#question 2 why is wakka here

[oaky-dokey]

wake up gamers i'm trying kingdom hearts again for the first time in 15–20 years

[mystical-strawberry-sheep]

{Well, now that I've started, I don't rightly want to stop.}

⚠️ Trigger Warning⚠️

SPOILERS for Kingdom Hearts (up to 3), dark themes, depression/anxiety, trauma, low self-esteem, violence/battle

Don't Walk into the Darkness

Chapters:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4

The gummi ship touched down first in a familiar orange sky. The soft, sleepy little town with an equally lazy population of people just carrying on with their lives with no ambitions stronger than the Struggle Tournament each year. It was a happy little place with quaint little buildings built upon sloping terraces and a sky perpetually blanketing the world in a hazy golden hue.

A small smile came to Aku's lips as she gazed over the nearing town. She had always enjoyed visiting this place. Oftentimes she was sent to here, primarily to observe the mansion in the woodland on the outskirts. She never understood why, but it was never like the Organization to explain much of anything to her. If she ever had pressing questions she almost always had to go directly to Lord Xemnas. He was always patient with her, though. Sometimes her fondest memories had been her talks with him while curled up in one of the empty chairs in the Room where Nothing Gathers.

The landing was far easier than the takeoff, and before long the two of them were exiting the gummi ship and taking in the bustle of the town. There in front of the train station Aku could properly gaze at the sunset filtering through candy pink clouds and admire it's beauty. There were so many great things about the worlds she had seen, she didn't see any reason to stick to just living on the island.

"Welcome to Twilight Town," Riku said, gesturing out to the scenery. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

Aku nodded, "I've been here before, many times."

He made a soft noise of surprise, turning to look at her, "Really? When? I've been here a lot, but I don't remember seeing you."

She couldn't help a laugh. She had seen Riku a time or two, though at the time she didn't know it was him. She wouldn't learn that much until his infiltration into the Castle that Never Was, via a conversation she spied on after Xigbar's elimination at the hands of Sora.

"What's so funny?" Riku asked through a chuckle of his own.

"You wouldn't have," Aku ignored the second question to answer the first. "I was very good at hiding, and I always did so when I was around."

Riku scoffed, "You always were good at hiding. But you know, you really didn't have to. We wanted to be friends with you."

He lead her down towards the Tram Common where he assumed the others were. He hadn't seen them sitting atop the clocktower, so they must have been at work at the Bistro.

Aku averted her eyes as she followed after him, "I just... Don't fit in with anyone. And you three... You were always so close, I don't think anyone really thought they could compete with that, much less me."

Riku glanced back at her, "You know, Wakka and the others, they're my friends, too. I still played with them just like Sora and Kairi. Actually, a part of me wanted to be your friend, too. But I always kinda got that you wanted to be left alone. I didn't want to bother you."

Aku huffed, "Well, you certainly changed, didn't you?"

He chuckled, "Yeah, I did. I've done a lot of changing. You have too, it would seem."

She didn't combat that statement. It was true, but that's what happened when you interacted with Darkness. All of them, every person that came in contact with it, had certainly changed at least somewhat. She didn't have time to ruminate on that train of thought, however. She nearly ran into Riku's back as he stopped in the middle of the Tram Common, looking around for his friends. She stopped short just behind him, leaning back so as not to go face first into the fluff of his hair. She leaned to the side to glance past him, stepping back to make some distance.

"Mm, weird..." He muttered. "I really thought they'd be here..."

"Who're you--"

"Heeeey, Riku!"

Both turned to the sound of a third voice and were met with the sight of Lea and Isa approaching in their casual attire. Aku's jaw dropped when she saw Isa there. She was sure that they were completely done for after the battle against the guardians of light. She had no idea anyone other than Xigbar had made it out of that battle. A flurry of emotions descended upon her, and she could do little more than try to focus on breathing and keeping her tears at bay.

Riku perked up and moved to stand in front of her, "Axel, Isa! I was looking for you guys. Where are the others?"

Axel gestured over his shoulder, "In the Usual Spot. We heard you land but you never came. Heyner said you probably got lost and sent us out to fetch you."

Riku smacked his forehead, "The Usual Spot! Ugh, why didn't I think of tha--"

"Saïx?"

Riku stopped and turned to look back at Aku, who had finally gotten a good enough hold of herself to say something. Lea, too, stopped to look between the two.

Isa's eyebrows arched as recognition dawned on him, "Kaxu."

"Do... You two know each other...?" Riku asked, surprised that Aku would know Isa of all people.

The diviner was quick to answer the question, seeing Aku still hadn't quite recovered from the shock, "Yes. For a time, Kaxu was part of the Organization. She wasn't considered an official member, but she worked and lived with us nonetheless."

Axel raised a brow, "I don't remember seeing her."

"Me either," Riku said. "And I was doing a lot of spying on the Organization. I can't imagine I would have missed her."

"You wouldn't remember her, Lea. You had already defected from the Organization when she arrived. And I can assure you, Riku, that she was most certainly there. We sent her to keep an eye on you a number of times, as a matter of fact. But like I said, she wasn't considered a member of the Organization, and her work was even more secretive than our usual kind."

Aku shook her head, snapping herself out of her trance, and marched closer, past Riku, "Wait...! Wait, I need, I thought you were dead...! What happened? What--"

Isa looked down at her, "No, not at all. All of the members of the Organization reformed as their whole selves after their defeat, just like you. Why wouldn't that be the case?"

Aku looked down, a bit embarrassed, "W-well... This was the second time, and... And Lord Xemn--"

"You don't have to use his title," Isa cut in. The disgust in his voice made Aku flinch. "We destroyed his whole self, and that is why. The Master Xehanort that pursued you is the very same as Xemnas was, and he had to be destroyed. Isn't that why you didn't join the New Organization?"

Riku blinked, "Wait... She was going to join the New Organization...? Where was she?"

Aku shook her head, and this time Isa took pity on her, "That... Isn't my business to say. But... That all being said, it is good to see you made it home, Kaxu."

"Aku, that's her name," Riku clarified.

Aku bit her lip, "Wait, if everyone is fine, then... Demyx, Luxord..."

"I don't know their whereabouts," Isa said. "But Xaldin is well. His real name is Dilan."

She cast her eyes to the ground, her hopes dashed just the same moment that they were lifted. On the bright side, at least Xaldin was okay and accounted for. She was sure he wouldn't be happy to see her, seeing as how she used to always pester him. But maybe, if she managed to get away from Riku, she could find out where he was. She could go stop by and see him, even if just from a distance.

A thought struck Riku as he watched her. He needed someone to help keep Aku close to him, at least long enough to stem that darkness of hers. He needed someone to convince her it was better to be closer to the light. If Isa knew her, perhaps he could be the one to do that. He was sure if he asked Isa would definitely make the effort. But how to let him know without keying in Aku? If he said it outright she might very well run.

Furrowing his brow in thought, he lifted his chin to gesture to Axel, "Hey, want to go to the others? These two... Maybe we should give them some time alone, don't you think?"

Axel raised a brow, tucking his hands in his pockets, "What? Why? Let's just introduce her to the whole gang."

Of course Axel wouldn't get it... but... He turned a meaningful stare to Isa, and the way the diviner's brows quirked in response led him to believe he was definitely picking up on something.

"They haven't seen each other in a while, though," Riku responded, keeping eye contact with Isa now. "They probably have a lot to get off of their chests. Aku seems like she does anyway."

He turned his eyes then to the scar on Aku's forehead, and Isa followed his gaze. By now Axel had noticed the glances and understood that something was going on here, but he didn't understand what exactly. he narrowed his eyes and leaned back to wait for Isa's response. Aku, too, furrowed her brows as she looked at Riku, confused as to why he would say such a thing.

Isa studied her scar, remembered that it was a wellspring of darkness. He wondered if Riku had been having trouble with her, or the scar. Considering the journey he had taken, it was no surprise that he was getting involved with her. He nodded and took a couple of steps closer to Aku, trying to remain casual enough to keep from alarming her.

"You're right," he muttered. "There is an awful lot I have to say to her. You and Lea go on ahead."

Riku nodded and turned to head to the Usual Spot, waving for Axel to follow. Axel still didn't quite understand, but he trusted Riku and Isa. Whatever it was, it must have been important. Shrugging his shoulders, he turned to follow Riku back up to the others and allowed Isa to lead Aku away.

Isa took Aku first to collect some ice cream then lead her to the top of the clocktower. It wasn't uncommon for the whole group to be here, but for now it was abandoned. He'd discovered with the help of the others that this was always a good place for long and deep discussions. Aku surely needed one of these, or else Riku wouldn't have seemed so insistent.

Aku puzzled over the ice cream in her hand as she dangled her legs from the side of the tower. Saïx had never appeared to be to her someone who did these kinds of things. Even though they had never gone this far out of the way, she had fond memories of relaxing and playing card games with Luxord or listening to Demyx play his sitar. Saïx had always been a serious and overly formal individual, wanting no amount of closeness to anyone. It wasn't real, he'd always insisted, and therefore it wasn't worth it. Had he changed since regaining his heart? Or was it just worth it now that he had one?

"It's ice cream," Isa prompted after seeing her perplexed expression. "You eat it."

Aku looked up, snapping from her train of thought, "What?"

"In your hand. It's ice cream."

She laughed softly, "I know that."

"So eat it."

The manipulator made a soft noise and chomped onto the corner of the treat. It was a sharp, cold feeling in her mouth, something that felt real and grounding. The taste was a perfect combination of salty and sweet, too, lulling her even as it snapped her to attention.

"Where did you go after the battle against Xehanort?" Isa asked, breaking the heavy silence.

"Home," Aku said softly. "But there was nothing for me there. I didn't belong."

"Not like you did in the Organization?" Isa asked.

"Precisely," she replied, gazing out at the sunset. "No one there needs me or remotely cares if I'm around. There wasn't a reason to stay, so I was going to leave."

Isa cut his eyes at her, "And I take it you attempted to use the darkness to do that."

"Naturally," she replied.

"Well, I think Riku for one very much cares that you're around. Otherwise he wouldn't have brought you with him."

Aku narrowed her eyes at the sun, "I don't know what Riku's trying to do... He insisted on bringing me with him to... I don't know. Run errands I suppose."

"He's worried about you," Isa clarified. "He's trying to help you."

Aku furrowed her brows in frustration, "I don't need his help."

Isa turned sharp eyes to her, making sure he locked her gaze to his, "He is your friend, Aku. He's doing his best to help you. The least you can do is humor him."

Aku frowned, "Like you're one to talk."

Isa took a deep breath, and in that moment he looked very much like the person she remembered from the Castle that Never Was. Somehow that was almost comforting. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"You're right," he said slowly. "I used to have a terrible attitude towards my friends. I was jealous, and I was angry. I wanted to pretend I didn't have emotions because I wanted so desperately to run away from them. If I recall correctly, you used to chastise me about that, did you not?"

Aku turned her eyes away, a little embarrassed, "Well... I wouldn't call it chastising..."

"It took dying in Lea's arms for me to finally understand that I didn't have to compete for friendship. That I wasn't alone, no matter what I had been thinking. The same can be said for you, Aku. You don't have to run to other worlds. Riku, and Lea, and myself, and everyone else that has had ties to Sora... We will be there to support you. You can't help that you have darkness inside you. But you don't have to run away from everyone. I know you're afraid of it. You always have been."

Aku bit her lip, "I just..."

"Riku has already fought the darkness and won. He's been in the same place as you, had the same questions. He understands what you're going through, maybe better than anyone else save perhaps Terra. If there's anyone that can help you cope with the darkness within you, it's him. I suggest you give him your time."

Aku sighed softly, biting off a little bit of the ice cream, "But... What if I disappoint him...?"

Isa studied her for a moment, taken aback by the sudden shift in attitude. He had almost forgotten how soft and sensitive she could be at times, as a nobody anyway. He remembered how Xemnas used to pet her and reassure her like a loving parent. The first time he'd witnessed it he'd been shocked and almost disgusted, but it didn't take him long to understand why he behaved that way with her. Kaxu had been most receptive to kindness and most obedient when she felt loved. Being gentle with her always got the best results from her. It was a manipulation tactic, just as he had manipulated everyone else in the Organization. The problem here being that Isa wasn't sure Aku had ever really learned that Xemnas didn't care about her. It was only with hesitance and complete determination that she had refused the New Organization. Perhaps she never truly realized just how terrible a person Xehanort and his kin were. Regardless, that tenderness that she had had from back then still seemed to be there, buried under the thick layer of armor she had built up after the first Organization's death. He knew what he had to do, even if it was still very much unlike him. Tenderness was something he was still learning how to harness.

He reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently, "Listen to me, Aku. It takes a great deal to adjust from living a life within the darkness. Riku understands that, he lived it. There is no way you could disappoint him now except to completely push him away. It's the same for all of us. Mm, I used to guide you, remember? I gave you orders and sent you on your way, and if you were ever confused about a mission you knew to come to me for reassurance. I will always be here for you, even if you're unsure with Riku. And right now, I'm telling you that this is the correct path. Understand?"

Aku leaned over against his shoulder, finally letting that apprehension melt away to embrace the comfort she felt around the old Number VII, "Okay... I know... I can trust you, at least."

The two of them sat in relative silence for a while, finishing off their ice creams as they observed the setting sun. Isa might have suggested to leave afterwards, but Aku still seemed a little tense, and he didn't want to push her after such a serious talk.

It wasn't until several minutes after this that Aku finally spoke up, "Your eyes... They're different."

Isa glanced down at her, "I'm no longer a vessel of darkness. I don't hold any part of Xehanort in me, and so... Well, you see the result."

"I like them. You look good."

He chuckled softly, "Well, thank you. I also rather like that I'm no longer under Xehanort's control. Mm, why don't we go back? The others are waiting for us."

Aku took a deep breath and stood up, "Yeah, you're right. I'm nervous, but..."

Aku nodded and followed him down, heading towards the Usual Spot to meet the rest of Riku's and Isa's friends.

"Don't worry," he cut in, standing to lead her back down the clocktower. "I'll be there to help you."

[p-artsypants]

I Do...I Guess (2)

Mushroom Rock

Ao3 | FF.net

--

The chocobo eater was a great team building exercise, though Yuna’s new Aeon did a lot of the leg work. 

What was the name again? Ifeert? Oh well, Hot Dog it would be to Tidus. 

Zanarkand was really missing out on those Chocobos though. They were fun to ride, and pretty easy to handle...though they were a little smelly. 

Of course, Tidus tried to imagine riding one around back home, among the motorcycles and the cars...and thought that maybe the chocobos were fine here in Spira. 

The birds allowed for much quicker travel of the High Road, and they made it to the crusaders blockade before lunch. 

“A blockade?” Wakka wondered aloud. “But how else are we supposed to get to Djose?” 

“I’m sorry folks,” one of the nearby crusaders explained. “The road will be closed off during our operation. We’re very sorry for the inconvenience.” 

“We have to get through,” argued Lulu. “This is Summoner Yuna, and you are hindering her pilgrimage.” 

“I’m sorry. Summoner or not, I have strict orders not to let anyone pass.” 

It was then that Wakka made the startling discovery. “Hey, there’s Al Bhed here.” 

“The Al Bhed and the Crusaders are teaming up?” Asked Yuna. 

Wakka frowned. “What kind of operation needs the Al Bhed a part of it?” 

“I find myself asking the same question.” A wispy voice interrupted. 

