#anti kingdom hearts iii

[exposingtheidiocy]

This Scene Sucks: Sora's Breakdown (KH3)

"Sora Gives Up & Everyone Dies"

"Sora Gives Up"

You can probably already tell from the title of the video that it sucks. Context makes it even worse.

Much has been said about the scene of everyone facing off against Terranort and the Demon Tide, and I agree with all of the criticisms: everyone stood there and let themselves get fucked over, the scene was badly paced, cinematography was horrible, etc.

But the part I'm highlighting is after that, from around 6:17 and onwards, after the Demon Tide takes out the rest of the cast except Sora and Riku and he breaks down in tears. This moment got so much hype from the trailer showcasing it, and even today, many praise it as an amazing scene, but not me.

Listen to this garbage:

"They're gone. Kairi, Donald... Goofy, the King... Gone forever. What do we do? Without them...I... All my strength came from them. They gave me all of it. Alone, I'm worthless."

What the fuck.

First of all, Riku said a few minutes earlier that they still have their hearts, which means it was not too late, but they have to protect them. Despite this, Sora just stands there and spouts this garbage instead of fighting. I could see him breaking down after the fact, or even for a little bit before he starts fighting, but this is how he acts throughout the whole scene before darkness wins. Riku isn't much better, he doesn't pick up the slack for Sora, he doesn't try all that hard to get him to pull it together, he just says a platitude. Riku comes off as an uncaring dickhead, he couldn't care less that Sora is having a meltdown over people dying, or that said people just died.

The quoted line above is supposed to be this huge callback to the moment in Hollow Bastion from the original KH where Riku takes everything from him, but it fails. Sora lost everything: his weapon, his friends, and he eventually got his act together. Seeing Beast fight that hard for the one he loved was more than enough motivation, but in this scene, he still has a weapon, and Riku is still there (I guess he's just not that important to him anymore).

He also says his strength came from his friends (again, I guess Riku doesn't count), but who was doing almost everything throughout the game? Who was the one saving everybody? Him. It's not this clever deconstruction of the "my friends are my power line" that everyone says it is, it's just stupid. This sort of scene was also done better in the previous world, The Caribbean, in the same game - the scene where he pounces on Davy Jones wass good.

Another thing I see people say is that it's a culmination of his self-doubt in 3 (an arc that I think was so poorly executed as it required him to be ooc to tell this story), and that it was buildup from DDD. Yes, people, this COMPELLING character arc hinges on context from A FUCKING SPINOFF TITLE. I think that says enough.

The scene is also hilarious considering when he sees Chirithy, he's back to being the "sunshine boy"!

In summary, the scene was way too overdramatized in context, didn't live up to trailer hype, compromised Sora's character (and Riku's to an extent, as well as the others who just stood there and died), and the lines were badly written.

#bad storytelling #bad characterization #bad dialogue #anti kingdom hearts iii #Youtube #bad cutscenes #this scene sucks

[xyrishi00]

anti-aqua

#aqua #kingdom hearts #anti-aqua #anti aqua #kh #kh3 #khbbs #kh bbs #birth by sleep #kingdom hearts 3 #fanart #squareenix #square enix #khiii #kingdom hearts iii #aqua kh #kh aqua #digital art #illustration

[madasthyhatter]

R A T Inprnt | Twitter | DeviantArt

#Kingdom Hearts #Sailor Moon #Kingdom Hearts III #Kingdom Hearts 3 #KH III #KH3 #Riku #King Mickey #Mickey Mouse #Aqua #Dark Aqua #Darqua #Anti Aqua #Norted Aqua #Aquanort #Comic #Usagi Tsukino #Tuxedo Mask #My art #MadAsThyHatter #Artists on Tumblr

[themattress]

Clips from the videos I recently linked to.

Out of all the main characters, Nomura and Oka's writing in Kingdom Hearts III (and the preceding Dream Drop Distance + 0.2 Birth by Sleep for that matter) significantly derailed five of them, four of whom the video above discusses and the other whom I'll bring up myself.

Axel then: A deeply selfish guy whose pursuit of his own agenda above all else puts him into conflict with others, even his own friends. Has a fiery (heh) side but is usually cool and collected, with a dry, sarcastic sense of humor, and is very smart and calculating.

Axel now: Honestly still selfish but in a bratty petulant way rather than a mature interesting way, and the narrative pretends like this isn't the case and portrays him as this great guy and wonderful friend. He's also hot-headed dumbass whose style of humor is more "wacky", based in catchphrases and self-aware jokes. Yes, I'm aware he has a heart now, but that explaining the difference doesn't work when the series is now claiming he had a heart all along as a Nobody anyway! If Lea's gonna call himself "Axel", he oughta resemble him more!

Kairi then: Spunky and sassy. Prone to reckless actions due to following her heart without thinking. Will fight to the teeth against any enemy trying to chain her down and will always use her agency every chance she gets, even if it's simply sending a letter. While she obviously loves Sora, she cares deeply for others too and does all she can to help them.

Kairi now: Meek and polite, a "Yamato nadeshiko" type. Frantic and self-doubting, to the point of freezing up in combat. Greatest contribution is "believing really hard" rather than doing anything, and who will write a flowery love letter for the sake of it but never send it. Her care for others is de-emphasized in favor of her love for Sora, even though he barely if ever thinks or talks about her when she isn't right in front of him, making her look pathetic.

