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#CHAKRAMS ARE GOOD BUT FANS ARE *SO GOOD*
deet-doot · 2 years
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also i got fans!! :D
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hubristicassholefight · 7 months
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Swordswoman Showdown Round 3
Malenia (Elden Ring) vs Xena (Xena: Warrior Princess)
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(Better here in a "preferred character" sense, not "who would win in a fight")
Propaganda below cut
Malenia
She is arguably the hardest boss in any Fromsoft game.; She is the favorited boss of Animal from the Muppets.
"Arguably" the hardest boss in any fromsoft game? You don't even know. She is OBJECTIVELY the hardest boss in any fromsoft game. On march 1st 2023, a bit more than a full year since the game's release, From Software released the stats on the amount of attempts each boss took for the players collectively. As of march 1st 2023 Malenia has killed the players 329.000.000 times. That's 10 Tarnished every second. That's almost the entire population of the United States. Malenia is also an optional boss in a secluded area hidden away from everyone. According to PlayStation trophy statistics, only 37.9% of people who ever bought the game managed to even REACH Malenia in the first place. Which means among those 329.000.000 people she has obliterated were only the most dedicated of Fromsoft fans. Only 33.3% of people even managed to beat her. That number also includes everyone who beat her with summons, which makes her significantly easier. This means out of all people who bought the game on PlayStation 4 or 5 and reached Malenia which is about 3 million people, 377.000 just fucking dropped her, they didn't even do it with summons. Difficulty aside. Malenia is also extremely pretty and has the softest lips, her Goddess form looks like a painting. She fights with elegance and style unrivalled by any boss in the game, dancing through the battlefield with deadly, fluid motions. Malenia is also 256cm or 8'4" tall. Huge woman.
post let me solo her
#malenia is 8'4“ flat chested and broad shouldered#she kills you with incredible grace and poise#trans icon#id let her Waterfowl Dance on me and Infect Me with her Scarlet Rot...
#malenia is so dedicated to the sword it mends her failing body. she lives by fighting#her strongest attack is a technique that halts the progress of her terminal illness#i can never stop thinking about that. by all means she couldve rotted into a mile of mush before the game started#but she persists!! she persists!!!
#malenia blade of 15 layers of contradictory goals and personality traits summed up in like twelve total lines of dialogue#she's a stupidly good character but shes also a woman who did horrible things in a game with a deliberately vague narrative#so everyone just enters What A Bitch / Step On Me mode with her#as they are wont to do. the lowlives.#anyway what would happen if you hated yourself and successfully became someone who can do plenty of good#and yet the only way to live on and keep doing good would be to embrace the self who causes so much pain#but there's nothing left. so you wait and you rot and you keep telling yourself that you're still the self you love#and then you have to do it again. and now your conflictual agony is over because clearly you lost yourself long ago#and you look up knowing that you're the danger you've always feared you were. and you smile#and turn john eldenring into filet in 2 seconds flat
Xena
Warrior Princess
She wields a sword and chakram. Just had to submit a biconic swordswoman.
i love her. she made me gay as a kid. Anyway, her weapon of choice is her sword, she is obviously very good with it
#unfortunately i have to choose and i have to choose xena#a) utena had no warcry. b) xena fought gods. c) xena has kickass goofy comic book combat which is my favorite
xena didn’t just fight gods. she fucked up a girl’s life so bad that she (calisto) devoted her entire being to destroying everything that xena loved that ended up with calisto becoming a god in order to destroy xena, which didnt work because xena entombed her in lava. and then when xena and gabrielle encountered calisto in the (christian) afterlife (different from the greek one which they also fought her in), calisto dragged gabrielle to hell so xena became an archangel in order to save gabrielle and then sacrificed herself in order to undo all the harm that she did in calisto’s life and then when not!jesus (played by timothy omundson) revives xena and gabrielle, calisto impregnates xena with the reincarnation of calisto’s soul in order to end the cycle of hate. xena doesnt just fight gods. she creates and destroys them
#this isnt even mentioning her fighting julius ceasar several times#telling brutus that caesar is not his friend#xena and gabrielle’s souls reincarnating across centuries in order to kick ass and fall in love all over again#or the time xena became a god but tbh that ep is kinda ‘uhhhhh…..’ even if they did hire a consultant for it
#I think everyone here knows to vote for Xena. I think a couple people here might have some propaganda for Xena saved already#everyone remember that Xena/Gabrielle is CANON and that's a pretty big deal also#(does anyone have that Xena Loves Trans People interview around because that would also make good propaganda)7:47 PM
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marley-manson · 10 days
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Xena season 4 finale(ish) post, warning for spoilers for certain mutuals who are currently watching the show, or anyone else.
FANTASTIC climax to Gabrielle's arc this season, good god. When she throws that fucking spear... chills. This is another contender for favourite Xena scene of all, it's so incredibly effective. The way these last few episodes have really hammered down Gabrielle's pacifism with her arguments with Amarice, her choice to let Brutus go instead of having him executed, her stupid powder and non-lethal fight shenanigans, the return of Eli in this episode - and it's all there just to make the moment where she picks up that spear as impactful as possible, and it works. Even her first kill and that fallout all the way back in season 3 now feels like it exists just to set up the emotional impact of this scene, it's that good.
And god the scene itself is amazing to watch. The way she mows down soldier after soldier as brutally and efficiently as possible, the way she visibly shifts from fighting to protect Xena to lashing out in frustrated rage as she realizes that escape is impossible, her lack of regret afterwards. The cheffest of kisses.
This episode was fantastic in other ways as well. I love that the show makes it clear that Xena only lost here because Callisto is a fucking cheater lmao. She would've killed Caesar when she intended to if Callisto hadn't intercepted her chakram, and she would've escaped the prison if Callisto hadn't broken her back. Caesar didn't defeat Xena, Callisto did, and only because Callisto has ghost magic going on. And that's very fitting too, because if it was just Xena vs Caesar it might've felt a little thin for an epic conclusion - but with true fan-beloved archnemesis Callisto involved, it feels appropriately impactful. Also love that Xena intended to just quietly assassinate Caesar lol. Circumstances are a little different than The Debt, since Caesar did declare his murderous intentions first, but the vibes are similar and I love them.
Also Caesar's sexualized vulnerability in this ep sure was a choice, but a good one imo - the sex nightmare (including a prolonged shot where they're positioned to mimic gender-reversed missionary) as well as Callisto getting handsy with him. And again like, idk exactly what the intent was here, but the vibes do feel like a call-back to his dubconny sexual encounter with Xena, and the fact (? taking their exchange in When Fates Collide into account, when Xena says she must've been his worst nightmare) that he was/is afraid of her. Idk, it adds a nicely complex layer to their interactions and mutual enmity, not quite undermining Xena's resentful hatred, but suggesting it's a two-way street, and for a good reason. And given that they both simultaneously die by each others' hands-by-proxy in a pair of intercut scenes at the end, it does fit this story nicely. Both achieve a cathartic, and arguably deserved, vengeance.
Idk if I can say that was the intent definitively, I mean, the show also just has a hard-on for dominant women lol, it doesn't frame Xena as an actual rapist at any point, and it certainly hasn't made an impression on fans either based on the fact that I've like, never seen this dynamic between them discussed before. But Caesar waking up in terror after dreaming about Xena fucking and then stabbing him - in a context that suggests this is a recurring nightmare, given Callisto's off-hand comment and the fact that he hasn't even seen her recently - sure is a striking image to start us off with, yk?
Oh man and finally I adore Callisto in this ep, and not just because she looks good with short hair lol. Also like, that shot when Xena and Gabrielle are being brought out to the crosses and she catches a snowflake on her tongue like a delighted child might be my favourite Callisto moment of all <333 And speaking of that moment, the direction and editing of this episode was also just amazing. Beautiful, many striking images, excellently paced.
Basically this was a nearly perfect episode, extremely satisfying and poignant and engaging and intriguing, and if it had actually been the end of the series it would've been a very fitting end. In some ways seasons 5 and 6 almost feel like bonus seasons lol, take them or leave them, with this as the true thematically resonant and emotionally satisfying ending.
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Mass Effect Tag Game
I stole this from @onedismay and anyone can now proceed to steal it from me
I am a fan since: The release of Legendary Edition, which came out on my birthday. And--1500+ hours of playtime later--It's the gift that keeps on giving lol
Favourite game of the series?: Mass Effect 2 is definitely my favourite because there just feels like there's so much more at stake and all the new characters introduced are great
MShep or FShep?: Most of my Sheps are women but I do have a few men even though I technically haven't played all of them yet
Earthborn, Colonist or Spacer?: I know a lot of people probably consider this the boring option, but I do prefer Earthborn because, for whatever reason, I have a thing about my OCs never knowing their parents
Biotics or Tech: 100% tech, I don't fuck with biotics
Paragon or Renegade: My main Shep is renegade with a touch of paragon
Favourite Class: Infiltrator is my go-to class, but I'll admit that I don't have a lot of experience with any of the other classes
Favourite Companion: Uhm all the techies are essentially my faves lol so Garrus, Tali, EDI, Legion, Kasumi, and Mordin. I also adore Joker, who I feel like gets accidentally excluded a lot because he's not someone who can tag along on missions. Then I have a bit of a soft spot for Vega. Oh, and Aria is pretty much the only asari character I enjoy lol
Least favourite Companion: I might get hate for this, but Liara. I hate how forced she is on you in the first game, and the fact that that does change for the rest of the series makes me so uncomfortable. I literally don't even both talking to her. Ever. I forget she's there half the time. If it weren't for the couple missions in ME3 where you're forced to take her, she would never leave the ship
My squad selection: Garrus is almost always there. I've forced myself to broaden my selection in recent playthroughs and utilise (almost) everyone, but Garrus is still definitely a top pick. Tali is up there, as well. Frankly, this answer is essentially the same as my fave companion(s) plus Wrex
Favourite In-game romance: Garrus. The only romance I honestly give a shit about
Other pairings I like: Joker and EDI, 100%. I'm also into the Jack/Miranda pairing, and I enjoy the thought of Ash and James ending up together
Favourite NPC: This is probably the proper place to mention Joker and Aria, but I'm not going back to edit my other answer including them lol
Favourite Antagonist: I'm not sure I really have one. Saren had potential and it would've been neat if he had stuck around for at least another game, but obviously that didn't happen. The Illusive Man was kinda lame and just overall a nuance soooo idk Udina? lmao
Favourite Mission: I'm not entirely sure... I don't think I necessarily have a favourite because they're all mandatory, for the most part. Even if they're not mandatory story-wise, they are to level up so it's ike...idk none of them really stick out to me and I dread something about each of them, to be honest lol
Favourite Loyalty Mission: Obligatory Garrus answer, but then I also enjoy Tali's mission, uhm... Kasumi's is fun, Mordin's is good, aaaand that's probably it
Favourite DLC: Citadel, hands down. Just the absolutely campiness and insanity of it. I mean, it was a good way to lighten the mood of what the rest of ME3 is, so the ridiculousness of it was honestly much appreciated. A close second would probably be between Omega and Leviathan
Control, Synthesis or Destroy: I prefer Synthesis. I don't give a shit what people say about it, I'm not going through all that bullshit of ending a 300-year long war between the Quarians and Geth just to fucking destroy the Geth in the end. It's pointless. Plus, I could never do that to EDI
Favourite Weapon: While I usually am the Infiltrator class, I always choose assault rifles as my specialisation (or just use them in general when I can), so in ME2 my go-to is the Mattock while in ME3 it's the Valkyrie or Chakram Launcher. As for sniper rifles, in ME2 it's the Viper and in ME3 it's the Valiant
Favourite Place: I enjoy Omega and Illium the most. I wish we could've explored them more because I feel like there was so much lost potential there.
