#Sora was more subtle about Kairi

[sailforvalinor]

Roxas: *is withdrawn and silent during his first week at the Organization, isn’t really interested in talking to anyone*

*a mysterious, silent girl who always keeps her hood up joins the Organization*

Roxas:

[naydralikessoup]

I'm thinking about the scene in kh1 where sora gets to see kairi again for the first time since destiny islands got darkness'd and she's super unconscious and sora only gets to see like. her hand. and he can tell something's off but still tries to talk to her and she twitches a little bit despite being I cannot stress this enough like. practically dead.

something about that is a genius portrayal of love to me...... sora's words don't heal her, she doesn't wake up, he doesn't fix everything, but he's still clearly and undeniably special to her, and I think they both know it.......

idk it's about how his inability to help (at least for the moment) doesn't change the way he matters so deeply to her. it shows how unconditionally they care about each other in such a simple (and CLEAN!!!) way

[thetrashthatsmilesback]

So building off the "Sora is now fictional" idea, Roxas is more of a person than Sora is.

Lower your pitchforks and hear me out. This isn't a "Roxas is just Sora but actually interesting" post. I find those fucking annoying as well, and I prefer Roxas to Sora (though you wouldn't be able to tell based on my posts - sue me, the concept of hearts living inside each other and how that would effect the og person is too fascinating to ignore... which actually leads me into the main point of this post)

Roxas fought tooth and nail to be seen as an individual. He carved his identity out of rock while everyone around him acted like a demolition team trying to destroy it at every moment.

Sora willingly gives up his identity. While Roxas is firm in who he is, even in the moments where he doubts his humanity, Sora is a chameleon. From the obvious things such as hiding his darkness to the more subtle way his actual design changes across even individual games. Im going to actually split this up into two parts - Sora loaing his identity to those he interacts with and Sora losing his identity to those within his own heart.

- Sora when it comes to those outside of Sora's heart, Sora is whatever the person at that moment needs. He's the light for Riku, he's a confidante for various Disney characters, he's the unchanging (stable, steady) knight in armor for Kairi, he's the joyful companion to Goofy and Donald, but simultaneously the avenging angel of the side of light towards the nobodies. Sora is what he needs to be at any given moment because his driving force is his loyalty to his friends. Sora doesn't have an identity he clings to outside of his loyalty. It's his strongest unchanging trait. "Sora is light!" Except for when he admits to Riku he struggles with darkness and agrees to be the darkness. Except for when overuse of his drive forms (overuse of reliance on his friends) turns him into a pseudoheartless. Except for when rage over takes him and he transforms infront of everybody into a dark form to attack Xehanort after Kairi dies. Sora is a light for those who need him to be, but Sora himself is not pure light. Which actually brings me to my next section.

People have talked at length about Sora being less intelligent in later games than he was in kh1 and kh2, with the worst being in 3D, but I think to an extent this is also Sora molding himself (on top of flanderization by the writers). Sora is goofy and silly to those who need it. Think about who he acts "dumb" around. Its the newly reformed scientists, or those who need a confidence boost (he allows people to overexplain to him). We see in re:mind that kh3 Sora never once lost his intelligence from the previous games, but he allows others to call him forgetful/silly/behind (which he literally is, his memories are objectively fucked why are they mocking him for memories they never worked to help him restore agh *rips hair out). Sora knows they need someone to lighten things, or to explain to in order to think things through, and so there he is. "I don't computer, so you do that," he says while piloting a ship. He's talking to the newly reformed scientists, he knows that this is their chance to solidify themselves on the side of light, and so he sends them off to do their work without his help.

- for those inside his heart, there's a ton to talk about but I'm going to begin with the bridge I used from the first part. Every light has a balancing darkness. The closer you are to the light, the greater your darkness grows. Darkness is a shadow (which is why Sora losing his shadow when in anti form is not only a cool as fuck animation detail but important in terms of lore) so what does that mean for Sora who housed Ventus's heart of pure light within his own? People have commented that sora's darkness has grown since the first game, and others have pointed out that the hollow in the space of the heart in the Darkseid is obviously related to Sora's capacity to hide others within his own heart, and the fact that Sora's name doesn't only translate to "sky" but can be translated as "void"... thats all relevant but im at work so I'm not going to get too much into that at this moment. instead I'm going to point out that if his heart was holding a heart of pure light (two at one point with kairi), and all hearts except for those which either belong to princesses of light OR which are artificially split from their darkness must have darkness inside of their hearts. Riku shows that this darkness is about balance for light (I'm not getting into the "Riku actually has more light in his heart than Sora" meta arguments, though I do agree that the text is open to that interpretation and I enjoy the theory). If Sora had a heart of pure light within him, then he would have to artificially darken his own heart to keep balance.

It's also further than taking on the pain of Roxas and Xion. We see the way he gives himself up for those in his heart with his actual actions and looks. Sora (and Roxas, God i wish they'd explore more what it means to be the nobody of two hearts rather than one or if roxas is actually Ven's nobody instead of Sora's but Roxas's arc is over sadly) walks with his arms behind his head the way Ventus does. Many people have pointed out that Sora's hair is decidedly a lighter color after the KH2 prologue than at any other point in series (including in official art and posters), leading many to theorize that he actually changed appearance in response to Roxas's blond hair.

Even at the times when Roxas gives into the idea that he himself is not an individual, or implies that he and sora truly are one ("I know he'll do it, because he's me,") there's still the fight within him that he *is* a person with a distinct personality and way of being.

Sora doesnt have a distinct way of existing. Sora is what others require at that moment. This almost ties into the whole "Sora went to the realm of fiction" thing. "Sora the Concept" has become an ideal of whatever those around him invision him being at that moment while "Sora the Person" has slowly dissipated behind layers of acting.

So yeah, Roxas is more of a person than Sora is. Sora has become a concept, the idealized version of himself that others came up with, and which he molded himself to fit, losing his personhood in the process.

Sorry if this is incomprehensible. I'm at work and didn't take my meds 🤙

[braveheartstoryteller]

I have some non-cohesive thoughts about the Guardians of Light Gather scene in KH3. There is a ton of little pieces, that I don't know exactly how they all fit. They only bring up more questions in my mind. But to sort my brain, I want to put them here. One question I've been trying to answer is what does it mean when Sora puts his hands behind his head? Does it mean that Sora is at ease, or ill at ease? I am leaning toward the latter, because most of the times I can think of when this happens, it makes the most sense in context. But it is still a bit unclear. In this case, Sora seems to be ill at ease about all the Keyblade Master talk, which the story highlights by Donald mentioning that "Sora needs more work." Sora clearly gets defensive here. That brings me to another question of mine. Am I supposed to laugh over Donald's ribbing of Sora? This happens twice in this scene, as Donald gives Sora grief over his lack of skills, then later as Donald reminds Sora "three half pints make a whole." There is laughter, and Sora doesn't make a stink, yet...everything feels awkward too. It could be just me, but I honestly don't know how to take any of that. Not everything are questions though, some are connections made. Such as Sora's reaction to Aqua, as she remembers him, but he doesn't. What is interesting, is in Dream Drop Distance, Sora does remember a memory that has Aqua in it. Why that doesn't come up here, I'm not sure. What is apparent to me, is Sora's awkwardness over not remembering Aqua. In fact, he seems to be quite unhappy over the prospect. Even after Aqua tells him that it is alright, Sora's smile is quite forced. I do think this moment is a piece of the overall puzzle of this scene, but I am not sure yet how it fits. Moving along, "Since when do you mope?" is of course the piece of dialog that keeps me coming back to this scene. And yes, Riku is right, something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark. But why? I'm still not sure. On a random whim this morning, I went to look at a scene from the original Chain of Memories. (For an entirely different reason, I might add.) I found this:

So the idea of Sora moping is not original to KH3, it has come up before. (It is still mentioned in the re-make of CofM as well.) In KH3, Sora's only reply is simply go wide-eyed. What on earth could that mean? Especially when something like Chain of Memories is a (seemingly) hotly debated topic in the fandom, in terms of how it effects Sora. I'm not one to take a side in such a situation, instead using it as a way to look at a story from all angles. I'm just that way. I still have to question though, could there be a connection? Finally, and this is one of the major reasons why I revisit this scene from time to time. There is a moment easily missed in the exchange between Kairi and Sora at the end. Kairi tells Sora "Trust me-- I'm not giving up." Sora says nothing, but instead does this:

It's subtle but it is there. Sora's surprised over Kairi's words. As if, perhaps Kairi gets to the heart of the matter. I'm not sure. In the end, it is actually Yen Sid that propels Sora back to action. While I find Yen Sid a dry character (and annoying at times) here he both validates Sora's concerns, and encourages Sora as well. Not a bad thing in my book.