Riku then: Starts out as a rude, arrogant jerk who uses darkness and falls prey to it, ends up a still rude but humbled and considerate guy who overcomes his darkness and turns it into a unique power of twilight. At peace with following his heart more ("which is Sora-esque").

Riku now: Totally polite, nigh-infallible hero who just uses plain darkness, not twilight, without consequence. Acts like a dull stick in the mud who barely shows emotion from the heart.

Sora then: Just a regular kid/teenager. Could be kind of a dumbass but not to the point of chronic idiocy that's always being made fun of. Reacted proportionately to events around him and was prone to bouts of depression that he covers up with his usual cheerful attitude.

Sora now: More childish than he should be at his age. Stereotypical shonen Idiot Hero, to the point of everyone making fun of him for it. Reacts over-the-top and excited to everything, is seldom if ever depressed about anything short of people dying. "Weak" yet OP all at once.

Ansem, Seeker of Darkness then: Profoundly arrogant in order to cover for his insecurities. Feels as though everything he does is justified. Cares for no-one but himself + darkness.

Ansem, Seeker of Darkness now: Will openly admit to his insecurities and stow his pride. Knows and acknowledges what he does as evil. Apparently cares for "Subject X", and Riku to a degree, plus chides Ansem the Wise for his cold treatment of others. Seems on board with Xehanort's plan which evidently is meant to safeguard the worlds against darkness.

#Disney #Square Enix #Kingdom Hearts #Kingdom Hearts III #Axel #Lea #Kairi #Riku #Sora #Ansem #Xehanort #Bad Writing #Character Derailment #Analysis #Truthbomb #This has been a PSA #Anti-Kingdom Hearts #Anti-Square Enix #Anti-Nomura #Anti-Tetsuya Nomura

[thescribe1118]

#kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts III #sora #anti-form #videogames

[nokuto]

I've been experimenting with character's eyes materials -- and apparently you can give them all Anti-Aqua's eyes, which looks a bit creepy on characters like Ven or Kairi. Maybe it's because the iris is smaller

#kingdom hearts #aqua #ventus #anti-aqua #kh3 #kingdom hearts iii #kingdom hearts 3

[supahsaucemann]

I also see no difference between Evil Noah and Evil Aqua

#consul n #n #xenoblade noah #noah #aqua #anti aqua #Kingdom Hearts III #kingdom hearts #xenoblade #xenoblade chronicles #xenoblade chronicles 3 #xenoblade 3 #moebius

[kingdom-lian]

What? 0v0

#kingdom hearts art #kingdom hearts #kh sora #kh aqua #kh anti-aqua #sora #master aqua #anti-aqua #kingdom hearts comic #kh comic #ship dynamics #ship drawing #my art #kh fan #kh3 #kingdom hearts iii

[kinogane]

I'd just like to give a round of applause to all the Better Call Saul folks sounding off in the tags; this may genuinely be the largest collective outpour of grief, misery, and suffering over fiction I've witnessed on this site since all the Kingdom Hearts folks thought Aqua got norted.

#better call saul #bcs #fun and games #mcwexler #jimmy mcgill #kim wexler #kingdom hearts 3 #kingdom hearts iii #kh3 #kingdom hearts #aqua kingdom hearts #aqua kh #anti aqua

[strawwritesfic]

Sora x Female!Queen!Reader: Deception

Summary: A queen must be many things, but above all she must be true to her heart.

Rating/Tags: All (not anti-Kairi; not canon compliant; magic user!reader; party member!reader; Sora & Donald & Goofy; Sora & Donald & Goofy & Reader; shippers on deck; love confession; mutual crushing; fluff)

Challenge: “160 Collective Drabbles” challenge by BobaPop on Lunaescence Archives.

Tag List: @imaginesfire​

Notes: I wrote this, like, the week Kingdom Hearts III came out without having played it myself. Thus, it’s intended to be set during Kingdom Hearts II. But there really aren’t any game-specific details in here, so depending on whether you prefer young!Sora, zippers!Sora, or plaid!Sora, you can really just pick whatever game you want to set this during (that he is in, I mean...obviously this doesn’t work for Birth by Sleep).

Deception

When the morning sun pushed its way over the horizon at last, you could wait no longer. Your sleepless night had come to an end. Without bothering to wait for someone to dress you or guard you—activities you had done by necessity yourself up until very recently—you left your quarters in swift silence. No one stopped you on your way to the throne room, which allowed you to slip inside it undetected.

The cavernous space plunged into darkness as the doors shut behind you. A few seconds later, a fist-sized fireball floated above your outstretched palm. In its dim light, you made your slow way up the long, thin carpet and up to the raised dais it led to. There you ran your free hand across the gleaming arm of the empty throne. Your father’s throne. Your throne, now.

Your flame flickered as tears sprung to your eyes. You quickly rubbed them away. Today was no day for tears. After so long fighting the Heartless, your kingdom was won. Today you were to be properly introduced to the populace as their queen. No longer was the princess away at war, but there to stay as their benevolent ruler. They needed to see you driven and calm, not mourning what was lost during those years of darkness.

“Your majesty.”

You spun on the spot, fire glowing hotter than ever, only to find no threat waiting behind you. A familiar older man bowed where he stood just a few feet away: Cassius, your captain of the guard. 

So he had followed you after all. It would be some time before you grew used to being watched and protected again.

“Yes?” you said, a little awkwardly.

“You have visitors. The three men from before.”

