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#so is chrono cross but CHRONO TRIGGER!!!!

dishsaop · 1 year

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alphonse mucha's four seasons / akira toriyama's chrono trigger

(i love the ct women so much i redrew my favorite art nouveau series with them)

#pls rb lol i spent time on these #chrono trigger #lucca ashtear #schala zeal #ayla #marle #princess nadia #alphonse mucha #akira toriyama #four seasons #fanart #art #mel art #I DIDNT TRACE EITHER (so dont look too close its a mess haha)#chrono cross #..kind of #m text

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aerodaltonimperial · 2 years

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Saints & Martyrs (Chrono Trigger, Cross)

Saints and Martyrs (80575 words) by argle_fraster

Fandom: Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross Rating: Mature Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Marle/Magus

Series: Part 1 of ducunt volentem fata, nolentem trahunt

Summary: Queen Nadia's rule is not easy, littered with difficulties, and pillars come in unusual shapes.

+++

It’s finally done after 11 years!!! My baby!!!! The fic of my heart!!! Some notes:

Think of this as a non-Cross compliant Trigger follow-up that takes most of the elements and plot introductions from Cross into account while keeping Trigger as the basis everything revolves around. I had to, like, learn astrophysics to keep up with the time travel rules and mechanisms (MIT, feel free to gift me my free PhD, thank). The Cross roster of characters have been shifted earlier by about 20 years in order to line up with the Trigger character ages, with two notable exceptions: Kid, who remains as seen in the Trigger post-game animation, and Serge, who has yet to even appear in the fic.

Second installment in the series is the concurrent fic Top Shot, which technically doesn’t contain additional plot points but does contain a great deal of material necessary for S&M to read as it should. Series name literally means “The Fates lead the willing, and drag the unwilling” which has some fun double-layered meanings considering the source material, if you know what I mean (you do).

I know these fandoms are tiny compared to what they used to be back in IcyBrian days, but hey, I’m really proud of this and I love it a lot. ♥ Also I made AI art look at that!!!! Now you get to see it!!!

#chrono trigger #chrono cross #fanfic #marle/magus #I FINISHED IT I AM SO PROUD

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ampleappleamble · 3 months

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haven't seen this on here yet so:

in case you don't want to slog through the shitscape that is the bird/letter website, take a peek beneath the cut (shamelessly copied from the something awful forums dungeon meshi thread)

- Her first memory of video games was watching her father playing Wizardry on Famicom, also Dragon Quest, Ultima, and Fire Emblem among others.

- She was a difficult child so her parents didn't let her play. Wizardry is a boring game to watch, but the monster illustrations on the walkthrough evoked her imagination and made her keep watching.

- She only started becoming a serious gamer after the serialization of Dungeon Meshi was locked, for research purposes. Before that, she read fantasy novels such as The Neverending Story (Michael Ende) and The Lord of the Rings (JRR Tolkien).

- The international title for Dungeon Meshi: Delicious in Dungeons was decided by her editor.

- D&D popped up a lot when she researched the history of video games, so she read the rule books, replay novels, and games inspired by D&D.

- One of the first games she studied was the Legend of Grimrock (game's 80% off on Steam atm). Originally, she wanted Dungeon Master (FTL Games) which was famous for "RPG with meals" but hunting down the game and machine was too much.

- She didn't like games other than turn-based RPGs at first, but she decided to stop being picky and play anything that piqued her interest.

- She played Zelda: BotW and TotK on a borrowed Switch from her editor due to the console's scarcity at the time.

- She enjoyed Red Dead Redemption 2 and God of War for their stories. RDR2's incredible attention to detail had Kui engrossed so much that she asked her editor and other mangaka to play it so she could discuss it with them.

- Kui praised The Witcher 3 localization as something only possible with full support from the developer. Cyberpunk 2077 is one of her all-time favorites.

- Papers, Please was her first taste of indie games.

- Disco Elysium is the perfect game for her due to the lack of fighting, intriguing story, charming character interaction, and top-down perspective. She tried playing it in English at first due to an unlikely chance for JP loc, but it was out of her ability. Thus she is forever grateful to Spike Chunsoft for localizing it.

- Kui played Baldur's Gate 3 from the time it was in Early Access. Again, she's grateful for Spike Chunsoft's JP loc. She hoped BG3's success would bring the possibility of JP loc for other titles too, such as Pathfinder: wotr

- She likes games with top-down perspective because they have narration text for monologues and scenery description. Even if the graphic is lacking, the texts show the atmosphere and each character's behavior and psyche. Also, characters that react to your choices.

- She praised Unpacking and House Flipper for being able to tell what kind of person lives there only through their belongings, and that there's no right or wrong for the placements; she would make the best arrangement and then enjoy her hard work while sipping tea.

- The biggest inspiration for Dungeon Meshi was the Cosmic Forge pen from Wizardry VI. With improved graphics from its predecessor, now it could show broken farming tools in the background and many more details that made exploration so much fun.

- At the time of the interview (Dec '23) she still hadn't watched DunMeshi anime, but she attended the recording sessions. She's embarrassed that the dialog she wrote now acted passionately by professionals. Marcille's screaming was wonderful but also made her want to flee.

- Kui was anxious about the CP2077 anime adaptation, but she was relieved it was the Night City she knows and loves.

- Other than minor adjustments, she left it to TRIGGER as to how to adapt

- She's happy that Mitsuda Yasunori was chosen as the anime composer, as she used to play Chrono Cross and rewatched the opening many times.

- Her anticipated games in 2024 are Cloudpunk, Nivalis, and Avowed.

- DunMeshi would be hard to adapt into a game because in the first place, what Kui depicted in the manga are parts that are omitted in games for the sake of brevity.

- If DunMeshi game was Wizardry-like, it'd be told through Laios' perspective and eating was essential not to die

#dungeon meshi #she only started playing video games after dunmeshi got picked up???? damn #that's dedication to the craft #i would *so* play a dunmeshi video game...#likes top-down perspective and strong narratives and character reactivity... she's just like me fr

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letoasai · 11 months

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dp x dc Chronos part 2

Part 1 and Part 3

The Justice League sat in the Watchtower, some of them at least. The meeting was meant to be a quick one, only certain members in attendance to make sure they were all on the same page after the debrief of the last mission. Not all of them were necessary and most were usually busy.

Today Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash and Green Lantern were in the middle of wrapping things up when the alert sounded. The siren blared twice before the red lights in the corner of each room flashed in an emergency.

“What in the world…” Flash grumbled but was obviously the first to the controls to look for the problem. None of the main alarms had been triggered, none of the doors messed with. No unusual motion noted in parts of the station that were currently vacant. “Weird.”

“What is it?” Batman was next beside him, arms crossed as he peered at the screen with narrowed eyes.

“It’s the sensors.” Flash said. “We’re picking up some kind of interference.”

“Way up here? What kind?” Green Lantern asked, he’d moved to one of the wide windows of the viewing deck as if he would be able to see something approaching. As things were, there was nothing but the normal vastness of space with Earth to one side.

“No idea.” Flash said. “Never seen something like this before.”

“Any idea on a location?” Superman asked, appearing by Green Lantern’s side.

Flash just clucked his tongue, hitting buttons much faster than a normal person. It was almost an irritation that he had to wait for the computer to keep up with him. “I mean, there’s nothing exactly to track yet.”

“An anomaly then.” Wonder Woman said, leaning back against the conference table they’d all just been sitting around. “Something natural?”

“There’s nothing natural about this.” Batman said, tone skeptical as he gazed at the screens.

“Gonna side with that bat on this one.” Flash said, “It’s more like a warning before anything happens. Something setting off the sensors but nothing else? Feels like it was on purpose.”

Green Lantern rolled his eyes. “What, like something’s knocking before they make themselves known?”

Before anyone could even offer their opinion on what they thought of something so ridiculous, a spark of green ripped through the air like lightning. Just as quickly it spread out into an obvious portal. Every member of the Justice League sprang into position, circling the phenomenon to block it in from every direction. Things like this shouldn’t have been possible, but it wasn’t the first time an intruder had gotten creative to get inside the Watchtower.

Without any fanfare, a man stepped out. They presumed it was a man anyway. He was dressed in mostly shades of purple other than his leather boots and gloves. He was covered by a cloak and hood, but when he looked up, it was hard to say what about him was the most unsettling. The red eyes. The blue skin. The pendulum clock that set back into his chest so far that he could only be missing crucial organs.

“Who are you?” Superman demanded, quickly trying to assess if there would be a fight or not.

“How did you get here?” Batman said right after, gravel tone somehow more frightening because he was calm.

The intruder just gestured with his thumb at the portal behind him. “Thought it was rather obvious.”

