#HARSH KAIRI

[butter-goat]

I feel like we as a community don't speak enough about soras psychology. He as a character clearly (if you look a little deeper than what he intentionally is letting people see) does not deal with his emotions very well. Especially when his friends are in danger or in trouble. For example during the "everyone's dead scene" (which isn't what it's called but I can't be bothered to look it up rn) in the keyblade graveyard in kh3 sora only lets a little bit of what he believes out. He has sunk down into a depression in as little as a couple of seconds. Indicating his ruined mental state. He depends almost entirely on his friends for his self worth and it's not healthy. He screams and cries when his friend are dead. (Which is completely understandable they just DIED for gods sakes) but he reacts in such a harsh way. He immediately begins blaming himself and considers himself worthless. While it could have been something that just happened in the moment because he was in shock, I believe there is evidence indicating that he may actually believe that. there's evidence that he blames himself for riku and mickey getting trapped in kh's version of hell; the dark world. There's evidence that he blames himself for kairi going missing every game. There's evidence that he blames himself for Roxas' ... Everything. When he remembers her, he blames himself for everything that happened to Xion and immediately begins trying to bring her back after he learns that she can be brought back. And namine.... Ohohoho namine. When he sees her for the first(?) time I believe he collapses like he does for riku in kh2. And he starts saying things like "I'm so glad i found you!" And "I'm sorry for taking so long!" Which is indicative of a guilty conscience in my opinion. And when he forgets her and half-remembers her at the end of kh2 he feels bad for keeping him from roxas because at the moment he believes they are friends who have been kept from each other because of him. And when he leaves twilight town for the first time, he cries. And although this could be chalked up to Roxas' memories living through him I believe that it is not the case. He's leaving his friends, hayner, pence, and olette for the first time which makes him sad. As we covered before, he thinks he's worthless without his friends and that is why I believe he started to cry. Anyways sorry for going on a long rant, I wanted to get my feelings down so I could explain it better to other people.

[zabrya-art]

Honey string (Kingdom Hearts AU)

AKA LalaloopsyxSuckerPunch AU

Synopsis

In a fantastical and sweetly enchanting world made of candy and cotton, where everyone is a doll, the prince of the Candy Kingdom, Sora, finds himself neither alive nor dead, cursed by an evil witch. His loyal guard, Riku, deeply in love with the prince, embarks on a risky journey to end the curse. Joining him is the prince's betrothed, Princess Kairi, who longs for freedom and detests the royal constraints of her title. Together, the guard and princess venture through various worlds inhabited by different types of dolls, each realm more enchanting and dangerous than the last. From the plastic Forest to the Porcelain Mountains, they face formidable challenges while dealing with their own inner conflicts and budding romance. However, beneath this fantastical trip hides a darker truth. The characters are actually patients in a gloomy psychiatric hospital, where they suffer severe abuse. The prince is in imminent danger of being subjected to a lobotomy, metaphorically represented as the witch's curse. The guard, who is also a patient, experiences a reality shift in which the harsh environment of the hospital is transformed into the world of candy and cotton candy. He embarks on a quest to save his friend (and secret lover), the prince, from the horrors they face in the institution. As they traverse his imaginary world, the guard struggles to maintain his sanity and discover a way to truly escape the torment of the hospital before it's too late.

[mythicalartistx]

Opinions of KH2 novels that happen that are funny/interesting

I saw a lot of sections recently

Riku Axel & Namine are a trio

Their interactions are nice

It's something I didn't know I needed

I love seeing them do stuff in the background while Sora does basic (game moments), instead of focusing what happens in the games during Disney worlds, it shows them

Axel being a grey character

He doesn't know himself if he's bad or good

But some of the others noticed it and gladly call him their friend.

Also when Goofy "dies" he helps him to see if he's alright and even gives him a potion

Instead of initially kidnapping Kairi, he does so with good interest in mind, thinking she's in danger because the organization is after her— Riku and Naminé were going to her but got caught up in a battle with Saïx.

Then Saïx fought Axel and won, obtaining Kairi.

Also Naminé helps heal Axel after he lost to Saïx.

I love his banner with Riku

At one point Mickey is like, I'm glad you're not alone Riku, Riku responds, He's my friend, but then Axel says, Nobodies don't have friends, it's not exactly word for word, but similar.

Axel comments to Riku

Riku eating ice cream and Axel is like is it good, You're like a little kid even though you look like a mean old man. Then Axel steals his ice cream and Riku like bruh really dude there is plenty of ice cream in there.

After Land of Dragons, Axel tells Riku, Seeing Sora made you that happy, and Riku is like I don't feel like telling you. Then afterwards he's like it's creepy how you smile with Ansem's face.

Mickey and Goofy can smell

So Pluto is in the novel sometimes around Axel and of course Kairi. When Mickey first sees Axel after Riku leaves, he sniffs him and is like oh it's you I thought it was Riku but you smell like Pluto.

Then later when Axel helps Goofy after his "death" he is like you smell like Pluto and at this point Axel is like AGAIN!?!?

Maleficent and Riku

Honestly I find this kinda charming and kinda nice.

At one point she calls Pete useless and how Riku was so much helpful and even got him what he was trying to do and gave him Kairi. She then admits that she was using him, but it made her kinda sad or a "thorn in her heart" that he left her without hesitation.

Then at one point Riku goes to see Maleficent and Maleficent is like oh you're alive and he says I see you came back from the dead. And it's great exchange.

He wanted to see if she'd fight the nobodies/ organization 13. But when he goes to her he wonders if he is betraying Mickey by doing that and he thinks it's all for Sora.

Riku opinion of DiZ request

So DiZ got Riku to do some things... that isn't great and afterwards he wonders if that was right.

After seeing how DiZ treated Naminé and views nobodies he is like Should I have fought Roxas? He was thinking Should I have destroyed him for him to go back to Sora? What if there was another way so he could still be here?

And I wanted to point it out that he obviously questions whether it was right and he was just following DiZ because he wanted Sora back and thought it was the ONLY way and much would have rather Roxas to stay as a person too.

DiZ offers Naminé ice cream

At one point Naminé goes back to the mansion in the middle of KH2 and she finds DiZ which she is surprised by. DiZ was harsh and mean to her at the beginning of the game and is weary of him,

But this dude straight up offers her sea salt ice cream like he didn't want her destroyed or want Riku to get rid of her (which Riku was like NAHHH I won't because he saw them as people and Sora was waking up). And then he says there are plenty more, you can share with friends 😀😁 LIKE COMPLETE SWAP

Saïx fight Riku and Naminé

First when Riku and Naminé is fighting Saïx while Axel gets Kairi, Saïx slaps Naminé and causes her to fly back.

Then he is like oh you're trying to protect your home from darkness (assuming he might corrupt it or by getting Kairi) and then he's like but you did that once before. LIKE 😭😭😭 THAT WAS UNCALLED FOR

And then he tells Riku he sold his Soul for Power. JUST wow, great character but man is he cold sometimes.

I never want Saïx to touch Naminé again though... Saïx over here hurting Axel and Naminé.

Donald and Goofy no longer tease about Kairi

So... In KH2 there are moments where Donald and Goofy tease Sora about Kairi with possible romantic implications

(though I'm not exactly sure since that is the English version which could have some transaction errors and there's a lot of added romantic moments because of English version)

In Halloween town, Sora also imagines himself dancing with Kairi when Jack and Sally dance, but in the novels none of these things happen. Donald and Goofy don't tease him about Kairi.

Shang and Mulan = Sora and Riku

So in land of the dragons when Sora sees Mulan and Shang he tears up and thinks of himself and Riku cause he missed him.

This does happen in the game, but it's more explicit here that he missed him and thinks of Riku and himself when he sees Shang and Mulan.

Sora always wanted to fight by Riku's side

In the novels throughout the ending battle Sora is so excited and is just glad to fight by Riku's side and he had always wanted to have him as an ally.

He states how he always hoped and dreamed he'd be able to.

He feels so excited and just glad to be able to do so.

Also want to point out that they feel better together and they're okay in the dark realm because they have the other

Sora doesn't care as long as Riku is okay

At one point Sora says, so what if he's in organization 13, it's fine.

Donald is like it's not they're a bad group of people.

This just shows how much he cares about him.

Axel pretends to betray Riku and Naminé to help Kairi

He told them he was going to and would give them their location and reassures them that he doubt Xemnas would come over.

And Xemnas ends up being the one going over....

[that-one-gay-aew-enthusiast]

𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚊 𝚋𝚛𝚞𝚒𝚜𝚎 - 𝙳𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝙰𝚖𝚋𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚎

＿＿＿＿＿＿｡o*★*o｡＿＿＿＿＿＿

Warnings - injured reader

Word count - 760

Genre - Fluff, Angst?

Pairings - Fem!Reader x Boyfriend!Dean

Summary - After a harsh match, Dean gets rather worried over your "little bruises"

A/n - Yes i will be writing Dean and Jon as two seperate people, deal with it

＿＿＿＿＿＿｡o*★*o｡＿＿＿＿＿＿

Dean watched the screen anxiously. He sat backstage, watching your no D-Q match, having already done his screen time for that episode of smackdown. He cringed at the sight of you being repeatedly hit in the back with a chair. Although you weren't knocked out, yet it was clear you wouldn't be able to take much more from your opponent, Auska. You had always been quite the durable wrestler, which was a poistive, always lasting much longer than some of the other girls. Thankfully, you managed to roll out of the way of the last chair swign and grap a kendo stick. You grabbed the top rope to help steady yourself before jabbing Auska in the stomach with the taped end of the kendo stick.

She held her stomach but didn't go down, making you repeatedly beat down on her with the stick. You were finally getting the upper hand in the match until you weren't. Unfortunately for you, Auska happened to have her own little goon in the form of Kairi Sane, who you'd forgotten about. Right as you were about to climb to the top rope, Kairi came out of nowhere and kicked your legs out, sending you down to the matt in an awkward way. You landed on your arm and rolled over. You slowly brought yourself to your feet ,weakly grasping a cracked kendo stick. You saw Auska doing the same thing, yet no sight of Kairi. Fortunately, you didn't have to ponder on her whereabouts for long. Right as you raised your kendo stick, you felt a harsh blow to the back of the head with what you could only assume was a chair. You dropped straight to the matt and Auska got the pin.

