#do something with Strelitzia please

[s-awturn]

Underworld Sun || LH44

summary: It only took an unpretentious visit to a local florist for all of Lewis's convictions to come crashing down, and finally the lord of the Underworld found what was missing in his lonely existence.

cw: dark content, slightly stalkerish behavior, nostalgia, pure smut, Lewis!dom x reader!sub, revelation, mention of magic, violence, outbursts of rage, (fake) naivety, devotion, deep love, soulmates, family interference, mention of kidnapping.

a/n: I confess that the final part of the first chapter shouldn't have happened, but when I saw it, the two were already getting to know each other. But nothing I can't get around, just a shortcut in the story's timeline. By the way, I need to thank you for the 100 followers, this story wouldn't be here if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be, so thank you, thank you very much 🫶🏼

p.s.: do you want a taglist?

prologue |

The static made the hairs on both of their arms stand on end, he had never felt that before and for a moment Zeus's words came back to his mind. But it didn't make sense because the woman in front of him didn't have any trace of sacred energy, she was just an ordinary human, no divine traces. The itch in his chest increased when he saw her cheeks flush, so he hadn't been the only one to feel that way.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Lewis... How can I help you? You don't seem like a flower person."

"I really don't like flowers, but I think my house needs a little... life." He wanted to laugh at the irony, but kept his face impassive.

"Luckily for you, I have the perfect flowers right here," she said, her voice high with excitement. Y/N walked through the maze of pots, packages of soil and other objects. "I have a beautiful pot of strelitzia, it's a big plant but it adds incredible charm to any environment..."

Lewis nodded, following her at a safe distance, watching her point to some flowers and plants, for such a small space, there was a giant variety of species. Perhaps the flower shop was bigger on the inside than on the outside, he observed dryly.

"I have black desert roses, I think violet tulips..." She was faster than Lewis could follow, Y/N picked up a beige ceramic vase, and was placing flowers in it randomly. "I need orchids, hold them here for me, please" she handed the vase to him and disappeared inside the flower shop, returning with two flowers hanging in her hands.

He didn't understand how that mess of flowers and some dried plants could be. Y/N gave him a grateful smile as she took the vase from his hands and added the flowers she had picked. Within a few minutes, The florist organized the arrangement, and what was a mess turned into something beautiful. Even if he tried, he couldn't do something like that.

Something beautiful, vivid and graceful.

No, he only knew death, fear and dread.

"For someone who doesn't like flowers, I imagine vibrant colors are a problem... You are very lucky indeed, these black flowers arrived today and people love them, because of how rare they are."

Lewis gave a curt nod, watching her fetch a bag to put the vase in so that it wouldn't ruin the flowers when they were carried.

Y/N taught him about some preservation methods for the flowers in the vase, but he didn't listen to anything, caught up in the way she spoke, how she gestured, It was obvious how much she loved what she did, how she loved finding the right flowers for each customer. It had been a long time, longer than he could count, since he had seen someone work with so much love, so much dedication.

He had always known that humans were petty, arrogant, and cruel, humans would do atrocities for the things they wanted. History had more examples than he could count. Clytemnestra killing her husband after the Trojan War, Lycaon serving human flesh to the gods... And the passing of time confirmed what he already knew, humanity was rotten beyond salvation.

But the woman in front of him challenged his convictions. No matter how deeply Lewis searched her soul, he could find nothing that made her equal to the others.

Y/N was different.

Still lost in his thoughts, Lewis paid for the arrangement, saying she should keep the change.

"I didn't expect to find anything here in this little town, and here I am, going home with a bouquet," he said, making her put away the remaining money.

She smiled widely, the itch on Lewis's chest growing more irritated. "Oh, it was no big deal, Lewis. I'm happy to make sure you take something from us on your trip."

He looked away from her, grabbing the bag from the counter. She followed him out, still chattering excitedly. "Thank you for your attention, Y/N, and for the bouquet, of course. Goodbye."

"Adieu, Lewis." She waved at him as he walked down the small village's only avenue, and he could catch the waves of surprise coming from her as she realized what kind of car he drove. What could he do? Powerful cars were his deadly addiction.

He placed the bag of flowers on the passenger seat and started the car, feeling the sweet scent of the bouquet mix with the smell of expensive leather, creating a unique aroma that Lewis didn't notice he liked it until the air conditioning dispersed the smell.

He arrived in London that same day, he liked how the climate of the English capital lived up to his own temperament, London was cold, gloomy and rainy, thick clouds covered the city for most of the year. Therefore, he thought it only fair that the center of his domains should be located there.

He had barely crossed the building's reception when he was greeted by Megara, the erinyes wore an elegant black suit and no one would ever suspect that this woman was chasing and inflicting madness on men.

"Welcome back, sir," she greeted, turning on her tablet screen as she walked beside him to the private elevator. Many creatures had found other purposes in life in the contemporary era, nymphs had become models and actresses, satyrs had spread throughout the world in various sectors, But the Erinyes met in the corporate world, for the three sisters it was much more fun to see men going crazy over bankruptcy than over madness itself. "Nemesis has returned from the US, the purchase of the Wall Street investment bank has been successfully completed, and Fernando has also returned from Asia."

"I need you to do me a personal favor, Megara," he said as the elevator doors closed. "It's urgent."

"Of course sir, how can I help you?" She quickly turned off the tablet and turned fully to Hades, he handed her the bag of flowers, which she looked at with a raised eyebrow.

"Find out everything about the owner of this flower shop, from her name to how many vaccines she's had, absolutely everything," he was emphatic, seeing the furiæ nod in confusion.

"I'll make sure you have the information today, sir."

"Excellent," he replied and stepped out of the elevator, meeting Hypnos and Thanatos in the waiting room of his office. "I hope you have good news."

"You're not going to tell us how the visit to your family went?" Hypnos commented mockingly, receiving only an eye roll in response.

"Come in... And Megara, change the water in the flowers and place them in my room," he instructed before entering his room, followed by the twin gods. "I still don't understand why they took on different bodies."

"After years of having the same face as my brother, it's fun to be different from him," Tanatos said, his Spanish accent showing.

"Whatever..." He waved his hand in the air, going straight to the small bar to pour himself some whiskey. "I hope things in Suzuka went well, it's not a good time for a war with Susanoo."

"He's reluctant about the terms, we're talking about millions of souls that could favor their own pantheon..." Thanatos said, unbuttoning his jacket as he sat down. "I was lucky to talk to him, Tsukiyomi doesn't seem so happy to see us in their backyard."

"They can either deal with us in a peace offering or go to war with the Hindu clans, I wouldn't sleep easy knowing I might wake up with Shiva stabbing my neck" Hypnos said.

"Exactly, if they want us to keep their territory safe, the soul deal is a very small payment," Lewis said. "They'll accept it, it's a small pantheon and they did not know how to maintain their powers in the transition of the ages. Where have you been all this time?"

"The Fates called me to the hut"

The mention of the spinners of fate puzzled Lewis. What could they possibly want? If there was a new prophecy coming, he would know about it.

"What did they want?"

"The walls of Tartarus are crumbling," Sebastian said simply and Lewis snorted, it wasn't enough that Persephone was alive again, he still had to deal with the possibility of a new Titanomachy.

From zero to ten, how fucked was he?

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ALL RIGHTS RESERVED TO S-AWTURN™ 🪐. I do not allow copying or republication. Any unauthorized publication will be reported.

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[guidingkey]

" — you know about keyblades? " his eyes go wide, stance going slack with surprise as he stands up straight. he's not even attempting to hide his excitement or his hopeful expression. someone else knew about the keyblade! up until now, his only source of information on the weapon had been strelitzia, and she had only been able to tell him so much. she'd filled him in on a lot about this world and what it was, even if she couldn't tell him anything about who he was. ( is? ) only that this world wasn't his own, that the weapon he could wield was called a keyblade, and that in order to come here he must have —

he shakes the thought from his head, forcibly expelling it from his consciousness. it's a truth he knows but isn't quite ready to face, just yet. besides — that wasn't the important thing here! " have i met you before? do you know me? " after all, what would be the chances, right? he feels a burst of confidence and hope that he's right, but at the same time ... it's weird. his guard feels a little raised around the man. he's not even sure why — it's not like the guy's even done anything. but it's like something deep inside is telling him to be cautious. he struggles between paying attention to that quiet but persistent feeling and ignoring it in favor of finding some answers.

" please! if you know me, or ... anything about me, you gotta let me know! i'm ... " he tries not to look as confused and frustrated as he feels, but he kind of knows he's failing. it isn't so much directed at the man as it is to himself. his hand clenches the handle of his keyblade tight before relaxing. " ... kind of having a hard time remembering. " he mumbles.

