#or all the things she had to re-teach him after the shop trio got their hands on him

[the-sage-libriomancer]

Things newly human-ified Isshin has definitely done:

Ran into multiple walls because he forgot he's not intangible anymore

Nearly got run over by a car because a) the not-intangible thing and b) he's not used to checking for big metal monsters rushing towards him at the speed of light before he crosses the street

Slammed into people while walking because he thought they'd get out of the way like they did in Soul Society (nobody wanted to piss off a shinigami by getting in his way)

Didn't believe tv shows were real despite Urahara's best efforts BUT fully believed that all the special effects were real and that humans can channel their reiatsu like shinigami

Broke a blender by shoving too many things into it at once

Broke a lamp by turning it on and off a hundred times in rapid succession (he got excited)

Broke Tessai's sewing machine because it was against a wall that Isshin was trying to run through

Tried to leave the house in nothing but a towel because Yoruichi told him the human world was "lax about clothing" (in his defense he'd recently seen people in beachwear so he assumed that one was credible)

Repeatedly used the wrong honorifics when addressing people because Soul Society uses different kinds of honorifics

Took a hot minute to understand the appeal of ghosts because in Soul Society "ghosts" are just the de facto resident and for obvious reasons nobody is scared of them

Spent a whole day with Masaki trying to wrap his head around the fact that living people Age and Get Older and Die (and that it happens really really quickly)

Tried to dye his hair with green paint because he'd always wanted weird-colored hair like his coworkers and Urahara said it was a hip thing for humans to do

Learned to tie his shoelaces in every conceivable way except bunny ears because Urahara and Tessai made a bet on who could teach him the most convoluted shoelace knot possible

Stubbed his toe a lot

i feel like the fact that Isshin probably spent several months learning how to be a living person post-EBTR is severely overlooked by the fandom. this man was born and raised in Soul Society, a place that is heavily modeled after feudal Japan (except worse) and also notoriously behind the times, and his only experience in the living world is as an invisible, intangible ghost. he has no fucking clue how to function as a living breathing human being in 1980s Japan. and the main people teaching him basic social skills is a mad genius with a perchance for humiliating people, an unhinged cat lady who doesn't think there's anything wrong with running around butt naked, and a persnickety househusband.

like. imagine the comedy potential.

[incomingalbatross]

“The Librarians and the Happily Ever Afters,” or “Prospero Writes a Coffee Shop AU”

Seriously. THEY GOT THROWN INTO FLUFFY FANFIC WORLD.

(Tangent: I understand that Flynn being the only one who remembers the team has more narrative weight because him saving them requires Growth, but Jenkins being the only one to remember would have led to more Angst. Coulda been fun.)

Anyway! The whole team gets parked in an idyllic small town that is RIFE with implausible worldbuilding designed to give them each their dream job while still letting them hang out. I repeat: Fluffy Fanfic World. All of their dream lives are adorable and unsurprising.

Eve is a small-town sheriff in a community where everyone knows her and she knows everyone! (And she has a steady, grounded boyfriend who participates in the community-building... but we all know Flynn would have been in that spot if he’d been under the spell.) Eve just wants to be part of a community, to be rooted somewhere she can take care of people who are her people and be at home with them.

Jacob is... the technically-mundane version of a Librarian, basically (after all, his version of Librarianing is the closest to Flynn’s). He teaches at a prestigious university nearby and has Indiana Jones-style adventures on weekends. It’s really just his life, but with the lies and fear of failure replaced by a straightforward academic life, and teaching added in; that’s the dream for him.

Cassandra presumably has no tumor, and she is a space astronaut who has been to the Moon MULTIPLE TIMES... and then became a beloved children’s TV star I think? Cassandra wants to be a scientist, and to explore space, and to be heroic and capable and an inspiration to others.

Ezekiel is an FBI agent, but specifically a “rule-breaking maverick” of an FBI agent who does all the cool parts and none of the boring stuff, and clashes with “the by-the-book Sheriff Baird” instead of actually being accountable himself. EXTREMELY him. He wants to be a cool good guy, but he doesn’t want to be responsible for being the good guy, and this gives him all of the Cool, plus the white hat, with none of need to do anything he doesn’t like doing.

But also! At the same time! Their happy endings require them to have a flimsy premise that this small town is parked on a popular art-smuggling route, so the four of them coincidentally team up and fight crime together. While ALSO co-owning a bar. 

The “co-owning a bar bit” specifically is obviously very Leverage, but it’s also very Coffee Shop AU. And is generally just the setup for a different, less plausible, lower-conflict TV show! It’s the non-fantasy cartoon version of their real lives!

I just... love that their happy-ever-afters had to be “the same thing we were just doing,” mainly to ensure they were still together, even though it wildly stretches credulity.