The party turned to see Maester Seymour joining the fray. He seemed none too bothered by the presence of those so-called heathens. 

He almost looked excited. 

“Lady Yuna? Is there something the matter?” 

Tidus felt an uncomfortable crawling sensation in his veins. This blue haired clown really made his skin crawl. Jealousy, the others might say. But no, he could read those sleazy bedroom eyes from a mile away. 

How old was this dude anyway? Should he be allowed to look at Yuna like that? 

Why did he care? He wondered. He was a guardian now, so obviously he was watching out for her. 

And a pending marriage proposal, his subconscious reminded him politely. He had managed to forget about that all morning. 

“We need to get through to continue my pilgrimage,” Yuna said simply. 

Tidus really admired that she didn’t try any persuasion at that moment. No beating her enchanting mismatched eyes, or pitching her voice up like so many girls had done to him.

She didn’t even say please. 

“I’ll take care of it.” Seymour smiled. 

Tidus mimed a gagging motion at Kimahri, but the joke was wasted on the stoic ronso. 

Miraculously, Seymour did take care of it. They were waved on almost immediately, much to the chagrin of Dona, who was asked to stay back. 

They were prompted forward, down the Mushroom Rock trail, to the beach and the command post, where everything was going down. 

The Mi’ihen Highroad was lush with greens. A perfect day with ideal blue skies, with happy chocobos fluttering around. 

But the closer they got to the operation, the grayer the sky, the drier the ground, and the more fierce the fiends. 

Yuna shivered slightly as they entered a valley. 

“You okay, Yuna?” Tidus asked. 

“Oh, yes. Just got a chill up my spine.” She came a little closer to him and admitted. “I don’t know why, but I got a sense of dread all of a sudden.” 

“What’s the operation all about, anyway?” 

“I’m not sure. But I suppose we’ll find out more when we reach the command post.” 

They found out plenty when they crested the hill and found a half a dozen machina canons all lined up and pointed out to sea. 

The horror on his teammates faces proved that whatever was going on was likely very heretical. 

“What are all these Machina doing here?” Asked Wakka. 

A crusader answered. “We Crusaders and Al Bhed share the same dream. To be rid of Sin forever! And if we can take the burden away from the summoners, we’re going to try!” 

It was a noble cause, Tidus thought. He had seen the devastation that Sin was capable of. Were these little canons good enough?” 

They were explained the situation. A huge canon sat on the cliff side, easily big enough to wipe out a city if they weren’t careful. And there was an army on the beach, ready to fight and distract with swords. 

He hoped this would all work, maybe then Yuna could stop her journey. 

Maybe Sin would come to shore and he would go home, and then he wouldn’t have to come up with an answer for Yuna’s marriage proposal. 

He felt like maybe all these things were unlikely, and that only the worst was to come. 

The army was still preparing, and there was no sign of Sin, though the bait was set and waiting. 

Tidus spotted a familiar merchant standing back, behind the cliff wall. 

“O’aka, right?” 

“Ah, so my name is catching on, eh?” 

“Well...maybe. We rode in the boat over from Kilika, remember?” 

“Oh yes. I never forget a face! You lent me a pretty penny, and for that, I’m grateful. Are you after anything? I have a special rate because of the operation.” 

“Do you...have any rings?” 

“Rings? Ah yes, all sorts of magic wards. And they’re pretty too!” 

Tidus had been given an allowance for such an occasion. 

O’aka displayed his tray of jewelry, with about a dozen different choices on it. Golds and silvers, with all sorts of jewels. 

“What about this one?” He pointed to a silver and blue one, with a very intricate design. 

“Excellent choice! A real heavy hitter! Stone, water, fire, and lightning proof, and it's blessed!” 

“How much?” 

“For you my friend, only 9999!” 

Tidus opened and closed his mouth in shock. “Uhhh...” 

“What are you doing?” Auron asked, coming up behind him. 

He yelped in surprise, and then tried to school his expression into something that didn’t look like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. “Uhh...just looking at rings.” 

“For Yuna?” 

O’aka’s eyes widened. “For Lady Summoner Yuna? My my, how interesting!” 

“Mind your own business!” Tidus scolded with a blush. 

“So you decided to say yes?” Auron asked. 

“Not...completely. I’m still thinking things through...I just want to be prepared. You know? I thought, maybe having it would help me think.”

“A wise decision.” Auron took out a sack of Gil and handed it to O’aka, then took the ring, and a thicker, plainer band. “You get one too.” 

“Oh. Right.” For now, Tidus just pocketed them, and decided to concentrate on the mission. 

A mission that was doomed to fail, according to Maester Seymour and Kinoc. 

“Let them keep dreaming.” They said. It was almost an admission to a genocide. 

Everybody here, crusaders, Al Bhed, and a few Yevonites, they were all fighting for peace. For calm. 

And yet, these ‘Holy Men’ had laughed behind their backs. 

Tidus had nothing against the temples. Faith and prayer were vital in keeping hope in such a dismal world. But these Maesters smelled heavily of nepotism and flagrant thirst for power. 

In Zanarkand, such men would find places of power. In government, in business, on boards and councils. But of the religions back home, he thought of them as pious and self sacrificing. 

Not whatever these two men were. 

How many others were like this? How many others were willing to sacrifice people? 

Why wasn’t anyone speaking up? 

They shouldn’t have come. They should have stayed at the blockade, or gone back to stay another night at the Travel Agency. 

But no. Now Tidus was in the water, rapidly chasing down his old man. The beach was littered with bodies and shrapnel of destroyed Machina. The operation had failed catastrophically, and yet, all he could do was swim on, chasing. 

He wouldn’t let this opportunity pass him by. 

But Sin was gone. Just as Jecht had vanished from his life, so had the beast once again. Giving no answers, leaving more questions, and leaving oblivion it's wake. 

How long had he been passed out for? Minutes? Hours? He wasn’t sure. The wet sand pressed against his back as he washed ashore. All his chasing and he was back. 

“There you are! You good, brudda?” Wakka hurried to him and pulled him to his feet. 

“Yeah. Just...I just fell.” 

And he had. He had been up top fighting that Sinspawn before he fell below. So it wasn’t a complete lie. He just didn’t want to explain to Wakka that he had tried to chase down the biggest menace on Spira because of a childhood grudge. 

“Where’s Yuna?” He asked instead. 

“Talking to Maester Seymour.” He pointed up towards the ridge. Yuna stood there, head bowed as Maester Seymour stood too close, speaking to her. 

“I gotta go.” 

“I don’t know man, seems like a private conversation.” 

“Like I care!” Tidus staggered to his feet and hurried over to her. He stood below the ridge, just out of sight, but not out of earshot. 

“…so you mustn’t cry.” Seymour preached. “You must be a beacon of light to Spira, you must be strong for these survivors.”

“I know,” Yuna said, in a tender voice. “But some of these people were my friends, and I want to grieve their loss.” 

“Yuna, being a summoner means removing your emotions from those around you. You can care, but not too much. You know that, right?” 

Tidus wanted to grab that cretin by the robes and push him into the sea. Maybe Sin would come back and swallow him. Was that too much to ask?

“I understand. Thank you, Maester Seymour.” 

The man patted her head, like she was a dog, and moved on. 

Yuna stood there for a moment, just staring at the ground. 

“Yuna?” Tidus spoke behind her. 

She turned, and saw him just below her on the ridge. She nodded with resolve and sat down on the edge. “Will you help me down?” 

He held his arms up for her, and she took hold of his shoulders. She slid down, to stand with him, keeping her eyes locked with his. “Thank you.” 

“Anytime. You okay?”

She just nodded. Then added, “I have a sending to do.” 

So he let her go, and watched as she began her dance. 

A dance devoid of joy, of fun, of merriment. It was still graceful, and haunting, but the tightness in her face contrasted with the fluid movement in her body. 

Sobs and wailing filled the air, as survivors of the massacre witnessed their friends and family rise as Pyreflies into the air.

If it was up to him, she’d stop dancing. So she could stop hiding her sorrows. 

Her strength did amaze him, though. He watched as she danced up and down that beach, long after the sun had set. She wouldn’t allow one soul to not be sent. They already suffered, they didn’t need to remain as fiends. 

Long after Seymour and Kinoc left, long after the other guardians set up camp, Tidus still followed Yuna down the beach. All the way to the other end, before she collapsed in exhaustion. 

“Yuna?” He asked softly. 

“I just need a moment,” she breathed.

She sprawled out on the sand, and Tidus wondered if she cared about it getting in her hair. 

She looked exhausted. Her lips pulled into a tight line, and her eyes were shut hard. 

“Why did this have to happen?” She asked aloud, mostly hypothetical, but loud enough for him to hear. 

“Because people were sick of Sin. And death was a better alternative to sitting and twiddling their thumbs.” 

She sighed. “My mind knows that, but my heart...”

He sat in the sand beside her, just a hands length away. “You know, it’s okay to cry.” 

She shook her head.

“Even I let out a few tears back there, and most of these people were complete strangers. You knew some of them.”

“I have to be strong. Summoners are a pillar of strength to the people of Spira.”

“So I heard,” he shrugged. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t ever cry.” 

“I don’t want to.” She protested. “I want my journey to be full of laughter, and you’ve been so good about helping with that. Don’t tell me to cry.” 

“Fine. I’m not going to make you cry. Just...sometimes, being happy isn’t possible. Then it’s the best to just be less sad.” 

Yuna turned to look at him, but didn’t say anything. 

“Maybe I don’t know anything about Yevon, or hardly anything about life. But I think grief is when you love too much, and you can’t give it. I think if I saw a summoner cry from loss, I would feel better. My future, my world, is in the hands of someone who loves.” 

Yuna hummed softly, garnering his attention. She had streaks on her cheeks, but he politely chose not to mention it. “What happened here was a tragedy, but for a moment, everyone was United and working together, and I thought it was really beautiful. So maybe it was bad...but not all bad.” 

“Feel better?” 

“Yeah...not happy, but less sad.” She sat up, dusting the sand from her clothes. She admired the stars above and the crashing of waves before pushing to stand. “We should get back soon, before they worry.” 

“We will,” Tidus assured. “But I want to ask you something first.” 

“Alright?” 

With resolve he hadn’t felt in a while, he took the ring out of his pocket, and got down on one knee. “You know, it might feel like weird timing, but I want to help.” 

“Tidus?” 

He held the ring up to her. “Yuna, will you marry me?” 

She just stared at him for a long time. 

“I know you asked me, but back home, it’s kind of tradition for the guy to ask. Hope you don’t mind?” 

“So...you’re accepting my proposal?” 

“Only if you accept mine.” 

She laughed, a genuine smile breaking out on her face. “Alright. I accept!” 

He smiled too, and pushed to his feet. Then he held out for her hand and slipped the ring on for her. 

“I never thought I’d propose to a girl I wasn’t dating.” He joked. 

“Already getting cold feet?” 

He shook his head, before gathering her into a hug. 

Yuna was startled for only a moment, before snuggling into his arms. 

“Whatever you need, you come to me, okay?” He asked. “If you need to laugh, or cry, or a hug. I’m your man.” 

Yuna smiled into the embrace. “Yes, you are my man.”

[starrattlerofprydain]

The Other Girl (Ch. 2)

Summary: What if Roxas met Kairi during his days in the Organization?

AO3 / FF.net

Chapter 2: A Familiar Face (Previous/Next) “Come on, Kairi,” Selphie begged, pulling on the redhead’s wrist. “It’ll be just for today!”

Kairi gave her friend a hesitant look. It’s been a while since the girl had visited the small island where she and her friends always spent their days playing around. She loved it there. However, now that her two closest friends have gone away for some time, Kairi couldn’t help but spend her days waiting there for them to come back.

Day after day, she waited.

And waited.

But no one ever came.

Kairi did this for a while until one day, the memories of her these two friends began to slowly fade away. She could still remember their faces. She knew that there was a silver-haired boy.

Riku, was it? But… the other boy… why can’t I remember his name now?

She wasn’t sure if it was because she was tired after having many sleepless nights, but after spending much of her time waiting and trying to remember the things she had forgotten, Kairi thought it was best to stop going to the island, for her own sake. From there, she went on living her regular life. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she held on to a little bit of hope, knowing that she’ll be able to see those familiar faces again.

Which is why when Selphie tried to convince her to go on this particular day, Kairi felt her stomach flip all of a sudden. Part of her longed to go back, but she still wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.

“I don’t…” The redhead trailed off as she gave it some thought again. It didn’t help that her friend was rather convincing with the puppy-eyed face she was making.

Kairi managed to let out a small laugh at this before she finally ended up giving in. “Okay, fine. I guess it won’t hurt to go for a day.”

“Really?” Selphie’s face brightened as she took both of Kairi’s hands in hers. “Great! I’ll let Tidus and Wakka know so we can start heading over there!”

The redhead smiled at her friend’s enthusiasm, but deep down she hoped that she was making the right decision to go back after all this time.

-----------

“Hey! Wait up, Tidus!” The tall boy called out as he ran after his friend on the island.

The blond looked over his shoulder and laughed, not bothering to slow down. “Try to keep up!”

Behind them were the two girls just strolling by the shore. Normally, they would be spending this time having long conversations about anything and everything, all while enjoying the sights around the small island, but it was quiet between the two of them. Specifically on Kairi’s end, which began to worry Selphie.

“It’s nice to be back, isn’t it?” asked the brunette, in hopes of getting Kairi to speak.

The redhead gave her friend a small smile and shrugged. “I guess so...”

Selphie noticed how off she seemed and stopped walking, turning to look at her with concern. “Hey, is there something wrong?”

Kairi looked at her friend before glancing down to the sandy ground. “I’m fine. It’s just been a while since...”

The girl trailed off just as she noticed some movement from the corner of her left eye. She turned her head in that direction and saw something in black heading towards the secret place. Without hesitation, Kairi left her friend behind and ran after whatever this was. Her stomach flipped at that moment, just like how it did earlier that day as she wondered if there was someone else on the island.

She finally made it to the cave and took a quick glance around to see…

Nothing.

“Is someone there?” Kairi asked, even though she was certain she wouldn’t get a response. She wanted to take a better look around until Selphie called out to her. The redhead bit her lip in disappointment before she began to head out of the dark area. “I’m coming!”

Kairi emerged from the cave within a few moments to find her friend with a surprised look on her face. “What happened? You just ran off all of a sudden!”

A small laugh escaped Kairi’s lips, realizing she must have looked silly chasing after nothing. “Sorry… I thought I saw something.”

Or… someone, she thought.

-----------

After Roxas did what he could to complete his mission, he made his way over to Twilight Town as usual. There, up on the clock tower, waited his red-headed friend who he hadn’t seen since the day before.

“Heya, Roxas,” he greeted with two ice cream bars in his hand. “You made it just in time. Your ice cream’s starting to melt.”

“Oh…” Roxas took his seat next to him and took the ice cream, noticing it began to drip. The boy started to eat it up before it became a mess.

Axel took a bite of his own treat as he looked out at the horizon with a small smile. “So how’d you spend your day off?”

“Not wasting the day away sleeping like you,” Roxas chuckled.

The older Nobody scoffed, playfully shoving Roxas in the process. “Hey c’mon! It’s the least I can do for myself. Feels like it’s been ages since I got a decent amount of rest.”

