#And I like soriku and don’t want to ruin it for myself

[autumn-may]

I must not engage in ship centric takes. Takes that center everything on one dynamic and alienate it from the source material and other relationships are the mind killer. I will face the ship centric take. I will permit it to pass over my For You page and through it. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see it is objectively wrong. When the op has been blocked there will be nothing. Only I remain. 

[cindiquilsnivy]

Fandom hate and ship hate

So before I actually write anything about what I actually want to say I need to clarify this,  I do enjoy reading facebook comments and arguments in generally just because sometimes the responses on both sides are hilarious .  My personality type is a mediator and according to my zodiac chart as well.  It honestly makes me upset more than anything to see this  regardless of what I ship.  

The main point I am trying to say is that No one is going to be on your side if you force something down their throat.  I have seen lgbt people called homophobic for liking a straight ship it is a BIG issue.  It also really needs to be addressed there are posts/tweets/theories with nothing about shipping and somehow they end up having comments turning them into shipping things when that was not the intention.  Right now if I was to write a theory I would try to base it off of every interview game and article i've seen not my own personal opinions.

Another fun fact: I used to feel ok with soriku, yes it was more like a brotp which to me it still is, however due to the constant negativity I have seen I no longer am “ok” with it.  The toxic fans Have ruined it for me.  

Going on the tag and seeing at least 70% of the posts be about a ship regardless of the popularity is not right.  Even when shipping is not the focus of the series.  I have seen people say they want a certain character dead because they want their way or no way.  That is not right either.  Saying something is cannon and basing it off of no research is not good because not only is that spreading misinformation but it is creating false expectations for many fans and in the long run it is only going to make things worse.  I have seen some amazing people that ship soriku and are respectful to not only me but others as well I wish more people could be like them.  

By writing this i am not saying it only exists from one side because i have only seen it from one side im drawing based on this.  Im pretty sure it happens from both sides as well.  

Recently an amazing artist was told to stop drawing a ship because one person did not like it.  As an artist myself that is disgusting that something like that would happen.  If you don’t like it than unfollow them dont constantly spout hate and say that they are wrong.  

I know a lot of my mutuals put up with alot of my nonsense on here I am sorry about it but this is something that can be said in any fandom because I have even seen things like this in the pokespe fandom now as small as it is.   

I am not homophobic in any way that is another claim i have heard against people who ship “straight” pairings.  “Well you could be lying”  I am not I ship LeaIsa too even though I am quiet about it.  I have many LGBT friends and even a few family members who are lgbt.  Just because I dont yell my lungs out about it does not mean I love them any less or do not support them.   I know there are many cases where it is brought up and people can not really cite any evidence.  However I can,  as humans we are conditioned by the institutions around us and we are all born with a positive outlook on everyone.  There is a story about a little girl going into target and the cashier asking her about the doll she is getting because the doll is african american and the little girl is white,  the girl says something along the lines that yes this is the doll i want because she is pretty like me.  

It is a learned condition to hate anyone in the world.  Hate is so widespread today that it is disturbing and needs to be helped.    Do i think all hate can be eradicated?  No but it helps to start trying to abolish some of the hate ourselves starting with our fandoms.  

There are people here that are in abusive situations and use their fandoms as a way that they can feel happiness.  I know they need help out of said situations but really if you are willing to attack the fandoms that they are hiding in it will not help.  

This is common sense people it is something i try to do on my page and it is one of the reasons why I remain completely neutral on the topic in some cases.  More than likely you are there for the actual series not the ships and if you are there just for the ship than you may need to reevaluate your love for the series.   You should be happy regardless of what happens just be happy for the characters if you can’t accept something yourself.  

Hate is something that many people run away from but here I am throwing myself right back in the middle of a ship war.   Why exactly? I’m tired of people acting immature about the whole situation.  I care about other people’s mental state that is why I am doing this.  I have seen so many people want to avoid everything altogether instead of addressing it like I am doing now.  If someone has anything to say about it my ask box is open and i hope you like making your stance public as well.  

 I really do thank you for taking the time to read this and please take this to heart.  

