and his team got to work on various games, including Rad Racer and a number of other titles. These games definitely showed off the development prowess of the team, but there was one huge problem; they didn’t sell.

So it was that Square was running out of money fast, edging closer and closer to bankruptcy.  Many people would have just given up at that point, but Sakaguchi was determined to put his mark on the gaming industry before it was all lost. He and his team decided to try one final time, this time focusing their efforts on an epic fantasy adventure to rival games like Wizardry – a “final fantasy” if you will.

The Revival Of A Company

The appropriately named Final Fantasy hit the shelves in Japan on the 18th of December, 1987. This was also the same week that saw the launch of Phantasy Star from SEGA, and was just two short months ahead of Dragon Quest III as well.

However, Sakaguchi had a few tricks up his sleeve to help the game. Firstly, Square had brought on Yoshitaka Amano, the artist behind the Vampire Hunter D anime, to create the visual designs for the game. Secondly, the soundtrack was composed by Nobuo Uematsu which, when combined with the story and visuals, created a complete and well-crafted package that gamers could pick up and enjoy immediately.

It was this release that finally turned the tide for Square, dragging them back from the brink of bankruptcy. One single game proved so popular that it saved the entire company. So, if you’re ever wondering why Square Enix (as they are now called) are so protective about the series, it is because they literally wouldn’t exist without it.

A Not-So-Final Fantasy

Before the first game had even started to be localised for other countries, Square had started putting together plans for a sequel. How could they not, when the game had saved them all?

On top of that, their biggest competition (Enix’s Dragon Quest) series was producing new titles almost every year. Square had to compete, so another Final Fantasy was needed, despite the confusion that the name would cause.

At the time, RPG series tended to focus on sticking to pre-determined conventions. Whether this mention continuing with the same characters through each game, or at least keeping it within the same world, each game was an actual sequel to the last. Sakaguchi and his team decided to break away from that with Final Fantasy II. Instead, the game featured an entirely new world with new characters, backstory and a more complex plot.

Experimentation quickly became one of the staples of Final Fantasy sequels, beginning with Final Fantasy II. For example, a brand new leveling system was put into place. Rather than simply gaining levels from experience points, you powered up your skills by using them or weapons that were related to them. For example, using magic more often would make a character better at using magic. This was a huge change of gameplay direction for RPGs in general at the time.

Sadly, it didn’t get well received, due mostly to the fact that it meant you had to grind far more often. This was both frustrating and tiring for many players. So it was that development quickly moved to the third game in the series.

The 8-Bit Trilogy

Final Fantasy III marked the last game in the series to be released on the Famicom and NES. It continued the experimental attitude of the second game, although to a much smaller extent. That level of experimentation was moved over to the SaGa series instead.

Dropping the new leveling system, Final Fantasy III introduced the Job system. This allowed each character to take on the role of over 20 different “jobs”, or classes. These could be switched in and out at any time as well, meaning that each character could learn a vast array of abilities. It also added a tactical element to party structure, as you had to plan out how each party member would work and what role they would play.

The game, itself, was well recieved, helping to bring back some love to the series. However, it was a short-lived game and, despite building the framework for the rest of the series, quickly disappeared from memory.

The 16-Bit Era

So it was that Final Fantasy III ended the series’ run on the Famicom and NES. However, that was only because of the release of the Super Famicom (or the SNES outside of Japan). This brand new system launched the next generation for gaming, bringing the world into the 16-Bit era.

Square was, however, reluctant to throw all of their chips into one basket and fully commit to a new system. As such, they planned to create two new Final Fantasy games at the same time, named Final Fantasy IV and V respectively. IV would be released for the NES, which was now reaching the end of its life cycle, whilst V would be developed for the SNES.

Unfortunately, it was just too much for the company to handle, so they were forced to scrap the original NES game known as Final Fantasy IV. Thus, they put all of their focus onto the SNES game, changing its name from V to IV.

This version of Final Fantasy IV sort to refine the gameplay of its predecessors, doing away with the interchangeable job system in favour of predetermined classes for each character. This meant that the classes could be far more complex, but also helped the developers create a more in-depth storyline.

Final Fantasy IV added everything from meaningful relationships between characters to complex political struggles. Despite still being firmly rooted in the fantasy genre, this allowed the developers to show fans that they could expand the horizons of the series beyond standard tropes.

Experimentation continued as well, as Square made huge changes to the standard turn-based battle system that had been in place since the very first game. Final Fantasy IV was the first game to introduce the Active Time Battle system, which meant that characters would need to “rest” after each attack, with the rest time varying depending on the strength of the attack. It also meant that the Speed statistic suddenly became even more important.

This was because, the higher a character’s Speed (or Agility), the shorter their rest time was. Finally, it was Final Fantasy IV that saw the introduction of Save Points, which by today’s standards, is now seen as an outdated gameplay mechanic. However, at the time it was a brilliant addition that meant the pacing and length of the game could be greatly improved.

Interestingly enough, due to the fact that Final Fantasy II and III were not localised outside of Japan, when Final Fantasy IV came to the West on the SNES, it was renamed as Final Fantasy II. This was cover up the fact that we had essentially missed two full games (and wouldn’t be the last time this happened).

Making It Easy For The West

The RPG genre had never really been big in the West. In fact, it was still very much a niche genre until Final Fantasy IV (I mean II) came out on the SNES. It was that game which really introduced Western audiences to the genre. Therefore, Square wanted to take advantage of this and grow the Final Fantasy brand in the States as quickly as possible.

However, they had already needed to make Final Fantasy IV (II) easier than its Japanese counterpart for it to be successful. So it was that the view of developers became the idea that the Western audience just wasn’t able to handle the complexities of the RPG genre. So, Square decided to make an RPG just for Americans; Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.

