#it's just riku with a ponytail

[wonopia]

THE PHOTOBOOTH | 001. photobooth guy

[WC] . 1600 mlist ! next

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"that's her name?"

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

"what why?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

"a chance at rejection, yes."

"why are you being such a debby downer?"

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

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

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

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

"swear?"

"i swear," sunghoon swore.

"you promise?"

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

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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

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

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

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

"a medium white gummi please."

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

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

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

"both mediums?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“huh? does it?”

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

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

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

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

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

“why?” misa asked.

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

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

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

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

note: okie lets spice it up :O

© wonopia 2024

open TAGLIST. @coffeeprincejaehyun @hoonatic

[verathena14]

otp headcanons wheee

soriku

sora’s more than capable of carrying riku, and enjoys embarrassing him by doing so

even tho sora *can* carry riku, it’s a bit awkward because. yknow. riku’s like an entire foot taller than sora, so sora prefers to be carried when its just the two of them (and riku enjoys taking care of sora, so it just works out perfectly)

sora is rlly tanned + has freckles; when sora and riku are alone, riku will draw constellations between them with his finger

riku was born in august and sora was born in july the year after (this keeps their 1-year age gap but lets them also be in the same grade in school; it also means that riku’s one of the oldest kids in their grade, which fits with how most of the other destiny island kids look up to him)

riku is on the autism spectrum, he specifically has high-functioning autism (just like me fr) and sora has adhd

neither sora nor riku can remember *when* exactly they became friends, they just know that they’ve been in each other’s lives as long as they can recall

when sora and riku were really young, sora kissed riku on the mouth. sora doesn’t ever mention it again. and for years, the memory torments riku and he assumes that it was only an accident/that it didn’t mean anything to sora, but what he doesn’t know is that sora forgot about it (totally not projecting here what no wayyyy)

riku’s hair is super thick, so when it was long, he couldnt reliably keep it in a ponytail without the rubber band breaking and that’s why he cut it. i will consider this as canon until told otherwise. (again, projecting)

pansexual & genderqueer sora, and gay/demisexual demiboy riku <3

(teen) xehaqus

eraqus and xehanort are pretty evenly matched in physical strength, and most of their sparring matches end in draws (or when someone slips up)

xehanort’s muscle mass is mostly concentrated in his arms & chest whereas eraqus’s muscle mass is more evenly distributed throughout his entire body

up until the *ahem* incident, xehanort prefers to wear sleeveless clothes because he sees how eraqus blushes when his arms are on display

eraqus’s loose-fitting clothing means he appears to be less muscular than xehanort, and he uses this to his advantage when he spars with xehanort for the first couple of times; xeha’s caught off guard by how strong era is

xehanort and eraqus maintain a pretty constant height difference, with xehanort being 4-5 inches taller, but 3-4 inches when eraqus wears boots with elevated heels

gay & genderqueer xehanort, and pansexual eraqus

[storybrook-and-fruitsbaskets]

i rewatched day 1 of the idolish7 movie...

(these are my thoughts from both the first and second time i watched day 1)

(my rambles of day 2 here)

my first time watching something in 4dx. it rained, it snowed, the chairs moved like a roller coaster, there were gusts of wind, smoke, and bubbles falling in front of the screen. it smelled nice on occasions, too

the first scene with a tree sprouting and growing with flashes of the elements/seasons were so endearing by the third time i watched it

started off with monster generation<3 i tried to watch where they took away their umbrellas, ngl

iori's little ponytail!💙 it reminded me of banri-san's🥰

i feel like toma talked a lot overall, whereas i thought the other groups talked more equally 🤷

gaku's "are you guys ready?" from the left, ryu's "yeah, we'll go ahead" from the right, tenn's "who do you think we are?" from the front center, "we are TRIGGER" from all around the theater speakers = auditory bliss 🙏🙏🙏

i thought the scents in 4dx were going to be like musky men's cologne/perfume for the idols, but it was more of a sweet floral scent like an air freshener

trigger's costume looked so warm, i couldn't imagine how hot and sweaty they were dancing on stage🥺

tenn's such a sweetheart for his fans, he's so nice in their talking scene 💞

THEIR EXPRESSION CHANGE FROM HAPPY SMILES TO A PAINED EXPRESSION THE MOMENT LAST DIMENSION STARTED WAS IMPECCABLE

i thought it was elsa when their back dancer came out wearing a flowy blue dress against the icy backdrop

the cheering sound effect at the start of re-raise was really loud, i think louder than the other songs

no revale concert is complete without that long red couch with the gold frame 🩷💚

i forget how cute momo's personality usually is when i'm listening to their songs on spotify, but he was really playful in their talk. AND I SWEAR IT'S LIKE HE CHANGES INTO A DIFFERENT PERSON WHEN HE SINGS HE'S SO COOL

