#stop picking on riku guys

[strayheartless]

Things heard in the Land of Departure part 3:

1 | 2

Aqua: you have until the count of three, and then I’m wrapping you both in duct tape.

Xion: hypothetically, if I were to, say, illegally smuggle a certain blonde haired nobody with mysterious memory powers out of radiant gardens… how likely do you think it is that I’d be pursued by the law?

Terra: extremely… why?

Xion: you may want to be wilfully ignorant of the blonde girl in my bedroom then…

Roxas: *to riku* do you think your going grey because of excess stress? Or are you just naturally that ugly?

Sora: I would like to preface this by saying that I asked Terra, who said no. So, then I asked Aqua who… also said no. But then, I asked Riku and he also said no, but in that way that totally means yes.

Riku: I really didn’t…

Ven: I just gunna hot diggity dog my way out of here and hope for the best.

Riku: I am not often proud of my acts of violence, but there is something so funny about watching Roxas get knocked on his ass by a wind spell.

Sora: “expect the unexpected” I’d rather unexpect the expected to be honest. The unexpected is getting predictable.

Kairi: I told Ven about that time I jump scared Riku so bad he fell out of a tree, and he tried to reassure me that I wasn’t to blame. Like I wasn’t fucking proud of that shit!

Roxas: I could do that yes, but the thing is, I have my heart set on being a hinderance!

Isa: sometimes I come out here just to think… but mostly I come out here to rehash arguments that happened five years ago.

Xion: I’ve had enough! When you come to write my eulogy say “she was nice, but she was shit at executively functioning.”

Ven: Vanitas can be labeled as many things: my darkness, the evil twin… the strange creature under the bed you take pity on but absolutely would beat to death with a lead pipe if it were to venture father into the room. The list is endless really.

Terra: what’s nice about getting to work with Riku as an equal is that I don’t have to stress about fucking up, he does that all in his own!

Riku: hey!

Kairi: Do you ever think about how human life is so fragile, you could end it instantly and never feel a single thing?

Everyone else: *takes a huge fuck off step back*

Riku: Being someone’s most important person is exhausting. I could decimate whole planets sephiroth style and Sora would still be like “he’s just a little guy!”

Aqua: Do not tell Sora that! mainly because he's impressionable, but also he's dumb as a brick.

Terra: when arriving in a new world there are three things you must remember: 1. respect the world order; 2. always respect the authority of those you are lending a hand to; and 3. There is a certain financial limit we expect you to adhere to when atempting to bribe local law enforcment to 'forget' what they saw Kairi just do.

Lea: Isa is the ‘moon’ to my ‘sun’, the ‘sky’ to my ‘land’, the ‘irreversible fuck up’ to my ‘realised he was evil in the first week’, the ‘I can fix him’ to my ‘let me brake his face with this chair’!

Isa: I said I was SORRY!

Lea: *mumbling* yeah well, love you too.

Sora: I don’t cry, I leak occasionally, it’s a hazard.

Riku: please get help.

Roxas: we are literally begging you.

[lilyginnyblackv2]

A Japanese video talking about Riku - Mentions the "Love Triangle."

I just found a video talking about Riku (in a sort of "10 Things You Didn't Know About This Character" kinda way). The creator of the video is Japanese and the video itself is in Japanese. Here is the full video:

They talk about 10 different things in regards to Riku, the full list of things they talk about can be seen in this image:

But the point I'm mostly going to be focusing on is #4 - 恋愛事情 or "The Romance Situation."

When the creator gets to point #4, they call it "The Sora and Kairi Love Triangle" (三角関係).

Then bring up the whole "eating (sharing) a paopu fruit with Kairi" stuff. But before jumping right into that, the creator compares Sora, Riku, and Kairi to other popular shonen trios of the time:

First mentioning Naruto with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.

Then Ash, Misty, and Brock. The creator notes that this kind group setup (a trio with two guys and one girl) was really popular around this time.

And that such a dynamic (two guys and one girl) has a lot of potential interest for a romance/romantic situation to come about. Which then brings up back to the whole "sharing a paopu fruit" with Kairi situation.

Specifically the scene in KH1 when Riku races Sora and says:

That whoever wins gets to eat (share) a paopu fruit with Kairi. But, then the creator of this video notes that the reading of this scene isn't necessarily clean cut:

Rather that it is unclear if this moment is just a moment meant to tease and embarrass Sora or if Riku was speaking honestly. Then they mention what Nomura says about Riku and his motives in KH1:

"Riku trying to return Kairi's heart to her wasn't about his feelings for her [Kairi], but rather his strong need to repent for the sins he committed." The Japanese word 罪 (tsumi) can also mean "wrongdoing," but I feel like Nomura is talking specifically about "sin" here, since he used the word 懴悔 (sange) as well. That word is shown to have strong connections to Christianity and Christ. The Japanese Wikipedia page for the word is specifically talking about the idea of repentance and sin in regards to Christ and the like.

(Personal little sidenote here, but this bit of info adds an extra layer to the conversation between Riku and Esmerelda in DDD, since that movie is steeped in Christianity).

Bringing this back to the video and what the creator had to say about this quote:

First, they note how there was no reference to Riku having romantic feelings for Kairi.

So, while knowing about Sora's feelings for Kairi,

It's reasonable to assume that Riku was simply teasing Sora in that scene.

Now, for most Soriku fans, this is old news. Many Soriku fans are aware of this quote in some way, shape, or form, and that interpretation is how we've viewed that scene for ages. But, I think it is important to have someone who is Japanese, speaking in Japanese, and talking about Nomura's quote in Japanese actually bringing up this line as well.

This is even more important, because this Japanese creator doesn't appear to be a Soriku shipper (he might agree with the idea of Riku having feelings for Sora, but he doesn't seem to ship Sora x Riku). After all, he does specifically note that, in KH3, Sora and Kairi are "completely in love with each other" (完全に両想い). So, to this Japanese individual, that paopu sharing scene is meant to be romantic.

The creator of this video also points out that "Riku picks up on that" with the "that" being "Sora and Kairi are completely in love with each other," and shows the scene of Riku on the beach not looking bothered by this. (In Japanese, they state that Riku is 空気が読む - reading the room).

Then they end the video by stating that they "wish people would stop saying that Riku might like Kairi."

I wanted to share this video, because while I do think that there are a number of poorly translated moments in KH (especially in KH3), which either just do the character dirty or causes certain parallels and context to be missed or miss placed in the English version...I don't necessarily agree that the Japanese text makes Soriku or Riku having romantic feelings for Sora more obvious nor do I think that it makes Sokai come off as less romantic than it is intended to be.

When I first played KH3, it was in Japanese when I was living in Japan. The Sokai stuff came off as romantic, poorly written and on the same level as the usual battle shonen stuff (of which this creator made a parallel/connection to with the trio dynamic in a way), but still meant to be read as romantic. Riku and Sora moments still made my eyebrows rise though, as per usual. (Edit: Also, to clarify, I do still think that there were aspects of drifting apart or feeling left behind, especially on Kairi's end, and there was still a lot of queer subtext in KH3, but whether Nomura actually ever does anything with that...).

But, yeah, I think there has been some misconceptions spread about Soriku and Japanese KH fans in general. There seems to be this feeling that like every KH fan in Japan ships Soriku or what have you...but that really is not the case. Soriku fans in Japan ship them, they likely also have queer readings of their bond and the text, but the regular, run-of-the-mill KH fan in Japan will see Sokai as romantic and the official/canon pairing, and view Sora and Riku's bond as friendship.

Though, Soriku is still an extremely popular pairing and I do think that, like in English speaking spaces of the fandom, there might be more of a general acceptance that Riku has feelings for Sora. But, not everyone in Japan holds these views, just like in English speaking KH spaces.

Let's just take a quick look at the comments:

One of the comments that has 14 upvotes notes the heartwarming nature of seeing Sora and Riku go from enemies in KH1 to fighting together "as friends" in KH2. Another comment notes how Sora and Riku are childhood friends. One commentator states that "Riku has Namine, so he'll be okay." Meanwhile, another comment talks about how they think that "Riku is definitely in love with Sora" they use 恋 (koi, which is used when talking about romantic love specifically). One of the replies to that comment notes how they find Soriku to be "hotter and more emotional" than Sokai. The creator responded with a laugh and a general sort of "no doubt (lol)" statement.

I'm going to check and see if there are any other Japanese videos talking about Riku in general. This video was a great little insight into a Japanese POV on Riku and general Japanese fandoms thoughts on Riku. Like with any fandom space, it's a mixed bag.

If you do decide to check out the video above or leave a comment, please be nice and kind. I just thought this was interesting and a good reference / source to point out when it comes to that Nomura comment about KH1 Riku and his motives and Riku's feelings (or lack there of) for Kairi.

[unidentified-ending]

"Out of the Shadows"

Not proof read btw

The finale has arrived. Dun dun dunnn

Part 5

Featuring: Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku Midoriya, Tenya Iida and all of 1a!

Tw: violence, very bad injuries and a good ending. Not for the easily upset

Good ending

Aizawa and Class 1a x ftm!bullied!reader

"I want him gone" Minato said as he advanced upon you, bat in his hand, ready to hit you before Haruki interjected and said "Wait, what if someone comes in?"

"Nobody cares, I want him dead" Minato said as he hit you on the head with the bat. You shouted in pain, instinctively grabbing the top of your head in pain.

The rest of them were hesitant at their leaders behaviour but joined in anyways.

The repeated hits on your body and the lack of control of the pain was starting to get out of hand, blood pouring down your mouth, tears falling down your eyes rapidly in a desperate attempt to numb the pain that was spreading across your body so painfully.

"Guys, I think we should stop. Look at him" Asahi said as he dropped his blood stained bat to the ground, shaken and terrified as to what his own hands and actions had don't to a boy because he was different from everybody else. He realised the severity of the consequences that were going to happen if anyone found out about this.

"Go piss off pip squeak, nobody gives a shit. I want him dead, and that is what will happen, right now!" He shouts and Riku also dropped his bat.

It was like something shot through there heads. It wasn't worth it, they all knew they didn't want to kill the boy just make him feel inferior but this time, they went too far and they all knew it.

Riku went towards Minato as he kept hitting you in the face with his bat, he pulled Minato's arm off the bat but Minato punched him round the face and kept going.

Words couldn't describe how you looked, over 7 bones in your face were broken, pain spread across your body though it only felt like a small tingle. Your body was giving up rapidly.

Riku and Asahi looked at him, completely stunned at what their friend was doing, even Haruki stopped doing it. Minato turned to them.

"Don't you tell anyone about this or I'll make your life just like his" he said pointing towards your body. They stayed silent.

Finally Minato dropped his bat and dragged your body to an open window near the back of the classroom and picked up your injured and bloody body.

"DON'T DO IT" they all shout from across the room but that's when Katsuki bursts in through the room, pinning down the first person he saw which was Asahi before he spotted you and blasted towards Minato, striking him in the face.

"Y/N YOU DUMBASS, WHAT HAPPENED!" Bakugo shouted and then Midoriya and Iida came running in. When they both saw you slumped over the window, Izuku ran straight towards you and held your injured body in his hands.

He was crying.

"DEKU YOU NERD, GO GET A TEACHER AND TAKE HIM, ILL DEAL WITH THESE GUYS" Bakugo shouted at Deku and Iida and Deku brought you over to Iida.

Riku, Asahi and Haruki stood there shocked to the core, they knew Bakugo was coming for them but you were gently carried away by Deku and Iida.

"I'm--sorry" You mutter quietly. They didn't hear you, you slipping out of consciousness.

Blood was pouring down your mouth and nose, as your bruised body lay in the hands of Iida and deku, running towards your classroom, shouting for aizawa or any teacher that was there. You laid there, barely able to stay conscious, unable to say anything from the lack of strength and energy you had in your bones, you wondered, what did you do so wrong to deserve this? As your mind slipped into unconscious, you heard very, very shallow footsteps coming towards you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You were out.

You slowly regained consciousness, your head spinning and your body aching. As you open his eyes, the bright lights of the common area in the U.A. High School dorms blind ypu momentarily. You blink rapidly, trying to adjust your vision.

Confusion was apparent on your face as you take in your surroundings. Surrounding you are your classmates, all having concerned expressions on their faces. Your body feels heavy, your limbs weak, and your head throbs with pain. As you tries to sit up, a sharp surge of agony shoots through your body, causing you to grunt and slump back down.

Standing near you is Mr. Aizawa, his typically stern face etched with worry. "You're finally awake," Mr. Aizawa says softly, his voice laced with genuine concern. "You were attacked by Minato and his friends"

Your mind raced, trying to piece together what happened. Your bruises and cuts are evidence of the assault you endured. You struggle to speak, your words coming out in a weak whisper. "What... happened to them?"

"They've been expelled and they are not allowed to become hero's again. It's been delt with."

"And don't worry, your injures are mostly healed thanks to recovery Girl though you aren't allowed to do any hero training for a week. Just sleep kid, youll be fine" he said as he placed a hand on your forehead.