And then. AND THEN! Prospero tries to ramp up the temptations to eleven to re-ensnare the LIT trio... but all of those temptations involve going far away. Alone. And even only half-awake, they all say, “I’m not leaving my friends,” and you get the feeling that they’d have said that whether they were talking about the fantasy versions or the real versions. Because they weren’t just crammed together for convenience—their happy-ever-afters include each other!! And it turns out, in the crisis, that “being together” is more important than the art or adventure or fun or acclaim.

The Power of Friendship LITERALLY saved the day. OUTSTANDING.

[charming-2d-boys]

What do you reckon are the adult-trio's hobbies, outside of, yanno, murdering, thieving, and stalking?

Okay, the way this was worded made me laugh out loud, ngl 😂

But that's an interesting thought, so let’s see...

Also thank you for the request and I hope you like it! 😄

Chrollo

I can't even say that stealing is a hobby because it's so ingrained into him that it's practically a way of life

we already know that he likes old books, but actually, he just wants to seem really well-read

which he is, of course, but he also likes reading comic books and romance books (talk about a guilty pleasure)

Chrollo. Loves. Baths

for real, he grew up in Meteor City and you've seen how it looks like over there, so now, whenever he's got the possibility, he just fills the tub, drops a bath bomb and just soaks in until his fingers get wrinkles

also, he loves the cleanliness and how good he smells and man, does he feel rejuvenated or what?

always wanted to learn how to cook fancier dishes (for whoever he was trying to seduce or impress)

never made it, mostly because he almost burnt the kitchen down after he left something to simmer because eh, he could read while he waited and... he pretty much threw the whole pot away

Chrollo never learnt how to swim, but whenever the Troupe go somewhere where there's a pool, he just lounges and tries to either sleep, read or read until he falls asleep

none of the members really stay next to him or on the same side as him on the edge of the pool after he accidentally pushed Feitan in... who dragged Phinks... who grabbed Machi by her swimsuit as she was passing by with her drink

Shalnark, Nobunaga and Uvo laughed their asses off that day as Chrollo just looked at them as if it was their fault they fell

said an oops under his breath as he tried not to smile behind his book while everyone else was ready for bloodshed as Phinks screamed at Feitan that he's an idiot and that he was innocent and sorry at Machi, Machi had her threads ready to tie him up and hang him upside down from a tree and Feitan was glaring at Chrollo from the pool, only his eyes visible as the rest of his body could barely reach the bottom of the pool (yes, he was standing on his toes)

Franklin just felt as if his hair was going white by the second from stress

Chrollo asked Machi to teach him how to sew better since some of his shirts kept ripping because of his... muscles

doesn't like Hisoka, but loves his magic tricks and he'd like to learn some (again, to seduce and impress potential targets, but also to entertain himself), but he'd be damned if he's gonna ask second-hand Ronald MacDonald to teach him

definitely tried looking those tricks up on YouTube and while some were really easy, he always grumbles because Hisoka's are always so cool and complicated and he wants to know how to do them, damn it

Hisoka

Hisoka sucks at singing

he knows it and guess what? He loves annoying his neighbours at Heaven's Arena by singing horribly and loudly until his voice cracks and even then, he continues until he feels his throat becoming sore

likes going shopping, especially after cosmetics and self-care products

and no, not just makeup, but anything: face masks, mists, face creams, hand creams, moisturizers, body sprays, bath bombs, bubble bath, you name it

Hisoka always smells nice because of this

even when he's had a fight and he's got blood on his body, whether it's his or his enemy's, the sweet smell of his shower gel almost overpowers the pungent smell of blood

doesn't ever buy sweets because he doesn't like them, except for Bungee Gum and the candy that usually came with Texture Surprise, and those are mostly out of nostalgia

even when he doesn't fight someone, he likes moving around and just has to busy himself with something

often goes jogging in the park nearby or hits the gym - not even gonna tell you how much he loves the attention he receives because he knows he looks good

he never really liked reading, so he doesn't really own many books and rarely even buys any, but he does have a few books of different genres that he re-reads sometimes

enjoys researching about the Dark Continent after hearing all those stories as a kid and wishing he could see for himself what it was like

has an entire room that is used as a gym if he doesn't feel like going outside or can't and buys a new boxing bag almost monthly

Hisoka likes playing rhythm games on his phone whenever he has to wait for something or someone and doesn't feel like using his cards to make a house of cards

likes drawing and creating clothes for himself, which he then takes to a tailor who is used to Hisoka's style and taste in clothing