[turnupswritessometimes]

SoRiku - Hearts of Ice and Fire - Ch2

SoRiku - Hearts of Ice and Fire - CH2

Title : Hearts of Ice and Fire

Word Count: 3197

Summary :  Prince Sora of the Destine Isles has been kidnapped by Maleficent. Held in a cell, he comes into contact with the Prince Maleficent has been training his whole life, Riku. As Sora unpicks Riku’s attitudes, Riku finds himself reconsidering everything he has been taught.

Posted on my A03 and FF.net under the same name because tumblr doesn’t put posts with links on search results.

Chapter Two:

"What does a puppy do the night after it is separated from it's mother, Riku?" Maleficent asked. She wasn't looking at him.

"It...cries." Riku replied slowly, sensing what this was about. His spoon hovered over his porridge.

"And how do you stop it from crying?" she pressed.

Riku was silent a moment too long.

"You ignore it," Maleficent continued. Her amber eyes flicked to him for a moment, and he fought not to let the shiver that ran through him outwardly show. "You do not feed it."

Riku's stomach turned cold. So she knew. Of course she knew.

"I-" he stopped himself. 'Never say sorry,' she had always said. 'Don't ever show remorse. It's a weakness.' "Could hardly hear myself think over the cater wailing."

Maleficent was not impressed. Her thin lips were pressed together into a straight line.

"Perhaps you should catch up on some sleep," she said carefully. Her mouth curved upwards ever so slightly, and Riku knew that he hadn't hidden the spark of panic in him at the thought. Maleficent was headed to Wonderland today, to negotiate terms of the deal - and he was desperate to go. He had to prove that he was useful. That he could be as cunning as her and come out of the deal with no losses.

And now that stupid Prince had ruined it.

"That won't be necessary," he replied calmly, but his heart was pounding in his chest.

"Nevertheless," Maleficent continued. "I would prefer it if you stayed here, and practised your swordplay. I would hate if your skills weren't battle ready."

'Prefer,' Riku knew, meant, 'you will.'

He was being punished. He wouldn't be going to Wonderland.

"Yes," Riku swallowed the hatred rising in his throat. "My Queen."

He inclined his head and she smiled like a trained dog had just mastered a trick.

She stood. RIku stayed where he was.

"I will be back soon," she told him. He continued to glare at his breakfast, listening to the sound of her walking away.

"And Riku," her footsteps stopped. Riku looked at her but she was not facing him.

"Yes, my queen?" he asked.

"Remember that you are not a puppy," Maleficent's voice held no warmth, but she turned ever so slightly to look at him. "You are a cat. You do not need anyone. Scratch anybody who gets too close to you."

She wasn't expecting a response. She left the room, her crow fluttering down from the chandelier to join her.

Riku was left alone with only a bowl of lukewarm porridge for company.

Practice his sword play - his swordplay was perfect - she knew that. It had had to be perfect his whole life. She had made him practice over and over again until there wasn't a toe out of place.

'If you want to fight Prince Sora, then you have to be the best you can be. Don't give anything away. Be as flawless as ice.'

The Prince. The damn Prince was the reason behind all of this.

Riku headed back to his room like a beaten dog. The long way around, so that he didn't have to walk past Sora's cell.

And yet, as soon as he had shut the door to his room, his eyes landed on his hand mirror.

The Prince.

Riku took the mirror, murmured word over it and the image changed from his reflection to a foggy image of the Prince's cell.

He was asleep. Curled up into a ball by the door, where it was warmest. His nose and cheeks were flushed red. He had been crying. He had been for a long time.

But now he was peaceful. Transported to another time. Escaped momentarily.

The thought made Riku even angrier.

He crossed his room in two strides and stormed down the stairs. The imp was lying, half in a daze, against the door of the cell.

"Bring me two swords," Riku commanded as he approached, pulling the key off it's hook at the side the door.

For a moment, the guard blinked at him, then it a cruel, sharp-toothed smile came across his face and he obeyed.

Riku flung the door of the cell open. Sora stumbled away from the door, staring at him wide-eyed. The door slammed behind Riku.