You drifted back to sleep.

Sleeping for another whole day.

You woke up, felling better then you did yesterday. You lifted the blanket and nobody was int he dorms but that's when you checked your phone. 2:45, all your classmates and Aizawa were still in U.A

You smelt horrible, and opted to take a bath in the boys dorms after you ate. You went over to cupboard and opened it, and saw (favourite snack) staring right at you and so you took it and ate it.

After that, you went to the boys baths and you took a quick bath, got out and put on some clothes. When you got back to your dorm, you notices it was 16:09 pm. They finished heroics soon so you just chilled in your room. Thinking about the attack on you.

Was it really worthit to beat me up to get excluded and not become a hero, but then Kyou crossed your mind.

What happened to him?

You zoned out before you heard a knocking on your dorm room. "Y/nnn, you there? We're waiting for you". It was mina outside your door.

"Coming." You say as you open your door to reveal the familiar pink, energetic girl facing you.

She dragged you out of your doom and down the stairs,

"We've got a present for you!" She says excitedly.

"For me?" You say as she continues to drag you. You get down the stairs.

When you two get down the stairs, you see most of 1a standing behind a table with things you couldn't identify.

"Go on, silly boy. Go see what it is!" Mina pushed you on and you walked over and scanned the items. Your facwpe way overjoyed as to what you saw.

2 bottles of male cologne, a pair of wireless headphones, and a the new album of (favourite music artist) song.

"Oh my goodness, thank you guys!" You squeal in joy.

"Don't thank us, it was Bakugos and Mr Aizawas idea" Yayorouzu said and both Aizawa and Bakugo denied it.

"This is also for you dipshit, if you break it!, I'll break you!. Understand!!" Bakugo shouted as he threw a brand new binder on your head.

You about to cry tears if joy, though that wouldn't make you a real man, so you sucked it up and said your thank yous to everyone.

"It's okay Y/n, we did this bescuse you deserve something that would make you happier afer the chaos." Deku said and you made satisfied smile.

Happy hoe much your classmates cared for you and Mr Aizawa.

This is a bit long again but it's worthit

This took me 5 days to write because I had writers block but I'm okay now so enjoy the last series.

This is the longest series I've done so far. I will post an after credit of some missing plot holes but apart from that:

I hope you enjoyed the "Out of the Shadows" series.

And remember: always drink water and eat food. You deserve it and shout out to all my trans guys, you guys are so kind.

Have a amazing day/night. ILY ❤️

[maskyish]

Haruka Isumi Idol Star Live 2023

Please note: I am NOT a professional and my level of JP is very, very basic. I do this for practice and to share with other fans for fun. Please take my translations with a grain of salt as there may be mistakes. If you see any, please let me know and I can correct them. If anyone else has this card and wants to translate this at any time then please feel free to do so!

Touma: Yo, Haru! 

Touma: How’s school going? 

Haruka:

Haruka:

Touma:

Haruka: You’re already so intense and it’s only noon 

Touma: And you’re using such low energy stamps even though it’s already noon! 

Touma: Is there something in class you didn’t understand? If so, make sure to ask your teacher! 

Haruka: Stop acting like my guardian! 😒 I’m doing fine in school!! 

Haruka: So, what’s up?  

Haruka: Didn’t you rabbitchat for something? 

Touma: Well, I just finished my Idol Stage lessons so now I’m eating lunch 

Touma: But you had school today, so I was just wondering how you were doing! 😄

Haruka: I see 

Haruka: So you were just bored? 

Touma: I mean, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t bored lol 

Touma: It’s about lunch time now, right? So I just wondered if you were also bored by yourself! 

Haruka: Uh

Haruka: How did you know I was by myself?

Touma: I remembered the other day while looking at the schedule, you whispered “Izumi and Yotsuba won’t be there on the next day of school” 

Touma: I thought you might feel lonely without the two of them, so if you’d like you can rabbitchat with me 😆

Haruka: I’m not lonely!!! Don’t treat me like a kid!! 

Haruka: And you don’t have to remember each and every little thing I say!!! 

Touma: My bad 😅 Then, what if you made friends other than Izumi and Yotsuba? 

Haruka: I don’t need to

Haruka: I don’t need someone to hang out with 

Haruka: Besides, if I suddenly talk to them, they’d just get nervous

I’d also be wary if it was the other way around 😒

Touma: You’re really cautious 🤔

Touma: When a costar you’re not well-acquainted with talks to you, you become meek as a lamb(1) and hide behind Mina’s back! 

Haruka: I’m keeping an appropriate distance! 

Haruka: Actually, aren’t you too close with others!? 

Touma: Me?! I’m normal! 

Haruka: Not normal at all! 

Haruka: You already call them a friend after costaring for just a bit! I’m pretty sure your sense of distance is totally messed up

Haruka: They might seem happy but you don’t know what they’re saying behind your back, and not everyone is a good person.

You should have a bit more awareness 

Touma: Hmm, well yeah. 

Touma: Maybe you’re right and I should be more self-aware.. 

Haruka: Yeah 

Haruka: I was expecting you to say “if you chat some more, you’ll realize they’re a good person!” so I was kind of disappointed 

Haruka: Wait, did something already happen? Like something you can’t tell us? Are you alright?

Haruka: Have you told Utsugi-san? 

Touma: Ahhh!!! Sorry Haru!!!! That’s not what I meant!! 

Haruka: Then what? 

Touma: Yesterday, while walking around the station, I saw a guy who I definitely thought was Riku even though he was wearing a hat! I was like, “Long time, no see!” and wrapped my arms around his shoulder from behind 

Touma: But then 

Touma: It was Kujo!!!!!!!

Touma: He smiled at me and said “long time no see”!!!!! I apologized profusely!!!! 

Touma:

Haruka: Hey

Haruka: I was so disappointed I dropped my smartphone and got weird looks from my classmates!! 💥

Touma: No, I was scared too!! 

Touma: I should be more aware of my distance and not wrap my arms around shoulders so easily 😭😭 

Haruka: That’s not exactly what I was getting at, but if it makes you more aware then whatever….

Touma: Thanks for worrying about me, Haru! I was kind of touched ✨

Haruka: Worried for nothing 😤

Haruka: But, thanks for rabbitchatting 

Haruka: Because of that, I wasn’t bored during lunch 

Haruka:

Touma: Haruuuu!! 

Touma: You gonna be alright on your own after school? Should I pick you up? 

Haruka: Absoluuuuutely not!!!!!

Haruka:

Touma:

[End of Rabbitchat}

TL Notes:

1. "Meek as a lamb" - The phrase used here is literally “borrowed cat” and is a Japanese idiom for someone who becomes quieter than usual, so I just used an English equivalent

[wonopia]

THE PHOTOBOOTH | 001. photobooth guy

[WC] . 1600 mlist ! next

by the time misaki arrived at the local mall, it was 9:05. the parking lot was not near getting filled up. the building was oddly almost empty and quiet, some shops hadn't even opened yet. as she reached the dead zone of the mall, she could see the revisions and the new shops getting built in on the first floor. they were adding in a couple of retail shops. followed by that, a mini arcade. she walked towards the escalator before letting it bring her to the second floor.

she immediately remembered that her friend wanted her to check out the pricing for a photo at the new photobooth. as a good friend she was, she decided to check the prices now since the mall was basically empty.

once she saw it, she sprinted to the booth before pulling on the black curtain to reveal a boy in a white sweater- a boy she'd never seen once in her life.

"last pose! 3.. 2.. 1.." the machine spoke, catching her attention, he just looked at her. his face was clearly flushed with embarrassment.

"oh sorry," she apologized while closing the curtain and speed walking toward jamba juice, her workplace. she opened the side door and walked inside.

she had one question, why was he at the mall so early?

she attempted to walk it off, reaching for her apron and tying it on before tying her hair up in a ponytail.

"misaki?" a voice called out from the storage room, "is that you?"

"yeah, riku asked for me to fill in."

a head poked out into view from the door frame with curious eyes.

"taesan?" she questioned, "since when did you start working early shifts?"

"ever since i switched to afternoon classes in uni," he answered, walking over to her with a bag full of bananas and strawberries, "can you go grab some of the fruits laid out in the back and bring them here?"

"sure," she smiled, walking to the back room. picking up a bag of mangoes and dragon fruit, "why are there a bunch of shoe boxes back here?"

"oh yeah, don't mind those, i'm gonna bring them over to footlocker. the UPS employees keep dropping them off here every other morning. they said they have to change their tracking system asap," he told her, she walked back over to the counter and set it down in the corner next to the open cabinet.

"i don't mind dropping it off later," she said, since taesan worked the morning shift and he had to deliver all those boxes to foot locker everyday- she decided why not do it for him and let him off the hook for one day. especially since footlocker is across the entire mall, it must've been tiring.

"really? thanks," he thanked, "you can start now if you want, it'll probably take a while."

"okay," she nodded, pulling off her apron.

the security office lended her a moving cart that held about 20 boxes at a time which was very helpful. once she filled the cart for the first time, she pushed it all the way to footlocker with various breaks in between.

when she arrived in front of the shoe shop, she called an employee over to load the shoes in the back while she went to talk to a worker at the desk.

"hey jay," she waved as she walked over to the counter top, leaning on the counter a little bit, "some of your guys' shoe boxes were delivered at jamba juice again, so i came to deliver it."

"thanks, i hope they fix it soon. its making us run all over the place," he told her. misaki nodded in agreement.

"i agree, but this is just the first batch so once you guys finish loading these in your storage room, i'll bring over the rest."

he nodded, "okay," before turning around to face a familiar guy, too recognizable.. he was looking right back at her before giving her an awkward smile, she smiled back before walking off.

"dude!" sunghoon hissed, "that was the girl."

"who, misaki?" he asked, while tagging all the boxes of insoles.

"that's her name?"

"no no no, you cannot like misaki," jay stated, turning away from the boy, while reaching for an empty shoe box.

"what why?"

"cause.." he stopped himself before he could spill the beans, sunghoon gave him the eyes but jay shook his head, "too many people liked her. if you seek for a relationship, don't attempt it."

"too many people?" he questioned, a little suspicious of jay, "did you like her?"

"hoon!" he exclaimed, "i'm at work, please let me be."

"i'm gonna take that as a yes."

"no, i didn't," he answered, "my friend did and.. he's stuck in the friend zone."

"she hasn't met me yet though," sunghoon pointed out, "i might have a chance."

"a chance at rejection, yes."

"why are you being such a debby downer?"

"i just don't think it's a good idea, especially for you. i mean come on, how long did it take for you to get over that one girl in eighth grade?" jay asked.

"oh come on, i thought we were over that. plus, i did move on."

"and then you got stuck up on another girl. in my opinion, you should wait for a girl to come to you- not the other way around," he told the dumbfounded boy. sunghoon frowned at the memories.

"okay fine. i won't go for her."

"swear?"

"i swear," sunghoon swore.

"you promise?"

"i promise, come on jay," he reassured his best friend.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

"hi ma'am, what would you like today?" taesan asked, taking over order #57.

"order #56!" misaki called out, a woman and a young girl walking over to show their receipt, "here are some straws and a spoon for the acai bowl."

"thank you," the older woman smiled, misa smiled back before walking over to the second cash register to take the next order as taesan finished taking his.

"hi, what would you like to order?" she asked while unlocking the register, she looked up to see jay and 'the photobooth guy'. she held her smile and looked over to jay who started to talk.

"a medium white gummi please."

“with the vitamins you normally get?” she added.

“oh yes please,” he nodded, misaki tapped in his order before looking over to the familiar boy from earlier, "order what you would like, ill pay for it."

"it's okay, its my treat. um and can i get one mango-go-go and strawberries wild," the white sweater boy assured, eyes observing misaki's face little by little.

"both mediums?"

"um.. make the mango-go-go a large, do you want to make yours large?" he asked his best friend.

"no, it's okay," jay politely declined before going off to find a free table, "i'll go find us a table to sit at."

"will that be all?" misa asked, locking eyes with the boy.

"yup," he mumbled, looking everywhere except her face.

"so one medium white gummi with vitamins, one medium strawberries wild, and one large mango-go-go,” he nodded, “your total will be 10569 ₩," she calculated, "can i have a name for the order?"

he tapped his card before answering her, "uh sunghoon?" he answered although he sounded unsure.

"'uh sunghoon'?" she asked, grabbing a sharpie to write the orders down on the designated sized cups. he looked at her upon hearing his name being called.

"oh no, its just sunghoon," he corrected shyly more than awkwardly.

"got it," misaki assured him with a warm smile, "it'll be ready in a couple minutes."

she handed him his receipt before walking off to make they're smoothies.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“thanks for picking me up on such short notice, wonnie,” misaki thanked her best friend, “my cars in the shop at the moment.”

“wait so how’d you get here this morning?” her best friend asked.

“oh i took a bus to the subway and walked from there.”

“you could always call me if you need a ride,” wonyoung reminded her.

“i know, i know but i cant always ask you for a ride.”

