LOUD YELLING!!! LOUD YELLING!!! (ch214 commentary)

I'VE GOT LESS THAN TEN CHAPTERS UNTIL THE FINAL BOSS. KINDA. I MEAN.
IT FEELS LIKE ABOUT FIVE OR SIX MAYBE SEVEN UNTIL WE HIT FINAL BOSS POINT LIKE IT WON'T EXACTLY BE THE START OF THE BATTLE BUT IT'LL BE HECKA CLOSE
IDK
I'M PUMPED

ON ANOTHER NOTE me 'n magik actually have something planned for Can't Escape WHOA. Don't expect it up soon. We still have to write it. And it's not top priority for me--finishing Dead Inside is, of course--and I don't think it's top priority for magik
but we'll have it up eventually!

And I know, you're probably like "but rar!! If you're trying to focus on finishing Dead Inside shouldn't you not write the sequence yet??"
but listen
I literally and sit around and do basically nothing until about 10pm when I decide it's time to write
(okay I get stuff done but it's usually not writing related)

any other worlds out there! from seashellsfromxion on 8tracks Radio.

Chapter header thing!

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I'mma keep quiet about the SoShad notes

omg though I do realize I never bring them up on here so I bet a few of you are like "soshad??????????" because it's,,,, as a ship,,,,, y'know,,,,,,

But if you've been following me on tumblr y'know that I sort of,,,, maybe,,,, ship them,,,,,,,, don't look at me,,,,,

I won't make you ship them anyway and those were what my notes were they were like "NO WAIT I CAN'T DO THAT" because I don't want to make anyone ship them.

And I'm really sorry if I do

On another note!! I wasn't intending to touch Timeless River--which I explained in this post. First review I replied to. And I said it there so I probably don't need to say it again

But long story short it occurred to me that if all it took to threaten the Cornerstone was two Big Bad's teaming up then it would've happened already. Multiple times. So. I had to include Timeless River.

But y'know it gives Pete something to do and got Donald and Goofy out of my hair (not that I don't like them it's just I was having enough trouble dealing with the six characters already in the area I didn't need to add two more.

And I think I've mentioned this at least twice but Sora isn't needed for Timeless River. Not really. Yes you need someone to lock the doors afterwards but as you can see in this chapter Donald and Goofy just come and get Mickey to do it and bam problem solved

Mickey didn't have to go with them or anything

I should at some point have a little ASAS chapter up with a few snippets explaining what Donald and Goofy were doing in Timeless River

but in case I don't

They went to Hollow Bastion, saw Pete go through one of the doors, followed after him, realized they were in the past and (after Goofy having to remind Donald various times that he couldn't change anything) stopped Pete + put the Cornerstone back + got Mickey to lock the doors.

Merlin may or may not have been involved. He probably should've been (someone had to tell them that they needed to lock the doors). Idk I'll think on it and have their adventure up eventually. Because I really should write it.

(I don't promise it in good quality.)

I ACTUALLY TRIED REALLY HARD TO NOT MAKE IT SO NAMINE HAD TO GET KIDNAPPED like I thought it’d be great if it was Vexen’s kidnapping that spurred endgame instead of Namine’s exceeepppttttttttt Plot

I MEAN. I COULD’VE MADE IT WORK. SORTA. I thought about it long and hard and did come up with a way to avoid kidnapping but I’d still have to sideline Namine at one point because Plot and why put it off?? Y’know??

(especially since the later sidelining potentially sidelined Kairi in the process. Yeah it’s because it’s in the girl’s characters—for Namine to panic and Kairi thinking she shouldn’t be left alone to panic while Riku went ahead—but. Y’know. Why? Also I liked the route where she’s kidnapped better,,,,,, NOT BECAUSE SHE’S KIDNAPPED BUT. EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT IT.)

And you can see on tumblr I got really frustrated about this because lately you hear a lot about "oh wow kidnapping needs to stop being used as a plot device" and yeah I admit maybe it should stop being used as one 

And I really wanted to try and do that but I couldn't make that work and I got frustrated

Everyone tells you what tropes are harmful and which tropes to avoid and stuff and I maybe stressed myself over trying to avoid this--granted it WAS possible it just took a lot of extra work I wasn't exactly comfortable with putting up

Then magik pointed out to me that I was doing worse by inevitably sidelining BOTH the girls if Namine wasn't initially kidnapped
Also technically Namine still ended up getting kidnapped and the only difference is just it wouldn't spur endgame

Now that I think about it

I don't know why I was so worried about it??

