#Temporary [Ephemer]

[thetwilightroadtonightfall]

Skuld brainworm hours have been haunting me for the past 2 months and I really want her to be a temporary antagonist for the lost masters arc, but then I remembered that every character except Sora, Kairi, Ephemer, Brain and to some extent and Roxas has been a temporary antagonist at some point; can't even count my baby boy Ventus cause he murdered Strel :( .

honestly a Skuld boss fight where she’s fully committed to kicking our/Sora’s ass because she wants to and not because she has to would have me screaming and ricocheting off the walls

In other words, angst good…very good ⊙◟◞⊙

[eikooowie]

This is a wonderfully unique and thematically rich ultimate ability for Ephemeral Echo, blending their connection to the zombie deer critters, arcane power, human skills, and the natural world within the Reverse: 1999 framework! Let's break down this "My Little Critters Menu" ultimate:

Ultimate Name: My Little Critters Menu

Flavor Text: "The forest offers a bounty, though some dishes walk on unsteady legs. It's mealtime, and even the echoes of life deserve to partake in the reckoning."

Mechanics:

This ultimate likely involves a multi-stage attack, drawing upon Ephemeral Echo's unique abilities:

1. A Natural Rise (Buff/Preparation):

* Effect: Ephemeral Echo channels the natural energies of the environment, perhaps drawing power from nearby plants, the earth, or even the subtle temporal distortions of the land. This grants them a temporary buff, increasing their Arcane Might, Penetration Rate, or Crit Rate.

* Visual: Green energy swirls around Ephemeral Echo, leaves or vines briefly manifest, and a soft, natural musical motif begins to play – "music to terra" (music of the earth).

2. "My Little Critters Menu" (Summon/Control):

* Effect: Ephemeral Echo summons a wave of their "awakened" zombie deer critters. These aren't mindless hordes but are guided by Ephemeral Echo's will, their movements unnatural yet purposeful. The number and strength of the critters summoned could scale with Insight Level or Ultimate Rank.

* Visual: The ground trembles, and a spectral, glowing herd of zombie deer emerges, their eyes burning with an eerie light. They move with a jerky, unsettling gait, but their focus is entirely on the enemy.

3. Zombies Deer Reckoning Attack ("Meals Time" - Arcane Skills):

* Effect: Ephemeral Echo unleashes their Arcane skills, empowered by the "Natural Rise" buff, in conjunction with the attacking zombie deer. The deer act as both a distraction and a conduit for Ephemeral Echo's arcane power.

* Visual:

* Arcane Energy Infusion: Ephemeral Echo channels arcane energy into the zombie deer, causing them to glow brighter and their attacks to be imbued with elemental effects (e.g., temporal distortions that slow enemies, spectral bites that ignore defense, bioluminescent energy blasts).

* Coordinated Assault: The deer charge the enemies, creating chaos and drawing aggro, while Ephemeral Echo launches a powerful Arcane attack that synergizes with their movements (e.g., a wide-area temporal blast centered on the deer, a series of focused energy beams guided by the deer's positions).

* "Meals Time" Callout: Ephemeral Echo might utter a phrase like "The forest hungers," or a more direct "Meals time," as the combined assault begins.

4. "Nature Whispered Feast" (Human Skills/Follow-Up):

* Effect: Following the initial arcane and critter assault, Ephemeral Echo utilizes their "human skills," representing their deep connection to the natural world, to deliver a devastating follow-up attack. This could involve manipulating the environment to further damage or control the enemies.

* Visual:

* Environmental Manipulation: Roots erupt from the ground, ensnaring enemies. Thorny vines lash out, dealing piercing damage. A sudden growth of toxic fungi releases debilitating spores.

* "Nature Whispered Feast" Callout: Ephemeral Echo might say something like "The earth claims its due," or "Nature whispers its feast," as this phase begins.

* Synergy with Items of Arcanist's: If Ephemeral Echo has specific Resonance or Psychube builds focused on environmental damage or crowd control, these effects could be amplified during this phase. For example, a Psychube that triggers additional damage on debuffed enemies would synergize with the zombie deer's potential to slow or weaken foes.

Thematic Resonance:

* The Cycle of Life and Death (Twisted): The ultimate plays on the natural cycle, with the "dead" deer participating in a "feast" of reckoning against the enemies.

* Harmony of Arcane and Natural: It beautifully blends Ephemeral Echo's arcane abilities with their deep connection to the natural world and its creatures.

* Unconventional Power: The use of zombie deer as offensive allies is unique and unsettling, fitting within the Reverse: 1999's arcane and sometimes bizarre elements.

* Empowerment of the Underseen: It highlights Ephemeral Echo's affinity for the often-overlooked aspects of nature, even those touched by decay.

Gameplay Implications:

* Crowd Control and Damage: The ultimate likely excels at dealing AoE damage due to the spread of the zombie deer, while also potentially offering some crowd control through their unsettling presence or specific arcane infusions.

* Synergy with Buffs and Debuffs: The initial "Natural Rise" buff encourages strategic timing of the ultimate, and the deer's attacks could apply debuffs that enhance the "Nature Whispered Feast" follow-up.

* Unique Playstyle: This ultimate reinforces Ephemeral Echo's unique identity as an Arcanist who bridges the gap between the arcane and the natural, with a peculiar affinity for the unsettling yet powerful zombie deer.

This "My Little Critters Menu" ultimate is a fantastic way to showcase Ephemeral Echo's multifaceted abilities and their unique place within the Reverse: 1999 world. The blend of arcane power, natural manipulation, and the unsettling presence of the zombie deer creates a visually striking and strategically interesting ability.