“fine, its up to you but.. who was that guy you were talking about on your spam?” wonie curiously asked as she drove out of the parking lot, “did you get his number?”

“no,” she sighed, “but i did get his name.”

“really?! how?” she gasped, not expecting that answer.

“well his name is sunghoon, i'll search his name up on twitter,” misaki informed the brown haired girl as she started to search him up on social media.

“why does that name sound so familiar..” wonnie mumbled to herself.

“huh? does it?”

once they stopped at the street light, misa showed sunghoon's profile. wonyoung observed the page before gasping.

“wait, wait, wait him?” she exclaimed, more in a worried way.

“what, why? you're scaring me," misaki retracted her phone away from her frantic friend.

a horn honked from behind them, catching wonyoungs attention, she pushed on the gas to turn onto the freeway.

“you cannot date him and i'm serious about that,” her voice was stern and serious.

“why?” misa asked.

“well when i tell you, you wouldn't want to date him either,” the girl's ears perked up at her words, “his sister is park sara.”

for those of you who dont know, park sara is misaki’s number one enemy which automatically makes sunghoon second on that list.

“no fucking way,” misaki cursed under her breath, leaning back in her chair but she still couldn't stop herself from looking through his notes on twitter.

as much as she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about sungh- she couldn't even say his name. she's been calling him ‘photobooth guy’ and before she knew it, she was spamming wonyoung.

note: okie lets spice it up :O

© wonopia 2024

open TAGLIST. @coffeeprincejaehyun @hoonatic

[nitunio]

IDOLiSH7 Hunger Games Simulator

I used to play this thing all the time with other characters and fandoms. Now it's time for them to go through it!

Im using this website, you can press "Load Season" and paste the code XKs4qINi to load the main cast, then press "Edit Cast", scroll to the bottom, press "Submit" and you can proceed afterwards!! (the edit cast part is for it to refresh the whole thing, otherwise you will be playing my simulation ^__^"")

Now for the main attraction! I did one run of it and oh. . Experience under the cut! (VERY LONG POST)

Beginning!

Most people run away from the cornucopia, with the exception of them:

WHERE DO I BEGIN. Mitsuki's furious rage (contained in such a short body) made Tamaki give up. At least Sougo scored a mace for them (violently). Ryou loses also.

Minami fights Anesagi for a bag too, and Riku and Touma fight as well. Minami and Touma get their bags.

Weapons obtained: Nagi - sword, Torao - pair of sais, Okarin - handful of throwing knives (oh!), Momo - bow and arrows

Manager uses violence! Basket of bread obtained.

DAY 1

Not even the break of dawn, Momo already is set out for ZOOL. His archery skills are... admirable. Sorry Touma, your fight for the bag didn't save you

On this episode of Torao Needs A Therapist - WHAT. And on another note - Riku would probably be the worst person to go to with that request, I'm glad he went to him

Mitsuki also has a very... depressing thing going on, in spite of fighting so vigorously with Tamaki over a bag. And Yuki would never hurt his kouhai (with an, cough, exception).

Some of the other contestants sadly weren't lucky enough.

Nagi and Banri are killed gruesomely (an explosion and whatever torture Ryou did to Nagi). It's unclear if Gaku had an intention for murder, but we'll see later.. as for Ryou, he should find a better way to vent his anger after failing his fight for supplies.

In other news!

Sponsor items - Iori receives medical supplies, Okarin receives clean water

Takanashi Papa goes hunting.

Haruka picks flowers.

Minami and Yaotome Papa search for firewood. (separately)

Takanashi Papa goes hunting.

Anesagi discovers a river.

Deaths - Touma, Banri, Nagi

NIGHT 1

Starting the night off with something light - they're all decently equipped, and Momo is dealing with some stuff after killing Touma, but as always, not showing it. Mitsuki probably needed this mood lift too, since he didn't do too well before.

Tenn sees their fire but decides to stay hidden, trying to calculate his next move.

And continuing the trend of going to the worst people possible to be making this request to - we now know that what Gaku did was most likely an accident, and Banri just got caught up in it. Sorry, Gaku, you're gonna have to live with it.

In the distance, Takanashi Papa is trying to gather resources...

OLD MAN, DON'T CLIMB TREES, YOUR LIMBS MAY NOT BE SUITED FOR IT ANYMORE. Otoharu Takanashi joins Banri in heaven.

Other contestants find themselves alone...

Utsugi questions his sanity. Tsumugi questions her sanity too.

Anesagi cries herself to sleep.

Yaotome Papa attempts to start a fire, but is unsuccessful.

Ryou goes to sleep. (as one should after murdering a guy, you sick sick man)

But wait.. AN AMBUSH?!

Iori, Tamaki and Minami are no longer alive, because their attempt at ambushing was gravely unsuccessful. For all the planning Iori and Minami could do, there is no stopping Tamaki from acting rash..

And as a cherry on top, Torao finds new powers within himself after Riku's kind words this day and decides to-

Fatally injure Yamato! What an end to this night.

Maybe a nap would help...

Deaths - Takanashi Papa, Iori, Minami, Tamaki, Yamato

DAY 2

As the Sun's rays creep up on the grounds, people wake up and start their day with-

More bloodshed! Torao, I think you're getting WAY too into this, perhaps it might not be the best time to "give it your all"?

Other contestants seem to be doing better, possibly to balance out Torao's kill count.

As the remaining center of ZOOL, Haruka is doing his best to cover for the teammate in the "mercy" department. Thank you for sparing Sougo.

And Tenn is doing his usual thing.

In other, minor news:

Momo discovers a river.

Okarin diverts Tsumugi's attention and runs away. (Tsumugi CAN be scary, believe me)

Utsugi thinks about home.

Ryou fishes. Yuki constructs a shack. (treating it like a farming sim, I see)

Yaotome Papa travels to higher ground. (as he always does in his life)

Deaths - Ryuu, Mitsuki

Districts 2 and 9 are wiped out! Torao has the highest kill count (3) (I don't count Riku, Ryuu and Yuki in that because they were a team in killing the ambushers, and there's no way of telling who contributed the most)

NIGHT 2

Okarin and Sougo really love their campfire stories. And now that Tenn has calculated his moves from the past night, he can safely be in their company, now with his brother too.

Utsugi receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor.

Momo thinks about home. Yuki looks at the night sky. (sighss)

Haruka passes out from exhaustion.

Yaotome Papa and Torao both see the campfire, but stay hidden for the night.

A peaceful night indeed.. Wait!

An unlikely (by threat or withholding resources) alliance of Anesagi and Ryou is going after Tsumugi and Gaku! The Manager-Idol duo survive through their sheer power (Tsumugi) and the urge to protect (Gaku).

Deaths - Anesagi, Ryou

DAY 3

Usual day, as usual it can be.

Haruka fishes.

Sougo tries to sleep through the entire day. (uncharacteristically so, perhaps from exerting himself too much)

Tsumugi runs away from Momo. (knowing his archery skills, it could have been a worse outcome. glad Momo's not out for blood)

Yuki attacks Gaku, but he manages to escape. (Gaku, what did you say to him?)

Yaotome Papa steals from Tenn while he isn't looking. (TRIGGER's property is his property too, right?)

But there's more!

Riku plays with some dangerous toys and finishes Torao's kill streak by exploding him, with Utsugi getting caught in the explosion too (That's the second manager who barely did anything and exploded. Stop exploding your local managers)

And maybe give your managers medicine next time too? Okarin received clean water earlier, but it clearly wasn't enough to stop the deathly infection.

Deaths - Torao, Utsugi, Okarin

District 8 and 11 got wiped out! 2 members of i7, 2 members of TRG, the entirety of Re:V and 1 member of ZOOL are alive. Tsumugi and Yaotome Papa are still alive too.

NIGHT 3

Surprisingly devoid of spilled blood, the night is spent peacefully

Haruka thinks about home.

Momo and Tenn run into each other and decide to truce for the night. (best interest in mind, and looking after a kouhai too! great!)

Yuki, Yaotome Papa, Riku, and Gaku sleep in shifts. (unexpected to see Gaku team up with his old man, but things happen! Riku and Yuki decide to continue their alliance from before)

Sougo receives medical supplies from an unknown sponsor. (so that no people can die from infection injuries ever again.)

Tsumugi questions her sanity. (i would too)

DAY 4

The cornucopia is replenished with food, supplies, weapons, and memoirs from the tributes' families.

Yuki and Gaku get into a fight over raw meat, but Yuki gives up and runs away. (he needs it for his makeshift soba, Yuki!)

Haruka decides not to go to The Feast. And as we see, it was one of the better decisions.

Yaotome Papa decides to end all sorts of rumors and blow up Riku. Unfortunately, Tenn's "twin sixth sense" couldn't make him get there in time to lead Riku away, but at least they're together now. Two kills on Yaotome Papa (and, like son like father, both he and Gaku are responsible for most explosion deaths. brilliant. please don't continue!) (also fun that Riku was playing with explosives earlier and now died. because of them)

The Feast also brings us a fight!

Sougo has had a mace since the beginning, and now he decided to use it well! And well, he used it. Momo's bow/arrows and Tsumugi's raw strength just couldn't compare.

Deaths - Riku, Tenn, Tsumugi, Momo

DAY 4 (CONT.)

Yuki camouflauges himself in the bushes. (already looks the part)

Yaotome Papa constructs a shack. (what else to do after setting off an explosive)

Sougo tends to Haruka's wounds. (very cute moment after a double-murder, but now these medicals supplies are getting some use!)

Gaku practices his archery. (did you not hear what they did to another archer moments ago?)

NIGHT 4

Yaotome Papa and Yuki tell stories about themselves to each other.

Gaku receives a hatchet from an unknown sponsor. (GREAT.)

Sougo tends to his wounds. (efficient and great! probably one of the better doing contestants)

Here's an example of a contestant who's not doing well.

He'll sleep it off, I'm sure.

DAY 5

Yaotome Papa starts the day off by making a wooden spear. Let's see how others are do-

BETRAYAL! After all the injuries have been healed, and Haruka's mind cleared off from screaming, he went straight for it! What a twist!!!!!! WHAT A MOVE!!!

And Sougo might not be the only one with the bad luck today.

Gaku gets betrayed by the ice and his own body, and drowns in the lake. Sadly the received hatchet will never be used.

Let's see how Yuki's doing.

Oh. Alright.

And now it all comes down to these three.

NIGHT 5

Haruka and Yaotome Papa talk about the tributes still alive. (not a lot of them, and you make 67% of the population now. this is just Yuki gossip)

Yuki accidently detonates a land mine while trying to arm it. WHAT.

Deaths - Yuki

DAY 6

Yaotome Papa accidently detonates a land mine while trying to arm it.

Hey. I think the land mines might be faulty. What the fuck!

And the winner is - Isumi Haruka, the lucky man who did not want to arm the landmines! His journey was tough, but in the end it all came down to not touching explosives.

Congratulations!

[dramaticviolincrescendo]

It never ceases to amaze me how phenomenally written Sora’s story is.

All this time, he’s been nothing but an ordinary person. He’s always been pure, kind, and compassionate, but there’s nothing exceptional about him from the very start. He’s not a Prince[ss] of Heart like Kairi or the inheritor of the Keyblade like Riku. Besides his heart hotel, he’s just some kid going about his life, looking for adventure with his friends.

He’s in the right place at the right time with someone he’s closely connected to, and his entire world changes.

Sora goes through so many stages throughout the games. In KH1, he’s cautious. It’s his first time away from home and he’s alone but for these new friends he’s made, so he stays on task and observant, though there are still moments of goofiness. (Pun intended.) It’s a big change from the little kid we met in BbS, who was in his element in that tiny world.

Through CoM, KH2, and DDD, he follows the advice of the people he meets: he follows his heart. He doesn’t plan ahead too much—or plan at all, much of the time—since he has his goal in mind and is going to ride the waves of what feels right in pursuit of that goal. It worked before, so why shouldn’t it now?

But Sora is an ordinary boy, and he’s up against an enemy so extraordinary that the guy even thought of using replicas and time travel to make sure he got what he wanted no matter the setbacks he might face. No one is prepared to face that, but Sora doesn’t realize it. Regardless of warnings, that confrontation didn’t scare him. (See what I did there.) Following his heart and winning time and time again did something that happens to every ordinary person at one point or another: it made him cocky.

Terra was cocky, manipulated by Xehanort’s compliments rather than taking his master’s criticism to heart. Riku was cocky, believing himself to be so strong—strong enough to protect what mattered—that nothing could stop him. They paid the price early on and have been clawing their way to recovery ever since.

Sora pays it later, and when he does, it shatters his confidence. The people around him underwent the trials that conquered their hubris already, so in the wake of being thoroughly tricked and manipulated like a puppet in DDD despite following the path that’s always worked for him, he’s surrounded by competent and extraordinary people who seem to have themselves put together when he doesn’t. People who were special from the start in one way or another. And so Sora spends KH3 trying to get back what he lost while being painfully aware of how inadequate he is (or feels that he is) next to everyone else.