Illumi

is needle polishing a hobby? For Illumi, it is

he loves playing with Mike, even if Mike is... not really like a normal dog, but even he appreciates a good belly rub

likes travel guides, especially because of some missions when he had to know about certain places and he ended up getting interested in everything the country/island/town had to offer

even as a kid and even now, Illumi sometimes sneaks into the kitchens for a late snack - everyone knows, no one bothers to tell him - and lives for those rare moments when there's ice cream in the freezer (mostly for Milluki, but he always leaves it for Illumi anyway because he has enough snacks and likes making his brother happy like that, even if it's a small gesture)

the Zoldyck estate has an indoor pool where Illumi always goes swimming and just float as he lets himself not care about anything or anyone - that's his moment and his favourite place where he feels the most relaxed

started learning how to make origami after hearing about the 1000 cranes that could grant your wish

doesn't really know what he would wish for, but it's mostly so he wouldn't have to ask Nanika

so, because of that, he left the cranes (203 to be exact) and started making other things out of paper

really likes brushing his hair and sometimes asks his mother to do it for him like she did when he was younger

Illumi likes playing hide and seek with Kalluto to test whether they can feel each other's presence or not

really enjoys buying and lighting candles around his room and whenever he takes a bath and can relax

always chooses those that smell like flowers

[peterstanslizzie]

Re-watching Lizzie Mcguire: Episode 1.13 (Come Fly With Me)

Lizzie and Miranda are decked out in sixties-inspired fashion

- The episode opens to a 1960′s Rat Pack song playing in the background, courtesy of Gordo. He is starting to get into the whole old-school Las Vegas ‘lounge-style’ culture and this doesn’t seem to really bother his friends because Gordo has always been the kind of person to stay away from current trends. 

- For example, as Lizzie mentioned, when everybody in school was into rollerblading, he opted to unicycle instead. It sounds to me like he is doing all of this for the sake of being different. I think we should just be who we want to be and do the things we like regardless of it being on trend or not. 

- Gordo asks Lizzie if she could pick up a Rat Pack music CD for him after school because he has an appointment with his podiatrist. She reluctantly agrees and before leaving, she advises him to take it easy on the whole Rat Pack thing. 

Getting into Rat Pack

Vince, a one-time character I presume

- After collecting the CD on Gordo’s behalf, a kid named Vince on the school bus snatches it from Lizzie’s hand and makes fun of her and Miranda for absolutely no reason. If you’re going to make fun of someone, you might as well do it right but Vince is just atrocious at it lol. 

- Out of nowhere, Ethan Craft comes to the rescue and intimidates Vince to give the CD back to Lizzie. Because of that, Lizzie crushes on Ethan once again. I thought two episodes ago in Episode 1.11, Ethan was going to leave Miranda during their marriage project presentation because he was being manipulated by Kate. And now she still likes him? I guess they can’t fault Ethan for being an airhead.

Animated Lizzie looks really cute in this sort of Mad Men inspired outfit

- Ethan then starts listening to the Rat Pack CD on his music player (or boom box?) and he actually really enjoys it. Lizzie and Miranda, obviously smitten by Ethan’s liking to Gordo’s CD pretends to act like they actually listen to this style of music and they agree to meet up later to hook Ethan up with more Rat Pack music. 

- At school, Lizzie and Miranda start talking to Gordo in a similar way to how he was talking to them at the beginning of this episode. He feels flattered by them wanting to know more about his interests in Rat Pack and is willing to teach them more about the culture. We also get a funny bit where Miranda points out to Gordo that he blinks his eyes a lot. 

The more you try to not think about blinking, the more you actually blink your eyes. Facts.

Meet Matt’s Best Friend, Lanny

*Please note my review of Matt’s plot-line this episode is compiled into this section.

I’m a little scared of Lanny and so are Sam and Jo

- We cut to the backyard of the Mcguire home where Matt and his silent friend, Lanny are playing netball. They are trying to set the record for the longest netball rally but they are struggling to even be close to beating the current record. So is this all happening when Lizzie’s in school? Shouldn’t Matt and Lanny be in school as well? I shouldn’t think too much about this lol. 

- Lanny telepathically lets Matt know they should try to attempt another world record and Matt starts consulting the World Records book to see what they can do. We then get a montage of them attempting to set a number of different world records and of course, they fail miserably. I don’t even want to get into the specifics of what they were doing in this montage but at least ‘Survivor’ by Destiny’s Child was playing in the background. 

- In the second half of the episode, Matt is about to give up on trying to set his own world record after 38 attempts. Jo, brilliant as always, comes up with an idea to trick Matt and Lanny into believing they set their own record for ‘Most Consecutive Failed Attempts’. Matt is very excited about this and they go out to celebrate by getting some ice cream.

Lanny likes Pumpkin flavored ice cream by the way

Stop Trying to Make Rat Pack Happen!

How can you not fall for that smile?