[howdomaddie]

on sora’s time in the sleeping worlds and coming to terms with other’s pain

so, i was recently rewatching a playthrough of the kingdom hearts series from a YT channel i particularly enjoy and had some thoughts when it came to dream drop distance. the player had quite a bit to say about the overall plot of that game, and that seems to fall in line with how i’ve seen a lot more people than i thought view DDD as well--that it’s not that great? i totally get being frustrated with the real organization shenanigans because the planned time travel was a bit much but…idk, i’ve never really been into KH for the villains and their schemes. DDD has always kind of been one of my favorites, so as i was rewatching this playthrough of it, i was thinking over why it gets the flack it does story-wise, and why i still think it’s good beyond that.

i’ve always loved riku’s arc, and i loved sora in DDD, but i was honestly “meh” on it until this current rewatch when i was thinking over it all again, and keeping in mind other things in the series better. and now i think i’ve cracked it--i figured out a nice little piece for why sora’s arc works, even if it’s subtle and possibly not fully intended.

and…bear with me here…but it’s partially because of re:coded

STAY WITH ME, I PROMISE I HAVE A POINT!!! it’s below the cut since this will be long, but hear me out: sora in DDD is going through the same things that data sora did in re:coded, and proving that he will always come to the same conclusion about how to handle the pain the others in his heart have gone through (maybe someone’s discussed all of this before, so sorry if i’m just rehashing a well-known point, but…wanted to share my thoughts, haha)

okay. so, in order to really talk about this, let’s revisit what are probably the most important sections of re:coded, and what they do well on a story-telling level.

in the last quarter or so of re:coded, data sora is brought back to help mickey and friends find the meaning of the second message that’s appeared in jiminy’s journal: “Their hurting will be mended when you return to end it.” data sora ends up arriving at an illusion of castle oblivion, and is goaded along by a data version of roxas to go deeper into the castle. this data roxas taunts him about how he’ll never remember the people he encounters in each part of the castle, poking and prodding data sora along through all the revisited worlds.

in one of the earliest rooms (destiny islands i think), data sora has a conversation with the data version of riku that has turned up. data riku shows him a vision of riku and kairi from the events of KH1. afterwards, data riku asks what data sora would have done if he’d known this. and data sora answers immediately:

[ ID: an image of data sora from kingdom hearts re:coded. he has a determined expression on his face, and his clenching his fist as a show of conviction. the subtitles read: "I would’ve helped you, of course. Both of you! I’d’ve figured out how to undo the hurt." End ID. ]

data riku seems pleased with this outcome, and he eventually goes on to say: “Just follow your heart, and you can change the lives of not one, but many.”

as data sora goes deeper into this version of castle oblivion, he only comes across more pain in his heart as he forgets the people he meets. he may forget the people themselves, but the doesn’t forget that he met someone as he goes through the castle.

[ ID: four images from kingdom hearts re:coded. data sora looks sad and pensive as he says this to data roxas, placing a hand over his heart: “But still, I’m frustrated that I’ve forgotten them. I feel moments of loneliness. You said there would be no hurt feelings, but I AM hurting. When the memories are gone, they just leave a hole. And having that longing inside me hurts.” End ID. ]

data roxas eventually confronts data sora about what he’s come to terms with in the castle: that some of that pain he’s feeling is what helps him connect with others, to truly empathize with them. data roxas sees this as a sign that data sora passed his test, to see if he could come to terms with the pain in the hearts he’s most closely connected to.

data namine soon confirms that the real sora carries around a lot of pain that isn’t his own inside his heart--and that he’s found a way to face the suffering all of these disparate parts of himself had to endure. he’s already equipped to face it and help those he’s met that have been lost.

something that i think i’ve come to appreciate more is that as he’s gotten older, sora has ended up becoming really emotionally intelligent. he’s an extremely empathetic character, and always has been. after all, he gave a piece of himself to someone to fix their broken heart when he was still an infant.

[ ID: an image from kingdom hearts birth by sleep. a four year old sora looks upset as he holds ventus’s heart in his hands and asks, “Are you sad?” ]

we all know that his empathy and ability to connect emotionally to others is kind of sora’s whole thing--his friends are his power! but it makes sense that sora’s able to face the pain and suffering characters like xion and ven went through because he is such an open and caring person.

what struck me as critical in all this as i was thinking over what sora goes through in DDD are the instructions namine gives for how to handle the pain of others that sora is holding onto.

[ ID: three screenshots of data namine and data sora from kingdom hearts re:coded. data namine explains to data sora: “There’s only one way to deal with that [pain]; you face it head-on and then you accept it. And if it happens that the hurt is too great for you to bear it alone, well, then you turn to a friend close to your heart.” End ID. ]

this is less a “do this thing for the first time” to me--it’s data namine reinforcing something that data sora (and the real sora by extension, obviously) already knows very well. there is strength to be found in the bonds you share, and that if you need it, you can always rely on the friends you’ve made. this was made apparent through the entire series but this serves as a reminder that yes, sora has been doing the best thing he can. he has remained true to his heart, and is willing to rely on those he cares about.

we know that being alone and only relying on yourself is not the best thing to do in the series--it’s part of what drives riku to darkness in KH1--so that’s why this is a reassurance that sora already knows how to face this sort of pain.

so. WHAT on earth does this have to do with dream drop distance, you might be asking. well, it all stems from the YT channel i was watching this series playthrough from. the channel is PlayFrame (highly recommend looking at their stuff!) and dan, the one playing through the series, had a good take on re:coded's story: he liked the general themes being played with at the end of re:coded, but was upset it was not happening to actual sora. and that sentiment stuck with me as i got to DDD in the series playthrough, and that’s the lens that i viewed sora’s side of the story through.

anyway. let’s dive (ha) in, shall we?

at the end of re:coded, king mickey writes that letter in a bottle that gets to sora in the post credits of KH2 to explain the revelations from the end of re:coded. sora knows now that he’s the thread that will save people like roxas and xion and aqua and ventus, and he knows what data namine was wanting him to eventually face.

at the start of DDD, sora is aware that he needs to face the pain of others that is currently residing in his heart and find a way to save those that have been lost. he is primed with that knowledge, and likely wants to face it the way data sora did.

why do i think this? well…it's in the true secret ending of BBS, first off. sora acknowledges the contents of the letter (likely mickey explaining re:coded and asking him and riku to meet with yen sid), and knows that he was shaped partially because of the BBS trio and the pain he has in his heart from others.

[ ID: screenshots from kingdom hearts birth by sleep of sora speaking to kairi on the destiny islands. he says, "I have to go. I am who I am...because of them." End ID. ]

i think that the mark of mastery exam in DDD was really a chance for sora and riku to do some self-reflection and consider what may or may not be holding them back from becoming classical keyblade masters. in BBS, master eraqus says this of the mark of mastery exam:

Today you will be examined for the Mark of Mastery. Not one but two of the Keyblade's chosen stand here as candidates...but this is neither a competition nor a battle for supremacy--not a test of wills, but a test of heart. [...] Remember, [ for Aqua and Terra's duel ] there are no winners, only truths, for when equal powers clash, their nature is revealed.

eraqus's words are admittedly more specific to the exam aqua and terra had, but the idea that what's being tested is the person's heart seems very relevant to sora and riku in dream drop distance. they both have a chance to reflect on themselves, and who they truly are.

we know how riku’s arc goes: he finally realizes that he does have the power to protect what matters to him, and that darkness in his heart is not something to fear. it does not make him any less worthy to wield a keyblade, nor does it keep him from being a keyblade master.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of riku and sora. sora’s arm is slung over riku’s shoulder and he is beaming. riku doesn’t seem to believe what he’s saying: “Really? I’m a Keyblade Master?” ]

but what about sora? first off, i do agree that first and foremost sora never really cared about the results of this mark of mastery--he's never needed the "master" label, nor does he think riku needs it. but he goes through with it especially to help riku finally overcome what doubt he still has.

anyway, outside of Overall Series Plot happening to him in this game and the contrived reason he isn’t also named a master, what does sora come to realize? well, it’s what data namine wanted for him: to face the pain inside him head on, and to rely on those close to his heart when he couldn’t do it alone.

what do i mean by this? let’s go world by world to see.

starting with hunchback, since we visit traverse town twice:

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora, who is looking at the camera. he appears thoughtful as he says of quasimodo: “He can’t let his heart be a prison.” ]

sora realizes that quasimodo is putting up walls in his heart that keep him from being hurt--walls that, in turn, are becoming something of a “prison”. they’re what keep quasimodo safe, but also keep him disconnected from others and is an excuse for why he doesn’t leave notre dame cathedral. 

at the end of sora’s time in this world, quasimodo has opened himself to others, and decides to not keep his fears from holding him back. as sora processes this information, of course, we have the villains telling him that his own heart is now a prison for someone else--ventus.

i don’t think this is true for sora and ven’s situation, and that the organization is just trying to make sora question himself. sora welcomed ven into his heart willingly to keep ven safe--it’s been a very long time, yes, and sora will eventually need to help ven return to his body, but sora’s heart isn’t a prison.

sora opened his heart when he was very young to ventus--and he has continued to be open and compassionate to basically everyone else. he sees the good in people, and believes in them far longer than others. it can make him too trusting at times, but it undeniably saved ven.