A quote I like: "I won't let fear compromise who I am." ~Shepard. I would honestly get that tattooed on my body lol Garrus has a lot of good/funny quotes, too, especially in ME3 but that Shepard one is always the first to come to mind
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venusdeservedbetter · 2 years
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Was speaking with @deadlyflan last night, and they brought up the idea of using traditional Chinese weapons for versions Venus/Mei Pieh Chi. Loved the idea, so here’s some of my favorites.
Tessen: my favorite, and original go-to. Still love this weapon, and it’s my choice for her “default” weapon.
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Meteor hammer: weapon I loved in the past, never thought of using it for her before
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Rope dart/Duel whip: cool long range chained weapon, love seing them in demonstrations
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Wind-and-fire wheels/Deer horn knives: good substitute for the original Chakrams idea I had
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Twin hammers: feels a bit too Raph, but I’m willing to ignore it because they’re cool.
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Hook Sword: once saw these on a fan retool of an older TMNT figure, and thought it was cool
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Special mention to the sansetsukon and tonfa, both cool weapons but I associate them more with Mikey and Raph, respectively.
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jessjustplay · 1 year
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I am Setsuna - Game Review
April 29, 2023
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I am Setsuna is an emotional game with beautiful graphics and soothing music. The gameplay reminds me of Chrono Trigger, while the story brings back memories of Final Fantasy X. It truly feels like two of my favorite video games were merged together and used as inspiration to create this melancholic masterpiece. If you are looking for a cozy and peaceful, albeit somber and a bit sad, gaming experience, then I am Setsuna is a great choice!
Story/Characters
I found I am Setsuna on Steam while browsing the Square-Enix store page. I read the game description, which currently reads as: “Inspired by the timeless classic Chrono Trigger, I am Setsuna is a great homage to the JRPG masterpieces of yesteryear. Journey with Setsuna as she prepares to make the ultimate sacrifice and save the people of her land.”
That is good synopsis of what the story is about, but just to expand a bit: you play as a man named Endir who finds Setsuna and tags along on her pilgrimage. You also meet Aeterna, who is very protective of Setsuna and determined to safely escort her to the Last Lands. Along the way, you meet other characters who are very unique and complementary to each other. The team *feels* like a team, making the gaming experience feel very cozy because you know everyone cares about each other. 
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The game has good storytelling with pacing that is not too slow or too fast. You learn what you need to know at appropriate times, and the game does a good job at explaining the lore, history, and traditions that make current events unfold and why they are necessary.
Also, I appreciate that the game itself has a synopsis that is upfront of what to expect. This is not a “feel-good-happy-times” story and you know it when you buy it. There are plenty of sad songs and sad movies that evoke sad emotions in us, I am Setsuna’s story does the same, just in a video game format.
Gameplay
Between the time I bought I am Setsuna and started playing it, I began and finished my first playthrough of Chrono Trigger. I’m so glad I did because I wouldn’t have noticed the Chrono Trigger elements that are in this game. The monsters that you fight are visible on screen, so there aren’t any random encounters that require a battle screen transition. This means you can evade monsters simply by walking around them (if you’re lucky).
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Characters have their unique sets of weapons including swords, chakrams, daggers, staves, and lances. A pleasant surprise was seeing the character’s weapon actually change on screen. I really liked this until Nidr got a hideous weapon and I had to take him out of the party because I thought it was too ugly. I know that sounds silly, but it’s true. *shrug*
Your characters also have their own attacking or healing moves, called techs, short for techniques. They can link up with other members of the party to execute attacks together. I am Setsuna utilizes something called “Momentum”. There’s a gauge that fills up during battles and when it’s full, you get a Momentum point. (I think it might be called a SP “Skill Points”, but I just call it Momentum points.)
When activated, your techs will have something extra added, like stronger attack power, longer lasting effects for buffs, or bonus healing for the entire party. The effects vary by character and their tech. For example, Nidr’s tech “Blunt Blow” is a strong attack on its own, but when Momentum is activated, it will also heal the party members. Another example is Endir’s “Aura” which is a healing tech for the party, but when used in Momentum mode, it will also cure everyone of status ailments. Learning these Momentum extras is essential when creating a strategic plan for taking down tougher enemies.
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Leveling up is very straightforward and will feel familiar to any RPG fan. Experience points are earned after fights and the more EXP, the more you level up. All of your characters earn EXP even if they are not in your active party, but I did get a sense that your active party gains the most EXP while your inactive party members get less. Still, it’s nice to not have to switch through them all in order to have a party on the same level. (I’m looking at you, Octopath Traveler!)
Outside of battles, maneuvering through the game feels easy and comfortable. There’s a world map (without enemy encounters) and many villages and dungeons to go through. Your 3 party members will all appear on screen, following each other in a line, and I love that you can easily open the menu, wherever you are, and change your party if needed. Although Endir is the main protagonist of the game, he does not need to be in your party at all, which I thought was pretty cool.
Music/Sound
Even though the story is a bit doom & gloom, the music in this game is beautiful and incredibly relaxing. The entire game uses piano tracks, and as someone who previously thought I wasn’t a big fan of solo piano songs, I am Setsuna has completely changed my mind! (Well, at least for this soundtrack. 😉)
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I played the game without any voice acting, but I believe the game gives you the option to have Japanese voice overs. I feel most comfortable reading at my own pace, so even if English voice acting had been available, I still wouldn't have turned the voice acting on. Nothing against the voice actors, but it was a nice experience to play this game with just the background music and sound effects.
One last thing for sound, there is a very specific noise that plays when you successfully activate Momentum and it’s pretty satisfying to hear! *Random, but definitely something I liked.*
Art/Graphics
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The majority of the game takes place in snowy settings, yet manages to still create a warm and cozy environment wherever you are. The grays, wintery blues, and emerald greens work so well together for serene, beautiful backgrounds. Small details like the wind blowing, water flowing, and snowflakes falling, and the imprinted path left in the snow while walking stood out immediately. The characters even had a breathing effects when they “talked”, something you’d see in real life when communicating in cold weather. The artwork and the details definitely make this game special!
Overall
I am Setsuna is a must-play game for any JRPG lover, especially if you are like me and *love* Final Fantasy X and Chrono Trigger as this is a video game that takes inspiration from both. The main game took me 19 ½ hours to complete, so it’s a great game when you need something engaging but not too extensive. One important note, the game has an overarching theme about death and life purpose, so it’s best to play this when you are in a good headspace and can handle heavier topics like this. Overall, I love this game and I enjoyed the emotional experience.
Let me know if you’ve played this game or if you’re thinking about giving it a try!
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shadlad24 · 2 years
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More Funny Little Moments #3: Season 2, Episodes 1-11
Finally. Finally, it. Is. FINISHED! YAAAAAY!!! Like last time, this MFLM will only include one to two additional funny moments per episode.
2.1: Orphan of War 
This half of the season at least is SO reliant on characters being dumb! At least Xena gets to sass Gabrielle for once in my posts? heh
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2.2: Remember Nothing 
Perhaps remembering what dude did to her drumstick, Gabrielle thinks…
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Ooh! The realization behind the following collage was actually pretty good! What an endearing/intriguing little reversal, eh?
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2.3: The Giant Killer 
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Hee! My beloved goof. The only reason I left this unnecessary, dramatic stunt out in the main post is because the second of the FFLM points came a beat later. heh
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It really must be asked: GabbyWabs, are you blind? How could you watch this chick take a running leap into David’s arms like that, then stand with him in such a way, and not realize that they were romantically joined? LOLz Sorry, kid.
