#Story Progression - Hikari

[littlesilverplatinum]

Shepherd

---

Her tummy hurt.

Below, their vast fields spanned – enveloped by pale blue mist and morning dew. Come daybreak, when the rising sun were to quietly stretch across earths dome, Hikari knew that her soles were sure to grow slick from mud and soil. For papa always queried, through gravel and foreign tones, if she’d wish to come with him and help with yardwork while grandma prepared them their breakfast. One almost always made out of home grown vegetables, fish and steamed, sweet rice.  And, as all good girls would; Hikari always said yes. Lately, however, she’d started to sleep in more – and for a few days now grandpa hadn’t come to ask. Her cheeks bloomed rose as the cool night air fanned upon her skin, through her open window on story two. Spring had left them to make room for summer, yet cold had come to linger for a little while longer. And perhaps, just maybe, she ought not to let it in. But it helped her breathe. Helped her calm – for it was so terribly easy to get lost within dreams when you’d seen heaven and earth collide all at once before the age of sixteen.

And her tummy really, really did hurt.

‘Mrreow…?’

Silk graced over where her nightgown stopped covering and left her skin bare, over her legs, and Hikari was reminded of why she’d given her kit his namesake. It was the perfect description of his quiet tenderness; his graceful affection. Her toes – with their unpainted nails and grass stains that had no doubt discolored her creamy, pale sheets – flexed over his soft beige coat and acknowledged him without any words. He settled against her unflared hip. Patient as ever. On night one, they had been greeted by the chipper of passerine. Serene song of which had echoed between the valleys of tall fern crowns. On night two, thunder had stormed.

Tonight, the world sat quiet.

“… It’s time, isn’t it?”

Eerily so.

Grace effortlessly fit into her arms as she scooted herself towards the edge of her western styled bed – something she’d found was a rather unusual sight to see, especially in a home such as theirs. Downstairs, they had a kotatsu alongside two Chippendale sofas, dressed in cushions and handwoven quilts while in the kitchen, a running sink had yet to be installed. Every day they would fill basins of water from a spring hidden deep in the surrounding woods – but they did own an electric kettle, for Masae insisted that tea was the most important of treats that one could offer.  Eclectic, she’d once overheard a female friend of her grandmother describe their home as – and if truth was to be told; back then, she hadn’t actually known what the word had meant. It was something she’d wondered aloud once all guest had gone, her hands submerged within murky dishwater and soap and her grandfather had confessed that he had seen many wondrous things abroad in his youth. During war, it had been, and he had fancied himself a trinket or two to bring back to his home. Because of that, to some, their house felt ‘mismatched’ and odd.

Eclectic, as they’d said.

(It had been the first time that she’d heard him speak of the war on his own, and she’d felt ashamed to have been excited over something so wrong.)

Grace’s warm cheek burrowed against the curve of her neck, and her bare feet padded across the wooded floors. Like a duckling upon wet soil.

‘War,’ she thought, softly pushing aside her bedroom door by that of a narrow shoulder. ‘… What a small word for something so big…’

The hallway sat cool and dark – the door of which led to her grandparent’s room, slightly ajar. As though to have her never be quite certain if they’d actually gone to bed or not. For perhaps they, too, fancied themselves to take nightly walks. With paranoia high in her throat, Hikari treaded lightly down the winding stair that led to the first floor. She listened to the world around her, but heard nothing over the beat of her own heart and when she reached the very last step, she sat herself down upon her rump. Grace – sweet as can be – kicked his little feet against her lap and swayed his tail; anxious, terribly so… But perhaps for reasons different than her.

The backdoor stood just to their left.

Her lips pressed against the top of his small head while her fingers, one by one, raked through his short fur. Then, she knelt to the floor and let him climb out of her hold.  By her right knee, he sat himself down; awaiting their usual routine. Her rules, her well wishes… As well as her quiet farewells.

These past two nights, Hikari had let Grace go out to roam all on his own.

(She begun with step one.)

“… Remember now, Grace,” she asked of him, her shaking palm laid upon the door carved from deep, cedar wood. Cool air seeped through the thin vents of which covered its top half – the windows to the quiet outdoors, awaiting him. She held up her three innermost fingers. “When you want to come back inside, you have to scratch upon the door three times.”

As a demonstration, Hikari did exactly so; raked her chewed down nails upon the hard wood door until they positively hurt. Then, by rising to a half stand, she grabbed a hold of its lock.

“Or else I won’t know it’s you.”

Grace made no sound. Gave no acknowledgement that he did, or did not, understand her but, in truth… There was no need for him to. He already knew what he was meant to do. And she knew that, too.  Hikari turned the lock and took a deep, steadying breath, before she rose to her full height. Her palm, laid upon cold brass.

“Be safe.”

He slipped past her bare knees and out into the open meadow in a heartbeat, but a pale speck amongst the tall field grass.  Parting them like the open sea.

All that she could do from then on, was wait.

---

It would be hours until she saw him next.

---

A woman sat in seiza, with her back strung tight and her palms daintily laid upon her lap. Pictures of young men, all differing ages, stood arm in arm until eventually only one remained.  A young boy with chubby, rosy cheeks propped upon his father’s knee. It wasn’t the first time that she’d thumbed through images of the past so late at night – the first had, in fact, been shared by candlelight the very evening that she first arrived. When the words ‘grandma’ and ‘grandpa’ had felt foreign upon her tongue and the expectation of poise hadn’t been so trying. She was but a guise against the earthy tones of their home; a pale, quiet blur amongst hand weaved plaids, embroidered pillows thrown onto a mustard colored chiffon and within her lap – framed by intricate silver and soft, dark velvet – the weight of memories sat. Faded and yellowed, they were snapshots of time. Copies of old paintings, aged photographs and, in some cases, pictures clipped out of newspaper articles as well as simple, glued in Polaroid’s. With each page turn, halted now and again by way of her nightgown getting caught upon fickle edges, a sense of longing bloomed within her breast. A tightness of which she couldn’t quite put into words, and in truth; she didn’t attempt to either.

She’d never been the best at expressing herself – even to herself.

Hikari flipped past several pages.

Alongside longing were, too, pangs of humiliation.

The woman had been Masae, she’d learned as much by the annotations left in faded inks. Sat like a doll at the side of her own father – a man that Hikari unfortunately would never come to meet. Even when young, her grandmother had carried herself with grace different from what one would expect from a simple village girl.  Hikari could still remember the way that her cheeks had baptized with heat as she’d been asked one morning, perhaps as gently as the old woman had felt she could, to practice sitting seiza before the three of them were to visit Mr. Saito and his wife up north that very afternoon. A task that had seemed easy in theory, but terribly difficult in practice – she’d never thought there could be so many wrongs one could make when simply staying seated.

‘Rest your buttocks upon your heels,’ she’d been told – her posture slouched and unfeminine in the most embarrassing of ways as her grandfather watched on – ‘and be mindful, please, to keep your right toe atop your left.’ Only this had been a task and a half to get right, for her knees had quickly begun to ache; as had the tops of her feet where they laid on the hard wood floors. But what had perhaps destroyed her confidence more so than anything else, had been what Hiroji had had to say after all was said and done. That she did well, for it was not easy for beginners by any means… But, unless she wished to look like a boy, then she’d best keep her knees together and not apart.

Horrible.

The line of men were her grandfather’s brothers, and he’d never felt she needed to know much about them.

‘Because you’re nothing like them,’ chimed the voice in her head. ‘Dad, mama and papa. Their family. You’re nothing like them.’

Her fingers felt warm against the albums silver frame – clammy.

She rummaged through the pages again, as though this time – this night – she would find something that would make the pit in her stomach go away. As though there was something that could make her feel like she belonged where she was, and she wasn’t but a strange, foreign girl who forced herself into the lives of others.  As though she could find something that would help her change into something she wasn’t. Frustrated, Hikari curled in onto herself. Hid amongst pages that smelled of faint saccharine perfume and realized once more just how horribly, horribly much her stomach hurt.

“Grace… Please come home soon.”

The world answered her plea with silence, and when she felt that she could stand it no longer – Hikari stood to return the album back to its rightful place. An unattached photo, as though the effort of putting together the album had been lost at some point, fell from pages she had yet to flip through and landed face down on the edge of the carpet near the front door. And, for whatever reason… It gave her pause. The silence, suddenly, deafening. Uncertainly, she placed the album down upon the low kotatsu that acted like the rooms coffee table, before quietly crouched down to her knees. Her butt, propped upon her heels. Her right toe, atop her left.

Her knees, apart.

She grasped the misplaced picture with both hands and felt the corners of her eyes grow wet. Adorned in intricate silks and romantic, pale white paint, two people stood beside one another in a park that now was lost to time. A place somewhere in Ecruteak, if she had to guess, that now had been overtaken by the construction of more modern settlements. Her father, as well as a young woman. Upon his face were a smile that was wider than she’d ever seen him wear before, a showing of his crooked teeth and laughter lines while she, this girl – yes, that was what she was – stood beside him like the ethereal depiction of striking, nymphet youth. Beauty as described by sick men.  His hand sat upon her daintily flared hip and within herself, Hikari felt something unknown brew. She… Couldn’t be much older than herself, this girl. Fourteen, at most, or perhaps just fifteen – while her father looked to be well out of his own youthful years.

Warily, she trailed a finger over the young girl’s lips. Though aged and worn, and grainy beige, the color that once had sat upon them still shone through. A burning red, surely. The color of romance and love.

Her hands trembled with jealousy and-

Scratch.

She froze. Stilled in place, there on the floor, with fingers that suddenly now felt cold. For a moment, Hikari stayed exactly as she was. Her eyes, focusing on the way the handwoven rug before her changed from that of deep, cocoa brown to a creamy beige – until eventually, slowly, her eyes drew towards the front door.  It stood eerily quiet, as though she had but imagined the soft noise that had come from its hard wood and just as she was about to convince herself that it had been so; it began anew.

… Scratch.

The hair at the back of her neck rose to their ends and by the time that the third, notably crueler scuff made its entrance, Hikari slowly rose to her feet. The picture of her father and kimono girl, forgotten.  The moonlight laid square patterns before her feet and it took her a heartbeat, two, before she gathered the strength – or perhaps courage – to finally open the door.

