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plottwiststudios · 3 years

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What To Expect For Women of Xal’s Early Access

Add Women of Xal to Your Steam Wishlist Here!

Greetings, lovely fans and future fans! If you’ve been anywhere near certain obscure grapevines, you might have heard about a tiny, humble visual novel that could. One called “Women of Xal”, and one that’s to be submitted to Steam this week if beta testers don’t find a catastrophic amount of bugs. But the features for the full game that everyone’s excited about may not be the same as the Early Access version. So I’m here to tell you what will be there for Early Access, what will be there for the official final release, and features we might remove.

What’s in the Early Access Build

One of the animated title screens

Some animations

Some of the soundtrack (30+ minutes worth)

99% of the art (Sprites, CGs, Backgrounds, ect)

11/16 Character Routes playable

Hundreds of choices

Dozens of choices brought about by the previous choices!

One Ending (Neutral Ending)

What’s To Be Added in the Final Release

All the animated title screens

All 120+ minutes of original music

New, updated art, UI, and effects

Dozens more choices brought by previous choices!

Several additional, necessary scenes

The other two endings

All 16 Routes completed

Bugs from the beta and Early Access crushed

What We Might Have to Omit Altogether

Animated Cutscenes

Additional polish for animated cutscenes

Voice Acting

A fourth ending

A 240+ minute soundtrack

Unnecessary scenes that would be REALLY helpful to have!

I feel I owe everyone an explanation for the last set of features we may have to remove. Yes, in both the beta and Early Access builds, there’s voice acting and animation. They’re already paid for and they legally belong to the studio. Nothing dubious there. But in order for it to feel narratively cohesive, I need to commission additional scenes and voice work, otherwise it just feels too randomly placed for me. And for that, I apologize to both staff and fans. And though the obvious solution is to simply commission the required assets, there’s a bit of a problem I’ve been reluctant to admit, but, transparency has all but killed all forms of controversy that could have befallen our production, so...:

That up there is my bank account as of 7:42am I believe it’ll fall to $-700 after today. Long, agonizing story short? I was so stressed that I let a moving company scam me out of an unexpected $1500, which forced me to spend both that, and an additional $600 for the hotel. From there, literally half a dozen of my business deals and investment opportunities fell through the cracks of Hell and never came back. Additionally, I’m still waiting on $5000 that has yet to hit my bank account due to a heckup from FedEx restarting the process all over again. Lastly, Wells Fargo keeps charging overdraft fees instead of declining payments, and they didn't care that I told them not returning the full amount would just start the overdraft fees all over again. I know every time I mention something about my health and/or situation, someone always asks me where my Ko-fi profile is. I’ve attached it, but really. Eventually - eventually I will financially and emotionally heal. Don’t even come close to feeling pressured into helping me monetarily. I will struggle, and fight. The ONLY reason I’m even showing my hand during such a vulnerable, stressful time is because I owe it to everywhere here to know what is going on in this production, why I failed to deliver a feature or few, and how legitimately I am trying to overcome and deliver more than what was promised. Thanks for reading and reblogging, everyone. <3

Love,

John

Ko-fi Link

#Women of Xal #WoX #Xuna #Visual Novel #Steam #Struggle and fight has been an oddly encouraging mantra for me since this all began;;

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coyotescribbles · 4 years

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An AU of an AU, where a Demon scorned becomes a Destroying Angel

-----

Jeanette's blood boiled.

How dare they - how dare they speak the words that came out of their soft, sneering mouths? Words that brought condemnation down on the head of one she'd come to see as a father - and beyond that, all those she'd grown to love.

Xal and Nai. Egiri and Nigatu. Ayza and Tyran.

And Khyl. At the pinnacle of them all, Khyl - who had saved her, had sheltered her, who had provided for and taught her and raised her as his own. Who, even now - bloodied and broken and brought to his knees - refused to renounce her.

And these creatures dared to speak to him in this manner?

She seethed.

Her lips drew back in a snarl and a growl rose in her chest as the three Prophets regarded her, now, with watery eyes; she could feel the Honor Guard's blade at the back of her neck, poised to strike her down at their bidding... but she felt no fear, only a roiling, scalding rage.

"Have you something to say before your execution, Demon?" The one in the center - Truth, he calls himself "Truth," she thought disdainfully - asked in that patronizingly mock-gentle tone of his.

Demon. The word burned in her veins like fire, surging along ley-lines carved into her flesh and bone when she had still been just a child.

She fixed the feeble, wormlike creature with a white-hot glare.

"You should not have done that."

The Prophets had named her Demon, and so a Demon she would become.

The Honor Guard holding her was quick, she would give him that, but he was agonizingly slow compared to her; she struck like lightning, and he toppled, dead before he even hit the ground.

And now, she was armed; the staff he had once carried was a familiar and welcome weight in her hands.