Because he’s a normal guy, and he knows it now that he doesn’t feel so invincible. He learns what every normal person does as they leave adolescence and enter adulthood: bad things happen, things that can’t be avoided or fixed with good intentions or teamwork alone, and sometimes there’s nothing you can do about it but pick yourself up and learn for the next time.

He pushes himself too far. He pays the ultimate price.

But he learned. Pure, kind, and compassionate he remains—but he learned.

Twenty years of character development artfully woven to reach this point. Well played, Nomura.

[kinglyisms]

♚ — @ensxrcelled ;; Luka & Rikuto. [ 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 ] : riku has just told luka "you belong to me".

   Luka really loathed these little political dances that they seemed to enjoy holding. These strange balls where they invited any and all sorts of powerful nobles and other weird Vampires as some sort of power statement. At least that was what it seemed like they were doing, flashing around the things they had and their pretty little powerful titles that did absolutely nothing for anyone else. What else would the reason be for holding balls? It didn’t seem like anyone else enjoyed them, least of all him when Rikuto was working. 

   They had him dressed in such elegant and annoying ways, they even had someone do his hair which was bothering him the most. He wanted to pick out the weird hair product and overly tight small braid that pinned his hair back. He hadn’t even realized his hair was long enough to do that with but they had managed it somehow. The white and blue flashy suit certainly drew attention to his eyes, but the little snowflake pattern on the vest seemed almost mocking. He knew it wasn’t, but he didn’t enjoy it either. 

   He must have looked nice and inviting because far too many people had come up to attempt to talk to him. In his discomfort he had frozen a good number of glasses each time they did, not intentionally of course but it certainly did enough to scare off a few of the people wanting to converse with him. It apparently did nothing for the young, naive, annoying Vampire that was currently talking to him and clearly wanted to take Luka to a dark room no one would find them in for hours. He’s never, actually, had someone undress him with their eyes until this guy. Except maybe Rikuto, but he had special privileges to. 

   Despite repeated attempts at telling the man off politely (because he’s not looking to start a political fight), the guy clearly didn’t take the hint or ignored it. His little comments of you look so pretty and your eyes remind me of blue diamonds, had him just about wanting to shove his frozen glass of (blood wine?) down this man’s throat. He hasn’t actually drank any of the drinks he’s been handed and he’s starting to be glad he hadn’t. 

   Further debates of how to absolutely rip this man’s organs out were mentally sat aside when he felt his wrist taken and Luka effectively removed from the conversation. Up until now Rikuto had kept the perfect image of the soldier guarding the people in the ballroom. To see him now, grabbing and pulling Luka from the room, clearly irritated–it was really amusing. He thought about trying to stop him, to get his attention, maybe tease him but he wanted to leave the party just as much as the other clearly did. 

   And they didn’t even make it that far. 

   He found himself shoved into an empty room and then pressed up against the door, Rikuto’s arms pinning him in place as his head tucked down into Luka’s neck. The high collar of the suit he was shoved into had to be annoying, but he wasn’t about to remove any of his clothing himself. The words that were muttered into his shoulder though, that brought a small chuckle to his lips, a growing smile. 

   “You belong to me.” 

   Just two simple words, and so bold of him to say. He’s certainly become just as comfortable around Luka as he has Rikuto. To so easily lay claim to each other, so want and let themselves want. To chase each other and touch so freely. He wouldn’t have it any other way either, he did so desperately love and want the man clinging to him. To the point it does worry him, but he tries at least here to not let those worries consume him.

   It certainly won’t stop him from teasing Rikuto.

   “Do I?” He questioned, a smile tugging onto his lips. “Why don’t you prove it, Rikuto?”

[oveliagirlhaditright]

It actually makes a lot of sense, that in the Lost Kingdom Hearts Pilot that Kairi would be encouraging Sora and Riku to finally stop sparring for the day and come and enjoy the sunset. (She was going to do this twice after they planned to add in some extra dialogue.)

It reminds me in the game when you talk to Kairi after you've collected all the provisions for the trip. And she'll say, "Tired? Want to call it a day?" And if you say no, she'll say something like, "Still restless, I see."

Guys, Seth Kearsley was on point. And I think he just made me pick up on another character trait of Kairi's.

[princekirijo]

Since you've been talking about Riku quite a bit lately I was just wondering - are there any of your mutuals' ocs that you think he would get along well with?

Alright I've been putting this off for like. Two months now because I've been really nervous about it (a good nervous) but fuck it I'm just gonna get this done!!!

OK so the short answer is yes. I'll be 100% honest whenever a mutual posts about their OC I am IMMEDIATELY thinking about how they'd vibe with Riku. I can't help it I think about him 24/7 and to be honest I think it's actually a fun exercise that helps build up characters to imagine how he'd get on with other people.

The longer answer is tough because I don't want to ramble on too long and also I feel. silly. enough so I'm gonna just limit it to a few of my mutuals OCs. Readmore cause this got kinda long but also let me say that you should absolutely check out all the OCs I mentioned because they're so cool and well thought out and just amazing :]

So the first one is Nico (latenitewaffles) OC Katsuro Sanada who has been spinning around in my head ever since Nico introduced him. He's such a cool guy and I get excited whenever Nico posts about him!! Katsuro is an Akishinji kid so obviously with Riku being a Yukamitsu kid, these two would have grown up together. I think they'd balance each other pretty well!! From what I know of Katsuro he's a pretty chilled low energy dude, which honestly Riku needs because that boy is like a comet. Full of energy fr fr. I feel like Riku would have also had a much better time as a kid because he would have had someone very close to his age as a friend. There would be a period of time where the two would be in Kosei together and unfortunately I feel like they wouldn't spend much time together because Riku would have shut himself off from everyone while he was dealing with Hatanaka's bullshit and at the same time Katsuro had all the stuff with Nakada going on too. They'd def make it up to each other afterwards though :] Also Riku 🤝 Katsuro -> having weird ass dreams involving moons and coffins and green skies.

The second one I'm picking I'm cheating a little and picking two of Rui's (wildcard-rumi) OCs Tobei and Aki! If you wanna read more about them I'd highly recommend Rui's fic its so so good. I know there's more OCs in their Persona group but these would be the two I know most about. I think Riku would vibe with them pretty well too!! I know Tobei dislikes being pitied for his illness and I think Riku would kinda get that. He'd have to stop himself from checking in on him every two minutes because he just really cares about his friends but I think Riku would definitely encourage him to try new things, although maybe his high energy might overwhelm Tobei a bit... As for Aki well Riku would honestly vibe with him so much, he'd probably beg Aki to get him to teach him skateboard tricks... only for him to fail spectacularly because he was way too over enthusiastic about it. Also I found it kinda funny there's a place in the fic called Riku Park which is connected to the Labyrinth (which is the Shadow world of Rui's fic) and I think Riku would constantly refer to it as his park and would probably try and convince people he bought it. Just to see the look on their faces 💀

The third one then I'm picking is Asuka Misty (misty-wisp) OC! Another OC I've been rotating in my brain since Misty dropped this fic with her. Initially I think Asuka would be weary of Riku. Cause like Asuka is a very anxious person (for good reason too girl's going through it) and Riku is well. Riku "is anyone gonna rush head first into this dangerous situation" then doesn't wait for an answer Kirijo. However, I think because Asuka is really good at reading people, she'd probably be one of the few people to pick up on the fact that Riku's ego is just a front for how insecure in himself he actually is and eventually I think they'd be good friends :] Also I'm pretty sure Asuka gets on very well with Ann and well Riku gets on extremely well with Ann so the three of them would vibe well with Ann acting as kinda the middle ground between the two.

OK I think that's like. The main ones I can think of where I know enough about the OC to talk about the potential Riku dynamic. A few honorable mentions would be (yusuke-of-valla) Alto's OC Ryuko, both her and Riku are theatre kid nerds and would probably sing + gush about Musicals together, Gabe (elijah-terry) OC Yuuha again they both love dancing so they'd vibe with that and also they have a black mask AU and thats all I can think of for now. I know there's other OCs I'm missing so I'm really sorry about that >.< But this was a really fun ask to think out thank you anon :] and I hope I did all my mutuals' OCs justice....

[system-of-a-feather]

*shakes our system*

Okay so since WHEN was the "average gender" in our system so significantly masc? Since WHEN was the average "preferred sex" in our collective bisexuality notably MALE lean?

Since when was I such an extreme minority in this system that I'm the "Female Alter" now like bro

I'm not actually like upset but what the fuck guys who what when where why and how did this happen 😂

Like its a meme that Lucille and I used to not get along and the last few months we've started to make up and we accounted it to being like, ya know more mature and having processed things and grown up and shit, but honestly I think it's cause at this point Lucille's like one of the top five most "feminine / female" parts in our system and I need to stick with my girls - we're a species going extinct in this system like hold on man like what? 😂

I'm happy for everyone here for figuring themselves out and all, and like yeah I'm technically nonbinary and shit and I don't really mind that much that we are transitioning and sorting that shit out cause I'm fine tbh

But I'm just like

We used to be such suckers for women and literally had a period of considering ourselves "basically lesbian" because we had no intent of being with a guy and like that obviously changed and so we stopped claiming it but like

😂 Why am I the only loud and major suckers for women these days 😂 Why is Riku the second loudest fem fansf 😂 We used to be the majority what happened while I was gone 😂

Like literally last time I was active it was like a 60/40 split in both attraction ratio towards women and 50/50 fem to masc presentation now its like 20/80 for attraction favoring men and like 20/80 fem to masc presentation

Like I GET it XIV is a beast of a part and he just hijacked the system and guided Riku and other parts through shit and of course we melded more like him cause like, he gets it and shit but still

*picks up my dress frills* WHERE ARE MY WOMEN IN THIS SYSTEM

I'm going to grab Lucille, Eva, and Iris and never let them go. We are a dying species here. I need my feminine energies.

-Aderis

[yzafre]

when I'm lost in the storm (and I'm calling) | Ch 1

AO3

<< Previous Work

“Are preparations complete?”

“Well, we’re still two short in the long-haul, but we’ve got what we need – at least for now.”

“Good.  And the first vessel?”

“Needs a bit more work.  Don’t you worry, though, it’ll be done in time for your little test drive.”

“Excellent.  Then let’s begin.”

Riku, a storm’s coming.

I know, the waves are getting steep.

Cold pavement to the face was one of Sora’s least favorite ways to wake up – probably top 5, definitely top 10.  Groaning, Sora pushed to his feet, stumbling a bit as his center of balance swung wildly, the ends of his limbs not quite where he thought they’d be.

Right, he’d been shrunk down, although…

“What’s with my clothes?  Must be more of Yen Sid’s magic.”

He picked at the fabric for a bit – twisting to try and look it all over – before dropping it with a huff, peering out from the small balcony he was ensconced in.  It was quiet – too quiet.  No bustle below, not even a whistle of wind, and no snarky commentary at his shoulder.  Shaking off his unease, he jumped up on the railing to get a better view of the area.

“Huh, this is… Traverse town.  Then, we made it through to the next world!  But what happened to Riku?  Hey!  Riku!”

“Shut it,” a voice snapped from below, “Talk about noise.”

Sora startled, falling over the edge of the balcony and landing in a heap below.  Ow, that hurt.  Footsteps approached as he winced, levering up on his elbows.  A boy with bright orange hair stared down at him, utterly unimpressed.

“Sora, right?” he said, reaching out and pulling Sora to his feet, using the same grip to flip his palm over, “Looks like you’re not a Player.”

“Uh, yeah, but… How do you know that?  And what’s a player?”

That was how Sora met Neku Sakuraba.

Neku very briefly explained his situation – a big game, played strictly in partners, and Neku already had one…somewhere.

“Okay, so, we can’t be partners,” Sora said, “Why don’t I just help you out as your friend?”

“Now we’re friends?” the boy scoffed, turning away, “It’s not that easy.”

“Not saying it is, but… you could make it easier.”

“Yeah, sounds great.  Whatever.”

“Cool!  Lead the way.”

Neku had a habit of leaving him behind, but he also showed Sora how to synthesize Dream Eaters, so that was pretty cool.  Take that, Moogles – he could learn to synthesize himself!

Sora had been a bit hesitant, at first, but he quickly warmed up to the little creature that bounced beside him into battle.  Not quite a cat, and not quite a dog, Meow Wow followed at his heels eagerly.

“Man, this guy’s pretty cool,” Sora said, rubbing at the creature’s head, “Are all Spirits like this?”

Neku shrugged, his own cat-creature rubbing at his shins, “The ones you make, anyways.  There’s naturally occurring Sprits, too, but they don’t really get close.  They’re not going to attack you, not like the nightmares, but they’re not gonna be your friend, either.  And some of them are weirder then others.  If you see ones with a special mark, don't even try.”

“Naturally occurring Spirits?  Huh.”

“Yeah, they’re – “ Neku cut off with a shudder, gaze going distant as he pressed a hand to his chest, a soft glow beneath it.  A moment later he grimaced, turning away.

“Neku?”

“Come on; we’ve wasted enough time.”

“Oh, right!  Let’s go!”

