DarkeAOU's Journal

Once more, it's been a long time since my last update. I know, I know. I said that I would update more often. Or at least I think I did? Or was that maybe a few years ago? Or was that a different site altogether?

Yeesh, am I behind.

In any case, I realized that I had absolutely nothing to do on my laptop a month or two back. Manga obviously didn't keep me occupied all week, when I'd already read them that weekend. So I developed a new hobby by downloading Visual Novels (largely created with Ren'Py, and naturally, free to download).

But just like manga, Visual Novels are also short, and only about two in five are worth replaying constantly. This is in large part because of the shallow worlds and storylines, and shortage of romanceable characters. Most people creating Visual Novels stick to two romance options, at most. Rarely we get the brave soul who will incorporate a third option, often in the form of a "secret" character.

I personally find this unacceptable. But then, I enjoy long, complicated stories with overarching story arcs, multiple characters to add flavor to the world and enrich the story, and the readers' experience.

Which is largely why I decided that I wanted to make my own.

Details can be found below.

Castle of the Minotaur is the working title of my Visual Novel.

[Setting]SETTING

The setting is an actual Castle named Leena, an enchanted, quasi-sentient location that has been known to demand blood sacrifices from its nobility. The enchantment placed on the Castle is actually somewhat similar to Howl's Moving Castle in that it is not really tied to any location. The Castle's "body" is stationary, as foreign diplomats are capable of visiting regularly, but the rooms of the Castle change subtly depending on who is in the room and what time of day it is. (This will actually require me to draw at least three versions of each room, although they are luckily minor differences.)

And yes: The Minotaur does actually exist, and depending on the options made in-game, the Protagonist may even meet the Minotaur. Come to think of it, it's even possible to become the Minotaur, if you really want to. Though depending on the choices you make during the play-through, this can be a very Bad Thing.

[Protagonist]PROTAGONIST

There are eight potential Protagonists, but only two clearly separate storylines that you can choose between at the start of the game. They're fairly simple to differentiate between as well, and I'll tell you how: You are able to choose the gender of your Protagonist.

Depending on whether you play as the Male or Female Protagonist, your history will be somewhat different, and different events will occur. For example, the Male Protagonist has a somewhat hostile relationship with his father. This will make him more likeable to two of the romance options.

Moreover, both the Male and Female Protagonist have four different subsets each. Meaning, after choosing a gender for the Protagonist, you can choose between four different characters to play as. Each Protagonist has their own personality, and dialogue options are modified depending on who you are playing as. This can even affect how they interact with others. For example, the Protagonist "Carme" is a nature lover at heart; she builds relationships with others faster out-of-doors.

It is also possible to choose between three different classes early on in the game. Your Protagonist can be a Mage, and use magic in times of trouble (or maybe just when they lose their temper and need to vent). Certain dialogue options here can lead you to a Bad End if you don't prepare for them in a certain way. Your Protagonist can also elect to be a Warrior, who always keeps a blade on hand. This will often see them heading merrily on their way toward the Normal Ending...depending on their dialogue options. Finally, your Protagonist can decline sword and magic instruction altogether, and as a Noble depend on logic and charisma to keep them out of harm's way. Though it would certainly be in their best interest to take a self-defense course or two...unless you don't mind dying?

All three classes are available to both the Male or Female Protagonist, and no class will make you completely unpalatable to any of the romance options.

[Characters]CHARACTERS

Eindride, also goes by Endre. 19 years old. Pisces. Blood Type O. Tarot Card is The Sun.

A guard in the Castle who dreams of one day striking out to win his fortune. His distaste for the Protagonist is not a secret, but he does his duty.

(This boy is made of grumpyface.)

Endre is hard to befriend no matter which Protagonist you are, although Kaleo and Daniel deserve special mentions for explosive potential. Aileas can be pretty bad as well.

Tips on befriending Endre include not embarrassing him if you catch him reading. And if you learn about the outside world from someone else, the two of you can enjoy "geeking out" over it. (Do not talk to him about the outside world before hearing about it with someone else. He will be too embarrassed to react favorably.)

Romanceable: Yes.

Minh. 18 years old. Leo. Blood Type A. Tarot Card is Judgement.

An aspiring novelist who is often lounging around the Castle in artistic pursuits. Considered excessively friendly and well-liked, it can be difficult to take him seriously.

(Unbelievably KEET? Could be.)

Minh is possibly the exact opposite of Endre. He has absolutely nothing against the Protagonist. However, it may be difficult to get your Protagonist to like him. He will almost certainly have trouble getting along with Pich and Aucaman. Kaleo has potential to go badly as well, although they might get along so long as no one's talking.

Tips on befriending Minh is fairly simple. Admire and participate in whichever artistic pursuits Minh happens to be involved in at the time. Especially make sure to model for him when given the chance.

Romanceable: Yes.

Vladan. 21 years old. Taurus. Blood Type AB. Tarot Card is Death.

A foreign diplomat currently visiting the Castle. Is very good at his job despite his age, but can be somewhat two-faced. Has put off his return to his country indefinitely for some reason.

(Is he smiling or leering at you? Who knows?)

Vladan can be extremely frustrating to get close to, since he is basically Minh, if Minh was calculating and partially evil. Your Female Protagonist is almost guaranteed to fall in love with him, and in most cases, this will go badly. Only Pich will be able to stand on even footing with him, snark-wise. Aucaman will cry when Vladan decides to get mean.

Tips on befriending Vladan would include...hm. Telling him about life in the Castle is important in early stages of the relationship. It is possible to ask Vladan for information about the outside world, as he's a foreign diplomat, but it will not interest him at all, and should only be pursued if you're going for a specific ending (and even then, other characters would be better.) Basically, never ask questions; just keep telling him about yourself and where you come from.

Romanceable: Yes. (Do you even have to ask? Although it can be a shallow, one-sided relationship if you don't take care to make him love you.)

Andris. Sagittarius. Blood Type AB. Tarot Card is the Wheel of Fortune.

A genius mage who came to the Castle this past year. He was originally allied with another country before being brought over here. Because of this, his loyalty is often called into question.

(What kind of weirdo hides out in a pantry?)

Andris is of the weirdo archetype, in that he actually doesn't trust or care about what the Protagonist is up to. He knows that you're going to distrust him anyway, so he doesn't bother letting you affect him. He would especially have trouble getting along with Kaleo and Daniel. Anara will drive him crazy.

Tips on befriending Andris would be to interact with him on his own level. Treat him as an equal, defend him when necessary, and be sure to place your trust in him (especially when pursuing certain endings, otherwise look forward to a spectacular Bad End). Moreover, eat anything he gives you. Or regret it forever.

Romanceable: Yes.

Krisna. 21 years old. Gemini. Blood Type A. Tarot Card is the Magician.

A battle mage who works directly under Lord Basile as a bodyguard. Can be extremely ignorant of things outside of his expertise. Nevertheless, he is well respected.

(Beautiful and deadly...yes. Yes, he is.)

Krisna is different from Endre in that, while also being familiar with the Protagonist, he also holds nothing against them. This is despite his acting as bodyguard to the Protagonist's father. Aileas and Kaleo will have issues with him. Joan might go off the deep end entirely.