Granted I'm glad I worried about it a little because otherwise Kairi would've been kidnapped too and endgame would be significantly more boring

(Also, unlike Namine's kidnapping, I gained absolutely nothing from having Kairi get kidnapped)

On another note while it would've been great for Vexen's kidnapping to spur endgame it also would've slightly subverted (is that the word I'm looking for?) the whole Riku being an asshole thing that's really emphasized about here

I was really vague in the post I linked you two but I was referring to this moment. Vexen's kidnapped and Riku's just like "fuck I don't owe him anything" but the moment Namine's kidnapped he's out the door

(Well he hasn't received the news quite yet but you know he'll be out the door as soon as he finds out)

Namine was going to wear him down on rescuing Vexen to spur endgame if I'd gone that route, and I guess he's only doing it to make her happy but y'know

MOVING ON there is still a lot left to talk about my bad

I didn’t plan for Xigbar needing to speak with Xemnas (back in that scene with Vexen in like ch206) to lead into Namine’s kidnapping but. It did. on accident

(Xemnas wanted to talk to Xigbar presumably about kidnapping Namine and plans and junk)

Xigbar said “your boy” to 29 in relation to Joseph and I just….. uwuwuwuwuwuww feels

I wanted Namine to go like “DON’T TOUCH ME I’M DOING THIS” and like little,,,, burst of wind to keep Joseph from grabbing her arm but I’m p sure she hasn’t learned aero and couldn’t do it that quickly without any,,,,,,,,,,, shouting aero y’know there that’s what I was going for

(though what's funny when I read through it I was like "wind?? Ven?? ohhhhhh aero duh")

Important note from the outline:

I actually breifly considered sending Roxas because that would’ve been hecka interesting but then it occurred to me Riku would never forgive Roxas for it and

I mentioned on tumblr that the way this first paragraph of this scene is phrased (Riku being in HB and “shouldn’t be gone long”) makes me feel like everyone’s gonna go “oh. yup. Yup this is where she gets kidnapped. I can feel it. and….. there it is. yup”

Idk I could’ve??? Tried harder to make Namine’s fear and not-so-clear thinking as a result more preveleant but?? Idk I’m having a hard time caring about writing this to begin with let alone adding details like that so. Idk.

(I am extremely sorry in advance endgame is set up to be a lot of battle sequences which I’m LEAST enthused about and you may get some half assed work but, hey, at least Dead Inside will finally be finished. and I don't think I"m doing THAT bad with the battle sequences. so far)

Razia’s Shadow is a really good album which I'm not sure how it's relevant (I was probably listening to it while writing) but it is a good album so I'll go ahead and leave this note here.

It's only got one obnoxious love song too (the Missing Piece grew on me... can't stand It's True Love though) and the music is really great and the story is nice

Here is a link to the album on youtube

or you could watch a live performance adaption (note: it was a cd/musical audio drama before a musical play)

And the digital booklet too which has lyrics and some concept pictures--note the site will probably give you an obnoxious ad to sign up with them and you'll probably have to go full view to read anything. Though you could download it?? Or just look up the lyrics elsewhere... you can see the pictures just fine it's the lyrics that are tiny

(I had to read through the lyrics a couple times before I fully understood the story)

anyway

Uhm
So I looked away from my screen and when I looked back I realized I'd written this:

            “And me!” That was 29, bustling over until it was him

I know what I meant to be saying there and. How did I type that?? that is not…. wow….
(He’s moving to stand in front of Joseph and had I put “until he was….” But “until it was him” ???? why)

I was going to have 29 not stand directly in front of Joseph but again, why?

Ohh,,,,, no,,,,, Zexion,,,,,, feels,,,,, Zexion being protective,,,, trying to protect,,,,,, ohhh nooo I saw a post on tumblr about Vexen adopting Repliku and Namine and Xion and of course Ienzo and,,,, them being a family,,, Ienzo—being the oldest—looking after everyone. Ienzo looking after Namine. Alpha warning Namine “I can’t do anything to fix this” ow I

I wasn’t expecting these feelings

He’s!! he’s warning her telling her he as her big brother he can’t protect her and therefore she shouldn’t do it it’s like!! Dream Team!!! Luigi warned Mario before going ahead “it’s dangerous I don’t know what’s up ahead you could not come back please don’t go” sighhhhhh sibling feels they will kill me

Alpha you’re Vexen is showing

I imagine he’s close enough that his ridiculously long bangs are actually like falling on her shoulder or her face I just,,,, didn’t want to note that instory. Personal space feelings. Intimacy feelings. Idk I just didn’t want to touch them.

I’VE NEVER CONSIDERED ALPHA IN THE F AMILY BEFORE BUT I SUDDENLY GO T REALLY ATTACHED TO IT W O W

I was going to have Namine pause and grab her sketchbook but it interrupted the flow real bad