It removed the free-roam aspects of the genre, as well as taking away control of all characters except for the main protagonist. In essence, it cut out all of the tactical elements and grinding, but kept the standard slow pacing. You can find out how well it turned out in my review of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest here.

In the end, it was a really bad decision. Even when Mystic Quest was released in Japan (amusingly named Final Fantasy USA), it didn’t sell very well at all. This was a learning experience for Square, who decided that they wouldn’t dumb down any future releases outside of Japan (thankfully).

The Fifth Fantasy

Final Fantasy V, having been developed whilst the world was experiencing Mystic Quest, finally released in Japan in December of 1992. It had been designed to give the deepest experience of a Final Fantasy game to date – that’s the reason why the West didn’t get the game.

With an updated version of the Job system, as well as an Ability System that connected to it, character depth was greatly improved. If you were to level up one class high enough, you could then unlock the ability to cross-equip some of that class’ skills onto another one (this idea would later be used as a key feature in Final Fantasy XIV).

Despite this, Square remained vigilant with their storytelling, creating unique characters rather than relying on nameless protagonists. The storyline was littered with memorable moments, grand villains and emotion. It was a really strong entry in the franchise – one that we didn’t get to experience outside of Japan, at first.

Goodbye To The 16-Bit

And so we come to the end of the SNES’ life cycle as well, and with it, the last in the second trilogy of Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy VI released on the 2nd of April, 1994. It marked a huge change for the series in terms of setting style, as it moved away from medieval fantasy and dove straight into steampunk.

The world mixed swords and magic with a society of industry and machinery. This was introduced to players immediately in the opening scene through the use of Magitek Armor right at the beginning of the game.

In the West, the game was hyped up through previews and ads across all sorts of gaming magazines. There was even an animated TV advert as well.

On top of this, Square had learnt their lesson; the game was not going to be made easier for the West. Instead, the game itself scrapped the Job system once again, focusing on the characters themselves (like Final Fantasy IV). Square also decided to buck the trend of J-RPGs of the time by expanding the game’s world, rather than narrowing storylines.

This meant that a whole host of sub-plots and backstory events were included. Considering the fact that gamers at the time weren’t used to open-world games or massive narratives at the time, this helped to make Final Fantasy VI really stand out from the crowd.

The game received glowing reviews across the board and, to this day, is very as one of the best games in the series as a whole.

All Lucky Sevens

First years, Square had been partnered with Nintendo. In fact, they even put together a tech demo for the Nintendo 64 that uses characters from Final Fantasy VI. This lead to many believing that the next Final Fantasy was an imminent N64 release.

However, since Nintendo was determined to stick with cartridges for the N64 whilst Sony had just released the PlayStation using CDs as a medium, the time for change had come. Square jumped ship to the new console. Many fans were outraged at first, viewing the company as traitors.

However, it turned out to be the right decision, as fans would soon come to realise.

Sakaguchi moved away from being the director of the next Final Fantasy game, instead acting as Producer due to the larger team needed to produce the seventh game. In fact, the team had grown four times as large compared to that of Final Fantasy VI! With Sakaguchi no longer in the director’s chair, Square put Yoshinori Kitase in the role instead – he was the director of the huge success that was Chrono Trigger.

Whilst the team had very limited experience with CGI graphics, through hard work they managed to start bringing everything together. It was at that point that they knew the Western audiences would be sold on the game, because of how amazing it looked. However, he was concerned about the Japanese audience and how they would react to the new Final Fantasy game being on Sony’s console and not Nintendo’s.

On the 31st of January 1997, Final Fantasy VII was released into the wild. Nervousness was certainly the feeling of the day in Square’s offices. However, within the first three days of release, Final Fantasy VII sold 2 million copies! Once it hit Western shores, that number jumped up to 10 million, sealing the deal and letting Square and its fans know that the jump had been the right move.

Square had dared to fight against two prevailing theories;

Americans and Europeans would never play RPGs

Americans and Europeans cared more about action than story

They took a stand to prove these ideas wrong, and they were successful. Final Fantasy VII was a runaway success that, to this day, is still beloved by millions. It has even lead to sequels and prequels called Crisis Core (PSP), Dirge of Cerberus (PS2) and Advent Children (movie). Sadly, Square has yet to reach quite that level of success again.

Divided We Stand

Moving on from Final Fantasy VII, Square had another lesson to learn. Final Fantasy VII had seen many delays during development due to poor planning. As such, Square decided to split their development team in two in order to plan and work on two new games at the same time.

Whilst this had been tried before when working on the original Final Fantasy IV and V, things had moved on considerably since then.

Thus, work on Final Fantasy VIII and IX began almost simultaneously. VIII would stick with the more modern style setting of VI and VII, whilst IX would return to the medieval world, filled with nostalgia. It was a bold decision.

Final Fantasy VIII was set in a world inspired by modern-day Europe and threw away much of the traditional leveling system. Whilst you still grew stronger through gaining experience points, you could actually improve your characters’ stats further by “junctioning” (equipping magic onto your individual stats). This also lead to the removal of MP (magic points), as Magic was “drawn” out of monsters or Draw Point, giving you limited numbers of each spell until you found another place or monster to draw it out of.

Despite the fact that the game received critical praise, earning scores of 9 or higher across the board, it split fans considerably. Some loved the game’s new style of gameplay and epic tale of romance, whilst others found the Junction system to be overly complicated and the Draw system tedious.

As for Final Fantasy IX, development was marred by confusion. To begin with, Square wasn’t sure whether they wanted it to even be a numbered sequel. This is because numbered sequels were considered the “bread and butter” of the franchise and the game was very much a nostalgic throwback to the older games. To be a numbered sequel, the game had to be worthy of it. In the end, it was.