Outside, she found… Nothing. Just the quiet, still outdoors. Overlooking the fields of which had yet to finish grow.

The door was shut as suddenly as it had been opened. Hikari pressed her back against the solid support of the door and tried to calm her breathing, wondering just when it was that her heart had managed to lodge itself in her throat. Why she felt such an overwhelming sense of dread, she didn’t know; but the scent of… Something, quickly overcame her and her tummy hurled with horrible, aching pain.

 Next thing she knew, the sound of her frantic footsteps echoed down the hall towards the downstairs bathroom. Renovated and new and the only part of the home where running water had been installed, the tiles upon the floor felt cold as she fell before the toilet bowl. Hikari heaved into the white porcelain that her grandfather had once so proudly displayed, as though it was an unusual sight to behold, while her hair cascaded over her shoulders and spilled upon the surface of the water below.  A day prior, her grandmother had started to take note of the fact that she was suddenly sleeping in during the mornings, and had pulled her aside during the afternoon to quietly asked if it was due to ‘womanly matters’. Something that had, quite frankly, been mortifying, and Hikari had vigorously denied the claim while she grasped at the older woman’s hands. Her cheeks, flustered and warm.

‘I- I have just felt tired, is all.’ She’d said, a rattle to her voice. ‘It’s nothing like that.’

Still, the next time that she had gone to use the restroom, toiletries had been added to the basket underneath the sink. Feminine products of which had left her feeling horribly ashamed and exposed.

(She hadn’t had the heart to let it be known that the last time she had her period, she’d been fourteen.)

Hikari stared at that dreadful basket now, in the dark of the quiet bathroom. Drool dribbled down her chin, her nightgown sprawled out around her limbs in the mimicry of rose petals and she thought to herself, as her fingers trembled over her stomach where an ache still persisted, that things couldn’t get worse from here.  It took everything in her to rise to her feet, clinging to the bathroom sink as she went and even more so to stay standing when, past the ajar bathroom door, she heard it once more.

Scratch…

… Scratch.

Scratch.

Her heart palpitated hard within her chest as she clung to the fine porcelain and in the mirror, despite the dark, she took note of her own features. Wide eyed, romantically pale white and flustered – a sense of déjà vu overtook her, and upon her shoulder a weight settled. A familiar pulse.  She stumbled out to rip the door open, only to once more find nothing. Just the horrifying, vacant outdoors. Overlooking fields of which had managed to grow far too long. The rolling hills swayed with anemones that hadn’t been there before and Hikari leant her entire weight on the hinges of the old door.

“Grace?!” She called, a horrible gust sweeping past her petite frame and into the quiet home. Right after, it all to begin anew.

Now, coming from the backdoor.

Tugging the door shut, Hikari turned upon her heel. Stared down the hallway between the two worlds as though it had expanded and grown longer right before her eyes. The soft, handwoven rug felt like grass below her bare feet as her palms found the walls of the home, guiding her path as she felt her knees weaken with every step and she could’ve sworn, would’ve sworn, that it took an eternity and more before her hand came to touch upon the cold brass handle once more. Just as she had done hours before.  She was greeted by mewls and something soft rubbing against her bare legs. Grace. With a rattled, shaking breath, Hikari knelt down and scooped the kit into her awaiting lap. Outside, the sound of wind rusting within the trees begun and over the horizon, as daybreak slowly begun to filter over the mountains – birdsong chirped.

The world, once more, alive.

“Oh, Grace…” She beseeched into his soft fur. He smelled of cedar and earth. “Please don’t play tricks on me like that, I was beginning to think I was going… That something had gone wrong.”

Grace, wide eyed and perhaps unknowingly naïve, mewled his reply as though she would understand – and just as she was about to let him free of her grasp… She heard it once more. That rough, sickening sound.

Scratch…

Slowly, her head turned. To gaze beyond her narrow, marred shoulder.

… Scratch.

More forceful, this time. Rougher. Louder. Too blunt to be the claws of a kit.

Scratch.

The backdoor was left unlocked as the sound of her sprint upstairs overtook her senses. At the top, she was met by Masae – awoken by the terrible ruckus downstairs. The franticness of her pleas to get rid of the beast was enough to cause Hikari calm to the point of being able to disregard the whole ordeal – for a moment, at the very least.  That night, however, she did dream of him. Just like once before. Towering over her body, hands that looked nothing like that of Pokémon; but of man, forcing her down against her mattress by the shape of her shoulders.

While, upon his tongue, tar spilling with accusation and cries…

‘Where are you, my lamb?’

‘Where are you, where are you, where are you, w h e r e a r e  y o u?’

---

The next morning, Hikari once more bled.

#(ic - muse) #Story Progression - Hikari #drabble #important #tw #idk how to tw it but just #yeah #i dont Love this fully but i needed to stop working on this at some point so #ill call it good enough here #long

[jodjuya]

Progressing through Orson Scott Card's Ender Saga. Currently up to "Children Of The Mind", and good fucking lord these chapters with Wang-mu and 'Peter' are such an utterly fucking atrocious trainwreck.

Can anyone in the Ender's Game fandom explain this to me please??

Why are these characters in the Sixth fucking Millennium A.D. talking about "Asians", "Europeans", and "Americans"; and their identities thereof, as if those are even REMOTELY meaningful categories of culture to the peoples of a humanity that have been spreading out into and colonising outer space for over three thousand years?????

Like, right now where I'm up to, Wang-mu and 'Peter' are having their first little conversation with Ainmaina Hikari, and Wang-mu is breezily bullshitting about Ancient Egypt/China/Mesopotamia or whatever

And, like, those ancient cultures are as far-removed from me, the reader, as China/Japan/America are from Wang-mu/Hikari/'Peter'!

If you were to squint hard enough, yeah, it could be said that my distant ancestors came from the Roman Empire, but, fuck no there is no way in heaven or hell that the culture of those 3500-years-ago ancestors and their neighbourly relations with other cultures and peoples has ANY kind of bearing on my life or cultural outlooks.

Like, I'm not gunna give the side-eye to some random stranger I meet whose culture mores seem different to mine and start waxing poetic about "oh he's just like that because he's a Carthaginian. 🙄😒 You all know what Carthaginians are like amirite?? "

(I guess 'Peter' is technically an American—or a 'cloned' caricature of one, at least—so he gets a pass on this)

The Doyleist explanation is that Orson Scott Card simply didn't have the sci-fi chops to imbue his creation with coherence; he's just trying to tell a story here and doesn't have the Tolkienian level of galaxy-brain required to convincingly pull off the 3000+ years of history and sociology experienced by his humanity across its umpteen number of colony worlds, so he's just sticking to what he knew and is hand-waving away the shockingly breathtaking levels of cultural stagnation his humanity has wallowed in.

But what's the Watsonian explanation for that cultural stagnation?? Is there a Watsonian explanation??

(also, what's with Miro's latent homophobia?? Is he Like That because of Card's own intense homophobia shining through, or is it simply because Miro grew up on The Catholic Planet?)

#orson scott card #ender's game #children of the mind #ender's saga #Wang-mu #blogging

[elliottjpg]

Woe! Transgender samurai be upon ye!

-pulling my old OC out of the filing cabinet and giving him a shampoo- LOOK I HAVE A NEW CHILD!! :D

I've decided to rework an old story/universe from several years ago, so here we go again, from the top:

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暁の物語 Akatsuki no Monogatari

光 Hikari

Hikari, aka Shitaikou, is a young ronin, a master-less samurai, wandering around Edo-era Japan on a soul-searching journey.

He was raised as a girl named Sayoko (小夜子) by a samurai family, and taught swordsmanship and the arts like his brothers, although he was never destined to become a warrior. When the time came to find him a husband, he stole two swords, ran away and changed his name.

He now walks the roads of Japan on a quest to find [insert as-of-yet undefined quest here], and offers his assistance to villagers on the way. In doing so, he often runs into yokais and other paranormal occurences, to the point where in time he becomes an expert on the occult underworld of Japan and is often nicknamed the Demon Samurai.

Hikari is accompanied in his travels by Chihiro (千尋), a kitsune, and by Mochi (餅), a totally normal cat with the usual amount of tails and absolutely no supernatural powers, no siree. He is also regularly involved with an onnagata (a cross-dressing kabuki actor) and a yokai-hunting Buddhist monk, both of which I have yet to name (Mochi's name is also susceptible of being changed soon), and meets all kinds of strange people on his travels.

Hikari has a kind heart and a strong sense of honour. His driving force is his desire to help others; although he is very naive at first, and misguided altruism often gets him in trouble. As the story progresses, he will grow more mature and cynical, often preferring the company of yokais to that of humans, but trying to retain hope and faith in his fellow men.

(You can see older drawings of Hikari, including different outfits, here)

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Akatsuki no Monogatari (the Tale of Dawn) takes place in the very beginning of the Edo era, in the transition years between the warring period of the Sengoku-Jidai and the two hundred years of peace under the Tokugawa shogunate. It is a story about change and beginnings, both of a person and of a country.

Some name lore under the cut!

The kanji Hikari 光 means "light". Hikari is a "public first name", sort of an official nickname. It was common practice in feudal Japan (at least among the samurai class) to go by a public name and keep your real name private. In Hikari's case, that is also because he often frequents yokais and magicians, who could use his true name against him.

His real name is Shitaikou 志泰光 . The kanjis composing it mean "aspire", "gentle" and "light". He chose it as a reminder to himself to strive for kindness and to make the world a better place.

("Hikari" is the last kanji composing this name. When used with other kanjis, it is pronouced "kou". Such is the messed-up way kanjis work. -frustrated weeb noises-)

Hikari doesn't have a last name; he gave up his family's name when he ran away and saw no use in taking a new one: as a ronin he is not tied to any family.

His birth name, Sayoko 小夜子 , is composed of the kanjis "small", "night" and "daughter". Hence the title, Akatsuki no Monogatari, the tale of dawn, or how the night turns into the light.

