#again any teen in kh

[pjowasmy1stfandom]

Ah yes, the age-old question of fiction involving Traumatized Teenagers: Is this Trauma or is this Puberty?

[djsherriff-responses]

Noticed some of my favourite characters have a theme of “older people using them for their own means” in common

[samfucker]

guess.

if u guessed EVEN MORE OF MY DARLIN OC HEADCANNONS UR CORRECT. sum nsfw

sorry to all. im obsessed w him.

he loves zombie movies. and zombie games. call of duty zombies with his brothers used to be his shit. he was also very competitive. like, before he even hits the floor in the game he's yelling at his brothers to revive him. (im projecting :P)

after being with the pack for a few months, julius was convinced he'd never be a part of the pack like the rest of the teens were. they all already formed their bonds, found themselves in groups; they were a family. julius was just... there. even when asher would force julius to hang out with them, julius would feel so out of place and would just sit quietly

this feeling only grew stronger as he grew older and STILL didn't have any close bonds within the pack. he was fully convinced asher was trying to include him out of pity and it pissed him off. he HATES being pitied

he ALMOST got a tattoo for quinn cus he was young and fully conviced he and quinn were forever

now he has a tattoo of sams name

he also copies sams accent. and milos. and porters. not to be mean, but cus they like the way they talk! they did it with quinn too and he didnt take it well

he punched another pack member for making fun of him once. lol

HUGE RESTING BITCH FACE.

again, guyliner. one of the pack adults (i cant decide which) and julius x that one scene from the dairy of a wimpy kid movie

"are you wearing eyeliner??"

julius also had a crush on rodrick heffley. he wanted him AND wanted to be him.

"IM SORRY WOMEN :/"

he orders food then overthinks the interaction. "wow... i stuttered while asking for cheese on my sandwich... this is the worst thing that has ever happened to me."

not julius, but sam uses emojis properly. especially the sad ones. julius thinks its so cute.

also sam dad bod and chst hair and

me^

as mentioned in past post, he was sent to an empowered tti. he DID escape, but he didnt get to finish highschool cus of it. he makes fun of himself for being a dropout even tho it wasnt even his choice.

again, projecting, but he has an issue with telling others to kts or threatening to khs.

when he was a kid and he found out ur teeth dont fall out til youre like seven he cried cus he wanted money

this is alrdy agreed upon by the fandom but hes a WHORE. and HOT.

hes taller than sam... IM BOUTA BUST

one time when sam went in for a kiss julius turned his head away and went SWERVEDDD and sams face was pure shock and betrayal

he rubs his cheek against sams

bright eyes and sam that one meme

"why does julius call u babygirl?"

"how bout we stop talking for a little while."

baggy jeans.... compression shirt... or.... tight tanktop.... *busts*

slurty waist....... msucles....

neck tattoo........................ and others cus he TATTED

he wears rings too and he has a necklace he like NEVER takes off.

i alrdy said this too but im saying it again he has heterochromia (my twin) hes so sexy im gonna kiss my own oc

BJ KING!!

he bites. in a freaky way and in an intimate way

like he loves sam sm he js needs to bite his bicep or titty pec

he used to smoke. like A LOT

early sam and masc darlin was a homoerotic friendship. i know that sexual tension was crazy.

garfield lover. youll never like garfield like HE likes garf.

HE SUCKS AT GEOGRAPHY SO BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

the end (for now)... do yall have hcs for my oc cus ill eat them up and send u a million dollars. but also just gimme darlin hcs

AGAIN IM SORRY IM SORRY IF UR SICK OF ME LMFAOO

[rosie-kairi]

Hey sup bestie I had a Sad Thought™ thinking about Roxas and I need to share it to the masses.

So you know how in Days/KH II he starts getting super pissed off wanting to know why everyone is lying to him? Why no one is willing to give him any answers? So he goes off on his own and finds Diz and Namine and they tell him the truth and he kinda freaks out?

Well what if before he has to fight Xion, attempts to summon Kingdom Hearts, and get shoved into a digital simulation someone else came to see him? Someone else who treats him like an actual person with respect and feelings?

Roxas is in Twilight Town when he hears someone call his name and he turns around and sees a boy around his age. Curly silver hair, wide blue eyes, red scarf blowing in the wind and an all too friendly smile. Roxas at first sees him as a potential enemy but the boy keeps a cool facade and promises Roxas he's not here to hurt him just to talk and introduces himself as Ephemer.

Roxas relaxes a little and decides to hear this kid out since what else has he got to lose. Eph starts by acknowledging the awful situation Roxas is in and expresses how sorry he is that this has happened, he also validates Roxas' personhood and agrees that Roxas does have the right to exist but he also says that Sora deserves to wake up and live as well. At first this makes Roxas angry thinking Ephemer is trying to manipulate him into giving up his life for some kid he never met.

So Ephemer takes him to a park where they stand to the side and watch a bunch of little kids run around playing with their parents either sitting to the side watching or playing with them. Ephemer asks Roxas what he knows about family's and receives a confused stare back. Family? Isn't that just friends? Ephemer laughs and says while Roxas isn't entirely wrong there is a difference and explains how a family is traditionally the parent's one is born to. This still confuses Roxas so Ephemer starts again.

He explains how Roxas wasn't born like other humans, not only did he come from the heart of a young boy he also came out more or less fully grown as a teen. That all humans start out as little babies born to a mom and dad whose job is to be their caretaker, their teacher, and protect them until the baby grows into an adult and the cycle repeats itself. Roxas at first thinks the organization is his family since technically they do that but Eph says no at best the organization are his legal guardians, parents aren't just who one is born to but also taken care of by someone who deeply loves you.

Maybe at this point they see a kid fall and get hurt, he starts crying and immediately a set of adults come rushing over to help. The Dad picks his son up and cradles him in his arms soothing the boy and wiping away his tears while the Mom cleans the scrap and puts a bandaid on. The parents shower their son with kisses and a reassurance that he's okay now and a warning to be more careful. The boy bounces back quick and scurries off to play with his parents watching him with love and concern.

Ephemer goes on to explain that Sora was born to a set of parents as well, and that for a parent to lose their child is the worst thing that could ever happen to them, speaking from experience from when he was alive and had children of his own. Ephemer tries to paint the picture that Sora isn't inherently more important because he came first, or because so many hearts are connected to his, but that he's still ultimately a little boy with parents anxiously awaiting their son to come back home. And if he never wakes up he'll never see them again.

Roxas slowly starts to understand, he technically doesn't have parents, doesn't have a home, never had a childhood even though he has the equivalent lived experience of a toddler. But he never realized how little he knew about humans and their relationships. Suddenly he felt conflicted, he still didn't want to disappear but after seeing a set of parents take care of their child he couldn't help but wonder did Sora get hurt like that? Or sick? Did his parents take care of his wounds? Soothed his nightmares? If those parents were to lose their son forever could Roxas really be okay with his life?

Ephemer could see the internal struggle and emphasized it's ultimately Roxas' choice what to do and though he didn't say it out loud he did have an ulterior motive. He could feel Ventus' heart housed inside Roxas. After years of mourning and centuries of unrest Ephemer finally found Ven and he knows it's selfish he knows it's not right pushing an innocent boy into this position but he can't leave Ven like this. Ven's heart is still badly damaged and the only way it can heal is to go back and take refuge with Sora again. Ephemer can't help but see the echoes of his long lost friend and brother hidden away and wants Ven to get his second chance that was cruelly taken away. Even if Ephemer can't be there like he wants to he still feels a responsibility to his fellow union leader to protect him in anyway he can.

Looking at Roxas Ephemer can't help but wonder is this what Ven currently looks like? Is he really that grown now? He's finally the same age everyone was when they were to lead the dandelions. It's bittersweet Ephemer is so proud of Ven but also wracked with guilt for not properly keeping him safe and now he's in danger and he's helpless to save him.

When Roxas does ultimately go back to Sora Ephemer is there with him, even if he can't feel or sense him he reassures Roxas that he's not alone and it won't hurt it'll be as easy as falling asleep. He feels so bad about sacrificing Roxas like this but deep down he knows there isn't anything he wouldn't do for the sweet little boy who once faced down Darkness ready to sacrifice himself so his friends could go on. It may be too late for Ephemer and maybe Roxas but it's definitely not too late for Sora or Ven.

imagine meeting someone who will genuinely treat you like the person you know you deserve to be, but you're still not the person they wish you were. You are not a means to an end, but you still are in some way.

anyway. sobbing and crying and throwing up at this thank you

[chronicas]

Anyways I know none of you care about Game Awards. Here’s the real runner up.

Kellington’s Games Played 2024

So unfortunately this year I didn’t play at least 10 video games I’d never played this year. Yes throw tomatoes at me. I was too busy playing some of the most exciting ones. Regardless, I still look forward to this every year SO!!!

