#axel x xigbar

[firestorm09890]

this has been in my head for almost 3 years at this point

[mythicalartistx]

Who's your favorite Organization member?

With the whole KH Twitter meme let's see who's everyone's favorite 😁

I Xemnas

II Xigbar

III Xaldin

IV Vexen

V Lexaeus

VI Zexion

VII Saïx

VIII Axel

IX Demyx

X Luxord

XI Marluxia

XII Larxene

XIII Roxas

XIV Xion

[icyanz]

Part 22

[wolfaartmation]

Here's the profile picture (+ background bc I'm so proud of it) and the banner for my @warriors-hearts blog ! I'm really proud of theses! :D

It took me so long 😩😩 Especially the pfp bc I didnt know how to render shorthair fur.

The quote from the banner is actually from Watership Down! :D

"All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed."

Felt like it would be very fitting to Sora.

[goldenchocobo]

Here’s what I’ve been working on, it’s taken a month, but I’ve finally completed it!

All 13 14 Organization XIII members with flowers!

I did reuse some flowers; but I’ve been wanting to redraw those portraits for a while now, so I can cross that off the list too

Under the KEEP READING are the flowers included, along with why I chose them for that Organization Member.

- You've clicked the 'Keep Reading', so you're in for the long-haul; 14 flower analyses in one! Better get snug!

I. Anemone flowers (also called wind flowers) have a lot of meanings, more negative than good ones; the ones I singled out for Xemnas was death and loss. Flower meanings require a lot of context- like sentences, so in this instance, I’ve used ‘loss’ to mean ‘loss’ in a general sense- Xemnas lost his heart, his comrades, his emotions; and by the end of KHIII; even his motivation; saying he doesn’t really care for his comrades’ demises, and that after he’s gained any kind of sensation back; it’s regret.

II. Knowing Xigbar is keeping all kinds of secrets, and knowing them is his business, Snapdragons are perfect. White and purple denote the spiritual and mystic. Them covering his mouth means that he knows something you don't, and he won't tell you anything.

III. We don’t know much about Xaldin- or Dilan. But with how I interpret him and his actions; he’s someone who has been scorned before- or at least has a lot of jealous dislike towards relationships and is sickened by how love makes people act. Hydrangeas are a flower both used for some wedding bouquets, as well as denoting jealousy, especially in their purple-blue colouration, as it's higher pH that causes the flowers to be that colour.

IV. Azeleas are flowers of two halves. They can mean Temperance and intelligence, but also temptation and caution. This is why I thought it was perfect for Vexen. Not only does he give into the temptation of his (immoral) research- more than once, but also ignored the dangers of it. When he's recompleted, we can see that he's gotten rid of these temptations (or at least I hope so). I made them orange to deeper the 'danger' and 'caution' theme as orange is a colour in nature that denotes it- like toxic amphibians and insects.

V. Lexaeus is a quiet man; so I don't really know much about him other than that he's strong and wants to protect Ienzo/Zexion; as such gladiolus- a symbol of such strength and protection is perfect for him.

VI. Zexion is interesting because I kind of see him as a tragic two-sided character. His scheming, 'throwing morals out the window and toying with people' Zexion in CoM side, and his more naïve, innocent and caring Ienzo side we see in KH3. I gave him Begonias for this reason; the purple in one hand representing mystique and curiosity, whilst white being for a more innocent side to him. I specifically chose Begonia pavonina leaves because they look weird and mystic and kind of match his shimmering hair.

VII. I've already used yellow roses for Siax/Isa, in the same configuration as well; and the meaning remains the same. Yellow roses can sometimes mean jealousy- especially towards friendships. Siax got too into his head about Axel making friends. That was when his jealousy took over, and he was lead by it.

VIII. Axel has had Alestromeas before- as they usually mean strong bonds of friendship; something Axel and Lea has shown over and over again. Like with Siax, I chose to make them a crown to show that, that friendship and keeping those friends safe is what drives him.

IX. It was kind of hard to come up with a flower for Demyx. originally I had him with Geraniums as they can represent folly; but instead, I went with Daisies; with the adage, 'Lazy Daisy'- for obvious reasons. Daisies- or asters- come in a large variety and specie. For Demyx, I chose two for aesthetic purposes; common daisy for around his head, and leucanthemum daisy for his neck- for their size.

X. Finding the right flower for Luxord was difficult. I did originally just have him with clovers, but felt that they didn’t suit. I chose poppies instead, as while they’re known for being symbolic of war & peace, fallen soldiers and death, there’s an under-current of time meaning; time being passed while we sleep, the time we remember the departed, and time marching on until the grave.

XI. For the longest time, Marluxia was going to have roses- it’s his whole motif; there’s rose iconography everywhere. But I chose Magnolias due to their symbolism of remembrance. While not fully aware until the very end, Marluxia was always searching for his sister, not believing that she had gone. The yellow Magnolias represent the joys he shared with her, whilst the purple imply the dignity of being a Union Leader, and Lord of Castle Oblivion.

XII. Marigolds are pretty, but their meaning is not... sometimes. Out of their meanings, I've chosen their meaning for Larxene to be one of cruelty and coldness. Because that's what she is to everyone.

XIII. Roxas keep his Dahlias from his original flower piece. The meaning remains the same; That- even in the face of hardship and despair, he will remain kind, friendly and cheerful.

XIV. I was going to reuse the obvious choice of Forget-Me-Nots for Xion; but honestly, I felt intimidated by how small they are, and- if you've paid attention, kept a strict number limit on my flowers; so that wasn't doable. Instead, I chose a Cornflower, which has a similar meaning of not being forgotten, as well as hope, devotion and love.

-

The stones inlayed in the frames have no real significance other than that they match the character's colour scheme; Here's what each stone is: Xemnas: Pearl Xigbar: Smokey Quartz Xaldin: Amethyst Vexen: Emerald Lexaeus: (orange) Agate Zexion: Lepidolite Siax: Moonstone Axel: Sunstone Demyx: Sapphire Luxord: Hematite Marluxia: Rose Quartz Larxene: Topaz Roxas: Snowflake Obsidian Xion: Obsidian

OK- I lied a little; there's some theming between characters, but nothing majorly deep; I haven't really looked into gemstones and their meanings.

If you've read this much, congratulations! Flower Count: Xemnas has 13. Xigbar has 3. Xaldin has 1. Vexen has 7. Lexaeus has 5. Zexion has 13. Siax has 7. Axel has 7 Demyx has 20 (13 common, 7 leucanthemum). Luxord has 7. Marluxia has 5. Larxene has 5. Roxas has 7. Xion has 13.

The only outlier is Xaldin; but Hydrangeas are hard to draw and only had the motivation to draw one.

[themattress]

I hate Kingdom Hearts: Dream Drop Distance. Everything about it.

However - there is one scene in particular that I absolutely despise above all others. Don't get me wrong, every other cutscene is bad, many of them even rage-inducing....but none of them quite measure up to this one in its wretchedness. Which one is it, you ask? THIS one.

So after Xigbar reiterates the bullshit Inception-esque "dream within a dream" plot twist that Sora is currently experiencing all because he happens to have an "X" on his clothes (yes, that is an actual thing that Nomura wrote), Sora just randomly declares that Nobodies have hearts after all. What does his base this on? The memories from 358/2 Days that he experienced.

"Axel and Roxas and Namine, and that other girl. I felt what Roxas felt and they laughed together, got mad, and they grieved. You have to have a heart to cry."

First off, "that other girl" shouldn't be here. In 358/2 Days, Namine specifically said "If you return your memories to him, you'll disappear. And since everything about you was built on those memories...no one will remember you when you're gone. There won't be any "you" to remember. I can't save you, Xion--even a memory of you." But this game, just like Coded before it and KH3 after it, is flagrantly ignoring that because the rabid fanbase that Days / Xion / the Seasalt Trio developed, particularly in Japan, demanded Xion back and because he's a clout-chasing coward Nomura complied, the story's internal logic be damned.

Secondly, all of the characters Sora mentioned are special cases. Roxas and Namine were special Nobodies built upon a literal heart-to-heart relationship (Sora and Kairi), allowing them to feel things at the cost of having no memory, when for normal Nobodies it's the other way around. Xion was not a Nobody, she was a replica with a heart constructed from memories. Of course she felt stuff. Lastly, this game continues to ignore that Axel's feelings were...off. Making a connection with a heart allowed him to start feeling things, but his Nobody nature was still technically heartless and self-centered, which meant that his feelings were purely based on himself and what his friends mean to him. He never cared about them the way someone is actually supposed to, as that depth of feeling was still foreign to him.