﹒⟢ ﹒𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 —〈 @gravitasfatum . 〉

[frostyblustar]

( I want to show a deleted scene from Strelitzia (my Just Dance Fanfic) here, one I couldn’t fit in. This features child abuse and intentional pet abuse/death under the keep reading button, please be advised. This was originally supposed to be the worst thing Night Swan did, but I found it too much. )

Jack could still remember a small white dog he had found outside one day. As a homeschooled kid, Jack didn’t have many opportunities to socialize. He tended to talk to anything, and this small stray dog in his backyard was a perfect confidant. He would feed her scraps he could sneak away from mom and even named the dog ‘Shards’.

He would talk about anything, whether it was grueling training or what he liked to call the ‘punishment of the day’ It seemed like every day he would mess up, and then he would have to pay for it. Shards listened to him, and would come back every day Jack could get outside. He could remember how her little paws would delicately pad upon the grass, and how she would lay the sun.

Now, Jack wished Shards never listened. Never came back.

There was a part of him that understood this was his fault, he was the one who kept messing up and making his mother angry. He was the failure, the mistake that needed correction. Even knowing that, he could never forgive his mother for what happened on July 22nd.

Jack had been sitting quietly at the dining room table, pieces of paper strewn in front of him where he had written ‘I am only second best, I need to do better.’ Over and over again, over every line on every paper. This was his punishment for the day, and he could feel his hand getting red with how much he had to write.

His mother had come into the house with a shovel, and that confused him. Maybe she had another punishment planned where he had to dig in the garden or something? His mother had always liked her roses.

She came over to him, looking down at him with an expression he couldn’t read. Though that was common, he never knew how to read her more subtle expressions. After a few moments, he dared to ask. “Mom uh.. Why are you holding a shovel?”

“It’s for you to get the vermin out of the shed.” She simply said. “Get up, let’s go outside.”

Maybe she was talking about rats? Though Jack had never seen even one in the shed.. That’s what he thought as he followed her outside. She gestured to the shed doors with the shovel, “Open it.” Well he was scared to, but he couldn’t tell her that. It would be a sign of disobedience..

Jack opened the shed door, but only opened it halfway before stumbling back. In that shed, bathed the light produced by him opened the door, was Shards. Dead. On the floor. His head ached, his hands wouldn’t stop shaking. What the fuck, this was a friend. This wasn’t a disco ball or some toy he adored that was taken away, this was a living being. This was Shards.

“Are you going to bury it or not? It’s going to stink up the shed.”

[rosie-kairi]

Aight lads I have come once again to break hearts because Lauriam and Ven have me in a chokehold and this is the saddest yet. Also I am in no way a competent writer so if any of your mutuals or followers want to take these ideas and run with it please by all means go ahead I will be lurking on ao3 waiting for fics and ready with kudos.

Biggest #1 change. Everything is the same except Ventus is actually Lauriam and Strelitzia's actual little brother. Their parents died when Ven was a toddler so 9-year-old Lauriam was now a single parent to his two younger siblings so the protective instinct runs deep.

Since Ven doesn't really remember their parents whenever he tries to picture them all he can see is Lauriam who would comfort him when he woke up from a bad dream, who wrapped him in blankets and sang him lullabies, who helped him learn to tie his shoes button his buttons and zip his zippers. Ven still feels lonely because obviously he loves his siblings and they do spend time together but there's quite an age gap (Lauriam is probably 6 years older and Strelitzia is probably 4 years older). So when they get keyblades Ven is among if not the youngest keyblade wielder and when all your peers are preteens/teens/young adults well it's no surprise no one wants an 8 year old Ven to tag along.

This means when Darkness possesses Ven it's like way more purposeful, he lures Strelitzia into the house and she quickly picks up something is wrong. She draws her keyblade demanding Ven be released and Darkness speaks to her through Ven that he's weak and it would be so easy to end him and just to taunt her has him hold his own keyblade ready to slice his throat. Strelitzia is naturally terrified for her baby brother and quickly switches to begging. She can't fight him afraid he'll get hurt and pleads to spare his life. Darkness then asks if she would take his place and Strelitzia agrees. So she willingly lets Darkness kill her to save Ven, he still watched the murder happen but was in a daze so his memories are hazy.

This of course makes the later confrontation like 10x worse Ven feels so so guilty he feels he should've died and has to repent Lauriam is dealing with grief and crushing failure and in a moment of weakness takes it out on Ven. so when Ven goes to trap Darkness within himself Lauriam is far more panicked but is still unable to stop him.

So imagine Lauriam making the jump forward in time. If they get separated he's now lost both his siblings possibly for good and if they travel together then he's powerless to stop xehanort from tearing Ven in two and the last thing he sees is his 12 year old brother left dying on the ground never able to properly make up for his constant failure.

OUGHHH. GHGHUH

Ventus being their biological little brother..... I am a sucker for that lil idea (thinks about the omori au thing). Also. lol at single parent lauriam. boy experiences the crushing pains of being a single father to two children at the tender age of 9. Any guy can be a babygirl but it takes a real man to be a single mother y'know.

I think that makes the Strelitzia situation worse in both character's perspectives. You are Ventus and you discover that you got you older sister killed. You are Lauriam and you have just been told that your baby brother- the boy you practically raised- was indirectly responsible for the death of your younger sister. What do either of you do in that situation? That's not something you can really come back from.

And all of those horrible things happening to Ven when Lauriam can do nothing about it. Ough.

(I think I'm gonna be tagging this saga as "Windflower Family Fun Times!!!!" because 1. organizational purposes 2. windflower is a cute name for this duo and 3. no one here is having a fun time.)

[mackeydoodledoo]

The Florals: Chapter 9

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x (Fem MC)Reader

Summary: You and your best friends are one of the most popular local bands. After a gig you meet the bartender, who has caught your eye and interest.

Chapter Warnings: Band Competition/Performer’s Anxiety, Relationship-Repairing attempt, Panic Attack

A/n: Okay, kinda got lazy writing the performance part of this chapter. Idk why but I find it difficult to write performance aspects lol

Chapter Key: Italic = Thoughts, [Words] = Song lyrics, +*+ = Time Skip

Chapter Theme: The Florals Competition Score Youtube Playlist

----------------------------------------------------------------

One week before the big competition... 

You woke up before Wanda, who was still asleep next to you. As careful as possible, you slip out of your bed and change out of your pajamas and get dressed for a long rehearsal day. 

When you arrive to the theatre, you already see your friends there.

“Helmets are here,” Lark holds up one of them

You practically run up on stage and help organize them with everyone. 

+*+

After helping one another organize the Impera Helmets and figuring out the clothing, the five of you begin setting up instruments.

“So this whole shindig spans 3 days, the final day being Friday,” Lark explains the email

“Who else besides us and My Heart Your Teeth?” Rose asks

“Vision.” Lark sighs in disappointment

Right... 

You forgot about him... But, you heard that ever since he and Wanda (mostly Wanda) had called things quits with him right at his album’s release party, he didn’t even chart. 

“Well, shouldn’t really be that hard,” You say, “Long as we keep our heads together, everything will of nicely.”

+*+

God it’s hot outside... 

The six of you enter the main hall for the arena... 

Whoa...

“We won’t be long,” You say

Wanda nods as you walk away to catch up with your bandmates to check in for the competition.

*Wanda’s POV* “Wanda,” A familiar voice calls you from behind

Oh... No...

You slowly turn around to see Vision... Slowly making his way to you. You immediately look around for Strelitzia to no avail. But, fortunately, Vision stops a several inches away from you; seeing how frightened you looked.

“What are you doing here?” You ask him, trying to keep the eye contact away from him

“I last minute entered this... Competition...” He says

“Why?” You ask, “You said this competition is for bands that are attempting to become big shots like you.”

He really isn’t a big shot... After I left him, his album didn’t chart in the top 10...

“I know but..” Vision says

“But?” You ask

“I’ve realized how much I've been sitting my nose in my music,” He says

Oh now he admits it?...

“But, it was to make a better living for the both of us,” Vision states

He attempts to gently grasp your hands but you back away in fear. He immediately straightens himself out. 

“Don’t touch me Vision,” You say, beginning to tremble

“Wanda, please,” Vision begins to beg, “I know you still feel something for me and better to act on them now and come home...”

He attempts to reach out to you again but you take another step back. 