“I guess so,” the blond shrugged, remembering he didn’t get around to doing much either. “I spent most of the day with Xion. I was hoping she would wake up in time so we can spend it together, but she never did. I guess she still hasn’t woken up today either since she’s not here…”

Roxas looked at his melting ice cream with despair. He was really starting to miss hearing her voice. Axel hesitantly rubbed his neck, noticing the look on his friend’s face

“Just give it some time. She’ll be fine. Before you know it, we’ll all be sitting here together again like the old times.”

“Yeah, I hope so…” Roxas mumbled, looking up at Axel who was now staring out ahead of him. The boy did the same, letting his mind wander.

“I went to a new world for today’s mission.”

“Oh yeah? Where to?”

“Destiny Islands. We promised to go to the beach there together someday, remember?”

Axel glanced over and chuckled softly, “Yeah, of course I remember. I don’t forget things so easily, y’know.”

“Right,” Roxas nodded, looking down to his ice cream. “It’s strange though. Something about that place felt familiar. Almost like I’ve been there or something…” the boy paused and turned to face his friend, “Do you think these are just memories from before I became a Nobody?”

Axel remained silent, recalling he had a similar conversation with Xion one time. Of course that place was going to be familiar to him. He was Sora’s Nobody, after all. He knew that much. He scratched his head and shrugged at Roxas’s question.

“That’s possible.”

“And there was also this girl there who looked a bit like Xion,” Roxas added, vaguely remembering the stranger. “I couldn’t tell for sure but… I just had a feeling.”

The redhead stayed silent again, losing himself in deep thought as a smirk formed on his lips. “A feeling, huh? Seems like you’re forgetting that Nobodies aren’t supposed to feel.”

Roxas can only shrug at this. “It’s just strange, that’s all. Maybe I’m just missing having Xion around.”

Axel lightly patted the boy’s back and chuckled. “You two just can’t stay apart, can you?”

Roxas gave his friend a small smile as he continued to finish up his ice cream. The two Nobodies sat there a while longer, appreciating the sights as they spoke about whatever came to mind before heading back to the castle after their long day.

-----------

Another day, another mission to complete. Today’s mission involved collecting hearts in Agrabah. Not only did Roxas have to deal with the blazing heat from that world, but he ended up getting paired up with Demyx this time around. It definitely wasn’t his favorite combo.

By the time they finished, Roxas had done most of the heart collecting, while Demyx spent most of his time complaining about the unbearable heat. Roxas might as well have been better off on his own on this mission.

“Man, I’m outta here,” Demyx whined as he opened up a dark corridor and disappeared within a matter of seconds.

“Yeah, thanks for nothing,” Roxas grumbled under his breath.

From there, he planned on heading to Twilight Town as usual, but then the thought of going back to Destiny Islands crossed his mind. He considered making a quick stop to pick up some seashells for Xion. And if it were possible, maybe he might see that girl again. But what were the chances of that happening?

Nevertheless, Roxas went through the dark corridor and headed off to his next destination. Eventually he was hit with a familiar sea breeze as he stepped out into the bright, tropical setting. The boy scanned the area before he began to make his way over to the shoreline.

It didn’t take him long to appreciate how peaceful it felt being there on the island. With the sound of the waves filling his ears and the salty breeze blowing through his hair, Roxas felt at ease. It gave him the same warm feeling as sitting up on the clock tower. He could now see why Xion liked coming here. Suddenly, his gaze fell down when he noticed a small object coming into view as the waves rolled out. Roxas bent down and picked up the object from the sand, smiling softly as he gazed at the familiar shape. 

A thalassa shell, similar to one of many seashells currently sitting beside Xion. But unlike the blue and yellow colors that he was used to seeing, this particular shell was a lighter combination of pink and yellow. He tucked it away in his pocket, unaware that someone had been watching him from a short distance.

-----------

It was the first time Kairi was glad her friends had been busy that day, since now it gave her the chance to go to the island on her own. She realized this might have been a bit selfish of her, especially after not going back for many weeks, even though Selphie suggested for them to go plenty of times. But a part of her told her to return as soon as possible. Like there must have been something waiting for her there.

Or someone, she reminded herself. Could it be her friends? The ones she’s been longing to see again?

Kairi soon arrived at the empty island, taking in the sights once more. It was bittersweet being there again. The girl truly missed it, but she knew there was a reason for not coming back. However, she tried to push those thoughts away for the time being.

Out of curiosity, Kairi walked over by the secret place, recalling what had happened the day before. She wasn’t seeing things… was she? She took a deep breath and made her way inside the cave again, only to see nothing unusual. It was still the same old cave she remembered from before. She glanced around, looking at all the chalk drawings surrounding the walls. From there, the redhead spotted a particular drawing. One that she hasn’t seen in a while ever since she stopped coming to the island.

It was a messy drawing of Kairi sharing a paopu fruit with someone special to her. Who this special someone was… well, she knew it had to be the boy she waited for all this time. At times it seemed his name would come to her mind, only for it to slip away again. And sometimes she would see a face, but it became too hazy to remember, almost like a dream. Kairi kneeled down as she stared at the drawing with a sad smile, wishing she could just remember his name and face. The only thing that kept her going was something about a promise they made.

“We made a promise, didn’t we?” She mumbled, pressing her hand up against the cold wall. “I know we did…”

Kairi kept her gaze on the drawing a while longer before she shook her head and stood back up, brushing off the dirt from her outfit. She took another brief look around before she decided to make her way back out of the cave.

As soon as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight, she immediately spotted someone by the shoreline. Someone with blond hair and a black coat. Then realization struck her. Maybe whatever she saw just the day before might have been whoever this was. But… who was this person anyway?

Kairi quietly watched him from a distance as he bent down, probably to pick up a seashell lying in the wet sand. He stood there examining it before tucking it in his coat.

He began to walk off until he suddenly noticed her presence.

And he froze.

And she froze as well.

Just as Kairi was about to approach him, he made a quick run for it, leaving the girl wide-eyed. Then, almost as if it were out of instinct, she quickly followed him.

“Wait! Don’t go!” She called out.

Roxas stopped in his tracks, unsure what to do. Though, he realized running away out in the open was probably a useless thing to do anyway. But he wanted to avoid being seen so he thought of the next best thing. Quickly, Roxas reached over his back and brought the hood of his coat over his head.

Kairi caught up to him, cautiously taking a few steps forward as she stared at the now hooded stranger. “I don’t think I’ve seen you around here before.”

He turned around slightly, keeping his gaze low. “I’m just… visiting.”

“Oh, I see,” the girl slowly nodded, taking a step closer to him to get a better look at his face.  “By any chance, were you here yesterday too?”

Roxas noticed how much closer she got to him and took a small step back, lifting his head slightly to meet her eyes. And that’s when he realized…

She really does look like her...

Other than her auburn hair being slightly longer than Xion’s, he can definitely see a resemblance.

The redhead pouted and waved a hand in front of his face. “Hellooo? Are you there?”

Roxas snapped out of his thoughts and gazed back down to the sand, attempting to pull the hood further down his face.

Kairi raised a brow before laughing at whatever this boy was trying to do. At this rate, she gained more courage to take another step closer. With her hands behind her back, she lowered her head and peeked up at him with a grin. “I can still see you, you know.”

He sighed to himself and lifted his head as he listened to the girl giggle.

“Come on, let me just…” Without hesitation, she reached out and gradually pulled the hood off from his head, revealing his blond, spiky locks she saw moments ago. Finally, they were both able to see each other’s faces clearly. Roxas curiously stared at her for a long time and noticed she had been staring at him for a while too, almost as if she had been lost in thought, but he wasn’t too sure.

“What?” He questioned, snapping Kairi out of her thoughts.

It took her a moment to realize she was absentmindedly staring at the boy. She didn’t mean to, of course. But she couldn’t help but wonder...

I feel like I’m connected to him somehow… but I’m not sure why...

She shook her head and took a step back. “I’m sorry. Have we… met before?”

Roxas scratched his head, giving the girl a look of confusion. “I don’t think we have…?”

“Right… sorry,” she looked down and fiddled with her fingers. “It’s just… you remind me of someone I know.”

You remind me of someone I know…

Roxas repeated the words in his head. As if it wasn’t already strange enough that this person looked like his friend, apparently now Roxas had someone who looked like him as well. He was confused about whatever was going on, yet he couldn’t help but laugh about the whole situation.

Kairi looked at him, thinking she might have said something wrong. “What is it?”

“It’s weird…” he began as he rubbed his neck, “You remind me of someone I know too.”

The girl stood there in bewilderment before she found herself laughing as well. “That is pretty weird.”

She continued to laugh at this, causing Roxas to laugh along with her as well. It was strange how comfortable they both felt with each other at that moment. Once their laughter died down, the redhead realized she didn’t introduce herself yet.

“I’m Kairi, by the way.”

Kairi… have I heard that name once before...?

He brushed the thought aside and introduced himself as well. “I’m Roxas.”

The girl smiled and began to walk past him, her hands behind her back once more. “So… what brings you here, Roxas? Are you looking for seashells?”

“How’d you know?” His gaze followed her as she walked over to the shoreline. 

She turned back to look at him, the genuine smile never leaving her face. “I saw you picking something up from the sand a while ago. I figured it might have been that.”

Roxas went over to join her by the shoreline and scratched his head. “Well, yeah. It’s for my friend, actually. She hasn't been too well these past days.”

Suddenly, the smile on her face disappeared. “Oh… sorry about that. I hope she gets better.”

“Yeah…”

He stayed silent for a moment before pulling out the seashell he kept in his pocket. “She really likes these though. She brought some for me when I was a little unwell myself.” 

Kairi gave him a curious look. “Your friend was here too?”

Roxas nodded at her question, tucking the small object back in his pocket before realizing he lost track of time. Axel was probably waiting for him on the clock tower with his melting ice cream. “Uh… anyway, I should probably get going. I got some place to be.”

Kairi’s heart suddenly dropped just as he was about to walk off.

“Wait! Umm…” She reached out to grab him, only to retract her hand when he turned to face her with a surprised look. A small smile suddenly formed on the girl’s lips as she thought of an idea. “Tell you what… Why don’t you come back tomorrow? There’s something I wanna show you.”

“Okay…?” Roxas wasn’t sure how to respond to this, but he went along with it anyway. Whatever made her happy, he supposed. After all, he was now curious to get to know her more.

Kairi gave the boy a delighted smile when he agreed to return. Though, she noticed the confused look on his face and laughed softly.

“Trust me, I’m sure your friend would appreciate it.”

[kingdomofallthehearts]

The New Girl in Town

SoKai Week 2020 - Day 2 - First Meeting

Synopsis: The teacher introduced a new girl and for some reason Sora can’t help but notice her.

Featuring: Sora, Kairi, Riku, Selphie, Wakka, Tidus

Prompt for the Day: First Meeting / Unseen Adventures

“Alright children, I’d like you all to give a warm welcome to our newest friend.”

Standing beside the teacher was a petite girl wearing a white dress with big purple flowers along the trim. She had shoulder length hair the color of fresh raspberries and her eyes were bluer than the sea surrounding the islands.

“Her name is Kairi. She’ll be staying with us for a while, so be nice.”

Before Sora even had a chance to introduce himself, a bubbly brunette in a pair of yellow overalls and a white t-shirt ran over to greet the new kid.

“Hi Kairi! My name is Selphie. Let’s get along!”

“That’s Selfie for you,” a voice said from behind, disrupting Sora’s thoughts. “—Woah, Riku! You snuck up on me!” “Did not. I was here the whole time. You were just too busy staring at the new girl to notice, which is very rude by the way.” “—I…I wasn’t staring! I was just… listening to the teacher! Yeah, that’s it!” “Whatever you say.” The young boy with silver locks gave a knowing smirk, but he opted to drop the argument. After all, he was a year older than Sora. He had to be the bigger person. The more mature of the two, which annoyed Sora to no end. Usually, he’d push back against Riku’s apathy, but a fit of giggles from the two girls distracted Sora from any feelings of irritation.

“Hey Riku, do you think that’s the girl living at the mayor’s house?” Riku made mention of such a girl earlier when the two were playing at the secret place. In fact, they planned on visiting later that day, but once they arrived at the mayor’s house there was a maze of long legs blocking them from reaching the front door. They opted to try again on a day that was less crowded, but never got around to it.

“It has to be. It’s not like we get many visitors. And what are the chances of two girls our age moving here at the same time?” He was right. That’s Riku for you. He always had an answer to everything, even when speaking to the adults! Sora was proud to have him as a best friend.

Another fit of giggles erupted from the two girls. What are they laughing about? Sora didn’t understand girls at all. Selphie was the only girl around Sora’s age, but she never wanted to do anything fun! She wasn’t interested in racing to the shack or swimming in the water or playing with swords. All she wanted to do was talk and build sandcastles. Boring. Yet Sora couldn’t peel his eyes away from the girl with bright red hair. Kairi, was it? There was something different about her.

______________________________________________________________

After pre-k, the children made a habit of rowing to the play islands. When they were younger, they could only go to the island when their parents were available. But with Riku and Wakka being the oldest of the group, they convinced the parents to trust them. Well, Riku did most of the convincing, but it worked nonetheless.

Sora and Riku just finished an incredibly heated race and needed to take a breather. As they were catching their breath, a pair of sandals approached them.

“Hi there!” “—H…hiya.” The new girl?!? What is she doing here? “Hello. It’s nice to meet you,” Riku cut in, “I’m Riku and this shorty is my best friend Sora.” “Hey, my mom said if I drink a whole lot of milk, I’ll be taller than everyone! I bet I’ll even be taller than those trees!” “That’s impossible.” “No it’s not!” “Yes it is.” “No—“ Suddenly a burst of the joyful laughter Sora heard before erupted from the new girl. It sounded like… well Sora didn’t know what it sounded like. He just knew that hearty giggle made him feel all tingly… in a good way! Riku must have felt something too, because that infectious laughter had the both of them smiling ear to ear. “My name is—“ “Kairi, right? We heard the teacher introduce you earlier.” So Riku WAS paying attention. And he had the nerve to poke fun of me for watching her interact with Selphie. “—Wait a second, weren’t you hanging out with Selphie?” “Yup. She introduced me to Tidus and Wakka, but then they started arguing, so I decided to see what you two were up to.” And lo and behold, Sora and Riku could make out an angry Selphie frantically shaking her finger at an equally angry Wakka and a defeated looking Tidus. “So, what are you up to?” “We just finished a really intense race! You should’ve seen my victory!” “Don’t you mean my victory?” “No way! I totally got here first.” “No you didn’t.” “Did so!” “Did not.” “Did—“ Suddenly Sora could feel those unfamiliar blue eyes watching him. He didn’t feel like arguing anymore. “I… It doesn’t matter,” Sora conceded to Riku’s shock. That was usually his job. “Kairi’s here now, so let’s ask what she wants to do,” Sora said as he turned to face her with a wide grin. “What… what I want to do?” “Sure! Let’s play together!” “Hmm…” Kairi carefully considered their options. The boys looked pretty tired from their race, so that was out of the question. And nobody brought a swimsuit, so they couldn’t go swimming. What to do? What to do? Her bright blue eyes grew even bigger as inspiration struck. “How about we build a sandcastle?” she asked with confidence. “That’s a great idea Kairi,” Riku concurred. Sora, however, immediately regretted asking Kairi for her input. “Ye—yeah,” he managed to choke out. Sandcastles. How fun.