Tips on befriending Krisna would first involve preparing yourself for much time in Lord Basile's company, which can be difficult for the Male Protagonist. Meaning, avoid the Solar as if your life depended on it, especially if you have the audacity to speak to a single female character other than Bolormaa. And never, ever speak poorly of your father, unless you are prepared to be shot in the head.

Romanceable: Yes.

Ludolf. 21 years old. Aries. Blood Type AB. Tarot Card is Temperance.

A swordsman that is supposedly working as Vladan's bodyguard while the foreign diplomat is visiting. However, they seem to be friends rather than guard and employer.

(Honoring all with his beauty...okay, that was a joke... Okay, no, not really...he really is that pretty.)

Ludolf is probably what Minh would be if he was sane. He's warm and welcoming, and actually fairly honest with it. He's like Vladan, only without any of the ulterior motives involved. Aileas and Daniel will hurt his brain. And Aucaman needs a keeper.

Tips on befriending Ludolf would include spending at least a little time in the Chapel, particularly when Bolormaa is doing a sermon. He admires piety, and those who try to help those in need, whether their actions work or not. He's basically just a good guy. (Though he enjoys teasing, and can take as good as he gives.)

Romanceable: Yes.

Heike. 21 years old. Aquarius. Blood Type O. Tarot Card is the Tower.

Like Eindride, she is a guard who dreams of one day leaving the Castle, but her timid personality makes this less likely as time wears on. She is quite popular with the nobility, but does not as yet have a dedicated suitor.

(And your Dad wants in her pants.)

Heike can best be described as a person in tears. She cries when she's high or low, and when she is angry, she will hit you over the head with an entire suit of armor...and then burst into tears. Probably because now she has to clean up again. Anara and Carme will have no patience for her. Kaleo may end up buried underneath that suit of armor.

Tips for befriending Heike would involve one of two things. Either you treat her with kid gloves, and hand feed her bits of idealistic knowledge about the outside world, or you flirt with her. Outrageously. Light-heartedly plan a shotgun wedding. Take her for tours of the stables, and thus, beds of hay. (Or threaten to.) You will do wonders for her self-esteem.

Romanceable: Yes.

Iria. 21 years old. Scorpio. Blood Type AB. Tarot Card is the Emperor.

As a noblewoman aspiring to become a pastry chef, she faces much ridicule from her peers. This does not mean she lacks admirers, although their efforts to make her abandon her ambitions have yet to bear fruit.

(Do not underestimate this woman. She is scary when provoked.)

Iria is the polar opposite of Heike. She will cut off her entire right side before she will ever shed a tear. And she is a living terror with a wooden spoon in hand. Anara and Daniel will drive her mad. Carme just goes against the natural order of things.

Tips for befriending Iria are at cross purposes with her own ambitions. She encourages you to do your duty as a noble, to be respectful and always do things in the proper way, and in the proper order. You don't actually have to support her ambitions, but trying to make her abandon them is forbidden.

Romanceable: Yes.

Zdenka. 21 years old. Libra. Blood Type O. Tarot Card is the Devil.

A person whose superficiality and idealism lend to her becoming an oddity in the Castle. Though known as a great admirer of beauty of all kinda, she is extremely serious in her work, and is not to be underestimated.

(The only woman to be total bros with your Dad.)

Zdenka is basically Minh, if Minh could use magic and was a total kuudere instead of being all KEET. Although her preference leans heavily towards the Female Protagonist over the Male Protagonist. Carme and Kaleo may have too much in common with her. Joan will drive her to drink.

Tips for befriending Zdenka involve an interest in magic. It's not necessary to be a mage yourself, but asking questions about magic in general will please her. She doesn't have much of a sense of humor, though, so tease her at your own risk.

Romanceable: Yes. (And no versus Dad subplot this time!)

Kasumi. 23 years old. Virgo. Blood Type A. Tarot Card is the Lovers.

A mage acting as a guard for the foreign ambassadors, she has long since left her homeland to walk the world. Those who desire to follow in her footsteps often find a kind ear to listen...but her advice always has a cost.

(A beautiful person, really.)

Kasumi is very Asian in temperament. Cool and reserved, very Silk Hiding Steel. She could like you from the first meeting, and you would not figure it out until a year later. (Though luckily, not in this game.) Kaleo and Daniel both offend her tender sensibilities. Aileas still needs to grow up.

Tips for befriending Kasumi are somewhat similar to Vladan. She does not appreciate questions about herself, or more specifically, her past. She is more concerned with the present. However, she is more interested in your actions now than in your life story. It is possible (and even preferred) to ask her for magical advice when pursuing a specific ending. You can also ask her about the outside world after you've grown closer, although limit your questions to the outside world in general, rather than Kasumi's personal origins.

Romanceable: Yes.

Cecilia. 31 years old. Cancer. Blood Type O. Tarot Card is the Chariot.

A guard among the foreign ambassadors, Cecilia has made several visits to the Castle in the past, always promising that to be the last time. The amount of money required to make her take this trip yet again is a mystery.

(Would love to file a restraining order against your Dad.)

Cecilia is actually a nice person, but she's probably about as grumpy as Endre and as suspicious as Andris. She really hates Lord Basile, so she dislikes the Protagonist as well at first (especially the Male Protagonist). That's why you learn a lot about your father in this story arc. She will not get along with Aileas or Anara. Aucaman will confuse her.

Tips on befriending Cecilia would involve not pressuring her whatsoever. She is one of the people you can talk to about the outside world without penalty; she actually doesn't mind. She will also enjoy talking about books. Avoid talking about her specifically until your relationship is a bit stronger.

Romanceable: Yes.

Adelida, also goes by Ada. 28 years old. Capricorn. Blood Type B. Tarot Card is the Star.

A widow who traveled to the Castle in order to make another match. It is generally decided among the Castle staff that Adelida will be Lord Basile's next wife.

(Family fight!)

Ada is actually a very sweet and romantic person...but in no way should you believe this makes her weak. Ada is actually so two-faced that she borderlines having a split personality. (Vladan could learn something here.) She will have trouble getting along with Anara and Kaleo. Joan will constantly be looking for something to fix.

Tips on befriending Ada vary depending on what you want to be to her. You can easily follow her friendship path by confiding your love troubles. If you ask her questions about her previous marriage, avoid discussing her late husband; she may prefer talking about her children. The Male Protagonist should avoid visiting her in the Solar at all costs. Moreover, discussing your father will certainly lead to a Bad End.

Romanceable: Yes. She's really too good for your father, after all.

Lord Basile. 43 years old. Aries. Blood Type A. Tarot Card is the Hermit.

The Protagonist's father, and elected Lord of the Castle. A man who pursues his desires without hesitation, he is also responsible for the political stability that the Castle now holds. He has already lost several children as a sacrifice to the Castle.

(Noble Lord or terrible villain? His role changes depending on whether you play the Male or Female Protagonist.)

Lord Basile does not have his own route in game, although he does play a major role in both Krisna and Ada's story arcs. During obligatory visits, he will appreciate it if the Female Protagonist spends time with Andris. The Male Protagonist can only spend time with Endre without facing disapproval. (But they don't get along in the first place, so why bother catering to him?)

Romanceable: No. Are you insane?

Ender. 14 years old. Libra. Blood Type AB. Tarot Card is Justice.

The Castle footman. Has known the Protagonist a long time. Somewhat arrogant, and does not trust people easily. Knows what is happening in every corner of the Castle.