#8 Kingdom Hearts 3: I want to say I had fun with this one but honestly I really didn’t :/… It does NOT live up to KH2, while a lot of the gameplay was pretty good, it mostly felt just super repetitive in a bad way. There’s a lot of cute moments though. The Monsters Inc level was definitely the most fun and most creative imo. I always love seeing Sora, Donald, and Goofy though. My sillies :). Still had some fun, just wasn’t it for me. 5/10..

#7 Baldur’s Gate 3: Ugh I spent almost 300hrs on this game. It has so many glaring issues, but I wouldn’t have played it so much if I wasn’t having fun. I’ve been playing 5e since I was a teen, it’s far from my favorite TTRPG, but still holds a place in my heart. There was a lot of fondness at getting to see all my favorite monsters in such a large scale game. However, this game sucks in so many ways. Sooo many glitches, such a weak story, and god so much more that’s so much worse. However I still came out the other end with some love for it. Wyll’s by far my favorite character in this game, he’s funny and witty and I just liked going through his story and being his bestie. The main appeal of this game for me was definitely using D&D combat in a few new and interesting ways. Also multiclassing has never been more fun. I can’t confidently recommend this game, it’s got some really REALLY big issues, most that other people have discussed much better than I have. Do not put this game on a pedestal, it doesn’t deserve it. 5/10.

#6 Kingdom Hearts 2: SAURRRR fun! Definitely my favorite KH game! This one really really endeared me to KH as a franchise and especially Sora as a protagonist! Also Cloud and Yuffie are there. Still no Barret so I have to dock points off. As fun as this game is, I can’t speak toooo highly of the story because Christ is this franchise confusing. I AM playing all the games btw.. or well.. watching some of the less fun ones :P. So I’m not missing anything, this series is still just over complicated as hell. Nonetheless I love visiting silly Disney worlds with Sora, Donald, and Goofy. These games are sillyyyyyy and that makes it all worth it :) 7/10

#5 Sonic x Shadow Generations: RAHHHHHGGGGGGHHGGHH SHADOWWWWW! Well firstly let me say I’d never played Generations before now, it’s such a good one, I love love love the levels, really good. But we already know Sonic Gens is good. SHADOW GENS FUCKING KILLS!!! God can Ian Flynn ever miss? Shadow’s story has always been deeply important to me, y’all KNOW how much I love Maria. This game was full of lots of wonderful moments with Team Dark and Shadow’s family, adore adore adore!!! And of course I’m over the moon to see Black Doom again. The real only reason this isn’t a #4 is because it was short but sweet. I would’ve loved to have seen this game closer to the actual size and scope of Sonic Gens. But it’s just got a couple less levels. Also no Westopolis so points off for that. However all the levels we DID get were WONDERFUL!!! Overall this game was LOVELY!! I highly recommend it if you haven’t played it yet!!! 8/10

#4 Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth: Debated a lot how high up this game would go. Story kinda pissed me off, but it was so fucking fun, so insanely beautiful, that I just can’t help but putting it any lower on this list. The team attacks are what sold me on this one, they’re so fucking cute and insanely fun, they did a lot to put a new spin on a classic gameplay wise. UNFORTUNATELY.. Story kinda sucked ass. Get Zack outta here. However, POINTS BACK FOR FUN AND SILLY BARRET AND YUFFIE MOMENTS AND AERTI MOMENTS!!! Also the dates were super cute and fun, Barret date my beloved. And most importantly… BUGENHAGEN!! WE GOT MY FUCKING SILLY OLD GUY!!!! ALL IS WELL AND RIGHT WITH THE WORLD WE GOD BUGENHAGEN WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Anyways. Overall, can never live up to the classic.. but still a 8/10.

#3 Hi-Fi Rush: RAHHHHH THIS GAME OWNS!! God the characters are so fucking fun, the music fucks insanely hard, and the level design is SO FUCKING FUN!! Not to mention I’m a sucker for fully 2D animated cutscenes, that shit fucking owns. Chai is such a fun protagonist, love this silly guy. Peppermint and Korsica are some of the characters of all time. And I LOVE this game’s exploration of disabled characters and corruption in the medical industry. All with music and levels that completely kick ass. So glad this game got on PlayStation finallyyy. 10/10 Kellington would recommend!!!

#2 Hades 2 [Early Access]: FUCK HOLY SHIT THIS GAME IS SO FUCKING FUN RAHHHHH!!! If TFS hadn’t come out this year this would’ve been an EASY GotY. I fucking adore the leveling system, character design, combat, and level progression. Points off for Arachne not looking like a spider though. Insanely badass to have a really cool lesbian protag so points back for that. Leaving my thoughts on Hades 2 at a 10/10!!!

#1 Destiny 2: The Final Shape: Well well well, look what ongoing video game won “Cloud’s GotY” once again, surprise surprise. Anyways JESUS FUCKING CHRIST. Talk about knocking the ball out of the fucking park. THIS WAS SO GOOD!! It’s definitely the best of D2 if not the best of the entire franchise. Insanely beautiful level design, invoking storytelling, and FUCK YES PRISMATIC SO FUCKING FUN. To wield Light and Dark abilities at the same time just fucking owns. I haven’t stopped using Prismatic even once since it came out (RIP Chaos Reach). A beautiful beautiful ending to my favorite game of all time. Perfect, I only wish Lance had been here for it. 100/10

[smartzelda]

Princess of Heart

By: SmartZelda

Summary:

The Kingdom Hearts series from Kairi's point of view.

Rating: Teen

Category: Gen

Fandom: Kingdom Hearts

Relationships: Riku & Sora & Kairi, some onesided sokai

Additional Tags: paopu fruit, the mayor is Kairi's mom, light, darkness, destiny islands, destiny trio, fluff

Words: 2,145, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Posting Date: 07-21-2019

Link to Fic:

[Any commentary, thoughts, additions, etc from me is under the cut😊]

So, first of all (if anyone is reading this), I am aware that the category/ship tags on this post do not match that on ao3. This is because at the time of posting I had originally wanted to make it clear that the fic would include casual s0kai and s0riku. Since this one was supposed to be the kh series from Kairi's pov (with my own reading of the series and filling in of blanks), it was naturally going to involve Kairi being casually in love with Sora as well as seeing any potential feelings going on between Sora and Riku rather than implying both ships were intended to be endgame.

I have marked it as gen here on tumblr for now since those ships aren't really the main focus of Princess of Heart and because I would have tagged it differently if I had written it now.

Now, in other news, as of today (10-20-2024), Princess of Heart is on indefinite hiatus.

Does this mean this fic or the category it's a part of is abandoned? Nope.

In this case, I am just not sure whether I will return to this fic concept or not. If I get a lot of interest or I get the motivation to tackle it again, then I may return to it. If I do return to it, more than likely I will be rewriting chapter 1 as needed (to comform to my new style of writing), redo my tagging, and continue on from there. At that point I will also update this post with any updated info.

However, even if I do not return to this concept, rest assured that this fic will remain archived on ao3.

[keldjinfae]

20 Questions for Fic Writers

Again, not personally tagged by @oldefashioned, but procrastination the distraction is welcome.

How many works do you have on ao3?

I have posted 21 works, though I very recently deleted one of them because I had initially put it up as an Evil Author Day offering and it's been reshaped enough since then that I felt it was time to let the old version go. Plus, I'd initially meant for it to be part one of a three-part arc, and that arc has since changed to feature a different pairing entirely, so...

What's your total ao3 word count?

477,888

What fandoms do you write for?

I'm a "one at a time" kind of writer, so right now, only Teen Wolf. In the past, under a few separate names, I've written for BtVS and Angel, HP, KH, SPN, Heroes, and I was just getting started on Inception when I had to take a break from writing.

Top five fics by kudos:

You Gotta Promise Not to Stop When I Say When (1,540)

A Little Sweet and Simple Numbing Me (487)

I'm Coming Down Fast but Don't Let Me Break You (427)

My Echo, My Shadow, and Me (401)

I'm Not Asking Questions, I'm Taking My Chances (293)

All Teen Wolf fics, and all Sterek.

Do you respond to comments?

Every single one of them. It may take me months to do so, but every comment brings me joy, and some of my most treasured fandom moments/connections have come from comment interactions.

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I don't think I have a fic that ends in angst. At the moment, Wish You Were Here might fit this bill because I've only posted the first chapter and it's about avoiding dealing with the unexpected death of a loved one. There was one I wrote for Heroes, back in the day, that was solely about Peter burning his mother alive, so yeah, that probably qualifies--it's not on AO3, though.

Do you get hate on fics?

Not so much hate, no, but every once in a while a comment might criticize a character's actions or make suggestions on how they personally would've written a scene, etc. Any outright hate I've ever received for my fics has come from a site other than AO3.

