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littleogreboii · 4 years

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Soleil

Summary:

God of death with a gaze of woe, spoke to me and he told me so: "Fast, before I will lose control, please, have mercy and save my soul."

If you were to ask Soul, Maka was the sun and Soul was the moon, and Maka deserved the world.

Warnings:

Major Character Death | Brief Description of a Dead Body

AN:

This is based off the song Soleil by Toraboruta-P and I used the English translyrics by JoyDreamer. You can find her cover here. I personally really like Lizz's cover. I just think Lizz's softer voice goes with the tone of the song a bit more.

It’s like midnight for me at the moment so I apologise if there’s any mistakes or if it’s just generally trash, but like it’s too late now.

AO3

God of death with a gaze of woe, spoke to me and he told me so:

"Fast, before I will lose control, please, have mercy and save my soul."

Maka looks upon the being that used to resemble her dearest friend. If she looks closely she can still almost see ribbons of pink hair bursting out of the darkness. The ribbons are fast decreasing and she knows it won’t be long until they’re fully lost.

Soul pushes Maka back, brandishing a scythe to protect them from the blades. “Maka. Pay attention.” He thrusts the scythe forward and leaps back, reaching out to pull Maka with him.

“But Soul…” She breaths, hand ghosting her mouth. “Can’t you hear?” It’s evident in the way Soul doesn’t hesitate to defend the two of them that he can’t, but it’s all she can hear.

“Save me.” The being cries. “Help.” They continue. And the voice is so familiar that Maka fails to suppress a shudder.

“Chrona.” She whispers and that catches Soul’s attention. He puts more distance between them and the being. They retreat into the trees, knowing the being will have a harder time manoeuvering the terrain.

“What do you mean?” He leans against a tree, catching his breath.

“It’s Chrona.” She collapses to her knees. Her hands dig into the dirt as the tears run down her face. “It’s Chrona.”

All the pain you feel, I am sure you didn't wish for that

And the looks that you bear are so grim, those you wear

Maka can remember a simpler time when the three of them were kids. Chrona’s wings had always been slightly darker than her’s and Soul’s, but Maka passed it off as a trick of the light. They hadn’t shared much of their childhood with Soul and Maka, but the flashes Chrona gave away suggested it wasn’t pleasant. They had that in common with Soul.

The most common occurrence in these flashes had been the name ‘Medusa’. Maka had quickly decided she wasn’t a fan of Medusa, but she thought that Chrona was free as long as they were with her and Soul. She’d been wrong.

One day, Chrona had been there, the next, they were gone. Maka had dragged Soul along to search for them and on the way they had encountered many different people. Maka spares a thought for those people whom she knows are waiting in the village for Soul to slay the being. It’s his final trial on his way to adulthood and he bought Maka along. She knows he regrets bringing her, but she can’t remember the last time they’d been separated. Still, with the knowledge that this is Chrona, she can’t bring herself to simply let Soul kill them. There has to be another way.

Maka’s mind flicks back to the woman’s body she’d found on the floor of Medusa’s house. The body had been tainted blue with blisters forming along the arms and face. Dried blood and rotting meat had flooded her senses. A large cut straight through the body’s chest was the last thing she remembers of that day. She couldn’t tell you how she got out. She assumes Soul had something to do with it, always better at biting back his emotions.

She can’t bear the thought of Chrona looking like that woman had. She has to do something now and it has to be fast.

Shining bright, she is like the sun, waiting there for her fate to come

Holding out her hand with the flow, smiling as she then told you so:

Chrona breaks through the last of the trees and Soul rises to protect Maka. Maka rises too. She walks past Soul and pushes his weapon down. She reaches out her arms towards Chrona, allowing a soft smile to take residence upon her face.

She remembers the first time she met Chrona. They’d attempted to steal food from her and Soul. Soul had ended up with a gash from that encounter, but soon after, they’d met again. That time, Maka had offered up some food to Chrona with a careful smile. Chrona had broken down to her not long after that and she’d held their hand through it all. Chrona’s tiny wings had been so fragile back then.

Now, Chrona’s jet black wings cast shadows over Maka’s small frame. She ignores this, extending her arms closer to Chrona.

"It is quite alright, I shall take the darkness that you hold

And I will change your shape, as a bird you can escape

“I’m so sorry, Chrona.” Maka begins, taking another step towards Chrona. “I should have been there for you, but it’s alright now.” She wraps her arms around Chrona, avoiding the blades threatening to dig into her skin. “Yes, it is quite alright.”

The darkness inside Chrona is infectious and the memories they carry with them stream into Maka. The times they all spent together seem so far away with the way Medusa seems to slither into every inch of them. All Maka can see is the harsh words and bitter manipulation Medusa instilled inside of Chrona.

She forces herself to look past that. She thinks of the games they all played together under the shining sun. “I can feel it all. I’m so sorry, but it’s ok now. I shall take it all away.” She bites her lip. “I don’t think we can return to how things were before, but it’s not too late.” She hugs Chrona tighter. “Yes, I think a bird would be perfect for you.”

You can fly to place far away, in the sky you are free everyday

If you don't have a goal or a prey, then it's fine 'cause with me you can stay"

Soul watches as Chrona begins to morph. For a moment, he catches a glimpse of the old Chrona. He sees the lilac hair and lanky stature that they always carried. It fades as more of the darkness seeps away. He watches the darkness make it’s bed in Maka’s arms, soaking them in ashen tones. He tells himself it’s ok. Maka is strong.

Maka continues her speech. “As a bird, you’ll be free to go wherever. Medusa will never find you.” She hesitates. “But, if you have nowhere to go, you’re always welcome to stay with me, Chrona.” She leans her head against Chrona. “Always.”

Maka is forced to release them as they shift even further. She shudders, a permanent chill settling into her spine. Soul comes up beside her and wraps her in a side hug. She leans into it, drowning herself in the scent of his sweat. Anything other than blood.

White as told, wings unfold, here it stays, following always

The black in Chrona’s wings bleeds out, replaced with a blinding white. They’re far whiter than Soul’s wings have ever been and he worries Maka has overdone it. Chrona shrinks down, seemingly into ash, until all that remains are their wings. Out from the ash a white dove appears and Soul can tell Chrona remembers everything now.

The bird flies out of the ashes, high into the air and the sunlight reflects off their wings. Maka faces Soul shooting him a reassured smile, but Soul can only watch Chrona. He’s enchanted by the way Maka washed away all of Chrona’s darkness with such ease. Chrona returns to the two of them, fluttering about at eye level.

Soul’s eyes are drawn behind Chrona to the dark cloud approaching from the village.

Many more are wanting now her to save them all somehow

And the girl was reaching out saving them without a doubt

It’s to be expected that everyone flocks to Maka wanting them to purge the darkness from them as well. The greed only increases the darkness and people are becoming tainted faster than before. They wave off their sins, knowing Maka will be there to save them at the moment they lose themselves. Soul can only watch from the side as her wings begin to taint.

The first boy she helps is one she’s met before. He’d introduced himself as Kid back then. He’d been tainted by his obsession with symmetry. It had driven him to the point of wanting to reduce everything to zero to create a ‘perfect’ world. However, the first step for a perfect world involved eliminating humans as they are the biggest wrongs in the world. Maka takes that obsession with nothing less than a smile. She squashes it down when it threatens to overtake her. She thinks of the beauty that the imperfections of the world holds.

The next boy she helps is an obnoxious one. His desire to be the strongest had set him down the path of the demon and he’d thrown himself into the darkness full throttle. The girl that accompanies him, introduces him as Black Star. Soul knows the girl will soon follow Black Star into darkness and can only hope that she doesn’t come to Maka when that happens.

Maka steals the desire to be the strongest away and reminds him that power that risks harming those he loves isn’t worth it. Later when Soul asks how she dealt with the darkness Black Star held, she’ll laugh and state that she has so desire to get stronger unless she’s getting stronger alongside Soul. Soul’s heart begins to break at the notion.

The girl finds her way back to them soon after, the darkness absorbing her. Her wings tainted by the lies she’d drowned herself in to keep others happy. Soul finds this one the most pitiful. Her lies made to keep others happy had only brought them misery.

“Tsubaki,” Soul laughs, “Truly a pitiful flower.” He decides the name suits her. However, the laugh fails when he notices the lies that begin to slip past Maka’s tongue with more ease than they used to.

Two siblings appear next. They remind him of Chrona. A life full of misery, only the sibling turned that misery into weapons. Liz and Patty, the demon sisters, a name that the siblings don’t seem to appreciate. Maka struggles to take the darkness from these two. They’ve been holding onto their anger for so long that there’s barely anything left to save, but Maka, ‘perfect angelic’ Maka, does it anyway.