AND THE SUDDEN CLOSE UP OF MOMO'S EAR WHEN YUKI WHISPERS-- so bad for my heart 🫀🛑

it might have been his costume or because yuki's legs are so skinny, but momo's thicc thighs!!!

i loved how their choreography was loose in some parts so everyone had some freedom and creativity! (personally, i saw this mainly in stronger&stronger and at the beginning of pieces of the world)

the thread graphics in the background in stronger&stronger changed colors depending on who was singing and the line distributions☺️

i love how in journey, momo pretends there's an imaginary puddle like the lyrics, but yuki just walks right though lol😂😂

also, yuki's so beautiful and his voice/singing is so good (like, gaku is handsome and sexy, but no one does beautiful like yuki<3)

momo's kind expressions🥰🥰🥰

gaku being paler than the white tuffs of fur on his coat💀💀

ryu's close up and him saying "second verse" is heart stopping part 2 🫀🛑🫀🛑

trigger is so... perfection, i could watch them perform an endless amount of times

i love how tenn stayed behind in his black outfit at the end of beautiful prayer and riku came out in his new white outfit change for incomplete ruler!

their harmonizing was so good😭😭😭

riku glancing at tenn from the dark while the spotlight was on tenn❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

their matching rings on their pinkies is everything 🩷❤️

the way tenn walks off stage immediately after the song is over, and then the rest of idolish7 appear from behind in their new white outfits to sing tomorrow evidence as if to comfort riku being left alone...

okay, so i love their white outfits, but most of them are so pale they looked a little washed out in all white... (like i couldn't tell if it was sogo or tenn it was that bad😬)

tamaki has so much energy omg he was still jumping about when walking backstage after the encore

breaking the wall a little bit...

i think they might have kept the same costume design from their new songs and just changed the color to white for pieces of the world, but if they were to make two versions of the same outfit for irl concerts (in color and in white), that's a lot of work💀 (unless they were to bleach the outfit or something i guess)

the flashes in the 4dx theater really made it feel like the theater was part of the concert venue lol

i don't mean this is an ageism way, but singing and dancing those songs in real concerts might be a little tiring for some of our dear voice actors😭

in the credits after the movie, i was looking to see if there was maybe a chance they added banri's name somewhere, but THERE WAS SOMETHING BETTER

THEY LISTED THE PRODUCTION AGENCIES OF ALL FOUR GROUPS AND RAINBOW ARENA UNDER "SPECIAL THANKS"

AND BELOW THAT SAID "ALL OF YOU MANAGERS" (全てのマネージャーの皆様)😭😭😭 (the appreciation💖😭)

[vulpiximisa]

Rating Dream Festival Performance Outfits (3)

Real Dream (Shooting Star series) (R ep1)

I fucking hate strong patterns. This outfit shows up a lot in the R material, so sometimes it looks good (BluRay 1) because the art is good and I don’t have to see the excess patterns of the pants. I like the single glove and I’m a sucker for tailcoats, but theres a total of 3 patterns (checkered, gingham, houndstooth?) that are just too strong. This is how you can kill me on the spot. Not as god awful as the Tartan Parade but it’s still a no for me.

5/10

Future Voyager (Cross Echo series) (R ep3)

Oouugh I hate patterns so much. This is a damn shame though because this is my favorite Kurofune song. I don’t have much else to say about it, they have tie variances but I hate the base patterns, so-

6/10

Symmetric Love (Tricky Dealer series) (R ep5)

HELLO TRICKY DEALER SERIES MY BELOVEEDDDDD SYMMETRIC LOVEEEEEEEE This is my Perfection Gimmick. I love the black gloves, the tail coats, and the armbands. Yeah it’s just a casino dealer, but they’re working it. Bonus points for Kanade’s Coord having him a different hairstyle (braid and a low ponytail), not included in the anime performance, but I just have to point it out. 

*plugs my gif because they are soooo smooooth *

1000000000/10

You are my Rival (Grapevine series) (R ep6)

I can’t find this outfit in the Game Database book, so is it anime only??? (Edit: I did find it in the Anime Database book) It’s really cool though, for a group like W-Maskat, it’s a bit surprising. It’s really bad boy with the furs and the boots and belts and the random tie hanging off their necks and ripped shirt. I like it though? There’s only color variation but they have the fingerless black gloves, so hey, I can’t rate it too badly. 