Do you write smut?

Almost exclusively. Nearly every time I'm drafting out a fic for Teen Wolf, particularly when it's Sterek, I'll have a "then sex if there's time for it" note, and Derek barges in with that determined "I'll make time" face, so...

Craziest crossover:

So... uh... the entire reason I started writing fanfic again was because I got smacked in the face with a crossover/fusion idea for Teen Wolf and Skyrim. Other than that, Teen Wolf and Fallout, Teen Wolf and Inception, Teen Wolf and Supernatural...

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Once, years ago. It wasn't the entire fic, but it was a sizeable chunk of one, and the names had been changed for the "author's" chosen pairing/fandom, but apparently they liked my wording so much that they didn't feel the need to come up with their own.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Also years ago.

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes indeedy. Co-writing is one of my absolute favorite ways of writing. Co-creativity is my jam, the energy feeds me. I've written KH fic with @caseyvalhalla, and I've cowritten Teen Wolf fic with my not!wife, Anna. It is my hope to continue to do so with other people, should our visions/writing styles align. I've got one fic in particular that I think at this point is going to need a co-writer so I don't lose focus.

All time favourite ship?

Sterek. I adore many other ships, some of them hold a special place in my heart and I will always come back to read them, but Sterek is the one that gripped me over a decade ago and hasn't let me go since. Like @oldefashioned said, I think it's because I love the characters individually as much as I love them together.

Other than Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski (as well as factoring in Peter Hale with any combination of the three), there's Adam Banks/Charlie Conway, Harry Potter/Draco Malfoy, Alanna/George Cooper, Dean Winchester/Sam Winchester, Nathan Petrelli/Peter Petrelli, Angel(us)/Spike, Spike/Buffy, Angel(us)/Buffy, Angel(us)/Spike/Buffy (really I could've just said any combination of the three), Arthur/Eames, Fenris/Mage Female Hawke, Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers, Riku/Sora, and most recently Maximus/Lucy MacLean, with the added complex triad factor of Maximus/Lucy/Cooper Howard.

What's a wip you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I still haven't actually verged into "doubt I ever will" territory yet, but two WIPs that have been begging to be finished for a while now are Wish You Were Here (Kingdom Hearts) and Light Up as If You Have a Choice (Dragon Age: Origins).

What are your writing strengths?

I don't know. Dialogue? Establishing a setting? That answer might require a survey from other people who actually bother to read my fics.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Not being able to move on until I have a scene "perfect." If I'm stuck on getting from Point A to Point B, I am mentally incapable of jumping ahead to Point C--it is Point B or Point Bust.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I tend to avoid it if the translation starts to read too much like an index, or like I'm writing a conversation twice over. However, if the other language is vital to the narrative (i.e. a character says something in a language they know the other person won't understand, etc.) then yes, I write it in that language, rather than something like, "'blah blah,' he said in Polish."

First fandom you wrote in?

The Song of the Lioness

Favorite fic you've written?

Depending on the fandom, Freaks and Fools was a Kingdom Hearts fic I co-wrote, and more recently, I'd have to say my favorite Teen Wolf fic to write is a toss-up between You Gotta Promise Not to Stop When I Say When and My Echo, My Shadow, and Me. Promise because it is just me writing myself via Stiles, wishing I had a Derek; Echo because I'd wanted to write an alternate version of season 3a for a while, and I finally got to do it, thanks to the Sterek Reverse Bang.

[sabrondabrainrot]

Share us your fics ideas please!!

I have sooooooooo many! (Also sorry it took me so long to answer this I didn't see my inbox)

I'm in so many fandoms and my brain is always thinking of found family or hurt comfort or fluff so it tends to all ruminate in my brain.

1-A Wildcards - a Persona x MHA crossover fic. I've started writing this one and it's in the works but the basic idea is, "what if ever persona protag is under one roof and all siblings and all are in school at the mha world." I have chapters and plans but it's hard to get fic motivation on this one at the moment. One of my theories also turned out right for MHA lore and I can't explain why but having my own theory proven right really took the wind out of my sails. XD

2. ff7 what if au - basically there's a theory me and a bunch of ppl online share where president Shinra has a bunch of bastard children and basically my fic idea is, "what if the bastards all grow up under one roof." So I'm currently doing research on characterizations for it. It's difficult for me to nail down Cloud's, Rufus', Evan's, and Lazard's personalities. I love Au's where ppl are brothers or grow up together. I don't have any plans for this other then the kids somehow help Genesis, Angeal, and Sephiroth not go insane but I can't figure out how I want to do that.

3. Simon Petrikov: Fionna and Cake Adventure Time drabbles - basically wanted to continue where Fionna and Cake leaves off and put Simon in the trauma cube where he gets to heal from his past. I also am a sucker when Trauma is blasted in 4k for everyone to see so the entire crew that cares for Simon also gets the trauma beam. I also realized Simon and Betty were never married so I decided that must be changed and wrote them a wedding. :)

4. Gohan's Wheel of Emotions - Another fic idea I've had for a few years now. I want to do a series where basically some kind of xyz machine goes wrong and Gohan gets split into a bunch of pieces and it becomes a race against time to put him back together. I was planning for his emotions to be wondering around. I want this to be teen era Gohan too because I'm a huge sucker for the Saiyaman ark. It's again just hard to find time to write it! I just want to write a cheezy little light hearted kind of self healing story.

5. TMNT turtle tot au - just a fun multicrossover baby adoption event. I'm currently writing this and have almost 2 chapters done! I love the idea of the 2003 turtles having a bunch of different aged turtles showing up at their doorstep. So they have to juggle sending everyone home while doing their best not to adopt anyone (spoiler alert the kids adopt THEM)

6. TMNT a KH/Tsubasa inspired story - I don't want to share too much on this plot but if you know about Kingdom Heart and Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles then you can get the idea of what if might be about. :)

7. TMNT brainrot drabble - currently working on this one but it's an 87 drabble fic that was inspired by season 5's finale. but now that I'm writing it (it's almost to 10k now) I REALLY want to have it go past the show finale too because MAN the last seasons of 87 are GREAT angst potential. I'm a huge sucker for hurt comfort and this entire fic is kind of like hurt comfort lite.

8. Hetalia - I have so much brain rot for Hetalia but I find it surprisingly hard to write for. I want to do a bunch of silly Hetalia fics about America and his super strength. I love that little idiot because he's MY adorable little idiot. The show is also just so cute and funny it is a big guilty pleasure of mine.

9. Lout of Count Family / LCF stupid idea - basically what if Cale Henituse can sing but he only sings the silliest dumbest songs ever in the history of Rowoon. That's it that's the fic.

10. I have a silly idea for a big multicrossover between all the korean light novels i've read and various manhwa and danmei novels. Like, "What if all systems have a chat function and it connects you to other system users." So it would just be a casual chatfic comedy.

That's most the of the ones I could think of! :P

[twinkuraba]

TBH OG twewy is like. The only time for me personally that NS actually... works.

And that's because it comes across as exactly what I'd personally label what it is at the time; a mutual teen crush.

They're both in this high stakes-high risk situation where their emotional states are already hitting the roof and continuing to climb so it's not unrealistic to think that 'oh this person is actually pretty cool and neat' is getting mixed in there.

The fact they don't have any hobbies in common isn't a big deal as teens; that's something they could solve by actually dating and figuring mutual interests out together.

But instead Neku gets shoved into the UG again. And Shiki is separated from him for 3 years and we get no background on if they ever even started dating officially and put in that work to ensure their relationship had a sturdy foundation.

It's just taken for granted that because Neku is the Boy and Shiki is the Girl their relationship is 100% a thing without actually putting in the work to make the relationship seem at all viable to anyone besides people who nod their heads and go 'yeah he's the main Boy and she's The Girl of course they're together'.

It's just so. Empty. Perfectly Female Gender Roles girlfriend and Perfectly Male Gender Roles boyfriend playing sweet empty domesticity that you could find in any standard mainstream m/f relationship and completely sandblasting both their original personalities for a relationship that has two people with nothing in common, built off teen feelings instead of anything substantial, where they didn't even see each other for three years, and feels like the narrative just brushes it's hands and goes "it's a Boy and a Girl, that's all people should need to think this relationship works."

And it's not even a ship sinking thing because I have never been under any impression that my main ship was going to be canon (nor did I ever want it to be, JN is more fun when it's non canon); it's basically 'I could cut out Shiki and replace her with Kairi from KH and nothing about this relationship would change.' They turned Shiki from an actual character into a cut and pastable female love interest and I fucking hate it.

