#Sora deserves everything good ever

[potatounicoorn]

Do you guys think about the fact that Sora's first full creation from photac is a dog, a friend for her, humankinds best friend. And then it gets stolen from her, turned against everything she is and meant to do with it, into a monster. So when she runs and becomes Sora, she also seemingly switches to a cat aesthetic, you know, that one animal that is always pitted against a dog. Because the dog (the society) is against her so she must become everything they are against (a cat, a ninja).... Or is that just me?

[descendant-of-truth]

So I beat Re:Coded for the first time the other day after previously knowing its story from the movie and novel versions, so you know what that means. It's time for more Data Sora Thoughts(TM)

Plenty has been said about how he serves as an interesting comparison to the original Sora, which makes sense as that's kind of the point of him existing. You're supposed to take notice of how he's different, despite all their similarities. He's kind of an idealized version of Sora, which makes sense as he's the Sora that Jiminy wrote. Jiminy doesn't know the depths of Sora's insecurities or his flaws, so Data Sora is almost unnaturally good-willed and pleasant.

But what stood out to me while playing it for myself is how much the game is just... not supposed to be about him, and how much it still is despite that.

Nothing exemplifies this more clearly than his journey through Castle Oblivion. The whole reason he's even there is to be tested, to see if "Sora" is ready to take ownership of all the pain that's inside him. But they're not testing Data Sora, the person, they're testing what they think is just a representation of the original Sora.

So, when Data Sora resolves himself to face the pain head-on and not run away from it, even learning that it can help him connect to people, no one thinks this is unique to him. They just go, "great! that means Sora's ready, too!" with absolutely zero awareness of the fact that they can't really treat him like this now that he has his own heart.

Which, is kind of insane?? Data Sora is provided a consistent level of support and guidance that even the original Sora didn't get, he develops a heart of his own because of how effectively he was nurtured by his friends, and yet. None of them have ever seen him as HIS OWN person. Even Data Riku, who introduces himself as "zeroes and ones that look like somebody you know," is incapable of separating himself and Sora from their originals.

Data Sora is surrounded by people affirming his personhood while in the same breath denying his individuality. It's an interesting position to be in, to say the least.

That said, the characters may think the test is all about the original Sora, but narratively? It's absolutely about Data Sora, too.

You know how he was surprisingly at peace with the fact that the journal resetting meant that he'd lose his memories? He seemed pretty content with the knowledge that his friends would be able to remember their journey for him, even if he got a little choked up about saying goodbye. It's easy to think, while seeing it for the first time, that because he's already accepted everything with a smile, that his character arc is over by then.

Yeah, Data Roxas comes into the story swinging with "hey, idiot, you have no idea how much forgetting your friends is going to hurt you in the long run. Why don't you do that a couple more times and then maybe you'll get the idea"

Because it's true, I really don't think Data Sora was prepared for the pain of amnesia in the slightest. He has this habit of going along with whatever anyone says without much thought, so when Data Riku told him that everything had to be reset, I think he was just kinda like. well darn. guess I can't do anything about that

(This is the same guy that went "I'm good with that" when he considered that doing what Mickey says will just blast him off into the unknown repeatedly, so it checks out)

I love that the game refuses to end where you'd expect it to, and instead forces Data Sora to reckon with the pain of what was just unfairly taken from him. It treats him with just as much respect as it does with every other character in the series, and gives his feelings the weight they deserve.

Of course, the way the test is set up is... kind of cruel. It bludgeons him over the head with the pain he just went through repeatedly until he figures out exactly how it works and what he's going to do about it. And it's like this because it wasn't set up with a real person in mind; Data Sora's supposed to be acting like a first draft for something the original Sora's going to do later.

But he can't. Because they're different people.

So when you get down to it, he arguably doesn't really fulfill his purpose? He gets everyone the answers they need, sure, but he proves absolutely nothing about Sora. And not just because he became his own person, but because the premise of the test was flawed from the start. Jiminy's perception of Sora is meaningless in the face of the real thing, so it was never going to have accurate results no matter what they did.

It's a story that's undeniably relevant to both Soras, but I still hope we'll get to see Data Sora again so we can finally address how everyone in-game expects them to be like each other. It's a mindset that affects both of them in different ways; Sora has this impossible ideal to live up to, and Data Sora - despite being that ideal - is forever just "another version" of someone else.

And they haven't even met each other. When is that going to happen

[strawhatmay]

Just a little drabble I managed to write, but it IS my first ever piece of Zosan fanfiction 😭 (althought it is not about them lol) As always, constructive critiscism is more than welcomed.

A friend in the house

[Zoro runs into someone on the way to the bathroom in the Vinsmoke house]

It was late, very late, but Zoro really had to go take a piss, so he got up, grabbed Sanji’s robe and got out of the bedroom as quietly as possible.

 

This big ass house and no private bathroom, just the logic of Judge Vinsmoke, "let's make a gigantic one, practically a mansion, oh toilets? I don't give a fuck, put them wherever." Zoro never met him really, he died when Sanji was 6, good fucking riddance.

Even after the Vinsmoke siblings all turned 21, they still share a house. Sora insisted, she wanted them all in one place as long as they were happy here, and well, none of them had the heart to say no to their mom.

 

So that's why Zoro has to go through a maze to find a bathroom in the middle of the night, instead of just finding one a few steps away from the bed in a hypothetical apartment they would own. Or, Sanji would own, he means. Zoro would love to move in with him, but Sanji might like to have his own place for a bit before that.

 

 

Ah, Sanji. He needs to hurry up so he can go back to bed. They had a little argument a week ago and now they were back, he was back in his arms. It was silly, so silly, they just needed to talk it out, and last night Sanji called him saying he missed him, so Zoro was throwing tiny rocks at his window 5 minutes later.

 

"Yeah that's definitely the bathroom," Zoro thinks when he recognizes the door. Just when he's aproaching it, another figure in a bright pink robe appears in the dark and goes to the door as well. Both in robes so clearly from their respective partners, they stop and stare at each other.

 

 

"Roronoa" she aknowledges, a bit irritated.

 

"Tash" says Zoro, trying to sound friendly.

 

…awkward.

 

"Made up with Blondie?" Tashigi asks with a teasing smile.

 

"Back together with Pinkie?" Zoro answers.

 

She smiles. "Why else would I be here?"

 

"I don't know, maybe you were seeing one of her brothers."

 

"Ew."

 

"Or maybe you sneaked in," Zoro shrugs.

 

"Yeah right, cause I'M the one who climed through Sanji's balcony like three hours ago." Look at that, now she was teasing in a friendly way. Zoro can never tell if Tashigi is a friend or an enemy.

 

"How do you even know about that?" Zoro asks, suddendly worried the rest of the house heard him too.

 

"Sanji's room is right on top of the library, we literally saw you the whole time. You know you can just use the door, right?" she asks him like he's dumb.

 

"It's more fun this way" he says, trying to look nonchalant.

 

She pauses and then asks: "You’re scared of Zeff?"

Caught.

 

"...maybe, so what? He's intimidating" Zoro admits, because really, would anyone blame him?

 

"He's an old chef with one leg," she says, leaning on the wall and crossing her arms. "Besides, he likes you more than he likes me and I'm allowed to use the door."

 

"Yeah well, I've never broken up with *my* Vinsmoke," Zoro says, but then he feels that maybe it was a bit cold, so he adds "no offense."

 

"It's fine, it is what it is" Tashigi says, now seeming a little sad.

 

Zoro knows why Tashigi broke up with Reiju a couple times in the past. Reiju and Sanji are pretty close, and naturally, Sanji tells him everything. He doesn't wanna get too involved in other people's bussiness, but at least he can offer some advice.

 

"Hey, so...I don't know much about your relationship but...I often think I don't deserve him either, you know?"

 

Zoro tells her, carefully.

 

Tashigi looks at him, she seems to be paying real attention now.

 

He continues "and that's ok, it's ok to feel unworthy sometimes, but just...try to trust that she thinks you actually are, that you do deserve her and trust her judgement. It's her decision to be with you, to choose you, you know?"

 

A few seconds pass, Zoro starts fidgeting with the fabric of his yellow robe.

 

"Huh...and here I thought Blondie chose you only because of your boobs" Tashigi says, now fully on her feet, with her hands on her hips. She smiles. Zoro mirrors the smile.

 

"Thank you, Zoro" she says and bumps his shoulder softly with her fist.

 

"You're welcome" he says and does the same to her.

 

Just when they finish talking, the door to the bathroom opens.

A VERY tall guy with purple hair comes out wearing a red robe. He stands in the middle of Zoro and Tashigi, looks between them and says “all yours” as he walks away.

The other two stare at each other surprised.

“…was that Charlotte Katakuri?” Tashigi whispers as she looks at the red robe dissappear in the hallway.

“I can’t believe it” Zoro says, finally closing his mouth. “Did he not completely hate Ichiji?” he adds, whispering as well.

“Right, cause two people can’t hate each other but also want to fuck” says Tashigi and gives Zoro a pointed look.

“…ok, I get it” he answers and looks around a bit embarrassed.

“They are way more controversial than you two though, both captains of rival teams” she half whispers as she gets a bit closer.

“The Charlottes are gonna hate us even more” says Zoro.

“Us?”

“Well, yeah, we’re part of the Vinsmoke clan, aren’t we?” Zoro asks with a frown.

“I guess, yeah, I never thought about it before”

A moment passes.

“Hey, look at us gossiping” Zoro laughs. “Guess now I have a friend in this house” he adds as he opens the bathroom door.

“Hey ‘friend’, why do YOU get to go-“ but the door is closed to her face.

The end.

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

29. History

Note: I kinda like this chapter ngl

Masterlist here

The warm Australian sun beamed down as aespa and Y/n stepped off the plane, arriving for the next stop on their world tour in Sydney. Australia felt different—bigger, louder, and somehow more exciting. The buzz of the upcoming performances filled the air, and the group was ready to take on the Oceania leg of their tour.

