#not just in the sense that he inspired Sora not to give up

[blowingoffsteam2]

Riku’s “strength to protect what matters/my precious person” was never about physical strength, even though Riku might have thought it was at one point. It was about love. His strength IS love. That’s why Riku appears to “fail” physically when trying to protect Sora in the keyblade graveyard. He didn’t fail, he protected Sora’s heart.

[superfan44]

Why Sora Should be Treated the Same as Superman (An Opinion Piece)

As I get older, I'm able to look at various fictional characters more closely, understanding more about why they're so iconic. A few years ago, I gained a renewed interest in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, seeing why so many people love its story, characters, and of course, its crossover element with Disney and Final Fantasy. I want to take a little look at the franchise's main protagonist, Sora, shed a light on him if you will. I feel you could draw some similarities between him and the DC Comics hero Superman (aka Kal-El, aka Clark Kent).

Now, I know this may seem like an odd comparison to some of you, but personally, I think it does kind of make sense when you think about it. Obviously these two have very different personalities, backstories, powers, and motivations that drive them. However, both are kindhearted, optimistic heroes from humble beginnings, with a strong sense of justice and morality. Not to mention a desire to help others and do the right thing.

Their respective actions certainly speak for themselves on that front, as they each go about it in their own unique way. In the comic book All-Star Superman, one issue sees him fighting a group of lizard men invading from the Earth's core. Then, in another issue, we see him stop a depressed teenage girl from stepping off a building, giving her comfort and support. Yes, he's got super strength and godlike powers, but he's also considerate, compassionate, and gentle enough to offer a helping hand whenever needed. Superman is a hero who inspires the best in all of us. He is, as filmmaker James Gunn once put it, kindness in a world that sees kindness as old fashioned. Even though he lives on a planet he wasn't born on, he still aspires to bring hope to that planet, providing them a light to show the way. Krypton made him the man of steel, but Earth made him human.

There are moments in the Kingdom Hearts series where we see a bit of that kindness mirrored in Sora as well. One minute he would be cutting down Heartless with his keyblade, the next he'll be enjoying good times with his friends, old and new. Whether it's dancing around with Rapunzel in the Kingdom of Corona, visiting Winnie the Pooh and his pals in the 100 Acre Wood, or helping to make Boo laugh in Monstropolis. He protects the world order and fights against the forces of evil, but he's also having fun along the way. There's a playfulness to Sora, a big smile on his face that warms people up inside. He's a brave young man who can easily form connections with anyone he comes across. There are still hardships to face, but he perseveres through it, showing that deep down, there is a light that never goes out. Even when it seems like he's on the verge of giving up, his friends are there to inspire him and lift him back up, just as he had done for them. He follows his heart, which is, and has always been, his guiding key.

You could say that these similarities are due to the fact that Sora and Superman are very much archetypal heroes. Joseph Cambel's hero's journey cycle (which also heavily influenced Star Wars) can be seen in both of their respective journeys. Individuals from humble beginnings who venture out into the wide world ahead of them, encountering various allies, enemies, and obstacles along the way. The journey ultimately leads to the heroes gaining greater powers and becoming more than who they were before.

It's also worth noting that another thing Superman and Sora have in common is that sometimes they are both willing to take great risks in order to save the people that they love. In Superman: The Movie, the man of steel himself flies around the Earth at great speed, turning back time to save Lois Lane from an earthquake. In Kingdom Hearts 3, Sora uses the power of waking to bring back Kairi after her body was destroyed by Xehanort, sacrificing his own life in the process.

So, why do I bring all of this up? Because I believe that this is something that writers should keep in mind when tackling Sora, whether it's for fan fiction, comics, novels, etc. I've noticed this trend on the internet of people deconstructing the psychology of Sora and delving into the negative effects that his adventures have had on him. A few of them have even declared his optimism and playful smile as a form of "toxic positivity". While it does seem like an interesting idea, I feel like it's causing people to forget about why they love him in the first place. In some cases, there are those who end up going too far with that notion.

Not long ago, I stumbled upon a Kingdom Hearts fan fiction story titled Keys to the Kingdom. Basically, it reads as an alternate universe reimagining of the events of Kingdom Hearts 3. Even though it was well written, this version of the story gets extremely dark, depressing, and cynical. Not only that, but it also mistreats Sora in a somewhat disturbing way, portraying him as a tortured and tormented soul. While his arc in this does prove to be compelling at times, it was still very jarring, making for an overall unpleasant experience. The fic seemed to be so focused on beating this character down, so intent on having him suffer throughout, that it ends up losing sight of what makes him so endearing and likable. Or, to borrow a quote from the young keyblade wielder himself:

"You're so caught up in finding the shadows, you forgot about the light that cast them."

This doesn't feel too out of place with the "evil Superman" trend that was around for a period of time. The video game Injustice is a prime example of this, as it depicts Superman as a merciless dictator of a fascist regime, who rules with an iron fist and shows no compassion towards crime or his enemies. Even other creations like Homelander from The Boys and Omni-Man from Invincible are representations of this idea since they are basically evil Superman-types. Admittedly, I do give those two a little more leeway since they were made specifically for the stories they came from. They are not directly related to Superman other than having similar powers. Although this concept can be fun to tackle with an original character, I don't think it feels right to try to do it with the genuine article himself. That's not really who he is.

When making the first Superman movie back in 1978, director Richard Donner took it upon himself to do the big blue boy scout justice. He didn’t want the material to be treated with disrespect, nor to be seen as a joke. There's a word he used to emphasize this as a top priority: "verisimilitude". For those unfamiliar, the basic definition of it is the appearance of being true and real. Not only was that word hung up on the wall above Donner's office (which it was), but it also established the mission statement that many of the great superhero movies made in the years since then have followed:

Be truthful, honor the source material, believe in it, take it seriously.

This is the type of mindset that should be adopted by anyone who adapts any kind of preexisting work, especially when it comes to something like Kingdom Hearts. If you want a good example of how to write Sora in a way that showcases how great he is while also being faithful to who he is, there's another fan fiction story titled Starbound, created by my friend @skygent. An anthology with an overarching narrative mixed in, it uses the setup of Sora's disappearance at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3 as a way to examine the impact that he's had on all of his friends and allies. In a deeper, meta sense, it offers an analysis of the connection that fans of the franchise itself have formed with him.

The stuff that has been written so far for this fic is absolutely amazing. In fact, it's what led to my renewed interest in Kingdom Hearts in the first place. It has pretty much what you would want in a story like this one. Balancing a sense of scale, mystery, and adventure, but also quiet reflection. Offering some fun little twists, but still retaining the core essence of what the source material is all about. Through this story, we see various characters (including some not featured in the games) learning of and reacting to Sora's disappearance, remembering their encounters with him in the past. Some of them are even inspired to try and figure out where he is, willing to doing whatever it takes to help find him and bring him back home. Here, they demonstrate just how much he means to them, just as they all do to him.

To be clear, I'm not saying that Sora should stay exactly the same. In a series like Kingdom Hearts, we want to see those characters grow and evolve. With the things that Sora has experienced throughout the series, and with where we will find him at in Kingdom Hearts 4, it'll be interesting to see where he goes next. At the same time though, we also should remind ourselves that people love this character for a reason. As this young hero embarks on his newest adventure, he shouldn't lose what makes him who he is as a person. Instead of pulling him apart, I think Sora is someone who deserves to be celebrated. To be treated with dignity and respect, just as Donner did for the last son of Krypton. In the same way we've celebrated Superman over the years for what he stands for and represents, Sora should also be recognized in an equally similar way. Their respective core values and good morals, all the stuff that makes them heroes. It's these things that turned them into pop culture icons who remain with us to this day. It's why they will continue to be icons in the foreseeable future.

Two beacons, shining bright in the darkness. Never forget that.

[dailycupofcreativitea]

AHHHHH you're playing kingdom hearts? Please report back with your thoughts when you feel up to it it's my special interest 👀

Okay here are some thoughts I've spammed to my friends in the last few days! (BTW I read the manga already for the first game so I basically spoiled it but I was still equally as shocked when these things happened in the game lol)

By the way, spoilers below for anyone who hasn't played!

General thoughts:

SORA IS SOOOOOOOOOO CUTE 🥺 The voice actor voiced him PERFECTLY, he's exactly the perfect combination of hopeful, friendship, little kid, strong heart, over confident at times, stubborn, sweet. 😭💖

Told a friend I love Sora in a different way than I love Gohan, here were my thoughts: Gohan is more quiet, sweet, gentle, burdened with a lot of power that he seems hesitant to use and slowly builds his confidence throughout the show, I relate to Gohan a lot, sweet cinnamon roll that must be protecc, but forced to protecc others, etc etc Sora is sweet and gentle but loud, has a HUGE heart and he uses it to protect his friends with 100% confidence (he's more like Goku in that way), his heart is just unwavering and he doesn't seem to doubt himself often (at least in KH1), funny and goofy and his stubbornness can get him into trouble sometimes but his bonds with his friends give him strength, I don't relate to him but I would love to draw inspiration from him

"Shonen protagonist done by Disney" vibes (as put aptly by @genisflyingkites)

Riku is so insanely jealous of Sora it's hilarious, he's overall kind of a jerk and even Kairi said she wanted to leave the island without him, but also Riku is 15 and hormonal and Maleficent got to him so I don't really blame him for it

Donald and Goofy are way less annoying than I assumed they would be, I like that they seem refreshingly mature?? Donald is stubborn and beefs with Sora a lot and Goofy seems like he has a good head on his shoulders and is a deep thinker

Also I keep seeing memes of Donald constantly getting knocked out in game and being useless but for me Donald ALWAYS comes in clutch with the elixirs and ethers

That scene where Maleficent tells Riku that Sora replaced him and Kairi with Donald and Goofy was sad in both the manga and the game but what REALLY made my jaw drop was that SORA LOWKEY FELT THE SAME:

(Yes he was fighting with Donald at the time too but LOOK AT HIS FACE!!! 😭🙏)

If Riku talked to Sora for more than 10 seconds at a time literally all of this would be resolved XD LIKE!! Sora is literally trying to find them! Riku please!

This scene had my sister and I's JAWS ON THE FLOOR:

It was low blow after low blow! I read this in the manga too but somehow it hit harder in the game!

Hollow Bastion is a great OST and I've been listening to it on repeat. The map is also pretty nice but I wish I could explore more without heartless appearing every 5 seconds

Actually I also liked the OST "A Day in Agrabah"

I beat Riku's ass in 10 seconds and it was glorious (Ansem is a whole other story...still working on it)

DID I MENTION SORA HAS SUCH A KIND AND SWEET AND STRONG HEART!?