8/10

Yume no Kodou (Candy Block R series) (R ep8)

Candy Block Variance Part Two. This one is a little better in that the jacket part is varied as well, but they didn’t pull up Jun’s sleeves like I would have liked, and Itsuki’s long arm sleeves (gloves???) look weird to me. My favorite’s entire outfit is Shin’s though, he has the shoulder cape and gloves, for the most UtaPri looking look (positive). I’m a little sad about Kanade losing the tie, but maybe it wasn’t meant for him in the first place. (MonGen Riku my beloveloathed)

A bit mad about how boring Jun’s entire outfit looks, he has the entire jacket and the pants/shoes aren’t varied. Nobody’s pants and shoes are varied??? They spent all their brain power on the tops that the bottoms just don’t get anything? That’s such a shame. 

7.8/10, not a full 8 because of the bottoms and Itsuki

Whole New World (Infinity Voyage) (R ep9)

Ohhh I love these. The red accents really add Kurofune’s gold and black. They look cool and stylish, sleek, fancy. No complaints

10/10

All for Smile (Shining Star/Lightning Bolt) (R ep11)

I like the base design for Kanade but everyone in DD gets the same style just different colors and that feels like a step back from the Candy Block series. I do like the style of the lapels (I don’t know what that’s called, with the horizontal buttons and etc, common in alot of idol outfits) and the sash and sneaker pumps are so very energetic for Kanade, but not for characters like Shin and Itsuki. 

Kurofune’s Lightning Bolt is cool though, even if it’s the same for the two guys. I like the blue accents for the glow in the dark effect, and they just look cooler.

7.8/10 for Shining Star, 8.4/10 for Lightning Bolt

[yzafre]

when I'm lost in the storm (and I'm calling) | Interlude: Kairi

AO3

First | Previous

It started with the sound of waves.  She’d open her eyes, tilt her face to the breeze, turn and see the raft ready to go, moored on the beach.  Riku would step up beside her with a nod before crumbling to sand. 

Kairi would turn, walking down the beach slowly, time stretching like taffy.  The tides would slowly rise up the shore, dark and deep and endless, until the edge of the surf was tickling at her heels, ice cold.  Eventually, she’d find Sora laid out on the sand, fast asleep.  She’d kneel at his head, lean over him, reach out to brush his hair, press her fingers to his forehead. 

Wake up, sleepy head.

His nose would wrinkle, his eyes would begin to flutter, and then –

Kairi woke up.

The same dream, every night, except for one, singular change.  With every night that she ended up on that beach, the sky would get a little bit darker, the sun a bit lower, and the morning light streaming into her eyes when she woke a little more jarring.

This morning, Kairi lingered in bed, staring up at the ceiling as the remnants of the dream filtered away.  Axel snored in the next room over – there was just enough space for them to have their own rooms in the house, but not quite enough for true privacy.  The clink of pots and pans in the kitchen told her that at least one of the fairies was up and about.

Taking a deep breath, she scrubbed across her eyes, reaching for her bonds to chase away the ache in her chest.

The sensation was – strange.  It had been since she’d come to this strange pocket realm.  The feelings she got from them were distorted, a single thought stretched out for hours.  A day for them was much, much longer for her; it was useful, it allowed her to catch up with them at an accelerated pace, but…

She missed them.

Slowly letting her grip on them loosen, she rolled out of bed, stumbling across the room to get dressed and pulling a brush through her hair quickly before throwing it up in a ponytail.  On her way out the door she snagged her journal and a pastry from the kitchen, stopping just long enough to say good morning to Merryweather before heading outside.

Dawn was just crossing the horizon, which meant she still had an hour or two before their first lesson.

The Radiant Garden crew had had to do a tricky bit of math to figure out the lesson schedule, given there were several of her days for every one of theirs.  In the end, they rotated through combat lessons, magic lessons, and Keyblade history – passed from Yen Sid to Merlin – changing instructors as they went, so that none of them would have to step in to teach multiple times in the same day.  Or, multiple times in their days.  Usually, she only had a single lesson in a day, sometimes it was two – the math wasn’t exact.

Axel’s introduction, for all that it had initially thrown her off-kilter, was a welcome addition.  Lessons could only take up so much time, and while Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather were good company, they weren’t much for exploring, and they definitely couldn’t help her practice.

Finishing her breakfast, Kairi made her way a bit down the forest trail, stopping to sit at a toppled tree with a scenic view she had found.  After taking a moment to appreciate the sunrise she opened her journal, chewing on the tip of her pen until she could find her words.

My dreams are getting worse.  The sun could just barely be seen over the horizon, this time, and even the moon is disappearing behind the clouds.  Sora, Riku, I’ve got this awful feeling that the dreams are related to you two.  Please, be safe.