Slowly as all the birds were to fly, she was in there among in the sky

'Cause the birds were all covered in white, she had turned just as dark as the night

Soul finds it harder to be around Maka these days. She snaps over the smallest thing and he spends most of his time walking on eggshells. He can never bring himself to blame her though. He knows that there’s no stopping her and he also knows he could never bring himself to leave her.

More people come and she saves all of them without hesitation. They hardly speak to each other now and Soul longs for the days of their childhood where Maka would smile with all the light in the world.

The day comes when there’s no more light she can give. At that time, the sky is filled with beautiful white birds, but Soul doesn’t care for them. He only has eyes for Maka. He squints through the blinding light rays and finds her in the centre of it all. Her skin no longer glows and her eyes hold no light.

She's consumed by the darkness they bore, she will never wake up anymore

'Cause she used all the strength she would hold, now her body is finally cold

It’s Soul’s turn to remember the body they found all that time ago. He didn’t allow himself to react at the time, too concerned for Maka, but now she’s in the same situation and it’s all he can think about. But, instead of the body, all he can see is Maka led like that. It bubbles up inside him, until he can barely breathe.

He can’t imagine a world without Maka. She’s all he’s had for so long. He can’t remember what his parents look like and it’s been a long time since he heard from Wes. Chrona never stayed for him. Even now, he can spot Chrona circling Maka’s body. He wishes Maka had never saved Chrona. He wishes he had the courage to kill Chrona in the first place. But most importantly, he wishes he’d never brought Maka with him to the edge of the forest to face Chrona in the first place. He’s a coward and it’s cost him his light.

Grieving bird, gave his word, took the pain, darkness and all vain

Maka doesn’t deserve to be cold and empty. She should be full of life and warmth. He curls his hands into fists as he resolves himself. Maka managed to take all that darkness so why couldn’t he? What was stopping him from saving her? Nothing.

His wings had been small for so long, but he focuses all his energy into them, willing them bigger. He needs to be able to fly so he can reach her. He screams as the wings rip out of him, stretching out. Feathers fall off him, but he doesn’t care. The wings remind him of Chrona’s and he reassures himself that his wings remain white for the moment.

Through the clouds up he would fly, birds in black where all over the sky

Now you shine like the gold on the sea, all because you are Soleil

Hesitantly, he beats his wings. Once. Then twice. His whole body shakes under the force and he stumbles forward. He steels himself before running forward towards the edge of the cliff. He jumps up and beats his wings. Up he goes, past the sea of white and into the realm of darkness.

Black birds circle Maka and Chrona, still hoping she’ll save them. They charge him as he passes, trying to pass the darkness onto him. His wings are tearing and he fears he won’t make it. He reaches out his hand and it brushes against Maka’s back. He pushes up and lifts her higher. He keeps flying, carrying Maka with him. Chrona follows and Soul knows they’re encouraging him.

He breaks through the clouds and the light washes over Maka. The darkness floods into Soul, but Soul just watches the way the light warms Maka. His hair dyes white and his eyes flash red. His body shifts and changes, but he’s content to watch the light bounce off Maka’s eyes. She’s finally in her rightful place, under the sun. Her light brown hair glows with the sun.

His wings give one last flap before breaking off. Soul wraps his arms around Maka and allows the darkness to finally take him. He falls, using his body as a cushion for Maka.

It’s a lost cause, but he doesn’t know that.

For just a moment, Soul’s eyes open and he swears he sees the three of them, him, Maka and Chrona, sitting under a tree together as children once more.

#soul eater #soul eater evans #maka albarn #crona gorgon #chrona #crona #how do you spell chrona's name???#soul eater ff #soul eater fanfic #se ff #se fanfic #implied soma #soma #soul x maka #implied soul x maka #soul eater au #se au

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mutantsrisingrpg · 4 years

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Congratulations ADDISON! You’ve been accepted as EPIMETHEUS with a FC change to JOEL KINNAMAN.

When writing Tierney’s skeleton, I tried to hint at how his emotions are something that can rule him - and you picked up on that right away. In fact, you picked up on it, wrapped it, and delivered it to us with a backstory that tore at my heart as the bow. ‘Had he always been a mutant?’ God, the way his power was discovered hit me in the face and I loved it. The theme of taking care of his family is one that I’m excited to see translate to the Blackburn Syndicate. I can’t wait to see Tierney flex his big dumbass energy on the dash!

Welcome to Mutants Rising! Please read the checklist and submit your account within 24 hours.

Out of Character Information:

NAME/ALIAS: addison/hellsign

PRONOUNS: she/her/hers.

AGE: 20

TIMEZONE & ACTIVITY LEVEL: EST, uhhhh activity level….6

In Character Information:

DESIRED ROLE: Tierney Sinclair, FC: Joel Kinnaman

GENDER/PRONOUNS: Cismale, he/him/his

DETAILS & ANALYSIS:

To sum him up, BDG - big dumbass energy. But anyway:

Tierney (Irish): lord’ or ‘master

With names like these, at age 40, why the hell was he just a hitman, a tool for other people to use? Like every man when close to power, he should want that power, right? With Tierney, I think that was the last thing he wanted. Let me explain.

The only time he ever came close to being a “lord” or a “master” was taking care of his brothers growing up. Not that he would ever demanded them to call him that, it wasn’t some kind of title he would’ve liked to keep since it never felt like he ruled over them. Power equated to responsibility and he was a boy forced to become a man. He does not trust himself with power, he doesn’t know what he’ll do with it. Being a hitman is simple. He can clearly see the line between success and failure and he knows what it takes to achieve both. That’s where he gets his comfort. Some people may perceive this as laziness. But Tierney had been alive for 40 long years now. It was about time things became easy.

Epimetheus (Greek): afterthinker, hindsight, foolish Sinclair (Scottish): pure, renowned, illustrious

“red eyes” “always with malice” “burn of whiskey” “rusty pipe…whole world a show”

Why was he so EMOTIONAL??? Perhaps, he was a fool because he was ruled by anger. I thought I had more thoughts than just this, but yeah, he’s just an emotional man showing signs of intermittent explosive disorder.

BIO:

TW: murder/death

Dallon Sinclair was a good cop turned dirty. It was the sort of thing that happens when you knock up your mutant informant. Katelyn Monroe never wanted this baby, but she wasn’t about to die getting rid of it either. At one point, what they had between them was love. This was that one point.

Regardless of the gun pointing to his head, Dallon sworn to protect Katelyn and his unborn child. But his tenure in the depths of the underworld didn’t last very long. After a close shoot-out, Dallon came home and begged Katelyn, please, let me marry you, let us get out of here. Her boss didn’t like that very much.

When Tierney first opened his eyes, the world was a bright flashlight. He was born in the back of a car, seats pushed down with sheets thrown on haphazardly. A night in July, new moon in the sky enveloping the world in darkness. Nothing spectacular about it. Later on, his mother would tell him the story of a car chase, screeching wheels, leaving flames in their wake. He would never remember it.

Here was what he knew: his father was a paranoid old fuck; his mother was a fleeting apparition; his brothers were the only ones worth anything. He would die for them. Really un-fucking-fortunate that he wound up killing for them instead.

Katelyn Monroe came back into their lives like a raging hurricane.

Look, Tierney was only a Sinclair through blood, never by meaning. All that fucking purity shit that was supposed to come with it, circumstance never allowed it. They lived on the outskirts of Chicago’s underbelly and he dove right in to provide for his brothers whenever his father would swan dive back into his own darkness. Fucking faster than going to college somewhere and getting a good job. Tierney fought for money. He scammed for money. He robbed for money. He had a damn line. But somehow, holding Keaton and Charlie in his arms, he couldn’t remember why he had it in the first place. She wasn’t going to take from them anymore.

Katelyn Monroe lied motionless, blood soaking the wood under her. Dallon Sinclair hung like an ornament, his head secured in the wall. The floating glass didn’t fall until Tierney collapsed to his knees.

That was the first time Tierney was aware of his powers. The second was later that night, floating his parents’ bodies into the graves hastily dug under the new moon. Now that he was a mutant (shit, had he always been a mutant?), more doors opened and more questions were asked. There were several syndicates for mutants in Chicago, but Blackburn caught his eye. Protection. And fuck, Tierney knew enough to know that he’d be way over his head to think he could do this on his own now (shit, had he always been a mutant?). Using his connections from the neighborhood fighting ring, he got some names and a way in. And the rest was history.

EXPANDED CONNECTIONS:

Okay, for CIARA SAWYER, I first noticed how young they were which gave me some pseudo-sibling vibes. They’re around his brothers’ age so I totally see Tierney taking them under his wing when they were younger. To Ciara, Tierney is why they still have a job within and outside of the syndicate. The two already work well together, but I think Tierney would’ve sought Ciara out even if they didn’t and make sure they learn how, projecting onto Ciara to cope with his failed relationships with his brothers. Ciara’s power is invisibility, but I also think personality-wise, they prefer to be unknown, or at least, try to be unknownable (“[Tierney doesn’t] ask too many prying questions” —so they prefer him). For whatever reason, they trust Tierney to see them and that means more to Tierney than he’ll ever say.