Dean, by now, was on his feet, bolting it down to gorilla. By the time he got there, you were being helped up the ramp by the medics. As soon as you got to gorilla, your knees buckled, causing you to slump down in the arm sof the medics. Dean came down to your level and moved the hair out of your face. He immediately noticed a blue mark forming on your temple. "Hey, look at me, baby." Your eyes opened fully and met with his. "Dean, I'm ok, don't worry, It's just a couple of bruises." He gave a quick light chuckle. "Yeah, ok then, sweetheart." He hook your arm around his shoulders and held your waist before taking you to the medics room as quickly and carefully as he could. Once there, he helped you to lay down on the table and stood by your side ,grasping your hand nervously.

The medic examined your face and the back of your head. He found a fractured bone in your arm and some ligament tears in your thigh and back ,aswell as multiple bruises forming on the side of your face.After informing you that you'd be out of action for a few months,he left the room, leaving you and dean together. He rubbed the back of your hand. "Sorry, you're gonna be able to wrestle, baby." He held the side of your face, making you sigh and lean into his hand. You hated when you couldn't wrestle, and it was even worse when Dean could. "Not really much i can do about it now." You tried to hold back tears but failed. Dean looked at you sympathetically and gently lifted you into his arms. He sat on the bed and rubbed your back.

You cried quietly into dean's chest, curling your body up into a little ball and ignoring the burning pain that ran throughout your body. Dean ran his fingers through your hair and got you to look up at him. "Sweetheart, it's not forever ,we are gonna take care of you and get you back into that ring as soon as possible, ok?" You sniffled and nodded. Although you were completely and utterly devastated, you knew he was right. There was no point in giving up and just waiting the entire 8 months when you could do things to make your healing process quicker. "And you'll be with me the whole time, right?" Dean looked almost dumb founded. "Of course i will doll, why the hell would i not?" You smiled and hugged him tightly, well as tightly as you could without making your injuies flare up. "I love you lunatic." Dean smiled down at you and kissed your forehead. "I love you more sweetheart."

[drangeax]

Broken Bonds and Shadows

Pairing: Terra/Aqua, Terra-Xehanort/Aqua

Rating: T

Word Count: 2,050

Summary: After the war, everything went back to normal, right? Right?!

Read on AO3

Moonlight filters through the windows, casting a silvery glow over the dark corners of the castle in Land of Departure. The grand halls echo with the rhythmic sounds of a sparring session—clashing magic, the hum of energy, and the occasional thud of a misstep.

“One, two, three.” Aqua shoots a light spell at Kairi, who barely has time to block. The young apprentice stumbles, her breaths coming in short gasps.

“Again,” Aqua commands, her voice firm yet encouraging as she channels mana into her Keyblade. “One, two, three.” 

Another spell erupts from her blade, and Kairi scrambles into stance, managing to block more effectively this time. Aqua nods approvingly, preparing for the next round.

“One, two—

“Wait!” Kairi yells, panting, her face flushed from exertion. 

Aqua twirls her Keyblade with practiced ease, her expression thoughtful. The young girl’s determination is admirable, but it’s clear she’s reached her limit. She glances at the stained glass window, noting the looming darkness outside. 

“I think that’s enough for today,” Aqua says, dismissing the Keyblade with a graceful flick of her wrist.

With her weapon withdrawn as well, Kairi falls to her knees, trying to catch her breath. “How…how did I do?” 

“You’re progressing quicker than expected,” Aqua replies, approaching her apprentice with a reassuring smile. “Your magic is good, but it could be better. Your defense is on point, except you forget to block most of the time, and your forms…still need some work.”

Kairi groans, collapsing flat on the marble floor. “I knew it. There’s always a but, isn’t there?” she mutters, frustration evident in her tone. “What am I doing wrong?”

Aqua kneels beside her, her gaze gentle and maternal. “Kairi, there will always be a but.”

“Maybe I’m not cut out for this. Riku was right to leave me behind. I’m not strong. I would’ve just gotten in the way like back then…” Kairi’s voice trails off as she shields her eyes with her forearm.

Aqua’s heart sinks. Her apprentice’s words echo her doubts from years past. When she was younger, no matter how hard she tried, it never felt good enough. Not for herself, at least. In Master Eraqus's eyes, she’d been a prodigy from the start, leading to higher expectations and a critical assessment of her abilities.

Maybe I’m being too hard on her.

“Kairi…” 

Kairi peeks from under her arm wearily, and Aqua chuckles. She gestures for Kairi to sit up. The young girl mimics her position, facing away from her. Aqua quietly selects a lock of Kairi’s vibrant red hair, dividing it into three sections.

“You weren’t prepared. Don’t be harsh on yourself,” she says, weaving an intricate braid. “And Riku…he didn’t want to place you in harm’s way. It has nothing to do with your strength or ability to wield a Keyblade.

“You really think so?” Kairi asks, leaning back briefly to meet her eyes. 

Aqua laughs and smiles. “I promise you’re doing just fine. Improvement comes with time.”

Kairi nods, resuming her position and Aqua works on a lock of hair on the opposite side, carefully pulling it into a small braid. “I’m sorry if I’m being too hard on you. Master Eraqus…was strict and demanding. I guess I can be a bit like him sometimes,” she admits with a sheepish smile.

“Master Aqua, sometimes you’re straight-up a nightmare.”

“Oh?” Aqua tugs a strand of hair and Kairi yelps. “Watch it, young one. I’m still your master.”

“You’re so mean,” Kairi fake sobs, and they laugh.

Aqua revels in the carefree moment. She doesn't have many these days.

“You know, Terra said as much the other day…” she trails off, deciding it’s not something Kairi needs to hear and instead shifts the conversation. “Come to think of it, he used to have the same problem as you. Now he’s better than me at executing the proper forms. Maybe we could ask him to show you sometime,” she says, her deft fingers now uniting the braids at the nape of the neck like a headband.

“Now, let’s get you some rest. Tomorrow is another day.” Aqua stands and offers Kairi a hand, helping her up. “Kairi, remember, you don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

Kairi smiles in relief at her words. Suddenly, the future seems bright. There’s still hope. Then Terra walks into the great hall, his heavy steps giving him away. He approaches them with a couple of water bottles in his hands.

Speak of the devil.

“Done for the day?” he asks, handing Aqua a bottle.

He offers one to Kairi, but she stares warily, her hesitation palpable before she accepts it. Part of her wonders if Kairi knew. If she could see the oppressive shadow of darkness hovering over him like a ghost.

“I guess I should be going,” Kairi says, her eyes darting nervously between Terra and Aqua. “Until next time, Master Aqua.”

“Are you sure? It’s a bit late. You’re more than welcome to stay if you want,” Aqua offers.

“No, I uh—Ven said he would take me home no matter the time so…” The words tumble out as she grows visibly uncomfortable.

“It’s alright,” Aqua reassures her. “You’re not obligated to.” 

“You’re too kind, Master Aqua,” Kairi says with a quick bow and rushes for the stairs.

Terra turns to Aqua, uncertainty clouding his eyes. “She doesn’t like me, does she?”

Aqua sits back on one of the thrones, a contemplative expression on her face. “What makes you say that?”

“She’s…guarded around me, gives me that look often,” he says, frustration evident.

"Well, you do resemble her childhood nightmares…” She takes a sip of water, not wanting to go further.

“That’s harsh, even for you…I’m well aware I’m the source of everyone's nightmares.”

“What about you?” he asks, his voice dropping. “Am I the cause of your nightmares too? The reason you wake up screaming, why you can’t trust your own shadow—

Aqua frowns and shifts on her seat, crossing her legs. “You can drop the act. She’s probably downstairs and out of sight by now.”

His mouth twists into a sinister grin. “Good, we haven’t had a proper conversation since that night, have we?” He steps closer, his tone dripping with malice. “Are you avoiding me, Master Aqua?”

“I wished I could…” 

Terra stands in front of her seat, her words taken as an invitation to invade her personal space. His hands rest on the armrests at either side, trapping her. He hovers over her like a predator seeking to intimidate her. She averts her gaze, trying to ignore him. 

He chuckles darkly. “I take it you don’t want me to tuck you into bed tonight.”

Her skin crawls at the implication, yet her expression remains impassive. Don’t listen. He’s just trying to get a rise out of you.

“What do you want?” she asks, her voice steady and calm.

Terra feigns hurt. “You wound me, Aqua. Can’t a friend check in?”

“You are not him,” she says between her teeth, her hands gripping the armrests. “We’ve already established that.”

“Ah, but he’s still in here,” he says, tapping his temple. “And he remembers everything. Every touch, every whisper…”

Her heart skips a beat. “Leave him out of this.”

His grin widens, her dismissal fueling his persistence. “Let him be? Now, why would I do that when it’s much more fun to be him?” He reaches out, his fingers closing around her chin like a vice, forcing her to look at him. His eyes gleam with dark and twisted desire. 

She tries to shift away unsuccessfully.

“I know you,” he whispers close to her ear, his breath hot against her skin. “I know what makes you come undone…”

Aqua gasps and shuts her eyes, her resolve wavering as her body reacts to his advances.

His lips brush her neck. “You can’t hide from me. You can’t hide from what we are.”

Don’t listen.

His thumb brushes her lips suggestively, the touch sending sparks through her body. “I know it haunts you how I made you feel. I know you want it again...”

Her heart races, but she steels herself, voice firm. “This isn’t you, Terra. This darkness isn’t you.”

“You say that, but this is me,” he says, his voice disarmingly casual and soft as he grabs one of her hands and guides it to his chest right over his heart. “It’s the part of me you’ve always been drawn to.”