They ducked into an ally, taking the bend around towards the Third District, Neku always several feet ahead, hands tucked into his pocket and head ducked low.  As they passed what should have been Leon’s house, heading down the steps to the main square, he began looking around.

At the very center of the area, Neku stopped, turning on one foot to take in the whole room.

“I brought you Sora!” he called, “We had a bargain!”

“Neku?  What’s the matter?”

In the black of the sky, something moved.  Sora traced the silhouette as it paced across the roofs, coming ever closer to the edge until the light caught on it, revealing a familiar black coat.

“No way!”

His Key leapt to his hand.  The Organization membered lunged, magic crackling at their fingertips.

“Hey!” Neku called, racing forward in turn, “That wasn’t the deal!  You said you wouldn’t hurt him!”

“Don’t!  Neku!  They’re too dangerous!”  Sora started forward, rushing to help, but the figure’s head turned, catching his gaze with the endless black beneath the hood, and suddenly his legs turned to jelly beneath him.

The world went black.

Riku woke up alone.  He was certain he had just been beside Sora, drowning beneath the waves.  Now, he was in Traverse Town, surrounded by nothing but silence.

“Sora!  Where are you?”

No answer.  He frowned, reaching inside him for their bond.  Where was Sora?  Everywhere, his heart whispered, he’s here, he’s there, he’s everywhere.

How very helpful.

Sighing, he resurfaced.  Well, he was pretty sure they’d opened a Keyhole, so this must be one of the sleeping worlds.  It hadn’t been a conscious act, really, but he was certain of it.

“My Keyblade – it just sort of… popped into my hand when I needed it most,” he mused, “So, then – it’s started.”

“Wow!  Where’s your portal?”

Riku startled, spinning on his heel, tracking the voice, till he found the source perched on top of a nearby fountain.

“It takes something special to jump between grounds without one.”

Grounds?  Did he mean worlds?  Riku frowned, glaring up at the boy, “Who are you?”

“My name is Joshua.”

“What do you mean, Portal?”

Joshua arched one brow, leaning deeper on his knees to peer down at Riku, “Are we just skipping past the part where you tell me your name?”

“Riku,” he said grudgingly, impatience thrumming through him even as a sort of embarrassment prickled through his chest.

“Hello there, Riku,” Joshua smirked, “Portals are like gateways that link up our worlds.  Apparently, the world you and I are standing in right now – well, it’s been sort of split in half. Portals are what let folks like us cross between them.”

“There can be two of a world?”

“The world is as many things as people need it to be. The concept that we all live in the same world--that's just in our heads. Surely you knew?” Joshua drawled, idly curling a lock of hair around his finger, “I’ll tell you what, Riku. I've got a little errand for you.”

Riku immediately backed away, shaking his head, “Sorry. I don't trust you.”

“Aw, at least hear me out!” Joshua pouted, “I'm looking for a girl named Rhyme. She's the key to the Portal. And on the other side, who knows who we'll find? Maybe even your friend...Sora.”

His heart leapt.  He froze in his tracks, “You know Sora?”

“Now I have your attention.”

If Joshua was going to make the entire trek with him, Riku wasn’t sure why he was needed at all.  Still, Joshua at least made himself somewhat useful, explaining how dreams shaped the world around them and pointing out the peculiarity of the Dream Eaters.  Most helpfully, he showed him how to “shape” his dreams.

“Like this,” he said, cupping his Riku’s hands around a cluster of materials, prodding him to call up a burst of magic, showing him how to mold the shifting energy.

“And now, all it needs are your dreams.”

His dreams?  He wasn’t even sure what those were, anymore.  He was afraid he’d left those all behind, lost them to the darkness he drowned in.  This whole test was a chance to figure out who he was, now.

He was never going to be like Sora, an everlasting light; the shadows still clung to him too much for that.  But he wanted – he wanted…

The materials in his hand crackled, exploded out like smoke, pushing his hands away.  From the center a shadow grew, until it sprung out, immediately fluttering into his face.  It was a round, fuzzy ball sporting bat-like wings, and it chittered happily in his face.

“So you’re… my dreams?”

“How interesting,” Joshua said, leaning in for a better look, “Yes, I think he’ll do you very well.”

“What is that supposed to –“

“I gotchu now, Joshua!”

Riku snapped his head around to the voice, but Joshua just slumped in place.  A well-muscled kid leaned over the fencing above, foot on the rail as he posed dramatically.

“Once I take you down, yo, me and Rhyme is goin’ back where we belong!”

“Beat,” Joshua sighed, “How many times do we have to go over this?  You’ve been tricked – by that rouge in the black coat.”

It was like lightning up his spine, his stomach dropping out from under him, “What?  Black coats?  But that’s…”

They were gone – the Organization was destroyed.  It was over… wasn’t it?

A voice in the back of his mind remembered Mickey’s worried face when he’d shown him Naminé’s strange drawing, reminded him that Yen Sid wouldn’t have scheduled this test if he didn’t think there was a storm on the horizon.  His heart sank.

By the time he regained himself, Beat and Joshua seemed to have worked out their disagreement.

“This is stale, yo,” Beat sighed.

“Playing the tough guy twenty-four seven?” Joshua asked wryly, “I’d be worn out too.”

Beat shrugged, looking away moodily, “I just… wanna protect the one person who matters.”

“I know the feeling,” Riku said softly.  He glanced away, unsure, then opened his mouth, stepping forward to make an offer when –

His legs buckled under him, the world swimming.

What is this?

He fumbled in the dark, hand along the wall.  He could hear them, in the distance – they were outside, he just had to get there, just had to keep walking.  On and on, as the path went up, and up, and up, he tripped over –

a chest in the attic.  He just needed to find the stairs, he could hear them outside.  They were going to add extension to the tree house, he just needed to find –

the exit, there it was, a light to his left.  He turned, walking towards it, splashing through the puddles on the floor.  As he got closer, the light source sharpened, came into focus, reflecting off the water below.  A strange, flourishing heart, a teardrop cut out of its center, bracketed by the outline of two curved-in wings.  It burned in the dark.

The water began to rise.  He began to sink.  Two glowing eyes opened around the symbol, one on top of the other, staring down at him.

Oh, how did you get here? A high, thin voice echoed, We’ve never had someone stumble upon us before.  We had to bring all the others here ourselves.

Have you become unchained? A soft, melodic voice chimed, No… this is something different.

The waters rose, coming up to his chest.  Much more, and he’d have to tread to keep afloat.  Above, a thin ray of light cut through the dark.  Those eyes looked upwards.  A hand brushed his forehead.

It seems you won’t be here for long, the reedy voice hummed.

Yes, the melodic voice whispered, it looks like it’s time for you to –

wake up.

Cold pavement, again.  This time, however, there was a warm body at his side, and a strange lump on his back.

What was…. Oh!

Sora came alert with a gasp, jumping to his feet, the weight falling from him with a sharp squeak.

“Where is he?  …They’re both gone.”

Sighing, he crossed his arm, turning to frown down at Meow Wow – only to find a second, very indignant, face staring up at him from behind Meow Wow.

“Uh?  Who are you?”

He kneeled down, reaching out to the creature.  It kept a grumpy expression firmly on its face, but still pressed into his hand as he began to pet the small bat-like creature.

“Did you guys see where they went?”  The spirits didn’t give him an answer.  Instead, Meow Wow ducked its head under his other hand, and he took up petting it as well.  He sighed.

“Well, before I fell asleep, Neku said that he and that creep in the coat had a ‘deal’.  But, what was the deal?  Are the two of them in league?”

His stomach squirmed.  He paused, hand going still and earning two matching whines from the creatures in front of him.  Shaking his head, he stood up, “That can’t be right.  We never even found Neku’s partner.  But, now what… man, I wish Riku were here.”

The bat trilled, leaping into the air with a beat of its wings and spinning around him with a repeated series of chirps.

“Huh?  What’s got you so excited – wait, do you know Riku?  Do you know where he is?”

The bat cooed, landing on his shoulder and pressing into his face.

“I guess not,” he sighed, pressing a hand to his heart.  He plucked on the string of his bond with Riku, getting a delayed pulse back.  But where was he?  Here, his heart answered, he’s hereherehere.  Of course, Riku was always with him.  Right now, though, being able to talk to him might be more useful.

A wave of warmth pulsed over him, over Riku, washing out from Kairi’s end of their bond, and he took a deep breath.

“Well, no sense just standing here.  I’ll just take a look around.”

Traverse town was bigger than he’d ever known.  There was even a huge, multi-level post office!  It should have been obvious, given the mailboxes, but somehow, he’d never thought about that.  Past that were more streets, that eventually opened out into a big, open area with a huge fountain.

“Whoa,” he breathed, spinning in place to take it all in.

Just as he made full circle, there was a strange shuffling sound behind him, and he froze.   He craned his head to the side slowly, then froze even more, if that was possible, when he saw what was making the noise.

A Dream Eater was crossing the path.  A Spirit, for sure, not a Nightmare – the colors were different, for one, and there was a strange wing-like embellishment around the marking on its back, one he could swear he’d seen somewhere, just recently, if he could just remember –

It trotted across the path, a smaller Nightmare thrashing in its mouth.  Abruptly, it gave a shake, head twisting wildly to swing the Nightmare through the air, before doing a double-take and freezing, its eyes catching on Sora as well.

For a long moment, they just stared at each other, both unsure what to do, before the Spirit tightened its jaw with a crunch, the Nightmare poofing into smoke.  It gave a single bark, then turned, racing towards the fountain in the center of the area.

“Hey, wait!” Sora called, but it was too late.  In a great leap, the Spirit bounded into the fountain water splashing up after it.  When Sora reached the edge, peering inside, it had disappeared.

“Was that… one of those ‘naturally occurring Spirits’ Neku was talking about?”

Past the fountain, the path led to a winding, stair-step neighborhood lit with twinkling lights.  At the base of a hill, a large stadium was lit with neon lights and surrounded by lights.

“Ooh!  What’s that?”

He raced forward, marveling at the lights, when a girl to the side caught his eye.  In this whole city, the only people he’d seen were Neku and the Organization (and, of course, the ever-present moogles).  So how was she here?

“Hey, um,” Sora called, waving hesitantly when she turned to face him with a curious smile, “Any chance you’re Neku’s partner?”

The girl’s name was Rhyme, and she’d lost her memory.  At his suggestion that Neku might be able to help her out, she happily tagged along.  Thankfully, it didn’t take them long to find the other boy.

“Hey, Neku!”

He flinched, turning to look hesitantly over his shoulder, “Sora – what?  You actually still trust me?”

“Of course I do.”

“But, you know that I tricked you, right?  That guy in the black coat, he said he could send me home – me and my partner – but I had to bring you to him first.  Sorry.”

“No big deal,” Sora shrugged, more a roll of his shoulders than anything, as he moved to disentangle Komori Bat from chewing irritably on his ear, “When it really mattered, you stood up for me.  And besides – we’re friends.  Right?”

“Friends… yeah, okay.”

Unfortunately, Rhyme was not Neku’s partner – and no sooner had they been introduced than she disappeared into thin air.  The cloaked figure was back, staring menacingly down from the roof.  The weight of that stare fell upon him once more, but this time a surge of power rose up beside him.  Energy fizzled at his fingertips, along his spine, until it pushed back the heaviness, heavy wings popping from his spine.

Sora staggered for a moment under the weight – he hadn’t used these other wings since his own came in – but quickly restabilized.  The figure cocked their head to the side, then raised their hands to the sky, pulling Darkness from the very air.  A Nightmare slammed to the ground, and the figure turned away as a Corridor bloomed into existence.

“Huh?  Hey, wait!”  Sora didn’t need the urging of the other mind beside his to lunge after them, but his way was blocked by the Nightmare.  The corridor closed, and the weight of the wings lessened, dispelling with a thought.

Sora pulled out his own in their place, his Key coming soon after.

“Out of my way!”

When the Nightmare fell, Sora glided in for a landing, giving his wings one good shake before folding them into his spine.  Neku reached him soon after, coming to a silent stop by his side.  They both paused for a moment, breathing heavily in the aftermath of the fight, before a flash of light to the side caught their eye.

“Riku!”

His Flightmate appeared like a ghostly image, followed by a girl with long red hair.  His face was young and round in a way that sent Sora’s head swimming, all reminders of younger, easier days.  Heart leaping, he rushed forward, only to come up short as a chime rang through the air with a shower of sparks.

“Hold on, Sora.”

The voice was unfamiliar to him – but not, apparently, to Neku, whose spine straightened with a snap.

“Joshua.”

“Hello, Neku,” the new boy appeared from thin air between one second and the next, bringing Rhyme along with him, “How long the days without you have felt.”

“Rhyme!” Sora cheered, “I’m glad you’re okay.  Neku, do you know this guy?”

“Yeah.  Joshua.  He’s my… friend.”

Neku sounded a bit unsure of the last part but given his track record on the subject so far, Sora figured he’d let it slide.

“Okay.  Are you the one who took Rhyme away?  And, why do you know my name?”