As for GERRARD BERMUDEZ!!!!!

“They have moral differences that clearly set them apart, but the similarities that they share are what makes Tierney hate them the most… What bothers them is how they notice the barely contained anger sitting behind their eyes because they’ve seen it too many times in their own mirror.”

DIFFERENCES:

Gerrard Bermudez: Jem Family, goals of a Mutant Supremacy.

They don’t kill/torture though.

Scare-tactic, bruiser

Doubles as a bodyguard when unassigned to a mission.

Hyperion - “God of Watchfulness, Wisdom and the Light”

1. One of the titan children that overthrew their father 2. Profitor on Cornerstone Convenience 3. No rules

Tierney Sinclair: Blackburn Syndicate, with a focus on being a safe haven, not necessarily political

Hitman - kills (+ malice = murder)

Epimetheus - “afterthinker, hindsight, foolish”

1. No positive trait for humans

I think it’s kind of ironic that despite being in different groups with very different goals, they are more closely aligned with each other’s organization.

The Blackburn Syndicate, for the past 17 (excuse me, SEVENTEEN) years, has been trying to shed its reputation as a crime-ridden mob. Here’s the thing though. Tierney is a hitman, he kills people but oh it’s okay because he’s one of the good guys. His anger feeds into a motive of justice. Gerrard is all bark and no bite, hiding under the Jem Family because of fear. Their anger is selfish and unproductive. Chaotic for the sake of chaos. That’s what Tierney believes anyway. To him, Gerrard is a victim that wants to be a school bully. Seeking revenge instead of avenging. In his post, his history with Gerrard “has long been forgotten.“ With Gerrard, their history is constantly brought up with snide remarks and an upturned nose. Tierney lies to himself because how can their history be forgotten when he can always feel it looming over him every time he’s in the same room with Gerrard? I think whatever happened between them solidified their morals and had them join different organizations with different goals. And it eats at Tierney to be so close to Gerrard—thanks to the treaty—but yet, they’re still lost to him. (This may change since I’m coming at this with the headcanon that the two were friends… not to god-mod Gerrard or anything). So really this hatred stems from heartbreak. (Tierney is a Cancer, of course).

AND LIKE… NOT TO GOD-MOD GERRARD OR ANYTHING, but if I were to hate Tierney, it’d be because of his hypocrisy and self-delusion. It’s like… what you do is bad but when I do it, it’s okay because I’m better than you. Which, bullshit. So I’m really interested to explore that.

EXTRA:

Honestly, the idea of Tierney having brothers stems from me thinking all white men look the same. I see one picture of Joel Kinnaman and I’m like is this Luke Mitchell?? Anyway, CHARLIE - Luke Mitchell, KEATON - Ross Lynch.

Okay, let me just get my family headcanons out of the way first.

Tierney’s oldest memory was of his little brother. He was six years old, eyes wide with wonder, with his hands reaching out for the warmth of his brother. They weren’t in a car this time. The Sinclairs finally had a house with a dining table, though the sheets might have been the same. Tierney wasn’t the first one to hold Charlie in his arms, but he was the first Sinclair to do so.

Tierney had his father, but Charlie had Tierney. And with those six years between them, Tierney always felt like Charlie was his.

Charlie, when he was younger, couldn’t pronounce Tierney so he called him Ernie.

Tierney used to walk Charlie home from school. Waited outside and everything because he got out earlier.

Being six years apart, they were never in school together so he had to teach Charlie how to fight so people wouldn’t mess with him.

Charlie never did like fighting though. And Tierney wasn’t above picking on kids so they’d leave his brother alone.

That was how he got a rep as a bully.

But if he liked you, he’d protect you too.

He got higher grades on the homework he did with Charlie because Charlie would ask him to explain everything and make him think through shit.

But usually he would do them during homeroom on the days they were due.

Tierney THINKS his powers activated on that fateful day, but really he’s had them this whole time and never fucking noticed.

It’s not that he’s good at finding things. He just subconsciously moves them closer.

He was able to hold Charlie because of his telekinesis. Charlie didn’t float because Tierney wanted to hold him in his arms.

At Fight Club, he expected to win with his punches and kicks, so he did.

Tierney had his fists locked by his side, but his mom flew out the door because he wanted it more.

He couldn’t join the Jem family because his father wasn’t a mutant and he had loved Katelyn, who was, and protected his family, who were. He couldn’t join the Jem family because his mother was a mutant and she hurt them more than anybody else.

Remember how I said that his connection with Ciara was to make up for his failed relationships with his brothers?

Charlie had a fiancé who was actually working for a small org that wanted to test mutation implementation (and Charlie were to be one of their victims). Tierney found out and mentally manipulated him to feel sick and disgust whenever he was with Charlie so they’d break up. Charlie found out that Tierney did that (but not the reason why).

Keaton never felt close to Tierney (mostly because of the age gap) and growing up, Tierney was mostly away working for the syndicate (not that Keaton knew that). Also, Charlie told him what happened and honestly fuck Tierney.

Tierney’s favorite color is yellow.

He never falls first, but he falls the hardest.

I mostly listened to THIS while writing this app. To me, it represents Tierney’s softness but also his desire to keep everybody at far more than arms’ length.

ANYTHING ELSE:

ok i was never into mob/mafia rpgs but i’m so FASCINATED by the premise of mutantsrising anyway anyway i’m super pumped for it. i would apologize for sending in like 2k of analysis but i know yall live for this soooo YOURE WELCOME i hope i did well and this MAKES SENSE I’VE NEVER CONNECTED SO HARD WITH AN OLD MAN

#accepted #accepted: epimetheus

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hortascountrysidenotes · 5 years

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Waiting for Rain

Apparently we are due heavy rain tonight and storms tomorrow - this is not surprising given there is a full moon and we can gaze in amazement that 50 years ago, Apollo 11 achieved the goal and its brave crew stepped out on that friendly face that looks down on us. A partial lunar eclipse is due as well - as if to remind us of the mysteries and magic of space.

And here we are 50 years on - who knew aged 14 sitting at school lunch listening to that epic commentary what was lying ahead but one thing is for sure, we never never thought our little planet would be under such threat from man’s overindulgence and casual approach to the natural world.

But... it is not too bad here in Brisley - we have at least 3 turtle doves in the environs, singing away but we are still not sure if there are nests in their territories. At least we are hearing them after a number of years of deafening silence, so I hope next year they will return and they will have mates and we will be able to ascertain if young come forth. Our mummy swallow is perched on the side of the nest which would indicate the second brood have hatched, and both second clutches of robins have fledged. One had a very near miss when I drove into the drive a few days ago and found a small fluffy feathered ball on the gravel just inches from my wheels - I immediately went to the jasmine nest but the three babies were still tucked up, so then I went to the mushroom yew bush from where I had heard loud seeping noises the day before. On glancing in the flower bed underneath I could see three more balls of fluff who had clearly been very naughty and got out a few days too soon as they couldnt quite fly. The parents were nearby so I put my little charge in with its siblings and hoped for the best.

Looks like the swift young have flown too as we now have 12 fighter jets doing their Red Arrow impersonations over the roof lines, screaming and screeching - they must have such fun!

The garden ticks on but I always find it a dull time of year - the dahlias put on a good show and the cosmos etc., ground is rock hard, and everything has lost its lustre somewhat. The veg garden is producing but struggling so the rain will be more than welcome as beans and courgettes are just needing that final push.

Wallflower seedlings are up and running and two rows of the next lettuce - Amaze and the very reliable Lobjoits Cos. At last at the fourth attempt I have a decent row of flat leaf parsley, but the leeks are useless so we shall be buying those. I shall not fall into the laziness trap again, and next year I will go back to sowing them in root trainers and planting out, rather than sowing two rows of seed in the raised beds. Ants do seem to be the most likely culprit so I have resorted to ant powder and will start excavating soon to find the nests. Beetroot and carrots however look good and I have some fennel that looks promising which needs thinning out after the rain.

A lot of work has been going in to Mavis and with great success. Our Tuesday Night Training sessions have now finished for the year and this week was Trophy night - only 6 of us, 1 clear winner, 4 in a run off and 1 bringing up the rear. Mavis did an excellent first run off, then had to do another between 2nd and 3rd but finished 3rd. She has improved greatly and since the grass in the bottom meadow has been cut short we are doing a lot of work with white dummies perched on mole hills so she really sees the target and goes out full tilt. I am feeling much happier about her now, and we have ironed out lots of annoying foibles. Last night I took them all and they all did their bit, even Scouty at 11 dashed off and over a ditch and was pretty keen to take part.