Every single cutscene had the words "light" "darkness" "friendship" "heart" "memories" repeated over and over again to form a cutscene (I saw this in a Youtube video and thought it was incredibly accurate XD)

My sister and I were CRACKING UP during this cutscene because it made NO SENSE

It just kept getting more and more non-sensical XD

I think Aladdin was my favourite world so far but tbh they were all pretty cool (Sora's Halloween Town fit was so cute! Also I loved flying around by Big Ben, and then getting the glide feature)

The Maleficent Dragon boss was really hard, cool, and fun; Tinker Bell really came in clutch

Also I gotta say this game is really hard to play because the control are so annoying, the jump function is annoying (I keep falling off and misjudging his jump), it keep glitching cause it's connected to the cloud or something, the directions are too vague so I have to follow a walkthrough while playing, and I have to keep stopping between plays because I get motion sickness from the wildly spinning camera really easily -- despite all that I am indeed having a blast

I think that's all my thoughts for now :3

[moongothic]

Many people have pointed out (in relation to Crocodad) how in Japanese the etymology of the word "wani" (crocodile) is a bit complicated to say the least and in mythology could mean a variety of things, including a shark, sea monster or a dragon

Which, of course, is quite an interesting coincidence. Crocodile does often get referred to as "wani" not just by Luffy but some other characters, and so it would be just a little funny if both of Luffy's dads were sorta kinda called dragons

There's also people pointing out how Zoro's mother was called "Tera", similar to terra (earth) and Sanji's mother was named Sora (sky). So if Luffy's birthing parent was named after a water-dwelling creature, well, it'd be cute and round out the monster trio's birthing parents in a funny way, since we'd have earth, sky and the sea

But what really is fucking me up about the whole wani-thing is the Myth of Toyotama-hime

So the TL:DR; of the myth is

The pregnant princess Toyotama came from the Ryuuguu Castle deep in the oceans onto land to give birth to her child, telling her husband that when she would give birth, she would revert back into her true form, requesting him to not look at her while she gave birth. But her husband could not keep that promise, so he peeked in on his wife, only to witness a giant wani giving birth. The sight of this horrified the husband so much he fled, while Toyotama princess was so hurt by what had happened that she returned to the sea, abandoning her child.

Indeed, this myth bringing up wani pregnancy is just. An interesting coincidence for Crocodad speculation

Of course, we know Oda borrows from mythology (fucking, Fishman Island's castle is literally the Ryuuguu Castle), so if Crocodad Real, it's genuinely plausible Oda could('ve) take(n) inspiration from that very myth

Thing about it is that though...

Like, if we're assuming Crocodile never fully realized he was trans until he got pregnant, then him transitioning either immidiately or as soon as he could after giving birth would make sense. Dude seeks out Iva-chan and gets the t-juice*, so on and so forth, but my question is like, would that have been before or after delivering the baby to Dragon (so he could then pass it onto Garp)

*(Or hell, maybe Iva-chan was there helping deliver the baby, helping Crocodile crack his own egg etc, maybe the secret Iva-chan is holding over Crocoboy's head isn't that they knew Crocodile is trans and could out them, but knowing Crocodile gave birth to god know whose child)

Because like

How did Dragon find out about his partner transitioning?

Did pre-T Crocodile tell him he was transitioning while handing over the baby? Or did he just leave without an explanation and allowed Dragon to just Take In The Change after it had happened whenever they saw each other again (if they ever did, for all we know he could've just walked away without talking to Dragon again and Dragon just found out either from Iva-chan directly or from seeing him on the news)

Or did Crocodile transition first and then deliver the baby to Dragon without any warning, again, just giving Dragon one hell pf a surprise

In any scenario, how did that even go down?

And we have to ask the sad question of... is Dragon a Bisexual King or not? And would Crocodile have been... afraid of Dragon's reaction? (This would've been a younger Crocodile mind you, who would literally have been just coming out of his shell, and that shit's scary man)

Because if Toyotama Princess is any indicator, this wani's relationship did not end well after her truth was revealed

Like, let's say Crocodile transitioned first and then showed up without warning as a man to Dragon to hand over the baby. Thing is, while we know VERY LITTLE about Dragon still, I can't imagine him being like violently transphobic or even lashing out at his partner when he'd come out. But I could imagine him being so shocked he'd be left utterly speechless.

And I'm not entirely sure which would be worse; Dragon outright but "kindly" telling Crocodile he's not into men and breaking the poor bastard's heart, or Bi!Dragon being too shocked to say anything, letting Crocodile to just jump to conclusions based on his reaction (and maybe then causing Dragon to jump into further conclusions (that Crocodile must actually be into women)), unintentionally causing a divorce out of sheer misunderstanding and literal lack of communication

And the sad part is, considdering Dragon is a very secretive man, who according to the Crocodad Theory can't even have told his partner his full name mind you... The miscommunication seems very plausible to me?? Does it not?

Or, maybe Crocodile delivered the baby to Dragon pre-T and told him he's going to Iva-chan without further explanation, jumping into conclusions, afraid to hear what Dragon would say. So he just leaves without explaining before Dragon gets to say a word. And Dragon just accepts it. Assuming he's the one getting dumped.

Either way, whatever might've happened can't have been good, can it

Also, considdering Garp is a fucking idiot (affectionate), and Luffy clearly inherited The Stupid from his grandfather, I would not be surprised if Dragon was also actually a bit of a himbo underneath that serious face he puts on (either that or Crocodile kept on smoking while pregnant)

Which could also turn what would otherwise be a tragic miscommunication into an absolute comedy if Crocodile and Dragon ever met again and the two realized that they're both idiots who jumped into conclusions and ruined their marriage by refusing to talk about their fucking feelings to each other. This is an absolute trainwreck of a family

But considdering the things Crocodile has done by this point*, would it ever even be possible for the two to reconcile?? Because, althought Dragon is pro-overthrowing corrupt governments especially if they're affiliated with the World Government, from what I can tell, he's still against unnececary violence (Vegapunk even comments that Dragon "hates war" in a flashback) and needless loss of life. And Crocodile caused just that.

*And I don't even mean the failed attempt at taking over Alabasta, I mean the drought Crocodile caused that caused countless people to starve to death and then caused the civil war which had already taken lives and permanently disabled people BEFORE the Strawhats ever even get to Alabasta. Like Crocodile's bomb may have been a dud but he still caused people to die for no reason, and I can't imagine Dragon being fine with that. But then again, Robin and other Baroque Works members also contributed to the loss of life and their sins have been neatly swept under the rug so IDK

And like. We don't know if Crocodile moonlighted as a Revolutionary for like 10+ years after Luffy was born and slowly went out of contact or if he just left immidiately. But theoretically, the two might not have even seen each other in like almost 20 years

That'd be a long time to carry a broken heart

How the fuck would you even heal from that

Also like

Crocodile did seem a little suicidal at Impel Down if I'm being honest

Like.

He had a dream of becoming Pirate King. But he lost to Whitebeard, and his dreams were ruined.

Dude had a master plan to take over a country that took him almost a decade to pull off, only for it to get wrecked in the final hour by a literal child.

His useless underlings then come and try to break him out of prison

And he chooses to stay

When we finally see his face for the first time in Impel Down... His mouth might be forming a smile, but those eyes aren't

And he even says it himself

"I didn't think there'd be anything for me to do if I were free"

Is it not like he has given up on life entirely..?

And sure, he does ask to be let out so he can get revenge on Whitebeard, but was it out of a genuine belief he could actually take down the old man or just a slightly more fun way to die than rotting away in prison for the next few decades?

You know the saying, "to be loved is to be changed"

Frankly, the same goes for the reverse. Being unloved, or believing yourself to be unloveable will change you. For the worse

[onlytibki]

Straw Hat modern!AU v.1: Jobs and Random Bits of non-plot Headcanons

Yes I know Oda already gave a list and far be it from me to disagree with canon (/s) but hear me out

Jimbei - full-time activist, former soldier/bodyguard. Lorge. Still does work as a bouncer from time to time, this is how he meets Luffy.

(Does karate at the national level. Works out at Zoro's gym, teaches classes sometimes.)

Brook - musician, naturally. Classically trained, accidentally achieved popular fame after the band he was in with his old buddies for fun was scouted out. Lost his bandmates. :( Was depressed for years and just tuned pianos and guitars and other instruments until the Straw Hats brought joy to his life again.

Franky - freelance handyman. Is an engineer, has a engineering degree and certification, but no firm will hire him because he refuses to wear formal clothes (main client is the local university, they asked him only to work at night to avoid students and claims plausible deniability if he chooses not to wear shoes on his own job sites) but he doesn't mind his lot in life because fuck 'em anyway also because trauma and also he's in love with one of the profs

Robin - university professor, teaches history/linguistics/historical linguistics/archaeology. Has like four PhDs. Was wrapped up in some shadiness in Central America while a grad student, but does such high-quality work and is in love with her building's handyman that no one tries to get her in trouble for it

(Robin and Franky meet and bond over keeping the fucking ancient anthropology building both up to livable standards and eligible for the national heritage register. They talk A Lot about historical building materials and methods)

((Note I said 'up to livable standards' and not 'up to code'. Franky's nickname is short for 'Frankenstein' for what he's done to the building's wiring, though somehow it still works))

Chopper - third year med student at 15. Already accepted into the residency program Law is an attending at. Also, he has his driver's license now!! He's the DD for the Straw Hat crew when they go out to bars, and is also self-appointed booze coordinator and hits the brakes for people when he senses alcohol poisoning coming on. Not even Whitebeard Himself can argue when little Dr. Tony gives his super-serious little disapproving pout.

(No, a 15yo cannot legally drive at night, much less operate a car full of drunkards. No one tells him this because he takes the responsibility for the well-being of his friends so seriously, and also no one gives a shit, and also everyone else is drunk anyway.)

Sanji - sous-chef at Baratie (I know, I know, shocker) which is next door to Zoro's gym. He takes classes at the university so that he'll be able to run his own restaurant one day.

(If he finds the FUCKING SHITHEAD who's drawing that Sora, Warrior of the Sea-inspired comic in the school newspaper someone's gonna have to fake an alibi to get him out of murder charges. Even if he does approve of Germa 66's ugly designs and cries over Sora's successful escape and loving words to her lost son)

Usopp - physics major, art minor. Draws a weekly comic for the school newspaper called The Adventures of Sniper King. Picked up boxing due to high school requirements, works out at Zoro's gym.

(Yes it's him. He's got a yellow stripe painted down his back due to the vitriol Sanji spews at his pseudonym daily. He really didn't mean for it to take off! Sanji told them all his story once and Usopp was heartbroken because he lost his mom too and one day he got an itch and he drew a comic about what he thought Sora'd say to Sanji, or what he thought Banchina might say to him, or some weird combination--and then sent it instead of the next installment of Sniper King to his editor ON ACCIDENT and PEOPLE WANTED MORE and HE'S SO SORRY AND HE'S SO SCARED. SANJI'S GONNA KILL HIM AND USOPP WILL DESERVE IT)

((Sanji condemns him into being busboy at Baratie for a month and refuses to speak to him for three days. But he also gives him spicy ginger desserts every night for a week, because Usopp's Sora is truer to life than the original Sora in terms of the love she embodies, and because Stealth Black's rumored escape is shown in the light of triumph. Sanji could hear her in the monologue of Sora's thoughts to her son when she learned he'd escaped Germa 66's clutches. How proud she was that the circumstances of his birth and life hadn't chained him down forever. It was the first time since the age of 9 that he could clearly remember what she had sounded like because, whether through pure miracle or the shared sympathy of orphan-hood, Usopp had gotten her voice exactly right, and it soothed something old and hurting in Sanji to hear it.))

Nami - business/finance, computer science double major. She REALLY wanted to study geography and GIS systems but her family needs the money so she's tilted her dreams--she's going to build the most precise geographic information system in the WORLD and market it to rich assholes while "losing it" to low-income thieves in need.

Stole 50% of her college tuition and negotiated down the other half in a meeting the bursar's office can't actually quite remember fully? But it's their signatures on the papers.

Zoro - business major. Yes, it's as ridiculous as it sounds. No he is not passing any of his classes. But Kuina had been determined to inherit the dojo and keep it flourishing, even if her dad didn't think a woman could. Then she died; and Shimotsuki-sensei died when Zoro was in high school; and now Zoro has two dear friends' dreams on his shoulders, and damn his lack of an MBA or any common sense but he will succeed. Sanji, Nami, and Jimbe are helping.

He did rename the place, from just 'Shimotsuki Dojo' to Kuina's Asskickers, and opened it to all sports. All classes and all tournaments are co-ed, all ages. He tried to get "ASSKICKER" on the gym's competition uniforms/gi but some of his students are toddlers so that wouldn't fly, so he uses 2001 instead. People think it's the founding year and get very confused when the gym is technically 50+years old; 2001 = the number of fights Zoro lost to Kuina.