(You will be spending a lot of time with him. Also, you're welcome.)

Ender is, without question, the Protagonist's single, unwavering supporter. When the rest of the Castle staff will look at the Protagonist is doubt, Ender will be chewing on the lollipop you just stuffed into his mouth, fighting off all challengers in your name. With a ray of scorn. He is basically the Protagonist's adopted little brother, and an unlimited source of information.

Romanceable: A partial one. If you avoid romancing any of the other characters and spend enough time cultivating your relationship with Ender, you might be together in a certain ending.

Nevena. 35 years old. Taurus. Blood Type AB. Tarot Card is the World.

The Castle Cook. Runs the kitchens with an iron fist, and has no patience for people underfoot.

(Kind woman, may I please have a cookie?)

Nevena has a fairly large role in Andris and Iria's story arcs, in large part because of her presence in the kitchen. She isn't quite as doubting of the Protagonist as the other Castle Staff, but she will not tolerate them invading her Kitchens without purpose, and will even bribe you to leave.

Romanceable: No.

Khasan. 34 years old. Virgo. Blood Type AB. Tarot Card is Strength.

Newly elected Captain of the Castle Guard. Because he's still learning the ropes, he often makes mistakes. He has a soft spot for those who work hard.

(He has a thing for Arezoo.)

Khasan teaches swordplay to the Warrior Protagonist. As an instructor, he doesn't exactly have a large role in the game. He just happens to be responsible for the Warrior Protagonist...meaning that if you die, he will be the one to find your body. There are several unavoidable scenes where the Warrior Protagonist will meet Khasan. You will also see him in Endre and Heike's story arcs.

Romanceable: No. You can flirt with him if you really want to, but you just aren't his type. At all. Even without the...circumstances.

Arezoo. 36 years old. Gemini. Blood Type O. Tarot Card is the Empress.

Responsible for training the nobility in self-defense. Seems carefree, but is serious about her work. Is nervous around men. Her past is shrouded in mystery.

(Fun to tease.)

Arezoo teaches self-defense to the Noble Protagonist. She has even less of a presence in the story than Khasan, particularly for a Male Protagonist. Should the Noble Protagonist die, she will be the one who finds your body. The Female Noble Protagonist will have several unavoidable scenes with Arezoo. Both the Male and Female Protagonist will see her in Ludolf, Kasumi and Cecilia's story arcs.

Romanceable: No.

Veikko. 28 years old. Cancer. Blood Type B. Tarot Card is the Hierophant.

Responsible for training in magic. Something of a mad scientist. Has trouble relating to others, but worships Lord Basile.

(Madder than a hatter.)

Veikko teaches magic to the Mage Protagonist. Should the Mage Protagonist die, he will be the one to find the body. He mostly keeps himself to the Tower, although the Mage Protagonist will have several unavoidable scenes with him elsewhere. The Warrior and Noble Protagonists can also consult him about magic if you're attempting to pursue a particular ending. Both the Male and Female Protagonists will see him in Krisna and Zdenka's story arcs.

Romanceable: No.

Bolormaa. 56 years old. Leo. Blood Type B. Tarot Card is the Fool.

The Castle's Head Mage. A kind old grandmotherly person who has known Lord Basile since he was a boy. Her strength, magical and political, is a force to be reckoned with.

(Know her. Love her.)

Bolormaa is something of a peacemaker in this world. Since she practically raised Lord Basile, she is less easily impressed by his title, and he will always give way before her. This makes her a good ally, especially for the Male Protagonist. However, since she is getting on in years, she spends less time acting as Head Mage during peaceful times, and chooses to pass her time instead as a Priest. The Protagonist will find her an excellent source of information.

Romanceable: No.

[Endings]ENDINGS

There are three default Endings in the game, aside from numerous Bad Ends. These endings are called (without spoilers) Liberator End, Monster End, and Ghost End. Each ending is possible no matter which character you are romancing (although Ender is only available for one of these endings).

Moreover, depending on the choices you make in game, each end can be customized to some extent. Some characters will have more Bad Ends than others.

Sorry. It's been a long time since the last update. I would say it's because I've been busy with my writing, but I'm not entirely sure that's true. Really, where have these past few years gone...? It sometimes feels like I live for the weekends. And even then, not really.

But that sounds kind of depressing, so I let's change the subject. There's currently a lot of interesting things going on, both in social media and in my head, so...

Right now, the game I am most looking forward to is the Persona series in general. Specifically, Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth, as well as Persona 5, to a somewhat lesser extent. Seriously, I had like the hugest fangirl moment the instant I saw Shinjiro-sempai. I don't even care that Q is like some kind of bizarre time travel paradox thing. Though I'm still waiting for some kind of reveal or something for the female protagonist.

Speaking of the Persona series, I'm also currently in development of a gigantic P3 fanfic/series, in which both the male and female protagonists play a role, while both maintaining the Wild Card. There's really no telling when it's going to be finished, though. As I said, it's huge. And follows basically every day of the game. In fact, rather than "Chapters" the story has "Days." Luckily, the "Days" are rarely more than a scene or two long.

The best thing about writing this story, though, is how it's basically a compilation of all of my head canons from my first playthrough. Including "extra" scenes thought up while I was trying to sleep, and focusing on character relationships. Especially the female protagonist's friendship with Junpei, which is on par with Yu and Yosuke's partnership. To the point that the repeated rumors of them dating that was in the game get blown up even bigger...while still remaining unfounded.

Of course, the hard part is that I don't have enough music for this story. Oh, and the fact that the story is huge. But you already knew that.

Persona series aside, I'm still looking forward to new information on Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV. Isa has basically taken up residence in my brain and absolutely refused to move out. And of course, I'm extremely curious in Noctis's character, particularly because of something Nomura-san said about Noct and Sora being complimentary opposites--I'm paraphrasing, of course, because it's been a while since I read the interview. But their character/personalities have a relationship, similar to how they both have a name related to the sky. Which is, of course, a part of their character as well. Maybe I'm just interested in the character of a person named after the light of a night sky.

And as you might have expected, with Isa taking up space in my head, I also have a few Kingdom Hearts fanfics that I am in the process of writing. Of course, I have an "absolutely canon" one in development, which I started plotting shortly after Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance was announced. Of course, it's written in journal format, which is why it has yet to be finished...in fact, I'm still on Chapter One.

The other Kingdom Hearts fanfic I'm working on is significantly larger, although I'm not entirely sure how much longer it's going to be. Easily twenty chapters, though. It's an AU where the characters are basically following in the steps of other FF characters and events...in fact, the plot is a compilation of randomized events from the entire Final Fantasy series.

In order to keep the events completely randomized for plotting the AU, there is a three-step process. Step One is to summarize the plot of various Final Fantasy games (omitting side games unrelated to the flagship titles, such as Tactics, Bravely Default, Dissidia, etc). I considered including Final Fantasy: Advent Children, but ultimately decided that there weren't enough events to support its place on the list.

Step Two is to further simplify that summary, while simultaneously erasing nearly all distinctive features, making all titles generic. This transforms Terra awakens in Arvis's home after attacking neutral city Narshe for the Empire while under the control of a Slave Crown into NAME attacks CITY while brainwashed by GROUP. Because of this, it is possible to make these actions belong to either a hero, villain, or unfortunate bystander.

The final step is basically forming a timeline of these randomized events, arranged organically, and then assigning positions to characters.