2.4: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun 
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This bit was more of a “Wut?” on my part. Did Xena’s killing Bacchus and reversing his curse somehow kill Orpheus too? No? But dude’s wifey-poo be dead. How can they be together if he’s still—well, whatever gods/immortals do that approximates being—alive?*
2.5: Return of Callisto 
Okay, this note probably needs a bit of prefacing. As you may know, I don’t see Xena or even GXe’s relationship as most other fans do. Given how domineering and protective yet dismissive Xena was toward Gabrielle in the beginning, I was seriously like, “Does Xena think she’s Gabrielle’s dad? I think she thinks she’s Gabrielle's dad…” 😆 Especially here…
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2.6: Warrior…Princess…Tramp 
Joxer is truly something else. Rather than finding his latest tale amusing in any way, I found it …eerie. First, he seemingly casts himself in the role of Perdicas; then he turns into Callisto. Then he is faced with Gabrielle, his friend (whom he apparently sees as a little girl to the point of being his surrogate daughter^) who just days ago lost Perdicas to Callisto. He laughs off his grotesque retelling, in her face. But that’s okay. She chuckles too. Again, despite being just DAYS off of losing her lifelong friend and puppy-love. And no, Joxer didn’t see Perdicas die, but he obviously heard what happened, and, and was inches behind Gabrielle when she professed her grief-crazed desire to kill Callisto herself! Well, GJ soon play the moment off as if he’s describing their first interaction with Callisto, but still …Can we just say yikes here? It’s so terrible it’s almost funny…
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2.7: Intimate Stranger 
Ahem. Next up we have another instance of really stupid decision-making on one character’s part and yet another glaring example of unobservant-ness from a second character, once more Gabrielle. Callisto does not know how to whisper. She also doesn’t know how not broadcast her plan to the masses nor stop mugging even at inopportune times. But that’s alright. Gabrielle’s hearing range does not extend beyond a four-foot radius, I guess. Same for her vision? Even if she can’t hear what Callisto’s saying, can she not see “Xena’s” face? Read her lips? Notice “the warrior princess” turning the dagger around, shoving it under her own chin, and then holding it there, all the while psycho-grinning at her worst enemy and recent peace-stealer? No? …LOL? 🥲
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2.8: Ten Little Warlords 
Ahem, part 2. I’ll just let Xena take over here.
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2.9: A Solstice Carol 
For crying out loud! So, dumb-butt Lynal really, truly thought Xena’s chakram was not just an accessory, but an ornament? Makes sense. I know I always go around with my Christmas-tree-topper star hanging on my hip during Christmastime. Particularly when I’m out and about in a decidedly extremely anti-Christmas town. You know, for the funsies. …But, like, even if we excuse the boy’s idiocy like we had to previously^, why did the chakram go along with it? The round-killing thing sliced Xena’s hand when she thought it was a toy. So why didn’t it cut the kid while he was demeaning it with those bows and all? What the? The chakram knows things, okay? Unacceptable, chakram! LOL!
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Quick bit surrounding an odd line:
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2.10: The Xena Scrolls 
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We can’t go a MFLM without mentioning Hope, right? Never! ’Tis tradition to give her a shoutout in these things now! Thus, Xena and I are on the same wavelength again because I said so. ...Dahak did steal Gabrielle’s innocence, goodness, peace, etc., and Gabrielle did abandon them both, after all. Huh! Wouldn’t that be something if Janice really was Hope reincarnated? Perhaps even the cover of a resurrected, immortal Hope? Heh/D’aw/Oh my!
2.11: Here She Comes… Miss Amphipolis 
We finish with a small, albeit obvious chuckle. How did the ladies know their ranking? It comes across as if they both knew beforehand and didn’t. Salmoneus at least seemed certain they didn’t, hence his early banter with Xena. And how great would it have been if he interrupted at least once and was like, “Uh, that’s great, Miss ____, but you aren’t who I was about to call”? heheheheh
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Welp, that’s that. At last! Yeyeyeyeyeyey!
Here go the…
Season 1 FFLMs (2's are^): #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #24 + MFLMs: #1 #2
and
Episodic Ficlets: #1 #1 (Truncated) #2 #3 #4 #4 (Alternate) #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #24 + Google Doc
Also-also, this is my 299th post, completed almost a week after my 21st mensiversary (fully updated master post). What should I do for my big 300th post? Please send in some ideas ASAP! Thanks, all!
*No, but really. Orpheus must be dead right? If Eurydice passed so long ago, and her widow was still all bitter about it until minutes ago, that heavily implies that he and she were separated all that time. Now they’re together again? …How? Why? Ooh! Totally-aside-also, but did Eve need to exist since Xena was already killing gods years before the girl was ever conceived? Hmm…
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sdcomics525 · 5 months
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Cuz if you're good at something, you might as well make it your weapon... wait, is that right? Well, a half-elf party girl that can cut loose on the dance floor and the battlefield make for a formidable foe. If only she doesn't leave the guild so much...
So I realized after the first chapter that I didn't have a lot of non-human adventurers. And the Kingdom Hearts fan in me noticed that with all the weapons I've given out, I didn't have anyone welding chakrams. That's how Colette came to be, in a nutshell
I guess I also wasn't satisfied with just Elza in my attempts at making cute girls. I also didn't use a lot of pink up until now, so this kinda worked out.
If there was any reason to want to see That Shield Kid animated, it would be to see Colette in combat. Her dancing style of fighting and the way she wields her chakrams looks so cool in my head! Still comic panels do not do it justice (though my art skill is also to blame).
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inun4ki · 6 months
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Also weaponry with his fighting styles, what's he 'trial and error'd he way through to get to his favourite weapon? Would he ever trade his main weaponry choice for something more fitting to his look or style in battle, like knife-ropes or bladed fans, etc?
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honestly kaede favors the blade skdjfhs swords, knives, bladed fans, ring blades, etc etc. most of his training throughout his youth focused heavily on weapons that could be treated as ' an extension of himself ', so he was almost always practicing with weapons that could easily slot into his particular style since it's adaptive and flexible. scythes, staves, again swords and knives, whips, chakrams, the whole nine yards tbh. now, mind you, he's not good at integrating all of them into his style, but once he finds a suitable enough rhythm, he's still able to use them effectively.
i don't think he'd ever swap out his typical loadout for anything else unless he felt the situation absolutely called for it - if it ain't broken, why fix it? his katana and each of his knives get the job done and are versatile enough for any given situation that he doesn't really need to use anything else. he's so used to using them by now, it'd be like stripping him naked on the battlefield if he didn't have them on him. like, normally, that's what he uses. but there are occasions he approaches the situation differently, they're just few and far between.
that being said, in the off chance he doesn't have his usual shit, homie'll probably improvise something or go supernova and call it a day.
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gertlushgaming · 6 months
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Prison City Review (PlayStation 5)
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For this Prison City Review, we play a dystopian, action-packed side-scroller with tight mechanics and intricate level design. Battle Techno-Terrorists with your chakram and grenades, eat hot dogs for health and locate contacts to help take down bosses.
Prison City Review Pros:
- Beautiful 16-bit graphics. - 356.4MB Download size. - 27 trophies. - Own in-game trophies. - 10 save slots with copy and delete options. - Four difficulties - Easy, modern, classic, and custom. Each has Pros and cons. - You get the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game. - Graphics settings - CRT and soft filters, display (stretched/pixel perfect), border art on/off, and button graphics. - Action platformer gameplay. - You can rebind the controls. - Optional tutorial level with optional advanced levels. - Chiptune soundtrack. - Armed with Chakarams, you can shoot them in 8 directions with button presses rather than angling the d-pad. - Supports using the d-pad and/or analog. - Goes for a style and absolutely nails it. - In-game cutscenes. - Solid responsive controls and movement. - Power up your weapons with pickups, once at max level 3 you can fire through walls. - Familiar controls for the genre. - Eight locations - rooftops, freeway, stadium, cold storage, sewers, power plant, factory, and preserve. - You get to pick where you go after each level. - Big boss encounters complete with on-screen health bars. - You can skip the cutscenes. - Each location has unique enemy types. - The map uncovers as you explore. - All levels have many routes and secrets. - Throwing your Chakarams causes them to heat up, filling them up will disable them temporarily. - The goal in each level is to find your informant and get the key for the exit. - Actions - slide, jump, ledge grabbing, and climbing fences and ladders. - Checkpoints can be found and used as respawn points. - Health bar with health pick-ups. - Shields can be collected to make you temporarily Invincible. - Awesome-looking enemies and obstacles. - Vehicle segments are really good fun. - Grenades are like a smart bomb and kill all enemies on the screen. - An excellent example of a modern retro game. - So much fun to play. - A must for Contra and retro fans alike. Prison City Review Cons: - The grabbing-a-ledge system just feels awkward, it requires you to hold up as you hit the ledge or fence which is a pain when you're trying to go down the screen. - At times the art style gets in the way and makes it hard to see what's in play and what isn't. - Enemies respawn as soon as they go out of sight. - A hard trophy list. - No Platinum trophy. - Little replay unless you are after all the trophies. Related Post: Spirittea Review (Nintendo Switch OLED) Prison City: Official website. Developer: Retroware Publisher: Retroware Store Links -  PlayStation Read the full article
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filmmakerdreamst · 3 years
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Why Xena: Warrior Princess Was Groundbreaking
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If you remember Xena: Warrior Princess, you probably do for a few reasons. The tiny, tight-fitting costumes worn by its lead characters. That circular spinny thing Xena threw at people (it’s called a chakram). Xena’s fabulous ululating war cry. The bizarre mish-mash of history the show threw together (though the producers knew their stuff, deep down – Rob Tapert later produced the rather more accurate Spartacus for STARZ). What you might not remember, or might not know if you’re unfamiliar with the show, is just how important and ground-breaking Xena was when it first aired between 1995 and 2001.
The first and most obviously groundbreaking thing about Xena: Warrior Princess was, of course, the gender of its lead character. Xena wasn’t the first female lead of an action-adventure series – Charlie’s Angels and Lynda Carter’s Wonder Woman, for example, had enjoyed success in the 1970s, while non-action-adventure shows led by women had been common for quite some time, with 1990s examples including Ellen, Blossom, Sabrina the Teenage Witch, and Cybill.
The way Xena presented its female hero, though, was a bit different. The opening narration describes how “a land in turmoil cried out for a hero” and then presents the hero in question with an emphatic “she” as we see Xena riding into battle. Lucy Lawless, aside from being likable and charismatic, gave us a heroine who looked like she could physically handle a fight (rather than a super-powered waif-like heroine) while still being extremely attractive (as the costume department and directors were keen to emphasize!). She owed a lot to Carter and Wonder Woman, but Xena’s capability, confidence, and independence were a breath of fresh air in the 1990s SFF television landscape.
Xena’s portrayals of race, gender, and sexuality may seem fairly normal or even disappointing now but were highly progressive at the time. While the show was white-dominated, there was a clear effort made to introduce a more diverse cast. One of Xena’s early love interests was a black man, something hopefully no longer of note, but still relatively unusual at the time. The show also cast a black actress, Galyn Görg, as Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world, offering a nice change from the usual blonde, blue-eyed Helens we’ve seen on film and TV for decades. Similarly, Cleopatra was later played by Gina Torres. The series also set several episodes in Asia, featuring Asian guest characters.