Your heart sank. So soon? But better to say your goodbyes before everyone else arrived for the coronation. You only hoped you could do what you needed to do without the time you had counted on to mentally prepare for it.

“Send them in,” you said, and clapped your fireball in between your hands. It vanished just as every torch in the room lit up with fires of their own. 

Cassius nodded, then he disappeared back through the double doors that led into the hall. 

You sat on your throne to wait. Resisting the temptation to run your hands up and down its arms again was difficult—but a queen must not be nervous.

In the minutes that followed, you attempted to quash your nerves. You had escaped the coup that killed the rest of your family, learned the magic your parents had despaired of you ever knowing, and defeated your monstrously transformed aunt to bring light back to your world. How hard could it be to say goodbye in comparison to all of that?

Harder than all of them put together, you realized when the doors opened again and you caught a flash of Sora’s smile. The closer he drew, the harder your pulse hammered in your throat. By the time the trio stood before you, you almost felt faint.

“Your majesty!” they said, bowing as one. You tried to swallow away your emotions before the three straightened.

“Sora. Donald. Goofy.” You smiled at each of them in turn. “You bow to no one here. Certainly not to me.”

“Sounds good to me!” said Donald.

“But we have to be respectful,” Goofy chimed in. “You’re the queen now. A-hyuk!”

This was what you had feared the most. The three of them had been your closest companions since their arrival on your world. Without their help, your kingdom would still be under the control of the Heartless. Now that it wasn’t, your true place was revealed. They were no longer your cherished friends. They were subjects just like everyone else. You ached at the loss of Donald and Goofy’s casual antics, but feared more the loss of the boy standing between them.

Sora, however, looked at you with the same sparkling blue eyes as always. “You know, I always thought queens were supposed to wear a crown,” he said.

With a gasp, you reached for the top of your head. You felt nothing there but hair. “I guess I forgot to put it on this morning,” you said with a sheepish smile. “You’ll see it this afternoon at the ceremony.”

All three exchanged looks you liked not at all. Donald opened his beak first, but Sora spoke before he could:

“We aren’t going to make it to the ceremony.”

Your fingers curled against the arms of your throne. “Why not?”

“The Keyblade says it’s time to go. There are other worlds that need our help.”

“Of course.”

It wasn’t just your world that was overcome by darkness. You knew that. You also knew that you couldn’t be selfish. Sora was the only remaining keyblade-wielder, and he had an obligation to rescue more than just you.

Goofy leaned over toward Donald’s head. “You know, I think we should go look at the Gummi ship. Make sure it’s ready to leave,” he said in a stage whisper.

“What?” Donald squawked. Then he saw Goofy’s pointed look from Sora to you, and rolled his eyes. “Oh, all right.”

After many glances backward, Donald left with Goofy. You supposed you ought to have appreciated the latter’s tact, but the last thing you wanted just then was to be alone with Sora. It was difficult for you to even look at him knowing that you would never get to do so after he left.

“I’m sorry we can’t stay,” he said, his brow furrowed with uncharacteristic worry.

“It’s okay. You’ve got other princesses to rescue.”

“You really did most of the rescuing yourself.”

His wide grin sent electricity running up your limbs. You were never going to see that smile again. At first, that same smile—along with Sora’s unflappable cheer and optimism—had irritated you, especially in the face of several dozen Neoshadows. Its light had grown on you, though, and now you didn’t want to imagine a life without its presence. 

But you had to. Sora didn’t belong to you. He had his own world to return to. What were you supposed to do? Tell him you’d thought—after your aunt and her army destroyed everyone you cared for—you wouldn’t love anyone again and that he’d proven you wrong? That you had been so consumed with revenge and loneliness that if he hadn’t arrived when he did, that you’d have been a Heartless by then, too? That you couldn’t have become queen without him and you didn’t think you could be one at all if he were gone? 

No. On his own world, he had his own girl, his own princess. A queen must not be selfish.

Sora stepped up onto the dais, and you stiffened. He didn’t appear to notice. His arms went behind his head in a typical gesture of friendly nonchalance.

“You know, I was thinking,” he said, “maybe we could come back and visit in a little while. The Heartless can’t win forever. Once they’re gone, I can come see you again.”

“No.” The word came out of your mouth before you could stop it. 

Sora looked as though you’d shot one of your fire spells right at his face. Guilt surged through your stomach, but you pushed it away. What did you have to feel sorry for? He had a job to do, and so did you. Too many people were relying on your both—not to mention that no matter how much you loved Sora, you didn’t want to take him from Kairi. He’d spoken too highly of her for him to have any feelings left over for you.

You took a deep breath and tried again: “No. I’ll be far too busy. There’s so much I have to learn and so much we have to repair. I just don’t have the time, and I’m sure you’ll be busy, too.”

Sora’s expression of shock turned into a frown. “I guess you’re right.”

“I don’t want to keep you.”

“Okay.” Still frowning, he stepped away from your throne. He hesitated before offering you one last, shallow bow. “Goodbye, [Name]. You’re going to be an great queen. You’re the bravest, most amazing girl I’ve ever known.”

What that, he turned to go. He didn’t look back. Your innards twisted as you watched him near the doors. Once Sora stepped through them, he would be gone from your life forever. You would never see him again. He would see a million worlds and never know that one of the girls he’d left behind longed for his return. 

That was for the best, wasn’t it? Someday Destiny Islands would call him back. They needed him more than you did. A queen must not be selfish.

“Sora, wait!”