As they checked into their hotel, Y/n felt a mix of excitement and nerves. The group had already conquered several countries, and it was a massive milestone for any K-pop act. He had been busy managing the logistics, but part of him couldn’t shake the feeling that something unexpected was around the corner.

After getting settled, Karina, ever the planner, suggested they explore a bit of Sydney before the rehearsals kicked in. Winter, Ningning, and Giselle were all for it, and Y/n, despite his usual responsibility, decided to let loose for once. After all, they were in Sydney, and even the manager deserved a break.

The group ventured out to popular spots: Sydney CBD, Opera House, and Harbour Bridge. It was all going smoothly until Y/n decided to break off from the group for a quick coffee at a local café, needing a moment to decompress after managing so many schedules and arrangements.

He was waiting in line, minding his own business, when he felt a chill run down his spine. That strange, familiar feeling of someone’s eyes on him. He turned slowly, scanning the room, and his heart nearly stopped.

There she was.

His ex.

Sitting at a table by the window, sipping on her iced coffee, looking as radiant and carefree as ever. The same ex that Y/n had parted ways with years ago, long before he even thought about becoming aespa's manager. His heart raced as memories of their time together flooded his mind—both the good and the painful.

For a second, he considered turning around and leaving, pretending he hadn’t seen her, but before he could decide, she looked up, and their eyes locked.

She blinked in surprise, clearly recognizing him, and for a split second, it felt like time had frozen.

“Y/n?” Her voice was hesitant, unsure.

Y/n froze, the sound of his name pulling him back to reality. He opened his mouth to respond, but words failed him for a moment. His mind raced with questions. What was she doing here? Why now? Of all the places and times, why did it have to be when he was finally getting his life together?

“Sora…” he finally replied, awkwardly shoving his hands in his pockets. “What are you doing here?”

She smiled softly, shrugging. “Just on vacation. It’s been a while.”

Y/n felt a lump in his throat, nodding absently. “Yeah, it has.”

There was an awkward pause as they both stood there, unsure of what to say next. The weight of their shared past hung between them like an invisible barrier, both of them tiptoeing around it.

“You look good,” she said, breaking the silence. "Finally gained some muscles."

“Thanks. You too.” He gave a tight-lipped smile, but his mind was still reeling. He wanted to say something else, something more meaningful, but what could he say? The past was the past, and there was no going back.

As he stood there, he realized that despite everything, he didn’t feel the same pang of regret or longing he once did. She was a part of his life that had come and gone, and he had moved on—even if seeing her again was a little jarring.

Before the conversation could go any further, his phone buzzed in his pocket, pulling him back to the present. It was a message from Karina:

Karina:

Y/n, where are you? We’re at this pizza place and Giselle’s trying to convince us pineapple on pizza is a crime. Help.

He smiled at the message, grateful for the distraction.

“Sorry, I have to go,” Y/n said, waving his phone. “Work.”

She nodded, looking a little relieved herself. “Of course. It was... nice seeing you, Y/n.”

“Yeah, you too, Sora. Take it easy.”

With that, he gave her a small wave and left the café, heading back to the group. His mind was spinning with what had just happened, but he felt lighter somehow, like a chapter had finally closed.

-

Back at the pizza place, aespa was hanging out with Y/n after a long day of rehearsals in Los Angeles. The girls had been teasing him all day about how serious he looked while they were filming their social media content, and Y/n, as usual, took it in stride. But when he rejoined the group after his encounter with his ex, something was different. Karina noticed first.

"You seem... weird," Karina said, narrowing her eyes at him while munching on a slice of pizza.

"Yeah, you’ve been staring off into space," Giselle added, leaning over the table. "What’s going on in that big forehead of yours?"

"Ok, it's not that big." Y/n, caught off guard, coughed awkwardly. "And to answer that, just…thinking about tomorrow."

"Uh-huh," Winter chimed in, clearly not buying it. She rested her chin on her hand, giving him a scrutinizing look. "You’ve been zoning out ever since you came back from that café."

Ningning tilted her head, eyes glinting mischievously. "Oooh, maybe he ran into someone."

Y/n froze for a split second, and that was all the confirmation Ningning needed. Her eyes widened, and she slapped her hands on the table.

"You totally ran into someone!" she declared, grinning like a cat (well, she is, but you know that already). "Spill it! Who was it?"

The other three immediately perked up, leaning in with eager eyes. Y/n could feel the weight of their curiosity pressing in on him. He scratched the back of his head, trying to downplay it.

"Okay, fine. I... I ran into my ex."

There was a beat of stunned silence. All four girls blinked at him as if he’d just told them he was an alien from another planet.

"Wait," Karina said slowly, her voice dripping with disbelief. "You have an ex?"

"You dated someone?!" Winter practically shouted, her mouth hanging open.

"Like, actual girlfriend and everything?" Giselle added, eyes wide.

"Is this a joke?" Ningning looked between the girls and Y/n, as if trying to figure out if this was some sort of elaborate prank.

"That is so mean." Y/n sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Why is everyone so shocked? I’m a person, you know. People date. I am decent, you know?"

"Yeah, but you never talk about it!" Karina shot back, still looking like she couldn’t process the information. "You’re always so focused on work. I can’t even imagine you being romantic with someone."

Giselle leaned in, grinning. "Oh, now we have to hear this story. Spill the tea, how did you two meet? What was she like? What's her name?"

Y/n groaned, instantly regretting his decision to say anything. "It was a long time ago, before I started working as a manager. Her name was Sora. Nothing crazy. We met in uni after I left SM."

"Did you break up, or did she dump you?" Winter asked bluntly, making Y/n choke on his drink.

"Winter!" Karina scolded, though she couldn’t help but giggle at Y/n’s flustered reaction.

"I mean, it’s a fair question," Ningning said, crossing her arms with a smirk. "C’mon, oppa. What happened?"

Y/n sighed, shaking his head. "We…just grew apart. Different paths, different goals. It was mutual. No drama."

The girls exchanged skeptical glances, clearly unsatisfied with such a tame explanation. Karina leaned back in her chair, folding her arms. "Well, I still can’t believe you have an ex. You seem too... calm to have gone through that."

Giselle nodded vigorously. "Yeah, I thought you were always single. Like, destined to be our forever manager."

"Maybe his ex got tired of him constantly managing us instead of her," Ningning teased, poking at Y/n’s arm.

Y/n chuckled, shaking his head. "Very funny. But no, it was way before I even got into this job."

Winter leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "So... what was she like? Was she pretty?"

Y/n paused for a moment, thinking back. "Yeah, she was. But it’s all in the past now. I’m just focused on you guys and the tour."

Ningning gasped dramatically, placing a hand over her heart. "Awww, listen to that! He’s totally moved on. We’re his priority now."

"Don't be Icarus now." Y/n sipped his coffee.

Karina smirked, her teasing grin slowly returning. "But still, we’ve gotta know—how does she compare to us? I bet she wasn’t as weird as we are."

Giselle snorted. "No one’s as weird as you, Rina-unnie."

Y/n laughed, shaking his head. "You’ve got that right. You guys are a whole different level of weirdness. And honestly, I got used to it now."

Winter gave him a playful nudge. "Good answer. Now, finish your pizza and stop daydreaming about your ex."

"I wasn’t—" Y/n started, but the girls burst into laughter, cutting him off.

"Sure, sure," Karina teased. "Just admit it. You were reminiscing."

After the laughter died down and the teasing subsided, Y/n noticed that Winter had grown quieter. Her usual playful expression had dimmed, and she was absently poking at her slice of pizza, clearly deep in thought.

He nudged her gently. "You okay, Jeong?"

She glanced up, her eyes meeting his for a brief second before she shrugged. "Yeah, just... thinking."

Karina, Giselle, and Ningning were still engrossed in their conversation, oblivious to the change in Winter’s mood. Y/n, however, could tell something was off. He leaned in closer so the others wouldn’t hear and whispered, "You sure? You look upset."

Winter sighed, setting down her pizza. "I mean, it’s not a big deal, but..." She hesitated, chewing on her bottom lip. "I just didn’t know you had an ex. You never told me."

Y/n blinked, caught off guard by her sudden seriousness. "Wait, that’s what’s bothering you?"

She gave him a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "I know it’s silly. It’s just... you and I are pretty close, and I feel like I should’ve known something like that about you."

He leaned back slightly, watching her carefully. "Jeong, I didn’t hide it on purpose. It’s just... the past. And honestly, I didn’t think it was that important anymore. It’s not like I keep it a secret or anything."

"I get that," she said, fiddling with her napkin. "But I still feel like... I dunno, maybe I should’ve known."

Y/n couldn’t help but chuckle, earning a confused glance from Winter. "What’s so funny?"

"Oh, nothing," Y/n said, smirking as he crossed his arms. "I just think it’s cute that you’re getting jealous."

Winter’s eyes widened, and she immediately went on the defensive. "Jealous? Me? Of your ex?!" She shook her head, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Please. I’m not jealous. I’m Winter."

"Uh-huh," Y/n teased, raising an eyebrow. "You’ve been quiet ever since I mentioned her. Come on, admit it. You were a little bit jealous."

Winter huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I wasn’t! I just... I don’t know. I thought we talked about everything, and then suddenly you have this whole relationship history that I never knew about."

Y/n leaned closer, his voice softer now. "Look, it’s really not that deep. It happened a long time ago, and you guys are my priority now. You know that, right?"

Winter nodded, still looking slightly embarrassed. "Yeah, I know."

Y/n grinned, deciding to push her buttons just a little bit more. "But I’m still taking this as you being jealous. I mean, it’s pretty obvious."

Winter playfully punched him in the arm. "I said I’m not!"

Y/n laughed, rubbing his arm. "Alright, alright. I believe you. But if you ever feel like I’m keeping something from you, just ask. I’m not gonna hide anything from you."

She smiled again, this time a genuine one. "Okay, deal."

"And for the record," Y/n added with a sly grin, "you’re way cooler than my ex ever was."

"…and prettier as well." He whispered the last part.

Winter’s blush deepened, and she glanced away, muttering under her breath, "Whatever, idiot."

But Y/n could see the faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips, and that was enough to let him know things were back to normal.