______________________________________________________________

The three sat on the wet sand ready to get their hands dirty, when they were startled by loud shouts coming from the opposite end of the island. Whatever argument Selphie and Wakka have gotten into has clearly escalated. And poor Tidus was caught in the middle of it.

“You guys can get started without me. I better see what’s going on.” That’s Riku for you. Always the responsible one. But in this case, Sora wanted to go instead. Anything was better than building sandcastles. However, Riku was already halfway across the island before Sora could protest.

Kairi picked up a nearby bucket and started filling it with sand. She never made a sandcastle before, but she knew what castles looked like! Or at least, she had an idea of what castles looked like. Kairi wondered what it would be like to live in a castle, but quickly pushed the thought out of her mind when it was time to flip over the bucket. She slowly lifted the compacted pail and… “Perfect!” she thought. She lifted her head to see if Sora was admiring her work, but found him pushing around sand with a stick looking unsure of what to do.

Oh no. He doesn’t look like he’s having fun. Was this a bad idea? Kairi was starting to doubt her decision until she spotted a shovel next to her foot.

“Here.” Kairi handed the plastic yellow shovel to Sora. “You can dig the moat.” “The moat…” Sora repeated, “what’s a moat?” “It’s a giant hole filled with water that goes around the castle.”
 “Why would you want a giant hole filled with water around a castle?” “To protect the princess! You fill the hole with piranhas and sharks and uh… jellyfish so bad guys can’t capture the princess!” “Castles have piranhas and sharks and jellyfish!?!?” Sora was starting to think maybe sandcastles weren’t as boring as he once believed. “Of course! They also have traps that are meant to capture any enemies who dare to enter. And if a bad guy somehow gets passed the moat and the traps, he would have to fight against a lot of strong knights.” “Woah! Knights! What are we waiting for? We have to help them!” Sora jammed the shovel into the sand as fast as possible to create a moat as deep as the ocean. “Do you like knights, Sora?” “Obviously! Knights are the coolest. They wear shiny armor and use weapons that can take down dragons and are the strongest people in the world!” “Hehe, if you like knights so much Sora, you should be one!” “Re—really?” Sora wasn’t sure why, but he suddenly felt embarrassed. “Th-then if I’m a knight, you have to be the princess.” “Oh—okay.” Kairi was suddenly feeling hot. Must be the island weather. She wasn’t quite used to the heat. “Alright!” Sora’s previous embarrassment was replaced with a newfound enthusiasm. “Don’t worry Kairi, I’ll be the toughest knight around. Nobody will be able to defeat me, not even Riku! I’ll protect you from all the bad guys.” “Then, I’ll protect you too!” Sora’s enthusiasm was rubbing off on the redhead. “What? Princesses don’t protect knights.”
 “Why not?” “I’m—I’m not sure.” “Then I’ll be the first.” She beamed at Sora and he smiled back just as wide. If Kairi has the power to make building sandcastles fun, who knows what else she can do? I should ask her to play tomorrow and the next day and the next day and the day after that! We can run and swim and build sandcastles and… who knows? Maybe I can even show her the secret place.

Sora looked up and watched Kairi concentrate on stuffing her bucket to the brim with sand. Almost on cue, she raised her head to make eye contact and let out that whimsical giggle Sora couldn’t get enough of. He definitely wanted to show her the secret place.

As the day turned to dusk, Sora and Kairi worked tirelessly to build an incredible sandcastle. They wanted it to be perfect. After all, they had a promise to keep. It would only be later in life that the two would learn a knight and a princess don’t need a castle to protect each other.

______________________________________________________________

Notes: Behold! Prompt #2! Featuring an original story this time :D But in all seriousness, thank you for the likes and reblogs on my last post (and the tags... I’ve enjoyed reading them :p) I do have something in the works for tomorrow’s prompt so hopefully I’ll finish in time, but who knows. Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying sokai week as much as I am!

[mschevious]

The YRP Problem (VG: Final Fantasy X-2)

Final Fantasy X-2 was originally released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003 in Japan and America, and 2004 in Europe and Australia. The International Mix + Final Mission was released originally in 2004, and was remastered for the PlayStation 3 in 2013 and later the PlayStation 4 in 2015. It was regarded as the first direct sequel that Square (by then, Square Enix) had ever made to a mainline Final Fantasy.

It follows Yuna (arguably the real protagonist from Final Fantasy X, but that’s a whole other argument that we won’t get into here) as she searches for Tidus after seeing a sphere of someone that resembles him very strongly. With her friend and cousin, the ever peppy Rikku, and a new party member in the form of the mysterious Paine, she takes on challenges around Spira under the banner of “Gullwings”, the name for their sphere hunting troupe.

It’s unique in the Final Fantasy world for many reasons. As well as there only being three party members (there have been four or more, often interchangeable, since the conception of Final Fantasy way back in 1987), it’s the first Final Fantasy headed by a female character, as well as the first to feature a defined single-sex party. It also made waves with its completion percentage and various endings to achieve. In addition, the job system from Final Fantasy III was revived and polished, meaning that it was only the second Final Fantasy with the means to change fighting styles, and arguably the first to bring in the mechanic to do so on the fly in battle (if we take out the “party switch” battle mechanic in its direct predecessor, which still only gave us limited options for battle until almost the postgame).

Opinions on the game were polarized, both with critics and gamers. Some enjoyed the almost whimsical beginnings and the gradual unveiling of a deeper threat, whilst others panned it as a “lesbian road trip”. Many criticisms fell around the endings; in the “good” and “true” endings (which are actually really difficult to get, there’s a lot of very precise things that must be done) Tidus and Yuna are reunited, leading many to say that the impact of Tidus’s disappearance at the end of Final Fantasy X became inconsequential, losing a lot of the meaning of both games. But there’s a subtext, if you look closely.

From being very young, Yuna was “destined” to follow her father’s footsteps in becoming a Summoner and defeating Sin. She dedicated her life to training and steeling herself for the consequences. She knew she would die at the end of her pilgrimage, and her life was nothing more than being a Summoner. There was no Yuna outside of that; that was her destiny and her reason. She had no need for anything beyond that. However, when her fate changed, she lost something incredibly important: herself. She had defeated Sin and lived, she was a heroine and a symbol of peace. But as time went by, she became lost.

Her relentless pursuit of Tidus was actually a lot more than “just chasing a boy”. Tidus had become important; not necessarily just as a partner or a lover, but as a person. All her life, people had treated her a specific way because she was a Summoner, born to die for Spira. That’s all she had and that’s all she was. Tidus was the first person to treat her as just another girl. Whilst he recognised that she was important and powerful, it wasn’t until a late point in the journey that he learned what being a Summoner actually meant. As a result of this, Tidus and Yuna had built up a relationship on a basic human level; more than the sibling relationship Yuna had with Wakka and Lulu, more than the bonds she shared with her Guardians. Their relationship and connection was deeper, it was simply Tidus and Yuna as people. No special treatment, no divine reverence, just two human teenagers enjoying each other’s company and falling in love.

As a result of this, Tidus becomes an important cornerstone. When Yuna defeated Sin, she lost everything she had ever been. Who was she outside of being a Summoner? She genuinely didn’t know. She hadn’t allowed herself to develop that (which is why she can read as being a bit bland in both games). What’s the point of building a life when you know that it’s all going to be torn apart soon? So when she sees the sphere of someone that looks a lot like her lost love, she grabs the thread and yanks. Not just because of the romantic relationship that they shared, but because he is the starting point. For her, Tidus represents life outside of being a Summoner because of his treatment of her and their relationship. He becomes the foundation on which Yuna can genuinely start building her new life. Without the experiences that most teenagers would have at this point in life, Tidus is the one piece she can hold on to, the one tiny piece of scaffolding that she can work around.

The idea of losing oneself is terrifying. You build yourself around a specific thing (in Yuna’s case, being a Summoner) and, when that’s removed, there’s so much doubt. Your whole personality (or occasionally lack thereof, which I believe to be a personality in itself) can come crashing down. You question yourself endlessly; “Who am I without this?”, “Is this behaviour/trait because of this central structure?” “Is this who I am?”

This, in my opinion, is why saying Yuna is “just chasing a boy” is unfair. She’s not just chasing a boy; she’s chasing her identity. She’s chasing a future and a life.

She’s chasing herself.

[phoenix-downer]

Thanks for Waiting Chapter 2/2

For Rikunami Day 2019. Chapter 1 was posted for the actual day, and chapter 2 is getting posted today. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter Length: ~2700 words

Summary: Riku and Naminé are an unlikely duo working towards a common goal: helping Sora. But as they spend more and more time together, they start to question if they’re doing the right thing. It’s easier to focus on that than on what might be happening between them. After all, a Nobody doesn’t have feelings of her own, and a human wouldn’t fall for a Nobody… right?

Characters: Naminé, Riku, Riku Replica, Kairi, Sora

Relationships: Riku/Naminé

Additional Info: Romance, Friendship, Angst, Mutual Pining, (Mostly) Canon Compliant, Missing Scene(s), Kairi and Naminé friendship, Sora and Riku friendship, Riku and Riku Replica friendship, KH3 Spoilers, Canonical Character Death

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

Soft eyes and an enigmatic smile. More shadow than light, looking as if she might fade away at any moment, hard at work as she sketched how she saw the world. Riku knew his priority was supposed to be saving Aqua, but ever since he’d run into the other Riku in the Realm of Darkness, his thoughts kept wandering to Naminé. 

He rolled over and sighed. Radiant Garden was looking better and better the more of it was rebuilt, but even though he and Mickey were staying at a cozy inn with comfortable beds, tonight was proving to be another sleepless night. 

“You’re thinking about her again, aren’t you?”

Hovering beside him was the other Riku. They’d started having more and more chats like this, and Riku couldn’t say he really minded. It was nice getting perspective from someone who understood him so well and yet wasn’t him.

“I guess I am,” he said. “What Ienzo told us about the Replica project’s been on my mind.”

If there was a way to bring Naminé back, he wanted to. The time they’d spent together hadn’t exactly been surrounded by happy memories, and yet thinking about her brought a smile to his face.

“I understand,” the other Riku said. “My feelings for her might be fake—”

Riku raised an eyebrow. “They seem real enough to me.”

“I guess you’re right. But yours are real, too. And that means you can help her.”

“I’ll try,” Riku said at last, “but I can’t make any promises. Saving Aqua comes first.”

He had a duty to fulfill. He and Mickey had to get Aqua out of the Realm of Darkness as soon as possible.

“But then?”

“I’ll do whatever I can to save her. I promise.”

The other Riku looked content to hear this. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “And that’s all I can ask from you. For you and me both.”

Riku thought about the other Riku’s words as he tossed and turned. Would it be possible to bring Naminé back? If so… then yes, he did want to bring her back. 

His thoughts wandered back to those months they’d spent together working to save Sora. If only he’d known what he had before he lost it. But that was how life worked, wasn’t it? Didn’t know what you had till it was gone. He’d been so fixated on helping Sora, and so had she, that neither of them realized what could’ve been till it couldn’t be anymore.

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

Naminé’s days were spent in slumber, and it was only at night, while Kairi dreamed, that they could speak. As far as Naminé knew, Kairi didn’t remember their little chats – not much of them, anyway – but they were nice all the same.

The two of them met in a vision of the white room back at the Old Mansion, Naminé’s drawings hung all over the walls as they sat at opposite ends of the table. She listened intently as Kairi talked about all the things she’d been learning lately, the magic spells and defense moves and special attacks. Imagined she was doing those things beside Kairi instead of watching from within a dream.

Kairi paused, her brow furrowed. “What’s wrong? I get the feeling something’s troubling you.”

“Oh… it’s just that…”

She hesitated. Should she really tell Kairi what was on her heart? Would that make anything better, or would it just make Kairi sad?

“You can tell me,” Kairi said gently. “I’m your friend.”

Naminé spent a few more agonizing seconds deciding what to do, then finally spoke again. “Hearing you talk, I wish I could experience all those things with you. It’s selfish, I know, but—”

Kairi shook her head. “It’s not selfish at all. It’s human. Of course you want to experience these things for yourself. When I lost my body and was inside Sora’s heart, I enjoyed seeing all the things he did. But it wasn’t the same as getting to see them for myself.” 

“I understand.”

Kairi smiled sadly. “Anything else on your mind?”

“Well… there is someone I want to see again…”

“You will. I promise.” 

How Kairi knew who it was, Naminé wasn’t sure. But the knowing twinkle in her eyes lifted her spirits a little. She might be unable to live her own life, but at least she still had Kairi.

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

“Well, enough about what I’ve been up to. Anything on your mind?” Sora asked as Riku chatted with him via Gummiphone. His friend was chilling in the Gummi Ship while Donald and Goofy were shopping for supplies and Mickey was grabbing breakfast. 

“Well, actually… yeah,” Riku replied. 

Sora’s eyebrows furrowed. “What is it? You worried about rescuing Aqua? I know you’ll be able to pull it off. You rescued me, after all.”

“Right. I just… there’s something else I…” Riku sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. He was going to regret saying this, he just knew he would. All those years spent teasing Sora were about to come back and bite him in the ass. 

“You miss somebody, don’t you?” Sora said sagely. 

“How’d you know?”

“Gimme some credit here. I am your best friend. I have a pretty good read on how you’re feeling.” 

“And who do you think it is I’m missing, oh wise one?” Riku teased. If Sora was gonna give him a hard time, he’d dish it right back. 

“Hmmm, let’s see. Can’t be Kairi, ‘cause you just saw her. Can’t be me, ‘cause we’re talking right now. Selphie drives you up the wall, and Tidus and Wakka haven’t really talked to either of us much lately. So we’re all out.”

“What, are you a super sleuth now?”

“It must be someone you can’t talk to right now. Boy do I know how that feels,” Sora said with a sigh. “I’m gonna guess… Naminé?”

Riku didn’t say anything, and a smirk spread across Sora’s face. “I knew it! You do miss her, don’t you?” 

“I didn’t realize I would until she was gone.” 

“Riku, you’ve always been kinda dense when it comes to your own heart,” Sora said with a shake of his head, but the words were affectionate. “This doesn’t surprise me at all. I can see why you like her.”

Riku bristled. “I’m dense when it comes to my own heart? Sheesh, talk about the pot calling the kettle black.”

“Maybe, but I’ve gotten pretty good at picking up on what other people are feeling. You wanna see her again, don’t you?”

“I guess. But I don’t see how that’s possible.”

There were a lot of big ifs to her getting a body of her own. And even if they did save her, would she even want to talk to him?

“C’mon, Riku, have some faith! I swore to Roxas I’d get him back somehow. I’m sure Kairi feels the same way about Naminé. And you said it yourself. Ienzo and the others wanna find a way to give them bodies. With all these people working together, I’m sure we’ll find a way to save them.”

“You’re right. I should have some faith. Comes with following my heart, doesn’t it?”

Sora grinned. “Yup! That’s the spirit.”

As they wrapped up their conversation and Sora said goodbye, Riku couldn’t help but sigh. He sure wanted to hope, but hope was dangerous. Hope easily led to disappointment. 

But what was the alternative? Living without any hope? That was even worse. So maybe he’d give this whole faith thing a try. He would see Naminé again, and when he did, maybe he’d finally tell her how he felt.

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

Ever since her birth, Naminé had teetered on the edge of existence. Was this new form really so different? This star full of empty hopes and wishes and regrets, barely hanging onto life in the Final World with nothing but blue sky and white clouds surrounding her for miles on end? 