And finally, this seems to be in direct response to that stupid Tomoko Kanemaki-made scene from KH2:FM of Roxas talking with Axel's ghost and they wax poetic about what a heart is and what it means to have one, ending in a shot where Axel is seen shedding tears ("You have to have a heart to cry"). But even that scene, as bad as it was, was still written with Nojima's KH2 scenario in mind where the answer is a philosophical difference between a literal heart, which Nobodies can't have, and a metaphorical heart, which they can develop through bonding with someone with a heart and find a way to exist (as evidenced by Axel even having a ghost at all) within that someone's heart. But now, we get this from Xemnas:

"A heart is never lost for good. There may have been variances in our dispositions, but a number of us unquestionably showed signs of a burgeoning replacement. Once born, the heart can also be nurtured. Our experiments creating Heartless were attempts to control the mind, and convince it to renounce its sense of self. But understand, one can banish the heart from the body, but the body will try to replace it the first chance it gets, for as many times as it takes. And so I knew, even after we were divided into Heartless and Nobodies, it was just a temporary separation."

Where do I even begin?

"A number of us unquestionably showed signs of a burgeoning replacement"? Is this Nomura's way to "explain" why the Organization reacted emotionally on many occasions? Except that was already explained in KH2! As Yen Sid said, their behavior is a ruse to pretend that they have hearts and properly exist, and as Saix said, it's their memories of their human selves and the feelings they felt with hearts that allow them to do this. We literally SEE Demyx drop the facade and show his true unemotional colors right before fighting him!

"One can banish the heart from the body, but the body will try to replace it the first chance it gets". Um, HOW? The body shouldn't be able to recreate a heart because in this universe the body never created the heart to begin with! The literal title of the series, Kingdom Hearts, is where all hearts are born and where all hearts return to. We established that in Game 1!

There was talk earlier about puppets like Pinocchio "growing" a heart, but that's not even the case. As seen earlier in KH2's Space Paranoids and later in KH3's Toy Box, it's not that the non-living thing "grows" a heart, it's that Kingdom Hearts grants them a heart specifically based upon the feelings someone with a heart has toward them. Gepetto, Ansem the Wise, Andy, etc. The hearts didn't just come out of nowhere from nothing like this game suggests.

For that matter, the heart is established as holding the essence of a person; it's who they are. The whole reason Nobodies "don't exist" is because while they have the body and soul of a person plus the memories of said person, without a heart they are not actually that person, who is actually now a Heartless. So is Xemnas saying the body can grow a new freaking person? Then what will become of the original person once they're purified from being a Heartless? The same bullshit of "recompleting" that Lea and co. underwent? But doesn't that contradict the notion that Nobodies are their own individuals who supposedly deserve to live as such? Also, why does all of this only apply to the Organization? What about all of the lesser Nobodies, like the Dusks? Can they not also "regrow" their hearts? Did Nomura think any of this out at all before committing it to script form? And at this point, Sora yells out:

"Why, then? Why did you lie to them and tell them they had no hearts?"

Yep, that's right. Even though Yen Sid also said they had no hearts, Ansem the Wise's research turned up that they had no hearts, and they themselves largely behaved as though they had no hearts, apparently it was all just a lie Xemnas concocted, stripping away half the depth that he and the Organization in general had. Xemnas is now depicted as just a simplistic bad guy and the others save for Xigbar as total victims of brainwashing. Hilariously, the narrative tap-dances around how, if this is true, then Sora and the other heroes now look way more questionable for killing them. The bullshit train keeps chugging as Xigbar says:

"Xemnas and Xehanort formed the Organization for a specific reason - round up a bunch of empty husks, hook them up to Kingdom Hearts, then fill them all with the exact same heart and mind. Translation--they were gonna turn all the members into Xehanort."

So now the claim is that Xemnas, who totally had Xehanort's heart inside him even when Ansem existing should render that impossible, was gonna use the power of Kingdom Hearts to copy-paste that heart into the other Organization members as part of Xehanort's plan to forge the X-Blade. Just like with the claim that Ansem's goal was the Seven Princesses rather than the Final Keyhole they unseal, this clashes with what we actually saw in the previous games. Why would Xemnas do anything he did if this was the plan? The event that got him his thirteenth "vessel" also set the Seven Princesses loose, then several of those "vessels" perished, and yet he carried on with the plan anyway? KH3 tries to do damage control by suggesting Xemnas was out to betray Xehanort, but that just creates more issues with this abominable retcon trying to force separate villainous plans as part of some convoluted whole.

Xigbar then follows all this up with:

"Me? I'm already half Xehanort!"

.....Moving on. Xemnas proceeds to give us this absolute howler:

"However -through weakness of body...weakness of will...or weakness of trust--most of the original members we had chosen for the Organization were inadequate. Thus, naturally, they never had a chance to attain their goal."

MOST of the original Organization members were inadequate!?

Um, yeah, let's flash forward to KH3 and see who made the cut:

Xemnas Xigbar Vexen Saix Demyx Luxord Marluxia Larxene Xion (as a replacement for Roxas)

So basically, 9 out of 13. Only 4 (Xaldin, Lexaeus, Zexion and Axel) "failed".

.....Xemnas, I don't think that the word "most" means what you think it means.

Then we get to the big, dramatic confrontation as Sora yells:

"Just stop it! You treat people's hearts like bottles on a shelf, but they're not! Hearts are made of the people we meet, and how we feel about them-- they're what ties us together even when we're apart! They're what...make me strong."

This is a good line, but Xigbar proceeds to ruin it with his comeback:

"Duh! You're strong because of the ties you have with other people. As if the Keyblade would choose a wimp like you. But no pouting. We see much bigger and better things in your future...once you side with us."

To which Sora replies:

"I know the Keyblade didn't choose me, and I don't care. I'm proud to be a small part of something bigger--the people it did choose! My friends. They are my power!

Beyond this callback to a famous line in the original game feeling cheap, Nomura doesn't even seem to actually remember the scene in which the line was used! Because the Keyblade DID choose Sora in that scene, precisely because of how he bonded his heart with others and took strength from them. In fact, he may be the ONLY person the Keyblade has "chosen" in this series - the allegedly worthier "other people" who appear in the above image have either had their Keyblade bequeathed to them by a prior wielder, transformed another weapon into a Keyblade, or wield a Keyblade specifically because Sora can wield it. (Also, why are Terra, Aqua, Ven and Xion even there? Calling them Sora's "friends" is a huge stretch, especially when people like Namine and HPO who fit the bill better aren't present! And if them not having Keyblades is the excuse given, I must point out that Donald and Goofy are also here! So are they part of "the people it did choose"!? Where is the consistency!?)

This combined with Xehanort's later "dull, ordinary boy" remark reeks of Nomura being touchy about criticism BBS got for making Sora out to be more special than he was supposed to be which led to him overcorrecting here....which doesn't even stick given Data!Ansem the Wise's later monologue about Sora and the events of KH3. Just terrible, contradictory writing.

I hate Dream Drop Distance. I hate the convoluted dream mechanics, I hate Yen Sid's whole Mark of Mastery test and the stupidity and hypocrisy he displays as it unfolds, I hate the literal TWEWY cast being present, I hate the Lea subplot, I hate Maleficent and Pete doing nothing, I hate the shafting of Kairi, I hate the Sora/Riku queer-baiting, I hate young Xehanort, and I hate all of the screwy, time travel-based retconning and twist reveals in the last act that essentially destroyed the whole series. But this fucking scene in particular, I hate above all.