The most significant relationship on Xena was, of course, that between Xena and Gabrielle. To a modern viewer, their relationship probably comes across as frustrating and disappointing, as despite many hints, frequent sub-textual references, and great chemistry between the two actresses, their relationship was never officially clearly stated to be romantic. They did, however, kiss as early as season 2.
Back in the 1990s, two characters of the same gender kissing was still a huge deal. Carol and Susan on Friends were restricted to hugging even at their wedding, while Willow and Tara’s first on-screen kiss on Buffy the Vampire Slayer was eventually worked into the deeply emotional episode “The Body,” after almost two years of subtext and more hugging.
On Xena, in the grand tradition of SFF TV (see also: Star Trek‘s “Plato’s Stepchildren”), a way was found to make the kiss more palatable to the networks. Xena was occupying the body of a man, Autolycus, at the time, so we see Xena’s spirit and Gabrielle’s come together for the kiss, played by the actresses, and then cut to Renee O’Connor’s Gabrielle kissing Bruce Campbell’s Autolycus, so the image actually broadcast is that of a man and a woman kissing. This may look like pandering and queer-baiting to modern eyes, but for the 1990s, it was a major step forward and the kiss was hugely important to LGBTQ Xena fans. Throughout the series, tricks like this were used to create a romantic story by the back door, so to speak. In another plot arc, Xena and Gabrielle’s reincarnated souls married each other.
Both characters had relationships with men throughout the series as well, but a reading of the show as led by two bisexual female characters who were in a relationship with each other was positively encouraged by numerous hints. In 1997, the same year as Xena and Gabrielle’s kiss, both Ellen DeGeneres and her namesake character on her own sitcom came out, something which sent shock waves through the entertainment industry, so this was a genuinely progressive move. And Xena told progressive stories about gender in other ways as well. Also in 1997, the episode “Here She Comes… Miss Amphipolis” featured a transvestite character winning a beauty pageant (in which Gabrielle acts as Xena’s “sponsor,” surrounded by men “sponsoring” their girlfriends).
Xena was groundbreaking in its format as well. Like contemporary show Frasier, Xena was a spin-off based on a character from another series and this produced a setup that might not have sold without its head start from Hercules: The Legendary Journeys. Our hero is not a pure and innocent champion of good, but a former villain trying to redeem herself for the bad things she’s done (this may sound familiar, but remember, the show pre-dates Angel!). This setup ensures that Xena never slips into standard Strong Female Character tropes. Strong she certainly is, but she is also fully three-dimensional, flawed (always trying to balance violent impulses and a desire for peace), looking for ways to use her violent skills for good and burdened by guilt. And then there’s her counterpart, Gabrielle – resisting physical violence for a long time, interested in art and literature but unable to tear herself away from Xena and the violence inherent in Xena’s lifestyle.
The show also popularized some of modern SFF television’s most beloved tropes. It was not the first show to break the fourth wall, or do a musical episode, or do a time loop episode, or any of the other tropes that show up. However, it did do a lot to popularize more experimental episodes like “A Day In The Life” or the famous first musical episode “The Bitter Suite” – which took the musical format completely seriously, a move unusual at the time – as the show used these in a manner and with a frequency that were unusual at the time (along with its parent show, Hercules).
The X-Files, for example, produced some great format-bending episodes, but usually only once or twice a season (with the exception of season six). Xena showed that a series format could be seriously flexible, including multiple episodes set in the twentieth century, hundreds of years away from the main setting of the show, as well as a wide range of other stories. Again, it was not the first or the only show to do so (Doctor Who is the most obvious example of a show with a seriously flexible format) but it made this type of television seem viable and popular.
Xena has had a huge influence on SFF film and television over the years. It takes only a brief look at a basic description of the show to see how much Buffy the Vampire Slayer (which debuted as a television series two years after Xena, in 1997, though the 1992 film pre-dates Xena) and Angel owe to Xena, and the debt was acknowledged in Buffy’s “Halloween” (“She couldn’t have dressed up like Xena?”).
It’s also worth noting that, before The Lord of The Rings showed the world how beautiful the New Zealand landscape was, the cast and crew of Xena and Hercules were ignoring the distinct lack of any similarity between the geography of New Zealand and Greece and showing the scenery off as best they could on relatively low budget television. Many of the cast and crew worked on the Lord of the Rings films as well – notable examples include cast members Karl Urban and Martin Csokas, costume designer Ngila Dickson (whose departure in 1999 presumably allowed her to focus on the films), and Richard Taylor and Tania Rodger, co-founders of Weta Workshop, who worked on a handful of early episodes.
In some ways, Xena: Warrior Princess hasn’t aged too well. The special effects can look a bit ropey (not surprising considering the show’s era and budget), the stories are often cheesy, and its episodic format has gone out of fashion. But the show is well worth a watch if you haven’t yet caught an episode. It has heart and heap-loads of humor (every episode ends with a joke disclaimer about who was or was not harmed during the making of it) and managed to balance dark and light pretty well, veering between pure comedy and deeply serious material with relative ease. The current SFF TV landscape wouldn’t be what it is without Xena and her chakram.
- Why Xena: Warrior Princess Was Groundbreaking by Juliette Harrisson
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themadauthorshatter · 3 years
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... I think you guys are going to like this.
358/2 Days REWRITE Part 2
Riku is around, but he's all over the place, and he has a mission: Find and capture either Roxas or Xion, unless he CAN manage both, so DiZ can use them to help Sora recover. He's on a time limit, though, because Sora's heart is damaged and the longer Roxas and Xion are around, the less likely Sora is to waking up or even sleeping; I mean, he'll BE sleeping, but it'll be much quieter and it will be absolutely pointless to try waking him up.
For the first few days or months, he keeps his distance, trying to decide who he's picking, sadly.
Pros of bringing Roxas to DiZ: He has the closest connection to Sora, being his nobody, he's got the keyblade, Riku can probably take him one v. one, if there are any problems, he just needs to get a reaction out of 'Sora.'
CONS of bringing to Roxas to DiZ: Have fun trying to run from the remaining Organization members, he'll have to avoid Non-form or he'll get beaten all to Hell, he runs the risk of hurting his friend for reals, Roxas is rarely alone, Roxas is one hell of a runner and fighter, he'll just feel bad.
Pros of bringing Xion to DiZ: She has more 'keyblade' potential, maybe her voice will help wake up Sora(?), she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé gets a new friend(as long as DiZ doesn't decide to throw her away).
CONS of bringing Xion to DiZ: She looks and sounds like Kairi, she's crazy skilled, she hits hard, she's laughable when she's mad, but it's gut wrenching to see her cry or be hurt, she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé is probably getting Thanosed when DiZ is done with her because he's a dick right now, so giving Xion to her as a friend will mean nothing, the connection to Kairi, he'll feel bad.
As you can tell, Riku is great at making decisions(sarcasm)
While he's too caught up to do anything, let's check on the sea salt trio, who are getting closer as friends, i.e. seeing Hayner, Pence, and Olette do stupid stuff a KH equivalent of TikTok, which the trio repeats on their own without a phone recording them, eating ice cream, talking, and exploring the Disney worlds for fun, both old ones and new ones that will appear in future games.
In this time, Xion becomes a mix of Kairi and Naminé, outspoken, but careful with who she runs her mouth to, smart, but still open to learn, protective and still needs something if a protector, etc. She is also a wickedly fast learner.
We also get organization shenanigans like Demyx being lazy on missions, Roxas getting annoyed at Xigbar for calling him tiger, dealing with  Saïx, trying not to annoy Xaldin, even getting head pats from Xemnas, and, for fluff, Roxas and Xion finding Axel asleep on the floor of the clock tower and the two scaring him away for shits and giggles. 
Yes, a lot of time passes, about 9-11 months, give or take.
Roxas and Xion also become closer as well with Axel being something like their chaperone, only he reports to Xemnas and Saïx.
Speaking of Saïx, he meets up with Axel one day and expresses disdain with the fact Axel would rather be friends with an unstable Roxas and a literal puppet that doesn't even exist.
Axel, on edge already with Xemnas on his back, tells Saïx to put a cork in it. Saïx only pushes back, asking if Roxas even KNOWS what Xion is, even what HE is. To both their credit, the two are wonderful at playing make believe and Axel, being the child he is, is a great at being their playmate.
Axel shoves Saïx back, snapping for him to shut his mouth before he says something he'll regret. Saïx, losing his composure, shoves back, asking if he should because Axel can't handle the truth; he never has been good at it, so it's not surprising.
Ring a bell, someone, please, because Axel throws a punch into Saïx's cheekbone. Saïx returns with a left hook directly to the side of the neck and knees Axel, who grabs his leg under his knee and rolls, making them both fall and throw more punches on the ground, bruising and bloodying each other in full view of the remaining organization members. Maybe we get a gag of Xigbar and Luxord placing bets on who will win, Demyx worrying because they should probably be stopped, Xaldin scoffing at the immature display, and then Roxas and Xion walking in and instantly getting worried because Axel is not winning this fight, as evidenced by Saïx slamming his head into the floor.
When the two stand up to keep fighting, Roxas and Xion race between them, the boy in front of Saïx and a very nervous Xion in front of Axel, who tells her and Roxas to stay out of this or they'll get hurt.
Roxas obviously refuses, but Xion leads Axel away from Saïx, who asks if Axel really needs children to protect him.
No, he needs to protect these two idiots, especially Roxas, who hasn't moved and his eyes have gone Non-form-y, like he's about to transform.
Saïx returns with berserker eyes and smashes Roxas into the wall by his neck, daring him to try it.
It draws a gasp from EVRYONE, even Xaldin, but Saïx scoffs that they shouldn't try pretending to be worried, what with how unstable and how much of a nuisance Roxas is, not too mention weak, which he says while watching Roxas try to break free. He kicks at Saïx, and misses, but Saïx smirks and summons his claymore, wanting to see how tough Roxas really is.
There's a reason Xion pulled Axel away and is so nervous, because said reason puts a hand on Saïx's shoulder and asks him if he enjoys this façade of a life and would rather not disappear.
Yep. Xemnas is here, and everyone backs down, including the the bet making Xigbar and Luxord, who so they can have deniability.