He looked around just in time to catch you as you sprinted for him. His arms went around you automatically, and his familiar laugh rumbled against your face as you pressed yourself to his chest.

“What’s all this about?” he asked.

When you pulled away from him, tears were leaking from your eyes. You didn’t care. You didn’t care if you were being silly or selfish or snobby. Sora was going to leave, but unlike your family, he could come back, if he wanted to. He never would if you didn’t tell him the truth. Maybe it would come to nothing. Maybe he really did love Kairi. All you knew was that  you simply couldn’t let him walk out of your life as easily as he’d entered it.

“I—I…” By then, you were crying openly. “Please come back! Please come see me again. Sora, I…I…”

He pulled you closer into a tight embrace. “I will. I love you, too.”

That was when Donald burst in.

“Oops,” said the duck, in a tone that made it clear he wasn’t sorry at all for the interruption.

“Sorry, Sora.” Goofy stuck his head in, too. “It’s time to go.”

Reluctantly, you disentangled yourself from Sora’s hug. 

He just smiled again and stepped toward his friends. “That’s okay. [Name]?”

“Yes?”

His smile widened. “I’ll see you again really soon.”

“I’m glad. Stay safe.”

He left with a final, cheerful wave. 

Shortly after, Cassius returned to ask why you remained in your nightclothes. When you attended to your chambers to allow your lady-in-waiting to dress you for the coronation, you noticed that much of the anxiety that had kept you awake all night was gone. 

The road before you remained difficult and long, but you knew you could handle it. After all, you’d been honest with the boy you loved. For now, through every meeting, through every lesson, through every painful memory, you could go on knowing that Sora never lied. He’d be seeing you again really soon. And when he did, you'd be ready to be completely honest with him.

#fan fic #straw writes #reader insert #second person pov #one shot #request #challenge fic #kingdom hearts #kh #sora #sora x reader #sora x you #sora x y/n #kingdom hearts x reader #kingdom hearts x you #kingdom hearts x y/n #kh x reader #kh x you #kh x y/n #sora reader insert #kingdom hearts reader insert #kh reader insert

[warsofasoiaf]

Was the disintegration of the 7 kingdoms inevitable from the moment Renly tried to claim the throne? Maybe even before, when Eddard was executed? Obviously in canon, the Lannister Tyrell regime is a rump state which only commands nominal allegiance in most kingdoms and is about to face a mass uprising. But, supposing that Stannis had won at the Blackwater, would he have realistically been able to bring the Westerlands, Reach, Vale, Dorne, and Robb's kingdom back into the fold?

That's really the $64,000 question, isn't it? Is the breakup of the Seven Kingdoms inevitable, and if it's so, where was the point of no return?

It's no great leap to say that with the loss of the dragons, the fundamental method of power projection shifted in Westeros and not for the better. Regardless of what you think about House Targaryen, the dragons allowed them a unique ability to project power over great distances. This in turn allowed for the unification of the Seven Kingdoms and a means by which to dissuade conventional independence movements. However, this power was not absolute - claimants with dragons were a danger to the Throne, and decentralized, mass movements still threatened the Targaryen regime like the Faith Militant revolt.

But without the dragons, could that mean that Westeros was doomed to break up as far back as Aegon III? If so, why did it take so long? Was it simple bureaucratic inertia or timidity on behalf of the component kingdoms? Or did Westeros depend on the ability to navigate the ship of state and react to changing circumstances and policy mistakes. What was certain is that House Targaryen needed a new method to keep the kingdoms together. To that end, House Targaryen tried new ways to ensure unification, from military conquest (Daeron I), religious unity (Baelor), administrative capacity (Viserys II), and settled on a faction of nobles to provide the manpower that the weak feudal monarchy lacked on its own. In that sense, the monarchy relied on a combination of competent governance (to not create conditions for a general revolt) and personal leadership (to establish a large enough coalition).

The weakness of this approach was on full display in the First Blackfyre Rebellion, where Daemon Blackfyre himself established a large coalition and Daeron II faltered due to policy missteps in the leadup and lackluster execution in the war proper. Daeron II held on, but a combination of circumstances outside Targaryen control (the Great Spring Sickness, the drought) and incredibly poor rulership on behalf of Aerys I and Bloodraven (his failed police state, his brutal anti-drought policies, his failure to act against Dagon Greyjoy) meant that Westeros itself teetered on the brink at multiple points, really until Maekar came in and actually established competent, effective, and active leadership - going back to the ship of state example. Yet Maekar never really purged himself of Bloodraven for reasons that are not entirely clear to me (nor do they make much sense in-universe).

The factional approach was again troubled with Aegon V's missteps. His reforms angered the aristocracy, but his children backing out of Aegon's marriage matches meant he didn't have the strength to enact his policy visions. To Aegon's credit, his heart was in the right place, but his moves emboldened an obstinate aristocracy. Yet, the Seven Kingdoms didn't collapse - was this due to some support that Aegon V had or the successful defeat of Lyonel Baratheon in the Laughing Storm rebellion. It seemed like an independence league of like-minded Lords Paramount could have divested themselves of the Seven Kingdoms at that time, but didn't. Certainly, the undoing of those reforms under Jaehaerys II and under Tywin's tenure as Hand under Aerys had something to do with keeping the aristocracy on board, but those wouldn't happen until after.