[ultraericthered]

Rating KH Character Vocal Performances (English Dub)

(This list only uses KH original characters, Final Fantasy guest stars, and the Disney characters who are main characters involved in the KH original storyline)

GOD TIER: Billy Zane as Ansem/Terra-Xehanort (KH1)

Derek Stephen Prince as Vexen/Even (All Appearances)

Christopher Lee as DiZ/Ansem the Wise (KH2 and Days)

Paul St. Peter as Xemnas (All Appearances)

Mark Hamill as Master Eraqus (BBS and KH3)

Leonard Nimoy as Master Xehanort (BBS and 3D)

Christopher Lloyd as Master Xehanort (KH3 DLC & MoM)

Kathryn Beaumont as Kairi’s Grandmother (BBS)

Susanne Blakeslee as Maleficent (All Appearances)

Jim Cummings as Pete (All Appearances)

Wayne Alwine as King Mickey (KH1 and KH2)

TOP TIER: Hayley Joel Osment as Sora (KH1, Re:CoM, KH2 and KH3)

Hayden Panettiere as Kairi (KH1, KH2, and BBS)

David Gallaghar as Riku (KH1, Re:CoM, KH2, BBS, 3D, and MoM)

Richard Epcar as Ansem/Terra-Xehanort (3D, 0.2 BBS, and KH3)

Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck (All Appearances)

Bill Farmer as Goofy (All Appearances)

Bret Iwan as King Mickey (BBS)

Eddie Caroll as Jiminy Cricket (KH1, Re:CoM, and KH2)

Joe Ochman as Jiminy Cricket (Re:Coded and KH3)

Jesse McCartney as Roxas (All Appearances)

Meaghan Martin as Namine (Re:CoM and Days)

Brittany Snow as Namine (KH2)

David Boreanaz as Leon (KH1)

Doug Erholtz as Leon (KH3 DLC)

Christy Carlson Romano as Yuffie (KH1)

Mae Whitman as Yuffie (KH2)

Chris Edgerly as Cid (KH3 DLC)

Steve Burton as Cloud (KH1 and Re:Coded)

Quinton Flynn as Axel (Re:CoM, KH2, and Days)

Shanelle Grey as Larxene (Re:CoM and KH3)

Dave Boat as Lexaeus/Aeleus (Re:CoM and BBS)

Corey Burton as DiZ/Ansem the Wise (Re:CoM)

Alyson Stoner as Xion (Days and KH3)

Kirk Thornton as Saix (All Appearances)

James Patrick Stuart as Braig/Xigbar/Luxu (All Appearances)

Ryan O’Donohue as Demyx (All Appearances)

Robin Atkin-Downes as Luxord (All Appearances)

Will Friedle as Seifer (KH2)

Justin Crowden as Hayner (KH2)

Sean Marquette as Pence (KH2)

Jessica DiCicco as Olette (KH2)

Corey Burton as Yen Sid (KH2, BBS, and KH3)

Jeff Bennett as Merlin (All Appearances)

Rachel Leigh Cook as Tifa (KH2)

Matt McKenzie as Auron (KH2)

Hedy Burress as Yuna (KH2)

Tara Strong as Rikku (KH2)

Gwendoline Yeo as Paine (KH2)

Luke Marinquez as Little Sora (BBS)

Ariel Winter as Little Kairi (BBS)

Kirk Thornton as Isa (BBS)

Quinton Flynn as Lea (BBS)

Jason Dohring as Terra (0.2 BBS and KH3)

Jesse McCartney as Ventus (BBS and KH3)

Hayley Joel Osment as Vanitas (BBS and KH3)

Ben Diskin as Young Xehanort (Re:Coded, 3D, and KH3)

Lara Jill Miller as Chirithy (X Backcover, KH3, and MoM)

Ray Chase as the Master of Masters (X Backcover)

MID TIER:

Alyson Stoner as Kairi (Re:CoM)

Richard Epcar as Ansem/Terra-Xehanort (Re:CoM and BBS)

Shaun Flemming as Tidus (KH1)

Molly Keck as Selphie (KH1 and KH2)

Doug Erholtz as Leon (KH2)

Mae Whitman as Yuffie (KH3 DLC)

Andrea Bowen as Aerith (KH3 DLC)

Keith Ferguson as Marluxia (Re:CoM and KH3)

David Dayan Fisher as Xaldin/Dilan (KH2/FM and BBS)

Meaghan Martin as Namine (BBS, Re:Coded, KH2 FM, and KH3)

Hayden Panettiere as Xion (3D)

Brandon Adams as Rai (KH2)

Jillian Bowen as Fuu (KH2)

Melissa Disney as Vivi (KH2)

Crispin Freeman as Setzer (KH2)

Corey Burton as Yen Sid (Re:Coded, 3D, 0.2 BBS, and MoM)

Willa Holland as Aqua (BBS, 3D, and 0.2 BBS)

Rick Gomez as Zack (BBS)

Ty Panitz as Little Riku (BBS)

David Gallaghar as Young Xehanort (BBS)

Matthew Mercer as Ira (X Backcover and KH3)

Travis Willingham as Aced (X Backcover and KH3)

Kevin Quinn as Gula (X Backcover and KH3)

Karissa Lee Staples as Invi (X Backcover and KH3)

Isabela Moner as Ava (X Backcover)

Matthew Mittleman as Luxu (X Backcover)

Michael Johnson as Ephemer (X Backcover and KH3)

Madison Davenport as Nameless Star (KH3 and MoM)

Vince Corazza as Ienzo (3D, KH3, and MoM)

Zachary Gordon as Hayner (KH3)

Tristan Chase as Pence (KH3)

Ashley Boettcher as Olette (KH3)

Drake Bell as Young Eraqus (KH3)

Dylan Sprouse as Yozora (KH3 DLC)

LOW TIER: Hayley Joel Osment as Sora (Re:Coded, 3D, and 0.2 BBS)

Alyson Stoner as Kairi (Days, 0.2 BBS, KH3, and MoM)

David Gallaghar as Riku (Days, Re:Coded, and KH3)

Richard Epcar as Ansem/Terra-Xehanort (KH2)

Wayne Alwine as King Mickey (Re:CoM)

Phil Snyder as Jiminy Cricket (Re:Coded and 3D)

Dee Bradley Baker as Wakka (KH1)

Mandy Moore as Aerith (KH1)

Steve Burton as Cloud (KH2)

George Newbern as Sephiroth (KH2)

Chris Edgerly as Cid (KH2)

Vince Corrazza as Zexion (Re:CoM, KH2 FM, and Days)

Corey Burton as Ansem the Wise (3D and KH3)

Quinton Flynn as Axel/Lea (Days Movie, 3D, and KH3)

Jason Dohring as Terra (BBS)

Willa Holland as Anti-Aqua (KH3)

Rutger Hauer as Master Xehanort (KH3)

Bret Iwan as King Mickey (all post-BBS appearances)

SHIT TIER: Lance Bass as Sephiroth (KH1)

Mena Suvari as Aerith (KH2)

Willa Holland as Aqua (KH3)

Corey Burton as DiZ/Ansem the Wise (BBS, Days Movie, and MoM)

[heartlessfujoshi]

The Way It Was - An AkuSai one shot

Title: The Way It Was Fandom: Kingdom Hearts Pairing: Akusai (Axel x Saïx) Rating: General (Angst and Feels) Word Count: ~ 1,710

Summary: Axel gets assigned to a mission that brings back many memories - a painful reminder of why he is in the position he is in. 

A/N: Happy AkuSai Day! :D Please enjoy this angst that I wrote to honor the blessed day. 

---

Opening an obsidian portal, Axel stormed off, upset as all could be. He charged through the portal, and wound up back in the Grey Area, because of course he couldn’t be bothered to actually make the portal go to his bedroom. Why would he want to do that, when he could easily wind up in the Grey Area. It was like everything was against him at this moment. 

“Uh oh. Someone doesn’t look happy, do they?” Xigbar was sitting on one of the couches, looking at the same newspaper he’d been looking at in the morning. 

“Shut up.” Axel spit out, not bothering to turn around as the bane of his existence was there. He could feel their eyes on his back, no doubt with a slight tilt to their head, wondering what could have caused him to be so angry in the first place. 

“Ouch, Princess.” Xigbar shuffled the newspaper, and set it down. “What’s got your panties all in a bunch right now?” 

He didn’t bother to say anything, as he knew that the Freeshooter was looking for an opportunity to antagonize him. No, he needed to get out of the Grey Area, and get out of there fast. He stormed through the Castle That Never Was, and finally made it to where he should have RTC’d to, but his head had been so in it that he had wound up back where he had started. 

“So STUPID.” He shouted, shaking his gloved fists into the air. He could feel the fire within him itching to get out, and so he sent a blast of flames out towards his window, shouting out a few obscene words. He took a few deep breaths, and felt his shoulders relax only a little. While it had felt good to get that out of his system, he was still on the edge of losing it again. 

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a portal appear in his room. He knew immediately who would be walking through it, and seriously contemplated opening another portal to take himself away. But it was too late. 

“You are in a foul mood.” Saïx commented, looking slightly perturbed by his appearance. “What is the matter?” 

“You damn well know what the matter is!” He narrowed his eyes at Saïx, who was his supposed best friend. His best friend, and the one person that knew him better than anyone else. “You sent me there on purpose!” 

“It was not my decision.” 

“Bullshit!” He yelled at him. Saïx didn’t flinch, didn’t step back, nor did he show any sign of emotion towards him. “You sent me there on PURPOSE.” 

Golden eyes stared at him with a look of indifference in them. “I told you, I did not send you there. I do not create these missions. These are generated by the Superior and-” 

“Shut the fuck up, Isa.” Axel waved him off, his anger continuing to boil as he listened to his friend drone on. “I don’t need this. Not right now.” 

“Why won’t you tell me why you’re like this?” 