“Your purpose?” Wonder Woman asked, looking relaxed but her body was tense and ready to react in a moments notice.

“My purpose?” He chuckled quietly. In his hand was a staff they’d almost missed before, the top of it cradling a clock. It seemed to be a theme given the number of watches and clocks he wore. “I’ve come to call in a favor. The Justice League owes me several.”

“We owe you? Ppfff. Yeah right. We don’t even know who you are.” Flash rolled his eyes.

The intruder turned to the Flash, his brow raised. “Speedster, with the amount of times you’ve dabbled in the time stream, you alone owe me your life a fair few times.”

“Time, huh?” Green Lantern looked him over. There were a lot of clocks... “Guess that’s your schtick.”

He chuckled again. “I go by many names, only one will be relevant to you today.” He turned his attention onto Wonder Woman who squared up under his gaze. If she was going to be his focus then she’d take him head on.

“And?” She arched a brow at him. “What name may we call you?”

He looked amused, red eyes filled with mirth. “You, Diana, may call me grandfather.”

The room stilled, the others looking around in varying degrees of confusion while Wonder Woman just paled.

“Chronos. God of time…” she muttered, making it very clear to the team what they were dealing with. A God.

“I go by master of time these days, but yes. I am that Chronos. I have a task for you, Diana. One i do not think you will turn down but i’ll give you the illusion of choice.” Chronos said, the minute and hour hands on his staff moving strangely.

“You’re a god, and you come to us for help?” Batman asked, unimpressed no matter the glowers he was being sent by the others.

“You are the Justice League, aren’t you?” Chronos looked pleased. “Righting wrongs. Defending Earth. Justice is in the name and everything.”

He didn’t talk like a god. He didn’t even talk as formally as Wonder Woman herself tended to occasionally.

“Doing tasks for you is asking for trouble.” Wonder Woman muttered. She’d heard stories, so many stories.

Chronos shrugged. “Time is messy. Keeping it in line is difficult. Especially when there are those who mess with it who should not.” He was not above verbally throwing speedsters under the bus.

“What do you want?” Green Lantern asked, obviously suspicious but paying very close attention.

“Simple.” Chronos answered, still looking at his granddaughter. “You will take custody of your uncle for a time. He needs a safe place to rest and live.”

The silence that followed was loud, no one knowing what to make of that. Wonder Woman herself looked puzzled.

“Are you claiming a sibling of Zeus needs a babysitter?”

Chronos hummed. “He is my son though he holds no biological relation to your father, i suppose.”

“Then how is he her uncle?” Flash asked, with a hint of sass.

“You can ask Batman how it works.” Chronos mused, saying all he would say on the matter but that was enough.

Wonder Woman couldn’t fathom what kind of person her grandfather would see fit to adopt. “Are you going to tell me more?”

“Telling you more would imply you were agreeing to the task.”

She tsked. “None of your word games. I want to know what i could be walking into.”

Chronos never once looked threatened or put out, he did however, appear to look a few years older than he had when he’d first appeared. “He recently needed to be removed from his home for his safety. He can easily visit me but staying with me long term at this time is not beneficial to him for health reasons.”

Superman frowned. “Removed from his home? How old is he?”

“Sixteen. If that is all you need to know, i will fetch him. It may take some time for him to regain consciousness.” Chronos said.

“He’s been hurt?” Batman was frowning at the thought, looking more and more unhappy as the conversation progressed.

“I did say he was removed from his home.” Chronos said, almost flippantly as he stepped back into his glowing green portal. It remained open, everyone exchanging looks.

“Diana, is this a good idea?” Superman asked, willing to accept her judgment. Greek gods were more her wheelhouse.

“Chronos was a titan. Is a titan?” She frowned. “His power is immense for a being thought to be killed.”

“Something about him is off.” Batman agreed. “He was not worried at all. That is someone aware they have the upper hand.”

Wonder Woman just nodded her agreement. Chronos was the god of time. There was no telling what he knew. “I’ve never met him before.”

“Hell of a time for family reunions.” Flash snarked, heading back to the controls to see what readings they could get on the floating portal. It was obvious each of them wanted to study it in their own way. Scans and samples were first on their minds but it was clearly some kind of magic they weren’t familiar with.

It was almost a shame there wasn’t a single member from JLD currently in the Watchtower. They might have been able to provide answers.

Before much of anything could be done, Chronos returned, somehow looking several years younger than when he first appeared. In his arms was a lanky teen, cradled carefully as if he were fragile. He was equally a sight that left the League speechless. He wasn’t blue, in fact he looked more or less human other that the freckles that shined.

Superman was the one to immediately note they were constellation patterned.

His hair was a stark white that wisped and flowed as if he were under water. His clothes were strange, a detailed variation of an old hazmat suit, all done in black and white. Floating above his head was a crown that didn’t seem to know if it wanted to be on fire or covered in ice. It bobbed back and forth and even did a slow flip in the air but never left the area about the boy’s head.

When no one uttered a word, Chronos took that as permission to begin the introductions. “Diana, this is your uncle. Danny Phantom. Son of the Stars. The Personification of Balance. The Ghost King. High King of the Infinite Realm.”

“He’s a king?” Batman frowned. “He’s a boy.”

“He could be both, Bats. He’s got a crown.” Flash chuckled softly.

Chronos shared his amusement. “I did say he was only sixteen.” The god paused for a moment as the teen twisted in his arms, his face pressed against Chronos’ shoulder and a hand lightly pressed against the door of the clock embedded into the man’s chest.

The fact that, even asleep, the boy was comfortable in the gods arms didn’t go unnoticed.

“Is he injured?” Wonder Woman asked. They’d gone over this already but he didn’t look actively wounded. He seemed to be sleeping only.

Chronos grunted once. “One form heals faster than the other. He needs rest, ambient ectoplasm which he knows how to get on his own, and food. He can answer your questions if he feels like it.”

“If he feels like it?” Green Lantern frowned.

“He’s the King.” Chronos’ lips twitched in amusement again. “If he decides to tell you more, or seek help, that is his decision.”

“Seek help?” Batman’s eyes were narrowed. “Seek help for what?”

Chronos approached and shifted the teenager into Wonder Woman’s arms. His crown shifted back and forth but never left the teen. The grip he had on the god wasn’t noticed until he tried to pull away and Chronos needed to carefully extract the boy’s hand.

Ignoring Batman, he pressed on. “He’ll need to follow up with his doctor by the end of the week. He’ll know how to do that. If he doesn’t, his doctor will come to him. That should be incentive enough.”

“Does he know you’re dropping him off here?” Superman asked, brows knitted together in concern. The heroes had been expecting a fight, not to be handed a royal teen.

“He has a fondness for for space, so you might want to let him wake up here.” Chronos said instead, ignoring that question too. He was growing older again, a short, white beard starting to form.

“How long will he need to be in my care?” Wonder Woman asked, noting the boy weighed very little in her arms. In sleep his features were soft, hopefully he was as sweet as he looked.

“Good luck.” Chronos said, staff reappearing in his hand now, turning back to the portal without giving her an answer.

“Hey! Wait!” Flash yelled but for once, he was too slow, the god and the portal disappeared.

Five members of the Justice League just stood in a mild stupor, their attention shifting to the sleeping teen.

“Well…” Superman muttered.

Wonder Woman looked at the boy, floating hair and crown moving in tandem. “I’ll set him down. We’ll see if he can answer any of our questions when he wakes up.”

“You gonna call him Uncle Danny?” Flash asked, not bothering to hide his smile.

Wonder Woman just ignored him and turned to stride off towards the med-station. -------------------------

------------------------- No idea at all if i’ll continue this. If anyone else wants too, go for it. ^_^

@markus209

#dp x dc #dc x dp crossover #clockwork #justice league #Looks like Wonder Woman is Danny's guardian now #Danny Phantom #wonder woman

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black-cat-showdown · 1 year

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Welcome to the Black Cat Showdown!!

There's so many famous black cats out there, fictional or real. But Wich one is the ultimate kitty cat? Lets find out!!

FAQ <- If you have any questions ask them on that post! Propaganda is also allowed and encouraged!!

Link to full tournament brackets here!!

(full list of participants names under the cut!!)

The tournament will start on Saturday April 1st!!

Link to FAQ <- seriously read it before sending questions lmao

Here are all 108 participants!!