We come of course to the man who actually did cause the collapse of the Targaryen regime, and it's here that something interesting happens. The aristocracy installed one of their own to maintain the Seven Kingdoms even after Aerys was deposed. We can clearly see, given the relative peace and prosperity after Robert's rule (albeit once Littlefinger started showing up he started undermining that prosperity via financial chicanery right quick), that House Targaryen wasn't a necessity to the continued existence of the Seven Kingdoms, so of the many possibilities where "is the Seven Kingdoms doomed to break up," the end of House Targaryen is not one of them.

When we come to the War of the Five Kings, is this then the tipping point, where Renly shatters the potential of the Robert's Rebellion-era rebel coalition to unite behind Stannis? Was it the Reach angling for power by joining Tywin instead of Stannis, allowing the corrupt Lannister regime to hold off? Was it Robb's independence campaign that sowed the seeds for doom, in that the Stormlands would be less willing to support Renly if the North backed Stannis? Was it Littlefinger's manipulations that kept the Vale neutral and the economic power of the Seven Kingdoms hollowed?

Unfortunately, there's no perfect criteria that says "Yes, Westeros is doomed," because as long as you can plausibly articulate a scenario where it doesn't collapse, it's not inevitable. Depending on what happens, you can refute some of it, Renly won't win an array of dazzling military victories, although Robb or Stannis might. Robb won't break bread with the Lannisters and rejoin them, but he might with Stannis in exchange for regional autonomy - a Dornish compromise. However, that sort of treaty might risk another war just as Daeron II's bungling caused the First Blackfyre Rebellion. But hopefully all of this information can give you all the ammunition you need to say: "This is where I think Westeros was doomed to collapse - for XYZ."

Thanks for the question, Anon.

SomethingLikeALawyer, Hand of the King

#feudalism #what if #robert's rebellion #first blackfyre rebellion #politics

[exposingtheidiocy]

Sora and Ratchet both declined into similar characters in KH3 and R&C 2016, respectively.

From protagonists with bite to uwu nice boys (Ratchet got it worse, but Sora isn't much better).

#anti 2016 ratchet & clank #anti ratchet & clank 2016 #anti kingdom hearts iii #NotMySora #NotMyRatchet #for as much shit as I give Sega they didn't wussify their protagonist in the main games

[castorrhayos]

GET TO KNOW THE MUSE

Name: Prince Castor Rhayos

Nickname(s): Sunbeam

Age: 27

Date of Birth: July 27, 784

Place of Birth: Aaros

Race / Ethnicity: Latino

Gender: Cis Male

Secondary Gender: Alpha

Pronouns: He/Him

Job: Tailor

FAMILY

Sire: Cailore Rhayos III

Dame:  Uma Titanos

Siblings: One Older Brother, and One Younger Brother

Mate: none

Children: none

Pets: none

APPEARANCE

Height: 6'7"

Weight: 248

Build: Muscular - Lean

Hair Color: Black

Eye Color: Dark Hazel

Tattoos: Hand Tattoos and Forearms

Piercings: Both Ears and Septum

Clothing style - Tattered Fine Clothes and Fine Jewelry

Distinguishing Features: A branded Sun on his entire back

WOLF FORM

Fur Color: Dark Brown

Wolf Build: Bigger than Most in Size and Build

PERSONALITY

Positive Traits: Kind & Inquisitive

Negative Traits: Recluse & Cynical

Hobbies & Interests: Art, History, Gardening, Wine Making

NSFW

Position: Undetermined

Kinks: Undetermined

Anti-Kinks: Scat, Vore, Gore

Safeword: Undetermined

Dick Size: 11.2"

BIOGRAPHY

Worship of the gods was what life revolved around in the city of Aaros, and the royal family was no exception, if anything they enabled this way of life. Many of the people, if not all, gave gifts to the countless gods that they believed in, but one prevailed above all else, the Goddess of the Sun. She looked over the kingdom, granting her blessings to anyone who aided and continued the growth of Aaros. 

The Royal Family ruled over the Sundom, but despite being as powerful as they were, they were kind and just, doing everything they could to reflect the benevolent nature of the Goddess they worshiped. It was the perfect place to grow up, there was no malice in anyone’s hearts that his mother felt comfortable enough to invite other mothers regardless of their class to come to their home so their pups could play with hers. There were three of them, Castor, and his two brothers, one older and the other younger than him. Although his older sibling was destined to take the crown and rule the city of Aaros, there was never any ill will from his two younger brothers, as they both felt they could assist him. The three had no reason to train as they had a loyal army and personal guards to protect them, but they all trained along them in case they ever needed to protect their home. Still, Castor had a greater interest in the fine arts, history, and gardening, since he believed it would enrich the culture of Aaros. 

They were growing up to be fine young men, all strong and having the potential to carry the Sundom to another era of prosperity. But before they even could, their father slowly fell into a slow descent into madness that not only brought fear to neighboring cities, but as well as the people he was meant to protect. The pups were still young, with two of them not having presented yet, but Castor’s older brother had, and he believed since he would be taking the crown and was an alpha, their father would listen to his demands. Instead, the terrified family saw the beginning of a terrible tradition, the sacrifices to the Goddess. Since then, he has not been able to feel the warmth of the Sun.

The Sun King was out of his mind, but despite this, there were people following his preachings and agreeing with them and if anyone didn’t they would have the same fate as Castor's brother’s fate. Ever since that brutal loss, everyone kept to themselves, especially the ones who mourned the loss of their old home. Many people began to leave the royal city, leaving the cultists behind, forcing Castor, his brother, and his mother to remain in this madness. 

