This is random, I’ll admit (light/dark discussion thing)

but maybe it's not random, considering I just read "Contrast" (which Flightfoot was so kind to post a link to the translation on the previous post, I'll give you a link on this in case you missed it)

I laughed at Terra's dislike of sweets

and then Van and Ven--

I found my soft spot for Van. The novels really portray him in a different light (a light that makes me want to strangle Xehanort *fingers twitch around hilt of Master Sword* even though Master Swords and strangling have nothing in common)

Anyway

it made me think of this video

which I think parallels the relationship between Van and Ven, and then Roxas and Sora quite nicely

(and though the song sounds way too happy to fit a sort of video, go read the translation)

http://www.animelyrics.com/doujin/vocaloid/damiidamii.htm

The song describes very well the relationship between Van and Ven, especially the: "But the more I tried to look for the answer, the stronger the urge I'd feel to kill the self of me who's laughing with someone"

Which, btw, is what Miku's singing when it shows the picture of Terra, Aqua, and Ven laughing and Van's watching them

Obviously

The lyrics, I'll admit, get more obscure after that, but maybe that's because I'm not looking them in a light that fits Roxas and Sora. But whatev.

It's not entirely my fault I can't get my my brain to stop thinking Ven/Van. I really do love their relationship. Not saying I ship them or anything (I find it sad that I have to clarify this...). I love their relationship as it is: light and darkness, two halves of the same whole, all that. I've always loved things like that (there's a recurring theme of twins who one wields light and one weilds darkness in the novels I try to write) and have only just now figured out how to portray a relationship between those kinds of characters.

Because it's not just dark and light

there's their relationship, too -- or the relationship as I've come to love it; being two sides of the same coin, whether you like it or not.

Anyway

I'm going to move on now. I lost whatever point I had originally for this, and I need to finish the stupid question answering thing, because there's too much going on in the next chapter of Dead Inside itself, and it'll require like three seperate blog posts. I'd like to wait until I'm done with anniversary stuff to worry about that.

btw, here's the link to Contrast, in case you missed it

http://remember-kingdom-hearts.tumblr.com/post/28870649241/bonus-translation-...

and if you haven't read Dark Memory yet, read it here (at first I posted the wrong link, but it's fixed now)

http://remember-kingdom-hearts.tumblr.com/post/28798364782/bonus-translation-of-the-novel-chapter-dark-memory

Random Rant about Shad (chapter commentary on ch125. Sorta)

what? This is chapter commentary? I guess it is... sort of...

I have determined that I need a 3DS, not only because of KH3D, but because of Kid Icarus: Uprising.

Curious why I would possibly want that?

and

http://ask-darkpit.tumblr.com/post/21223870814/what-part-of-two-sides-of-the-same-coin-dont

and you should probably read through the rest of http://ask-darkpit.tumblr.com/ just because it's funny. (there are spoilers for Kid Icarus: Uprising, however. Don't say I didn't warn you)

Dark Pit now really reminds me of Shad, and I want to play Kid Icarus: Uprising for inspiration purposes, because I hear the relationship between him and regular Pit is... idk, something I can draw inspiration from (that ended up sounding really lame, but I have no idea how to put it, and I can't really rant about it without giving away spoilers (yes, I've spoiled myself, but I wanted to see just HOW MUCH Dark Pit was going to remind me of Shad, which is A LOT))

Basically, it's the light/dark "two sides of the same coin" relationship that I love, and to an extent that doesn't involve "IDIOT I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!" (Like Ven/Van)

Anway, enough about Dark Pit

Let's talk about Shad!

art by the wonderful ssceles, which you can find on dA here

http://ssceles.deviantart.com/art/Darkness-Within-VanSo-175929219
(I realize that that just leads to this picture on dA, but you can find ssceles on dA through that)

I love this pic, because Sora's like "asdhfsdf, the darkness is eating me!!" and Shad's (that's technically Vanitas but shh) laughing "heheh, sucks for you, but this is great for me!" while he enjoys every second of it

I'm in an odd mood today, lo siento

But, with the hype about Dark Pit this morning, I've been in a mood to talk about Shad

And, y'know, it's fitting, given the villains question thing that I just posted

And, what the hey *goes to post the latest chapter to Dead Inside*

Sorry for spamming you with chapters, but talking about Shad would be hard if that chapter wasn't posted, just saying. 

*glances through notes*

Right, didn't think I had anything to say about this chapter

So, I'm really loving this character development I'm getting from Shad. As Organization Number 15 (don't know why I put archsage, sorry about that!) mentioned, it really adds depth to him, and good villains/antagonists need depth (something I've always had trouble with - I mean, I've had trouble with character depth with a while, but antagonist depth is especially hard for me.)

And then that huge rant he gave me in response to Cookie's equally large question-- I mean, it was awesome. Character development galore! (And my head-canon now states that the Shadow Courts have a larger role in my head than they used to - Shad's even yelled at the Knight, ah, former Knight a bit!(this is all reference to... a scrap idea from my novel, and Shad's bout of character development helped me develop it more, too. BONUS! But sorry if I'm confusing you))

See, this is the part of Shad that I really like, and I absolutely love this last chapter. Because it expands on something new: that Shad is nothing without Sora - something that I do need to develop if the thing with Maleficent is going to work properly.

That's why Shad denied a life where he had a chance with Kairi (in the question thing). Because a life where he had a chance with Kairi is a life where Sora doesn't exist, and a life he cannot live. As much as he hates to admit it, he needs Sora.

I know what you're wondering

"But, rar, doesn't that contradict the only thing he wants out of life is to drag Sora into darkness? If he needs Sora, then he can't drag Sora into darkness, because when he does that, Sora's gone!"

Well, I'm still developing that thought properly, and these might be two issues that end up sovling each other -- I'm just not quite sure as of yet, and I can't tell you because it's spoilers.

I mean, you can write the "needing Sora" vibe you get from the last chapter off as "I need to know where Sora is so that I can fulfill my purpose!" if it makes you feel better, but, I'll admit there is more to it than that. I just can't tell you what.

Which means I'm telling you more than I should, and confusing you.

Ah well.

I'm going to shut up now before I confuse you more, but first:

(you'll probably have to go to youtube to see the subs... sorry)

This song has always reminded me of Vanitas - with the "how can you smile like that?"

"Smile, cry, get angry, that's what you do. Expressionless, smileless, that's me..."

"Another me extremely annoys me."

Of course, not all of it fits Van. The song heavily focuses on that "light/dark, I'm nothing without you, even though I think I don't need you" vibe that I've come to love, which... doesn't entirely fit Van.

Entirely.

Idk.

It follows the theme of this post.

I'm going to go do school now

advantage #4 to online school! (starting whenver the crap you feel like it) this excitingness is outweighed by the fact it takes TEN HOURS to do school everyday. traditional homeschooling is better