Please stop. 

“Aqua…look at me.”

She obeys against her better judgment, her eyes meeting his golden ones. He brushes a strand of hair from her face, and while she flinches, she doesn’t pull away from his touch.

“I remember training under the stars, the way you smiled when you mastered a new spell, everything we’ve been through…” he says, squeezing her hand on his chest. “It’s still me, Aqua. You just have to reach deeper.” His heart beats under the palm of her hand, so close, yet distant.

Enough…please stop.

“You’ve always been my guiding light…” he says, cupping her face.

Aqua can’t take it anymore. She stands abruptly, her mind screaming to escape from the suffocating tension. Terra grabs her hand, pulling her against him. His lips crash into hers. Time seems to still, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions as she can’t stop herself from instinctively running her fingers through his hair, from holding him close, from savoring the kiss as he bites her lip and a shiver runs down her spine. His hands, warm and familiar, rest on the small of her back, and for a fleeting moment, she feels a flicker of the kind and gentle Terra she knows.

Darkness stirs within him in excitement—victory for making her surrender. A spark of clarity jolts her out of the haze, and she slaps him sharply across the cheek.

“That’s enough!” she snaps.

His expression shifts, the tender facade melting into a cold and calculating glare. “You think you can stop me?” he sneers.

She stands tall, dominant hand itching to call her Keyblade. “I’ll find a way.”

He laughs. “And if you’re left with nothing but a shell…what would you do then?”

“There’s always a way,” she says.

His eyes pierce her like a dagger. A silent challenge, a dare to try and stop him. Aqua meets his gaze head-on. A dangerous spell swells within her, mana rushing to her aid. It takes all her self-control not to summon her Keyblade and spring into action. It’s what he wants. He knows it hurts her more than hurting her directly.

“Leave…”

He bows mockingly. “As you say Master Aqua. I know you won’t be able to keep away for long.” He turns and strides towards the door leading to the west wing, his confident footsteps echoing through the room.

The moment he closed the door behind him, the spell she’d been suppressing burst from her Keyblade, slamming into the door with incredible force. The wooden surface shudders and freezes shut solid, as if barricading her emotions inside.

She falls to her knees trembling, mouth shut to suppress a scream. Fuck. It would be easier if he hurt her physically, at least then she’d experience pain she could see and touch. Instead, she’s left to drown in emotional turmoil, threatening to consume her and lead her astray…to make her wander back to him in search of false comfort.

He’d approached her on a particular night when her mind was harsh and unkind. She’d mistaken his concern for genuine, a glimmer of the real Terra shining through. That brief moment of connection turned into a primal and desperate need to feel something, anything, beyond the pain tormenting her. All it took was for his hand on her skin and a fire she didn’t know still existed ignited within her…

She loathes how he makes her feel—all of it. The way he awakens a hunger she can’t sate, the way he tiptoes along the edge of her emotions, the way he makes a mess out of her.

“I’ll find a way, Terra,” she whispers. “I promise…I’ll make it right.”

She has to find a way. For Terra, for herself…for the light that still flickers within them as a distant hope.

[inconsistentracoon]

Chapter 2 of Breathless is up!

Small warning for mild gore, going with a dramatic excerpt for this one 👀

-----

He cast a gravity spell and managed to lift the rocks directly over Riku away. He tossed them aside unceremoniously, turned back to Riku, and froze.

Riku wasn't moving.

There was blood running down the side of his face, trailing across his throat and he wasn't moving. 

His eyes were closed and he wasn't moving.

Dead was Sora's only thought.

It looked just like last time, last time when he was staring down at Riku's corpse, blood gushing from his clawed-out throat onto the pavement below, glistening under streetlights.

Sora stumbled back, feet slipping on the wet road in the city where he had seen each and every one of them die. Seen them die at his hands. Seen Kairi fall and Riku-

Something slammed into his side and the scene of Quadratum was wiped away as his vision turned briefly white. He sailed through the air for a second, before tumbling across harsh rocky ground and coming to a sudden stop as his back smacked against more stone.

[pea-brain]

first draft at some lore for kairi, full text below the cut. drawings same as the other post so i didnt bother to include close-ups

kairi was born to a village that, many, many generations ago steadily sent all their men to war. because of how isolated they were, the rest of the country forgot about them, neglecting to mention that the war had ended. none of their men returned (they were quite weak comparatively). years passed. the women (and children) left behind were made to survive a cold, harsh winter that lasted unseasonably long. they had lost a lot of their field workers and hunters, as it was a typical patriarchal set-up village. at one point, the villages priest-in-training was lost due to the village shrines giving nature, she had given all her provisions away. the people mourned greatly, and, eventually, consumed her to survive. with the loss of patriarchal figures the village turned to the priest as the sole leader. growing increasingly paranoid at the thought of her passing and all of them were still waiting for their men to return. this was compounded as the heir had been lost and the new children in training were still too young. they would be left with no one (this was, once again, a fiercely patriarchal society, and the women victim to it were unable to imagine themselves to be safe without direction). they turned to experimental medicine, as many had had the luxury of study with husbands who worked the fields. they dabbled in dark, retired things, and some things never before tried. eventually, using some pieces of the priest-in-training that had been preserved despite the starving (horns, some dried flesh, bones) they produced something that allowed the priest to live near twice as long as expected, giving enough time to train a new heir. 

this was not without consequences, bodies cannot survive that long, but as she slowly petrified she was still able to watch over the village, offering advice, and comfort, and, upon her passing, her body was used the same as her previous heir.

since then, recipes have been perfected, some women living for hundreds of years, and retaining bodily use into more than half way through careful care. there are some philosophers who argue that the careful care of the village is what allows the priest to live for so long, not what she is given from the previous priest, but this has gone untested. the village grew to observe a family-less society, where children had no parents and were raised by everyone. priests were able to provide great insight into issues as they had witnessed so many seasons and seen the same conflict over and over, like a living book. what ‘god’ the village originally worshipped was long lost, their ‘religion’ was the wisdom of cumulative knowledge and respect. patriarchy slowly fizzled down, remaining in labor division but only in a 2/3 to 1/3 split. the village does observe more than two gendered roles, and these are unattached to their job prospects. the only exception is a priest is always a woman. this has been questioned by men in the past, but ultimately respected. it is not an envied roll, its understood to be more of a curse. you do not get to live a life, you are the village. 

the village has observed some changes in features, tusks and horns have grown in length through generations, faces flatter, taller overall. the latter being a puzzling change for scholars of the village.

when a priest finally dies, her body is carefully consumed by all members of the village together, the horns saved for the new priest to continue the lineage. typically, if she is not yet of age, they will be saved until maturity (which has slowly increased over the years). occasionally, if a beloved member passes their body will too be consumed, beloved individuals bones are permissible to be made into jewellery or protective talasmans, decorations, hair woven into things. priests remains are kept at the temple, the first priest-in-training and her priest are displayed carefully for anyone to visit, and touch, if they feel moved to do so. priests are to stay at the temple as they are understood to be different to regular people, they are a part of the ‘spirit’ of the village and not to be hoarded. they are eaten together.

priests are still handy, aiding in catching and preparing of food until unable to do so. they are kept on smaller food rations than the rest of the village, restriction believing to elongate their lifespan due to cumulation of food over a lifetime. they often meditate to slow heart-rates / breathing and go without water for the same reason.

this continued until some crusaders found their way up the mountain. the village had managed to remained untouched for so long as it was a very snowy mountain top, with thin air (members of the village were more than accustomed to the cold and air), past an almost impossibly rocky area. upon discovering the village it was swiftly conquered. the people were ‘inbred’, their traditions were ‘barbaric and disgusting’, evidence of them (bones, paintings, books) were seized, smashed, burned, and many were killed, possibly including the current priest, but the priest-in-training was able to escape, kairi.

priest is a role saved exclusively for a woman chosen by the village adults unanimously, it is not a birthright, and is typically found from a younger age towards early teens. it is a role a woman can reject, but not many have. kairi is the first on record to have been chosen despite having a disparate birth sex. (there was possibly one many generations ago, scholars debate, but it is hard to discern from texts left behind (they wrote down very little at the time)) she was made to leave before her current priest was able to pass on naturally, and was thus unable to engage in her own ceremony. she is left half-trained and unsure of how long she will live.

priests are to pull their tusks from their time of being chosen until their death (they continuously re-grow, when they become immobile members of the village pull them on the priests behalf) and to keep their hair long, both are used to make talismans. kairi cut her own hair and horns in an attempt to be less conspicuous after escaping, she is in hiding but next to no one knows of her. this place was not widely reported on despite its ‘weird rituals’. she continues to pull her tusks. 

she wants to find her priest and living members of the village, but doesn’t know if anyone exists still.

[kaen-ace-of-diamonds]

for the trope mashup, how about 53 and 94 for Sorikai?

send me 2 AUs and a ship and I'll write a short fic

(Mutual Pining + Hair Brushing/Braiding)

Growing up on the islands, they naturally learned to swim almost before they could walk. Floating and splashing in the gentle waves is second nature to them: keeping them healthy, helping them relax, a constant way to play. Kairi has never thought too much about it, so she's very interested in the boys' stories of worlds where a trip to the ocean is a novel and awe-inspiring thing, or something only to be dreamed about.

"So you're telling me," she says, running her fingers through the heavy, sea-kissed sand, "that it's all sand? Just...as far as you can see, sand?"

"Well, there is one bit of fresh water and trees," Sora says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "They call it an oasis, and they built the city next to it. Jasmine says that that's usually how building cities in the desert go. I got to try some of the fruit that they grow: apples, melons...this thing called dragon fruit?"

Kairi smiles. Both he and Riku have talked so much about what they've seen in other worlds already, and yet it always seems like they have something new to say about all of them.

(And then there's you, a voice at the back of her mind sneers, with nothing but a void and a memory that crumbles in your hand the instant you touch it.