“I don’t see why I should.” He glared at Saïx, who was now going over to the small couch in his room. “Don’t you dare sit down.” 

As if defying him, Saïx took a seat while staring right at him. One of his chakrams manifested in his hand, and he spun it, heat flowing through the palm of his hand as he glared at Saïx. “Put that away.” 

Axel knew he couldn’t say no to that command. His chakram disappeared, the flames disappearing with it. He went and sat down next to Saïx on the couch, knowing that he was going to demand he sit down next to him. Might as well do it before he’s told to. 

“Now, what is the matter?” There was genuine concern in Saïx’ voice now, which caused conflict within Axel. “Talk to me, Lea.” 

“I hate going to home.” His voice was small. Words, short. His chest ached as he thought about seeing Radiant Garden, forever tarnished by their experiments, and now known as Hollow Bastion. “Why does he send me there? To punish me??” 

A gloved hand touched his knee, and he closed his eyes, letting that gentle touch wash over his senses. “It is not only you who bears the pain of going back there.” Saïx’ voice was as soft as his was. As if they were afraid to speak too loud, lest someone in the Castle heard what they were discussing. As if it were forbidden. 

His gloved hand fell naturally on to the top of Saïx’. “It’s awful there, Isa. The Heartless - they’re out of control.” 

“The keyblade wielder will go there soon.” Their gloved fingers intertwined. Axel closed his eyes, and let the healing touches of Saïx take over his entire arm. He wished they could take the gloves off, if only for a few minutes, but that would put them at risk of the Darkness that they used. “He will fix things.” 

“Doubtful.” Axel sighed. “I don’t want to go back there, Isa.” 

“If it were in my power, I would never send you on a mission there, Lea.” 

They sat in silence for a long while, both staring at their joined hands. Axel wanted to pull Saïx into his arms, and wanted to steal the comfort that only his friend could bring to him. But they had both decided that it would be a bad idea to engage in that kind of touch, as it would be a slippery slope. Neither of them could afford to go down that path - not right now. Not when things were beginning to change, what with the keyblade wielder finally coming into the fray. 

Axel was going to pull his hand away first when he felt the couch shift, and saw Saïx stand up, pulling his arm up with him. He went freely, the two of them standing face to face, their fingers still holding tight to each other. Without a word, Saïx stepped forward, and rested his cheek against Axel’s chest, allowing him to put his arms around him. Their fingers slipped apart, but it gave Axel the opportunity to hug Saïx close to his body. 

“I don’t want to do this anymore, Lea.” Saïx whispered, his arms now wrapped around his back. “Can’t we go back to the way it was?” 

If there was one thing he wished they could do, it would be to return to that moment in time before getting killed by the Heartless and becoming the Nobodies that they were. The anger he’d felt upon returning to the Castle had all but evaporated, and had been replaced with melancholy. As he held Saïx close, he rested his cheek against the top of his head. “I wish we could, Isa.” 

“At least we’re together.” Golden eyes stared up at him, Axel hating that his friend’s blue eyes were gone. But he lived with the change, as he knew it bothered Saïx as well. That was the curse he bore, being a devoted disciple of their Superior. To be in the inner circle, so that they could be in the know. 

He cupped his face, and offered him a sad smile. “I’m never leaving you, Isa. We’re in this together until the end.” 

“I know you won’t.” 

Axel returned his arm to be around Saïx, the two of them holding each other for a few more minutes, neither wanting to let go of this solid connection that they shared. There were no other members that understood what they had been through together. There was no need for them to know. 

Saïx pulled away from him, then opened another portal in the bedroom. “I have to go.” 

“I know.” 

“Please - don’t be mad if you’re sent there again. I hate seeing you so upset.” Saïx stepped towards the swirling Darkness. “I’ll do what I can, but sometimes it might not work.” 

“Thank you. And I’ll try for you, Isa.” Axel meant it. He would try and leave his anger behind, as it wasn’t fair to him. “See you again soon?” 

“You will.” Saïx went into the portal, but not before looking back at Axel and giving him a smile that he fondly remembered from their days back in Radiant Garden. 

Walking over to his window, he stared out at the ever present night of the World That Never Was. He would try for Saïx, because he hated thinking about making him sad. If there was one thing he never wanted to do, it was make Saïx sad. They were already told they couldn’t feel emotions, but Axel knew that that was a lie. He still had a wealth of feelings, from the anger he’d felt today, to the love he was feeling now as he saw the portal disappear from his view. It’s what made them different from the other Nobodies - being able to remember those human emotions. 

Axel left his room and went back up to the Grey Area, figuring he owed Xigbar an explanation. The Freeshooter was still seated on the couch, and looked up when he came in. “Ah, there you are.” Xigbar’s one good eye gleamed with mirth. “Are you feeling better now, Princess?” 

He glanced over at Saïx, who was talking to the Moogle that had set up shop in the Grey Area, the two of them meeting gazes for the quickest second, and then the connection ended. “I am.” Axel took a seat next to him, and reached for the newspaper. “So, how’s your day been, Xig?” 

“My day has been shit.” He listened to Xigbar rant for a bit, his eyes returning to Saïx, who he caught looking at him a few times. He could still feel him in his arms, holding each other close as they both sought comfort from one another. If he were to return to Hollow Bastion, Axel would do his best to control his behavior. Or, maybe he wouldn’t, as it did get Saïx to come to his room to check on him. Smirking, he leaned back and gave his full attention to Xigbar, who droned on and on but it didn’t bother Axel in the slightest. 

---

Cross-posted to AO3

[sailforvalinor]

Val! I've been playing KHD and just finished up the manga connected to it, and goodness I have thoughts. Conflicting thoughts, mostly about Roxas. So, it got me wondering what your thoughts are on Roxas, nobodies in general, and KH3. The whole storyline feels messy to me, but that probably makes it all the more compelling to me. Why do I do this to myself? Anyway, as you know I love hearing your thoughts on stuff, so I thought I'd ask. I know you're either have already started school or about to, so no pressure with answering. Take your time. I hope you're adjusting okay to your new surroundings and that you're having a lot of fun too. :)

Waugh that's so exciting! I've read the Chain of Memories novelization, but otherwise I've not actually had the chance to read any of the mangas--I'll have to keep an eye out.

As for thoughts on Nobodies, yeah, I agree the storyline does feel messy at times, yet still so so compelling! I think the guiltiest party for me in that respect is how it's revealed in KH3 that Nobodies are capable of regrowing hearts. Because that seems to contradict everything we know about Nobodies from previous games, but if you actually go back and look at those games, there are actually a lot of hints about this--Axel caring about Roxas and Xion at all, "Roxas, are you sure you don't have a heart?", Saix being capable of feeling betrayed by Axel, Vexen displaying panic and annoyance, Namine's entire character arc, Xigbar/Luxu even being capable of playing his long game at all. Some members are more emotionless than others (Xaldin and Marluxia, I'm looking at you), but why would you even want a heart if you didn't feel any emotions? Desires are driven by emotions--one can't really exist without the other.

The terrifying thing about this is that the Organization members seem to rationalize this away (Axel especially) by saying that they are remembering what it used to be like to feel emotions and trying to project that onto their present moment, an idea so specific and bizarre that I can only think it was perpetuated by Xemnas to keep them from figuring out the truth. But of course it's not true--Namine has no memories, how could she feel loneliness?

As for ideas about Roxas, by the end of 358/2 Days he is so attached to Xion, so so angry, so human, that I almost wonder if he hadn't completely grown his own heart by then. He still had to go back to Sora so he could be recompleted, but that explains why he haunts both Sora and the narrative so much, especially in DDD.

I think the same goes for Xion, but perhaps even more so, when you consider that she was never actually a Nobody--just a replica using Sora's memories of Kairi as a blueprint. I suppose that since we know she was created without a heart, she is essentially a Nobody, but I have to imagine that having Sora's memories pouring into her head all the time gave her a bit of a boost. (Wait, does this mean Replica Riku didn't have a heart either? Somehow I've never thought about that.)

I think Axel was also pretty dang close, he was just in severe denial about it, especially now that we know he was burying his grief and despair over being unable to find Subject X after sacrificing his humanity to find her. Roxas and Xion left him just like she did, and burying those emotions and having that ready and waiting excuse that you're not actually feeling them is a lot less painful than having to confront them.

358/2 Days is such a fascinating tragedy, and watching it bleed its way into DDD and KH3 because it's begging to be resolved is just absolutely beautiful. I'll admit the resolution in KH3 seemed a little quick (perhaps because the BBS storyline was also resolving in a similar fashion), but it was great all the same (especially when Sora confronts Xion, my gosh, the fact that he knows her when no one else does). And Hearts as One playing in the next battle, mixing both Roxas and Xion's theme into a joyful and glorious battle theme, makes me absolutely insane.