“I said don’t touch me Vision,” You say, slightly louder

“Wanda please...” He continues to beg

You were about to turn away when you feel a hand on your shoulder. You look up and notice a familiar helmet that you’ve seen at Strelitzia’s rehearsals.

“Madam,” Lark plays their character, “Is this man bothering you?”

You take one good look at Vision, his face somber.

“Yeah he is Papa,” You play along with your girlfriends’ band’s characters 

You immediately retract into Strelitzia’s embrace. Vision attempts to reach for you however, Strelitzia takes a step back as she pulls you with her and Lark presses their hand on his shoulder.

“I do not recommend messing with someone apart of our Clergy... Vision,” Lark says

“How-How do you?” He asks

He doesn’t know it’s us?

He nods as he takes a step back, pivoting to turn his back to all of you and walks away. 

“You alright?” She whispers 

You look up at your girlfriend and nod. You look at him walking away, back to his managers and friends. You saw some familiar faces as well... Some of your formerly close friends standing around him...You pull yourself out of Strelitzia’s embrace and run off somewhere where your former friends won’t see you.

*Strelitzia’s POV*  You note Wanda pulling herself out of your embrace as you watch her run off. You take a glimpse at your friends as you turn to the direction Wanda ran in.

“Wands are you okay?” You ask, kneeling at her side

You take off your helmet, the awkward back face paint sitting on your nose.

“They’re all here...” She sobs, “They’re all going to try and gaslight me into going back with Vision... You saw how Vision was trying to grab at me...”

You sit next to Wanda as you pull her into your embrace again, trying to calm her down.

“Shhh,” You coo to her, gently brushing her hair 

“Please don't leave me alone,” Wanda begs, looking up at you

“Baby, in a heartbeat I wouldn’t,” You say, “But, I have to soon...” 

You would take her on stage if your were able to. But, apparently they’d put anyone who associated with the artist or band performing in the VIP area. But, your gut feeling told you not to do that.

“Can you get back up?” You ask her

You get up onto your knee but just before you could plant your feet, Wanda puts her hands on your shoulders.

“What?” You ask

She leans over and picks up your helmet and proceeds to put it back onto your head and then gave you a quick peck on the lips as she puts the mask back over your mouth.

“I saw Maria working backstage security,” Wanda says, “I’ll stick around her.”

“Do you want me to take you to her?” You ask

“I’ll be okay,” Wanda smiles, “Get back to them.”

You nod as you watch her catch up to Maria and her coworkers.

You head back towards your friends and walk to the VIP area to watch the first band that was scheduled to go on.

+*+

You take a deep breathe through your nose as you take your place onto the stage.

Now Presenting The Lore of Ghost, The Florals!

You hear the audience cheers echo through the arena: Rose waiting for the echoes to cease... Beginning her repetitive notes. 

+*+

You rush off the stage to remove your helmet and catch your breath.

“Hey Hey Strelitzia, it’s okay,” Wanda rushes over to you

“I’m okay I’m okay, just need to... Just need to...” You try to find your breathing pattern

“Hey, Strel, look at me,” Wanda tells you

You do...

“Breathe in...” She says

You follow suit...

“Breathe out...” She does the exercise with you

The both of you repeat that exercise until your heart beat 

+*+

The six of you head back to your hotel after placing all equipment into your dressing room’s storage. You and Wanda were tasked with bringing food back for everyone.

“What’d you think?” You ask Wanda

“Despite that I knew what instrument you were playing, I was thinking you were playing all of the instruments,” Wanda says

“That doesn’t answer my question Wands,” You chuckle

“You should know what I think, I think you guys were absolutely amazing out there,” She smiles, “I was just commenting on the fact it could be anyone of you guys playing each other’s instruments.”

“I mean, we can, but for the. competition part of this, we have to stick with whatever we choose,” You say, “But if we win, our encore, we can do whatever we want.”

You grab the food after the host calls your name. As the both of you exit the restaurant, you and Wanda see Vision...

“Wanda, may I speak to you alone?” He asks

“Whatever you have on your mind, I’m not going to be offended to hear about it,” You take a step in front of her

“Fine,” He looks at you, his eyes narrowed, “Strelitzia made you cheat on me to get with you.”

“What?” You ask, nearly chuckling

“Vision, Steel wouldn’t do that,” Wanda tries to stand up for you, “She was solely conveniently available and she was willing to get me to wherever I need to get to.She never would have done anything to compromise our relationship. You did that all on your own.”

“I was solely trying to build a better foundation for us,” Vision spews his excuse

“We had a foundation,” Wanda says

“But-”

“But, it wasn’t enough for you,” Wanda says

You turn around to see Wanda beginning to retract into the wall. You turn to her and place the bags of food next to her. 

“I won’t be long, I’ll make him go away,” You whisper

Wanda looks up at you, tears streaming down her eyes. She tries to smile but couldn’t in between her crying. You compose yourself and slowly turn to face Vision.

“Listen man, you have some real nerve trying to find us. Well, Wanda,” You start, “If you really think about it, that makes you a stalker.”

“H-How does that?-” He chuckles

“It definitely sounds like it buddy,” You say

“I’m not here for you Strelitzia, I am here to bring Wanda home,” Vision tries to brush past you

You force your hand unto his shoulder, preventing him from advancing any further.

“I don’t think so Vision,” You turn to him

“Please, I do not recommend keeping me from my goal,” He looks at you

“Wanda is not your goal anymore,” You say, “You can still continue your music career if you step back and walk away now.”

“My music career is nothing without Wanda,” He confesses

The both of you stop struggling amongst each other.

“So you rely on a single person for your music than just simply writing?” You ask, “That’s kinda dumb... If you’ll excuse us, we need to get back to my friends...”

“It’s not dumb it’s love!” He angrily states

From the corner of your eye, you see his bunched up fist. Last second you move your body out of the way; leaving Vision to punch air. 

“Vision stop!” Wanda pleads to him

You continue to dodge his throws: making him grow even more frustrated. Your amusement to his growing frustrations. However, in the midst of finding that amusement, you felt a pain shoot through your cheek and then your palms hit the ground, following your body. As you regain yourself, Wanda places her hand on the back of your head and back as patrons seated on the outside of the restaurant holding Vision back from hurting you even further. 

“Are you okay Strelitzia?” Wanda asks

“Yeah, let’s just grab the food and go back...” You groan

So the both of you do whilst Vision is being berated by the restaurant patrons.

+*+

As you enter the dressing room for your band, your friends stare up at you.

“You guys okay?” You ask

“Yo what did you do last night?” Lark asks

“Got dinner with Wanda, had an unfortunate run-in with Vision, then came back... Why?” You ask

“Vision got disqualified,” Pine tells you

“You’re joking,” You say

“Wish we were,” They hold up their phone to you

You take Pine’s phone and look through the roster for the day: Vision’s name being crossed off of the list.

“Dang,” You chuckle, “Guess he didn’t read the rules when his fist made contact to my cheek.”

The five of you watch through the TV in the room whilst running through Call Me Little Sunshine.

You walk around the stage as you continue to play the simple baseline to your ‘Ballad’ Song for the competition. 

From what you could see from your lens, the audience wasn’t particularly jumping out of their seats. 

Albeit it isn’t a high-upbeat song. 

But, you see Lark clap their hands on beat during the bridge: People began clapping along with them too. But, you could also hear some people clap off beat. 

+*+

The five of you hop out of makeup as your rival band performs after you. You all watch them through the monitor in the dressing room. 

“Jeez their voices are raspy,” Lark sighs, taking a drink of water

“That’s what happens when you do a lot of screamo,” Poppy states, “Doesn’t your voice hurt after singing though Lark?” 

"It does, but I know what my limits are,” They say

“We are further trained than they are,” You say, “Plus, we’ve been doing this since we were in diapers.”

+*+

You stop by Wanda’s room after concluding the second round of performances. The both of you lay in silence as neither of you exchanged words the entire time. You just assumed Wanda was either tired or still shaken up by last night. 

“Wands... You okay?” You ask, finally breaking the silence

“Mhmm,” She says

“You sure?” You ask, “We haven’t exchanged words since I got here.”

“I can’t simply lay in my girlfriend’s arms?” She asks, pouting

“No, not at all what I was saying,” You smile, “You usually make small talk or something. But, I am also tired.”

+*+

As you stepped out onto the stage you look up and see how the arena roof was opened...

Didn’t know this arena could do that... Let alone it being a full moon tonight either...

But, you also knew it was fitting for the song for the third round of the competition. 

You listen to Rose play in with an acoustic and play with Pine in her drum lead in. From there on it was smooth sailing.