All at once, the platform descended into chaos as the Prophets rushed to retreat and their guards scrambled to put a stop to her advance. Weapons drawn, they charged as one, and she met them fearlessly, slipping past them and beneath their blows and weaving them into an intricate dance in which she was the lead and they could only follow... and fall, one by one by one, by opened throat or evisceration or impalement, spilling blood from the stumps of severed limbs and utterly outmatched by her.

Jeanette abandoned the staff in favor of a sword - and with a practiced, fluid movement she'd relieved a dead Guard of his active camouflage module, as well.

And then, she was on the hunt.

Distantly, she thought she could hear Khyl calling out to her, trying to call her back. But it was too late. It had been too late from the moment that brand had been laid to his chest. They had dishonored her father and threatened her family and for that they would pay dearly.

High Charity was vast, and teemed with guards and warriors of all stripes and species - but she was a hunter by nature, stealthy and steadfast in her determination.

The Hierarchs could hide - would hide, the sniveling bloodless cowards - but she would prevail.

***

Mercy was the easiest to find, and the easiest to kill. He was old, feeble even by San'shyuum standards, hardly a challenge.

Regret was younger, fiercer, cleverer, and had a much stronger rapport with his guards. And yet, despite his precautions and ferocity he, too, fell.

It was Truth - mediocre Truth, too-lucky-by-far Truth, running-out-of-luck Truth - who led her on the longest chase of the day, having abandoned his colleagues in pursuit of preserving himself as he fled to the safest location on High Charity.

The Dreadnought.

Perhaps he thought that the Mgalekgolo would keep her out - but she had spent half of her life learning from outstanding examples of their kind. If she could sneak up on Nigatu, what chance did these constructs have at detecting her? None.

Or perhaps he thought that the security and locks would confound her - but her dearest brother was an engineering genius like his late father, and she had learned so much from him. It was only a matter of time before she found her way inside.

And perhaps, in the end, he thought that his Jiralhanae escorts would defeat her, when his Sangheili Guardsmen failed. But she had learned to fight against brutish wild beasts on the live-fire ranges of Erebus-VII, and she had honed her skills further under the watchful eyes of distinguished warriors and Scions and her father, a Blademaster. She was as bestial as any Brute and as sharp as the finest blade and her victory was assured.

When Truth fell, with her sword piercing his withered, selfish heart, the last words he would ever hear were hers.

"You should have known better than to scorn a Demon."

Jeanette tossed the hilt of her now-inactive sword aside as she turned away from the corpse; the clatter of metal against metal echoed in the now-silent chamber; she had no further reason to remain there. She had to find her father, now, and they had to leave this place.

In the heartbeat that followed, she felt more than heard the thrum that reverberated through the air. It traveled through her as a violent shudder, vibrating in the depths of her chest; the sound-sensation felt like the hum of a Mgalekgolo's "voice" - but immeasurably larger.

She turned back, feeling ice-cold dread coiling in her gut.

A flash of blinding blue-white light dazzled her, forcing her to squint and shield her eyes, and with the light came a voice that seemed to shake the Dreadnought to its very base.

R E C L A I M E R

It said.

C H I L D O F M Y M A K E R S

W E L C O M E

#The Warlord's Daughter #sort of #au!AU #Jeanette-B315 #Halo fic #THIS IS ALL NATTY'S FAULT

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complicatedandstained · 5 years

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The Other Day at Hot Topic: Lexaeus

Axel hadn’t intended to follow Saïx’s newest recruit to work, but he had been almost done with his Starbucks when he saw him passing by, so he said to himself: Why not? Before he knew it he was ducking into Hot Topic only a few minutes behind.

Now Lex looks kind of like he wants to backhand the petite blonde twenty something standing in front of him so hard he flies into Clearance. So Axel figures he made the right call.

The new guy had looked a little overwhelmed when Axel had left him to the sharks at a staff meeting the other day, and maybe it’s his short stature and painstakingly messy hair, but Axel feels an unusually protective urge sweep through him on sight.

“Take the phone and step aside,” Lex all but growls at the wide-eyed blonde dude blocking his path out from behind the register and more significantly, out of Hot Topic.

It’s not exactly a fair fight, Axel muses, slowly and expertly navigating the narrow aisles between movie, tv show, and anime displays, eyes on the real drama unfolding.

Lex has a few inches on Axel’s six feet and spends his free time bodybuilding, like, for fun. He absolutely dwarfs the angel faced blonde, drowning in a black tunic length shirt for a band Axel doesn’t hate, his twig legs wrapped in shredded, skinny white jeggings. It was like a mountain squaring off against an adorable woodland creature.

“I want to, but you can’t expect me to stay here by myself,” the blonde objects, tenor more or less level, hands splaying open in emphasis, left wrist in a black and white checkered cuff. “It’s literally my first day.”

“Look,” Lex takes a breath to calm himself and sets a hand on his hip, “I’ve already stayed a half hour past my shift and there’s nobody here.” His other hand gestures to the aisles, but neither look, well aware that much like the rest of the mall, Hot Topic has been dead for the better part of the Tuesday morning.