Next week we have the Sandringham Flower Show invitation gundog test and Mavis will have her first chance - Inca has done 5 years and been very reliable after the first awful year, but Mavis has a better temperament for crowds and noise so I dont think she will be worried at all! I am excited to see how she gets on.

Harvest has started, rape is cut and the first barley. Next week should be hot and dry so the farmers will move on very quickly. How fast the year goes once the Solstice is past - the fields turn golden in no time, then the blasted plough comes out far too soon! The verges are being cut now which is still a shame as the flowers are super - in the main it would seem that councils are cutting them later due to pressure from public and environmental bodies but it’s still a bit soon and awful to still see the amount of rubbish that appears - hard to believe there are still people happy to chuck out Costa cups, crisp packets and plastic bottles - clearly they have no conscience at all.

We shall have a new PM next time I write - time we all went to the Moon

HORTA

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bluerosesburnblue · 6 years

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Liz Liveblogs Bravely Second: Chapter 6, Part 2/2 *FINALE*

Well, nothing left for me to do now. I guess it’s time we finally hunker down and beat this game. I started this liveblog series on January 14, 2017 (July 23, 2016 if we include the Demo) and now, almost two years later, we finally see the end (layer) of Bravely Second

Before we get to the actual story I’d just like to say that I currently have five level 99 Apparati hanging out at Fort-Lune. FIVE. Jeez, somebody share something else for a change! This is why I share any Redshirts, Urchins, Goldies, or Turtle Doves I see! It’s also why I hate it when games make you rely on communication features for 100% completion. Stop that. It always goes poorly

Well, regardless. There’s a certain fairy waiting for... well, not us, but someone down at Norende Chasm and I intend to finish what I started. You got me into this series, Anne! You did this to yourself!

Feels weird to be back at the first ever dungeon in the series. I don’t know if it’s new for this game or if it’s always been there, but if you look off the edge of Norende Ravine you can see a river flowing at the bottom, beneath the fog. And “Dungeon of the Nature” is a great scene-setter, as always

This Party Chat is certainly something. Tiz is just reminiscing about being back and how as kids they were told to stay away due to monsters, but of course everyone played there anyway. And then when Norende was swallowed by the Chasm, he raced through here to see it with his own eyes, and there met Agnès, who would change his whole world. And they came back, again and again in each world. Finally, this was the path they took to the end last time. The place they went to reach the Dark Aurora to chase down Ouroboros. Norende Ravine is the most visited spot in the game in terms of plot, and you’d think it would get old but it doesn’t. “How many more times... will we walk down this road?” And Edea replies “As many times as we have to! Until we’ve wiped away those terrible memories once and for all! [...] The next time we walk down this road, it’ll be to visit the new Norende Village - the one you helped rebuild!” I never expected the game to bring up the Norende Village... minigame, I guess you could call it? I’m so glad they did, and I’m so glad that Magnolia and Yew declaring that all four of them would visit it together is what cheered Tiz up

...I didn’t realize I had 99 X-Potions? I guess my healers have just been really good so far

Oh Aaaaaaaaanneeeeeeee~ Guess who’s heeeeeeeere~ I’m gonna straight up kick your ass for what you did last timeline! And, presumably, whatever you were up to last game!

How predictable that we’ve come to stop you? Do you know what we’ve done since I found out you were here? You had every opportunity to disappear and didn’t! What, have you just been sitting here for a week? I think you’re the predictable one

Also, nice demonic cloud cover. I’m really feeling the glowing red mass underneath these near-black stormclouds

“Your master? But the kaiser is... Denys is gone...!” Bold of you to assume Denys was actually in charge of anything. I thought it was pretty obvious he was out of his depth when Anne mentioned her master and even Denys was confused by it

Hm. “Lord Providence, ruler of the Celestial Realm!” I’d heard that name thrown around before I even started playing the game, but “ruler of the Celestial Realm” is new. Given that his name means “God’s protection,” I guess you mean ruler as in “a deity” and not “a high ranking political figure”

Man, at the angle her head’s at, Anne’s hair protrusions really do look like antennae. It just hasn’t been obvious before I got this angle on her

How the hell is Providence supposed to enlighten anyone if they’re dead, Anne? That’s dumb. Your master’s dumb. Death isn’t enlightenment, it’s just death.

And Providence got all upset that the Moon people were killing his Ba’als, so he sent Anne to deal with it by destroying the moon. But screw that plan! There’s a Celestial shortcut right here! But you know, if something can get from the Celestial Realm to Luxendarc, then I don’t see why the opposite can’t be true, too

And, well, shoot. If Providence is the “ruler of the Celestial Realm” then we couldn’t have Ouroboros getting in! So Anne had to deal with Airy. Or rather, have us deal with Airy. And then she had to get someone to summon the Holy Pillar to take out the moon, and found Denys. Both games have all been thanks to her manipulations. Man, fuck Cryst-Fairies

“Hold it right there! That’s my brother you’re talking about!” You tell her, Yew! Rip her a new one! I’ve got your back!

Fuck, she did the same thing to Denys that she did to the player at the start of Bravely Default. Read us like a book and played to the key aspects of our personalities. Denys’s sense of duty and idealism, the player’s sense of duty and determination to see things through... hell, it’s almost like she read into my completionist tendencies and knew I’d do dumb shit like grinding to max level and job levels and getting the best equipment. Ouroboros didn’t stand a chance once that was thrown into the mix

“Why, he was even ready to kill his own precious little brother for his ‘duty.’” Can I take the use of “precious” as confirmation that it was actually a hard choice for him? Because Denys isn’t here to defend himself and never did get around to talking about it when he was here

I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word “dupe” used as an adjective. Most people go with “dope.” You’re weird, Anne! You’re weird and also a huge bitch!

“Denys died to save this world...” Is he actually dead though!? Like, no seriously, is he? Or is he just stuck in a situation that he will probably die in? Because one of those is potentially fixable in a sequel. ...actually, maybe both of them are fixable in a sequel. Situation’s unclear at the moment

“When Lord Providence descends, Luxendarc as you know it will be completely and utterly destroyed.” If he descends. If.

Yeesh, Anne, cool it with the shade! I know Denys’s kind of an idiot, but you don’t need to say it every other line!

Oh wow. Whoah. This... everything on screen is gorgeous right now? The glowing blue and gold bits on Anne’s final form, the translucent pink butterflies in the background against a starry night sky... yooooooooo. And I thought Airy’s final form was pretty

“Wicked Flight” is still a better boss song, though. Heck, the music right now isn’t even as good as Anne’s last battle theme, and it’s just a remix. I think removing the Spanish guitars and replacing them with a wailing rock guitar really does the song a disservice

That T-pose looks real dumb, Anne. Knock it off

It’s really fascinating what she says here. Humans are born without purpose, so they spend their lives lost and weak, constantly searching for something to live for. She, however, was made with a specific goal in mind, and always feels fulfilled because of it. And I don’t think she’s entirely wrong to observe that human beings spend so long looking for acceptance and purpose, and that the struggle to find some is central to most people’s lives. Heck, I don’t feel like I have a purpose most of the time. But I think, until I find one, if I just keep trying to do good then it’ll be enough. And the good thing about being born without a purpose? You get to find one you like, eventually

Cryst-Fairies are created by the gods to serve them. Anne is the older sister, but never really cared much for Airy, since Airy served someone who would destroy the Celestial Realm, where Anne’s master resided and controlled. Which... I suppose leads me to believe that they were created by different entities, and yet all Cryst-Fairies see themselves as siblings, regardless. Maybe it’s because they’re made of the same stuff? Like a half-sibling thing? Where one “parent” is the magical essence that they’re made of, and the other is the god that used it to create them?

Did Airy even know she had a sister? Like, was she even aware Anne existed? I don’t think she ever, once, mentioned her

Man, this game has a weird theme of “older siblings attempting to murder their younger siblings for a cause”

Oh, good. She can set someone’s max HP to 1. And she used it on Edea. Because even at level 99, Edea has to die at least three times per fight

I don’t think she expected Quadruple Meteor Rain Yew, though. That’s what you get for shit-talking a Geneolgia’s family

Oh. She didn’t even revive. Nice

Funny enough, Anne, Yew learned that secret technique after I knew you were here. So, you know, you had plenty of time to avoid that

If Lord Providence is gonna be here any moment now, then he is really taking his time meandering down the Celestial shortcut

Oh, geez! Altair, don’t sneak up on me like that! Holy shit, the sound of his voice startled me

There’s no need to apologize for Providence using Vega to create the Ba’als. You’re both just victims of an uppity god. Though, as a Celestial, I don’t suppose you have any info on your supposed “god,” Providence?

I love how on the same page Yew and I always are. Altair is family now, of course we’re gonna save Vega. Even if none of us know her, she’s special to Altair. And family of our family... is as good as family, too

Ahahahahah! “Yeah! We’re going to crush a god!” Never change, Edea. We’re upgrading from Ba’al Busters to God Crushers!