#formerly this universe was called hakatsuki no monogatari because i had somehow convinced myself that akatsuki starts with an h (??????????) #the as-of-yet undefined quest may be a quest for a gender-transing yokai or deity #i need to do more research into shinto and buddhist deities i'm sure there must be one that fit the bill #or i can just use inari. their gender is unclear and their messenger animal is a fox which is well-known for shapeshifting #anyway i need to draw the rest of the cast and find a name for the onnagata #spoiler she's hikari's gf and they're T4T <3 #my ocs #hikari #akatsuki no monogatari #samurai #ronin #japan #edo #transgender #blorbo from my brain

[hikaritakaishi]

Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning [My Movie Review]

♡ ! SPOILER ALERT! ♡

This review will contain spoilers of the movie, continue reading if you already saw the movie, or just don’t mind the spoiler! Enjoy & comment something if you want to share an opinion! ♡

After what seemed ages of waiting, Digimon Adventure 02: The Beginning finally aired in Portugal, on May 16, 2024, several months after it’s national premiere in Japan, on October 27, 2023. I was worried that it wouldn't come to my country, but perhaps due to the huge acceptance of Digimon Adventure: LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA, the distributor made the hearts of the DigiDestined from the most hidden corner of Europe warm again and brought us the sequel. Thank you remembering us once again! ♡

I really tried to keep my expectations as neutral as possible until the day I went to see the movie, which was pretty difficult, due to the fact that I was constantly being bombarded with online information about it, whether on Tumblr or Twitter, or through video recommendations on Youtube. I was so excited for the movie, that I had to control myself immensely not to go see the spoilers.

Initial considerations? I like it. In general. But let's go in parts!

This will be an analysis of what I consider to be the most important points of the movie and what caught my attention the most. A personal analysis, so don't take it too seriously if I don't talk about a certain point or a certain specific topic, I probably just missed that.

Firstly, I would like to comment on the initial dynamics of the movie.

Everything seems to happen much faster here than it did in Kizuna. Despite being two movies with practically the same time span, this one seemed to go by much faster. But it might just be me. [LAST EVOLUTION KIZUNA have 94 minutes, and The Beginning have 87 minutes total].

 We're introduced to the key plot problem pretty quickly too.

People's digital devices are glitching, and the same message is repeating itself on all of them, not just on the phones and televisions, but on computers and large digital screens in cities all around the world. And this all around the world is very important, because it not only brings us closer to what will be the future of humanity and it’s increasing contact with the Digimon and the Digital World, but it opens the path we take since 2012 [time of the movie] until to the epilogue of 02 (which the production team and Toei animation seem to insist on wanting to keep canon, despite all the script inconsistencies it can cause, or how different from the initial profile of each character it may be).

“May everyone have friends, may everyone have a partner Digimon”

It's the message. Meanwhile, we are told that a suspicious and unknown Digitama appeared in the sky of Tokyo, right above the Tokyo Tower, and it’s been there for a while. Taichi and Koushiro are showned to be trying to help resolve this issue as professionals in the field of diplomacy and technology respectively, but without major progress.

I think it's important to highlight that they are the only two characters from the first season of Adventure who appear in this movie, and even so, without any direct speech or great relevance, beyond contextualization, and later Taichi as well again for the context of “space- time”, in that frame we see in the trailer of the movie with Hikari, which we later discover is located in Hikarigaoka, where Rui also lived when he had his first contact with Ukkomon.

The focus is on the characters from 02, or at least, it should have been. But as in Digimon Adventure Tri, this focus is overshadowed by the introduction of another new character in the story: Rui Owhada [or Lui, in Japanese pronunciation].

Rui [or Lui] is a much more charismatic character than Meiko was in Digimon Adventure Tri. There is no doubt about that.

Meiko was a somewhat empty character. A static character without great charisma. The only pleasant scenes she had were driven by the other characters around her (namely Mimi).

Rui doesn't. Rui is a character on his own. With a much more aggressive personality and a much more interesting past. The only issue here is the length of the movie: This movie is too short; too short for us to get attached to this character and actually be able feel empathy for everything we are shown about him. So short, that it's difficult to develop both this new character and the others around him, which, by the way, is a shame.

I mostly went to see the movie in hopes to see more from the 02 cast, and not because, again, of a random character they created for this new script. Just like what happened in Tri.

And this is important because notice that one of the most complex and best-built characters in the Adventure universe is literally the character with the most screen time: Takeru.

Analyzing Takeru's character as a whole is extremely time-consuming, because he was in every season, and practically involved in all the main events of the plot, either by himself or through the relationships he establishes throughout the plot, which feed the character's emotional charge. Which makes him a very complex character.

There's no time for that here. There is no time to establish a relationship between Rui and the other characters, nor to establish a relationship between Rui… and the audience.

Rui's childhood is very shocking and once again, Digimon brings a very strong narrative based on a complex and deep family plot.

We had already had examples in Adventure of family issues with Takeru and Yamato, Koushiro, and in 02 with Iori and also Ken. To a certain extent, even with Miyako. But here we reach a higher level of complexity... and violence (remember that the age to see the movie is over 12 years old. I can totally understand why).

Rui is physically abused and neglected by his mother, who leaves him out in the cold, starving when he makes a childish mistake or does something she doesn't like... when he is only four years old. His father has a very serious illness and depends on his wife to survive. Rui is then shown as a sorrowful child, lonely and without any support network. We've never had anything in the Digimon Adventure series so… raw. The aura of the movie is deeply heavy and dark.

The evolutions and battles in this movie are far from being the focus, which probably frustrated many people who went to see the movie for this more dynamic side of the anime.

It is a film with a moral content and even touches on the philosophical, about the bonds we create with others and their nature, about how we should relate to others and learn about them every day we have them in our lives.

It's about healthy communication, and how it's okay to correct the people around us, as long as it's made based with pure intentions. Because love is not omissive. Love corrects, love draws the other's attention for what really matters, in the form of love. In the form of companionship. Nothing physical or superficial is worth the price of a real bond.

The movie really grew with it’s audience. It is not, at all, a movie targeted for new fans of the franchise, or for those who know little about the Adventure series universe. It's for those who know the characters, for those who grew up with them. If you don't know the characters, you will miss details and conversations that are important to really understand the plot as a whole.

Daisuke and Ken look on Rui’s past with him. They see the arrival of Ukkomon in his life, who should’ve bring peace and comfort, but it is only the beginning of all his problems.

Let's take a break from the movie's plot to talk about the characters of 02.

I'm going to divide them into groups, because it seems like they individually… don't have much progress or very memorable scenes, honestly. It doesn't even make sense to separate them, in my opinion, and you'll understand why.

♡ Daisuke & Iori

There is not much to talk about them here. Daisuke and Iori are the flattest characters in the movie. Iori much more than Daisuke, let's be honest. Iori barely speaks, and has very few relevant scenes.

Daisuke works at a ramen restaurant, as he always wanted, where he gathers his friends to talk about the problems they are facing right at the beginning of the movie.

His personality is practically the same, Daisuke from 02 is the same Daisuke from The Beginning, and even the same character as in Kizuna, he is just taller here and wears different clothes. He still aspires to have his own ramen business and is extremely focused on his career goals. Which was predictable, given the way he talks about his dream in 02.

Daisuke's only two relevant scenes are seconds long: the first when he convinces Rui that the bond of friendship he and his Digimon partner share is much more than something superficial; it's something that comes from the heart, and that no object makes a difference between them, namely the Digivice, (something we also expected to hear from Daisuke in 02, which justifies my opinion that in the meantime... he remains the same).

The other is a scene that had enormous potential, but is cut short by a comical moment in which Miyako pops up.

Daisuke is talking to Ken seriously about Rui, and how he and his Digimon could understand each other better if they just communicate more effectively and directly, and Ken comments that Daisuke's more serious side is very pleasant and rarely appears. However, Miyako speaks up and dismisses the subject. Sadly.

We could have had a conversation here that could tell us more about Daisuke’s presente self and way he sees life now.

*sigh* Anyway.

Iori, again, doesn't speak much. Seems to only have intermediary interventions, and serves as a “pair” for Daisuke and Rui in the snowball fight that we see at the end of the movie. A very beautiful scene, don't get me wrong, but only if we see it from the perspective of Ken and Miyako, and Hikari and Takeru. I'll talk about that now.

♡ Ken & Miyako

Ken and Miyako are two characters who seem to grow more together than apart within the movie's plot. Which is natural, given that we know at the end of 02 that they become in fact a couple, and that they build a family together in the future. Here we see the first steps towards their future as a couple.

As expected, nothing explicit or direct is given to us about the nature of their relationship, but we can understand that there is progress, especially by the end of the movie, before the snowball fight, when Miyako tells Ken something that seems extremely vague, but actually means something.

 “Let's do it together! "  What? I don't think they are aware yet. Ken also seemed very confused about it.

“ Keep thinking Ken, we have to find another solution. “ We also see Miyako trying to support Ken at that moment when they have to make a decision about the future of Ukkomon and the world.

Here comes what I said above: Love cannot be omissive. We cannot expect the least from those we love. If we know the potential of the person we have by our side, we have to support them. If we see that they are trying to go further, we must support their journey and be a source of advice and rest. Alone we can go faster, but with the right company we can certainly go further.

And I think this is where the movie touches on something really important.

It is in these small moments that we see that they really want to tell the audience something beyond, but we need to have a fine power of perception.

No conversation or comment is random, everything contributes to the story. Digimon Adventure has always been made up of metaphors and subjectivities, it is necessary to know how to interpret and be attentive.

In the midst of that dilemma of whether or not to defeat Ukkomon that we talked about a moment ago in relation to Ken and Miyako, we have another moment that I consider important between Takeru and Hikari, which for those who don't know the characters, can take it as a normal conversation of two people who know each other well. Too well, even.

♡ Takeru & Hikari

Keeping in mind their journey, and everything they went through together, is the key to understand the nature of the relationship they share now. But before that:

Much like Ken and Miyako, Takeru and Hikari do not exist separately in the plot. It's ridiculously difficult to separate them. If you talk about one, you have to talk about the other.

At the beginning we see them together in the city when the electronic devices break down, and this dynamic continues throughout the entire movie.

They practically always walk side by side, Hikari takes the front seat in Takeru's car, and even when they are talking to Rui and trying to understand what happened to him in his past, they were a nucleus apart from the others. Nothing new, really. More of the same. But it's in that conversation I spoke about earlier that we understand something that is even part of the main moral of the movie: the way they now communicate with each other now, is different.

