#anyways i think if they wanted to do right by kairi they should have let her remember her grandma in MoM. bottom text.

[invidiatechdemo]

been posting about nort-related stuff so to balance: kairi blast (assorted)

[canonmisogynyvictimstournament]

Now that submissions are closed, we can talk stats. There were 881 valid, unique submissions for 474 characters! Woof, women have it rough out there!

The most submitted characters, with a relevant propaganda snippet included, are:

1. Sakura Haruno (Naruto): 28 [where do i even fucking begin]

2. Cordelia Chase (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel): 21 [OH SO MANY THINGS]

3. Misa Amane (Death Note): 20 [The author of Death Note invented new forms of misogyny just to apply them to Misa.]

4. Kaede Akamatsu (Danganronpa V3): 15 [Oh, you thought we would have a female main character in one of our mainline games? With a cool defining talent, no less? That's stupid of you]

5. TIE: Kairi (Kingdom Hearts): 14 [I'm so mad. I think she deserves a gun.]

5. TIE: Stephanie Brown (DC Comics): 14 [She does eventually get retconned as surviving the event and hiding out in Africa (don't ask, it does not make more sense in context)]

The canons with the most submissions, with a relevant propaganda snippet included, are:

1. DC Comics: 61 [DC has SO MUCH sexism it's laughable]

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: 35 [Fuck Joss Whedon, man.]

3. Naruto: 33 [because Kishimoto hates women]

4. Warrior Cats: 26 [Warriors is one of the most misogynistic children's series I've ever seen]

5. Danganronpa: 25 [I honestly had to think about it just to decide which woman is treated the worst because this series hates them so much]

The canons with the most characters submitted, with a relevant propaganda snippet for a specific character included, are:

1. DC Comics: 21 [Free her from the huge tits back breaking pose.]

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: 12 [Anyways she was so hot and for what. 10/10 my lesbian awakening.]

3. Supernatural: 11 [Yeah, she got randomly killed off-screen for shock value and manpain, but she sent an email right before she died so at least her death wasn't in vain, right?]

4. TIE: Star Trek: 9 [She literally gets teleported out of her clothes in one episode.]

4. TIE: Yu-Gi-Oh!: 9 [One loss is particularly brutal as she falls from a large height directly onto her head and goes into a coma (again. yes this was the second time).]

5. TIE: Warrior Cats: 8 [I'm sure she'll get submitted again just ask any reasonable fan they'll tell you about her and her sister]

5. TIE: Attack on Titan: 8 [As a child soldier, she does commit some war crimes]

And here are some charts to show how some of these entries fucked the scale on my charts:

Look at Sakura, fucking up my chart with her numbers.

On a similar note...

Good god, DC, I know what you did, but add fucking up my charts to your list of crimes.

And now, enjoy some rankings of my favorite things:

My favorite universal sentiment quotes from propaganda are:

She lived she served cunt and then she got killed off super early so that the male characters could experience man pain and also because I guess she would have been too powerful if left alive. [Wen Qing (Mo Dao Zu Shi)]

That design. Dear god. I don't want to live on this planet anymore. [Mitzi (The Queen's Corgi)]

In the end she may have girlbossed too close to the sun, but I support her anger. [Ling Wen (Heaven Official's Blessing)]

the victim of “writer doesn’t understand women and also hates them” disease. [Naomi Misora (Death Note)]

She could 100% kill somebody but nobody ever effing lets her. Rip queen. [Kairi (Kingdom Hearts)]

My favorite raging at a writer quotes from propaganda are:

1. You took every single protagonist to weird lion heaven, Clive, but suddenly Susan isn't good enough. [Susan Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia)]

2. Being a woman written by Joss Whedon should automatically entitle her to financial compensation tbh. [River Tam (Firefly)]

3. A lot can be summed up in a couple words, namely, "Furman, why?" [Arcee (Transformers)]

4. Can you tell respect women juice ran in Tolstoy's veins. [Lise Bolkonskaya (War and Peace)]

5. TIE: (specifically a guy called Dan Didio, who we all hate) [Stephanie Brown (DC Comics)]

5. TIE: until Geoff motherfucking Johns comes into the picture [Pantha (DC Comics)]

My favorite quotes from propaganda that have nothing to do with misogyny, y'all are just funny:

I wish I could use bold here, because there's no such thing as uppercase numbers. [Arcee (Transformers)]

the most convoluted and lore dense piece of media this side of the afton criticality. [Jane Crocker (Homestuck)]

ended up starting a gang war by accident [Stephanie Brown (DC Comics)]

Ashfur, who later turns out to be a murderous incel [Squirrelflight (Warrior Cats)]

Hawkfrost is actively seeing Brambleclaw and his evil father in cat hell. [Squirrelflight (Warrior Cats)]

[thedeliverygod]

and for the KH fans

2 oldie but goodie sokai drabbles for you, Happy Valentines Day~

Coming Home

“Come on, I’ve got a surprise for you.” Riku led Kairi out of his back door and around the side of his house, the dirt path dimly lit by the moonlight. Turning back to glance at her for a moment, he explained, “This is to make up for dropping the ball for your birthday and Christmas.”

She bit her lip, her arms slightly wrapped around herself to keep warm, “Why Valentine’s Day, though? It’s so random. Plus I don’t want you to do anything extravagant for me… I know you were really busy catching up with school.”

“Don’t worry about it. I didn’t have to go too much out of my way to make it happen and I know you’ll like it.” He waved her off, holding out his arm to stop her just as they reached the edge of his house, “Okay. Turn around.” He made a spinning motion with his index finger. Kairi raised an eyebrow, staring at him and not moving. Rolling his eyes, Riku answered, “It’s supposed to be a surprise, remember?”

“Alright, if you say so.” She spun around hesitantly and heard his footsteps moving away from her.

“I’ll be right back.” He called out before making his way around the corner. After that, she heard nothing but the breeze going through the trees and bushes around her.

Wrapping her arms around herself even tighter as the wind blew, she whined quietly, “Brr...” After a moment, she finally heard the soft thud of shoes against the ground again and asked impatiently, “Can I turn around now? It’s freezing out here!”

“Uhh… sure.”

Kairi felt a jolt go through her body as she heard the response and realized it wasn’t Riku’s voice. Wide eyed, she turned around so fast that she almost fell over, “Sora!”

He smiled, “Hey.”

Looking him over a few times to make sure that he was actually standing in front of her, she launched herself forward and embraced him tightly, “I’m so glad you’re home.” Pulling a few inches away from him, she asked curiously, “But wait, how did Riku know you were coming today?”

A small smirk passed over Sora’s lips as he turned his head away, “I kinda got here yesterday, but I wanted to surprise you. So me and Riku set it up this way.”

“You jerks, you should have come and found me right away.” She leaned her head down against his shoulder.

“Believe me, it was really hard not to do that.” He laughed, Kairi feeling the vibration through his chest, “It took a lot of will power to pull this off.”

She leaned back from him, mocking a thoughtful look for a moment before grinning, “I guess I can let it slide, then.”

Sora looked down at her, smiling widely in response. After a moment, he became all too aware that they hadn’t broken their embrace in several minutes. Shifting his arms awkwardly so that he was holding her a little more loosely, he spoke sheepishly, “So… Happy Valentine’s Day, Kairi.”

“Happy Valentine’s Day.” She echoed, her eyes locked on his and her body unmoving.

He let out a nervous laugh, admitting, “To be honest, I didn’t think this far ahead… I was just focused on seeing you again.

Kairi shrugged, “That’s okay. I mean, this is good enough for me.” She hugged him tightly again, “This is more than enough, really.”

“Well, you’re easy to please.” He laughed again, “So, what’d you get me, then?”

“Um… well, I have a card but I was just going to get something once I knew you were home since I didn’t want to get any sort of candy and just let it sit around…” She glanced down, seeming embarrassed.

Sora moved one of his hands to her upper back, comforting, “Hey, I was just kidding. I appreciate it enough that you thought to get me a card while I was gone, anyway. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She answered softly, looking back up.

He looked around for a moment, unsure of what to say again. “Weren’t you cold? We can go inside if you want.”

She blinked, “Oh. Um, I was… but I kind of forgot. We can if you want to, though. I’m sure Riku is waiting for us.”

“Yeah.” He nodded in agreement. Feeling Kairi beginning to pull away from him, Sora grasped her arms at his sides, “Wait.”

She looked up at him curiously, “What is it?”

“Well, you know the drawing in the secret place?”

Kairi felt her cheeks begin to grow a little warm, nodding, “Mhm.”

He smiled softly to himself before looking at her, “Since we’ve both added stuff now, I was wondering if maybe we can start working towards making that a reality.” He paused, nervously adding, “I don’t mean sharing a paopu fruit right now or anything, I just mean—”

“I know what you mean.” She shushed him, raising her hand to touch his cheek.

He looked to her for reassurance again, asking, “So?” Receiving a nod in return, Sora pulled her closer and dipped his head to catch her lips. She kissed him back, her hand sliding from his face to rest on his chest and just underneath his chin. Both pulling away with a smile, he suggested, “Alright, we can go in now.”

Kairi took a step back from him before slipping her hand into his and tugging him forward, “Okay, let’s go.”

Candy Hearts

“I got some more candy.” Sora slid a box of conversation hearts towards Kairi, taking a seat beside her at the table and opening the box that he still had in his hands, “I know they kinda taste gross but I thought it’d be fun to trade some.”

Kairi flashed a smile before reaching over to pick up her box, “Yeah, they’re definitely cute.  I don’t think I’ve done this since you, me, and Riku used to do it in elementary school. Talk about a nostalgia blast.”

He let out a small laugh at her response before pulling a heart out, reading it, and sliding it towards her, “I think I’ve got this one accomplished already.”

Raising an eyebrow in interest, she looked down to see “BE MINE”. She looked back up with a smirk, answering teasingly, “Hm, I guess so.” Pulling out one and glancing at it for a moment, she slid her own back towards Sora. As he looked down to see the word “SUNSHINE” Kairi commented, “I mean, seems pretty accurate to me.”

“Thanks.” He grinned, looking at her admiringly until she motioned for him to continue, “Oh, sorry…” He dug in the box again and pulled out a heart, sliding it to her without saying anything.

“No comment?” She titled her head.

He responded with a shake of his own, “Nope, it speaks for itself.”

Seeing “LOVE YOU” she smiled again, “How sweet. Love you, too.” Digging through her box for a moment, she sent another one his way.

“Call me?” He read out loud in a questioning tone. Pausing, he shrugged, “Eh, maybe later.”

Kairi pouted, “You’re mean.”

“I’ll make it up to you.” He quickly fired back, reaching into his box again. Sliding it to her, he said, “Here.”

Looking down and then back up at him, she gave a small roll of her eyes, “Very funny.” Sora didn’t respond so she slid him another one that said “KISS ME”.

He couldn’t hold his reaction for that one. “Soon.” He promised before sliding another heart towards her.

“Is this the only one you have left or something?” She squinted at him and he shook his head in return. “Okay… I’m gonna go with…this one.” She slid him one that said “SWEET HEART.” Sora pushed back his chair and stood up slowly, causing Kairi to ask mischievously, “Oh, you want that kiss now?”

He laughed sheepishly, “Sort of. Just wait a minute.” He slid the last two hearts he had given her towards himself and added a third “MARRY ME” heart. Looking back to Kairi, she was still completely confused until he began to lower himself to one knee.

“You’re really—” Her hands clamped over her mouth, muffling the following, “Oh my god.”

Sora let out another laugh at her reaction while trying to keep his own nerve, flipping the ring box open and asking, “Kairi, will you marry me?”

She nodded excitedly and offered her hand, saying loudly, “Yes.” Once he had gotten the ring on her finger, she immediately collapsed against him in a tight embrace. Through a bit of sniffles, she asked, “Is there even a heart that says yes on it?”

“I’m not sure.” He replied, pulling back from her a little bit and suggesting playfully, “But the kiss would be nice, now.”

She pulled back from him as well, giggling, “Right, right.” She leaned in towards him, placing one arm around his neck and the other loosely against his side.

He kissed her back softly, smiling into the kiss and lifting his arm up to support her waist so that she didn’t fall over. When they finally broke away from each other, Kairi stood up and helped Sora up as well.  Reaching over to the table, she grabbed the “LOVE YOU” heart and gave it back to him with a grin. “Love you too.” He answered, giving her a peck on the cheek.

[kosukeiichi]

Oh my god I accidentally submitted the ask before I can finish I’m sorry 😭

I was trying to say: how do you feel about the unironic “kairi and keiichiro are like brothers” take. Or “they are like son and father” take which is probably the worst one and I only see it on reddit. Like you can read them in many ways but there are… blatantly wrong ways

i'm putting this in , going to wear that " de-facto best lupat page " with pride .

anyways !! i've been waiting for forever to get this down on my page . it's something i've put a lot of thought into .

basically , sure yes there are a lot of interpretations on what exactly is the nature of kairi and keiichirou's relationship . but i'm someone who enjoys reading into subtext and really dissecting the why of everything . such as , if they were supposed to be brothers , why would the themes of episode 30 be that of " someone you admired " in a romantic nature .

a lot of people bring episode 30 up a lot to also defend the whole , kairi sees keiichirou as shouri thing , especially with that one scene in the end , but i think that scene is supposed to show that they're not similar at all . sure , they both play a part of " someone who is good " in kairi's life . but if they really were trying to make a callback to the brother , wouldn't the writers make keiichirou say a similar line to shouri instead of what he did .

it's not hard to realize that keiichirou's " you lent me a hand back then , after all . " and shouri's " you waited for me even when you didn't want to . " have completely different meanings when it comes to kairi , right ? shouri's words imply that kairi's doing good by letting someone else do the good . meanwhile keiichirou says it like kairi had a hand in helping too .

that's why , i don't think the scenes of episode 30 were comparing keiichirou and shouri as a " big brother " figure , but more of a " person who is good " figure is kairi's life .

not to mention for episode 30 ... sure the gangler's lupin collection had nothing to do with kairi and keiichirou at first , but even so , in the past we've seen the song and collection chosen to represent an episode fit with the episode's theme before . so , why would they make the episode's collection be la vie en rose ?

la vie en rose is a song by edith piaf . the title translates to " life in pink " or " life through rose-coloured glasses " . it's a love song , you can definitely find the english translations online . now don't tell me , this isn't what a small part of kairi is feeling ... if he could allow keiichirou in , if he could show his true feelings , maybe he could wear those rose-coloured glasses .

again , it goes back to the whole kairi sees himself as an inherently bad person thing , with shouri and after that keiichirou being the " good " , the opposite , the person kairi looks up to and longs for but they may never cross . because ... kairi is a bad person , isn't he ? how could he ever be like them ... he doesn't even deserve to be with them ...

another thing i'd like to point out from episode 30 before i move on . why would they put in the throwaway line about arsene giving splash to the girl he fell in love with ? that line was insignificant , and it wasn't even a joke . UNLESS you read it as a parallel to kairi and keiichirou's relationship . after all , it was keiichirou who gave kairi splash , wasn't it ?

there is a possibility that they were meant to be sibling-like since the start . but it's sentai , guaranteed some of these episodes were only written weekly , things change all the time and i think people should take that into consideration as well .