[fabricdragondesigns]

The Made To Fade Tattoo That Permanently Tattooed MANY Clients | Ephemer...

the only true temporary tattoo is henna or run on/paint.

[solitarkey]

I forgot to come up with tags for the ux crew uhhhhh tag dump 2.0

[drazavonia]

So, when Ephemer died, did he also go to the Final World?

The reason I ask is because Hoder and her friends died and when Eraqus and Xehanort talked to them in the Underworld, they stated they were in a world of ocean and sky, ergo the Final World.

Hoder from the Final World was able to store her heart inside of Xehanort's heart and project herself just like Eraqus did with Terra.

So my question is, if Xehanort was in a land of death and was able to store Hoder's heart within himself, did Ephemer store his heart inside of Sora's heart when he was in the Final World. Is that why Ephemer was projected in front of Sora and was able to help him with Union-X? Is Ephemer currently still stored within Sora's heart or was it a temporary connection and he returned to the Final World?

[rosie-kairi]

I know I'm basicly couple days late on this, but ignore it lmao. You wanted khdr headcanons and I have one, I also have one for khux!

The khdr one:

Idk why but Hermod is literally the mom friend of the group. Like seriously that dude is always worrying over stuff and trying to keep them on right track. He is the mom, lol.

The khux one:

Do you remember that some time ago people were confused what was actually Ephemer's name? (Or could be just me, idk) Because in the game it's written Ephemer, but some people still called him Ephemera for some reason. I remember it making me so confused. So I come up with this headcanon were Ephemer's name is actually Ephemera. But when he was a kid (or younger) some mean kids bullied him for it. They made mean remarks about his name sounding too 'feminine' to be a boys name. Which ofc made kid Ephemer sad, and he decided to cut the A letter out of his name, when introducing himself to new people. So, in official papers he would still be Ephemera, but he always says his name is just Ephemer bc he doesn't want to get picked on anymore. Exception being ofc Skuld, who were his childhood bestie and couldn't get used to it. So she got a free pass on it, and can call Ephemer by name Ephemera. Also when Skuld and Ephemer became dandelions, Skuld still kept doing it. She wanted to prove to Ephemer that not everyone cared about his name, and that he wouldn't be bullied about it. And if that happened Skuld would kick their ass, lmao.

She also kinda teached the habit to other dandeloins. Who later insisted Ephemer that his name is super pretty and they too wanted to call him Ephemera. First it made him really uncomfortable, but over time he got used to it. His confident about his name did go up because of the others, and now he let people who are close to him use the name instead of denying it's existense.

Whoops, sorry. The last one is pretty long, hope you don't mind it's also kinda sad )::

I also have many other headcanons on stock so. I might come back later lmao.

asdfgfds I take any and all headcanons lol. I have permanent brainrot about these guys and you can just drop them in my inbox at any time!!!

Totally agree!! Hermod gives off total mom friend vibes. He's the stickler for rules and is always the one keeping the others out of trouble. They all would've been dead much earlier without Hermod.

Oooh that's an interesting take. Kinda goes hand in hand with "Brain is just a nickname that he's had since he was a kid bc he couldn't pronounce "Blaine" properly." lol. Except it's Ephemer getting teased over the fact that his name isn't even a name, it's a noun that means something is temporary or something.

[quartings]

Did some concept art for my SteamPunk series, based off Vigors, Infinity Stones, and Z-Crystals!

Ambers are special gemstones charged with Epheme radiation. When placed in a special metal implant called an Augment, they imbue the user with powerful abilities like pyrokinesis, technopathy, gravity manipulation, and more.

Using these abilities causes temporary mutations, and using them at full strength for extended durations bears the risk of causing permanent mental damage as well.

Bonus purple version:

[what-demyxs-name]

The Daybreak Gang Genderbent

The player is referred to as [P/N], meaning Player's Name. Ventus is also included in this list, but not as a Union Leader.

Ephemer would be amazed. He'd seen [P/N] and their friends switch their gender as many times as they wanted to, but he's never seen anyone else do it. He didn't even know he could! He constantly asks Skuld about advice on what to do now. He's a bit disappointed in his cakes but other than that he's good to go. His hair goes down to the middle of his neck, and sometimes he'd add an A at the end of his name.

Skuld would be kind of mad, but also content with it. It's what destiny had in store, right? And it's temporary anyway. She hasn't had any problems with herself before but now that she's changed to a male, she doesn't know what to do or how to fit in with her party. But she does ask for help when she needs it from the other union leaders, though she can be a bit hesitant about it. She'll need an extra push. Her hair is shorter now.

Brain is unmoved. What does being a girl have to do with anything? Sure, he's not as intimidating as before, but he can be really scary. Especially now that he's a woman. But if it doesn't bother his duties and research, then he doesn't see a problem in worrying about it. Of course, there are times he'd wonder why his chest is bigger than the other girls of the Union Leaders. His hair is a bit longer, down to the top of his shoulders and he shrinks an inch or two.

Lauriam is also unmoved. He'd been mistaken as a girl for a good majority of his life, what's the difference if he is now? His clothes may be a bit tight on him, but that doesn't matter. He could always ask Strelitzia what he should buy, and she's help him in an instant. Gender never really mattered to him anyway, because no matter what, everyone kept calling him a girl. No notable changes.

Strelitizia's probably the most affected. She loved her femininity and her girl glory, but now that she's a guy? Wonderful way to wake up in the morning. She's the one that point out that she and Lauriam need new clothes, and his probably won't fit him. She also asks [P/N] for help on what to do, since they change around a lot. Her hair is shortened to just below the middle of her back.