Anyone who has followed Takeru and Hikari throughout the series knows that the main “problem” in their relationship has always been direct communication.

Exposing things to others as they are is scary. And none of them were good at doing that.

Deliberating about feelings, exposing what disturbs us, what distresses us, what we think of a certain attitude of the other person. That was always Takeru and Hikari's problem and what hindered the possible evolution of their friendship, into a real love relationship.

In Tri we discover that Hikari starts to look at Takeru differently. And we know that Takeru has concrete feelings for Hikari (Said by the actor who plays Takeru's voice) And then? It's done? Things… are much more complicated than that.

They first need to accept the situation in question (And I tell you this as someone who also developed a romantic relationship with a childhood friend. It's not easy. Trust me. It's far from easy!)

And far from being quick.

It requires a lot of deliberation mostly. Just accepting the fact that we see that person we grew up with differently, someone who has always been part of our life, and we can lose them. Just because we developed feelings. Is scary. There's a lot to lose. It's all or nothing. Especially when one side has trauma associated with romantic relationships. (remembering that Takeru's parents are divorced) it's even worse.

What seems to exist between them in The Beginning was the result of a long process. But effective, it seems to me. Whatever decision they made, it went… pretty well.

Takeru is completely against defeating Ukkomon, from the moment he realizes that this could also imply the disappearance of his Digimon partner.

He probably saw the suffering Taichi and Yamato went through when Agumon and Gabumon disappeared and the suffering he would go through if he lose Patamon... again. And he is extremely vocal and firm in what he says and what he thinks about all of that. Impulsive really.

Until Hikari intervenes. Which cuts through his catastrophic reasoning. She asks him to think, opening up a new perspective on the situation.

Here we have a conversation between them that is quite lengthy (compared to the fast action standard of the rest of the movie) in which Hikari tries her best to make Takeru use reason and not emotion in his deliberation on the situation.

Takeru who, remember, whenever “darkness” or “sacrifice” is mentioned, leaves his rationality aside, becomes blind with pain because of his past traumas.

Hikari's role here is almost the same as Miyako’s in Ken's case: calling to earth and calming Takeru, always in an understanding way, because you can see that she knows where that feeling comes from and that position initially adopted by him (and it is something which she can almost predict would happen, by the speed with which she responds) but she knows that he is better than those triggers that make him impulsively speak based on emotion and neglect reason.

It's about getting to know each other. Knowing how to talk to our person about the most difficult topics. Because it is necessary to strengthen your union. Predict reactions, and be there to calm them down, because you may even know that the person is not to blame for the feelings and traumas they carry, but believe that they are bigger than them. And expect the same from the other side.

The way Miyako knew that Ken could find a solution, he just needed to think a little more. Hikari understood perfectly where Takeru's impulsive reaction came from, but she knew that if she appeal to his racional side he would be able to think of a better alternative to the problem, which he thought would be the end of the world.

That's why I separated this analysis into groups (although the first one isn't... substantial) and decided to analyze the characters together, because that's what this movie is about.

It's about who you are with your people, and the bond you share with them. In a world so individualized, so selfish and so distant (largely because of technology, which distances us from each other), I found it a very necessary message.

And the role of adults? With children and more painful lives?

It is to understand that children are also humans. Who also think, and feel, and understand things. Just like them. Adults tend to forget that they were once children themselves.

We already saw this topic being developed in Adventure 02, but seeing Rui as an adult, reaching to his mother in the past, and drawing her attention to the fact that she neglects her son, is something very touching. Sometimes, we just need a wake-up call, and we can change the future. Ours, and our future with others.

 The DigiDestined of 02 encouraged Rui not to give up on someone he loved, Ukkomon, because after all, he only acted the way he acted because he thought it would make Rui happier, even though he failed. Several times.

Ukkomon basically gave Rui everything he thought he needed, everything he wanted. But this is not always ideal.

He acted with his partner's happiness in mind, and this blinded him to the risks he was putting him into. He idealized their entire relationship, and everyone's relationship with him. Instead of being, real. And real things are never perfect.

Rui wanted friends? He gave him friends. He even reprogrammed his parents. They became manufactured humans. And the movie is about reality and accepting it as imperfect as it is.

Do you know what that reminded me of? That whole fantasy created by Ukkomon of “perfect world where Rui is never sad and everything is wonderful?” The fantasies in which the characters from 02 cast were trapped in at the end of the series. That world created with the characters’ deepest desires.

Takeru wanted his family united. Iori wanted his father back and to be able to show him the Digital Word. Miyako wanted attention. Ken… wanted to redeem himself. Hikari wanted peace. It's exactly the same thing.

Think about it with me: For example, Takeru's parents could’ve stay together, they could never have divorced, but they would still have problems. They would argue, and there would be conflicts. Which doesn't mean that this wouldn't traumatize their children even more. Maybe the divorce was in fact the best option for all four of them.

Ken felt he deserved the same suffering he inflicted on others. Would that really be the answer to appease his soul?

But none of it was real.

Not even Hikari's utopia of a world constantly at peace is real. Not even the absence of siblings in Miyako's life would solve anything. Things are not black and white and really, what we want is not always what we need.

Rui just needed to talk to Ukkomon and be sincere.

Where is Mimi tho?!

I will end with a few quick notes that I think are worth highlighting: First, the music and animation in general. As expected, they are excellent.

Very well done visually, appealing scenes, and the last snowball fight scene is so simple… but so delightful.

Life is made up of beautiful moments as well as tragic moments, light and darkness.

Did you notice that part of the movie takes place in a much dark environment, and when the main action is resolved, the movie gains light? I believe that is not just because!

Visually it can be very strong because there is blood, there is violence, there are physical wounds, it conveys the affliction in a very literal way.

Another thing that was expected to happen, but that probably wasn't even thought of properly when the Epilogue of 02 was made, was the problematic of whether or not everyone deserves, has enough morals and ethics, to have a Digimon partner.

How do you maintain peace between humans when you give them free access to machines of war and mass destruction? How do we build the world we see bz the end of 02 where everyone lives in peace even under these circumstances? Which is the the role of the government?

We'll probably need one more movie to find out.

Honestly, I hope you enjoyed this short (not... that short in fact) and sincere review. If I were to give stars, I would give the film 4/5 stars.

It could’ve been better, sure, if there was at least another half hour of animation.

But I don't complain. Despite that, I liked it. I cried, I laughed, just like I cried and laughed when I saw Digimon in my childhood, and that's everything for me. I was surprised by the message of the movie and the way they chose to visually convey it to us. Either way, I hope there's one more movie. To finally conclude the arc of all these characters, and finally, reach the epilogue of 02 (but in a dignified way please).

♡ Thank you once again Digimon ♡

#digimon adventure #digimon adventure last evolution kizuna #digimom adventure 02 the beginning #hikari yagami #daisuke motomiya #takeru takaishi #digimon adventure 02 #ken ichijouji #miyako inoue #yolei inoue #kari kamiya #tk takaishi #davis motomiya #iori hida #tailmon #patamon #veemon #hackmon #wormmon #taichi yagami #izumi koushiro #takari #kenyako #デジモンアドベンチャー tri

[utapri-translations-uuuu]

YOUR ADVENTURE!! - Lyrics + Translation

Please do not repost/retranslate without permission.

Kanji:

忙しない毎日に急かされるまま転んでは

愛想笑いで涙を堪えて

自分を誤魔化していないか?

Free your soul

強くなくちゃじゃなくて正直でいて

子どもみたいに泣いたっていい

痛いよってもう我慢しないで

俺の目を見て? さあ深呼吸

無理に笑わなくても大丈夫

You’re going great!

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

自分を傷つけないで

SOS でどんな時でも颯爽と駆けつけるから

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

行ったり来たりしながらで

ゆっくり進んでいこうよ

風は君のために吹く

酸いも甘いも知っちゃって眠らせてしまった本音

大人だからって言い聞かせて

諦める癖ついてないか?

Follow your heart

曝け出してよ 愛すべき命ゼンブ

何がしたい? 何がほしい? Show me now!

悪あがきで失敗を跳ね除け

ねぎらいのハグ 頑張る君へ

比べて良いのは過去の自分だけだから

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Okay!

疲れたら立ち止まって

たまにはラクしようよ 甘やかすようにラフに

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Okay!

誰かの常識なんてさ

気にしないストーリーで語り合おう

時を忘れて

怖いよな不安になるさ

守りたいものがあれば弱くもなるから

自己嫌悪で責めないで

俺は君の人生丸ごと味方だから

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

そうそうその顔だって!

可愛くて堪んないな 心からの笑顔は

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

光を一心に浴びて今

始まる真のアドベンチャー

君の風は傍にいる

Rōmaji:

Sewashinai mainichi ni sekasareru mama koronde wa

Aisōwarai de namida o koraete

Jibun o gomakashite inai ka?

Free your soul

Tsuyokunakucha janakute shōjikide ite

Kodomo mitai ni naitatte ī

Itai yotte mō gaman shinaide

Ore no me o mite? Sā shinkokyū

Muri ni warawanakute mo daijōbu

You’re going great!

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

Jibun o kizutsukenaide

SOS de don'na toki demo sassō to kaketsukeru kara

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

Ittarikitari shinagarade

Yukkuri susunde ikou yo

Kaze wa kimi no tame ni fuku

Sui mo amai mo shitchatte nemura sete shimatta hon'ne

Otona dakara tte iikikasete

Akirameru kuse tsuitenai ka?

Follow your heart

Sarakedashite yo aisubeki inochi zenbu

Nani ga shitai? Nani ga hoshī? Show me now!

Waruagaki de shippai o hanenoke

Negirai no hagu ganbaru kimi e

Kurabete ī no wa kako no jibun dake dakara

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Okay!

Tsukaretara tachidomatte

Tama ni wa raku shiyou yo amayakasu yō ni rafu ni

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Okay!

Dareka no jōshiki nante sa

Kinishinai sutōrī de katariaou

Toki o wasurete

Kowai yo na fuan ni naru-sa

Mamoritai mono ga areba yowaku mo narukara

Jikoken'o de semenaide

Ore wa kimi no jinsei marugoto mikata dakara

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

Sō sō sono kao datte!