now here's the fun part , talking about it from the actors' perspective ... !!

i'll start off with giving them what they want i guess . in an photobook interview , when w red was asked , what do they mean to each other , kousei yuuki answered that keiichirou is like a brother to kairi .... he then proceeded to say that it's different from how shouri is kairi's brother , and different to how keiichirou cares for both tsukasa and sakuya . he ends with saying that they have a " special relationship " , that kairi is a " special person " to keiichirou .

so well ... tell me i'm not reading too far into this , but isn't this kind of giving the feeling of ... how do you describe the close relationship between two men , they can't be in love right .... they just can't right ... it really feels like the whole historians would call them close friends thing .

moving on to THE MAN OF THE HOUR !!! THE ONE CARRYING US ALL !! IT IS ASAHI ITOU COMING IN TO CHANGE QUEER TOKU HISTORY !!!! LEADING UP TO kairi is lgbt - he kissed !!!!!!

okay , so . first of all , i'd like to preface this by saying that while asahi has not been vocally supportive of the queer community , he has been in multiple queer or queer coded roles and talked about how his character's experiences should be listened to too .

and kairi is certainly no exception ... asahi itou has said before in a magazine interview , he is very considerate when playing kairi . he understands kairi as a character , that he has " two faces " . asahi plays him as such . he says how first he always considers kairi's feelings , before acting as the figurative and literal mask he has on . so clearly , asahi cares about this role very much .

and i've spoken about it before , the many times asahi has said how much kairi loves keiichirou . sure the word he used was the less extreme " suki " or like , but even then , why would he say that if kairi could , he'd want to tell keiichirou he loves him . sure , some part of it might be pandering to the fans , and some might try to argue that we shouldn't listen to what the actors say because they're not the writers . but the thing about tokusatsu is , especially for the main cast , the actors also have a role in building up that image of a character . so why shouldn't we listen to asahi ?

anyways i'm sorry for ranting on about w red when you only asked about the whole brothers thing , but it felt appropriate to assess all sides of the relationship too . meanwhile , for the father and son thing .... i think redditors should look into therapy or watch some family movies or something because JUST BECAUSE ONE MAN CARES FOR ANOTHER , IT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY MAKE THEM FAMILIAL !??!?!

that's all , i guess ... if you have any more questions and want some things to be cleared up , feel free to ask !! this goes for anyone on my blog as well , my turbo autism about lupat never stops

[angelthefandomobsessed]

Where Kingdom Hearts III Went 'Wrong'

I should probably open this by saying that I love Kingdom Hearts III. I love KH for what it is, and the usual "Omg it's so weird, the plot doesn't make sense, eVeRyOnE iS sOrA" thing doesn't strike me as the best form of criticism for the series.

Instead, I wanted to highlight why things got so convoluted (in my opinion, anyway, it's not like I was in the writer's room or anything). I think the direction KH has gone (and is going) serves as a good lesson for any aspiring writers out there - we can learn from these shortcomings and love a series. Wild, right?

So... where did KH3 go 'wrong'?

The writers wrote themselves into a corner in DDD. That's it. It doesn't seem like a lack of planning that came back to bite them, but rather, that they went about planning in an inefficient way.

Let's look at the conflict of KH3.

(Warning: There will be a few spoilers for KH3 ahead!)

Xehanort has put together the 'real organisation' so that he can do a keyblade war reenactment, forge the χ-blade and summon Kingdom Hearts. His main goal (as I understand it, which might be very, very incorrect) is to create a new world where darkness and light can be equal, quashing the imbalance of power that is skewed towards light.

It's not a bad conflict to have. KH has very strong motifs of 'light vs dark', and having a villain fight the inequality between these sides is interesting.

The big problem is the setup behind it. The complicated, hard-to-grasp, tedious setup.

Thirteen darknesses have to fight seven lights. Cool, okay, we can see the imbalance between the sides, we have slots for our characters to fill, roles for them to play... Except, there's not enough room in the plot for them all. By sectioning off each side with neat, numerical values, the bloatedness of the cast becomes obvious.

There are seven lights:

Sora has to be one of them. He's the main character, not to mention the poster child for the light.

Riku's been there since the start, plus he's had the most fleshed-out arc by far, having overcome his own darkness. He's a worthy guardian of light and a true keyblade master.

Kairi is a princess of heart and has been there from the start. This ties a bow on our three main-est characters.

Mickey Mouse. He kind of has to be there, it's a Disney game, right?

Axel/Lea. Roxas and Xion are out of the picture, and he's a fan favourite, so sure, why not?

Aqua. A keyblade master who's suffered for ten years, torn apart from her best friends... Sure, maybe a war isn't great for her right now, but she's a lost master, so she should be.

Ventus. Pure cinnamon roll Ven, newly awakened and ready to beat up some Xehanorts.

Okay, but... what about Donald and Goofy? Oh, okay, they can just... hang out with the seven lights. As moral support, I guess? At that point, why not make it nine lights?

Double but - what about Terra? He's going to be saved at some point, so he can just... join the herd. And Roxas? And Xion? Eh, they can act as sub-ins in case anyone accidentally dies.

Oh, what's that? Kairi's dead? Wow, sucks for her, call in the reserves. Wait... If the 'Guardians of Light' can be swapped out, then what's the point in having a set number of them?

It's almost like it's entirely arbitrary.

Right. So our seven lights are more like ten-ish lights + friends. It happens, maths is hard! How do our darknesses fare?

The thirteen darknesses are (in no particular order):

Xehanort

Xemnas

Ansem

Young Xehanort

Terra Xehanort

Riku Replica

Saix

Vanitas

Marluxia

Larxene

Luxord

Xigbar

Xion

Somewhat hilariously, the dark side also has a team of reserves.

Demyx

Vexen

The wiki lists 'Replica Xehanorts' as reserves, but I'm not about to unpack that one

Imagine being Vexen, the guy responsible for dealing with replicas, the invention sustaining this organisation, and being benched in favour of teenage angst incarnate Replica Riku. Ouch.

By this point, you might be wondering how this use of arbitrary numbers actually impacted the storytelling. Organisation XIII only had thirteen members for like, a week, so clearly counting isn't a strong suit of Xehanort's.

It all falls apart when the writers say (in DDD):

"KH3 will be about this, where this happens, with this many people, at this specific place, so get your popcorn and buckle in!"

On its own, that's not a problem. But when there's a giant pile of other plot points to worry about (Aqua's in Disney hell, Ventus is napping, Terra is somehow, kinda sorta, three different people whilst also being trapped in heartless thingy (whilst also being a suit of armour, but not quite), Roxas is stuck in Sora's heart, Xion has been wiped off the face of the earth via memory nuke, Naminé is in Kairi's heart, Sora needs to discover the mystical (and vague) 'power of waking' to deal with half these problems, Lea and Kairi need to train, and Riku needs to go to the 'Heartless Barbershop in Disney Hell' (the most relevant plot point of all)).

What we get is a tangle of 'this can happen when this happens, but first we need to do this one thing, and to do that we need this other thing' (i.e. "To find Ven we need to find Aqua, who is evil and needs to be good again, and Sora needs the power of waking to deal with this... probably, let's put a pin in it and hang out with Buzz Lightyear").

The plot is murky. The plot is confusing.

This entire plot raises the question of 'Why don't Sora and co. just... not go?' That's a good question, which should have a simple answer (if they don't, the org will do baaaaad things, wooOOOoooOOO), but instead what we get is "If they don't, Xehanort will use the new seven hearts (because there are new ones now for some reason, but Kairi's still one of them, dw about it) instead, guaranteeing bad things... probably?"

Xehanort's a bad guy who needs to be stopped. That's it, that's all we needed. But that avenue was closed off once they said 'nah, it's more complex because of prophecies, I guess'.

So, what's the moral of this long, drawn-out post?

Sometimes, it might seem like a super cool idea to have a group of characters band together to defeat evil. Sometimes mashing them into a prophecy can seem appealing (the five great owls will do the unholy hoot, defeating the nine-and-a-half orange rats at sundown in Mississippi). But sometimes, this kind of self-restriction won't work for you.

KH3 could have just had 'the bad guys' and 'the good guys', and nobody would have to worry about the arbitrary parameters set by the writers.

Keep your options open and don't overcomplicate things just for the sake of it! It'll only give you and your consumer a headache.

.

.

.

All that being said, KH3 really delivered on the emotional payoffs so like, forget the randomly numbered groups, let's appreciate the joy that (most of) these characters are allowed to feel now.

[sakuraswordly]

The promise if they think of me now and then,...If they don't forget me... Then our hearts will be one...[Tsofph Season 10(Chapter3 The End World)]

Pit: ..........!?

Nyx: Pit... You'll find the answer one day as well. You, too, are a precious living thing... You just need to realize how the bonds of friendship have changed you... All will truly be reliquished from its dominion, and the legacy of life will continue.

Pit: I am.......?

Makoto: You are.

Pit: But........I am just a....

Makoto: No.....you're not the machine....you're the living being!

Aigis: Would a machine devoid of emotion feel scared?

Pit: .................!

Punch: You don't want us to suffer. Isn't that your heart, Pit?

Pit: Even so......I still want to be by everyone's side *Start to cry*

Aigis: I wonder if the cherry blossoms will bloom in the spring.

Makoto: Yeah, I can't really remember how it was just like that time with everyone.

Aigis: I want to meet them again too even though we live in different worlds right now.

Peter: This time, we will! We will be sure to remember! Just like both me and Punch make a promise to our friends in the fake world too!

Sonic: Yeah! A scattered dream that's like a far-off memory. A far-off memory that's like a scattered dream. I want to line the pieces up... yours and mine.

Sora: We won't forget each other just like Peter protects memories of the past! Just like the resolve why Neverland exists even Camelot failed!

Sonic: Even in the deepest darkness, there will always be a light to guide you. Believe in the light, and the darkness will never defeat you. Your heart will shine with its power and push the darkness away.

Kairi: That's right. And if they think of me now and then,...If they don't forget me... Then our hearts will be one...

Punch: *Sigh* Not another friend's quote is power.

Tinkerbell: I want you all to know, I won't forget you! Even if it robs us of all of our memories together... I will still remember you all!

Bibble(Chip): Bobe! Alena po ho to!(Just like I chose to stay with Elina too!)

Kilgharrah: Well.....None of us can choose our destiny. And none of us can escape it. So she's right. One day if this world becomes peaceful

Sonic & Peter: Let's go see them together. The cherry blossoms.

Velvet: And where exactly will we see these cherry blossoms anyway? We will drag millions of friends you know. We need a much more space you know.

Punch: Easy place, the earth of course!

Pit: The fact that we fought together, and all the time we spent together.....

Music Background play: Micol's Theme

Punch: I won't forget! Even if I lose you guys again, I'll sure get everyone back!

Peter: Not only you, Punch. "We" of course! Our memories of each other!

Sonic: Don't worry, even if you do forget about us, I'll remind you.

Sora: Yeah, so don't worry about it.

Riku: Oh, I'm so glad to hear that...

Makoto & Aigis: *Smile*

*Flashback*

Junpei: Okay! Then, after the battle, no matter what happens, let's promise to meet each other again!

Ken: Good idea! But, where should we meet?

Fuuka: I don't think it should be the dorm... We'll come back here anyways if all goes well... Hey, shouldn't we also decide on when we'll meet?

Akihiko: Yeah, it should be a special day...

Yukari: What about Graduation Day? When the Dark Hour vanishes, our memories might not disappear right away. So we shouldn't plan to meet too soon after the battle. And there's no day that will have more significance to us all.

Ken: Wow... You're really smart, Yukari-san! Graduation Day...! Yes, that will be easy to remember.

Junpei: Yeah, that's probably our best bet... Graduation Day it is! Now, where should we meet?

Mitsuru: It should be somewhere where it's easy to recognize that peace has returned to the city. And when we meet again... we should remember how we're feeling right now... That no matter what may happen, we will never look back...

Yukari: ...I agree.

*End of Flashback*

[aspiringroleplays]

@atimelesslullaby

Sora couldn’t believe he was feeling this, but… he was actually feeling mad. Maybe it was because of that merchant that had set him off before, but when Zelda had explained to him about the “expectations” and “traditions” of this celebration, he was confused. And then irritated.

“But… it’s your birthday,” He argued, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “This is supposed to be about you and what you want. Who cares what they think?”

He got it, he really did. He knew she had a duty to her kingdom and the people, and everyone wanted the chance to see and speak with her (let’s face it, he was no better. He wanted to hang around her too), but didn’t she deserve to have some time to herself? Shouldn’t she have some time to relax, and have fun, and speak with all her friends? Today, of all days, she should have been allowed to do what she really wanted to do. If this was some official holiday or the like, he wouldn’t have interfered, but...

She just… didn’t look like she was having any fun.

His ears alerted him to several people approaching him from behind, clearly intending to seek audience with her as well. He pursed his lips. No good. She’d never be able to get away at this rate.

“Hey,” He lowered his voice. “Make an exception for me.” He extended his gloved hand in clear invitation. “I promise I’ll make it fun. Just for a few minutes.”

He was determined to make her laugh, or at the very least smile a real smile, just once.

Out on the dance floor, he knew everyone’s eyes would be on him because, duh, he was dancing with the guest of honor. He knew no one actually cared about him- but they would definitely notice if he messed up.

‘Just don’t step on her feet,’ He told himself as they went into position. ‘Anything but that!’

So he decided to take just a few minutes to really feel the music and memorize the steps. Make sure that he got it right. He didn’t necessarily remember all the technical names of music, but he at least knew rhythm. So the first few rounds were slow, him occasionally glancing to the couples at the side as he checked his steps. Once he was confident, he relaxed, the easy smile belaying his relief. ‘Okay, I think I got it! Now then-’

In his world, the men always led in the dance. No matter the social status of the two parties involved, if music was involved, the men were expected to set the pace, and the women to keep up. That was an ironclad rule that he had learned. So naturally, he just assumed it was the same here. Mostly out of habit.

If it wasn’t? Well, he supposed he’d learn the hard way later.

He kept in time with the music, swaying and sweeping her about more confidently as he got comfortable. Kairi had always told him she enjoyed being swept around. She loved being lifted and spun and tossed, and Sora had just come to assume it was like that for all girls.

“Hey Zelda, you trust me, right?” He asked innocently, before flashing her a mischievous grin. “I’m gonna add a few things.”

But it was probably a good idea to at least warn her ahead of time. Kind of helped when the dance partner was at least cooperating.

He slowly extended the steps, carefully guiding them away from the few couples on the dance floor so he’d have a little more room. They’d have all the attention anyway, so there was no point in having discretion. He just wanted to be sure they didn’t run into anyone. And if anyone got mad about any “rules” being broken, well, he’d take the fall. He’d gladly get in trouble if it meant giving her a good time.

So he began to sweep her out to the side, releasing her waist to stretch her in a flourish. He clasped her again, then went back into the basic step pattern. A quick spin of his arm to give her a twirl. Lifting both arms to turn her about so they danced with her back flush against him. He never broke rhythm, and went right back in time with the basic steps, but he took a few liberties, adding a few moves to keep things interesting to keep her on her toes.