"Where-" his had, like yesterday flew to his head and understanding dawned on the Prince's face. "Riku."

"Get up," Riku ordered. Anger roared in him like a flame. If it wasn't for him - if he hadn't of broken - he would be at the forefront of the war plans, not left behind like an incompetent child.

Sora did so, scrambling to his feet. He took a step towards Riku.

"I wanted to say thanks," he said. "For - the food."

"Be quiet!" Riku snapped.

He stared at the kidnapped Prince, livid. He couldn't bring any words to his mouth.

What was he doing?!

Sora was confused too. He seemed like he was going to ask, but was too nervous.

"Why are you.." for the first time, he spoke meekly. "...Here, then?"

As if on cue, the imp came clattering back down the hallway. Riku took the swords from him without a word, slamming the door again before the imp had finished grovelling a 'your highness.'

Riku flung a sword in the Prince's direction. It clattered against the floor. Sora's gaze flickered from it back to Riku.

"Fight me," Riku said, holding up his sword. The point glittered at the Prince's heart.

How easy it would be, to kill him now.

The Prince picked up the sword. He was giving Riku a strange look. Not fearful. Wary. Almost curious.

Was that pity?!

Fury flashed within Riku had he thrust his sword forward.

Sora caught it with his own at the last second. Riku noticed his grip was too weak on his sword - he would drop it easily - and lashed out again, quickly and full of power.

Sora caught the stroke again, and once more he did not parry.

Riku was frustrated. He delivered blow after blow, stepping forward so that Sora was forced to move backwards.

It was hardly a minute before Riku flicked his wrist and Sora's sword flew from his hand.

The Prince raised his hands in surrender. Riku pointed the sword at the other boy's heart, but he didn't seem scared.

There was something in his face that infuriated Riku.

Understanding.

Condescending understanding.

"Pick it up again," Riku snarled.

Sora did so, but his eyes didn't leave Riku's face.

Riku disarmed Sora in thirty seconds. It felt like he had been fighting a training dummy.

"Again." The word cut through the air.

Sora obeyed.

Riku disarmed him in ten seconds.

The Prince was calm. He seemed so different to the scared little boy last night. So much more relaxed. Like he was in control.

All Riku saw was a taunt. An 'I know something you don't know.'

"Are you letting me win?" Riku demanded.

"Yes," Sora replied. His honesty made Riku despise him even more. He didn't have the words.

He dropped his sword and he stepped forward.

He punched Sora. A right hook across his face.

The Prince's head snapped around like a doll's, and he wavered where he was stood, but he did not fall.

"I thought you wanted to win," he murmured. When he turned back to Riku, there was a line of red at the corner of his mouth. It was startlingly bright compared to everything else in the castle.

"Don't patronise me!" Riku wanted to yell, but his voice broke embarrassingly.

Sora wiped the blood away from his mouth with the back of his hand.

"You're clearly upset about something," the Prince said. Strangely kindly considering he'd just been punched. "Well, whenever I wanted to vent frustration, the knights would always let me win. It cheered me up.

There was a pause. Riku just frowned at the boy.

"If you want to punch me again - if it'll make you feel better - you can." Sora shrugged.

Riku wanted to punch him again.

No. He didn't. He wanted to punch himself. It was his own fault. For being weak.

And yet, there was Sora, taking all the brunt of his anger.

Why?

"It's because of me you're angry, isn't it?"

Sora asked. So innocently but so knowingly.

Riku suddenly didn't want to say 'yes'. For some reason, he didn't want to make him feel guilty.

"You - your guard's let you win?" Riku asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Sora replied. His cheek had turned bright red. He actually chuckled. "Actually, I only found out a year ago that they always let me win. After that - I begged them to take me seriously. I've gotten a lot better since then."

"That's awful," Riku muttered. They were stunting this boy's growth. Smothering him so that he couldn't stand on his own.

"Well," Sora shrugged. "They were just doing what they thought was best."

"But that's not what's best," Riku said. He thought back to all the times he had been left sprawling in the mud. All the times he had cried in pain just to be told to get up. Of having to remember to surrender, or just being beaten.

