#herocarved

[dawnled]

𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 / @herocarved !

[ 𝐣𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬 ] : sender is voicing their negative opinion about a person who appears to be close with the receiver.

the clatters, clanks & general atmosphere of the quadratum coffee shops is something they're both acclimatising to - although riku has to acknowledge the fact that sora seems much more used to it than he is.

it makes sense, given the additional year he's been here, while riku's struggled to return to his side ---- a year they can't get back, no matter what they do, but a year they're both determined to make up for in any & all ways they can.

when riku had departed the Final World to make his way to quadratum, he had expected to be alone - & while that had been true in a physical sense, he at least had the mental company of that nameless star from the world between theirs & this Unreality.

nobody had expected it - from what the fairy godmother had said, it seemed like she couldn't leave the Final World, particularly not to come home, or her heart, as bright as it was, would be stolen. but, perhaps because she had been his pathway, or maybe something else, they had been able to communicate even when he arrived; maybe because they'd formed some sort of connection.

what do i call you?, he'd remembered asking, when groping for a name - one he hadn't been given, in all of their talk in the Final World. stelle, she'd replied, & that had been that.

she'd been a comfort when he'd been searching initially, someone to talk to, to guide him, during his initial days here trying to find sora - & once the disaster of this world had been dealt with, the presence of the man known as 'the master of masters' fading from the very air, she'd been able to return, willing to help them find a way home.

it was still a little strange, having a body to associate with her voice, now - but she's like sora in all the right ways; a bright smile, sparkling eyes, a soft, gentle voice & beautiful laughter that relaxes his shoulders. normally, he's not so quick to warm up to people -- but she & yozora had shared the same connection as he & sora, at least to some capacity, & he'd found companionship with her in that respect.

& companionship was all it was, his mind reinforced, as he turned from the coffee shop's counter in the direction of their table - there's the slight click of stelle's heels as she walks in a slightly different direction, off toward the table of milk, sugar & cutlery, & it would have been drowned out by the atmospheric noise had riku not ears sharper than most.

even so, it is drowned out, for the most part, by the sight before his eyes - sora's face bears a complex expression, one he hasn't seen in quite some time, & one he's much more used to knowing, to feeling, on his own face, from some few years ago. sora's still processing through all of the feelings he hasn't been 'allowed' to experience in their years of fighting & war, riku knows, & he's not faulting him for it; it's just rare to see something like jealousy furrow sora's brows, ighten his jaw, & if anything else, riku might almost say it's amusing.

sora almost doesn't seem to acknowledge him as he approaches, eyes glued to stelle's side profile as she adds milk, & nearly too much sugar as to be healthy, to her drink -- almost, except for the slight shuffle he does in his seat to press tighter into riku's side once he sits, placing both of their drinks on their table with a soft & gentle clink.

riku doesn't say a word - doesn't need to - as he raises his coffee to his lips, relishing the first sip. the corner seat they've chosen is mostly for people-watching, a space they've grown fond of using over the months, one far away enough to watch from a distance & speak of their own topics without any worry of being overheard. it's suitable for topics like this, ranging up to topics of magic & keyblades & the end of the world as they know it.

"it's not that i don't like her,"

sora eventually divulges, hands slowly curling 'round his hot chocolate as if he knows riku's waiting for him to speak when he's ready - maybe he does,

"i just---- don't like how she makes you smile. is that.... bad?"

& suddenly he's jealous, but also wary of that jealousy; like it's a dark, ugly thing that he's not supposed to feel, something that makes him cruel, harsh, a horrible, terrible person.

& riku doesn't even come close to thinking any worse of him for it.

"it's not bad,"

he starts, to quell the fear before it can swell - & the instant slack of sora's shoulders from their tension is obvious, at least to riku,

"i used to feel like that, too, before---- everything."

it had been a difficult time, to say the very least - drowning in his own dark emotions, allowing them to overflow until they had consumed him, changed him, made him want to leave their borders to be free from it all.

"but it got better. knowing you love me, knowing you feel as strongly as i do, makes it all better. sometimes, i still feel it, that jealousy in me - but i think that's my self-confidence, my possessiveness, rather than me not trusting you."

if the him of the past could see him now, he'd surely be blanching - back then, he'd never have confessed to anything remotely like this.