after hunchback, we have the grid and prankster’s paradise, and these should be easy enough to figure out.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora and quorra. sora is holding quorra back from attacking, and quorra says to sora of rinzler (originally sora’s friend tron), “He’s a program, Sora. Programs don’t have hearts.” End ID. ]

the grid for sora is all about his relationship to tron and making rinzler remember who he truly is. quorra is pretty quick to throw in the towel on sora’s attempts to reach his friend’s heart, but sora keeps trying--and eventually, he does manage to have a breakthrough. he helps tron fight off his reprogramming, and remember their friendship. he’s able to touch tron’s heart and remind him of what’s important--he just has to give tron the time he needs, and eventually help him regain his sense of self.

my, that sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts three of sora, xion, and axel. sora has his hand on xion’s keyblade, and is persuading her not to hurt her friend axel--trying to remind her of who she really is. ]

there’s one quote from the jeff bridges character that i feel is important to note here:

That’s the thing about programs. Mess with the code just a little, and their whole nature and memory can change.

sora’s time in the grid helps him understand a bit more of what “copies” of him can be going through, and honestly is an important part of why he is able to help xion and roxas in 3 (at least to me). xion’s suffering is tied to how the organization used and abused her, and them tampering with her memories is why she starts off on their side in 3. but sora, good boy that he is, manages to break through to her with a little help from roxas--just like he needed the right thing to reprogram rinzler and help him remember that he was tron all along.

as for prankster’s paradise…

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora and xemnas confronting each other. sora looks determined as he exclaims, “But if Pinocchio could be given one (a heart)--shouldn’t you be able to have a heart inside you, too?” End ID. ]

the fact that nobodies do actually have hearts is confirmed towards the end of the game, but it’s clear sora has already mostly figured it out on his own. i’ll touch on it a little more later on, but sora knows that roxas has his own heart, living on inside his own--it’s a reminder of how roxas still exists, and how much of his own person he is outside of sora. he respects roxas's sense of identity as of the end of KH2, which leads him to act the way he does when faced with xemnas here.

xemnas is still putting on the show here that nobodies are beings without hearts, and sora knows that is blatantly untrue--why else would roxas feel the things he did if that was the case?

the other three worlds--traverse town, the country of musketeers, and the symphony of sorcery--do the same thing that data namine did in re:coded. they reinforce the things sora already knows about connecting with others, and relying on their strength when he can’t do things alone.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora talking to neku in traverse town. when talking about neku denying that he said he needed shiki, sora says, “What? Why? You said you need her. That’s a good thing.” End ID. ]

sora says it directly to neku in the revisit to traverse town: it’s good that neku admitted to needing shiki around. sora has always trusted in people to rely on him and to return the favor, so he sees none of the shame that neku feels in admitting that he needs other people.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of mickey and donald. mickey looks to the camera as he says, “Goofy’s right. As a team, we can do anything!” End ID. ]

the recurring musketeer motto of “All for one, and one for all!” when sora joins mickey, donald, and goofy in protecting princess minnie is another reminder of all this: sora knows the true value of teamwork with his party members, and how important donald and goofy are to him. they are his friends for life, and they’ll be at his side the way he’s at theirs. he reassures them the way they reassure him and always have.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora, looking wistful as he talks about riku: “I’ve got a friend out there who will help. He’s always picking up the slack for me.” End ID. ]

sora’s belief in riku is something that’s shown throughout the entire game, and the symphony of sorcery is just one example of many in truth--but sora has never doubted riku or even kairi and the others. even if he can’t see riku, even if his friends are a million miles away, sora knows that they have his back.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora in traverse town, looking happy and patting his chest as he says of riku, “Don’t worry. He’s with me--even when it might seem like he’s not.” End ID. ]

for the Overall Series Plot happening in DDD, this is very good for sora to remember--riku becomes a dream eater to protect sora in this game, so a friend helping from afar is quite literal. (i think it’s also important to remember this when thinking about the ending of kh3, and where sora has found himself. he still has people who love and care for him, even if they’re a million worlds apart from each other.)

anyway, now we come to the heart of the matter. has sora ended up in the same place as data sora? can he accept the pain the different pieces of him went through, and help them? as of kh3’s ending we know he’s helped them, but what about DDD? had he done it by the end of that game?

[ ID: three screenshots from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora and xion. sora asks who xion is, but trails off before he finishes asking. in the final shot, sora sheds a tear over xion. End ID. ]

sora comes face to face with namine and xion, and while he doesn’t connect with them, really, he does seem to feel their pain.

the most apparent interaction that leaves its mark is, of course, when he encounters roxas.

[ ID: screenshots from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora speaking to roxas, saying, “Roxas, you’re you. We’re not the same. I wanted to tell you that.” End ID. ]

at the end of KH2, sora has accepted that roxas had a clear sense of self, and was his own individual in spite of being sora's nobody. because sora is fully aware that roxas has his own heart and strong sense of, sora can firmly insist that roxas is his own person. roxas respects this, and opens his heart to sora, to share the truly terrible things that happened to him. and sora faces it, the way he needs to.

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts dream drop distance of sora, where sora looks angry and upset about what happened to roxas. He clenches his fist, and asks, “Did they cause all this pain?” End ID. ]

sora has faced roxas’s pain and suffering, at least. sora knows how the organization used and abused him, and how diz did the same. and sora is ready to face the pain the others in his heart are carrying--or, at least, that’s what i believe.

when riku encounters ansem the wise in sora’s heart at the end of the game, what ansem says is something i think kind of ties everything together:

Sora was the only one able to return to his human form without destroying his Nobody. That is a statement to the love in his heart for other people, and the bonds that tie them together. Perhaps…he has the power to bring back the hearts and existences of those connected to him--to recreate people we thought were lost to us forever. [ … ] Sora has a heart like [ a child's ]--uncorrupted, willing to see the good before the bad. When he sees the heart in something, it then becomes real. When a connection seems broken, he may have the power to mend it. [ … ] He has touched countless hearts, he has accepted them, and he has saved them. [ … ] All Sora needs to do is be himself and follow wherever it is that his heart takes him. It is the best and only way.

after the opening section of kh3 in olympus colosseum, what’s the thing that sets sora off on his journey?

[ ID: a screenshot from kingdom hearts three of sora, donald, goofy, and jiminy cricket in the gummi ship cockpit. sora looks determined as he says, “The others are following Aqua’s heart, so I’ll follow Roxas’s heart!”  End ID. ]

his desire for roxas to truly be his own person. during DDD, sora came to truly understand just how hard roxas fought to be his own person, even moreso than knew at the end of KH2, and wants to follow through on what he said to roxas directly. roxas, to sora, deserves to be his own person as much as sora does. and so, following that desire, sora sets out on this final leg of the Dark Seeker story arc.

so many people move mountains to make roxas beign his own person a reality. not even just roxas, actually, but xion and namine too--all because sora understood that roxas had his own heart, memories, and history. he saw roxas’s suffering and still pushed through to make sure his nobody got the life he deserved.

sora faced what pain he could, and did everything in his power to undo the suffering the people connected to him were feeling--and when he couldn’t do it himself, he let others help him. just the way namine (and her creation, data namine) wanted.

im sorry this is so long and kind of rambly--but i feel like i finally get sora in DDD outside of the organization’s plans for him, and that the off hand comment from this lets play i’m rewatching actually ended up being true. if you made it this far down in this silly post thanks for reading, hope you're having a good day ;u;

[robotsafari]

i will literally never be over the kh pilot. everyone has already moved on. wow what a cool novelty. sucks that it got canceled. okay im just going to never think about this ever again lalala~ (or its weird. or the art is bad. or its got too many inaccuracies. whatever.)

but me? no. im insane. this thing is too insane and amazing to just end the conversation about it. i will always think about this thing. i will always think about the massive loss the kh community never even knew they had until recently.

while i will never know what the full creative vision was. this pilot tells us that THEY. WERE. COOKING. they lean into the fact that sora is just a kid, (SOME FANS FORGET THIS) and he now faces this burden of being a hero when all he really wants is to see his friends again. the !! even though its just a pilot and riku was probably put in agrabah just so they can introduce him to the audience. i would’ve LOVED more riku encounters. traverse town, neverland and monstro were great. but in my opinion? not enough! though the only thing i would fear riku’s more frequent appearances would do is distract from some of the disney stuff (you dont wanna get rid of it. but you dont want it to take over. its a delicate balance) so maybe use him a lil sparingly but god. put him in more situations, okay?

while kairi plays a more proactive role in kh1 and thats fine (shes not useless. i hate when people call her that) i still would’ve LOVED more scenes with her. whether it was in destiny islands or near the end of game. im just liek YES !! you go girl. prolong the heartless sora segment if ya have to. do it for her. it would’ve been fun to see kairi and sora hollow bastion hijinks. waauughh please kairi my good friend kairi. liek. what we’ve seen of kairi in the pilot was already awesome. kh2 hadn’t even come out but the energy has always been there guys. she wants to take an active role and she hates sitting back!! love that the pilot wanted to give you a glimpse of this by having her kick a damn shadow in the faceee!!! you will always be famous forever kairi god bless.