Kawaikute taman'nai na kokoro kara no egao wa

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

Hikari o isshin ni abite ima

Hajimaru shin no adobenchā

Kimi no kaze wa soba ni iru

Translation:

When you fall down rushing through the busy day-to-day life

Are you deceiving yourself by holding back

Your tears and putting on a forced smile?

Free your soul

You don’t have to be strong, you can be honest

And cry like a child

Don’t hold back and say it hurts

Look into my eyes. Come on, take a deep breath

You don’t have to force yourself to smile

You’re going great!

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

Don’t hurt yourself

If there’s an SOS I’ll come running to you gallantly at any time

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

When you can’t make progress

Let’s move forward slowly

The wind blows for you

Your true feelings you’ve abandoned because you’ve come to know both sweet and bitter,

Don’t you have a tendency to give them up

Telling yourself you’re an adult?

Follow your heart

Reveal all of your loveable vitality

Is there something you want to do? Is there something you desire? Show me now!

Brush aside failures from hopeless struggles

A hug of appreciation for your hard work

Because the only person you can compare yourself to is your past self

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Okay!

Stop when you’re tired

Let’s take it easy once in a while and pamper ourselves comfortably

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Okay!

Let’s talk about stories

Without caring what others think

Losing track of time

It’s scary and makes you anxious, right?

When there is something you want to protect, you become vulnerable too

Don’t beat yourself up with self-loathing

Because I’ll be your life-long supporter

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

Yes, that’s the expression!

It’s so cute I can’t bear it, a smile from the heart

Don't, Don't, Don't worry. It's Alright!

Light completely floods

A true adventure which begins now

Your wind is by your side

#uta no prince sama #utapri #translation #english #he★vens #lyrics #heavens #van kiryuin #he★vens birthday song #birthday song

[omaskit]

Octopath: Hardcore/ Enrichment Challenge.

After beating the first game twice (Except Galdera) I wanted to make my next playthrough a bit more challenging, so I made this rule set for both games! I don't know if anyone has done something similar this before but this is my take to make Octopath more challenging to the casual gamer. You can pick and chose these rules as much as you like!

NO mini map: This is something I do in my purely casual too. I find it more fun and immersive to look around yourself or relay on memory.

NO fast travel: This makes you strategize where to move next and your order of operations. Also the docks in OT2 cost money and this is hardly a feature once you cross the ocean once.

You must buy things from the shops OR steal off of people. If you chose the shops you are NOT ALLOWED to Steal, Mug, or Beg for anything unless it's impossible to progress otherwise (i.e Story segments, stubborn side quest, Guild quest, etc.). You are allowed to use the Purchase ability and MUST use it for side quest items whenever applicable. Someone in the party refuses to steal unless absolutely nessecary.

If you chose to steal you are NOT ALLOWED to buy or sell at ANY SHOPS. They have banned you; you're a thief. You also cannot use the purchase ability (Not that you were using it in the first place). I found items and money really easy to come buy because you could just steal everything not nailed down, sell it, and buy supplies in bulk. I wanted to make money/items scarce and something you would have to manage.

You can start out with any character you want but you MUST get the rest in OCTOPATH ORDER (Example: If you start off as Olberic you must get Primrose next, then Therion, etc. If you start as Temenos you must get Hikari, then Ochette, etc.) You cannot swap out the Os and Ts with each other. Octopath 1 order is clockwise, Octopath 2 order goes as follows, Ochette, Castti, Throne, Osvald, Partitio, Agnea, Temenos, Hikari.

Hey wasn't there a rule about octopath bosses here? There was! But then I tried it out and it was hell! Turns out Octo 1 scales on party members you've picked up, not in party. Crazy right? Anyway there is no special rule for o1 no matter how badly I want one

For Octopath 2, you can only AND MUST change the night/day manually when you spent a night at the inn. This includes story cutscenes UNLESS ABSOLUTLY IMPOSSIBLE (i.e you can't leave the aria.) This is one of the first rules I thought up. This is a challenge based on immersion and having to use the inn so often puts a pinch on your purse. or you could wait for the game to naturally change time.

That's it! The goal is to make it as far as you can/want to! For me that's everything except Galdera. As I said earlier, feel free to pick and chose the rules you want to use for your own challenge runs. If you do this challenge @ me! I wanna see people trying this!

I'mma do a run of OCTO 1 and might live blog about anything I deem noteworthy.

#octopath #octopath traveler #octopath traveler 2 #octopath traveler ii #octopath 2 #ot2 #challenges

[leafyaa]

File 1

Main characters:

L/n Y/n Raiden Kunikuzushi

Side characters:

Kujou Sara Shikanoin Heizou Kaedehara Kazuha Kuki Shinobu Kamisato Ayato Sangonomiya Kokomi Thoma L/n Hikari Raiden Shogun Yae Miko

Minor characters:

L/n M/n Arataki Itto Gorou Raiden Makoto Tomo Aranyani

Additional information:

⭒ The Prologue begins in 2050 and ends in 2056 ⭒ A year passed since so chapter 1 is in 2057 ⭒ Hikari's birthday is June 21 2051 (it's Hikari, not Hikaru btw)

⇠ previous ⭒ masterlist ⭒ next ⇢

Notes:

Redid file 1 because I found everything cringe. Also to make it more organized and for me to keep track on who I used in the story. Also more characters will be added as the story progresses!!

Summary:

You've dated Scaramouche in your high school and college years but just as you wanted to announce your pregnancy to him he broke up with you without any reason. He left you to be a single mom for 7 years. But now that your daughter has been missing and abducted for a year and you've not been doing well and out of a sudden he showed up into your life again trying to apologize for his past mistakes..?

Taglist:

@swivy123 @kichiyosh1 @wwwrizchan @k1t0 @killumeow @pinkdreamerbailifflawyer-blog @samarill @xiaotopia @aqualesha @eattingshits @omoriaddict @mave-in @sketcheeee @xiaossocksniffer @elernity @ohmyfinggod @luvkvni @kunikissr @meadowofdarts @kaorieee @scaramochies @ekriis @rizakari @xxrexx @lovingveliona @magica-ren @lilybythevalley @theflatdoorkicker @lazy-sanns @reixtsu @fullw0rld @kunikuzushis-darling @childesgingerhair @kochothehoe @mercy-not-merci @ash1

#genshin #genshin impact #genshin impact au #genshin au #genshin modern au #genshin impact modern au #modern au #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x y/n #kunikuzushi x reader #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche fluff #scaramouche angst #ITIFILWYA

[satsuha]

i think the best travel banters are something that brings out some part of both the characters involved and i still feel disappointed that some banters feel like one of them could've been replaced by anybody ngnrhgkrjgh frankly i can't remember all the banters from octo1 but i feel like they did better with... staying on topic (??) some of the octo2 banters just make me go "now why are they talking about that. right now."

everyone's always clamouring for more interaction in the octopath games and i also want it to... an extent... but i think there's no point if the interaction doesn't really add something to both characters AND the situation they're in

more under readmore but it's a little? negative

actually octo2 in particular felt like they tried to go the safe route with so many of the interactions that even if the characters have very clearly opposing ideologies and thoughts, they resolve the conflict waaayyy too quickly or it isn't even brought up at all. therion and tressa have one of the more interesting dynamics because they didn't like each other at first and you can see that change throughout their banters. in octo2 i think everyone became friends a bit too quickly 😭 the only real example of a progressing relationship we get is with osvald's "a waste of time" series, which was really great!! i just wish we had more like it when we have characters like temenos and throne who are distrustful and take more time to fully warm up to somebody...

like sure it's nice that they all trust each other! but it's WEIRD when you have actual criminals throne and osvald whose actions in their main story are practically never put into question at all gjehkfjga i've seen a lot of people express confusion about throne's ch2 father's route and the imprisoned woman but i feel like that would've been such a great spot to put a banter with like, castti or agnea or hikari who would react so differently and it would ALSO give more insight on throne's view of the situation.

despite temenos and hikari's obviously contrasting themes of doubt and trust, the most temenos ever does is warn hikari a little before he uh. Almost Dies. like with the knowledge that temenos harbours regrets over roi and that he became more doubtful after his disappearance, you would think that temenos would react more strongly about hikari throwing himself in a situation like that...

SHRUG i just don't know... obviously i love octo2 and i don't care about having to come up with interactions myself because i find the characters interesting enough, but it also just reminds me that the octopath formula wasn't built to be like other rpgs with a fixed cast and i just orz wish they wouldn't force more interactions in the future when all it does is check a box that says "yeah these 2 interacted"

#satsusays #<- literally cant shut up recently #i have... a lot of thoughts on this topic. #i need to replay octo1 anyway and maybe it was my heightened expectations that made me feel more disappointed in 2's banters but #i swear!!!!!! some of these #octo2

[seventeenlovesthree]

My top 25 Digimon Adventure Tri moments (in no particular order except the 1st)

I really need to bring these in order, but since I’ve reblogged this beautiful post, I might as well post my favourite Tri moments compilation right now. Will definitely look for more screenshots in the future too.

Jyou punching Dark Gennai. I'm getting excited just thinking about it, it's SO satisfying. 

Taichi's flashback on Koushirou calling him out with them being framed as rain vs sun - that is such a good analogy right there from a cinematic point of view, even if it's just so subtle and there isn't a lot of emphasis on it, but it IS what lets Taichi snap out of his paralysis after all. It basically implied that Koushirou was “the sun” Taichi needed to move on (even though he himself usually is “the sun” for everyone else).

As painful as it is - Sora's breakdown and Taichi telling her that her selflessness is one of her good traits, making her say the "Don't say things Piyomon would say" in return. Like, it HURTS, it FEELS dysfunctional, but in all actuality, it shows how much they DO understand each other. Literal hedgehog's dilemma. 

The Jyoumi honesty scene. As much of a retcon as it is overall, I love that they're honest with each other without hiding behind masks. 

That split-second of Kou standing in front of that kimono with Tentomon and Piyomon in his bag - next to the Koura phone scene (where the set-up is nice, but there's just too much second hand embarrassment there), I just love the potential behind it. 