The blonde’s brows furrow. “What if somebody comes in?”

Lex rolls his eyes, gesturing vaguely. “Just tell them the register’s broken. It’s what Demyx always does.”

“Please.” What’s his name grows increasingly distressed, realizing Lex is about to jump ship whether he wants him to or not. “I don’t want to get fired on my first day.”

Lex’s signature solemn frown flickers in amusement. “There’s no one here to fire you.” He shoulders a little roughly past the blonde blocking his way but looks back as a thin croak escapes the guy’s throat. “I’m sorry, Roxas. I need to go.”

Roxas, Axel makes a mental note. That was it.

“So long, Lexaeus,” calls Axel, leaning up against the band tees, not five feet from the register.

Lex groans, and Roxas glances between the two.

“I take it back,” Lex says, turning to Roxas. “He can get us fired with a snap of his fingers.”

Axel smiles broadly and it feels unpleasant, so he can’t imagine how it looks. “Vexen deserved it.”

Lex stands and awaits his orders. Despite what he did, Vexen had been his friend, but Axel wasn’t someone to get into it with. Not with Saïx at his beck and call. Lex has places to be but he doesn’t want to risk his job. People his size and build with a resting expression that radiates “I could kill you in your sleep” likely have a fair bit of trouble on the job market. Axel takes all this in within moments.

“Go,” Axel’s expression softens and he flutters his fingers toward the cave-like store entrance that has always reminded him of a gateway to hell, “I’ve got it covered.”

“Are…” Lex starts forward right away, but then stops, checks himself. Axel’s not known for being straightforward about things, “are you sure?”

“Yep,” Axel claps his hands together, nodding toward their new coworker, “get outta here before you bruise Rox’s pretty face.”

Roxas’ fingers fly to his cheek and he seems surprised by his own reaction, flushing slightly pink.

Lex’s voice takes on a hard edge and he turns on his heel. “I don’t do that shit anymore.”

Axel blinks, reaching out to grasp his shoulder. “I know, buddy.” Lex freezes, and Axel drops his hand. “It’s okay. Go. I’ll tell Saïx you went above and beyond the call of duty.”

Lex nods, which feels pretty intimate, coming from Lex. “...Thanks.”

Axel watches Lex clock out and stalk out before turning his attention to the small blonde, hovering beside him, shuffling in his oversized combat boots. “So, Roxas,” he waits a second for a response, but Roxas doesn’t seem eager to give one, “day one, huh?”

Roxas nods wearily, and Axel supposes that’s fair.

Talk about a stressful first shift. Especially with Saïx running the show. Eeesh. Merciful he is not.

“Alright. Let’s see who’s supposed to be on the schedule with you.” Axel steps behind the register and pulls out a binder with shift information, simultaneously pulling out his cell and tapping a couple buttons.

His nose scrunches as he scans the lines. “Vanitas and… Demyx? Together?” He makes a face at Roxas, half sour, half amused, but Roxas doesn’t seem to have a firm enough grasp on anyone’s names to react properly. “No fucking wonder… Oh, hold on, it’s Saïx.” At his ear his phone stops ringing and an automated voice recites Saïx’s number and beeps.

“Hey, babe,” Axel’s voice turns to a low purr, and he notes Roxas’ narrowing eyes with amusement, “sexy voicemail message, as always. Hate to interrupt pilates, but I’m kinda in a tight spot here.” Axel pauses and uses two fingers to lift Roxas’ chin and thereby close his gaping mouth. Saïx has a sense of humor, but he doesn’t let a lot of people talk to him the way Axel does.

“Stopped by Hot Topic to check on your new kid and lo and behold, nobody’s here!” Axel glances down at the binder again. “It’s a little hard to read, but it looks like Xal scheduled the Devil Child and Band Geek together, which was, you must admit, a shit decision. Lex stayed late, because he’s the man, but I sent him off, ‘cause it’s dead as a doornail in here.” He glances at his watch and winces. Hopefully it’d stay that way.

He sighs melodramatically, knowing it will amuse the man on the other end, “Anyways, I’m happy to show Pop Rox here the ropes until somebody can get their ass in here, and I’ll make a few calls, but, uh, we’d love to see your smiling face soon. Ta ta now.”

Roxas raises an eyebrow at Axel, who wonders if it’s about the impromptu nickname or his blithe words to Saïx. He opts to pretend it’s neither.

“Okay, so, I’ll text some people, see who we can sucker into coming in. Either way, Sai should be here all hot and bothered in fifteen, and you’re stuck with me until then. Guess we oughta get you started though, huh?” The blonde still looks a little dazed, so Axel smiles, welcoming. Better start with the basics, then. “You clocked in?”

Roxas looks almost bashful, shakes his head. “Uh-uh.” “Okay, to the clocktower!” Axel turns on his booted heel and begins to lead him to the storage room in the very back, rambling a bit, to ease the tension, “Well, it’s not really a tower, but it does sound more exciting, right?”

Axel glances back to Roxas who scrunches his nose but grins, almost.