What was it that kept her here? Why hadn’t she passed on to whatever lay beyond this realm? Was it because Kairi still stubbornly clung to life and kept her here? Or was it her own regrets? 

She did have a lot of regrets. But after lingering inside Kairi’s heart for a while, she’d finally identified her biggest regret of all. And now, all alone in this lonely place with nothing but her regrets left, it ate away at her. 

No one really missed her. Roxas was the one they missed. They’d all be fine without her. And the person she missed the most, the person she wanted to see the most, didn’t seem to care at all. 

Then Sora came along, tethered to the Realm of Light and retaining his form while Naminé did not. Of course. Someone cared enough about him to do that. Just another reminder that Naminé was alone.

But as he talked to her, he reassured her that everyone did miss her. He missed her, Kairi missed her, Donald and Goofy missed her, Roxas missed her… and most puzzling of all, someone else special wouldn’t let her down.

His words stuck with her after he’d left, remained in her heart after he found their friends again and returned to the Realm of Light and Naminé to Kairi’s heart.

Could he possibly mean…

But hoping was dangerous. And yet, she couldn’t help but hope. Hoping was a part of having a heart, after all.

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

Riku watched, dumbfounded, as the other Riku gave up his chance at life for Naminé’s sake. Gave up his chance to be with her for Riku’s sake. With a few final words, he faded into a swirl of light and darkness, leaving nothing behind but the Replica body for Naminé as the wind whistled through this dry, empty place. 

If that wasn’t love, Riku didn’t know what was. He would honor the other Riku’s sacrifice and bring back Naminé, whatever it might take. He wanted to see her again. He wanted to tell her what the other Riku had sacrificed for her. And… he wanted to tell her how he felt. She deserved to hear it, after he’d been so clueless about his own heart. 

But first, they had a war to win. 

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

The cruel irony of Kairi’s existence was that she could keep other people from dying and yet couldn’t save herself. Naminé screamed as she felt Xehanort’s blade strike Kairi’s back, wrenching her out of her safe home and sending her hurtling towards death. Kairi’s heart was likewise torn from her body right before it turned to crystal and exploded. 

The two girls were flying through the Final World towards whatever lay beyond, and Naminé latched onto Kairi’s hand. At least if they were going to die, they’d do it together. 

“Naminé,” Kairi said, her face twisted in sorrow, “I’m so sorry, I couldn’t keep you safe—”

“It’s not your fault,” Naminé replied, trying to reassure her. 

“It’s too late for me, but not for you. I know the others can take it from here. I’m sorry I won’t be able to welcome you home myself. I really did want to be there for you. But at least this way I’ll be able to keep my promise to you.”

“No, Kairi, what are you saying—”

With the last of her strength, with the last of her light, Kairi anchored Naminé to the Final World. Her see-through hand was starting to slip out of Naminé’s grasp, but Naminé wasn’t about to let go so easily.

“Kairi no, please, you have to save yourself—”

“No! You deserve to live! You deserve to be your own person. Just because my time is over doesn’t mean yours has to be!” She smiled sadly as Naminé’s hand slipped out of her grasp. “Promise me you’ll live. Be there for Sora and Riku because I can’t anymore.”

“I promise,” Naminé choked out, her lower lip quivering. Kairi’s smile got bigger, and then she was wrenched away. 

Naminé couldn’t really cry without a body, even though she wished she could. She couldn’t do much to help Kairi right now, either. All their friends were back where they belonged. All except her and Kairi. It would be easy to give into despair and just fade away.

But she’d made a promise to Kairi, and she intended to keep it. And when Sora found her again, she knew exactly what to do. 

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

The battle was over. The long night had ended. It was morning, and Riku hovered somewhere between relief, exhaustion, and grief. Sora and Kairi were both gone, and while Riku had faith Sora would find her again and bring her home, he still missed them both. The memory of Kairi’s body floating helplessly as Xehanort struck her and Sora’s scream of agony that followed soon afterwards would haunt him for a long, long time. He’d failed them both when he’d wanted nothing more than to protect them both. And nothing except for seeing their smiles again, hearing their laughter again, would mend the wound of their loss.

But he couldn’t rest yet. Couldn’t grieve yet. He had one last task to complete. Mickey had come with him for it, and they trudged wordlessly through the maze that had been a battlefield before. 

There. Up ahead. An empty body wrapped in a black coat. He gently lifted it into his arms and cradled it as Mickey brushed dust off the coat. This was going to be Naminé’s new body, after all, and it deserved the utmost care. 

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

Naminé’s eyes blinked open. Standing before her were Zexion, DiZ, and Vexen. Smiles spread across their faces as she sat up and tested her new limbs. This wasn’t exactly the welcome committee she’d been expecting, but she was grateful they were trying to make up for their past treatment of her all the same. 

“It worked!” Vexen exclaimed, his green eyes shining. 

“Welcome back to the Realm of Light, Naminé,” Zexion said as she slipped off the gurney and stood.

“Come, there is something you must see,” DiZ told her in his deep booming voice. She followed along, exiting the bowels of the castle on her own two feet. She could walk. She could really walk on her own again. 

Xaldin and Lexaeus were at the entrance of the castle to greet her, and she shielded her eyes from the bright light of the sun. How good its warm rays felt shining down on her again, and how lovely the breeze felt blowing through her hair. 

And it was blowing because the Gummi Ship was landing. Flower petals flew through the air as it made its careful descent to the ground. And after it had landed, her face lit up as the person she had wanted to see more than anything came out to greet her, like a knight coming to sweep her off her feet. 

He offered his hand, and she smiled and took it. She’d imagined their reunion over and over again, but nothing compared to the actual thing. His hand was warm and his grip was strong, and his voice was the most wonderful sound in the world. And best of all, his eyes weren’t hidden or the wrong color; no, they were their beautiful natural green.

“Welcome home, Naminé.”

“It’s good to be back, Riku.”

“Come on in. They’re all waiting to see you.”

As she entered the Gummi Ship and saw the smiling faces of their friends as they all greeted her, giving her hugs and exchanging tearful happy words, it really sank in. She wasn’t alone. She hadn’t been for a very long time. And now Riku was here with her. He’d come for her, just like Sora had said he would.

“Ready to head to Sora and Kairi’s welcome home party?” Riku asked as she took one of the seats next to him. 

“Yes,” Naminé said as she smoothed her skirt. “Thank you for coming to get me. Your timing was perfect.” 

Riku shot her a grin, and she smiled back. 

“Anytime. Thanks for waiting for me, Naminé.”

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

A/N: I figured Sora knew about Riku’s feelings for Naminé somehow, otherwise he wouldn’t have promised Naminé someone special wouldn’t let her down, so I went into writing this part with that in mind. The rest was what I imagined could’ve happened behind the scenes during KH3. 

I hope you enjoyed! Thanks for reading! 

[mezzopurrloin]

Mezzo Plays Final Fantasy X-2: Part 12

With the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth situation cleaned up, it's back off to look for more things to do.

That sounds like it's worth a visit.

Seems the show is a flop. That's a shame.

Well, there's always the next one.

Yuna, are you sure you should be asking that?

Paine: "Yuna, run."

She's got the right idea. Let's get out of here.

There's still a distress call from Besaid to answer.

Actually, things seem to be going fine here. As Lulu explains, Wakka and the Youth League have the situation under control, and they're hunting down the last remaining fiends.

Lulu thinks Yuna should help out, and she agrees.

Outside, we find Shinra setting up another commsphere. He explains what they're used for: They can relay video back to the airship.

Seems to be working. Brother is quite pleased to see his crush, who is also his cousin.

Nearby, we find Wakka talking with a Youth League official.

That's a little extreme, don't you think?

They both head inside the temple, and Yuna follows.

"Praying to them never did anyone any good."

He claims to just be concerned about the safety of the village. Yuna heads inside.

This was the simplest Cloister of Trials in X-1, and it's still super easy to navigate. The fiends in here aren't much of an issue either.

There's Wakka. He looks hurt, but he'll be okay.

That's rather questionable, Paine. Wakka and the other Gullwings aren't going to go along with it. Not yet, at least.

Wakka has a better idea. If this is anything like the other temples, there should be an aeon near the chamber.

The Gullwings head down there.

Yep.

The Gullwings warn Wakka to keep his distance as they deal with the threat.

Valefor was the weakest aeon in X-1, and she more or less reprises that role here. Sonic Wings now drains MP rather than dealing damage.

That said, she's not completely harmless.

Compared to the other aeons we've fought, she isn't nearly as tough to deal with.

I beat her before she even had a chance to use Energy Blast.

"I grew up here in Besaid. This is my home. I became a summoner here."

"This is where I first met you."

With the threat taken care of, Yuna and her crew return to the entrance.

Beclem gives them a lecture, reminding Wakka that he's due to be a father soon.

A bit harsh, but he does have a point.

Still, they won't be burning any temples down today.

Mission complete.

Why, indeed. They weren't coming out of the temples, but the chambers of the fayth. Each had a hole where the fayth once was. And there was a similar hole in the room Vegnagun was stored in.

All this is connected, somehow.

Looks like Gippal couldn't handle the issue on his own after all. Brother wants to just leave him to his own fate.

But Yuna isn't backing down.

@bluemagedanny recommended I go to Bevelle before heading to Djose. Let's check out what's going on over there first.

Wait, Gippal's here? Is that why Djose sent out the distress signal?

The Gullwings follow him into the temple, and find him walking to the chamber of the fayth. What's going on?

He eventually returns to the room Vegnagun was stored in. The Gullwings spy on him from a safe distance.

The other hot guys are here too?

How mysterious.

Baralai explains that Vegnagun has the ability to sense hostile intent.

When Nooj came, it apparently activated on its own and destroyed the wall to escape.

"You probably think that's impossible. You've always been too naive to see. I wouldn't expect you to understand."

"I believed in you once."

That escalated quickly.

Paine? As in, the very same Paine traveling with us?

Pyreflies begin emitting from Nooj's body, and his voice sounds strange, as if two people are talking at once.

"He was too weak to resist me. I don't expect you to present any more of a challenge. Not now."

The pyreflies flow outward from Nooj and into Baralai.

Now he's the one that speaks with two voices.

"Two years ago, it was the same with you, Nooj. Seeking your own death. Now you can have it."

Nooj tells Paine to leave, and a fiend suddenly appears from the wall.

Oh no, it's one of these things. Bad Breath is still a massive pain, but there's the small consolation of it being able to be learned as a Blue Bullet.

Looks like the hot guys ran off while they were fighting.

Paine confirms that she used to be in a squad with them, and that Nooj did end up shooting her in the back. But it seems like she doesn't want to say anything else.

Yuna and Rikku aren't that pleased, but it's not like there's anything they can do.

We also find this sphere. It looks like those four survivors Ormi and Logos talked about on their sphere were the hot guys and Paine. The whole thing raises still more questions.

[cygnahime]

FFX Reliveblogging Part...4?

I'm grinding in the Omega Ruins in my other save, and mildly frustrated because Tidus has the highest strength in the party but......chocobo racing sucks, so he's capped at 9999 damage. Meanwhile Auron in yellow HP is doing 50k and hit 99,999 with a crit. Just the once, but it got me that trophy. I'm pretty sure Auronlu has already talked a lot about the Luca/Bevelle Crusaders/Warrior Monks conflict taking place in the background of the game. It first really comes up in Maechen's little discourse about the history of Lord Mi'ihen. Notable is that the Crusaders, originally founded as the Crimson Blades, were not originally part of the Yevonite power structure, but were subsumed presumably as an alternative to holy war. (Which is kind of hilarious, considering the our-world history of "Crusaders".) Ahhhh it's my favorite lesbians! And Clasko. I could say a lot of unkind things about the Battle Thongs, but the narrative at least never treats Lucil (and Elma) with less than total respect. Which I guess just shows how...gratuitous the clothing is. It's completely inconsistent with the characters. Bad design. Speaking of outfits, I looooove Belgemine's dress. It's so elegant! I'm pretty fond of her as a person, as well. And not just because she heals our aeons for us. She is a lady. I mean, also an undead, but it's rude to comment on these things. I usually lose this first aeon duel, but I'll give it my all anyway. Yes! I got off two Energy Blasts with a whole 37 HP to spare! Is Belgemine looking for Yuna specifically? Did she maybe meet Braska, either while alive or after death? Or is she just meeting up with all the promising summoners to see if one of them will prove worthy of her sisters? She's so mysterious and cool, I love her. Everyone has to practice their smiling faces when little kids cheer for Yuna bringing the Calm. It's very awkward, especially for Callie's mom, who does know. Now I'm talking to Luzzu and Gatta again, which of course leads me to the eternal question: who shall live and who shall die, who by fire and who by drowning, who by sword and who by beast. It's like the one branching-paths decision we make in this game, which means I think about it a lot. Additionally, when I first played this game I was deep in my Achilles/Patroclus phase and these two gave me feelings. They still do, but now the feelings contain a strong element of nostalgia. This area is just full of NPCs I love. Shelinda is a doormat, but I am fond of her. Even if it a bit rich of her to say, "It's not about defeating Sin!" to a summoner. Defeating Sin is everything to Yuna. And she still goes out of her way to make Shelinda feel better. Yuna is so kind. Auron does not have time for your racist bullshit, Wakka. Also we're all low on MP, especially you, and MP is life. We are not doing the other half of the Highroad like this. Continued adventures of endeavoring not to boost Lulu's affection through the roof. Lu, I love you, and I love talking to you, but please, let me get cutscenes with Yuna. I firmly believe that Yuna asked her guardians not to tell Tidus the full truth, after this scene if not before. She doesn't want him to change how he treats her. (How he treats her: giving her minor crises of faith every time they talk, but in a good way.) She's in a particularly yearning mood here, not least because she's just been recording her will. And here comes Tidus, acting like she has a future... (And all her other guardians pretending not to be eavesdropping.) (Up until Auron can't take it anymore, anyway.) Enter Rin, Al Bhed ambassador (unofficial). At least, he's the one out there taking up space and being Highly Visible, suggesting strangers learn the language, doing all that stuff. He is, however, definitely wearing a kink collar. No, I do not know why. I knocked the Chocobo Eater off the cliff for the very first time! Usually I kill it before pushing it that far back, but with Lulu, Auron, and Tidus all hasted, it didn't get enough turns to push back. This is usually the part of the game where I save the chocobo ride for later and grind for Ability Spheres. With Extract Ability, this will probably take less time than usual, though I also appreciate the extra AP. Plus I want to get Kimahri 'round to Steal ASAP. [Some time later] I wonder what Dona does between getting turned away at the gate and meeting us in Djose. Is there another way around, or does she just wait until Operation Mi'ihen explodes and take the main road? She's quite close behind us. I wonder if she stays to help with the aftermath as well, or if she just heads onward. She definitely got ahead of us at some point (Guadosalam if not before). I find her blend of selfishness and selflessness very intriguing. Seymour's moving on Yuna even here. I wonder if he picked her over Dona and Isaaru because she was the one he happened to encounter, or if it was deliberate: she's younger, more naive certainly than Dona, and certainly seems very devout (liable to be dazzled by a maester's attention), less experienced...younger. But I expect Seymour would have gotten quite a long way with Isaaru, who is after all the most devout of the three - and besides, if Seymour told him what becomes of a chosen guardian, Isaaru might do a lot to keep his brothers from that fate. Seymour says all the right things to and about the Crusaders, even things Tidus thinks (and we are likely to think) are true, but he doesn't mean any of them. He just wants the operation to occur as part of his power struggle with Kinoc, with a bonus of having an effect on Yuna, making her more urgently want to complete the pilgrimage before more people die. I doubt Auron's 100% got Seymour's specific number yet, but he does know he's a maester, and Auron is the founder of Team Fuck Yevon. He knows you don't move up in the ranks without stepping on the people below you. (I mean, also Seymour advocates blatant hypocrisy, which is just the Yevon leadership trademark.) Being asked to perform the sending before people die may be more of a burden than being asked after. That's a heavy emotional burden to place on a teenager. (Although I do think legal/cultural adulthood in Spira is younger than it is for us - life is short no time for childhood.) Fact: the first time I played, I didn't even notice Luzzu and Gatta standing over there and missed the scene entirely. It's a good scene, and really highlights how much Tidus still doesn't understand on a gut level. He sees Gatta wanting to fight, and doesn't think that he could die, and of course there're warring impulses there. God though, the HD remaster takes all the character out of Wakka's face, and I hate it. You know, some people might see saying, "I'll propose when we win the cup," as meaning, "when pigs fly". But I guess that doesn't make sense considering Lulu's behavior. "Being with your girl is good, but keeping Sin far away from her is better." God. Men. I mean, in Spira it's not just men - Lulu went on two pilgrimages to try to keep Yuna alive - but she's also not someone who appreciates being protected. Yeah, Tidus doesn't understand yet why Yuna let Luzzu go, because he doesn't know that she's going to her death, too. And if she feels it right to ignore all the people she loves and who love her telling her not to go, then it's right for Luzzu to do the same. They both think saving the world is more important. Wakka, Wakka no, Wakka don't - see? Racism and religious fundamentalism leads to hurting yourself by kicking a cannon when you're wearing sandals. (I do appreciate the realism though.) I flipped a coin, and it looks like this run, Gatta lives and Luzzu dies. I don't really have an opinion on which is best; it's tragic either way. Though I guess it feels a little more narratively awful to have Tidus naively suggesting Gatta go to the front lines where he gets killed...But the coin has spoken. I appreciate how they give Kinoc character and relationships in so little time. Just his intro - he walks up and hugs Auron, not a huggable person - says something. Auron is still stiff and cagey with him, but that he allowed himself to be embraced says there's more there. Of course, he's also plotting Operation Mi'ihen to break the Crusaders (and, if X-2 is taken into account, setting up the deaths of the Crimson Squad - I think to take out potential rivals), so it's not like he's a good person or anything. But he's less flat. Got the overkill on Gui with ease, thanks to Energy Blast. (And got everyone AP.) Man, Sin's arrival is Lovecraftian as fuck. I like it. The black tendrils snaking through the bay... top creepiness. How Lucil, Elma, and Clasko - how anyone - survived Sin's blast I'll never know. People were disintegrated where they stood! I also don't know how Seymour, a full caster, has the Strength to physically hold off Gui2. It's been weakened, sure, but come the heck on. (His Summon command, which he must have, is also not there. I guess we're not allowed to get a sneak peek of Anima yet.) I appreciate the extra touch of giving Seymour AP, to trick you into thinking he's going to join the party long-term. :C They almost got a shot off on Sin, but unfortunately, horseshoes and hand grenades. Also heartrending: the messages that come up when you check the corpses. Shut up, Seymour, I have another Energy Blast in me. Besides, he could go for Sin at any time; he has his Final Aeon, after all. But he won't. He'd rather destroy the world than save it with his death. And he wants Yuna to feel helpless, so she'll feel like she needs him. Oh no the dead kid who we saw practicing to avenge his sister...no...stop it... Before Jecht came to Spira, his drinking didn't have real consequences to him. He was "still the best", after all. He still had a wife who wouldn't leave him. He hurt other people, but they didn't confront him about it. It took Spira to make him see that it was a problem. Hell of a thing to put on your kid, like, "Hey, son, can I get a mercy kill? Thanks." Though I guess that is...I mean, end-of-life care is a traditional part of a child's duties. Just...not usually in your teens.