A couple of years had passed, Castor had just turned eighteen and presented as an Alpha, which made his father proud. It disgusted him as he wanted nothing to do with him, but as he was ready to push the mad king away from, he called the guards to hold him down and begin the ceremony. The young alpha could feel himself struggling under their grasps, but he stopped after a brief moment, believing he would see his older brother soon, instead, he was met with the searing heat of burning iron on his back slowly dragging across his skin. There was no way he could hold his pain, his anger, his sadness, so he screamed until the shock made him black out. When he regained consciousness, his back was bandaged, and was told by an ecstatic nurse that he was now marked by the Sun. 

Castor didn’t know what it meant, but while he was incapacitated, his father had made announcements to the Sundom that he was blessed by the Goddess to be the next king. The sudden news dropped the entire weight of the world onto his shoulders, but then he thought how this might be a good thing. Maybe he could right his father’s wrongs and bring back the warm light that exuded from Aaros. However, even though his father was the one who announced this, his madness made him paranoid, believing that he would kill him to get the crown as soon as he could. Guards would then watch him at every given moment at the orders of their king, making him a prisoner in his own home. 

Throughout the years, he pulled away from everyone, even his own family as he was afraid that he would hurt anyone who got too close to him, leaving him with nothing more but the company of the guards. Fortunately, he was close friends with one of them before all of this occurred, and through him, he has heard more people continued to escape the city, including his mother and brother. Somehow, even though he was all alone now, he was relieved that the family that remained was safe now. 

Time continued to pass him by, until he heard a storm roll on by in the middle of the night. But when he looked out of his window, he saw no rain tapping on his glass. Before he knew it, he saw his friend, rushing towards him all bloody, knife in his while the other covered his mouth. Once again, he thought his life would have ended, this time betrayed by his confidant, but instead, he pulled him and sneaked him through the castle, a treacherous trek of smoke and slaughter getting to the stables. He commanded Castor to get on and to ride, getting as far away as possible, but the Prince didn’t want to leave his only friend behind but he urged him to find safety and that no matter how far away he got, he would still find him. Without being able to say another word, the guard struck the horse, scaring it and making him run away, after that, he did as was told and rode away. There was no destination in mind, he just had the stallion take him wherever it wanted. It was mindless wandering with nowhere to go but after a few days of travels and hardship, Castor found a camp hidden by the woods and protected by the mountains. Without thinking, he started running towards it, immediately stopped by the guards, their swords pointing at him, despite his tattered clothes and tired eyes. Castor was taken in, unsure if he was a prisoner, but feeling no different from before, until he was in the presence of three men who then interrogated him, almost as if they were finding him a spot here. 

Was the prince finding his home?

#Castor Rhayos ... About #Castor Rhayos ... Visage #I hope you enjoy Castors long ass bio uwu

[madasthyhatter]

Dark Waters Inprnt | Twitter | DeviantArt

#Kingdom Hearts #Kingdom Hearts III #Kingdom Hearts 3 #KH III #KH3 #KH #Aqua #Dark Aqua #Darqua #Anti Aqua #Anti-Aqua #Artists on Tumblr #My art #MadAsThyHatter

[themattress]

So this one guy who blocked me because of a perfectly civil comment pointing out the flaw in something he was saying rather than actually respond and try to debate it then posted this.

Which may as well read:

It's the nostalgia strawman, the same one mentioned 5 and a half minutes into this video. It also comes up in this one and this one. And as the arguments posit in those videos, it's bullshit used as an easy way to avoid true critical engagement. However, I still want to say my piece on this post, even if the person who made it tried to stop me through blocking.

"All the writing problems in KH3 are present in KH2"

Hahahahahaha, no. Absolutely not.

Granted, I did make sure to bolden "all" since of course it's an objective fact that some of the writing problems in KH3 are indeed present in KH2 - both Tetsuya Nomura and Masaru Oka are writers on both, so it would be impossible for that not to be the case. However, let's see if this person's examples of such shared problems holds up.

Retcons

Nope. There was only one retcon in KH2, which is the retcon around Ansem's identity, which I've already discussed at length. That is literally the only time where something from a prior game got changed around, and it was already being set up in CoM. That is lightyears ahead of the retcons in KH3, several of which are retcons on a more fundamental level than just who someone really is (ex: Xigbar being Luxu is a retcon that I hate, but it's not affecting anything fundamental - it's the retcon of what he did in the past that is the true problem.)

A glut of characters with strange and poorly explained motivations

Nope. The motivations of DiZ and Organization XIII respectively were not remotely strange given their circumstances and were explained very clearly; some could argue they were overexplained. A world of difference from, say, Ansem and Saix's obsessions with Subject X, a character who isn't even a part of KH3's story.

New mechanics that don't get adequately explained

All right, I give them this one. Hell, that's been a thing since KH1.

Relying on you to play and understand side games to grasp the baseline plot.

Nope. There was only one side game at the time of KH2, which was CoM. And it was only needed to fully grasp KH2's prologue....and I say fully grasp because KH2, prologue included, was conceived before CoM was, so the prologue was always going to be intentionally confusing. Once we reach the actual baseline plot with Sora, Donald and Goofy, CoM is no longer an issue since they act like they're picking up fresh off the end of KH1.