- At the school cafeteria, Gordo notices that some people are starting to dress similarly to him and he hopes that Lizzie and Miranda doesn’t turn his interests in 1960′s Rat Pack into another fad at school. Ethan then pops up next to them and he compliments Gordo’s shirt. Lizzie uses this opportunity to invite him to shop with them at this store called ‘Anteater’ (weird name for a store but okay) so that he can get the same type of clothes Gordo’s wearing. Gordo isn’t thrilled about all of this. 

- Presumably a day later, it seems like the Rat Pack trend had caught the eye of the entire school because everybody is dressed like they are in the sixties. Even Kate Sanders is embracing this trend and she goes up to Lizzie and Miranda and compliments them both for making Gordo’s interest in ‘lounge-style’ culture a thing at school. 

How tall is Kate? She is so much taller than Lizzie, Gordo and Miranda. 

- She’s being awfully nice to them and that’s because she needs their help to organize this month’s dance and make it Rat Pack themed. Lizzie and Miranda are very excited about the prospect of being able to help plan their school dance and they both agree to help Kate out. 

- As Kate leaves, Lizzie asks Gordo if they could use his Las Vegas posters as decorations but he doesn’t want to help them because he just doesn’t like the fact that his Rat Pack interests are becoming popular in school. I mean, I do get where Gordo is coming from; I think nobody would actually really like Rat Pack music unless it’s considered trendy. But he needs to not take everything so seriously. Trends do come and go. 

Gordo is having a mini Crisis

Lizzie’s expressions are gold here when Gordo is talking to her about his World War II plane model given to him by his aunt.

- At Gordo’s house (I think this is the first time Lizzie is shown to be in his house), Lizzie mentions to Gordo how everyone at school is excited about the upcoming Rat Pack themed dance. Gordo reveals to her his interest in Rat Pack is gone and he is now into WW2 style airplanes.

- He also lets her know that he doesn’t like it that everybody is now into Rat Pack and that Kate Sanders has turned this whole thing into a “mindless fad” because she doesn’t know the difference between a ‘ding dong’ and a ‘Ring-A-Ding-Ding’. Lizzie feels bad about ruining his hobby. Don’t feel bad Lizzie; Gordo just needs to wait it out.

Planning the ‘Lounging Around’ School Dance

- Kate is holding a meeting with her fellow school dance committee members to plan out Friday’s dance. She entrusts Lizzie to get a list of songs to be played by the DJ and she entrusts Miranda to prepare a list of criteria for the judges to look out for when assessing outfits for the costume contest. And she wants all of this by the next day. 

- Lizzie and Miranda panic and are desperate to ask Gordo for help. Can’t they consult the school computers and library or something? Didn’t they also exist back in 2001 as well?

I’m sure the wardrobe department had a fun time dressing the girls up back then

- They find Gordo playing with his WW2 plane outside and ask him for help but he just isn’t willing to help them this time around because as we all know, he doesn’t like how Lizzie and Miranda played a part in making his Rat Pack hobby a major fad. 

- I touched on this earlier; Gordo has a point in saying that everyone in school now likes Rat Pack only because it is the biggest thing currently. But Lizzie and Miranda also made a good point in saying people are allowed to like whatever they want, regardless of how they came to know about Rat Pack and Frank Sinatra and the sort. 

Time for the School Dance

“Let’s like dance, Ethan”. Kate is just too funny

- We are then taken to their school dance and I have to say, Kate and company did a really good job organising the event. The venue is well decorated and everybody looks amazing in their sixties-inspired outfits. However, Lizzie and Miranda doesn’t seem to be enjoying themselves because Gordo isn’t there with them. 

Best friends gotta stick together

- Luckily for them, Gordo pops up and makes a grand entry into the auditorium, complete with an amazing suit and a suave attitude to match. Gordo admits to them that he shouldn’t force himself to do things just to be different and Lizzie tells him they’re lucky to have someone like Gordo who doesn’t care about what people think about his hobbies. 

- In the end, everything is resolved and the episode ends with a cute trio dance:

That’s all folks

Overall Thoughts

- What I got most out of watching this episode is the idea of seasonal trends and how easy it is for people to catch onto them just because everyone else is. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as you actually like those trends. And being different for the sake of being different is something we shouldn’t really hold on to either. 

- Gordo definitely shone in this episode. I really felt his frustration towards everyone who suddenly jumped on his hobby bandwagon and made it a ‘mindless fad’ as he puts it. Good job on the actor’s (Adam Lamberg) part. Miranda and Lizzie also have very identical plot-lines this episode, although Lizzie did more in this episode than Miranda. I think it’s hard for the character of Miranda to really shine in an episode unless she’s one of the main focuses, you know? But that’s just me.