[atopearth]

Final Fantasy X-2 HD Remaster Part 4 - Chapter 5, Ending and Overall Impressions

I found it so funny when the commsphere Shinra dumped into the hole to the Farplane was fixed by Gippal and he asked Nooj what he’s gonna do about Leblanc since they’re risking their lives there to save Baralai from Shuyin and Vegnagun, and right when Nooj answers, the connection dies, so Leblanc doesn’t get to hear it hahahaha. Good thing is that Leblanc is a straightforward person though, so even if she didn’t get to hear it, then she’ll just go straight to the Farplane to ask him, gotta admire her spirit and her love for him! Hilarious when Brother was talking about his love for the Yuna that keeps facing forward and doesn’t mind that his feelings will never be reciprocated and then tells Barkeep that they’re cool bachelors and then Barkeep is like “Speak for yourself, sonny” in his Hypello way hahahhaha and then a female Hypello comes along LOL. Funniest thing was if you talk to Paine, she’s like, I think I saw two Barkeeps, then she thinks she needs more sleep hahahaha! Buddy talking about how he and Brother formed the Gullwings when they went all the way north to some ice place to find the Celsius (airship) and ended up being guided by a gull and also surviving by eating a gull too LOLL, I guess the gull sacrificed itself for a good cause, because without it, they wouldn’t have formed the Gullwings and then Yuna wouldn’t have joined and saved the world once again haha.

Visiting Zanarkand first since there was apparently a bug in the original game where you might not get the episode complete if you came here last, that would suck! Anyway, not surprised Maechen was an unsent considering him always popping up anywhere he wanted and knowing so many things, I wonder how it feels to live for 1000 years just to tell stories of the past to people and experience so many things. It’s crazy to think how important that handshake was in the beginning of the game, since he was actually the one in that sphere recording who was so happy to have been able to shake Lenne’s hand 1000 years ago! And now that he shook Yuna’s hand, it reminded him of the fact that he’s actually already dead. Glad to know he had a happy long life.

(I don’t know what I did wrong but I don’t think I’m getting 100% and at this point in time, I honestly don’t care anymore because I’ve spent more time being frustrated than playing this game so whatever lol) I still don’t like Beclem btw, so I don’t really care that he’s leaving Besaid lol, the only thing I agree with is that they really do need to work the Besaid Aurochs to the bone! They’re pretty bad lmao. Wakka thinking carefully about what he should name his son was nice, a name is very important, so I think taking your time is good, I’m glad Lulu really wanted him to be the one to name him. I’m surprised Wakka doesn’t think Lulu relies on him at all, like dude! She’s ready to have a baby with you, I doubt she’d do that if she didn’t think you were reliable at all! Have more confidence in yourself, Wakka! I guess everyone is getting back together, lol at Dona having practised her lines so many times for trying to get Barthello back to live with her, since he’s been at Kilika temple all this time as a New Yevon supporter. Your beliefs are important, but so is your partner, so it’s good that everyone has stopped fighting and people can come together again regardless of their beliefs, it’s about time they stopped fighting and whining lol.

Lolll at Rikku being the culprit for the hover crash at Mi'ihen highroad hahahaha! She legit didn’t even notice that the hover crashed because it was trying to dodge her and when she jumped down a ledge, she fell on a machina and that’s why it went crazy lol. She caused so much trouble on the highroad without even realising lolll. Guess it’s good that Rin only made her clean all the rubbish on the road haha. Luca…was really just Yuna walking around reminiscing the memories of spending time with Tidus here, which is nostalgic and nice. Who doesn’t miss Tidus? XD It was kinda cool that we got to fight Lucil, always thought she was pretty cool, I liked her speech and think that she’s a very strong and worthy leader. She knows how to unite and lead people. Even without Nooj, you can tell that the Youth League will be fine with her there.

That Djose machine experiment was very interesting, don’t wanna dig to repair and make it stronger though😢 Lmao at Tobli’s success now when he was in so much debt before, I guess Yuna’s influence can just make everything go well lol. Having Tromell lead the Guado is the best choice. Considering all that the Guado had done and all the reflection they’ve gone through most of the game, with the Ronsos looking forward instead of back as well, it’s for the best that we let go of the past and hope to improve the future instead. I feel like Cid had a very crappy role in this game lol, I liked him in FFX so I’m kinda disappointed that his character is rather…questionable now with the things he did to Zanarkand and not really playing a role to redeem all that. Seeing O'aka and Wantz bond again and take care of the Macalania agency together was heartwarming though, nice to see that these brothers are still doing well and are hopeful for the future!

After finding all the cactuars (lmao at the tenth one being with the “wrong crowd” aka the rogue cactuars that don’t want to fulfill their duties) and lolll, never thought I’d see a Jumbo Cactuar! Easy fight but nice to see it lol. If only it had a moustache hahaha. That boss you have to kill afterwards though, he had so much life! Luckily it was a simple fight and I earned so much AP from it lol. Legit just used two Dark Knights using the darkness skill alongside Yuna Curaga-ing haha, all I did was hold the ‘x’ button to win XD Good to see everyone respect Kimahri again and understand that he’s wise and caring. It’s nice to see that Yuna doesn’t need Kimahri to protect her anymore, so he can now protect his tribe, and although things were a bit rocky, it all worked out! Now on to some annoying sidequests! Accessing the secret chocobo ranch dungeon was easily the most tiring and annoying thing ever. It was SO time consuming. I spent so long looking and capturing chocobos in the Thunder Plains to get 4 that had a max level of 5 zzzz. Then, I had to level them and fight 7 random battles in between until they were all level 5 AND THEN the dungeon itself was annoying because it doesn’t have a map omg. I just googled a map because I couldn’t take it lol. The only good thing about it was getting the AP egg so now one of my characters can earn triple the AP yay! Otherwise, legit so tired lol. Especially since I did the Mi'ihen dungeon as well with all the wall bombing to proceed zzz.

Anyway, things just get more tedious. Was digging at the Central Expanse for the Desert key and to upgrade the machine experiment in Djose and gg, could not find the key at all so I gave up lol. I tried to fight the machine without being properly prepared using my crappy dresspheres and I died hahahaah. I learnt my lesson XD Needed the last two crimson spheres so went to the Via Infinito and dang am I getting motion sickness with all that jumping. My head hurts so much lol. Think I need to level and use my mascot dresspheres though, the elder drake kills me hahaha. Btw, the mascot dresspheres are so cute lmao, Yuna as a moogle, Rikku as a Cait Sith and Paine as a Tonberry is hilarious to look at, I’m going to enjoy using them in battle hahaha. Really cute to see Paine opening up and show her feelings and how much she appreciates Yuna and Rikku being her friends and trying their best to talk to her, it was a funny but nice scene. I never knew/remembered that when Yuna uses the warrior dressphere, her sword is the Brotherhood! That’s so sweet to see!

Kinda surprised that when you go to the Den of Woe, they figure out that Shuyin was the one controlling Nooj and that’s why he shot Paine, Baralai and Gippal when they escaped two years ago, and that now Shuyin is in Baralai’s body. Thought they established that already and that the den made people crazy because of his extreme depression and feelings of having to relive Lenne’s death with the pyreflies since they practically replay strong memories. Anyway, that’s done and dusted so time to finish levelling and go through the Via Infinito? XD Annnnd I gave up on the Via Infinito lol! Got to like level 60 (I think) but I cbb with the way stats work in this game and how you can’t max it etc, so you’re reliant on garment grids, switching dresspheres to get the most benefits such as going past 9999 HP and damage and the accessories, and the tower itself was tedious (and motion sickness inducing LOL, why am I weak) and you don’t even get much out of it (after defeating Penance in FFX and feeling no sense of accomplishment, it’s just so not worth my time lol), so yeah I can’t be bothered😬 Aaaand I spent so much time getting most dresspheres to 100%, I’m tired😖 And lol my characters are like level 99 or close to there because I was so tired of levelling myself….so I kinda cheated and stuck a rubber band on the analog stick to move it to the left and another rubber band with a battery on it to stay on the x button and voila! DIY levelling machine lmao. I just threw Yuna at the Thunder Plains and made someone constantly heal and the rest use skills to max the (annoying) Mascot dresspheres and others lol, yay.

Anyway, Vegnagun! Yes, Leblanc never was the type to just wait there quietly for Nooj to come back haha. And yes, Vegnagun is a machina created by humans so technically, it should be possible to be destroyed without it killing everyone in Spira. But anyway, the best thing was Yuna’s speech to everyone when Nooj suggested to sacrifice himself to kill Vegnagun and Shuyin. I was touched with her words tbh, because she’s right, it was so difficult to see all the fayth die in FFX because they had “no choice” and that they had to “accept” that this is what they had to do, and Yuna did accept it and do it, but in the end, she’s only left with regret, pain and the loss of people that should be beside her that aren’t. They need to stop sacrificing people in order to win, because it’s not really a win when you lose so many before it. And although it’s cheesy to have everyone combine their powers to take down each part of Vegnagun, it’s very sweet too because it feels like the spirit of the game, and it feels like we should get to finally have a happy ending. So weird to see Shuyin use all of Tidus’ skills but just with another name lmao. And as expected, Lenne comes out of the dressphere (pretty much) and so Shuyin finally gets to talk to her properly and fade together with her and rest in peace😊

And omggg the fayth appeared and asked Yuna at the flower field/farplane whether she really wants to see Tidus again! Guess I got 100% completion??? (Edit: I got 99% zzzz) I’m happy that New Yevon (Baralai), Youth League (Nooj) and the Machine Faction (Gippal) can finally unite together and understand that they’re all a part of Spira and really don’t need to fight, although I do think that the fighting between them was rather awkward? They had differing perspectives but they resulted in physical fighting and kinda like war so prematurely without really thinking about it, you really can’t blame Shuyin for being pissed that Spira is still like how it was 1000 years ago lol. Anyway, everyone’s happy now so yay. Yuna really did have another long journey in this game to save the world, so she really should and deserves to go back home to Besaid. Always great to see Yuna and Tidus get to reunite at Besaid just like how he first came about, and to reunite with everyone at Besaid too! That’s where they can both truly call home so yeah that was nice. I YouTubed the perfect ending scenes and yeah, I prefer the normal more, I don’t think it was necessary lol.

Overall, I still have mixed feelings over FFX-2. On one hand, it was nice to see Spira after the Calm and the problems that come with that alongside a new Yuna that has lost the chains of responsibility with the happy Rikku and stoic Paine that has a background that unfolds alongside the plot of this game, and just see them go on pretty carefree adventures and have fun. On the other hand, I wasn’t really a fan of the garment grids or the dresspheres but it was still okay, but I guess it just felt like since it’s supposed to be more of a fan service game, I should have enjoyed it more? But instead I thought it was kinda boring? And the 100% completion attempt (that failed) killed me lol. I guess the story wasn’t very appealing, it’s good that it was light hearted and it was fun to follow the girls around and see their perspective of things, but I guess it lacked the fun and adventure that a lot of games have, instead it was kinda just like a short story about nothing that wanted to talk about something (saving the world again) when the only thing that really resonated with me was the last bit with Yuna when she said she had enough of people sacrificing themselves for peace. Basically, all right game but not very satisfying if you wanted something more from FFX (until you see Tidus at the end I guess) and not very interesting as a standalone imo.

[asoulofatlantis]

Luca is greeting you with this amazing scene, just to make you want to go and kill those reporter guys who badmouthed the Besaid Aurochs - I get that they never won a game, but this is still no reason to be so mean to them.