Altair just called them “my children”! Team Dad! Team Dad! Team Dad!

“Come, Yew! Let us deliver our pièce de radicchio!” ...let us deliver our piece of leaf chicory? Excuse me? Is that supposed to be like “Let’s serve Providence a bitter meal he’ll regret eating?”

Altair, normally I can at least follow your vegetable proverbs, even if they fall flat, but that one was really... uhhhhh?

So the evil fog in the Chasm is a sign that the Dimensions are in flux. “A holy battleground and an angel’s descent. A chasm of darkness and a glimmering ship.” Would that be the Ouroboros fight, or whatever Sylvie was prophesying about?

Clear the mists and reveal the path to the Celestial Realm. Hey, can’t all of us summon Hresvelgr right now? Can we get him to blow it away?

Ah, we’re using Agnès’s pendant, which can connect people between various worlds. It’s already a spacetime anomaly. Neat! I love it when they use lore, especially something like this, which has been established since the start of Default!

And now they pray, with the help of the pendant, to lift the fog. It’s not enough, so they call Agnès to pray, too! It’s still not enough. Yew cries out for help, for anyone to give them strength. In other games, I could see this leading to a pan-out where everyone in the world prays with them...

But here, they just need me. Time to mash “X” like the good old days and clear the clouds away for my favorite team

Aaaaahahahahahahahah. Ahahahaha! Oh. Oh god. So they use the 3DS camera to put your face in the Chasm once the clouds are cleared but oh man. Oh nooooo, that angle. That was not a good look. At all. I started laughing so hard I had to put my 3DS down. Ohhhhhh. Oh man, that’s a heck of a look for the first time the party gets to see my face. Imagine the first time you get to see your spirit guide and it starts cackling and the connection dies for a few minutes. I’m sorry, guys! I’m really - ahahahaha - really sorry!

I do adore how the Bravely series utilizes the fourth wall. The Celestial Realm is (or is at least based on) our world, and every time they depict it (so, this scene and the Ouroboros fight in Default), they use the 3DS camera. The player is every bit a real character in this game’s universe, and they do a hell of a job merging the two using existing elements of the 3DS hardware

God, nope. Still can’t look at it. It’s like a fun house mirror in there! I get that it’s supposed to be at the bottom of the Chasm, so that’s the angle it’s at, but it looks freaking funny!

I’m glad you’re all so focused on Vega and none of you are reacting to my mug plastered at the bottom of the Chasm. It’s still there, even after the cutscene

Oh. I know that place. That’s the background of the Snowcap Ba’al fights. Welcome to the Via Celestio, path to the Celestial Realm, altered based on Vega’s memories

And I guess Altair is going to explain what each Ba’al represents as we go though, which he’s only willing to tell us because we’re all pals now

Ba’al vi: Snowcap - Represents the day that Altair and Vega met, with ski lifts as its background. Altair was vacationing at a ski resort, and sat next to a young woman on the chair lift. They got stuck up there when the weather got particularly bad, and Altair noticed how scared she was, so he picked a flower from one of the trees their lift stopped near (good reach, buddy) to cheer her up. Despite that moment, though, Altair never got her name, and never saw her again before his vacation was over

Oh, don’t be so cheeky, Magnolia. “Though some might say giving a flower to a girl you just met might be a bit forward.” It worked on you, didn’t it?

So, I guess Altair and Tiz are going to be switching back and forth for this dungeon. And Tiz is conscious when Altair’s in control, since he heard that? That’s existentially terrifying

The glowing gold platforms, surrounded by the already very pretty Ba’al fight backgrounds makes for a gorgeous area... but I’m not feeling the music at all. It’s way too dramatic, with blaring sounds, militaristic drums, and weird wind ambience. I get what it’s going for, since this is the final dungeon and should be suitably intense, but it’s really incongruous with the location’s aesthetic, and also doesn’t fit the emotional tone of Altair nostalgically recounting his life together with Vega as we go to free her spirit. Something like this would fit better in a final dungeon like the Dark Aurora, where we were in an unearthly void on our way to the Infernal Realm. I know I mention “Dungeon of the Nature” a lot, but I really wish the Via Celestio music was more similar to that than, say, “Tower,” which is the music they used for locations like Eternian Central Command, like what we got. I’d actually have really loved if the music here was just Altair’s theme, but with the larger, orchestral sounds of “Dungeon of the Nature.” Something melancholy and soft, but no less grand. Altair’s theme played on piano, but with chimes and a string backing track

I actually don’t like “Tower.” At all. I think it’s probably the worst track in the game. It’s just so dissonant, and I turn my sound off every time I go into a dungeon where it’s playing

Alright, kids, it’s been fun, but you’re gonna have to turn off Obliterate for a sec so we can get those last three Catmancy skills

Okay, I don’t get Luxendarc sometimes. You kids have ketchup and baseball, but Altair had to explain what skiing was? You mean to tell me someone figured out how to make a specific type of tomato-based sauce and independently came up with the rules for baseball, but no one thought to tie planks to their feet and slide down a snowy hill with them on? Seriously, guys

Yew asks everyone what their plans for the future are. Edea says she’s gonna help with the Eternia-Orthodoxy peace talks, so she and Yew will probably still be working together. Tiz just wants to retire to Norende at age... 19? I mean, I don’t really blame him. He did die several times and kill multiple gods. I’d want a break, too. And Magnolia feels she has to return to the Moon and finish helping everyone there recover. Yew is disappointed. It’s a hard position to be in, you know? He loves Magnolia and will miss her dearly, but he also knows how much the people of her home mean to her and he would never come between her and them

Ba’al v: Urchin - Represents the day Altair and Vega met again in the spring, when Altair was transferred to work at the place Vega did, with its background being the rainy exterior of an urban office building with a couple that occasionally passes by, sharing an umbrella. There are little flower gardens, and a city skyline can be seen in the distance. As Altair tells the story, we see silhouettes of himself and Vega acting it out. Or at least, I assume it’s them, since “Altair” looks a lot like Yew in an ankle-length trench coat and “Vega” is just Magnolia’s researcher costume. Altair was an extremely successful scientist, but his superiors grew jealous of his skills and transferred him to a remote, less prestigious location. Altair was so distraught to be there that he ran right out into the storm. Right into acid rain, due to severe pollution in his homeland. Unbeknownst to him, however, he had been transferred to the very place Vega worked, and when she saw him run out, she followed him and offered to share her umbrella. Altair muses how this means that at the time, Vega must have remembered their first meeting on that ski lift, since it became a Ba’al, and he chuckles quietly to himself. Fate, indeed

So the last room had little snowy trees peppering the walkways, and here it’s rainy streetlamps and road signs. God, I love the visual design here. And now that I’m not fighting the Ba’al, I can get a better look at the gorgeous backgrounds

Ba’al iv: Goldie - Represents Altair’s first date with Vega that summer, where he confessed his growing love to her, with an absolutely gorgeous background of a Japanese festival. Lanterns and trees surround a single torii as fireworks go off in the sky above. The appearance of Goldie comes from their attempts to play the goldfish-scooping game they have at Japanese festivals

This is all coming across as so incredibly sad. Altair loved Vega with all his heart, but it sounds like he didn’t even really realize how much she cared for him until right now, where he’s seeing exactly what memories she treasured. And is seeing them twisted and used against the both of them

And Edea’s noticed something else. Meeting in the snow, sharing an umbrella, goldfish scooping... Yew and Magnolia have been unintentionally reliving Altair and Vega’s romance. No wonder he’s so adamant that Yew confesses sooner, rather than later. Altair knows how this story ends

Our little set dressings this time around are floating lanterns. I’m actually surprised there aren’t mini fireworks bursting around them

Most of the enemies in the Via Celestio don’t add a heck of a lot to the lore, but one does: the Spartan. It’s the final variation of a specific type of automaton we’ve been seeing throughout the game, that Altair comments on every time they show up. Turns out, Altair invented them to be caretakers for the Celestial Realm! They uh... I don’t think they did that great a job, but it’s the thought that counts!

And the Bestiary entry is basically “Okay but how do rocket punches and optical camouflage... help? With caretaking?” “I dunno! But isn’t the technology awesome?” Altaiiiiiiiiir

Ba’al iii: Apparati - Represents the struggle Altair and Vega faced together as they tried to continue their research despite the improper equipment and poor funds afforded to them, enhanced by the depiction of the interior of a laboratory with static-y, crackling monitors all over in the background. If we’re following the pattern, then the falling leaves and bare trees outside the window indicate autumn. Vega really kept Altair’s project going, by sneaking restricted data out of the archives for him and coming up with creative solutions whenever he hit a mental block. And when their hard work paid off and Altair’s hypothesis was accepted as scientific fact, then he knew he was absolutely in love with Vega, the woman who supported and aided him and who constantly encouraged him to be his best self. He was a different, better person around her, and he knew it

“If attraction is gazing into one another’s eyes, then true love is setting those eyes on the same shared goal... or so my theory goes.” I can’t say I have a lot, or really any, romantic experience, but this is something I believe strongly. A romantic partner is someone whose skills and personality differ from yours, but also complement yours, and yet who strongly value the same things you do. If you can’t agree on what’s most important to you, then you can’t connect on a deeper level. And I’m not saying, like, find someone who thinks exactly as you do! Because that’s not healthy. But find someone who you can agree on the important things with

Also, love that Altair distinguishes between “attraction” and “love” because they’re very different things, and I so often see people conflate the two

Seriously, guys, leave Yew alone! He’s 16 and this is his first foray into romance. That’s scary and overwhelming!