Whatever’s coming for you, if you wait just a little longer, maybe I’ll be able to help you face it.  I can feel myself getting stronger – and Axel’s been teaching me some tricks, too.

It’s odd, working with him.  Sometimes it’s like he’s a whole different person.  The picture of him in my mind is angry and hurting, but now he’s lighter.  Happy, almost.  He’s got a sense of humor – one that reminds me of you a bit, Riku.

Still, sometimes he gets sad, like he did when he had me captured before he died he came back.  He’ll just stand there, staring into nothing, hand over his heart, and I know he’s thinking about his Flight.

His wings are a better than they were but still a mess, but I wouldn’t feel ri

Do you ever think about Rox

I miss Naminé, even though I know she’s with me, but it’s ju

Looking at him makes me miss you two.

We just found each other again, and now we’re apart.  I know you had to do this, and it’s longer for me than it is for you, but –

Sighing, Kairi leaned on her elbows, cradling her head in her hands.  She could feel them as they went through the test – sporadic bursts of emotion, highs and lows coming in turn.  Every check-in reassured her they were still there, still fighting, but she didn’t know what was happening.  All she had was this building sense of dread, a premonition of a storm on the horizon, and she –

“Kairi?”

Adrenaline snapped through her chest.  Kairi leapt to her feet, heart racing – here, he’s here, don’t stop moving or –

By the time her journal hit the ground, she was already several feet away, Keyblade in hand.  Axel froze in place, shadows passing behind his eyes, before he backed away, hands slowly raising in submission.  She stared, pulse thrumming at her jaw – one two three – before reality sunk in, and she slumped, feeling as if her bones had turned to jelly.

“Axel.”

“Sorry,” he said, “Shouldn’t have startled you.”

“No, it’s fine.  Just… for a moment I was…”

“I get it,” he said, “After everything, I should know better.  Do… better.”

Kairi shook her head, frustrated, “You don’t need to keep apologizing.  You did a lot of bad things, yes, but then you saved me.  And then you died for me.  And now you’re back – “

She stumbled to a stop, unable to explain why her throat was closing in, choking her.

“I like being your friend,” she tried to explain, “Just sometimes, I…”

“I know.  That’s why I’m sorry.”

They lingered there, in the quiet, unsure where to go.  Kairi reached down to gather up her journal, hugging it close.  Axel tilted his head, watching her with too-knowing eyes.

“Still, you’re normally not that jumpy.  Everything alright?”

“I’m fine.”

“…. Still having those dreams?”

“Mm.”

Axel crossed his arms, tapping his foot for a moment before he sighed.

“Let’s go ask, then.”

“What?”

“I know they wanted us to focus on training, but there’s nothing that says we can’t go ask for an update, right?  After all, you’re not going to be able to focus right when you’re all twisted up in knots like this.  So, you could even say going to ask about them is necessary for your continued improvement.”

She curled in on herself, squeezing her journal to her chest, then sighed.

“Please.”

“I see,” Yen Sid said, “Premonitions in dreams are often difficult to divine.  But combined with your soul-bound connection to them, and our existing fears of Xehanort’s return… the danger cannot be dismissed.”

Kairi shifted awkwardly in front of Yen Sid’s desk, feeling uncomfortably like a kid in the principal’s office, being asked to explain their actions.  Merlin had ferried her to the tower, when she asked, but Axel had been left behind.  She’d been fine with it, at first, but now that she was in the moment, she rather wished she had him there, for moral support if nothing else.

Mickey, Donald, and Goofy were all huddled around the desk, the remains of various packaged foods scattered across a side table pushed against the wall.  Had they been here since the test began?

“Then, Riku and Sora might already be fighting him?” Mickey asked.

Yen Sid didn’t answer immediately, instead stroking his beard as he thought.  Finally, he nodded, “If we are running on the assumption Xehanort knew what we were planning, then he still would need to have been there – back in the very place and time when the Destiny Islands were lost to Darkness.  Otherwise, Sora and Riku would have been beyond his reach.”

Mickey frowned, “He couldn’t have planned that far in advance, could he?”

“Master Xehanort is a devious tactician,” Yen Sid sighed, “There is no move we can make that he could not, in some way, predict.”

The others had drawn in closer, now, slowly moving together until they were all gathered over the desk, mulling over the issue.  There were no chairs to sit on, so Kairi could only shuffle back, shifting her weight as she reached out in her heart, tapping along her bonds with her Flight.