And, to hopefully, make her smile.

The truth was that there was a reason Sora had worked so hard in learning how to dance.

Growing up it wasn’t just a game for him. As he crushed on Kairi, deep down he had been wanting to do whatever it took to get her attention. Dancing, singing, romantic gestures and sweet conversation- he had done it all in the hopes of winning her heart. Riku was strong and fast and smart- Sora could never hope to beat him the usual ways. The best Sora could do was be “romantic”. In his quest to try to figure out “what girls liked” he had come to expect them himself. Romantic dates, meaningful outings and heartfelt gestures were all things he had unconsciously come to incorporate in all his “daydreams” of wooing a girl. Even after Kairi had turned him down, and he tried to look for love elsewhere, those same habits carried with him wherever he went. What would she like? What would make her swoon? What would capture her heart? He didn’t even think about it.

“Sora,” Kairi had said when he came to her, to stop him from agonizing so much. “Do you just want something for her birthday, or do you want to impress her?”

He’d been so mortified realizing he did it without thinking that he assured her this was just a birthday thing. Just a casual thing between friends. He didn’t have any personal feelings, really.

All the heroes of his childhood hadn’t just won their love interests with strength and brawn- but with heart too. Perhaps that was why Sora valued it so much, and saw it as important.

But whatever the case, this was how it was. And now…

‘It’s just a dance,’ he told himself, never letting his smile falter as he tried to cheer her up. ‘It doesn’t have to be romantic. We’re just friends. I’m just… trying to help her have fun.’

The problem was that for Sora, ballroom dancing was romantic. Normal dancing at a party, club, festival? Not an issue- that was for everyone! But royal, beautiful, ballroom dancing was different. Ever since he was a kid he associated it with romance. The music, the ambiance, the gentle touches, the close contact, her.

‘She really is beautiful.’ She had the most breathtaking eyes. They were almost… the same color he used to have. ‘It must be hard looking at my eyes.’ He thought wryly to himself, the shame making him break eye contact to look at her mouth instead. ‘They’re so weird now.’

He meant the way they were now stark yellow-gold, the mark of the dhampire. Not human in the least.

(And what he didn’t realize was that his outfit, while mostly blue, was lined with gold silk, and had the deep golden vest. It brought out the deeper gold tones of his eyes, something Kairi had realized and had been determined to do. Blue looked good with his skin and hair, and gold brought out his eyes. It was the perfect color combination for him. It was the real reason she had chosen this outfit for him. Despite how upset he was about his traits, she was determined to make him see the beauty in himself, even if other people had to tell him for her.)

His heart skipped a beat and swelled with emotion as they whirled around each other. The rush that came with the dancing was too much for his poor heart to stave back, the high that came from the excitement for the night making him truly feel like he was falling head over heels.

‘So this is what Prince Charming felt,’ Sora thought to himself, steeling himself to keep up his grin and make eye contact again. ‘It’s no wonder he searched the whole kingdom for her. I’d probably do the same.’

Just a simple dance, and his heart was absolutely convinced it had found his soul mate. Which, when he thought about it… was actually kind of strange.

‘Why don’t we react to each other?’ He thought distractedly, eyes flitting over her jewelry, and hair, and lips, like searching for an answer. ‘Is it actually because I’m from a different universe?’

He meant his demonic nature. If Kairi activated her holy powers, it triggered his traits. He had to physically fight them down to keep from losing control. And even normally, Kairi could still sense his non-human signature. That was part of the reason he had been a little worried when he first heard of Zelda’s status as a vessel of the goddess. Yet she never treated him with anything other than kindness, and truth be told, close proximity hadn’t even alerted him to her divine nature. Maybe Kairi was right- his “species” didn’t have any beef with the heavens of this universe… so maybe they didn’t care? Maybe the “divine” powers didn’t trigger him because the gods didn’t inherently hate him? It wasn’t like he was an “enemy” of the heavens if his kind didn’t technically exist here.

Was there a way to find out?

… without alerting Zelda?

He would have to find a way to look into it. There had to be some way to see if he’d be… safe… here...

His grin faltered as his heart fell. Oh. Right. Divinity or not, Sora still consumed blood to survive. No kingdom would tolerate that. Once the goddess found out, he was pretty sure she’d start sending whatever the “angel” equivalent was after him.

… he just really, really hoped it wasn’t Zelda that came after him personally. He didn’t think he’d be able to take that.

“Alright, up we go!” He chirped as they neared the end of the song. And that was all the warning Zelda got before he grasped her waist and lifted her up in the air in a spin. Normally the girl would need to jump to help the man, but, well, he had super strength, so who cared?

'Huh, she's heavier than she looks,' he noted as he plopped her back down. 'She must work out a lot.'

And of course, Sora being Sora, didn't stop to think how weird that was.

‘That’s my Sora!’ Kairi cheered to herself in approval, hands clasped together. ‘That’s how you win the heart of a princess!’

Listen, if it was between her “brother from another mother” and some stranger, she’d rather cheer for Sora. He was the sweetest person in the whole wide world, and he deserved to be happy! And who better than a perfect princess?

(Admittedly, Kairi might have been a little biased, given her love for them both. She didn’t believe him for an instant when he said there was “nothing” between the two of them.)

Honestly, the girl couldn't believe her luck. It was like a scene straight from a fairytale, and she was getting to witness it firsthand! A lovely princess with a dashing hero...

This time, as the song ended, Sora remembered he was supposed to bow to his partner, and he did so, only just now hearing all the murmurs from the onlookers. The hum was too much for him to filter through however, so he just ignored them. He was pretty sure they were all ho-humming his gall or whatever.

Actually, a lot of them were just trying to figure out how old he was. Hazards of having a permanent baby-face.

‘Sorry I can’t make this party better, Zelda,’ he thought to himself as he stood, though knew he couldn’t say that out loud. ‘But I hope you at least had a little bit of fun.’

He turned about, heading back to the sidelines, until he noticed the frantically waving arms of his best friend. He blinked at her in confusion, squinting as he focused his ears on her to figure out what she was desperately mouthing to him.

“Take her back!” She was saying in panic, and pointed to the side. “Take her back!”

He tilted his head in confusion, before following where she was pointing. Take her back-?

And then he saw the throne, it hit him, and he whirled around in alarm, red-faced. Oh shoot, shoot, shoot!

He took a long step forward, offering his arm, even as he looked away from clear embarrassment. “I’ll uh, take you back to your seat.”

Oops, in his casualness he had forgotten she was a princess. So much for finally getting the hang of this party.

[fisherrprince]

do you have more thoughts on keyblade fighting that you need to put somewhere, because i have two hands ready to catch Should The Need Arise

anon: hey I heard you mention you’d analysed the combat styles in KH and what you said in the tags was already alluding to really neat stuff, but I for one would love to hear more of what you came up with!! so if you ever wanted to share any of your analysis then the floor is yours

aHAH, MY EXCUSE!!

Okay, so first some words on “standardized wielding styles”. These are styles shared by Terra, Aqua, Vanitas, Riku, and Xehanort and every other scala and daybreak kid. I will make the argument that the red style is the fanciest standard style, while the purple is seen often to make it easier on the little chibi sprites. BUT, I cannot discredit Eraqus, who uses the purple variant in bbs, nor can I discredit half of the Foretellers (Gula and Ava, at least, use this. Invi and Aced use the first type). So, two standard styles. For simplicity, let’s say one for primary offense, one for primary defense. The standard offensive style really wasn’t popular before Scala-era society.

check this difference out, specifically between ava invi and gula:

then between eraqus, hermod, and xehanort, and eraqus and terra.

These two were likely popularized and standardized for education in Scala ad Caelum for their predominant lack of obvious weak spots.

After this, we have unique styles. Those include Sora Kairi and Xion’s (similar to standard defense, but more mobile at the expense of form — Kairi takes after Sora but less confident, she hasn’t been hit that heavily yet), Ven’s (backhand, heavy range and mobility), Roxas’ (modified for two keyblades, but takes after Sora), and Axel’s (taught himself, comfortable with chakrams).

So! Let’s go.

.

Standard (offensive)

All styles have sub-variations, of a sense. Different wielders can choose where their keyblade points, and how they hold it exactly, based on what makes them most comfortable. Terra and Aqua point theirs downward, while Vanitas and Riku hold theirs above their head. What is recognizeable to this style is a hand for the sword, and a hand for guarding/blocking/items/magic.

It’s incredibly efficient. With only one hand on the weapon, you not only free up a hand for other things, but increase your range of movement with said weapon. Test it out yourself! The keyblade hand is always your dominant hand, held behind you for increased power when attacking (since you lose a significant amount of it by choosing not to grip with both hands). This style also decreases the speed of the defense you have, but with that increased mobility and swing power, along with a hand free to brace against the keyblade (defense strength up!), it makes up for it. Many people who use this also have strong barrier spells — both a testament to their preference for coverage and an acknowledgement that any directional block will take a little longer and be weaker if they try it with one hand.

The pointy end, though. What difference does it actually make, the height it’s at?

I think it’s half a matter of attack style preference and half intention. Riku, Vanitas, and Xehanort stab quite a bit. Aqua and Terra slice more. Not that they don’t do both, but it’s the first instinct. Aqua and Terra are also likely taught to hold their keyblade neutrally, in a safe position, until someone starts attacking. It’s polite! Eraqus also holds his one-handed, neutrally, until he gets into position. Riku and Vanitas learned to fight assuming everyone was out to fight them. Invi and Aced may like this style because of range (i hc she’s blind and strikes very very quickly, and he’s already very powerful with just the one arm and wants better motion).

and on character specifics: Terra often switches to two-handed, to copy his dad and add extra power to his hits without always sacrificing the empty hand. Vanitas likely was forced to relearn how to fight, as instead of solely being trained to be better at withstanding, he was constantly being made to better his own attacks. The moves Xehanort uses would best be replicated in the same style. Vanitas is wild for holding the massive spiky x-blade like that.

Now, what‘s good on this style does not correlate to what’s bad in the other. The two standard styles simply have different ways of dealing with each con they create or taking advantage of each pro.

(Here’s an interesting side note — Gula uses standard defensive, but in this instance, swaps. One hand… likely to display confidence! Wrong move, but hey. He got cocky. He’s also doing it wrong, and swaps back to two-handed to take Aced’s attack.)

.

Standard (defensive)

The main detriment of this style is the lack of ease of long range movement. Hold a wrapping paper tube out in front of you with both hands, then run. It goes to the side, or tucks in to your stomach, right? Dodge. Your legs will get in the way unless you know where to move that sword. It requires, interestingly, a little more discipline. You’d think Aqua would like that, but no, she wants movement and practicality, and she loves magic, and remember that you must take a hand off this style to grab a potion. You’d think young Eraqus wouldn’t, but remember that he’s a fancy royal lad.

The main draw, though, is tankiness, readiness, and power. You don’t need to move as much if nothing dares hit you! Ava and Gula might be attracted to this style because they’re not as physically strong, but want protection in close-quarters fighting. Using this style when your muscles aren’t as big but you still want to Hit Things Good, or when you want to be a boy you can’t knock over with a pail of water (horse stance rules), is probably solid advice.

Traditionally, this is a lot less like fencing, and a lot more like a samurai sword or kendo. Your blade is held in front of you, giving you very easy access to blocks and frontal attack/defense. In losing some twirly spinniness, you gain power and minimize your opponent’s ability to parry and block.

you gotta dodge master Eraqus so mcuh

All styles will swap between one and two hands for different moves. Eraqus, notably, swaps to a stance very similar to Xehanort when channeling a metric ton of magic.

Both of these styles require a degree of upper body/core strength, as does all swordfighting. I would be interested to see someone whose keyblade style relies on leg strength.

.

Sora, Xion, and Kairi

please look at the difference between the foretellers’ or eraqus’ two-handed grip and Sora’s. Do this with your shoulders and a top-heavy object.

They’re both in a hard stance, but hon. What are you, a gremlin? Anyways, a traditionally taught master would have… better form, even if it’s harder to learn at first. It’s habitual. Sora nearly crouches, and holds his keyblade back-pointed with two hands, which makes it easier for him to dodge roll, push off his feet quickly, and pull off those spinning combos he loves. It‘s really gonna hurt his muscles, in the future, though, since he’s doing a squat for like…. hours. Pulling on those shoulderblades and neck. Xion, too. Replicas had better have correct muscle dynamics. Kairi is brand new, so… maybe Aqua can teach her how to hold a sword so it doesnt hurt you.

Okay, now look at the grip itself. Held in front versus held to the side-back. They’re really attempting to combine both standard styles subconsciously, giving themselves more attack power while really wanting to keep that hard defensive parry, wanting to prevent all attacks to the front while also wanting mobility. It’s working for them really well, they fight like an anime character, and manage to get the best of both, with a minor sacrifice of length range that they don’t care about. We’re flexible and full of magic, baby! Holding the blade like this makes it pretty easy to let go with one hand without sacrificing that crouched defense position.

Now, Sora, specifically, is very adaptive. He’s had two keyblades, claws, guns, yo-yos, and a giant shield, to name a couple. He retains a bit of that alert crouch no matter where he goes, but Sora knows how he wants to attack and how to balance that with the most effective way to use his current weapon. He’s a smart kid! Sora has the most ridiculous shotlocks, which are also probably due to not always wanting to go standard for it. He also prefers to keep his focus on the enemy, which is evident in his reprisals and lack of very many effective “escape” moves.

Xion is very similar to Sora, but she does have some moves that are all movement. She switches to one handed for strikes a lot — using two for defending, one for smacking. In her data battle I’d swear some of those heavy hits are claymore-like. But anyways, since we’re magic, Xion cares not for the laws of exhaustion, and will ping about as a ball of light everywhere. Short range? Up in your business. Mid-range? In your business with one hand. Long range? Throws a boomerang. Hit her? No you dont. Ball of light. She’s above you and wants to bash your head in. (Vanitas also does this! A lot. It’s an easy way to catch someone off-guard. I’ll argue that the soras are very tough and strong, but not tanky. they want to avoid being hit a lot)

Another interesting note about Kairi. I say “unconfident” not because she doesn’t hit hard, but because her stance is also often tilted back, ready to dodge. It’s two handed, but almost all her moves are one. She does love spinning and throwing the thing! It looks like she’s been taking notes from the wielders she knows. It would be easy to teach her a standard style, I think. See here, she lets go on the strike, and by trying to do both, actually ends up with an advantage (being confusing) and disadvantage (losing both the power of two handed and versatility of one handed).

A counter to Sora and Xion is difficult to pin down. Time? Probably. Lack of heating pads. Something that takes all their attention is about the only way to get a sneak attack in, and then you have to hit hard. A counter to Kairi would be anyone who can knock her off balance. She needs a sturdier stance. .

Roxas

Roxas is interesting. He takes after Sora for the one blade. Wielding two, however, nets him a totally different way of fighting. Roxas’ clavicle muscles n… deltoids and stuff must be Ironclad. Also, two handed means you are very fast and sharp all the time. He has the advantage of standard defense (horse stance), and the advantage of offense (range of one sword, but twice).