+*+

“We absolutely appreciate every single one of you attending this year’s Pride band competition, we truly had some amazing bands perform over these last three days, however, there can only be one band to give you a show tonight,��� The announcer yells through their microphone

You and your friends hold each others’ hands as the tension builds. 

Only one of us gets to win...

“The winner of the competition is...” The announcer slowly unravels the envelope

Can he be any slower?!

“The Florals!”

Enormous amounts of cheers erupted throughout the arena as the five of you ease the grip on each other eases and take a step forward into the spotlight and soak in the victory. 

+*+

Before the five of you set up to play your first three songs, you lift the bass to Rose: everyone but Lark and Pine switching back to your respective instruments. Gasps and murmurs in the crowd commenced as they all watch you switch instruments. 

+*+

As quickly as you could, you motion for Poppy to switch guitars with you. With only seconds to spare, you step up to the edge of the stage, propping your leg up on a stage monitor and begin playing the guitar solo. the crowd goes absolutely nuts as they watched you. you look down to the ‘All Access’ area, seeing Wanda and Maria watching; Wanda in particular. Her green eyes illuminated but the you couldn’t tell because of the lights. But, you knew by the look on her face.

You take a step onto the crates an inch below the main stage, kneeling towards the audience as you continue through the guitar solo. Despite your in-ears blocking out the outer sound, you could tell that everyone was going wild.

You hop back up onto the main stage right before the last few notes of the solo and within those few seconds: you switch back to bass guitar.

You and Poppy absolutely shred through the rest of the song: walking around the stage, interacting with your friends that couldn’t move off stage, and towards the crowd that were trying to reach for your hand. You move onto some crates that were a few inches shorter than the stage and lean toward them the safest way possible. 

[Right here Right....]

Your arm is raised: the crowd erupts into cheers, impatient for the final note. As if feeling the cue, all of you hit the note together and on time. 

[Now!]

The crowd erupts into larger and louder cheers as you slam on your improvised bass note. As the music fades out, you swing your bass around to your back and look down at the front row of people and make eye contact with one of them. You point at them as they do the same for you. You kneel down and with as far as your arm could reach: you slip your guitar pick between your longest fingers and place it into their hands. You watch them jump in excitement. 

You went back up to the main stage and take a bow with your four bandmates.

+*+

As soon as you went backstage, the five of you were pulled for an interview.

“That was some show you five have put on these last three days,” The interviewer says, “The way you all ”

Th microphone was held up to you.

“We’ve always known how to play many different instruments as you’ve said,” You explain, “It really just started out to be an experiment but then later concluded as a band that it would be a fun little thing to do. Make the audience sit at the edge of their seats, having them be in awe at the same time.”

“Now, for the encore song, you all switched instruments again, and the guitar solo, was that rehearsed beforehand? Intentional?” They ask

“All of that was on the fly,” Pine explains

“The time to find the moment to switch instruments was difficult no joke,” You say, “But, someway somehow we made it.”

“Wow! incredible!” The reporter dramatically smiles towards their camera, “You heard it here folks: The Florals win the competition tonight by using their multi-talent skills and stage presence to wow the crowd and the judges!”

You all finish the interview and make it back to the dressing room.

The five of you made it. 

+*+

After finishing the interview, the five of you change out of your ‘characters’ to celebrate the win.

“Rose?” Maria Hill’s voice calls from the door

Rose turns to her, in the middle of removing the black face paint from her nose. 

“H-hey Maria,” She blushes, throwing away the soiled makeup remover wipe

You noticed as she was walking towards the officer that there was some black face paint still left on her nose. But, you decided to let her find out for herself as she walks through the door. 

*Rose’s POV* “Let’s take a walk, you and me,” Maria head gestures to exiting the dressing room

You nod and begin to follow her out. But, not before Maria takes your hand into hers: lacing your fingers together. You didn’t expect Maria to grab your hand so quickly, but who were you to complain about it?

*Strelitzia’s POV* You easily took notice of Maria’s gesture but decided against telling everyone. You finish up removing your makeup as you look at the doorway; smiling. 

“Quite a show,” Wanda smiles

You stand from your seat and turn around, smiling as you saunter your way over to her.

“For you, my dear, always,” You smile

You slowly lean in as she does the same. But, before the both of you could have a moment and share a kiss...

“YO YO YO WHO’S READY TO-” Lark comes in, screaming, “Oh... We’re we interrupting something?”

“No, not at all,” Wanda clears her throat, “I won’t keep you five.”

“You... Don’t want to come with us?” Lark asks, genuinely offering Wanda to accompany you

“No no, I’m all people-personed out,” She sighs,”I’ll see you back at the hotel babe.”

Awkward silence hit all of you as Wanda’s fingers trail down your arm as she leaves. 

“Well,” You sigh, lightening the room, “What are we waiting for then?”

Chapter 10 (Final)

[venjamin-kingdomhearts]

Ventus and Vanitas for the character asks!! 3, 8, 21, 22, and 23! Sorry if that's too many? You don't gotta do all of em!

HELLO thank you for the ask!! this is a lotta questions but i'm excited to answer them!! Warning, there's a little negativity since some of the questions ask for dislikes about the characters. I love both Ven and Vanitas, I'm just saying my personal thoughts on them! + If you don't agree with these thoughts that's not a huge deal to me, we just agree to disagree LOL

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

Ventus - The "You're awful, Aqua" scene. Please Ventus I know you're upset but APOLOGIZE TO AQUA she didn't deserve that. I wish his and Aqua's relationship had more focus in general, because they're really cute when they're together. I genuinely hope Ventus apologizes to her for being a brat in BBS though

Vanitas - To be honest, anything I dislike about Vanitas comes from fanon, since I feel Vanitas does his role as antagonist really well.

8. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you despise?

Ventus - Two big things.

One: Portraying him as a coldblooded killer when in comes to the KHUX/Strelitzia stuff. I think it's a lot more fun that Ventus didn't mean to hurt anyone, but ended up being responsible for so much pain. It's really tragic, and I think it makes KHUX more interesting as opposed to "Ventus killed Strelitzia out of malice". Also, it's genuinely just funnier like that. I know it's dark but nothing makes me laugh more than the mental image of 10 year old Ventus covered in blood just going "wow is this strawberry jam?? lol how'd this end up here?"

Two: Not the biggest fan of people like. Boiling Ventus' personality to just "oh he's baby". I think Ventus being childish is a really important character flaw, but he's got a lot more to him than just that, and his youthful nature has upsides and downsides. On this note I 100% think Ventus knows what sex is and that that's how babies are made. I know it's a weirdly popular portrayal to just have him not know what sex is at 17 years old. It's also a lot funnier if Ventus just has a different vocabulary from the other characters his age when it comes to adult topics and doesn't understand slang because Master Eraqus taught him that it's impolite to use term XYZ or whatever. Vanitas - Okay this is rough because there's a lot in the KH fandom's portrayals of Vanitas that I really don't like and other things that I really love. But to match Ven I'll boil it down to two big things: One: This one is kinda hard to explain but. I know that Ventus and the Wayfinder Trio DO NOT have to be present in every "Vanitas Redemption Fanfiction" but it really grinds my gears when they're treated as, like, 'close-minded' and completely left out of Vanitas' life. The idea that Vanitas is secretly a good guy and it's just his relationship with the Wayfinders/the Wayfinders themselves are the problem is just such a boring take. They don't have to be on good terms but have Vanitas earn their tolerance, have them settle things, man! It's SO JUICY when they have to work things out or Vanitas feels actual regret and isn't just handed the "you're a good guy now and we trust you" stuff on a silver platter. Ventus, Sora, and Vanitas are a trio...I think that if Sora takes in Vanitas as a friend, he should at least try to understand Ventus' fears about the whole thing.

Two: I think its a BILLION times funnier if Vanitas is shorter than Ventus but SO MANY PEOPLE MAKE HIM TALLER IT PISSES ME OFF. Vanitas and Ventus are either the same size OR Vanitas is shorter. No more tall Vanitas. I am on my hands and knees begging you all. Short King Vanitas. SHORT. KING. VANITAS. As a short person I need this. DO IT FOR ME.

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

Ventus - Hardest thing for me to write when it comes to Ventus are. Sassy remarks/comebacks, and times I'd KNOW he'd be a brat but I can't bring myself to write him saying anything too harsh. But my favorite things to do? I love giving Ventus issues/fears that he would reasonably develop after his 12 year nap. I don't care if canon says he doesn't have horrible insomnia after KH3. He SHOULD have horrible insomnia and I WILL write him crying in frustration when he's struggling with sleep.