Returning to the deformed character styles of Yoshitaka Amano, Square took Final Fantasy IX’s design back to the style of the older games, which adding in new gameplay features and a massive plot that spanned four discs.

It was largely considered a work of art upon release, actually being the highest rated game of the series so far. However, it ended up being the worst selling of the PlayStation era games, possibly due to the end of the 32-bit era coming ever closer.

The 32-Bit Swan Song

As we reached the end of the 20th century, the 32-bit era of the PlayStation, Sega Saturn and N64 was coming to an end as well. So, in order to get as much out of the 32-bit consoles as possible, Square began to release a bunch of spin-off and cash in titles.

These included Chocobo Racing, which was a Mario Kart inspired game with the main character being a chocobo with rocket-propelled shoes. There were also a few small RPGs featuring said chocobo as the main character.

However, amongst all of these cash in titles was one spin-off game that was truly worthy of the Final Fantasy name; Final Fantasy Tactics.

It was actually developed around the same time as Final Fantasy VII, but focused more on the traditional 2D graphical style of RPGs, except for the 3D world. The standard turn-based RPG battle system was replaced with a tactical RPG system, which resembled chess. On top of this, the Job system made a comeback, but in far more depth.

Despite the game featuring a brilliant and rich storyline, the hardcore tactical gameplay proved to be its downfall, at least at the time of launch. Sales were very poor, partly because everyone had recently fallen in love with the gameplay style of Final Fantasy VII. In fact, the game sold so badly that it wasn’t even released in Europe!

However, in 2001, Square decided to re-release it in the “Greatest Hits” line of games. This is the American version of Europe’s Platinum range of games. It was then that the game suddenly shot up in popularity. Sure, it may not have come close to the main numbered series in sales, but it sold well enough to spawn two sequels on the GameBoy Advance (which were nowhere near as good) and a port to the PSP with improved dialogue.

The New Millenium

The move into the 21st century marked yet another change in the Final Fantasy franchise. Having seen what CGI storytelling could do through Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX, Sakaguchi began work on Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.

This was not the next game in the series, nor another spin-off title. Instead, it was completely CGI movie, similar to that of Dreamworks and Pixar. However, instead of creating cartoon graphics for kids, Sakaguchi and his team created a photo-realistic movie to show what they could do. It took three years to create and, to this day, is still one of the best reviewed videogame to movie adaptations.

However, it had almost nothing to do with Final Fantasy, except for the idea of the planet’s “spirit” being called Gaia. The Spirits Within was actually just a relatively standard science fiction film. Because of this, and the fact that it was far too deep and philosophical for a standard action movie, it failed miserably.

In fact, it was one of the biggest commercial failures and financial losses in movie history, nearly bringing Square back to the position they had been in before Sakaguchi first released Final Fantasy all those years ago.

The Tenth Release

Luckily for Square, the next game in the Final Fantasy series released very soon after. Sakaguchi, due to his involvement with The Spirits Within, had only acted as Executive Producer on this new game, but you could still feel his influence.

Having been in development for over two years, Final Fantasy X was the first game in the series to appear on the newly released PlayStation 2. Once again, the team behind it had ditched traditional RPG design in favour of experimentation.

This lead to a battle system known as the Conditional Turn Battle system, where using certain actions meant that a character would have his or her next turn pushed further down the queue. On top of this, you could swap characters in and out of battle as long as they were still standing.

The other major point of experimentation worth mentioning, apart from the inclusion of voice acting for the first time in the series, was the Sphere Grid. In another effort to step away from traditional leveling, Final Fantasy X saw characters gain Sphere Levels which could then be spent to move around the Sphere Grid.

The Sphere Grid was a huge board full of nodes that contained skills and stat increases, as well as special lock nodes that need key spheres to unlock. In essence, it was a giant puzzle that you had to move the characters around in order to grow their stats and abilities. This added an insane amount of customisation to the characters, as you could choose how they developed depending on how you moved around the grid.

Finally, the developers ditched the World Map idea (except when you’re in an airship), favouring a “connected world” style of gameplay. This meant that there were no immersion-breaking changes in the size of the world. No longer would you step out of a town and suddenly be a giant character towering above the rest of the world as you moved to the next location. Instead, every single road, forest and town were part of one single world connected by loading zones.

Final Fantasy X marked the moment in time that the series turned around again, becoming the king RPGs once more. The gameplay and storyline where sheer brilliance and are remembered very fondly to this day.

The First True Sequel

Square was so elated with how well received Final Fantasy X was that they decide to do something they had never done before; make a new game with the same world and characters. For the very first time, Squaresoft made a direct sequel to a Final Fantasy game!

Because development and release of Final Fantasy XI were already looming, they had to choose a different naming convention. Thus, they named this new game Final Fantasy X-2, starting a new naming convention that would stick when they eventually made more direct sequels in the future.

Final Fantasy X-2 was very much a game about fan-service. It focused on being more light-hearted than the rather dark and depressing story of Final Fantasy X. A good example of this is when you first start up the game and are greeted with a pop concert.

Also, due to the fact that the game only featured 3 playable characters, the developers opted to bring back the Job system in order to give more variety to the characters. However, this was done through a “dress up” system, where you had to get different outfits to unlock the different classes.

Despite the fact that it doesn’t hold very fond memories with many Final Fantasy fans, it sold rather well.

A Historic Merger

For years, Square’s Final Fantasy series and Enix’s Dragon Quest franchise had been bitter rivals in the gaming industry. All of that changed shortly after the release of Final Fantasy X-2.

It was, at this time in Final Fantasy’s history, that Square merged with Enix to create a brand new entity that is still known as Square Enix today.