(Nami asks him why he didn't use "KUINA"; Zoro looks at her funny. "But that's not [male student example]'s name? Why would I put that on his back? Do you want people to get confused??")

((He does have Kuina's name stitched into his gi))

Luffy - biology major. HEAR ME OUT. Garp insisted he go to college for at least a semester and while still an undecided liberal arts major, Luffy discovered a whole BUILDING FILLED WITH COOL BUGS!!! AND PEOPLE GO OUT AND FIND THEM?? AND BRING THEM BACK!! THAT'S A JOB???? SO COOL!!!

So yeah. Technically he's on the road to become an entomologist, but is struggling due to his undiagnosed (but incredibly obvious) AuDHD and a lack of care for statistics (and math in general) and research writing (and reading/writing in general). Robin, Chopper, and Usopp are working HARD to get him to the general area of passing. Luffy also is getting a minor in Portuguese (which is his first language) because he plans on exploring the Amazon Rainforest looking for cool beetles when he graduates.

Ace - fire fighter with shady connections. (more later?)

Sabo - activist with much shadier connections. (more later?)

[valorxdrive]

HC; Tenacity.

This is one of those qualities I hadn't talked on often enough. Though, if there's one motto that can be taken, it's that Destiny Islands does not raise quitters.

Even with how much Sora has to actively battle matters with his self-esteem, there's only critical moments where it genuinely becomes debilitating. I'd like to say this is drawn from his sense of character that knows how to keep himself steady. Ever since the very start of his long journey, this was pivotal in order to keep him from crushing under the massive weight that would inevitably follow.

That said, the systems around him often promote the grounds of this trait. For to be a wielder of the keyblade to begin with, there's some form of anchor that's held within the Heart. It's within this very anchor that inspires bravery, courage or understanding in order to let the keyblade to be the key to that potential. To accept handling this armament means to accept that you're daring to promote change.

Change that doesn't hold no moral horizon. For even a determination tempered to end all creation as an ambition could also lead its power. For the way these weapons choose aren't fixed in morality, solely in the resolve in the wielder that can tap into its very potential. There's a method to this formula of awakening.

That said! We naturally know it's also the band of warriors that Sora aligned himself with that pays another pivotal part. Learning from them, teaching them, spending welcomed days and dealing with dangerous clashes all the same. In lieu of what the keyblade promotes, his inherent qualities as a loving soul is what ignites the sheer gravity in his connections. Like his companions from the islands, the merry band from Traverse Town to now Hollow Bastion, across multiple universes, a life like his holds change as a constant.

The importance of not giving up on himself, of not giving up on others, he just cannot be someone who doesn't actively seek the best within people. In that same vein he can't be a person who'd allow calamity to simply thrive due to a bitter tale. Drive inspires him to act accordingly.

[cinna-rose]

So I replayed the Baxter dlc and got hit with inspiration. I 100% believe that as soon as Baxter left the restaurant, he was freaking out. So here's my attempt on how that went.

"I'll leave you to catch up and discuss the next steps on your own terms. I will see some or perhaps all of you soon."

"Have a nice evening."

It was as if I was trying to get out of there quickly. Was it because I was trying to run? To avoid the one thing - the one person - that'll always be a cruel reminder of what I've done.

Why?

Why did it have to be him?

Sora Last.

Once I was far from staring eyes, the walls I'd been holding up so well came crashing down instantly. Perfect posture turned into a desperation to keep balance from falling from shock - trying to keep something of stability by holding myself.

To try and protect myself.

How could Sora Last be the one to make me feel so weak - even after five years of distance?

Distance because of me.

It doesn't make sense. How did I get so attached? We were nothing more than a summer fling!? He was supposed to be like all the others - a fun experience for a time before we cut ties. It's the normal for me - and Sora managed to break that.

Who am I kidding? I know why - It's because no one was like him. I hate yet adore how kind he is. Everything that Sora Last is pure kindness. No matter what I did, he never gave me a judgeful look or expected more. Always understanding and empathetic, Sora was someone special.

Someone I could never hope to keep for myself.

No. Sora doesn't need me. He didn't need me then, and he doesn't need me now. Sora seemed to be doing well on his own. He needs someone who can give him everything he wants.

I don't think I ever was that someone for him.

I forced myself out of my thoughts and decided that leaning against a wall and reflecting on the past wouldn't be the best look. I managed to collect myself before actually leaving.

...

Once in the safety of solitude in my apartment, I allowed myself to relax and process the situation.

Sora Last, by chance, was back in my life.

I almost can't believe it, but I can't get what he said out of my head.

"I thought you weren't coming back."

The way he said it, the look in his eyes that had all kinds of emotions inside, and the way he stepped closer. I can't get it out of my head. It was a moment of weakness, yet I can't say that I don't mind seeing him again.

I knew he missed me. There had to be a reason why he kept messaging me after a while. Sora would always say in the guise of checking on me, but that fell apart when their messages would ask for a sign.

Reaching for my phone, I went straight to Sora's number to read through past messages from Sora. They ranged from casual check-ins to pleas to try and talk.

Even after all these years, I could never delete his number. I could come up with reason after reason to convince myself, but I never went through ridding the one connection I had left to Sora - even if I wouldn't dare to meet him halfway.

Yet, I can't help but think I deserved worse from Sora. I hurt him and treated him terribly after everything was over. He didn't act upset - he just smiled and accepted my presence.

I wonder what he was thinking when he saw me again. How is he handling this?

What if this could be another chance?

No.

What Sora and I had is over. There's no point in bringing up old wounds when there's a wedding to focus on. Once this is over, we go our separate ways, and Sora can stay in my memories.

Sora will be okay. He can move on from me. He doesn't need me in his life.

It's better this way.

It's for the both of us.

[evaundertale]

A post no one asked for but I wanted to share.

So I got inspired off of seeing a couple if Venkai posts so imma post my take on it. Might do the same for Soriku, Kailette and more.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

So Venkai. This is straight up just a post off headcanons and how I view the ship can work I know it's a rarepair and most don't talk about it much.

This mainly will have headcanons and theories on what could possibly grow and how I personally see the ship.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Okay let's start with Ventus. As we know Ventus was in Union X and probably got sent forward in time.

We also know he is often considered a kid or at least treated like one.

Not only from Aqua and Terra but people that could be around his age like Isa and Lea.

And Kairi may not be treated like a kid by her friends but is more often left behind for her protection. They both are often treated like their fragile.

From Aqua trying to get Ventus to go home instead of following Terra and to both Sora and Riku both leaving Kairi behind on different occasions.

This person made a better comparison on the Riku and Kairi scene with the Ventus and Aqua scene.

Now you may wonder why I brought up Ventus age. It's mainly because I don't think he aged sense he was awake in BBB.

From him going into Sora's heart and been asleep. I think by kh 1 is when Ventus might have started getting his consciousness back.

Maybe due to Kairi's heart joining his in Sora's heart or Ventus sensing Sora in danger due to the islands fall.

I don't think he's fully conscious till like DDD or Kh 3 due to us seeing him being slightly more active.

We know that Roxas already impacted Sora emotionally in Kh 2 so we can't say Ventus didn't or couldn't either especially with these moments.

In DDD Ventus armor protects Sora with in kh 3 Sora doesn't even know what comes over him when he says he'll save Aqua.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Why do I bring this up? It's because I think Venkai as a ship is in the same area of Katara and Aang from ATLA.

Aang was in the iceberg for 100 years but his body and mind are still 12 he didn't age both mentally or physically.

Long story short Ventus is in a similar situation to Aang with his aging.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Now back to Venkai okay so we know Aqua put a charm on Kairi as a kid to protect and lead her to those who could protect her.

And most say she went to Sora but I'd argue she went to Riku and Sora both. As you may know related to how much I reblog this I think Riku is the light (not just Sora's) but others as well with Aqua and Terra both stating as such when looking at him as a kid.

But not saying much to Sora. Yes Ventus came to Sora's heart seeking shelter but that's due to him already making a connection to a new heart which is Sora's.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

So if Kairi showed up to the Island not having a connection to Sora or Riku yet. Kairi still was sent to seek both the keyblade when sent out but also to find a safe place because the charm.

She probably appeared because Ventus being in Sora's heart and because Riku's heart to.

With Kairi being a princess of heart she could probably recognize darkness and light in a person's heart.

With Kairi in kh 1 stating Riku had changed but not really giving much context and telling Sora not to change. Maybe she felt both the light of Ventus and Sora's ad comfort sense Riku heart was change.

We know Darkness has a scent sense Riku has recognized it before but don't really know if the princess of heart are able to sense a hearts intention I'd assume based how Kairi reacts sometimes to people. We only get to see that side of the princesses through Kairi.

That being said Kairi could have grown a close connection to Sora through the light in Sora's heart (aka Ventus)

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Finally at least this is what I picked up that could have happened if Ventus started to grow conscious again in kh 1 he already has a connection to Kairi through the time she was in Sora's heart.

Meaning that Kairi and Ventus would have a sense of familiarity with eachother not saying it'd go full on romance but in her time of training with Aqua they could grow to be close.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Both relating in being treated like their fragile. Or how they both were treated like pawns in Xehannorts plan. Or even how they both have memorie issues.

There is alot to work with especially sense Ventus heart is probably still mainly the light side of it sense Vanitas (his darkness) is no longer able to fit there.)

Now that could be like that cause Ventus heart grew darkness back in its missing place. Or Ventus could have a heart full of pure light similar to Kairi's.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Now into full on fanon side i know most compare Ava and Gula to Sokai but the possibility of them being a great reference for Venkai is there to.

I just think you could honestly build Kairi and Ventus future interactions based off these two.

Not only in similar body shapes but with how the two interact. We've never really gotten and opportunitie to see Kairi fully protect Sora the same way he does for her and if it's cause she hasn't felt confident enough to or cause they might not be as connected as she thought there's a chance she might fot someone else.

(Yes I know in kh 1 she trys to protect Sora in his heartless form but that was once and yes she held him together in the new world but he also got a second change cause of Riku's sacrifice.)

What I mean by protecting Sora is like how much he does by blocking her from attacks or more we don't see that which sucks. And we already know their bond was weakened to begin with.

There's a chance they might just keep growing apart. And in that absence she might grow with other.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

I'm rambling a bit near the end but yeah that's at least my view on venkai and if it ever develops platonically or romantically or whatever i due think the two have a lot of parallels and more to their connection then most think about.

Next probably gonna be a post about Kailette. Or maybe a post about how I view Riku and Kairi's friendship but yeah.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Extra ramble

There's alot more that could be speculated like this not only being Kairi recognizing this but also Ventus sense he visited it and we know he got memory issues to its a stretch but still interesting to think about.

There's also the case that Ventus fully appears in Sora's heart to ask questions in DDD when Riku is trying to wake Sora up. This is more to the point that Ventus probably wasn't fully aware/conscious until later on in Sora's heart.

My theory is still gonna stick with him beginning to wake up in kh 1.

[starswallowingsea]

Finished five broken blades today and i enjoyed it enough if you're looking for a slightly older six of crows definitely give it a shot. I think my biggest issues were that i hated being in royo's pov and it felt like he had so many chapters and for WHAT literally why i think some of those chapters could have been better utilized building up aeri's plot twist (which as it was, was laid out nicely for the reader to follow and made sense when it was revealed but i much preferred her head to fucking ROYOS) or spending just a little more time developing sora and tiyung's relationship. I wouldnt say it was a super sudden switch but it definitely would have benefitted from more time with them. Also i wish we had just slightly more descriptions of the clothing because it felt a little too vague for me i couldnt tell if they were supposed to be more modern or inspired from a certain time period and culture. It didnt have to be anything fancy but just saying the yellow dress really doesnt do much and made it hard to feel like...connected? To the rest of the world but i may just be really into clothes

[twilightmalachite]

Machina - Test World 1

Author: Kino Seitaro (with Akira)

Characters: Mika, Sora

Translator: Mika Enstars

"What Sora’s been into lately… Hmm, there’s so many it’s hard to narrow it down to just one, though. I suppose he's been having fun building towns in SSVRS lately?"