“Hey.” Axel abruptly stops walking and Roxas near bumps into him. “You’re like in zombie mode, here kid, what’s up? You a Walker?”

“Uh, it’s just,” Roxas pockets his hands and Axel notes his nails, half scraped off black polish. He can’t help but find it cute, if stereotypical. “Uh, I know we met before, but I don’t really know… who you are?”

“Ah. Name’s Axel.” He smirks and pokes Roxas lightly in the temple. “Memorize it.” Explanation granted, Axel turns and again begins to work his way back to the door marked ‘STAFF’ in the furthest corner of the shop.

“I take it this is not your shift,” Roxas continues, uncertainty watering down his tone.

Axel laughs, hard, wondering if Roxas really doesn’t know Axel isn’t even an employee, really hasn’t deduced his relationship with Saïx. “Definitely not, no. But you looked like you could use a friend.”

Roxas gives him another almost smile, but his eyebrows betray him, dipping lower. “So you like, help Saïx run the store?”

Axel snorts as the Saïx in his head cringes. “More like I help Saïx run his life.” He pauses to punch in the code to the back door, 0-7-0-8, and props it open with his foot. “But yeah, I’ll be around. C’mon, you survive this shift and I’ll get you cake or something.”

Roxas smiles for the first time, swift and iridescent. “My white knight,” he quips and Axel, shocked and amused by the sarcasm, represses an urge to tuck him under his arm and ruffle up his perfectly mussed hair.

“Hey, this is Hot Topic. No white knight nonsense. It’s more like…” Axel fumbles for anything vaguely resembling it, leaning on his elbow in the doorway in faux contemplation, “dark... rescue.”

Roxas giggles—straight up giggles and nudges Axel’s arm, slipping under it and into the back. “That’s not better.”

“No,” Axel nudges Roxas’ back in return and grins, “it’s absolutely not.”

#kingdom hearts #axel #roxas #lexaeus #akuroku #organization xiii #saix #kh fanfiction #hot topic au #my writing

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daveyjacobss · 7 years

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ten minutes | albert dasilva

seven minutes part two

inktober day five

reader x albert dasilva

[newsies]

previously: “He could still feel her red velvet cloak slipping away under his fingers as she pushed him off of her.”

summary: It started with seven minutes, maybe it doesn’t have to end with ten.

a/n: this is late but it’s fine bc i’m kind of happy about it and i wasn’t literally falling asleep while writing it, so that’s an improvement. but anyway i hope you guys enjoy this since a bunch of people seemed to like the first part :) my boy albert deserves more appreciation.

part one | part two

_________

Y/N was haunted by those seven minutes in the closet. She could remember the brief filling of kissing Albert, the way his fingers had brushed her waist and she had gotten scared, pushing him away. She wanted to talk about it. She wanted to spend hours reliving the words they had said, days describing those few seconds when their lips had touched and the world had disappeared. But Albert was still Albert. He was annoying and rude, and the fact that he was cute or occasionally made a funny joke didn't change that. So she kept quiet. She told Sarah and Crutchie that all they had done in the closet was argue. She bit her tongue and stole glances whenever he was around, wondering why he hadn't told anyone either.

If he had, she knew she'd hear about it. Race and Jack would no doubt question and tease her about it, but they hadn't done anything to suggest they knew. Was he ashamed of it? Was kissing her something to be ashamed of? Did it even matter? It shouldn't have, but it did. It did because before she had hated Albert, she had liked him. A lot. A lot more than she ever told anyone else. A lot more than she let herself believe. And liking someone that much doesn't just disappear. Seven minutes couldn't change the way she felt about him, no matter how she wished she could just hate him.

__________

Albert had thought that maybe, with time, his seven minutes in heaven with Y/N would suffice, and he'd get over the stupid crunch he'd been harrowing on her forever. However, he was quickly proved long. That small kiss hadn't made his longing go away, it had made it stronger. He wanted her more than he ever had. He couldn't figure out why he didn't tell Race and Jojo that she had kissed him. Maybe because, if he did, she would hate him even more for it - especially if come one brought it up to her. But maybe it was the fact that he liked it better as a secret kept between the two of them. He liked the feeling of sharing this knowledge that bonded them, and he liked keeping their moment to himself.

But he wanted more, and it would be the death of him if he didn't at least try.

It was a week after the party when saw her walking alone in one of the school hallways after hours, probably having finished some club or make up work. It took him about five seconds to make the impulsive decision to call out her name and run after her.

"Y/N!" He yelled, jogging to catch up to her. She turned to face him with a glare.

"What do you want?" She sighed, obviously annoyed. He tried to ignore the way his chest tightened at that.

"I just wanted to talk," he explained, aiming to keep going before she interrupted him.

"Well, I think this has been enough talking for me. Bye!" She put on an obviously fake smile and started to walk away, but he caught her arm and dragged her into a small side hallway that no one ever used.