• 808 (Hi-Fi Rush) • Aldwyn (The Familiars) • Amanojaku (GhostStories) • Archie (Tales Of Arcadia) • Assisticat (CardFight) • Bagheera (Jungle Book) • Berlioz (The Aristocats) • Black Cat (The Price by Neil Gaiman) • Blackie (Chi's Sweet Home) • Blair (Soul Eater) • Bonifacy (Przygody Kota Filemona) • Cat card (Inscryption) • Catty Noir (Monster High) • Chito (Flying Witch) • Chococat (Sanrio) • Chrono's cat (Chrono Trigger) • Constable Whiskers (Cookie Run) • Cosmic Creepers (Bedknobs & Broomsticks) • Domino (Amphibia) • Doom (Ruby Gloom) • Faithful (The Song Of The Lioness) • Fastelavnstønde katten • Felix the cat • Gareth (Time Cat) • Giovanni (Spiritfarer) • Gobbolino (Gobbolino The Witch's Cat) • Hollyleaf (Warrior Cats) • Hresvelgion Whisker (Fire Emblem: Three Houses) • Ichigo (Tokyo Mew Mew) • Isis (Star Treck) • Jack (Mad Rat Dead) • Jenny Linski (Esther Averill books) • Jiji (Kiki's Delivery Service) • Jinx (@bigfootjinx) • Keats (Professor Layton) • Kevin (Vanessa Stockard's paintings) • Kiki (Animal Crossing) • Kitten-Shark (Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency) • Kittie Softpaws (Puss In Boots) • Kofu (@straycatj) • Koshekh (Welcome to Night Vale) • Kuro (Doko Demo Issy) • Kuro (Blue Exorcist) • Kuro (Servamp) • Kuroneko-sama (Trigun) • Litten (Pokemon) • Lucifer (Cinderella 1950) • Lucy-furr (Jackson's Diary) • Luna (Sailor Moon) • Mae Borowski (Night In The Woods) • Malame (Flappy Dragons) • Mao Mao (Mao Mao) • Maxwell (-the dancing cat) • Mewo (OMORI) • Midnight (Castle in the Air by Diana Wynne Jones) • Miles (Emily the Strange) • Minino (Hooky) • Miss Kitty Fantastico (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) • Mittens (Bolt) • Mog (Meg and Mog) • Momo (Google Halloween doodles) • Morgana (Persona 5) • Mr Mew (The World Ends With You) • Mr. Midnight (Fran Bow) • Mr. Mistoffelees (Cats) • Nargacuga (Monster Hunter) • Narinder (Cult Of The Lamb) • Naught (Naught) • Neko (Genshin Impact) • Nicol Ascart (Hamefura) • Nyanpire (Nyanpire) • Pantherlily (FairyTail) • Pete (Pete the Cat) • Pete the Cat (Mickey Mouse and Friends) • Pib (Dimension 20 Neverafter) • Plagg (Miraculous LadyBug) • Pluto (The Black Cat by Edgar Allen Poe) • Purrsephone & Meowlody (Monster High) • Ravage (Transformers) • Ravenpaw (Warrior Cats) • Rhiow (The Book of Night with Moon) • Sakamoto (Nichijou) • Salem Saberhagen (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) • Schrödinger's cat • Tama (Dragon Ball) • Smokey (Neko Atsume) • Siren (Suite Precure) • Snowball II (The Simpsons) • Somber Kitty (May Bird trilogy) • Sosa's cat (YUPPIE PSYCHO) • Spinel sun (Sakura Cardcaptor) • Sylvester (Looney Tunes) • Takkun (FLCL) • Thackery Binx (Hocus Pocus) • The Bean (#void watch) • the Beast (Fatum Betula) • The cat/Vermin (Coraline) • The Cat (Ghost Trick) • The Cat (Please Say Something) • The Cat (Little Kitty, Big City) • The Kitten (Kitbull) • Tuxedo cat (Minecraft) • Unico Uni (@uniconiuni3) • Vodka Mutini (Homestuck) • Witch's cat (minecraft) • Xiaohei (The Legend of Xiaohei) • Yoruichi (Bleach) • Yuni (Mewkledreamy)

#pinned posts #black cat tournament #competition #polls #animals

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veemo4 · 11 months

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2023 Media Thread (Re-do to add a Read More Link)

Spark The Electric Jester 3:

Man I was holding off on spoilers for MONTHS until the holidays when I could get this game, and I only beat it in the beginning of the year and well…HOLY SHIT I didn’t know I needed existentialism in my funny little platformer- Gameplay is INSANELY solid, like honestly some of my favorite platforming controls I have ever used! Music is top notch as well!

Nier Automata: The End of YoRHa Edition:

Holy fuck how did I manage to avoid spoilers for this game for YEARS??? That ending was beautiful~ (Yes I did do all the main endings)

Chrono Trigger: I should preface this by saying I did modify this game a tiiiiny bit to have PS4 button prompts and fixing the Classic filter. Other than that, I can see why it’s a lot of people’s favorite RPG! Short enough in case you wanna replay it, and the foundation of the NG+ system definitely helps incentivize replays! Can’t wait to play Chrono Cross!

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII:

I binged both FFXIII and FFXIII-2 during October and November of last year, but took a short break to avoid burnout. And well, yeah this game was neat! I will admit though that since there’s no way to REWIND time like in Majora’s Mask that I got INSANELY stressed out but that didn’t take away from the sweet release of seeing these characters I love finally get their well-deserved happy ending :)

Mega Man Zero:

I put this one off and on throughout like 2 years because I just wasn’t good at it, but it taught me a VERY good lesson in perseverance! Really excited to play Zero 2!

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion: ZAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK ;w; Story was pretty…alright for the most part, but I couldn’t feel attached to any of the original characters :/ Honestly my eyes were on Zack just…being real with what’s going on. I may not feel bad for when people he cares about dies, but I can EASILY emphasize with him because I know that HE knows them. Knows them more than we ever will know. Also the gameplay and music are fucking stellar.

Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes:

I should preface all of this by saying I don’t remember what order I beat all of these in lmao. Anyways my route was Golden Wildfire and the story for it is such an improvement over its equivalent in Three Houses!!! I love Shez so much as a protagonist even if his outfit is a tiny bit dumb.

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

Man I really wanted to like this. And like, music and area wise I loved it! But the story feels…It just doesn’t feel like the finality for all we’ve done so far. I could not care at all for Meteion because they spend approximately like 20 or 30 minutes making us meet them and then throwing us IMMEDIATELY into the angst like, no. This isn’t even a case of “Well I don’t care but I can understand why others do” NO THE GAME MAKES YOUR WOL FEEL BAD AS WELL, MEANING YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO CARE! NO! I DON’T! I was able to at least pretend a little bit to roleplay as needed but man. At least Footfalls and the post-endwalker dungeon themes kick ass though. (Warrior of Light’s name for me is M’bahlon Tia)

Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe

SO CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUTE I love kirby games sm and this is no exception. REALLY loved how hard the Magolor Epilogue got at certain points though that was great.

Fire Emblem Awakening

I CAN SEE WHY THIS SAVED THE FRANCHISE WHEN IT CAME OUT!! It’s a REALLY good game! I went with the default male Robin settings since that’s what’s in Smash Bros. And man just, everything about this game is AMAZING!!! Sadly cannot see myself replaying it anytime. I could just load my endgame save and grind out support conversations with other characters or do that…new game plus thing I think it was?

Another Eden: The Cat Beyond Time and Space: Bound Wills and the Hollow Puppeteer

I did this event initially back when it came out (and in fact is the main reason why I played the game in the first place) But I got horrible units and died super often, and revived every chance I got. But losing my save data and getting a better unit HEAVILY boosted my chances of getting through the event and man, it was a lot of fun! I love seeing tiny mona :3 JUST LOOK AT HOW SMOL HE IS AAAAAAAAA

Mighty Gunvolt Burst:

I had a lot of fun with this one! I used one of the DLC characters (I think they’re the Zero character from Mighty Number 9 but) it’s a great romp!

EDIT: ALSO SHOULD MENTION IT FUCKING OWO’D ME

Final Fantasy XV

“Walk tall…my friends.” I got this game YEARS ago but haven’t truly delved into it recently. And well… That ending got to me. It really did. The gameplay took me so long to get used to (especially since I had been more used to the more refined gameplay of Final Fantasy 7 Remake 3 years prior) Music is amazing, love the characters! I just wish the other episodes were finished and weren’t just put in a novel :/

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

HOLY FUCK THIS GAME WAS SO COOL. I always heard like, right, about how good this game was but I figured it was just nostalgia talking for people. NOPE. As someone who’s first paper mario game was super (never beat it, I was a really stupid child) and then played Sticker Star (Again, very stupid child but also that game is bullshit because everything is so obtuse and it sucks) But this? This was a big breath of fresh air. I am so excited to go back and play 64 and Super!!!