Season: Winter

Location: Starmony Dorms Courtyard

Mika: There’s still snow out, huh…

Uu, so cold… Maybe I should’ve warmed up a bit before comin’ outside.

No, that sorta laziness would concern Oshi-san. I gotta keep on creatin’ without any detours…!

…I say that, but it’s not like I’ve thought of anythin’.

Nnah~, maybe there’s somethin’ interesting out here…?

Sora: HaHa~! Make room! Make room please! Sora’s coming through!

Mika: Nnah, Sora-kun? What’re ya doin?! You jus’ ran on past…

Sora: Sora’s flying a kite! HiHi~, you see what’s in Sora’s hand?

Mika: Ah, kite flyin’, huh?

That’s a tasteful way to have fun. Have ya been out here flying a kite all by yourself?

Sora: HuHu~, Sora was gonna invest himself in games he hadn’t played yet during winter break, but he wanted to move his body~!

There was a kite to fly in Starmony Dorms, so he borrowed it. ♪

Mika: I see. Sounds like a good change of pace from stayin’ home all winter, huh?

A kite, huh? Hmmm, kite… Maybe it’ll give me a good idea…?

…Nnah~, nothing comes to mind.

Sora: ? Searching for ideas?

Mika-chan-san has a gloomy color, huh~. Sora can tell he is deeply troubled!

Mika: Well, it means a lot to see ya worried, but the issue here’s…

(Ah, I know, maybe I could ask if Sora-kun knows about the current trends?)

(Sora-kun knows lots about new technology and such, right? Talkin’ to Sora-kun may give me some ideas.)

Hey, Sora-kun, could I ask ya a few questions?

Sora: Yes! May may be asked!

Mika: Thank ya~. I’m havin’ some trouble…

I’m actually at a loss on what to do fer my next work. I gotta be able to make somethin’ worth showin’ to even Oshi-san.

I was thinkin’ you could tell me what you’ve been into lately, maybe it could help me with my work?

Sora: What Sora’s been into lately… Hmm, there’s so many it’s hard to narrow it down to just one, though.

I suppose he's been having fun building towns in SSVRS lately?

Mika: Building towns!?

What a large-scale hobby… You mean buildin’ towns in the game world, right?

Sora: Yes! Sora builds while playing in virtual reality. He’s working with someone from a game company that used to work on SSVRS!

And, in the newly made “Test World”, in-game money can be used to open shops and buy furniture for a house!

Mika-chan-san’s good with creative stuff, so it may help him out! ♪

Mika: I see, makin’ stuff in a game world, huh… It’s amazin’ how much technology has advanced nowadays.

Nnah~, but thinkin’ of it, I got motion sick easy with the SVRSS goggles…

Sora: HaHa~☆ No need to worry about that!

The VR goggles have been improved a lot using the data from back then, so I’m confident Mika-chan-san will be able to use it comfortably~!

Mika: You were able t’do that…!? What fast work… I can’t keep up with this tech!

Sora: Don’t worry, Mika-chan-san will get used to it eventually!

Yuuki Sense~ is playing in the Test World now, does Mika-chan-san want to join in?

If Mika-chan could get inspired by the digital world, Sora thinks it’ll be worth it~♪

Mika: I ‘unno. It’s a world I dunno much about, so I’m nervous, but if I don’t try takin’ the first step, I might not be able to create my new work…

I’ll do it, Sora-kun! I’ll also get some inspiration from the digital world!

Sora: HoHo~, Mika-chan-san’s greedy for art~♪

Sora: Sora will bring Mika-chan to Yuuki Sense~ who's playing in the Test World, then!

Let’s all have fun playing in the SSVRS world! ♪

Better than one is two, and better than two is three!

I think by making the Test World more lively, it’ll become an even better town~! ♪ HaHiHuHeHo~☆

← prev | story directory | next →

[ninjagirlstar5]

Protag Teruya AU - Kokoro Mitsume’s FTE

Woo, time for some free time events with Protag!Teruya. While I will rewatch the characters’ FTEs, I will try to make them unique from canon so Teruya can feel a bit more distinct as the protagonist compared to Sora.

Word count is 5,892 words, which is waaaay more shorter than some of my usual stuff. Honestly, it’s kinda refreshing writing something that only takes a few days compared to entire month.

AO3 Version

The Protag Teruya AU was inspired by @/anotherprofessional’s post! Beware of Void spoilers though!

Fic is under read more!

Teruya turns the corner of the hallway, his eyes landing on a door he didn't recognize. It's barely been a day since Mikado had recovered from his injuries and he left to catch up on investigating the killing game. Everyone else had gone ahead to do their own thing or search for a way out after their meeting in the dining hall, which left Teruya to finally explore the Monocruise. He didn't have the opportunity to do so as he was too busy nursing Mikado back to health. But now that the wizard recovered, he could focus on other important things.

Like finding a way to escape this Killing Game. Or even a way to end it without casualties.

Teruya shudders as his heart pounds against his chest. The news of being in a killing game sent his nerves a fray with sweat rolling down his face. But along with it was a strong sense of responsibility as he stared out at his classmates. The innocent participants that were dragged into the killing game that threatened their lives. Just looking at them made him determined to protect them. And it was that promise he made as he restrained Syobai from killing Yuki that suddenly thrust him into the role of a leader.

It was almost scary how quickly everyone trusted him. He barely even knew himself and yet everyone took his words to heart and would come to him for advice on what to do. The attention left him floundering but he tried to stay calm and give them ideas to follow through on. And now that he had the time to explore on his own, Teruya can find his own clues to discuss with his group.

The problem, though, is that Teruya had started far later than everyone else. The most he's done so far is catch up on everyone's report and look around the Monocruise he had yet to explore. He was grateful for those that were willing to cooperate, and annoyed with ones that didn't (cough, Syobai, cough). But Teruya was determined to make a breakthrough of his own.

Like finding out whatever is behind this door.

Teruya walked up to the door to check it out in better detail. Unlike most doors he's seen on the Monocruise, it was metal with a handle that he can turn and push forward. However, there was also a number padlock underneath the handle, which made Teruya frown in displeasure. His fingers hover over the numbers as he considered trying to guess the passcode. But when he looks up, he notices the minigun attached to the corner and groans. It didn't take a genius to guess what would happen if he got it wrong.

But would it be worth it to try…?

"I wouldn't be reckless if I were you."

Teruya jumps at the sound of her voice and turns around. Kokoro Mitsume, of course, wasn't there but the drone that she uses to interact with everyone was. Ever since she'd been outed as the mastermind, she's locked herself in her room and hasn't come out. Not that anyone would want her around but it didn't stop Kokoro from watching them through the drones.

Or rather, she seems to be mostly watching him.

Teruya hadn't noticed at first. He was too focused on helping Mikado and making sure everyone was okay. But after the two of them parted ways to investigate on their own, Teruya had finally noticed the drone that had been tailing him. He had ignored it at the time since he figured Kokoro was just surveying the halls. Or just checking on him to make sure he wasn't getting close to anything noteworthy. Either way, he decided to keep his investigation on the downlow so Kokoro wouldn't intervene if he was getting close to an exit or making contact for help. But as he explored the cruise ship, it started becoming more apparent that the drone wasn't checking on him.

Rather, it was following him.

Even when he was just reading a book, or staring out into the ocean, or even spending time in the gift shop and checking inventory - which was probably the most boring thing he could think of to most people - he can still feel the drone's camera drilling into his neck as he worked. It's not as if he could see a drone following another person every now and then but he couldn't be sure. So Teruya had checked in on Shinji and Hajime's training session just to see if another drone was watching them.

But there wasn't.

For some reason, Kokoro was following him and he didn't know why.

Which would only make his investigations harder when the mastermind is keeping an eye on him.

"Why?" He blurts out, glaring at the drone. He couldn't tell how Kokoro reacted as the drone itself had next to nothing when it comes to expression. Even when she speaks, her voice is flat and to the point.

"I think it's obvious as to why."

"I think I get it. I'll probably end up as swiss cheese if I get this passcode wrong." Teruya crosses his arms, ignoring the way his hair stood on the back of his neck. "But, I'm asking why you're following me. S-Specifically me."

"What makes you think I'm following you." She sounded so monotone that it almost sounded like sarcasm. Teruya tried not to grit his teeth.

"I know I sucked at the fake class trial, but even I can see the obvious if enough clues are piled up in front of me." He raises his fingers to count off of them. "You've been camping outside the nursing office since I brought Mikado there. Your drone has never left my side unless I was in my room. And even when I checked on Hajime and Shinji, there wasn't a single drone nearby to monitor them." Teruya stared at his hand before dropping it to his side. "So why? Why are you treating me differently?" Kokoro didn't respond. At least, not right away.

"...I see. I suppose it's only natural that you would notice eventually. But I'm afraid I can't tell you beyond that."

Teruya felt his frustration bubble up to the surface but he manages to force it down. He puts his fingers against his goggles, letting its smooth surface comfort him as he thinks. A thought hits him and he decides it was worth a shot. Putting his backpack onto the ground, he rummages through it to find the gift he needed.

When he had first seen the gift shop on the ship, a sense of joy, comfort and excitement thrummed through his body. Teruya didn’t know why he reacted the way he did, but he allowed himself to be happy as he took his time looking through the store. There was a vending machine called a Monocrow Machine that gave out a random assortment of gifts, arcade games that dished out Crow-Cards if you got a good enough score, and shelves stacked with all assortments of goods. While having gifts on-shelf makes the Monocrow Machine useless on paper, it turns out that rarer gifts can only be obtained through the machine unlike paying for something you see in the shop. A quick investigation with Yuki revealed that pretty quickly as he was only able to obtain that rainbow spray bottle he loved through the machine and can’t be found anywhere in the shop. While Teruya was happy to receive that gift from Yuki, when he had taken a shot at the Monocrow Machine himself, he only ended up getting a water bottle that he can get anywhere else, even at the U-Mart. Which was when he realized that the Monocrow Machine was the definition of a gacha system: a money sink that relies purely on luck for the gifts you desire. It was the only time he was disappointed in the store.

It didn’t stop him from spending a few hours using the machine on his own. He was ashamed to play into the gacha ploy, but Teruya wanted those rare items, dammit. He ended up finding way too many Crow-Cards even after a day spent investigating anyways so he may as well spend them. Seriously, these Crow-Cards are in the strangest of places…The only reason he had to stop was because his backpack was getting way too full to carry around. Which was a sign that he should pull away before he gets too carried away.

One of the gifts he ended up receiving from the machine was one he didn’t see in the shop. But the moment he laid his eyes on it, he felt such a strong repulsion towards it that he almost tossed it out on instinct. And yet, Teruya couldn’t bring himself to do it if only because he felt like it would be a waste to do that. Or maybe it was because of the tug in his heart that made him keep it. He wasn’t sure.

(The only gift he had tossed out at all was the Man’s Nut, mostly because he had no idea what it was supposed to be and had a feeling it was too inappropriate to give to anyone. So he decided it wasn’t worth keeping.)

Teruya didn’t really want to give Kokoro a gift. But he didn’t want this and he didn’t think anyone else would be interested in it aside from maybe Iroha or even Emma.