"she might be able to make me laugh or smile, like some other friends can - but you're the only one who can make me do anything, everything, else. i might help fight to protect her, but i'd cross seas, stars, universes, for you."

the silence drags as he takes another sip of his coffee -- whether from sora's shock, speechlessness, or a lack of anything to say in response, riku isn't sure; perhaps all three -- but riku regrets nothing of the words, for none of them are untrue.

"jealousy isn't a bad thing - it's how you handle it that matters."

[groovepawn]

“I know you…” 

In front of the Statue of Hachiko, before her stood the boy she’d met in a dream, a dream that wasn’t exactly hers. Despite the fact that he was older (visibly, strangely older than he maybe should have been,) she recognized him easily. He’d grown up a bit, but his face was still cute and boyish, the look in his eye innocent yet strong, and maybe a bit weathered. She once asked him to meet him here, and here he was. 

“Sora,” Shiki noted slowly. “You’re Sora, right?” 

While she’d certainly grown and aged thereabouts a year since they last met, there was no way he'd be able to recognize her—because the face he knew her as having was an entirely different one altogether. Quite like anyone who knew her in that strange era of time, it was never easy to explain just why she looked the way she did. She forgoes doing so for now, instead choosing to hold up her iconic plush cat, hoping he’d at least recognize that. “It… It’s me, Shiki,” she said, sincerity clear in the tone of her voice. “We’ve met before, in that strange town.”

“I may look different, but I promise you… my heart is the same one you knew.”  | @herocarved

[dawnled]

their original idea had been to spend the day wandering the city, roaming the streets, perhaps even seeing some of the shops & buying some new clothes & other essentials----

but, like all of their ideas since finding each other in this city beyond their reality, the universe - this universe? - seemed to have other plans.

through some other stroke of fate - is there really any such thing as coincidence, nowadays? riku's starting to have doubts - they do find themselves in front of one of their favourite shops ; a little coffee shop that has good drinks, snacks, and an even better view of the city streets, to watch people roam by.

maybe that's just something riku likes to do, spending his time in silence, drinking tea or coffee & watching people pass - he's fine with being quiet, absorbing the atmosphere around him, letting it settle across his shoulders like a warm, comfortable blanket. but, he finds that sora's been more willing to sit with him in that quiet these days.

---- well, to an extent ; there's a certain kind of silence that they both find comfortable & serene. however, if it goes on for too long, or if anything happens to change it, it can go sour pretty quickly.

but, he won't dwell on that for too long - they're here to try and have a good day, no matter what the city throws at them.

his lips upquirk, just a little bit, at sora's statement, & his eyes draw from the café's door to the brunet by his side ; they gleam a soft, shimmering teal, warm with fondness & a twinkle of knowledge of sora's antics to go with the light arch of one of his brows.

they both know that espresso is bad for him - much like a cat on catnip, it has him bouncing off the walls if he has too much, giddy with energy.

he huffs a small breath of amusement, coupled with a light shake of his head, before raising an arm to the door - there's the familiar little twinkle of the bell at its top edge to signify new customers, the warmth & now-familiar atmosphere of the place hitting all at once,

" after you . "

For @dawnled ! ( starter call . )

" I don't get it. "

The young man's voice carries notes of confusion ; his brows furrow ever so slightly as he stares up, up, up at his fiancé. His arms cross with that first telltale sign of defiance.

No. When has Riku ever told him no before? Never.

( Well, okay, not never . . . )

" Espresso isn't that bad for me. "

Yes, yes it is.

He's just choosing not to remember the jitters, the racing heartbeat, the frantic paranoia that kept both of them awake into the early hours of dawn. Those were outlier side effects ! They definitely wouldn't happen a second time ( or was it a third time now ? ).

The coffee shop - their favorite coffee shop since his imprisonment in this graveyard - beckons with soft music, soft lights & the promise of a reprieve from the cold rain of Quadratum. He feels the chilled drip, drip, drip against the back of his neck, even through the hoodie, & it's tempting to give up the idea of coffee in favor of warmth & hot chocolate -

maybe, but only because it's Riku.