my good friends donald and goofy. wtf did nomura do to you. one liek = preyer for teh toons /silly. yeah so liked how their fighting was actually toony in the pilot. goofy literally beating all the heartless while knocked out and donald getting messed with by a shadow like a typical donald short is just perfect (THINKS REAL HARD ABOUT HOUSE OF MOUSE.) and ofc!! the heart’s there too!! donald and goofy are so sweet to sora!! THEYRE HIS DADS. they’ve done playful ribbing to sora in the games, and thats not exactly a bad thing.. but sometimes i feel like it gets TOO MUCH. ESPECIALLY IN KH3 GOOD LORD. donald and goofy are sweet. yes donald. hes only gets mad because people mess with him. if you’re nice to him hes super sweet. some playful teasing from donald is okay, but too mean or too much and then its not him. mickey has a pretty minor appearance in kh1 unfortunately but omfg. if i rant about how nomura writes him then we’d be here for a while. the real mickey would not have left aqua in the realm of darkness. just know this, okay? idgaf if you don’t believe me.

it’s confirmed maleficent possessed riku in that scene. you know the one. someone said riku was lying.. NUMBER ONE. his eyes turned completely white and idk about you but thats liek. the textbook sign of being fucking possessed. riku didnt know wtf was going on!! just just grabbed the lamp and suddenly things happened! im sure it was supposed to be interpretive, yes, but the dialogue and visuals suggested possession and also kearsley confirmed it himself on deviantart. (you can search it up yourself) NUMBER TWO. maleficent asks riku if sora believed him. implying that she wants to use riku to manipulate sora. imagine if she used this possession again, in more subtle ways. riku sounds like a sopping wet sad cat too, whatever he does anyway is just so that he can get everything back to normal and undo his mistakes. maleficent doing MORE active villainy would’ve been. SO GOOD. god bless.

oh wait this is the part where i start talking about ansem huh? teeheeeee weheheheee. yo imagine if he was in house of mouse. OKAY THATS NOT A JOKE BUT THIS ISNT SUPPOSED TO BE WHAT THIS PART WAS ABOUT. ERM. i just hope he would’ve still been voiced by billy zane thats all ask for. in this awesome alternate timeline where the cartoon wasn’t cancelled. i think ansem was perfect in kh1 i dont think they needed to add or change anything really.

in short. i have autism. goodnight.

[curryfury13]

Hello again!!

I'm back again for the next retrospective of my first ever fan-fiction, True Friends. This time, I'm going through the second and third chapters.

As a reminder, you can click on the banners to go read the chapters for yourself in full. I'll just be giving some commentary about them about where I was as a creator at the time and my thoughts.

Thank you for reading!

Hinata awakens!

And I've realized I had her awaken with brown eyes, rather than golden as she has in the rest of the story. Ah well!

There's little bits of description in this chapter that have still held up for me, but I was still very much to the point and direct with a lot. Still caught up in the, much to do, much to see. Chop chop! It's fun to see at the beginning, considering things slow down soon when I get caught up in the fun of being on Destiny Islands.

I remember when I chose the name Aiko. I thought I was so clever! If any of my old readers are going through this, did I trick any of you with that? I'm certain I didn't. I won't say the spoiler on the off chance someone is reading this that doesn't know, but Aiko is something Hinata still refers to in her current story. It's stuck around even after all this time! Even if I cringe a little bit every time I use it. I will keep insisting on its usage.

And then we get to Kairi and Sora beginning their research about her memories! I liked this concept. I still do in theory. It reminded me a bit of the Twilight Town shenanigans and the 7 Wonders in Sunset Terrace. But, I will be honest, I was coming up with that "research" for Sora and Kairi on the fly and it shoooows in later chapters.

Outlines are important, guys!

"That would be nice," Riku unknowingly said aloud.

A sigh escaped Riku's lips as he leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, thinking about Hinata. He remembered that she looked about the same age as him, and maybe she would end up being in the same grade.

"Excuse me Riku," Riku's History teacher, Mr. Zhoa called; bringing him out of his thoughts and making him look up front at the teacher. "You think that forcing children to do manual labor would be 'nice'?"

----

When I tell you I thought this was hilarious writing back when I wrote it... I thought I was the bee's knees. And who, may I ask, also picks up on the super subtle ATLA reference with Zhoa as the history teacher, soon to also be the sparring teacher? That's right. I was both amusing and with the times a decade ago.

There's so many lines in this series that make me groan now days. That sort of groan that actually aches your soul a little bit, like why did I do this? Ok, maybe that's a little bit dramatic. It's more like when Facebook likes to remind me of a status I wrote when I was in junior high and thought I was hip and everyone just needed to know when I needed a snickers.

In the end though, both those statuses and those silly lines aren't bad. Sure, they might make me groan a bit or snicker, but they are harmless and fun, too. And why can't we all have fun with storytelling?

Moving on with the rest of the chapter, we had Sora and Kairi getting to meet Hinata officially! It was all under the guise of the "research" that quickly led to Kairi's adopted parents also adopting Hinata. Like a domino effect, I guess. There was a cleaner way to do it, but I understand the reason I went with it the way I did. Kairi's family already handled this in the past, they'd be the go-to people for it again. I don't think the research needed to be tangled up in it.

It is also where we first learn that Aiko isn't Hinata's younger sister's real name, but a nickname! This was an interesting concept to me and is why I'm not sure I like Aiko for it. The idea behind it, that I don't recall if I ever really explored in the story, is that Hinata's parents were split on the name for her sister. Mom wanted Aiko, Dad wanted the other name that ended up getting chosen. After she was born, the mother continued using her chosen name, claiming it as a nickname.

In that sense Aiko works. Without that explanation, Aiko isn't like her real name at all and is just confusing as to why it's used. It's my story, so why didn't I put that explanation in from the beginning? It's because I didn't think of that explanation at the time and figured it out later.

Another point goes towards story planning!! And multiple drafts, I suppose.

[oveliagirlhaditright]

You know, I really am glad that for so many years now that whenever I see people's really bad fandom opinions I just leave them alone, because... it's just not worth it to start fandom drama. And, I mean, pick your battles, people. And I was never much of a debater even before I really decided to just Not Care.

But that being said... sometimes when you see some REALLY bad takes, it's so hard not to say anything.

I guess another reason I don't debate anymore, is that the debates are sort of never ending and senseless. What I mean by that is, take the Kingdom Hearts fandom for instance: that I've been in since day one for twenty-one years now. There's always been discourse about how Sora reacted to seeing Riku in KHII vs. how he reacts to seeing Kairi in that same game, with people from a certain side often trying to use this scene to make it seem like Sora cares about Kairi less or something.

And yes, if you ignore every other scene--and other things going on in the moment--I could see why people could make that argument. But first of all, Sora already saw Kairi before this instance (he hadn't seen Riku). And secondly, more than anything, in Sora's reunion with Kairi, he feels GUILTY: guilty that she got kidnapped because of him and that he was unable to keep his promise to her, and that because of all of that they're reuniting at their enemies' base (and he doesn't think she should be forgiving him so easily for something he blames himself for). And at the moment, all of those feelings are somewhat overriding his joy at seeing her (though he's definitely happy to see her, OC). When they reunite again at the end of the game, safe on the Islands, we get the sort of reaction we probably would have moreso expected from him before, if his feelings of guilt hadn't been on the forefront of his mind before. (And like I said, Sora saw Kairi before the hug moment: the balcony scene where he definitely seemed very happy to see her). Also, Sora pretty much thought Riku was dead, which is the reason he reacts as strongly to him as he does.

Anyway, eventually (most) of the fandom came to a place where they recognized all of this: that there was subtle nuance with Sora's reaction to Kairi that they hadn't seen at first glance. And when you take everything into account, Sora's reactions to Riku and Kairi are different but truly equal.

But whenever you get new fans, they don't get it. And it's the old battle over again. And I'm just... tired of saying the same things over and over again. So at this point I just let it go. Pfft.

[blitz-heart]

He's quick to catch onto the shift in the young girl’s expression, the barest of twitches that relay the brief falter in her carefully crafted composure. Not as collected as she'd have liked, nor as stable, but he can't fault her when her world’s been turned on it's head for what felt like the millionth time within the last few years. He presses his lips together, holding onto his silence as he keeps her stare, his own softening the barest amount as he waits for her to speak when she's ready. Understanding is an emotion that peeks, curious in it's kindred nature at the knowledge he perfectly understood just where she was coming from. All too well, in a way that sparked at an old panging ache in his chest, right beneath the cage of his ribs. That helplessness that sparked all sorts of feelings, impatience, anger, fear & worry. It blended them all together, poisoning ones own mind & will if kept within too long & left unchecked. But it was hard to dispose of unless you knew how, unless you were brave enough to confront all those internal thoughts coated thickly in ick & dread. Being left behind, being the one to linger in relative safety to hold down the fort while friends & loved ones tossed themselves headfirst into danger . . . despite it making sense, despite knowing it's the right course of action to take to avoid more danger & harm all around - it still hurt. Head turning away, gaze following with it, Leon can only hum softly, turning his own sights off to the side in an effort to give Kairi some semblence of privacy. The sound of shifting, subtle as it is, draws his attention right back, willing him to look over with a quick flash of his eyes. It's a familiar expression, one he recognizes. But even among the myriad of emotions glittering in expressive eyes, there's gratitude there, however strained, that greets him. Leon wonders if any of the Guardians bother to check in with one another often, or if they all just . . . have the habit of tossing themselves into more work to bury whatever issues they have following everything. Call him a hypocrite, but the likeliness of that being accurate both worries & amuses him. Shaking his head, he can't help but agree with Riku, a pinch of his brows given as he huffs, reaching up to rub at the nape of his own neck. "Given the things you regularly seem to go up against? I'm guessing it wasn't an inspiring thing to be told, but . . . where he's going . . ." The gun-blader mumbles, gaze thinning before diamond sights find sad violets again. "I'm guessing your training didn't prepare you for what you needed at the time." Scoffing out a sigh, he can't help but curse under his breath. "With any luck, you'll probably be able to join the search once you learn what you need to, but . . . not a good thing to go through either way. I'm sorry, Kairi." He remembers how the first time they'd met, once Sora'd returned with her in Traverse Town, introduced her to the others before moving on to make preparations to return to Hollow Bastion, she'd quietly wandered off. It was a brief meeting, but she'd been the one to nudge him & the others to go & follow him, to make sure in her stead that the kid hadn't bitten off more than he could chew in his journey to the end. The big bad. The familiarity of the moment makes him wince, another apologetic look tossed back her way. "So . . . what's on your agenda so far? Any way we can help move things along?"