Nevertheless, he decided it was better to give it away now rather than later. It would at least be taken better care of in someone else’s care than his own. Teruya pulls someone's portrait out from his bag, lifting it up for the drone’s camera to see it clearly. It was a painting of a man with a face showing that life is not interesting, and there wasn’t a single name or signature of who painted it. Just looking at it made him uncomfortable. But the person seemed very familiar to him, but he couldn’t tell if it was because he looked similar to Yuki or if he’s met him before. And it’s not like he could question Yuki about it either. He made it pretty clear that they’ve never met before and he was the one that didn’t have amnesia. So Teruya could only take his word for it.

He takes a deep breath.

“If I give you this portrait, will you at least leave me alone?” Teruya asked, pushing the portrait forward. The drone hovered above him, almost coming in close when he brought it up. The silence stretched on for a while and he felt his nervousness spiking as it went on. And then, finally, she speaks.

“I will not guarantee that I will leave you alone.” Teruya clicked his tongue. But Kokoro wasn’t finished. “However…I am willing to talk to you if you give me that portrait.”

“...Wait, really?” Teruya gaps as his grip slackens on the portrait. “You’re…going to let me question you?”

“Yes.” The drone then turns around. “Just come to my room so I can take the portrait from you.”

“Your room? Why should I go to your room?” Teruya tenses and pulls the portrait close to his chest. The drone turns back around.

“I’m not leaving my room. And I can’t take it from you if you don’t bring it to me.”

…As much as he hates to say it, Teruya knew she had a point.

Kokoro knew better than to take a risk and leave her room. Even when the rules forbid the participants from using violence against each other unless with the intent of murder, including Kokoro, it wouldn’t stop everyone from trying to hinder her. Or worse, try to murder her despite the forcefield she carries on her person. Being in her room is the safest option for her and…whatever she’s planning to do with this killing game, with her drones being her eyes and ears.

Teruya taps his fingers against the frame of the portrait. He then finally started to move and the drone led the way to Kokoro’s room.

Kokoro’s room was the same as everyone else’s. At least, from the outside. It had a sign of her face and a nameplate hanging above her door, which was plain and wooden. But with the mechanical scanner that locks the door automatically, no one could break into her room without violating the rules and risking punishment. Especially since it can only be opened with the owner’s student handbook+. Nikei had already tried to get her to come out, only to walk away in frustration, according to Setsuka.

And now Teruya was standing right outside her door. Just before he could decide if this was a good idea or not, the door opens with the drone slipping inside as Kokoro reveals herself. She looked the same as he had met her, pink sweater and purple tablet and all.

“You arrived. Good.” Kokoro said, putting out her hands. Teruya immediately hands the portrait to her. She stares at it almost intensely before nodding her head. “Good condition…I don’t think I’m surprised, though.”

“Great, you got your portrait. Now will you answer my questions?” Teruya cuts in, even going as far as to put his foot in the doorway to keep her from closing it on him. Kokoro looked up at him from the portrait, staring at him like usual.

“...Yes.” Kokoro steps back and then, to his surprise, gestures behind herself. “Come in.”

…Okay, now this is a bad idea.

Going inside the mastermind’s room alone with no one else knowing where he is?

It was like asking to get himself killed. Or worse.

…He didn’t know what could be worse than that but he didn’t want to find out.

…And yet, if he passes up the opportunity to pry information from Kokoro, he may never get another chance again. He didn’t know if any other gifts would interest her or even make her risk opening the door again. Wouldn’t it be worth the risk if it could help the rest of the participants?

Teruya hesitates, glancing around the hall to see if anyone was nearby. But there was no one else around and he didn’t want Kokoro to close the door while he’s pulling out his handbook. So he takes a deep breath and nods his head. The psychologist opens the door wider, allowing him to walk into her room. She shuts the door behind him with a loud click.

Kokoro’s room was a lot messier than he thought it’d be. There were papers and books scattered on the floor, machines and screens hanging off of the walls and even a strange device that someone can lay down on. Teruya glanced around the room as Kokoro walked up to an empty wall. He sees a chair and after a bit of apprehension, he sits down in it. He watches as Kokoro fiddles with the portrait, trying to set it up on the wall without it falling over.

"...Do you really like portraits or do you just like this guy?" Teruya asked, putting his hands in his lap. His posture was tense and tight, like he was ready to bolt at any given second.

"Are you really going to start your questioning with that?" Kokoro turned her head towards him with narrowed eyes, but his gaze didn't waver. She sighs before looking back at the portrait and lets go of it. It hung on the wall for all to see. "...He's simply someone I respect. Nothing more."

"'Nothing more' or is he a part of this, too?" Teruya swallows his anxiety. Kokoro turns her back on the portrait, walking over to sit across from him. She sets up her tablet onto the table, tapping away on it before her gaze lands on him again.

"He's important." She said before lowering eyelids. "But he's dead."

"...Oh." Teruya…didn't really know how to respond to that. While it was hard to read Kokoro due to her lack of facial expressions, she did seem…genuine in her sadness. But, no, he shouldn't get carried away. Kokoro is the mastermind and she killed Rei Mekaru and that woman without a second thought. And it's not like he liked the guy in the portrait anyways. It was only an instinct but he felt inclined to listen to his gut this time.

"...Interesting." Kokoro murmured, which he managed to catch since there was only a table separating them. She types something onto her tablet. "Despite your disgust towards me, your first response is to show compassion."

"Is that really…interesting?" Teruya asked, frowning as he pressed his hand against his chest. Another thought hits him as he grips his shirt. “And how could you tell? I wasn’t that obvious, was I?”

“Yes.” Kokoro said, blunt and straight to the point. “You are something of an open book, Otori. So it wasn’t very hard.” Ouch, he felt his dignity take a bit of a hit from that. “...But even if you weren’t, it’s not that hard for me to read other people. It’s easy for me to read and judge people’s emotions from their expressions, to their tone, and their body language. Combine that with the data of the environment and the context of the situation, and it’s trivial to guess how they’re feeling.”

“So…you just observed me and what’s happening to take a guess at how I was feeling?” Teruya’s hand automatically moves to his pocket, feeling along the journal he had bought from the shop. He considered taking it out to make notes of what he’s hearing. But maybe he should wait until after he leaves? But if he forgets what was told to him…

“You’re allowed to take notes.” Teruya's jaw drops and he is about to ask how she knew until Kokoro rolls her eyes. “I saw you buy your journal.”

“Oh…right. The drone.” She was following him all day after all. So he really shouldn’t be surprised. Or at least, he should’ve put that much together. Teruya wanted to mentally kick himself but pushed that thought away. He needed to focus on prying information from Kokoro and knowing what kind of skills she has would allow him to know how to counter her…Even if he had no idea how to mask his emotions. He takes out his journal and pen, opening to a new page and writing down ‘Kokoro’s Interrogation’ along with notes of what he’s been told. “So…why are you doing this? Why did you start this killing game?”

“Now you’re finally getting to what you really want to know.” Kokoro types something down on her tablet. He glances at it before keeping his gaze on her. “...I do have a reason. But I’m not obligated to tell you.”

Teruya slams his hand on the table.

“It must be a pretty shitty one if you’re willing to kidnap this many people for something like a killing game.” He bites out. Kokoro doesn’t even lift her gaze off of her tablet.

“Of course. There’s nothing good about a killing game.” Kokoro takes her glasses off and cleans the lenses with a rag. Despite her words, she seems completely…disinterested. And that rubbed him the wrong way. “...I am simply a person that won’t stop at anything to achieve their life goal. This killing game is simply one step towards that.”

“What step? What are you planning? What do you get out of sacrificing so many people?” The questions flow from Teruya’s mouth, clenching his pen tightly in his hand. He felt the familiarity in this scene, one that itched his brain like he’s done this countless times before. But there was an ache in his chest, as if he’s never done it alone before either. Kokoro puts her glasses back on.

“...Can people who are different live for the same purpose in life?” The question came out of nowhere, stunning Teruya into silence. Kokoro keeps speaking. “The answer is ‘no.’ Even when you share the same genes and have the same appearance, humans will have different ideas of what their purpose will be. Two separate human brains cannot be the same.”

“...Wh-Where are you going with this?” Teruya couldn’t help but stutter and he wished he didn’t. Kokoro tilts her head, typing something again.

“...Perhaps this would interest you a little bit, Otori. Do you think it’s possible for a brain to be reset and restore its memories back to the way it was before?” Kokoro asked and Teruya’s knee jolted into the table. He winces and leans down to rub his knee. Before he could get his hopes up, though, the psychologist shakes her head. “I have a hypothesis that relies on ‘no.’ While memories certainly inform a person’s behavior, dream and choices, it’s the environment that develops who someone is. If that is the case…” She trails off before humming again. “Well, that’s as much as I’m willing to tell you on that. It doesn’t change your importance in this killing school trip.”

“My…importance?” Teruya stops writing. He didn’t even realize he was taking notes as he didn’t really understand a word she was saying. “What…What does that have to do with what you said? About my memories?” Kokoro stares at her tablet, pausing in her typing. Another thought hits him and he feels his body go into a cold sweat. “...Is…Is there a reason why everyone was chosen? Was there a reason why I was chosen?”

Kokoro was silent. And then…

“I suppose I can tell you this much.”

She brought her gaze up, which turned blood red.

“I want to study you, Teruya Otori.”

Her eyes swirled with a dark intensity, a twisted sense of curiosity that was drenched in obsession. Teruya felt a chill go down his spine as his eyes went wide.

“S-Study…me?” Teruya felt his pen fall out of his hand. Kokoro tilts her head at him.

“Yes. Like I said before, you’re…different from other patients with amnesia. Even with how fuzzy your small, twinkling memory fragments are, your identity is gone. Empty. Like it’s been destroyed from your brain…From the, hm, situation that has put you through this.” Kokoro leans across the table, gripping the edge tightly. “That makes you the ideal subject for me. Your basic emotions, the very first emotion, pure, devoid of the influence of the surrounding environment…To understand that and make it from my own two hands…With your empty mind, the emotions you’re feeling at every single moment…You’re a near perfect test subject for my research.”

She reaches towards him.

“And your amnesia, permanent and with no cure, will keep your basic emotions pure for my studies.”

Clatter.

The chair fell over when Teruya stood up. He didn’t realize he was backing away until his back hit the door, his shoulders feeling tight and tense. He tries to speak but only a gasp escaped his lips.

Study him.

She wants to…study him?

All because his amnesia made him the perfect candidate?

Kokoro tilts her head at him before sitting back down. Her eyes go back to normal as she types another thing into her tablet.

“It’s a shame that I got outed as the mastermind by Mekaru and her subordinate. If that hadn’t happened, I might’ve been able to convince you to lay down so I can use my machines here.” Kokoro sighs in clear disappointment. Teruya looked up at the strange device he had seen earlier and felt his heart plummet to his stomach.

“You were going to experiment on me…” Teruya said. He knows he’s stating the obvious but he couldn’t help it. The mastermind was sitting before him, openly complaining about the complications that Rei Mekaru and her companion had brought with their reveal. Just thinking about her dead body made white hot anger rise in Teruya’s chest. “And you killed them. You killed Mekaru and that woman. The people that knew who I was, who could’ve helped me and my memories-!”

“They couldn’t.” Kokoro cuts him off, staring at him flatly. “Whether you believe me or not, this will always remain as fact: amnesia is permanent. No matter what they do, the people that knew you cannot revive your memory. The death of a memory is the same as the death of a person. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. So don’t bother trying to restore your memories. Not even a reset can bring them back.”

Teruya clenched his fists, trying desperately to keep himself from shaking. And he wasn’t sure if it was because he was scared or because he was angry.