Roxas generally attacks in two ways — simultaneous hits, and follow-up hits. Either he hits with both at once, or hits hard with the first one, and adds the second one as a bonus smack. He can attack by hitting in opposite directions with the two, like a drum, but that will be a little awkward and leave him prone to being tangled. That established, the follow-up hit method means he spins a bunch. As do we all.

Roxas gets a little complicated because we are not in the real world. We have magic and turning into light and physics that let you become a circular saw. So, typically, disadvantages would include: being unable to let go of a weapon to grab something or use an item, having just a very big silhouette to attack on, having difficulty with close-range attacks because Oathkeeper and Oblivion are kinda long, and convenience. Roxas gets to dodge #1 (keyblades can be unsummoned) and #4 (keyblades can be unsummoned). Speaking of dodging, he also gets to skirt the difficulty of dodging and rolling with two swords because he turns into a beam of light. But he can’t dodge how difficult it is to use two swords effectively — he needs to concentrate on fighting, and nothing else, or he risks messing up. He has to be very, very coordinated, and undistracted. Luckily he’s pretty good at making his opponents shut up, most of the time. Blocking is another thing — theoretically his blocks could be strong, but Roxas has no real brace: crossing your blades and taking a hefty stab might smack one of them back into your face. He mostly uses reversals and dodges, because of this.

The takeaway to this is Roxas is built for speed and power, and he is very strong. He’s a mid- to far- range fighter who if you’re not careful can snap you in half if you’re too close (be SO careful of that cross blade scissor).

A perfect counter to Roxas would be a tank that can grapple, and also be very distracting. If you can take hits, be talkative, and get close enough to stop his blades, you have a chance.

.

Ventus

This is a bizarre choice, my guy, but I get it.

Backhanded weapons are very impractical for a lot of... attacking, mainly in mid-range combat, and Ven likes to either fight very close or throw the keyblade like a boomerang (and hey, backhand gives it a good whip for throwing). His attacks aren’t meant to one hit KO, but they do come with a bit of power to them, especially on the backslash. Like holding a knife for gouging. It’s for very close defense — pretty good when Wayward Wind and Missing Ache have hooks.

Backhand also, while retaining that empty hand for potions and guarding, gives you an extreme coverage boost. By which I mean Ven’s sword hand now has a nearly 270 degree sweep of “I see you, don’t touch me”, very quickly, based on just flicking his wrist. It sacrifices a ton of strength/sturdiness, but you don’t need that if you’re dodging. You also don’t really need to block, which is slower, but relatively sturdy when Ven does it, as he blocks with mostly the chunky hilt between crossed arms. He sacrifices (again) a bit of strength for coverage — an attack would hurt his arms, not his chest, if he were hit head-on.

His attacks often have him flip the blade around in his hand, too. Quick swaps between standard moves and backhand ones. Basically, Ventus is built for moving, protecting himself, and quick attacks that wear down the enemy, not outclass it. Likely because he’s good at fighting, but everyone he’s fought hits harder than he can! It doesn’t matter how he holds it, getting hit will hurt. So he just. Doesn’t. He’s not a buff little guy — but he is a persistent one. Ven very likely made this up on his own, in Daybreak, and it was too hard to fix his whole style, but it was enough to correct most of his form so he doesn’t hurt himself too much. He is going to have to really stretch that shoulder and wrist (maybe get a brace), though. At least his neck is ok. … not sure about his knees tho dang boy that crouch

A perfect counter to Ven would be someone big and fast, who hits hard mid-range. He’s already been sparring with Terra, though, so when in doubt, try scruffing him?

.

Axel

Theres not a ton to say about him — he‘s not a swordfighter. He uses his keyblade like it’s a frisbee. Because that’s what he’s used to! His neutral is behind his back on his shoulder, which is terrible for readiness, but okay for chucking the thing. It’s good it has a sort of… ripstik like… boomerang quality.

Axel’s fighting style is completely made up, like most of the self-taught wielders’. His strengths lie in some of the benefits of standard offensive style (one-handed), and some of the same coverage stuff as Ven, having a cocked wrist most of the time so no one can sneak up around him without risking getting whacked very quickly, and having an interesting range due to the pointy end being basically on a spinny swivel wherever his hand moves. He’s not going to be good at close-range and he knows it — his attacks are mostly distance. And the guy has ZERO defense, combined with zero coverage when idle, so it’s for the better.

Distance-wise, though, he rocks. Treating the blade like it’s a flaming throwing weapon means his idle is actually great for sudden flick-tossing and attention-guiding for sneakier attacks, and his stance itself (…nonexistent) serves a different purpose: bait. Basically a big "come hit me". Fun, when you have a lot of fire magic and two friends who are beasts and love to take advantage of a distracted enemy — distance on the blade, proximity on the burning.

A perfect counter to Axel would be someone pinging around very close <—> very far and circling him incessantly. Like, data Xion could wreck him, as he has to wait for the boomerang to come back -- he no longer has two spinny wheels. Also someone with water magic.

.

SO! In conclusion! Having a teacher who teaches you correct sword usage rather than instinct may detract from overspecific styles that benefit you most but leave weak spots, but your muscles and your oversights will thank you. Everyone is glad we have the power of the Mouse and anime on our side.

Keep in mind again that I have done cursory research, and have had minimal actual sword instruction, I am not an expert and this is all for fun anyways :]

[goldensunset]

So the more I’m thinking about it, I realized I love each member of the destiny trio individually, (and Sokai of course), but I feel like they're not really the best, most cohesive trio at the moment. I think maybe Wayfinder trio actually is the best, most cohesive, functional trio right now? Anyway.

I’m wondering if maybe the weirdness between the destiny trio in kh3 was intentional, and not the result of rushed development or something, as I keep assuming. Because they took the time to give every other trio special moments, but we didn’t get anything like that for SKR. Even the very last scene in the game mirrors the paopu scene: it’s sora and Kairi alone, and Riku separate from them. He's smiling, he's happy for them, but still, it's a clear separation of Sora and Kairi from everyone else, and Riku especially. I feel like remind could have been an opportunity for them to give even one memory or flashback or moment between the three if they wanted. It just feels like the devs only ever put sora and Riku together (like the ending of kh2, or ddd), or sora and Kairi (end of kh1, end of kh3/remind), but not all three anymore (secret ending of kh1 with the letter in the bottle). Sora vanishes sitting alone with kairi. At the end of the credits, the final image is the one of her and sora on the tree. Look at remind, it’s Kairi on the title screen. And like, if it were a fluke of 3’s development, why did it persist in Melody of memory? They could have had Yen Sid tell Kairi to stay home. The fact that it was riku just hurts so much more.

I don’t really have an answer but I just wanted your thoughts. Is this so they’ll reconcile later? Or as Nomura said in that interview:

"Nomura hopes its depiction of their bonds can offer a realistic sense of how friendships evolve and change over time. "{Kingdom Hearts is] not too realistic, but I do want my players to grasp a sense of reality from it as well," Nomura said. "For example, I'm sure you had friends when you were young, a good group of friends, but as you grow older things change and it doesn't always stay the same. I think all I can say is please play to the very end and see what happens. But I think [Kingdom Hearts 3] does depict how each character feels about each other in this new storyline."

It's intentionally vague, but like, does that mean the trio is coming apart? is it just sora and kairi getting closer from here on out? I just don’t know what the series looks like if they’re estranged from here on out. But to be honest, I sort of felt like sora and Riku weren’t even getting along that well in 3. It was weird almost bullying at times against sora. But they did have that “you don’t believe that” moment too, so idk man. Am I just reading way too much into this (probably)? Also, do you REALLY think they might be setting up a Kairi protag arc, or are we being set up to he let down again? I want her to be equal to/save her boys so bad, but it’s hard to hope for it after MoM…

sorry for this stupid long ask, but I would love to hear your thoughts :) also when you said "I risk my life every time I say it but riku's arc is done" I really felt that

*cracks knuckles* aight it’s time

*sniffles* so i didn’t know about that interview where nomura said that… *lies down definitely not crying* might explain a lot…

man i…i’m torn. like a part of me thinks kh should ultimately come back to the destiny trio as a group of friends because from the beginning they were established as the main characters. and to lose sight of that is to lose sight of kh’s heart. play up the nostalgia factor for the first game back when it was so simple and magical. something something disney magic power of friendship everything should work out in the end. it’s a feel-good fantasy where the power of love can always save everyone.

the other part of me…thinks exploring this concept of growing apart from old friends is very good. very painful, for sure. but who says disney should be all sunshine and smiles all the time? change and pain are part of life. and kids aren’t idiots. they’re no strangers to sadness. narratives that can handle this without making it awful and grim are very touching and valuable. but i would love for this specific type of pain to be addressed because it’s an issue very near and dear to my own heart.

my first ever friends that i knew and loved when we were toddlers are all gone from my life now. and from what i hear they’re completely different people now, people i would never want to be friends with. plenty more people have come and gone since, and i get debilitating anxiety about the relationships i still have, just in case i’m a hair’s breadth away from another fallout or distancing. the truth of it is that you can’t take anything for granted in life.

when you’re that close with someone, you think it’s gonna last forever. because you love them now, right? why would you ever stop? you want to live in the disney movie forever. you want the credits to roll and have everything freeze. when you get older, you want to live in the past because the past is comforting. but the truth of the matter is, it isn’t a reality anymore. and it hurts to open your eyes and acknowledge the evidence that things have changed.

as you’ve said, the destiny trio are certainly the least cohesive trio at the moment. i don’t think anyone can argue otherwise. which is ironic, given how in the past, they were the only ones who got to come back to each other, while the others were tragically separated. in and after kh3, the opposite happens. the wayfinder and sea salt trio reunite, while the destiny trio have drifted apart.

but the issue isn’t merely their physical separation. something has changed internally. too much has happened for them to go back to being the simple island kids they used to be. you could pluck sora out of quadratum tomorrow and give him right back to his friends but their reunion would mean next to nothing if the three of them didn’t do some soul searching individually.

which is why i’m hoping that they actually don’t rescue him right away. if he had to spend some time alone, and probably meet up with the new and strange folks in quadratum far away from anything or anyone familiar, he could reflect on his life and grow as a person. it’d be like in kh1 right after losing kairi riku and his home. sora was kinda mistreated in kh3 and made to feel like he was nothing on his own. the ‘my friends are my power’ thing really isn’t cute anymore if he’s saying it because he hates himself. our boy is strong and he deserves more respect!!!

like on the one hand if his friends came to rescue him it would be a nice demonstration of how much they care about him, esp after all he’s done for them. healers need healing too. on the other hand if he had to save himself he’d prove his worth once and for all and they couldn’t bully him by calling him useless on his own anymore (they never should’ve been doing that in the first place!!)

and it would be especially boring if it was literally just riku the hero saving him yet again. (*gets killed by majority of followers*) DDD already gave us ‘mister obsession and abandonment issues coolguy riku saves useless naïve clownboy sora’. i’ll put up with it once bc good for riku but i won’t put up with it again. it should be kairi, or riku and kairi, or the entire main cast. like maybe riku jumps in alone and kairi and/or the others have to jump in after him and have their moment to shine. at some point kairi’s like ‘ok now i REALLY have had enough of this’ and abandons her training to go after the boys (this is how kairi stans post-mom can still win-)

and if they all reunited after all this, having done some soul-searching? could they ever be the same? of course they could still be friends. but i really feel that we’ve crossed a point of no return for them. the other trios have changed as individual people, sure, but their group dynamic is the same as always. at this point, though, the destiny trio as we knew it in kh1 has all but dissolved. i wonder if any of them have started to think about this or not, to question what they still mean to each other in the context of their new lives and new friends. because when a relationship starts to dissolve, it might take a while to notice it, and a very long while to acknowledge it. and sometimes you can reform it into something new, but sometimes you have to let it go.

and i do think we’re moving towards sokai and i want that for them bc they deserve to be together at last but also like. having riku awkwardly third wheel is kinda?? i want to see him loving and being loved by sora and kairi too. he’s their best friend too. or at least he’s supposed to be. (truth is there was always tension in the group i think. oh the problems with a love triangle. they’ve kinda never really been a cohesive trio but that’s an essay for another day.) even if things aren’t the way things were when they were little anymore, there is absolutely no way riku can fade into irrelevance.

if i had to guess i’d say they’re probably gonna resolve this by writing naminé into a love interest for riku. which i wouldn’t mind if they like. did it really really well? they’d have to give her lots of great screentime first. but -understatement of the century incoming- it’s gonna make a lot of people really angry and i fear being on the internet that day lol. (plus there’s just the question of what group should naminé be a part of? should we really turn any trio into a quartet and alter the dynamic of the bonds that have been around for years? but she needs her own place to go and aaaahhhhh. girl has had so many different one-off 5-minute boyfriends lol)

this is a very long post uhhmm in conclusion:

they should all remain a part of each other’s lives forever in some way but it’s ok that things aren’t the way they used to be. the past is full of lovely memories but you can’t live in it forever. it hurts to think about but separation and/or change are part of life and i’d love to see them address the reality of this painful topic.

[star-sworn]

Savior

Here’s my third fic! It’s an unrequited Vanitas/Kairi fic. Yes, even I was shocked by that! It was one of those fics that just came out of the ether, and here it is. It has established Sokai but the bulk of the fic is Vanitas interacting with Kairi. Feel free to check it out (and my measly library of fics) here on AO3 as well. Anyway, please enjoy. Cheers!

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As the Guardians of Light made their way to the open plain of the Keyblade Graveyard, suddenly, an inky cloud of darkness began materializing a few yards in front of them— the sign their next adversary was surely arriving. The Guardians braced to meet the threat, sinking into battle stances and drawing forth Keyblades. As the cloud began to dissipate, a black-coated figure (was there any doubt?) emerged. The figure removed their hood to reveal Vanitas, identifiable only by his telltale black helmet.

‘We’ve already beaten two of your buddies,’ Axel jibed. ‘So, have you come for your thrashing?’

Without replying, Vanitas summoned his Keyblade and raised it up by the hilt, its end pointing toward the ground. The Guardians prepared to spring into action. Then, Vanitas did the last thing any of them expected: he dropped his Keyblade. It fell to the ground with a clang that seemed to ring too loudly in the silence, its noise amplified by the vastness of the Graveyard. The Guardians all froze in confusion. Then Vanitas kicked his own Keyblade away. It skittered across the ground toward Riku, kicking up a trail of dust until the silver-haired boy halted its movement by catching the weapon under his foot.

‘I’m not here to fight. Just to talk,’ Vanitas finally said.

None of the Guardians moved an inch. They all were thinking the same thing: this has to be a trick, right? A feint? A diversion?

‘Enough with these games, Vanitas!’ Ven called out. ‘Tell us what you want.’

‘I already told you, brother,’ Vanitas said coolly. The boy removed his helmet, finally revealing his face. His brows were furrowed, but his expression wasn’t malevolent, just determined. That somehow unnerved Sora even more. He tightened his grip on his Keyblade.

Vanitas locked his eyes onto the newest Guardian, who stood just beside Sora, meeting her gaze. ‘I need to talk to Kairi.’

