Summertime

Once again, the summer run of TTG episodes has a catchy jingle, and they're ripping off better shows. There's even a continuity error that the other members of Titans East keep appearing even though it's stated that the rest of Bumblebee's team got food poisoning and couldn't make it (and later that Bumblebee wants to join the team because she's got nothing better to do). Bumblebee herself is easily the best thing about it. I hope they really do keep her on and that she doesn't end up spying for the Hive in a reverse of the first series. The final episode was terrible, though I suppose Trigon will still be scheming without using Raven to open portals with his usual "See you! I love you! Bye!" Ugh. Then there's the trailer, which is mostly the eight Titans fighting Santa while both Trigons have kidnapped both Ravens. I hope they get to actually do something (and aren't being used to open a portal, but original Trigon made no such promises). It's too bad they chose to do everything in flash, but the old Titan designs are still cool.

Changing Momiji's line from "Kyo's got the hots this morning" to "Kyo's got hearts for eyes" was a great decision. Even his whining is better even though it's basically the same words. Colleen is killing it as Akito. I love her. She brings so much personality to the role. Yuki's terror is a lot more palpable this time and really reminds me of Eric's closet confessional. Chris Sabat's Ayame is more restrained compared to the first go-round. He was a lot less over-the-top vocally and quieter.

Masako X's What Ifs got me thinking about my Mikage fics, and I've written some scenarios that could've gone differently but didn't because canon. It was fun at first, but now it seems unfulfilling. I wrote one shipping her with Lea because he initially lets them escape Castle Oblivion, but I didn't enjoy the payoff. What I did enjoy was Zexion being reunited with Ansem (Diz) while they were hiding out in the abandoned mansion. Diz's anger goes away much earlier when he realizes these are just children who had no agency in their fate (especially with the KH3 reveal that Ienzo had been lied to about Ansem's disappearance to begin with). As such, Zexion's eager to please him and be of use, and Diz keeps assuring him that he's not in the way and is a valued member of the team. He even gives Mikage a task that uses her skills and doesn't involve cleaning.

Re:Mind Me

Surprising no one, FNAF the Musical won the Random Encounters poll. I'm actually watching Markiplier's playthrough of FNAF VR, and I'm looking forward to the animations on this one. Not having watched him before, I'm impressed with how he blew through the FNAF 2 and 3 segments of the game. I know others have completed it before him, as there have been lore and theory videos posted as well as the showtime segment that was taken out because Scott wasn't happy with it.

The teaser trailer for Re:Mind makes me hopeful that we'll get more conversations between Organization members in the Keyblade Graveyard or other places. The one between Luxord and Xigbar probably takes place after Xigbar says "May your heart be your guiding key" in Olympus since we get that weird cut there. Xigbar/Luxu not knowing who Luxord is might be suspicious, but I guess he wouldn't necessarily know everybody from "the old life." Luxord might suspect Xigbar of something as well, but why did he give him a card, and why did Xigbar throw it away after Luxord left? Does Luxord have actual time powers the way Xigbar/Braig has space powers? Maybe we'll finally find out why Luxord is Nomura's favorite. I don't mind giving Luxord and Demyx bigger backstories since they had none to begin with originally, but I'm still sore about Braig not being Braig anymore. I still believe a conversation between him and Even will take place, if only to pass along a message to the others. They wouldn't just forget about him. Granted, Luxu would understandably want to get back to the old life and is understandably jaded after all this time, but after everything he's been through with these people as Braig, he might feel he owes them an explanation. He seemed to like them well enough, but he probably doesn't like long goodbyes. I would like to see Even's lab setup too - the badlands cannot be a sterile working environment, so where is it? And when is this conversation between Young Xehanort and the Master of Masters take place? He keeps switching back and forth between silver and yellow eyes. It's not like anyone ever comments on the color change in-universe, even though they should.