"About last Saturday," he clarified. "I wanted to talk about last Saturday." He could feel her tense up under his touch, making him quickly pull away. She seemed to be holding her breath, a nervous look on her face as she avoided his eye. He was pretty sure it was the first time she didn't look angry at him.

"Look," she started, biting her lip. "Can't we just forget about it?" She looked up at him with wide, pleading eyes. "I don't want to talk - about anything, actually, not as long as it's with you."

"Ten minutes," he proposed. "Just give me ten minutes." She glanced away before eventually sighing and nodded, giving in. He smiled slightly. "I didn't mean to force you to kiss me," he admitted, grinning sheepishly. "If you didn't want to - which, you probably didn't - I'm sorry." He looked down to find that she looked surprised, staring at him with her mouth open. "What? Is it that shocking that I can be nice sometimes?" He tried to joke.

"Considering you're always such an ass? Yeah, kind of." She rolled her eyes and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. His face fell and he took a step backwards, suddenly remembering that doing this, doing what he wanted to do, would most likely end up in him making a fool of himself. Why would the girl who ha donated him for years ever want to kiss him? To be with him?

"Right," his voice was quiet, making her look up at him. When she caught the sad look in his face she almost stopped breathing. She decided within a second that she liked it better when he was wearing his signature cocky smirk.

"Oh - I, um... Sorry," she squeaked out. It was his turn to be surprised as he faced her, trying to catch her eyes as she desperately tried to avoid his eyes. "I didn't mean to make you upset."

"It's fine," he found himself saying, beginning to walk backwards. "But I've gotta - "

"It's only been three minutes," she spoke. She wasn't sure why she had said it, but it stopped him in his tracks. She took a deep breath "You asked for ten, you've still got seven more."

"Well, I'm sure you don't want to spend any more time with me than you have to." His smile was bittersweet - meant to kill. It made her breath hitch and her heart hurt.

"You said I always have to be forced into doing fun things," she said, trying to keep the conversation going, though she didn't know why she was doing it. Maybe she was trying to stall before she asked the question she didn't know if she wanted to ask. "If you were to, um.... force me into something fun, I guess, what would it be?" She looked at him shyly, as a grin began to spread across his face. He was gaining his confidence as he moved back towards her.

"I can think of a few things," he said once they were close again. They seemed to both realize at the same time that, with Y/N leaning against the wall and Albert smirking at her less than a foot away, they were back in the position they'd been in in the closet. She gulped as he took a small step in her direction, moving until he was close enough that she could feel his breath each time he exhaled. His hands instinctively reached out for her waist they way they had before, but she caught them before he could touch her hips.

"Did you want to kiss me?" Her question stopped him in his tracks. Wasn't that the same question he'd been trying to ask her? Weren't those the exact words he had recently decided he couldn't bring himself to say? And yet, here she was in front of him, asking him. "Is that why you said what you did?"

"Yes," he whispered without even thinking. The question was a no-brainer, of course he'd wanted to kiss her. He had wanted to kiss her since before she even knew who he was. He had wanted to kiss her since he saw her in his history class two years ago, laughing and tucking her hair behind her ear. "Did you want to kiss me?" He echoed her words, but she didn't answer.

Instead, she kissed him. She kissed him hard and slow and passionate, and he kissed back. Her arms went to wrap around his neck, her fingers entangling in his red hair. He finally got to grab her waist, keeping her against the wall as he kissed her and kissed her and kissed her. When they pulled away, they were panting.

"I had no idea you felt that way, doll," he grinned. She didn't roll her eyes like he expected her to, instead she laughed and it made his smile grow.

"Are you really sticking with doll?" She teased, twirling his hair with her fingers. He shook his head, placing his lips on her knee more for just a few seconds. She was smiling when he opened his eyes again. "And you thought I hated you."

"You sure made it seem like it," he pointed out.

"You're very irritating," she countered.

"Fair enough," he laughed. He pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time, sighing when he saw it. "We should probably get going."

"It's only been eight minutes." He looked up to find her grinning cheekily. "We've still got two more." He smiled before going in for another kiss, this one lasting as long as it could without them suffocating.

They spent a little longer than ten minutes in that hallway together. But it was nowhere near as long as Y/N spent telling Sarah and Crutchie about the whole thing. And even that amount of time didn't compare to how long it took Albert to explain it to Race and Jojo. And even that didn't last as long as the shock everyone felt once Y/N and Albert were a couple (the sickly sweet one who spent all their time together and kissed constantly, no less).

But longer than all of that, was the time they spent together (which was pretty much the rest of their lives). Albert's favorite story to tell was that his first kiss with his wife was in a closet while she was wearing a Little Red Riding Hood costume and he was dressed as a baseball player. (Y/N's favorite story to tell was how good Albert's ass looked in this baseball pants, but that's beside the point).