- After having an impressive plot-line last episode, Matt’s plot-line with his parents this time around has gone back to being weightless and goofy. At least we get to see Lanny in person for the first time. 

[princee-ace1]

CH. 004 - Forgotten Friends

They say if you dream a thing more than once, it’s sure to come true. And I’ve seen him so many times.

Title: Bringing Back the Memories Series: Kingdom Hearts Pairing: You/Roxas, You/Sora

---

Sora.

Once upon a dream, you knew a Sora … at least, you think you did. The name’s been ringing nostalgia ever since Roxas mentioned it. All morning, you’ve been sitting in front of your bookshelf, going through albums and scrapbooks, and trying to figure out who he is.

Among the pile is your memory book -- a collection of photos you’ve taken of you and your friends on your adventures. Photos slide out between the pages, and you realize you’ve never had a chance to re-arrange them after finding the memory thief. With a sigh, you pick them up from the ground, and it’s only then that you notice most of your pictures are of Roxas.

Roxas doing a trick on his skateboard. Roxas falling asleep in class. Roxas hitting a bulls-eye on the dartboard in the Usual Spot. Your favorite, however, is a picture the two of you took together.

You broke your camera one day, and you were absolutely devastated when no one in town was able to fix it. Hayner, Pence, and Olette tried cheering you up, inviting you over to watch movies or play games with them. You didn’t know they were keeping you distracted while Roxas picked up several jobs to buy you the same model camera he found at a shop.

He showed up at the Usual Spot for the first time in a while and handed you a box. “Open it.”

“Roxas…” You almost cried -- or maybe, you actually did. He only laughed as he pulled you into a hug, practically smothering your face to his chest.

“You guys should take a picture together!” Olette suggested, grinning from ear to ear.

Pence nodded his head. “Yeah! Try it out, Haruna!”

You frown, disheartened when you can’t seem to find that particular photo anywhere. You’ve turned your entire bedroom upside-down trying to look for it. By far, it’s one of your favorite memories.

Other than yesterday, of course.

And it occurs to you that you and Roxas are … something now.

Butterflies are in your stomach. You suddenly want to see him. Has he already told everyone? What would your friends think? You haven’t even thought about what their reactions would be!

From your shelf, the glimmer of a yellow star-shaped charm catches your eye. A small, neatly-bounded trinket you often carry around with you for good luck.

As you exit your home, its magic already takes effect as Hayner runs toward you with a huge grin on his face. “Haruna! Great timing! I was just looking for you!”

“Oh? What’s up?”

“Today’s the day we hit the beach!” he announces excitedly. “And don’t sweat it about the munny. I told my uncle what happened yesterday, and he gave me enough to cover what we lost.”

“Whoa! Really?”

“I left a note at the Usual Spot,” he continues, jogging in place as he waves goodbye. “Go find the others and tell them to meet me at the station! I’ll go get our tickets!”

-*-

“What’s your name, child?” an older man with black hair and white robes asks as he kneels down to your eye-level. The scar and stern look on his face is intimidating, yet there’s a gentleness in his voice when he speaks to you.

His apprentices immediately took you to him as soon as they found you. Shyly, you answer, “My name’s Haruna.”

“Haruna,” he repeats, the curiosity in his eyes unwavering. “Do you remember how you came to this world?”

You shake your head. He asks if you remember the world you came from, but you don’t know the answer to that either. All you recall is a big clock tower and pretty skies, which doesn’t tell them much. With a sigh, he stands and looks at his apprentices for insight.

“She just … fell from the sky,” a tall, muscular young man with brown hair and blue eyes states in awe, as if he can’t quite believe it himself.

“You feel it too, don’t you Master?” the blue-haired woman inquires.

He nods his head. “Yes, a great power lies within her. It’s a matter I must discuss with the other Masters. Until then, can I entrust you three to look after her?”

“Of course,” the woman answers without hesitation.

“What about our exam?” The brown-haired male crosses his arms as he looks at her. “You and I need to focus on our training.”

“Leave it to me!” the blond-haired boy pipes up. He throws you a grin and ruffles your hair. “It’ll be nice not to be treated like the baby anymore.”

The brown-haired male chuckles. “I wouldn’t hold my breath on that.”

Their Master smiles a bit. “Very well. Haruna is under your charge. Take care of her.”

But the boy is already squatting before you with a bright smile. “You hear that? From now on, you and I are gonna be best friends. Don’t forget it.”

-*-

The first people you run into are Pence and Olette. “Hey, Haruna. Olette’s dragging me to go shopping.”

“Do you want to come with us?”

“Not today. Hayner said we’re going to the beach!” You pass on the message and their eyes light up with excitement. As they ramble, their voices suddenly become … distant. Muffled. Your vision blurs, and you hear a loud piercing ringing…

“Are you okay?”