And in case you were wondering, no. I haven't decided who gets brainwashed into attacking a town yet, or their circumstances. For all you know, it could be Kairi. It might even be interesting if it was Sephiroth.

Right now, I know the characters' initial relationships, idealized scenes to pop up so it's not a giant tangle of action, drama and angst, and that I want most, if not all, of the characters to regain memories of their past lives/canon existence(s), and some of the "triggers" that lead them to do so. But seriously, try picturing Sora trying to talk Sephiroth down after Seph remembers that he basically tried to commit mass genocide in his previously life (ie, FF7). (Coincidentally, Isa's "trigger" is Kairi being in danger.)

Okay, so what else is there for me to talk about? Ah, right. Speaking of Final Fantasy, I celebrated Final Fantasy: Lightning Returns coming out by talking my brother into buying me Final Fantasy XIII and XIII-2 for my birthday. We ended up getting them both for the XBox for about 30$, as opposed to the 60$ it would have cost to buy Lightning Returns. I am currently in the middle of playing XIII-2, while I wait to build up enough courage to play XIII. I'm seriously scared of it killing my brother's XBox, since the warranty is over. But I still love Hope, so I want to one day play the game.

That reminds me. I was thinking one day, a while back, that everyone is talking about what Disney worlds should show up in the Kingdom Hearts universe. It always ends in me headdesking because Frozen always tops the list for KH3. I mean, hello? Did they suddenly forget that KH3 had been in development for months before Frozen hit theaters in the US? Oh, and also, it takes Japan months longer to get any of the new movies? Which means that demand for Frozen in the game will be virtually nonexistent there until the movie does come out, which will theoretically be so far down the line of game development that they will have to go back to the beginning to "just throw something in there?" Does that make ANY sense whatsoever plot-wise?

Not saying that Frozen wouldn't be a good world for the series, but come on. Let's be intelligent for a second here.

Oh wait, this is fandom we're talking about. Intelligence is considered unnecessary here.

But rather than wonder about which Disney world I want to show up (personally, I'm partial to Quest for Camelot, Robin Hood or The Aristocats), I thought it would be interesting to decide which Final Fantasy characters would be beneficial in the Kingdom Hearts universe.

In order:

FINAL FANTASY
GARLAND. Because why is Sephiroth the embodiment of Cloud's inner darkness, instead of a person in his own right? If you want true darkness, look at Garland. He fell to darkness again and again, lost himself completely, and became Chaos. If he doesn't belong in the era of the Keyblade War, I will eat my hat.

FINAL FANTASY II
EMPEROR MATEUS. Especially if he goes the whole Dissidia route, because talk about a card-carrying antagonist. Remember what he did to Jecht? Took a warrior of Cosmos and infused him with Chaos energy, in order to create an evil crystal and take over the universe as the new god. He would not look the least bit funny as a new antagonist. He can even compliment Maleficent on her stylin' headgear.

FINAL FANTASY III
DESCH. Because it would be tacky to tell you to include the Cloud of Darkness just so that we have more villains. Also, it would be confusing to have another Cloud, what with his relationship with Sephiroth and all. Anyway, Desch would be completely awesome! He's kind of like a (physically) younger, hipper Ansem the Wise. (Coincidentally, my other choice for this game would be Princess Sara, because I have a thing for Royals Who Actually Do Something.)

FINAL FANTASY IV
HARLEY. She would actually be interesting in this setting. I mean, with her character I can totally see her taking up residency as Ansem the Wise's assistant...which would kind of mean, if she existed there, she'd be dead. Or...traveling the universe...like King Mickey. Or in a coma somewhere...Yeah. But she'd be great!

FINAL FANTASY V
KRILE. Because one of the points of the Kingdom Hearts series is, according to the mythology, that the worlds were pieced back together after being sundered by darkness, thanks to the hearts of children, that protected the light. And Krile's driving force in the series is hope. (Also I think that introducing the young girl to the series would be different and interesting. We haven't had a little girl since Kairi showed up in Birth by Sleep...unless you count Rhyme.)

FINAL FANTASY VI
LOCKE. I have an unholy love for this character, even if I despise FF6. He is literally the only thing I like about the entire game. I can see him caught in a position like Cloud from KH1 or the Gullwings from KH2, where he's being manipulated by a higher power into opposing Sora and company. Or even better, what if he was assisting the rebellion?

FINAL FANTASY VII
...Virtually the entire main cast is already in this series, excepting Vincent and Barret. I think I'm going to go bizarre here, and say:

SHELKE. She's so versatile, she can move into any virtual world in the game. Space Paranoids. Mirage Arena. Twilight Town. Whatever you want! She'd even be all right in the main universe.

FINAL FANTASY VIII
IRVINE. Because I seriously can't ship Selphie and Tidus...like, really. I don't care if Irvine is a minor character, or what. Or even what world he shows up on. Just...please. Work him into the universe somehow.

And also:

RINOA. Not just for shipping purposes, although I seriously can't see Leon with anyone else (other than Cloud). I can also see her in a more serious, darker, drama-filled role in the series, too. Manipulated by villains, world destroyed, currently Traveling the Universe with a magical axe to grind...maybe even lost in the World of Darkness. Maybe she's studying magic.

FINAL FANTASY IV
FREYA. She would be so absolutely epic in Disney Town. Or really, any anthropomorphic world. She would be an optimal character, and a rarity, as someone who is clearly not humanoid like the majority of the cast. Because, admit it. You'd expect someone to comment on Donald and Goofy more often. Plus, her personality is tough, no-nonsense (again, a rarity and at odds with her appearance), and absolutely romantic.

FINAL FANTASY X
JECHT. You were expecting me to say Lulu, weren't you? But no, I just think someone in this universe could use some adult supervision. And since we apparently missed the Laguna train...Also, I love Jecht. I could watch his "talk" with Tidus at the end if FF10 over and over again. Just...what a tearjerker. (Also, we still have the whole "manipulated by darkness" angle, plus the whole world-traveling biz...yeah. Lotta potential here.)

FINAL FANTASY XI
...Prishe? Shantotto? MMOs annoy me, so I don't really play them unless my brother drags me into it. The only characters I know from the game are the ones who popped up in Dissidia. Of the two of them, Prishe is the only one I don't see going badly. I think Shantotto would fry Sora.

FINAL FANTASY XII
ASHE. Not for any of the current worlds, of course. But I would love to see her in a new "hub" world of her own. Especially one that's still in relatively good health, such as Radiant Garden was in Birth by Sleep.

FINAL FANTASY XIII
A double cast: SERAH and NOEL, a la Final Fantasy XIII-2. They're already time jumpers. Now picture them as world hoppers, just like Sora and Cloud. Still looking for a way to save the world. Still searching for Lightning. I don't even care. I just think, if we're going to introduce any FF13 characters, Serah and Noel are natural for the setting. In fact, if I could name three characters I wanted to appear in Kingdom Hearts, they would be Serah, Noel, and Rinoa.

That's almost all, but here's one more.

FINAL FANTASY: Dissidia
COSMOS. Because with all the people chasing after darkness and so on, we need a Big Good. Imagine if Cosmos was the soul of Kingdom Hearts. The embodiment of light. I don't even care if she never appears. This will be my headcanon forever.

And now that this post is ungodly long, I think I'll close it here. Hope everyone is doing well.