And there’s bookshelves and stacks of books with desk lamps on top littering the pathways

Ba’al ii: Redcoat - Represents the night that Altair proposed to Vega over dinner. Honestly, this is my favorite Ba’al fight background. It’s just a very pretty, snowy, city skyline with a tall tower and a suspension bridge in the center, but there’s something so beautiful about how simple it is and the shade of light blue they used for it. Altair describes it as a holy night, and since Redcap is a demonic Santa hat tangled in lights, I can only assume he means Christmas. Poor Altair, however, couldn’t afford a wedding ring. Their program funding was awful, after all, and what they gave him for personal pay, he spent on more research to make up for what they didn’t give him. Vega told him she didn’t mind, but he still felt incredibly guilty about it. They married with a small ceremony, and Altair eventually bought her that ring... right before the trip to Luxendarc that tore them apart forever

Altair tells everyone not to despair, since he lived a good life and had goals that he truly believed in that he knows he gave his all working towards, and I can’t help but think back to Anne’s speech about purpose. Altair isn’t technically human in the Luxendarc sense, he’s a Celestial, but he managed to find his own greater purpose and it made him stronger

“You must all live your own lives as well. Have courage! Be brave enough to default on the expectations of others!” WE DID IT BOYS, PACK IT UP, WE GOT A TITLE DROP. In all honesty, though, I love what the games say the symbolism of each title is. To “Bravely Default” is “to have the courage to go against the expectations of others” and to “Bravely Second” is “to have the courage to try again,” and by doing each of those can you get the best ending in each game, further enforcing their message (even if I thought it was a little botched in Default. You're supposed to be going against what Sage Yulyana says... by following Airy, who you were going along with from the start, so there’s really no “courage” involved. Gameplay-wise you never actually disobey anyone, because you completely obey Airy, though I suppose you still have to disobey Sage to an extent, who you trust more at that point)

Tiz has a point, too. Maybe Altair is content with the life he had, but it’s still not fair for all of his efforts to be rewarded with his and Vega’s suffering

Our road-markers in this room are banquet tables with a nice Christmas dinner on them. I was hoping for Christmas trees, but that’ll work, too

Seems like this is our final Tent Event. Magnolia’s cooking is fantastic as always, but the stress is getting to Edea. She’s so worried she can barely even eat, and Altair’s story has really shaken her. Of course it would effect her the most. She knows better than anyone what it feels like to be separated from someone you love across time and space. They’ve packed the leftover food for sandwiches. They’ll eat when they’re ready. One more megalixir, as a gift from our fox friend who I notice found his way into a dimensional rift, and we’re on our way

The final room is a straight bridge, adorned with roses, candles, and floral archways. The background is a church on a hill, blossoming trees on either side and doves soaring across the sky in the background. Ba’al i: Turtle Dove. Altair and Vega’s wedding. This one doesn’t need an explanation from Altair. Just one last save point between us and the end. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you’ve somehow gotten in here, too, Adventurer.

“This is it... our final battle!”

“Let’s do it!”

We’re in a chapel, with nothing but soft wind. Unlike the silhouettes of the Ba’al backgrounds, this is undeniably physical. And gorgeous. Very Baroque in its architecture

Vega’s voice is so much softer than I imagined it would be

I thought she sounded familiar. It’s Eden Riegel, who also voices Anne, so her range is commendable. For those curious, she also voices Iris in Final Fantasy XV, Devola and Popola in NieR and NieR Automata (I think what tipped me off was how similar her Vega and Popola voices are), Marie in Persona 4: Golden and its spinoffs, and Estelle in Tales of Vesperia. And those are just the ones I recognize! Her older brother is Sam Riegel, also a voice actor of renown and player on the D&D show Critical Role, which exclusively stars voice actors. Sam’s great, and probably one of the funniest people on that show. Good to see Eden’s doing great work, too

I guess the thing of note, though, is that she is NOT the voice who narrated the ends of Chapters 1-4 as I had suspected. Her voice is decidedly softer and not British. But if that wasn’t Vega, then who?

She’s so lost in her despair. She’s begging Altair to explain why he left, and why he didn’t come back. She won’t even listen to him explain that he tried, that he died and just couldn’t make it back

Someone told her the wrong meeting place to meet Altair that day. The reason she wasn’t on the ship was because someone didn’t want her on the ship

Ohhhhhh I did not like the voice distortion on “Why didn’t you protect me? Why didn’t you keep me safe!?”

Fuck, Altair? Altair! He just collapsed screaming with black and purple mist coming off of him. Black and purple mist that just formed a robed raven-faced humanoid with the worst voice distortion I’ve ever heard

Hey, are you Providence!? Get off of my weird vegetable-proverb spouting friend, jackass!

I can’t tell if that’s Vega’s voice layered under Providence’s or just another feminine voice. Could be Anne’s, too, since they’re both Eden Riegel

Also, Providence’s theme is pretty great? It’s got hints of the Ba’al music boxes, with a one woman wail in the background

“I’ve never tasted anything so exquisite!” Were you eating her despair? Of course that’s all she was to you. A food factory. And the sadder and more hopeless she got, the better for you, right? God, you’re like depression made physical. I’ve always wanted to punch the concept of depression

She’s held on for so long because she desperately hoped to see Altair one more time. And you used it against her!

And you saw Luxendarc, the world that was intended to be her safe haven and the place Altair was, and decided you were going to use her to power its destruction to break her further by making her feel guilty. What did she ever do to you!?

Okay, two things. One, you’re a fucking dick and I’m gonna strangle you with your own ribbons. Two, the T-pose doesn’t look any better on you than it did on Anne

That’s my boy! “We deny you because we are mortal! [...] our emotions, the memories we create with others - good or bad, this is all we have! I deny your right to claim them for your own!”

“I’m done letting you use the hearts of our friends as your personal plaything! We’re gonna send you flying to the edge of time and space!” Crush a god, Edea! This jackass has no place ruling anyone

Oh, Tiz. “He might be goofy on the surface... uh, like a cantaloupe? But inside is a sweet and sensitive soul! He’s suffered long enough, Providence! It ends today!” This is as much for Altair and Vega as it is the safety of Luxendarc. But, like, I am especially going to kill you for what you did to Vega. No one deserves God Depression

“Nothing is ever hopeless! It’s never too late, you’re never too weak to fight for what you truly believe in! I believe in a world ruled by hope, not despair. And thanks to my friends, I have the courage to fight for it!” Bravely Second, Magnolia. Bravely Second

Oh, poor baby. The light hurts your eyes? Shut them and make it easier for me to end you

That fight background is awesome! We stand in a grassy field, surrounded by telephone lines. A city skyline in the distance. A freaking GALAXY in the sky, with red-violet clouds. And this music is perfect. So perfect! Grand orchestral scores, with sections of electric guitar and lo-fi beats, all held together by sweeping chants. Holy shit, Providence may look pretty dumb, but this fight’s oozing style

What... so Providence can force a party member to do do his bidding? Like having Magnolia try to strike Yew down. That’s not great, but your first instance of doing so is using my healer to attack. And I’m supposed to be scared of you!?

Get him down enough and he starts consuming Vega’s energy to heal up 10,000 HP every few seconds. Fucking rude. Altair’s so upset he took over Tiz and is screaming for Vega... who can hear him. And she’s fighting back! All Altair had to do was tell her the compass was completed and their dreams could come true and her hope reignited!

This ass can still cast Doom, though

OR HE CAN JUST SAY “YOUR LIFE ENDS HERE” AND WIPE THE PARTY. God... dammit. Like, actually damn this god. What a dick. This is what I get for trying to have Yew conserve his MP. Chainspell Meteor Rain is prepped for next round, bitch

I could easily skip replaying this scene, but I wanted to watch my kids trash-talk Providence’s ideals again

God, I forgot to take Obliterate off of Tiz AGAIN. I know it won’t ever work and it’s just wasting a slot right now. I’d still die laughing if it worked, though

That can’t be the end. This is a JRPG, there’s at least one, probably two more forms coming. And come on, you only drop 980pg? What, are you a broke god? What an ass

Vega’s pink soul seems to be freed, though. And Altair’s spirit finally leaves Tiz, his color being blue. They’re really cute together, even if they are just floating, colored orbs

Is... is Tiz gonna be okay, though? Altair’s soul was kinda fueling his... everything

We shouldn’t keep them, though. I think it’s time for both of them to move on. Gonna miss ya, Altair. I know I’ve made fun of you in the past, but I’m glad you were part of this journey

“Keep your hearts like chamomile!” Just had to get one more in there, huh?