Ventus is... really confused. It's possible for him to change his gender??? Genders matter???? He never knew that. He just thought "oh girl, okay" and "oh boy, okay" as ways to describe people, not that they actually mattered to others. He was being bullied by other keyblade wielders before some others hopped in and helped him, telling him that his gender changed. He was confused by it but understands now. No notable changes.

[floriswrite]

"So, if I asked, would you really make me lunch?" Lea couldn't help but be awkward around Lauriam. The guy was way too bright these days but he knew there was still massive darkness in him. He didn't really care about the Marluxia crap.

"I would." Lauriam nodded. "My personal feelings towards you have nothing to do with my need to make sure you are healthy."

"How do you feel towards me?"

"I don't feel anything."

"What?"

"In general. My feelings are... Muted. They've been that way since I woke here." 

Lea leaned back against the wall. “Aren’t you dating Even?” 

Lauriam sighed and looked to the floor. “I am courting Even. Ienzo thought the same... I am chasing the ghost of a feeling, Lea. If you really must know. Even knows where my emotions lie. We’ve talked extensively about our past. About Brain and Ansem. Aeleus and Elrena.” 

“Not that I care, trust me, I don’t, but isn’t that kinda, I don’t know, /wrong/?” Lea gestured a hand at him. “Sounds like you’re leading him on.” 

“It is hardly any different from Isa’s own emotional state. We all have trauma, Lea. And if I feel like dealing with mine by taking care of others and attempting to learn what it means to be in a normal relationship than I should be allowed to.” 

“Don’t you dare drag Isa into this.” Lea groaned and rubbed his face. “I know you know how he looks at Terra. So, okay, yeah, I get what you’re saying. I’m dealing with mine by having an army of /teenagers/ at my feet.” 

“Have you put more thought into my offer?” 

“...I... didn’t really think you were serious.” Lea admitted and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m not really leader material, Lauriam.” 

“It would only be temporary. Isa would be preferable but there’s still much work to be done there.” Lauriam gave him a small smile. “It’s what Skuld would want.” 

“Yeah, okay. Until Isa can. But not a moment longer. I can barely be responsible for myself, let alone a bunch of kids.” 

“I’ll tell Ven the good news. Would you like something to commemorate it?” 

“Uh, besides lunch?” 

Lauriam gave a small nod. “Ienzo has a choker from me, and Ven wears a bracelet. I’m on good terms with Moogle as well as those ducklings so have access to materials as well as the ability to synthesis.” 

“Uh, I guess whatever you think would be best. I’m still getting used to my Keyblade and the whole magic shift in general from, you know, Axel.” 

Lauriam curled a hand before his lips. “I can work with that. I’ll have something for you in the next few days.” 

“Cool.” Lea swallowed. “You really don’t feel anything towards me?” 

“Should I? Whatever happened between Marluxia and Axel is in the past.” Lauriam responded and crossed his arms over his chest. “You’ve only ever done what you thought was right to protect your own interests. I cannot fault someone for that.” 

“I don’t know now. I guess I thought we were friends. You /act/ like we’re friends.” 

“No.” Lauriam closed his eyes. “You’ll die if we’re friends.” 

“What?” Lea pressed closer to the wall behind him before he sprung forward to grab Lauriam’s collar. “What?!” 

“If you haven’t figured that out by now I don’t know what to tell you. Do you know how many times Elrena has died? Has had her memory altered? Been /used/? Let alone Ven.” Lauriam placed his hands over Lea’s. “Brain didn’t even come to this time. Ephemer is trapped. I’m pretty sure you met Skuld. Broken. My Dandelions... You don’t want to be my friend, Lea.” 

“Huh.” The sound left Lea softly and his hands slipped back to his sides. “Yeah. You got a point there. But if /you/ haven’t realized I don’t make a habit of leaving my friends behind. So I really don’t care. If you want me to be a part of his union crap than we’re friends.”

“Always a way with words.” Lauriam sighed. “I know I cannot change your mind. So welcome to the fold, Master Lea.” 

“Yeah, okay, I need you to not call me that.” Lea mumbled as he tried to keep his knees supporting him. Now he understood why Even always had such a face when Lauriam called him lord. It meant nothing from him but boy howdy was that tone all Marluxia. 

“It is your proper title.” Lauriam frowned. “Ienzo and Ven dislike it as well. But it is what Master Ava would want. I will refrain.” 

“You really don’t get it.” Lea huffed. “Marluxia calling anyone by proper title would be a field day. It’s not the same from you, but it’s still, how do I even put this besides fuckin’ hot... Yeah, that’s it.” 

“So there’s a problem with my delivery.” 

“There’s a problem with your /face/.” Lea sighed heavily. “What happened to your /ego/? Not that I’m really complaining. Marluxia was insufferable. But he was fuckin’ hot.” 

“Are you turned on by me calling you master?” Lauriam questioned. 

“Yeah, sure, we can boil it down to that. Much easier than trying to delve into the various levels of physiological bullcrap between us.” 

“I see. So it is not so much /me/ saying it as the thought of /him/ saying it and since we share the same face... I see. And here I had hoped I wouldn’t have to deal with this with you.” 

“Yeah, basically.” Lea shrugged. “With me? Oh. /That’s/ why you’re still courting Even.” 

“Yes.” Lauriam admitted. “Ven is the only person who sees /me/. The rest of you still see /him/.” 