I feel like I should keep up with the tradition of posting Amorra videos as I ramble on about the Legend of Korra. However, just watching this video made me want to scream like a fangirl, so...meet General Iroh.



Current thoughts on the video here? I am entranced by how smooth his movements are. I am saying this at around 0:08, with his hand going across that map. I don't get it either. And his firebending. I kind of wish he had some more extended firebending fights, because I'm a bit curious if his grandfather Zuko taught him the Dragon Dance.

What? It's a valid question!

You have no idea how frustrated I was over the week. My weeks got switched back around since my Grandma was placed in a nursing home, meaning that I'm only in town during the weekend now, and with Dad during the rest of the week. This meant that I could only catch the season finale of The Legend of Korra now, Saturday morning at 3am, as opposed to Monday, at a far more reasonable hour.

In theory I could have watched it when I got here Friday afternoon, but the laptop overheated about five minutes away from the end of episode 11. Georgia summers. Just a touch warmish.

So I spent the entire week checking my cell phone pretty much every four hours, checking to see if the Avatar Wiki had updated episode information. It took far too long for them to get a summary for episode 12. I think it was Wednesday night before I read more than basic info. Thursday before someone even got around to updating Bolin's page. (On the other hand, Iroh's page was updated Monday. New character had priority, I guess.)

All complaints aside, my review of the past two episodes aren't very complex. It can be summed up in three parts: Iroh, Amon, and Avatar.

Iroh was a character we were all highly looking forward to. He was absolutely nothing like the good-natured guy taking up space in my head, being very driven and professional--something his grandfather would certainly approve of. The Iroh in my head would tell Korra "anything you need," and do anything to support her; the actual Iroh, however, was very much a leader (and not at all familiar with Korra, sigh).

With the Equalists destroying his fleet in about five to ten minutes, it seems like Korra was only able to save Iroh from drowning...possibly because his men seemed to disappear the second they hit the water. (I didn't know that Earth and Fire Nation citizens reacted to water that way.) As a girl from the Southern Water Tribe, you'd think that Korra was a bit more adept at water rescue techniques...and also have enough presence of mind to be able to take out several planes without making a huge target of herself by riding a waterspout. Come on, she was knocking them out with pillars of ice; a giant waterspout is not the most stable of surfaces to work from.

So, Iroh gets knocked off his ship by a bomb, which he mostly shields himself from with firebending...and his only injury is a large burn on his arm and his entire left sleeve burned off. I am looking at Zuko here...when the pirates blew up his ship during the first season of Avatar. His face was covered with cuts and bruises, and it was impossible to see any more damage than that--because by the time we saw him again, a few weeks had gone by, and he was wearing fresh clothes with long sleeves. You know, since they went to the North Pole.

After Korra heals him up, Iroh and Mako figure out where the airstrip is, and everyone gets ready to go tear the place apart so that they can get their reinforcements in. Only Korra backs out at the last minute, because she thinks that ambushing Amon personally is more important than winning the war. Which means that only Bolin and Asami go with Iroh, since Mako refuses to leave Korra alone.

You remember back in episode seven, where Korra told Mako that Asami needed him more than she did? Yeah, I don't think he believes her...

Needless to say, Iroh's team absolutely demolished the Equalists at the airstrip, and Asami got to go head to head with her father. It was one of the saddest scenes in the entire series, especially once you realized that Hiroshi's hatred for the benders made him feel perfectly justified in trying to kill his own daughter. I think that I'm with Bolin on that one, Mr Sato--you are a terrible father.

Nearly as terrible as Yakone was, in fact.

One of the things that we learned in episode eleven was Amon's true identity: he's Tarrlok's older brother. And a bloodbender. Now when I found out that bit about being related to Tarrlok, I had to admit that my status as an Amorra shipper was hit hard. After a few days to adjust to it, though, I found it incredibly ironic--looks like Korra unknowingly found herself in yet another sibling triangle. Messy breakup with Tarrlok. Amon.

Really, Korra. You are a brother magnet. Is it any wonder Tenzin's newest child is a son? Obviously, Meelo needed a little brother.

In any case, Amon's real name was Noatak, and he was something of a waterbending prodigy. A nice enough kid growing up, he was very clear about his position as the elder brother, and the responsibilities he had because of that--he protected his little brother. When their father discovered their waterbending abilities, and started to teach them how to bloodbend, Noatak learned quickly. And it weighed heavily on him. While Tarrlok complained, saying that he hated hurting defenseless animals by bloodbending them, Noatak never said a word. He began to hate himself, closing himself off from his younger brother. Bloodbending just came too easily for him.

For all that, Yakone eventually went too far. He made the brothers bloodbend each other. Noatak didn't argue, but after having his blood bent, and experiencing the pain of it, Tarrlok refused to use bloodbending ever again. Yakone didn't take that too well. However, before he could even lay his hands on his youngest son, Noatak used his bloodbending and renounced him as his father. He decided to leave, and when Tarrlok refused to go with him, worried about their mother, Noatak left on his own.

Yakone had no choice but to give up on his plans of revenge against the Avatar. He died some short years later in a deep depression.

Knowing their backstory, I feel a bit happier now with my review of episode eight. I remember expressing some sympathy for Tarrlok. He worked so hard to get out from under his father's shadow, he didn't even notice that he'd nailed his feet to the ground.

I actually do believe that he never used his bloodbending again until that episode. Korra was going to kill him. Amon and the Equalists were going to steal his bending. He fought back--he had to. And I know why he was so scared of Amon now, as scared as Korra was. He lived with someone who lost his bending like that. If it happened to him...he might turn into his father, and he never wanted what happened to him to happen to anyone else.

That being the case...Korra was his hope. She was the Avatar, almighty power. When Amon/Noatak came to break him out of prison at the end of episode twelve, he knew. And he made the only choice that he could.

As for Korra and Mako? They spent the finale the way they started out--losing. Terribly. Korra broadcasted her lack of public speaking skills, somehow managed to rescue Tenzin and his family by using herself as bait, and had her bending taken away for her trouble. While Amon stood above her collapsed form, gloating, as Mako was bloodbent on the floor, unable to do anything but watch.

Luckily, the Lieutenant followed Amon into the room, witnessed the whole bloodbending affair, and denounced Amon as a traitor to the cause. Providing enough of a distraction that Mako was able to resist the bloodbending enough to hit Amon with some lightning and get Korra out of there--until they were caught again. But even that was all right, because the thought of Amon taking Mako's bending was so horrible, she unlocked her airbending...and sent Amon out of the window and into the harbor. Where his scar washed off and the entire town was able to witness him outing himself as a waterbender.

Just like the Avatar had claimed.

(I would have loved to see the expression on Mr Sato's face if and when he finds out about that part.)

Season one closes with our heroes all going to the Southern Water Tribe to visit Katara to heal Korra's bending. I can kind of understand this, because obviously the restoration of the city is going to be extensive. Korra definitely has to go, Tenzin's going because she's his student, and also he can't leave his family behind; Mako is going because he won't let Korra out of his sight, and he obviously can't leave Bolin, and also, where would Asami go? And Lin Beifong is going for the same reason as Korra, if less urgently. (Fixing the Avatar takes priority.)