She shakes the voice away. With Sora at her right hand and Riku at her left, it's not hard to do. Resentment has never come easily to her, anyway.)

"I've got to take you there to try some too! In fact, I think you and Aladdin and Jasmine would get along really well!"

Sora stands up straight, arms crossed behind his head, grinning — had his grin always been so...dazzling? Her heart's never jumped at him before, she's sure.

"Yeah, still not sure I believe you," Riku says, barely holding back a smirk as he tosses a stray starfish into the waves before it can dry out in the sun. "About as much as I believe you swam with mermaids once."

"Not once! Twice!" Sora protests. "You wouldn't believe it, I had fins like a dolphin and I — !"

On impulse, Sora bolts into the water, certainly diving into an incoming wave like a dolphin, and attempting to imitate the animal's way of swimming: kicking strongly and only with the back legs, but quickly sinking in the process.

"Don't laugh!" Sora calls back to her and Riku, even as he's trying and failing not to giggle himself. "I mean it!"

"We believe you, Sora!" Kairi manages, covering her mouth, though she's not sure what good it does: it's very clear what she's doing.

"Wait a minute 'til we're in, then show us!" Riku adds, kicking off his sandals. He tenses to run for the water himself, but Kairi quickly stands and grabs his arm.

"Hold on! Let me braid your hair!"

Riku blinks. "Huh?"

"Now that you've got such long hair..." She reaches out and flops a lock of it, where it hangs down past his shoulders, surprising herself. "It'll get so tangled if we swim for too long. Let me braid it?"

"Oh..." Riku's face lights up. "Yeah, of course!"

He sits back down on the sand, cross-legged, waiting for her. She kneels behind him and, with only a moment's hesitation, takes his newly thick tresses of hair into her hands. Turning them over each other, she marvels at how soft it still is, and wonders why he decided to let it grow out. As kids, he'd always kept it short, he'd never liked it in his eyes. Neither had Sora, but his hair always seemed to grow up and out instead of down.

"Hey!" Kairi almost jumps; she hadn't noticed Sora emerging from the water, until she felt his fingers run through her own hair. (When did they become so calloused? The wooden swords never did that, but the Keyblade must be harsh on their hands.) He draws something out of her hair, something she hadn't even noticed. "Wind blew a little flower into your hair, Kairi!"

She looks at the little plant he's absently twirling between finger and thumb — bright blue, with dark green in the center and on the edges of the petals. Where did it blow in from, she wonders? The same place as her? Have either of them seen it, then, the place where she was born?

Sora's about to toss it back into the sea, to find a new home on the waves, until she takes his wrist. "No, actually...it probably looked better there, didn't it?"

He gives her a puzzled look, but then a moment later his face breaks into the grin she loves so much. "I'll tie it in for you, then!"

Without missing a beat, Sora kneels down in the sand behind her, his hands warm and soft in her hair the way she hopes hers are in Riku's. They work fast: they're island kids, they always have. They look out for themselves and each other, because no one else is going to, out here in the vast and endless ocean.

"Done!" Sora and Kairi both say at the same time, and Riku rises to his feet before either of them, his new braid hanging down between his shoulder blades.

"So? How do you like it?" Kairi asks.

Riku shifts his weight from side to side, tossing his head like a curious dog, and smiles. "Love it! But I think you look just a bit nicer."

"Oh?" Kairi blinks in surprise, hand going to the flower stem safely wound into her hair...but then again, is he looking at the flower or her face?

Meanwhile, Sora's eyes are delightedly flicking between both of them. "Well, I think you're both perfect!"

He's looked at them like that a lot, lately, as if he never thought he would see them again. Not as if she doesn't understand: she's caught herself staring like that since they got home, too.

It's almost unbelievable how much things have changed since they thought they could cross the ocean on their own aboard a raft...and even more so what doesn't necessarily have to.

She's the first to jump up from the sand this time; much as Riku liked to lead, they always have taken that in turns. "Race you to the sandbar!"

Out of the corner of her eye, she can see that they both look momentarily startled, but that doesn't stop them from jumping to follow at her heels, grinning. Like fruit is sweeter when shared, somehow, the hot sand is cooler and the rumbling waves they dive under not quite so big, that the ones she loves the most are back by her sides.

It's strange: being with them in the waters of Destiny Islands should be the easiest, most familiar thing in the world. But something is...different. It's not enough to say she wants Sora and Riku there with her; she always has. It's just...new. And Kairi isn't sure she has the words for it.

Do they feel the same way, she wonders? She thinks she should be able to tell...but then again they've both always been so confident.

A good thing they were raised to handle the ocean currents, when to go with them and when to pull out of them. Far from trying to push into the lead the way they would have done just a couple years ago, now all three of them are trying to stay close to each other. She knows right away that she prefers it.

Sora's warm skin brushes against her arm, and the stem of his flower is still tightly wound into her hair. Riku's eyes gleam as he propels himself over a wave, a strip of seaweed catching on the end of his long braid. Kairi smiles, sea foam catching the side of her face: she couldn't ask for anything more than this.

When she finally holds a Keyblade in her hand, she'll fight just as hard as Sora and Riku to protect it.

[notallthosewhowanderarelost812]

Father Winter showed up out of no where to disturb the alone time they were having in the hot tub. Dylan was the first to go straight to asking for a present, getting a brand new game mat! Kairi followed suit and got an empty box... harsh Father Winter!

Luckily what's Dylan's is also Kairi's!

[blowingoffsteam2]

I was thinking a lot about MoM recently and I realized Riku telling Kairi she can’t come to Quadratum to save Sora is a callback to Sora telling Kairi she can’t help save Riku because she’d be in the way in KH1. I was wondering what you thought of that?

Hmm I guess I wouldn’t call it a callback so much as just….something that continuously happens to her. Or maybe it is because of the aspect of Riku going to save Sora/Sora going to save Riku? Regardless, Riku was infinitely less harsh about rejecting her wish to come along than Sora was (“you’d kinda be in my way” REALLY SORA?) but people ain’t ready for that conversation. People came out with pitchforks for Riku and he didn’t even say anything. I mean think about it from his perspective. A year ago he literally saw her get shattered into a million pieces in front of him, then she slept for the entire year without any additional training or real fighting experience after her “death”. I know they could have 100% came up with a reason to have her go along anyway- it’s not like her skill levels have been portrayed that consistently anyway- but just looking at this from a character perspective I think Riku was fully justified in his hesitance and she was justified in her decision to train with, ya know, an actual keyblade master. I do think it was more just an excuse to shelve her, but I’m at the point where I’d rather have her shelved in a position that’s ripe for fans to imagine all the wonderful character development she could get by forming a close bond with the wayfinder trio, than have to watch on screen as her potential is wasted yet again. Sorry I kinda went off on a tangent…I’m tired lol

[wisp-of-chaos]

Meet the OC - Rerki

Oh boy here we go. The one and only. My probably oldest OC in the pit. My beloved sharkrat and problematic fave. There is so much to tell and unpack here ... you know the drill, OC lore under the cut for ease of scrolling!

... where to start, though. The best course of action would probably be at the very beginning.

Rerki was never meant to be likable or appealing to anyone. My very first thought upon creating her back in the day (in GW1 no less!) was like “… she thinks she’s helpful. Not because she’s a good person but because her logic is somewhere along the lines of Dead people don’t have any problems. Therefore if I kill someone, I help them with solving their problems, which in turn makes me helpful”

And thus, Rerki (aka Kairi Yiuan aka Ritari aka Ruannskr) was born and has been stuck in the folds of my brain for over 10 years now. She has grown a lot; changed appearances and names and even races and transcended fandoms but deep down she always stayed the same.

She kind of developed herself, to be honest; grew a will of her own and stubbornly refused to budge or bow to anything else than her own will. Whenever I tried to do something with (or to) her she didn’t like, I heard that snarky little scoff in my head like *Excuse you? No.” and had to agree that, yes, Rerki was right, and I had to change something instead of her.

Another core idea for her has always been her affliction with white, that each and every design and incarnation of her would be void of any colors and absolutely pale. Which, I think, springs from my very own belief that necromancy (and being tied and connected with the afterlife) is a highly draining ordeal and that life will sooner or later be seeping out of you. Which includes your hair, skin and eye color. For myself, white will forever symbolize death and necromancy far more fittingly than black, and since Rerki started out as a necromancer, that settled that.

Another integral part of Rerki is her necromancy, and I blame this one solely on Guild Wars for introducing me to this class/idea in my youth and absolutely captivating and fascinating me with it. Up to this day, I am utterly enthralled by necromancy and will always pick it as my playing a class in any game if possible.

So much for some overall facts about her, now to get into more specific detail …

Rerki has arguably more bad character traits than good, which was a decision I made on purpose, because as I said before: She was never meant to be liked by people. (Yet here we are, apparently).

Rerki thinks of other people as a bothersome annoyance far below her own intellect, and in most cases she’s right. Given that she’s an asura, she’s a born smart ass and loves to rub it into everyone’s face whenever possible. She is also very fond of “I told you so” moments and will relish them with a self-satisfied smirk and a pointed look.

She loves to learn and study but doesn’t have the greatest patience (read: almost none) and wouldn’t go out of her way to explain something to you. If you don’t get it, that’s on you and it’s not her job to teach you anything so you better look closely and figure it out on your own or get lost. Don’t make the mistake to nag and annoy her about it. You will regret it. For the rest of your life.

Rerki will listen to your stupid ideas. Once. And if you’re too dumb to see the signs of her growing annoyance, she will let you feel her fists with zero hesitation and the only one to blame is yourself.

She is rather standoffish and often comes across as rude and uncaring; tossing around harsh words and sharp truths without sugarcoating anything. The world is a chaotic, unpredictable place and you better grow up fast and develop a sturdy backbone or face the consequences.

Rerki prefers to stay on her own and conduct her experiments and studies but will take the lead if the situation demands it to get things done. Properly and swiftly with whatever means necessary.