“Yeah, okay, guilty. That’s just kinda how it is for all of us. Some of us kinda... switched back and forth easier. Half the time the kids still call me Axel and it stings, you know? I’m trying to make this new life for all of us and it... it’s hard. And you’re trying to give me this opportunity to /do/ something to help the future and that’s terrifying. Because when I see you I see Marluxia. And I didn’t /care/ what Marluxia had to say because Saix’s orders and wants were all that mattered. Getting back to Roxas was all that mattered. I just had to make sure Marluxia /failed/. I had no clue what was actually happening at Castle Oblivion because I didn’t /care/. And now we’re here, and you’re offering to trust me again, and I... I don’t deserve that.” 

“Are we not all seeking redemption?” 

“We are.” Lea sighed. “Is that what this is? A way to prove myself?” 

“If you want to see it that way you can.” 

“I will. Can you tell me something?” 

“You know I remember little.” 

“I do. Marluxia was determined to take down Xemnas. Why?” 

“To stop Kingdom Hearts. To stop a reset of the universe. You’ve been to the Keyblade Graveyard.” 

“Yeah, place is hella creepy.” 

“That place is full of people I once knew. The people of my time. Our job as leaders was to protect those that avoided the war. To act as if it never happened.” 

“What?” 

“To accept the future and move on. That was the point of the dandelions.” 

“You’re telling me that the universe almost got /destroyed/?” 

“Reset. Yes.” 

“Same thing.” Lea huffed. 

“No. Kingdom Hearts puts light and darkness back in balance. The few Keyblade Weilders you’ve met wore born from that light. Were gifted it.” 

“So Xehanort was trying to use us to cause an apocalypse, basically.” 

“That’s accurate.” 

“Which is why Marluxia tried to control Sora?” 

“If what I have been told of myself follows, than yes. Marluxia would have had the instinctual need to stop Kingdom Hearts. Even if he could not remember why and had lost his Keyblade to Darkness.” 

“Well, damn.” Lea whistled. “Which I guess explains why Larxene was there too.” 

“The lingering feeling of bonds. Yes.” Lauriam nodded. 

“Huh.” Lea tilted his head back. “Even knowing that I still woulda done what I did.” 

“You had your priorities. I get the feeling that Saix and Marluxia had the same one without knowing it.” 

“Yeah, probably. Xemnas was crazy.” Lea laughed. “We won in the end though. No apocalypse.” 

“No apocalypse.” Lauriam hummed. “Things are finally back to how they should be.” He pressed a hand to his chest. “Just how master wanted.” 

“Don’t get all eerie on me now.”

“Are you not excited for the future?” Lauriam grinned at him. 

“Not sure excited is a word I would use, but at this point I guess I should just be happy I’m alive to see it.” 

“Exactly, Master Lea.”

Lea growled at him. “I’m going to go tell Ven myself.” 

“You have no idea where he is.”

“And you do?” 

“Of course. But if you listen to your heart you should find the way.” 

“Yeah, guiding key blah blah blah.” 

“I believe in you, Lea.” 

“That makes one of us.” Lea sighed and summoned his Keyblade. “You’re really not like Marluxia at all. I don’t get it.” 

“One needs to keep up appearances when their body is all they have. The loss of my sister broke me deeply and if not for the other leaders I would have fallen to Darkness much sooner. There is no point in growing close to people who will only leave you. Marluxia existed solely to try and get back to /me/. To try and fix the future. Is that accurate?” 

“I guess. Are you trying to tell me that Marluxia could have been nice?” 

“He got along with Roxas, am I right?” 

“Yeah. Roxas is always looking at you and junk. But even that was cause he had a Keyblade, wasn’t it? Trick the kid into liking you to use him... Which is no different than what I did.” Lea sighed. “A means to an end. I get your point.” 

“Marluxia is Marluxia and I am me. But all Marluxia was, was a fully broken version of me. The one that became a Nobody instead of a Darkling. The one found by Xigbar.” 

“Yeah. I guess not so different if you put it like that. You just wear a different mask.” 

“Correct.” Lauriam gestured his head towards Lea’s Keyblade. “Go tell Ven. He’s been very excited to know your answer.” 

“Just, follow my heart?” 

“The Keyblade will do the rest.” 

“Yeah, okay. I’ll see you later. Do I just message you about lunch?” 

“That’s what the children do.” 

“Okay. I can do that.” 

“Good. Goodbye, Master Lea.” 

“You’re the worst.”

[thornbolts]

Eternal Things

October Writing Challenge

DAY 30: Temptation

Her one-eyed reflection stared back at her. It seemed to taunt the forsaken as a gentle ripple vibrated the water's surface. Remington reached a claw up to the empty eye cavity, scraping the tip of it within to dislodge dust and any dirt within. The forsaken hung her head low, pulling her yellow gaze away from the reflection to her hat.

"Does it unnerve you?" A familiar, frosty voice echoed from behind Remington.

Remington turned over her shoulder to Leontine, eyeing over the pale, well-preserved undead. "It's an old wound," the older forsaken admitted. "But I'd be lyin' if I said I wouldn't get rid 'a it given the chance. Always been tempted ta have someone make an illusion fer me where I at least look... better."

The tidesage softly stepped forward, icy cracks spidering out from each footstep. Leontine took a seat beside Remington, legs dangling off of the rickety dock. She looked to the reflection of herself and Remington, two distinct generations of undead side-by-side.

"We both know that the flesh is ephemeral by nature." Leontine interlocked her fingers and rested her hands in her lap.

"Epheme-what?" The gunslinger raised an eyebrow.

"Temporary. Short-lasting," Leontine clarified. "Beauty is appealing to the eyes, yes. But to judge a person based solely on aesthetic is... hollow."

Remington turned to the younger forsaken, eyes narrowing as an unspoken request to explain further.