-

The concert in Australia had been a smashing success, and the atmosphere was electric as the members of aespa stepped off the stage, adrenaline still coursing through their veins. Y/n was buzzing with pride, watching the girls laugh and chat animatedly as they basked in the afterglow of their performance.

“Did you see the way they loved that last song?” Ningning exclaimed, bouncing on her toes. “I can’t believe we pulled it off!”

“Right? The energy was insane!” Giselle chimed in, her eyes sparkling. “I think this tour is going to be unforgettable.”

Y/n was feeling particularly accomplished, having managed everything smoothly without a hitch. As he walked into the lobby with aespa in tow, he was still chuckling about some of the fans' reactions from earlier.

But the light mood shifted almost instantly when they reached the elevators.

There she was.

Sora, his ex, stood at the reception desk, her back turned but unmistakable. Y/n froze in place for a second, blinking as if trying to process what was happening. He hadn’t expected to see her again after their first accidental encounter earlier. And now... they were staying at the same hotel?

Of all the places.

Winter, walking just beside Y/n, noticed his sudden change in demeanour and immediately followed his gaze. When she spotted Sora, her expression hardened, but she didn’t say anything. The rest of the girls were oblivious, still chatting away about the concert, until Giselle elbowed Karina, gesturing towards Y/n’s sudden silence.

Sora turned around, her eyes catching Y/n’s. For a moment, they both stared at each other in mutual surprise. Then, a smile broke out on her face.

"Y/n!" Sora waved, her voice soft yet somehow carrying through the bustling lobby.

The girls quickly quieted down, all of them now watching the interaction unfold. Y/n gave a small wave back, feeling an awkward knot form in his stomach.

"Hey, Sora," he greeted, his voice a bit tense. "Didn’t expect to see you here... again."

Sora walked over, her smile still in place. "Yeah, well, the world’s small, right? Or maybe fate’s playing some sort of joke on us." She chuckled lightly. "We’re actually staying at the same hotel."

The tension in the air was palpable, especially from Winter’s side. She stood closer to Y/n, almost as if silently staking her claim. Sora noticed, her sharp eyes flicking towards Winter with the smallest hint of amusement.

"Well, this is... awkward," Karina muttered under her breath, to which Giselle nodded in agreement.

"No sht, unnie," Ningning added, though she didn’t seem to mind watching this play out.

Y/n cleared his throat. "Uh, yeah, it is a bit."

Sora chuckled, glancing at the girls, then back to Y/n. "Look, I don’t want to make things weird. I was actually thinking, maybe we could catch up, just you and me? You know, like old friends." Her voice was light, casual, but the request felt heavy.

Y/n hesitated. He glanced at Winter, who was trying to appear unfazed, but it was clear the idea of him catching up with his ex privately wasn’t sitting well with her.

Sora, sensing the tension, leaned in a little closer to Winter, her voice low so only she could hear. "Don’t worry," she said with a wink. "I’m just catching up with him. But... you should take care of him, yeah? I can already see how much you care."

Winter blinked in surprise, momentarily speechless as Sora gave her a knowing smile before stepping back.

"So, Y/n?" Sora pressed, her eyes now focused solely on him. "What do you say? I promise I won’t take up too much of your time."

The girls watched him closely. Karina raised an eyebrow, clearly curious. Ningning seemed amused by the whole situation, while Giselle was probably planning to tease him later.

Winter, on the other hand, was trying hard not to show any more jealousy, but it was obvious to Y/n that she was uncomfortable with this whole thing.

Y/n sighed, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "Uh, sure, Sora. We can catch up for a bit."

Winter’s eyes flickered for just a moment, but she didn’t say anything. Sora, however, caught it and smiled slightly, as if she had won some unspoken battle.

"Great! Let’s just find somewhere quiet."

The two of them walked towards a corner of the lobby, leaving the girls standing there, watching them go.

"Well," Karina said after a long pause, "this is... interesting."

Giselle nodded, smirking. "You think she’s going to make a move?"

Ningning giggled. "Oh, I’d pay to see Minjeong-unnie’s reaction if that happens."

Winter, who had been watching Y/n and Sora with a hard expression, finally snapped out of it. She turned to the group, narrowing her eyes. "I’m not jealous, okay?"

Karina grinned. "Sure, you’re not. Totally."

"Completely not," Ningning teased. "I mean, it’s not like your face was literally showing ‘jealousy’ written all over it."

Winter crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "I’m just... watching out for him."

Giselle laughed. "Winter, it’s okay. We all know you’re definitely not jealous."

Winter didn’t say anything, but the blush creeping up her neck told the others everything they needed to know.

-

As Y/n and Sora settled into the quiet corner of the hotel lounge, the hum of distant conversations and the clinking of glasses filled the air. A soft, amber light bathed the room, creating an intimate and nostalgic atmosphere. For a few moments, neither of them spoke, the silence between them thick with the weight of their shared past. Y/n shifted in his seat, unsure of how to start this conversation. Despite having moved on, seeing Sora again stirred up old memories.

Sora broke the silence first, her voice quiet and filled with a hint of melancholy. “You’ve changed.”

Y/n glanced up at her, blinking in mild surprise. “Have I?”

She smiled softly, folding her arms across the table. “Yeah. In a good way. I mean, back when we were together, you were always a bit unsure, you know? Always second-guessing yourself, trying to figure things out.” She looked at him thoughtfully, her eyes reflecting a blend of admiration and sadness. “But now... you seem more confident. More at peace with who you are.”

Y/n let out a small laugh, though it was tinged with a hint of nervousness. “I don’t know if I’m that different. I’m still figuring things out, honestly.”

Sora shook her head. “No, Y/n. You’ve grown. I can see it.” She paused, glancing down at her hands before looking back at him, her gaze more intense now. “I’ve thought about us a lot. After we broke up, I wondered if we made the right decision. It was hard. Letting you go... it wasn’t easy.”

Y/n’s chest tightened at her words. He hadn’t expected the conversation to take this turn. “Sora...” he began, unsure of what to say.

She held up a hand, stopping him. “No, it’s okay. I don’t regret it. I think we needed to go our separate ways to become who we are now. But seeing you here, doing what you’re doing... I’m just really proud of you. And I’m happy to see you happy, even if it’s without me.”

Y/n looked down at the table, swallowing hard. His mind was racing with memories of their time together, the good moments and the difficult ones. Sora had been a big part of his life, and hearing her say those things now, after all this time, stirred up feelings he hadn’t expected to confront tonight.

“I guess I’ve never really thanked you,” he said quietly, still staring at his hands. “For everything. You were there for me when I didn’t know what I was doing, when I was still figuring out what I wanted in life. And even though things didn’t work out... I wouldn’t be who I am today without you.”

Sora’s eyes softened, her expression warm. “Y/n...”

He looked up at her, his voice steadier now. “I’m sorry things ended the way they did. But I’m glad we can talk like this now.”

Sora nodded, her eyes shimmering slightly with unshed tears. “Me too.”

For a while, they just sat there, absorbing the moment. It wasn’t a conversation filled with grand gestures or dramatic confessions, but rather the quiet closure they both needed. There were no lingering resentments, no what-ifs. Just two people who had once loved each other, finally at peace with how things had turned out.

After a few more minutes of small talk, Sora stood up, brushing off her clothes. “I should let you get back to your girls,” she said with a gentle smile. “You’ve got a busy life ahead.”

Y/n chuckled lightly, standing up as well. “Yeah, they’re probably wondering what’s taking so long.”

Before she left, though, Sora paused, glancing back at him with a knowing smile. “You know, she’s really lucky.”

Y/n frowned, confused. “Who?”

Sora motioned with her head toward the direction where the aespa members were sitting. “Winter. I can see how much she cares about you. It’s kind of obvious, honestly.” She chuckled softly, watching Y/n’s eyes widen in surprise. “I’m not saying this as your ex, but as someone who wants to see you happy. Don’t let that slip away, okay?”

Y/n blinked, taken aback by her words. He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could say anything, Sora turned and started walking away. “Take care of yourself, Y/n,” she called over her shoulder. “And take care of her.”

Y/n watched her go, his mind still reeling from what she had just said. He had always sensed that Winter had a special place in his life, but hearing Sora point it out so bluntly stirred something deeper within him.

As he returned to where the girls were sitting, he noticed Winter looking at him with a curious expression, her arms crossed as if she was trying to hide her concern.

“How’d it go?” Karina asked immediately, leaning in with interest.

Y/n waved his hand dismissively, trying to downplay it. “It was just... catching up.”

But Winter’s eyes never left his face, as if searching for something deeper in his expression. Before he could say anything else, Sora suddenly reappeared, heading straight toward Winter.

Y/n’s eyes widened in confusion. “Sora?”

Winter looked up, startled, as Sora approached her with a smile. “Hey,” she said softly, her voice more gentle than before. “Can I talk to you for a sec?”

Winter blinked, looking from Y/n to Sora with a mix of surprise and suspicion. “Uh... sure?”

Sora gestured for her to follow, and Winter hesitantly stood up, walking a few steps away with her. Y/n watched in silence, his heart pounding a little harder than usual. What was Sora doing?

The other members glanced at each other, wondering about the unexpected plot twist in this little drama.

-

As Winter followed Sora a few steps away from the others, the bustling background noise of the hotel lounge faded slightly, leaving a more intimate, quieter space between them. Winter crossed her arms, trying to hide her nervousness, while Sora offered a gentle smile.

“Look….I’m not here to make things weird,” Sora began, her tone soft but direct. “But... I can tell there’s something going on between you and Y/n. You two are childhood friends, after all.”

Winter blinked, caught off guard. “Uh... what?” she stammered, clearly not expecting Sora to be so upfront. “You knew that?”

Sora chuckled lightly, nodding her head. “He did talk about you a lot when we dated, mentioning about a certain hot-blooded friend of his. I knew there was something about you two when he mentioned you. Don’t worry, you’re not the reason we split.”

Winter’s gaze faltered for a second, her mind racing. She hadn’t expected to be having this conversation with Y/n’s ex of all people. “It’s not... I mean... it’s complicated,” she finally said, biting her lip.