[lostmemorias]

@herocarved​  asked  :   💫  for    sora    to    take    xion    stargazing

✦   𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓  𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒 .

here  and  there ,   xion  talked  about  sometimes  that  she  wanted  to  see  the  stars.   she  actually  never  did  before ,   and  it  would  be  something  that  would  make  her  really  happy !   and  somehow ,   sora  heard  about  that.

he  invited  her  for  to  watch  tonight’s  stargazing  at  the  beach  of  destiny  islands ,   and  of  course  xion  couldn’t  say  no.   when  it  was  dark ,   she  did  met  up  with  the  brunette  at  the  beach ,   he  already  sitting  there  and  waiting  for  her.   the  ravenette  places  herself  in  the  sand ,   giving  the  keyblade  wielder  a  little  smile.

❝  thank  you  so  much  for  the  invite,   sora.   that  makes  me  really  happy.   i  never  got  the  chance  to  watch  stars ,   i  am  really  excited  to  see  them.  next  time ,   i’ll  take  you  to  twilight  town  and  we  watch  the  sunset  together  on  the  top  of  the  clocktower.  promise  !   but  say ,   how  did  you  find  out  i  wanna  see  the  stars  so  badly  ?   ❞

[sanctiichor]

@herocarved​ asked || “  i’m fine, i’ve had worse.  ” 

The Warrior was silent as he bandaged the wielder’s arm, while it was certainly not life threatening and perhaps the young brunette truly did suffer worse...on the physical level at least. 

There was just something about the boy’s tone that brought forth a sense of worry within the starlit man...

It sounded so...dreary? Sad? 

He can’t quite but a name to it but...

It hurt to hear...from someone so young as Sora. 

He doesn’t know the boy that well, having only met him not too long ago and most of what he has heard of him was from the Restoration Committee , who sang his praises and emphasized on his cheery nature...and while all that is true, The Warrior still couldn’t help but feel ... a sort of sadness from the boy. 

He must be so tired...fighting for so long.

In that he understood ..too well almost.

Finally finishing his treatment, the white haired man goes to kneel before the brunette, cerulean hues meeting sky blues and The Warrior supposed he must have been staring for little too long because he noticed how Sora had begun to shift a little in his seat, whether it was from his scrutinizing gaze or just simply itching to go...either way , the Warrior finally spoke--

“ Perhaps you have had worse...” he begins, voice soft , so far from the usual sternness he always carried--right now was not the time for that-

He paused again for just a short moment, cerulean hues never the youthful face before him, and carefully he reaches out and places a hand upon Sora’s shoulder, careful and mindful of not hurting him too much...the boy is hurting enough as it is...

“ But that doesn’t make it fine...” 

PINTEREST QUOTES || ACCEPTING 

[darknessbledaa]

@herocarved​ said: “ i don’t wanna fight this war ” / from sora.

‘ does anyone truly want to ?? ’ 

it’s not a question terra expects an answer to  ,  but he knows it all the same.  there’s not a single one among them who wanted this  ,  sora probably least of all.  &  yet  ,  here he stood  ,  keyblade in hand  &  the weight of the world on his shoulders.  it’s not really fair  ,  terra thinks  ,  for so many people to have been dragged into this mess  ,  some willingly  ,  some not so much.  he frowns  ,  closing his eyes for a moment before he speaks  ,  looking back to sora.

‘ we weren’t meant to be soldiers.  none of us were. ’

[prayaux]

@herocarved​​ sent something miscellaneous :

“ i need you to live…cause if you’re gone then, i don’t know what the point of it all is anymore. ”

oh how her heart clenches in her chest, trembling as his hands do as they tightly clasp onto her own. he’s not the best with words - awkward, shy at best - but that just makes these moments all the more sincere, something she listens to with even more keen intent.

her heart feels as heavy in her chest as her boots do against the wooden floorboards , which groan with their combined weight in this neat little inn they’ve taken refuge - and how she wishes she could wipe away all his sadness.

but she’s seen things - flickers, flashing images behind her eyelids, sometimes.

not like mind. it’s isn’t good for anything at all. maybe you just don’t know how to use it. maybe.

will the ghosts, the spectres they’ve so often seen, guide her toward that end? no -- maybe now that they’re destroyed, by all their past destruction----

maybe their story can be different, now.

we can change it ; make it right.