Just like that, everything’s back to normal. Your friends look at you worriedly.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I think.” You frown, wondering what’s been going on with you these past couple of days. “Have you guys seen Roxas?”

“Not since yesterday,” Pence answers, tilting his head. Again, he asks if you’re okay, but you don’t answer him.

From the corner of your eye, you see him. A man in a black coat. He must be that pick-pocketer Roxas was telling you guys about!

“Wait, Haruna, where are you going?”

“Sorry, I have to go!” Without much of an explanation, you turn your back to your friends and chase after the hooded man.

-*-

True to his word, you and the boy with the dandelion-colored hair become quite close. Everywhere he goes, you follow; and he makes sure you’re never too far from his sight. He’s protective and playful, and gives you the same unconditional love and care the others had given him.

“I’ve never had a family before,” he confesses, plucking the grass as the two of you watch his older companions spar against each other. He picks a yellow dandelion and sticks it in your hair. “My friends are important to me, and I’d do anything to protect them. They’re my family, and now, you are too.”

More often than not, you and the boy would accompany the other two while they work hard on their training. From the sidelines, you watch in awe when the blue-haired woman gracefully casts incredible spells that color the air or when the brown-haired man swings his weapon with a force that shakes the ground.

The first time you’re able to manifest your powers was when you mimicked them during their practice, and a burst of light and darkness knocked you off your feet. It startled all of them when they discovered you’re able to summon raw energies of the two forces at command.

“I think we should teach her how to fight,” the young man brings up a couple days later. He eyes his companion’s reaction. “Do you disagree?”

“Well, no, but…” the blue-haired woman pauses. “Isn’t she too young?”

“To protect herself? You saw it yourself, Aqua. There’s something special about her. Chances are, we won’t be the only ones who sees it. Wherever she got her powers, there are people who will want it for themselves, and we won’t always be there to defend her.”

Aqua sighs. “You have a point there, Terra.”

A week later, Terra presents you with a small, wooden sword -- one he made himself. “A weapon isn’t used to harm people, but to protect yourself and those you cherish. Practice, discipline, and trust the strength of your heart. One day, you’ll be strong enough to do that.”

With wooden sword at hand, it serves as a focal point to harness those powers, which luckily only comes in seldom bursts. It scares you, knowing something so powerful comes from you; it scares the others a bit too. But it motivates them to teach you how to control and conceal them.

“The Master once told me magic is born from the heart,” Aqua tells you one night as she tucks you in bed. “When the time’s right, you just need to look inside yourself and you’ll find it there -- a ray of light, a goal, hope.“ She laughs softly and runs her fingers through your hair. “It might not make sense to you now, but one day, you’ll discover beautiful, wonderful things to hold dear. Magical and all.”

When you’re not with the trio, you’re with Master Eraqus.

After his meeting with the other Masters, it’s been decided you’ll stay under his care until they find your home. He raises you like one of his students -- kind, but firm with lessons of how the Light always overcomes the Darkness.

“A great power lies within you,” he reminds you as he finishes reading you a story in his study. “It can easily fall into the wrong hands if you’re not careful. People may come after you, but you have to be brave. And always remember, where there is Darkness, there will always be Light.”

-*-

You lose sight of him when you reach Station Heights. It feels eerie seeing the plaza completely empty; the stillness of it all makes you wonder if time is frozen again. Then, you hear the sound of footsteps approach you.

Turning around, you see the hooded man you’ve been chasing. Between the stolen photos and your hard-earned munny, you’re certain he’s the one responsible for all the theft in town.

Standing your ground, you demand, “Who are you? Why do you keep taking our stuff?”

“Me? Heh, you must have the wrong guy. I just got here.”

There’s more than one? Your frown deepens. “Then … who are you?”

“Don’t tell me you forgot already.” He shakes his head and sighs. Slowly, he pulls down his hood and reveals his face. “It’s me, Axel. Got it memorized?”

You squint. “What do you mean ‘forgot’? I’ve never seen you before in my life.”

“You sure know how to hit ‘em where it hurts, kid,” Axel mutters in disdain. “In any case, it wasn’t easy tracking you down. That guy sure hid you two well in this place. Even I have to admit, it’s impressive.”

“What’re you talking about?” you ask, clearly confused. He stops looking around and sighs again.

“You know, it doesn’t matter.” He holds his hand toward you. “Come with me, Haruna. Let’s get you out of here before they find us.”

“No, I want to know what’s going on,” you protest, refusing to cooperate with anyone until you know what’s happening to your town. “Are you the one making everything so weird?”

“I’m not. The person responsible for that is keeping you and Roxas trapped here. I’m in charge of breaking you guys out.” He peers at you curiously and asks, “Don’t tell me you haven’t realized this is all a ruse.”