Lin sacrificed her bending to protect the Avatar, and the airbenders. Korra losing her bending to Amon...hurt. She felt responsible. As the (former) chief of police, it was her duty to protect the Avatar, especially seeing as how the Avatar is only a seventeen-year-old girl.

Unfortunately, Katara wasn't able to fix Korra's bending, even though she knew--in theory--what was wrong. And Korra, faced with a room of worried, sympathetic friends and family, got out of there as fast as her feet would take her.

So naturally this meant that it was now the perfect time for Mako to try to resolve the love triangle. Because everyone wants to hear that someone loves them when their entire life comes crashing down around their ears. In retrospect, it was probably a good idea--it did keep Korra from thinking too seriously about suicide. (Though I did notice that Mako followed her. Caught up pretty soon too, despite Korra riding off on her polar bear dog.)

The series ended on a relatively high note, with Aang giving back Korra's bending and Korra immediately going into Avatar State. And Korra's prompt decision to share the wealth, restoring Lin Beifong's bending in the next scene. (The expression in Lin's eyes during this scene gets to me every time. I still can't describe it. Joy. Relief. Awe. All magnified about a hundred times.)

You really have to be proud of that girl.

My only wish for the next season is for it to start back up at the Southern Water Tribe still. Have the crew visit Korra's old haunts, meet her old friends ("Well, you've met Naga..."), get some kind of idea what it was like for a four year old girl to be raised in isolation with only her teachers and guards for company while she was groomed to sacrifice her life, her entire identity, for the greater good.

"The most loyal, brave and selfless person," Mako? You have no idea.

Final thoughts of the season thus far? Why was everybody so hot!? I'm not talking about Bolin (just not my type), or Tenzin, obviously. Iroh was gorgeous. Amon has been breaking hearts since he was a kid. And Tarrlok! What in the world, why do I find him more attractive imprisoned, I didn't even feel that way about Sirius Black!

But then again, I hate Sirius, so...If you watch nothing else of the series finale, you absolutely have to watch the Iroh scenes. And also the Tarrlok and Noatak flashback. It was heartrending.

So, these past three weeks, I've been working on completing this one ancient picture I started nearly three years ago? I redid the lineart and character colors the first weekend, did the room and furniture the weekend after, and I was supposed to finish it last weekend. As you can probably guess, I never got around to it.

All that was left was to draw (and color) The Runed Spear of Memories (and figure out how it was broken into three pieces), "a weapon born with dragons to be used by dragons" according to the storyline...I have the general idea of how it's supposed to look, and a few reference pictures for when I actually do draw it. But still, I need to draw the Spear, and then I can play with the lighting and minor details...hopefully I can finish the thing before it is three years old, which it will be in a little under a month.

In any case, rather than working on my picture like I was supposed to do, I was more interested in locating my copy of Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, as I was starting to get fed up with playing The 3rd Birthday while visiting Grandma at the nursing home. Unfortunately, I couldn't find it--it seems to have gone the way of my Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep case and disappeared. (Luckily I almost never take the game out of my PSP, so I still know where the actual game is.)

I really need to clean house. This is ridiculous. (And also the dishes have not been washed since Christmas.)

So, while I was looking for Dissidia in the computer room, I happened to notice my copy of Final Fantasy XII on my desk, where I have used it as a particularly pretty picture to look at for company while I play on the computer. Despite never playing the game before, and also the fact that I try to hold back on playing on the Playstation 2 in hopes of saving on the power bill, I caved immediately. I spent the entire weekend playing FF12.

I regret nothing. Well, other than not having a walkthrough printed out, which meant that I had to look one up on my phone.

This did mean that I didn't even think about checking for episode reviews on The Legend of Korra until about 3am Sunday morning, shortly before I went to bed. (Most weekends I cave around 5pm Saturday afternoon, at which point someone had better have written something.)

Right now, I'm about 8 hours into the game, having just parted ways with Lamont/Larsa. And I can fully see myself restarting the game again now that I have a clear view of the License Board, just so that I can aim for the licenses I want first, as opposed to randomly flailing about. And also because I want to spend the better part of a day grinding skeletons with "Lamont" and his limitless supply of Potions! I stopped way too soon last time, but I got bored after the first 20 minutes.

Well. Final Fantasy talk aside, I suppose that it's time to talk about The Legend of Korra and my current thoughts on the series.



As the series goes by, this pairing makes more and more sense.

Mako is still in his overprotective phase concerning Korra. He has yet to take his eyes off her once, and this is very much Played For Drama, as Asami takes this as Mako being in love with Korra. Y'know, seeing as how they kissed and all. The only time Mako is not right beside Korra in the entire episode was when he went into the kitchen to get hot water to make tea for Korra. Oh, and also when they were fighting Equalists.

I actually get the impression that Korra and Asami switched places over these last few episodes. First Mako was always with Asami, protecting her from everyone, and then Korra gets kidnapped, and girlfriend is suddenly left by the wayside. There is Mako, doing everything but holding Korra's hand, and then there is Asami, in the corner, glaring--though at Mako, rather than Korra. You have to be proud of that girl.

Kind of curious how they're going to resolve that one. I just can't see Mako pulling his foot out of his mouth for it. I'm actually hoping that Korra handles it. Bonus points if she describes the kiss as her "attacking Mako with her face." (Using "I'm lucky he didn't throw me off the balcony" as a follow-up will net her quadruple points.)

The Makorrasami triangle aside, not much to say about the rest of the episode. It finally occurred to Tenzin to evacuate his children after more than a week since war was officially declared between benders and the Equalists. And if Pema hadn't given birth, it probably still wouldn't have occurred to him, even with Equalist airships bombing the city.

Fandom has unanimously declared Lin Beifong absolutely epic, a few reviewers "upgrading" her position as the series' Spiderman to the series' Batman. (Normally I would call that a step down, but I suppose the pay is better?)

Lin's role in this episode was heartbreaking, but I absolutely believe that she will rise above it. Others may think that losing your bending is the end of everything, but Lin is more than capable of overcoming it--she is the backbone of Republic City. Losing her bending is a handicap, and one that will only lead the Equalists to underestimate her--and those around her.

The way this episode has gone, and the finale is shaping up to be, I am actually a little worried about Amon. Less because he's bombing Republic City, and more because he's bombing Republic City.

From the beginning, he was quite restrained, and you could clearly tell that he was in control of the Equalists. He kept them focused and working towards their goal. Imagine what would happen if he wasn't there--no direction, no control; only blind hatred. The Equalists would turn into a mob--attacking, kidnapping and torturing benders in the streets. I bet that Amon got a huge shock when Korra was kidnapped, allegedly by Equalists. He probably stomped down on that one real quick to make sure that his people didn't slip the leash.

Of course, by then the Equalists had tasted blood.

You know that I support the idea of Amon later becoming a good guy, and whether or not he does, he drops out of the race as the series antagonist in two episodes. Whatever happens, the Equalists aren't going to have him as their leader. If and when Korra takes him down, it won't cripple the Equalists. It might not even force their retreat for the day. If they can't energybend, they will only start killing--and that is something they won't be able to recover from.

Amon is certainly sending out enough signals. Am I the only one hearing this as an SOS? (And if this is the series one antagonist, how is it going to Get Worse?)