Its fun that no one in Spira ever questioned Mikas age. Even if he started very young, 50 years is a long time to do something like that and one should question how he even managed to survive this long in a world were Sin is constantly killing people. But honestly? When Tidus made that comment, back in the day when I played the game for the first time, I didn’t really think much about it either.

You better get used to this man, because we will see him A LOT more then we would like too in the future. Trust me, at some point its getting ridiculously old ^^’

The scene were he stared at Yuna like this was creepy. But one could hardly figure out back then what it meant. It is interesting tho that Tidus noticed it. The slow but steady buildup for the wedding was really nicely done.

The one time I actually came close to winning, was the one time I actually read all that garbage and played close attention to the rules and all. However, I have long given up on this bullshit ^^’

Why did no one ever wonder that this was the freaking first time in ten fucking years that he has been seen in Spira ever since defeating Sin? People are just like some fangirls screaming: “OMG! ITS SIR AURON! HIGH SUMMONER LORD BRASKAS GUARDIAN! KYAAA! ♥” or so and just be happy about it. Not wondering, no asking questions. I don’t get it.

What I also don’t get is... why Yuna assumed that Tidus knew who Auron was. She explained shortly after that Sir Auron was her fathers guardian too, but when she came rushing into the teams locker-room, she was like: “Someone saw Sir Auron in a Café” and didn’t even question it, when Tidus asked “Auron” like he knew who she talked about.

This seems like such in unimportant, cute, yet silly scene, but it will hold a lot of meaning throughout this game and the sequel. I never forget when Yuna accidentally landet in the fareplan in X-2 and Tidus whistling guided her back up. I thought I was going to burst into tears. I knew the infamous “Hahaha” - scenes is more iconic for many, but this scene is the one that hold true meaning to Tidus and Yuna as a ship.

It makes you wonder how it comes that Kimari looks considerably smaller, even tho he is obviously “pure” and not a halfbreed or something. Guess its like with us people tho, genes are just do what they want with us and we have to live with it, like it or not.

I did “like” it however, that the game was always realistic about stuff like that. If you are different in any way, shape or form, you are never well liked or accepted, people like me who got bullied through a large part of their life can sing a song about this. And what most of us also can agree with, is that IF people like us find a place among people, then we are a odd one among other odd people. Tidus and Kimari are no different here. I mean, look at Yuna and her Guardians. She is basically still a child, Wakka is a naive looser, Lulu is... well... Lulu, if you get me. Tidus comes from a “different world” and Kimari doesn’t fit into the standards of his own race. In their very own way, they are all odd and outsiders, even tho most of them try to fit in very badly. If you add Auron and Rikku to that mix, you have a hand full of odd outsiders who doesn’t really fit in anywhere. Which, once again, makes it really realistic.

Yuna would have been kidnapped by them either way. Kind of mean of them to use her as a hostage for the game on top of that.

I couldn’t help but feel like there was a dirty meaning behind this sentence, especially after Tidus said “Ouch” like that XD But of course that would be indicating that Lulu and Wakka had some sort of intimate relationship at some point and I guess we should safely assume that we are not there yet. (Not that they wasted any time after they were there XD) Although I always felt like Wakka was in love with Lulu from the start but left her to Chappu because that is how things went. And after Chappu was gone... he was likely a bit lost on how to deal with that situation. But that is just me overthinking shipping stuff as per usual.

A game lasts roughly 10 minutes. There are at least 5 teams participating and almost right after the Aurochs won their first game they have to fight another one? I get that this is like a “one day” - tournament, but isn’t that a bit unfair to the exhausted players? Shouldn’t that have been like the first match for everyone, like the opening match and then everyone else should fight until the final and... it doesn’t even make sense like that ^^’ Although, maybe this is like an hour afterwards and Wakka is just still out... Lulu said he wouldn’t last after all XD

She has not been talking well about him... but you could see in this scene that in fact, she had been worried about him and that she was also proud of him and that cuddling him didn’t feel bad to her at all. It was a fine happy shipping-moments, although those two still have a long way to go.

I mean, it was complicated with them, for obvious reasons. My theory about Wakka always having feelings for Lulu aside, she loved his little brother and said brother died... in a sense, he even died for her, because he wanted to protect her. It suirely isn’t easy to find it in yourself to confess your feelings to your brothers “widow”, especially knowing how Wakka is nothing like Chappu and that he basically takes the woman his brother loved. Also, for Lulu, falling for the big brother might have been rather confusing, given how they are so very different and it also begs the question why she only fell in love with Wakka after Chappus death. Plus, Lulu is stubborn and Wakka is stupid, so confessing - all complicated issues aside - is its very own problem already for those two ^^’

[ryoseirui]

[Translation] Kouhey’s comeback.

On July 8, Kouhey was announced to be part of line up for “Niconico Daisougen” with Wakka, Akatin, Shijin, Otouto no Ane, and Yuikonnu... 

After 2 years, he’s starting to come back slowly.

Here’s a translation of all of his tweets from July 8. If people would like the translation for his other tweets, feel free to message me and I’ll translate them on another post!

Note - if you’re not aware of Kouhey’s situation, basically: he’s been the scapegoat of one of the biggest internet trolls for more than two years, and he’s out to prove his innocence.

Kouhey: Also, there was a reason why I didn't send anything at all, and when I consulted a certain public agency on the occasion for my retirement, I was given the advice "don't move at all". I obediently did nothing for 2 years, and the other day, a certain utaite contacted me, asking "Kouhey-san, did you send me your resume?

Kouhey: Apparently, as a prank, someone wrote my name and resume for something, my acquaintance seemed to be the company's president...

When I asked where it came from, I heard it was from a local recruitment site in Chiba. "Why Chiba?" I thought, and I asked the contents of the resume, Somehow my unused mail address was also entered

Kouhey: So I connected with that old mail address, I was asking for jobs on recruitment sites, so much I could die. If it was 2 or 3, I would understand w I could also understand the feeling, but it was an abnormal amount anyway. Moreover, since it was registerering for a certain day, I wondered if it was an individual.

Kouhey: This is really bad, I thought. I thought that this passion was abnormal after nearly two years, and I tried looking at other things.

Things like, I, have kept trolling 2ch every day for more than 20 years, is still trolling.

Kouhey: If I think about it regularly, 'No no, in the middle of lives, niconamas, nomikais, and going to China, what am i going to do?" I wanted to dig deeper into it... If you look carefully, it seems the troll is speaking about me

Kouhey: Other various things have been blamed on me, and currently, it's in progress. I don't want to be zealous. Recently, I sang as a wedding ceremony of a certainer uploader, and in the middle of drinking until morning, a troll was there.

Well, I did not have any problems as I retired as Kouhey so far...

Kouhey: Within my relatives, there's another legally out incident, once again (exactly the third time). I consulted with a certain public agency, and decided to think about the future and make a statement if it continued further.

Kouhey: I will summarize the contents at a later date, but please stop spreading and impersonating the hoax.Please stop harassing people other than me. Slander is good, but not good. Those who know that they did it, please refrain from self-control and voluntary deletion. From tomorrow, I will ask you where I can contact you directly. Thank you.

Kouhey: Because there was a question.

I will give a list of the hoaxes sometime in the near future. If I'm asked to give proof that I'm not doing anything. It is likely to ask for devil's proof, but I will answer seriously. If you have a witness, if you receive an OK from the other party, think that I would be able to contact back by DM unless it's discarded, sorry if I can't reply.

Sorry if my translations are very rough...!

[queenmercurys]

For the fandom thing: Final Fantasy X (at least the ones that can be done, what with it being a videogame)

hey! :D thank you! I did final fantasy in general here, but I’d be happy to do ffx in particular! do you mind if I include x-2?

Top 5 favourite characters: yuna, auron, tidus, rikku, luluOther characters you like: I honestly like everyone, but to name a few, lenne, paine, kimahri, jecht. Least favourite characters: seymour bugs me.Otps: yuna/tidus alwaysNotps: I believe some people ship lulu/tidus and that just… ahem.Favourite friendships: yuna/rikku/paine, auron/tidus, tidus/wakka, yuna/luluFavourite family: yuna’s besaid crew.Favourite episodes: favorite moment? the reunion between yuna and tidus at the end of x-2.Favourite season/book/movie: favorite game? out of the compilation (including last mission), it’s still gotta be ffx.Favourite quotes: “so much has happened, and I’m sure it’s only the beginning. through the smiles and tears, through the anger, and the laughter that follows… I know that I’ll keep changing. this is my story. itll be a good one.” - yuna // “so this is my life now. we travel from place to place, and the days just seem to fly by. but sometimes, I find myself stopping. I’m listening for your whistle.” - yuna // “legendary guardian? I was just a boy. a boy about your age, actually. I wanted to change the world, too. but I changed nothing.” - auron // “not until the end. always.” - tidus // “memories are nice, but that’s all they are.” - rikku // "welcome home… yes, home.” - yunaBest musical moment: 1000 words, always. but also the ending theme.Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: yuna and tidus being reunited in x-2.When it really disappointed you: nothing disappoints me about these games, but I guess the last mission could have been, you know.. easier to play.Saddest moment: tidus having to disappear.Most well done character death: auron’s death was wonderfully done, it was so bittersweet.Favourite guest star: he is a main cast member, but I thought james arnold taylor was really good as shuyin.Favourite cast member: hedy burress as yuna.Character you wish was still alive: auron, for sure.One thing you hope really happens: they make x-3, they do it well, yuna and tidus end up together, and it does not have a sad ending. basically them doing the audio drama in a way that is true to ffx and x-2, and with a rewarding ending.Most shocking twist: I think tidus being a dream did shock me when I first found out.When did you start watching/reading?: when I was about 9.Best animal/creature: the cactuars.Favourite location: lake macalania and malacania woods.Trope you wish they would stop using: bringing sin back. but oh well, I love it anyway.One thing this show/book/film does better than others: creates a world (without making the game open world) that feels free and interesting and explorable, and creating a natural dynamic between a band of misfits. Funniest moments: the laughing scene with yuna and tidus is very iconic.Couple you would like to see: just more yuna/tidus, please.Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: richard madden is my fave and I will always say him.Favourite outfit: yuna’s summoner outfit.Favourite item: yuna’s necklace in x.Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: the games, mostly. both ps2 and ps4 versions.What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: I would love to be a part of the main gang.Most boring plotline: nothing!Most laughably bad moment: well, again, the laughing scene, but I love it. and some leblanc scenes, but again, I love it.Best flashback/flashfoward if any: I like the flashbacks to the auron/jecht/braska.Most layered character: auron is definitely very interesting and well-developed.Most one dimensional character: maybe someone like the luca goers.Scariest moment: none.Grossest moment: none.Best looking male: the guys in ffx/x-2 really don’t do it for me. Best looking female: yuna!Who you’re crushing on (if any): none.Favourite cast moment: I don’t really know any.Favourite transportation: the airship in ffx.Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): the kiss scene between yuna and tidus. and 1000 words.Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: maybe how the fayth brought tidus back, and why they didn’t do it in the first place.Best promo: every promo pic is nice.At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: the moment I saw my friend’s sister playing it around age 9.

[straane]

assorted tidus/yuna post x-2 headcanons.

pt. 2

pt. 3

- tidus takes up Wakka's old job as captain/coach for the Aurochs. I mean, WHY WOULDN'T HE. like on day one on Besaid he was already coaching them with all that ”victory!” pep talk; not to mention how he encourages them to practice the Jecht shot on S.S. Winno; the position's open (Beclem who?); he's young and talented with youthful new ideas so therefore a dream employee (GET IT? CUZ DREAM and yeah); blitz is pretty much his only area of expertise in Spira (as of yet); and he totally doesn't mind playing for a less-than-sovereign team; and he wants to do everything the opposite of what Jecht did so; asfgasfdjhgsah no one ever talks about Tidus's relationship with and general amazing attitude towards the Aurochs. plus he's like the only person on the planet (the world? the Spira?) Wakka would HAPPILY pass the mantle to, the nepotistic lil' shit

- it's not an easy road to the top tho; the Aurochs still pretty much suck oft to the frustration of their new boss; but he's ever-patient with them and this is actually the one aspect of his life where he shows patience lol

- somewhere along the road; they do take the Cup (again... depending on what you consider to be canon in FFX). that's when he steps down as captain/coach (mentally exhausted) to pursue new adventures. Wakka doesn't approve; he's like ‘quitting at the top, ya? way to copy me, man' BUT the team keeps him as occasional reserve and he never misses an Aurochs game and in fact kinda steps on the toes of the new coach at times (who's a total rando, but a nice and capable rando)

- he and Yuna study Al Bhed together. Rikku tries to help, but isn't really cut out for teaching (Rin does a better job, and so does Paine, even. Gippal tries to slip in indecencies, and at the beginning of their acquaintance does manage to trick Tidus into using them as openers) fool me once, and all that

- let's get this out of the way: Tidus DOES NOT DISAPPEAR AGAIN; prematurely at least (hello biased Tuna trash here *zuko wave*)…. or does he??? I mean, given the extremely questionable state of his existence, I could see it happening, even just kind of randomly one day (and heartbreakingly so); I mean it's even implied in the so-called Perfect Ending (the one in Zanarkand). BUT THIS IS MY HEADCANON IT'LL GO THE WAY I WANT IT OR I'LL END IT HERE. so yeah. for the first few months of his renewed existence, Tidus and Yuna both kinda fret about it actually, like not that they’re in an acute state of worry at all times but they just kinda do and they both have nightmares about it happening (which they don’t share with the other...... cuz they don’t want them worrying and aasgfdg those dorks learnt nothing) 

- and while I'm at it, TIDUS & YUNA STAY TOGETHER. yeah... I dunno about you guys but I didn't spend thousands upon thousands of hours falling in love with and producing content of my OTP to have Tidus end up with Rando and Yuna with… Andom, I guess. so yeah, same biased logic applies here

- plus I seriously think they just… would. Yuna's got like no character flaws (yes she does) and she wound up falling for his, so… AND AFTER EVERYTHING THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER??? AND NOT-TOGETHER??? pls they're like the healthiest couple ever to grace our hearts & souls just let them live

- I could see Yuna getting (warily at first) involved with politics at some point. after the whole corrupt maester-led government/religious indoctrination mess, AND then the New Yevon vs. Youth League fiasco, idk, I think Spirans would just kinda naturally gravitate towards her, the High Summoner and all-around heroic figure, for wisdom and guidance. I could see her gradually growing into the role of Spira's very own Padmé Amidala with soft yet firm values and an iron will. and without the dying + homicidal maniac boyfriend (ily, Anakin) and I think her title would just be High Summoner. (kinda like how any elected president of Finland will forever keep the 'president' title – but there's only one current 'President of the Republic of Finland'. wow didnt expect to make this completely relevant comparison) but yeah it's not like she'd be a ruler or anything… just an important political figure and consultant adssgdghj I haven't completely figured out the Spiran state system post-X-2

- at some point, Tidus and Yuna go visit their parents in the Farplane… and as they both try very hard not to think about a certain blue-haired menace, they end up getting quite the jump scare and completely embarrass themselves (or they would’ve if anyone saw) then they in perfect synchrony pull themselves together and defiantly look their former nemesis in the eye and say absolutely nothing

[ooc-but-stylish]

iprinny

 “There’s a lot that gets me about the love story in FFXV and how it…”

Im super curious to know what your thoughts are on that absurdity with prompto’s “dramatic reveal” in chapter 13

Hoo boy. My opinion about the “dramatic reveal” is pretty much my opinion on the whole game, which is 

“Good plot, terrible execution”

Prompto was an MT? Neat. However,

it should have happened earlier

it should’ve been resolved earlier

it should have had a bit more foreshadowing if it was going to be dragged out to Chapter 13 of all things. 