Sora’s smile softened. “It always is. Especially with Y/n. He’s the type to put everyone else first, never realizing how much people actually care about him.” She paused, watching Winter closely. “But you know that already, don’t you?”

Winter’s cheeks flushed slightly, but she nodded. “Yeah... he’s always looking out for us. For me.”

“And you’re always looking out for him,” Sora added, her eyes warm with understanding. “That’s why I wanted to talk to you.”

Winter blinked in surprise. “Me? Why?”

Sora exhaled slowly, as if carefully choosing her next words. “Because I want you to take care of him. Y/n... he’s special. He doesn’t always realize how much he means to the people around him. When we were together, I didn’t always see that either, not in the way I should have.” She looked down briefly, her expression growing more introspective. “But now... I see the way you look at him. And honestly? I think you’re better for him than I ever was.”

Winter’s eyes widened, a mix of shock and uncertainty flashing across her face. “What? No, I... I don’t know about that,” she said quickly, her usual confidence slipping.

Sora gave her a knowing smile. “You don’t have to downplay it, Wint- ah no, Minjeong-ssi." She shook her head. "I’m not saying this to make you feel uncomfortable or anything. I’m saying it because I can see how much you care. And I just want you to know... it’s okay to feel that way. Y/n’s lucky to have you by his side.”

Winter’s heart raced, the words hanging in the air between them. She had never thought of herself as someone who would compete for Y/n’s attention, but hearing it from Sora, Y/n’s ex, felt surreal. “I just... I don’t know if he even notices,” Winter admitted quietly, her voice a little more vulnerable than she intended.

Sora’s smile widened a bit, her eyes twinkling with a hint of amusement. “Oh, trust me. He notices. He’s just Y/n—he’s awkward and dumb at times."

"I can agree with you on that." Minjeong gave her a high five.

Sora chuckled. “But if you ever need a reminder, just watch how he reacts when you’re not around. That’s when you’ll really see it.”

Winter felt her heart skip a beat at Sora’s words. She wasn’t sure how to respond, so she simply nodded, her mind spinning with the unexpected conversation.

Sora placed a hand gently on Winter’s shoulder, squeezing it in a reassuring way. “I’m happy for you two, you know? Even if he doesn’t realize it yet.”

Winter couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, the tension in her shoulders easing just a bit. “Thanks... I guess I wasn’t expecting this kind of talk from you.”

Sora shrugged playfully. “Hey, we exes aren’t all bad, you know? Sometimes we just want the best for the people we used to care about.”

Winter’s smile grew a little brighter. “Yeah, I can see that.”

Sora took a step back, her expression lighter now. “Anyway, I should get going. Just... take care of him, alright?”

“I will,” Winter promised, her voice more confident this time.

"Ah also, one little tip." Sora whispered, making Winter curious. "He's a definite bottom."

Winter was flabbergasted. "..huh?"

"Have fun with that info! Lovely to meet you, Minjeong-ssi!"

With that, Sora gave a final wave before walking back toward the exit, leaving Winter standing there, her thoughts swirling. After a moment, she turned to head back to the group, her heart still pounding from the unexpected conversation.

When she reached Y/n, he looked at her with raised eyebrows, clearly curious. “What was that about?”

Winter glanced at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Just girl talk,” she said, repeating her earlier words.

Y/n narrowed his eyes playfully. “Girl talk, huh? You two seemed pretty intense over there.”

Winter shrugged, her smile growing a little mischievous while remembering the last few words from Sora. “You’ll never know.”

Y/n opened his mouth to protest, but Karina interrupted with a teasing grin. “Ooh, look who’s got all the secrets now.”

Giselle chuckled, nudging Ningning, who was watching the whole thing with amusement. “Bet Jeongie’s jealous.”

Winter shot them a glare, but the warmth in her eyes betrayed her playful frustration. The girls laughed, and even Y/n couldn’t help but smile, though a flicker of curiosity still danced in his gaze.

As the group settled back into their usual banter, Winter glanced at Y/n once more, feeling a little lighter, a little more certain. Maybe Sora was right. Maybe it was time for her to stop worrying about what Y/n did or didn’t notice. After all, if he hadn’t noticed by now, he would soon enough.

[soratsuart]

Y'know what, since Kingdom Hearts is trending let me say that while I despise the mischaracterisation the series and specially Sora get of being considered a shallow "friendship is magic" kind of story where everything gets resolved by talking about your feelings and hugging it out, I think a good side effect of this widely wrong interpretation of the games is that newcomers get a bigger impact to the emotional sides of the story

People come in expecting a silly Disney plot of some kids becoming heroes fighting monsters and solving everything with the power of friendship and are never prepared to be met with plots about existentialism, identity, self sacrifice, emotional repression etc. People don't expect to see Riku's whole arc of self isolation thinking he doesn't deserve to be with his friends anymore, or Roxas and Xion struggle with the conflict of wanting to live and be real Vs the universe just not letting them, or Ventus' literally begging his friends to kill him to avoid becoming a tool for the darkness to win for something he literally can't control and that was done to him without his control. People don't expect to see these characters cry, scream and fight with every part of themselves for what they want, sometimes without knowing what it is that they even want. They get into the game thinking Sora is just a sweet, forgiving kid that will hug out his enemies and are met with him beating Demyx to death and immediately yelling out if any other Organization member wants to run the same luck because of how frustrated and confused and angry he is.

And you *get it*. You get why he feels like that, why he is acting this way, why they all act this way, because you've seen their stories from beginning to end and realize they're more complex than you ever thought. Because this is not the silly, shallow game you thought it was at first. And I think that's great

[the-sinful-voice-witch]

HUMANS in the SONIC UNIVERSE

Why some of them work and why others are hated? This is my personal opinion about it:

The issue here I think is normally the most hated humans are the ones who take too much pointless screentime as if wanting to share the spotlight with the actual protagonists, in this case we have little furry cute creatures with powers so obviously what we want to see the most is those characters and not the humans being humans 😂 if you know what I mean, nonetheless there are humans that have a importance in the plot and they aren't as hated 🤔, we have to think first which is the role the human has, second if its a role still ongoing or already fulfilled and third we have to decide if that role is really that important to justify the screentime and also if these humans are charismatic or not.

With this factors in mind let's analyze the humans in the Sonic universe:

Eggman: His role is to be the principal bad guy, the ongoing antagonist, the villain to fight so obviously every second of his screentime is justify. Not to mention his movie version made him even more funny and charismatic thanks to Jim Carrey. A crazy scientist with the ability to create deadly machines, and has a funny back and forth with Sonic, no one can question his existence in the Sonic universe, he is literally the most tolerated human.

Gerald Robotnik: His role is the same as his grandson but he is a one time villain, in the videogame he was dead but he set up a monster weapon capable of destroying earth as a revenge for Maria's death. In the movie he is alive and gets to meet his grandson and he is even more vicious and evil as he even emotionally manipulated his grandson and dismissed him as not as important as Maria but again is still a one time villain, he's done, he fulfilled his role perfectly.

María: she is a wonderful sweet character but unfortunately her role was meant to be tragic and that tragedy had the purpose of causing Shadow's character growth, she was someone really important to Shadow, his big sister figure, probably the very first person he loved and when he lost her the beginning of his chain of choices and actions was set on motion only to change in the last moments when he finally remembers what where her last words and last wish for him, after Shadow fulfilled this wish her purpose in the Sonic universe was finally done. In the movies she didn't even get to have some last words for Shadow but one of the conversations she had with him was key for his change of mind in the end. So her human existence was importan and meaningful her screentime was deserved and honestly I wish she could have had more 😢

G.U.N: these guys in general don't take too much screentime, I mean they're kind of a background problem to deal with, they were only important in the movies, SA2 and Shadow the hedgehog games and Sonic X and still didn't have enough spotlight for people to be annoyed with them besides when you read G.U.N you immediately think of Rouge the bat anyway 😂.

Elise: oh girl, she... Technically she was important, I mean Elise had a purpose and a role in that cursed game but... Aside the whole issue of that game being... just horrible with uncanny valley effect animation and glitches and messed up story, she was too flat and obviously that cringe out of nowhere romance she had with Sonic didn't help... Her purpose was to hold an evil entity... be traumatized with Sonic's death... And revive him with a kiss 😬😬😬. Seriously I don't think I really need to explain anything else, the only good thing that came out of that game was my son Silver and Blaze and everything else almost everyone agrees we should forget that ever happened 🫥🫥 and Elise never existed either.

Chris: The dislike on this human character was 100% justified. This character was created in Sonic X as Sonic's human companion to supposedly make kids have a character they could relate to, with a design that is a copy of Sora from kingdom hearts and the biggest issue in my opinion was that he has the same role Tails have as Sonic's tag along sidekick kid (Ironically Tails took the role Chris should have had with his grandpa given that he grew up to be a scientist like him) with the addition of not being too useful and being a complete flat character that only shows proper facial expressions when is time to be emotional but he was just so BORING, he was the only human character that had a terrible lack of charisma🤦‍♀️, seriously: Topaz, Chuck, Mr Tanaka, Ella, the teacher that was an undercover spy and Chris' friends especially Helen were more charismatic and had more personality than Chris himself. They tried to give him some dramatic dept, portraying him as the classic rich kid who has depression because his parents leave him at home at the care of the housekeeper, the butler and the grandpa but they portrayed this very shallowly and carelessly, like it was the cheapest, easiest way to make us be sympathetic of him and understand his obsession with being Sonic's human best friend. He felt too clingy for a character so bland, his classmate Helen had a lot more chemistry with Sonic in one episode than he ever had with Chris in the whole series, with Helen the dramatic part would have been a lot better, imagine the bittersweet bond between the fastest creature alive that loves to run free around the world and a girl that can only dream about that because she is on a wheelchair 🥲. But the very proof of how forced he was is the dramatic scene he made with Shadow stealing Amy's moment, that itself felt like they were desperate to prove this kid existence was important and useful 🙄🤦‍♀️, he basically took Amy and Tails' roles and which is stupid since Amy and Tails were there! 💁‍♀️