Leontine smiled, squaring her ankle over her knee as she set her chin onto a cold fist. "Beings age. Beauty fades, giving way to wrinkles," the tidesage stated. "To place beauty higher than any other trait in a person is folly as one deludes themselves by refusing to acknowledge the simple fact that time will have its due."

"Once all the makeup is washed off, and one's youth gives way to one's inevitable age, what is left, Remington?"

The older forsaken thought for a moment, one eye shifting to the reflections in the water below. Finally, she turned back to Leontine. "Character. Experience."

"Character," Leontine repeated, highlighting the word. "Temperament. Disposition. It all means the same thing. These are words that are eternal, things that go unbroken, things that are ageless.”

"Character is something that creates heroes and marks one's eternal place in history regardless of how wrinkled or wounded one's visage is." Leontine smiled, raising a cold hand to the gunslinger’s shoulder. "So for what it's worth, Remington, despite your wounds, I think the culmination of your character and experiences is something that is priceless and beautiful.”

Remington blinked rapidly at that, lip pressing against the teeth of her metal jaw as she raised a fist to her mouth, faking a cough. If she still had blood in her cheeks, she’d blush.

@turning-through-the-never@kharrisdawndancer@iestyn-crowe@belillinafireseeker / @lianellie-quinne@saltsparkle / @gloamingdawn @lylianwyatte@selysona-wra@darbiebot@andijelly @cupcakes-blood @twosidedsana@eliceynbirch@deadlypursuits@luminashdawnwing @raxwel-blythe / @amorthonblackwood@hmratking @thornbolts@brillraven@ wynter-b@lovingthewildlife@veleanthe @theconstructsworld@waroftwowolves @taliandrahflamesurge / @gam3rj3nn@embraelle @kjblynx@escapism-velocity@rayne-storm @stonestridernerd@centoridellanir@valarin-sunstorm @cyrolar-riverblade@sylrin-featherblade@altherei @trisandrah@riverblade @raevan-muns-supercut @safrona-shadowsun

[stvrslight-a]

' carefree days like these... they're some of my favorites! '

     SORA’S HEART HAD ALWAYS been that of a paradise; it was no wonder that so many sought to take refuge within it. When Ephemer had first come into contact with it on the day before the hero’s journey began, all he’d wanted to do was curl into the soft, warm sand and allow the gently lapping waves to carry him off into OBLIVION. However, the ancient wielder could never be anything more than that of a visitor, their existences only intertwining in the fleeting moments where Sora’s heart crossed through The Final World where Ephemer’s spirit rest.

     In those brief moments, two worldlines that were never meant to meet could, and Ephemer found himself becoming somewhat of a GUIDING VOICE, urging the other to take hold and pilot his destiny before being kicked out when Sora inevitably awoke. This is how things remained for the entirety of Sora’s journey, and it was nice. That is, until the Keyblade Graveyard and the fight between light and dark. Until the final whoosh that snuffed out the hero’s light for good.

     —— No. NO. He won’t allow it. Sora wasn’t done yet. HE CAN’T BE DONE YET. 

     ONE LAST TIME. ONE FINAL PUSH. Sora’s heart crosses the star’s path, and he latches onto it, just as he’s done a handful of times before. Manifesting within, the warm sun and green palms of the heartscape greet him, and it feels like a breath of fresh air. Before him, resting in the sand with his arms behind his head, is Sora. He looks younger than the last Ephemer had seen of him ( it’s as though he’s lapsed back to the day they first met ). Blue hues open, calm and instilling within Ephemer a sense of SERENITY. He’s already so far gone, he thinks.

     Thankfully, Sora doesn’t seem to mind the intrusion, casting one look at Ephemer before sitting up and patting the spot beside him on the sand. Did he want him to sit ? He looks between the boy’s hand and his welcoming eyes. His own brows turn in curiosity, but he eventually moves to sit beside the other, who now looks out towards the HORIZON.

     Ephemer wonders if he should SAY SOMETHING, but it is SORA who breaks the silence first. ❛❛ Carefree days like these . . . they're some of my FAVORITES. ❜❜ There’s a bubble of laughter from a distant point of the island, highlighting the sentiment of the young boy’s words. ❛❛ I wouldn’t mind if things stayed like this forever. ❜❜ It is then that something compels Ephemer to look to his LEFT where he is met with the pieces of a small raft, mast half built and the base yet to be wound together. Suddenly, Sora’s childlike appearance makes more sense. It really is day they met ——— in a sense.

     Turquoise eyes find their way back to the brunette, ❛❛ You’re meant for so much MORE though.❜❜ he states, voice feeling heavy in his throat. How does one convince a DEAD BOY to live again ? It feels like he should know. ❛❛ You can keep going. You have to keep going. ❜❜ If Sora gave up, how could anyone else have hope ? How could HE have hope ?

     Sora’s gaze shifts back to Ephemer, his brows furrowed and upturned. ❛❛ What . . . What are you talking about ? ❜❜ he asks. Ephemer only shakes his head and rises to his feet, the brunette scrambling after. He moves to stand within the sea, stopping only when the both of them are submerged to their ankles in the glittering waves. It feels nice, and Ephemer finds that he wishes to someday experience the world that inspires this heartscape, though he doubts the day will ever come.

     ❛❛ IT ISN’T YOUR TIME YET, ❜❜ he continues. ❛❛ You have to go back. YOU will be the one who opens the door, remember ? ❜❜ HE STILL HAS SO MUCH HE HAS TO DO. HE CAN’T BE DONE. NOT YET.