Sora’s nerves were as taught as a bowstring; so when he heard Vanitas’s request, he reacted immediately, viscerally, stepping in front of Kairi and countering, ‘Like hell you do! How can you even—’

‘I really don’t have time for the theatrics, brother,’ Vanitas shot back. ‘I know you won’t believe me, but I’m here in your interest.’ His eyes moved back to Kairi again. She’d lowered her weapon and relaxed her stance, but remained silent, studying Vanitas carefully. ‘I think Kairi might be in danger.’

‘The Organization is what’s putting her in danger!’ Sora spat. ‘Which is why she’s not going anywhere near you.’ But as Sora protested, Vanitas’s gaze never left Kairi, his eyes asking her a silent question. Her answer was the only one that mattered to him.

‘Why don’t you let her decide for herself?’ Vanitas countered. ‘Or can your ego not take it? Is she still a helpless damsel to you? Always needing you to think and act for her?’

Sora snarled in frustration. Vanitas’s words had struck a chord— and Sora hated it. But he wasn’t going to take the time to parse it out now, not when Vanitas was within fifty miles of Kairi. Then, from behind him came the gentle touch of her hand on Sora’s shoulder.

‘Sora,’ Kairi said, her voice soft but steady. ‘I’ll be fine.’

‘You’re not actually—’

‘I think I should at least hear what he has to say. Then we can all decide what to do.’

‘This has to be some sort of trick, Kairi. What if—’

‘I don’t think it is.’

Only now did Sora turn away from Vanitas and back toward Kairi. It was at that moment Sora felt like he was seeing her in a new light. They’d spent so much time apart lately—him searching for the Power of Waking, her training with Merlin—that he hadn’t realized how distant he’d grown from her. And though they were reunited, in the lead up to today’s battle, and in the heat and chaos of each fight in the Graveyard, he hadn’t had the time to dedicate to reconnecting with her. So now, of all times, Sora felt like he was really looking at her. The Kairi he’d known was so gentle and kind, so unassuming. Brave, to be sure, but always deferential when it came to her safety. And while she’d been holding her own just fine in the Keyblade Graveyard so far, Sora would be lying if he said he wasn’t constantly watching her out of the corner of his eye, quick to block an incoming Heartless or cast a Curaga in her direction.

She was so precious to him. She was so precious, that Sora realized deep down, it wasn’t that he didn’t trust Kairi to take care of herself— it was that he didn’t trust the world with the one person that mattered to him more than anything else.

But looking at her now, Sora could tell she was determined. She’d taken in the situation and made up her mind. Sora’s chest was gripped tight in a vice of worry, unease, and anger: worry for Kairi’s safety, for everyone’s safety. Unease in their steady march toward the final battle, toward their destinies. And above all, Sora felt bright, burning anger at the world—for taking his Kairi from him again and again, forcing him to be always away from her. But Sora knew that no matter how hard it was for him, he had to stand back and let her go, let her make her own decision. He owed her that much.

‘Okay. I trust you, Kairi.’

But even as she nodded and took a step forward, Sora’s body instinctively reacted. His hand shot forward to grab her arm before Sora forced himself to lower it, clenching it into a fist at his side. It took all his will to stop himself from holding her back. So instead he said, ‘Just be careful. Don’t let your guard down. Just call out, and I’ll be there, I—I’ll be there in a second,’ his voice breaking slightly as he spoke.

Kairi gave him a soft smile and a nod that said, I know you will. And with that, she dismissed her Keyblade and began the lonely walk across the plain toward Vanitas, his golden eyes watching her the entire way. The subtle expression of amusement on the boy’s face told Kairi he’d been watching the whole interaction unfold, and perhaps had taken some pleasure in it.

Once she’d reached him, Vanitas began: ‘I’m surprised Lover Boy let you come at all.’

‘He’s not my keeper. He’s just worried about me. Can you blame him?’ Kairi countered, suddenly feeling the need to defend Sora. After a pause, she asked, ‘So, why do you think I’m in danger?’

Vanitas cut straight to his point. ‘I overheard Xehanort talking with Xemnas a few days ago. I didn’t hear the whole conversation, but they mentioned you by name. Xehanort said you were essential to his plan’s success, and that Xemnas was to keep a close eye on you. The old man called you his ‘gem,’ something about being ‘prepared for every eventuality’. That was all I got before Xigbar showed up and I had to bail.’

‘His gem?’

‘I don’t know what it means. But you’re not just a Guardian— you’re a Princess of Heart, too. That means you’ve got an even bigger target on your back than the rest of your motley crew. That’s probably got something to do with it.’

Kairi studied Vanitas’s face as he spoke, trying to judge the veracity of what he said. The teenager's face bore his usual hardness and intensity, but his voice was level, his expression earnest— more earnest than Kairi had ever seen him.

After a pause, she asked, ‘Does Xehanort know you’re here? How do I know he isn’t watching through you right now?’

‘He hasn’t actually taken possession of his vessels yet,’ Vanitas answered. ‘But it won’t be much longer, another day at most. This is the last chance we’ll have to talk, the last time I’ll be me.’

The frankness in his tone unnerved Kairi a little. How could he be so calm when he was talking about losing his free will, his body, his identity? Kairi guessed it was because he’d known this was his fate from the moment Xehanort had ripped him out of Ven’s heart— he’d never known another life. He was always destined to be a tool for Xehanort's use. Suddenly, Kairi realized that actually, just maybe, she felt sort of bad for Vanitas.

Kairi briefly looked back toward her friends. They were no longer in their combat stances, but she could tell they weren’t at ease either, as they watched her and Vanitas in tense silence. Sora was the only one with his Keyblade still drawn, his knuckles white from the force with which he was gripping the weapon. Their eyes met, and Kairi gave him a small nod to indicate that she was okay. The intensity of Sora’s gaze didn’t waver, but his shoulders relaxed the slightest amount. Kairi turned back to Vanitas.

‘It’s not too late, you know,’ she said, more gently than she meant to. ‘You could run away. There’s got to be somewhere he couldn’t find you. Or you could join us and—’

“You really think Lover Boy and company would let me stay for even a single second? Don’t be so naïve, Princess,” Vanitas shot back coldly.

‘Master Yen Sid would offer you sanctuary. Look at Lea— he was part of the old Organization, and now he’s with us. And Xehanort has other vessels. And once we win, he won’t be around to come looking for you. You still have a choice.’

He gave her a sneer. ‘All I am is darkness. There was never any other path for me.’

‘You and I both know that’s not true. And just because you have darkness doesn’t mean you can’t fight for what’s right. That’s what Riku did.’

Vanitas scoffed. ‘You can hardly compare me to him. He’s a Guardian of Light.’

‘And he wields a Keyblade, just like you do.’

Vanitas had no reply to that.

‘A Keyblade chose you, Vanitas. Maybe it knows something you don’t. Something even Xehanort can’t see.’

‘What do you see?’ He asked abruptly.

Kairi stared into his amber eyes, considering. He’d shown her the tiniest fragments of humanity lurking inside him, even if he couldn’t see it– even if didn’t want to. Whenever they met, he never attacked her, never outright drove her away. But as soon as he would show her a glimmer of the boy behind the black helmet, his derisive comments and coldness would return, and the real boy would slip away again. And yet, he wouldn't be here, helping his enemies, if he didn't care. Try as he might to act otherwise, she knew he cared. From all their interactions, Kairi could tell that Vanitas was desperate— but for what exactly, she wasn't sure. All his vitriol and bluster, it seemed to Kairi to be a way to get people to look away, to ensure they wouldn't pause long enough to study him, for fear they would see him for what he really was. He was desperate to be seen, really seen. But he was also desperate to hide behind his cold exterior, which was as opaque as his black helmet.

But she could see him. She could see how Xehanort had warped him into hating the world, hating himself. He had darkness, to be sure, and he'd done things that made Kairi angry, things she couldn't disregard. But she also believed in second chances. Kairi could see the lonely, broken boy he was. No one had ever given him a chance, least of all himself. If he had a little more time, if he would listen to anyone other than Xehanort, then maybe… maybe things could be different. Maybe they could even be friends. If he’d just give himself a chance.

But before she could answer, Vanitas cut the question off. ‘Forget it. I’m not here to be saved. I came to warn you, Princess, and I have.’

‘What do you think I should do?’ Kairi asked.

Vanitas let out a sharp laugh. ‘You’re asking me? I’m kind of your sworn enemy, remember?’

‘You know Xehanort better than almost anyone,’ Kairi continued. ‘And you came to warn us, so you care more than you’re willing to say.’

Screw the rest of them, Vanitas thought. I came to warn you.

Vanitas didn't have many people in his life. The other Organization members were cold and indifferent comrades, certainly not friends. And to Xehanort himself, he was a means to an end, a blunt instrument at best. And when he made even the slightest mistake, questioned Xehanort's authority in any way, Vanitas's creator had no reservations in punishing him with brutal malice. And that was just those on the side of darkness: even Ventus, the other half of his heart, had nothing but hatred for him. Everyone on both sides—light and dark alike— only regarded him with contempt.

Everyone except her. She was the only one. The only person in the world who’d ever tried to reach him, the only one who didn’t think he was completely hopeless. Here she was, a Princess of Heart, a bastion of light, asking him what she should do. No one had ever asked Vanitas for his thoughts on anything. He felt like she was the only person who looked at him and saw him— not a vessel, or an enemy, or a broken toy that had outlived its use. Sure, if he did have to face Kairi in battle, he would do what he had to. He wasn’t anybody’s savior— but if he could save her from all this, he had to try. He owed her that much.

Then she said, ‘I don’t think darkness has to mean evil. I don’t think you’re evil.’

Instead of responding to that perilous statement, Vanitas said gruffly, ‘You should leave. Guardian or not, it’s too dangerous for you to be here, knowing Xehanort has his sights set on you. Let Lover Boy handle this.’ But even as he spoke, Vanitas knew she’d never agree. He realized he kind of admired that about her.

‘Out of the question. My friends need me.’

‘Then be especially wary around Xemnas. Xehanort made it sound like it’s going to be his job to carry out whatever the old man has planned for you.’

‘I will.’

They stood there in silence, the conversation seeming to reach its natural end. Kairi moved as if to walk away, but then she seemed to reconsider, and turned back to meet his eyes one more time. Vanitas’s words echoed in her mind.

This is the last chance we’ll have to talk. The last time I’ll be me.

‘I meant what I said before,’ Kairi said. ‘You're more than a vessel. You’re more than just darkness, more than just half of an incomplete whole. You’re your own person. You've made mistakes in the past,' she went on, 'done things I can't condone...' Her voice grew more determined. ‘But it’s never too late to choose a different path. You can make amends. You can decide who you want to be.’ Then she gave him a small, reassuring smile. Vanitas couldn't remember the last time anyone had smiled at him. Without realizing it, Vanitas clung to her smile, desperate to commit every detail of it—of her— to memory: the warmth in her gaze as she looked at him, the faint lines that crinkled around her eyes, the way her delicate pink lips curved up at the corners. What had he ever done to deserve a smile like that?

Without having fully thought it through, Kairi reached out a hand, placing it gently on Vanitas’s upper arm. Kairi had every expectation that he would protest, recoil, slap her hand away– but Vanitas didn’t do any of those things. He just stared at her, his eyes wild, like he wasn’t sure what to do, wasn’t sure what he wanted.

‘Thank you for coming to warn me, Vanitas. When this is all over, maybe… maybe we can be friends. That’s up to you.’ Kairi gave Vanitas one last poignant look before she withdrew her hand. Then she turned and walked back toward her friends. All Vanitas could do was watch her go.

When Kairi returned to Sora, Vanitas saw the boy let out a tense breath as he scanned her face with visible relief. Kairi gave Sora a soft smile, and they exchanged a tender look between them. When Vanitas saw the way she looked at Sora—the adoration and affection in her eyes, the way Vanitas just knew that look was reserved only for him—the black-haired boy quickly put his helmet back on, because his cheeks were burning and he didn’t want the others to see them grow red. And when Sora gently took Kairi’s hand in his, Vanitas couldn’t help but notice the sting of envy in his own chest, and the pang of anger at Sora for making him feel it— for all the things Sora had, and Vanitas never could.

The boy in the black helmet didn’t waste any time in conjuring a dark portal– he knew he wasn’t welcome. ‘Until tomorrow then,’ Vanitas sneered. He opened his arms in a false bow before stepping backward, letting the dark mist envelop him. Try as he might to dismiss them, Kairi’s words kept ringing inside his head.

You’re your own person.

It’s not too late to choose a different path.

I don’t think you’re evil.

Vanitas had always known he was a lost soul, a hopeless cause. Everyone else could see it— so why couldn’t she? He hadn’t asked to be saved. He hadn’t asked her to give him hope, when he knew there had never been any for him. But as he stared into Kairi’s eyes, Vanitas thought that if she were his savior, then maybe redemption might not be so bad after all.

He kept his eyes on Kairi as long as possible, until she, like everything else, faded into darkness.

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[aquafolia]

Sokai Day Fic 1: True Love’s Kiss(es)

So yes, I am a Classics/ancient history blog, and this is obviously super different from the content I normally post on this blog. Please forgive me, but I’ve recently become OBSESSED with Kingdom Hearts and I have nowhere else to post this stuff at the moment. So please forgive me, normal content will resume soon!

Anyway, as I said I just started playing the KH games for the first time this summer and it’s been so much fun. And seeing all the amazing stories and artwork in this fandom has inspired me to write some stuff too. Anyway, I’m Holly, and I hope y’all enjoy :)

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True Love’s Kiss(es)

‘Ugh!’ Kairi groaned, unceremoniously setting down the basket she held in her hands. ‘I forgot that when you pick apples, you have to actually carry them all back, too!’

‘Your basket’s not even half full, Kairi,’ Sora remarked, ‘and we’ve only just started!’

She grinned. ‘Well then, it’s a good thing I have a strong, manly boyfriend to help me carry all of these.’

He could hardly argue with that. Sora feigned displeasure by rolling his eyes and letting out a dramatic groan, which made Kairi giggle. But then he walked over to her, grabbing one of the basket’s handles as she grabbed the other, and the pair made their way deeper down the rows of apple trees. They could hear the distant shouts and laughs of their friends echoing through the orchard as they went. Apparently, Twilight Town– a world basically in perpetual autumn–  was known for its fall festivities, including its legendary apple orchards. Once they’d visited the orchards, the gang hoped Remi would help them make apple pies, apple cider, and all sorts of goodies during their visit. To that end, the group had decided to break up into teams in order to pick as many apples as they could carry. Today, Sora and Kairi were paired up. But Sora knew that if they only returned with a measly half basket of apples, the others would surely tease them, accuse them of slacking off.

They wouldn’t be totally wrong, Sora thought with a grin. Sure, Kairi was determined to focus on their task: she was deep in concentration, examining each apple carefully before deciding to place it in her basket. Sora, on the other hand, was much more determined to get Kairi off task. It wasn’t that Sora didn’t want to help out, but this was an opportunity for him and Kairi to spend some time alone– that was a temptation greater than any fruit, in Sora’s world.