The Super Mario Bros. Movie

Honestly? Way better than I was expecting. You can FEEL nintendo had a strangle-hold on the movie’s production though from how Chris Pratt in the final movie actually fucking voice acts somewhat (it’s a start), there’s no bad Illumination tropes, Peach is a dragoon, Toad and Bowser easily steal the show, and just, ALL THE REFERENCES WOW. EVEN THE NEWER THINGS. I didn’t see any Paper Mario or Mario & Luigi references though which makes me sad. I hope that if there’s a sequel it’s actually better and doesn’t fall into any traps movie sequels usually do, maybe even say if the other kingdoms from Mario Odyssey are in this universe (and maybe Isle Defino) The movie definitely could have used an extra 20 minutes spread throughout to add more to the main group dynamic.

Mega Man Zero 2

OH MY GOD THIS WAS SO MUCH BETTER BALANCE-WISE HOLY SHIT Cyber-elves requirements to be leveled up were MASSIVELY lowered and the enemy AI isn’t as overly aggressive! Loved the music too, especially Departure and the ending theme which was adapted for the song Clover! Can’t wait to do Zero 3!

WARE WA MESSIAH NARI! HAHAHA!

Mega Man Zero 3 was really good, but either I am getting way too good at these games or they are getting easier haha. Loved the music and gameplay though, and how Cyber Elves were handled here is absolutely the best they have ever been! If there’s any game in this series I am gonna replay, it’s Zero 3 without a doubt! On to Mega Man Zero 4, the last of the GBA era.

Mega Man Zero 4

I finally did it. I beat the entire Mega Man Zero series. While I do not agree with how the parts and cyber elf system were handled, It was not a bad experience by any means! It felt nice following Zero’s character arc throughout these games. I’m maybe gonna take a break before I tackle Mega Man ZX, but hey, I feel like that game’s gonna be fun! It’s the only one I actually OWN on its original hardware after all! :D

Sonic and the Black Knight

This was a fun distraction for a few hours! I had a lot of fun with this! Granted the second King Arthur fight took me an hour but besides that it was a quick and good romp! Probably has one of the best final boss themes in a sonic game I’ve ever heard! :D

The Legend Of Zelda: A Link To The Past

Pretty fun game all things considered, but I didn’t like how punishing some of the design philosophies were in the end parts of the game. Music’s great though! Maybe I’ll revisit it one day, but not anytime soon. Still, can’t say I disliked my experience.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.

Where…do I even begin with this?…It was…genuinely amazing. I was waiting for a sequel to Breath of the Wild for years, and during my high school years I was wondering how they would even follow it up! Doing a sequel to an open-world game is harder than a lot of other genres. But yet….they did it. They somehow did it. Those 6 years of development time more than paid off. It felt…amazing to run around a changed Hyrule from the last game. The mechanics were amazing, and the character development was really cool! The new rune abilities are dope!!! BUT THE MUSIC MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM THE MUSIC OH THE MUSIC IS SO GOOD THE ENDING MUSIC MADE ME ACTUALLY CRY AHHHHHHHH PLAY THIS GAME PLAY IT NOW

Kirby and the Forgotten Land

And here we are! Finally got around to this! It was a really dope game! Loved the combat and music! I even did most of the bonus content and the Ultimate Cup Z, but I kept dying at the final phase of the final boss of that so I just gave up lol, it’s purely bonus content anyways lol. But honestly I loved this game! Can’t wait for the next mainline kirby game!

The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD

FINALLY GOT AROUND TO PLAYING THIS ONE! I owned this on real hardware since its release date but never got far. I finally got around to it with the motivation of beating Tears of the Kingdom, and I gotta say, it’s pretty good! Not exactly like, absolutely top tier game that everyone MUST play but, it’s decent! Bosses are a big sour point though. Music was pretty decent, though the final dungeon theme is a bore. Only other current Zelda games I gotta beat are the 2D/Top-Down ones, so maybe I’ll do one of those next! Possibly either Phantom Hourglass or Spirit Tracks.

Pokémon Scarlet

HOLY SHIT THAT ENDING SEQUENCE WAS ACTUALLY COOL AS HELL!!! Like yeah, the game has its decent chunk of technical issues but, holy shit….those last two hours of the main story are phenomenal. TOBY FOX CONTINUES TO BE THE GOAT THE MUSIC HE COMPOSED IS AMAZING! I love how easier it is to capture pokemon compared to Sword and Shield as well. I do like Dynamax raids more as a multiplayer component, but I much prefer the Tera mechanic in terms of PVP. I stlll need to do the post game before the dlc comes out later this year, but all I really got is just the refights against the gym leaders and all that jazz. There’s also the Needle thingies I gotta pull out and the wall things I gotta investigate in order to get the other legendaries, but all I really care about is finishing the core of the main story, I got other games to get to lol. Probably thinking of either Paper Mario or Chrono Cross next haha.

Kamen Rider Heisei Generations Final: Build & Ex-Aid with Legend Riders

Okay so context: my friend @arcadiusdragoneyes is showing me and @darkspine576 Kamen Rider Build since it’s one of his favorites and he wanted to indoctrinate introduce us into Kamen Rider AND IT’S FUCKING WORKING. I only know one part of this crossover, but I think it did a good job of giving across the feel of the other Kamen Rider series very well! Kamen Rider Build is so extra I love it. Can’t wait to finish Kamen Rider Build!

#long post

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enigmaticexplorer · 3 months

Text

I Yearn, and so I Fear - Chapter XI

Masterlist | Previous Chapter | A Muse | Next Chapter

General Summary. Nearly a year since the Galactic Empire’s rise to power, Kazi Ennari is trying to survive. But her routine is interrupted—and life upended—when she’s forced to cohabitate with former Imperial soldiers. Clone soldiers.

Pairing. Commander Wolffe x female!OC

General Warnings. Canon-typical violence and assault, familial struggles, terminal disease, bigotry, explicit sexual content, death. This story deals with heavy content. If you’re easily triggered, please do not read. For a more comprehensive list of tags, click here.

Fic Rating. E (explicit)/18+/Minors DNI.

Chapter Word Count. 5.2K

Beta. @starstofillmydream

22 Melona

Kazi regarded her sister with an impassive expression. Tapping her fingers against her crossed arms, she glanced at her chrono. “I will force it down your throat.”

Anger twisted Daria’s mouth and she chugged the iridescent blue potion. Grimacing—either at the taste or the knowledge her hallucinations wouldn’t return today—Daria set aside the bottle and pressed her lips together.

The silence between them was thicker than the humidity outside.

“I’m sorry about yesterday,” Kazi said stiffly. “But I—”

Daria turned on her heel and walked away.

Kazi stared after her sister. A part of her felt guilty for controlling Daria. And yet she couldn’t muster the energy to really care. Her sister’s negligence had most likely aggravated her disease’s progression, and it was all for hallucinations.

Gritting her teeth, Kazi wandered out of the room and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. It was the sight of the little girl at the kitchen table that drew her from her frustrations.

Neyti was awake earlier than usual. Her hair was rumpled and her eyes downcast. A glass of lemon juice, untouched, rested within reach of her fingers but she ignored it, picking at a spot on the table.

From his stool, Wolffe eyed Neyti, his brows furrowed in confusion. He gave Kazi a questioning look and she shook her head, starting on breakfast.

As she sliced a loaf of bread, she could feel Wolffe watching her—feel the silent demand for an explanation. But it was his words from long ago, his accusation that made it too difficult to meet his gaze.

You’re a shitty sister and even shittier caretaker.

She didn’t want Wolffe to know about yesterday. She didn’t want his judgment. Even if she deserved it.

Bread toasted and smoothed with a jam Daria had made, Kazi set the plate in front of Neyti and took a seat at the table. The little girl frowned at the missing lumina berries and scrambled eggs.

“I was thinking,” Kazi started, “we could go to the Marketplace today. The vendors are setting up for the Harvest Festival and I’ve heard there’s good food to try.”

Flattening her palms beneath her thighs, to stop herself from wringing them, Kazi surveyed Neyti’s somber face. The exhaustion dulling Neyti’s skin. The smudges beneath her eyes.

“If you’re interested,” she added lamely.

Neyti lifted a piece of toast, appraising the jam. A tentative swipe of her tongue and her eyebrows raised. She took a small bite and chewed. Another bite was followed by a sip of the lemon juice.

Accepting that both Daria and Neyti would be ignoring her for the day, Kazi pushed away from the table. She didn’t fault Neyti. Little Kazi would have done the same. But hopelessness—the acceptance of her failure and the self-hatred it evoked—yawned within her, dark and hollow. Vacuous like the cold emptiness of a black hole.

Kazi started to step away but Neyti lifted her head. She dipped her chin.

The nod was small and hesitant, and Kazi hated the knowledge she was the cause of Neyti’s renewed reclusiveness. But she forced herself to smile. To appear unaffected.

“Okay,” she said hoarsely. “We’ll leave when you finish.”