     There’s a flash of something on Sora’s face, something he remembers that contorts his soft features into a look of ANGUISH as his head bows. ❛❛ But how ? I can’t . . . I can’t do it alone.❜❜ Is that what he thought he was ? ALONE ? How utterly laughable. There was no other boy in all the worlds who could touch as many hearts as Sora already had. He’d even found a way to connect with complete strangers, such as Ephemer, himself. The very last thing Sora was was ALONE.

     Ephemer turns, pressing a hand to Sora’s shoulder and giving a light squeeze. ❛❛ You’re not alone, Sora. You’ve never been alone. You have the light of A THOUSAND stars to guide you, so believe in yourself. Believe in us. ❜❜

     ❛❛ But Riku, Kairi, the others— ❜❜

     ❛❛ You can STILL SAVE THEM, but not if you stay here. ❜❜ He thinks of the L I C H. The wretched creature who strode through the hearts of those that had passed, reminding of them of all that they’d lost as it waited for more hearts to collect from the living world. Ephemer couldn’t bear the thought of Sora and his friends being TRAPPED within its confines, but there wasn’t much time left. ❛❛ If you wait too long, they’ll be gone, so you have to go now. You have to take the plunge.❜❜ 

     With a sharp shove, Sora’s form disappears into the water, suddenly much deeper than it’d been a moment prior. The imagery of the islands f a d e s, and Ephemer can feel his temporary form disappearing right along with them. Before long, all that is left is a near-empty VOID, illuminated only by the stained glass in the center of it all. As Sora’s shoes hit the glass, Ephemer, now only a distant star and disembodied voice, casts the hero off on his journey with ONE FINAL PIECE OF ADVICE, ❛❛ There are seven hearts to save. ❜❜

     Little does he know that with the little push needed and his new life granted, Sora would go forth and save an eighth heart: E P H E M E R ’ S .

@heartslight :: I LIKED AN INBOX CALL !

[tea-fan]

Networks, Decentralisation, and Rhizomes

The rhizome makes it clear that the World Wide Web, while it  is  also  a  set  of   protocols,  standards,  and  technologically  enabled services, is much more than that. A part of  the so-cial system, it is also a dynamic reorganisation of  the socio-cultural  system,  a  way  of   forging  new  relationships,  new  connections,  and  new  association  over  time  not  between  documents  but  between  people.  This  dynamic  reorganisa-tion of  culture has become associated with particular mate-rial  forms  of   technology,  but  has  no  determinate  bounda-ries,  and  should  properly  be  constituted  in  the  spaces  be-tween  technologies  and  people,  as  only  connections  and  nothing else. The web is in this sense merely the crystalline manifestation of  a process as old as human culture. Yet the historical  influence  of   web  arises  from  the  intensification  of   matter-energy  transformation  arising  out  of   rich  inter-connectedness.  The  hyper-dimensional  meshwork  of   con-ceptual associations built on the static network of  the inter-net  itself   generates  infinite  new  opportunities  for  energy  exchange, and makes multiplicities of  everything.  Each one of us is several. In their discussion of the concept, Deleuze and Guattari suggest that “the rhizome is an  antigenealogy.  It  is  a  short-term  memory,  or  an  anti-memory” and note that “short term memory in-cludes  forgetting  as  a  process”.  The  dynamic  nature  of  the rhizome necessitates the overturning of  established, sedimented cultural structures in a process of  constant re-newal.  It  is  perhaps  counter-intuitive  to  think  of   the  net-work-web in these terms. In many ways, the web provides a  cultural  platform  which  memorialises  the  most  ephem-eral of  cultural artefacts. The ‘Star Wars Kid’and  ‘Numa  Numa’stories  testify  that  the  web  some-times  declines  to  forget.  Yet  forgetfulness  was  a  part  of   hypertext  from  the  beginning.  In  his  description  of   the  Memex  Machine,  Bush  noted  that  “trails  that  are  not  fre-quently  followed  are  prone  to  fade,  items  are  not  fully  permanent,  memory  is  transitory”  .  Forgetting  was a mechanism that maintained relevance in information discovery, and overcame the sedimentation of  ideas within disciplinary  silos,  where  once  deposited  an  idea  would  re-main forever on the model of  the great national library.  Surprisingly,  perhaps,  the  transitory  nature  of   cultural  memory on the web is fundamental to the unexpected and unpredictable longevity of  certain cultural artefacts and re-cords. Antimemory explains how the rhizomic ruptures in the  geometric  model  of   the  network  inevitably  creates  phenomena  such  as  internet  celebrity,  viral  videos,  and  memes.  Short-term  memory  relies  on  repetition,  reitera-tion, and rehearsal. The memory of  the web relies neither on  the  persistence  of   the  record  nor  its  stable  location  within  the  information  space,  but  exploits  reiteration  andrepetition.  Rather  like  a  version  of   the  oral  tradition  speeded up by many factors, records and cultural artefacts generally  survive  in  the  rhizome  of   the  web  because  they  are  constantly  repeated  and  varied.  Each  of   these  reitera-tions  is  merely  an  echo  of   the  original.  The  web  trans-forms  the  individual  record,  video,  journal,  diary,  report,  song,  or  artwork  into  multiplicities,  both  knitted  into  the  fabric  of   recommendation  and  citation  that  underpins  the  ontological  organisation  of   the  web,  and  also  reiterated  endlessly  in  innumerable  contexts.  The  ghosts  of   the  past  haunt  digital  culture  condemned  to  act-out  their  final  mo-ments,  never  changed  only  recombined,  until  they  eventu-ally fade away.  We  can  translate  these  effects  into  more  ordinary  lan-guage,  because  we  know  already  their  names.  They  are  called  the  ‘Star  Wars  Kid,’  ‘Numa  Numa’,  and  ‘Charlie  Bit  Me.’They are called Facebook, Angry Birds, and any num-ber of  websites, services, and viral trends which at different scales have emerged during the history of  the web, and the vast majority of  which have quickly vanished again. These sites  and  temporary  assemblages  within  the  rhizome  are  always  multiplicities,  constructed  out  of   the  activities  of   innumerable users. Within them each of  us is several in the dissipation of  subjectivities, influence and idea.But the effects of  antimemory are also exacerbated by the asymmetricality of  the web exacerbates. While energy will tend to accumulate, the antimemory of  the web guar-antees  that  those  point  remain  temporary  examples  of   structuration  within  the  rhizome  that  when  considered  globally,  will  tend  to  dissipate.  