[airawisteria]

Following on from what I've rambled about Kairi, Sora is not a ton of fun to draw (fuck your hair Sora, it might be very you, but fuck that hair), but he is a ton of fun to analyse like most characters in KH. Sora is pretty insecure, like Kairi. It's probably something to do with a mixture of constantly losing to KH1 Riku (the jerk) and the way KH constantly shows you that Sora is just an average good guy that is very stubborn, sweet and overall just good, but again, he's just that, he's not more or less, he wasn't chosen nor was he given a moment like Riku or Kairi with the Wayfinder Trio to make the keyblade choose him—the most he has is Ven taking residence in his heart, but I don't think that would have mattered too much when it comes to the keyblade choosing him. He's a normal guy. And that takes a toll on you when everyone else around you isn't.

In KH1, we're introduced to Sora, Kairi and Riku, but mainly through Sora's perspective. They're both his best friends, but while Kairi is shown in a primarily positive light (the only 'negative' thing she's done is do nothing to help with the raft and try and hide that fact), if I'm remembering correctly, Riku isn't. Yes, Sora cares about Riku, but you also see Sora's annoyance and competitiveness shine with Riku. The race against Riku, for a new player, will almost always end with a loss and the fact that Sora is the one keeping score makes it hurt all the more because it implies that Riku doesn't care as much as Sora—that this is effortless to him. Which, by the way, it probably is, but it's also probably what makes Riku want to protect Sora so much. Through this race, we learn that Riku and Sora are very competitive, that Sora feels at least somewhat inferior to Riku while Riku feels a need to be superior to some extent and that Sora is the one that normally loses since he's the one counting.

Then, Destiny Islands falls to darkness and Kairi's heart takes residence with Ven in his heart while Riku is straight up consumed by darkness, just about too far for Sora to reach. It's only here that we get the keyblade, since Riku has fallen to darkness and Sora is the only candidate left. Sora, of course, doesn't know this and just thinks he's got a cool, new weapon. When Donald and Goofy meet him and are like "join us on our Gummi Ship!! We can (not really) look for your friends!". Through all the worlds we see Sora's amazement and his want to help everyone. Then, Riku, all of a sudden appears. And, the second Sora sees him, he's—obviously—over the moon but Donald's like 'not enough room' and that leads to Riku's further fall to darkness and Sora is pretty conflicted but goes with it, since, he doesn't want his friend to be in danger. Then, Riku does what any angsty teen does and broods. Maleficent uses this to her advantage and we have Riku and Sora properly fighting, not the joke fights they've had before. And, it's here we both see Sora's past annoyance emerge and his loyalty to his friends. And, then, Riku gets the keyblade and Sora is abandoned by his friends, left with only the wooden sword Riku chucks at him.

This sucks. I mean, Sora, who has befriended Donald and Goofy throughout the course of the game, just fucking loses them all cause Riku's like 'haha, take that, Sora! I am better than you'. But, even still, Sora perseveres, pushing his own hurt and insecurities aside to help Beast. This is what eventually leads to Sora standing up against Riku and Donald and Goofy joining Sora, again. Though, it's this moment that I think plants the seed of 'my friends are my power' and his insecurities with being powerless without his friends. Sora is powerless, after all, and he is basically going up against a guy with the keyblade with a fucking wooden sword, ain't no way he's gonna win that unless he's the best swordsman in the world.

It's through this moment where only once Donald and Goofy have rejoined him that he gets the keyblade back which, to me, would make him think 'yeah, my friends are the only reason I have this, without them, I'm nothing'. I mean, think about it, Donald and Goofy have literally just joined him and then bam! There's a keyblade in his hands and not Riku's. The real reason he has it is because his will was stronger than Riku's (cause Riku's really a guy who has a superiority complex but ultimately cares about his friends, so he doesn't want to fight Sora), but Sora probably sees it as only when his friends were around was it that he could do anything.

After that, there's the whole Ansem taking ahold of Riku's body and Kairi's heart being inside him ("Kairi's... inside me? *surprised pika face*"). Then, Sora sacrifices himself for Kairi and becomes a heartless to help her and while that's a very sweet thing to do, why was that answer so easy to do for him? Sure, we'd all like to think that we'd do the same thing, but would you really do the same thing without fucking hours of debating whether or not this is a good idea. Or, at least, most people would think about it for a good ten minutes before being like 'yeah, this is the only way'. But, nah, Sora smiles and pierces his heart with Ansem-Riku's weapon. If that isn't a clear sign of a tendency to self-sacrifice for others, then I don't fucking know what is. This plants the idea of Sora being both a good friend and a self-sacrificial person—he puts others before himself, and as such, sees them to be more important than him. Of course, they're all equal from a moral standpoint, but from a plot standpoint, a guy that can use the darkness and a princess of light are more important. They're more useful and while Riku can't control the darkness as of yet, he was still the first choice and someone who Sora sees as better than him, so it does make sense why he's fine with this act of self-sacrifice.

He, of course, returns to his human body and is no longer a heartless, but y'know how he gets there? The whole thing with Kairi realising who he is, hugging him and then, bam! He's back. Well, I don't think it went that quickly, but the two events were definitely connected. And, since the whole seed of 'my friends are the only reason I have any power/worth' had been planted before, Sora's belief in himself weakens and his belief that he is nothing without his friends strengthens. In the end, Sora and Riku both close the gate and all three of them are separated.

Then, CoM happens. I've not got as many memories in CoM that I can refer to but, if I'm remembering correctly, we see that Sora and Riku have always been at least somewhat competitive. This is pretty obvious with the way that Sora's immediate reaction to Repliku's, like, insistence on being against Sora is 'let's fight!!'. However, in those memories, from BBS we can see that Sora and Riku seem to be good friends that aren't really affected by what happens whenever they're competing (prolly cause they're like 5 or something, but y'know) which implies that before Kairi's arrival on Destiny Islands the two's competitivity was pretty healthy and didn't really affect either's outlook on who they are and stuff.

Even then, in CoM, I recall Naminé needing to return Sora's memories to their original, uh, form? Sure, their original form. This places Sora in the role of the 'helpless one', again, since he's the only one who really needs his memories to be so thoroughly gone through. He might smile about it and promise Naminé that he and she will be friends afterwards, but that could reinforce the idea that he is helpless without his friends. This is supported by Riku's involvement. Sure, Sora doesn't know Riku's helping him, but the players do and they get the idea that, yeah, Riku is being a good friend but that Sora can't do shit. It adds to the fact that without Riku, Sora wouldn't be able to wake up (even though, that isn't his fault).

Then, in KH2, Sora is constantly looking for Riku. Though he holds his own for most of it, he's not able to save Kairi—Riku is. And after her rescue, he requires her help. Sora was overwhelmed with emotions the second he realised who Riku was (as most would be) and immediately goes to Riku's side after, I think it was, Ansem's last ditch effort to stop Xemnas. This so obviously shows how terrified he is to lose him again, he lost Riku twice, ain't no way Sora's letting that happen again. Then, after that, he and Riku fight Xemnas together and say something along the lines of, 'you and I are besties, so I wouldn't mind staying here forever'. But, they also address Sora and Riku's rivalry here.

As gay as the two of them are, the fact that it took being trapped in darkness to open up to one another says a fucking lot. But, still, the two do open up and admit that they both saw Riku as the superior one but they also admit that the best thing that neither of them could ever imitate would be their friendship—and, mate, the fact that it takes Sora a whole ass pause to be like 'I have something you can't imitate too'. Like, I don't know how else to show you that he was so clearly taken aback by the statement and needed to process it so he didn't misunderstand anything. The fact that there's a pause at all says a lot about Sora's self-esteem, in my opinion. They get Kairi's letter and return to the Realm of Light (hand in hand, obviously).

Blah, blah, blah, DDD happens and Sora straight up falls to darkness and is powerless again. He even says to, I think, Xigbar that his friends are his power which while sweet also implies that Sora doesn't think he has any power without his friends. This is reinforced by Riku rescuing him with the others. Then, after that, Yen Sid has Riku pass (as he should with all the shit he's been through) and Sora fails since he fell to darkness. While it makes sense from a character and plot standpoint, it also feels almost as if the game itself is telling you 'yeah, Sora's just a normal, good guy who can fall to darkness, unlike Kairi, and, unlike Riku, can't harness it like it's some kinda weapon'. It's reminding us that Riku and Kairi are very much on a different level and standing to Sora. But, through it all, Sora smiles and congratulates his best friend like the good guy he is.

Then KH3 happens and we get to see Sora truly reach a point where his ego and confidence are so shaken that Yen Sid's criticisms/run-through of DDD are enough to physically affect Sora as well as emotionally. Up until now, all we've really seen of Sora is confidence (especially when you defeat all those heartless in KH2) and laidbackness and now, Sora's once confident posture is hit with each of Yen Sid's words.