Awkwardly rehashing the plot of Disney movies for 90% of the game and then having the bulk of the plot in the last 5 hours

Nope. The linked videos already debunked this fallacy, but for elaboration: KH2 did actually have plot-relevant events occur in half of the Disney world visits and it had a midway point where a huge chunk of the plot transpired, meaning "the bulk of the plot in the last 5 hours" is a damned lie as far as KH2 is concerned. Meanwhile, "awkwardly rehashing the plot of Disney movies for 90% of the game" makes one question if this person played either KH2 or KH3, because it doesn't apply to either of them! Three visits in each of them rehash the movie's plot (KH2: Land of Dragons 1, Port Royal 1, and Pride Land 1; KH3: Kingdom of Corona, Arendelle, The Caribbean), with one visit also having many elements of the movie's plot (KH2: Atlantica, KH3: Olympus), but otherwise the Disney worlds did their own stories.

Shafting Kairi

Half-right. Both games did shaft Kairi, but comparing the way KH2 did it with the way KH3 did it is apples and oranges, since Kairi was still a civilian damsel in KH2 and despite the shafting got to participate in its conclusion and begin her own path as a combatant; Kairi in KH3 was a combatant who spent most of the game training for that combatant role and it ended up resulting in her not participating in the conclusion because she died, got restored, only to be kidnapped and then die again. And no, Re:Mind doesn't retroactively absolve KH3 of this, especially given that the positive treatment Kairi receives there doesn't even last into the Limitcut Episode and the following game, MoM.

Imo KH3 does a somewhat better job at threading its information into a smooth plot than KH2

Nope. The "information" you speak of, objectively, is all information about past games or even future games. The only information that is relevant to pushing forward the narrative of KH3 as was established at the start of the game ("gather these specific seven Keyblade wielders to go fight Xehanort and his organization at the Keyblade Graveyard") is the stuff with Vexen and the replicas....which not only had a huge chunk of it missing until Re:Mind, but also might not have even been needed since Nomura said he considered doing the story without resurrecting Roxas and Xion in the climax.

So in total, this post only had one thing completely correct (both KH2 and KH3, and all KH games for that matter, have new mechanics that don't get adequately explained because Nomura is just like that), and one thing partially correct (both KH2 and KH3 shaft Kairi, but pretending the shafting is in any way equivalent is a logical fallacy). Everything else listed isn't actually comparable to KH3 at all, proving once again that this isn't a nostalgia filter issue. It's a legitimate observation that KH3 suffered terribly from the decision to bog it down with connections to so many other games and from Nomura and Oka getting rid of all their co-contributors like Kazushige Nojima, Daisuke Watanabe and Harunori Sakemi.

#Disney #Square Enix #Kingdom Hearts #Kingdom Hearts II #Kingdom Hearts III #Opinion #Analysis #Comparison #Fandumb #Stupidity #Objection #Correction #Truthbomb #Anti-Kingdom Hearts #Anti-Square Enix #Anti-Nomura #Anti-Tetsuya Nomura

[whitepolaris]

The Sprague Mansion

by Jeff Belanger

“Tell my story . . .” 

Ghostly legends surrounded the Sprague Mansion long before a homemade Ouija Board spelled out those eleven letters inside the home back in 1968; but since that fateful spirit-communication session, talk of ghosts in Cranston, Rhode Island, has been omnipresent. 

The Sprague family came to Cranston around 1712. They built a financial empire and rose to social and political prominence. By the Civil War, the Spragues wealthiest family in America, but within two decades, their fortune would be lost. Today, all that remains of their kingdom is their stately mansion, their story, and-if we’re believe the many eyewitnesses, paranormal investigators, and passersby-their ghosts are still around, too. 

The Sprague Mansion was built around 1790, and it was the heart of the Sprague’s growing textile empire. Brothers Amasa and William III took over the family business from their father, William II, died a peculiar death that involved choking on a bone while eating his breakfast in 1836. 

Both Sprague brothers were elected to the state legislature, but Amasa focused most on his attention on running the family business while William went on to become a United States congressman, then the governor of Rhode Island, then a U.S. Senator. His blossoming political career would be cut short when Amasa was murdered back home. 

It was December 31, 1843, and Amasa was about a mile away from the mansion, checking on his cattle near the Pocasset River. He had started to cross a footbridge when one or more men jumped him. His mangled body was found on the banks of the river and carried back to the mansion, where it was most likely laid out in the front parlor of the mansion for his wake and viewing. 

Accusing fingers pointed at an Irish immigrant named Nicholas Gordon and his brothers. Nicholas’s store, near the Sprague mill, had a liquor license that mill workers took advantage of, and Amasa used his influence to ensure that the license would not be renewed. A few days before the murder, several witnesses observed an argument over the license between Nicholas Gordon’s brother John and Amasa. This circumstantial evidence, plus a confused witness and anti-Irish sentiment of the time, was enough to convict John Gordon of Amasa’s murder. He was hanged in 1845, the last victim of capital punishment in the state of Rhode Island. The public was outraged, and those close to the Gordons knew that John didn’t murder Amasa Sprague. 

So who did?

Some think it was William himself. The brothers had differed on how the business should be run; and with Amasa gone, William expanded the Sprague Print Works company to become the largest calico-dyeing plant in the nation. Profits soared. Did William have his own  brother murdered to make an already wealthy family even richer? 

The Sprague fortune continued to grow until the Panic of 1873, when banks called their loans, people everywhere sold off their stocks, and the economy collapsed almost overnight. The Spragues were impacted, and by 1888 they had sold their mansion and holdings and faded off into the yellowing pages of history. Their legacy is not forgotten when one walks inside the Sprague Mansion today. 