"Mm, yeah. I told Riku that... I'd be there beside him and Sora as soon as I become stronger."

Even as she says it, as soon as I become stronger, she sounds uncertain. Not on a matter of whether or not that time will come, but when. She doesn't want to think about how she's been made to wait time and time again, but... she can't help it at the same time. And it hurts all the same. Being left behind. Being told she can't help, yet. Being made to feel like she's still not enough.

It's such a bitter feeling.

When Leon asks her what the agenda is — what her agenda is —indigo eyes shift to meet his gaze fully, gratitude indeed evident in her own as well as mild surprise, albeit... surprise of a pleasant nature. She knows he and the Restoration Committee all want to do their parts to help, but Kairi wasn't expecting him to ask if there's anything they can do for her, alone.

She swallows around the lump that's now threatening to form in her throat, a lump of emotion that makes her feel like she might want to cry.

Because no one yet outside of Leon, with the exception of perhaps Lea and maybe Merlin, during that time spent training in the Secret Forest, has considered asking her what they can do for her. That alone is a bittersweet thought; it makes her consider the fact that in having been left behind more than once, and in more kind of ways than one, up until this point she's almost been on her own with her emotions, so to speak. Everyone had been so busy with the war, and then after that looking for Sora, maybe no one's really had time to consider the thoughts and feelings of those most effected by it all. Maybe no one's really had time to consider the thoughts and feelings of anyone outside of themselves. And while it isn't necessarily a bad thing, per se—

Have we all really come this far in being so far apart from each other despite being so close...? Have we all really been this... distant from each other?

That's when Kairi realizes Leon's still waiting for an answer from her, and she clears her throat. There is something.

"Actually, Leon... um. If it's okay with all of you here in Radiant Garden, I was wondering..."

She lifts a hand to her mouth, nibbling at a fingernail before continuing.

"Would it be possible for any of you to keep an eye out here for anything related to... me? Related to my past." Better to get the question out there quickly and plainly, like ripping off a bandaid. "I had a flashback a little while ago, sometime shortly before Riku left for Quadratrum. It was a dream, actually, about the day Xehanort kidnapped me when I was really little and sent me to Destiny Islands, and that's how I discovered I'm from this world. But I can't stay here all the time, since I'll be training with Aqua from here on out, so in the meantime I was just hoping you and the others could kind of just... keep your eyes and ears open for anything that might help me remember things. Anything at all."

She lets her gaze flick off to the side again before once again settling on Leon.

"I understand if it would be difficult. I'm just still learning things, still struggling a bit to catch up with my past before the Islands, and my dream is... really about all else I have to go off of, so far."

[daylighteclipsed]

you know I've read your tags for "gayblade has paopu fruit" and now all I think about is nomura being like "yea we can go with riku being gay and having an unrequited crush on sora" and sora, hijacking the writing process: "unrequited crush? not on my watch :)" this boy istg

It took me a good minute to realize what tags you were talking about lmao

Sooo. If we go off of accurately-translated CoM, Riku’s crush on Sora has been requited since at least 2004.

Even excluding the famous “aitsu,” there’s too much in CoM to not be deliberate. From Namine overwriting memories of Kairi and then one memory of Riku that officially flips a switch in Sora’s brain from I really want to find Namine to I need to find Namine, she is the most important person in the world to me. To how it’s never stated that Riku is the one in that memory; it’s something you have to piece together using context clues (Namine replaces Riku as the precious person Sora’s looking for in Castle Oblivion; Repliku has the same memory of the meteor shower Sora does), prev knowledge (Kairi arrived during the meteor shower this promise was made; ergo it can’t be her), hindsight (Namine can only access memories that Sora is connected to and she doesn’t erase or create them from scratch), and an understanding of WHY who is in this memory is left ambiguous…

Because there are romantic implications. What Sora feels for Namine (and what Repliku feels for Namine) in CoM seems to be romantic, so there’s absolutely no way Nomura could’ve come out and said Sora and Riku made that promise to protect each other. It’s left ambiguous because this way there’s plausible deniability; the general audience can assume that it was Kairi and both boys are into her… when actually, for whatever reason, Nomura used Namine to cleverly imply that Sora has confusing feelings for Kairi and Riku, and that Riku is in love with Sora.

And I’m almost positive this is why there are plot threads from CoM that still need tied up almost 20 years later.

Particularly Sora’s side of CoM; Riku’s side more or less wraps up in KH3 with his making peace with Repliku, helping Namine, and accepting his feelings for Sora. In order to wrap up Sora’s side, Sora not only has to thank Namine, but we also have to… address all those confusing feelings. Which KH3 hints may happen soon with Sora wondering what love is, the whole paopu fruit scene with Kairi, Riku’s heart shining with True Love’s light, whatever Sora first sees in the tunnel of light and what he realizes that he forgets — just all of it, honestly.

Now, I doubt Nomura wrote CoM thinking that Sora/Riku could or would ever go somewhere. It was 2004. But CoM creates, I guess, this subtle subversive path… so if he ever could or wanted to go in this direction later, he had a way of doing that. I dunno if that was planned... But, either way, 20 years is an awfully long time to go without addressing a memory so important to your main characters. With all the games released since then, he’s had more than enough chances to do it.

So he’s been holding off. For some reason.

Personally, I don’t think Nomura made a decision about Sora/Riku until he started working on DDD. Everything before that, including CoM, feels pretty ‘ehh who knows.’ But DDD really feels like a turning point in the series, for Sora and Riku’s dynamic. And a lot of players, even casual fans, pick up on this when they play the game — even if they don’t quite understand or like what they’re feeling.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that many players, including me, walked away from this game seeing a romance between Sora and Riku where previously we didn’t. And now, knowing the likelihood that Nomura initially imagined Oathkeeper, the Sora/Kairi Keyblade, having a paopu fruit keychain, only to put it on the Sora/Riku gayblade a decade later… in addition to Nomura nearly not having Sora and Kairi share paopu in KH3… it really makes me feel like some decision was made irt shipping.

All this is to say, if Sora or Riku hijacked the writing, it would’ve been early on before CoM (whether to imply they have feelings for each other or not) and/or sometime after CoM (whether to portray these feelings more explicitly and do something w them or not).

And in the last decade, Nomura’s been able to do that a little more in each game. We most obviously see this through Riku getting closer and closer to articulating what he feels for Sora. But, like I said, KH3 shows Sora starting to figure some things out, too. Even if Sora/Riku wasn’t planned at all, I really do think it’s leading somewhere now.

[anthurak]

One of the more subtle narrative details that I’ve always really appreciated about RWBY compared to other shows/games is the consistent emphasis and reinforcement of the Team part of Team RWBY. More specifically, the fact that Team RWBY have actually stayed a TEAM through the majority of the show.

I’ve seen many other shows, games and other kinds of series’ introduce this group of two, three or four main characters and continually make this big narrative deal about the ‘bond’ between them… despite having them be split up for most of the series’ actual runtime.

Like I’ve been playing through a few of the Kingdom Hearts games recently, and it’s been just a bit jarring to see the narrative of these games put so much emphasis on the bond between Sora, Kairi and Riku, and then keep having Sora going on adventures with Donald and Goofy while Riku is off doing his own thing and Kairi is alternatingly stuffed in a metaphorical closet, jail-cell or fridge. With only the most brief, fleeting moments given to these three to actually be seen doing anything together. These games will tell us over and over that Kairi and Riku are the most important people in Sora’s life, but will they actually let them be party members? NOPE.*

See also, how Naruto often talks up ‘Team 7’ despite this so-called ‘team’ being split up for the VAST majority of the show. With the show really just following Naruto while Sakura is largely sidelined and Sasuke is off being a flaming, hazardous-material-leaking, hundred-car train-wreak of a character.