Vanitas - I actually don't write Vanitas much. I feel like I can't do him justice, but it's fun to have him just be a douche-bag sometimes. I think I'm not great at his dialogue, but writing about his feelings towards Ventus is fun.

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

Ventus - I LOVE fics where Ventus is forced to take a more responsible role, or has to balance his childish nature with a growing sense of maturity. This is one of the reasons I'm SUCH a huge fan of fanfics where Ventus is like a big brother figure to Sora. I also LOVE LOVE LOVE fics where Ventus' anger is explored like. Oh he is FULL of anger, man. As much love and kindness that's in his heart. There is Hatred there too. AND ANY FIC THAT REVOLVES AROUND HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH SORA AND HOW BEING IN SORA'S HEART AFFECTS HIM. Fic recs that have some of the above tropes!

Hurricane Heartbeat by Dorked

Sleeping hearts often wander by Bommie20

How Long Have You Known Sora, Exactly? by 13thSyndicate

Three Quarters by angeltheatre For Ventus stuff I don't like, see question 8's answer

Vanitas - I love when he's kinda. Forcibly made to form a "truce" with Ventus but keeps testing him. I love fics where Ven's just minding his own business and Vanitas is like "I'm gonna start shit >:)" and they both get called out for being idiots when they fight each other. But OH MAN. MORE THAN THAT. I love love love when fics have Vanitas adapt the attitude of "No one can hurt Ventus BUT ME." it's my favorite flavor of protective Vanitas. For stuff I don't like, see question 8's answer

23. Favorite picture of this character?

[cq-studios]

(Hello! Future me here. This has an Ask Blog now and not everything here is still canon to the AU please keep this in mind while reading ^^)

Brain rotting about a KHUX AU I came up with right now

TW: Doomsday Cult, Mass Suicide, Child and Animal Death, Child Abuse (let me know if I'm missing something here and I'll update it)

A know that's a lot but hear me out.

Its the real world, late 30s early 40s. MoM's some rich dude who takes advantage of the influx of orphans to make Daybreak Town, which in this universe is essentially some sort of experimental orphanage. He stages the "War against Darkness" (the Keyblade War equivalent) which is a mass suicide. The Dandelions are to make sure they can defeat darkness again in case it ever came back (since MoM genuinely believes in what he's doing). The NULs are in charge for a while but then the government finds out and relocates all the Dandelions to normal homes. The NULs are mostly separated and need to adjust to normal society... but they're also determined to find each other again.

(My notes are under the cut... still developing everything I'll probably add more later)

Timeline of Events (Pre-relocation):

MoM is very rich and bought a massive property and built Daybreak Town on it

MoM adopted the Foretellers and Luxu, about 13 years before he bought the property, they are orphans from the Great War

Daybreak Town was a self sustaining cult masquerading as an orphanage

A lot of farming and hunting happening

All the ‘keyblade wielders’ are orphans from the Great Depression

MoM and the Foretellers basically convinces the kids KH lore (a la time of Fairytales) is real

Every “Keyblade Wielder” has a “Chirithy” which is just a cat

The “Keyblade War” is a mass suicide designed to destroy darkness

This happens halfway into 1939

They killed most of the Chirithies too

Luxu is the only Lost Master who survives this (and he leaves soon after)

The Dandelions are to “keep the light alive”

Ephemer and Skuld save Player from the “War” by stopping them from drinking the poison

They end up switching their cup with another Dandelion’s

Ven overhears Dandelions talking about surviving and ends up switching his cup with Strelitzia’s in a panic

He realizes afterwards that she was important and filled in out of guilt

He also totally mixes his memories around here and forgets what he did

Elrena is the one who buries Strelitzia and is the one who tells Lauriam she’s dead (only once he asks about her though)

The NULs are in charge for about a year and a half before the government relocates the Dandelions

The NULs were not particularly close before then

Basically the social events of Union X (minus the murder reveal, the relocation stops that before it can happen)

The NULs and Player try their best not to be separated but end up being relocated to households decently far from each other

Ephemer ends up alone

Brain and Player are pretty close together and meet up rather quickly

Skuld, Lauriam, and Ven end up a decently close together but far enough that they don’t know yet

Elrena is placed in the same household as Lauriam

(Post relocation stuff I'm still working on but I do have some ideas)

Additional Notes:

It’s the real world, USA, and the early 40s, whoop

1941 (at the relocation) to be exact

World War 2 is in full swing and the States are involved… I think

MoM (and the NULs afterwards) were totally bribing the people who were checking in on Daybreak Town before the “war” so he could keep it open… either that or there were just too many kids to actually check to see if they were all accounted for

Probably didn’t help that they would use any dead bodies as fertiliser for their garden so there’s no clear graves for anyone

Everyone drank something during the “war” (it’s easier to convince people if they don’t think anyone’s going to survive), the Dandelions just drank from glasses without the poison

Daybreak Town is significantly more accepting of than the greater society

The NULs are completely taken aback by any type of bigotry

Poor Player gets misgendered all the time and is forced to wear masculine clothes even when they want to be more fem

Skuld cannot with gender roles

like she’s actually gonna explode with all this lack of rights business

Everyone (outside of the Dandelions) assumes Ephemer and Skuld are dating

To be clear, they are not

Player and Brain both refused to be separated from their Chirithies

Ven’s Chirithy finds him

Oh my lord these kids don’t know how to be normal

They were essentially brainwashed so they’re all stuck on the KH lore they were taught as truth

They’re all severely traumatized, obviously, but on top of the whole “Keyblade War” thing and you know, other doomsday cult stuff, they had awful healthcare and so kids would die very often and gruesomely

The NULs’ instincts are still a main reason they’re still alive

They brush off death very easily because of this, normal people are alarmed

They’re way behind on education because of their situation

Brain is definitely the most literate out of all of them but he was still limited in what he could read

Brain loves making (and deconstructing) things whether it’s sewing new clothes and plushies (something he did quite often in Daybreak Town) or the new technology, like radios and telephones (something he takes to once he’s relocated)

Brain would make plushies for “wielders” who had nightmares they were often amalgamations of various animals (just like the spirits)

He prefers to learn things through trial and error rather than being shown and he is incredibly stubborn about that

Teachers hate him for this

The new parents of Brain do their damndest to convert him to Christianity but he ends up just becoming an atheist instead

He is not quiet about it either

He probably gets beaten because of it

People find Ephemer kind of off putting

He always has a new theory about something going on with the authority based on his KH lore upbringing

He’s also one of the NULs the deepest in the delusion (Ven is the only one I think is deeper)

He’s starting to pull out of it but it’s a very slow process

He brings up death way to casually, and is always talking about his friends and their weird adventures together

Even with all that though he doesn’t really behave his age since he was forced to grow up so fast in Daybreak Town

[rosewritesfanfics]

Is it alright to request a pt2 to the story helpless :)

Helpless Part 2

I gave this a happy ending, I might write a bad ending next simply because I love angst but we'll see.

The walk to the hospital had passed in a blur, people, buildings, and plant life merging together around him as Strelitzia guided him through the city. He'd stopped crying only once he had no more tears he could possibly shed, eyes red and puffy. Small injuries received during the battle did not register as he focused solely on trying to get your connection to respond. He couldn't tell you what hospital this was. He couldn't tell you what room number you were in. He couldn't tell you where Riku or Strelitzia had gone. All he knew was that he could see you and that's when he finally snapped back.

You were still on the bed, shallow breaths nearly unnoticeable if not for Sora's silence. The nurses had cleaned the blood off your face, and only then did Sora realize he was still covered in it. Oh god. The red coating his hands had been inside of you. You were so pale. Could you even regenerate enough to recover? There was so much. A stark contrast to the white sheets on your bed. He felt like he was going to be sick. He needed to get it off now. But if he left you, would you stop breathing? You still weren't responding to him. Normally it was instinctual, you'd have no awareness of your connection and your heart would do it even while you slept. Please just respond. Please. He was only met with silence.

Strelitzia and Riku re-entered the room with a rag and food, probably from the cafeteria. No words were spoken as Riku wiped the blood from his face. Sora would not look away from you.

"Sora" the sound after so much quiet almost scared him. "There's a sink in the adjacent bathroom if you want to clean the blood off your hands." Riku spoke gently, like he was talking to a wounded animal or a child. The worst part was, Sora couldn't disagree. His mind was completely adrift with fears about what was happening. Truthfully, Riku could have wiped the blood from Sora's hands as well, but he wanted to give Sora a moment to collect himself.