Her morals are dark gray at best and she often gets into troubles with the law, but personally doesn’t see the issue in herself. In her eyes, it’s the law that’s wrong.

Rerki seems cold at first glance, but that doesn’t mean she has no heart. She has her very own little moments of vulnerability and tenderness, even when expressed in her very own raw, unique way. The only people allowed to see those moments however are her family and closest friends aka her merry band of unfortunate souls and misfits she collected over the years and which has become some sort of second family to her.

Despite her dismissive attitude, Rerki is very observant and will notice the smallest change in behavior patterns and unusual bearings. She may not always comment on it but will remember it. And possibly use it to her advantage, if pushed into the right situation.

Rerki doesn’t have many friends, but once someone has gained her trust and acceptance; she will do whatever she can to keep them safe and sane – even if that means kicking her friend’s own asses if they need it.

On the other hand, she tends to neglect herself a bit; forgetting to eat and sleep in favor of continuing with her studies and experiments. She also has a habit of throwing herself in harm’s way just to prove a point and is more than just a little bit reckless. (Which was far worse in her youth but as she grew up, she’s become calmer and more levelheaded. She still loves to headbutt idiots to shut them up, though)

Her usual treatment of idiots (or most people in general) is the silent stare of “Are you serious?”, followed by detaching her prosthetic arm and slapping some sense into them. And if that doesn’t help … well, let’s just say she knows how to scare people off. (And how to make them disappear. Permanently, if necessary)

Rerki has a habit of collecting and keeping little trinkets from her hardest battles and most vicious enemies – often in the form of severed and conserved limbs or organs or weapons.

She also has a severe fear hatred for white rabbits. No, she will not elaborate and if you keep pressing the matter, she will end you. For your own sake, never mention it again.

The only living members of her family are her bigger sister Errube and her cousin Dillyn; who work alongside her and the pact as co-commanders. (In the GW2 alteration of her and her story)

One of her most treasured possessions is a human skull she found as a child when she accidentally fell into a hole and ended up in a cursed ascalonian crypt. She claims is speaks to her and guided her out and back to her uncle and sister but nobody ever heard the skull so much as whistle in the wind.

And that … is that. That’s my beloved gremlin girl. She also exists in the BG3/DnD universe as a pale tiefling going by the name Ritari and I may create her siblings there as well. Perhaps. If I have the time and energy to do so. But for now, that is all I can think of at the moment.

Thank you for passing by and reading! And if you have any questions, don’t be shy and let me know, I do so love to talk about her~

And, as a little treat, have some visuals of her:

Firstly as her GW2-self

and secondly a wonderful little artpiece of her tiefling incarnation done by the wonderful @unaarista

[zdbztumble]

Yet Another Kingdom Hearts Revisit, Part VII

I can't speak to what the Japanese version of Kingdom Hearts is like, but the English version has always done a brilliant job capturing Jack Skellington's voice. His dialogue reflects every facet of his character: elegant, theatrical, polite, delusional, and just a little pompous. Ooogie Boogie's always been on point too, speaking like the bullying but jazzy slob that he is. And this spot-on character writing is used in an original story! As far as adapting the flavor of a particular Disney movie in the writing - this Disney movie, at a time when the company still treated it like the ugly stepchild - Halloweentown is one of the best.

Visually, it's much less successful. I've never liked the look of Halloweentown in KH I, with its harsh reds and purples and copious amounts of ugly brown. On playing the game again, it might be my least favorite world aesthetically in the game, and the only reason it's not dead last for the entire series is because Port Royal in KH II looked even worse. Port Royal also doesn't have the saving grace that is Oogie's house, which I do think is well-designed. I wish it stuck around even after you defeat him, but I appreciate how that works out story-wise, and it's a fun area to climb and explore while it lasts. The gambling den is the highlight of the house, and the more fun and engaging stage of the fight with Oogie.

And you better believe that I fight him with Jack in my party. His movement and combat suit him just as well as his dialogue, and like Aladdin in KH I's Agrabah, Jack makes the Top 3 for my favorite party members in the series (Ariel's the other, for all the reasons I gave for appreciating Atlantica last time). Having Oogie fight you through gambling first, then a runaway possession by the powers of darkness, is a nice break from the more direct villains that precede him (Hades excepted).

Storywise, Halloweentown is the closest a non-Pooh world comes to being "filler." It's not - it's a world on the brink of destruction that needs saving just like the rest, and Oogie's in the League of Disney Villains - but none of the cutscenes build on the larger story or the lore the way every previous world does. It's the most self-contained adventure within the larger framework of "we must rescue Disney from darkness." I don't raise that as a complaint, though. It's rather nice to have a lighter world at this point in the game.

Neverland is much more embedded into the larger story, and it's an extremely well-written one. And yet I don't have too much to say about it; its virtues so far as driving Riku along the path to darkness, taking another step toward explaining what's up with Kairi, and giving Sora another step up in his hero's journey, are self-evident. And it's another world where the voice of a particular Disney character (Captain Hook in this case) is captured flawlessly. I don't think I fully appreciated how well he's handled before, but as far as lines and facial animation go, he may now be my favorite of the Disney villains used in this game.

Gameplay-wise, my biggest frustration with Neverland is that there's really one one combat area where you can really take off with flight. I'm sure the claustrophobia of the ship was by design, and I don't mind so much of the action taking place within the Jolly Roger, but it would be great to have a second open space where you can fly around unencumbered for regular combat.

Of course, you can fight Phantom in an open space, and I really love this boss. It was a nightmare fighting him the fist time I ever picked up this game, but as soon as you figure out his orb, it's easy (in principle, at least) to know what to do. It's not even that hard to beat him with a full party as long as you're willing to be generous with Stop magic. But he is still a challenge, and like with Kurt Zisa, I like that he demands a good mix of magic and physical attacks. I get why later games opted for more elaborate fights with main villains in lieu of these kinds of one-off Heartless fights, but I do miss them.

[anchesann0]

I was wrong in my last post about Tadase being a Type 2 enneagram

Something just didn't sit right with me as I looked over his post, motivations, fears, and upbringing.

Especially when I was looking back at how my format at understanding which enneagram these characters are are based from unhealthy stress and healthy growth. Which means I've been really looking at when did they experience the most amount of stress that they nearly, truly "lost" themselves.

A good portion of it is pinpointing:

When did they lose/ almost lose their Shugo Chara.?

How did they get their Shugo Chara back?

What are they like usually?

What is their overall thematic lesson?

I'm confident about Utau being a Type 8, considering I was able to answer:

She lost El throwing away her weak self

She regained Il & El by remembering why she started singing

Usually competitive, harsh, and protective of loved ones (Ikuto)

She learns that being true to herself doesn't necessarily mean fully conforming to be the strongest

I already have answers for Nadeshiko/Nagihiko, Kairi, Yaya, Kukai, and Ikuto, yet Amu & Tadase are hard for me because although they are presented in one way, who they are in a day to day basis considering upbringing and choice are different things.

Like I want to believe that Tadase is a Type 2 & Amu is Type 3 or Type 4, but it's not about what I want them to be (that's just projection). It's about who they truly are.

And I know people will disagree with the conclusions I come to regarding these two in particular, but that is the point of my blog posts. To show the evidence I've procured to prove why I think this way about these characters. As well as the relationships and why it works the way it does.

[hollowwhisperings]

The Mythology of Keyblades: Riku the Beach Boy of Avalon

This theory is partially Crack and partially a genuine investigation into the usage of Arthurian mythology within the KH series.

(this line from Monty Python & the Holy Grail inspired this whole theory: all i had to do was replace the referenced [Lady of the Lake] with Riku)

If you've loitered about the Kingdom Hearts fandom enough and read enough interviews with Tetsuya Nomura, you'll soon conclude that Riku is Tetsuya Nomura's Favourite Child in this series. Riku is the driving force for most of KH's story beats & Riku has played deuteragonist to Sora, story-wise if not in gameplay, in every game that isn't a prequel. Riku seems to gain a new & unique special ability with every game (often at a harsh price). Yet, for all the time the audience spends with Riku... the series is very careful about revealing anything about the boy beyond his utter devotion to Sora. The game even encourages players to Forget and Overlook the integral roles Riku plays in the series, typically via throwing a Kairi between him & Sora.

Jokes aside, while Riku's Secret Anime Prince coding is STRONG, it is not the point being explored here: there are 2 seemingly nonsensical Disney Crossovers established prior to most everything else: 'Alice in Wonderland' (something somewhat explored in my 'Princesses of Light as Stars' series of tinhattery) and 'The Sword In The Stone'. This post shall examine the latter, an animated adaption of the King Arthur myth, and how it is represented in KH not solely through the character of 'Merlin' but as the underlying principle behind the x-blade, Keyblade Wielding & how Riku acts as Kingdom Hearts itself.

Boy at Beach Distrubiting Swords

Let's start with Riku's Keyblades: he has had more than one, not due to gears or keychains but due to... apparently being able to churn fresh swords from his Heart as the Plot Requires.

The different keyblades used by Riku throughout the series thus far are the following:

Kingdom Key (Sora's default keyblade)

Souleater/Way to the Dawn (Riku's default from KH1 until KH2.9)

the Keyblade of Heart (while possessed by Apprentice Xehanort's Heartless, AKA Ansem Seeker of Darkness);

the [Combined Keyblade/"Gayblade"] (alongside Sora)

Braveheart (Riku's current keyblade)

(given that King Mickey found Kingdom Key-D in the Dark equivalent of the Destiny Islands & the whole "x-blade was made of light & darkness" thing... THAT keyblade, currently wielded by King Mickey, may ALSO come from Riku)

That's 5 different keyblades (6 if we include Kingdom Key-D), and ALL have been seen onscreen with at least 1 other, typically Kingdom Key, marking each of these keyblades as being 'distinct' and 'separate' from each other. Before figuring out what Heart Maths may be at play here... a brief interlude.