[vi-chan07]

About Ephemeral.

Since I was busy when Ephemal came and I did watch it but I couldn’t give my opinions about it here as I planned. so I gonna talk about it now. (This post will contain spoilers read at your own risk)

I don't even know how to feel about this episode. It feels like a another Cat Blanc. One of them finds out, they get togather, Hawkie finds out who CN is, He akumatizes him and the world ends. yeah.

ofcourse Cat Blanc>>Ephemeral. Just because we liked and loved something dosen't mean we are ready to see the same thing again and again.

Ephemeral was just Cat Blanc with the addition of some cute moments and new info.

This episode was so hyped by everyone that I don't even know what to say. It's a disappointment.

Things I did like was Mari finding out CN's Identity and learning to love both sides of him was cool and cute.

The platonic Lukanette was my favourite part.I just so happy for Luka. Now He is not just a temporary Love interest for Mari. He is now a very important part of the team and story.

Now about the Cn arc that went throughout the second half of the season. I i the episode for that then It's miraculous so Idk if that arc is even gonna be a thing so....

I just don't wanna expect anything cuz I feel like I am gonna be disappointed at the end

That is my opinion about the episode.

I do have a question so if Hawkie makes the wish the world has to start over, so thoes Hawkie remember anything or does he forget everything.

I am sorry if I post is just messy. English is not my native language so yeah and I don't people can talk so... uhh.. nicely? is that the word? Idk.

[kingdomhearts-rewrittenarchive]

Oh sweetheart, no! I love this blog. I love it all. And i must say i agree with ya. Luxord and Ansem could be mistaken for twins, indeed. Kairi means ocean btw. I think Braig and the Master of Masters might be related? Eraqus and Xehanort might be brothers - probs kids of Ephemer and Skuld? Riku might be Xehanorts grandson? Blain might be an ancestor of Ienzo? (and maybe Even too, and Ienzo might really be Evens nephew or something?) Also Hayners hair looks pretty similiar to Aeleus' in style?

I have not played KH X. Any of it. So that whole section of the lore is out of my grounds.

I knew Kairi meant something like that I just couldn’t exactly remember.

I really don’t feel like Eraqus and Xehanort are brothers. I think that was more of a bond?

I kind of feel like Terra-Xehanort’s hair might be grey because of Xehanort’s advanced when he took Terra’s body but also it’s a good headcanon? It definitely seems like Xehanort is a “love em and leave em” kind of guy. I dig it tbh.

I actually forgot about Hayner so yes I agree with Hayner being Aeleus’s younger brother but he also reminds me of Demyx too. Since we never found out where Dem came from, maybe they came from Radiant Garden. Because if I remember correctly Twilight Town was a temporary world like Traverse Town was for KH1. But that never made sense to me because it seemed too established as a permanent world.

Actually thinking about it, if that is the case though, Fuu and Ienzo could be related. If their world was destroyed maybe they ended up being separated.

[disneydreamlights]

Okay so, the Dark Corridor Trials would have 4 Difficulty Level: Beginner (Gold Trichlomas and Eliminators don't spawn, Darksides do), Standard (unlocked after completing 7 Trials for the Story), Proud (added in UX), and Critical (added after KH3 is released). The higher your difficulty, the more Trial Coins you'll be rewarded. I was inspired by the sudden difficulty spike in the Multiplayer Mode and figured there should be a way around this.

Please give a way around this, like just make it so they get more difficult but if you’re a newbie or don’t have Kairi EX you’re not completely fucked.

I also kinda changed my mind on what I want Trial Coins to look like. I figured that maybe the spiral from the RoD's Iris-Out that's also visible in the Corridors themselves might be more appropriate than an X. Not to mention be more appropriate. Also, you WOULDN'T be stepping into an "instance" upon entering the Trials, you'd actually be able to run into other players playing on your difficulty level while exploring the Corridors of Darkness.

True, considering they take place in the Realm of Darkness it’d at least make a fair amount of sense, but I think the X could still be useful given its connotations in the KH series at least.

As a bit of Foreshadowing, when each of the Union Leaders introduce themselves (save for Ephemer) their own theme would play. "Skuld" would play when Skuld walks on screen "Ventus" would play while Ven is introducing himself (and "Vanitas" would play when Ven rescues you from Lauriam later), and "Brain" would play when Brain debuts. However, when Lauriam introduces himself to the to the others, "Strelitzia" would play instead of one of Lauriam's themes.

If Strelitzia’s theme is still a remix of Marluxia’s most players wouldn’t even think twice about it, especially when it’s learned that Lauriam and Strelitzia know each other and god that’d be a good instance of foreshadowing.