As Neyti finished her breakfast, Kazi washed the dishes, trying to concentrate on her task rather than the accusatory thoughts spearing her mind. A restless sleep last night and the remnants of shame made it difficult to escape her mind, so she shifted her attention to Wolffe. The sleeves of his white shirt were shoved up his forearms. His hair was still damp from a recent shower. He was studying her, and she raised an eyebrow in question.

“You look tired.”

Turning off the faucet, she threw him a bland look. “You must have been popular with women.”

His eyes narrowed and he slid a sidelong glance in Neyti’s direction. “What happened?”

“Nothing that concerns you.” Drying her hands on a towel, she stiffened at his unflinching scowl. “It’s family-related, and has nothing to do with the magistrate or the network.”

Wolffe reclined back in his stool. “When are you giving the network our intel?”

“Tomorrow.” Kazi leaned against the counter, searching his face. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

A week ago, the men decided to accept the rebel network’s offered collaboration. They would retrieve the network’s wanted intel, and the network would pay them in return. Quite handsomely.

Kazi didn’t support the collaboration. The less contact with the network, the better. And she didn’t want Wolffe and his brothers forced into a position they didn’t want to be in. But she also knew the men. Knew they accepted the deal after much debate, consideration, and analysis of the risk-versus-cost.

“We’ve made our decision,” Wolffe said. The tick of a muscle in his jaw was the only sign of his disquiet. “We need the money.”

They lapsed into silence.

At the kitchen table, Neyti finished her toast and moved onto her lemon juice. Kazi made a mental note to visit a citrus stall. Maybe Neyti could pick some out and they could make their own version of lemon juice.

Wolffe cleared his throat. “Are you eating breakfast?”

“I’m not hungry,” she said. Just the thought of food made her stomach turn uneasily. “Anyway, we’re eating at the Marketplace.”

Wolffe tapped two fingers against the bar. “I’ll join you.”

“Oh?” It wasn’t an open invitation. “Why?”

“I need to pick up some things.” He pushed himself to his feet, regarding her suspiciously. “Don’t leave without me.”

With that, he disappeared into the basement.

Fifteen minutes later and Kazi and Neyti were buckled into the aircar. Wolffe had beat them to it, claiming the driver’s seat, and since Kazi didn’t like to drive, she didn’t offer to switch places. Instead, her attention was drawn to the coat of white paint freshening both the front door and the wrapround porch’s banister. The house looked cheerier, well-lived and inviting.

“It was Fox’s idea, and the lazy bastard passed it onto Cody,” Wolffe said. He must have noticed her staring. Shifting gears, the car rumbled forward and he shot her an inscrutable look. “We’re adding a better locking system.”

Tiredly, Kazi nodded her appreciation.

“No arguments?” Wolffe asked. The surprise in his tone was genuine.

“I’ve wanted to update the lock for months.” Her cheeks warmed at the obvious negligence and she curled her fingers into the passenger seat’s cushion. “So I think it’s a good idea. Let me know how much it costs—”

Wolffe snorted, and at her affronted glare, he rolled his eyes.

They spent the rest of the ride in silence.

Being the first day of the two-week celebration leading to the Harvest Festival, the Marketplace was crowded. People crammed into the tight streets. Elbows knocked and shoulders jammed into one another. A greater part of the crowd consisted of humans, though the occasional sentient species stood out, much to Neyti’s intrigue.

The little girl stuck close to Kazi, her mouth parted as she took in the stalls. Stands overflowed with an abundance of brightly-colored fruits and oddly-shaped vegetables. Spices spiraled into pyramidal structures. Some towered over Neyti’s small figure.

Scents of marinating vegetables, baked bread, and roasting meats wafted through the streets. Vendors and customers argued over prices. Icy fish sailed through the air, passing from one set of hands to another.

Curiosity compelled Neyti to assess each stand, and by the time they reached a citrus stall, two hours had passed.

Delighted by Kazi’s promise to make lemon juice when they returned to the house, and awed by the lemons’ size—some larger than Wolffe’s hands—Neyti meticulously selected half a bunch. Kazi slipped them into her bag.

They finally stopped for food. Vinegared vegetables, charred pita, dollops of hummus, fried fritters. Wolffe bought a chocolate bar for Neyti, and while she was distracted, he split a second bar with Kazi. Initially, she refused it. But Wolffe was stubborn and Kazi too tired to argue, so she accepted the sweetened bar and they continued on their way.

The longer they walked, the more Kazi started to relax and enjoy herself. She smiled faintly at Neyti’s wonder and made plans to take Neyti with her the next time she went grocery shopping.

They were wandering aimlessly when a large hand grabbed her bicep and pulled her to a halt. Kazi stiffened, frowning at Wolffe’s hand. Frowning at the thumb that grazed the bare skin of her bicep in a gentle arc. She lifted her gaze to his, and even though the dark gray of his poncho shadowed his features, she could still see his eyes. The blatant surprise.

A heartbeat passed. Wolffe haphazardly released her arm, angling his chin toward a nearby stand.

“Ceaian produce,” he said gruffly. He flexed his hand, glaring at it. “I thought you… Never mind.”

Kazi glanced at the stand, reading its banner:

LOCALLY GROWN CITRUS-STAR. A CEAIAN SPECIALTY.

Her heart slowed as she gawked at the baskets of produce. At the pale orange, tear-shaped fruits.

The last time she had eaten a citrus-star she was ten. Her father had bought a bunch and brought them sailing. It was one of their last trips together.

They sat on the railing of their boat, feet dangling over the water, the sun filtering through Ceaia’s classically gray skies.

“Do you know what the citrus-star symbolizes?” her father asked. Little Kazi shook her head. “The citrus-star is a symbol of our people. Of our resilience. Through everything—the good and bad—we endure.”

Her father smiled, and though his face was weathered by endless days at sea, his smile retained his youth.

“But we can’t do it alone,” he said, voice stern. “Never alone.”

Dubiously, Kazi took a step toward the stand. And another.

It was like a dream—the dreams she wished she didn’t experience. The dreams she awoke from that left her feeling drained and lachrymose because they were so real, full of joy and comfort and sheer life.

She reached for a citrus-star; its fuzzy skin was soft to her palm, like the blubber of a dolphin. Exactly as she remembered.

Beside her, a head full of black hair, peeked into the closest basket. Neyti studied the fruit with her usual shrewdness, extending a tentative finger to stroke the citrus-star closest to her. She inhaled sharply.

“Do you remember the story of the citrus-star?” Kazi’s father asked when they had eaten their fill.

“Yes, Papa.” She smiled and her father nodded his approval. She knew the story better than any other. It was one of her favorites, after all.

Kazi bought three citrus-stars and ushered Neyti into an empty back alley, away from the loudness of the jostling crowd. Her hands trembled slightly as she squirted a few drops of sanitizer into Neyti’s palms. A splatter for herself and for Wolffe—who accepted the sanitizer with faint amusement—and she tucked the bottle into her bag.

“The citrus-star is the oldest known food on Ceaia,” she said to Neyti, passing her one of the fuzzy fruits. Neyti sniffed it. “Do you want to know the story?”

Eagerly, Neyti nodded.

Kazi felt herself smile. “Legend claims Ceaia was originally an uninhabitable planet. It was a planet dominated by fearsome creatures and lacking the nutrients required for human survival.”

To her left, Wolffe leaned against the wall of the closest building, arms crossed over his chest. Though he appeared at ease, there was a slight rigidness to his shoulders. A hypervigilance in the way he scanned their surroundings, as he had done since they first left the aircar.

Cast in shade from the Marketplace’s tarps—Eluca’s national colors (dark green, light gray, and pale yellow) used to shield patrons from the beating sun—Wolffe had removed his hood. The tarps’ shadows protected his identity enough.

Kazi offered him the second citrus-star. He hesitated, assessing it with a critical eye. Neyti watched him closely. He noticed her appraisal. An innocent, toothless smile lit her face. Wolffe accepted the citrus-star, his sigh begrudging.

“Our people originated from the Unknown Regions,” Kazi continued. “But our planet was ravaged by the explosion of our sun, so we had to leave. Back then, our people were allied with the dragons.”

Neyti tilted her head to the side, listening raptly.

“I told you that the dragons were our guardians.” Neyti nodded. “They didn’t just guard us, they were our companions. They were family—”

A snort interrupted. A male, probably a decade older than Kazi, stood at the opposite end of the alley. A death stick rested between his lips and he puffed a small cloud of smoke.

“Dragons don’t exist,” he said. Removing the stick from his mouth, he took a step closer, his eyes slowly taking her in. “Never did.”

From the corner of her eye, Neyti frowned, doubt marring her former curiosity. Kazi threw the male a disparaging glare. “There’s no evidence against their existence.”

He snickered. “With that outlook on life, you can argue the existence of anything.”