The "Don't push yourself so much" Taishirou-scene, which will forever live rent-free in my head. 

The Taikoura donut scene. It's stupidly cute, even if it isn't much.

The Meikeru scene in which she says it's nice to see Takeru and Yamato getting along despite their parents being divorced, it's actually very endearing to have such a gentle moment there out of the blue. 

Kou's mentor moment towards Takeru. "So you just want to forget? It's not about what you couldn't do, it's about what you WILL do." THAT IS MY BOY. 

Takeru then trying his best to approach Meiko after being inspired by Koushirou (as mentioned above) in the exact same way is also an amazing follow-up.

In addition to the former entry, Koushirou’s "I'M AGAINST THIS, I WILL FIND A SOLUTION!" scene in the last movie, when everyone had already accepted the reboot as only solution, was a pretty nice “main character moment” for him.

The Meimi hug scene, with Meiko FINALLY coming out of her shell and being the one who reassures Mimi for once. THAT WAS A GREAT SET-UP. 

A summary of every "SoMi being lovely towards one another" scene. There are just too many to count (special mention goes to the amazing Jyourami rescue scene in the fourth movie!!!).

Kou rescuing Taichi from getting strangled by Yamato in the fifth movie. Classic. 

Sora's "don't close yourself off, being lonely makes a thorn grow in your heart, I was like that too" quote in the fifth movie, WHICH HURTS, BECAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT SET-UP FOR HER TOO. 

Taichi's "Shimane's the one without computers" shade comment, with Yamato's stupid "That was a million years ago" response, which is peak Tsundere. 

Tentocat nuzzling into Kou's side. Ugh. (Also probably all the cheesy AguTento moments.)

Taichi saying that they should not judge Jyou, "If we approached him now, he might have to face things he doesn't want to." Mature!Taichi ftw, even if that wasn't the overall best approach, it still showed his progress. He HAD to face the painful things in the end. 

Hikari's comment on Plotmon after the reboot, implying that there are certain things she’d better not remember (alluding to everything she went through during her time under Vamdemon up until watching Wizarmon die). I didn't think they would go there, but they did and that was both heartbreaking, but still amazing. 

Yamato's reaction towards Meiko's Ghost Story, completely losing it there - and the shade he got from Takeru for it. Good boy. 

Mimi actually kissing Meiko on the cheek. Groundbreaking. 

Yamato's peak closet moment (he had at least three) being the "if we don't have to form Omegamon anymore, that'll make it easier for you too, right?", including the blushing. 

Taichi affirming Meiko that Koushirou is researching the whole infection issue “with all his heart” will also live rent-free in my head forever.

The farewell scene between Taichi and Daigo (probably being the 64728th Evangelion reference in these movies, but I’ll bite, I liked that one).

Also all the housewife!Gomamon scenes (that compliment the housewife!Tentomon scenes).

#personal #my two cents #digimon adventure tri #digimon #anime #in sum this is just me rooting for: #taichi being soft #koushirou being amazing #jyou being a badass #mimi being gay #yamato being a loser #takeru doing the best he can #hikari catching a break #meiko having interpersonal moments with others #sora deserving a break too

[honeystwiggypeach]

Can i please request a part 2/continue of this https://honeystwiggypeach.tumblr.com/post/693214155838210048/hi-im-really-enjoying-your-haikyuu-dad-stories (of Kenma ad oikawa) 

Yess!!! I really wanted someone to request that😭I think I would have eventually write it even if it wasn’t requested so thank you so much for requesting!!!

Part one!(what anon linked!)

Also very sorry this took so long to write I had school!

Light tw~ angst to fluff(I think this is fluffier??) let me know if I missed anything!!

Kenma

Two weeks later you and Kenma have planned a cute little day for Yuta to meet his dad.

You’d both decided since it was warm out that you should go somewhere indoors where Yuta’s never been eventually deciding that the aquarium was one of the better options, where you’d practically begged Kenma to go on one of your first dates to, he ended up enjoying it after some grumbling.

“So do you remember who mama told you we were going to meet?” You ask as you strap Yuta’s little shoes to his feet.

He nods excitedly “who?” Yoh ask just to be sure he knew.

“Dada!” He practically shouts as he jumps up from the bench.

After a car ride filled with hundreds of “are we there yet”s and a few “mama where are we going” paired along with “mama where are we?” Yoh finally put your car into park beside Kenma’s as you get out unbuckling Yuta and setting him down before you grab your diaper bag.

Throughout the day you watched Kenma chase after Yuta listening intently as he rambled on about finding Nemo and any other facts he knew about fish.

“This is nice” you whisper standing infront of the same aquarium you’d had your first kiss with Kenma near.

He hums thoughtfully, “missed you a lot” he whipsers squeezing your hand lightly and you find yourself smiling softly as you look towards the floor, Yuta sleeping against Kenma’s shoulder.

Oikawa

Somehow against your will you find yourself sitting across from Oikawa and Hikari babbling back and forth as you wait for your drinks in a little cafe and Hikari a little cake.

It melts your heart the way she smiles up at Oikawa already like he’s molded the world just for her, and if you didn’t know your own situation your certain you’d think he did.

“Yea, what next?” He asks causing her to babble right back at him chattering as a little cake gets set infront of her.

She taps her hand against the table waiting for you to pick up the spoon and give her a bite.

“Ahh” you tell her as you try and give her a bite but she simply turns her head away a little huff coming from her.

“Let me see” Oikawa says softly taking the spoon and successfully feeding her.

You roll your eyes, of course she was going to be like this.

As the day progresses, she grows more and more attached to Tooru. Even going as far as asking for him to tuck her in when the two of you get home.

And you can’t say no when she pulls those puppy eyes, the same ones Tooru would flash all those years ago.

Eventually as you shut the door Oikawa behind you, he stops you hand placed gently on your arm, “do you think I could ever get a second chance?”

You stare at him, he can’t be serious right now? Oh but he is, he is dead serious.

“I don’t know Tooru” you sigh out, “probably, we’ll just have to see how it goes won’t we.” You give him the smallest hint of a smile as you open the door motioning for him to exit.

Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see me write because I love writing requests!!!

#🦋~anon #anons #reader insert #x reader #haikyuu #haikyuu!! #haikyu x reader #haikyuu parents #haikyuu dads #mom!reader #hq kenma x reader #kenma x reader #dad!kenma #dad!kenma x reader #hq Oikawa x reader #oikawa x reader #dad!oikawa #dad!oikawa x reader

[random-mailbox]

Random-Mailbox's Favorite Sailor Moon Fics - Week 43 - Fluff

Today’s post is just something fun to offset quarter-end / month-end stress (for me at least?) and see how adorable fandom makes our favorite duo.  

Also, don't forget to check out the prompts for @usamamoweek2023! We are 3 weeks away!

@smquickies2023 prompts came out yesterday too - that event is taking place August 6-12 (and is open to any SM pairings).

As always, my apologies in advance for spoiling some of these for you (Fic Titles are linked to either FFN or AO3 entries).

Usagi the Spectaphile - @ninjettetwitch

Stuck in quarantine, Usagi is very much turned on by Mamoru and how ridiculously sexy he looks in his glasses. 

Custody - @uglygreenjacket

Continuation of her amazing story - Hikari 27 - Usagi makes an innocent suggestion of introducing Luna and Artemis, unprepared for the chaos it sets off.

The Space Between: Chapter 12: Miracle - @uglygreenjacket

Usagi comes over to Mamoru’s place, asking him to let her make him something to eat, much to his trepidation.

Key to My Heart - @idesofnovember

To minimize impact on his neighbors and make his life easier, Mamoru decides that Usagi should have her own key to his place, not realizing how much that would mean to her.

snowflakes on her eyelashes - sailor-elsa

After a terrible day at work, between his patient and his colleagues' "humour", Mamoru voices what makes Usagi so special to him.

Fluffy Pancakes - thetroll

Adorable little one shot of Mamoru taking care of Usagi after yet another battle.

---

That's it for this week! Next Monday's post will cover "First Kiss" fics.

Here are the links to the previous Tumblr posts in these series to explore more amazing works based on different themes - make sure to check them out if you haven't had a chance! (Click on title name to go to the post) - I will keep updating the list every week as new posts come up:

Week 1 - Groundhog Day

Week 2 - Established Relationships

Week 3 - Sex Positivity

Week 4 - Unfinished Stories

Week 5 - Darker Stories

Week 6 - Potions 🧪

Week 7 - Reveals

Week 8 - 👻Halloween🎃

Week 9 - Wrong Perceptions

Week 10 - Non-Senshi AU

Week 11 - In-Progress Fics

Week 12 - Mutual Pining

Week 13 - Enemies to Lovers

Week 14 - Slow Burn

Week 15 - Christmas Part 1 - Ugly Christmas Sweaters and Santa!

Week 16 - Christmas Part 2

Week 17 - New Years

Week 18 - High School AU

Week 19 - Slice of Life

Week 20 - Coffee shop AU

Week 21 - Huddle for Warmth

Week 22 - Friends to Lovers

Week 23 - ❤️Valentines Day❤️

Week 24 - Do a Grouch a Favour Day (or Cheer Up Fics)

Week 25 - Soulmate AU

Week 26 - Amnesia Fics (and resources)

Week 27 - 🍀St Patrick's Day🍀

Week 28 - Fix it Fics

Week 29 - Prompt: Mug

Week 30 - Flowers

Week 31 - Traditions

Week 32 - Dreams

Week 33 - Friends

Week 34 - Body-Swap

Week 35 - Medical Assistance

Week 36 - Sex Pollen

Week 37 - Psychometry

Week 38 - What If

Week 39 - Missing Scenes Part I

Week 40 - Green Jacket

Week 41 - Dr Chiba

Week 42 - Birthdays

#sailor moon #usagi x mamoru #fic rec #fic list #fluff #sailor moon fanfiction

[armed-ruebarb]

Assorted Octopath II Thoughts

Just random things I noticed throughout my playthrough that I think about excessively Spoilers for both games in their entirety (endgame spoilers are vague but they’re there).