However, it also marked the end of Sakaguchi’s reign as the king of Final Fantasy. Following the merger, his new bosses took one look at the stain on his record caused by The Spirits Within and that was all there was to it. So, after working at Square for 21 years, Sakaguchi left the company he had helped to build and moved on to start a new business.

Multiplayer Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy XI was a game that caused a lot of controversy with fans when it was first announced. It was going to be a massively-multiplayer RPG (MMORPG) similar to World of Warcraft or EverQuest. This angered many longtime fans, similar to how Final Fantasy VII had done the same before release.

This was especially true in Japan, as online gaming hadn’t really been a success compared to the West.

However, Square Enix had a trick up their sleeve – one that they would use again later in the franchise’s life. You see, Final Fantasy XI was a cross-platform MMORPG, which meant that PC and PS2 players were able to play together on the same servers. This was a first in the industry. On top of this, the Job system returned, which meant that one character could play all of the classes in the game.

This was a huge selling point compared to other MMORPGs, as traditionally, you would have to “role”, or play as, multiple characters to try out and enjoy the different classes. Having all of them available on one character made life far more simple for gamers.

However, to this day, Final Fantasy XI is widely regarded as one of the most challenging MMORPGs. In fact, the game has one boss fight that became legendary when elite end-game players fought it for 20 hours straight, in a huge group, only to eventually give up before they could kill it.

Despite this, the game continued to run on a Pay to Play monthly subscription model for 14 years! The servers were eventually shut down and the game closed in 2016.

The Return of Nintendo

It wasn’t long after the release of Final Fantasy XI that Square Enix announced that they would be bringing a new game in the franchise to Nintendo’s GameCube console. It wouldn’t be a main numbered entry, but rather a spin-off series of its own known as Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles.

The game featured multiplayer and returned to the more child-friendly graphical style of the original Nintendo Final Fantasy games. It sold relatively well, especially since the development team featured less than 20 people. As such, it has since gone on to create its own series on the DS and Wii consoles.

The Twelfth Battle

By the time Final Fantasy XII came out, the cards were already stacked against it. The next generation of consoles was already beginning as the Xbox 360 had been released and the PS2 was losing traction.

However, Square Enix was undeterred and created their most ambitious game to date. Utilising the idea of a connected world that they had perfected with Final Fantasy X, the team created a huge game world suitable for an MMORPG. However, the game wasn’t an online one, instead sticking true to the single-player RPG style.

The turn-based battle system was heavily altered again, with battle scenes removed from the game. Instead of running around and then being pulled out of the game map and into a separate battle scene randomly, enemies now appeared on the game map and battles took place in the game world. The active time battle system made a comeback, but with an MMORPG style twist as well.

The storyline was also set in the same world as Final Fantasy Tactics and another PSX game, Vagrant Story. This helped to capture the interest of fans of both of these games. It was very well received by critics, but due to the PS2 reaching the end of its lifecycle, sales were low.

It did, however, get a small sequel on the Nintendo DS a year later.

Lightning Strikes In Threes

With the PS3 coming out, fans of Final Fantasy waited eagerly for the next game in the series; Final Fantasy XIII. Originally slated to be the flagship game in a new collective series known as Fabula Nova Crystallis, it featured a strong, female lead character called Lightning who was dubbed as a mix between Terra from Final Fantasy VI and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII.

Final Fantasy XIII was an absolutely beautiful game, really showing what the PlayStation 3 was capable of. However, it was ultimately frowned upon by fans due to the simplistic combat system (you could let the game fight for you if you wanted to) and extremely linear first half of the game. It was even nicknamed as a corridor simulator by fans of the series.

Nevertheless, Square Enix developed a direct sequel, utilising the naming convention started with Final Fantasy X-2.

Final Fantasy XIII-2 focused on Sarah, Lightning’s sister, and featured the ability to travel through time. This was designed to remedy to feeling of XIII being too linear. However, the fact that you only had two playable characters (plus monsters that you could tame) meant that the battle system felt just as simplistic as the original game.

Despite the multitude of endings adding to the replayability of the game, fans were waiting for the other games in the Fabula Nova Crystallis instead. However, they were to be disappointed when one of them was taken away to be its own game (we’ll get to that) and the other just seemed to fade away (we’ll get to that too).

It wasn’t long after XIII-2 that we were then given Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, the third game in this mini-series within a series. Taking place 500 years after the events of XIII-2, the game features a clock that was constantly ticking down to the end of the world.

With a Job system in the style of Final Fantasy X-2’s dress up game coming into play again, plus the fact that Lighting was the only real playable character, it was a very different Final Fantasy game. This was in keep with the idea of experimentation that permeates the franchise. However, by this point, fans were ready to move on from Lightning.

Refocused

As mentioned earlier, one of the planned games for the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos was taken out of the collective to become its own game. This became known as Final Fantasy Type-0 and was released for the PSP originally, before eventually getting an HD remake for the PS4.

Similar to the spin-off prequel to Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core, Type-0 uses an action-battle system as the basis for combat. The game itself is a huge departure from the standard gameplay of the franchise, with 14 playable characters and (on the PSP version) multiplayer with a 3-minute time limit.

The game is structured using a mission-based format as well, similar to Crisis Core, and also features an arena mode as well.

An Era Reborn

The next game in the Final Fantasy series was Final Fantasy XIV, a second attempt to create an MMORPG after the success of FFXI. However, the original version of XIV was a disaster.

The game itself needed top of the range PCs to be able to even run the game. From there, it was full of bugs at launch and felt incredibly empty due to the size of the world and lack of NPC and monster population. Despite this, it did gain dedicated players who stuck with it.