He didn’t know Rei Mekaru or that woman. But they clearly knew him with the way they talked and showed concern for him. They told him that everything was going to be alright now, that he’s free from the killing game along with everyone else. That the mastermind won’t get a chance to hurt anyone anymore. Even when he was in shock upon witnessing Kokoro get shot, horrified at the sight of losing someone he believed was his friend, he felt a strange sense of comfort at her reassurance. At the names they both used to refer to him, ones that just clicked and fit so right to him.

A part of him was happy to see them.

A majority of him was angry at them for supposedly killing his friend.

And everything about him became petrified as Kokoro Mitsume rose like she hadn’t been shot in the head, sending a mech to tear Rei Mekaru apart with bullets and the woman being sent straight into the sky from an explosion.

And once everything had settled with Mikado in the infirmary and everyone splintering off to investigate, Teruya felt the grief hit him full force and cried for a friend he didn’t remember.

He thought he lost a friend.

And then he lost someone that clearly knew him, could tell him everything he didn’t remember, and had come specifically to rescue him with everyone else. Dead along with the answers he desperately craved for.

“...S-Stay away from me.” Teruya wished his voice was stronger in its conviction. That he could hide his fear and put on a brave face, to tell her no, she won’t get away with this and will pay for what she’s done. But how can he do that when he can’t even stop himself from shivering? “You…I won’t let you experiment on me. I refuse.”

“Hm…I almost want to say it’s funny, but I’m not laughing.” Kokoro’s mouth twitches as if she was about to smile, but it doesn’t give. “I only suspected you to have amnesia upon seeing your profile. But seeing you now, even though I had another reason for bringing you here…It actually surpassed my expectations.” The psychologist props her elbows on her table, folding her hands together and raising them to her lips. “Regardless, you’re allowed to leave since observing you is enough for now…But know this, Otori.” She leaned forward and he felt his chest tighten at those deep red eyes.

“I will get my data, one way or another.”

Teruya opens the door and slams it shut in his haste.

(Kokoro watched him leave before staring down at the data she collected in her tablet. “His reactions are predictable and yet…This is far better than anything I could’ve dreamed. I should thank him for this opportunity he unwittingly gave to me.”)

Teruya leaned heavily against the door, staring down at the floor.

His journal was still clutched in his hand, having been completely forgotten the more Kokoro revealed why he was here.

Why he was chosen…as a test subject.

And for…what? To…examine basic emotions? What does that even mean?

And what did she mean that she suspected he had amnesia? What other reason did she have to bring him here?

Teruya didn’t know what to do.

And that scared him.

It scared him because he didn’t have an idea of how to counter Kokoro. He didn’t know how to stop the killing game. He didn’t know how to protect himself from getting experimented on.

Despite being revealed as the mastermind, Kokoro still has control over the situation. There’s the disadvantage of not being trusted among the group and the knowledge of who to face, but that’s all they have at the moment. They currently don’t have any clues to get out of the killing game and that’s not getting into the rules that Monocrow is enforcing. If they’re not careful, they could end up breaking a rule and suffer a punishment. Perhaps even execution. And then there’s the mechs and drones Kokoro is in control of, which allows her to watch them without physically being there herself and threaten them with the guns and power she wields.

Kokoro had the authority of being in charge of the killing game and they were all trapped in it.

So…how was Teruya going to fight against her? He can’t just give everyone inspiring speeches and hope for the best. He needs a plan, some clues that could point to an exit and a reason for everyone to follow him. Just because they’re content with the sight of him stopping Syobai from committing attempted murder and his promise to protect them doesn’t mean that trust and confidence can’t be broken. If he fails them somehow, their synergy as a group will quickly fall apart too. And who’s to say no one will commit murder? The killing game is stressful as it is and who knows what Kokoro has planned for them to push for the result she wants.

Teruya bit his lip, staring down at the journal he held tightly to the point of his nails scraping along the surface. He forces his gaze away from it and turns to walk down the hall.

Only to see Mikado staring at him from across the hall.

Teurya only had a second to blink when the wizard suddenly flies across the hall and stops right in his face. He jolts at how close he was but Mikado was the first to speak after grabbing a hold of his shoulders and shaking him.

“Did you just come out of Kokoro’s room?! What were you doing in there?!! You realize how dangerous that is, don’t you!!?” Mikado yelled, his mask distorting into an expression of exasperation and worry. Teruya tried to speak but the constant shaking made it hard for him to voice his thoughts. He must’ve realized this as he suddenly stops but doesn’t let go. “Otori-san, why were you in Ms. Mitsume’s room?”

“I…” Teruya’s mouth slightly parts, his eyes sliding down to his journal. Mikado’s eye, the one not covered by his mask, flickers to it as well. “...I was trying to get some information. But she was kinda…cryptic, I guess. So I don’t think it’s very useful.”

“...I know we’re all trying to find a way out of here. But that doesn’t mean you should put yourself in danger for this.” Mikado pulls away and raises his finger to his chin. “Did you even tell anyone what you were doing?”

“...No.” Even just saying it out loud made Teruya feel his face burn in embarrassment. Mikado’s mask flattens its gaze.

“That’s way too reckless, Otori-san.” Mikado said, his mask suddenly darkening. “Did she touch you? Hurt you? I swear, if she did, I will-”

“I - no, not really.” Teruya opens and closes his mouth before looking down at his shoes. “...I’m uncomfortable, but it’s not a big deal.” It was a big deal. He just didn’t want to talk about it. Or maybe he did and his nerves were just too frayed to do so.

“...I see.” Mikado calms down, his mask lightening up a bit. But he can still feel his ire from here with the way his gaze shifts towards Kokoro’s door. “Well, what’s done is done. Even if the information is vague, it’s still something we could work with. Is there anything else you plan to do?”

“Um…I don’t know.” Teruya pauses before wiping his hand against his pants to get rid of the sweat. “I haven’t decided.”

“...Would you like to join me for tea, then?” Mikado drops his hand. Teruya blinks at the question before his mind offers an image he still couldn’t get over and snorts. The wizard tilts his head as Teruya gives him a flat stare.

“Mikado. You set the kitchen on fire when you tried to cook. I don’t think you’re allowed anywhere near the stove after that.” Teruya said, the exasperated tease coming to him naturally. Mikado sputters as he holds up his clenched hands.

“That was one time! I think I can make something as simple as tea!” He pauses before scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. “Well…probably. But how hard can it be?”

“Your poor attempt at pancakes would beg to differ.” Even Teruya felt like he could cook pretty decently, amnesia or no. Mikado huffs and crosses his arms.

“Regardless, my offer still stands. Do you want to hang out? I’ve done all I could for today.” Teruya can feel the smile that tried to break onto his face fall flat. Did he want to hang out? It was barely the afternoon, which he could spend investigating or resting in his room. He searched everywhere he could think of, though, and going back to the places he’s already been to would be redundant. And rest is a very tempting option as his interrogation of Kokoro has drained every bit of energy he had right now. Spending some time in his room would help him decompress and organize his thoughts in private.

But…as he stared at Mikado and the strange mask that covered half of his blank face, he realized something.

He realized he was still shaking.

He realized his heart was still pounding against his chest.

He realized there was a heaviness in his throat that just didn’t go away.

He realized he…didn’t want to be alone right now.

“Please.” Teruya said, uncertain and yet softly. Mikado tilts his head and he clarifies. “Please let me hang out with you.” And because he didn’t want to be fully honest about his feelings right now, he gives the wizard an awkward grin. “...I need to make sure you don’t burn down the kitchen again anyways.”

“Why I - Oh, I’ll prove to you I can make tea! Come along, my - ahem, Otori-san.” Mikado backpedals on the nickname he’s given him since they first met, which made his heart stutter in disappointment. He almost preferred it over his last name. Or if he used his first name instead. Despite all the interactions he’s had with him, the wizard has been keeping a strange distance from him ever since his battle with Kokoro.

Nevertheless, Mikado turns around, his cape fluttering behind him as he leads the way. Teruya followed after him, almost tempted to reach out and grab his cape. But he didn’t as that might ruin the flow of his movement. Or worse, hurt him. But that didn’t matter right now.

Right now, Teruya was just glad that he wasn’t alone.

Your relationship rank with Kokoro Mitsume has risen from 0 to 1…?

You have completed Kokoro Mitsume’s Free Time Events!

Kokoro Mitsume’s information has been recorded in the e-Handbook+’s profile page.

[darkershining]

Just watched episode 43 of Hirogaru Sky! Pretty Cure, in which Mashiro learns Monda's true identity.

The episode begins with Mashiro working on her latest picture book, inspired by her last encounter with "Monda". Meanwhile, Battamonda in his human disguise is quietly reflecting on Mashiro's words while staring at a fallen leaf.

While having lunch later, Mashiro admits that she's about halfway done with her book, but is having some difficulties deciding on the ending. Noticing that Mashiro is so focused on the story that she almost forgot about the competition she was going to enter it into, Sora notes this must be a good sign, with Ageha reminding her to actually remember to submit it once she's done.

Mashiro goes to the park to continue working on her book. Battamonda continues reflecting on things, wondering what to do with himself. He's startled when Mashiro spots him and calls out to him, deciding to ask him for his opinion on the picture book so far. She explains she's having trouble coming up with a happy ending for the fallen leaf, but Battamonda's frustrations finally boil over and he starts ripping apart the picture book while complaining that there's no way things could end happily and that it's the Pretty Cures' fault he lost his place within the Undergu Empire.

Mashiro realizes his true identity, causing Battamonda to realize that he slipped up about his true identity. He quickly snatches Mashiro's Mirage Pen in a panic, threatening to break it as it begins to rain, and Mashiro asks if everything was a lie. Battamonda replies it was, and that he was just doing this to make her feel bad. Mashiro wonders if "Monda's" frustrations were all a lie, but notices Battamonda briefly hesitate to answer. Battamonda notes that as a failure to the Undergu Empire, he'll probably be eliminated. Mashiro tells him the Cures can protect him, and asks her Mirage Pen back. Battamonda almost gives it back, before catching himself and telling her he won't fall for her schemes. Mashiro tells him she's serious, and that the Cures can save him. Battamonda senses that Mashiro won't back down, and decides to flee.

Sora goes to look for Mashiro to bring her an umbrella, and realizes something has happened when she spots Mashiro's torn up notebook on the ground. Mashiro cries as Sora hugs her.

Elsewhere, Skearhead takes Mashiro's Mirage Pen from Battamonda, telling him he's willing to offer him a chance to prove he's not entirely useless. He offers him a sphere of Undergu Energy, telling him to absorb it. Battamonda is frightened, knowing the risks of doing so, with Skearhead confirming he's well aware that the process will likely erase Battamonda's soul and only leave a powerful beast behind. Skearhead tells Battamonda that if he's not onboard with the idea, then Skearhead could just eliminate him now.

Mashiro explains what happened to the other Cures, and apologizes for letting Battamonda steal her Mirage Pen. The others assure her it's not her fault, noting Battamonda was the one who tricked her. Mashiro admits that she can't bring herself to get mad at him since she sensed there was some truth to the things he said to her as Monda. She notes that each member of the Undergu Empire they've fought believe that their self-worth is solely based on their strength, and that to some extent she can sort of understand how they feel, since she used to believe there wasn't really anything that special about herself. But thanks to the other Cures, Mashiro was able to find her own dream and discover where her true strengths lie, and Sora comments that Mashiro's latest story was in some ways about Mashiro herself. Mashiro realizes Sora is right, and asks everyone to help her locate Battamonda so she can talk to him.