“There’s nothing wrong with naivete,” Kazi argued. “And there’s nothing wrong with believing in cultural legends.”

“You’re telling a fairytale to a kid.” He pointed a grubby finger at Neyti. “You’re filling her with nonsense—”

“That’s enough.”

The harsh clip of Wolffe’s voice startled her enough Kazi fell silent, her snarky response lost. Wolffe had stepped away from the wall and angled himself between Neyti and the male. Annoyance and antipathy replaced his casual demeanor.

“The details of our private conversation don’t include you,” Wolffe said dismissively. “Leave.”

The male spluttered. “How dare you—”

“I said leave.”

The threat in his tone convinced the outraged male to find a new place to avoid the crowds, and once the male had slunk away, Wolffe faced Kazi and Neyti, resting a shoulder against the wall. He nodded at Kazi to continue. She schooled her features—hoping to hide the frustrated flush in her cheeks—and forced herself to smile at Neyti.

“Because the dragons were our companions,” Kazi said, “they traveled far and wide to find our people a new home. They arrived on Ceaia and thought it resembled our former planet. It was perfect. Except for one thing: There was no edible food.”

Neyti frowned, hefting her citrus-star in question.

“Remember the story Daria told you about Vaeloria?” Kazi asked, starting to peel the pale orange shell of her citrus-star. Neyti reached for the pendant of her necklace, her expression solemn. Kazi released a quiet chuckle. “Vaeloria was one of the dragons searching for a new home, but when she realized the planet didn’t produce edible food, she started to cry.”

The shell of Kazi’s fruit fell open, revealing the heart of the citrus-star. The edible part.

“Vaeloria’s tears nourished the soil and from it sprouted a fruit.” Kazi flattened the five pieces of the shell. They formed a perfect star, protecting the inner, tear-shaped piece. She held out her palm. “The citrus-star.”

Neyti gasped.

“To this day the citrus-star remains the most revered fruit among Ceaians.” Kazi squatted beside Neyti and helped her peel her own fruit. The little girl admired her citrus-star. “It’s a reminder that no matter what, things will be okay.”

Kazi slid a piece of fruit into her mouth. The bitter tartness softened into an ambrosial sweetness so familiar she had to close her eyes. Her mouth watered as she chewed. It reminded her of her favorite memories.

It reminded her of home.

A quiet shuffle drew her attention and she watched Neyti take a tentative bite. Neyti stiffened. Her nose scrunched, probably at the initial astringent taste, and her eyebrows knitted together.

Slowly, she chewed her small bite, her features starting to relax—shifting from disgust to contemplation. Neyti plopped the rest of the piece into her mouth. Her cheeks bulged and Kazi breathed a quiet laugh, ducking her head to hide her amusement.

“On Ceaia we celebrate the Harvest differently from Eluca,” she said, tossing the peel of her citrus-star into a bin. “We gift our loved ones, friends, neighbors, anyone we appreciate a fruit or vegetable in remembrance of the first gift our people received.”

Neyti shoved another piece into her mouth, and Kazi returned to her own citrus-star, relishing the familiar taste.

They ate in silence, the tarps keeping the temperature tolerable.

Surreptitiously, Kazi studied Wolffe, watching as he ate his citrus-star. His initial reaction was similar to Neyti’s—surprise, dislike, intrigue—but she couldn’t tell if he liked it, or if he was eating it to be polite.

Wolffe must have felt her stare because he glanced at her. His eyes swept across her face, his expression inscrutable, and the corner of his mouth started to lift—

A hairy figure leapt from the tarps and landed on Wolffe’s shoulder.

Wolffe jerked. Kazi staggered back a step. Neyti gasped.

A monkey, its yellow eyes bulbous, perched itself on Wolffe’s shoulder. The monkey yawned, flexing sharp canines longer than Kazi’s fingers. Its tail curled, brushing Wolffe’s forehead.

Annoyed, Wolffe shoved the monkey’s tail away. “The fuc—”

“It’s a monkey,” Kazi interrupted.

She tried not to smile, but Wolffe’s clear disgust for the creature now combing through his hair was far too entertaining.

“They’re pocket-thieves,” she said, ignoring his baleful glare at her obvious amusement. “Most vendors hate them but they’re too hard to catch.”

The monkey’s tail swept along Wolffe’s forehead. Again. At his exasperated sigh, Neyti giggled, her hands pressed to her mouth and face gleaming with glee. The giggle was childish. So carefree and jubilant.

“Maybe you should paint this,” Kazi said, nudging Neyti with her elbow. “I think Mr. Wolffe would love to have this memorialized.”

Neyti giggled harder.

Wolffe shook his head and lifted his hand, probably to fling the monkey off him. The creature was oblivious to his slow and controlled movement, too absorbed with rubbing its ears.

Wolffe grabbed the monkey’s tail.

It hissed and bared its sharp canines.

Wolffe yanked the monkey from his shoulder—

A second monkey leapt from the building behind. Kazi watched, alarmed, as it swung for Wolffe. Bewildered by the surprise ambush, Wolffe released the first monkey.

The second monkey snatched the citrus-star from Wolffe’s hand and used his chest as a platform to propel itself away.

The first monkey sprinted after the second, chattering its pleasure.

They left an empty-handed Wolffe in their wake.

The dumbfounded expression on Wolffe’s face made Kazi laugh, and she pressed a hand to her mouth to muffle it. But the sheer randomness of two monkeys tag-teaming Wolffe to steal his fruit, coupled with Neyti’s giggling, was surreal.

Her stomach ached and her cheeks started to hurt.

She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed so hard.

Her laughter quieted when she noticed both Neyti and Wolffe staring at her.

Surprise widened Neyti’s eyes. She pointed a finger at her cheek and Kazi frowned, rubbing her own cheek.

Neyti grinned. A wide, toothy grin. Creasing her tawny cheeks were a pair of adorable dimples. Kazi smiled, glancing at Wolffe in the hope he noticed Neyti’s wide, effusive smile—needing someone else to share in this small moment.

However, and to her consternation, Wolffe was studying her. Studying her in a way that made her feel uncomfortably perceived. Her blood warmed to a temperature of idle caresses, and yet her stomach twisted itself into knots of unease. Her face burned and she dropped her gaze, looking to the crowded stands beyond.

“Why don’t we continue on?” she suggested.

Before they rejoined the crowds, Neyti glanced between Wolffe and her citrus-star. Her tongue poked out the side of her mouth. She seemed to be debating something of great importance. Finally, her decision made, she approached Wolffe and extended her last piece to the man.

Wolffe eyed the piece of fruit. His throat bobbed. “I’m all right, kid.”

Stubbornly, Neyti kept her hand extended. Wolffe narrowed his eyes. His gaze slid to hers and Kazi shrugged, deciding he was adult enough to deal with this on his own.

An insistent shake of the fruit from Neyti and Wolffe caved, tucking the final piece into his piece and swallowing. Neyti wiped her hands on her frilly pink dress and looked to Kazi expectantly.

Their small trio set forth.

Afternoon sunshine heated the streets; the combination of the canopied tarps and dark gray of Eluca’s stone buildings maintained a semblance of coolness.

Wolffe stepped away, telling Kazi to continue on without him, so she and Neyti wandered the aisles. Toys reminiscent of Kazi’s childhood earned a longer stop as Neyti perused each option with a careful eye. Kazi bought her an old toy that displayed film-photos with the click of a button. Neyti chose the film about constellations.

At another stand, a vendor sold a variety of knives. Kazi selected a simple carving one—the vendor’s recommended choice for wood. Nearby, she purchased a book about trauma.

They spent the longest time at a paint stand. Hailing from Alderaan, the vendor was a gentle, older man whose fingers spasmed, and yet, when he held a paintbrush, it acted like a natural extension of his own hand. Effortless and fluid.

While Neyti scrutinized two different shades of blue paint, Kazi bought a small set of paintbrushes for Cody and then stepped to the neighboring stall.

“Shopping to surprise your partner?” the vendor asked. The fresh-faced woman, probably in her forties with hair starting to gray, smiled suggestively. “We have matching bra and underwear sets—”

“Oh, no. I’m not…” Kazi stepped back, laughing awkwardly. “I wasn’t—”

“If you’re not interested in the matching sets, we have negligees.” The woman snagged a black one from behind her stall and held it out to her. “Suitable for partners and personal interest.”

Kazi didn’t need fancy lingerie. She hadn’t been with a male in years, and her bed would probably never see the likes of one again. But she hadn’t shopped for herself in a long time. And the negligee’s simple bodice was attractive.

Approaching the stall, she accepted the lingerie, surprised by its airy, smooth material.

“Spun from spider silk on Jelucan,” the vendor explained. “It’s tear-free. Even after years of washing.”