“i’m not going anywhere,”

a promise she may not have made, before - but now, courage surges through her, a bit of resurgence in the hope she’d once planted in all of their hearts.

he would protect her, and she could fight - surely they could come out of this alive. in one piece.

together.

rubbing light, warm thumbs in circles across his shaking knuckles---- she has to smile, just a little bit, emerald eyes shining.

“i’ll always be right here ; by your side. i promise.”

[catncore]

@herocarved​ says:   “Consider the coconut.”

❛  consider  me  considering  the  coconut.  ❜    comes  the  rather  amused  reply,  the  barista  reaching  up  to  take  the  drupe  into  his  hands  to  get  a  feel  of  it.  He  didn’t  often  use  coconut  in  much  but  it  could  be  fun  to  spice  things  up  with  islander  dishes  for  the  cafe.  He  looks  over  to  the  teen  and  grins  warmly;      ❛    what  kind’a  dishes  do  you  miss  from  home?  Ingredients  notwithstanding,  i  want  to  expand  my  culinary  pallet.  I’m  willin’  to  give  jus’  about  anythin’  a  shot.    ❜    

he  had  a  condo  in  Hawaii  where  he’d  spend  a  couple  weeks  out  of  the  city  for  CAT  and  picking  up  coffee  beans;  or  ‘me  time’  as  he’d  call  it.  He  loved  Shibuya  more  than  life  but  he  enjoyed  traveling  too.  Being  stuck  in  the  same  place  meant  that  he  wasn’t  going  to  expand  his  world;  literally. 

[starshold]

@herocarved​     →     from here.

“ you’re not a machine or— or some thing. you’re a person, and i’m sorry anyone ever made you feel otherwise. ”  -  to roxas.

his other half  ,  roxas thinks  ,  is a much kinder person than he is.  but maybe that’s because of his  own  existence.  how much of this rage within him is his own ??  how much of it came from sora ??  it’s an odd existence  ,  but the boy finds he doesn’t mind.  no  ,  roxas thinks  ,  to have lived inside of sora’s heart  ,  to live  now  alongside him  ,  that much is a gift he wouldn’t trade  ,  not for anything the world could ever offer him.  here he is  ,  alongside the boy so many compared him to.  he was sora’s shadow  ,  sora’s nobody  ,  a  lesser  ,  broken piece of that golden boy  .

at one point  ,  he resented sora.  he wondered what could be so  special  about that boy that he deserved to be told he was less than him.  but he understands.  sora is  light  ,  so golden warm  &  pure that not even the  sun  compared to his heart.  maybe they were right.  maybe roxas was less than human  ,  maybe he was never  meant  to be human.  &  he would’ve been content being a sleeping fragment of sora’s heart for good.

for someone like sora  ,  it wasn’t enough.  he thought that roxas deserved to live outside of his own shadow  ,  he was willing to do  anything  to make that happen.  what a golden soul the gods must have given to him  ,  roxas had thought.  how honored i am to once have shared it with you. 

he struggles  ,  sometimes  ,  with his humanity.  axel knows it  ,  xion knows it  ,  &  now sora does too.  he doesn’t remember what he had said  ,  or how sora came to say what he did  ,  but all of a sudden roxas feels as though he had been punched in the chest.

you’re not some thing.  you’re a person.  i’m sorry anyone ever made you feel otherwise.

was he a person ??  is that what this weight in his chest was now ??  his hands tremble slightly  ,  &  a smile makes its way to roxas’ face  ,  though only for a moment.  that golden boy can see right through him  ,  it’s no use lying.  around sora  ,  his other half  ,  his  better  half  ,  roxas has never felt such a sickening combination of vulnerability  &  safety.  he swallows thickly  ,  shutting his eyes for a moment before he speaks  ,  thinking about his words carefully.