________

tag list:

@isarants @tomanybandstolove @seriously-ceci @tommyboyneedshercoffee-blog @bens-platt @ohblue @sorryyouroutofmyleague @tumblogbykarapaloma @earlyjunes @broadway-trashh @interwebseriesfan24 @whatacatchdxnnie @returnoftheborle @cozykleinman @timesarehardfornewsies @jackclyde @last-an-eon @annabethgranger123 @musi-xals @notyouraveragegryffindoor @magic-made-by-melody @i-also-miss-our-talks @linfuckingmirandaaa @shatteringinprogress @storytellersun @psych-stereo @books-cats-sprinkles @me-andthe-sky @connor-is-my-sunshine @merediths2003 @graaace123 @larryisinfactnotstraight @casifer-is-cute

(ask to be added to my october tag list or any tag list !!)

#albert dasilva #albert dasilva x reader #albert x reader #newsies #newsies x reader #amber can kinda write #broadway imagine #sarah jacobs #crutchie #crutchie morris #racetrack higgins #jojo de la guerra #october writing day five #jack kelly #hope this is good bc i wrote half of it earlier and half of it now #i feel like whenever i write a kiss scene it's always the same thing #whoops i guess #anyways enjoy

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aliceslantern · 7 years

Text

Nocturnal Memory, a Kingdom Hearts fanfiction, chapter 10

[Summary: Dying takes a lot out of you, it's true, but when Demyx wakes up for the first time since his fight with Sora nothing's right. His memories are fragmented and he's missing his true name. And he's not the only one. An incomprehensible mystery and an inevitable war make him question what, exactly, he would do to become whole, and reclaim the music lost to him.

on FF.net/on AO3]

"Well, what are you sitting there for? I mean today," Even snapped.

Demyx got up too fast, and vertigo rolled through him. He put on his shoes and followed them out the door. He still felt weak and struggled to keep up with their brisk pace.

But they didn't leave the castle. Instead they went straight into some office Demyx never had been to. The room was round, with low bookshelves all along the walls, and a massive picture frame leaning against the wall had been covered by tarps. Even and Ienzo breezed right through to the room behind it.

Demyx barely had time to take the room in. There was a console computer overlooking a gaping hall. It looked like there were massive glass containers on the wall—containers more than big enough to fit a person. He exhaled sharply. "What—"

Even turned to face him. "Tell me something, Nine," he said. "What do you feel now?"

"What?" Demyx repeated.

"How did you know it was darkness?" He pressed.

"Well…" He could barely tear his gaze from the glass containers. Even, Ienzo, the rest—they had been scientists—their experiments dealt with darkness in the human heart—he took a shaky breath. "I… felt wrong for a few days when I worked with the committee," he explained. "Like, tired, like my muscles were burning, and even when I slept I never got my energy back. I thought it was just because I was using my powers too much, but yesterday… it was worse than usual."

"Can you describe how?" Ienzo asked gently. Demyx saw Even pacing back and forth, mouthing words to himself.

He clasped his arms around himself. "The burning was like all over, and then my teeth started going numb. And it reminded me of when I became a Nobody. I had thought that maybe it was a toxin in the water, from sitting stagnant for so long right above those crystals, but…" His throat was still dry and he swallowed. "It made me feel… dirty, kind of… itchy…"

Ienzo came towards him. He put a finger under Demyx's chin and looked deep into his eyes. He checked his pulse as well. "You seem unharmed," he said. "I don't even smell the darkness on you."

"It didn't touch me. I felt it in the water. I didn't make it up, I swear, I—"

"We never thought you made it up," Ienzo said, as Even's muttering increased in volume. "Still… curious, how were you able to feel it without being exposed?"

"My powers," Demyx tried hopelessly. "I can feel bodies of water in my consciousness. I used to be able to figure stuff out about them—if they were contaminated, or drinkable, or how deep or far away from me they were. I hadn't gotten that back yet, but I think the darkness, for whatever reason, gave it back to me for a little while and I wasn't ready for it."

"We already know darkness does not confine itself to any logic," Even said. "You must be very careful and tell us in an instant if you begin to feel that way again."

Ienzo dove towards the computer console and began to hammer away at the computer. "It won't let me in," he hissed. "They must have changed all our passwords."

Demyx had never seen Ienzo this close to losing his cool. Nausea began to curdle in his stomach.

"Remember the backdoor, Ienzo," Even said in a voice that was probably supposed to be soothing. He went over to him. "We will fix this."

"We've done enough," Ienzo said bitterly. He slammed on the keys. "Damn it!"

Demyx flinched.

Even put an arm around him. "Take a deep breath, Ienzo. We need you to be calm."

He did so several times. Demyx swore he saw tears beading in the corners of his eyes.

"This is not something we can do on our own," Even said to Ienzo. "We can do some damage control for now, but we need the boy."

"Me?" Demyx asked faintly.

"No, Nine, but we need you to sense the extent of the damage. We need…" he grimaced, as if he tasted something bitter. "We need Sora."

Demyx's blood ran cold. "No," he said through his teeth. "No, I… I can't…"

"You felt how strong the darkness was. Do you want to risk exposing the townspeople to it?" Even asked.