Meanwhile, after Team RWBY becomes a team in Volume 1, they STAY a team. Even after the narrative splits the team up after Volume 4, it’s always clear that this team WILL reunite, with that big reunion being THE big emotional resolution of Volume 5. The narrative and undertones of the show has made it pretty clear that Team RWBY are supposed to be together. I mean, just look at the end of Volume 8; it’s easy to imagine a different show having only some of Team RWBY fall into the void to ratchet up drama and angst points for having been split up.

But instead, even as they suffered their greatest defeat in the show thus-far, Team RWBY still managed to stick together.

There’s actually an interesting consistent through-line I’ve noticed looking back through the show: When Team RWBY is together and united, things tend to go well for them. And when they are divided or separated, things tend to go badly for them:

The Battle of Beacon sees Team RWBY separated for almost the entire battle, and we all know how that ended for them. And going into Volumes 4 and 5, I think we can say that a common thread of each of RWBY’s struggles is that they are facing them without their teammates. For example, it’s easy to imagine Yang having a much easier time recovering in V4 if she had Ruby, Weiss and especially Blake to help her.

And no shade on Jaune, Nora and Ren, but I imagine that Team RWBY probably would have had a much better chance fighting Tyrian, and DEFINITELY an easier time dealing with the Nuckelavee.

Or compare the two times Team RWBY takes on the Ace-Ops: At the end of Volume 7 when the team is all together, they absolutely wreck the so-called ‘best huntsmen in Atlas’. Yet their rematch in Volume 8 when Yang is absent, despite having Penny and Nora filling in, doesn’t go nearly as well.

In fact, when we look at the first half of Volume 8 as a whole, I think we can see this subtle theme about how when Team RWBY is divided, things go bad for them, being emphasized more than ever. At the start of the volume, we see Team RWBY split on how to handle their current situation, and see Ruby, Weiss and Blake work with Penny and Nora to get the Amity tower operational while Yang goes with Ren, Jaune and Oscar to help the people of Mantle. And both of these efforts kind of blow up in their faces.

The efforts of Yang’s group ends up getting Oscar kidnapped by Salem. And while this does set the stage for some positive developments for our heroines like spurring Emerald’s and Hazel’s defection, Monstra being destroyed and Salem being temporarily incapacitated, it also sets off a chain of events that will lead to Cinder both getting the Lamp AND the password to summon Jinn.

Meanwhile, the efforts of Ruby, Weiss and Blake arguably blow up even harder, as while they do get the codes to launch Amity, the process also leaves Nora badly injured and out of commission for a while, and even worse, their scuffle with the Ace-Ops gives Watts and Ironwood their vector to hack Penny. Which in turn sets off a chain of events that ultimately leads to Penny’s death (Penny getting infected with the virus leads to her getting an organic body from Ambrosius, which in turn leaves her open to be later mortally wounded by Cinder).

And the funny thing is, when we look at the second half of Volume 8, namely Operation ‘Save Penny, Save Mantle, Save Atlas and Fuck You Tinman’ when Team RWBY (and JNPR) isn’t split up, things go MUCH better. Team RWBY+Penny is able to get into the vault, summon Ambrosius, save Penny and open a path for evacuation with no issue whatsoever and Team JNPR+Emerald+Winter is able to positively wreck ALL of Ironwood’s shit with likewise no issue.

And when we reach the finale of Volume 8, has anyone else noticed that it’s after Yang gets knocked into the void that things start really going south for our heroines? It’s like when Yang fell, it became a narrative inevitability that Blake, Weiss and Ruby would be following her.

I think that’s the theme with Team RWBY: Rise or Fall, Win or Lose, they’ll do it together.

 *As an aside, this is actually why the ‘Clocktower Trio’ of Roxas, Xion and Axel are actually my favorite of the main ‘trios’ of the series as opposed to the ‘Destiny Islands’ (Sora, Kairi and Riku) or ‘Wayfinder’ (Terra, Ventus and Aqua) trios. Because the game following these three actually follows their growing friendship. Shows them going on missions together, shows them hanging out after missions, shows them actually being friends. We aren’t just told about the bond between these characters, we’re actually SHOWN their bond.

[remmammie]

Hi, can I ask you to write for a Valentine's day with Sora, Ventus and Roxas (separated) please? Have a good day and a lot of fun.

I deeply apologise for how late this is! This is the first time I've ever received a tumblr ask and I didn't realise tumblr wouldn't tell me when one came through...I hope you can forgive me, so I put in the effort to make these headcannons longer than I typically see them!

St Valentine's Day with Sora, Roxas, and Ventus

Sora

Sora is either completely invested in Valentine’s Day or…he forgot. It’s not his fault! He’s a busy young man with worlds to save and food to make at the Bistro.

Speaking of, if you’re lucky this year and he remembers, the Bistro is the first place he goes. With Remy’s help, he can make you whatever your favourite thing to eat is - it’s definitely something he’s memorised and he’ll definitely go out and get all the ingredients himself: hand-picked with love.

He’d hand it over to his s/o with a giant, toothy smile and invite them to sit outside the Bistro with him in Twilight Town, bathed in the light of the sunset and that of a candle between them. Adorable! But it’s Sora, so we knew that would be the case.

However, if he forgets…that changes things. He’d panic, first of all, when Kairi asked what thing he had planned, then be embarrassed when both her and Riku would laugh at him. Still, they’d help throw something together at mach speed, not liking to see their best friend unhappy.

With Riku distracting Sora’s s/o from the concept of Valentine’s Day, maybe taking them to places Sora and his s/o have been together to get them talking about just why they love Sora, about all the memories they’ve shared with him, Sora and Kairi get to work throwing together enough food for a light, cute, and romantic picnic. Well, more Sora’s making things on his own and Kairi is supervising, making sure he doesn’t blow up the kitchen. She doesn’t want to interfere - it’s Sora and his s/o’s day.

Inevitably, his s/o will be taken to Destiny Islands only to see Sora waiting on the islet with the Paopu fruit tree, wicker basket and blanket in hand and a big, cheesy Sora-grin on his face. It looks like he never forgot! Except he did and he’s really nervous and disappointed in himself for doing it. He would never tell, though.

Of course, after the picnic filled with finger foods and laughs, Sora suggests sharing a Paopu fruit. He claims that they don’t need it to stay together because they’re already attached at the hip, but his s/o appreciates the sentiment and obviously shares it with him - destiny to be together written in the star…shaped fruit.

Roxas

Newly recompleted and having spent his entire life as a Nobody, Roxas never really got to know about Valentine’s Day. Obviously the Organization never taught him because why would it be necessary? He barely even understood what the concept of love was - he still doesn’t fully - so he’ll be pretty clueless.

His s/o shouldn’t expect him to know straight off of the bat and either needs to tell him what a “Valentine’s Day” is first, or should wait for one of Roxas’ best friends to step in. Lea got to know what Valentine’s Day was from his time alive in Radiant Garden so, as soon as February arrives and Lea remembers Roxas has an s/o, he thinks to bring it up one sunset on the clocktower. He does try to be subtle, but we all know that’s not Lea’s style.

“Roxas, you gettin’ your s/o anything for Valentine’s Day?” Roxas glanced up from his ice cream, looking towards his best friend, incredulity written across his face. Lea seemed serious, so the redhead wasn’t teasing him…this time.

“Huh? What’s a ‘Valentine’s Day?’”

It takes a long time for Roxas to fully grasp the concept of Valentine’s Day, but he’s not against it at all. In fact, he’s actually really interested. Unfortunately for him, Lea doesn’t remember the backstory for the holiday, nor does Lea really care. He might boast about getting lots of chocolates and secret letters as a kid, but Roxas is too busy staring at the sunset, wondering just what to get for his s/o.

He asks around a bit because the only gift-giving he’s ever done is ice-cream to the Twilight Trio, seashells to Xion, and an ice-cream stick to Lea. Lea gives the basics - you know, chocolate, or flowers, or a sweet letter - and Xion is…just as clueless as Roxas but suggests something that holds a lot of meaning, something that brings up pleasant memories of Roxas and his s/o; and the Twilight Trio suggest spending quality time with his s/o, just being somewhere important with them and spending the day by their side.

In the end and as indecisive as ever, Roxas decides to take all three into account. Expect the ice-cream first because it’s extremely in character for Roxas to start with what he knows best, something he’s comfortable with and knows well.

He’s pretty nervous about handing over a letter with all his feelings for you written down on because he’s spent so long containing those emotions under the Organization’s rule. His hands are shaky when he hands it over, but his smile is so genuine and so are the words. It’s nothing flowery or metaphorically complex, it’s just so…Roxas.

Finally, he made sure the clocktower would be empty for the sunset of Valentine’s Day. He loves his friends, but he loves you more. The sunset is so fitting, so beautiful - no other sunset can contend with that of his first real Valentine’s Day with his s/o.

Ventus

While Ventus has heard of Valentine’s Day, he’s always spent it as just any other day with Master Eraqus, Terra, and Aqua, so he doesn’t really know how to make it special. Differentiating between platonic love and romantic love is difficult for him so do expect him to be really casual and do what he usually does.