Sora shrugged. The wistful smile on his face made Riku's stomach judder.

How could he be so complacent with that?! Surely he must be angry-

Did this boy get angry?!

"Fight me," Riku said again. "Actually fight me."

"Sure," Sora shrugged again, stepping forward to retrieve his sword. He stood slowly. "But if I win, will you tell me what's bothering you?"

Riku went to say that he had a key. But then he realised that would be helping him, so stayed quiet.

It wasn't like Sora could win anyway.

Riku fetched his sword. He felt almost guilty when he looked at Sora's swelling cheek. It really hadn't been his fault.

Sora changed as they faced each other. His stance became more balanced, a look of concentration on his face.

Their swords clashed against each other, like they were testing one another out. A parry, a step back; an evaluation of each other. They would have circled each other, but the cell wasn't wide enough for that. Their gazes darted from eyes to swords to eyes to swords.

Their swords met again, exchanging blows like they were talking to each other. Riku pressed Sora backwards, but just as he reached the edge of the cell, Sora's stance switched. It seemed almost like he was pushing off from the wall. Like there was suddenly a secret power.

That made Riku hesitate, and in that moment, he lost his grip. His sword flew from his hand, and went skittering across the floor.

He stared at Sora, the point of the Prince's sword pointed playfully at his chest, ashamed and outraged. How could he - he whose guards didn't even fight seriously? This was a boy who was still afraid of the dark!

"That wasn't-" Riku stopped himself. 'There's no such thing as fair,' Maleficent's voice taunted him. 'There's only opportunities and those who take them.'

He scowled at Sora instead.

"You promised," Sora said, with a pout.

He hadn't. He had agreed.

But he had been serious.

"You," he said, his lip curling. "You're what's bothering me."

Even though he had been the one who had suggested the idea earlier, a flicker of hurt flashed across the Prince's face.

Riku knew he had been unkind. His first instinct was to continue being unkind.

But he stopped himself. He wasn't sure what it was - the innocence in Sora's eyes, the honour of upholding their agreement or if he was getting soft. Maybe he wanted to get a petty revenge against Maleficent for punishing him in the only way he could.

"I mean - it's because of you," he said, leaning his back against the wall of his cell. "Because - of the bread."

Sora blinked. His lip twitched - an 'I was right'.

"Maleficent found out about it, and I wasn't allowed to go to the-" he hesitated. There was something about saying 'war' - like swearing in front of a child. "-Diplomatic meeting."

"War meeting," Sora said. He spoke like a student correcting a teacher when they know they're right.

"...Yes," Riku agreed.

"Well, I don't know what you're so angry about," Sora said, after a moment. "Those meetings are always long and boring and no one would listen to a word you'd say."

"How would you know?" Riku asked, not fighting to keep the sneer from his voice.

"I'm a Prince, remember?" Sora replied, with the ghost of a smile on his face.

Riku frowned and turned away. He started to walk out of the room.

"Hey, wait," Sora said. Riku heard him step forward. "Stay a bit longer? It gets lonely here."

"I'm not even supposed to speak to you." Riku said, his voice low. It was like he had suddenly remembered his position. Suddenly remembered that he and Sora were never meant to be friends.

Even if his mind had begun toying with the idea. There was something curious about the Prince. There was a spark of something. A warmth that Riku had never found in any other person. (Not, he supposed, that he had been brought up around the most accommodating people.)

Maybe in different circumstances...in a different life...

He shook his head to clear the impossible thoughts as he closed the cell door. Sora didn't cry after him.

Was the silence always this loud?

Riku headed back to his room, but there was nothing to do.

A servant came up with lunch and he dragged eating it out for as long as he could. Nothing seemed to interest him. And every five minutes his thoughts would keep returning to...

He fought the ideas away, but it was a losing battle.

It seemed like years, but there was sudden noises coming from downstairs. Maleficent was back.

He sat bolt upright in a moment, crossing the room, desperate to know what had happened. To be part of the action-

His door was locked.

Riku tried to open it a half-dozen times, but he already knew it was fruitless. Maleficent didn't want to see him. She must have cast the spell as soon as she had arrived.