"I can't leave them." Sora's voice was scratchy from the screaming he'd done earlier. He hoped his heart didn't sound as weak. It had to be strong to even hope you'd hear him. Riku looked like he wanted to say something, probably to convince him to take care of himself. Sora knows you'd want the same thing. But he can't. Not when you're still not answering him.

"Sora the doctors said they're stable, but we can't do anything until they wake up." Strelitzia was trying to calm him from his internal storm of emotions but she didn't understand. You never ignored him calling out to you. "Sora please do you really want them to wake up and see you covered in blood? It's for both your sake and theirs." Strelitzia was playing on his weakness, and it worked. He was fragile in this state but he'd do anything for you.

Sora found his way to the bathroom and scrubbed his hands until they felt raw. He actively avoided looking at the mirror, he didn't want to know how he looked right now.  He called out one last time, in the vain hope he'd hear something. Anything. At first there was still only silence. Sora gripped the sink so hard he thought it might break. Somehow it seemed he still had some tears, and he grit his teeth as he fought against them. He didn't need to embarrass himself any further in front of his friends. He quickly forgot the sentiment when he finally, finally, felt your heart again. It was a quick pulse. Flickering and barely there. But it said what it needed to. I'm still here. I'm going to be ok.

Sora almost fell to the floor in sheer relief, allowing a few tears to fall before exiting the bathroom and pulling his chair up next to your bed. The other two left the room to give him some privacy as he cried next to you. He focused on his messages to you. Soothing and apologizing, trying to comfort you. You could hear him couldn't you? You had to. A few more minutes pass. Another small pulse. Sora allowed himself to smile. 

It's three long days of waiting before you wake up. Your heart had been getting stronger and Sora could feel it. Your connection was restored and arguably stronger than it was before. Even if you couldn't communicate with him past instinct, upon waking you'd find you could sometimes feel one of those pulses from his side of the connection. You'd woken up to it, Sora's heart buzzing and humming as it sensed you fully awaken, knowing before he'd been able to witness it. You gently squeezed his hand that was holding yours as he napped by your bedside. You felt him squeeze back as he slowly woke up, before blue eyes fully widened and Sora sat up in shock. His hair was even more a mess than usual, spikes depressed and messed up in all different directions, but other than that it seems Riku and Strelitzia had forced him to take care of himself. You'd have to thank them later.

Before you could say anything he scooped you into a hug. You gripped back and he laughed, and tears once again fell from his eyes, happy ones this time. You took a second to absorb your surroundings and how you got there. That's when you remembered how Sora had confessed to you. After ignoring you for months. Suddenly you pulled back, and the look Sora gave can best be described as that of a kicked puppy. 

"I'm not mad" you start and he perks up a bit as you continue, "especially not after what just happened, but we still need to talk. I can understand wanting me to be safe and why you kept your distance, but that doesn't change the fact it hurt me."

"I'm sorry, I know there isn't a good excuse." Sora sounded just as small as he looked, and your previously stern demeanor melted a bit. How were you supposed to stay upset when he was this adorable? It truly wasn't fair.

"I forgive you, just promise me you'll keep me updated from now on." As soon as the words leave your mouth he's once again at full attention, capturing your hand in both of his while looking at you with a seriousness you didn't think he was capable of.

"I promise. I was never planning on doing something like that again anyway. I don't even know if I could leave your side after seeing you while injured. The whole time we've been apart, I've still been able to feel you in a way thanks to the way our hearts are connected. I can feel it with all my friends, although some connections are stronger than others. But when you passed out, no matter how much I tried to feel you there was no response. Eventually your heart began calling back out to me, but before that I was terrified. For all I knew you were dead. That fear, that's how you've felt this whole time right? I'm so sorry I ever put you through that, I'll never do it again." He's choked up again by the time he finishes, and when you tug him back in for a hug he holds you tighter than ever before. The both of you still needed to talk things through, and there was still a war to fight, but for now Sora could focus solely on the person he loved without fear.

[kingarmorking]

"(simba voice) moooom! mom you're messing up my mane!"

i dont know where this takes place in that au but the image Would Not leave my mind so here we are @tharkflark1

There were many things that Yozora expected when he woke up that morning. Training with his dads, maybe going off world with either of them or Aegis and Magia or maybe it would’ve been a quiet day! Just a day for himself to wander around Quadratum. That was thrown out the window when he saw a news broadcast of a monster, looking eerily similar to the heartless his dads talked about fighting, and then the headline stated, “Young man with a giant key fights off the monster that appears in downtown Quadratum!”

So… yeah he was with a younger version of his dad now. Sora was staying with Strelitzia and they were working on a way to get him back to his own world. That he could do. Sure a wrench or two were consistently being thrown into that plan when the younger version of Riku then showed up followed by his actual dads coming back from where they were off world! But that he could handle! Kind of! He was handling it just fine. What he could not handle… was the younger version of Riku in his spirit form.

Now… his pa (Sora) had told him that dad (Riku) had some trouble controlling the form when they were younger. He wasn’t sure when his dad had gotten a better grasp on it so the few times he’d seen the form growing up, he was in control of his actions for the most part, there were few things that he’d do that pa would embarrass him about later (though he would still find a way to without a doubt)

He’d woken up like normal, after that mess had been settled, terrible bedhead and all that caused it to spike up in random directions. Noise from outside had caught his attention and upon exiting he saw the younger Riku in his spirit form. Again not a big deal but the second Riku’s star-shaped eyes locked with him, Yozora felt the deep rooted instinct of fight-or-flight flare up and he turned to run back inside because where was Sora, why was Riku in his spirit form- he was bowled over none too gently by the giant komory bat dream eater.

He felt the rumbling in Riku’s throat as he nuzzled his back and let out a pained huff, “Okay, Riku I get it, you’re happy to see me, which… better than the alternative… but can you please get off me you’re so much heavier than Meow Mori!” he groaned.

Riku, to absolutely no one’s surprise, did not listen to him. Because why would he like this, Sora was the only one who he’d listen to and Sora was still no where to be seen! A chuff of air further mussed his hair and he rolled his eyes, twisting his body to say something else when a tongue dragged across his forehead up to his hair. Wha… oh hell no, don’t tell him…!

“Riku! I don’t need a bath!” his petulant protests went unnoticed as Riku continued grooming his future child.

The only saving grace was that Aegis and Magia weren’t present because they’d never hear the end of it and then he’d be minus two friends. He continued trying to get out of Riku’s grip, only freezing when he heard muffled giggles from behind him. He craned his head backwards and was greeted with the sight of the older Sora, pa, trying and failing to contain the snickers escaping from his mouth.

“Not… a word.”

“But Zozo!”

“But nothing pa!”

Pa covered his mouth, more muffled giggles coming out at the sight of the predicament Yozora was in as Riku’s tongue made his hair, arguably worse honestly, “Riku! You’re messing up my hair!” he groaned. Pa’s laughs were finally too much and he doubled over, holding his stomach. His dad laughing was fine, this was still better than-

“Aww baby dream eater’s bath time by daddy dream eater~!”

Two sets of laughter joined pa’s and Magia’s voice rang out clear, Yozora briefly wondering if he could suffocate himself in Riku’s mane. Finally he got one arm free and he frantically pat at Riku’s arm, “Okay, okay I’m clean! I’m clean!” he wriggled the rest of his body free and made to smooth his hair out. Once that was done he took a quick calming breath, spun on his heels and materialized his sword and crossbow, aiming them at his two, soon to be, ex-friends. Aegis and Magia both froze, wide grins still on their faces.

“Run.” all three said simultaneously, Aegis and Magia to each other and Yozora’s only warning before he ran after them. Pa could handle Riku’s spirit form for the time being, he had two friends to kill.

[naokli]

Just a thought i had about Chirity, the Player and some other characters

In KH Ux there is just three people we see really interacting with their Chirity: the Player, Streletzia and Brain (his Chirity is really unique by his design also).

Do you thing they may be a ling between them?

We already know Strelitzia had some feelings for the Player, and that the Player will certainly meet Brain in Missing Link.

I don't really have a lot to say about this or a theory. I just found interesting that this three characters have interactions with their Chirity the most, and have some bound somehow. We see Ventus and his Chirity meeting again in KH3, a really powerful moment. But we don't see them interacting in KH Ux (or I'm missing something and please let me know!)

Yeah in the end just a detail I wanted to talk about. And I don't know what to say or add lol. Just something I noticed and wanted to talk about.

Forgot to add Elrena, but she have some scenes with ther own one. She is linked to Strelitzia so maybe there is something here. I don't know lol. Just my mind rambling a lot.