The next day, the Cures find Battamonda by the bench he and Mashiro spoke at yesterday. Battamonda tells Mashiro that if she's there to take her pen back, then he can't help since he already lost it. Mashiro tells him she just wants to talk, and Battamonda comments that she still doesn't get it. Skearhead shows up, showing he still has Mashiro's Mirage Pen with him. He notes that Battamonda is still hesitating to use the energy he offered, and keeps pressuring him until he finally goes ahead and absorbs it. Remembering their last couple of fights with Minoton, Mashiro tells him not to do it, but it's too late. As Battamonda turns into a beast, Skearhead tells Mashiro that her words won't reach him anymore. He points out that she can't even transform without her Mirage Pen, so she can't even fight. Mashiro tells Skearhead that she doesn't care what he says, and that nobody but her can decide her worth.

Battamonda hears Mashiro's words, and shows he hasn't completely lost himself to the Undergu Energy yet. He turns on Skearhead, punching him and taking back Mashiro's Mirage Pen. He tells Skearhead he's sick of his attitude towards him, and returns Mashiro's Mirage Pen to her before he is overwhelmed by the Undergu Energy and loses control of himself. Determined to save him, the Cures transform. Battamonda's beast form proves to be a tough opponent, the Cures struggling against him. As Cure Prism stands up against him, Skearhead tells her the Cures can't win, but Cure Prism continues to state that Skearhead's opinion doesn't matter to her. Sensing that Battamonda is still fighting back against the Undergu Energy from the inside, Cure Prism decides to give him a hand and uses her power to try to bring him to his senses. It works, and the Cures are able to purify him, returning him to normal. Skearhead retreats without a word.

Battamonda admits that he didn't actually believe that the Cures would actually save him in the end, and notes he's also surprised that Sora is willing to forgive him for his past crimes, with Sora replying that as long as he's willing to live an honest life from now on, she'll let it slide. Battamonda apologizes to Mashiro for tearing up her notebook the day before, before walking away.

Mashiro finishes her picture book, and wins the grand award at the picture book contest.

Another good episode! Mashiro finally managed to get through to Battamonda, and it's really nice to see how much confidence Mashiro has gained over the course of the series. And ooh, judging from the preview for the next episode, it looks like we'll finally be getting a better look at what the Undergu Empress looks like. Seems we're definitely approaching the final stretch of the story now.

Looking forward to the next episode!

[bokura-no-digital-world]

Takeru Week 2022 - Day 5: Style/Fashion

Days: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] Title: Suits and Dresses Characters: Takeru Takaishi, Yamato Ishida, Sora Takenouchi, Taichi Yagami and Kimi Shincai (OC). Summary: Takeru asks for Sora's help to change his fashion style, much to Yamato's and Taichi's envy. Takeru walked down the streets of Odaiba towards his father’s apartment. Yamato invited him to spend the day over there and do brother stuff together, since they barely hung out together anymore. He noticed he was attracting some attention from people on the street and couldn’t help but wonder if there was something with his clothes. He quickly shook his head and pushed these thoughts away.

He politely knocked on the door before letting himself in, though he already permission to come in without having to wait for someone to open the door for him. Patamon immediately flew off towards the kitchen when he smelled food. “Yamato?” Takeru walked into the kitchen after he had put on his usual blue flip flops that were still by the door. “Hey.” Yamato turned around and greeted his brother with a grin. “I’m preparing some snacks for us.” “Do you need any help with it?” “No, I’m almost done. But thank you.” He examined his younger brother up and down carefully. “What?” “Nothing.” He turned back to his task. “I was just looking at your outfit.” “People on the street were too.” Takeru looked down at his own body. “Is there something wrong with it?” “No, but it’s quite… bold for you. I didn’t know you were into dark tones like this dark blue on your T-shirt.” “Usually I’m not. But I thought I’d try something new, you know? Expand my horizons a little and allow myself to try different clothes and accessories.” “That certainly explains why you’re wearing a black hat.” “Oh.” He looked up and immediately took it off. “I forgot about it for a moment. Do you think it’s too much?” “No, I think it’s great to change your style sometimes. But you’re not doing it to impress someone, are you?” “What do you mean?” “You don’t have any feelings for someone and are trying to impress them, do you?” “I don’t, I swear.” Takeru replied quickly and nervously. “I’m not doing this for anyone, believe me.” “Good.” “However, I’m inspiring on you.” He admitted. “So I was thinking you could give me some advice.” “I’m inspiring you?!” Yamato was completely caught by surprise and raised his eyebrows. He stopped what he was doing and turned to face his brother, leaning against the sink. “But I don’t dress well enough to be an inspiration.” “Please, you’re one of the top five best dressed guys from Odaiba High School.” “What? Who came up with this list?” “I don’t know, but it has certainly run around the entire school. I’m surprised you didn’t know about it until now.” “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. It’s just a stupid list. So… what kind of advice do you want?” “I don’t know.” Takeru shrugged. “Where did you get your inspiration from?” “Anywhere, honestly. I make up my own fashion sense, just like you do.” “Are you saying you never bought anything to please Sora before?” “That’s right.” Yamato looked at him and then rolled his eyes, annoyed. He hated how well Takeru could read him sometimes. “Okay, fine. I might have once or twice.” “I knew it.” “Anyway, what kind of advice you want?” “I don’t know… maybe we could go shopping together?” “Okay, but I think you should find your own style. I mean, clothes are very personal. Not everything that looks good on me would look good on you and that’s perfectly normal.” “I know, that’s why I’m not inspiring on you completely. I want to have my own style too.” “Great. So we can do it later today, if that’s okay for you.” “Of course.”

Keep reading it on FFN or AO3

[rubywithin]

Who to Trust? 41

I got up and signed in like usual....I decided to avoid Sora for now as I did not want him in on my investigation. But the question was would the host tell him what I have been doing? After we all sign'd our names I went straight for the principle's office! (Naruma) "Hey Ein why are you in such a hurry? there is nothing special on this floor". (Ein) "I want to check if the Principle's Office has some sort of a confiscated item's drawer!". It made no sense....yet I believed who ever was behind this game would leave findable evidence. Tetsuya said as much plus Aurel planned on poisoning the host....wait how would he do that? If he planned on poisoning them he would have to have access to to something like food they would eat. If Sora is the traitor then he isn't the host....does that mean one of the others is the host.....no the hair I found didn't match anyone AAAAAGH my head.

(Naruma) "Ein you don't have to do everything alone! please let me help you". (Ein) "Sora admitted he was a traitor..." I told her about all the things he confirmed to me. She looked a little upset but then snapped out of it.....(Naruma) "It's hard to accept but it makes sense since he had made tools used by the killers!". Hmm if he is getting info from the host he would know who was most likely to kill next. We went into the office....I opened a drawer and inside it was a phial and I think I know what is inside. (Ein) "I think this is the antidote for the poison used by Enrique!" I believe he used it on Annabelle. But the thing is....she was the one who wanted to use it so was the host most likely to be targeted by her?...based off the locked box's she was most likely a former participant of this game. In that case then Sora was likely a participant too -gulp- it just hit me, I took out a piece of paper and wrote down my thoughts and handed it too Naruma!

(Naruma) "Are you sure about that?" I nodded it was hard to admit but it made sense if he is helping the host. "Okay then I will carry the antidote with me in case, make sure you have something to protect yourself with!". We both went back to our rooms, I took out a picture from the scene of Annabelle's death. Something that bugged me is she looked shorter....I guess I hadn't picked up on it due to being shocked at her death. Darn it I wish I had a different picture of her for a comparison as she definitely looks different in this picture.....I had an idea what if I leave this picture out? Let's see if its the key to figuring out who the host is or not, it was almost time for the night time meet up so I decided to read for a bit. I needed help though to try and put together some final pieces of the puzzle!

It was still kind of tense at the meeting....(Gina) "I wish the dumb hedgehog would just give us the motive already!". (Ellie) "Why? those motives have torn us apart enough already" she was right. However the issue is that I think the host will pull Sora's strings this time. And I think I have a target on my back....while everyone else was talking I asked Isabelle if she could look something up for me! (Ein) "I would like to get some painting inspiration!" she smiled and showed me some of her pictures before showing me what I really wanted to see. Afterwards we all made our way over to our rooms and called it a night, there was one more thing I needed to know. However I am sure the host will set up the motivation soon to pressure us. I closed my eyes and went to sleep!

[blitz-heart]

He's quick to catch onto the shift in the young girl’s expression, the barest of twitches that relay the brief falter in her carefully crafted composure. Not as collected as she'd have liked, nor as stable, but he can't fault her when her world’s been turned on it's head for what felt like the millionth time within the last few years. He presses his lips together, holding onto his silence as he keeps her stare, his own softening the barest amount as he waits for her to speak when she's ready. Understanding is an emotion that peeks, curious in it's kindred nature at the knowledge he perfectly understood just where she was coming from. All too well, in a way that sparked at an old panging ache in his chest, right beneath the cage of his ribs. That helplessness that sparked all sorts of feelings, impatience, anger, fear & worry. It blended them all together, poisoning ones own mind & will if kept within too long & left unchecked. But it was hard to dispose of unless you knew how, unless you were brave enough to confront all those internal thoughts coated thickly in ick & dread. Being left behind, being the one to linger in relative safety to hold down the fort while friends & loved ones tossed themselves headfirst into danger . . . despite it making sense, despite knowing it's the right course of action to take to avoid more danger & harm all around - it still hurt. Head turning away, gaze following with it, Leon can only hum softly, turning his own sights off to the side in an effort to give Kairi some semblence of privacy. The sound of shifting, subtle as it is, draws his attention right back, willing him to look over with a quick flash of his eyes. It's a familiar expression, one he recognizes. But even among the myriad of emotions glittering in expressive eyes, there's gratitude there, however strained, that greets him. Leon wonders if any of the Guardians bother to check in with one another often, or if they all just . . . have the habit of tossing themselves into more work to bury whatever issues they have following everything. Call him a hypocrite, but the likeliness of that being accurate both worries & amuses him. Shaking his head, he can't help but agree with Riku, a pinch of his brows given as he huffs, reaching up to rub at the nape of his own neck. "Given the things you regularly seem to go up against? I'm guessing it wasn't an inspiring thing to be told, but . . . where he's going . . ." The gun-blader mumbles, gaze thinning before diamond sights find sad violets again. "I'm guessing your training didn't prepare you for what you needed at the time." Scoffing out a sigh, he can't help but curse under his breath. "With any luck, you'll probably be able to join the search once you learn what you need to, but . . . not a good thing to go through either way. I'm sorry, Kairi." He remembers how the first time they'd met, once Sora'd returned with her in Traverse Town, introduced her to the others before moving on to make preparations to return to Hollow Bastion, she'd quietly wandered off. It was a brief meeting, but she'd been the one to nudge him & the others to go & follow him, to make sure in her stead that the kid hadn't bitten off more than he could chew in his journey to the end. The big bad. The familiarity of the moment makes him wince, another apologetic look tossed back her way. "So . . . what's on your agenda so far? Any way we can help move things along?"

"Mm, yeah. I told Riku that... I'd be there beside him and Sora as soon as I become stronger."

Even as she says it, as soon as I become stronger, she sounds uncertain. Not on a matter of whether or not that time will come, but when. She doesn't want to think about how she's been made to wait time and time again, but... she can't help it at the same time. And it hurts all the same. Being left behind. Being told she can't help, yet. Being made to feel like she's still not enough.

It's such a bitter feeling.

When Leon asks her what the agenda is — what her agenda is —indigo eyes shift to meet his gaze fully, gratitude indeed evident in her own as well as mild surprise, albeit... surprise of a pleasant nature. She knows he and the Restoration Committee all want to do their parts to help, but Kairi wasn't expecting him to ask if there's anything they can do for her, alone.

She swallows around the lump that's now threatening to form in her throat, a lump of emotion that makes her feel like she might want to cry.