Andrew Laird is founder and director of The Rhode Island Paranormal Research Group (TRIPRG). The group has conducted more than a half dozen investigations at the mansion, including a preliminary walkthrough in 2004. “We were in the front parlor where Amasa had been laid out, though we didn’t know this at the time, and all of our meters and everything else were going off,” Laird said. “We experienced all kinds of stuff that night. We heard things downstairs near the wine cellar. I felt a tap on my shoulder, and when I turned around no one was there.”

The Cranston Historical Society is headquartered in the mansion. Lydia Rapoza, curator since 1996, and Dr. Michael Bell, a member of the Cranston Historical Society’s board of directors and a folklorist and author, explained how in the 1960s the mansion was in bad shape and was going to be torn down. Local resident Viola Lynch helped raise the $100,000 necessary to buy the property and preserve the Spragues’ legacy (and possibly their ghosts). Mrs. Lynch and her family have also become part of the ghostly legends here. 

In 1968, Viola’s son Robert was working as a caretaker for the mansion. He and some of his friends constructed a Ouija board and sat down to reach out to the ghosts of the house. Robert explained to a Providence Journal reporter that the pointer on the Ouija board spelled out MY LAND. MY LAND. When they asked the spirit, "What would you want done to have your spirit at peace?” the board answered, TELL MY STORY. The spirit identified itself as Charles. 

So who was Charles . . . or Charlie, as he’s become affectionately known?

“We don’t know,” Rapoza said. “The Ouija board said he was a butler here.”

According to one of the legends, Charlie’s daughter was supposed to marry one of the sons of the mansion owner. It is unclear if it was a Sprague or one of the families who lived there after them. Local lore says things didn’t work out with the engagement, and Charlie has been upset ever since that his family didn’t marry into wealth and power. Since 1968, people inside the mansion have joked about Charlie, though no one has ever seen him . . . well, not conclusively. 

Rapoza mentioned one worker who had a strange run-in with something unexplained near the main staircase. “This guy was fixing up the doll room and he sees this white filmy thing up there,” she said. “He didn’t want to work here alone after that.”

The doll room is easily the creepiest room in the house. The size of a walk-in closet, it’s located off a small landing halfway between floors. The room full of old dolls from the 1700s and 1800s. One doll has no eyes, while others stare off in a lifeless and eerie fashion. 

Andrew Laird mentioned the experience of a guest during one of the Halloween parties held at the mansion. “This lady showed us a video of one of the guides giving the mansion tour,” Laird said. “They were in front of the doll room. The guide was talking about the dolls, and just as the guide is turning around to point out to one of them, you can hear this EVP [electronic voice phenomenon] of a little girl’s voice saying, ‘Leave my doll alone.’ It’s clear as a bell.”

Other unexplained events have happened during Halloween parties. “It was the night of the first Halloween party,” Lydia Rapoza said. “There were twenty-eight people here.” 

Dr. Bell added, “Some of the ladies who came decided they wanted to try out the Ouija board. So they got the board and they were in the front parlor and it spelled out . . .” 

“‘. . . Tell Bob I need him,” Rapoza finished. “And it was signed V.L. and they had no idea who Viola (Lynch) was, or who Bob was. Bob was her husband and he was still alive at the time.”

“This was October,” Dr. Bell said. “She’d died about a year before that and he was painting  her over and over.” One of these paintings now hangs in the front parlor. 

“This poor guy was heartbroken and doing these paintings kept him alive,” Rapoza said. “So this was October, and then in February they find him dead in this house.”

At the 2004 Halloween party, photographer Cyril Place and about five others were among the last to leave. “We had come downstairs and we were standing right in the foyer by the front door at the foot of the stairs,” Place said. “All of a sudden we heard the music box-which was up on the third floor. This was very strange because Lydia had already locked it up-she meticulously with that. It played for about a minute. 

“Lydia was with us in the foyer. She said, ‘Nobody’s up there. Nobody’s been up there, and everything is locked up.’ And then the music ended at that point.”

The main staircase has also been the site of a ghostly female figure who has been reported floating down the stairs. Many paranormal investigations focus on the foyer and staircase because the area is the central part of the house-it ties the building together-and whether a long-ago butler is still performing his duties or whether some belle is trying to make her grand entrance, the staircase seems to be a hotspot. 

Another supernaturally active location within the house is the wine cellar-which is a dark storage room in the basement. Strange noises have been heard inside, and the room contains one artifact that sends chills up the spines of those who read, dusty wine bottle label. The vineyard name is Gordon, a not-so-subtle reminder of the man who was hanged for Amasa Sprague’s murder. 

Ms. Rapoza claims she’s never seen any ghosts here, but she did capture a strange blur in one of her photos that she took in the ballroom back in 2001. 

Though she hasn’t seen a ghost, she certainly feels that the spirit of Amasa Sprague is always nearby. “I talked to Amasa on the Ouija board,” Rapoza said about one night in April 1999. “We had a board meeting . . . I was fooling around with a Ouija board, and I said, ‘Who are you?’ And it spelled out ‘Amasa Sprague.’”

The Sprague Mansion is now on the National Register of Historic Places. It represents the results of Yankee ingenuity and entrepreneurship that helped form an industrially prosperous state. Against the odds, the mansion survives, and the Sprague story is told again and again with the ghosts and spirits watching from inside. 

#type read #weird ghosts #long ass read