With regards to the actual scene, my first impressions were “Damn, Prompto looks good for a guy that fell off a moving train and got tortured!” then “Oh, oh shit, this is the twist– Prompto’s gonna strangle the shit out of Noct, isn’t he? He’s right there–” and finally “…. Oh.”

The game has Prompto like “Oh, I’ve been tortured for a while in this dungeon, also I wanna tell you guys I’m a Nif/MT”(1) and the bros are like “Ok so? That doesn’t change anything. We still care about you.” which matches more the reaction parents should have when their kid comes out of the closet than anything else. One of their own revealed themselves to be part of the same army that, like, has been attacking them relentlessly on the World Map every 15 minutes ( and interrupting the important dialogue we’ll never hear again ). You know the reaction Wakka had about Rikku being Al Bhed? Yeah. I was expecting that, most likely from Gladio. But they’ve known each other since they were kids, more or less, and those of us who have played the game, regardless of whether we did or didn’t see Brotherhood or the extra media, have likely already seen proof of their unwavering friendship toward each other even in portions of the game where it wouldn’t even make much sense for them all to still be cool.(2) So this… is a waste. It reinforced what we already knew. It served no purpose except to reveal a plot-convenient serial code on his wrist to help them escape, and it raised more questions. 

MTs are made from daemons made from Starscourged humans, and Niflheim would need a lot of humans, so they started making clones and infecting them. Prompto is supposedly one of them, but escaped when he was super young and adopted into the Argentum family. Okay, so who got him out of that lab? Why did he still have “no parents” in Brotherhood? Who were his parents? Were they natives to Insomnia? How did he get a nice place to live in and not end up in the outskirts/slum parts of Lucis on account of his being a foreigner? If he got a serial code imprinted when he was a baby, wouldn’t it have deformed as he grew up? How did it maintain its shape? Was the barcode the same size throughout his life? Why isn’t he wearing light-resistant armor, like the other MTs? This is stuff we’d have to read the Wiki or the strategy guide about, except I’m still asking these questions, so the answers exist nowhere. Even to this day. And people still have theories on whether the Naga in the beginning of the game ( the one that kidnapped Prompto and cried about her baby ) was actually Prompto’s mother. That’s fucked up storytelling, not because they did it on purpose, but because they didn’t.

The reveal happens and is resolved so quickly, no one has the time to process anything. A lot of this game is pretty much “Here’s this earth-shattering detail! Let us never speak of it again”. 

Like, yeah, Noct is broken up he attacked Prompto and knocked him off the train, but did he process the part where he said everything was Prom’s fault and demanding that Prom stop following him around? Right to his face?

Did no one stop to think that Ardyn being able to make himself look like another person means that there’s 0 chance any of them would know for certain that their allies were their allies? Wouldn’t they be in an intensely paranoid state, questioning each other on stuff the “real” them would know about? How do any of them know Ardyn isn’t still right there, hiding in plain sight?

Details that would have worked as foreshadowing for Prompto’s reveal, instead of Ardyn dropping eleventh hour infodumps on Niflheim’s army allowing for post-hoc bullshit:

The constant Magitek encounters come specifically from the Nifs geotracking Prompto’s barcode. The party actually brings up the frequency of these attacks, but Prompto is hesitant to say anything.

None of the Magiteks attack Prompto, focusing on the other three in the party instead of “one of their own”. Possibly dumb luck, and saves every gamer the trouble of Prompto always dying first somehow.

Increased frequency of goofy Ardyn selfies and creepy Prompto pictures on any day Ardyn is with the party.

Instead of Ardyn’s “stitch in time” thing that is never explained again, and Ardyn’s immortality just being the Astrals going “Ew, cooties” and banning him from the Beyond to inflict him on the living, have this: the way 'Ardyn’ appears and disappears is by body-hopping from one Starscourge-afflicted/daemonified person to another. Some individuals are more receptive to him than others based on how far along they are in their daemonification or MT experiments. So why was he on that train, in the place of Prompto? Because something inside Prompto allowed him to be there ( enough to alter his looks but not his speech patterns ). He could drop that particular bomb in Ch 12 before telling Noctis that Prompto is in Gralea.

Ardyn’s immortality comes from the fact that when he ‘dies’, he just manifests in the next likely person to host him or maybe someone of his choosing if he wants. That adds the drama of Ardyn not really ever being dead for good, and the possibility that he could take over Prompto in his next life if he felt like it. That’s a better justification for “You have to kill this dude, then kill yourself, then kill him again” than “Because the gods said so”.

TLDR the Prompto reveal sucked ass.

(1) Let me get this out: Fuck This Game. The localization sucks in its consistency by language. Bahamut is either the Draconian or the Aetherian. Ardyn could have either vaguely “known” Gentiana died, or personally had a hand in killing her. Izunia is either a relative of Ardyn, and Noctis’s ancestor, or is a completely random name Ardyn made up that he forgot the origins of. The Japanese version of the game, rather than hinting that Prompto is an MT, has sections where Ardyn instead taunts Noctis about “Did you know he’s originally from this city?”, and when Prompto reveals it to the group he says “I’m a person of Niflheim”. Even the JP VA confirmed it. So whether or not Prompto is even a Magitek is dependent on language of the game. I can understand that they were trying to go for, but they should have been consistent. Must have been something to do with the constant rewrites of the plot.

(2) Fuck This Game Part Duh: No, seriously. It tried to eat its cake and still have it, and I’ll tell you why. The game doesn’t actually give a shit about your choices. It wants its narrative both ways, telling us that Noctis in particular has certain “fixed” character traits but giving us a choice to make him another way in his dialogue options typical of Western RPGs which have “blank slate” characters. Using both methods and no lasting plot divergences to support those choices beyond the immediate cutscene makes it so that the dialogue options have no impact on the story or make sense, suggesting you play it “Square’s way” or else the game ignores your choices, which is fundamentally not how open world western RPGs work.

A playthrough in which Noctis acts like a total jerk to Prompto and dismissing him every chance he gets will still result in Prom wanting to hear from Noct that he cared about his well being, as well as Prom expressing sadness that Noct will die. 

A playthrough where Noctis puts only platonic or indifferent notes into the book he sends to Luna will still result in the scenes in Chapter 9 where he sheds a tear at her speech, laments that he wanted to save her, and then is quiet rather than impassioned and vengeful, even though he summoned Ramuh and busted a base to rescue the Regalia and to get revenge for Jared of all people.

A playthrough where the Altissian woman interrogates Noctis and Noctis answers by straight-up fucking metagaming and showing more understanding of the lore of the story than he’s ever been told and treating her with respect should count as “gaining her implicit trust”, but we still see a scene where Luna is sitting in the chair across from the Altissian woman and Imperial forces come in and surround Luna anyway, meaning the Altissian lady sold them out.

A playthrough where Noctis only ever responds maturely to Gladio, and his conversations with others have the options for him to act like a leader and the King he’s meant to be, will still result in Gladio chewing him out unnecessarily while the game clunkily tells us Noctis “is a spoiled brat/selfish”, “is being immature” and was “moping for weeks” about Luna even though we just saw her death five minutes ago and Noctis is shown to be quiet but otherwise not stalling the quest in any way. We didn’t even see a funeral, or excessive crying or outbursts, or Noctis demanding that everyone focus on his pain and staying in Altissia locked in a hotel room. He’s just quiet on a train. 

Chapter 13 of the game is especially awful, when both it and Ardyn insist that Noct is supposed to be some scared, frightened puppy without his weapons when he’s wielding the most canonically powerful item in the game, casually ripping gashes in reality and insta-killing a fortress full of daemons with an anti-daemon ring, and the player is able to ignore most (if not all) stealth mechanics and blitz through that chapter with no penalty.

For those that did the side quests throughout the game, the only trait from gameplay that sticks in the narrative is that Noctis is a passive entity. He’s told to do something, he just does it. Otherwise, no matter what, even if you played the game and had Noctis act like a rude shit and played as if none of the Bros were his Bros, they’re still going to be Bros. They’re still going to care about him, including Prompto. Especially Prompto.

[rikku-albhed]

~հuɾԵ ահɛŋ ʏɷu Բɛɭɭ Բɾѳʍ հɛɑѵɛղ (not done yet) CRED TO ARTISTS!!! art not mine.. BUT ITS CUTE By Dallas and Aaron 🌞💛🌞💛🌞💛 Shinra is a young albhed boy. Not just any kind, he was a inventor. Best one in Spira. Intelligent and KNOWS IT. But still very much a child. Never seen his face as he always wears a mask with a ochre visor, brown thick full body suit with green mittens and a blue collar. He was stumped on a odd invention with his green mitten hands pressed to the sides of his temples shaking his head 'no' trying to block out noise as he thought how to make it work. It was difficult work. "What's this...?" Yuna the former high summoner asked as she tilted her head holding her hands behind her back leaning a bit her hetrochromia blue green eyes sparkled lited up. This was after the reunion. "IM JUST A KID!" Shinra said stressed over the conundrum Paine shrugged, her hands in the air, shaking her head then placing her hand on her hip looking away her red eyes looking in the distance Rikku pumped to find out what it was he made, often his inventions were helpful to the gullwings, rikku bounced side to side almost in a dance with her hands in fists. "What's up with this thing?" Tidus asked from behind them. The ocean roared slapping rocks "Maybe it needs a good kick!" Rikku said as she already was in motion to kick the machine to late to be stopped and too late for the others to react. Her foot connected and it shook and it began to charge, the machine like laser turned pointing at rikku. "OH NO," the others said together in unison, getting away, but rikku stood stunned she couldn't get herself to react quick enough as the others did. Before she knew it, she was blinded by a bright light. She flinched using her arms as a shield as she was engulfed in light from the laser. 'I-..it don't hurt..? What kind of junk is this?!' Before she knew it she felt a breeze through her hair, a violent breeze. Opening her eyes, having to adjust, she was falling! She screamed but it was too late. "Owwwwwwwwww......" She said slowly moving.... Something.. Broke her fall.. Soft landing..NO! "PROMPTO!!!!!" a young male voice yelled as she was still trying to adjust Seeing plains around them.. She was not in Spira.... Prompto tried to gasp for air as when the girl had landed on him it knocked the wind out of him. He looked at the girl that had used him as a landing cushion. A blush had come over him as he noticed a female had literally fallen out of the sky onto him. As he regained his breath, he muttered to her. "I didn't know girl was in the forecast. Y-you okay?" "Ye-ouch..," she got off and tried to jump back but she jumped back landing on her butt, she was slightly always clumsy. "Where... Am I??" She asked looking at the blonde freckled male.. Then the other males came into view.. All in dark colors. "Prompto you alright..?!" A dark haired male said as he rested his hands on his knees looking at the one they all call Prompto A man with spiked up brown hair pushed up his glasses as he walked to her along with a man who was tall and muscular and she flenched slightly. She realized she didn't have yunnie or Dr. P to protect her now. "Quite the fall.." The man with brown hair said The muscular man went to lift her up by her arm "L-let go of me beefsteak i-im fine I'm fine!!" She stood up "This is beyond strange specs you saw that light and her fall.." The dark almost black haired male said looking at '4eyes' The one the called specs, whose real name was Ignis, nodded and and studied the girl slightly, before looking at "Beefsteak". "Yes indeed I did. That was quite the fall, are you sure you're okay, madam?" He said caringly to her. "Hey give her space, I'm sure she's fine guys." Said the blonde haired one they called Prompto. "Is she what they call an angel? I mean you saw it she fell right from the sky guys! Like from heaven!" The smaller of the 2 black haired males laughed and shook his head. "Heh, I'm pretty sure she not an angel, Prompto." "Yes, but let's take the question more serious shall we? Are you alright, and better yet... Why were you falling in the first place?" Ignis asked once again . "Ah!" She bit her lip and rubbed her head raising a eyebrow her swirled green eyes looked to the sky. "I'm okay! Eh..heh heh um why are you guys dressed like that..? You'll get bullied looking like that in Spira," she teased. "Spira..?" Said prompto's best friend with blackish dark blue hair asked tilting his head back. "Interesting.." Said '4eyes' "Strange.." Said gladiolas or beefsteak.. "Ehh I'm not in Spira anymore.... huh..," she asked worriedly.. Rested her arms behind her head kicking the ground.her leg behind her (Wizard of oz reference since she does movie references XD) "I'm afraid not, you are in eos... I'm known as ignis.. Ignis scientia ..that there would be the heir to Lucian thrown Noctis Lucis Caelum..," ignis's arms outward as he introduced the males. "Gladiolus Amicitia, and the one you landed on is Prompto Argentum.." Gladiolus patted Prompto roughly and laughed as Prompto tried to get up. "Where is ..Spira.." Noctis asked ignis "No idea Highness...," ignis said and shrugged. "Hey, you think it's a land on the somewhere in the sea?" Prompto said energeticly. "Hmmm where as it's possible, all the lands and empires are well documented. So it's highly unlikely." Ignis remarked. Prompto looked at the girl and sighed. "Sorry... Hey, well get you back to your home! That okay with you miss... eh, What's you're name?" "Hm, that would be beneficial to the moment at least. I don't believe you have the ability to make that call, Prompto." Said Ignis once again. "However we can't just leave her..." The other guys looked at each other in agreement. "Oh! Thank you! I REALLY gotta get back to yunie ..she is a celebrity cause she defeated sin all by herself! An 'brother' needs to keep his grubby hands off her.. And I got sphere hunting to do, the treasure won't find Itself! I'm rikku I'm a albhed alchemist slash sphere hunter for the gullwings," she said cheerfully dancing in place as she had earlier that day she rapidly took steps looking at each with a bright smile and she spoke fast without fatigue which fatigue was rare for the high energy girl Gladiolus chuckled as he listened to Rikku go on. "You and my sister would get along well." "Well it's a pleasure, Rikku! Well get you back to Spina no problem!" Prompto said nodding "I believe you mean Spira, Prompto." Ignis said, correcting him. "Heh, yeah that place. My bad?" "YEAH!!" She jumped up fist bumping in the air. She can see lulu and her baby and wakka and she hated the thought but she even missed brother and her dad cid. Although her and cid had many fights. "Thank youuuu!" She said rocking side to side on her heels, "so what do you call your team? Do you guys hunt for treasure? Come on what do you guys do?? I told you~" "Uhm.. We hunt but its not like your treasure judging.. By your clothes... Things..items... that are useful are lying about.. But as for a hunt its too dangerous.." Noctis crossed his arms "Is it just me or is he grumpy..? I can handle myself.... A fiend don't scare me!!" Rikku said shrugging shaking her head 'no' "A ..fiend..?" Noctis said raising a eyebrow and making a face to Prompto. "Deamons is the wildlife here..," noctis said looking at rikku "Deal me in!!! I can do it...." Noctis and ignis probably both didn't want her unsafe they probably figured having her around would be stressful Rikku was new to eos.. She had zero experience.. A hotel or something and staying put was the best place, but she is not the "stay put" type. "...tch," she then looked at Prompto and gladio, "come on.. Let me kill fiends with you guys.."