Saïx snaps out of berserk mode in the blink of an eye and begrudgingly lets go of Roxas, i.e. lets him drop down.
Axel and Xion start toward him, but freeze when Xemnas eyes them, like scary eyes.
He has an announcement: There's an imposter and he could be anywhere. He's in a coat just like everyone else's, but his hood's usually up. When he's not wearing it, he's a silver haired teen. Oh, yeah, and his name is Riku.
Axel, Roxas, and Xion all gasp, Axel because Riku was in Castle Oblivion and probably knows where Sora is and Roxas and Xion because it brings back memories from Sora.
Xemnas sees the reaction, but only focuses on Roxas, asking softly if he's okay and if he was hurt.
He's fine and he wasn't and he shakes his head to chase away Non-form.
Xemnas still helps him up and orders everyone to keep their eyes open and report ANYTHING on this imposter because the sooner they catch and... well, just catch him, the better, that part being Xemnas not wanting to upset Roxas, make him go into Non-form, and have everyone need to knock him out to calm him down.
Xemnas takes Roxas away to be checked on, in case he was really hurt and doesn't know it, and Roxas asks what will happen to Saïx and Axel for fighting. He didn't see a lot of it, so he’s not even sure who started it.
They’ll be 'interviewed' and reprimanded accordingly, but they won't die, so relax.
What about the imposter? Who's Riku? And who's Sora??
Xemnas stops checking on Roxas and puts a hand on his head, which he doesn't need to worry about because the organization can deal with it. All he needs to do is keep doing missions and giving his 100%. Roxas sighs that he IS, hell he's giving 150% because Non-form's acting up, but he's kept it calm, even with the hallucinations of Sora, Ven, and now Non-form.
Xemnas finishes checking for any wounds and commends Roxas, saying that is why he chose him. Before Roxas can ask, Xemnas tells him to go in the lobby because he has a mission with Xaldin.
Roxas does so and passes by and reassuring Axel and glaring Saïx, though Roxas glares back.
Xemnas has the two sit down and that warmth he had with Roxas is GONE IN A SECOND, asking both of them what they were thinking, picking a fight in front of everyone and endangering the two most vital components to the plan. Saïx jabs that Axel is letting himself be distracted while Axel states he's doing his job and doesn't want either of them to get upset or angry to the point of dysfunctionality. Besides, He did not start that fight, which he didn't even WANT to partake in.
Does Axel have legs? For now he does, yes. Can he stand? Yes. Can he DEMONSTRATE that he can stand? This is getting tedious, but sure, and Axel stands. Now can he walk from where he is to the far wall? Again, this is tedious, but yes.
If he did ALL OF THAT, why didn't he actually do it?
With no words, Xemnas dismisses Axel, telling him to accompany Xion on their mission.
Axel nods and leaves Saïx to be scolded.
We cut to Riku as he watches Roxas and Xaldin fight of heartless and some knights in Beast's Castle, maybe even go toe to toe with Beast himself, who manages to catch Roxas off guard and momentarily confuses him with Sora.
Xaldin knocks him away and the two leave, Riku coming out and asking if that smaller nobody really was Sora.
Beast admits it was a spur of the moment, but he could have sworn it was Sora.
Meanwhile, Xion and Axel fight hard in Hollow Bastion, squaring off against Squall, Yuffie, Tifa, and Cloud, where we see both more of Axel's gymnastics and Xion's ability with a keyblade.
The fight ends when Xion stops who she believes is Riku the imposter and chases after him, Axel following her in case shit hits the fan.
Xion follows Riku to a cliffside and he gives her an offer and a warning: either give him Roxas or hope that they never meet face to face again. Xion arms herself and demands to know what that means, but Riku also arms himself right as Axel throws a chakram between them and tells Riku to fuck off before he gets hurt.
Riku gives Xion one last glance before falling off the edge and leaving through a dark corridor, making it look like he just disappeared like a badass. They’re both confused, but still call it a day, Xion asking if Axel is okay after that fight with Saïx, because he’s still a little banged up. He expresses he’s fine(he’s a big boy!!) and tells Xion not to worry. 
She’s going to anyway because Riku is after Roxas, and threatened her with a fight if she didn’t bring Roxas to him. Axel, although he’s shook, tells her everything will be fine.
LIES, because Xion is sent on a mission to defeat Riku. All she needs to do is knock him out and they’ll come collect him, no problem.
Xion IS strong, but not strong enough because Riku wipes the floor with her and is about to take her to DiZ when dusks, samurai, and Non-form Roxas, who also gets whooped, but at least fairs a little better. 
The two wear Riku out enough for a lance to graze his arm, an arrow/bullet to hit his leg, and a few cards to distract him. 
The rest of the organization arrive, even Saïx and Xemnas, the latter using thorn/vine things to bind Riku’s hands behind his back. 
He remarks that Riku’s a lot bigger than he thought he would be, stronger too, and we get one of those creepy manga Xemnas moments as he grabs Riku, pulls him close by the jaw, and states he’ll have fun seeing just how strong he is; he knows that Riku is hiding Sora, Kairi, DiZ, and his witch, and will tear him apart with his bare hands to know where they are.
With Riku thoroughly freaked out, Xemnas stands and everyone returns, all tired and ready to find Sora. 
Xion, however, isn’t. Because Riku said some very interesting things to her during their fight. 
She considers telling Roxas, but he’s too worried making sure she’s okay, because Riku was tough. She goes to Axel instead, knowing he has a key to the dungeons, and he’s instantly skeptical; she asked if he could take her to see Riku. Xion lies through her teeth and says she just wants to rub in Riku’s face that they won and he lost.
Axel agrees, but decides he’s going to follow her, just in case.
They arrive as Xigbar leaves, asking if they’re going to welcome the new arrival and need help in doing so.
Xion counters that she’s actually going to return a favor and would like to do it alone. 
Axel’s surprised and Xigbar whistles for her to stand down; he was just asking because she got kicked like a soccer ball, no harm in asking for help.
He leaves and Xion goes toward Riku’s cell, asking Axel to stay by the door until she’s done.
He does so and Xion walks towards Riku’s cell, where she and we the audience see Riku is banged up from being interrogated; looks like Xemnas is taking his time.
Riku asks what she wants and Xion responds with a deal:
Tell her about Sora and she’ll give the organization a good enough lie to let him go so he can help Sora. During their fight, the two had an argument, Xion saying she was going to protect her friend and Riku snapping she had no idea what friends were because she’s a nobody and a replica, and the reason Sora can’t wake up.
 Spark Notes of the deal: If Riku tells Xion about Sora, Xion will give the organization an answer that will buy Riku enough time to get back to Sora.
Fair, but he has one condition: If he tells her, she was to decide what she will do; he’s not refusing because she genuinely wants to know more about Sora.
Xion agrees and Riku tells her to take a seat, because they’re going to be here for a while.
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kurama-is-love · 3 years
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An unusual proposal (Oneshot)
It's been a while since I wrote in english, so please bear with me if this is not perfect. English is not my first language ;-;
Oh and this time it's a female Half!Demon/Human Reader x Kurama. Just to let you know! Again as warning, much much fluff between you and Kurama.
The Dark Tournament was looking forward to its grand finale.
Team Toguro faced Team Urameshi, consisting of Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama. Their fifth member, Mask, or rather Genkai, was 'killed' in battle by the younger Toguro brother the night before. Although you and your friends mourned about your deceased comrade, the others were not allowed to give in to their feelings now. One single mistake could result in the next death, everyone knew that.
You hadn't left your friend's side since the beginning of the Tournament and you were even allowed to stay at their side near the battle field. Though now you were concerned about the last battle.   You had asked to stand in for Mask as the fifth participant, but before you were able to speak to the competition officials, you were prevented from doing so by your friends, mostly Yusuke and especially Kurama. It was a lengthy and exhausting discussion that followed with the two of them. Yusuke was anything but calm and tried to dissuade you from your idea with irrelevant threats for "beating the shit out of you if you continue to try to participate". Of course he would never lay a finger on a friend, especially not if he were to draw the wrath of a certain fox on him ..
Speaking of the fox. It was Kurama's empathetic and factually convincing words that finally led you to abandon your idea and not take part in the fight. As much as you hated not being able to stand by your friends, it was clear to you aswell that you would not survive 2 minutes in the ring against a member of this diabolical team from Toguro .. It was just maddening ..
Before the fight started, you cleared your throat to attract the attention of your friends.
"Before you fight, I want to get rid of something .." you began and looked at the ground slightly.
"Spit it out, [Y/n]-chan." Kuwabara tried with a calm and understanding tone of voice to reassure you that none of them were mad at you for your earlier discussions. He thought that, because you were trembling all over and he could also tell that you were fighting back tears.
"I want you .. to be extra careful this time .. Your opponents are of a completely different caliber than all your opponents before .. And if ..Uh.. when you notice that you .. can't do it .. that you. . " you stopped, the thought of what should follow your sentence stung your heart. "... you will die if you keep going .. I beg you to give up .. just give up and end the fight .. Fuck this stupid tournament, your lives are way too precious ..!" you spoke a little louder and more determined as you looked at your four friends.
Hiei's expression was disinterested as always. Kuwabara looked away, slightly embarrassed, while Kurama had put on an illegible expression. Yusuke crossed his arms before briefly closing his eyes.
"Sorry, but we can't promise that." he said then.
"W-What ..?"
When you looked up, startled, you felt a hand on your shoulder. It was Yusuke's.
"If we give up, everything was in vain. Our training, the preliminary fights. And ... also the death of that old witch ... The least we owe her is to try to defeat her killer." He continued serious, but his face showed no sign of annoyance or anger towards you. He showed you .. friendliness and a small smile. "Anyway, thank you for taking care of us all. With that knowledge, we can do our best," he added.
"B-But .." your quiet objections were stopped again when Kurama took Yusuke's place and put both hands on your shoulders. A slightly worried smile graced his pale lips.
"Yusuke is right. If we give up here, everything we have been through so far will be wasted. Besides .." he continued and his expression darkened slightly as he looked at his opponents, especially at Karasu. "..we can't allow these .. monsters to continue their mischief to continue their murders in the world of spirits, demons and humans. If we don't stop them, who should do it?" he asked you.