He feels too embarrassed to ask Terra or Aqua for help - they already tease him for having an s/o, he doesn’t need to put on edge even more from them! He skims through a few books on his shelves from his room but finds himself gagging at all the flouncy romance scenes in them. (Why did he have those books again?) Ultimately, the day before Valentine’s Day, Ventus is laid under the stars, staring up as he thinks of what to do. He does really want the day to be special because he really loves his s/o but…

The idea hits him at that moment right there. He adores star-gazing, waiting for whatever could happen, and thinking about the vastness of the worlds beyond his own. Sure, he star-gazed with Aqua and Terra too sometimes, but they never took it seriously. So, why not take his s/o to The Land of Departure and gaze at the sky above together? He worries it might be boring, but there’s nothing else more meaningful to him.

So, side-by-side, Ventus lays beside his s/o, laughing and gossiping about the day they had together travelling from world to world and having as much fun as possible. Most of their time was spent in Disney Town, eating custom-made ice cream. It was a breath of fresh air for him to be in The Castle of Dreams and not be small, simply dancing in the main ballroom with his s/o, no matter how terrible he may have been at that kind of dancing. Maybe his clothes were still a little damp from splashing water at his s/o in Neverland, but the night air in The Land of Departure would dry it out. After all, they had brought a blanket - they planned on staying there all night, hands intertwined, star-gazing and being together.

[kyzveryown]

Observations — KHDR Finale

After almost two years of waiting, we've all finally had the chance to experience the rest of KHDR. And it was surprisingly enjoyable despite being an unnecessary addition to the series’ overarching story. For the first time in the series' 20-year history, death finally has some weight. The humor also seems to have slightly improved, which is surprising since KH's attempts at humor have always been garbage. And while there wasn't any real info or setups leading into the new saga, it did provide some backstory for Xehanort and a tiny glimpse into KHML.

In the last scene, it's revealed that Xehanort was meant to be a "child of destiny" a.k.a one of the "chosen ones" to defeat the darkness. Evidently, that never happened. But it does make me curious. Obviously, Sora and Kairi are "children of destiny" (chosen ones). Most likely, the Master of Masters intends for Sora to be the one to slay himself and the Foretellers to permanently destroy the Ancient Entities of Darkness – much like Xehanort did with the one that possessed Baldr. Interestingly, the gold chains that Odin used to bind Baldr are the same ones that Sora summons from his key chain in the KHIV trailer. Maybe the new "scrap and build" mechanic in KHIV could play a role in defeating the darkness.

We learn that the "Player is Xehanort" plot twist was a red-herring (thankfully). That makes a bit curious about what happens with them in KHML. So far, the only characters who've been shown to retain memories of their past lives are the Player and the Master of Masters. I wouldn't be surprised if there’s more. Likely, they’d lack the awareness of their past lives due to the memories not having been triggered, or due to them being locked away deep within their hearts/souls. There could also be someone who’s aware of their previous life or lives but they're keeping it hidden for some reason. I'm betting that the latter will end up being the case at some point.

While my idea of the link between the living and the deceased being a connection forged from loss isn't exactly what happened in KHDR, Xehanort and Eraqus are able to converse with the four dead upperclassmen by means of the Underworld via Hades. He seems to have access to the Final World which makes sense. That explains why Donald and Goofy are there in the KHIV trailer. Also, Hoder used to same method of placing her soul inside someone else that Eraqus would later use. The scene with her and Baldr perfectly mirrors the one with Eraqus and Xehanort in at the end of KHIII.

There was a not-so-subtle nod to Skuld possibly being one of Xehanort's distant ancestors in the last scene. This was later hinted at by Nomura in an interview about the finale. So, unfortunately, it's looking like Skuld might not be Subject X for the moment. Then we have Luxu, who is revealed to be Bragi which I'm sure is a surprise to no one. The Master of Masters casually taking a stroll through the dark void and finding Xehanort passed out is alarming yet funny. I doubt that was a coincidence though. There has to be more to that.

It's now been officially confirmed that Vanitas was the Entity of Darkness that Ventus sealed within his heart. Whether he's the same Darkness from Re:Mind that spoke to Sora remains unknown, but at this point it probably is. Still makes zero sense to me be whatever. I'll take the L for now. Based on what the EOD that took over Baldr said, it seem Lesser Darkness Entities can be produced. I wonder if that'll play into the story going forward. It'd be interesting to see one of the Guardians end up in the same situation as Baldr.

And that concludes my observations for the finale. This post was finished way later than I anticipated. I tried to find some more noteworthy things to write about, but the story was pretty straightforward with barely any new info. There wasn’t a lot to work with this time. I'll post my opinions and critiques of the finale some other time.

[guiltyhearts]

SoKai Day 2022: A Wedding Toast

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Pairings: Sora/Kairi (SoKai) 

Characters: Riku, Sora, Kairi, et al

Rating: G

Summary: Sora and Kairi’s best friend has been witness to their love story from the start to the present. He tells it all in a toast on their wedding day.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts and its characters. 

------

Tink-tink-tink

The soft sound of tinkling glass managed to settle down the wedding guests, where they stopped to pay attention to the tall, fit man that stood straight before them. From a table at the center of the reception area, reserved for the newlywed couple and their closest loved ones, the man cleared his throat.

“Thank you. My name is Riku,” the man said. “You may know me as the best friend of the newlyweds.” He gestured with his glass to the couple by his left. Elegant for the occasion and glowing with bliss, Sora and Kairi had managed to turn their attention away from each other long enough to listen to their mutual friend.

“The bride and groom have other best friends, but I knew them first, so I hold seniority. Therefore, I get to sit here,” Riku joked with a gesture to the wedding party’s table. Laughter filled the room at his joke. If anyone had noticed his stilted delivery, they didn’t show it.

“Sora, Kairi, and I have known each other since we were very young. Having known them for so long, I’ve had a front-row seat to their relationship and how it evolved over the years. Practically from day one,” he started. “They hit it off right away. I took a little more time to warm up to you, Kairi, sorry about that. When I was a kid, I thought that Sora was always just that nice and it was easier for him to make friends with new people. But I saw him around you at that time. He wouldn’t nearly jump out of his seat if Tidus was walking into the room, —” The crowd chuckled again. “—And well, I don’t know about you, but Sora’s never smiled like that when he looked at me.” Laughter rippled through the reception hall, as the guests took notice of the groom’s shy smile and his tomato-red face, having been caught looking at his bride.

“But it wasn’t just Sora. When I was about eight years old, one day I thought I would keep count of how many times Kairi would look at Sora and just smile without him ever noticing.” Riku paused for dramatic effect. “To say I lost count by the end of the day would be an understatement.”

“By the time we grew up and they realized how they really felt, it seemed like it would be a given that they were going to be together forever. Nothing and no one would keep them apart. When they told me they were going to get married this year, I was surprised because I thought they had already done that and just chose not to say anything. But then it turned out that wasn’t the case. I think I’m even more surprised that they had waited as long as they did to formally get married and have a wedding. But Sora and Kairi, they found a way to top that. Every day after they announced their wedding, they would both tell me, on separate occasions, that their wedding could not come fast enough. They were really eager to have their ceremony. You all know it was this morning. I’m surprised they didn’t get married right after midnight.”

The audience laughed again, charmed and taken aback at Riku’s humor. Others took note of the bride and groom laughing in good nature, though no one seemed to notice the subtle way in which their eyes widened and their smiles tightened in panic.

Riku looked down at Sora and Kairi and raised his glass to them, acknowledging far more than the crowd knew.

---

A succession of tapping noises at his bedroom window managed to rouse Riku from a deep sleep. Though not fully awake, he could hear noises more clearly.

“Riku! Riku!”

It took a few more calls, but Riku lifted his head to see a spiky head on the other side of his window. At that moment he should have been suspicious. But this was far from the first time Sora climbed through the window for some shenaniganry or to “just hang out some more”, as he put it.

“Riku, wake up!” Sora called out in a hushed voice.

In response, Riku climbed out of bed, strode over to open the window and stepped aside to let Sora enter, as had been routine.

“Come on, let’s go! It can’t wait!” Was he still outside?

“What can’t wait?” Riku asked sleepily.

“Just! Come!” Sora was far too excited and giddy for how late the night was. He said other things but they were lost in the fog of Riku’s sleep-addled brain.

He couldn’t recall how he ended up out of his bedroom half-dressed and in old sandals, but he was now outside and leaving his neighborhood with Sora, who was excited over something that just couldn’t wait and it came to him only a few hours ago. It was late, but he had to share it with just enough people and they should be the people we loved most. “So come on, Riku, Kairi and I are gonna get married right now!”

The next thing Riku remembered was that he stopped walking. “What do you mean you’re getting married right now?”

Sora had the audacity to grin like a morning person. “We’re going to elope!”

–---

The next thing Riku remembered after that was demanding an explanation from Sora. He said that it felt right to him and Kairi and so they were going to marry now. Riku then demanded an explanation that made sense. All he got was that the moment felt right for them both. That Kairi didn’t want to wait any longer than he did, and he wanted her to be happy. And if he could be legally married to her for an extra few hours, then why would he pass up on that?

Then they were on the shore of the main island, from where their play island could be seen in the distance in daylight. By the shore, a group was already waiting for the two young men. Even under the moonlight, he could recognize the silhouettes and features of Naminé, Roxas, Aqua, and…

“Mickey?!” Riku cried out in shock. “What are you doing here?!”