Closing thoughts? Zuko's descendant, the young General Iroh--fandom is largely on the side of him being Zuko's grandson, seeing as how he looks less than 30. (He certainly sounds less than 30.) Reading (via cellphone) that he appeared at the end of the episode actually made me stand up and dance. Actually watching the episode? I am thrilled. Forget the fact that he had all of one line. This series? Is about to get ten times better.

Chances are that he won't be even one tenth of how hysterical he was in my head, but I figure I can deal with that. He will earn quite a few points, however, if he has actually seen Avatar Korra before. (In my head, he calls her "Little Sister," but I will not make unreasonable demands. So long as he doesn't immediately start casting longing looks at Asami. Here's hoping that he has a fiancee...)

The latest episode of The Legend of Korra was absolutely epic, I'm telling you! I had trouble sleeping last night--this morning?--because I was so busy reading and rereading the episode summary on my cell phone. It's seriously depressing that I don't have that channel at home; I'd be so out of luck if I couldn't catch the series online.

In any case, Tarrlok proved that he was, after all, a crazy person in picking out where to stash the Avatar. Did you know that he had a mountain cabin? Neither did I, but it has both has a basement and a metal box to lock her in. Honestly, the only thing that kept this guy from drooling on the carpet was that the floors are stone. Really.

The fandom rejoiced at how completely Mako lost it when he found out that Korra was missing. Except, of course, for the Asami fans, who sympathize with her worrying that Mako reciprocates Korra's feelings for him. However, I don't see much difference between his reaction to Korra's disappearance and how he reacted when Bolin got kidnapped in episode three. The only difference is that Korra is the Avatar, one of the most powerful benders in the world, and Bolin is Mako's little brother, whom he has been taking care of since he was eight.

Mako is definitely protective of the people important to him. If Asami ever got in the same situation, I can see him reacting the exact same way--however, that's unlikely to happen. After all, Asami isn't the one who's expected to jump in whenever there's trouble happening.

On the other hand, Korra doesn't have a choice. And now that Mako has been forced to realize that...I don't see him letting her out of his sight for a while.

Still, no matter which way you turn it, it looks like Asami is either going to cling to Mako more in the next episode, or they're going to break up. Or maybe just go "on break." (This could be painful.)

Speaking of Korra's latest misadventure, I do have one concern about the next episode, another item for my wishlist. Exactly how long do you think she was locked up? She showed up at City Hall anywhere from midnight to four in the morning, Lin Beifong rescued Asami, Mako and Bolin in the early afternoon, anywhere from noon to two...by the time they retrieved Lin's former-metalbenders, it was around dusk...

About twenty-four hours, you think, without food or water? Or any kind of medical attention? Or even a coat, despite it being the middle of winter? She might pass for being a little dehydrated, and she might get away with her injuries not being infected, but she was passed out in the snow for a minimum of twenty minutes. She better at least have a cold, don't you think?

One more thing that I find kind of funny--Korra only got away from Tarrlok because Amon and the Equalists came to rescue her! Amon not only figured out what had happened, he found out who did it, and where he was keeping her! And then they staged a daring rescue! He de-bended Tarrlok, and in a surprising act, volunteered to load Tarrlok into the truck, leaving the collection of the Avatar to his Equalists. And when Korra managed to escape from them, Amon only made a token attempt to apprehend her, and cheerfully scolded his men for underestimating her.

Shut up. If Amon doesn't capture Korra, it still totally counts as letting her go. Don't argue with me! (I sell this ship to myself so well, I don't even know if I'm serious about it or not.)

I'm seriously looking forward to the next two weeks. Only three episodes left of the first season. Trailers for the season finale are out already.

So after a week long break, the Legend of Korra is back, meaning that the series can stop toying with my emotions. I swear, I really did drop the Makorra ship, Mako annoyed me that much. I still like him as a character, don't get me wrong, but really, Asami can have him.

Speaking of which, that week's break seemed to do miracles for Asami. I actually looked forward to seeing her.

However, now that the break is over, on to episode reviews!

This week's episode was all about Tarrlok. Korra finally got tired of being manipulated by him and called off their alliance, abandoning the task force and forming her own vigilante group with Mako, Bolin and Asami. Can't necessarily blame her, since after Lin Beifong's resignation, the entire police force is now in Tarrlok's pocket.

Of course, now that he has some competition, Tarrlok had a mild panic attack that resulted in him making new laws to really oppress the non-benders. The poor boy went just a little bit crazy, and started to see Equalists everywhere...somehow failing to realize that by treating non-benders like Equalists, they were more likely to become Equalists.

You see, Korra, this is what happens when you dump a guy from the Northern Water Tribe. They freak out, throw 60% of the townspeople in jail, and then threaten you with their and your friends' safety in order to get you back. And then, when you refuse to heel, he has you carted off to where he's never going to have to look at you again.

I'm actually trying to figure out where he's going to put her. Current thoughts have Korra either taking up residency in the basement of his town house like a crazy person, or, my personal favorite, sticking her in a crate and shipping her off to a distant island. And then strengthening the border control of Republic City, shutting off the port, closing the streets, keeping the Equalists in--and the Avatar out.

It's absurdly easy to predict Tarrlok's next move as de facto leader of Republic City. Someone is going to be framing the Equalists for kidnapping the Avatar, and then launch a crusade. Because, really, what else is he going to do? Say that she ran away? After dropping by his house at midnight and trying to earthbend the roof off?

The Equalists did it.

In any case, I think that I'm going to have another annoying week ahead of me. I am already starting to sympathize with Tarrlok. When Korra compared him to Amon, he actually looked like a kicked puppy. Though in all honesty, the comparison wasn't very fair--as per usual for Korra. It really would have been more accurate if she told him that Amon was manipulating him like a puppet. He'd probably have slapped her.

Still, Tarrlok aside, I have to wonder who's going to bust Korra's friends (and the rest of the city) out of jail--and exactly how big is this jailhouse anyway? I figure Korra should rescue herself completely on her own, with the possible inclusion of Aang...when is the next solstice, again? Korra's flashback messages are starting to hurt my brain.

Honestly, Tarrlok probably being the next villain was pretty obvious from the start, but I really can't feel all that good about it. Here's hoping that he at least pulls an Azula in that he can be the next Big Bad's right-hand man. I can see Amon coming to the good guy's side, but Tarrlok either needs to do some serious growing up, or he's going to lose his bending. So long as he doesn't start frothing at the mouth like Azula...or, wait, we're not too late, are we?

The only good side of all of this? I can definitely tell that Tarrlok does love Republic City, and also that he's really got something to prove. It feels like he has to be a hero, no matter what. (Possibly Redemption Quest, maybe?) And we all thought that his task force was just a vanity project.

I think that just about covers my thoughts for the series thus far.

In the middle of watching the episode now, but I swear, if Mako doesn't get a clue and grow up already, I will abandon the Makorra ship! Besides, Amorra makes more sense anyway, at the rate Korra and Amon meet up. People keep throwing the two at each other, and in episode 3, when Korra said that she wanted to meet him alone? People stood up and cheered.

...What do you mean, that's because he's the Big Bad and she's the Avatar, destined to save the world!?

And honestly, with all the people losing parents to the firebenders, I'm starting to wonder if Mako is the only firebender in the Avatar universe who doesn't work as a hitman part time. Though at least Asami manages to dodge the whole "a firebender killed my parent right in front of me...I was eight" stereotype...she was anywhere between four and six years old. So, yes. Fun childhood.