‘ for a while, i was just.....i wasn’t a person.  but you...you’ve always made me feel like me.  you see me as me.  that’s all i need to know. ’ 

he wonders if sora will know he’s trying to say thank you.

[dawnled]

𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 / @herocarved !

[ 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 ] : receiver hears sender calling their name while asleep.

in the underworld, there's little change in the scenery between night & day ; it's a land cloaked in eternal darkness, towering black skyscrapers over smaller city streets, comfortable under a star - filled sky.

it may be tragic that there's no sunshine, no sunrise to signify the beginning of a new day - but for those who live in the underworld, their own internal clocks learn to do that for them. as such, there's really no such thing as morning, afternoon, night, besides that which one's body tells them.

even so, riku now finds he abhors early morning meetings, though he didn't used to before - at least not as much.

little wonder why, he can't help but think, lips quirking at one corner as he glances over his shoulder - his heart, his body, his mind, yearn to be buried back under the covers, captured in the warm embrace of his Persephone - but alas, needs must, & the dead wait for no one, least of all their king.

he's just adjusted his cuffs and fixed the collar of his dress shirt when he hears it - the soft shuffle of sheets, the scramble of a hand against fabric, a small, sleepy grunt that sounds a little too airy for wakefulness. his heart lurches with it, longs to take the hand that reaches for him & forget all the plans he's made for today - particularly when he hears that sleep-provoked call of his name.

"riku...."

it's difficult to tell, but it sounds like spoken words that are connected to a dream - though riku also surmises that his absence in bed is what has caused the dream to turn in the direction it has, whatever direction that may be, & that has sora speaking out so. it's a quiet murmur, not too loud, not too quiet (or perhaps just louder because of the silence), but riku is nothing if not weak for his little artisan.

he is strong enough to not get back under the covers, as much as every molecule of him wants to - but he is weak enough to intertwine those grasping fingers with his, to press a kiss to the crown of his beloved, heart soaring at the warmth, the spark of connection that makes all of his synapses sing.

"i'll be back before long,"

he promises, voice a low, quiet mumble in the dark,

"sleep, my persephone - i'll have a surprise for you when i return."

[groovepawn]

@herocarved asked:

“You don’t need to tell me everything. I just want to know how I can help.” 🌻

A reddish gaze turns to look at him, a sort of curiosity occupying her faux visage. 

A casual, off-handed comment about “being something she’s not" seemed to stick out in his mind, in a way it rarely did for few. Despite how up-beat and carefree he seemed before, a certain sort of seriousness seemed to resonate in his sentiment as they stopped to stand still. After a moment, she turns back to him in full, and while she doesn’t realize it, a smile, maybe a touch melancholic, but no less genuine, shows on her features.

“You’re an interesting guy, you know that, Sora?”

“Tell you what,” she begins gently, taking a step closer, leaning in towards him to offer a bold wink, one only possible because she was cute enough to pull it off like this, “ask me again in Shibuya," the real me, "and I will tell you everything... sound fair?”

Shiki may not have always been the most honest girl, but this was one promise she’d make sure to keep.

[oblivionknight]

                     Which unpopular archetype is Riku?

                                                  The loyal

it’s a good thing you’re so patient. you know what it’s like to feel the full weight of doubt bearing down in you. for years, it tried to squeeze the life from your lungs. but nothing’s going to make you bow. you kept the candle’s flame alive. you whispered the names at nightfall. the vigil still lives inside of you. one day, the waiting will have been worth it. all your love is going to come home to you. you’re more important than you know. you’re still the one true believer. / / personality: calm, level-headed, stubborn / / counterpart: the accomplice.

Tagged by: @strength-of-heart​ (Thank you <3)

Tagging: @soaringcrowns​ @lcstkey​ @radixnt-gxrden​ @herocarved​

[dansiere]

✧･ﾟ: * plant personality :

✧ dandelion :  scrappy and tough, you’re a pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps kind of person. You don’t give up easily and you often thrive in situations that others would find discouraging. You have an instinct to serve others and see yourself as most useful in times or places of crisis, but you may over rely on your toughness and forget how sensitive you really are. Like you, dandelion holds steady, even in unfriendly environments. 