A ruse? So … none of this is real?

He isn’t making any sense, but...

“Why should I go with you anyway?”

He rolls his eyes, getting impatient. “Because if you come with me, it’ll make my job a whole lot easier. Wherever you go, Roxas will always find his way back to you. Got it memorized?”

Your stomach twists when you remember what Pence mentioned after you found all the photos the memory thief took. They’re after the real Roxas after all!

“You must think I’m stupid. How can I trust you?”

“Hmm, well…” he pauses, his face unreadable. “We used to be friends, right?”

Before he could say anything else, the air in the plaza begins to warp around you. Another hooded person appears from behind him. He draws out a wing-like sword and Axel curses under his breath when he realizes he’s out of time. He summons red chakrams to each hand and faces the newcomer.

“Haruna.”

A voice calls from behind you, and when you turn around, you see a girl in white. She says something and suddenly, you feel incredibly drowsy. Struggling to keep yourself awake, you try to focus on the girl before you.

“I’m happy we got to meet one more time.”

The sad smile on her lips is the last thing you see before your world turns dark.

-*-

“Whoa! A meteor shower!” the boy with the dandelion hair exclaims as he presses his hands and nose against the bedroom window. His blue eyes twinkle in awe before he faces you. “Let’s check it out!”

He carries you in his arms with ease and runs outside. The night air makes you shiver and huddle closer to him as he feet quickly takes you two to an open field. It’s not until you gaze upward when you see what’s gotten him so excited. The stars in all its dazzling brightness is shooting across the sky!

You’ve never seen anything like it. And it terrifies you.

His laughter dies down when you cling onto him tightly and bury your face against his shoulder. “What’s wrong, Haruna?”

“They’ll hit us,” you answer in a small voice.

Realization strikes him and he sets you on your feet. He pulls out his key-shaped sword and vows, “Don’t worry. As long as I have this, I’ll always protect you!”

“Really?”

“If a shooting star comes this way,” he declares, swinging it around, “I’ll hit it right back to outer space! I’ll keep you safe no matter what.”

He keeps it up until you’re not afraid, and while he doesn’t actually hit anything, it’s comforting to watch him try. After a while, he collapses on the ground and closes his eyes, catching his breath. Footsteps quietly approach you two, and you see Aqua place a finger to her lips as she sneaks up on him.

“Whoa! Gimme a break, Aqua,” he yells when she successfully scares him.

Aqua laughs and pets his head, lightly scolding that he should’ve brought a blanket if he wanted to nap outside. Terra joins you three as you all sit on a ledge, talking about dreams and stars. His gaze is upward as he states every star up there is another world, and that their light is their hearts, shining down on you all.

A light looking down on you.

“It’s like you!” you tell the dandelion-haired boy, who looks bewildered. The others laugh and agree; to you, Terra, and Aqua, he’s your light.

“Oh yeah, Terra, you and I have our Mark of Mastery exam tomorrow.” Aqua stands and pulls something from her pockets. “I made us good luck charms.”

She tosses one to each boy, who easily catches them. “I get one too?”

“Of course. One for each of us,” she says and hands you a yellow one.  “Even Haruna.”

As you stare at the star-shaped charm, she tells you a story about a certain fruit that represents an unbreakable connection. So long as you and your friends carry this charm, nothing could ever drive you apart -- you’ll always find your way back to each other. No matter what.

-*-

Light. Darkness. Shooting stars. A sword, a charm, dandelions.

You slowly open your eyes and find yourself sleeping against Olette on the steps of the train station. She and Pence are sitting with you, watching over an icebox, some beach towels, and other items they wanted to bring for the trip.

“Hey, sleeping beauty’s awake,” Pence teases when he notices you stirring.

You hear the grogginess in your voice. “What … happened?”

“You told us to meet you at the station, remember?” Olette reminds you, resting her chin on her hand. “We’ve been waiting on Roxas and you fell asleep.”

“Are you sure you told him we’re meeting up?” Hayner impatiently questions, putting a pause to his pacing to stand in front you three.

Pence nods his head. “Yeah, we ran into him by the Usual Spot.”

“Then where is he?”

None of you could answer, and Olette starts to look worried. “Should we look for him?”

They look at you to decide, and you slowly nod your head, still feeling out of it. You don’t remember falling asleep … or anything that happened before you woke up.

Why does it feel like I’m forgetting something important?

Your friends take off to search for Roxas, but you linger behind. You pull out your good luck charm from your pocket, watching as the sun reflects off the yellow glass.

Ventus.

“Haruna, you coming?” Pence calls out. You tuck the charm away for now and run to catch up to him.

Once upon a dream, you knew a Ventus…

-*-

After searching around for a while, there’s still no sign of Roxas anywhere. Everyone’s starting to get worried. The last train to the beach definitely left by the time you decide to regroup at the station.