Tom and Maddie: Well here comes the humans that were received completely different than Chris 😂. Alright, first of all we have to acknowledge how they gradually are reducing their screentime as the number of furry alien characters increase because by the third movie they technically fulfilled their roles and is time to let the Sonic team have their adventures by themselves. Now why this couple (specifically Tom) weren't as hated as Chris or Elise were? Personally I think because the role they have which is "Sonic's adoptive parents" works a lot better than Sonic's "best friend tag along human kid" who feels redundant because that's Tails' role but in fox and Sonic's "human love interest" because that's Amy's role but in female hedgehog 🤷‍♀️, Sonic himself had always been a young teenager to begin with and in the movies he could always run free everywhere but always alone, completely alone... He wanted a family and he specifically wanted Tom and Maddie who unlike the typical cliché of maybe having a drama between them that Sonic would fix 🙄 they were a happy marriage that actually helped improve Sonic's life by including him in their already happy life, also this dynamic works because movie Sonic has a personality that is compatible with them, unlike the Sonic from Sonic X that had little to none chemistry at all with Chris. So the first movie is the introduction, Sonic getting to meet them properly and becoming family, then the sequel portrayed Tom as a worried dad that wants his kid to have friends to hang out and so his screentime is reduced to give it to Knuckles and Tails so the family gets bigger and then in the third movie the primary colors trio is an already established team who fight like heroes while they have a home to return, Tom and Maddie assisted in a mission and Tom was used as a trigger to Sonic's character grow along with Shadow but obviously they are less and less needed because their role as "being the home Sonic returns to after going on adventures" is already fulfilled so next time I suppose they will have the fair amount of screentime only to tease Sonic about meeting a girl hedgehog 😂😂 and just do family moments towards the end. They aren't intrusive in the Sonic's lore and that's why they aren't hated.

Wade: on the movies he is simply a goofy guy, he doesn't have a lot of screentime but the little he has is worthy, he is just so funny when he interacts with the furros and well... The series was fun, I mean the knuckles series is just about knuckles and was not based on any videogame and was pure comedy so I guess he isn't technically being intrusive, his purpose is just make the "fun silly guy say something random" moment.

Agent Stone: this guy is the best seriously, he gets to be a welcomed human in Sonic universe thanks to his hilarious gay simp relationship with Eggman 👌👌 but really, this man honestly deserved better. He not only didn't steal any Eggman's screentime, he improved it! His dynamic with him is a lot more entertaining than with any of his goofy dumb robots servants. Is ironic right? We dislike Chris as Sonic's sidekick because we prefer a cute fox sidekick over a human kid but for Dr Eggman's minion we prefer this simp gay mess over his classic clumsy robots 😂😂, Agent Stone is an icon.

Rachel and company: and the last... Honestly, her purpose is "the loud relative that doesn't approve the husband of the couple that adopts Sonic and has a daughter that gives Sonic his iconic shoes", then she married a G.U.N agent, we could have lived without those wedding scenes but... The full premise of the games the sequel was based off was fulfilled, she might be bothersome but not too much she is funny like Wade and like all the humans in the movies they are disappearing from the movies, who knows if they will even appear at the next ones.

And that's all, what do you think about it? Anyway I can't wait to see my girl Amy in the next movie and I very much hope she has more screentime than any human that doesn't have a hammer and isn't pink! 😂😂

[differentdragonpeanutknight]

Ranking the Ninjago seasons in my own stupid opinion, the Finale: SIMPLY PEAK

There's no reason to mince words this time, cuz those are my all time favorites that I wouldn't mind rewatching all over again.

4. The Merged Lands + Quest for the Dragon Cores

I think is an agreement in the fandom that Dragons Rising was the breath of fresh air Ninjago needed, right? Especially after Crystalized showed to us how milked the og cast was. Yeah, some of the old cast is still here. Yeah, Lloyd is still a main character. But the situations they are been put here are new for them, and that's awesome.

Also, the new character are really well put together, and I say that about both Arin and Sora, and the rest of the side characters. (Except Dorama. Fuck Dorama) I think Arin, Sora and Wyldfire later are well-written and each of them has a good way to viewers to relate to them.

And speaking of characters, there's Ras and Beatrix. I don't care what people say, I love Beatrix as a Season 1 villain. She was exactly what the show needed to begin with. A delusional, unhinged woman that doesn't know when to stop. And Ras left a impressive good impression with the little screen time he had.

Also the animation is gorgeous. It's even better on the most recent seasons, but it was a literal blast back them. Ninjago never looked so good.

3. Seabound

Remember when I just said I love unhinged villains, yeah Kalmaar is one of my favorite villains just from how much of a bastard he is. Of course, he's not the only reason this season is here. I just feel like... This season's storytelling is really something else, the writers really outdid themselves on pulling all our emotional strings.

Do I like how Cole, Kai and Zane were handled this season? Absolutely not. Buuut nothing's perfect. Also, with how much I love characters like Nya, Jay, Maya or Benthomaar? Everything's fine. To be honest the season finale was the third time Ninjago made me cry, and I don't care with what Crystalized undid to the emotional chords, that's still one of the best finales ever.

2. Hunted

This season is so good. Actually so amazing. Everyone is the best here. Even characters with low screentime like the Elemental Alliance make their time worth it. Lloyd is at his best by going trough the Hero's Journey. Nya doesn't do much, but she's a solid anchor for Lloyd. Mystake is simply an amazing person that deserves the best. Despite some mid season jokes, Dareth sticks his landing as a good character. Come on, the guy was one the few people left to fight against Garmadon's power.

Speaking of Garmadon, he's such an upgrade from his zombie-like self from the previous season. He's not scary, of course not, it's a kids show. But he intimidates. And he has presence. Harumi is also kinda there, but her ultimate fate was a beautiful send off to her character and the actions she took.

Now, for the First Realm side. First of all, I loved how this season has too storylines going on back to back. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea, but there was enough good things happening on screen to keep me going. Even the Iron Baron. He's a weak villain by himself, but godamnit he's such a failman that I can't help but respecting for being such a loser. Of course the shitty guy who wouldn't survive by himself would lie about the Oni to keep his power.

As for the rest of the ninja, despite not being the main characters in this, serve their roles well as supporting characters for young Wu. Kai wasn't annoying yet and had his moments. Cole was being the best parent friend of them all. Zane didn't have any "quirky robot joke" to throw at us. And Jay was being the jerkass he is. And I love them all for that.

And then there's Wu. Hot take but this is one his best seasons. I didn't thought making both Lloyd and Wu go trough the Hero's Journey in the same season could've worked, but to me they were nuanced enough to work. And I love young Wu design. Fight me.

Now, if you were keeping up the seasons, you knows who's the winner.

1. Tournament of Elements

Yeah so. Let's see. Unhinged and carismatic villain? Check. A serious, bitter henchman that loathes one of the heroes? Check. A elimination game? Check. A game of masks where no one can trust no one? Check, check, check. This season has everything I love in stories. It is enganging, everyone has a role to play in it, and everyone plays amazingly. And come, this was the first big moment of world building. We found out there was more than was told to was. There was more elemental masters around Ninjago, and even if they were not all really flashed out, they left a good impression and a small fandom to each of them. *Hugs a Ash plushie*

Ahem. So, as for the characters. The main group at least. Like I said, no one was left behind. All of them brought something to the story. Lloyd was the emotional anchor between the viewers and Garmadon. Garmadon himself peaked here and nothing beats his character journey into a martir. Despite this being supposed to be his season and he kinda losing this position in the last few episodes, Kai was the perfect balance of hot-head and thoughful schemer. If wasn't for his plan, maybe things wouldn't have ended well for the heroes, and let's not forget that part of his plan depended on his skills to convince Skylor to join his side.

As for the remaining characters, despite having minors roles, they had weight on the overarching narrative. Jay was there to be the suspicious one, to not trust in anyone and only changing this when he accepted everyone there deserved a chance. If it wasn't for Cole, the elemental masters won't even have tried to escape the noodle factory. Zane had his last good story there with all the story of discovering himself again and embrancing who he is, even if he's not the same Zane from before. And Nya, she was on a roll. Infiltrating the island, going undercover, stealing the spell page. If it wasn't for her actions, that's was another thing that would've ended badly to the heroes.

And that's for me, this is the best season. It's not perfect, not any of them are. But they're all good in their own way. Even *shivers* Crystalized.

That's it for today. Thanks for keeping up with my rambles! 😊

[septnanis]

places to hide / soriku

“Hey,” Terra says, a tall shadow in the doorway.

Riku looks up at him and smiles. He likes Terra. Not just because they shared a moment so poignant that it shaped Riku’s future, but because Terra is a kind, steady presence in his life.

“You okay?” Terra asks.

But most of all, Riku feels like he can let his guard down. He nods, his throat feeling thick with emotion he can’t quite place.

“Yeah,” Riku says.

“Sora was worried about you,” Terra says. “May I?” He gestures to the overturned crate across from the one Riku is sitting on. “He said this is your favorite hiding spot.”

Riku nods and Terra sits down, the door shutting slowly behind him. Once it closes, only the light from underneath cuts through the darkness. It’s enough that they see each other.

“Are you?” Terra asks.

“Huh?” Riku replies.

“Hiding from something?” Terra moves a bit so he’s more comfortable.

From everything, Riku wants to say. From expectations, from my innate drive to keep going and going, a dozen other things and some he would never dare say out loud.

“I asked Sora why he didn’t look for you,” Terra says. “He seems to think you might be mad at him. Another year wasted on me, he said. Did you and Sora argue?”

Riku shakes his head. “No, I just…” he says. “I may have been avoiding him a little.”

Terra lets the words settle in the room for a while. It floats in the air like dust motes, catching whatever light is left in the room.

“I like sitting in dark places, too,” Terra says. “You’d think after years of being trapped in darkness I’d hate it. But it feels… comforting.” He runs his hands over the top of his legs. “Guess I learned to love my chains.”

“I felt like a monster,” Riku says. “Or a Heartless. But now it just feels nice… kinda quiet and almost peaceful. It makes stepping into the light feel even better.”