His hands started to shake. "How long will it take him to get here?"

"Depends on where he is in his journey," Ienzo said in a shaky voice. He kept his eyes on the floor. "It could be minutes, it could be hours."

"I will go and explain the situation to the committee," Even said. "Both of you need to stay here and field the situation. That is, if you believe yourself capable of keeping it together."

He's coming. The words jumbled together in Demyx's head. He was coming and even worse Demyx would have to work with him. An ache sprang up in his chest and his lungs constricted. He slid down against the nearest wall.

The battle. The blood. The bluntness of the Keyblade scraping against his chest. A tight, pained sound left his mouth.

"He won't hurt you," Ienzo said tiredly. He leaned against the console for support. "If anything, he'll be looking to make amends."

Demyx clutched his knees to try and stop his hands from trembling. Breathe. Count to ten. Was it darkness or pure fear making him feel this way? Slick, cold sweat gathered on his back. And then when he'd woken up after dying nothing was the same, nothing was right—

"You're not the only one who faced defeat at the hands of Sora," Ienzo said. His voice was still faint and his eyes faraway. "Perhaps you should talk to Xal—ah, Dilan. You might find it somewhat cathartic."

Cold tears snaked down his face, but at least he seemed able to breathe again. "Why are you so afraid?" Demyx asked.

Ienzo shut his eyes. "Because," he said. "All of this—Xehanort, the world falling to darkness, Nobodies, the Organization—it's because of me."

"…What?" Demyx said.

A long moment of silence. Ienzo's breathing became more labored, and he was trembling, but Demyx couldn't bring himself to go over and comfort him. "When… when I was a young child, studying under Ansem the Wise," he began. "I was quite precocious—precocious enough for them to introduce me to their own research. Ansem the Wise was always a man who was interested in the heart, but he didn't dare put any of his ideas into physical practice. The ethics, you see. The people of Radiant Garden used to be so strongly moral. With the arrival of the boy—Xehanort in Terra's body—it reawakened his curiosity. And I chose that moment to strike. I convinced him, and the others quickly backed me, to build a laboratory and put some rudimentary experiments into practice. It was all to try and heal the boy's memories; he was an amnesiac. He had replaced me as the favorite, the protégé, and I was jealous. I thought—if I could help him, then… We only had good intentions. And then…"

Demyx swallowed. "…And then?"

"Because of the psychological and emotional rigor of the tests, the darkness within the subjects' hearts spread like flame and devoured them. And we learned about the Heartless." His voice was level but his face was splotchy and tears coursed steadily down his face. "Whatever came next-inadvertently it was all because of me. And I wanted to spare him pain. Him. All along."

Demyx didn't know what to say.

"I am trying my best to try and make up for what I did," he said. "But I can never undo it. I can never go back in time. I… must take my leave." He strode briskly out of the room and left Demyx there alone to contemplate the new meaning of the bottles on the wall.

He came quietly, and he came alone.

Demyx associated Sora with theatrics and loud bravado; not to mention those accursed friends of his. When he heard the knock on the wall, he assumed it was Even or one of the others, but then he looked up and saw the spiky hair and sky-blue eyes. Demyx's heart flew into his throat and choked him.

Demyx was still alone, as well. Ienzo's breakdown must have hit him pretty hard. Instinctively, he took a step back and raised his hands. He tried to breathe, and tasted bile.

Despite panic Demyx noticed that Sora looked different. Not just the outfit, or the hair, but the slump in his posture and the exhausted glint in his eye.

"I thought nobody was here," Sora said in a quiet voice. "Where is everyone?"

He dropped his hands. Sora expected an answer, but he couldn't speak.

Sora took a step forward. He was smaller than Demyx, and looked like he needed a good night's sleep. "You were the one who first sensed it, right?"

He nodded.

Sora walked past him over to the computer. "I'm not gonna hurt you," he said to the wall of bottles. "I can feel how tense you are from here."

The voice was uncanny, but Demyx was certain this was a different Sora. Still, he couldn't feel all that sorry for him. "Where are your friends?" he asked in a tremulous voice.

"They have other friends they need to help," Sora said. They made eye contact for the first time, and a chill shot down his spine. "It's just me. If that's okay."

You killed me, Demyx thought, but the words didn't leave his mouth. He shrugged.

"So I guess that means," Sora continued awkwardly. "That you turned out okay? After… our fight?" His hand flicked up to the back of his neck. "You're helping the committee. That means a lot to me."

"Not really," Demyx said. "I mean, I'm not."

"Not helping the committee? But Yuffie said—"

"No. I am. But I'm not okay."

"Oh," Sora said. "I'm… sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

Is there anything he can do? A blazing anger scalded away the rest of the fear, but Demyx was speechless.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway interrupted any stillborn expletives. Lea swaggered into the room, Keyblade akimbo. "Hey, you made it!" He called to Sora. "You know, you look terrible." Demyx watched in morbid fascination as they high-fived. "Oh, hey, Demyx," Lea added neutrally.