Kairi set her sights on a shiny red apple that hung high on a nearby tree. She stood up on her tiptoes, making adorable little noises as she tried to grab it. Sora was staring intently, but not at the apple: Kairi’s form was stretched out in front of him as she reached high over her head, accentuating her curves, and Sora was mesmerized. It was only when she said his name that he snapped out of his trance: ‘Sora,’ she called out, not taking her eyes off the fruit, ‘would you come over and help me with this one? You should be able to–’

Kairi shrieked as Sora, having silently moved behind her, wrapped his arms around her legs and hoisted her up onto his shoulder.

‘Tall enough now?’ he asked casually.

Her surprised squeak was the only reply Kairi could muster. Once she’d successfully picked the apple, Sora released her hips. He held her by the waist as her body slid down his until she landed gently on the ground. Even in the autumn chill, Sora could feel his cheeks burning.

Having regained some of her composure, with a giggle, Kairi said, ‘Guess we make a pretty good team, huh?’ before she turned to the next tree. Sora tried to hide it by replying with a level ‘Absolutely,’ but inside, he was beaming: watching the effect he had on Kairi just never got old for him– but given how hard he had to try to appear cool and unfazed, it wasn’t like he was much better than she was.

Now that he’d had his fun, Sora walked up next to Kairi to help out. The pair picked apples side by side, happily chatting and admiring each other's finds, and over time, their basket filled with bright red apples. While they worked, something about the orchard nagged at Sora’s mind, but he couldn't place it. As he studied a large, blood-red apple in his hands, it finally clicked.

‘All these apples remind me of Snow White,’ Sora remarked. ‘Aqua told me how Snow White’s evil stepmother tried to kill her by getting her to eat a poisoned apple. The dwarves thought she was dead, so they placed her in a beautiful glass casket,’ Sora recalled, his eyes still fixed on the apple. He found himself absentmindedly tracing the spot on his chest where a scar marred the skin over his heart: the permanent reminder of his sacrifice for Kairi– well, his first one, anyway.

‘But she wasn’t dead,’ Sora continued, thought bleeding into memory. ‘She was asleep, and she couldn’t wake up…’

‘Until her true love saved her.’

That broke Sora out of his reverie. He looked up to find Kairi already gazing at him, her eyes soft and sincere. Sora replied, ‘Yeah… Reminds me of another princess I know.’

Did she really mean…?  They’d talked about their first adventure numerous times before, but she’d never said it like that.

‘I would have killed for a nice bed to sleep on,’ she continued. ‘You and Riku took me on quite a journey– napping peacefully in a meadow sounds pretty good to me,’ Kairi said with a grin.

A breeze drifted through the orchard, rustling the leaves over their heads. ‘I remember your dad telling us all those old fairy tales when we were kids,’ Sora said. ‘After all the adventures we’ve had… it’s strange to think we sort of became one ourselves.’

‘They’re not always as fun to live as they are to hear…’ Kairi remarked, almost to herself, ‘when you don’t know if there’ll be a happy ending after all.’ Her eyes grew distant, drifting aimlessly down the row of apple trees.  ‘I… I still remember waking up at Hollow Bastion, seeing that Keyblade in your chest… And then how you–’ she started, but then faltered, unable to bring herself to say what came next.

Sora gently placed a hand on her shoulder, turning her to face him. She still seemed lost in thought, not meeting his eyes. ‘I know what you mean. But we did get one, didn’t we, Kairi? It took a while, and we’ve had to find each other again and again, but now you’re here. And thanks to you, I’m here. We’re finally together, and nothing is ever going to change that. That’s the best ‘happily ever after’ I could have wished for.’

The pair were alone, the trees standing sentry around them, but his voice grew softer all the same: these words were just for her. ‘All that doesn’t really matter anymore,’ Sora continued. ‘What I mean is… what matters is that we’re here now. That means it was all worth it.’ He took her hand, interlacing their fingers. ‘Back at Hollow Bastion, when I saw your eyes open just before mine closed, when I knew your heart was safe… it was worth it, Kairi.’

She finally looked up at him. Sora hoped his eyes conveyed the sincerity of his words: It had all been for her– and it had all been worth it, every moment. Every time Sora got to see her sweet smile, got to hear her lovely laugh, it was worth it. And now, he wasn’t just connected to her across the worlds by promises and oaths– if he wanted to find Kairi, all Sora had to do was reach for her hand. How was that not a dream come true?

A small smile forming on her lips, Kairi gave him a look of such love and gratitude that Sora knew she felt the same. ‘It just makes our time together now even more precious to me,’ she finally said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. ‘I’m never going to take this for granted.’

Sora decided then to gather her into his arms and bring her close, her head resting in the crook of his neck, his cheek on her soft hair. ‘You know,’ he started after a pause, ‘I have to admit, when I heard Snow White’s story, I got a bit jealous.’

Kairi pulled back just enough to shoot him a quizzical look. ‘Jealous?’

‘Yeah, of Prince Florian. All he had to do to wake up Snow White and save the day was kiss her– pretty nice deal, if you ask me,’ Sora explained. Kairi smiled, but her eyes were still a bit sad. So he continued, a grin spreading across his face, ‘Don’t know why I didn’t think to try that first…’

‘Oh, Sora!’ Kairi giggled, giving Sora a playful smack on his arm, her face brighter. ‘What, does that mean you thought about kissing Ven at some point, too?’ she countered.

‘I was getting so desperate to find the Power of Waking, I just might have!’ Sora replied, and they both laughed again. Keeping one arm around Kairi, he took a bite from the apple still in his hand. It was crisp and fresh, and amazingly sweet– it was just right, like everything else in this moment.

Suddenly, with a smirk on her face, Kairi plucked the half-eaten apple from Sora’s hand. She lifted the fruit to her lips, holding Sora’s gaze as she took a large bite next to where he’d just bitten, a small drop of juice running down her chin as she chewed. All Sora could do was watch her, hopelessly mesmerized. It was bold, yet playful– Kairi to a T. Before Sora’s brain could fully resume normal functioning, Kairi said, feigning innocence, ‘What? Isn’t sharing fruit kind of our thing? It’s no paopu fruit, but still…’

Staring into her eyes, the radiant sunset bathing them in soft, warm light, Sora grew bold himself: They’d spent so long in silence, so long apart, why waste any time? He’d fought so hard to find her, to come back to her, over and over again. She was right here– if he wanted to kiss her, what on earth was there to consider? Sora reached a hand forward to cup her cheek, wiping the juice from the corner of her lip with his thumb. Kairi let the gentle pull of his thumb part her lips. ‘It is pretty good,’ Sora said, ‘but… you definitely taste better.’ And with that, he lowered his head and kissed her. He heard the sound of the apple landing on the ground, utterly forgotten, as Kairi’s arms wound around his neck.

And Sora had to admit, kissing Kairi felt pretty magical– Maybe those fairytales were onto something after all.

But of course, the distant sound of Aqua, Ven, and Riku calling out in search of them forced the pair to break their kiss, albeit begrudgingly. Sora expected Kairi to step away, pick up her basket, maybe call out to their friends– but she didn’t. She stayed as she was in Sora’s arms, one hand resting on his shirt, over the scar. Sora could feel his heartbeat racing under her touch. When she looked up at him again, something in her eyes was different. Still happy, but mixed with something else– not just happiness, but a determination to be so.

‘This is a pretty large orchard,’ Kairi remarked, her eyes bright. ‘Our friends probably won’t find us for a little while longer…’

‘We’d better not make them wait too long, or Axel will use his chakrams to–’

Kairi grabbed Sora’s hoodie with both hands and pulled him back down to her lips. For a moment, Sora stood frozen, eyes wide with shock. But as she melted into him, his eyes fluttered closed and he wound his arms around her, each kiss between them less ‘Fairy Godmother Friendly’ than the last. Traditionally, in all those fairytales, the heroes only ever got one ‘True Love’s Kiss.’ Sora considered himself the luckiest prince of all time– he had a never ending supply.

Twilight Town was always just that– hanging in perpetual dusk. So Sora really didn’t know how long he and Kairi spent like that, lost in laughter and kisses and caresses beneath the trees. But once their friends’ voices grew dangerously close, Sora and Kairi managed to untangle themselves, wiping swollen lips, readjusting ruffled clothing, and fixing disheveled hair (not that Sora’s hair had been tidy in the first place– and Kairi burst out laughing when she realized her attempts to smooth it didn’t do much good, either). As Kairi called out to their friends, Sora picked up her basket, now full of delicious looking apples, and the pair began to head back toward the orchard entrance. They probably hadn’t gathered the most apples– and he was sure their friends would point that fact out–  but Sora didn’t care one bit. He wouldn’t have traded this day for anything.

‘Hey Kairi?’ Sora said as they walked, ‘For the record, if I’m ever in a fruit induced coma– or any other kind of coma, really– feel free to make out with me, in order to revive me. Thought I should say so, you know, just in case.’

‘Oh, really?’ She teased back. ‘I’ll make sure to tell Donald– you always complain he never uses Curaga when you need it.’

‘What? No! Ew, gross!’ Sora blanched as Kairi dissolved into laughter. But when his eyes found hers again, he couldn’t help but smile.

As her giggles died out, she replied, 'Okay, I’ll remember that… But that doesn’t mean you can go throw yourself into danger so I’ll kiss you better!’

‘I can’t help it– when you kiss me, I feel like I can do anything,’ Sora answered simply. Kairi’s eyes widened at his remark, and she ducked her head as her cheeks bloomed pink. Sora beamed. He may have been laying it on her thick, but Sora wasn’t lying: He had true love on his side– the most powerful magic of all.

-----

[spir1tfar3r]

𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫: 𝐑𝐞𝐝 𝐋𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

prompt: “cause you said forever now I drive alone past your street” (go listen to drivers license by Olivia Rodrigo <3)

summary: Being Atsumu’s s/o was a dream come true. But that dream didn’t last very long.

warning(s): cheating, my awful writing <3

words: 886

book four of kairi’s library event

Silence was something you had started to become very accustomed too. It was never an issue before, always making you feel comfortable, but something changed. The atmosphere that made you feel calm and relaxed started to become awkward and a bit worrying. It had even gotten to the point where you could feel the small thing of doubts and pressure settling between you and Atsumu Miya as you drove in complete silence from your friend’s house. The two of you hadn’t spoken the entire time there nor the car ride heading that way.

The way you had begun to subconsciously play with your hands caught the attention of the setter and he moved one of his hands to sit on top of yours, hoping maybe that would calm your nerves. It hadn’t taken more than a second for your fingers to intertwine with his, making you wonder if maybe you had just imagined the uncomfortable feeling between the two of you. You tried thinking of when things started, when he began to draw himself back from you, claiming he was just tired or not in the mood. But that never stopped him from suddenly leaving because “a friend wanted to hang out”.

You trust Atsumu. Or well, trusted Atsumu. You had the suspicion of what was going on but you had figured that he’d be honest or at the very least end things if he wasn’t happy. But when you were told that he was caught spending time with someone that he knew you weren’t comfortable with as they had a past together, you weren’t sure what to think or even believe. Being brought out from your thoughts, you felt your boyfriend squeeze your hand.

“Hey we’re home.” His voice was a bit softer than normal. “And… we should talk when we get inside.” He adds, taking his hand from yours to get out of the car. Your stomach sank as your mind began to race again. Atsumu opened your door and patiently waited as you climbed out before he had shut it. The two of you hadn’t even looked at each other, knowing something was up, and the guilt already beginning to eat him alive.

“So should I sit down? Maybe buckle up?” You joked, turning on the lights as he shut the door behind you. He couldn’t help but chuckle at your comment, momentarily forgetting what he had wanted to tell you. It only took a few seconds for him to get back to being serious and he nods, not sure what else to say to that. Hesitantly, you sat down on the couch, having a very strong feeling that you know what’s going to happen next.

Taking in a breath, Atsumu chose his words carefully. “I think we should break up.” He began, looking up and seeing the way your smile fell. He already wished he just kept his mouth shut, maybe even try to fix everything that he had done wrong in the relationship. But he knew it wasn’t fair to put you through anything more than he already had. “I was stupid… I hooked up with some girl and… I don’t want you to stay with me when you probably can’t even trust me.”

He was being honest and holy shit did it hurt. A part of you appreciated that he told you but you couldn’t stop replaying the confession over and over in your head. You convinced yourself he wouldn’t do something like that. You both were happy right? Why would he do it? Opening your mouth to ask, you closed it again, feeling a lump in your throat that you knew would end up stopping you from saying anything. Instead, you opted to shake your head, hoping this was just a bad dream and he’d somehow wake you up.

“I’m sorry. I was going to tell you before we left but you were so happy to see your friends that I didn’t want to ruin your day but I guess I kind of ruined it anyways since I was kind of distant.” He admitted. Atsumu was taken by surprise when he heard a soft laugh come from your direction. He finally glanced up at you and saw you wiping some stray tears away and you tried to stop your laughter.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh but.. I was so… hopeful for this relationship. I was so convinced nothing bad would happen and hearing you say that.. hurts so much. I guess forever really wasn’t that long huh?” You asked, standing up and giving him a forced smile. “Thank you for being honest with me. I kind of wish you weren’t.” A frown found it’s way on his face and he pulled you into a gentle hug, barely holding onto you in case you wanted to move away from him. You didn’t bother hugging back, it didn’t matter anyways. He was going to leave in a matter of seconds.

You were right, when he knew there was nothing else to say or do, knowing he messed up, he pulled away. “I’m sorry y/n. Take care of yourself, yeah?” He mumbled before heading out of the door. You watched the way it shut and after hearing the soft click, you finally let yourself cry. Your forever didn’t last very long.

✩taglist✩

@celestialfoxess-main @satan5-chi1d @sinister-chaos @6sakusa @volexis @keibby @tendous-queen @chiefest-and-greatest-calamity

[chibi-mushroom]

Hey everyone! Finally get to post my piece for the memory of promises zine! check out the link here if you want to grab one of your own copies in the leftover sale! I was so happy to be able to join in on this zine, and I hope you guys enjoy all the work that went into it! (Also keep in mind this was written before MoM.)

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Namine rubbed her temples and looked at the clock. Midnight already. DiZ was not going to like this. The next time he came into the white room would bring on some lecture or punishment of some kind. She had been working furiously all afternoon trying to get past this one section of memory, but there was something that was keeping her back. Her pulse began to race. She was feeling sick. The door to the white room opened and with a squeak, Namine ducked under the table, fearing the familiar stride of the man in red.

"It's okay, it's just me. You can come out now." A soft voice sounded in her ears. "You're safe. DiZ said he needed to run an errand and wouldn't be back for a couple of days."

Slowly looking up, Namine could see the outstretched hand of the only comfort she had in this lonely place. "Riku. You're back."

She took his offering and stood up. He hadn't let go of her hand just yet, blindfold still covering those beautiful blue green eyes he had. She was glad it stopped him from seeing things like her girlish blush. He was only offering his hand as a friend. Besides, it was wrong for her to want to be with him- nobodies weren't supposed to feel anything. So why did she?

"You're shaking." Riku stated simply. "Have you eaten anything today?"

So he could even feel the slight tremor in her hands. "No, not exactly."

"Do you want me to get something for you? I think there are some leftovers in the fridge."