“Perfect balance,” Terra says. “You’re a wiser man than anyone who ever tried to teach me anything, Riku.”

Riku shifts and smiles. “Except for Aqua and Ven,” he says.

Terra nods. “They’re always my exception to everything,” he says in a fond tone.

Another silence falls.

When Terra chooses to speak again he does so carefully. “I know how you feel,” he says. “About yourself. And Sora.”

Riku’s demeanor changes, his back slightly straighter.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Terra says. “Or admit anything. I’m not going to push you to do anything. But I know you haven’t stood still for a moment since you left your home. I know despite how strong you are and how brave you’ve been, that you’re tired.”

Terra looks away from him, when Riku puts a hand on his own face. “I know you’re frustrated, and that maybe you think you don’t deserve to want the things you do.”

“I just want you to know that you deserve good things,” he says. “You deserve to be a happy young man in the prime of his life. Don’t give up on that.”

Riku inhales sharply, leans back and nods. “I didn’t waste anything,” he says. “Not for him.”

Terra places his hand on Riku’s shoulder and stands. “Tell him that, when you’re ready,” he says. “I think his answer might surprise you.”

Riku looks up at him and looks every bit the young man he is. When he nods again, Terra puts his hand on the door.

“It’s a good hiding spot,” Terra says. “Mind if I borrow it sometimes?”

Riku laughs, a little emotion stuck in the sound. “Sure,” he says. “I don’t mind.”

—-

“Sorry,” Riku says, weeks later. “If you thought I was avoiding you.”

Sora shrugs against his side. He sat down beside Riku when Riku invited him in without asking. Real light doesn’t ask permission, real darkness never pushes back. Perfect balance.

“That’s okay,” Sora says. “My foot’s in a bucket.”

“Your foot is a bucket,” Riku shoots back. It takes a beat, but they both snigger.

The silence between them is so different than the one between Riku and Terra. It’s lighter, and there’s electricity.

“I know sometimes you need some space,” Sora says. “You’ve always been like that. I don’t mind!”

Riku imagines how he couldn’t have fallen for Sora. It seems so impossible.

“You can tell me,” Sora says. “Even if it’s just a ‘I want to be alone now!’ thing. And if I ever do anything, you can tell me. You don’t owe me anything.”

Riku looks at him. His blue eyes, his spiky hair, his eyebrows, one just a little higher than the other. The way his mouth always looks like it wants to smile.

“And you could never be a waste of time,” Riku says. There’s a moment and then relief seems to wash over Sora’s face.

“It’s a good hiding spot,” Sora says, an echo of Terra that makes Riku smile.

When Sora lays his head just ever so slightly on Riku’s shoulder and lays the back of his hand against Riku’s leg. An open invitation to something he’s wanted for as long as he can remember.

Just because Riku reached out a little.

“It really is,” Riku says, lays his head ever so gently on Sora’s.

He reaches his own hand out, farther than he’s ever dared.

In the darkness, he’s no longer afraid.

[starhoodies]

i'm so in love with one of your last pieces, REBIRTH I think it is? It's so so good, was in inspired by anything in particular?? I'm just in love with it! Goshh I hope you get inspiration to finish it's accompaniment piece as well!

OH hey!! Sorry this is late!

The Rebirth WIP was for the previous soriku week's prompt, which I believe was "REVERSE // REBIRTH" (?)

I kinda knew right away I wanted to do "Rebirth", and the concept was initially inspired by a song that started off with "The End" and ended with "The Beginning" as its first and last lyrics.

I knew I wanted to go the pseudo baptism route because KH loves both subtle and unsubtle religious symbolism and so do I, especially when it comes to Riku. and YEAH IT'S ON THE NOSE, but so is haloing riku a billion times with the sun/literal halos in KH3 lest audience forgets hes gay jesus or whatever.

that's the short answer but I wrote more cause the adhd meds are bussin rn

so ok I wanted to do a companion piece that hearkened back to KHI's end from Riku's perspective. After everything he's done, his story ending in KHI being a perfect one for him in his eyes. One where he's cut loose from dragging his friends down with him. His vain attempt to gain power to alter the course of a destiny he feared resulting in losing himself and hurting the people he swore to protect. It's justice! It's his punishment. That's "THE END."

and then all of a sudden he's being roughly yanked outta the water by a frantic sora who has been looking everywhere for him.

Despite it all, he's dragged into a second chance. Through gaining control of his darkness and facing his fears in CoM, his choice to keep all his memories, his devotion to Sora, his last stand against Xemnas. Even after all he's done, even with the lengths he's gone to wake Sora up, and despite not even wanting to be found, he can still go home. (and he kinda doesn't get a choice cause sora and kairi were kinda ready to wrestle him to the ground lmao)

In the end, he gets his body back, gets his friends back, and even his old home welcomes him back, the same as it ever was.. KH2's end was super satisfying but it's also just the beginning. There's still much more weighing him down, even as he treads water back to the shore, but yknow...all in due time.

UHHH there's probably more to his I'm not explaining well enough but YOU get it. YOU'VE played the games. YOU know whats going on.

anyway I love it when riku looks at current circumstances and is like "yes this is how it should be, and is probably better than i deserve" and then the narrative hands him another W and he's like

[yume127]

It’s heartbreaking to think that, by the end of Days, Roxas felt so betrayed by everyone around him to fully believe that no one—not even his best friends—would have cared if he was gone.

For months, he questioned what was happening around him. Everyone around him acted strange, and it seemed like there were some things they were not telling him, but he still chose to trust them. That was until he found out that his best friends were keeping things from him, and the Organization, whom he’d always been loyal to until that point, was planning to get rid of him.

He ended up fighting with his best friend and running away, only to witness the death of his other best friend.

At that point, everything he ever cared about was lost, and he was so desperate that he embarked on a suicidal mission to destroy the Organization and free Kingdom Hearts, under the delusion that it would give him his old life back.

Except someone stopped him before he could. He got kidnapped and put into a simulation, where he had everything he had ever wished for—a normal life he gets to spend with his best friends.

For a brief time, everything seemed okay. He was happy.

That was until strange things started happening around him. He saw things no one else could, and started questioning his reality, only to find out it was fake. It was just an illusion to keep him at bay until he’d have to give up his life for another guy he barely knew, because apparently his life was much more worthy and important than Roxas’.

It didn’t matter how much he screamed and fought. No one was going to save him as he disappeared inside Sora.

He fought one last time, against the guy he had to give up his life for, and then he just gave up. He fully surrendered to the idea that he was just a part of Sora, and that “it really has to be [Sora]”.

No one cared about Roxas, anyway. Both the bad guys and the good guys wanted to get rid of him, and not even the people who cared the most about him truly believed he deserved his own life. He was just a Nobody, after all.

Except, it was not true.

Without realizing, during the time he was alive as his own person, he touched many people’s hearts.

Axel and Xion, his best friends, truly cared about him and just wanted to protect him from his fate. Xion would have wanted to be with him and Axel forever if fate hadn’t been so cruel to them. Axel’s deepest wish, after Roxas’ disappearance, was to bring him back.

Naminé, whom he only met briefly during his last seven days and shared his same fate, found a silver lining in believing they could be together (even if through Sora and Kairi) and held onto that promise of meeting him again and talking with him about everything.

Hayner, Pence and Olette immediately offered to help Sora save Roxas upon finding out their data selves were friends with him, and looked forward to the day they’d get to meet their new friend.

Sora himself, the guy Roxas had to give up his life for, was the first person to fully believe Roxas was his own person and deserved his own life, and he made it a priority to find a way to bring Roxas back.

Even some of the people who had been antagonistic with him during his life, like Saix and Ansem the Wise, helped to make sure Roxas could come back.

It was so satisfying seeing him coming back in KH3 and recognizing that many people helped him return. Because Roxas was important, and many people did, in fact, miss him and worked hard to allow for his return.

[danganronpaisbest]

An Aishi in Disguise Weeks 1 and 2 Cutscenes

Week 1: Hisoka Ito

Akademi High... one of the most high-class schools in all of Japan... things at the school have changed since the events of the last Aishi who attended the school... that girl is my mother... Ayano Aishi, the science teacher at my school... and my name is Kanji Yamada... her son... her only son... her pride and joy. I'm just like my mother.. an Aishi... I idolize her... I worship her... I wanna be just like her!! I thought that this year would just be any other normal year... that was until... I met her... Fumiko Mizono... one of the newest students at Akademi this year and the school's student librarian... only she's one grade above me. She's everything I wanted in a woman... same interests... same opinions... she's the person I've been waiting to appear in my life since i was a kid!! So... we started hanging out... during the weekends... during free time at school... even after school sometimes. She's my destiny... my soulmate... we were meant to be together. I want her all to myself!! ♡ But recently... someone has been trying to take her from me... Hisoka Ito... my childhood bully... and one of the richest boys in school. He wants her... but not in the same way I want her... he could never appreciate her the way i do!! He doesn't deserve her!! She belongs to me alone!! I won't let him ruin my life how he tortured me throughout my childhood!! He loves to go snooping through my bag... so I wouldn't be surprised if he finds the entry i wrote about him in my diary... if he does end up finding it... I'll make sure he's never seen from or heard from again. Fumiko senpai... will... be... mine!! She doesn't have a choice.