[mysterycharacterflowers]

Round 1; Strelitzia Vs A bouquet of blue violets, trumpet creeper, lavender and green carnation

If you know who they are, or are pretty sure of it, please don't tell until this poll has ended!

First, let's talk about the Strelitzia

Meaning and why this flower was chosen: It symbolizes freedom and/or immortality, wich fits greatly with the themes of their trajectory on the media. Wasting years of their life literally rotting away on a tower, completely waiting for death after their family's failed attempt at immortality ended with all of their deaths. Only finally freeing themself from that cycle after denying their father's control and living their own life. Description: Their solution to daddy issues was literally murder I'm pretty sure. Do you need any more convincing? Also they're so niche and underrated I need my blorbo in something, their media never even made it out of it's original country eu sei que vocês me entendem, mi gente latina

Check their post here

Now, let's talk about the bouquet of blue violets, trumpet creeper, lavender and green carnation

Why these flowers were chosen: Blue Violets: specifically mentioned in the text, faithful and loving Trumpet Creeper: also mentioned in the text, new beginnings Lavender: Queer in canon (pretty su, silence and devotion Green Carnation: Queer (again), green is also a relevant color to his story Description: He is a devoted brother, and very passionate about who and what he cares about. A talented veterinarian and lover of all things fauna. He loves his family but isn't very good with people. I'm also pretty sure he's autistic but anyways.

Check their post here

[akashicmuses]

EPHEMER TO LAURIAM: ❛  remember me once in a while — please promise me you'll try.  ❜

Phantom of the Opera Ask Meme

“Ephemer…” The name feels like a ghost on his lips, sucking the life from him the moment he dares to speak it. How… he looks just like the boy in his memories, barely even aged a single day. How long has it been since Lauriam has said his name, since he has seen him?

Where was he all this time? And to speak such words to him now? It kindles something in Lauriam’s gut. A quiet rage that nearly erupts from every pour in his skin. He grits his teeth, canines biting into his lip.

“How dare you ask that…!” Lauriam suddenly shouts, both of his hands tightening into fists. “How dare you, after we all promised that we would see each other again! Where was Ven, where was Skuld and Brain!? And where were you!?”

“I woke up alone, with no memory of anything, and all of you were gone. Do you know how long I spent wandering in a haze? With the sense that there was something unfinished, that I could not recall no matter how hard I tried!?”

Their promises to each other before they had boarded their lifeboats, their arcs to bring them to the next world flashed in his mind, their faces, their voices, everything that Lauriam had lost! Everything that his mind had left him bereft of!

But…it wouldn’t have mattered if they had been there, would it? Elrena—Larxene, had been at his side the whole time. His partner in crime, the one who had helped him so diligently in his search for Strelitzia, who had found him again in the Organization twice…

And he had remembered nothing.

A mirror image of Ven had been before him.

And nothing.

Lauriam’s nails were biting into the flesh of his palm now, and he heaved a large sigh. All around him, patches of healthy grass began to wither and die.

“I wanted to remember you more than anything in the entire world…” he said, his voice falling to a quiet hush again. “And now, I hardly trust my memories to stay at all.”

Ever since his memories returned, Lauriam’s thoughts had grown easily scattered. At times, it was like his heart was trapped in a fog, unable to fully connect to what was going on around him. He could barely remember these moments, important dates would escape him, tasks would be left uncompleted. Sometimes it felt as if his entire reality were a lie, and he struggled to remember which of the two lives he was supposed to be living.

Perhaps he deserved as much. After all, hadn’t he tried to strip the memories of a young boy away, layer by cruel layer? Hadn’t he tried to inflict the exact same agony onto another, at the expense of a young girl’s misery? He hadn’t had the capacity to care at the time, but even if he had, wouldn’t he have just dismissed it by saying that neither did she?

But, even if these memory issues that still plagued him were the lingering curse of a witch… didn’t Ephemer deserve remembrance? It was so difficult to untangle everything, what he deserved or other people deserved from him…

“The world has made me into a cruel man, Ephemer. I have made myself into one. I remember you now, I swear it. But… please…”

“There are better men to carry your legacy.”

[strelitziareginaee]

The ring of a flowershop's door signals the arrival of a latest customer. She is an unassuming elderly woman, who seemed to know precisely what she wanted: the poppy.

A modest bouquet, but she cradled it to herself as she brought it to the counter. ❝ A long time ago, ❞ she tells the sweet young girl tending to the shop. ❝ I'd lost many who were precious to me. Because I failed to protect them. So I like to buy these now and then, to honor them. ❞

After payment, she places the flowers into Strelizia's hand -- her warm and wrinkly hand trembling... and when she'd look up she'd see those kind old eyes shedding a tear. ❝ Would you please keep them with you, dear? I'd like you to keep it. ❞

Because little did this sweet flower maiden know, that behind this disguise was the weary heart of an ancient master... who felt bittersweet to see that her precious dandelion had found meaning anew, here in this sort of afterlife.

But she can't help but smile as she leaves, finding some peace in her hear to know the girl was making the most of it.

[ from @avulpinricious :') ]

Just another day.

It was as seamless as all the others.

She went through inventory for the day, stocking various shelves of newborn plants in pretty pots, or sat in the back crafting beautiful arrays of bouquets, all with their own languages.

She was in the process of making a bouquet with Forget Me Nots, when the sound of the bell signaling a customer pulled her from the back of the shop. There, take her place at the cash register, ready to assist with payment or questions as an elderly woman approached the counter, a fresh bouquet in hand.

Strelitzia smiled warmly, greeting the old woman and proceeding to pull up the cost, when her weary voice brought her attention back towards her, her words pulling at Strelitzia's heartstrings stronger than she anticipated.

Her smile wilted, worry crossing her features as her gaze dropped to the flowers in hand. It wouldn't be right to ask for payment now. Not if these were for someone special. Someone that was, apparently, not in this woman's life anymore.

"Take them." She said without hesitation. "No purchase required. I'm sure whoever they're for, they would be happy to receive such pretty flowers." Sympathetic to her plight, it would be too cruel to ask for payment now. She too knew what it was like to loose those who were close to her. She understood this woman better than anyone.

What she didn't understand, however, was the flowers being returned to her. Old weary hands had found their way into hers, placing them where they supposedly belonged. Her eyes widened, stunned as she looked back at the old woman, finding a single tear falling from her tired eyes when she met her gaze.

Strelitzia gasped.

She didn't know why, but there was something suddenly familiar about this woman that stood before her, appearing out of thin air like a forgotten apparition. Maybe it was her melancholy attributes or the nostalgic air around her. But Strelitzia was beginning to think that perhaps she knew this woman far more than she originally thought. Like an old friend from a time long long ago. From another plain of existence. An era that even Strelitzia began to forget about.

She brought the flowers to her chest, too dazed and stupefied to stop her from leaving. All she could do was watch her exit her shop, getting the strange sense that they would never see each other again.

But she treasured those flowers once the old woman left, finding the most beautiful vase for them and placing them in a window that would catch the most light and where she could admire them; remembering the kindness that a stranger shown her in a world too busy.

[fisherrprince]

kip noodles about a mini au that should have, probably, been a single image post but they don’t feel like drawing so it goes here in words instead of on twitter where it would normally go

au where. lauriam + ven r vampires. and the rest of the union leaders are monster hunters, and they work together to track down the entity that turned ven killed strelitzia and is terrorizing the town. that’s it that’s the whole au, the conceit of it is Lauriam and ven bonding time (with added dread). plot events dictate that ven was turned in an effort to rip apart the union leaders by setting it up so he would kill litzy in the process, which skuld and ephy suspect, but lauri doesn’t. he needs to think The Entity killed her or the two relatively inexperienced vampires won’t have anyone to commiserate with. Also both litzy and ven are so soft he gets so upset when he has to bite something especially if it’s a little aminal (ven turns HUGE puppy eyes on Lauriam when offered a bunny. you are so much like her. please just eat the rabbit so you don’t chew a blanket to shreds again). And also Ven has to wear a mask a lot because he’s ten and has terrible control, and at that age vampire venom is still extremely lethal, and he ends up bonking his face into a lot of things, and Lauriam is trying to teach him so bad and it is only kind of working because again the Entity is a different way more volatile strain/family of vampire than he is (he likes to think of himself as sophisticated) so where he can pick and choose when and how he feeds ven has way way less control over it point blank. And also brain is a crow (what) he’s a crow witch shapeshifter I do not make the rules that’s just what he is. vens tried to bite him and he got a mouth full of conjured river mud

[rosie-kairi]

Ventus Character Analysis based entirely off of the 10 or so pages he exists for in the KHX novel.