Right now, the only hopes I have for the next episode...two things. To start with, I want to see Korra training again. We have, what? Five more episodes for Korra to at least grasp airbending? (I figure that I can wait until the next season for her to start tripping around in Avatar State.)

The next item is a common sense one, which I cannot believe hasn't been brought up yet. Why haven't they evacuated the children!? We have three pint-sized airbenders plus a mommy pregnant with another one, don't you think it's past time for Tenzin to evacuate his kids to the South Pole to be sat on by his mom and half of the Order of the White Lotus!? Hello, we have officially declared war two days ago, what is he waiting for? The solstice!?

Speaking of, we have yet to hear about the solstice...it's bound to come up eventually... And also, I wonder what book the next season is going to be named for...will energybending finally become canon!?

Meh. Who knows?

So recently I got interested in The Legend of Korra, the sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender. For those who don't know, it's set 70 years after Avatar, and the protagonist is Aang's reincarnation, Korra.

Currently, the issue of the world is that the people are divided between benders and non-benders, who are being treated as second-class citizens. A man called Amon is starting a revolution, striking out against the benders by removing their bending permanently. To counter the threat that Amon poses, a water-bending politician named Tarrlok creates a task force to deal with Amon and manipulates Korra into joining it.

The encounters between the task force and Amon's Equalists continues to escalate to an all-out war between the benders and non-benders, with Amon continuing to maintain the upper hand.

However, you can clearly tell that the story has yet to start. For one thing, the entire fight thus far is a battle between adults, with Korra being merely a figurehead. The other main leads, her friends brothers Mako and Bolin, are clearly unrelated to the fight despite them both being benders. True, Bolin did get captured by the Equalists in episode 3, but following his rescue both he and Mako were content to leave the fighting to Korra and the task force.

Following this last episode, the momentum seems to be picking up. War has officially been declared. Also, with Amon's terrorist attack on the pro-bending arena, Mako and Bolin no longer have a place to return to. If they were ever intended to play a role in the series, it's about time for them to step up.

My current thoughts on the series can be defined by what I would like to happen next.

As far as Korra is concerned, I'm honestly expecting her to show signs of becoming a Failure Knight at any moment. (I would actually like this to happen, really.) It would actually be a realistic thing, considering that she is up against Amon, who has beaten her at every turn--to the point where he doesn't even consider her a threat. Added to that the fact that the world/the benders expects her to fight him, and protect them, entirely on her own. The attack on the pro-bending arena was very public. Not only was Korra there, three benders lost their bending right in front of her, and she was unable to stop it. In fact, she had to be rescued, and more than once. Situations like this are certain to reoccur. Really, she's bound to shatter sooner or later.

What I want for Mako and Bolin can be counted as one item. There is a rumor about the two of them moving into Air Temple Island now that the pro-bending arena is a wreck (seeing as how they were renting the attic). I actually find that possible, seeing as how the Air Nomads are known for their hospitality. But what I really want to see is these two getting some training. True, they know how to fight in the arena, but as seen in episode 3, pro-bending moves are nowhere near enough for fighting in the "real world."

As for the teachers...Lin Beifong is the only adult earthbender in the show thus far, and I would personally find it hysterical if she taught Bolin. However, that leaves Mako, and I don't know about you, but I would kill to see Zuko again. He's still alive, and having Mako be taught firebending by an 87-year-old man is just too good to pass up. Also, it would have all kinds of echoes of Zuko's own past, being taught by his Uncle Iroh. At the very least, I would settle for a relative. Having Korra's friends learn from the people('s descendants) who taught her previous incarnation bending would just be perfect.

I have no wishes or expectations for Asami, aside from wanting her to stop playing kissyface with Mako. And I don't necessarily mean that in an anti-Masami way, although yes, I am a Makorra shipper. As a writer, I just want her to sell herself as a character rather than an obstruction. If all she can do is be an Idiot Couple with Mako and say things that make no sense, I'm going to stick her in the place of my third least favorite character of the series/universe, following Mai and Ty Lee. (I will never understand what Zuko was thinking with Mai...no matter how hard I try to see it from his point of view, he just has weird taste.)

Finally...I don't see Amon as being the final baddie of the series. As time wears on, I continue to remain suspicious of Tarrlok. Amon has revealed himself to be an excellent Chessmaster, but from the way Tarrlok seems to be playing everyone for fools as he strives to reach his political goals. Right now, I can see about three different ways for Tarrlok to be the Big Bad, and they're bound to multiply by the time we finish The Book of Air.

And if Tarrlok does manage to be the Big Bad? The only person I can think of who would give them a chance to take him down would be Amon.

Songs that make me think of the series...promoting Korra's Failure Knight status...
Jason Walker - Down
Katy Perry - ET (the Alex Goot cover)
Marion Raven - Here I Am
Natalie Merchant My Skin
Robyn - Be Mine (the Ellie Goulding cover featuring Erik Hassle)

On a completely different note, Mom thinks that I should write a review for The Avengers, seeing as how we saw it at the theaters Sunday. Honestly, I think she just wants me to write one because I spent the entire movie calling the entire cast several different kinds of an idiot. They were obviously suffering from severe brain damage, because they knew absolutely nothing about espionage, warfare or counter-terrorism. I pity their universe.

There's no telling if or when I'll end up writing it, though. I still haven't finished my review for The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

I just finished watching a playthrough of the game on KH13.com -- no subtitles yet, but I have a pretty good idea of what all is going on. It was actually kind of interesting watching it, keeping a tally of how many words I actually recognized. I think it was something like one in three.

In any case, I thought that I'd write my impressions on the game thus far...as a warning, there are naturally a few spoilers ahead. Actually, let's play it safe and call it a bit more than "just a few."

Impressions under the cut.

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I'm currently in the middle of pairing off boss fights, despite the fact that we have no idea who the other members of the New Organization are.

Sora versus Young Xehanort -- As much time as they spent together throughout this game, I figure it's almost a given. I call their dates in The World That Never Was their honeymooning period.
Riku versus Ansem Seeker of Darkness - Just try to deny it! They have too much history to go to other people.
Kairi versus ???

Roxas versus Xemnas -- I was going to give him to Sora, after KH3D, but I figure Roxas can have him. I'm sure they have lots to say to each other.
Xion versus Anti Black Cloak -- I get a "not human" vibe from this one, for some reason. A nice match.
Lea versus Isa -- an obvious fight. The two of them were best friends. Friends fight with each other!

Terra versus Master Xehanort -- another obvious one. They need to resolve their issues. At length. Preferably with something heavy.
Ventus versus Vanitas -- are you going to argue with me?
Aqua versus Braig -- everybody loves leftovers, right?

Mickey versus ???

That aside, it's almost 9am now, and I have yet to go to bed. Which I need to do, if we intend to have pizza today. Good night.

Talking with my Grandma is like playing an RPG. Her entire dialogue is predetermined.

Grandma: Roy...Roy...Roy...
Me: Grandma, what do you want?
Grandma: I want to go down the hall to my room.
Me: Grandma, where do you think you are now?
Grandma: In the bed that Taylor gave me.
Me: Now where do you want to go?
Grandma: To the bed that Taylor gave me.
Me: So where do you think you are now?
Grandma: ...
Me: You just answered this a second ago.
Grandma: Roy...Roy...Roy...
Me: Grandma, what do you want?