And, then, there's the fact that Sora is actually affected up by Maleficent and Pete's dismissal of him. Donald and Goofy tease Sora but instead of the light-hearted annoyance that we almost always see with Sora and his dads friends, we see Sora actually being hurt by this. And, then, Riku's off to the Realm of Darkness with Mickey and Sora's more than worried. He tells Riku to not be reckless and to call him the second anything goes wrong and that, my friends, is the effect of Riku disappearing without a trace. Sora's worried because he doesn't want to lose Riku, and later, he gets all irritated with Donald and Goofy when they find out that Riku might be in danger—he so clearly doesn't want to lose him. So, being the self-sacrificial dumbass that he is, he immediately heads over there and helps Riku. And, at that moment, he is Riku's power but he doesn't realise that, not yet.

Afterwards, we have the whole Keyblade Graveyard thing where he loses everyone. And it's here we finally see Sora admit the true meaning behind his 'my friends are my power!'—it's that he's powerless without his friends. It takes Riku saying, 'Sora, I believe in you. Don't give up/you can't give up' and fucking sacrificing himself for Sora to get out of his self-loathing and try to do something with the powers he has once he gets to the Final World.

He saves everyone and the timeline changes, but he still loses Kairi. So, being the self-sacrificial, good guy we've known since KH1, he saves her, I think. Then, he wakes up in Quadratum.

All this to say, my view on Sora is that his self-esteem is really, really low and he needs some serious reassurance from the people in his life. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

With my rambling about Sora over, I must say I didn't think I'd have this much to say about him, but here we are. I could go on and on about how much his constant damseling affects him (just as it affects Kairi) and how much all the events have affected him and his self-esteem, but yeah. I probably forgot a bunch of stuff that I might ramble more about... at some point, but yeah. It's cool if you don't agree with me on this, I'm just one of the many people who played KH, but yeah, that's what I think.

[akumastrife]

✨️ 🌈 🌻 🎀 🎉 🍭 🎙 💌

babe thank you so much

✨What's a fic you've posted you wish you could breathe life into again and have people talking about it? (or simply a fic you wish got more credit)

No Price Too Great; No Distance Too Far the rarepair raven cycle medieval au I wrote for a bigbang (my first and last)! Its 40k, all the things I like to write, with a bunch of flowery metaphors and 97% just yearning okay. It was a lot of work, a lot of love, but unfortunately seems to be too self-indulgent to be a fandom hit.

🌈is there a fic that you worked *really fucking hard on* that no one would ever know? maybe a scene/theme you struggled with?

The Coral Isle Alliance, the teen wolf Scott/Danny fantasy kingdom au. I struggled with it because originally I wanted it to be 8 chapters, and a sweeping epic of found family, slow burn, and dreamy aesthetics. But... It sat in my drafts for over a year and I got overwhelmed when I didn't have all the story figured out. There was definitely a mental block that I think in part was because already I knew deep down it was only for me and very few people were even going to read it.

So I took everything I had already written and crunched it down into a one shot, and tbh that was all it needed to be.

🌻what makes you want to give up on writing? what makes you keep going?

lack of engagement definitely makes my desire to write fic very low, and i've been struggling with that for several years now. I enjoy fic and enjoy rarepairs/tropes that I know I'll have to write myself to have, and there's many fics started on my computer. But engagement has deceased so much across fandom in the last 6-7 years and tbh the effort I know I'll end up putting into it to not really get any feedback? It's bleak man. Makes it harder and harder to justify the time when I have original novels I want to write for publication as well.

But I keep writing, and I keep thinking of new aus and fic I probably will never write because I enjoy the creativity of fandom and I have a lot of feelings about characters I don't know what to do with otherwise. Fandom was pivotal for my adolescence, and definitely shaped the way I engage with art. I want to contribute to it, it's just how I am.



🎀give yourself a compliment about your own writing

I feel like I'm really honing my ability to weave emotional impact into the narrative! I can't draw the moment of anguish on a characters face, but I'm gonna try to convey it in a paragraph anyway!

🎉how often do you celebrate completing & posting a work? how often do you give yourself the credit/validation that you seek from others when you post? (if you don't, you should!)

Oh. Oh, well, I.. don't, i guess? I suppose posting is the reward, as in, the relief of having finished something (something I struggle with.)

How do you all celebrate a posted fic? Clearly I need ideas! =3

🍭why did you start writing?

I've always had the ideas, even before fanfic. And it was never enough to have them, and think about them, there's always been that desire to write them down, flesh them out, truly play around in them. I've been an avid reader since I learned how, and I guess there was always a part of me that liked it so much I wanted to participate.



🎙️which one of your fics would you like someone to make a pod-fic of?

Thematically, I think 'dust devils on the horizon' (Joy cowboy au) would translate really well with the right narrator.

💌share something with us about an up-and-coming work (WIP) that has you excited!

Yes it's true, i'm rewriting (for the 4th time) a KH fic I started 13 years ago that I want to actually finish this time. I'm posting chapters as I finish them, instead of waiting for all of it to be finished so I don't lose motivation but boy its hard.

When i write fic, which is rarer these days, its for me, or whatever my friends want to read.

[kh-oc-askblog]

Main Rules

Verses; I am mostly a KH centric askblog/ rp, but I am also okay with most things as long as I am at least already somewhat familiar with the universe/ fandom in question. This can be discussed further in a direct message if you'd like to check if your verse is included. And of course, OCs are always welcome! Though we may need to plot in case of conflicts in lore if they're KH OCs, or just generally it's good to know more about each other's characters before we throw them at each other.

18+ preferred but not strict; I won't reject anyone's willingness to rp, but please remember that I may sometimes ask for space or may gently ask you not to rp if I feel overwhelmed or overly relied upon as an adult, especially as I personally haven't had role models to learn from to know how to handle interacting with kids/ teens, or just how to not sound too harsh around younger people. Like nothing against you all at all and I hope this didn't come across as belittling. So yeah, I'm going to be distant and probably ask way too much "is this an okay topic?" because I genuinely don't know.

Mature content; I do explore the same type of content raised in Kingdom Hearts canon such as abuse, grooming, mental health issues, suicide, some mentions of alcohol, displacement, etc. found in Kingdom Hearts/ Disney movies in general, but these things will be tagged with double slashes and then TW + the content "// TW: [content]". I do inexplicitly touch on further themes like CSA, PTSD specifically and self harm, but I do try to be subtle in these expressions and they tend to be shown through symbolism that acts as an allegory to these concepts. Even so, I will also tag them and may add a "allegory" note in brackets; like // TW: CSA (allegory), for example.

Mun takes many breaks; please remember that I tend to have brief bouts of fast replies in between breaks, so just remember that I'm not ignoring replies and not to overly pester the mun. I kindly ask for small reminders if I've really taken too long, but please keep in mind that I tend to take regular mental health and physical breaks due to disabilities, irl obligations and ongoing struggles with mental health.

Basic DNI, but also; TERFS/ transphobes (including transmeds, mun is bigender soo), queer exclusionists (I respect mspec and aspec here), Zionists (again, I have many anti-zio Jewish friends and Palestinian friends, one of which is like basically family to me so please go away if you're pro Israel/ anti-Palestinian), and while I won't say DNI per se to antis, please know I am neutral and/or friends with many pro ship people. I am politically anti-censorship, so I don't want people being "oh you're okay with X being into Y content?" when I very much do not care for erasure of any media, yes even "bad" ones. Basically just DNI if you are right wing or use right wing rhetoric.

Other things to know; please don't make fun of how I write. Constructive criticism is welcome and encouraged, but don't just be like "ew your sentences are too long" or "haha OCs are cringe" or "your art sucks!" because I'll obviously just block if you start being mean about it or don't really give anything properly constructive. Of course, I am not my characters; they may be rude or say things I would not. As for art/ writing, I tend to have my own habits and some of them I can't really help, including long sentences since I have had a history of being talked over or misunderstood, so I tend to clarify when I'm anxious (which I'm always lol). In the end, it's all fun and games so it's best not to take things overly seriously. I also tend to scratch out acknowledgments to brands/ content that I am boycotting due to their unethical practices. This is just a personal way for me to give them the finger while also not claiming things that genuinely aren't mine.

Swearing; I try not to, though I can sometimes default to it when stressed, angry or tired, so I apologise if that happens in ooc and I will try to keep it contained, especially for those who may find swearing triggering. As for my characters, they don't use them since KH canon doesn't. They use the same type of dialogue as the English Dub of Kingdom Hearts, so no extreme examples of cussing, but some "playground rude words" like "hell" or "shut up".

AI policy; I prefer not to use it for writing or art and may be less inclined to rp if they are used by other muns. This isn't so much a judgemental thing per se, but I just have mixed feelings as an artists who has closed down a lot of previous places due to AI training. This place is an escape, so I would prefer not to really be confronted by AI content or talk of it, please.