Young Adult Gifts Toddler Giant Sword: More Wholesome than it Sounds

Supposedly, the ability to [manifest] & "wield" a keyblade is only possible through a successful Bequeathing Ceremony: Terra performed such a ceremony for Riku in BBS. This, however, is a method passed on by the Master of Masters & subsequent schools of keyblade masters: given... literally EVERYTHING seen on "traditional" schools of keyblade mastery, this Premise is Factually Dubious. The series shows multiple characters manifesting or otherwise wielding keyblades without any such ceremonies: even assuming that these rites "carry over" through acts of Posession and Cloning, the Need for a ceremony becomes questionable. This would not be the first (nor last) time in the KH series that the "knowledge" of Foretellers, Mentors & Scholars prove to be Assumptions rather than Absolute Fact.

Exhibit A: Axel & Accidents

Axel is the best example as, unless we are later informed that Subject X performed the ceremony on Lea (or that Roxas or Xion did so without knowing), Axel has never been part of nor possessed by an existing keyblade wielder: his keyblade is entirely his own, a surprise to all.

Sora & Kairi were never formally bequeathed a keyblade though the latter "accidentally" inherited the ability from Aqua in BBS. Sora never had such a ceremony, the KH Wiki (dubious resource that it is) explains Sora's keyblade wielding as being a result of Ventus sleeping within Sora's Heart: I think it is more likely that, unlike the Formal Ceremonies of past keyblade schools may have taught, Hearts do not actually require outside recognition of "worth" in order to manifest a keyblade.

Once Upon A Meteor Shower

Riku's Heart entrusting Kingdom Key to Sora in KH1, a last-ditch effort from its Light to keep to its Oath of Protection, strikes me as being more "faithful" to what we have observed of keyblades in-game. For all that the formally schooled Keyblade Wielders past recited "May Your Heart Be Your Guiding Key", no one embodies the intent of this principle more than the entirely self-taught Sora: Riku and King Mickey likely next closest in trusting their Hearts over what they have been taught.

A Heart entrusting its physical manifestation to Another due to the Connection between them seems a "Truer" bequeathment than the (admittedly heartwarming) recitations of a stranger. Keyblades may NOW be deemed "weapons" to conquer Darkness... but the original x-blade was made of Light AND Darkness, a union of forces working in balance rather than opposition. The first x-blade was a tool for Protection, not Hurt: a creation of Heart and, thus, of Love.

Exhibit B: Body & Hearts

A creation of "Heart". As in, 1 heart = 1 keyblade. Multiple hearts in 1 body? Multiple keyblades.

Roxas is the Go-To example: the Nobody Twin of Naminé, created when Sora "unlocked" Kairi from his Heart whilst Ventus slept within it.

Roxas, in his every appearance, is capable of Dual Wielding: a keyblade from Sora, a keyblade from Ventus. Upon gaining an independent, replika body... Roxas can still, apparently, dual-wield.

...despite no longer sharing the Hearts of Sora nor Ventus (nor Xion).

(as this is a Riku speculation post, not a "what the heck is up with Roxas" one, i'll just... put a Pin in this mystery for now but the "maths" of 1 heart = 1 keyblade are, indeed, still facts of canon: Nomura confirmed as much when revealing the Above Album Art he made for Utada Hikaru's KH3 songs)

Exhibit C: Proof of Concept

Then we have Aqua: she lost her keyblade between saving Ven & falling into Darkness. The keyblade of Master Eraqus came to her aid: this is consistent with the established concept of Bequeathing Ceremonies. It's uncertain whether the same person can bequeath keyblade-wielding to multiple persons but it seems likely given the scale of the Unions in KHX.

(At that same point in time, the Heart of Eraqus was hidden within a Nort'd Terra: 3 Hearts existed within Apprentice Xehanort, all of them in conflict with each other, to varying degrees.)

The keyblade Aqua receives, the keyblade of Master Eraqus, is named 'Master's Defender'. This was originally the keyblade of the Dandelion Brain but was passed onto Ephemer and from pupil to student until eventually being inherited by Eraqus. This seemingly aligns with the concept of Masters 'bequeathing' keyblades to students, specifically THEIR keyblades.

Interestingly, Riku has never wielded Terra's keyblade (or its likeness, via keychain) 'Earthshaker/Ends of the Earth' after its being bequeathed to him, likely due to its remaining with Terra's 'Soul', the 'Lingering Will' within his armour. If this is the case... NONE of the keyblades Riku has conjured or wielded are a result of his Bequeathment Ceremony. Terra's Keyblade becomes a 6th (or 7th) keyblade connected to Riku, albeit an unused one.

Speaking of Terra...

Xemnas (the Nobody of Apprentice Xehanort AKA 'TerraNort') is NEVER seen wielding a keyblade, let alone two.

...but he DOES wield two [lightsabers]/'Ethereal Blades'.

If Xemnas had ever believed in his own personhood, it's plausible that he could have dual wielded keyblades like Roxas... though the conflict between the Hearts of Xehanort & Terra are unlikely to have cooperated long enough for dualwielding to be sustainable in combat.

Back to the Beginning

Kingdom Key was formed by the Light within Riku's Heart. That Light entrusted itself to Sora while Riku himself was lost in Darkness. Riku is later seen wielding a different keyblade, 'Soul Eater'. Given that KH1 sets up a premise of there being 'two' Kingdom Keys, one of Light & one of Darkness... perhaps 'Soul Eater' was made from the Darkness within Riku's Heart. Maleficent or Ansem SOD would know better than most anyone how to create such a thing.

(it's still Weird that Riku's Heart is the ONLY Heart we see capable of manifesting TWO, simultaneously existing & separately wielded keyblades: Riku using Souleater never prevented Sora from using Kingdom Key; Souleater becoming 'Way to the Dawn' did not affect Kingdom Key; and Riku & Sora use each other's keyblades interchangeably in KH2, even dualwielding at times)

While Riku is possessed by Ansem SoD (the heartless of Apprentice Xehanort), he wields a keyblade forged by the hearts of 6 of the 7 Princesses of Heart: this keyblade is named 'Keyblade of Heart' or 'Keyblade of People's Hearts'. This is an artificially made keyblade, wielded by an entity made up of at least 4 people's Hearts (Riku, Xehanort, Terra, Eraqus) and it does not seem to survive past Ansem SoD's defeat.

During the events of KH2.9 (at the 'Drop Point' between the first timeline of KH3 & Sora's First Retcon), Riku and King Mickey find themselves struggling in the depths of the Realm of Darkness. They had hoped to find the missing Master Aqua yet their journey has only proven the point of Master Yen Sid's preventing such a rescue 10 years prior: alone, surviving the journey to the abyss would be all but impossible. Similarly, Sora immediately post-DDD would not have survived the pace set by Mickey & Riku: Sora needed the lessons and confidence boost he found through Herc & Meg before he was truly ready for Aqua's Attempted Rescue.

Before Sora has his Hero Moment (complete with Riku's slow-mo heart-eye reaction to it), Riku's keyblade 'Way to the Dawn'... breaks. Riku also spontaneously gets a Hair Cut. Not due to any attack landing on him from the Demon Tide nor due to any bout of Gay Agony: just... "randomly" (Sleeping Realm Theory covers this).

So then Riku casually manifests a BRAND NEW KEYBLADE, while not at all possessed nor acting as a Heart Hotel, and that keyblade is Braveheart.

(which is basically Kingdom Key but Make It Modern)

It's also in the Realm of Darkness that Sora & Riku first wield their Combined Keyblade whilst in the same plane of reality: in DDD, they wielded their blade across parallel dreamscapes. The [combined keyblade] in KH3 looks exactly as it did in Dream Drop Distance: half Mirage Split, half Nightmare's End.

How Many Hearts Does 1 Riku Have?

The highest number of "hearts" occupying 1 Riku is 10, in KH1: his own, Xehanort's & Terra's, the ghost of Master Eraqus (still biding his time for Maximum Drama), with the 6 Disney Princesses of Heart smooshed within the 'Keyblade of Heart' the Riku Vessel is wielding.

By that time in KH1, both Sora and Riku have wielded Kingdom Key. Riku had also acquired & begun wielding the 'Souleater' keyblade.

Kingdom Key is the keyblade born of the Light in Riku's Heart: a sword entrusted to a Crowned Prince from someone hidden within water, a gift that marks its wielder as a saviour and a fate-chosen king. Sora bears Riku's Crown, a pendant he is never seen without, and Riku (& his Heart) was sinking within both literal (storm and tide) and metaphoric (falling into darkness/sinking within deep waters) waters when Sora receives Kingdom Key. When Sora arrives in Traverse Town, the Final Fantasy & Disney characters there hold Kingdom Key in reverence: the Key follows Sora so THEY follow him too.

There is an Irony about every keyblade-related argument Sora & Riku have in KH1: Kingdom Key WAS Riku's before it was Sora's, the authority of the sword & reverence given to its wielder WAS on "loan" from Riku... but, ultimately, the wielder chosen by the Physical Representation of Riku's Heart & the Light within it?

Yeah, no, sorry Riku: your Heart Likes Sora More.

After KH1, Riku never attempts to "reclaim" Kingdom Key: it's probably during the events between KH1 & KH2 that Riku realises that Kingdom Key is not only a literal manifestation of his own Heart but that he believes Sora to be the best person to wield that "Heart", that "Destiny".

Even if Riku had not somehow managed to manifest the Souleater/Way to the Dawn keyblade, needing to "borrow" Kingdom Key during his year-long vigil at Sora's bedside... I doubt he would have KEPT the sword or that it would let itself be "kept".

Riku's unique connections to both Light AND Darkness make it somewhat reasonable to conclude that 'Souleater' is the Dark counterpart to Kingdom Key: a keyblade formed by the Darkness of Riku's Heart, a keyblade that evolves to 'Way to the Dawn' and Riku's efforts to master his Darkness and return to the Light.