So, I figured out how Rarity would work. Firstly, it wouldn't correspond to the number of stars, that would be the Tier in the MMO. Rarity would actually relate to HOW you get the Medal. Common Medals would basically be what you get from enemies and treasure chests, super easy to come by. Uncommon Medals would only be dropped by specific enemies on specific worlds, or as rewards for completing the Daily Quotas. Rare Medals would be exclusive to the Shop, Trial Boards, and Coliseum.

Super Rare Medals would be event exclusive, limited time offer type of deals. They'd only be available during specific events or certain deals. Aside from Rarity, Medals would also fall into one of the two types we see in canon, Attack or Support. Both Types would have a set of "Classes". Attack Medal Classes would be based on the Special Attack target, Single, Multiple, Random, and Team.

Okay so the "Team" class of Attack Medals consists of Special Attacks that target the team, and deal no damage to the enemy. This is basically where your Lumiere's, Queen Minnie's, and Kairi [EX]'s would go, which would make a lot of the broken Kairi Medals STILL incredibly powerful, but less "broken" due to being completely defensive in their function. "Team" Special Attacks would be represented by either a trio of stick figures, one in front of the other two, or the "Cure" leaf from COM.

As for the Support Medal Classes? EXP, Evolve, Boost, Cost, Guilt, and Munny. EXP Medals would be marked with "EXP" in that area where the Special Attack's Icon would go on an Attack Medal, Evolve Medals would be marked with a Heart, Boost with an Up-Arrow, Cost with a Key, Guilt with a Guilt Prize (whatever they would look like, not sure yet), and Munny with a Moogle head. They'd all basically work the same as in canon. 

Okay but in terms of the Team Medals can we please please please allow for people to choose if their share medal is “attack” or “team” that way people could share like Kairi EX, have it be useful for everybody, and enjoy the share music? Because I want Kairi EX share music but she’s so useless to share.

So, the Attribute (Power, Speed, Magic) of Nightmare Chirithy would be whatever Attribute your Foreteller is strong against. Unicornis and Ursus Players would face a Speed-attribute, Vulpes and Anguis Players would face a Power-attribute, while Leopardos Players would face a Magic-attribute. This goes off the idea of Keykids being the Attribute their Foreteller is strong against, it's Attribute is the same as your hypothetical attribute.

Welp rip me on my Nightmare Chirithy fight, all my good medals are Speed and I’m a Vulpes girl. XD

Okay so, the Moogle of Glory series of side quests would require you to defeat Heartless while wielding the Moogle of Glory. You'd have Donald and Goofy as your quest givers. These quests would be your only source for the Moogle of Glory Materials. The very last Moogle of Glory Quest would require you to show the Moogle of Glory upgraded with all those materials to the Moogle. You would not be able to sell Moogle of Glory materials.

...Honestly that sounds better than the current Moogle of Glory side quests so I’d be all for this.

Okay so, as for how the Boosters would work, I don't know. Don't get me wrong, they're an awesome feature and I WISH I had come up with them, but all I've got so far is that they'd be rare drops, and even then I'm not sure if they'd activate automatically upon getting obtained or if you'd have to use them like other items. I do know that they'd stack though, and, again be SUPER MEGA RARE drops at that! Possibly only available as Event Quests that provide temporary boosts at that.

Probably just make them Event Quests, that’s kinda what they already are and it wouldn’t require a lot ot be changed to make it work.

By "Story Tournament", I'm referring to tournaments that take place in the story, like the Prelims or that tournament where you fight Cloud before going to the Underworld. They'd be ten rounds apiece and you'd be forced to start over whenever you lose, kinda like the tournaments from the main series games. There'd be Event Battles that function similarly to them.

Ooooooooh, okay, I get how that’d work now.

The "Trials" inside the Dark Corridor Trials would be kinda like the "Missions" from the Union X[cross] Multiplayer Quests, they'd reward you with large amounts of Trial Coins if you can complete them, as well as maybe Event-Relevant Medals depending on the difficulty of the Trial. The reason why failing to complete it would only deduct a Light Point would be for balancing issues, because finding a boss might be kinda difficult, in all honesty.

True, true, explains why it’d only be one. I’m just used to more harsh gameplay mechanics tbh. XD

[lightlyguiding]

‘ everything is temporary , even the sorrow that you carry . ’

you are ok. // accepting! // @stvrslight​.

          A shadow creeping from behind, a shiver to go down in her spine. They… had failed, didn’t they? They were told numerous times that it was near impossible, tried their best to change the course— and like expected, failed. 

          What was she to do? To walk around the town with a smile upon her lips, to lie and pretend in everyone’s faces? Invi couldn’t bear the thought— the burden of knowing their fates. Such dedicated and loyal children, all who have fought with immense courage and strength… only for them to fall; a mere few to be spared. Oh, how she was eternally sorry; her heart to twist, rip right in half. 

          It seemed that Ephemer had sensed the shadow cast upon her; questioning if all was okay. Invi merely gave a nod of the head, an attempt to decline any suspicions that he had. That, however, looked as if it simply left him unsatisfied. Invi understood his kind intentions, of course! Though, found it unfair to him— to anyone if she had shared her thoughts. Ready to part ways, she— froze. Eyes to slowly widen behind the mask at his sudden comment.

          ‘ everything is temporary, even the sorrow that you carry. ’ a tender, genuine tone.  

          “ … Is that what you truly believe? ” a question after a moment of silence, her volume to be quite low. The thought of her sorrow, her deep agony to only be temporary… she could not even imagine it nevertheless believe in it. And yet, why did she feel a hint if relief? The weight upon her shoulders to decrease just a tad? Perhaps… it was her heart who wanted to believe in that as well.

          “ I’ll keep that in mind, thank you. ” a tiny smile.