Kazi hummed her interest, rubbing the bodice between her fingers. Sheer around the stomach. Classically gossamer around the breasts which were inlaid with simple flower designs. Thin straps and a lacy hem, the negligee would fall to the tops of her thighs.

“We’re having a deal, and a white set would complement this set perfectly.” The vendor retrieved a lacy bralette and matching thong. She pushed them toward Kazi, her smile genuine. “I have a changing room just behind here.”

“That’s alright.” Kazi set aside the negligee. “I don’t need—”

“What do you think, sir?” the vendor interrupted. “Do you think she should buy it?”

A hand reached over her shoulder to feel the material. Kazi followed the length of the arm and found Wolffe standing behind her. He cocked his head to the side. “It’s silky.”

“It is.” She did a double take. “What are you—What—”

“It’d look nice with your robe,” Wolffe offered.

Huffing her exasperation, Kazi snatched the negligee from Wolffe, ignored the smirk curving his mouth, and returned the item to the vendor, wincing apologetically.

The woman winked. “I can keep this on reserve for you—”

“No.” Kazi backed away, her smile tight. “I’m okay. But thank you.”

Before the vendor could offer another deal, she walked away, Wolffe falling in step beside her.

“You want some privacy to buy it, I can step away—”

“Fuck off.”

A quiet chuckle emanated from the arrogantly-humored man beside her and Kazi bit her lip, telling herself she wouldn’t smile. Telling herself she wouldn’t laugh. But she couldn’t entirely stifle her chuckle, and she thought it might have been worth it because the grin she received in return was effortless and easy. Amused and alive. The first she had seen from Wolffe.

They found Neyti still evaluating the two bottles of blue paint, and to avoid the crowded street, they stepped to the side of the stalls, giving Neyti time to finalize her decision. Wolffe leaned against the wall and surveyed their surroundings. His vigilance bordered obsessive but Kazi didn’t remark on it; instead, she took the opportunity to look him over. He was carrying two thickly-branched plants, their leaves a venomous vermilion.

Mystified, she nodded at the plants. “What are those for?”

He hesitated. “My garden.”

Frowning, she looked from the bush to his face. He didn’t have a garden—

“The structure you and Fox built,” she murmured. Gardening was such an odd hobby to ascribe to him, similar to Cody and his painting. “I didn’t know you garden.”

Setting aside the plants, Wolffe rubbed the back of his neck. “I’ve never had the opportunity before.”

The admittance was quiet and guarded, and he kept his attention on the crowds beyond their secluded spot.

“We already have a garden,” she said quietly. “You and Fox could have used it.”

“This is different.” At her questioning look, he shrugged. “We want something that’s self-sufficient.”

“How so?”

“We need bushes and flowers that’ll improve the garden’s efficacy.” He nudged one of the red bushes with his boot. “Nova recommended these. Said they’ll stabilize the vegetables and fruits Fox and I intend to plant. And I’m looking into harvesting pollinators—bees, of some species.”

Kazi was impressed by the effort and research he dedicated to his task. Then again, it was Wolffe. The hours he spent strategizing his missions—the calculation behind each of his decisions—proved his preparedness.

“A garden is permanent,” she remarked. “It sounds like you intend to stay for a while.”

Wolffe stiffened imperceptibly. “Is that a problem?”

“No.” Her lack of hesitation—the sincerity in her tone—earned her a slow perusal, a perusal that felt questioning, private. Intimate.

Sheepishly, Neyti interrupted, holding two tubes of paint: one dark blue and the other pink. Kazi purchased the paints, and when she turned back to Wolffe and Neyti, she found the former staring at the neighboring stall. Shaking her head, she allowed Neyti to lead them down the street, around the corner, and up a new aisle of stalls. They stopped at a flameworking demonstration.

A handful of younglings were seated on fallen logs, watching the demonstration. Fascinated by the intricate process, Neyti joined the other younglings.

Kazi stepped into a dark alcove, a soft smile on her face as she watched Neyti. Even though Neyti had lost so much in the last few months, she remained curious about the world around her. Her innocent hope and childlike optimism were admirable.

An elbow grazed hers and Kazi glanced at Wolffe. He was raking a hand through his hair, brushing the curls from his forehead, his hood fallen around his shoulders. His hair was recently cut, the sides faded once more, the top longer. Long enough someone could run their fingers through it and tug.

“I don’t know what happened yesterday,” Wolffe said quietly, his gaze locked on Neyti, “but you’re a good pare—”

“Don’t.” Tension replaced the ease she had felt a moment ago and Kazi swallowed, looking away from his confused scowl to the gathered younglings. She didn’t want his pitiful attempt to make her feel better.

“Ennari—”

“Please don’t.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I know I’m not good at this, and I’m not interested in gratification.”

Wolffe stood close enough it was hard to ignore him. He cleared his throat. “Did you know her mother?”

“No. Daria and I were in the capital when…” she tapered off. “We were in the capital trying to find her a cure when everything happened. We were at the transport station when Neyti’s mother arrived. I didn’t know her. She shoved Neyti into my arms and begged me to take care of her. So I promised her I would.”

“Promises are important to you,” he said.

“They are.”

Wolffe cocked his head to the side. “Why did the Empire attack?”

Kazi loosed a brittle breath. “I’m surprised you don’t know.”

“I deserted right after the war’s conclusion.” He searched her face. “I’ve heard the propaganda. That’s it.”

“The propaganda’s fairly accurate,” she said. “Our government agencies were spying on important military intel. We did it throughout the war—against both the Republic and the Confederacy. We thought we were safe. We thought the Empire wouldn’t dare attack us.”

Scoffing, she glanced at Neyti.

“But the Empire didn’t like being spied on. They didn’t like some backwater planet accessing, analyzing, and disseminating their intelligence. So they made an example of us.”

It was six months after the Empire had risen to power.

She remembered the comm call from Aeli, her fellow graduate. Her coworker. The only person she considered more than an acquaintance.

“Kazi! They’re here. You have to run.”

She remembered the panic in Aeli’s voice. The harshness in her breaths. Like she was running.

She remembered Aeli’s urgency.

“Get on a ship and don’t come back. I’ll—”

She remembered the way Aeli gasped. The loud swish of a blaster bolt. The crackling on the comm. And then the silence.

“We were a warning to other planets,” Kazi murmured. “To the early rebels, that rebellion was futile.”

Transferred between ships at a transport station, she overheard the whispered conversations between people. Their hushed fears and worries. Their grim condolences.

“They destroyed our government buildings and slaughtered anyone with connections to the government.”

The noise of the Marketplace’s streets quieted.

“And the worst thing is that the Empire doesn’t operate on Ceaia. They left, because Ceaia doesn’t offer them anything of value.” Her throat constricted. “From what I know, less than a hundred Imperials work out of the capital. Less than a hundred. Goes to show how many people survived the Purge.”

“There could be others,” Wolffe said. “Like you.”

“Maybe.” Her vision blurred and she shrugged. “It doesn’t make sense why I survi—”

Kazi winced, rubbing her chest. Her survival was something she ignored, because if she thought about it for too long, she didn’t understand why—

“Being the commander of a battalion meant sending men into battle.” Wolffe’s voice was low, rough, and she stilled, scanning the hardened planes of his face. “I sent them into battle knowing some of them would die. I lost a lot of men over the years. I lost brothers.”

“Wolffe is single-minded when it comes to his goals. He will run these missions—and run himself ragged—until he either shifts his focus elsewhere or learns to live with the guilt.”

“Guilt for what?”

“Surviving the war.”

“That’s why you’re spying for the network.” Wolffe lowered his face to hers and she tensed. “I didn’t get it. But now I know—”

“I don’t know what you’re—”

“I’ve seen it in Fox. I’ve seen that same look in his eyes.”

They were standing close enough she could smell him—smell the scent of his soap and something so familiar it made her heart ache.

“You have it too,” she whispered. “For different reasons, but you have the same look.”

He held her gaze. “I know.”

Masterlist | Chapter 10 | A Muse | Chapter 12

A/N: Read “A Muse” for additional story context.

Wolffe’s “I said leave.” was directly inspired by the 1999 The Mummy scene with Rick O’Connell’s “You’re in her seat. Move.”

Next chapter release – March 21st

Tag: @ulchabhangorm

#I Yearn and so I Fear #commander wolffe x oc: kazi ennari #commander wolffe x ofc #commander wolffe #oc: kazi ennari #commander wolffe fanfiction #commander wolffe fan fiction #star wars fanfiction #star wars fan fiction

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getvalentined · 10 months

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I think that fandom as a whole, but particularly the FF7 fandom, needs to understand that there are two forms of "canon": the one shown in the source material itself, and the one written down in the meta materials like artbooks and Ultimanias. If there's a contradiction between the two, it should be assumed that the source material is correct.