"No, I'm alright. I have to get back to work." Namine tried to take her hand from his, but he held onto it all the tighter, leaning down a little to be at eye level with her. 

"You were working when I left, and I can tell you haven't gotten any sleep. How are you expecting to take care of Sora when you can't take care of yourself?"

Right. Namine thought. He's just like DiZ. All he cares about is getting Sora restored. You're just a tool.

Still, she couldn't help but notice the way her breath caught in her throat as his blinded eyes sunk to meet her tired ones. Maybe she should take a small break. All of this stress was making her read too much into small gestures.

Namine simply nodded, and Riku left to warm her up some food. Sensing that going back to Sora's memories would be futile, she grabbed her sketch pad and turned it to the very last page. This was her secret page, covered in things she thought about. Mindless doodles she drew when she was waiting for the computer to check on Sora’s physical well-being.

The sketch pad was not necessary for her magic to work. She could rearrange memories- crush the hearts of her poor unsuspecting victims- without it. She used it though to help her concentrate. By visualizing the memories, she was able to make a more convincing edit or capture the feelings that were hiding beneath the surface. So many times she had drawn Sora, Riku and Kairi together. And sure there were strong feelings of both love and jealousy, but had she not had her sketch pad, she might have missed Sora's emotions of gratitude for two stalwart best friends, confusion about school topics they had recently studied, and hope that Kairi would want to go with him to the first school dance, even though he knew they would just go together and bail early to hang out on the play island like they always did whenever the school had some social.

"Here you go. It's nothing special, but it's better than nothing." Riku interrupted her thoughts with a plate of food.

With a gasp, Namine hurried to cover her sketch pad. Even though she knew he couldn't see it, he moved so gracefully that she sometimes wondered if he really was blind. Although those first couple of days made the mansion quite a bit louder with his cries of annoyance as he bumped into furniture. He even fell into the secret compartment that hid the computer lab, but luckily managed to land safely.

"Drawing something you don't want anyone to see?" Riku smirked. 

"No!" Namine replied a bit sharper than she thought. "Maybe."

Riku laughed as he set their plates down and pulled a chair over. "I'm only kidding. You don't have to be working on Sora nonstop. If you want to take a moment for yourself, then do it."

"No, I need to be working on Sora. It was my fault he's like this in the first place. I want to keep my promise." Namine picked up the white plastic fork. For once would it hurt to have some color around here?

With a sigh, Riku held his hand out for her to hold. "We've been over this, Nam. What happened wasn't your fault. You were being used." Softly Riku muttered "you still are."

Namine looked at him for a moment and then looked down at her food. She picked at it for a few moments before softly sliding her hand in his and taking a couple of bites. She ate in a comfortable silence, simply feeling the pressure that came from the gentle touch. This sort of thing wasn't unusual for them. They could usually be found in silence with their hands connected. But the mountain of pressure from the recent block in memories and lack of self care was threatening to squish Namine with its enormous weight.

"How's the restoration going?" Riku asked.

Namine's stomach began to twist around itself. "I'm….not sure." 

Riku squeezed her hand, urging her to explain. Namine sighed, unsure of how to continue. Would he get mad if she told the truth? He had slowly been becoming more like DiZ, after all. He used to be there with her when she was getting told off. These days, Riku was never usually in the white room for more than five minutes unless it was late at night.

"You remember what Sora's mom used to tell him all the time, right?"  Riku recalled.

"Never talk to strangers on the play island?"

Riku chuckled, remembering a secret promise. "A problem shared is a problem halved. If you tell me, it might relieve some of the pressure on you."

There was no avoiding it, not as long as he held her hand. 

 "It's just that, well-" Namine fumbled for the words. "There's been a bit of a roadblock. I've been doing my best to sort it out, tracing the connections, but it's like the memories slip away as soon as I think I have a grasp on them. I may have gone through half a notebook trying to find a solid piece."

There was a pause, as if Riku were considering what to say. 

"I'll go get you a new notebook tomorrow, then. As for the memories, we'll get it figured out. You need to take a break, anyway."

"No!" Namine swallowed back further emotion. Maybe she really did need some sleep. She was being more irrational than she expected. "No, it's fine. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong."

"Don't say stuff like that. If there's anyone who can make this situation right, it's you. Please, just take a few hours to rest tomorrow, okay?" Riku squeezed her hand again.

"I don't really have a choice here, do I?" Namine sighed.

"You always have a choice. I'm just asking you as someone who cares a lot about you."

Someone who cares? Namine thought. She slowly nodded in reply. Maybe a break was exactly what she needed.

"Thank you, Riku."

One Year Later

Again Riku tried to beat Marluxia, and again he was defeated. He only had this last battle to finish, having started against the organization members he recognized or had personally fought against. Which, admittedly wasn't many, but after several attempts, he was down to the last. It frustrated him that he still wasn't quite used to the keyboard controls, and Sora's moves were much less based in strength and relied much more on magic. Riku had never been very good with magic, focusing on perfecting his cure and dark firaga spells instead of learning the large array of magic that his friends had mastered. 

Some keyblade master I turned out to be. Riku thought, sitting back in his seat and folding his arms. I can't even stop my two best friends from leaving me again. This is just like back then…

His mind began to drift away with thoughts of Castle Oblivion and Twilight Town. He heard the door open and gentle footsteps move toward him.

"Hey Aerith. We can work on that scarf in a minute. I have to get some more ethers for data Sora first."

"I take it the fight didn't go well then?" A soft voice walked closer.

He closed his eyes and shook his head. Not Aerith. 

"Hey Namine. How could you tell?"

Namine placed a hand on his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "You're really tense. Besides, I could feel your frustration from a block away."

What anger and annoyance had once plagued Riku's mind had since washed away. All he could register was how reassuring Namine's hand on his shoulder felt. She smelled nice, too. A faint blush warmed his cheeks. Ever since Kairi had insisted on going to sleep and Terra had left for the dark realm with Aqua and Ven, Namine was the only person Riku shared everything with. She had heard him vent several times, and she had been helping Aerith teach him how to knit. It was her delicate fingers that had lead him through the steps of a cable.

"I guess I need a little bit of a break." Riku said with a sigh. "Wanna go get some ice cream or something?"

"Sure." Namine smiled, stepping back so he could get up and stretch. They began to talk as they walked to their usual ice cream shop. 

Since Scrooge, Huey and Dewey had returned home, the ice cream shop had been manned by one of the local citizens. He usually gave Riku a discount, so Riku usually put some munny in the tip jar. It had become routine over the past year to go whenever Namine came to visit from Twilight Town.

"How is everything going with Roxas and Xion?" Riku asked, sitting down and unwrapping his fruit bar.

"Slow." Namine replied, taking a small lick from her chocolate cherry ice cream cone. She wanted to try all of the flavors, and this was the last one. "Not too bad, but I think I preferred the strawberry cheesecake the best."

"That was a flavor Kairi always liked." Riku smiled softly. 

When he saw the way Namine looked for just the hair of a second, he realized that was probably the wrong thing to say. He inwardly cursed himself and his inability to be the suave guy all the girls had thought he was growing up. Kairi and Namine didn't get much of a chance to talk after she got her replica body, as Kairi had almost immediately asked to be put under. Riku wondered what it was like living inside a heart of pure light. Just like Castle Oblivion, she didn't talk about it much.

"We should get some for her when she wakes up." Namine continued to eat her cone. There was an uncomfortable silence for just a moment before Namine spoke up again. "Who were you fighting when I came in?"

"Marluxia. He was the head of the castle, right?"

Namine nodded.

"I never really got to meet him as I was down in the basement back then. I'm sorry you had to deal with a guy like him."

"It's alright. I...had some support. There was Sora and Donald and Goofy. And despite everything I did to him, there was your replica, too." Namine spoke slowly, choosing her words with care. "But don't feel bad. He made his decisions, like everyone else."

This time, it was Riku's turn to nod in agreement, taking a bite from his treat.

"After the data battles are all said and done, what happens next?" Namine asked softly.

"I...don't know. All I know is that I've been having these weird dreams lately."

"I wondered. You look tired." Namine grabbed on to Riku's hand, intertwining their fingers.

Maybe it was a reflex, maybe it was a force of habit, like how they used to sit back in the old mansion. Either way, the touch on its own was enough to pull Riku away from the dark thoughts that usually sat at the horizon of his mind. He squeezed her hand in response.

"Don't hesitate to call me if you ever need someone to talk to. I miss our little midnight chats." Namine admitted.

"I do too." Riku smiled softly. "They really helped clear my mind back then."

"A problem shared is a problem halved, remember?" Namine was glad she could actually see his eyes as she recalled back to his words that helped her through her time at the old mansion. "Care to share anything?"

Riku paused. He sighed before starting to speak. After he told her of the recurring dream he'd been having with the buildings and the feeling of being watched, he also admitted to the weight that had been pinned on his shoulders. 

"I know it might sound silly, but I can't help but wonder if these dreams are connected to Sora somehow. I just wish I could understand it more." Riku finished his bar and set the popsicle stick on the bench beside him.

Namine had just finished her ice cream as well, wiping her face with the napkin. "Maybe it's time you take another journey."

"With the data battle still to fight and Kairi still asleep? I can't leave now."

"Maybe not now, but after the last battle is won." Namine gently pulled his hand close to her and began massaging it. "But that means I can't follow you. Will you be alright on your own? Maybe you can check Kairi's dreams."

"I...don't know. I haven't used my dream eater powers in a long time and the process is still kind of fuzzy for me." He could feel his muscles relax as she worked at his weary hand.

Doubt was rising in his chest. Maybe she was right. Who was he kidding? He wasn't ready for this kind of thing. He wasn't like Sora or Kairi who could follow their hearts at a moment's notice. He couldn't always feel the way it was trying to lead him.

But as he saw Namine patiently working on his hands, the stiff muscles being brought to relax against her fingers, a light shone through the storm of his doubt. How he hadn't realized it before was a mystery. Ever since they had met, she had been the light in the dark, just as he had provided shade for her in the brightest situations. As she finished the massage, she tenderly squeezed his hands, reassuring him that she was there and willing to help. Surely that was love.

He felt love for her, no question. But with Sora and Kairi gone and asleep, there never seemed to be a good moment to tell her what his heart really wanted to say. 

"We...we should be getting back." Namine sighed. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"No, but then, I'm not really all that sure of anything anymore."

"If there's anything I know, it's that things will get better. We'll find Sora. I don't know how or when, but we will." Namine took his hand again, standing before him.

Namine took a quick breath and then leaned over, placing a quick kiss atop his head. Ordinarily, she wouldn't be able to reach, but since he was sitting down, she could offer a small token of her affection and confidence in his abilities.

She and Riku's faces filled with blush, although a smile tugged at her lips. Namine didn't have enough courage to kiss him on the lips like she had wanted to for so long, but this was safe. He couldn't spurn her for a harmless kiss to the head. After all, what was some reassurance between friends?

"Thank you, Namine." Riku had a hard time looking at this angel of a woman without his heartbeat increasing.

To think she was willing to be by his side after all this. He decided there and then that he would listen to his heart and tell her of his feelings...after they set everything right. Once Sora and Kairi were home and together, then they could sort out their own relationship. It would give him yet another reason to bring his best friend home. 

He could still feel the kiss on his forehead, and it brought a genuine smile to his face. He stood up and began walking away from Merlin's house.

"Don't feel like you have to stop working on the data battles on my account. I just wanted to make sure you were doing alright." Namine stopped for a second.

"We can get back to those soon enough. I need a little longer before I get back into it." He took his trash and threw it into a nearby can. "There are some fountains that are really pretty this time of day nearby if you want to check them out with me."

A smile formed on Namine's lips. "I'd love to, Riku."

[miss-tc-nova]