Week 2: Sora Enoshima

I thought that after eliminating Hisoka... Fumiko would be safe... but my mother said that throughout each every other week... a new threat will try to come in between me and Fumiko. I didn't believe her at first... until I found out she wasn't joking. Last friday a new boy had transferred to Akademi... his name is Sora Enoshima... apparently, the only reason why he enrolled in the academy was because he learned that the schools drama club leader is the daughter of his favorite actor. That explains why he immediately joined the drama club the day he arrived. He wants to impress her with his acting skills... He's a good actor but... he's really annoying. Bosses the other club members around too much... complains too much that he deserves to be famous. I lost my interest in theater and drama because of his guy. See, the drama club has been preparing for a play this year that the leader wrote herself... about a prince who fell in love with a village girl. Fumiko is taking the role of the village girl... and guess what... Sora is auditioning to play the role of the prince. And it's not just because he wants to play the lead role... It's MUCH more than that. See ever since, Mister. Cringe Lord arrived... he's been getting too close to her. It wasn't much time to realize that he has a crush on her. Just like Hisoka.. he plans to confess his love to her... at 6 pm on friday. I CAN'T let this bastard take her from me!! I have to get rid of him... I can't let him live!! Luckily, i have someone who can help me... the drama club leader who i keep mentioning... she's actually a very good friend of mine. She has a secret only me and her know. Last year... she killed her older brother during a play by sabatoging the stage lights to fall on top of him. Everyone thought it was an accident... but i knew the actual truth. She killed him so she could be the club leader. She hated her brother... the same way I hate Sora... and i can tell in her eyes... she ALSO wants him dead. Maybe she can help me kill him the same way she killed her brother... by bringing Sora's acting career dream crashing down on him!! Hmm... I wonder if auditions for the prince are still open~.

@mythicalhuman @fanganfan15 @makdreyartz @moonlightstarxdawn @mysticalstarlight-princess @cayleeray7312 @issy5316 @multifandomrat

[vesora]

forgiving yourself and others

this is less of a loa post and more of a personal one. for the sake of this post I will refer to soras life as "i". this is not a cohesive post at all

since things that are happening right now in my family life and personal life that reminded me of some things i said or did in the past i decided to do shadow work

to be honest growing up i was taught to stifle my real personality and go along with what society wants from me because my mother had a mentality that others need to know we are all okay and good in the public eye. This led me to be a perfectionist who can't handle mistakes and wants to please everyone even if it went against what I believed in. Reading back old texts I realised how ashamed I am of who I was back then. I was so stuck in this victim mentality of wanting others to like me that I never asked myself whether I like myself.

I've always wanted to be seen and heard by people. As a desi living in Greece, the most affected minority is us because we are privy to the most migrant attacks. Although I've stopped experiencing racism now due to the law I feel that the "past" me even up to last year was bitter that the desi community wasn't receiving any help by the global media. I always put myself down and that manifested in an outer expression of passive aggression.

To be honest, the past few months have been so transformative for me. I feel completely new and honest. I have a huge time with my own mistakes but have forgiven everyone else in my life and I think that's unfair to me.

Realising that it's okay to make mistakes, it's okay to fuck up, it's okay

I mean even writing this i hate it because I want to ruminate over my mistakes for a lifetime but I've grown so much and I've learned how to be better not only to myself but to others as well.

All I've ever wanted is to make people happy. I'm not saying this because I want to establish a positive image of myself, I genuinely mean it. I have no enemies and all I ever want is to grow as a person and understand different world views and how people operate. My entire life my main goal was to help people because it was never fair how one person could have the world and the other person didn't have a bed to sleep in. All I wanted was for people to be safe and happy. Spending countless nights crying because i felt I couldn't help the world and then I found loa and everything changed. Yet, when I had to stop volunteering and helping refugees from multiple places because of university, I felt like the worst person on earth. If I want to help others, I must first help myself.

Now, I am the most honest I have ever been in my life. LOA helped me a lot because this is exactly what I wanted, to be free. I still have BPD episodes and depressive episodes from time to time but I feel more stable than ever.

Forgive yourself and learn to grow, it's okay. Even though I don't fully believe this yet, I don't feel I deserve this happiness, we are in this journey together. I forgave everyone now it's time to forgive myself.

[knarme-stray]

I have a soft spot for Sephiroth's real mother, Lucrecia, because she's like... A victim of the most toxic workplace bullshit ever, fell for a scary sexy guy (Hojo 🥵 like I understand this COMPLETELY actually,), and actually...

...No, she didn't make the bravest choices. She also didn't make very "good" choices either. Nightmarish environment, bad choice after another, also abuse she had no control over...

And after everything?

She hides herself and can't face the world.

Like yeah, she was just somebody in the system. Not a hero because a lot of people are too scared and traumatized and frozen to be "brave", or maybe in extremely authoritarian environment many people will just live in survival mode. Like everyone else making that system roll, she contributed to its evils, she is guilty.

I know she wouldn't be one of the most hated FF7 characters if she was a guy so pls let me love this flawed tragic woman pls?

Like. Idk what redeeming qualities she even has. She's like, just not some great person but what if her potential just never had a chance? Guess what, deadbeat losers are some of my faves.

Like... Genesis is also a badly written mess and has said things that almost sound like a school shooter manifesto (honestly the most unsympathethic thing about him) and his value system seems pretty reduced to just personal revenge etc., instead of allying with Avalanche against Shinra etc. more interesting paths to take... And look, I'm also a Genesis fan... I used to be completely obsessed with him actually. Frame by frame tried to analyse every bit of his screentime and what hidden symbolisms about his relationship to the other characters I could find in it... Even if just reading into it too much. <\3 But yes we love this BPD-ridden greater than life drama queen.

Something can have crap writing but you can still like it... Honestly many of the spin-off characters are like that. I think many of my favorite characters in any media are either very underrepresented side characters, or ones with a really juicy good idea about them, yet a bad execution. (*coughs* Seph's besties. <3)

(coughs. shakes Kunsel violently because I love him)

Also if we don't count Org XIII from KH, Namine is one of my faves too (despite how I've loathed reducing female characters to this kind of role all my life, - Namine just has themes about her I find somberly relatable and she has a significant place in the KH AU fanon that exists in my head).

She feels like she's defined by someone else whose shadow she exists in (Kairi) and kind of... Leads this somber lonely existence of disconnection. In that game where those lesb- I mean Marluxia and Larxene are the main villains, Namine's only close people who even talk to her at all are these... Abusive mfrs. She idealizes and loves Sora whom she doesn't even really know, also gets mega rejected too.

Like bro. I project a major "traumatized autistic teen who's preyed on by the only people who talk to her and who loves this boy she doesn't even really know" LIKE. RELATABLE. POOR BABY. NAMINE IS SO INTERESTING AND DESERVES EVERYTHING ACTUALLY.

And that she's soooo frail. She doesn't get much chances to really punch back, just like Lucrecia. Ah, the turning knife in wounds that is getting 0 justice. Being too frozen to fight bcs PTSD is a beast like that. Etc. Etc.

Like. Neither of these characters is exactly some power fantasy. Claiming more agency is something that often remains a suffocated hope, as you know, learned helplessness gets.

That's such a human experience whether you like it or not.

Pls don't be butthurt about me calling Genesis badly written, it really is my opinion about many things I love and enjoy. I like things. Oh my god.

[mythicalartistx]

I hate Master Odin from DR and my opinions of the other Masters

Mickey

Mickey is constantly hated in KH but there is someone who deserves it so much more. First of all he only knew Aqua was in the realm of darkness for a year.

Then Yen Sid commanded him not to go, plus he was busy with dealing with Organization XIII, then the Journal, and the exams Sora and Riku took. And the last two only probably took a month or so each.

Then he tried to find her with Riku's help because it's probably better to go with another person....

I don't get it especially when Odin— the worse master to ever happened exists.

And Mickey did so much for Riku and helps him when he needs someone.

I hate Odin with so much passion and one of the main reasons is that he isn't shown as doing anything wrong. They treat it like he didn't make any mistakes.

Ansem

He makes Ansem look so good in comparison —who I have mixed feelings on and I think Ansem's change of heart isn't genuine and seems way too fast.

Like the dude is talking trash about nobodies and how they don't deserve to exist and they have no feelings. Then suddenly at the end you regret that and is like I'm sorry Roxas?? Like why? How did you get to this reason?

It doesn't seem genuine and then he sacrifices himself like oh now we're supposed to feel bad because he did this one good thing?

And Riku did not need to deal with this guy, he's awful.

But back to him.

Odin

This guy is the reason why Xehanort is the way he is. He set him on the path. Odin can't understand mental health. This student of his was going through some things because his sister was missing and presumably dead. He was not in a good head space and depressed so Odin decides to isolate him??

Yeah.....

Not a good thing.

It makes him worse and then darkness influences him🤦

And then there are these missing students so he decides the best thing to find the students are to send his INEXPERIENCED UNDERCLASSMEN?

It makes no sense.

It's stupid.

They could also get hurt.

Why doesn't he A MASTER TRY TO LOOK FOR THEM or send I don't know another master???

But he send Xehanort Eraqus and several others.

And basically them going to worlds make it where they question how things are which lead Xehanort down his path of destruction. It makes him curious about darkness and curious if it's right or wrong to dwell in world's affairs even if it's a world with people doing bad things.

Then the student who was not in a good place... Yeah Baldr gets influenced by darkness badly and wants to hurt and decides to kill everyone

IT'S NOT GOOD

And then Xehanort and Eraqus are the only ones left. So Odin decides to tell Xehanort to kill him.

And Xehanort has been having thoughts about darkness and light and what everything means. And he didn't exactly disagree with some of the things Baldr said.

WHY WOULD HE PLACE THE BURDEN ON XEHANORT?

And by doing that he cause him to eventually go down dark path.

Then Odin retires.

I'M SO GLAD.

He deserves to retire after failing and being an awful person and master.

Like dude is so bad.

But that's not until he sends the two survivors into taking the mark of mastery exam which is a stupid exam which always have bad things happen.

And Xehanort meets The Master of Master who honestly seems chaotic and just does things because he is bored. That's my gist of this guy. An he's not good for him.

He causes him to go farther in and become worse.

Yeahhhhhhh

He gets so interested learning about darkness and light. He probably heard about things relating to kingdom hearts from M.O.M.

Then Xehanort leaves Eraqus and when he comes back he's different. Eraqus can tell and realizes he has been obsessed with darkness. They even get in fights. It doesn't go well.

And Odin isn't heard from again thank goodness.

If Sora dealt with this guy man it would be so bad.

Master Yen Sid

Now he isn't that great.

For one he believes all nobodies are bad?

Like why? They just want hearts to live. They aren't bad people. But he makes Sora think really bad of them.