However, Square Enix could see how badly the game was doing and, rather than risk tarnishing the Final Fantasy name again (like they did with The Spirits Within) they decided to take action. A new development team took over the game, adding in various patches to fix the most broken bugs whilst creating a storyline that led to the End of an Era event.

This involved one of the moons coming down to the planet, summoned by one of the antagonists. That moon subsequently exploded to reveal Bahamut, the king of dragons within it. Bahamut proceeded to obliterate the world whilst a powerful mage sent players’ characters into the future.

This was the end of the original Final Fantasy XIV and marked the day the servers were turned off.

The new team then went to work to rebuild the game from the ground up. This lead to new graphics and systems being used to make the game work better on all types of PCs, but also on the PS3 as well (plus the PS4 at a later date). Thanks to this, cross-platform gameplay was added successfully to the game as well.

The gameplay was altered and improved immensely as well, and a new storyline was written. This led to the game being relaunched as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.

In this new version, players of the original could continue with the characters that they already had, as the developers had written the plotline of these characters being sent forward in time. The new game took place 2 years after Bahamut’s attack and reintroduced previous players through one starting storyline and new players through a different one.

From here, the game became a resounding success and is currently one of the most popular MMORPGs available, with two expansion packs and additional content being added to the game for free every 3 months. There have also been a number of Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festivals around the world as well.

Final Fantasy XIV is the story of how Square Enix was able to salvage a completely failing game and turn it into a true success story.

Brotherhood And The Future

Finally, we’re going to talk about the third game from the Fabula Nova Crystallis; the one that just seemed to vanish. For years, no news was heard about this game, originally titled as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Because of this, everyone had come to the assumption that this awesome looking game had been quietly cancelled.

Then, at E3 2013, everyone was focused on the PS4 and Xbox One, not really expecting anything of note to come from Square. However, when Sony’s press conference started, we got something no one was expecting. Tetsuya Nomura appeared on the screen to announce that he had a surprise for us all.

A trailer appeared, showcasing an utterly beautiful looking game from Square Enix. Part way through the trailer, Noctis, the main character of Versus XIII came into view, followed by some of the most amazing looking gameplay ever. Then, the Versus XIII logo finally appeared on the screen, only the shatter into pieces and be replaced with the title Final Fantasy XV.

The long lost game was back, and was now a main numbered title! The crowd erupted, and the game was alive.

It eventually released on the PS2 on the 29th of November 2016. With a massive open world, exciting and frantic gameplay and a story about brotherhood and friendship, it was a return to form for the series. Since then, it has seen numerous DLC added to it, including one that fixed one of the less popular sections of the games. This shows Square Enix’s continued desire to improve and make Final Fantasy games as good as they can be, first seen in how they handled Final Fantasy XIV.

With more DLC coming in 2019, set the end the story of Noctis and his friends, we can now start to look towards the future of Final Fantasy and the 16th numbered title in the series. Considering the success of both Final Fantasy XIV and XV, I think the future is a bright one.

And That’s All Folks

Final Fantasy has a storied history of twist and turns, successes and failures. It is one of the longest running video game series to date and looks set to keep going for a long time to come. It helped save a company from the brink of collapse, popularise the RPG genre in the West and create a devoted fan base.

Have you played a Final Fantasy game? Which is your favourite? What do you think the future holds for the franchise? Let me know in the comments below!

from More Design Curation https://www.16bitdad.com/the-history-of-final-fantasy/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-history-of-final-fantasy source https://smartstartblogging.tumblr.com/post/172910252185

[katharkness]

1, 3, 4, 16, aaaannnd 23? :)

1. What was the first fandom you got involved in?

Batman. My first fanfic was a piece called Wayne’s Boys, that I realised would become a series and so renamed the original story Wayne’s Boys: Family Ties. At first it was going to mostly be about the boys at school, but plot happened, and then I needed a bit of a filibuster and so an Arkham breakout happened and so on. I think it reached 63 chapters in the end. Something like that. The early chapters are a little clumsy, but I got better.

3. What is the best fandom you’ve ever been involved in? 

Best fandom? Hard to say really. I only started interacting with other fans once I got into Star Wars last February, and I haven’t really branched out of this little niche very much. One day I’ll go through my story bookmarks and look for author Tumblrs, but there’s a lot of things like that I’ve been meaning to do.

If you’re after “best fandom” as in the fandom I feel there are the most opportunities in, it would probably be Avengers/Marvel Cinematic Universe. I have problems with AUs sometimes, like all these coffee shop and high school AUs and such, but it feels less unnatural in Marvel for some reason. And of course, Marvel’s got such a variety of stuff to pick from.

4. Do you regret getting involved in any fandoms? 

Another difficult one to answer. I regret starting long pieces and then not being able to continue them - my FanFiction.net account has the full library of my published stuff (I haven’t cross-posted everything to here and AO3 yet) and even that’s not everything I’ve started. For example, Harry Potter. I have a few HP crossovers started, and a few one-shots, and I have an idea for a seven-part epic, but it’s so daunting a task I don’t know if I’ll ever get it even started. And it’s the same with pretty much everything.

Then there’s Marvel. When it comes to the comics, I can’t read anything from Civil War (2005) or later. I just can’t and I don’t really know why. I was terrified when I heard what Captain America III was, and I was definetely in two minds about going to see it. Luckily, it wasn’t as bad as I feared it would be.

Star Wars? As I said earlier, it’s the only fandom I’ve actually tried to be part of the community of. I’ve made some good virtual friends, but I’m also losing spare time to watching Tumblr (one of those I-shouldn’t-but-I-like-it things) and worrying about what my followers/friends will think. And some of the things that come up on my dashboard are embarrassing if someone’s looking over my shoulder.