You didn't know the answer and looked to the side. Kurama smiled sadly and put his hand on your cheek to turn your face back to him.
"Just trust us, okay?" He said softly and lovingly before placing a gentle kiss on your lips.
"Kurama .. I trust you. But I'm still scared okay ..?"
"That's perfectly okay." The redhead whispered and you sighed softly.
"I'm serious. I don't want to go through the same fear that I did during your fight against Bakken ..."
"Mhm .."
[Flashback]
The battle against the members of Team Masho had reached worrying proportions after Kurama lost consciousness while standing shortly after he was named as the victor in the battle against the ice demon Touya by Koto. The rules of this match were like an endless battle. As long as a member could fight, he fought against any opponent. This is exactly how he had defeated Gama at first and was able to win against Touya with the last of his strength. But now the luck of the kitsune seemed to have run out when he stood bleeding and unconscious on the battlefield and Koto checked whether he was still alive.
"That's enough now! I'll take over for Kurama!" Yusuke called to the judge when the third opponent, a tall, dark-skinned man with short black hair, stepped out.
"Not so fast. That guy is still there, so I'm his opponent now." The shinobi grinned maliciously and was already flexing his fists.
"You can't be serious! You can see that he is not able to fight!" You said and looked angry at Bakken.
"You stay out of it, you brat. I say: He can fight." With these words he turned to Koto, who looked back and forth between the two parties, perplexed.
"Well .. Well .. I also think that Kurama is incapacitated. We have to wait for the decision of the competition committee before an exchange takes place .." the cat demon spoke uncertainly.
All attention was then turned to the speakers when the committee announced its decision. They disagreed with the exchange and declared Kurama's ability to fight.
Yusuke and you had to watch in shock when Bakken started hit the unconscious Kurama again and again and injured him so badly that it was a miracle if he could survive this ordeal for long. When Bakken pulled Kurama up by his top and beat him again, the fabric on the top tore and Kurama fell to the ground. Blood ran down his forehead.
While you could only watch in shock, the stadium echoed under the calls of the demonic audience, who very unanimously demanded only one thing.
"Kill him!"
"Kill him, Bakken!"
"Yes, kill this traitor !!!"
You clenched your fists in anger before turning to the bleachers.
"SHUT UP YOUR DAMN MOUTHS ALREADY!" you shouted so loudly that the stadium fell silent and Yusuke and the others looked at you too. "I CAN'T STAND YOUR HATE TIRADS ANYMORE! The next one who says anything about 'kill this bastard' will get a free ticket to hell from me. WAS THAT CLEAR?"
Your friends had seldom seen you so loud and serious. The girls, Botan, Shizuru, Keiko and Yukino were very shocked by your exclamation.
Suddenly one of the demons jumped down from the stands and stood next to you.
"Pretty loose mouth for such a shitty, weak half-breed, darling."the green-colored beast grinned and licked its lips with its iguana-like tongue. "You are nothing but a shabby one demon, who has human blood in them. It doesn't surprise me that you are on the traitors side. But don't open your mouth like that if you know what's good for you. " He threatened you.
Your eyebrow twitched menacingly as the demon extended its claws and tried to slit your stomach. You reached for your weapons,  chakrams, and a reddish-orange aura flooded the metal, your Reiki, mixed with Yoki. The audience held their breath when they could only hear lightning-fast cuts and white clouds of energy sliced the demon that was attacking you until the attacker fell dead to the ground.
"Anyone else has something to say to a " failed half-breed "? you asked the ranks, but the audience fell silent before you could finally devote yourself to the fighting again.
"T-That's enough! Kurama is on the ground and can no longer fight! I think a countdown is also unnecessary .." Koto interrupted the scene now when she saw the battered Kurama.
Bakken seemed to disagree and lifted Kurama up in the air again by his top.
"Now he's standing again. That means the fight goes on."the black-haired man smirked and wanted to make the final punch that should blow out Kurama's life light forever.
"Stop. That's enough, Bakken." a masked figure behind Bakken, another member of Team Mascho, spoke up.
"Why are you stopping me, Risho? I was just about to finish it." Bakken grumbled while Risho pointed to the opposite side of the arena.
"If you had landed this punch, that would have been your death." Risho spoke only dryly, while Bakken blinked and looked in the direction in which Risho was pointing.
Yusuke and you stood there, both of you in your strongest attacking postures. Yusuke was ready to use his "Rei-Gun" while your chakrams had turned into icy-tessen (Metal fans), the tips of their spikes were reinforced with your Reiki and turned into razor-sharp blades that could be shot individually. You were both ready to kill Bakken if he made any move.
"Tch. Fine. Well, you can have him back." Bakken sighed and threw Kurama carelessly out of the ring. Yusuke and you immediately rushed to the passed out Kitsune and Yusuke carried him to the edge of the ring. You were right behind him. After Yusuke dropped him off, you kneeled down at Kurama's side and looked up your human best friend.
"Yusuke." You spoke in a serious tone. Yusuke turned to you. questioningly. "... Beat the shit out of him. Hit that asshole really hard with a greeting from me." You muttered with bared teeth. Yusuke grinned and gave you a thumbs-up.
"Rely on me, [Y/n]. I will make sure that he gets a proper rubdown. And greetings from you. Just take care of our Kurama." Yusuke answered with a wink.
You nodded gently and put your hands on Kurama's damaged chest to let your Reiki flow into his body. That should give him enough energy to activate his own self-healing powers. At least that was how it prevented him from having too little energy.
He almost died ..
When Kurama woke up a little later, he promised you to never again risk his life so lightly.
[End of flashback]
"Remember your promise." you said softly and took Kurama's hand in yours to give it an affectionate squeeze. The fox just looked at you apologetically, but he was weighing whether he could really tell you that he couldn't keep this promise.
"I'm sorry. This may be my first promise, which I can't keep, as much as I would like to. But ..." he began before you could sigh in frustration. Kurama smiled and put a strand of hair behind your ear. "I'll give you a new promise for that." He said and made you blink in curiousity.
"One that you will keep?" you asked.
Kurama smiled and pulled you close for a moment.
"Yes. I promise you, if I survive my fight against Karasu .." he almost sounded as if he didn't believe in it himself, which only unsettled you even more. "... I will take you as my wife as soon as my human body is 18 years old."
Your eyes widened, speechless, at these words. Kurama, who had sworn off love and certainly did not want to settle down in the human world, had just given you the promise of marriage if he should emerge victorious from the battle ..
"K-Kurama .." you started, touched, when the Kitsune put his index and middle fingers on your lips and gently shook his head.
"I have to go into the ring now." He said, because the referee Juri had to call his name again.
Kurama broke away from you and went to the battlefield, where Karasu was already waiting for him. You held your breath as the fight began. It was going to be the hardest fight of all time for him, you were sure of it.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
The fight was clearly dominated by Karasu for a long time, who seemed to foresee every one of Kurama's steps. His rosewhip basically crumbled to dust before it could hit Karasu due to a miniature bomb that the black-haired man had already placed. Knowing that Kurama would resort to his signature attack.
Even the transformation into his Youko form only briefly gave Kurama the upper hand in this fight.
Karasu was strong, incredibly strong. Kurama was already bleeding profusely on his legs and arms from the bombs that hit his flesh. The transformation into his demon form had already reached its limits. Now everything seemed to be over for the redhead when he went down and his robe was already completely bathed in red blood.
It was a horrible sight, almost worse than Bakken's back then. Kurama stopped moving when Karasu tried to put an end to it.
With the very last of his strength, Kurama was able to mobilize his last reserves and thus also make his Reiki to zero when he conjured up a large, gray plant. Shortly afterwards he sagged dead and his friends, as well as you, cried out in agony.
"KURAMA!"
Karasu stopped. Not because he thought his opponent was dead, but because something had pierced his chest. Everyone stared in disbelief at the three vines of the plant that Kurama had conjured up with his last strength. They seemed to suck out Karasus blood.
"What is happening?" Kuwabara asked in disbelief.
"The plant sucks out its blood. Like a vampire." You explained and looked a little more composed again. Apparently you knew this technique. Since dated Kurama, the others weren't surprised.
Before the crowd could properly process what had happened, Karasu fell to the ground. His skin was pale from massive blood loss and his eyes were blank and torn. He was dead.
But what about Kurama?
Kurama opened his eyes. The bleeding wounds had closed again as if by a miracle and he straightened up slightly wobbly. Did the vampire plant fed him with the blood of his victim to save his life? It was the only logical explanation.
Tears now ran down your cheeks. No tears of sadness, tears of infinite joy. He was alive. Kurama had kept his promise and survived this fight.
Without hesitation for a second, after Juri made him the winner, you ran onto the battlefield and threw Kurama to the ground in a stormy embrace. The Redhead was unprepared for the impact and lost balance when you buried your face in the crook of his neck.
"Idiot. Idiot idiot idiot." You repeated several times, still sobbing slightly. This kitsune almost seemed to enjoy causing you so much grief by letting himself be beaten up in every fight.
Kurama smiled gently and caressed your back soothingly.
"Ssh. Everything is fine.", He whispered and heard only briefly loud sobs before you pulled away from him and stared at him.
"DO. THAT. NEVER. AGAIN." You warned and if Kurama wasn't grinning at you so sweetly, your anger would also come across convincingly. Instead, you just sighed softly and patted him gently on the shoulder. "But you also have to keep your promise," you added.
"Don't worry, I will." Kurama chuckled and turned to Yusuke with a hand sign. You blinked perplexed when Yusuke grinned and threw a small velvet box to him. Out of the corner of your eye you could see that it was a box with a beautifully decorated rose on the lid.
"Kurama .."
Kurama got on one knee and took your hand in his.
"I should do this formally and properly, don't you think?" He laughed and you suddenly realized something.
"... You already planned everything in advance, right ...?" You wanted to know.
Kurama gave a small laugh and kissed your palm lovingly before looking intensely into your eyes.
"Quite possible. No, but .. I've never met a woman like you in my life - and that applies to my human and demonic life - and I never expected to lose my heart to someone who makes me as happy as you. "
"Kurama .."
Kurama smirked when you didn't let him finish and cleared his throat to continue.