Also he doesn't really do much. He seems to be really strong as shown in kh3 but he just sits back and lets all the kids do everything.

During the exam in DDD, it was rigged because of Xehanort. And Sora doesn't pass because Riku dived in a second time. BUT SORA WOULD DEFINITELY DO IT FOR RIKU.

It's the stupidest reason why Sora didn't pass. I'm fine with the idea of Sora not becoming a master yet BUT MAYBE DO A BETTER REASON OR SOMETHING

Yen Sid is dumb.

Also not allowing anyone to go back to search for Aqua until kh3

And taking the exam in the first place is dumb. They just realized that something bad is in the midst from the recoded events and then he summons Sora and Riku to take this exam.

They don't think someone might try to mess with it AT ALL??

Also as Sora said, they proved themselves several times. Only because of Riku insecurities they end up taking it. Riku's still doesn't believe in himself and fears his darkness a bit...

So Sora takes because Riku does. He just wanted to take it with him and be with him by doing so.

Yeah that doesn't work out.

Also Yen Sid training Kairi with Axel is kinda bad??? Like they should have helping them instead of endlessly training. It doesn't seem that great since they both easily gets knocked away.

But yeah, it's not too good but it's not necessary bad.

Eraqus

He's a pretty decent Master. And when I say decent I mean he tried. What he does that no one else does is he APOLOGIZES. He acknowledges what he does is wrong in kh3. He hugs all of them and apologizes. It seems genuine.

And after dark road his actions make sense he does what he does because he's afraid of them dying from darkness like Baldr or being corrupted and dangerous.

Though I HAVE NO IDEA why he brought Xehanort around?

Did he not remember??

He sees all three of his apprentices as his own.

He has Aqua look out for Terra because he was worried. But he realizes how much pressure he put on her.

As for Ven he thinks destroying him is the best way to stop the χ blade from being forged and doing what Xehanort wants.

IMMEDIATELY AFTER HE REGRETS IT.

He is like how could I raise my hand against you, talking to Terra and referring to Ventus.

And Terra protects Ventus because he cares for him and he uses darkness for a good reason.

And I'm not going into Aqua because she doesn't really do that much with others besides watch Terra which Eraqus told her to do, it's not from her own decisions and things. She doesn't really have time to act that much. And afterwards she is by herself in the realm of darkness.

Riku, I'm not going into either because he doesn't do much yet involving his title.

[thelazyhermits]

Hello!

I would like to ask about how school life is going for Sora and Tsuki? How well liked are they? Do they have lots of admirers? Do they have reputations like being one of the Three Beauties, the School Prince, the Bully Hunter, or such? What do their father figures or Ruggie think of how well they are doing in their studies and/or social prowess?

I hope you have a great day!

Haven't really given much thought to their school lives since they were both so young when they were adopted, Tsuki especially lol

I'd say school life goes well for the two once they start going to school since their fathers made sure they ended up at a good school they would approve of and Azul/Jade made sure to use their skills to get as much info about the school as possible to make sure it was as good as everyone says it was and didn't have any skeletons in its closet lol 😂

Tsuki ends up with a lot of admirers starting in middle school cause she grows up to be as pretty as a princess, which is why she ends up with the nickname Princess. She's like a child model thanks to all the photos Cater has taken of her over the years and all of Vil's teachings about beauty which she took to heart at a young age cause she wanted to be as beautiful as him and her daddy.

Tsuki is also popular cause she's super sweet, and that's thanks to Yuu's influence cause she wants to be just like her mama who's the most wonderful lady in the whole wide world.

There are plenty of boys who have gotten their hearts stolen by this girl. Unfortunately for them, she has super high standards and won't date anyone unless they're as cool and strong as her daddy. Needless to say, Malleus is VERY happy about this 😂

Sora is popular cause she's super athletic and good at pretty much every sport. She's the one all the sports teams fight over every year, and they go to her when someone is out sick/injured and they're in desperate need of someone to take their place for a big game/match.

She's known as the school's Sports Superstar since she ends up breaking a lot of sports records during her time at school, which Yuu and Leona are super proud of her for along with all the other TWST boys who are athletes. When she beat a record during a track meet for the first time, Deuce and Jack were cheering so hard; Deuce was on the verge of tears lol

Because of her sports skills, Sora has plenty of athletic admirers, and she also has plenty of rivals who are constantly trying to beat her since many of them don't like how she's always in the spotlight. The guys especially hate how Sora is more popular with girls than them lol

Thankfully, though, none of these kids are like NRC students so no one ever tries to sabotage or bully Sora, not that it would even work cause Sora can take care of herself just fine thanks to everything she has learned from watching Yuu, Leona, and Ruggie.

Academics wise, I'd say Tsuki and Sora are both average, although Sora struggles more since she's really not fond of studying. Tsuki's not particularly fond of studying either, but they both work hard and always do their best to make their family proud. That's why they're not failing any classes and overall have decent grades. Of course, it also helps that there are so many smart people in the family that can help them, including their brothers who are the nerds of the family lol

Malleus is quite pleased with how popular Tsuki is cause he thinks his little princess deserves all the love and attention. Most importantly, he's just really happy that her school life was the exact opposite of his, so she never has to worry about being lonely. He's also very proud of her for always doing her best with her studies and all her other school responsibilities.

As I mentioned earlier, Leona is super proud of what a superstar Sora is and Ruggie is too. It makes Ruggie feel really good to see a kid from the slums like him succeeding so greatly and making a name for herself at such a young age.

It really fills Leona with pride that Sora is so sought after by her peers - that she's their #1 choice since that's always what he wanted for himself, so it feels really good to see that his daughter is getting that treatment.

Studies wise, Ruggie really wouldn't care about grades just as long as Sora is passing, and honestly, I doubt Leona would care that much just as long as Sora is learning/doing her best. However, I could see Leona telling Sora that he'll hire her a private tutor that will work with her the whole summer break if she needs it, which would light a fire under her since that's obviously NOT how she wants to spend her summer break lol 😂

[wholecakeincest]

5 and 22 for ichiji, and/or sanji if you want 😋 (also curious about 16, but you dont gotta answer that one if you don't wanna 😆)

Did them all in one post just for you 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️ (I’ll be putting everything after my first answer under a read more)

5 — First song that comes to mind

Unfortunately I’m not a song guy, I listen to music but I don’t think my taste is varied enough to really comment on anything (judge will be skipped gomen nesai)

Ichisan

Ichiji’s pov — IFHY Taylor the creator

Sanji’s pov — Bitch Allie X

22 — If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

Admittedly I am not a huge fanfic reader in general so I fear my answers may be totally boring haha

Sanji — I’ve only encountered in what counts as hate fic but acting as if Sanji is emotionally abusive to zoro and homophobic to him ( whatever that means) which don’t get me wrong can be appealing I certainly would right it but it’s done in a totally grating way where you can tell the person is trying to attack sanji fans/zosanner’s in general and how zoro deserves better which lol. Sanji fans do normally get it right because i feel like his writing is very easy to grasp if you don’t have personal icks towards him.

Ichiji — oh brother, there’s a reason why I don’t like reading 99% of Vinsmoke fanfiction because they are bad. I’ve ranted about this to friends before but a lot of Vinsmoke fans try and shove angst to try and seemingly ‘make up’ their lack of it which is wrong because the vinsmokes are tragic they’re quite literally robbed of free will, isolated and their only contact with people are a) their sister who hates them b) their father who’s a fascistic abuser and c) clones that once again do not have free will. But then you have fanfics like Ichiji has always hated judge and feels sorry for Sanji and I just roll my eyes and scroll, this and the amount of times I’ve had to see so called Vinsmoke fans go ‘well actually I only like the guy in my head!!!’ Please be mindful that there are ACTUAL fans of these characters like I feel crazy saying this because it’s such a wide spread attitude, but also the bottom Ichiji fics…… the bottom Ichiji fics. My greatest sin ever is wanting my favs to have good characterisation.

Okay so that got too out of hand but the things I like, well thankfully I only read vincest so Ichiji characterisation is very very good, a big fav of mine is when Ichiji does a cruel thing and then maybe does a lil action (hugging or petting the top of Sanji’s head) that seems a little sweet a good contrast to his earlier actions and I always go crazy for it

Judge — don’t really read judge fics because nobody really writes about him, bad things is well similar to my irks with a lot of Ichiji stuff, but the main thing I’ve noticed is that people just hate judge even getting a little bit of exploration like you could say judge showed sadness or was affected by Sora’s death and some person would ‘ermmm this is high key weird’ like okay whatever you’re boring, I blame oda’s writing on being incapable to write nuanced women a lot of the time for a lot of opinions around JudgeSora because the majority just cannot fathom a sweet woman like Sora marrying a demon like Judge out of love but like if we look at reality a lot of women who are sweet and kind will still stand by or date abusers! It’s not crazy to think they had some sort of loving relationship.

Something that I would like to see more hmm is maybe just exploring his relationship to his children that isn’t just straight up ‘judge is an evil abuser with zero care!’ Because that’s not true even in canon he does care about his kids! He admits he can’t kill sanji bc he does feel a paternal care towards him! It would be interesting to me but like I doubt really anybody but a few I have in mind could pull this off or even want to lol.

16. What's your least favorite ship for this character?

Sanji — haha there’s a reason I don’t call myself an allsan despite liking or not minding a good few Sanji ships, for me acesan and zosan are the big ones, I don’t think I’ll ever like these, like I can understand why people ship them (well I’ll be honest I don’t with acesan it really baffles me) ive read the evidence and still nothing about it is intriguing to me I can’t even dead dove these guys that’s how bad it is.

Ichiji — oh lord. I hate any non vincest ships with 124ji genuinely and truly if you’re a stranger and put that on my god honouring tl you will be blocked, but the biggest offender is ace x Ichiji (where my hatred of bottom Ichiji comes in) it’s genuinely offensive to me at this point, the middest of all mid yaois oda did me a service killing off ace all bad Ichiji characterisation comes from these shippers not a singular one has been good.

Judge — thankfully almost everyone hates the guy so I don’t have to put up with *spins my wheel* judge x Dr hog back