(this still begs the question: how the heck does Kingdom Key-D fit into all this?? no, i'm genuinely asking: what is up with that keyblade)

ALTERNATIVELY! Kingdom Key-D was very logically forged by Riku's Darkness, manifesting in the Realm of Darkness alongside the Fallen Destiny Islands. This makes it Interesting that Mickey could carry it around prior to personally meeting Riku but, regardless of any realizations on its nature & likely relationship with Riku (or Sora), Mickey wields this keyblade-D from KH1 onward.

(This potentially leaves Mickey's Original Keyblade, seen in BBS, as yet ANOTHER keyblade available for Riku's use: the count has risen to 9, 8 if excluding Key-D.)

So... if Riku's Darkness forged Kingdom Key-D, what was Souleater & what IS Braveheart?

Alt #1: Riku, like any Strange Pond Person, can summon as many Magic Swords as Destiny Requires because... he is Literally Kingdom Hearts & that leaves ALL hearts "free" for his use.

Alt #2: The keyblades Riku wields (Souleater, Way to the Dawn & Braveheart) are all manifestations of SORA'S Heart. Sora may be oblivious as to why he is so fixated on Riku but, if Chain of Memories is anything to go by, Sora's HEART knows what it wants, damnit! Even without any allegedly required Bequeathment Ceremony, Riku is a "Child of Destiny" and had already crowned Sora as one too: just as Riku's Heart reached out to Sora, Sora's Heart may have reached BACK for Riku. Thus both boys end up with Keyblades: each holding onto a piece of the other (somewhat literally).

This gives additional explanation to their easy trading & wielding of each other's Keyblades in KH2: the keyblades "belonged" to BOTH boys and always had.

This interpretation easily applies itself to Sleeping Realm Theory, too: 'Way to the Dawn' still "broke" because of Riku's Sacrifice but instead of figuratively representing Riku's Heart "breaking" via his actually Dying, it would represent physically the effect that Sacrifice had on Sora: his Heart broke, "dying" with Riku.

Alt #3: Riku's extra keyblades were from Maleficent, "Ansem", Ansem &/or King Mickey. The timeline allows for Maleficent's providing Riku with the 'Souleater' keyblade: it does not QUITE align for the broken connection between Riku & his Would-Be Fairy Godmother that we can assume happened upon her death in KH1, nor account for any effects caused by her subsequent "resurrection". The timelines required for the other candidates to be involved are not consistent with that of the games nor supplementary canon.

Before wrapping up, let's acknowledge the Giant Crowned Rainbow Sword in the room:

The [combined keyblade], wielded by Riku & Sora in DDD & KH3, is a manifestation of "their Hearts [beating] In Tune". It is That Simple: any efforts to straightwash its existence WILL cause plot holes so just Accept The Gayblade is Gay.

That the Gayblade just so coincidentally resembles both the Ultima keyblade(s) and various x-blades, definitely fit most description of what the x-blade is & how it can be made?

These are also Just Gay. Kingdom Hearts has been building up to (gay) Love being the Ultimate Power of the series from its very beginning: it has ALWAYS used heart imagery and symbolism, used Disney Couples to mirror the changing relationship of Sora & Riku, used "the connections between hearts" as a child's understanding of love (in all forms).

The logical evolution for a Coming of Age journey about a Boy & his Best Friend, in a series that repeatedly uses & is named for 'hearts', who have become stronger as their hearts became more attuned... is for said Boy to realise, acknowledge and recognise that the connection of their hearts has Changed into something less platonic: romantic love, like that between couples in Disney films, like Riku (& Selphie) brought up to Sora through star-shaped fruit before ever exploring those stars personally.

The [combined keyblade] was naturally forged through mutual devotion: its existence implies that the fabled x-blade of legend was ALSO forged by mutual love, that Kingdom Hearts chose its guardian because of Love, that the x-blade's legendary strengh came from its need to protect its dearly Beloved: there is no Straight Explanation for Sora & Riku being able to make the combined keyblade.

[miss-tc-nova]

A Small Adventure with Dad - Sora x Child!Reader

First off, hope you see this. I tried and failed to @ you.

Second, not gonna lie, I've been trying to write this since the request came in. It's been doing my head in and I rewrote it like 7 times. So I'm sorry it's not perfect, and probably not as fluffy as you hoped. And I definitely didn't do any edit/clean up, but I hope it at least entertains you a little.