So basically! Don't be a dickhead and chances are we can get along just fine, I'm generally really chill with whoever people are and what people believe. I am always up for talking out differences, but please just remember to be respectful and remember that this is a place for rp, fun asks and sometimes even just escapism for me ngl. If you wanna contest a point in the above, I'd prefer if you reached out on my main; @royalberryriku, and that I have limited spoons so I may be slow.

Disclaimer and acknowledgements; All art used for OC asks and in rps are my own. I may use filter layers to create atmosphere, but the art used will ultimately be my own works. Meanwhile any pictures of canon Kingdom Hearts characters I may rp as NPCS or include in answering asks, or any settings depicted that are within the Kingdom Hearts universe, are the property of Tetsuya Nomura and the development team of Kingdom Hearts; owned by Square Enix and Disney. Gifs used for displays are from Tumblr's selection and always have the creator underneath.

[xxxmasterkali]

Skuld Cross

Basic Info Name: Skuld Marie Cross Birthday: October 30th, 1988 Age: 23 Address: San Myshuno VA: Lucy Hale (DH) Jessica DeCicco (HU) Sexual Orientation: Straight Astrological Sign: Scorpio Aspiration: Knowledge Favorite Color: Purple Sim Characteristics: Cerebral, Hard Working, High Energy Likes: Bowling, Comedy, Dancing, Fishing, Fitness, Mischief, Mixology, Rock Climbing, Snowboarding, Wellness, Video Games Dislikes: Writing, Programming, Research, Gardening, Cooking, Baking Fears: Deep Water Traits: Daredevil, Self Assured, Outgoing, Adventurous, Survival Instinct, Observant, Natural Leader, Independent, Brave, Practical, Short Tempered, Well Balanced, Mysterious, Quick Learner Lifestyles: Adrenaline Seeker, Frequent Traveler, Energetic

NSFW Info Virgin: No Alcohol: Yes Cigarette Smoker: Yes Drugs: Cannabis, Ecstasy (HU), Shrooms (HU) Wicked Attributes: None

Physical & Mental Health

Milestones Teen: Adopted a Pet, Got a New Sibling, First Kiss, First Woohoo, Smoked Tobacco, Smoked Cannabis, Bought Drugs, Got Drunk, Graduated High School

Young Adult: Did Ecstasy, Started a New Relationship, Did Shrooms, Earned College Degree

Family Parents: Philip Cross & Phoebe Sheldon (Separated) Stepparents: Kenny Sheldon & Cherish Bharma (Unoffically) Siblings: Troy (Maternal Half Brother) Family Pets: Jerry (Cat) Financial Status: Average Skuld & Axel's Pets: Jim (Cat), Brook (Dog)

High School High School: Destati High (Graduated) Grade: B Student Popularity: Average Social Group: Rebel Rousers Affinity: Indifferent to Popularity Club: None

College College: Hikari University Major: History Earned Degree in History

Work Previous Job: Retail (Part Time) (HU) Career: Apprentice Inventor

Friends Best Friends: Strelitzia Ferguson, Isa Thornton, & Axel Flynn Close Friends: Xion Stoner

Romance Relationship Status: In a Relationship First Kiss: Adriel Kealoha Crush/Partner: Axel Flynn Ex Relationships: Adriel Kealoha Sexual Partners: Adriel Kealoha, Axel Flynn, Damon Fyres, Lucas Watanabe

Situation (DH) Skuld currently lives with her mother & stepfather. She has a difficult relationship with her mother & resents her stepfather because her mother cheated on her father with her stepfather. Her parents divorced, & her father lives alone now. Skuld visits her father frequently & feels her mother doesn't pay much attention to her since the birth of her stepbrother. Sometimes she wonders if she should live her with her dad but the courts ruled in favor of her mother.

Situation (HU) During the 3 year time gap, Axel & Skuld end up doing ecstasy & they end up sleeping together. When Axel tells Skuld how he really feels, she freaks out & can't handle having feelings towards him. She tells Axel there can't be anything happening between them. She panics & seeks comfort in other men, denying any feelings she has towards Axel. Months later, Axel tells her he just wants to be her friend & they end up sleeping together again. They decide to keep it casual, but Axel tells Skuld later that he wants more with her or nothing at all. After having a conversation with Strelitzia & Xion, Xion tells Skuld that Axel really cares about her. She then decides to start a relationship with Axel.

Photo Album

Shout out to the wonderful modders & content creators out there! Most of the information here I was able to add to each character courtesy of Radiophobe, Heleane, BasementalCC, TurboDriver, Chingyu, Kuttoe, YourFalseHope, adeepindigo, & littlemssam. Hairstyles were also created by racoonium! Link below for the Mods/CC/Sets/Animations that I have used in my KH Sims videos!

Mods/CC/Animation/Sets

Character Bios for Destati High & Hikari University

[twilight-town-zombies]

FF8 Reaction Thread

Started playing FF8 on my Switch again and this time didn't get stuck on the first quest!

Summoning minor dieties to help me with my school work. No wonder Leon was upset he couldn't wield a measley keyblade

Seifer in this game makes KH Seifer a 1000% funnier

Your graduation exam is entering into an active military situation good luck

You cannot pet the dog in this game

Seifer clapping for me making it into SEED has somehow been the highlight of this game so far. His cronies are jealous of what we have.

Also I might not see any of these dudes again? No wonder I have attachment issues

Yes this is an elite military academy but I feel like I am supposed to agree to help with the garden festival. Even though I may be shipping out soon? If nothing else perhaps it will prepare me for the Radiant Garden Restoration Committee in my next life...

Aw Rinoa is so cute though. I enjoy her yanking Squall around. I see she and Namine shop at the same store. I was told she has a dog? No?

I thought my teacher was hitting on me and it turns out I was right but also she's my age because teens educating elite military personnel just makes sense

When your date isn't going well because you are an unsympathetic ass, so you both go and fight a dinosaur and rescue a damsel in distress from a giant mutant killer wasp

School training facility is actually Jurassic Park was not a development I was expecting at any point

Changing my clothes in this game is a whole event but that actually makes sense because I'm wearing at least five belts.

I want Squall's jacket irl

I keep waiting for Cloud and Sephiroth to show up and I need to get it into my head that they are not actually in this game.

[lokiondisneyplus]

Holy crap. Look at Kate Herron's shirt. When the Loki director pops up on Zoom, she's donning the most glorious image anyone will see since we laid eyes on Alligator Loki: A Teletubby wearing the Loki horns. Are the Teletubbies Loki variants? Sure, why not!

"I got it on Instagram," Herron says. "There's an amazing comic book artist and he designed it. He made it into a T-shirt for me because I saw it and was like, 'That's incredible. Can I get it for the press junket?'"

Herron, no big deal, just pulled off an MCU miracle. Entering a mammoth franchise with, notably, some of Sex Education's best episodes under her belt, the director deftly brought a plot involving multiverses and Richard E. Grant in a cape and superhero mumbo-jumbo to brilliant, beautiful life. Following Loki's tear-jerking, mind-bending finale, the series has been dubbed by critics and fan's alike as one of Marvel's best efforts—which is no small feat. Of course, we needed to ask Herron how she stuck the landing. Following the most epic finale you, me, or any Teletubby can remember, Herron talked to Esquire about the Miss Minutes jump scare, filming the finale's introduction of He Who Remains, and why she won't return for Season Two of Loki.

ESQ: How are you doing?

KH: I'm good. I think I feel very relieved that I don't have to sit on the secret of He Who Remains anymore, It was a very big secret to hold, but for an important reason, right? Because it's such a good character to be launching. So yeah, I feel good.

ESQ: Loking back at your old interviews, you have such a good poker face when you're avoiding spoilers, but you're also incredible at giving aggregator crumbs.

KH: I play a lot of board games, so you need to be quite good at strategy and poker faces so people can't always read your hand. So I think weirdly board games have prepared me more for working with Marvel than anything else.

ESQ: I have to start with the Miss Minutes jump scare. What went into the decision to make her a memeable, creepy apparition in that moment?

KH: I love horror, and my executive, Kevin Wright, knew that. Me and him were talking about Episode Six and I remember that he was like, "Oh, maybe you could do something creepy of Miss Minutes." And I immediately was like, "We have to do a jump scare!" Because I haven't got to do a good jump scare in anything yet and I really wanted to, because a lot of my friends are horror directors. I was like, "I can't let them down." So I was really excited to have a shot at doing a jump scare. And Miss Minutes, it was really fun testing it because we'd kind of bring different people into the edit, me and Emma McCleave, the editor, and we'd just play it for them, watch them, and check that they were jumping when we cut it.