I don’t regret getting involved in any particular fandom. I regret my level of involvement sometimes. But if you emotionally invest in anything, you’re risking problems. I consider it a worthwhile trade-off.

16. Are their any popular ships in your fandom which you dislike?

This is for my current fandom? So let’s say Star Wars: TFA or Fantastic Beasts, because that’s what I most recently published for.

I don’t like Reylo. Partly because I just don’t get the apparent romance (although if it’s worked in such a way as to not have their relationship involve torture, I don’t mind so much) and partly because of the high possibility they’ll end up related. I mean, that floats some people’s boats, but not mine.

For Fantastic Beasts, I haven’t come across too many pairings. Really, anything with Grindelwald is going to have me clicking away, and that’s about it.

23. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of & explain why you like it. 

Well, there’s three I’d say I’m really fond of.

Wayne’s Boys: Family Ties was the first I wrote, and the first long fic I ever finished. (In fact, the only other long fics I’ve finished are its sequel, and a 27k+ one-shot I’ll talk about later.) It’s got a very special place in my heart for that. I cut my teeth on it and loved every minute of it. I do really hope I can get back to that ‘verse sometime.

Once Was Lost, Now Is Found is a one-shot I wrote only a few months into my ‘fic writing career. It’s basically a retelling of the Parable of the Lost Son using Batman characters. It was a labour of love that I wrote in one sitting and it flowed straight from the heart. I do have another Batman parable, Unexpected Saviour, but that one came later. Both pieces are extremely dear to me.

Magic on the High Seas is my most recent work (and therefore probably dearer to me now than it will be in six months) and the one I put the most extra-curricular work into. A large part of it is based around a certain historical event, and I spent a good amount of time looking up details of it. It’s a one-shot standing at over 27,000 words, and I wrote it in just three weeks. It’s also the only story I’ve been able to get a member of my immediate family to read, and my dad loved it. All the little detail seriously impressed him.

[netmaddy-blog]

The Top 5 Must Play RPGs for Every Video Game Console

New Post has been published on https://netmaddy.com/the-top-5-must-play-rpgs-for-every-video-game-console/

The Top 5 Must Play RPGs for Every Video Game Console

The gaming market is monstrous. Right now there are six consoles, three handhelds, and the ever present PC you can buy games for. That’s 10 different ways you can get your game on, so if you’re someone who doesn’t have the ways or means to buy all 10 platforms and every halfway decent game that arrives for any of them, you’re probably wondering which way you should go to get the most bang for your buck. I’m a bit of a gamer nerd, and so for you, I’ve collected the top five available games (in the stores now) for each console for each particular genre. Based on reviews, user comments, and my personal experience, these are the best ways to go.

This round: RPGs. The Japanese RPG market exploded in the 32-64 bit days, blowing out with a new game seemingly every week. You can blame Square for that one, bringing to the stores amazing game after amazing game, which immediately spurned every other company to release whatever dreck they could muster to keep you pumping money into their pockets. Nowadays there are hundreds of options out there, and the Japanese market isn’t the only one around. North American companies have their own answers to the RPG boom and now it’s a veritable flood of options. Here are the top five for each option you’ve got.

PlayStation 2 – The PlayStation brand name has been the home of quality RPGs since PS1 first rolled out with Suikoden and Final Fantasy games in the mid- the 90s. This list was hard because there are so many left off. Dark Cloud 2, Final Fantasy X, the Shin Megami Tensei games and much more deserve recognition, but alas these are also long as hell, so if you had more than 5, when would you ever finish them. You may notice I exclude the PS3, but I can’t really offer any PS3 RPGs for you until they’ve actually been created. We’re waiting.

1. Shadow Hearts Covenant – The Shadow Hearts series took on a serious following after this entry, one of the greatest RPG releases of the generation. It’s taken on the fantasy RPG genre blended into the realms of reality, bleeding over in church and demonology lore. Taking place in the 19th Century and following the legend of a young woman and her unfortunate destiny, it can be enjoyed alone or along with its predecessors Koudelka and Shadow Hearts (I).

2. Disgaea – This is probably the best strategy RPG released for any console ever. Released by Atlus, a brand name that has grown in and of itself of recent years to the respectability that names like Square and Level 5 now carry with their games, Disgaea is about the young prince of hell and his quest to regain his domain after being awoken. With more than 200 hours of gameplay here, count on playing for days on days. And it’s funnier than hell. These are great characters.

3. Suikoden III – The Suikoden series is the cult series. Of course, it’s slowly sliding out of cult status and into the mainstream with releases occurring every couple of years since this one. The best in the series with the possible exception of Suikoden II, Suikoden III tells the story of a huge cast of characters, all intricately entwined with one another. You play through the tale of their war, but as seen through the eyes of each character. Truly epic.

4. Final Fantasy XII – The newest release, released only two weeks before the PlayStation 3’s release, this game redefines the epic scope of prior Final Fantasies, literally reaching for the stars. Each character is fully realized and a part of the action, their story an intricate part of the game. There’s no fluff here, and the rebuild of the decades-old RPG formula was all for the better, working for the complete and total betterment of the game and hopefully the series.

5. DragonQuest VIII – Dragon Quest has always been huge in Japan, but only now did it find the same success here in the US. Dragon Quest VIII is the huge (extremely huge) result of Square Enix’s jump to full 3D glory in their series. The graphics are incredible, the characters hilarious and deeply involving, and the story arresting. The battles aren’t half bad either. And the usual monster catching glory is intact. A long game, it will keep you busy for days.

Gamecube (and Wii) – The Gamecube got shorted on the RPG options, much like its big brother the N64. Nintendo lost a lot of their clout with the RPG crowd when Squaresoft jumped ship in the 90s and they’re still trying to earn it back…so far to little success. But, the future looks bright, as Square Enix is finally producing games for the Big N, and Nintendo’s own work includes more forays into the RPG market. Here’s hoping for more, because the Wii is perfect for the format.

1. Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess – The newest Zelda adventure, Twilight Princess, is by far the best reason to own a Nintendo Wii. The game is a masterpiece on almost every level, to the point I’m almost willing to call it the greatest game ever made. We’ve heard this a lot, that this game is the greatest. That it surpasses what Ocarina accomplished 8 years ago. And as my own favorite game, it’s hard to ever put anything above Ocarina in terms of scope, depth, and innovation. No need to go into detail. Read my review of it here for more thoughts on why it’s so amazing.

2. Tales of Symphonia – The first really good RPG for the Gamecube, and still one of the only ones really. The newest entry in the hugely popular (in Japan) Tales saga, Symphonia was a huge, fun, well-told game. The characters were fun, the battle system is one of the best around, and the action was fully inclusive and crafted a long game. Symphonia was the Gamecube owning RPG fan’s one saving grace.

3. Skies of Arcadia Legends – Originally released for the Dreamcast, Skies of Arcadia was given a second life on the Gamecube, again fated to anonymity due to the failure of the console. This is a great game. It tells the story of two sky pirates who must traverse the sky ocean and save the world from a shattering war and so on. You attempt throughout the game to build your pirate rank and build up your ship. It was one of Dreamcast’s must have games and the same for Gamecube. Unfortunately so few actually had it, and now it’s not exactly easy to find.

4. Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker – The infamous Wind Waker. Nintendo’s foray into cell shading and the horrible foray into ocean mechanics. This game is still amazing. It’s Zelda after all, but it’s flawed on more than the basic levels. It’s hard to get around. The ocean is huge, and the game is short. But the parts you play, in between sailing around Hyrule are beautiful and incredibly fun.

5. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door – The Big N rounds out the five with another in-house effort. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door was a return to the Paper Mario fun they coined in the N64 days, this time around with the RPG elements the game seems to work best with. Incredibly easy yes, but fun as hell at the same time.

Xbox (and X360) – The Xbox, not surprisingly saw no Japanese development. Every game listed below was produced in English Speaking countries, mostly Canada actually. The style is noticeably different, but the quality is equally incredible. The strive for realism by Western developers can be seen in each of these entries. Although the lack of humor is equally as prescient.

1. Elderscrolls IV: Oblivion – The Xbox 360 has some serious horsepower. Not only is there room to spare, but the graphic output is insane at the time, and what better way to show this off than with an Elderscrolls game. Monstrous, huge worlds in which you can freely roam wherever you want and interact with your environment. This game is huge and intense. Hundreds of hours can be spent just wandering around and completing the main quest. As for getting the rest done. Who knows how long you could spend on there.

2. Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic – Star Wars games were starting to get a bad rap for a while until Bioware arrived with the first full-fledged Star Wars RPG. Built on the click and wait for the action of the D&D ruleset games, KOTOR was a brilliant game that took Star Wars fans back a few thousand years to the height of the Jedi/Sith wars. It also had one of the most surprising and amazing endings in any game..ever.

3. Elderscrolls III: Morrowind – And another Elder scrolls game. This one was equally as huge as its sequel and had just as amazing graphics for its time. Elderscrolls truly stretches the imagination in terms of open world RPG exploration and making a game that will take a long time to finish. A truly wonderful game.

4. Jade Empire – Set in a fictional ancient China, Jade Empire comes from the makers of Knights of the Old Republic, and while not nearly as large in scope or length, the game utilizes an array of different combat styles and elements that make it sheer fun to play. It’s shorter and simpler than the original games from Bioware, but they make up for it with the attention to detail and the battle system upgrades.

5. Fable – Touted as an amazing achievement in world interface, Fable turned out to be a little bit of a letdown. It was smaller, shorter, and less engaging than what was claimed, but it was still a solid, fun game to play. Starting as a bland adventure you could become either entirely good or entirely evil through the actions committed during a quest. The characters are generic, the quests forgettable, but the options given to play through them all are still fun. The ending, however, leaves something to be desired, and they could have done with a few more reasons to openly explore. For a sandbox RPG, it was surprisingly linear.

Game Boy Advance – Yup, no DS games. I imagine soon, with the release of the new Pokemon game, and the surprising announcement of Dragon Quest IX coming exclusively to the DS, the RPG options there will explode, but for now your best bet in the RPG realm on handhelds is with the Game Boy Advance. Here are a few of the best.

1. Golden Sun – It’s not a masterpiece. It’s not legendary. But, it’s good solid fun, and for the size and expectations o f a handheld console it’s still pretty fun. I enjoyed it for a few reasons. First off, the gameplay is top notch. The battle system is built around a simple premise and sticks with it, but it’s still fun. The story is nothing special but it reminded me a lot of the 8-bit glory days, keeping me involved without making it impossible to keep up when I have to turn the game off every 20 minutes. Solid play and go action

2. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire – Pokemon has been around for almost 10 years now, a regular entry in the Gameboy RPG market, really the only entry in that market, and a damn good one. By the time this pair was released (the usual duplicate games with slightly different monsters in each), the same gameplay was reused a good four times and starting to get a little old, but it’s still sound gameplay, and who doesn’t like to collect as much of something as they can. I’m older yes, but I still enjoy the mindless capture and battle system of Pokemon. It’s cathartically simple.

3. Final Fantasy IV – It’s technically a port, but a damn good port at that. I loved this game back in the days on the SNES and the idea to bring the 16-bit Final Fantasies to the GBA made me as happy as can be. This was a game I love to play, but feel goofy loading into my PS2 and sitting down to play. It’s a perfect bus play, and it plays just as great as in 1992. The classic tale of Cecil and the Red Knights never fails to capture my attention from start to finish. Of course, when Final Fantasy VI is released, I might have to replace this with that one, as we all know that VI is the greatest of them all.