Because no one yet outside of Leon, with the exception of perhaps Lea and maybe Merlin, during that time spent training in the Secret Forest, has considered asking her what they can do for her. That alone is a bittersweet thought; it makes her consider the fact that in having been left behind more than once, and in more kind of ways than one, up until this point she's almost been on her own with her emotions, so to speak. Everyone had been so busy with the war, and then after that looking for Sora, maybe no one's really had time to consider the thoughts and feelings of those most effected by it all. Maybe no one's really had time to consider the thoughts and feelings of anyone outside of themselves. And while it isn't necessarily a bad thing, per se—

Have we all really come this far in being so far apart from each other despite being so close...? Have we all really been this... distant from each other?

That's when Kairi realizes Leon's still waiting for an answer from her, and she clears her throat. There is something.

"Actually, Leon... um. If it's okay with all of you here in Radiant Garden, I was wondering..."

She lifts a hand to her mouth, nibbling at a fingernail before continuing.

"Would it be possible for any of you to keep an eye out here for anything related to... me? Related to my past." Better to get the question out there quickly and plainly, like ripping off a bandaid. "I had a flashback a little while ago, sometime shortly before Riku left for Quadratrum. It was a dream, actually, about the day Xehanort kidnapped me when I was really little and sent me to Destiny Islands, and that's how I discovered I'm from this world. But I can't stay here all the time, since I'll be training with Aqua from here on out, so in the meantime I was just hoping you and the others could kind of just... keep your eyes and ears open for anything that might help me remember things. Anything at all."

She lets her gaze flick off to the side again before once again settling on Leon.

"I understand if it would be difficult. I'm just still learning things, still struggling a bit to catch up with my past before the Islands, and my dream is... really about all else I have to go off of, so far."

[felikatze]

Sora-Baldr Parallels and KH4 Predictions

As per this post, Sora and Xehanort are heavily paralleld in Kingdom Hearts 3, with Sora being Xehanort’s symbolic successor when Xehanort officially bequeaths him the X-Blade. Dark Road in turn parallels Xehanort and Baldr, which opens the door to comparing Baldr and Sora in turn.

First, I’d like to establish a line of succession, so to speak, through how Baldr’s and Xehanort’s deaths play out.

The setting and circumstances of both are exceedingly similar.

Baldr: Checkmate.

(forgive the youtube bar dudes. but hey, the timestamp lets you cross-reference more easily!)

Kingdom Hearts 3′s finale is the first time we see Scala Ad Caelum, specifically in its “light” dark road incarnation, as opposed to its “dark” missing link incarnation.

Though the design appears differently, both confrontations take place atop Scala Ad Caelum’s tower, under an open sky. Both antagonists purposefully choose this location, calling the tower “somewhere worthy of the occasion.”

Baldr: Let’s finish this somewhere worthy of the occasion.

Presumably, its because the tower’s roof is the location in SaC that’s closest to the sky, hence SaC being named “ladder to the sky.” With Kingdom Hearts being a moon, it additionally makes sense for the roof to be closest to Kingdom Hearts.

The summoning of Kingdom Hearts is also the intent of both antagonists. Both intend to “purge the world,” albeit to different ends.

Eraqus: You were after Kingdom Hearts too?

Both of them want to “purge the world.” Xehanort, because he believes it will return the world to being pure light. Baldr, because he believes it will sink the world into darkness.

Xehanort: A purge... The World will be returned whence it started.

Xehanort: Wait. Calling on that power would purge the world, which means that darkness- you- would disappear.

Baldr: You don‘t get it. Once all is purged, the world will be reborn in darkness.

Eraqus: So Vidar‘s plan wouldn‘t have worked… It was all for nothing.

Furthermore, the confrontations play out similarly through a different parallel: Eraqus and Hoder.

In an attempt to stop their friends, Hoder and Eraqus both appear as spirits, having journeyed there on the hearts of others specifically for this purpose.

Eraqus: Checkmate.

Both spirits appear after the actual boss fight itself (for gameplay purposes), yet create the opportunity for the battle to truly end.

Hoder’s interference distracts Baldr for long enough for Odin to trap him, thus allowing Xehanort to finish him off. Eraqus, meanwhile, plain makes Xehanort give up and stop fighting.

(The difference in results here, Hoder’s failure versus Eraqus’ success, is a topic for a different post, really, so I’ll refrain.)

Hoder and Eraqus are additionally paralleld as being Baldr’s and Xehanort’s light.

Baldr: You and I, we stand by the light only to cast shadows and beget darkness; you with Eraqus, me with my sister.

(We will be coming back to this point)

Eraqus is the one who ends up pulling Xehanort out of darkness, just as he promised.

Eraqus: Knowing you, if you wound up wandering into the darkness, you‘d try to escape on your own and just end up heading deeper in. But not if I were around to rescue you. You‘re welcome, buddy.

When putting these scenes next to each other, Xehanort takes the place of Baldr, Eraqus takes the place of Hoder, and Sora takes the place of Xehanort.

What for? Well, I’d say this moment, Baldr’s death, is what inspired Xehanort to become the seeker of darkness in the first place.

Baldr: I see myself... in you...

Baldr: Seek answers... to the unjust ways of the world... to the darkness...

“Seek answers to the darkness.” As illustrated above, Xehanort ends up following nigh exactly in Baldr’s footsteps, meeting his same end at the same place under the same circumstances.

Xehanort has, in a way, become Baldr’s ideological successor.

Darkness: If you no longer have hope for this world, purge it.

Xehanort: The World needs someone to stand up and lead. Someone strong, to stop the weak from polluting the World with their endless darkness.

Xehanort separates people into “the strong” and “the weak.” Baldr separates people into “dark” and “light.” Baldr says both he and Xehanort are dark, whereas people like Eraqus and Hoder are light. By Xehanort’s own ideology, he is weak for spreading darkness, even as a means to an end.

Baldr: I understood then that there were two kinds of people: people like you and Eraqus, and people like me. I knew I would be left behind. That‘s why I chased after you and your light.

Makes sense then, that he truly wasn’t strong enough.

I bring this up because Kingdom Hearts 3′s finale clearly makes Sora Xehanort’s successor.

In your hand, take this key, and all that.

Xehanort, who followed in Baldr’s footsteps, passes his legacy to Sora. Notably, Sora was never officially bequeathed. This is Sora’s first proper ceremony as a keyblade wielder. 

Therefore, I feel its fair game to further compare Sora and Baldr. Baldr predicted Xehanort’s future, and may predict Sora’s as well.

The two characters have some similarities. One parallel Baldr draws between himself and Xehanort is their ability to feel other’s hearts, and connect with others.

Baldr / Darkness: Baldr was especially sensitive to the hearts of others, as are you, Xehanort. And few emotions are more potent than animosity.

Baldr / Darkness:  When Baldr felt the darkness within- darkness born from your unwavering devotion to light- it grew and grew until it became his own. And now, as light watches over us, as you face me, he can see what hides in the depths of your heart.

Sora’s nigh instinctual ability to connect with others has always been one of his defining characteristics and greatest strengths. No matter where he goes, Sora will find a way to connect with others and draw strength from those bonds.

Baldr and Xehanort have, or had, a similar ability. And yet, their insight made them see the darkness in others, whereas Sora kept unwavering faith in light.

Sora: That’s weird. It’s like something’s squeezing me inside!

Riku: Somebody up there must be sad.

Sora: Up where?

Riku: They say every world is connected by one great big sky. So maybe there’s somebody up there in all those worlds who’s really hurting, and they’re waiting for you to help them.

Sora could feel Ventus’ hurt all the way from a different world.

Throughout the series, Sora also takes the emotions of others for his own. Think of moments in Kingdom Hearts 2 where he can feel Roxas’ heart within his own.

It’s Sora‘s greatest strength, yes, but this same ability was Baldr’s downfall.

Baldr: But the more darkness I felt, the deeper my heart sank into the abyss.

Baldr: It started to consume me, until one day, I realized the darkness I thought was theirs was in truth mine.

I’ve made a post about this before, but just to reiterate: Sora’s darkness is growing throughout the series. And yet, Sora does not acknowledge it. It is not his own darkness that he fights, it is the darkness of others, surely.

Sora’s connections are his weakness, too, as pointed out in this fantastic post by embraceyourdestiny with additions from tharkflark1.

I can’t find the post at the moment, but, in addition to Sora’s darkness growing, the Darkside is a Heartless often connected to it, by appearing in Sora’s Dive to the Heart, and through Data Sora’s Heartless taking the shape of one.

Therefore,

a great big Darkside in the KH4 trailer!

If we take these parallels to predict what Sora may go through in KH4, I would bet good money that Sora has to confront his own darkness, realize it is his own, just as Baldr did.

How Sora arrived in Quadratum is in itself a parallel to Baldr.

Sora sleeps for seven days.

Strelitzia: You’ve been asleep since you arrived in this world seven days ago.

People have pointed this out as a potential reference to The World Ends With You, which I agree with. TWEWY’s Reaper’s Game takes place in Shibuya, which is where Sora ended up (even using the 104 Building for its real life equivalent, same as TWEWY), over seven days, which is how long Sora slept. TWEWY also connects to the theme of the afterlife and coming back to life, pointing to Sora’s disappearance form reality.

But this post isn’t about TWEWY parallels. I think this is potentially another parallel as well.

Namely, to Baldr’s confinement and fall to darkness in precisely seven days.

We don’t yet know how Sora is doing in Quadratum; we’ve only seen him fight. We don’t know how his disappearance may have changed him.

Returning to a previous point: How Sora came to be in Quadratum in the first place. Sora overused the Power of Waking, which untethered him from reality.

But, why?

Baldr: You and I, we stand by the light only to cast shadows and beget darkness; you with Eraqus, me with my sister.

Baldr: And when that light disappears, we lose our purpose and are swallowed by the void.

Sora was swallowed by the void, by unreality, because he lost his light.

If Xehanort takes the place of Baldr, Eraqus takes the place of Hoder, and Sora takes the place of Xehanort, who takes the place of Eraqus? Who is Sora’s light?

Honestly, I’m not giving a clear answer on that one. Whether you believe that Riku is the light, or that Kairi is, what matters is that Sora lost them. And that loss pushed him to desparation, to sacrifice.

The loss of his light is what lead him to Quadratum, same as the loss of Hoder led Baldr to darkness, after seven days of isolation.

The closer you get to light, the greater your shadow becomes.

Dark Road offers a lot more nuance on the topic of light and darkness. Darkness isn’t evil, and light isn’t good. Both can bring order.

Baldr: Hearts aren’t ruled by just light or darkness; it’s not that simple.

Sigrun: There might not be a clear difference between the light and darkness in people‘s hearts.

Helgi: It‘s all about different beliefs. People want to believe they‘re right, so anyone who goes against them is wrong, making them darkness in the eye of the beholder.

Heimdall: In every world, there was strife born of conflicting beliefs. Instead of creating a divide like light and darkness, maybe there‘s a way for everyone to coexist.

I believe Dark Road’s finale, having come out well after KH3 and now coming on the heels of the KH4 trailer, shows us what is to come for the series, and for Sora.

Sora has been cut loose from all he knows. He’s on his own. He has lost his light and been swallowed by the void. Thus, I believe that Sora will have to finally face his own darkness, and accept it. He has to confront his worldview and understand that not all darkness is evil, and that no one can be truly free of it. Darkness born from unwavering devotion to light, that Sora has ignored and pushed down.

What Sora being on his own looks like is still up in the air.

Baldr: Believe what you will, but I‘m not the ancient darkness you suspect. I am the unknown- that which you fear- and that fear is what gave me shape and form. I am the terror in your minds, the shadow that lurks in the forgotten recesses of your hearts.

Sora must face the unknown.

Let’s just hope Sora doesn’t repeat the cycle, shall we?