✧ nettle : truly a nurturing and supportive friend, you’re the kind of person that just isn’t for everyone. But those who take the time are rewarded with your gentle disposition, and the kind of friendship that does a person good no matter the difficulty they’re facing. When out of balance, you can become more prickly than supportive or nurturing, though—a sign that you need to shower yourself with the same kind of nurturing you so freely give to others.  Nettle is a deeply supportive herb that has been used for centuries as a tonic to support your body’s well-being.* A traditional springtime tonic whose alluring “green” taste is a reflection of the rising green of spring, nettle gently nourishes the whole body.

✧ fennel : you’re quiet, sometimes shy, with a tendency to be reserved. You have a humble, kind nature and often find yourself taking care of others. You can be known to hold things in, and you don’t always speak up for yourself. This tendency to hold things in can lead to disturbances. Fennel is generally soothing and supportive.

tagged by  :  fellow plant enthusiast @enshijou​​.

tagging : last five on the dash! @herocarved​, @reddtutu​, @foxcharmed​, @blossomingbeelzebug​, & @furmidables​​.

[prayaux]

@herocarved​​ sent something miscellaneous :

“ why do you walk around as if you’re somehow less valuable than the rest of the world? ”

a simple question, one posed as she travels the rickety wooden boards that pass from her home’s doorstep, over the river and down to the patches of flowers from which she likes to pick. the length of her hair shifts almost dramatically as she turns her head back, over her shoulder, eyes glimmering with question as she meets his gaze.

there’s silence for a few moments more as she passes over the balancing gap, landing easily on the other side, flower basket in hand ; after which she gives a small, contemplative hum as they make their way down the path.

“i’m not that special.”

a lie, really, but he didn’t know that - an ancient, a cetra, the last of them ; but to her, it’s never meant or done anything, not really. gotten her experimented on in a lab, her mother deceased---- but it’s also brought her to elmyra, so perhaps it’s done some good after all.

it’s brought her to him, or maybe him to her.

hmm. perhaps it’s not so bad.

“i’m just a regular person, living in the slums. i don’t need to be treated as anything valuable.”

[catncore]

  @herocarved​​ says:  “ i wish we could sail our sad days away forever . ”

❛  it sounds like the ideal world to live in’ but if we did that, we wouldn’ be able to tell th’ really good days from th’ bad. it’d all jus’ become the new norm.   ❜    he knows sora means well by it though. it was a penny for your thoughts sort of situation  &&   hanekoma had plenty of thoughts on the rough odd day where h was down on his luck. he figured for sora. those days may be a bit more common than average. 

❛   we gotta take the bad with the good. enjoy both even when it’s hard. if you don’t live every day like its yer last, then yer gonna end up with lot’sa regret.  ❜   in some way, he knew that would resonate. people didn’t just send up ‘where they are’. there was generally unfinished business   &&   the soul needed to be tested. there was rhyme    &&   reason to why souls were brought to the UG from an angels perspective. the key wielder he had grown so fond of seeing around in a paternal sort of way that he did with neku   &&   the kids, had made a sort of nook in his affections. 

in a way, he sees a bit too much of himself in the boy   &&   that alone was dangerous. hanekoma pauses, wiping his hands down on the front of his waistcoat before making his way around the bar. he’d be closing shortly but he’d still take time out of his day to talk with his current company. 

❛  yer a good kid, sora. you’ve got a lot of heart an’ in places like that, that is rarer than orichalcum. jus’ because things are hard, don’ mean they are always gonna stay hard. that also means you don’t have to let the world change you to be who you don’ wanna be. make the bad days good. be the good in th’ world you want to see from others- but don’t be afraid to learn to enjoy things for yourself.   ❜     did he worry about this boy? yeah, but did he know that things would be alright so long as sora was involved? absolutely. there’s a light in him that shouldn’t ever go out and he’d be a guiding light for others, regardless if he himself saw it or not. stars don’t see their own light or know that the universe looks upon them for guidance. perhaps one day sora would come to realize that on his own.