4. Riviera: The Promised Land – Atlus has been bashing the PS2 market with top notch games for three plus years now, with their fantastic strategy and alchemy RPG games. They bring Riviera to the GBA with the same pedigree, a solid RPG that plays to the GBA’s strengths as well as any. It’s essentially a screen to screen game. You don’t control your surroundings so much as go from page to page within them, but the battle system is amazing and the different options and acquires immense. The story, like any Atlus game, is the real selling point and actually got me to play through it twice.

5. Final Fantasy Tactics – The portable version of the PSone classic has sucked more time from my life than any GBA game I’ve ever played. The 300+ missions are each 30-60 minutes long and the customization options equal length. This is a long game with a lot of gameplay and a fun little story. You’re Marche, you’ve been sucked into a book into the magical land of Ivalice and now you are a knight. Go!

PlayStation Portable – When the PSP first released fanboys dreamed of amazing ports that would bring their favorite games now out of print back to life in handheld format. At least one made the leap, but for the most part, RPG development on the PSP has been lackluster, and while Japan gets the Suikoden I and II pack and promises of Final Fantasies, we wait for a decent anything to play. Final Fantasy compilation anyone? Anyone at all?

1. Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth – One of the most sought after games from the PSone days, Valkyrie Profile was an amazing RPG that no one played and then no one could play as it was out of print. Ranging from $100 and up on eBay, the promise of a re-release for the PSP was a godsend for fans out there always interested but too poor to afford it. It’s a solid game at that. With rebuilt cinematics and PSP controls, this entry leads into the new PS2 game wonderfully and finally lets the rest of us play through Lenneth’s adventure.

2. Monster Hunter Freedom – Never a real big fan of the Monster Hunter games, I can still see their draw. You go and you hunt monsters. Simple as that. There’s little to hold you up, and there’s online play. It’s like Pokemon without the pesky storyline or purpose.

3. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim – A port of a port. This was originally released for the PS2 and before that, the PC, and has been watered down in between. The same classic Ys gameplay is intact, overland map, onscreen battles and fun little characters in a charming, if simple story. It’s good solid fun for a portable and tells a decent story. Even if the controls are a little broken.

4. Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade – One of the launch releases with the PSP, Untold Legends is an overhead hack and slash RPG without a conscious. It doesn’t strive for amazing storyline or gameplay, just simple hack and slashes glory and it does it pretty well. It was fun because it was simple, made in a very short development cycle from the time the PSP was announced. Oddly enough, though, the sequel was nearly as good.

5. Tales of Eternia – Alright, technically it still hasn’t been released in America, but you can import it from Europe and play the English language version (or Japan if you speak Japanese). But, it’s a tales game, a pretty good one at that. Technically it has been released here too, as Tales of Destiny 2 in 2000. Unfortunately, it got completely ignored as the gaming world moved on to the PS2. This is a great game though and perfect for the PSP. Complete and intact are the great Tales battle system and one of the better Tales plots. Saving the world from the Great War was never quite so fun as in this one.

PC -The PC has always been a home for the more hardcore of gamers. The cost of constant upgrades and intensity of a PC game are legendary, and only the most hardcore amongst us are capable of keeping up. Accordingly, the games below match that mindset, though more than one of these games managed to break free of the limitations and become monstrous worldwide phenomena. I’m looking at you Blizzard.

1. World of Warcraft – Okay, so duh right? Well, some of you are probably palpitating over my choosing this above some other MMORPG, but too bad. Everyone plays this one, including myself and it’s just plain fun. Having spent hours of my life in this game and knowing that I can go back whenever I want without fear of being destroyed because of the MMORPG laws of survival (never leave), this is a great pick up and play a game in a genre where that almost never exists. Huge, tons to do, and always fun even when you’re grinding, WoW is still the best.

2. Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn – The Baldur’s Gate games are some of the best RPGs to come out of the PC age of D&D ruleset RPGs. It’s big, it’s long, it’s fun as hell. The challenge of figuring out what to do, how to upgrade your characters and make the game the most it can be were always the number one reasons to play these. The story is pretty awesome too. Don’t forget the Dragon. That dragon is a bitch.

3. Diablo II – Diablo II stole my entire summer my sophomore year of high school. This game was amazing. It took everything Diablo did and blew it up times ten. The ability to find and receive unique weapons that 1000 of your friends would never find kept you playing over and over again. And it was simple. Click, click, right click. F1. That’s it. Nothing to it. And when you finally unlocked the Cow level, then you were the true God of Diablo.

4. Elderscrolls IV: Oblivion – Many of you probably can’t even play this yet. I still can’t. I only know of it because I have a friend who upgrades his computer ever three weeks seemingly. This game is a beast of the highest order, demanding a lot from your system but delivering even more. Monstrous, huge worlds in which you can freely roam wherever you want and interact with your environment. This game is huge and intense. Hundreds of hours can be spent just wandering around and completing the main quest. As for getting the rest done. Who knows how long you could spend on there.

5. Neverwinter Nights – Another D&D ruleset game, but one of the best no less. It’s huge, monstrously huge. And tack on the expansions and you’ve got 200+ hours of action to play through. The biggest seller on this one though was the ability to craft and write your own adventures as a DM with the toolsets and host them online, ala D&D, but with graphics. The sequel doesn’t quite hold up to the original, but still, carries the same weight and fun factor.

I’m a self-avowed unemployed writer, working on a semi-constant basis to try and overcome the need to go and work a real job.