I’m so glad Vega’s here to make sense of this. “Chamomile is said to grow best and strongest when trodden on, you see.” So learn from our hardships, and continue to grow ever stronger. Stay stalwart in the face of adversity. Can do, you crazy, crazy Celestial man. Can do

Oh, so I have Vega to thank for your absurd produce tirades? She started the proverbs to get him to eat vegetables. Jeez, Altair, you sound like my dad. The man’s in his mid-50s and still refuses to eat any vegetables but corn and peas. Which SUCKS because I LOVE vegetables, and we only get to eat a bunch of ‘em at family dinners if he’s not around. I had a vegetable burger last night and it was GREAT

“And eat your vegetables.” YEAH, THANKS. I will! Somebody get me a carrot right now! (I’d get one but I don’t feel like peeling one at 9:30 at night, which is when I’m typing this)

Awwww. Altair finally ate vegetables once he got to Luxendarc because they reminded him of Vega

Yew should confess to Magnolia, WE GET IT. Let him figure out his own emotions! Stop pressuring my boy!

Bye, you two! May your afterlife together hold only the best!

Ohhhhh that’s what happened. Okay. So when Providence used Mandate of Heaven to have Magnolia attack Yew, she wouldn’t actually do that on her own. I had to make her do it, and because I didn’t in the set timeframe he used Divine Punishment to wipe the party. I totally misunderstood what was happening there, since Magnolia had negative BP and couldn’t move, and the very next turn was when I triggered the mid-boss cutscene with Altair. The second time I simply killed him on the turn after he cast it on Tiz, so it didn’t matter. That’s a very bullshit tactic and I am eternally grateful to Meteor Rain Geneolgia over there for ending the fight in a timely fashion

WAIT. Remove Obliterate from Tiz, genius. And heal. Trust no one

Hahahahaha okay, yeah. Yeah. I was expecting a cutscene before round two, and I’ll admit the harsh cut to the screen-shattering battle intro when I tried to leave the room made me jump a bit

This is what I saw a screenshot of before I played the game. Before the game even came out in English, even. I was looking up Airy’s sister after beating Default, because I saw the art of the Kaiser and Anne, assumed she was Airy’s sister, and wanted to know if she had a name. Saw the line “Anne works for Providence” and a low-res picture of Providence and clicked out immediately, but was left with the knowledge that the final boss was a purple pyramid named Providence. Seeing it now, there’s so much more to it than I remembered

We cut to the sky, a brilliant blue galaxy that the party is floating in. Magenta clouds adorn the top and bottom of the screen, and from them semi-mechanical, semi-organic looking hands of magenta and black descend, fingers wiggling. An inverse pyramid comes out of the cloud, and the gigantic eye in the center opens and glances around manically. An inverse Eye of Providence, that grants only poor fortune

Tiz, you should know better than to think this was the end. Ouroboros had, like, two forms and five phases

Providence’s voice is distinctly feminine now. And now that he’s unchained from Vega... there’s no internal fight to hold him back

“Who is it that controls you?” *Providence’s eye looks directly at the camera* What? What? I’m his aunt/mother figure/big sis/etc.! And I’ve done a hell of a job keeping him alive, thanks. I don’t see you standing against that Meteor Rain for long!

Man, what is up with this naming scheme? The hands are labeled Providence B and Ab, and the pyramid is labeled Providence Aa

O-oh? Providence can use its own Bravely Second while I’m in the menu? It... did barely any damage, but that’s startling

He’s pulling a *redacted character* Undertale and I will not stand for this! (I actually super love Undertale and I’m excited that Bravely’s pulling the same meta nonsense in battles that the final Genocide run fight of Undertale did)

I... You’re talking to me? Me, Liz, the person sitting here. I... look, I know these kids don’t actually know who I am, that all of the affection I have for them is one-sided. I know my poor decisions have gotten them hurt on occasion. Would you rather I have never played the game? What would that have gotten them? Sometimes you have to struggle for a resolution that benefits everyone, for a good resolution. I will never regret getting Tiz out of that Chasm. Or saving Yew from Denys. Because all of those kids standing there deserve a happy ending and I want to see them get it!

“Persist in this battle, and Yew and his friends will only feel more pain.” Said in a tutorial description box. Look, I want Yew Geneolgia to be happy, okay!? I’m gonna get him a good end! If I stop he ends up stuck in the Via Celestio for eternity! I’m getting him and Tiz and Edea and Magnolia home and you. Can’t. Stop me.

“Isn’t it enough? How much more must they suffer to satisfy you?” Ideally, none! I don’t want to see them hurt, but I want to see them fail to save their world and lose everyone they love even less. Tiz is gonna retire, Edea’s gonna be Grand Marshal, Magnolia’s home is gonna be safe, and Yew is gonna make a new family legacy that he can be proud of! That’s all I want out of this!

You think you can make me feel bad by treating me like I’m just here for the gameplay? Because battles are fun? Joke’s on you, I don’t really care about gameplay! I’m here because I love these kids and I want to spend more time with them! I want to see them grow and find their happy endings, and they give me hope that someday I can find one of my own. SO FUCK OFF

You aren’t my god, bitch

It... means you can cause screen and audio static? Hey, idiot, I do that to myself, accidentally

You don’t control me! You control my input device at best!

Stop that. Stop making my kids hurt each other. I’m not the one who wants them to suffer, that’s clearly you. I would never have the game play at normal speed. 4x or bust

Despair? Oh, this isn’t despair. I’m just fucking pissed. Sorry. I don’t really get sad when there’s a target to take my anger out on actively taunting me

Yeah, fine, just boot me to the start screeeeee-NO. Hey. NO. Take that cursor off of delete. I’ve accidentally deleted save files before don’t do that! Mmmmmm every button just makes it go closer to “Delete All” come onnnnnnn. I will replay this game over if I have to, Providence! I’ll be back in another two years you can’t stop me

I don’t want to press the button. I know I have to. I know the game devs couldn’t possibly be so cruel as to actually erase the files. Not to constantly bring this fight back to Undertale, but it didn’t get me when your save file got “deleted” at the end of a neutral run. It’s so much worse in this game when you have to press the button multiple times and inch it ever closer to delete, knowing full well that the only way to avoid it is to give up and turn the game off

...I hope the game, like, records how long it takes me to finally press that button. I’m just making entries here to stall at this point

Changed into pajamas, went to the bathroom, and messed around with the current timed quest in Hogwarts Mystery for a bit and they still want me to press the button, huh?

...fine. Supposedly there’s a shield that you can only get if you play through the whole game on Hard (EDIT: Nope! The wiki was wrong again) so I’d have to go another round, anyway. Do it, Providence. I dare you

JUST LET ME PRESS “NO” YOU WIGGLY FINGERED BITCH

Yew! Yew, buddy, I’m trying!

THANK YOU MY PRECIOUS BOY. I DID NOT EQUIP YOU WITH A SWORD BUT THAT WAS STILL BADASS AND I’M SO PROUD OF YOU

Ahhhhh! Orchestral version of his theme! I’m actually crying I love this boy

“There’s someone who’s been here, supporting me, all this time.” Yes, hi! Hi, kiddo. You’re great! You’re so wonderful. You probably didn’t see me wave at you when my face appeared in the Norende Ravine, but you’re awesome and I’ve never been prouder of someone

“I’m fighting for you, too!” And I want you to be happy! (I’ll be honest, having Yew talk directly to me is really powerful. I just wanna, like, poke the screen where his hand is and high-five him. Best boy)

YEW GENEOLGIA LOVES ME MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THE WORLD DOES

Nope, I’m actually crying. Hahah. My favorite character thinks I’m cool. That’s a hell of a self-esteem boost

“It’s your will, and mine! We’re in this fight together!” Always, buddy. Whenever you need me

He used the letters SP from the title screen to activate the hourglass. That’s so smart I love the nerd kid

Yeah, Agnès, I love you guys! I’ll always come back to defend your world, even if just to see you again!

Janne. Janne, I really do not like you. Please shut up. Your encouragement is just making fun of me for helping Yew? Wow. Okay. I see you’ve learned nothing

At least Nikolai is grateful for me giving even the empire’s people a second chance

You know what, Minette? I’m glad you’re happy. I hope you get therapy! But a new dad is okay for now

Bella is... smiling? AND HELL YEAH, MAN. I’ll keep fighting for you, Cú! Some conceited eyeball ain’t gonna stop me!