Kupo - Riku x Reader

Ooo, I like this one. However, because I already did a haunted house with Hermod, I’m gonna mosey on over to the carnival! I hope you enjoy, anon!

~~~~~

              Eyes on the horizon, I am literally bouncing down the street. The only thing preventing me from bursting into a sprint and shoving Sora out of the way is the grip on my hand holding me in place.

              “Will you calm down,” Riku says. I’m almost one hundred percent certain he’s enjoying the torture he’s putting me through.

              “But Riku! It’s the carnival!” I reply, waving at the rides and booths set up in the distance. “It only comes to Destiny Islands once a year! How are you not excited?!”

              Kairi, walking ahead of us with Sora, turns back. “Cut him some slack. Riku and Sora only got to go to the carnival a couple times.”

              “Yeah,” adds Sora. “Our parents were usually busy when it came around, so we hung out on the island instead.”

              “So he should be even more excited! C’moooooooooon!” The young man easily resists my pulling. “How are you walking even slower?! Aaaaarrrrggghhhh!”

              “What are you complaining about? We’re here.”

              I pause; he’s right. We’re finally here and I feel the built-up excitement just might pop. The bright lights and colors, the mouth-watering smells, the exhilarating rides: it’s been years since I’ve been to a carnival myself so I don’t even know where to start.

              Someone walks by with a plate and Sora practically starts drooling. “What is that? Can we get one?”

              Okay, I know one place not to start.

              “No! You can’t eat yet!” I tell him.

              “Aww, why not?”

              I point to the claw-like structure waving several rows of seats in the air. “Because the last thing you want to do is pay for carnival food and then go on that.”

              He waves me off. “I’ll be fine.”

              I slap that hand down. “No! Ride first, then funnel cake!”

              His blue eyes go wide. “Funnel cake?!”

              “Later!”

              As per my demands, we take on the rides first. Due to space, the rides are situated on either side of the carnival; so on our way to the other side, we pass through the game booths. Lines of stall attendants call out to patrons trying to lure them in. Some seem deceptively easy or just like a good time. On top of that, there’s an old rivalry sparking between Sora and Riku.

              And then I spot it.

              My fingers turn into a death grip around Riku’s hand as I emit the loudest gasp of my life.

              “KUPO!”

              “What?”

              Releasing my boyfriend, I lose the group and slip through the crowd like a snake until I pop up at my targeted booth. There’s a hopeful grin on my face as I awe at the wonderous prize I hope to own by the night’s end. White plushies decorate the shelves in various sizes and even a few different colors.

              “What the hell are you doing?!” Riku catches up, looking miffed. “You can’t freak me out like that!”

              Pointing at the plush hanging above the game, I say, “It’s a moogle, kupo!”

              His green eyes spot my distraction and a sigh emits from his mouth. “You still can’t just freak out like that.”

              “My bad,” I say with a cheeky grin.

              Green eyes roll; he can’t argue with me when I’ve admitted fault, so he moves on. “Anyway, I didn’t know you like moogles.”

              “Are you kidding? Look at that face! That one’s huge!” I wave to the three-foot-tall plush sitting at the back.

              Riku laughs. “Yeah, moogles don’t actually get that big.”

              “Stop ruining the fun!” My attention finally turns to the game and I become a bit more apprehensive. “Hmm, skee-ball…”

              “You got a bone to pick with skee-ball?”

              “Let’s just say it’s not my best game.” Rifling through my pocket, I pull a handful of munny.

              A silver brow quirks. “So you’re gonna waste your munny?”

              “I want that moogle.” The currency drops into the machine, releasing five skee-balls.

              “You’re the kind of person these games target.”

              I pick up one of the balls, sizing up the game ahead. “Hey, even without a prize on the line, carnival games can be fun.”

              “Just not skee-ball?”

              The first ball rolls down the lane, pops up, and bounces off one of the rings before rolling into the 10-point hole.

              I let out a puff. “…Maybe not for me.”

              Riku chuckles and watches the rest of my miserable attempt.

              There were five holes vertically aligned at the other end of the lane with point values of ten, twenty, thirty, forty, and fifty. For the extravagant moogle I had my heart set on, I needed a near perfect game of two hundred and forty points. Alas, with my skee ball skills, I’d be lucky for the keychain prize at one hundred and eighty points. At least I didn’t bring all my munny with me today.

              The game ends with a pitiful score of one hundred twenty. Two following games don’t turn out any better and I figure it’s time to cut my losses.

              “No moogle for me, kupo,” I sigh.

              “Let me try.”

              Before I can question, Riku nudges me out of the way and drops in a few munny. His first attempt is, expectantly, as bad as any of mine, but his second is much smoother; unfortunately, he still ends up ten points shy of any prize. However, a hard glint sparks in his eyes and I consider the problem I may have created.

              Two keychains later, I decide to intervene.

              “It’s fine, sweetheart.” I tug on his arm before he can start the next game. “Let’s go. Sora and Kairi probably went on all the rides without us already.”

              Riku’s eyes flicker between the me and the game but he shakes off the competitive state he’s worked himself into.

              “Yeah. Sorry.”

              “Don’t be. You got these!” I dangle the keychains. “They’re freakin’ cute and there’s one for each of us, kupo!”

              “Are you going to say that all day?” he asks, but I see that quirk at the corner of his lips.

              Capturing his fingers, I lead the way. “Maybe. It’s fun, kupo. Say it.”

              “No. Not gonna happen.”

              “Oh come on! Please, kupo!”

              “No.”

              “Rikuuu! You’re no fun!”

              I pester him to no avail; he’s clearly amused but he’s not budging on this one. Then it’s Kairi and Sora’s turn to pester us about disappearing—of course I get all the blame.

              Our day continues with rides, attractions, games, and food that’s not at all good for you but tastes so good. We did a few more rides before we got food though, because there was no way I was sitting next to anyone on a ride right after eating. Then we moved on to games and attractions. The glass maze might be my favorite; I laughed so hard I almost couldn’t get off the floor. Sora and Riku both got stuck running into walls and now they both glare when we pass by the maze. Competition galore comes around with the games, though I notice Riku actively avoiding the moogle skee-ball stand. To be fair, we did already play it.

              Once I’m confident there will be no barfing on the rides, it’s time for round two. Riku, however, seems distracted and I’m worried he might be getting sick. Just before we jump in line for another ride, he stops.

              “You okay?” I ask.

              “Yeah, but I’m gonna sit this one out. You guys go ahead.”

              “Are you sure?”

              “Yeah. I’m going to walk around for a bit.” Leaning in, Riku presses a kiss to my forehead. “Don’t wait up for me.”

              “Okay, but don’t be gone too long.”

              “Got it.”

              Riku splits off from us as we get in line for the gravity ride, but as he walks, I can’t help wondering what’s up.

              “Where do you think he’s going?” Sora asks.

              “No idea,” I say.

              We enjoy the ride, but when there’s no Riku when we get off, we find another nearby. A couple rides and another shared funnel cake nearly waste an hour but still, there’s no sign of my boyfriend. The sun’s been long gone and booths are starting to close. Soon after, workers begin ushering people towards the exit.

              Standing outside the carnival, I scan the crowds heading home.

              “Where is he?” I question, looking around.

              “He didn’t go home, did he?” Sora says.

              I cross my arms. “If he ditched us, he’s going to be in serious trouble.”

              Kairi folds her arms thoughtfully. Then her eyes light up and a smile plays on her lips. I try to follow her gaze, but just as I turn around, I run face first into something soft.

              Thrown off guard, I cling to the squishy object, which offers no support whatsoever, but, thankfully, someone else keeps me on my feet.

              Stable in my stance, I lean back, coming face to face with a pink-nosed, pompom-wearing, three-foot-tall, winged moogle.

              “Kupo?” I mutter in confusion.

              “For you.”

              My gaze pulls from the plush to find Riku behind this ambush, clearly over-the-moon proud with himself.

              The grin pulling at my mouth comes more from my understanding of his secrecy rather than the gift itself.

              “So that’s what you’ve been up to this whole time,” Kairi announces.

              His ego falters, marred by the tint bleeding across his nose. “Maybe…”

              “Dude, you’ve been gone almost an hour,” Sora blurts out. “How many tries did it take you?”

              The shade darkens. “Uh well…It’s been a while since I played skee-ball…so…”

              Kairi jams a finger against his shoulder with her own smug simper. “You spent that whole hour playing, didn’t you.”

              Suddenly, there’s a shout from the passing crowd. A little girl holding a small moogle waves her hand. “Thank you, moogle man!”

              Another pair of kids behind that family, also with smaller moogles, also wave.

              A hand against his face attempts to hide the face of defeat, but it’s too late—Kairi and Sora have already put two and two together. Riku had won many games of skee-ball, but didn’t stop until he obtained the extra-large prize.

              My arms tighten around the moogle. “Well, I love him.”

              Riku’s pride makes a small recovery. I love that look in his eyes, the one that says he’d do anything, even play a ridiculous game for an hour to win some silly prize.

              “Which one? Riku or the moogle?” Sora asks.

              I giggle. “Yes.”

              While the brunette tries to figure out my answer, I push the moogle onto him. The moment my arms are clear, I lunge at Riku, even throwing my legs around his waist. Pouncing at Riku isn’t exactly an uncommon occurrence, so there’s no surprise when he keeps his balance and holds me up.

              “I love you, kupo.” I nuzzle my nose against his, pulling a chuckle from the young man. “Say it.” He glances away. Not about to take that as an answer, I smush my face against his. “Say it! You know you want to! Say it!”

              Riku’s hands release me, forcing my feet to come down before I drop onto the concrete. He peers down at me, face turning redder with each second and smiling like a bashful fool.

              “I love you too, kupo.”

[oveliagirlhaditright]

You know? KH and TWEWY probably do the opposite of what you would expect, from the outside looking in? But that’s exactly what’s needed for their particular stories and it’s perfect.

For example, I remember Frustrated Jacob (about Kingdom Hearts) saying something along the lines of, “Kingdom Hearts has somewhat gotten known for the cheesy power of friendship story, where that always saves the day. But that’s kind of unfounded. Because like in the first game... Riku has turned evil, and is pretty much willing to do whatever it takes to recover Kairi’s heart. He’s then possessed by Ansem who wants to destroy the world. And of course, Riku is Sora’s friend. He doesn’t want to fight him, but he does. Really, the ‘power of friendship’ is the thing that could have derailed this story. If he was too dedicated to Riku, that he was unable to do what needed to be done.”

And on the flip-side of that, you have the The World Ends With You, that opens with Neku Sakuraba: someone who, at the start, is polar opposite of Kingdom Hearts’ Sora, who pretty much loves everybody. Neku hates everyone and their ideals, and wishes they would just keep to themselves. He ends up playing this life or death “Reapers’ Game”, and early on he’s told that if he kills his partner Shiki--who they try and convince is a Reaper spy--they’ll let him out of the Game. And Neku tries to do this... until he’s stopped by Sanae Hanekoma (the Producer of the game), who tells the one Reaper who was orchestrating this, that she has to play by the rules. Making “erase your Partner” a mission is a no-go. Fast forward to the end of the game. Neku has become begrudging friends with Joshua. And has really opened his world view and learned to bond with others. It’s revealed that Joshua murdered Neku, and that he’s planning to destroy Shibuya. But he tells Neku that they’re going to have a shout-out: that they’ll count to ten and fire their guns, and the one left standing will be the new ruler of Shibuya and can do what they like with it. And while Neku trying to kill Shiki was unjustified, many would probably argue that Neku killing Joshua here would be--since he murdered him, and it seems like the only way to save an entire city!--and I feel like from an outsider looking in, they would expect Neku to pull the trigger. But he doesn’t. Despite everything, he cares about Joshua too much to do it. And he’s using the lessons he’s learned from the Game about trusting his Partner. Joshua shoots him--killing him once more (erasing him this time?)--and it seems like everything is over, and Neku was a moron. But, no. Neku made the best decision he could have in that moment. Because Joshua was essentially a god tired of his city’s sin. And Neku, someone who had tried to murder someone before, showing that he had moved past that, showed this god that there was hope for the rest of the city. So he brings everyone back and decides to spare Shibuya.

But, anyway. I just kind of think it’s funny that KH has gotten the reputation of that “power of friendship” series (and I get it). But, no. Sora was actually willing to fight his friend to save the world. And meanwhile, TWEWY hasn’t gotten that reputation (and I”m not necessarily saying it should), and that’s the one where the lead couldn’t fight his friend, even for the world though that was the right choice. I feel both series do the opposite of what you would expect, and it’s GREAT.

Edit: I should also mention that at the start of KH1, Sora actually isn’t too stoked about this new “save the world” role he’s gotten, but rather just wants to look for his friends. So he has an arc with this, too, where he realizes the people he meets in new worlds are his friends--and thus his responsibility--too, and thus it’s his duty to protect them, even if it’s against his old best friend that he wanted to protect.

Edit 2: Short version: Surprisingly, Sunshine Boy is willing to fight--even kill, if it comes down to it--his mostly sweet best friend, to save the world, though he doesn’t want to, of course. But he will do it, given no other choice. And shockingly, Emo Boy is unwilling to kill his jerkass, murderous friend, who’s bent on destruction, in order to save his world.

[whyarewecalledtheshipname]

an umbrella kairi ramble:

like, they give us kairi potential—

and then they don’t do anything with it.

they give us some more kairi potential—

and then they don’t do anything with it.

they give us /more/ potential—

and then they don’t do anything with it.

but it’s not “bad writing”. it’s not “nomura hates women”.

IT’S KAIRI.

KAIRI HAS POTENTIAL BUT DOESN’T DO ANYTHING WITH IT. SHE CONSISTENTLY FAILS TO SUCCESSFULLY EXPLORE AND MAXIMIZE HER POTENTIAL BECAUSE SHE AS A CHARACTER IS STUCK.

SHE WAS INTENTIONALLY WRITTEN TO /BE/ STUCK. IT HAS TAKEN HER NEARLY 20 YEARS TO EVEN TAKE THE FIRST STEP TO BECOMING /UNSTUCK/. IT WAS GRUELING AND BORING AND ABSOLUTELY INFURIATING. BUT THAT’S THE TYPE OF JOURNEY SHE’S BEEN ON. And it wasn’t an easy one, for her or the audience.

But the thing holding her back isn’t the writing, nomura, misogyny, or any other bs.

It’s been Kairi herself.

Kairi, being the person she is, having the mindset she has, has been holding herself back. She is her own biggest obstacle, and that’s what I keep trying to explain.

And it’s not that kairi holds herself back by “being a shitty character”. She literally just has a stagnant world view that HASN’T DEVELOPED OR GROWN OR CHANGED SINCE KH1.

That is canonically her role. The one friend who doesn’t want her life, friendships, or world to change. Regardless of the reason, that’s her character. That unwillingness to change is what Kairi EMBODIES.

So it makes COMPLETE sense for people to become frustrated and hopeless. It makes sense that people are “pushing” her, begging and praying that Kairi “do something” already. Because we genuinely want her to succeed.

But think of a person in real life. Sometimes you can’t just PUSH someone to grow when they’re not ready, before it’s their time.

And that’s what i get frustrated with. I completely understand that the role Kairi plays will purposely ELICIT that type of reaction, of pushing and expecting and anticipating and pushing—only to be let down again and again.

But it’s a shame some people don’t realize that she’s been set on this path with no end with /purpose/.

And now that she’s straying from that endless path, people are sighing with relief. “Oh, /finally/, they /fixed/ her.” As if she as a character just happened to be broken and needed mending.

Like, no. She is /supposed/ to be broken. Character wise, and story wise. We even get an explanation for what broke her. But people still act like she’s just been a poorly written, unlucky girl character who got shafted for the sake of the two main characters.

Like, that’s literally the embodiment of her story. She /is/ a poor, unlucky girl who got yeeted from her home and family at like age four and she’s been traumatized and trapping herself in the past ever since.

“Well, her story should be of kairi /actively working through her trauma/, instead of just doing nothing.” Except that’s not how it WORKS. Not everyone will just “deal with their trauma” right away, or even decades after the traumatic event. Many kh characters /do/, but they’re not kairi, and kairi isn’t them. She’s living with her trauma in her own way, and I want people to understand that. Even if it’s unhealthy for her, even if it comes at the cost of making her story “boring” and uninteresting. Trauma doesn’t always have to be packaged as some action-packed superhero story that’s fun to consume. Realistically, it isn’t, and that’s why i think kairi’s way of living with her trauma is under-appreciated. She represents a story that’s underrepresented in media.

But it’s like some people “do not see it” and just, shit on her. Like, fair, you don’t have to love her or even like her. A PERSON LIKE KAIRI can be hard to love to some people. That’s a hard truth. People in real life won’t wait around for you to get your shit together, sometimes. That’s just how it goes.

But I’d like for her role, the journey/story that she embodies, to be appreciated, at least. It’s done very well, and very subtly. She isn’t written to be EXPLICITLY OR EXPRESSLY “the one who falls behind bc of trauma or weakness”. She just /IS/, and that’s why people genuinely don’t recognize that she has a role of her own. A necessary evil, in order for the payoff to be worth it once she does grow out of it.

Like, think of Riku. His necessary evil was falling to darkness. And he worked like hell to climb his way out of it.

The difference between riku’s and kairi’s necessary evils is that Riku’s is more interesting on paper. It’s Riku against an Outside Force, as well as himself.

Kairi has little to struggle with other than herself, her own stagnant character and trauma. It just isn’t as interesting when there isn’t any physical embodiment of her internal struggle for her to physically fight against (such as Riku vs Ansem). Xehanort /was/ both her internal and Outside Force, but he’s been controlling her behind the scenes. It’s all a very good metaphor imo, bc it meant Kairi literally never got to confront him face to face until recently—ONLY FOR HER MEMORY OF SORA TO FIGHT HER BATTLE INSTEAD.

Which is maybe why lots of people hate that fight.

But as with everything, it was definitely done for a reason. We just don’t know why, yet. At face value, it really just seems like Kairi was (subconsciously) unwilling to face her Outside Force, even within her own mind. This was her chance to confront the cause of her trauma face to face, and she didn’t. Again.

See what I’m saying? But maybe now she’s beginning to realize that she has to become stronger, physically and mentally, in order to steel herself against the battles to come, both external and internal.

Anyway, this is all my opinion and personal interpretation. I’m not saying my interpretation is factually correct and that i’m tryna indoctrinate people lol. And it’s only one of many rambles i’ve jotted down 😭😭😭 I just want Kairi’s role to be understood, even if it’s to understand how difficult it is to appreciate lmao.