I know Nomura wants to move on to other things in the next game, but I really hope he doesn't drop these characters. But on the other hand, maybe he should leave them alone? They need to be happy for once.

(Also I think about the scene where Axel looks at Kairi and sees Xion for a split second daily. It *might* be my favorite scene in the entire game.)

[shshshshshowrunner]

UPDATED What I know about the Cult and other adjacent things

Organization 13- An organization made up of Nobodies, who are people without hearts. You can lose your heart by being stabbed in there with a keyblade or by being jumped by heartless. Nobodies are allegedly unable to feel, but this is apparently only when you first get turned. After a while you have 'echoes' and 'memories' of feelings. This may be bullshit though. Hearts Can and Do come back, I heard it happen over the phone. It's still unclear to me if there are any Nobodies outside of Org 13 no one has told me. I do know what the X in the names does, now. It's a tracking device of sorts.

Org 13 (1) tried to open kingdom hearts, I think, but failed. Org 13 (real) did open it.

Opinion: that's a cult. that's a xehanort cult which is worse than a normal cult because Xehanort is there. everyone get out of the xehanort cult. please. you're gonna get norted and that just sounds weird and is weird. if you're in it to get your heart back straight up just make a friend and care for them it will come back on it's own bestie please get out of the nort cult he's gross and the vibes are off, if you are somehow still in the nort cult with him dead literally dm me or send an ask and i will help you

Xehanort- He wanted to open Kingdom Hearts to become god or something. Still unclear to me if he was a Nobody. He norted an amount of people for reasons still unclear to me. As I said previously, "Sucks complete ass, murdered his ex husband who he later ascended to gay heaven with. traumatizes children. ugly on purpose." I beat the shit out of him in the elevator during BFD, I broke his old man bones. I think I saw a clip of him actually murdering Sora's friend. Good thing I broke his old man bones.

Opinion: Die Die Die Die Die

Xigbar- !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keeping this pretty vague honestly because I've learned even more secret info and i don't know which info is secret and which is normal anymore. So. Xigbar!!!!!!!!! Copying some from my old summary: Gravity powers :) can teleport :) has arrowguns, from what i understand he was pretty high up in the org. uses mildly outdated slang and can be summoned by voter fraud. did not like it in the castle. goes for the left side of the bed but is willing to compromise. can cook but it takes a long time. says he's not going to tell me things and then tells me them anyway. both me and percy are getting janus vibes from him but when i bring it up he says i need sleep. wants a cat, and a car. We did end up getting a 'cat'!! If this looks like less information it's because it is less information. once again i do not know what i'm allowed to say.

Opinion: Overwhelmingly Positive. that's my boyfriend. he also has, like, the benefit of my emotional statute of limitations in which everything he did before we met cannot be used against him in my brain. it bounces right off. like if i found out he, like, ran an orphan factory or whatever i'd be like 'uh yeah but it was before wbb and he's not STILL running the orphan factory so like :/' and you'd call me crazy and you'd be right but thats just how it is rn

Axel- Lea. Sora's friend. has fire powers (slay), has killed (slay) good with children? (slay if true). "went traitor". that's in quotes because going traitor from the org is a good thing. I still don't know much but that's okay. he's showed up in the record i'm going through and most of the behavior i've seen has been iconic honestly.

Opinion: Positive

Saix- Isa. Do not know much. Xigbar told me some things but like. Anyway. Likes rabbits, is somehow associated with the moon. He told Paph he was working to take down the Org from the inside. Sora's friend. According to Xigbar, when he was making the schedules for the Org, he gave everyone "like one day off a year". when i first heard about this I was like 'well that's not good' but with the knowledge that he was working to take down the org it's very very funny. so true absolutely make everyone uncomfortable and tired while you attempt to take them down that's so funny. xigbar getting overworked is an unfortunate consequence of that but it's a small price to pay for something so funny.

Opinion: Positive

Demyx- Hid in the same broom closet two days in a row even after he was caught and blackmailed the first time. is this a pattern? is demyx lazy? is he inept? may be associated with water- though that may just be ineptitude- for this extrapolation i am drawing from that toilet post. <- that is my old summary. I have learned nothing new about Demyx. uh i think i saw him in the record though and his hair was fun and i like the vibe he gave off.

Opinion: don't really have one. Neutral.

Xaldin- bad gross hair! ugly sideburns! obsessed with the beast for some reason, got his shit wrecked by Belle. Xigbar's least favorite member, no hesitation. loops his earrings through his gauges, which i gather is douchebag behavior. British man jumpscare! sounds older than he is. had a breakup and did not handle it well. removed his heart over it which i think is a bit extreme. i looked up an image of him and he's like. dude WHAT are you DOING with your hair? OH and he got ganked by mickey mouse which is so funny to me. <- that is my old summary. I have learned nothing new about him except that his name was/is Dilan and something something unethical science.

Opinion: here's the thing. I would say negative but due to recent experiences my opinion of every org member I do not know has defaulted to Neutral. So Neutral with a side of :/

Ansem (crackpipe)- There are two Ansems. This one was in Org 13, but is a Heartless instead of a nobody. He's special that way ig. he's one of the 50 xehanorts they had running around i'm pretty sure. Apparently, while this hasn't been reexplained, with my growing knowledge i'm gonna say: Xehanort got turned into a Nobody somehow. His Nobody was Xemnas, and his Heartless was Ansem. However I have NO DAMN IDEA WHY his name is "Ansem" and not "Xehanort".

Opinion: ...Negative? He's Xehanort apparently. I saw in the record he manipulated Riku which is a dick move.

Xemnas- I remember nothing about this guy fr. Had to check my old summary. Okay. He's the Nobody of Xehanort, the other half of Ansem if you will. But. why. hold on why is his org name- ARGH! I'm ignoring the naming thing right now fuck that noise. According to my old summary (i don't remember being told any of this): He stabbed Xigbar (rude), he talks in circles both to confuse people and because he 'doesn't know what he's talking about'. "went through sudden puberty when he got nobodied so his voice is way deeper. i think he's faking it though. for clout. dances like a sonic character. Has eyeshadow brushes that can be used as chopsticks." Fascinating, truly.

Opinion: Negative. Being Xehanort and Stabbing Xigbar will do that to you.

Xion- was supposed to be Sora? Is a replica, which is like a clone (?). Some guy named Vexen is responsible for this i guess. is doing okay now! Implied that Xigbar views her positively, and that she was inseparable from Roxas. A "Good Kid" who "kicked [Xigbar's] ass" -his words <- my old summary. Haven't learned anything new. She has a tumblr.

Opinion: Positive

Roxas- So when Sora turned into a heartless, Roxas happened even though Sora turned back to normal a few minutes later. To my understanding he was trapped in a simulation for quite a while. I don't know much, I'm afraid. Namine had something to do with this whole thing in some capacity. Left the org for reasons.

Opinion: Positive

Vexen- He's responsible for the replica program or at least was in charge of it? From what I understand from the record he was/is some kind of figure to Zexion who is Ienzo so that's something ig. I forget who with but there was another. Do not know much of anything at all about him. is this is guy that Lea thanos snapped?

Opinion: Neutral

Marluxia- this is the one who helped mother gothel kidnap rapunzel?? hello??? rude?? Don't know much about him. He was in the record i saw but it slipped through my brain like water. try being more interesting ig. pink hair though, that's pretty slay. from what i saw he has flower powers? slay.

Opinion: Neutral. I want to dislike him i really do but apparently he chilled out after getting his heart back. truly i am not allowed to be mad at anyone.

uhhhh the girl. with the hair. hold on it's coming to me. Larxene- honestly slay. definitely mean and tried to take over the org (which honestly might have been a good idea given that as far as i'm aware she didn't know about the real reason they were trying to KH and just wanted the heart back??? idk). Only woman in the original org??? I'd be a bitch too!! literally imagine what that was like for a second. she has lightning powers (slay). her hair looks like a pikachu which is less slay but im not about to hold that against her not everyone's hair can be xigbar levels of visually interesting and cool. speaking of xigbar this is one of the people he never ever mentioned to me. xigbar sexist confirmed???? /silly

Opinion: Neutral, but Slay

uhhhhh oh right

Zexion- Ienzo. He was a kid who was adopted (?) by... one of them, but that guy was slacking so he was/is (idk) mainly attached to Vexen and the one I can't remember. I fr don't know what was going on in the record i saw but he could, like, smell Riku. sniffing around like a bloodhound. i'm so confused. come to think of it riku was sniffing around, too. what was up with that why are the teenagers sneef snorfin in that record. no gd idea but honestly i'm intimidated. Xigbar has a positive opinion of this person, who is apparently also friends (?) with Sora

Opinion: Positive. I've heard good things even if he apparently has twitchtip's sense of smell. if you don't know what that means go read the Underland Chronicles series immediately it's so good.

uhhhhmmmmmmm.....

okay bonus category

Other Ansem- Ansem Trigger Warning...... trigger warning for racism. I heard he did blackface but i thought it was gonna be an isolated incident but NO he really woke up and chose to do that every day and IN FRONT OF CRACKPIPE ANSEM NO LESS. HELLO???? I'm almost tempted to give Crackpipe, like, pity opinion points to make up for putting up with that. What the actual fuck?? Not only that but he trapped Roxas in a simulation for whatever reason. I am officially designating Trigger Warning as "Other Ansem" because maybe i just don't know enough about the other one but I Hate This One More. Ansem 'The Wise' bullshit. why isn't he wise enough to know not to do racism. and this one also manipulated Riku and from what i can gather ALSO Sora?? additionally while the other Ansem IS xehanort, this one is PRETENDING to be xehanort which is actually more cringe.