Norzen you-you had glasses this whole time? Wow, I could not tell from a distance! Sure, cloud grandpa. Stars. Yes

Aimee did you and Angelo... really do anything? A’ight, sure, I’ll save your romantic future

Yeah, I can make it as if Providence never existed, Geist. “‘Cause this is our world, right? And you were a part of it, too!” Yeah, I was, Rev. Thanks, kid

So the screen shattered and... DENYS! Hey! Hey someone grab his ass right now! Someone save Denys please he’s right THERE!

“Promise me... that you will watch over my brother. Farewell, my friend... and thank you!” You deserved so much better, Denys. Sorry it doesn’t seem like saving you is in the cards right now. The second I can, I will. Then we can look after Yew together!

My emotions hold power... OH I’M PRETTY SURE BOTH MY RIGHTEOUS ANGER AND LOVE OF YEW TRANSCEND TIME AND SPACE. That’s MY BOY!!!

...oh shit he’s out of MP uhhhhhhhhhhhh

Thank god I never use items and had Elixirs

Get. WRECKED. Singlehandedly. By Yew Geneolgia triple-casting Meteor Rain after Tiz and Edea took out the hands

Also, I didn’t mention, but the music for this fight does exactly what I adored in “Serpent Eating the Ground” last game: most of it is clearly the boss’s dramatic song (already really great, as mentioned in Providence Round 1), but then partway through it cuts to remixes of each party member’s Special Attack song, melded together into one flowing number that completely overrides the Boss’s sound, in a musical indicator of our triumph. There’s some of the main theme of the game, in a sense, I guess you could say representing the player. And I think I heard a bit of Denys’s boss theme in that section. Fitting. He did send me back to the party, after all. And this section only starts up once Yew cuts through Providence’s manipulation, furthering the sense of triumph as the party actively overrides Providence

Well, that’s that, huh? Everyone’s back on Luxendarc, the path to the Celestial Realm is closed, and Altair and Vega have finally moved on together. Seems... there’s not much more I can do for you guys, huh?

...where’s Tiz?

Nonononononnooooo I knew he wasn’t gonna be okay without Altair. No, come on. Tiz, you can’t do this to me again! He just wants to retire

I... should we hang up on Agnès? I don’t know if I want her to watch this. Can’t we just shove me into Tiz again? I can keep the game running until my 3DS’s inevitable complete destruction

Y-y- ...I see. Vaguely British female voice? It was you all along, my Adventurer friend. Or should I say, miss Narrator? By what strange trick of fate do our paths cross anew?

No, Magnolia! She clearly knows... something. And I can tell she’s more than what she seems. How else... could she have made it into the Via Celestio on her own?

I can’t watch Tiz go comatose again. If you’ve got a way to save him, do it already

“But what is a soul? But the embodiment of our wishes, dreams, and desires.” Ummm... the metaphysical culmination of a person’s being? I’ve never quantified a soul before

Fill Tiz’s body... with the dreams needed to bind his soul. And uh, Yew? Yew. Is dumping the hourglass sand on him the best idea?

Oh. That’s how you ended up in those dungeons. You can just open warp gates. I see.

And she handed the hourglass to Tiz in the past... on his way to the Norende Chasm, where we first got the ability to use it in Default. And she was wearing green. I can’t for the life of me remember if she ever wore green in Default, but it wouldn’t surprise me given the amount of sequel nods there were in the international release. What, do you just change into green when you go to the past so your past self knows what’s up?

So ideally, we now have an hourglass with two games, or two and a half years’ worth of dreams in it

Did you create a time loop where the hourglass didn’t exist until Tiz had it and won’t exist after, or did we have two hourglasses and never notice?

Where would that even be hidden on Tiz’s body!? He was in a medical jumpsuit! ...oh, ew. I really hope it was in his pants legs and not... elsewhere

Oh, good, Agnès has it. Whew. Crisis averted

And the Adventurer finally introduces herself. A long, silver-haired woman named Deneb. One of Altair and Vega’s old friends. And, most importantly, probably another Celestial. Possibly the last one alive on Luxendarc

*Great Distance starts up for one last go* Run Agnès! Run with all you’ve got!

Credits are rolling. Let’s see those happy endings we all worked so hard to get

Nikolai is back in the priesthood, preaching to the New Crystalguard, of which Janne seems to be a member. I’m happy for Nikolai, still mad Janne never got over himself, but we can’t win ‘em all. Best of luck, gents! Call me in a few years when Janne has finally grown up

Bella and Cú are just walking around in... Eisen? Ah, well. They’ve got each other. Hope they find a home that accepts horsemen. And I owe you a two a special thanks! The Spellcraft and Triple Wield abilities carried this team, and the Yew Meteor Rain strategy couldn’t have happened without it!

Norzen is back to teaching, and Rifa and Pudgius are glad to have him there

Minette’s happily sailing with her new dad and his cat in his little rowboat. Remember what I said! Therapy!

Aimee and Angelo... did not set up shop in Gathelatio. Or they just haven’t moved locations yet. Pancake business is booming either way (You guys should seriously move, though. If more adventurers find out that Obliterating Chompettes is some of the best experience in the game, they’ll just loiter outside your shop all day and scare away customers! Customers that I’m surprised you even have at the deepest spot in a high level dungeon. ...maybe that’s the actual problem with your current location)

Geist and Rev are... standing around posing in the old seaside shack that was sold to Profiteur? He’d better not have gone back on his deal after I defended him like that!

Aw, Lotus is teaching Sakura to fly the Rubadub. I’m glad those two were with us through this journey

And Great Distance fades out as Agnès arrives, no more distance between her and Tiz any longer

“Good morning... Agnès.” Don’t ever scare us like that again, buddy. Happy retirement

*Great Distance back for Round 2* And now we’ve got the party epilogues!

The new Grand Marshal of Eternia contemplates what to do next, her second-in-command Alternis at her side. When faced with a conflict between two factions, Edea decides she has to go herself, because if anyone can make them see eye-to-eye, it would be her. And I believe her. Alternis declares that he would go to the ends of the world for her, in a way that makes you question whether it was Ringabel or not. Given the way Edea looked forlornly down at her feet, I’ll say “not,” making this a bittersweet end for her

With the peace talks over, Agnès has resigned as Pope, leaving everything to the Matriarch and new Vestal, Sylvie. No longer a Vestal, she has no reason to cling to the surname of those wed to the Crystals, Oblige. No, she’d rather be Agnès Arrior. And now she and Tiz are engaged and planning to move to Norende as farmers. I’m happy for you kids! Enjoy retirement with your sheep. You’ve both earned it

Music fades out again as we cut to Magnolia in the Buster Ship, musing about how wonderful Luxendarc was. Yew races to where he first met her... but her ship is already blasting off back to the Moon. And a ballad starts up as Magnolia walks up to him after he laments that he never confessed. That confession is as awkward as I hoped it would be. And then Magnolia winks at the camera (hi!) and muses about how love really can transcend time and space. Turns out, people on the Moon only tell their true names to the person they wish to marry... and she just whispered something into a very red-faced Yew’s ear. Cute! Just remember he’s 16. Give him a few years to get his bearings, Magnolia. I have no idea how old you are, but maybe take it a little slower. Best of luck, you dorks

One final shot. The Geneolgia mansion foyer, but this time Foundar’s portrait is gone. Now it’s a portrait of Yew, Tiz, Edea, Magnolia, and Agnès eating dinner together... with Denys standing behind them. This is the real Geneolgia family. The one that deserves to be celebrated.

And there goes my name in the credits. Thank you, Bravely Second team. It was a hell of a time and a hell of an undertaking. Almost two years since I started this liveblog, and it evolved rapidly from just a few reactionary bullet points to a full on analysis/reaction. And I’m really glad I did it. I’ve gotten to talk to some cool people thanks to this, and I hope they enjoyed the ride as much as I did!

I really wish I could stick around, kids, but I guess that’s just not how games work. Just let me know if you ever need me again, and I’ll be there. And this time maybe it won’t take me two and a half years to get to it. I’ll do my best!

One final scene, post-credits. Ringabel narrates that they found “the third key,” The Sword of the Brave, to a Vice President over a hyperrealistic shot of the moon

And now we have the final, true New Game+. I love the sparkly little border on the cleared file. But, hey, this isn’t the end yet! The Bestiary isn’t complete! We’re still missing items! And it’s all thanks to the three postgame dungeons! ...but I won’t bore you with that unless there’s demand for it

That being said, there’s still going to be one more update! I plan to do one final retrospective on this game as a whole. What it did wrong, what it did right, and my overall thoughts on the experience. I understand if that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, though, so for those who won’t be joining me, I hope you had a good time reading and thank you for spending the time to look at my ramblings on games I like. For those joining me for the retrospective, thanks for reading! Until next time!

#bravely default #bravely second #liz liveblogs bravely second

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