He slumped and suppressed a groan. He had brought this onto himself. He had thawed. If only he had been more like Maleficent. If only he hadn't been so weak.

If only the Prince hadn't made him so weak.

Because that was what it was, he told himself, the back of his head pressed against the door. It was Prince Sora. Something in the way his eyes pleaded with Riku. Something in his voice that Riku wasn't sure made him want to listen longer or to strangle the boy.

Prince Sora had put this strange weakness into Riku. The desire to prove he was everything Maleficent had taught him to be.

It had only made him realise how he wasn't.

*

Riku wasn't sure how long it was before he heard the steps coming down the corridor. He scrambled to his feet, and stood attentive, as though he were a statue that only came alive in her presence. She only cared about what he was like in her presence.

His door swung open without being touched on either side and Maleficent appeared to swoop into his room, her cloaks fluttering around her like an extension of herself.

She regarded him with hard, yellow eyes, glittering like gemstones.

"My queen," Riku said tightly, holding her gaze even though it made his insides squirm like worms.

"How was your day?" Maleficent asked, in the tone of someone who already knew the answer.

She did. Riku had a standardized one.

"It was productive," he said.

"How is our puppy?" Maleficent continued. It wasn't part of the script.

She knew he knew it wasn't part of the script. It was, as it usually was, a test.

"I wouldn't know," Riku replied, his heart skipping a beat. "I haven't visited."

"You haven't even heard a whine?" Maleficent pressed, looking down her nose at him.

Which was the more believable answer? Yes or no? Which did she want?

"No," Riku took a chance. Then, her advice came to him, always back up a lie with the truth. "I've been - in the grounds, practising swordplay. Like you asked."

He had hesitated. And she had noticed. Her eyes flashed. She closed the gap between them, and took hold of Riku's chin, forcing him to look at her wrath.

"Don't. Lie. To. Me," she hissed. Something flashed in her eyes - an emotion Riku had never seen her wear. Fear. "What did he tell you?"

"Nothing," Riku muttered. He stood like a limp fish, paralysed by his fear of the woman - even more so at this revelation - she could feel fear. "Nothing - we sparred - I just sparred against him - that's all. I had to know that I was better."

As suddenly as she had gripped him, Maleficent released him. She stepped back, her robes billowing like a dark cloud as she studied him. He fought to keep his face neutral, but knew that he couldn't fight the fear and confusion from taking over his expression.

"Riku," something like a smile came over Maleficent's expression. It was warped on her features, like a face in a tree trunk. "My dear Riku, you know I care for you, don't you?"

"Of course," Riku replied. Her sudden mood change brought no comfort. If anything, he felt more on edge. She was building up to something.

"I rescued you, you know," Maleficent continued. "I rescued you from that island, with it's twisted, destructive rulers, pretending that they’re equal to everyone else."

"I know," Riku said. "I'm grateful for it."

"You are very precious to me," Maleficent said. Her fingers stroked his cheek, though he only felt her nails; like a cat's scratch.

"Yes," Riku nodded. He was still unsettled by this sudden affection.

"So," Maleficent dragged out the word, bringing her face closer to Riku's. He felt her fingers clutch his hair to stop him from pulling away at the fire in her expression."I deserve to be obeyed."

It wasn't quite a question, but Riku knew she expected a reply.

"Always," he was glad his voice didn't crack.

"So," Maleficent's smile twisted cruelly, and she gripped his hair so hard it hurt. "Don't. Visit. The. Prince. Again."

Riku paused. It should have been easy to agree.

He opened his mouth to say 'of course,' but Maleficent had already seen him hesitate.

She stepped back, drew herself up to her full height.

"If you visit him, you will stay here, without food, and you will not leave." She said.

"I won't," Riku couldn't keep the panic from his voice.

"Promise," Maleficent said. This time it definitely wasn't a question.

"I promise," Riku was almost whining.

Maleficent smiled; the warmest smile she gave (which was still only lukewarm), and caressed his hair.

Before she was striding out of the room.

"You may come to dinner."