"Originally I wanted to stay in the human world because my mother and my friends were so close to my heart. But now there is another reason why I don't want to leave this world anymore. I want you by my side until the end of my days and ... start a family with you. In the human world. That is why I ask you, here and now, [First Name] [Last Name], do you want to be my wife and eternal mate? ", He asked and opened the box. Inside it was the most beautiful diamond ring you ever saw. Its sides were adorned with two beautiful jewels, a shiny [gem with your eye color] and a shimmering emerald. It was more than obvious that these jewels symbolized the eye colors of the both of you.
"Yes .. Yes, I want Kurama. Of course I want that!" You said overjoyed and let a smiling Kurama put the ring on your finger before he pulled you to him and kissed you passionately.
"U-Unbelievable! A marriage proposal during the final of the Dark Tournament! I've never seen anything like it!"Koto announced, she sat in the crowd as the second announcer and looked dreamily at the engaged couple.
You smiled and looked at the ring.
"So beautiful. But something's missing," you mumbled.
"Huh?", Kurama asked and you turned to him and grinned slightly.
"A topaz." You answered with a smile.
Now Kurama was the one whose eyes widened and he even blushed a little.
A topaz as golden as Youko Kurama's eyes. His demon form.
Now he was more certain than ever. He would never let you go again. He swore to himself.
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ladyfantasy98 · 3 years
Text
Post-KH3 Ficlet
So this is more of an idea of a draft of an idea, and I don’t know where it’s going, if it’s going anywhere. But I liked the idea of the MoM interacting with the Guardians while they searched for Sora, and then the image of him chatting to Lea/Axel about his apprentices as though they were his kids came to mind.
So here is my very mini-Kingdom Hearts fic that nobody asked for, featuring Lea and the Master of Masters!
~~~
The door closed behind Roxas and Xion as they headed out to meet their friends at the Usual Spot. Lea sighed contently into the couch pillow, ready to fall asleep.
“Hey, kids are great, aren’t they?”
Lea shot up immediately, startled by the unfamiliar voice. A chakram flared to life in his left hand as he looked around wildly. There, standing in front of him, as if they’d materialized out of nothing, was a tall figure dressed in a black coat. An Organization XIII coat.
“You! What are you doing and what do you want?” Lea demanded. Briefly he realized he meant to summon his Keyblade; it still wasn’t quite natural enough for him. But a chakram would do for now, until he knew what he was dealing with.
“I had kids once,” the figure continued, ignoring Lea’s questions. If Lea had to guess he’d say it was man. “Well, they weren’t really my kids per se -- or is it that they weren’t my kids? Anyway, they were a good bunch, did what they were told. Not the brightest stars in the sky, if you know what I mean -- but hey, the apples don’t fall far from the tree so maybe it’s my fault, hmm?”
Lea snorted. “Listen, I love family drama as much as the next soap opera fan, but I’m not in the mood for it right now. Now” he lit his chakram on fire and slid into a fighting stance “what. Do you want?”
“Whoa! So hostile!” the man exclaimed, jerking back and putting his hands up. It reminded Lea of Demyx in a way.  “Is that any way to treat a guest?”
“If you’re a guest, then you’ve overstayed your welcome,” Lea replied. “And that means I can throw you out on your ear.” Fire crackled around his chakram, eager to burn something to a crisp. It had been a long time since they’d consumed anything besides Heartless.
(...not that...Lea wanted to destroy anything besides Heartless. Just...it’d be nice to know that he still could, if needed)
“Ah, but if you do that, then you won’t get to hear what I know about Sora,” the man countered.
That pulled Lea up short. HIs flames fizzled out as he stared at the black-cloaked figure. “Sora? You know something about Sora? Is he alright? Where is he?”
The figure shrugged. “Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. Lower your weapon and you might find out.”
Lea grit his teeth. He didn’t like the vibes this guy was giving off. This could be a trap, or a misdirection. But if there was even a chance that this encounter would bring them closer to bringing Sora home…
He thought of Kairi’s tears, in the quiet moments between her and Riku’s frantic trips to other worlds as they talked to Sora’s friends and scoured the tomes of lore that hid in magic realms. Of Roxas, who would stop suddenly in the middle of what he was doing and grab his chest, expression pained; more than once he’d vaulted awake from a nightmare yelling Sora’s name, but unable to remember anything that he’d dreamed.
And Lea thought of Sora himself, that spunky kid who’d grown into a true hero, who’d saved the worlds multiple times and -- most importantly -- everything that was important in Lea’s world. Lea owed it to Sora, and his other friends, to at least explore this possibility.
So, reluctantly, Lea dismissed his chakram. “Alright. Tell me what you know.”
Though he couldn’t see it, Lea would have sworn he could tell when the figure, beneath his hood, began to smile.
“Oh, I am so glad you asked…”
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lunanight2012 · 4 years
Text
Character info for the Characters in The Creatures of Hermitville currently
Grian Wingfeather: Age 25, golden winged avian. Energetic, and the best flyer in Hermitville. Likes to build, and prank his friends. Loves his boyfriend and their android son. Lives in the treehouse outside his parents old house. Has been kidnapped twice now. 
Mumbo Jumbo: Age 25. pure bred vampire. Redstone engineer in training. Will sometimes work on his futuristic base for days on end before coming back to Grian’s treehouse and cuddling with him. Once a year he will take a potion that Xisuma gave him the recipe for that turns him human for 5 months. Loves his boyfriend and their android son. Has a diamond katana that is infused with redstone, the sheath has a golden feather that Grian gave him handing from it.
False Symmetry. Age 25. featherless avian, with time manipulator blood. She is stubborn and the best fighter in Hermitville, though Iskall is trying to beat her kill count. She is currently pregnant and dating Ren and Doc. Her little sister is True Symmetry. She’s been kidnapped twice and tortured badly to the point of amnesia once. Gained the time manipulator blood from last torture. good at building and decent at redstone. Weapon of choice is the diamond sword she got from Tim that has Time Manipulator Technology incorporated into it.
Ren Shibon. Age 25. Inu, or dog person. Loves his girlfriend and boyfriend. Can sing, and everyone loves hearing him sing. Very creative. His cousin is Renbob. He will chase after a thrown stick. (False and Doc like messing with him.) Protective of True. A very good builder. weapon of choice is his diamond enchanted axe. (Belongs to Big Logz Inc.)
Doc M. Age 25. Creeper Cyborg hybrid. the redstoner of the rendocsymmetry group. He will protect his family. Good at hacking and lockpicking. He is also protective of True. Loves his boyfriend and girlfriend. Has an online group called the NHO with BDubs and two friends from a seperate dimension, Etho and Vintage Beef. Weapon of choice is his enchanted trident.
Xisuma Void. Age 25. Shapeshifter Enderian. Came with his twin and parents from the Enderia Dimension before settling in Hermitville. Grew up with the hermits. The doctor. Knows a lot of medical stuff, took online classes and now is a certified doctor. Adopted Luna Night when he found out she couldn’t travel back to her home dimension. Dating Keralis. The “Admin” of the Hermits. Computer genius as well. Weapon of choice is either his enchanted bow with the Spectral Arrows or the Galactic Spear.
Ximusa (Ex) Void. Age 25. Shapeshifter Enderian. Came with his twin and parents from the Enderia Dimension before settling in Hermitville. Grew up with the hermits. Tries to stay in the background. Can fight really well. dating BDubs. Weapon of choice is either Xisuma’s enchanted bow with the Spectral Arrows (or Instant Damage arrows) or the Galactic Spear.
Scar Purseval. Age 25. Neko, or Cat person. A birth defect  caused him to not be able to use his legs. When he met Cub that all changed, cub made him stabilizers that let him walk, run, do stuff he couldn’t before. His cat Jellie is really smart. And he’s also dating Cub. a god at terraforming. his weapon is a stick with knockback V and unbreaking III.
Cub Fan. Age 25. Human. Is a genius. built up the ConCorp Headquarters. Sold his soul to the vexes at the age of 11 because he wanted to protect Scar better. Is dating Scar. Has been kidnapped once, and is currently dealing with his vex magic going berserk.
Keralis Scream. Age 25. Banshee. He has a scream that can break eardrums. He’s dating Xisuma, who he calls Shishwhammy. And he calls BDubs Bubbles. He’s wanting to own a construction company. He has two dogs, Pina and Colada. Has a gambling addiction.
Iskall Iskallium. Age 25. Dragon with a cyborg eye. Before moving to Hermitville, Iskall got shot in the eye by a skeleton so his dad made him a cyborg eye. Engaged to Stress. They are expecting their first kid. He loves her so much and treats her like the princess she is. Says Omega instead of mega, and adds of Doom to the end of the titles of his projects. (i.e. Birthday Cake... of doom.). Weapon of choice is his iskallium encrusted diamond sword.
Stress Monster. Age 25. Ice Elemental. her powers are unstable so she wears gloves to try to control it better. Pregnant. Engaged to Iskall. Trains with TFC and Tango to try to control her powers. currently terrified of lava and fire.
Tango Tek. Age 25. Fire Elemental. Parents found him as an infant in a fiery crater. Dating Impulse and Zedaph. The three are known as Team Zit. Training with TFC and Stress to control his powers. Weapon of choice is his Flame Sword.
Zedaph. Age 25. Elf. Dating Tango and Impulse. He’s a bit on the weird side, but when team ZIT is fighting together he can do anything. Not really but yea. He has 3 bases. Weapon of choice is his Scythe.
Impulse SV. Age 25. Dragon. Dating Tango and Zedaph. He gets into fights with Tango every so often. He is also comparing dragon powers with Wels and Iskall. Weapon of choice is his Chakrams.
Wels Knight. Age 25. Dragon that wants to be a knight. Dating Cleo. Is a nervous wreck. Shy boi. Great builder. Loves hearing his girlfriend ramble about her pirate town.
Cleo Zombie. Age 25. Zombie. She is dating Wels. Created the port of Tortuga in the Pirate District. Amazing at Armor Stand creations. Has taken some teaching classes online so will sometimes go into teacher mode on accident.
Jevin Slim. Age 25. Blue Slime. Loner. The one hermit who can find treasure chests and diamonds. Argues with Iskall about what color slime is better.