Deciding to cut through the Sandlot, you’re nearly run into Hayner. When you look over his shoulder, you see what caused him to stop in his tracks.

Roxas is there. While you were all worrying about him, it looks like he’s been sparring with Seifer and his gang.

“Hey, it’s you guys!” Seifer jeers when he spots you. “Come to play?”

From across the Sandlot, Roxas meets your gaze and your name falls from his lips. However, Hayner grabs your arm and pulls you away. “Let’s go.”

Pence and Olette exchange glances with each other and follow after you two as Roxas tries to catch up.

Wherever you go, Roxas will always find his way back to you.

Somehow, those words echo in your head. Where have you heard that before?

Hayner doesn’t let you go until you’re at the Usual Spot. He immediately digs through the icebox you planned to bring to the beach and pulls out a sea-salt ice cream. Pence and Olette take theirs too as Roxas enters, but Hayner pretends not to see him.

Pence sits in the corner and addresses the white elephant in the room. “So, you hung out with Seifer’s gang today?”

“N-No, it’s not like that. I just happened to run into them,” he assures you guys, but no one is buying it. He’s hiding something, but he redirects the question. “Oh yeah! How was the beach? Wasn’t that today?”

“We didn’t go,” Olette tells him. “It wouldn’t be the same without you, right?”

“Sorry…” He hangs his head, knowing he messed up. Hayner still wouldn’t even look at him, so he tries again. “Hey, what if we go tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” you echo.

Roxas nods his head. “Yeah! We could get those pretzels and--”

“I promise I’d be somewhere,” Hayner bluntly cuts in. It’s then Roxas remembers that the Struggle Tournament is tomorrow and you’re all going to compete. Having enough, Hayner jumps off the pipes and heads toward the exit. “I’m outta here.”

However, Roxas stands in front of him and clenches his fist. “What’s your problem? I … I really--”

“Roxas…?” you call out to him, but he doesn’t hear you.

“My head hurts,” he says after a minute and as he turns away, you catch a glimpse of sadness on his face. “I’m going home.”

Heavy silence follows after him, and for a moment, you could’ve sworn you saw him in a black coat.

-*-

The view from Station Height’s clock tower is one of the most magical, breathtaking things you’ve ever seen. As the setting sun warms your skin, a wave of nostalgia and tranquility fills you. And somehow, you knew you’d find Roxas here too.

Without a word, you take a seat next to him on the tower’s ledge and hand him the ice cream you grabbed from the icebox on your way to find him. He gauges your face for a moment, and when he realizes you’re not there to scold him, he takes your offering and mutters a barely audible thank you. A comfortable silence falls between you two before the breathtaking twilight.

“I’m sorry. I’m so stupid,” he says after a while, balancing the stick between his teeth. “I can’t believe I forgot that promise.”

“Hayner will get over it. He never stays mad for long,” you assure him, but it doesn’t stop him from beating himself up for ruining the day. You try to lighten the mood a bit. “Besides, if Hayner comes after you, I’ll protect you.”

He finally smiles a bit. “Yeah?”

“Hayner, Seifer, everyone else,” you list on and laugh. “Wouldn’t that be something to put in my memory book?”

“That reminds me,” he pulls something from his jacket and hands it to you, “I forgot to give this back to you.”

“Oh! I’ve been looking for this!” you exclaim, staring at the photo in surprise. It’s the very one the two of you took together after he bought your camera. “It’s my favorite picture of us.”

In the photo, your eyes are a bit watery and your face is a bit flushed, but there’s no doubt you’re genuinely happy. Roxas had his arm around you, still holding you close as he presses his cheek on top of your head.

He really does look happy.

Even now, there’s a fondness in his smile as he looks down at the picture. “It’s my favorite, too.”

As you look at him, seeing the way the dusk glows against his skin and colors his blond hair brown, you realize this is the first time you’ve really talked to him today. You feel your heart skipping a bit as you hand it back to him. “Then keep it. So that you’ll always have something to remember me by.”

He looks surprised. “Are you sure?”

“I made a promise, didn’t I? That I won’t forget.” You feel like you’ve heard these words before as you continue, “Nothing can drive us apart. We’ll always find our way back to each other. No matter what.”

“I doubt I’d forget you, Haruna. You’re too pretty not to remember,” Roxas suddenly says, catching you off guard. You realize that he’s been quietly admiring you too.

“I can’t tell if you’re teasing me.”

“I’m not. I mean it.”

“Flatter me all you want, Roxas. Just because I told you I like you doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you tomorrow.”

You can’t help but smile at his laughter.

To be continued… ⇷ prev | luna ✩ tip jar ✩ ao3 | next ⇸