ESQ: One thing that I think is getting missed in all the craziness is that we see a peak moment of the love story between Loki and Sylvie. Where does the finale leave the companionship that they found in each other?

KH: When I started the show, that was always in the DNA of it—that Loki was going to meet a version of himself and they were going to fall in love. And that's honestly what drew me into the story, because I directed Sex Education. I love stories about self-love and finding your identity and your people. Loki is such a broken character when we join him, and seeing him go on this amazing journey with all this growth and finding the good points of himself in seeing her—I think that was very beautiful. It's also paying respect to the fact that Sylvie's in a very different place to him. She hasn't had the Mobius therapy session. She even says, in Episode Five, "I don't know how to do this. I don't have friends." You really feel for her because she has been on the run and her whole life has been this mission.

It's almost funny because these characters are thousands of years old, but it's almost teenage the way they both talk about their feelings for each other. I think everyone can relate to that, right? In any new relationship, there's always that kind of awkwardness and like, "Oh God, am I too keen? The important thing was the hope—like when Sylvie and him kiss, I think it is genuine and it is coming from a place of these feelings they have for each other. Obviously she does push them through that door, but for me it was a goodbye and it was with heart. But it's kind of a goodbye in the sense of like, I care about you, but I'm going to do my mission because that's where I'm at.

ESQ: I would pay for you to direct the Sex Education episode where Otis falls through a portal into the multiverse, into the main MCU.

KH: He really looks like a Loki as well, which is so funny. I always thought that. I was like Asa does look like a Loki. It didn't come to pass or anything, but it would be interesting to do a Sex Ed-Marvel crossover. I wonder who all the different characters would be within the MCU, but it would be quite funny.

ESQ: You're right, he could pull off a teenage Loki.

KH: Yeah, like a teen or a very young ’20s, maybe. But it was just funny because I was like, "Oh yeah, he looks a bit like Tom." I wonder how they could do it. I'm sure they'll find a way to do a crossover anyway.

ESQ: Can you just take me back to filming with Jonathan Majors? And you capturing him in such a compelling, quirky, scary way—I'm sure your direction was such a big part of that.

KH: I was just so excited because Jonathan is an actor that everyone was so excited about. He's like a chameleon in everything he does and he's so talented. I just feel as a director so lucky to have worked on this because I feel like I've got to work with some of the best actors out there. And when you're with Jonathan, you know you're in the presence of just someone really magnificent. For me as a director, it's giving him the space to play and feel safe. Because we filmed it all in a week, but it was a lot to film in a week. So I think it was really about creating a space where he could have fun and find this character because he's going to be playing him for a long time.

ESQ: What went into the decision to introduce us to the good guy first?

KH: I remember in the script, he comes up the elevator and it was so casual. I was like, "Oh man, that's so fun." And then Jonathan, when he plays it, he's relaxed. And I the thing he used to talk about a lot was that this is a character who's been on his own for a long time. Because at the beginning, we introduced him in a space in the universe that feels like this very busy, loud place, but actually, when we see the Citadel, he's surrounded by the Timeline and he's very isolated. Even in his costume with [designer] Christine Wada, for the idea of his outfit, he's a character who's existed for multiple millennia. So it's like, OK, let's pull from lots of different places so you can't necessarily pin down which time or which place he might be from. Also the fact that his clothes look comfy. They were like pajamas because he's living at home. He loved the idea of the office [being] the only finished part of the citadel and that the rest of the citadel was like this Sunset Boulevard kind of dusty, dilapidated space. And just again showed that he probably just keeps himself to his office. All those elements definitely fed into Jonathan's performance in terms of balancing the extrovert, but also the introvert of someone that would be living by themselves and only talking to a cartoon clock.

ESQ: It really is incredible how you pull a nail-biting finale with this battle of wits and dialogue.

KH: It was really exciting because I feel like Episode Five was a lot of fun because we got to play into all the joy of the different versions of Loki, but also just the fact that it was our big usual Marvel third act, right? Like it was where our big spectacle was as they were fighting this big monster. But I love that our finale bookends, right? We began with a conversation and we ended with one.

ESQ: I also loved that there was no end-credits scene—I think it makes the ending that much more impactful. Was there ever an end credit scene on the table, or any kind of a stinger?

KH: I think no, because weirdly, we never went after the kind of mid-credit sequences. I think we always just were thinking just of the story and where we knew we wanted it to end. For example, Episode Four, originally Loki was deleted and then we went straight to him waking up. And it was only in the edit I was like, “I think it'd be really cool actually. We should move that scene to mid-credits because then we'll really feel like Loki has died." Because if I watched that moment and then it went to the credits, I'd be like, "What?!" And then when we were talking about the best way to talk about Season Two, we were like, "Okay, well, let's do that like a little mid-credits at the end because that is exciting to confirm it in that way." I'd say we found both of those in the edit just because we wanted to kind of do it right and have a fun nod to something that Marvel does so well.

ESQ: Is there anything you can tell about the future of the story you've told here—or even where you personally would like to go with the studio or otherwise going forward?

KH: Yeah, so I'm just on for Season One. So I'm so proud of the story we told. I mean, it was amazing getting to set up the TVA and take Loki on this whole new journey. And I mean, I think we've left so much groundwork for his character, and as people see in the comics, there's so much more to be delved into. And I just am excited honestly to just see where all the characters go. Like, who is B-15? What did she see in those memories and where did Ravonna go and where is Loki? I think for me, we've set up these questions and I look forward to seeing them being answered as a fan in the next season.

ESQ: Absolutely. Well, can we please work on the Asa Butterfield Loki?

KH: I will call him and I'll be like, "You want to do some crazy Marvel crossover?"

[themadauthorshatter]

... I think you guys are going to like this.

358/2 Days REWRITE Part 2

Riku is around, but he's all over the place, and he has a mission: Find and capture either Roxas or Xion, unless he CAN manage both, so DiZ can use them to help Sora recover. He's on a time limit, though, because Sora's heart is damaged and the longer Roxas and Xion are around, the less likely Sora is to waking up or even sleeping; I mean, he'll BE sleeping, but it'll be much quieter and it will be absolutely pointless to try waking him up.

For the first few days or months, he keeps his distance, trying to decide who he's picking, sadly.

Pros of bringing Roxas to DiZ: He has the closest connection to Sora, being his nobody, he's got the keyblade, Riku can probably take him one v. one, if there are any problems, he just needs to get a reaction out of 'Sora.'

CONS of bringing to Roxas to DiZ: Have fun trying to run from the remaining Organization members, he'll have to avoid Non-form or he'll get beaten all to Hell, he runs the risk of hurting his friend for reals, Roxas is rarely alone, Roxas is one hell of a runner and fighter, he'll just feel bad.

Pros of bringing Xion to DiZ: She has more 'keyblade' potential, maybe her voice will help wake up Sora(?), she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé gets a new friend(as long as DiZ doesn't decide to throw her away).

CONS of bringing Xion to DiZ: She looks and sounds like Kairi, she's crazy skilled, she hits hard, she's laughable when she's mad, but it's gut wrenching to see her cry or be hurt, she looks and sounds like Kairi, Naminé is probably getting Thanosed when DiZ is done with her because he's a dick right now, so giving Xion to her as a friend will mean nothing, the connection to Kairi, he'll feel bad.

As you can tell, Riku is great at making decisions(sarcasm)

While he's too caught up to do anything, let's check on the sea salt trio, who are getting closer as friends, i.e. seeing Hayner, Pence, and Olette do stupid stuff a KH equivalent of TikTok, which the trio repeats on their own without a phone recording them, eating ice cream, talking, and exploring the Disney worlds for fun, both old ones and new ones that will appear in future games.

In this time, Xion becomes a mix of Kairi and Naminé, outspoken, but careful with who she runs her mouth to, smart, but still open to learn, protective and still needs something if a protector, etc. She is also a wickedly fast learner.

We also get organization shenanigans like Demyx being lazy on missions, Roxas getting annoyed at Xigbar for calling him tiger, dealing with  Saïx, trying not to annoy Xaldin, even getting head pats from Xemnas, and, for fluff, Roxas and Xion finding Axel asleep on the floor of the clock tower and the two scaring him away for shits and giggles. 

Yes, a lot of time passes, about 9-11 months, give or take.

Roxas and Xion also become closer as well with Axel being something like their chaperone, only he reports to Xemnas and Saïx.

Speaking of Saïx, he meets up with Axel one day and expresses disdain with the fact Axel would rather be friends with an unstable Roxas and a literal puppet that doesn't even exist.

Axel, on edge already with Xemnas on his back, tells Saïx to put a cork in it. Saïx only pushes back, asking if Roxas even KNOWS what Xion is, even what HE is. To both their credit, the two are wonderful at playing make believe and Axel, being the child he is, is a great at being their playmate.