The Ultimania series is interesting, and it can help fill in gaps for things that we don't know. It's also almost universally known across multiple franchises to get ton of things that we do know very wrong—even when the creators themselves confirm plot points contrary to what's written in the books.

My personal favorite example of this is the Chrono series Ultimania, which says in no uncertain terms that Prometheus from Chrono Cross is not Robo from Chrono Trigger. Meanwhile, the people who actually wrote both Chrono Cross and Chrono Trigger have always been very clear that Prometheus is Robo. This is a major plot point about a main party member that you can pick up quite easily by playing both games, and the Ultimania got it completely wrong.

Another, more pertinent example: when Vincent was killed in 1977, Lucrecia was already pregnant. We know this from both the OG and from Dirge. The Ultimania says that she gave birth to Sephiroth around 1980. This is literally physiologically impossible.

If the game gives us a year, over and over, and then some piece of meta comes along and says that it was actually a different year the entire time, the meta is wrong. Full stop. The meta is wrong.

This is particularly frustrating with FF7 because the Compilation is staggeringly internally consistent, to the point that the opening cutscene from the First SOLDIER battle royale mobile game (RIP) fits perfectly into place in a way that makes the in-universe timeline make more sense, not less. A two minute cutscene filled in a time gap that had been in place for decades, in such a way that it clarified what we already knew (Gillian was no longer active in the Science Department after 1977, Hojo was not given control of Project S until Gast left) and confirmed some things we've assumed for ages in spite of lacking concrete evidence (Lucrecia stayed on with the Science Department for years after Sephiroth was born) without contradicting anything.

The one instance I can think of where the Compilation actually overtly retcons itself is in Crisis Core, where the research notes in the Shinra Mansion basement say that Jenova was discovered and confirmed to be a Cetra in 1977. Her discovery date is literally printed on her helmet (October 10, 1959) right alongside the date she was sealed up in the Nibelheim reactor (July 2, 1967), and the latter date is a whole decade prior to 1977.

In the OG these dates were redacted (written as "X year, X month, X day"), so it's clearly an intentional change—but there's a really simple in-universe explanation for this apparent retcon.

To put it plainly: Gast lied. Hollander says in Crisis Core that nobody knows where the main Jenova sample is stored, not even Hojo—but Gast must have, since he was the one who was actually in control of all divisions of the Jenova Project. If he kept information that integral to the future of the project from his colleagues, why would he hesitate to fabricate dates in his easily accessible research notes?

One easily explainable retcon doesn't make a book of meta that is littered with similarly ludicrous claims correct, much less correct in direct contradiction to the actual games it's supposed to be sourced from.

#fandom ramble #fandom vent #FF7 #final fantasy 7 #nashi has an opinion #long post

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beardedmrbean · 8 months

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Chrono Cross Gale vs. Radical Dreamers Gale. Radical Dreamers is an alternate sequel to Chrono Trigger that was originally released only in Japan in 1996 for the Super Famicom's Sattelaview accessory, which could download games from a satellite into a blank cartridge. It was released internationally in 2022 as part of Chrono Cross: The Radical Dreamers Edition.

___________

What the hell that's awesome, got a friend I was asking about different things that used the different ports on the different older consoles since I pretty much only remember that the PS2 one had a hard drive and that was the first thing I could specifically remember that actually took advantage of those, that and the Game Cube thing for playing Game Boy games.

Sega Genesis had the deelie bober that went in the cart slot so you could put carts from the master system in but that's not the expansion slot.

I will be telling him about this, he likely may go, oh yeah I forgot about that one.

That or I may finally have a scrap of info he doesn't already know.

On the music those two sound pretty close to the same just a different key being the big difference I'm hearing in a quick listen.

I'm really just stuck on this whole satellite thing though, that's so rad.

#captainsquare

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aerodaltonimperial · 2 years

Photo

i’m a super shitty artist but i had a nice time making some art for ‘saints and martyrs’ why did i have 5 main characters seriously oh my god why do none of these match OH WELL you know what i’m too tired to do anything but yeet these at the internet at this point, enjoy my garbage lol

i promise i’m a much better writer than i am artist

(the only thing i can color is hair, which is extremely obvious)

#chrono trigger #chrono cross #fanart #marle #magus #lucca #norris #glenn #why am i so bad at drawing #i think i used to be okay at this #OH WELL it was fun

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mister-e-muss · 1 month

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I had a game development idea, so if you’d like to hear me ramble about an idea involving ATB and Stamina systems in RPGs, follow me. I should warn you though, that this is probably the longest post I’ve ever written.

So, I was looking at gameplay of Final Fantasy 13 out of curiosity, and a thought struck me.

Xenogears, Chrono Cross, and Legend of Legaia all use something I refer to as a stamina system for their attacks: You have a certain amount of points, and you can use as many of them as you want in a given turn, with extra bonuses sometimes stacking on top depending on how many and what types of attacks you’ve used. If you wanted to stretch the definition, then you could argue that Baten Kaitos does this as well, but with cards instead of basic attacks.

This made me realize that Final Fantasy 13 did something similar, but using Time as your resource. You can have an entire log of basic attacks, a medium amount of medium attacks, or a limit break that takes up all your time. What also separates FF13 from the aforementioned examples is that FF13 uses it for all of their abilities and options, instead of just basic attacks.

I know that a lot of the criticism towards FF13 comes from having to rely on auto-input rather than manually planning out your turn. So I started to think on how I would maybe handle the same idea of an “ATBar as Resource” or a take on something inspired by FF13.

My theoretical battle system goes something like this. Like FF13 your options revolve around queuing up sets of commands for your character or characters to enact. Unlike FF13, you have as much time as you’d like to have when deciding your commands. (Think Wait mode in classic FF games and Chrono Trigger, where time pauses as you scroll through your magics.) However, your turn only starts once you’ve queued up your attacks and what have you. When you’ve finished selecting your strategy, the time starts ticking and the abilities you’ve selected all start to charge up, going off when they reach full charge. Like Xenogears Deathblows, there would even be extra moves and bonuses for choosing the right combinations. The key difference here is that it applies to more than just basic attacks. Like using two spells that go off at the same time to combine, or using ascending levels of spell to create an ultimate attack for that element.

I actually made a little design guide for comparison, and hopefully explain the idea better.

I realize that stamina systems might be best used in a more traditional turn-based system, so that the player isn’t getting overwhelmed by constant inputs. However this is why I suggest the pausing as the player picks commands. To keep this more in line with ATB, all of the turns will have a separate ‘Cooldown’ phase that determines when they’ll be able to act again. Maybe even have this cooldown extend the more actions or longer actions are taken. To keep this from getting to confusing, I’m suggesting color coordination. I’m picturing something like this:

(I was worried the photo wouldn’t look good. My colored pencils are not the best quality.)

Hopefully even a system as theoretically complex as this would be manageable if everything is laid out properly. A standard party status would look something like this:

Revisiting the whole Combo Finisher/Deathblows mechanic, I feel like this is a personal preference rather than a solid design necessity, but when your combat relies heavily on experimentation, a clear way to keep track of what works is vital. I’m not suggesting that all the combos are listed fighting game style right off the bat, but rather that the game keep track of discovered combos and potential combos.

Like, say that you have used the level 1 Thunder exemplified in my first diagram, but you haven’t yet acquired the other two Thunders, or if you have them but haven’t used them in that order yet. Then when you start your turn with Thunder it will register in a database that you can check on the main menu. It will say “[Thunder l.v.1] + [???] + [???] = [???]” This doesn’t really tell the player much, but it does say at least that there is a combo move that starts with the basic Thunder. This means the player will find out when they are on the right track, won’t hesitate to experiment, and have a place to check their moves if they step away from the game for a while. I’m not a believer in explaining to the point of killing discovery. However I’m also very much against blind aimless wandering.

This last idea might be a step too far, but at this point I’ve spilled everything else, I might as well spitball this too. What if, in this theoretical RPG, you could combine turns? Pass one character so that when the next one finishes cooldown, they pool the available attacks and queue points so that even bigger and more complex combos can be built?

Idk Man, it’s half-an-hour into the next morning, and I don’t even know if a game like this sounds like a good idea. I am not, have never been, and most likely never will be a game developer. This is just the most detailed gamecrafting thought that I’ve ever had, and I feel like it should be written down and documented just in case. And hey, if there are any Indie devs out there who would want to take a crack at this type of combat, please tag me, I would Love to see if this works in practice as well as it does in concept!

Thank you all for indulging my very detailed ramblings.

#game development #game design #jrpg #rpg #turn based rpg #atb #xenogears #chrono cross #legend of legaia #final fantasy 13 #baten kaitos

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