Ochette

Ochette, much like H’aanit, is the only traveler in the game to lack a human boss. Interestingly enough, however, humankind is portrayed as the overarching antagonist in Ochette’s story.

Ochette is the only traveler to directly interact with any of the gods outside of boss fights or shrines.

Ochette is the only traveler to never actually meet the main antagonist of her story.

Castti

Castti holds the record for the highest named NPC deaths (not counting bosses) by an absolute landslide. She pulls most of it off in the span of one chapter too.

Castti’s story is the only one to directly kill off children. I’m not 100% sure on that one so if I’m wrong let me know.

Throné

Throné is the only traveler in the mainline games to have more than four boss fights—excluding mandatory duels or battles from the same chapter—with a total of five.

Furthermore, Throné is the only character in the game whose boss battles always end in the enemy’s death—a characteristic shared only with Primrose from the first game. So yea, Throné meant it when she said her freedom reeks of blood.

Throné is the only traveler to fight a member of her own family (I don’t count Osvald fighting Rita as it was merely a creature made with her blood). She doesn’t stop there though. She does it four times and kills all of them (she doesn’t know the first three times but still).

Osvald

Osvald is the only traveler who fails to accomplish their initial goal. Harvey’s fate is left ambiguous with no confirmation of whether he truly died.

Osvald is the only character whose sprite undergoes major changes between the game and the epilogue (I say major because of Agnea’s hair). You literally see him getting his life back together and it’s very sweet.

Partitio

Partitio is the only traveler in the game who does not kill his final boss after beating them in combat (I say that last bit because there’s no way in hell Agnea and Dolcinea actually threw hands in that stadium). He’s the only character to grant mercy on his final boss, but he’s also the only one who had much of a choice.

Every last one of Partitio’s boss enemies end up working for him. Even the fucking dog. On that same note, he’s the only character where all of their bosses show up in the epilogue.

Agnea

Agnea has more unique tracks than any other traveler in the game. It makes sense considering she’s the dancer, but literally all of her music is a fucking banger. I believe she also has more unique animations than anyone else either.

She’s the only traveler to have a boss fight that is not an actual battle in the context of the actual story.

Temenos

Temenos has the fewest number of people present in the epilogue. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think Ort is the only person from his story there because he’s the only one who survived.

Temenos is the one of the only travelers whose story progression results in permanent overworld changes (the other two being Olberic and Hikari and I could be missing a few)… yes I am referring to Crick’s grave.

Hikari

Hikari is the only traveler to fight the same boss (Ritsu) twice over the course of two different chapters. This excludes Claude’s boss gimmick and the Gates of Finis fights.

Hikari’s chapter one boss fight is the only fight in either game that has no summoning path action and no traveling companion available. It is the only boss fight in the series where you are completely and utterly alone.

#octopath traveler 2 #octopath traveler spoilers #octopath traveler ii spoilers #octopath #octopath traveler #This game makes me explode #Let me know any other things you guys picked up on #I’m sure I can think of more but it’s very late

[reliablejoukido]

NaNo Project Update #5: Week 4/Finale

"Somewhere Only We Know" Chapters 11-16

Chapter 11/16: Hikari and Takeru, mostly Hikari POV - 100% COMPLETE!

Chapter 12/16: Daisuke and Ken, both POV - 100% COMPLETE!

Chapter 13/16: Miyako and Koushiro, mostly Miyako POV - 100% COMPLETE!

Chapter 14/16: Ensemble adv cast, mostly Taichi POV - 0%

Chapter 15/16: Sora and Joe, mostly Sora POV - 0%

Chapter 16/16: Ensemble 02 cast, Mimi & Joe - multiple POV - 0%

I set out at the beginning of NaNo to write only SOWK, hoping to finish the story. Obviously it didn't quite work out that way, but I'm happy with getting 3 out of 6 chapters accomplished. I will make a more comprehensive project update soon, but in essence, I'm taking a break from writing this story until the spring. I WILL be posting the 3 finished chapters much sooner though.

_____________

"The Universal Language of Friendship" Chapters 1-6

ON HOLD - about 35% done

Still on hold. Still not feeling it. But I do have plans to return. Thank you to everyone supporting me.

_____________

"(Don't) stop flirting" - Daiken oneshot (rated M)

100% COMPLETE!

I'm really proud of how this one turned out, even though it was relatively short.

_____________

"Bar-Crossed Lovers" - Daiyako multi-chaptered (rated M)

100% COMPLETE!

I got this one up past 11k, which helped my NaNo numbers a lot. I adore Daiyako/Daimiya and I want to explore this ship more in the future. At first, with this fic, I was worried everything was too way silly. But then I realized I didn't have to make it serious if I didn't feel like it. So this is the most unabashedly romcom-y story I think I've ever written. And I've written a lot of romcom.

_____________

"Backstreet's Back" (working title) - Daikenkeru oneshot (rated explicit)

????%

I've had bits and pieces of this Daikenkeru threesome fic written for a few years now. Most of my writing for it took place after I reached 50k, but I'm still counting this as a project I worked on during NaNo. The fic is chaotic and sexy and weird. And if you know the real reason why the working title is "Backstreet's Back", I love you.

I want to take my time during December on this one, since I'm technically supposed to be taking a writing break. I'm sure there are people out there interested in reading this type of fic, so I've been wanting to actually finish it for a long time.

_____________

I accomplished 50k and beyond! All in all, my first NaNo was pretty fun. Everyone in the Camp Digimonth server was wonderfully kind and supportive, as well as my followers and mutuals here on tumblr. I'm really glad I took a chance with NaNo. I have to admit that I did get stressed out a few times trying to stay ahead of the game with my wordcount, causing me to panic about how I wanted to move forward with the month. But talking it out with encouraging friends was a blessing.

Work projects, my cousin's wedding, the 02 film, a bad headcold, Jou Weekend, and Thanksgiving all threw hurdles at me, both good and stressful. But I prevailed and I'm proud of myself. I still can't believe I decided to work on 5 projects over NaNo instead of one, but I think in doing that, it helped keep the momentum going. Whenever I got stuck on something with SOWK, I was able to pick up a different project and work from there. And all of those separate projects were something exciting to work on.

Anyway, I hope everyone who participated in NaNo 2023 had a good one, no matter where you ended up progress-wise with your projects. And a BIG thank you to everyone who was supportive of the people doing NaNo this month!

#project update; #NaNo update; #Zuzu attempts NaNo; #fics: somewhere; #fics: the universal language of friendship; #fics: bar-crossed lovers; #fics: (don't) stop flirting; #fics: backstreet's back;

[kyndaris]

Way to Dawn

There is something to be said of old turn-based games with pixellated graphics. For many, they hark back to the good old days where things in the world actually made sense. In these halcyon days, things were simple. There was not as much grey in the world because everything was black and white. Unfortunately, as time has passed me by, games have become grittier with worlds as drab and bleak as the one we face in reality. Octopath Traveler, however, is a series that knows exactly how to tap into the nostalgia we have for our childhoods.

When the first game released in 2018, I was immediately hooked. In 2023, the second game came out. Due to the fact I was drowning in far too many lengthy games that released in the back-half of 2022, coupled with an overseas trip, and a host of other compelling titles, I simply could not find the necessary time to sink into Octopath Travler II. Enter January 2024.

After finishing off a few key games like Assassin's Creed: Mirage and Spider-Man 2 over December, I managed to eke out some time to give Octopath Traveler II my undivided attention. 90+ hours of it, in fact.

While I started with Alfyn in the original Octopath Traverl, this time I decided to go with my gut and pick my favourite class in almost every single role-playing game I've ever had the chance to dabble in: a thief. Unlike the happy-go-lucky apothecary, Alfyn, Throne finds herself trapped in an endless cycle of death. Her opening chapter sees her scurrying through the sewers of New Delsta with three other members of her gang, the Black Snakes. As the chapter progress, we see the internal struggle among the members of the gang before Throne is then confronted with a long-time friend as both are keen to escape the chains that bind them.

Despite the bleak nature of this first part, Throne's story is still one filled with optimism as she fights for freedom and to break free from the cycle that has kept her trapped for all her life.

From there, I slowly recruited the rest of the Travelers, starting off with Temenos and Osvald. From there, I jumped on a ship to Beastling Island, recruited Ochette and moved to the Eastern Continent - nabbing Castti, Hikari, Partitio and Agnea. The journey took me all across the world of Solistia.

Later, as the game progressed, I would hop to and fro from both continents as I chased after each dangling story thread for my odd band of characters.

And while I liked all of the stores, the two that stuck out to me belonged to Partitio and Agnea. Possibly because of how positive their outlooks were, and how undaunted they were of the cruelties inherent in the world. I know others on the internet may disagree but given the state of the world these days, I was in the mood for something light-hearted and fun.

Let's start with the Dancer shall we?

Agnea is a girl from the village of Cropdale. Her mother was a dancer and, like her, Agnea dreams of becoming a star. Her story, although simple, sees her travel all across the world to show off her dancing talent and bring a smile to people's faces.

Along the way, she meets a colourful cast of intrepid performers from Gil to Giselle's Travelling Troupe.

Of course, it wouldn't be a video game without a villain. And Dolcinaea serves as the perfect foil to Agnea's optimism. Hers is a tale of hardship growing up in the deserts of Sai, being inspired by Cuani (Agnea's mother) and working hard to become a star to take her away from her roots. But while she views her past with disdain and wishes to eradicate it, Agnea is there to remind her of the people her actions will affect, culminating in a dance battle at the Grand Gala in the Merry Hills region.

Plus, there's some fruity goodness along the way with a few key lines between Veronica and Dolcinaea.

Who doesn't like an uplifting journey, anyways?

As for Paritio...where to begin?

If all merchants were like him, I'd think the world would be a much better place. Growing up in a silver mine, Partitio has experienced both prosperity and the depths of poverty when the former land owner of the silver mine takes back the land and levies a huge tax on the silver that is mined in the area. Crushed underneath the weight of oppressive capitalism, Partitio and his gang of friends push back against the enforcers (including a man named Giff - which felt like it was ripping off Biff from the Back to the Future series).

From there, Partitio seeks to do away with the devil that is 'poverty' and seeks out a means to make money but also give back to the community at large. He does so by buying the rights to the steam engine. But not before securing himself a grand sum of 80 billion leaves!