Sora couldn’t entirely follow the explanation that followed, but he thought he got the gist of it – Joshua did do something with Rhyme, that something let him make portals, and he’d met Riku, somewhere on the other side of that portal.

“You mean… another Traverse Town?  Can I get there with your Portal thing?”

Sora reached for it, but Joshua quickly caught his wrist.

“Sad to say, it won’t work for you.  My ‘portal thing’ only opens for the one with Rhyme’s dreams.  In this projection,” here, Joshua waved to the still-moving projection, where first the girl, then Riku had disappeared around a corner, “You’re seeing another chain of events.  In another world trapped by the Dream Eaters.”

As he watched, Riku appeared again, backing down the stairs.  He stared up with horror, eyes wide, wild, in a way that sent Sora’s pulse racing.

“As for how the world got split in two,” Joshua continued, “I have a feeling you’ll need to ask this guy.”

From around the corner, the figure in the black coat appeared, stalking towards Riku.

A pluck at his bonds, a hand reaching out – where are you?

Here – his heart called, stretching into the dark, I’m here, always.

A wave of warmth, cradling him softly, and he –

Riku woke to something bouncing against his face insistently.

“Ugh… what… happened?”

There was a happy bark and response, and his eyes shot open.  A dream eater sat in front of him – one of those strange, bean-shaped ones – only with a different color palette.  A Spirit?

Apparently, he was taking too long to respond, because it began bouncing again, leaping eagerly into his chest.

“What, where did you come from?  Where is - ?”

A glance around showed Komori Bat watching indulgently from a nearby bench – and no one else.  Joshua and Beat were gone.

Instead, there was a girl fleeing from Dream Eaters, calling for help.  When he managed to chase them down, intervening just as the Nightmares had her cornered, she sighed in relief.

“Seriously, thanks,” she breathed as the last of the creatures dissipated into smoke, “I’m Shiki, how ‘bout you?”

“Riku.”

“Thanks, Riku.”

“Sure,” he sighed, letting his Keyblade fade from his hands.  Now, what next?  He needed to figure out how to get to that other half of the world Joshua mentioned, and his one lead was missing.

“Hey!” Shiki called, “That’s it?  You chat up a girl and then jus say, ‘Sure’, and walk off?”

Riku froze, slowly turning back, “I’m… bad at this.  Sorry.  Look, it’s not safe here.  You should go home.”

She pouted, “If it’s dangerous, how can you just leave me here?  Aren’t you my knight in shining armor?”

Bringing a doll she kept with her up to her face, she winked at him, and he felt his cheeks warm.

“Kn-knight?  You’ve got the wrong idea.”

Her eyes popped wide, and she looked away, muttering to herself before looking back at him with amusement in his eyes, “You get out much?”

He crossed his arms, embarrassment sinking deeper, and she laughed, “You remind me of this guy I know.  Well, good thing we met.”

“Yeah, great,” he sighed.

Shiki seemed happy enough to tag along as he started searching for Joshua, pointing out new paths he could take along the way.

“So, I gotta ask – where do you get your clothes?” She said as they wound their way through sloped, curving streets.

“My… clothes?” Riku asked, tugging at the hem of his shirt.  They were likely made from Yen Sid’s magic, but how did he explain that?  “I… got them from a friend.”

“A friend, huh?” Shiki echoed, humming a skeptical note that veered close to disdainful.

“What?” he snapped, shoulders hunching up around his ears.

“Well, it’s just.  It’s not that it’s bad!  I just have some questions about their choices.”

“Uh,” how was he supposed to respond to that?

“They’re okay!  I mean, the pants are kind of… and I really don’t get the wrist band thing, you and that guy both – but the shirt is nice!  Though I do wonder why they used that symbol.”

“Symbol?” Riku wondered, twisting to try and see what she was talking about.

“Yeah, right here!” she said, tracing a hand along his back that he quickly shied away from, “It’s like the Dream Eater symbol, but it’s got some extra lines… kind of like wings wrapped around it.”

“That’s,” odd, he wanted to say.  He didn’t know that was there, and he wasn’t sure it mattered.  Yen Sid probably had a reason, “I don’t know.  You’d have to ask my friend.”

“Well.  I just may, when this is all over.”

“You do that.”

A moment later she perked up, bouncing away, “Oh, let’s go – “

She gasped, stumbling to a stop, hand to her chest.  A green glow built below it, and she closed her eyes, taking several long, deep breaths, the light dimming with each one.  Once it was gone, she opened her eyes again, with a strange, melancholy look that looked out of place on her.

“Hey,” he said, faltering, “Are you – okay?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” she said softly, beginning to walk forward again.

She didn’t look satisfied though, so Riku trailed after silently, and sure enough a moment later she started again, “My partner and I are supposed to fight together, you know.  But whatever’s got us separated, it’s putting us out of Sync.  We can still pass energy to each other, but it’s all a bit… off.”

“Pass energy?” Riku wondered, “Oh.  This guy you’re looking for, you two are bonded?”

“Bonded?” Shiki echoed, and Riku shifted uncomfortably for a moment before briefly flaring his wings, quickly nestling them back along his spine.  Her eyes lit up in understanding, and she shook her head.

“Oh!  No, no.  What we’ve got is a Pact, not a Bond.  A bit different, really.  If I was bonding, it would be with – well.”

She shook her hair, glancing ahead, then straightened, pasting a smile across her face.

“Over there!”

“Hey!” Riku called, stumbling to a stop, “We should stick together!”

Shiki didn’t listen, racing away and turning a corner.  Moments later, he heard a scream.

“Perfect,” he grumbled, summoning his Key and hurrying to the stairs, “You can’t expect me to –“

A figure in a black coat, face obscured, stared down at him from the top of the stairs.  Shiki’s doll laid at his feet.  Ice rushed down his spine.

“Shiki!  No way!”

The figure stepped towards him, a half-step aborted as his foot landed on the doll.  They pulled back, glancing down briefly before kicking it out of the way.  Their way clear, they began to descend the stairs, stride sure and firm.

“How did you get here?”

“Who are you?” Riku snarled.

“By choice or chance?” the figure continued to muse, ignoring him completely.  They cocked their head to the side, “You cannot control what you’re not aware of.  So then, this wakeless sleep will be your prison – to wander forever.”

There was this presence surrounding him.  A heavy pressure, thick and familiar, hovering over the figure, baring hidden fangs at Riku as he backed away, step by unknowing step, until his heel met the edge of the platform.  His Key fizzled away from his hand, each breath a struggle, feeling like he was choking on the power in the air.

“What do you mean?”

The figure grinned.

“Riku, don’chu listen to that punk!”

Beat’s voice cut through the tension like a knife, the aura shattering around them.  Gasping in a deep breath as the weight lifted, Riku looked to the side, making sure to keep the stranger in his peripheral vision.

There was Shiki, whole and hale, shrinking behind Beat’s shoulder.

“Shiki’s gonna be fine!  She told me whassup.  Hoodie here set this whole thing up, yo – promised to send her back to our world, and you was the cost of travel.”

The figure tsk-ed, lazily reaching up to pull back his hood.  Silver eyes, ringed in yellow and framed by long silver hair, stared down at him disdainfully.

Riku scowled, Key flickering back to hand, “All right – who are you?”

There was no answer, only a Nightmare to defeat.

“Riku, I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine,” Riku sighed.

“No!” Shiki said, shaking her head, “It’s not.  It’s just - he said he’d take me home, me and Neku, but… At the cost of someone else – I should never have listened to him.”

Riku watched her for a moment as she fiddled with the ears of her of her stuffed cat, her jaw quivering.

“Your partner,” he started finally, “You said he wasn’t who you’d bond with, but still… you really care about him, don’t you?”

“Mm, well, it’s a bit complicated, but… Yes.  I do.”

“I get it.  Sometimes… you’ll do anything to protect someone you care about.”

Shiki frowned, her gaze flickering over to him, “Maybe, but… that doesn’t mean it’s right, does it?”

“…I don’t know.”

“Hey, what’s all this, yo?” Beat called.  Riku, relieved for the break in the tension, turned to the side.  In front of the other boy, a strange apparition flickered to life – the image of Sora, Joshua, and two other kids, pale and see-through.

“What are we seeing?” Riku wondered.

He reached out his hand, brushing against the illusion’s shoulder, letting if fizzle through his fingers.  It was strange – he could see Sora there, but in his heart he didn’t feel more there than he felt anywhere else.

“She’s right in front of me,” Beat cried, swiping desperately at her hand, “And I can’t reach her!”

“If your hearts are connected, you’ll reach her,” Riku said, turning back to Sora with a soft smile.  Maybe they were separated again, but Sora was still with him, in a way he never had been before.

A flash of light, and all the kids had disappeared – leaving only Riku, the image of Sora, and Joshua, who explained the truth behind Beat and Shiki’s fate.

“It struck me,” he finished, “by linking their dream pieces back together, maybe I could make them exist again.  Maybe I could give them another chance.”

“It can’t be that simple,” Riku protested.

“Well, why can’t it?  By ourselves, we’re no one.  It’s when other people look at us and see someone – that’s the moment we each start to exist.  All they needed was for someone to see them, connect with them.  And the two of you were a big part of making it happen.”

Riku’s breath caught, a small lump catching in his throat, “Joshua, just... who are you?”

The boy laughed, “Let’s just say – a friend.”

Something spread from his back as he turned away, wings but not-wings, shimmering and shifting, reality made real again and lifting him up and –

He was gone.

That’s when we start to exist…. Huh.

Next >

[karla-the-elemental-dreamer]

Terra Week 2023 - Day 6 Package

@terrakhweek

Prompts Addressed: Free Day!

Pieces: 1. Drawing of if Terra was a 'teddy' (the race of my creatures you see). 2. Dream recap on questioning Eraqus.

Requires mod/re-share on Twitter (written pieces)?: No - published via Twitlonger.

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Drawing of if Terra was a 'teddy':

Terra (now): "Why have you given me such a big arm on one side in that picture? Is it to replace using my keyblade? Like that amount of stuffing's gonna knock someone over".

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Dream recap from SUN 19 MAR - 2023.

The dream recap will take you through in a logical manner; no prior explanations needed.

- START RECAP -

The dream started off with me walking around a slightly distorted version of my high school. I went into the chapel as that’s where I felt Master Eraqus would be situated. In this dream, my high school was rather a campus I owned, and each Kingdom Hearts and Jak&Daxter character lived in amongst different buildings with each other. Upon walking into the chapel, I saw Eraqus (KH3) kneeling and praying at the front table (not an alter).

The reason I went to see Eraqus is because I stated that I actually wanted to ask him some questions for Terra-Week. However, I then stopped myself as I realised I was seeing a deceased person but did not have a dream guide with me. Eraqus said that I didn’t need to worry as he was on my campus and so he was living under my rules. Though that’s when I heard the door opening, I turned around and noticed that Riku (KH3) had come in to accompany me. He went and sat in one the seats, letting Eraqus and I continue talking.

I forgot how I said it exactly, but I started asking Eraqus why he allowed to happen to Terra what had happened in KH-BBS. To begin with, Eraqus gave off an energy like he was sheepish and embarrassed. I think I then asked Eraqus why he didn’t offer help to Terra instead of choosing to believe and side with his old friend. Once again, I have forgotten what Eraqus’ response was. Though eventually, I remember Eraqus saying that darkness was a form of temptation.

He emphasised this by using the example of why Terra ran into nothing but villains on his journey (or at least more villains than good guys). He said that on every turn, he finally admits that Terra was manipulated by merely unfortunate circumstances, and that each encounter was more and more of a temptation. He said that the darkness that Xehanort introduced into Terra during the exam is likely what attracted the villains to him, and how they knew where he was when he arrived in each world.

There was a sub-scene that now played where Terra (KH3) was shown coming down the back Year 11 stairs that led into the chapel. Terra stood as close to the opening as he could without being spotted by anyone else in the room. Terra decided that he was going to eavesdrop on our conversation as he attempted to keep his balance and put his head next to the wall, giving a tiny smile.

Back to the main scene, I then asked why Eraqus decided to seemingly pick favourites (being with Aqua) rather than to actually see through Terra’s hurt and help him, being the father figure that Terra looked up to. And that if Eraqus had perhaps thought he was using Aqua to unintentionally divide the group. Eraqus looked down and sighed in sorrow, I also noticed him sitting on a chair now. He sighed as he said “forgive me”, with a subtle tear rolling down one of his cheeks. I answered Eraqus, “You know that I forgive you Eraqus, this was mentioned in a past dream”. Then from the back chairs, Riku gave a short burst of laughter and piped in, “You just want Terra-Week to think that you haven’t forgiven him”.

With the mention of Terra-Week from Riku, Eraqus then went on to say to me that he wanted them to know that he supports me in anything I post. I have forgotten Eraqus’ final words, but I then noticed Terra peeking from behind the wall to the stairs, so he wasn’t too hidden after all. I asked Terra what he was doing there, but I forgot his answer… Riku was also humoured and intrigued and asked the question in his own way. With the meeting with Eraqus seemingly over, both Riku and Terra walked me out of the chapel, and as were walking towards the front office, the dream ended.