Opinion: if he goes missing it was self defense

anyone still not here is because they haven't showed up in the record and xigbar and i haven't talked about them. at least for a long while. things are getting fuzzy we talk about new things now. okay send post

[imagine-organization-xiii]

What "coffee table books" would they have/ what would they read at a doctor's office?

Xemnas - Bob Willoughby: A Cinematic Life - This comprehensive large-format monograph on renowned photographer Bob Willoughby's extraordinary, cinematic life is a tribute to his remarkable career. From the 1950s through the 1970s, Willoughby photographed many of the most significant stars of the era in film and jazz. 

Xigbar - Terry O'Neill: The A-Z of Rock 'N' Roll - A chronicle of rock 'n' roll history as seen through the lens of master photographer Terry O'Neill.

Xaldin - VHS: Absurd, Odd, and Ridiculous Relics from the Videotape Era - Comedy writers Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher have spent the last 20 years collecting the best odd and unintentionally hilarious videotapes ever produced. Since 2004, they've resurrected them for sold-out audiences across the country as part of their touring show, the Found Footage Festival. Now, for the very first time, they've collected the greatest VHS covers into one handsome compendium -- along with their priceless snarky commentary throughout.

Vexen - Evolution: A Visual Record - Stunning images to reawaken us to the scientific process that drives the amazing diversity of life on earth.

Lexaeus - The Art of the Cheese Plate: Pairings, Recipes, Style, Attitude - A perfect gift for any host or cheese lover, The Art of the Cheese Plate offers clear directions and expert tips for perfect cheese plates and creative condiments.

Zexion - The Word Made Flesh: Literary Tattoos From Bookworms World Wide - A beautifully packaged full-color collection of literary tattoos and short personal essays, The Word Made Flesh is an intimate but anonymous confessional book, in the vein of thought-provoking anthologies like PostSecret and Not Quite What I Was Planning.

Saix - United States Coinage: A Study By Type - A definitive work on American history as illustrated by United States coinage.

Axel - Stuck Up!: 100 Objects Inserted and Ingested in Places They Shouldn’t Be - A very funny collection of 100 X-ray images showing foreign objects ingested or inserted into human bodies, accidentally or on purpose.

Demyx - Underwater Dogs - The exuberant, exhilarating photographs of dogs underwater that have become a sensation.

Luxord - Milk Eggs Vodka: Grocery Lists Lost and Found - Milk, Eggs, Vodka is a celebration of the humble grocery list. Almost anyone will find themselves engrossed in this voyeuristic look into everyday life—less than healthy lists, lists for parties, lists with personal and often odd annotations on them...and the list of lists goes on. Besides over 150 found lists, the book also includes short essays on collecting, shopping, eating, and list making. 

Marluxia - Queer Maximalism - Machine Dazzle is the much-in-demand designer and artist behind popular cabaret, drag, and performance stars such as Taylor Mac and transgender icon Mx. Justin Vivian Bond. For the first time, his over-the-top stage creations, made for himself and others, are collected here alongside stage environments, ephemera, and photos from his career.

Larxene - Women Before 10 AM - Following up on her highly praised bestseller Men Before 10 a.m., celebrity photographer Veronique Vial completes her wonderfully intimate and revealing portrait of the sexes with Women Before 10 a.m., a captivating collection of your favorite fashion, cinematic, and pop culture beauties, starlets, and models before ten o'clock in the morning.

Roxas - The Great American Cereal Book: How Breakfast Got Its Crunch - The Great American Cereal Book is the definitive compendium of breakfast cereal history and lore, celebrating the most recognizable brands and packaging, such as Cheerios, Cocoa Puffs, Frosted Flakes, Grape-Nuts, and Trix.

Xion - Wild Things Are Happening: The Art of Maurice Sendak - The most comprehensive survey of the work of Maurice Sendak, the most celebrated picture book artist of all time―with previously unpublished archival materials.

[firestorm09890]

rambling about the org xiii orchestra art

as someone in an orchestra for real

(from here)

I can’t tell what instrument Larxene has. I thought it was castanets and someone else suggested egg shakers but both are not traditional orchestra instruments so it’s really just weird

neat that both Xaldin and Lexaeus are playing the BIG percussion instruments, and both Axel and Saix are playing woodwinds (harp is a stringed instrument too so i make no comment on the strings)

There’s no [x]ylophone pun unfortunately because those huge tubes indicate that’s actually a marimba both Xion and Roxas are playing. There is however a pun in the fact that it’s a KEYboard instrument. also they’re just adorable

actually I just remembered that instrument names aren’t common knowledge, here they are:

Xemnas is the conductor/orchestra director; Xigbar on saxophone, Luxord on trumpet, and Marluxia on trombone (that’s our brass); Axel on flute and Saix on.... it’s hard to see but I think that’s an oboe (woodwinds); Xaldin on timpani, Lexaeus on bass drum, Larxene on... something??, and Roxas & Xion on marimba (percussion); and then Vexen on harp, Zexion on violin, and Demyx on double bass (strings)

Marluxia why are you holding a flower I know you have an aesthetic but you need both hands to play a trombone

There are 3 main instrument sections (kinda) that are the “obnoxious know-it-all” instruments, stereotyped as generally having a superiority complex over the other sections because they’re soooo important look at meeee carrying the melody: the trumpet for band, the 1st violin for orchestra, and the soprano for voice (and the secret 4th, the flute for woodwinds). With that said, of course Zexion would play violin

And following both that and his Mystery Gear in 358/2 Days, it would have made more sense thematically for Xigbar to be playing the trumpet. however the saxophone is the funny meme instrument so it still works

There is NO WAY Demyx is a double bass player. It’s the only instrument besides percussion that you have to stand up for (though some orchestras do have the bassists sit on stools), and it’s much more work to actually PLAY than the other string instruments, by virtue of being much bigger. they tend to play less than most other stringed instruments, sure, but if you want to be sitting around not doing much you’re best off picking a different instrument entirely, especially since string sections tend to require more unanimity in playing than the brass/woodwinds/percussion since there’s more people playing each part

harps are rare to include in compositions. they’re very nice and melodious though. idk what this says about Vexen

generally there’s not enough percussion players to cover every single instrument which means that Larxene is definitely running around to cover all the small parts (whatever she’s holding, it’s definitely percussion)... actually with Xaldin Lexaeus Roxas and Xion in percussion as well she might not have to but she is the speedy one so

--

I hope what Saix is holding is an oboe and not a clarinet because if it’s an oboe we get some more symbolism, as well as some very nice... dynamic between his instrument and Zexion’s :)

you see, the oboe is the instrument that tunes the entire rest of the orchestra. whatever the oboe’s A sounds like will be the A the ensemble matches. one could say it’s the most important instrument

HOWEVER, the first chair of 1st violin is nominally the most important instrument- that’s the “concertmaster”, and they get to walk on-stage after everyone else (but before the conductor, obviously). they’re also important for real- based on the repertoire they’re basically guaranteed to have at least one solo. they sit at the very front, right next to the conductor. in my orchestra the concertmaster has a little biography in the program along with the conductor’s

there’s actually multiple rounds of tuning- the first couple it’s the oboe doing their thing and the other non-string instruments matching, and then the last round the concermaster matches the oboe, and then the string instruments match the concertmaster.

and that’s all so very interesting, isn’t it

and finally

Xemnas is 100% a garbage conductor. To the audience he looks very cool, doing all his sweeping motions, but it’s impossible to follow as an orchestra member, so you’re really on your own because the conductor is not conducting properly and not giving helpful cues

[sirquestingbeast]

In Honor of this Sacred Day, here are some KH Costumes

These are from my discord post. Edited to provide alternatives to the meme-y answers

KH Halloween costumes. Debate me.