Axel shoves Saïx back, snapping for him to shut his mouth before he says something he'll regret. Saïx, losing his composure, shoves back, asking if he should because Axel can't handle the truth; he never has been good at it, so it's not surprising.

Ring a bell, someone, please, because Axel throws a punch into Saïx's cheekbone. Saïx returns with a left hook directly to the side of the neck and knees Axel, who grabs his leg under his knee and rolls, making them both fall and throw more punches on the ground, bruising and bloodying each other in full view of the remaining organization members. Maybe we get a gag of Xigbar and Luxord placing bets on who will win, Demyx worrying because they should probably be stopped, Xaldin scoffing at the immature display, and then Roxas and Xion walking in and instantly getting worried because Axel is not winning this fight, as evidenced by Saïx slamming his head into the floor.

When the two stand up to keep fighting, Roxas and Xion race between them, the boy in front of Saïx and a very nervous Xion in front of Axel, who tells her and Roxas to stay out of this or they'll get hurt.

Roxas obviously refuses, but Xion leads Axel away from Saïx, who asks if Axel really needs children to protect him.

No, he needs to protect these two idiots, especially Roxas, who hasn't moved and his eyes have gone Non-form-y, like he's about to transform.

Saïx returns with berserker eyes and smashes Roxas into the wall by his neck, daring him to try it.

It draws a gasp from EVRYONE, even Xaldin, but Saïx scoffs that they shouldn't try pretending to be worried, what with how unstable and how much of a nuisance Roxas is, not too mention weak, which he says while watching Roxas try to break free. He kicks at Saïx, and misses, but Saïx smirks and summons his claymore, wanting to see how tough Roxas really is.

There's a reason Xion pulled Axel away and is so nervous, because said reason puts a hand on Saïx's shoulder and asks him if he enjoys this façade of a life and would rather not disappear.

Yep. Xemnas is here, and everyone backs down, including the the bet making Xigbar and Luxord, who so they can have deniability.

Saïx snaps out of berserk mode in the blink of an eye and begrudgingly lets go of Roxas, i.e. lets him drop down.

Axel and Xion start toward him, but freeze when Xemnas eyes them, like scary eyes.

He has an announcement: There's an imposter and he could be anywhere. He's in a coat just like everyone else's, but his hood's usually up. When he's not wearing it, he's a silver haired teen. Oh, yeah, and his name is Riku.

Axel, Roxas, and Xion all gasp, Axel because Riku was in Castle Oblivion and probably knows where Sora is and Roxas and Xion because it brings back memories from Sora.

Xemnas sees the reaction, but only focuses on Roxas, asking softly if he's okay and if he was hurt.

He's fine and he wasn't and he shakes his head to chase away Non-form.

Xemnas still helps him up and orders everyone to keep their eyes open and report ANYTHING on this imposter because the sooner they catch and... well, just catch him, the better, that part being Xemnas not wanting to upset Roxas, make him go into Non-form, and have everyone need to knock him out to calm him down.

Xemnas takes Roxas away to be checked on, in case he was really hurt and doesn't know it, and Roxas asks what will happen to Saïx and Axel for fighting. He didn't see a lot of it, so he’s not even sure who started it.

They’ll be 'interviewed' and reprimanded accordingly, but they won't die, so relax.

What about the imposter? Who's Riku? And who's Sora??

Xemnas stops checking on Roxas and puts a hand on his head, which he doesn't need to worry about because the organization can deal with it. All he needs to do is keep doing missions and giving his 100%. Roxas sighs that he IS, hell he's giving 150% because Non-form's acting up, but he's kept it calm, even with the hallucinations of Sora, Ven, and now Non-form.

Xemnas finishes checking for any wounds and commends Roxas, saying that is why he chose him. Before Roxas can ask, Xemnas tells him to go in the lobby because he has a mission with Xaldin.

Roxas does so and passes by and reassuring Axel and glaring Saïx, though Roxas glares back.

Xemnas has the two sit down and that warmth he had with Roxas is GONE IN A SECOND, asking both of them what they were thinking, picking a fight in front of everyone and endangering the two most vital components to the plan. Saïx jabs that Axel is letting himself be distracted while Axel states he's doing his job and doesn't want either of them to get upset or angry to the point of dysfunctionality. Besides, He did not start that fight, which he didn't even WANT to partake in.

Does Axel have legs? For now he does, yes. Can he stand? Yes. Can he DEMONSTRATE that he can stand? This is getting tedious, but sure, and Axel stands. Now can he walk from where he is to the far wall? Again, this is tedious, but yes.

If he did ALL OF THAT, why didn't he actually do it?

With no words, Xemnas dismisses Axel, telling him to accompany Xion on their mission.

Axel nods and leaves Saïx to be scolded.

We cut to Riku as he watches Roxas and Xaldin fight of heartless and some knights in Beast's Castle, maybe even go toe to toe with Beast himself, who manages to catch Roxas off guard and momentarily confuses him with Sora.

Xaldin knocks him away and the two leave, Riku coming out and asking if that smaller nobody really was Sora.

Beast admits it was a spur of the moment, but he could have sworn it was Sora.

Meanwhile, Xion and Axel fight hard in Hollow Bastion, squaring off against Squall, Yuffie, Tifa, and Cloud, where we see both more of Axel's gymnastics and Xion's ability with a keyblade.

The fight ends when Xion stops who she believes is Riku the imposter and chases after him, Axel following her in case shit hits the fan.

Xion follows Riku to a cliffside and he gives her an offer and a warning: either give him Roxas or hope that they never meet face to face again. Xion arms herself and demands to know what that means, but Riku also arms himself right as Axel throws a chakram between them and tells Riku to fuck off before he gets hurt.

Riku gives Xion one last glance before falling off the edge and leaving through a dark corridor, making it look like he just disappeared like a badass. They’re both confused, but still call it a day, Xion asking if Axel is okay after that fight with Saïx, because he’s still a little banged up. He expresses he’s fine(he’s a big boy!!) and tells Xion not to worry. 

She’s going to anyway because Riku is after Roxas, and threatened her with a fight if she didn’t bring Roxas to him. Axel, although he’s shook, tells her everything will be fine.

LIES, because Xion is sent on a mission to defeat Riku. All she needs to do is knock him out and they’ll come collect him, no problem.

Xion IS strong, but not strong enough because Riku wipes the floor with her and is about to take her to DiZ when dusks, samurai, and Non-form Roxas, who also gets whooped, but at least fairs a little better. 

The two wear Riku out enough for a lance to graze his arm, an arrow/bullet to hit his leg, and a few cards to distract him. 

The rest of the organization arrive, even Saïx and Xemnas, the latter using thorn/vine things to bind Riku’s hands behind his back. 

He remarks that Riku’s a lot bigger than he thought he would be, stronger too, and we get one of those creepy manga Xemnas moments as he grabs Riku, pulls him close by the jaw, and states he’ll have fun seeing just how strong he is; he knows that Riku is hiding Sora, Kairi, DiZ, and his witch, and will tear him apart with his bare hands to know where they are.

With Riku thoroughly freaked out, Xemnas stands and everyone returns, all tired and ready to find Sora. 

Xion, however, isn’t. Because Riku said some very interesting things to her during their fight. 

She considers telling Roxas, but he’s too worried making sure she’s okay, because Riku was tough. She goes to Axel instead, knowing he has a key to the dungeons, and he’s instantly skeptical; she asked if he could take her to see Riku. Xion lies through her teeth and says she just wants to rub in Riku’s face that they won and he lost.

Axel agrees, but decides he’s going to follow her, just in case.

They arrive as Xigbar leaves, asking if they’re going to welcome the new arrival and need help in doing so.

Xion counters that she’s actually going to return a favor and would like to do it alone. 

Axel’s surprised and Xigbar whistles for her to stand down; he was just asking because she got kicked like a soccer ball, no harm in asking for help.

He leaves and Xion goes toward Riku’s cell, asking Axel to stay by the door until she’s done.

He does so and Xion walks towards Riku’s cell, where she and we the audience see Riku is banged up from being interrogated; looks like Xemnas is taking his time.

Riku asks what she wants and Xion responds with a deal:

Tell her about Sora and she’ll give the organization a good enough lie to let him go so he can help Sora. During their fight, the two had an argument, Xion saying she was going to protect her friend and Riku snapping she had no idea what friends were because she’s a nobody and a replica, and the reason Sora can’t wake up.

 Spark Notes of the deal: If Riku tells Xion about Sora, Xion will give the organization an answer that will buy Riku enough time to get back to Sora.

Fair, but he has one condition: If he tells her, she was to decide what she will do; he’s not refusing because she genuinely wants to know more about Sora.

Xion agrees and Riku tells her to take a seat, because they’re going to be here for a while.