Sora squinted at him. "You still go by that name?"

"He has no other," Lea said. "It's a long story, right?"

"Right," Demyx said through his teeth.

"But he knows," Sora said quickly, and with a trace of panic. "He knows about the-?"

Lea put a hand on Sora's shoulder. "We still waiting for the others?"

"They think it has something to do with the lab," Demyx said. "And I have no idea how to get there."

Lea's smile faltered a little. "Well, don't worry about that, because I do."

"It's going to be dangerous," Sora said. "Can you fight?"

He had no weapon and his powers were unpredictable at best. He shrugged.

"I've got him covered," Lea said.

"I only sensed darkness in the water," Demyx said. "That doesn't mean I can face it."

"Maybe we should leave him here, then," Sora said.

It was irritating to be referred to like an object. Demyx grit his teeth.

"That may be so, but the boy might be our only indicator that the problem is solved." Even came from the doorway. Ienzo was not with him. "The laboratory's placement… was unfortunate in that regard. Connected right to a massive underground reservoir. Hello, Sora."

Sora squinted. "Hey, there."

"You don't remember me, do you? No matter. It's for the best."

Lea exhaled. "All right, old man. Let's get going."

The four of them went through a doorway to the south of the room. The lighting in here was dim at best, and a long, spiraling ramp proceeded down as far as Demyx could see. "Where is Ienzo?" He asked.

"He wanted to come, but he was unwell. I insisted he remain behind and lie down. He's let himself get all torn up about it. Things have changed. It will take him a while to realize that this burden is not his alone to bear, but all of ours."

Demyx noticed Lea look away sulkily. He drew his Keyblade.

"I don't like this place," Sora said. "What happened?"

"Are you sure you want to know?" Even asked. "Really, truly sure? I would be glad to address it another time over tea. You must keep your head."

"I know it had something to do with… hearts," Sora continued. "But all the information I have is vague."

"I never realized you cared," Lea cut in. "Since when do you gather intel?"

Sora shrugged. "It helps," he said weakly.

As they proceeded down the staircase, it grew darker and colder. A thick, acrid smoky smell filled the air. The faint lights couldn't fight the gloom. Sora gathered a small ball of light in his hands, and Lea created one of fire. Demyx and Even huddled close behind.

"We're getting close," Even said.

Demyx could see his breath. A shudder crawled across his skin, but a hot bubbling sensation started in his peripheral, accompanied by a massive pressure. Even was right; the reservoir was huge. He gasped out loud. He felt like he was being squeezed.

"Nine?" Even asked through the darkness.

"I feel it," he said.

"I do too," Sora said.

"I'm afraid it's gonna get worse before it gets better," Lea said. "We're barely halfway there. Will you be okay?"

"I think so," Sora said. Demyx couldn't be too sure. An overwhelming nausea gathered in his stomach and he kept his mouth shut.

The stairway emptied out to a flat floor full of doors with slotted windows. Overhead fluorescents popped on, but it didn't do anything to ease the gloom. They all tensed at once; Even and Lea both wore tight, drawn expression. Sora's eyes flooded with tears and a hand fluttered over his mouth. "Their pain… I… what happened, here?"

"I believe we can discuss it later," Even said firmly.

"No." Sora's voice was sharp. "I have to know. Pain like this—it's not natural. Can't you hear that?"

All Demyx heard was a pressing silence and the simmering of the water roiling with darkness. He leaned against a wall to keep his balance.

"Look at where we are, Sora. What do you think happened?" Lea asked in a harsh voice.

Sora stepped back. He glanced at the cells. His eyes widened and he turned even paler. "Why?" He asked. "Why? How?" He spat the last word at Even.

"Sora, you have to keep it together so we can fix this," Even said.

He turned. "I have to—I have to help them," he muttered.

"It's too late for them now," Even said. "But you can keep the people above from reaching the same fate."

"It's not too late for them," Demyx said faintly. He was feverish. "If we fix this, we'll be helping them."

"Them?" Lea asked.

"Not all people who become Heartless become Nobodies," Demyx said. "Their souls and bodies have to go somewhere. And the darkness keeps them here."

They all looked at him. Finally Sora nodded. "All right. Enough is enough. Where do we have to go?"

"There's only one more level," Lea said. "If they're not here, they're going to be down there." He gestured with the flame in his palm.

Sora bobbed his head again. "I'll go alone," he said.

"What? Are you crazy?" Lea barked. "You could still get slaughtered down there."

"It won't help them go in peace if their perpetrators are the one taking them down. Again." Sora's gaze was fierce. "So I'm going." He turned to Demyx. "Will you come with me?"

#nocturnal memory #demyx #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts 3d #fanfiction #i really wish there had been more done with the human experimentation element in kh2 #like HOLY SHIT that happened???#this is a kid's game #it's got so much narrative potential that was just wasted #so much moral complexity #then again #so much in kh has potential that gets wasted #and instead there's time travel bullshittery

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