And instead of running away with the money, makes good on his promise to make the world a better place.

While there are some forums that declare Partitio as a capitalist in the truest sense (where human greed does not enter the equation and people know how to share the wealth), I thought many of his ideas somewhat left-leaning. True, he is no communist but Partitio is a person who understands the plight of the common-man and knows how to utilise the talents of those around him to the greatest benefit. More than that, though, he is filled with empathy for those around him and isn't shy to splash his own money around to improve the lives of those around them by 1. giving them a living wage and 2. not push people down in order to get ahead.

Plus, when his theme starts playing and the saxophone kicks in...you know you've got a winner on your hands.

I also really liked Agnea's Song of Hope theme. But I'm also a sucker for any fiddle or string instrument. Which is also why I'm in love with Throne's and Osvald's themes. And that is something else I wanted to praise about Octopath Traveler II. The music! My goodness, the music!

Both Octopath Traveler games are scored by Yasunori Nishiki and he is a genius when it comes to composing such great music. There is something so magical about all the tracks in Octopath Traveler II that I loved.

And that's saying a lot because I very much enjoyed the tracks of the game. Heck, I even bought the CD for the first game and had my mother play it while we drove back up from Melbourne.

The music also proved great at selling the emotion of the song and kept the story aloft, proving to be very poignant at several points. It always kept me engaged during the boss battles. Such a shame it was overlooked at The Game Awards in 2023. I'm sure Flute Guy would have kicked it out of the park if Octopath Traveler II had been nominated for Game of the Year. He certainly was living his best life when Xenoblade Chronicles 3 was nominated and was grooving out to Tears of the Kingdom.

But back to the story of Octopath Travler II. Like the first game, the stories of the Travelers are connected to a central antagonist. But whereas Galdera was a hidden boss hidden behind several side quests, after finishing off each of the Traveler's stories and the Crossed Paths storylines, the Travelers come together and ACTUALLY interact with each other.

When the world plunges into darkness, the Travelers soon piece together that the Moonshade Order was behind it all. Together, they set about re-igniting the flames scattered around the world before confronting the big bad: Vide after Oboro sacrifices himself to the God.

And like many games of the past decade, Octopath Traveler II is a game that explores themes of despair and hope through the lens of nihilism. In fact, I was reminded very much of Danganronpa. True, we didn't have a crazy antagonist obsessed with despair, but we did encounter individuals who saw a cruel unforgiving world and gave into the darkness (or Shadow) within their hearts to quell the suffering.

It's a sentiment I can understand. Humans are cruel. Wars are started for petty reasons, be they for resources or simple pride.

Worse, we turn a blind eye to certain inconvenient truths. Especially if they would only serve to make us feel bad.

Sometimes it's easy to think: what would life be like if humans were all wiped out from existence?

Our Travelers, though, are made of sterner stuff. Despite witnessing atrocities, they continue to fight for the dawn. In their hearts lay a glimmer of light - of hope - for a better world. And in a video game, their actions do bring on positive change.

Together, they drive back Vide and look to the future. Thus bringing a happy end to it all.

But while the overarching story might feel quite simplistic, the themes explored in Octopath Traveler II, I felt were especially poignant. In each Traveler's story, we got to see elements of our current world - be it corrupt bureaucracy, the inherent greediness in humans or their lack of care for the natural world. Each time, though, the Travelers managed to triumph over their foes and bring new understanding.

It's a story I can get behind. And it's probably why I fell in love with Partitio and Agnea's story (but also, who wouldn't want to fight a steam train?)

Gameplay-wise, Octopath Traveler II doesn't stray too far from the first game. It does, however, have a few tweaks that make the game fun and exciting such as Latent Powers and character abilities. For example, Throne is able to increase the strength of all characters at the start of battle when it's night-time. Hikari, on the other hand, has access to learned skills which can be gained by challenging NPCs scattered around the world.

This brings a whole host of different ways to play the game and to optimise the party. Even as weigh in on when to use brave points to unleash on our foes and break past their shields or to hoard them for a devastating attack later on.

Combined in this way, Octopath Traveler II is a marvel of a game. True, there were moments where I felt the story was a little bogged down, but I certainly enjoyed my time with it. Better yet, it never felt like it was a grind. The 90+ hours I sunk into it flew by without me even realising it as my characters levelled up and grew stronger with each passing hour. Beyond these factors, it also added elements of fruitiness between NPCs but it never tried to shove it in the player's face.

Still, in my head-canon, Dolcinaea and Veronica are a couple. As are Temenos and Crick (before his untimely demise - but he was giving off mass death vibes in Chapter 3. Just saying), Pala and Mikka, and possibly Castti and Malaya (although Malaya, too, is dead).

Plus, I loved the dynamics between all the Travelers with Castti being the mum of the group, Osvald the dad, with the others being chaotic siblings.

#video games #octopath traveler 2 #agnea bristarni #partitio yellowil #throne anguis #temenos mistral #hikari ku #ochette #mikka x pala #dolcinaea x veronica #castti florenz

[kdramalands]

year-end drama recommendation

3. Quartet (2017)

10 eps, 45 min each

Quartet follows a story of four different people who share one passion, music. All four main characters are excellent at playing classical instruments so they form an amateur quartet under mysterious circumstances.

Maki Maki, Sebuki Suzume, Beppu Tsukasa, and Iemori Yutaka practice frequently to perfect their performance and, at some point, even decide to move in together during wintertime. The reasons for that all seem to centre at Maki due to some peculiar circumstances, that is, someone who wishes to know more about her.

The nature of this drama is more mystery than music so I would rather not spill all of our character's secrets here out in the open. All I can share is that eventually the scandalous truth comes out and all is explained.

I definitely recommend Quartet to people who like slow unravelling mystery, uncanny behaviours, and found family trope. At the beginning, Maki, Suzume, Tsukasa, and Yutaka don't feel that comfortable in their little group, considering they hide a lot of things from each other, but as the story progresses, they find themselves sharing more and more burdens with the rest of the quartet. This show is full of laughter, tears, and passion, and I enjoyed laughing and crying with the characters.

Obviously, I have to mention another great performance by Mitsushima Hikari — beautiful, moving, and ambitious. She never disappoints!

I can't believe another year passed so fast! I definitely didn't watch as many shows as I would like to, but life gets in the way sometimes. Nonetheless, I gave you my all, and I hope one of the positions on the list interested you a little bit. I can hear music getting louder and louder, so I'm off to my new year eve's party! This is all from me! With the last item of this year’s year-end recommendation project, I wish you all the best, less drama, and more dramas in 2024! Happy New Year 2024!

Part 1 || Part 2

#quartet #カルテット #matsu takako #mitsushima hikari #takahashi issei #matsuda ryuhei #jdrama recommendation #drama recommendation #year-end recommendations #japanese drama #jdrama #drama #yer2023

[selfdiagnosedeyemotif]

Chapter Five (Aestia), pt. 1:

Aestia arrives after a long boat ride in the town of Riseridge

Not a lot happens here save for one thing

Asking around, Aestia happens upon the town magistrate, who says that a large group of people passed through here the day prior

One was clearly the leader, flanked by a larger person and a smaller one, followed by 9-10 others, all cloaked

HMM I WONDER WHO THAT WAS

Aestia is astonished that Sir Eldroy yet lives - he must be the larger one

Upon further questioning, the magistrate reveals that the larger one carried a stone and had a noticeable limp

With that knowledge, progress very quickly into…

The Final Dungeon: The Spire of Beginnings

Prompt as you enter: [Please assemble a team of four before entering this dungeon]

This guy is a MAZE, mate

All sorts of dead ends and weird passageways

Ladders and platforms and ropes everywhere

Markings on the walls very reminiscent of the Gate of Finis, music also includes motifs from it

No boss rush, thankfully

This guy’s a lot simpler than the Masterless Wood

At one point there’s a large rope bridge, which triggers a cutscene (this one features your real actual party! yep!)

Aestia says she’ll go across first to see if it’s safe

Once she reaches the end, Aestia turns back, apologises, and cuts the bridge

“I’ll be back soon. Thank you for everything, and goodbye.”

The characters probably have one line each, tops (this is still octopath, can’t have them too involved)

Aestia journeys through the final leg of the cavern alone

At the end lies an enormous cavern with a great sweeping entranceway, almost like a large set of double doors were supposed to be fitted in it

Cutscene triggers as you approach: a cloaked figure stands at the door

Aestia tries to speak to them, they do not answer

She gets closer and they lunge at her

She’s able to dodge a few attacks before knocking off the cloak and triggering a fight (sort of like the General Ritsu fight from Hikari’s route) against…

The Penultimate Boss: Eldroy, Extinguished

That’s right he’s back and he is FUCKED UP

Eldroy is a knight no longer. His armour is clouded over with soot, his sword notched, and the metal that once protected him is mostly twisted away

And his body. Oh god, his body.

Eldroy has been burnt to a crisp. He’s even got that classic hole in the cheek exposing teeth. No eyes. Finger bones all but falling off of him. Wreathed once more in a green fire but it is the only thing keeping him from completely falling apart

In life, he was a bit of a showboat. He liked to gloat maybe a little too much. This thing is not that. It is as silent as the death that has already taken it.

It has the same moveset as Eldroy, Ablaze, only weaker

Same weaknesses (this does include Staffs and Wind, don’t worry), six shields

It goes down extremely easily. This isn’t a fight. This is a moment in the narrative.

It goes down without a word. Without a sound. It’s simply gone.

Taking a break before launching into the final sequence of the story so you’re getting this early :) (also there is a WORD LIMIT and i am ANGREY AT IT)

Important Music Stuff:

Aestia’s motif is called For Them All

Gonna take the Octopath 1 route of not remixing her character theme and rather making a separate composition (might actually make them. who knows)

Features three variations

For Them All (Standing Alone): fiddle solo, lots of long notes, plays in Chapters 1 and 4

For Them All (With Her): fiddle solo with drum backing, chords from Standing Alone are broken up slightly, higher energy, plays in Chapters 2 and 3

For Them All (Together): you’ll see :)

#iris goes to OC hell #project OCtopath #a gust in the fields