“I was asked to officiate this surprise wedding. As a sovereign ruler, I have the power to bless nuptials. As a friend, I’m honored to have been asked!” Was Mickey’s cheerful answer.

“You’re okay with them getting married right now, at this hour?!”

“If the hour is right, then it’s right.”

He was still in a state of disbelief so he hadn’t noticed Kairi approaching him until her arms held him in a tight hug. “I’m so glad you’re here,” Kairi grinned at him. “It wouldn’t have felt right without you.”

Those words did touch his heart, and Riku might have smiled and held on to the sentiment. Still, it nagged him that his friends were about to have a secret wedding and were acting with such urgency. They were living in peaceful times and had not seen the kind of cataclysmic danger that would have torn them apart for many years. No one present was giving him any good explanation, nor did they stand in solidarity with him. They thought the whole thing was romantic!

In a daze, Riku followed the group as they stood in the arrangements they would be in during what should have been the actual wedding ceremony. Before he could join them, he took in the picture before him.

Sora and Kairi stood before each other with their hands clasped and as close as they could stand. Just behind them, the sea stretched on, shimmering with starlight from the sky. There was nothing ahead but the sea and the sky, mirrored in natural harmony. At the foreground, sea and sky were joined by love, refusing to wait for destiny any longer.

Riku had to concede. Whether or not it was the moonlight that made his friends radiant with such joy, it was a romantic sight.

Mickey assumed his position between the eager couple, his hands clasped in front of him as he began the ceremony.

“Dearly beloved…”

—-

In the present, the wedding guests sat under a tent in the daytime and were listening to a man toast to his friends’ marriage. A marriage that had already started mere hours ago. Maybe even years ago.

“Sora and Kairi seem like the perfect example of a couple that were destined to fall in love and become a couple. That’s only partly true. They chose to be together, and they chose each other over and over again,” Riku said sincerely. “Those of us who have witnessed them firsthand know that sometimes the odds were against them. And they would fight destiny if they had to.”.

“I’ve seen this with my own eyes time and again. To know them is to know true love. Sometimes it can come into your life in the most unexpected ways, and it can also be something that is grown and built together. It’s an honor that they’ve given us to share their special day with them.”

Riku raised his glass one more time. “To the happy couple!”

“Cheers!” The guests raised their glasses and toasted to the newlyweds’ joy and bliss.

[braveheartstoryteller]

"Do ya have to go?" "Well...l I did doze off...I just have some stuff to take care of." "Are you gonna to be okay?" "Yeah. I won't be long." "Be careful." "Very careful." "Right. See you soon." -closing lines of KH3D

In that moment, there seems to be a shift to me. Perhaps it is my perception, but not all is as it seems. What was, no longer is. Unlike Data-Sora which sort of gets a happy ending, KH3D is sort of bittersweet, with unanswered questions lingering. In the words of Sora's friends, they are worried about him. Sora instead sort of brushes them off, or assures them that he's fine. But I wonder...could anyone be truly fine after what he experienced? Or would Sora, just like he'd done before, just move on. Keep swimming, keep fighting, keep going. It feels like that is the choice he makes. Instead of trying to process what he just went through, he choses to ignore it, and continues his journey. Perhaps in hope of finding more answers. I suppose that is the thing. Yeah, something has shifted, something is now truly wrong, in a sense. But he has no idea how to deal with any of it. What he knows, is to fix it. Just like Kairi and Riku, he'll go on and try to rescue Roxas, and others from their sleep. It's not a wrong answer, for the is what needs to happen. But...what about him and his own heart? This, he ignores. In fact we have a scene that sort of brings everything together, as it is scene that deals with Data-Sora and Re:coded. It all revolves around a line, a line that is in both games: "A little hurt can't be all that bad."  However, as pointed out by others, the context of the words are different. For Data-Sora, he says it with the understanding that hurt can connect us to others. His words before the lines in question reflect this:

"If it [the hurt he felt in Data-Roxas' heart] brings me closer to people like that, then..."

However, Sora seems to go with the negative:

"Having no one to turn to was the worst kind of hurt. But that just shows how much you mean to me. Carrying around a little hurt can't be all that bad. Hurting is part of caring."

For Sora, hurt is a burden, one that he, himself, shoulders for another, not a shared burden. There is a subtle but crucial distinction. In my view, Sora seems to carry a weight on his shoulders, a pressure to fix what is broken, something that is made worse by what the others tell him. And seemingly he struggles under the weight, but he never once tries to share it, and truly rely on someone else. This is seemingly highlighted when the seven guardians are finally gathered, and they meet with Yen Sid. As the scene goes on, Sora becomes upset. "But...I do wish that Roxas, and Naminé, and Terra could be here with us too." This causes Riku to comment saying "since when do you mope, Sora?" Sora, despite all that has been accomplished, can only see what hadn't been. All he can feel is that burden, a burden he feels he alone has. The whole scene seems to be a nod to both Sora's feelings of isolation, as well as the assurance the others try to give him. It seems to perhaps have assured him at least somewhat by the end, but it still shows us just how much a struggle this had been for Sora. And perhaps, just a little too late. And that is what is sad about all of this. Sora doesn't have the tools to deal with all that had been given to him. It was too much, too fast. But, perhaps that makes him all the more relatable. I don't like heroes being truly tainted. However, broken heroes, I love. They are very relatable to me, and I've never quite seen a hero like Sora. A childlike spirit, one full of light, wanting to make the world better than he found it. And then, without warning, the darkness threatens still. He's not perfect. In a way the story of Re:coded, while important (and a fun game to play) is too perfect. Data-Sora had the gentle path, one that when all came to shove he's able to deal with what he's given, and with joy. It is the ideal path. But that doesn't make for much of a story. Nor does one learn as much, both in our own lives and in stories. It's why I love Sora's story better. It is broken, yes. It is also painful. But it resonates. I know what he means when he says "alone, I'm worthless." How many of us, in our hearts of hearts, feel the same. It highlights our need for connection, our need for others in our lives. Both human, and what might be much beyond that. I know without a doubt with out the Light in my own heart, I wouldn't be who I am today. It is why I love KH. The focus on connection, and even finding one's Light. Simple themes, but ones so utterly important to our ever increasingly broken world. And here, we finally find an ending. If you've followed through it all, I thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed, and perhaps learned something too. May the Light illuminate your path, and your heart be your guiding key.

[star-sworn]

it’s these two gifs for me

hhh gentle,,;; soft,,;

A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT SOKAI? How you've blessed me on this day, @goldensunset!! This scene... is everything to me

The way Sora says her name, so full of wonder and joy, how it's hearing his voice that wakes her up...the way he’s reaching for her, and her for him, like he can’t get to her fast enough, can’t hold her soon enough…How he just throws his arms around her, they both do... the way they both close their eyes, like they're home, it's alright, it's over, she's okay again... How they're just cherishing holding each other in their arms... There's no need for any words... only their joy and love... also there's something so tender about him holding the back of her head? I know it's a little strange but I found it so comforting and protective. He's just cradling her.

Also, the way Sora is holding her reminded me of how Eugene holds Rapunzel after she saves him: one arm across the waist, the other holding her head. (side note: when I imagine a sokai reunion in kh4, this is the pose I imagine them in):

Totally not an intentional parallel, but this scene has so many parallels in its tenderness and joy. And Rapunzel sort of brought Eugene back in the same way Sora brought Kairi back. And it is one of the two scenes Sora flashes back to when he reunites with Kairi after the Guardians lose. It's when he realizes that holding onto him after death was Kairi's act of true love. They both take turns in this game bringing eachother back from the edge of life itself...

As I'm going through 3 for the first time, I feel like they made the intentional choice to make Sora and Kairi's scenes very simple and subtle. Besides their whole "light in the darkness" reunion, the paupo scene and this one have almost no words spoken between the two whatsoever: its all about facial expression, gesture, etc. I remember being a bit confused the first time I saw the paopu scene, because it wasn't as dramatic and flowery and gushing as I thought it was going to be: Sora seemed a little stiff and indifferent to me, but the more I watch it I think its more that he's just struck speechless, he's so moved by the profundity of the moment that he's sober but still tender. To me, this scene is similar, but perhaps better executed. What are your thoughts?

I also love how right after this, it's clear they have to fight yet another Nortgoat, and Sora just looks at her with this almost playful (flirty??) grin and says, "are you ready for this?" such a far cry from "you'd kind of be in my way" from kh1. Just like, of course you're fighting by my side, no question. Like they're on a date and about to go skydiving or something. Things to do with your bae: fight the demon lord in the sky. Oh and one more thing! Since you can't squint too closely at the plot of Re:mind or you'll have a stroke, I also think alot about how this is still "re:mind Sora" or "time traveling Sora." he's still just a heart, bending time and space with Friendship. So this meeting is physical as they embrace, but in a more metaphysical way, I also think of this as a reunion between their hearts. That when their hearts greet each other, its like this, passionate and joyous and loving. Their hearts are embracing, too.

Sorry you probably didn't expect (or want) a novel, but thanks so much for allowing me to gush about Sokai. hope your project went well today, too! :)