Sora: Glamrock Freddy from Five Nights at Freddy's (you can't tell me he isn't a FNAF kid) Riku: Rogue the Bat from Sonic / Zuko from Avatar Kairi: Ice Spice (1/3 of the holy Trinity) / Usagi from Sailor Moon Roxas: Cloud from Final Fantasy 7(Crazy how it's the same story sometimes) / David from Lost Boys Xion: Ariana Grande (2/3 of the holy Trinity) / Samara from The Ring Namine: Billie Eilish (Holy Trinity complete) / Princess Peach from Super Mario Brothers Axel/Lea: Team Fortress 2 Scout (no this isn't a joke answer, its the only answer) Isa: Team Fortress 2 Spy (yes they coordinated) Ventus: Naruto from Naruto Terra: Leon Kennedy from Resident Evil 4 Aqua: Samus from Metroid Vanitas: Spawn from Spawn Xigbar/"Luxu": The Joker from the hit movie The Joker played by esteemed actor Joaquin Phoenix Marluxia/Laurium: Zagreus from Hades Larxene/Elrena: Harley Quinn from Batman Demyx: Goblin King Jareth from Labyrinth Luxord: Gambit from X-Men Vexen/Even: Wouldn't dress up (Night King from Game of Thrones) Xaldin/Dillan: An actual classic Dracula Lexaeus/Aeleus: Frankenstein's Monster but from the book Ienzo: Persona 3 Fuuka (try not to put Ienzo in a skirt/dress challenge failed)

Xemnas: Darth Vader from Star Wars (and he WOULD dress up) Ansem: Maleficent (a sexy one just to piss her off) / Vecna from dungeons and dragons Xehanort: Various variations of William Afton/ Springtrap from Five Nights at Freddy's just to fuck with Sora / various Docs from Doctor Who DiZ: Luxord (now that I said it you can't unsee it)/ Capt. Kirk from Star Trek Eraqus: Doc Holiday (I just want him to be a cowboy) / Indiana Jones from Indiana Jones Baldr: Patrick Bateman from American Psycho Hermod: Elminster from Dungeons and Dragons Vor: Frodo from Lord of the Rings Urd: Shiva summon from Final Fantasy / Ellen Ripley from Aliens Hoder: Madoka Kaname from Madoka Magica Strelitzia: Gwen Stacy from Spiderman no elaboration Brain: Neo from the Matrix Ephemer: Hatsune Miku (fight me on this)/ James Bond from James Bond Skuld: Zelda from Zelda Ira: R.J MacReady from The Thing Invi: Sidney Prescott from Scream Acced: Ash Williams from Evil Dead Gula: Charley from Fright Night Ava: Laurie Strode from Halloween MoM: Sans Undertale from Undertale

[empyreasheart]

having interests with numbers leads me to places i wouldnt go with a gun

aka organization 13 x LOONA

xemnas - heejin - vivid

xigbar - hyunjin - around you

xaldin - haseul - let me in

vexen - yeojin - kiss later (cursed..)

lexaeus - vivi - everyday i love you

zexion - kim lip - eclipse

saïx - jin soul - singing in the rain

axel - choerry - love cherry motion

demyx - yves - new

luxord - chuu - heart attack

marluxia - gowon - one & only

larxene - hyeju - egoist

which leaves the subunits as

1/3 - xemnas, xigbar, xaldin, vexen, lexaeus

odd eye circle - zexion, saïx, axel

yyxy - demyx, luxord, marluxia, larxene (this one coincides with canon a little too well. woah)

ARTMS - xemnas, xaldin, zexion, saïx, axel

loossemble - xigbar, vexen, lexaeus, marluxia, larxene

which leaves luxord & demyx and their solo careers....

[blood-darkened-moon]

Kingdom Hearts

Sora | Anti Form Sora | Riku | Kairi | Namine

Organization XIII Xemnas | Xigbar/Braig | Xaldin/Dilan | Vexen/Even | Lexaeus/Aeleus | Zexion/Ienzo | Saix/Isa | Axel/Lea | Demyx | Luxord | Marluxia/Lauriam | Larxene/Elrena | Roxas | Xion

Union X & Dark Road Strelitzia | Ephemer | Skuld | Brain | The Keyblade Wielder | Chirithy | Nightmare Chirithy | Luxu | Bragi | Urd | Vor | Baldr | Hoder | Invi | Aced | Gula | Ava | Ira | Master of Masters

Birth by Sleep Ventus | Vanitas | Aqua | Terra | Eraqus | Xehanort

Disney Goofy | Donald | Mickey | Minnie | Pluto | Elsa | Beast | Belle | Jasmine | Cinderella | Aurora | Snow White | Alice | Maleficent | Maleficent's Raven | Jack Skellington | Peter Pan | Queen Grimhilde | Magic Mirror

Others Ansem/Ansem Seeker of Darkness | Ansem the Wise | Pence | Hayner | Olette | Moogle

Heartless | Unversed | Nobody | World of Chaos

Ships Larxene x Marluxia | Xemnas x Saix | Xigbar x Demyx

KH Meta | KH Trivia

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1048: Morning After Midnight Intruder (Kingdom Hearts x SSBU)

9:25 a.m. Inside the Smash Mansion.......

Pit: (Licks his Seasalt Ice Cream Alongside with Roxas and Xion) ('Mm') I dunno, you guys. (Takes One Bite of his Ice Cream Before Putting on a Satisfied Smile) But the Seasalt Ice Cream from your store doesn't taste half bad to me

Xion: ('Sigh') Yeah, but the taste in quality doesn't nearly stack up in comparison to Smash Town's version....

Roxas: Though, we have yet to taste the worst of the worst. So our day haven't been completely ruined yet.

Pit: You guys are really taking this tasting test that seriously, huh‽

Xion: (Smiles Sheepishly) Sorry. We've been eating these things with Axel for so long that we might have a habit of judging each of them sometimes...... (Points at Her Best Friend Right Beside her) Roxas being the worst of the three of us here.

Roxas: (Places his Hand on his Chest in a Pompous Manner) Hey, don't hate me just cause I have well balanced taste!~

Xion: (Whispers to a Snickering Pit) Definite "Well Balanced".

?????: PIT!!!

The trio turn their heads to see Sora and Kairi quickly making their way to Pit to hug him.

Sora: You're okay!

Pit: (Chuckles Lightly) Aww~ (Hugs The Duo) Good morning, you guys.

Riku: (Walk Towards Roxas and Xion) Isa filled us in on what happened last night?

Kairi: (Pulls Away From the Hug to Get a Quick Look at her Angel Companion) Are you okay? That Xigbar guy didn't try to hurt you or anything, did he?

Pit: Nope. Though, he was kinda of a creepy jerk.

Roxas: (Puts on a Deadpinned Look on his Face) That's putting it lightly.

Xion: (Crosses her Arms While Pouting) I didn't even got the chance to slice him up to ribbons. .

Roxas: All of our chances were diminished that day. Motherfucker came into our house, ate our ice cream, and gave us some cryptic warning about the foretellers being mad at us about something.

Sora: Seriously?

Xion: (Nodded) Yeah. He calls himself Luxu now.

Riku: (Grabs his Chin While Thinking) Luxu.....Luxu......

Kairi: (Turns to her Silver Haired Boyfriend) Something's on your mind, Riku?

Riku: I'm trying to remember where I heard that name from.... (Turns Back to the Seasalt Duo) You said he knows who the foretellers were?

Roxas: Yeah, apparently he's working alongside them now.

Xion: And that only one of them is missing.

Riku: Working alongside each other.....(Suddenly Starts to Snap his Fingers as He Figured Put Something) That's it!

Pit: (Raises an Eyebrow in Confusion) What's it?

Riku: Okay, do you remember the lesson Aqua and Terra gave us about the Master of Masters? How he worked alongside the Foretellers on numerous occasions, especially during the Keyblade War?

Sora: Yeah, remember.....Wasn't he like a mentor to all of them or something?

Riku: For the most. But I know for certain that he also used to had an apprentice by his side too. And... well....Let's just that "Luxu" person might be the one.

Roxas: (Eyes Suddenly Begins to Widened Along With Everyone Else (With the Exception of Pit)) Oh fuck-

Meanwhile at the Certified Moms' Tea Table

Lea: (Groans Loudly While Covering his Head Down on the Table) MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! (Gets his Head Back Up From the Table) You're telling me that One Eyed Snake was that guy's apprentice this whole time!?