JoeHills. Age Unknown. Sphinx. Joe is one of the older hermits. He was the one who taught the hermits when they were younger. Telling them stories about the world and what they need to know. Will sometimes speak in rhymes. Likes reading.
TFC (Tinfoil Chef). Age Unknown. Elder Earth Elemental. The other older hermit in the group. Trains Tango and Stress in using their elemental powers safely. building an underground bunker.
Bdubs O. Age 25. Gargoyle. Dating Ex. Strict sleep schedule. if the sun is setting he’s going to bed. No matter what. He doesn’t want to be attacked by Phantoms. In an online group called NHO with Doc, Etho, and Vintage Beef.
Honorary Hermits, aka True and Co.
True Symmetry. Age 15. featherless avian (aka Steampunk avian). Loves flying. Loves her friends. Calls Ren and Doc her Big Brothers. Looks up to her sister. Protective of her friends.
Pixl Riffs. Age 15. Bigfoot. Moved to Hermitville with his family during the Civil War. Instantly became friends with True. Already knew Zloy. Zloy and Pixl are troublemakers. He’s really smart and can figure out building problems.
Zloy XP. Age 15. Zombie. Cousin to Cleo. Moved to Hermitville with his family during the Civil War. Already knew Pixl. Instantly became friends with True. Computer genius. Helps Cub with the drones.
Grumbot. Age 12, but acts 16. Android golden winged avian vampire. His current form makes him look less like a robot and he loves it. Protective of his friends. Loves his dads. helps Mumbo cook for Grian.
Luna Night. Age 15. Shiny Eevee person with Golden winged avian blood. She loves TNT. Her weapon of choice is TNT but when thats not allowed she uses the Agility Dagger. Loves her friends and her adoptive dad. They are her family.  Is current being tortured by Timothy Manipy.
Extra?
Etho. Age Unknown. Unknown race. friend of Doc and BDubs.
Hope you guys enjoyed!!!
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shadlad24 · 3 years
Text
More Funny Little Moments #1: Season 1, Episodes 1-12
So, I decided to do this post after all. Halp. LOL Because I apparently LOVE giving myself a bunch of unnecessary work, I decided to choose two to three extra moments, per episode! SUPER halp! X’D Anyway, these are moments that didn’t make the cut for my FFLM series because: my sense of humor is a little weird, they were gonna be too much work (LOL/Siiigh), I like to highlight patterns, and I don’t like a lot of repetition. [Links to each FFLM along the bottom of the post. :)]
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Let’s start with something I originally agreed with other fans on but have since changed my mind. A lot of people didn’t like this part of “Chariots of War” because it seems so ludicrous that Xena would forget her chakram anywhere. Well, let me tell you! This lady has left her weapons behind most episodes thus far. I didn’t note it every time here (and especially didn’t bother with her whip) because that’d really overrun the post buuuuut… You’ll see. XD
1.01 Sins of the Past
Xena’s shift being so much dirtier than the little boy’s clothes though she’s high up off the ground, and he lives in smoked-out rubble.
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Yup. Xena forgot her sword (and later, her main saddlebag) at her mother’s tavern. Pft.
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Sorry these were kinda lame, but I didn’t want to re-use any more of the original fifteen points I made about this episode... Ah well. Moving on! (heh)
1.02 Chariots of War
Xena loses her sword after the chariot crash, taking up and discarding Sphaerus’s but walking off without her own. (See her front and back and both of Argo’s sides.)
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Gabrielle chewing Xena out, Xena being bummed about it, and Argo being surprised. X’D
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1.03 Dreamworker
This got me good. Gabrielle does Xena’s war cry so well here that I really thought it was Xena for a few seconds. Realizing it was GabbyWabs only made me chuckle more because she apparently can’t do it when it really counts in “The Greater Good.”
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Argo NOT being on Team Gabrielle. XD (Their feud is a little funny to me.)
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1.04 Cradle of Hope
Xena tossing aside her sword after killing Nemos. Extras even dance and celebrate right on top of it! Wut thuh?
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I decided to avoid mentioning Hope in the FFLM because Xena’s quote here is more ironic than comedic, and Gabrielle’s little face is just so sad, but I didn’t want to let it pass by entirely unremarked upon. At least GW gets to show off her oracle skills again? :’)
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1.05 The Path Not Taken
So, Xena and Gabrielle walk into a bar… Heh. No, but really, they enter this tavern for the first time ever, yet the bartender not only knows what they want, he knows that they’re coming and has their drinks waiting for them too. All Xena has to do is knock on the counter and nod to get her fire-breath alcohol/oil, and Gabrielle barely has the word “cider” out of her mouth before the guy hands it to her. Xena, like me, is duly amazed.
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Lucy, through Xena, making another timely anti-peanut statement. I just didn’t want to do the same thing twice back-to-back in the FFLM. X)
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1.06 The Reckoning
Gabrielle thinking along the same lines Xena and I did about this poor excuse for a judge.
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Me not being well-versed in ancient Greek heroes and picturing the fool who Draco killed so handily in the first episode. heh
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1.07 The Titans
I’ll let Xena explain this one. …Mostly. I can’t believe Gabrielle not only sassed the Titans such that she unashamedly put Xena and Phyleus in danger too, but also kinda got this (admittedly awful) town demolished and didn’t lift a finger to actually help anyone in the temple. Tsk tsk. XP
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So… Hyperion here can smash homes and businesses that were probably well-built and reinforced and all, but he can’t get his hand out of a stocks-cuff that was made in a single evening with scraps from those destroyed buildings. He also, inexplicably, has no use of his left hand or the power-breath that he used to knock Gabrielle over. Okie. XD
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1.08 Prometheus
Is this really a thing? I was giggling quite a bit in disbelief that severed windpipes can heal. Like, perforated is one thing; completely bisected? Yeah, I don’t think so.
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Gabrielle being incredulous upon learning that Xena has other friends, realizing what the warrior princess means, and then wondering if that could be her one day. 
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   1.09 Death in Chains
Gabrielle enjoying watching Xena kill someone for the first time, then quickly realizing that fact. Whoops.
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I found this moment really odd and then kind of hilarious. This poor dying old woman begs for water and goes ignored not only by the hospice workers, but also Talus and Gabrielle. Then Talus decides to be helpful. Gabrielle goes to the woman and lets her talk a lot (undoubtedly drying her mouth and throat even more), hears that Xena might be in danger, and then just… leaves. Talus goes with her, not having gotten water from the well after all. What a couple of jerks! XD
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1.10 Hooves & Harlots
I really don’t know why Gabrielle kept making this face as Terreis died, but it tickled my funny bone too. So, I provided alternate subs to go with it. [Did you notice how she kind of cringes when Terreis tries to hold her hand and then just lets the Amazon flop once she’s died, flinging her hand aside like, “Ew, get it off me!”? What was that all about? X”) Hm… maybe she has an aversion to dying people, and that’s why she abandoned the old lady last episode?]
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Gabrielle being a smart aleck, just like me, because Phantes’s complaint here is so ludicrous. But then you see the close-up of little hoofies in cuffs too, and, if you’re anything like me too, kinda just topple over laughing. The poor actual horse they did this to, though, man! What even?
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Gosh, this episode was chockfull of hilarity, eh? Why did this happen? Gabby, take it away!
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1.11 The Black Wolf
I laughed at this too. But now I wonder. Is Xerxes related to Caesar and/or connected to Rome or something? Because Xena does this twice around them too. In “When in Rome,” she jokes that the two guards lost playing tag with her, and in “A Good Day” she informs Pompey that if there were more guards hiding around their meeting space, then she would have had more helmets. heh Oh, Xenie. I think I know why Gabrielle’s turning out to be such a little punk ...or vice versa? Is Gabrielle actually a bit of a bad influence on Xena? XP
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So, this fight just struck me as really odd. Xena passes her sword to Flora though she (Xena) needs to battle the big boss of the episode, and… actually, is totally right. The king throws a single wide-ass punch, waits while Xena kicks the guy behind her a few times, lets himself get kicked in the face a couple of times, and then comes at her with a little piece of chain, presumably from the restraints that were intended to keep Flora in place during her execution. Sir, you have a sword! A giant sword, right there on your hip! What are you doing? Then, when Xena kicks him a final time and sends him flying, his (supposed-to-be) metal armor is no match for the splintered wood of the axe she broke earlier. …Okie. XD XD XD   *gif below*
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Xena once again leaves her chakram somewhere. …And I am now imagining this being part of Gabrielle’s maid duties: the poor kid has to go find Xena’s weapons each night and bring them back to her. I’m especially imaging the fluffball hilariously, adorably struggling to get the chakram out of things like this wall, as she did with Xena’s sword in the tree stump in “Dreamworker,” but more parallel to the floor. Cuuuute! XD
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This plus this 
*pic + GIF below*:
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1.12 Beware Greeks Bearing Gifts
This scene too really made me wonder, though amused as well. Why is Gabrielle so surprised that the only city nearby, that they were headed to, is the one they find? Is she really being that loud? Is Xena goofing around with the bootlaces question? Why startle Gabrielle and then yank her into enemy territory screaming, when what you want is quiet? What’s with the trapdoor-spider soldiers? Xena’s pose throwing the chakram. XD Gabrielle mostly featherlight dance-y moves through the battlefield. XD XD XD Why is it that when Xena tells Gabrielle to stick right behind her, Gabrielle disappears? And what was with the bucket-sitting soldier? Gabrielle is like, “Oh; no, thank you!” when she sees him and turns tail. Then Xena ...follows her. “We’re goin’ this way! Now we’re goin’ that way!” But they still end up dead-ahead from where they burst out of the bushes. XD That was ridiculous and nonsensical, and I’m very confused but had lots of fun. heheheh  *gif below* [ETA: Darn! The original file was too big, so I had to remake the GIF and cut quite a few things out. :( Sorry]
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Xena’s outta-nowhere crusade to emasculate Deiphobus coming full-circle. What was that all about?
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Welp, I hope you had as much fun as I originally and then later did. Not so much in the middle with the collage-and-GIF-making and editing and redoing, but; y’know. XD Wouldn’t trade it for …Hm… Nevermind. LOL
If you missed any of the FFLMs, then please click on the corresponding number-links below. :D
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