- END RECAP -

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I already mentioned this; but get ready for the Day 7 finale. I have a surprise in-store which is known neither by the audience or even Terra himself 😉 Only Riku and Ventus have been in on it, with Aqua allowed in the loop.

I expect Terra to be in tears; or am I asking for too much lol?

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Thank you and see you on Day 7! 28/29 MAR (TZ dependent).

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #1061: Morning Valentine's Gift (Kingdom Hearts)

9:46 a.m. at Seasalt's Residence.......

Isa: (Looks Down at his Gift Bag Lea Gave Him) You.....actually got me something for Valentine's this year?

Lea: (Happily Nodded) Yep. I was gonna give it to you when you came back from work last night, but you already fell face down on the bed, grumbling yourself to sleep.

Isa: Oh right. (Rolls his Eyes in Annoyance) Last night......

Lea: Rough night at the bar?

Isa: ('Sigh') More or less. I swear every new customers we get keeps getting more insufferable every night.....

Flashback to Lockhart's Bar........

Isa stands behind the bar in pure annoyance while he reluctantly listens to two drunken customers yelling out their separate complaints and issues to him. One was complaining about his nagging wife at home and kept pestering the bartender to keep giving him a refill while the other kept going on and on about how spicy the hot wings are (even though Isa clearly saw him dipped a ton of hot sauce on each wings)

Their stupidity and headache-inducing presence alone causes Isa this close into summoning his Claymore to knock them both out from of his sights. The only thing that's stopping him from doing that however, is a hand placed on his shoulder, the hand that belongs to none other than his co-worker and friend, Barret Wallace.

Barret: Don't let those clowns get to you, Isa my man. (Glares at the Two Customers While Cracking Both his Knuckles) I'll handle this.......

Outside the Bar

Barret: (From Inside) IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR-

'Glass Break'

Barret: DRUNK ASSES OUT OF OUR BAR RIGHT NOW-

End of Flashback

Isa: Honestly, if it weren't for Barret stepping in at the last second, who knew what the outcome would've been that night.....

Lea: (Shrugs) I'm sure you would've handled it somehow. Still cool of the big guy to look out for you like that.

Isa: (Smiles a Little) Agreed. He's a good friend. Do you think we should hangout together later on today if he isn't too busy?

Lea: Definitely! But before we do that, I think it's high time you start seeing what's inside that bag, don'tcha think?

Isa simply nodded before looking down at the gift bag in front of him. His eyes shortly begins to widens at he picks up a book from inside.

Isa: Lea....you got me a new volume of the Young and the Relentless?

Lea: (Happily) Yeeeup. I brought from the bookstore last night while the author guy was doing a book signing. (Smirks Proudly) And let's just say I was able to get him sign it for you in the neck of time.

Isa turns the book around and opens it from the back as it shows off the very well made signature of the author who made the series as a whole.

Lea: The line was stupid long and the guy was a bit of a pompous prick, but at least I didn't came back home empty handed!

Isa: That you did. (Smiles Softly at his Boyfriend) Thank you, Lea-

Lea: Nah-ah-ah. Don't Thank me just yet. You still got one more gift in there.

Isa: You don't say...

Curious, Isa looks back down at the bag and takes out the last gift from inside, revealing itself to be a picture frame of him and Lea in their younger years, back when all they had to worry about is getting school work done and getting back home at certain time before either of their folks starts blowing a casket But ultimately, this photo was taken before they've gotten themselves into the convoluted madness that was the Organization XIII.

It changed them a lot since then. Their time at the organization were mostly halo at best and traumatic at worst, but thankfully there were a few positives that came out of it in the end: like meeting Roxas, Xion, Sora, Riku, Kairi and and a tew others that began their friends and close allies overtime and receiving the opportunity to redeem themselves and live the life they want to live for themselves and their kids' future going forward.

It was a wild, unhinged ride for the duo to endure separately, but it was all still worth it in the end now that they're both living fairly happy together as something more a rekindled friendship.

Isa: You kept this photo of us with you this entire time?

Lea: Kind of. I found it inside my old cloak a year or two ago when I told it to dry cleaning. Must've been in there before we became nobodies.

Isa: Maybe.....(Starts Smiling Fondy at the Picture in Front of Him) It's nice to think back on those simpler times.

Lea: Don't I know it. Hey, remember that we met Ven for the first time and me and him sparred for a match or too?

Isa: Oh yes. (Playfully Rolls his Eyes) How could I ever forget the time he molly-whoped you into the ground?

Lea: (Immediately Glares at Isa) 'Ey, it wasn't my fault the kid got lucky that time!

Isa: Perhaps. (Forms a Small Smirk on his Face) Doesn't change the fact that you had a big fat L on your forehead for Loser that day. Lame, Laughable, Ludicrous-

Lea: Alright, alright, you made ya point! Geez, I forgot how much of a smart-ass you was growing up. Matter of fact, I think you're one now.

Isa: And yet guess who's the person in this apartment fell in love with that said "smart-ass"? I'll give you hint: his abilities are pyro based.

Lea: Don't know what that, but I do know who you're talking about. (Puts on a Dorky Grin on his Face) Your truly!

Isa: Correct~ (Leans Closer and Gives Lea a Loving Kiss on the Lips Before Hugging Him) I can't thank you enough for all of this, Lea. And I apologize for not getting you anything in return this year.

Lea: (Smiles Softly) Nah, you don't have to worry about that. I already got the best Valentine's gift in the world: a blue haired smart-ass who loves me.

Isa: (Chuckles Lightly) How flattering. But I still want to do something special for you. (Gives His Boyfriend a Seductive Smirk on his Face) Perhaps some nice alone time in the room together could suffice?~

Lea: (Smirks Back at Isa) You read my mind?~

The couple starts closing in on one another for another kiss until......

Roxas: (In the Other Room) CHILDREN ARE STILL PRESENT!

Xion: (In the Other Room as Well) AND A VERY SPECIAL VALENTINE'S DAY BREAKFAST IS READYYYYY!~

Lea: (Groans While Rolling his Eyes) Right. I forgot we still have delinquence to raise....

Isa: That we do. They're planning on have another sleep over at the Smash Mansion later tonight, so we could hopefully start our alone time from there.

Lea: Keyword being hopefully.

@keyenuta

@26shann

@khtext

@cyber-wildcat

@ma-lemons

@caleb13frede

[orjange]

Chain Reaction

Rating: General Audiences Category: F/F Fandom: Ultraman Geed Language: English Ships: Toba Laiha/Aizaki Moa Characters: Toba Laiha, Aizaki Moa, Asakura Riku, Zena Tags: Compulsory Heterosexuality, Fluff, Minor Injuries Words: 3,198 No additional warnings.

This fic was part of the Tokusatsu Femslash Ficathon 2019, gifted to ao3 user Ozuttly!

Summary:

Moa realizes that her feelings for Laiha aren't those of jealousy after the two of them find themselves in quite the unusual circumstances.

Moa loves Riku, right? He's a guy, as well as one of the most important people in her life, so clearly it has to be love. That's what her friends in high school had told her anyway, after asking her about the boy she was sometimes seen with. They all had boyfriends, so it is only natural for Moa to like boys as well, isn't it?

But Riku doesn't make Moa's chest feel tight and doesn't make her stomach weird, like an ant's nest. Laiha does. She had interpreted this feeling as jealousy at first. Laiha is always around Riku, and all that. And Moa is in love with him, so she has to hate Laiha for taking him away from her.

The turning point comes when, one day, Moa finds herself daydreaming about Laiha's muscular body, her beautiful eyes, her soft-looking lips, her sharp tongue… The realization makes Moa feel hot and cold all over, her face flushed in embarrassment.

She has never really fantasized about someone this way, with the exception of perhaps famous athletes, which is probably normal - She stops her train of thought there, her phone ringing tirelessly as she rushes to pick it up. It’s work.

Being part of the Alien Investigation Bureau, it's her job to discreetly investigate extra-terrestrial crime in the city, not that it's rampant - humans commit several times as many crimes, of course - so Moa finds her job to be not nearly as taxing as what she imagines police work to be like. The general concern with alien crime on earth, is that humans will take these few incidents to represent the entirety of every extra-terrestrial society combined, when in reality quite the opposite is the case.

So, she is on her way to one of those missions when she comes across Laiha out of nowhere and of course Moa has to say hello, because that’s common courtesy, but she finds herself stuttering helplessly instead.

Laiha looks confused, one brow raised, her beautiful eyes squinting just a little bit. She is rightfully confused, Moa is the type to chatter endlessly, like a waterfall. This is clearly so unlike her. So Moa gets out her phone and points to it, her hands shaking. “I gotta go! My superior is calling!” She shouts and bolts off, surprisingly fast for someone in a suit skirt, Laiha notes.

Laiha stifles a snicker. “Her phone wasn’t even ringing.”

Well, that was quite embarrassing, Moa thinks, her heart-rate at an all-time high. She’s leaning against a wall, breathing heavily as she tries to calm herself down. It’s all fine, she tells herself, and realizes that her main concern is with Laiha’s impression of her. Which is odd, isn’t it? Quite odd. “What if she thinks I’m weird…” Moa says to the wall she’s propped up against. The wall doesn't answer. But then again, why does it even matter if Laiha thinks she’s weird? Not that Moa is never concerned about how other people think of her, but never this much. And she’s never failed so spectacularly at simply greeting an acquaintance. Moa is quite sociable overall, she rarely has trouble speaking to anyone, so why-

“Aizaki.”

Moa freezes. Mr. Zena’s voice. She slowly turns her head, immediately reminded of her original objective. She has a job to do. Oh god. She’s late. And where even is this place. She must’ve gotten lost. Oh no.

“Mr. Zena.” She says, clearly a bit intimidated by his sudden appearance, but not at all surprised that he managed to find her.

“You’re just on time.” He says, stone-faced as usual. He is so hard to read.

“No, no, I’m like ten minutes late! I’m so sorry Mr. Zena! I’m really so sorry!” She bows rapidly.

“I know, I was being sarcastic.” He is so hard to read.

“Fortunately, we still have more than enough time.”

Moa can feel herself relax a little. “The first good news of the day…” She murmurs. Zena points to their AIB car. “Let’s go.”

They arrive at a worn out and abandoned industrial building, weeds covering the ground and even some of the walls. All the windows are smashed, as is usual for these kinds of places. Behind the building, Moa can see the sun setting slowly, tinting everything orange. She is used to situations like this, in theory, but it’s still a little intimidating each time. She runs the facts through her head to prepare. According to intel from an informant, a group of rogue Dadas has their hideout here. They’ve committed various minor offenses from littering to petty theft, with their worst crime reportedly being the abduction of a pet cat, the disappearance of which was reported to the police a few days ago.

Overall they don’t really compare to other crime groups Moa has encountered in her work so far. In fact, she’s willing to say they’re more like a group of teenage delinquents. Though they would probably have her head for that. Dadas tend to be very particular and methodical about their random acts of criminal activity, as far as she knows. Intentional chaos, as Mr. Zena had once called it.

So, everything goes fine at first. They check their surroundings, find the Dadas, make sure they’re unarmed, that all of the members are accounted for and wait for the right moment to strike. Everything should go smoothly.

Moa and Zena are getting their guns ready, taking slow steps towards where the Dadas are sitting and chatting, and- And… And suddenly there’s a large log in Moa’s way. A log that she notices far too late. So, crying out in surprise, she falls face-forward onto a pile of rocks. She can hear loud voices and the shuffling of feet, then her vision goes dark.

She wakes up again on the backseats of the car, her head covered in bandages. She groans, rubbing her forehead. “Guh… My head…” It feels like her brain is trying to escape her skull, forcefully pressing against the bone. It takes her a second to remember what had happened. “Oh no.” She sits up rapidly, much to her head’s dismay. She hisses and closes her eyes, the pain shooting through her temples. To top it all off, she’s also feeling extremely dizzy.

“Aizaki?” Zena’s voice comes from the driver’s seat. Moa just kind of grunts in response, feeling too sluggish to speak.

“I’m driving you to the hospital.”

Moa nods, even though Zena can’t see her. “W-what about…The…”

“They got away.”

Moa grits her teeth. “I keep-… I keep…” She can’t help but tear up. “You could’ve… Left me…” She says without thinking.

“You’re more important.”

Moa can’t follow those words up with anything. Zena doesn’t lie. Zena is more responsible than her.

Riku visits her in the hospital with a bag of sweets. With Laiha apparently deciding to tag along as well, and Moa has never felt more embarrassed before. “I had no idea that being an insurance salesperson was such a dangerous profession…” Says Riku, concern in his voice.

“Riku… It’s just a minor concussion… And I just stumbled over a log of wood. Also - I’m getting discharged tomorrow…”

She dares not to meet Laiha’s eyes, fearing the awkwardness of it.

“Still - thank you for visiting me…” She holds up the bag of sweets. “I do love sweets."