Aqua: (Grabs her Chin While Thinking and Sitting Next to Lea on One Side) Well, given his name and the history him and the master shared, the possibility isn't too far fetched I'm afraid.

Lea: (Facepalms Himself While Groaning Once More) Great.....The Foretellers are gonna be after our asses and now THIS!? We are so fucking screwed....

Samus: (Gently Place her Hand onto Lea's Arm on, Sitting Beside Him on the Other Side) Hey, don't stress yourself out over this, alright?

Daisy: Yeah, man. (Flexes her Arm Muscle With a Confident Smirk) Just say the word and we'll be there to help you take those jerks down ever step of the way!

Moms: Yeah!/Uh-huh!/Absolutely!

Aqua: (Frowns Worryingly) You ladies are too kind, but are you sure all of you want to get involved in this?

Lea: Yeah, I heard those guys are no joke.

Peach: (Smiles Reassuringlyat the Two Keyblade Warriors) We know it'll be a challenge, but we have faced through crazier stuff before. ('Sigh') Especially that whole Dharkon and Galeem nonsense......

Lea: (Raises an Eyebrow in Confusion) Who and what now?

Rosalina: Dharkon and Galeem. Two powerful entities of light and darkness, hellbent on taking over the entire universe.

Samus: (Rolls her Eyes) For whatever bullshit reason they had at the time. I don't remember.

Isabelle: (Places her Paw on her Chin) Neither do I now that I think about it.

Palutena: I think both sides wanted to create a cult of some kind?.....Yeah, that has to be it, right?

Bayonetta: (Crosses her Arns at the Past Memory of the Event) Now that you mentioned it, I do remember seeing the look in Dharkon's eyes when I was one of his mindless slave. Brainwashing me and the others to serving his cause.....

Daisy: ('Groans in Digust') Don't remind me. The video De showed of that one eyed bastard torturing Weegie with his mind games still makes me wanna punch him to oblivion...

Aqua: It was that bad, wasn't it?

Peach: It was, in more ways than not. (Smiles Softly Again) But we were still able to pull through in the end and we won't let this Luxu person get the better of us that easily. Right, ladies?

Moms: Right!

Lea: (Turns to Aqua With a Shrug) The more the merrier.

Aqua: (Gave it Some Thought Before Nodding in Agreement) Very well. We'll let you all know if Him and/or one of the Foretellers lurks by in our universe. In the meantime, try to prepare yourselves by then.

Peach: (Simply Nodded) Okay. We'll do our best.

Lea: Hey, Palutena, can I ask you something?

Palutena: (Turns to Lea) Hm?

Lea: So uh.....(Starts Rubbing The Back of his Head Back and Forth While Looking Away) I know this isn't my business and all but....is it true that Pit was....thrown into a....active volcano onc-

An instant, Palutena eyes suddenly begins to widens and tense up as she easily breaks her teacup with the grip of her hand

'GLASS BREAK'

Peach: ('Gasps') PAULIE!

Samus: The hell!?

Tifa: Your hand!!

Rosalina: Not again....

Lea: (Immediately Hides his Face Behind Aqua in Complete Fear) Nevermind! Forget I said anything!!!

Palutena: (Immediately Change her Mood From Anger to Mortified by her Actions) Oh no! I-I'm so sorry, Lea! I didn't mean to scare you like that! I-

Bayonetta: (Gently Places her Hands Onto her Girlfriend's Shoulders and Slowly Rubs Them) Breathe in and out now, darling. You can do this.

Palutena quickly nodded as she breathes in and out to calm herself down.

Bayonetta: That's it. There you go, my dear goddess. Just like that. One more.....

Palutena let out one more exhale.

Bayonetta: And that's that's. ('Sigh') You know we've talked about this multiple times, right?

Palutena: (Places her Hand on her Forehead as the Other Hand She Breaks her Cup With, Heals on it's Own) ('Sigh') I know, it just......REALLY hard not get upset every time it's brought up.....

Lea: (Puts his Finger Up) I take full responsibility for the nerve I struck today!

Palutena: (Frowns Sadly) No, Lea, you don't have to do any of that, okay? If anyone in this table needs to apologize, is me for scaring you.

Lea: (Gets Away From Aqua's Back as He Gives the Goddess a Sheepish Smile) Hey, there's no need for apologies. I totally get where you're coming from in all of this. I'd be pissed too if that were to happen to my kids.

Samus: Ain't that the truth. ('Sigh') But yeah, it's true.... Pit, Kirby, and Ganondorf were all thrown in that volcano two years ago. Not an active one thankfully, but it was still hot enough to be considered lethal.

Aqua: (Eyes Widened in Horror) Who in their right mind would do such a thing?

Palutena: (Angrily Uses her Finger to Directs the Keyblade Duo to the Culprit in the Far Distance) Him. Kazuya Mishima.

Lea: That half naked demon guy with daddy issues?

Tifa: The very same. The boys noticed Ganon was missing that night and started searching for him. Eventually, after they found and saw Kazuya throwing him off the cliff into the volcano, they began to fight. It....wasn't long before that monster did the same to the two one by one.

Palutena: ('Sighs in Deep Relief') But thankfully, they were all able to come back home safe. Didn't stop neither one of us from being absolutely livid that day, but it was still a blessing nonetheless.

Daisy: (Smiles Brightly) Buuuuuut on a brighter note, Peach made the guy scared shitless by breaking a table in half, with her bare hand!

Aqua: ('Gasps') Your majesty, you didn't!~

Lea: (Grins Proudly) Sick!

Peach: ('Sigh') It's true. I never wanted to break that poor table like that. But he WAS testing my patience at the time......

Samus: Honey, he was testing ALL of our patience that day. He'll, if it were me, I'd plasma blast his ass where he stands.

Isabelle: (Smiles Brightly) I would've throw a clipboard at his face.

Tifa: (Puts on a Bit if a Smug Look on her Face) I'd punch him straight into orbit.

Daisy: (Turns to Tifa) Girl, same!~ (High Fives Tifa)

Rosalina: I would simply silence him in an unpoppable bubble.

Bayonetta: I'd let Labolas sick him.

Palutena: I would more than gladly scorch his body from head to toe under the light and do whatever it takes to erase him and his entire bloodline from the face of the Earth!!

Everyone in the table stares at the green Haired goddess in dead silence.

Palutena: ('Sighs Heavily') That incident emotionally drained me.

Bayonetta: And it shows. PIIIIIT! YOUR MOMMY GODDESS NEEDS A HUG!!~

Pit: (Quickly Rushes Over to the Moms' Tea Table) ON MY WAYYYYYYYYY! (Hugs Palutena From Behinf) Mommy!~

Palutena: (Giggles Softly) Hi, sweetie!~ How was your night with and the others went?

Pit: It went great. Still missed you guys like crazy though. (Kiss the Top of Palutena's Head)

Palutena: Aww~ (Happily Held his Embrace Close to Her) We missed you like crazy too, Pit~ (Gives the Top of Pit's Hand a Big Kiss)

Lea: (Watches the Cute Display I'm the Short Distance) Huh. I think I might be need a hug right now. KIDS! YOUR FIRE MOM NEEDS A HUG RIGHT NOW!

Roxas: (From the Other Room) ASK SORA & KAIRI TO HUG YOU!!

Lea: Wha- WHY COULDN'T YOU GUYS DO IT!?

Xion: (From the Other Room as Well) WE'RE EATING MORE ICE CREAM AND DON'T WANT ANY OF IT TO MELT!!

Lea: HOW IN THE HELL ARE YOU- ('Groans in Defeat') Forget it. SORA, KAIRI, I WANNA HUG FROM YOU GUYS!

Sora/Kairi: COMING! (Quick Made Their Way to the Moms' Tea Tae to Give Lea a Group Hug)

Sora: There you go, buddy.

Kairi: Is everything okay?

Lea: ('Sigh') Yeah, just.....worried about the rest of the year.....with the Foretellers.....and Xigbar.....Braig....Luxu, whoever the hell his name is....

Aqua: (Smirks Playfully) Think you need yourself a bigger group hug there, Lea?~

Lea: ('Tch') I dunno. Maybe-

Peach: (Smiles Brightly) Sounds good to me!~ GROUP HUGS EVERYONE!!~

Lea: WaiwaiwaiWAIT- (Immediately Gets Surrounded by Everyone's Loving Embrace Before Letting Out Another Sigh) Okay.

Aqua: I know this is a scary situation we're involved in right now, but as long as we have each other's support and use the prep time to prepare ourselves for whenever that time come, then I'm sure we'll be able to pull through in the end. We just need to have more faith in ourselves, okay?

Lea: (Takes a Deep Breath) Yeah. You're right.(Smiles a Little) We got this. (I hope.)

To Be Continued.......

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