A couple months ago I made a post regarding a small passage from the KHX novel that had caught my attention because of how it established a bit of character for Ventus in such a short paragraph. Now, I’ve decided to comb through the rest of the section he appears in to see if I can find anything else worth talking about character-wise, and take up the challenge of writing my first ever character analysis essay for something non-school related. Lord have mercy on my soul please, I swear I’m trying my hardest over here. While his appearance in the KHX novel was brief, we can still learn interesting information about Ventus’s character as he appears in the Chi Saga. 

(Essay under read more because this gets long.)

(Also on AO3 here.)

Ventus first appears in the book on the very end of page 136 -11 pages before the book’s conclusion- during the epilogue titled “Epilogue- Unchained X”. This is the only section of the book he appears in, as the epilogue covers the end of the keyblade war, the union leader meetup, and has a short interlude for Strelitzia’s death. It should be noted that most of the more interesting bits about Ventus can be found on page 137, as that is the page where he is fully introduced, before the book shifts its attention over to the arrival of Brain. Like I said, very brief appearance. So forgive me if I end up repeating some points on accident. As is common for the Kingdom Hearts novelizations, a majority of the dialogue is taken straight from the game cutscenes, and KHX is no different. There is nothing in the dialogue in this book that could allow us to glean information about Ventus’s character that we would not have already gotten in-game. That’s not to say there’s absolutely nothing new to be taken into account, because if there wasn’t I wouldn’t be writing this. It’s all in the prose.

Ventus’s arrival comes with a description of him, that being “The one who answered was a boy with short, wavy golden hair and a tendency to look at the ground. He seemed so quiet that it was hard to imagine him fighting with a keyblade” (pg. 136). While it doesn’t really describe Ventus physically, it does tell us a lot about him personality wise. Mainly, Ventus seems to be a very shy and timid person. He’s not the type you’d imagine when thinking of people who go out everyday and fight dangerous creatures made of darkness. Ventus’s apparent tendency to look at the ground as mentioned above might also suggest that he’s unsure of himself, as doing so can be seen as a sign of nervousness or uncertainty -at least, according to body language analysts. What’s more is that the speech indicators used when Ventus speaks seem to support this. When Ventus introduces himself to Skuld and Ephemer, he is described as doing so “shyly” (pg. 137), when he wonders why he was chosen Ventus sounds “uncertain of himself” (pg. 137), and when lamenting his lack of friends, Ventus mutters (pg. 137). Suffice to say, Ventus is not a very confident person. He lacks what he sees as sufficient enough skills that would warrant him being chosen as a union leader. He says so himself, “I’m not especially good at anything… And I’m never at the top of the rankings.” (pg. 137). In the very first scene he appears -and the only section that is dedicated to him specifically- in the novel it is made very clear that Ventus lacks self-confidence. He talks down on himself and all-around just seems very unsure as to why he, a timid, not very strong 10-12 year old boy of all people, was chosen to lead the unions after the war. 

Another key part of Ventus’s character throughout the events of KHUX is his lack of close friends. Before becoming a union leader, Ventus was completely alone. Besides maybe his Chirithy, Ventus had no one. His apparent timidness and self-confidence issues probably factored into this. He was too shy to try and approach random keyblade wielders in the hopes of befriending them. If we choose to believe that Ventus was in-fact a preteen around this time, then his age would present a problem as well. Being a 10 year old surrounded by teenagers in an incredibly competitive environment where being stronger than all of your peers and collecting the most lux to get high up in the rankings is highly encouraged is not going to do much good for your self-image. In an environment like that, many wielders would likely look down on those they deem as being too weak, and by Ven’s own admission, he would’ve been incredibly likely to be one of those seen as too weak. Not to mention how a lot of teenagers probably would not want to be hanging around with a 10 year old who could barely pull his own weight. So, Ventus would’ve been stuck in a cycle of being rejected by stronger keyblade wielders for being too weak, but not being able to get stronger because he was completely alone aside from his Chirithy. In a series that puts so much emphasis on the strength we get from our friends and peers, Ventus had none of that. There’s one paragraph -the one that inspired me to make this in the first place- which reads, “Ephemer had never seen this boy Ven. Many keyblade wielders he would at least recognize by face, and you usually heard stories about the really exceptional ones, but Ven belonged to neither category.” (pg. 137). It may not say so directly, but this passage once again reiterates how lonely and for all intents and purposes unremarkable Ventus was in Daybreak Town. Ephemer, someone who feels that in a town of potentially thousands of keyblade wielders he would be able to recognize most of them by face alone, does not recognize Ventus at all, and he’s clearly never heard of him either. It feels mean to say, but Ventus is not well-known, he’s not recognizable, and he’s not an exceptional keyblade wielder. Ventus is a nobody, and I don’t mean like in the Kingdom Hearts enemy way, I mean a literal nobody.

It’s mean, I know it’s mean, I’m basically just bullying the poor kid at this point, but that’s what we can infer from the text. With all of this in mind it’s really not hard to see why Darkness chose him as its target. He was weak, he was vulnerable, he was the perfect choice for Darkness to leech onto. Ventus, above all else, wanted strength and friendship, and he did get that eventually with the union leaders. But it was all at the cost of another person’s life. Darkness answered Ventus’s wishes and gave him everything he wanted. Strelitzia had to die in order for Ventus to get what he wanted. Ventus, of course, did not know about this. He did not kill Strelitzia, not on purpose. He was an unwilling participant in her murder. But it would not be inaccurate to say that Strelitzia did die directly because of Ventus. If Darkness did not “fulfill” Ventus’s wants, Strelitzia would still be alive and a union leader. But where would that leave Ventus? The reality of it is that in a world without the interference of Darkness Ventus would not have been asked to become a Dandelion by Ava due to his lack of strength as she was tasked specifically with recruiting the best keyblade wielders, and he wouldn’t have been recruited any of his friends who might’ve been in the dandelions because he had none. Poor Ventus would’ve fought in the war and realistically would’ve died very quickly. 

That’s really all I have to say here. I could say more, but this is meant to be an analysis of Ventus’s character as he is portrayed in his very limited appearance in the KHX novel. For what it’s worth, this whole essay probably won’t reveal anything about Ventus’s character that we couldn’t already assume from the cutscenes in-game, but I do think it’s still important. For how little we see of him in the novel it does one hell of a job in establishing parts of his character right off the bat without outright saying anything definitive. 

Thank you very much for reading my lil essay here, I know it might seem a bit disjointed at some points and I really do apologize for that. This is the culmination of a lot of my brainworms about Ventus and I never have been very good at putting thoughts on paper. If anyone has anything they’d like to add, please don’t hesitate to do so. Hope you enjoyed!

Also, I do want to just throw a shout out to everyone who left tags of their thoughts on the original post because they really helped me out here.  He’s our collective sad little Charles Dickens-esque orphan boy and we are taking turns giving him soup.

[maverickflare]

(context; this concept exists in my little kh au ive been doing and strelitzia specifically has a 'died and came back wrong' thing going on and ended up becoming a false prophet for a bit. dontworry abt it i just wanna be insane for a minute.)

i rlly rlly do think strelitzia/elrena/aqua could be soooooooo.... in the right circumstances. the inherent beauty of three women all entering a will they wont they scenario together. bc well strelitzia is still dealing w her thing + doesnt want to 'further disrupt' elrenas life after the whole. dying on her tht one time. so she isnt sure how to navigate this situation of rekindling their friendship and discovering that erhm. well she still has some emotions there (they briefly dated as teenagers and never got to have closure on tht front on account of the horrors). and elrenas like "ive got a good thing going w aqua right now which is crazy because i have no idea how i did that" and at the same time still clinging to the idea that she can salvage something from her youth (ie. her relationship w strelitzia) despite claiming to have Gotten Over It and avoiding giving any real answers whenever aqua tries to bring it up. aquas fine talking abt elrenas problems but as soon as the focus is on her, shes like please never ask me how im doing i cant answer that. but also if nothing she can hypothetically Fix happens in their relationship she will get freaked out and assume something bad is gonna happen soon so they HAVE to talk about it. they Have to talk abt strelitzia and elrenas nebulous thing at some point but they will not. aqua and strelitzia will jsut awkwardly make eye contact and pretend they dont want to talk abt this whole thing and instead talk about something asinine or what the realm of the heavens was like or if theyve read any fun books lately bc its so much easier than asking "why does my girlfriend cry sometimes when she wakes up after dreaming of you, even though youre still here and still alive." which is kind of a lot to ask someone, especially a woman who only recently clawed her way back to reality. who knows.