Here's another segment of a conversation between Braig and Even that I've probably written versions of before, but this is going into the updated Mikage story.
    Even had asked Ansem to leave the room, as his fussing was distracting him. "Braig, tell me the truth. How did this happen?" he asked sternly, wrapping a bandage around his friend's head.
    "I messed up," Braig groaned.
    "I can see that. What did you do?"
    Braig sighed. "I fought someone, a darkness user. He got the better of me. I shouldn't have underestimated him. But don't tell anybody, okay?"
    "Fine, but are the rest of us safe?"
    "Well...there was this other guy I made a deal with who baited the first guy into fighting me."
    "What sort of deal?" Even asked suspiciously, tightening the bandage before tying it off.
    "Ow! He was interested in our research, and I was very interested in his sword. But he wanted me to test his pupil first by pretending he was in danger. That didn't end well for me."
    "Dilan and Aeleus will probably find them, if they're still here."
    "I hope so. I'd like to give him a piece of my mind. I'm certainly not going to do him any more favors."
    "You shouldn't have volunteered our research in the first place."
    "He just wanted an audience with the master is all."
    Dilan and Aeleus returned, having found no trace of Braig's attacker. Braig decided to slip out by himself. "Going for a walk. Be right back," he told Even, leaving before he could protest.
    When Braig returned, Even scolded him for leaving. "Why - would you?!" he whispered tersely, having kept his brief absence a secret. "Do you know how upset his lordship would be if he found out I let you go back out there?"
    "Would you put your hands down? You're making me nervous," Braig asked in a serious tone, pointing out that Even was wringing his hands.
    Even dropped his arms to his sides and looked at Braig, concerned. "You don't sound well. And what happened to your eye?" Braig closed his eye and turned his head away as Even approached him. "Braig, please. You're scaring me," Even said softly.
    Braig looked at his friend. "Do me a favor and back me up when I tell everybody the darkness infected it," he replied. "It's half of the truth."
    "And what is the other half?"
    Braig told him about how he'd confronted the man he'd made the deal with, only to be parried and attacked. "The deal's still on. He was going to kill me if I backed out. Apparently there's more to this pupil of his. Then he put some of his darkness inside of me, and it gave me his eye color. He's going to summon me back when it's time."
    "I didn't think that was possible," Even said quietly. "You've really stepped in it this time."
    "I'm still planning on turning the tables on that guy one day. When I do, I'm going to need your help. Just you, no one else."
    "I don't like keeping too many secrets. If he still seeks an audience with Master Ansem, then-"
    "Not even the master. I want to resolve this without anyone else finding out. Besides, I can't get those two involved, and the kid is, well, a kid."
    "I don't..." Even sighed defeatedly. "Fine. You've always done things your own way. Go get some rest and don't leave again until after I've changed your bandages."
    "Will do. I appreciate it, Even."
***
    Even removed the bandages and gave him an eyepatch. "Just be careful. You're still not at full strength yet," he warned unhappily.
    "Thanks." He noticed the face Even was making. And I thought the kids were pouty. "Hey, remember when we played pirates when we were kids?" he said, trying to cheer him up.
    Even smiled in spite of himself. "Don't die, you moron."   

Secrets (KH)

A problem with the new Fruits Basket anime is that too many people are talking at once. And I was still wrong because I forgot about the race and Shigure going to the school to get their stuff, but it was still restrained. Plus the only high school girl we see him run into is Hana.

I've been trying to compare the apprentices to Winnie the Pooh characters. Even is obviously Rabbit, Dilan can be Eeyore, maybe Braig is Tigger, but I'm not sure about the rest. Here's another secret conversation between Braig and Even I wrote for the updated Mikage story.

    Braig talked to Even about his plans to undermine the Organization. "The two of us are the only ones in a position to make this work," Braig concluded. "They'll be suspicious if I leave for too long, so overseeing your replica production is the perfect cover."
    Even scoffed. "Saix is sure to butt in at some point. We won't be guaranteed privacy."
    "Right, there is that. Honestly, I don't know what that kid's deal is. To get around him, what we need is a patsy."
    Even arched an eyebrow. "You mean a proxy?"
    "I know what I said. We could get one of the others, probably Demyx, to act on our behalf."
    Even considered this. "I see. He's not related to us in any way and has no stake in this business whatsoever...that we know of."
    "And since we got you back on our side, he's had nothing to do."
    "This will take some convincing. He always was loathe to do anything that didn't align with his interests."
    "It'll work out. I know you can pull this off," Braig said confidently.
    Even eyed him suspiciously. "You speak as if you have nothing to do with it past this point. What aren't you telling me?"
    Braig sighed. "I'm going to disappear for a while when this is over. I may not return to Radiant Garden for some time. If I don't make it back, give my regards to Ansem and the rest, all right?"
    "Stop joking around, Braig. Why wouldn't you come back?"
    "I'd love to tell ya, but you'd never believe me if I did."
    Even narrowed his eyes. "Try me."
    Braig whispered in Even's ear. "See, I'm actually..."
    Even pulled away in surprise when Braig finished explaining. "I said to stop joking around!"
    "No joke. I've got some unfinished business to take care of. I can't predict how it'll turn out. That fate hasn't been written yet, but I'm going to make it happen."
    "You're mad! That can't possibly be true!"
    "I might have gone a little mad after all this time, but I'm not making it up." He put his hand on Even's shoulder. "This is goodbye, buddy."
    "Don't do this. You can't leave," Even said sadly.
    "I know you're all going to miss me, but I might stop by once I've accomplished my goals. It's not going to be easy, I can tell you that much."