Premise: The time has come to save the future

Words: 2,372

~~~~~

               The salty air breezes by, the sky raining warm sunshine down on us. Gentle waves rock the world while we bustle about in keeping Black Pearl sailing ahead.

               One of our men points out over the water. “Land ho!”

               “Land ho!” the rest of us holler out in excitement.

               It’s been a few weeks since I arrived here.

               And I don’t mean “here” by The Caribbean.

               The thing is, I’m not from around here. Where I come from, things are beginning to distort and fall apart. After my father and uncle vanished and my own existence began to flicker, we received a visit from a family friend who was able to point us in the direction of the event causing the chaos. It was tasked to me to fix this mess and with ample warnings not to meddle beyond what was required.

               So far, the hardest part has been finding my way without a version of myself here or losing my body, yet I did. It was sheer coincidence that I happen to run into Sora, Donald, and Goofy shortly after. There was some suspicion, but it pretty much evaporated when they discovered that I had my own keyblade. It’s been a comical series of events ever since. Everyone I meet asks how they know me or if we’ve met somewhere. Alternatively, they’re exasperated at the double chaos known as me and Sora. It’s not my fault we get along so well.

               I know it’ll end and probably sooner than I’d like, but until then, I’m going to thoroughly enjoy the time I have with my new friends.

               I get to work adjusting the sails as we divert course towards the island, singing that silly shanty at the top of our lungs as we have the whole time.

               “And really bad eggs!” Jack stumbles as the ship breeches the shore and goes tumbling over the edge.

               “JACK!” The rest of us run to the edge of the vessel to check on the captain. He simply lays in the sand, coming to terms with the fact that he’s ashore.

               Suddenly, there’s a little jingle. All eyes dart to Sora.

               “Sora!” Donald scolds, flapping his arms frantically.

               “Put it on silent!” I hiss.

               Instead, he answers it. “Hello?” he whispers loudly.

               “Sora, we—”

               “Shhh!” It’s kind of harsh, but in the name of the world order, we have no choice but to make Ienzo keep it down.

               “S-Sorry,” he says much softer.

               “What’s up?” asks Sora.

               “We’ve received some unusual activity in the Kingdom of Corona. Kairi, Riku, and King Mickey are already on their way, but I think it would be wise to send everyone to investigate this matter.”

               “It’s that big, huh?”

               I can’t help the goosebumps creeping up my spine. This might be it.

               “I believe so.”

               Sora looks to us for opinions.

               “What about Jack?” Goofy asks.

               Again, we peer over the railing to see the captain ambling off along the shore on his own.

               “He’ll be fiiiine,” I reply.

               “You think so?”

               “Look at him? He barely knows we’re here when we’re the ones manning his ship. I’m sure he’ll have gotten himself off the island and onto his next adventure without us.”

               We turn back to Sora who looks back at his GummiPhone. “We’re on our way.”

               “Great. I’ll inform the others to wait for you before proceeding.”

               The call ends there. One last glance is spared to the captain that still hasn’t acknowledged we haven’t joined him before we set out for the Kingdom of Corona.

               My boots meet the grass. Again, the sun blesses us with its warm kiss though the breeze lacks the heavy salt of The Caribbean. There’s significantly less water about, but instead the sea is of glorious, pastel flowers soaking in the radiant light from above.

               “This place is pretty,” I awe, taking in all the greenery.

               “About time our wayward pirates showed up.”

               Her voice captures our attention and we spot Kairi strolling closer, Riku and Mickey following after.

               “Hey guys!” Sora calls.

               “Do you guys have any leads on our Heartless?” I ask as we meet up.

               “Nope. We were told to wait for you,” Riku says. “Ienzo says it’s likely to be a tough one.”

               “Sounds fun,” I laugh.

               “Fun? Really?” Riku’s not nearly as entertained as I am.

               I shrug. “What? We’re investigating this whether or not we’re afraid. Might as well plan on beating it to a pulp.”

               Though he scrunches his nose in disapproval, there’s the slightest hint of a smirk in his expression. “I don’t know if you’re brave or crazy.”

               “Thanks! I inherited it from my father.”

               Well whatever expression he had, it all goes out the window, leaving him baffled. “Wha…What?”

               I wave my finger guns at him.

               Quite honestly, the conversation doesn’t get much smarter than that. So we set out, keeping eyes peeled for signs of this unusual Heartless.

               In spite of big words, my heart slams against my ribs, anxiety creeping into my throat. As we wander the woods, I elect to keep my mouth clamped shut. If this is what I think it is, they are not prepared for this and, quite frankly, I’m not even sure I am. But I can’t let on that I know—that would open too many lines of conversation I’m not allowed to divulge.

               The ground rumbles beneath our feet. My voice catches on that lump of anxiety, but Riku’s is clear.

               “Run!”

               Everyone manages to dive out of the way as the earth gives way. From the dirt rises a serpentine beast with a body littered in thorns. A trio of flowers sprout from the top, each snapping their razor-sharp teeth. The largest in the middle is the only real face with wild, spiraling eyes. On the chest of this beast is the tell-tale emblem of the Heartless. This is an ancient species of serpentine monster that disappeared well before even my father’s time; I’d only ever seen it mentioned in a book. And those notes were nothing good.

               With a roar, the beast attempts to bite down on anyone as it lunges at the group. This starts the wildest fight of my life. The triplet heads independently strike at lightning speeds and the thorns on its sides make it difficult to make a mark with our attacks. Even when they do land, the thick skin of the snake soaks the ones that do land. The heads aren’t even the only threat this thing has as the tail whips at us, crushing rocks when it missed.

               My heart stops when I watch Sora raise his weapon to top one of the smaller heads from chomping down on him. His arms strain to hold it back, leaving him wide open for the tail to come through. I have just a split second to get out of the way the brunette is sent flying back, colliding with the cliffside at our backs.

               It feels like a fist jerking on my heart and I stumble.

               This is bad. I knew they would struggle, but I don’t even know what I’m supposed to do against this thing. I wasn’t prepared to face a Thorned Snake.

               There’s the slightest movement at the cliff overlooking us. My eyes snap to the black coat observing the fight—that’s who summoned this monster.

               I narrowly missing getting bitten into as my blade changes into a glider and takes me up to meet the Organization member. The man with pink hair doesn’t even spare me a glance.

               “Stop! Stop this!” I shout, racing towards him. “Please, Lauriam!”

               A brow rises in my direction. “And just who are you?”

               “Someone who knows that if you do this, you will regret it.”

               I step back beneath his imposing figure. In a whirl of petals, he now wields his signature scythe. “Threatening me, are you?”

               “No!” I can’t raise a weapon to this man. I know him—I know the importance of the part he’s meant to play. “Please, just don’t do this!”

               “You have one last chance to run.”

               “Lauriam, please.” His second hand meets the staff and I cower beneath its rising blade. “I’ll give you a clue about what you’re looking for!”

               His body freezes, mid swing, and he turns on me with the look of a man gone feral. “What did you just say?”

               I barely have time to brace myself, yet I wasn’t really prepared to be hung midair by my neck.

               Voice deep, violent, desperate, he demands more. “Tell me what you know.”

               Unable to speak beneath the crushing force of his grip, I glance to the raging battle below. That grip tightens but I know that I have to hold out or this won’t be the end of just me.

               A frustrated huff signals that I’ve won. I hit the ground, gasping for air. His snap echoes in the air, followed shortly by the ground rumbling. In the battle below, vines burst from the ground, entangling the beast. It soon forgets my allies as it struggles against the bindings. Thorns pierce its skin, eliciting a roar of pain and I almost feel bad for the thing. There was no hope against the crushing vines as the Heartless soon releases its heart and disperses in a cloud of smoke.

               Immediately, Marluxia turns on me. “Now tell me. Where is it? Why am I here?”

               Collecting my composure, I rise to my feet. “You need to look into the Realm of Fiction.”

               He’s barely restraining himself in his frustration. “What does that mean?”

               “That’s all I can tell you.”

               “And why should I trust you? What’s stopping me from choking the life out of you right now?”

               Suddenly it occurs to me—the reason she was the one to visit and set me on this path. Reaching into my jacket, I pull the fabric she asked me to keep with me. In my outstretched hand I offer up the vermillion ribbon. All that animosity washes off him, replaced by weary heartache. Almost reverently, he accepts my gift.

               “Where did you get this?” he murmurs, not quite understanding his own reaction.

               “You’ll find out soon enough.”

               His green eyes scan me over once again. “You’re not from here, are you.”

               I shrug with a meek smile.

               “You know I can’t back down from this war, right? I will defeat them when the time comes.”

               “You do what you need to do,” I say. My feet carry me towards the edge of the cliff. “May your heart be your guiding key.”

               What I said stuns him. “What did you—?!”

               Marluxia’s question can’t be answered now. I take that last step off the edge landing on the glider that carries me down to the waiting warriors of light below. I can’t fight the smile on my face, having succeeded in my mission, averted a crisis, and set everything back on the right path.

               “You guys okay?” I ask as my feet hit the ground.

               “What happened?” Kairi asks.

               Riku has some idea. “What did you do?”

               “I just…had a heart-to-heart.”

               “With Marluxia?” Sora is full of skepticism.

               “Yep.” I let the smile slip. “But don’t let that fool you. He’s still just as much of a threat as he was before. Do not take him lightly.”

               “How did you do that?” Donald scratches his head.

               “I can’t tell you.”

               His feathers ruffle. “You and your secrets.”

               Mickey isn’t quite as bothered. “We’d better report back to Ienzo and let him know that the Heartless is gone.”

               Sora looks to me. “And we better get back to Jack and make sure he’s not still stranded on that island.”

               I’m not quite prepared for this. My time here was always meant to be limited but getting to know these people in this time is a memory I’ll always keep close to my heart. It’s really made me come to appreciate who they are.

               Still, it takes me a moment to get the words out. “Actually, I think it’s time for me to go.”

               Surprise crosses all their face.

               “Huh? Where to?” asks Sora.

               “Home.” A laugh escapes me. “My dad is probably waiting for me to tell him all about this.”

               A hand passes through his hair as he considers the non-existent options. “You’re from Destiny Islands right? We could probably make a pitstop there if you wanna see him.”

               “It’s a bit more complicated than that.” From my pocket, I produce a star-shaped gem.

               Mickey immediately recognizes the item. “That’s a star shard!”

               “Yep. There’s a detour I gotta make if I want to actually get home.”

               “So when are you coming back?” I knew that question would pop up, but I don’t know if it’s more or less painful that it’s Sora who asks.

               “It’s gonna be a long time,” I answer honestly. “You’ll probably have forgotten me by the time we meet again and you may not recognize me.” I offer a hand in the face of his confusion. “But we will meet again. Trust me.”

               The parting sadness in his eyes brightens, a small hint of happiness coming through.

               “Alright.”

               Sora takes my hand and I pull him into my arms. With a hearty pat, I step away from him and bid the rest goodbye in turn. The star shard in my hand begins to glow as I send it the thoughts of my destination. Memories of my time here swell in my heart. Muscles in my cheeks hurt from all the smiles, but I don’t even care.

               “See you guys.” The next words slip from my mouth before I can even think about it. “Bye dad, I love you.”

               Oh I messed up. It feels like the everything stops and I wait for the worlds to end.

               Instead, Riku points at me with accusation. “I KNEW IT!”

               Sora, himself, is confused out of his mind. “Wait, what?!”

   ��           Kairi puts a hand on his shoulder. “Sora, that’s your—"

               “WELL!” I interrupt loudly. “I’ve overstayed my welcome and Wilbur’s parents are gonna kill him if I don’t get his ship back! Bye!”

               Before the star shard takes me away, I hear Sora’s voice.

               “Bye, I love you too!”

[wh3r3sth3l0ve]

Sora x Tifa

Part 29

Part 28 below

Tifa laid her boyfriend on the floor, checked his pulse and tried to bring him back to senses.

- Bring me a wet towel and a glass of water. - she commanded Riku.

- Wha… yes, yes, sure. Where?

- Under the sink.

He came back a moment later. She laid the wet towel on Sora’s forehead and gently patted his face. Less than half a minute later Sora opened his eyes.

- What happened? Why am I on the floor?

- Anxiety. - Tifa answered. - Lay still, you have to recover.

Sora sighed deeply and closed his eyes again.

- This one was the worst I’ve seen. - she said quietly to Riku. - Do you understand why I can’t let him go?

She looked up at him with sadness. All he could do was to nod. He sat down heavily on the stool and emptied his glass at once.

- I’m sorry you had to see this. - Sora said, still laying with his eyes closed.

Riku just shook his head, looking disbelievingly at his friend. He saw people in different states but even Aqua, after spending ten years in the Realm of Darkness, wasn’t so broken.

Sora eventually sat up and gave Tifa a grateful look. She smiled at him and helped him get back on the stool.

- I think we have to call it a day. - she said. - Do you have a place to sleep?

- I’ll manage. - Riku stood up.

- Oh no, you don’t. - Sora protested. - Don’t listen to him, Tifa, he’s always like this. Maybe he could sleep in the basement?

- Yeah, why not. Wait here, darling, I’ll be back in a moment.

- Sure. See you tomorrow. - he said to his friend. - And, please, don’t go without saying goodbye.

- I won’t. Bye.

Riku followed Tifa to the pinball machine to get to the basement. Once she was sure that Sora wouldn’t hear them, Tifa said:

- I’m sorry I’ve been so harsh, I’m just scared. That breakup destroyed him and I’m trying my best to help him recover.

- I know, I see. Thank you for that. - Riku said with a grateful look. - Is there anything I could do to help?

- Just be his friend as you always were. And, if you can, don’t mention Kairi again. I believe he loves me but I don’t believe he stopped loving her, no matter what he says. - her voice started breaking down.

- Ok, I get it. - he paused. - You really love him, don’t you?

- You think I’d be able to be with him if I didn’t?

Riku shaked his head, looked around the room and then at the elevator to the bar.

- Go to him. I’ll stay a few days, if it’s ok for you.

- Sure. Do what you can for him.

They both nodded and a few moments later Tifa was back up. She walked out with Sora to go back home. He was holding her close, exhausted and longing for her closeness.

The next day Sora woke up with a headache and a huge amount of stress. Even though Riku promised him to stay for a couple of days, he was scared that his friend would break his word. Tifa was still asleep so he decided to take a hot shower to get rid of the annoying pain. As he was standing under the streaming water, Tifa went in to join him. Without a word she hugged him tight, which caused him to smile and hug her back.

A few minutes later they both felt it’s time for breakfast, so they dressed up and went to their favorite place for bagels. Sora bought one for Riku as well and they headed to 7th Heaven to eat together. When he saw his best friend sitting by the bar, a sigh of relief came out of his mouth. Tifa suggested sitting outside as the weather was perfect for that.

Once they finished eating, Riku asked from behind his cup of coffee:

- Would you like me to help with the Unversed?

- Yeah, I can’t leave them be. It would be nice to investigate with you. - Sora was pleased with the offer.

- I’ll help you as well, I want to get to know those things. - Tifa was determined.

- Sure, also we could try materia on them, I wonder if we could assess them.

- Materia? - Riku looked surprised.

- How to keep it short… - Sora scratched his head but Tifa was quicker with the response.

- It’s a kind of condensed energy made of mako, the substance that runs this planet and can be used in many ways.

Riku nodded and asked when they would be ready to go for a search of the Unversed.

- Let me just leave the information for clients.

Tifa disappeared behind the door and a minute later was back with a sheet of paper saying that today the bar is closed, which she hung on the door.

- Ready. Let’s ask people if they saw anything suspicious.