Riku smiles, gesturing to the side. “Laiha helped pick them out!” Moa could swear that she could see Laiha elbowing Riku in the side from the corner of her eye.

She nods and turns to Laiha, awkwardly, and smiles. “Thank you, Laiha.”

Laiha looks a bit surprised. “…Sure.”

Moa melts just a little bit.

And she realizes that Riku's presence does not make her heart jump, or her palms sweaty. Laiha's does.

After getting released from the hospital again, Moa is fired up. Sure, she’s supposed to rest for a few more days, as strenuous activity could have negative consequences, but this isn’t the time to be worrying about minor things. The Dada delinquents are still on the loose, and it’s Moa’s fault. She’s not allowed to go back to work, at least not officially, so…

“That’s a horrible idea. Genuinely.” Laiha’s words bring tears to Moa’s eyes. “Maybe you hit your head harder than they thought?” She adds and takes another sip from her mango lassi.

“Laihaaa…” Moa cries. “You’re my only hope!! I need to catch them… It’s all my fault that they got away!”

“Listen, it’s not my job to take care of things like this. It’s-”

“…Mine…” Moa sighs and slumps back into her chair, her iced coffee untouched. She’s pouting.

Taking another sip from her mango lassi, Laiha musters Moa with an almost judgemental look. “Why are you asking me anyway? I thought you don’t like me.”

Moa sits up straight again. “That’s right! Wait I mean, I don’t not like you… Anyway you’re the strongest person I know. With the exception of Zena, but I obviously can’t ask him!”

Laiha raises both brows. “What about Riku.”

“First of all, he doesn’t know about AIB… Second of all…” Moa averts her eyes.

Laiha sighs and nods. “True. He can’t even lift 50 kilos.”

“…and you can!?” Moa’s eyes go wide and she finds herself staring at Laiha’s biceps. Again.

“Obviously.” Laiha’s muscles flex a little bit, perhaps subconsciously.

Moa turns red, and finally takes a sip of her iced coffee.

They meet up at night at a big tree just outside of town. Through some prior investigating, Moa has found out about the Dada delinquents’ new hiding place. An abandoned house in the woods, a few yards from here.

Moa almost cries when Laiha actually turns up at the specified time, originally unsure if the other was really willing to go through with this or not. She takes Laiha’s hands into hers and thanks her, from the bottom of her heart. Laiha sighs, though she’s wearing a smile on her face regardless. “We haven’t even started yet.”

“Right!” Moa lets go of Laiha’s hands and excitedly grabs a piece of paper from her pocket. On it was a drawing of sorts, a few lines of text and a bunch of arrows.

“Basically, the plan is as follows…”

-

“…And then you want me to call the AIB? I thought you’re one of them.”

Moa shakes her head. “I mean, I am, but… I am off-duty…” She points to her bandaged forehead. “In fact, what I am doing is pretty illegal. If they were to find out… -”

“You’d be out of a job.” Laiha sighs and rubs her temples. “Then, isn’t this a really bad idea?”

“Yes, but… But… But…” Moa is flailing her arms around, hoping it’ll get her point across. “It’s because of me! The other day a parrot was reported missing - I know it has to have been their work, and it’s all because I went and got myself injured!” The wound stings.

Laiha clicks her tongue. “Okay - I get it already.” She grabs a flashlight from her bag, “Let’s go.”

Moa beams, overjoyed, and takes out her own flashlight from her cargo pants. She shuffles closer to Laiha and grabs hold of her arm, only to get a slightly sour look in response.

"What! I don't want either of us to get lost… Who knows what's lurking in the woods at night! Boars, bears, tanuki… Kaiju?!"

"…Kaiju?"

“…You never know.”

"Alright, alright. Whatever. Let's go already."

Moa nods, smiling widely.

They have to take an untrodden path, as anything else may expose them to the Dadas prematurely. So every step they take is calculated, lest they step on dry wood and make too loud a noise. Or worse, stumble over something. Never again , Moa tells herself.

At some point, they'd switched over to simply holding hands, for practical reasons of course.

Moa is trying her hardest not to jump a little whenever a small animal rushes past them, or a crow screams from atop a tree. Her grip around Laiha's hand briefly tightens each time though.

Twenty minutes have passed by the time they finally see the abandoned house, soft light shining from its windows. They can hear loud chattering coming from the inside, it sounded almost like a fight, but when it comes to Dada aliens it could really be anything.

Moa clenches her fist in determination. “Don’t worry, Asahi-chan and Tsuru-chan, we’re coming to save you.” She whispers, her fist shaking a little.

“What?” Laiha raises a brow in confusion.

“Oh, that’s what the parrot and the cat are called… You know, the ones these bastards abducted? Didn’t I tell you…?”

Laiha sighs. “I remember it distantly…”

Moa unintentionally raises her voice a little bit. “I can’t believe you forg-” Her mouth is covered by Laiha’s hand instantly. “ Moa .” She whispers sharply, agitation in her voice, and nervously looks over to the house.

Moa’s eyes widen and she nods, shrinking into herself. “Sorry…” Her voice is almost inaudible. “We should get this over with.”

Nothing goes wrong this time. Laiha and Moa overwhelm the group easily, knocking some of them out, simply disarming others and tying them all up in a neat circle. It’s over in a second, their resistance being lacking at best. Only one of them gives them some trouble, knocking down Moa and delivering a considerable blow to Laiha’s head. Considerable, but not enough to knock her out by any means. She returns the favor tenfold, making him lose consciousness immediately.

Now, with all the Dada aliens tied up, they have a chance to really look around. It’s a mess, to put it nicely, trash and contraband littered on the floor. Everything, from paper plates to TVs, was to be found here. Most of it taken apart or at least thoroughly inspected. And - one room over - the kidnapped pets, alive and well.

The cat - Tsuru - is cowering in a corner, presumably startled by the loud noises. A few cat toys are strewn across the room.

Asahi the parrot is calmly sitting in it’s cage, it’s colorful feathers fluffed up and it’s eyes half-lidded. It must have been asleep.

Moa sighs in relief, the mess in the other room having briefly made her imagine the worst. She's unbelievably glad they're both fine. "We're lucky the cat didn't eat that bird, you know." Laiha says, leaning against a wall.

Moa nods and bends down to pick up one of the toys. She walks over to the cat - not too close, but close enough - and wiggles the toy around.

"Hey Tsuru-chan… Check out this cute mouse. You wanna come get it? You wanna come catch it?" Tsuru just stares, her eyes darting back and forth between the moving toy and Moa.

Laiha watches the display fondly, her head throbbing a little bit from the earlier beating. It will surely swell, but it's not like this is the first time this has happened to her. She can deal.

Things could've easily turned out far worse, they clearly got lucky.

Tsuru is now chasing after the toy, instinct and playfulness winning over her initial suspicions and fear. Then she catches it in mid-air and lets herself fall onto her back, toy in mouth. This makes both Moa and Laiha chuckle. They watch as Tsuru bites and claws and kicks at the toy in the most adorable manner.

Then Moa remembers what they came here for and she abruptly gets up, startling Tsuru a bit.

She walks over to Laiha and pulls a bit of a sad face. "We have to go." Laiha nods. "I'll call in at the AIB."

After finishing the anonymous call to the AIB while standing outside the house, Laiha looks over at Moa. "You ready?" She asks, holding out her hand for the other to take. Moa nods happily and accepts the offer.

-

"'…after an anonymous call to the headquarters of the AIB, a few agents were sent over to check out the the place reported to be housing criminals. Inside, they came across the group of Dada aliens responsible for a few cases of theft, trespassing, loitering and pet kidnapping. They were all tied together and sitting in the center of a large collection of contraband. Some of them were found to be unconscious, those who weren't refused to speak, and still do. In a back room they found, alive and well, a cat as well as a parrot. Both confirmed to be pets that were reported as missing this month.'" Moa reads from her smartphone.

"Why does your superior write like a news reporter?"

Moa laughs. "I think it's all the reference he has."

Laiha and Moa are at that café again, Laiha getting her usual mango lassi, and Moa her favorite iced coffee.

Moa continues. "'We believe this to be an act of unnecessary vigilante justice committed by humans…'"

Laiha rolls her eyes.

"'but, as the group of criminals decided against pressing charges, we probably won't pursue the matter any further.' And then he tells me not to overexert myself, that I'm still healing… I'm fine! My head only hurts four times a day now!"

"He's right, you know. All that critical thinking isn't good if you're recovering from a concussion."

Moa frowns. "Anyway, do you think he knows?"

"Yeah." Laiha says with a slight smile. "Definitely."

Then Moa invites Laiha to her house, and to Moa's surprise she actually says yes.

They mostly sit around and watch samurai movies while eating spaghetti and drinking mango lassi they made together. It's nice and relaxed and… Familial. But Moa still feels her heart jump when their hands brush against each other on accident, when Laiha just so much as looks at Moa, or when Moa finds herself staring, or when Laiha nods off on Moa's shoulder while they’re sitting on the couch… Laiha is so beautiful. Her eyelashes, her soft skin, her silky hair… When Laiha smiles at Moa, the sun rises at night.

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Moa is head over heels.

Laiha wakes up and tiredly rubs her eyes, her head resting on something comfortable. It takes her a moment to realize the position she's in. Her heartbeat quickens, and she realizes that she doesn’t want to move away.

So instead she moves closer to Moa, who looks at her now, her face clearly flushed.

A smile on her lips, Laiha takes hold of Moa's hand, interlacing their fingers. Both of their hands are sweaty and it almost feels a little gross, but most of all it feels right . Maybe cheesy romcoms are right about some things in life.

Laiha allows herself to drift back to sleep again, her head still comfortably resting on Moa's shoulder.

Moa is happy like this, finally confident in her feelings for Laiha. Riku is her little brother, she knows this now, and that's all she feels for him. Laiha though, Laiha is different. Laiha is the one she wants to hold hands with, the one she wants to share kisses with, the one that makes her chest sting and her stomach fuzzy. She gives Laiha's hand a light squeeze, and soon she falls asleep as well. Comfortable, happy, satisfied.

[talyns-fanfics]

Kingdom Hearts TNG - Vol V

Roxas vs Ansem; The Seeker of Darkness / Light of The Past / Finding Sora

Roxas and Jack figured out a plan to stop the birth of The Ultima Heartless. Jack also shows the group his entranceway to The World That Never Was. While there, they’re cornered by a group of Shadow Heartless.

A cloaked figure walks into view. He pulls off his hood. It was Ansem, the guy Sora fought all those years ago. He was alive and very clearly still in power.

“If you are the one to face The Organization, you must prove your identity to me.” He tells Roxas.

At this point, Roxas had already gotten Oathkeeper and Oblivion. He dual wields those in this fight.

During the fight, the two realize that they are evenly matched opponents. It wouldn’t be an easy fight for either of them. Ansem was slightly getting the upper hand, but Roxas knocks him back and something falls out from his pocket. It was green and shaped like a star.

Roxas picks it up and he feels a memory. It wasn’t his, but it is one that could help.

“Somewhere out there, there’s this tree with star-shaped fruit. And the fruit represents an unbreakable connection. So, as long as you and your friends carry good luck charms shaped like it, nothing could ever drive you apart. You will always find your way back to each other.”

Roxas holds the Wayfinder in his hand, holding it close to his heart. “If you can hear me, I need your help.”

With a flash of light, Roxas was sent back to the Station of Awakening. He sees a shorter figure in a black coat similar to Ansem. This was his heart.

Roxas dismisses Oathkeeper and Oblivion, Kingdom Key appearing in his hand. He turns it around in his hand, holding is backhandedly.

Roxas defeats the black hood, who was struggling to stand. He pulls off his hood.

Before Roxas was sent to the false Twilight Town, Riku and Sora (in black coats), were on their way out of The World that Never Was. On their way out, they were stopped by Axel.

“So, your mind’s made up?”

“I have a wife and child, Axel. I’ve been away for too long. I need to go back to them.”

“I thought that was right from the start, but it still bothers me. Something about this just stinks.”

Riku and Sora get thrown into a fight with Axel. Axel had the upper hand as Sora and Roxas were struggling to stand.

“Sora, I have to unleash the dark power in my heart. It’s the only way you can go back to them.”

“No, Riku. Let me use it. You’ve been trying all these years to have a normal life. I will not let that be in vain.”

Without Riku giving a word of protest, Sora completely strips him of his darkness, taking it as his own.

Sora was on his knees, struggling to keep the darkness to him. It transforms him, taking the form of a man the two have not seen in over a decade. Ansem; The Seeker of Darkness.

Ansem defeats Axel, who just barely makes it out alive. Ansem turns to Riku.

“I have accepted it.”

Roxas look at the boy, seeing Sora. He looked younger than Roxas, but it was him.

Sora stands up, dismissing his own weapon.

“You make a good other.”

Roxas is then sent out of Sora’s heart, seeing an unconscious Sora on the ground. He was much older. Sora wakes up and gets up from the ground. He still looked like Ansem.

After a touching reunion with Donald and Goofy, Sora accompanies the group to The Castle That Never Was.