They were fine, for now – the connection was much clearer with their time back in sync.  And yet, there was something – the way the two were layered, an ominous dread that wasn’t of either of them, yet circled them like a shroud.  It – it –

“What if,” Goofy began, and she jerked back into the real world, all attention turning to him, “What if he did the same thing as Sora and Riku did, and jumped through time?”

“For that to work, a version of himself would have had to exist at both source and destination.  Not even Xehanort can transport his whole body across vast reaches of time.”

Mickey suddenly straightened, eyes wide, “Oh – oh no.  Remember, Xehanort did give up his body.  It was a version of him that was progressing Riku.”

Kairi’s stomach rolled at the memory, even as horror crossed the others’ faces.

“No,” Yen Sid breathed, “It cannot be.  Could he be that cunning, possess that kind of foresight?  And yet – even if he came through time, once the Xehanort of this time reforms, it would all be for nothing.  By casting away his body to travel through time, he has subjected himself to this rule: they cannot both exist in this time at once – not, at least, without some sort of vessel to anchor his heart.”

“Then… will he try to possess someone, again?  Like he did Riku?” Mickey wondered.

“Perhaps….”

A vessel…  Something about that concept pricked at the back of Kairi’s mind, stirring anxiety in her chest.  If only she knew why.

“Whatever the case, they’re still in danger,” Mickey declared, “And even after the time-traveling Xehanort disappears, I doubt the Xehanort of our time will be any less of a threat.  I’m going to go help them out!”

“How?” Yen Sid stressed, “You cannot enter the world of a dream.  Where will you go?”

“They won’t stay in the dream worlds forever.  They’ll want to re-appear wherever Xehanort – the Xehanort of our time – does; we just have to figure out the place.  Surely, if we follow their hearts, we’ll find the way.  That’s something Master Aqua told me once.”

“Let me help.”

The entire room startled, turning to look at Kairi as if they’d forgotten she was there.  To be honest, her voice had startled her, as well.  She hadn’t planned it, really, the words had just fallen out – but now that they were out there, she couldn’t find it in her to take them back.

“Let me help,” she repeated, “I can find them, I’m sure of it.”

“Aw, Kairi,” Mickey said, “You…”

Yen Sid cut in over him, “You have not yet completed your training; these enemies are beyond you.  There will come a time when your power is needed, but for now, you must return to your training.  We will handle this.”

“But - !”

“Please, Kairi?” Mickey said, “Riku would be just devastated if anything happened to you.  Let me handle this – I promise I’ll bring them both back, safe and sound.”

You’d… kind of be in my way.

Kairi ducked her head, lips firmly pressed together.

“Alright.”

“Don’t worry, Kairi – we’ll go for you!” Goofy said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

“Oh, guys….”

“No,” Donald snapped but slumped under the King’s pleading stare.

“I know, fellas, but listen.  This danger is greater than anything we’ve ever faced before.  If something happens to Riku, Sora, and me – you’ll be the only ones left to keep the worlds safe.  It’s gotta just be me, this time.”

“This time,” Donald scoffed under his breath.

“Mickey is correct,” Yen Sid said, “He will go ahead, while Donald and Goofy will remain on guard here with me.  Kairi, we thank you for the warning, but it is time you returned to Radiant Garden, and to your training.

Goofy led her from the room with a sympathetic smile; it took all Kairi had not to shake him off.  As the door closed behind them, she could just barely hear them continuing on.

“Mickey, I was not able to locate Sora, but I sense Riku’s presence in the realm between.  It is not much, but if you trust your heart, surely it will be a start…”

The door slammed shut, and their voices were cut off.

Axel greeted her with over-dramatic enthusiasm when she returned.  She thought there was a bit of truth to it – with the trip there and back, he probably hadn’t seen her for a day or two, and she knew how tedious practice could get on your own – but there was an obvious undercurrent of worry beneath his theatrics.

She tried to return his energy, but her heart just wasn’t in it, instead lingering on the conversation in Yen Sid’s office, the uncertainty she was left with.

She was distracted all through practice.  She’d been getting better – Axel had far more experience than her, but she’d been gaining ground by inches.  Today, though, it was like she was back at the beginning: stumbling over herself, constantly distracted.  When Axel disarmed her for the tenth time in a row, her Key going flying as she landed flat on her back, she growled, slamming a hand into the earth.

Warmth tingled at her fingertips – but unlike when she’d been running with Namine, it didn’t end there.  She could feel it, now, the other end of her power – like a piece of herself out in the world, a line drawn between them.

As she pulled aimlessly on that energy in her frustration – not trying to summon it, just feeling it, the line warbled, echoing through the star in her chest, and for a moment she felt weightless.  There was something about that feeling – the tug in her gut, the heaviness of the cord she could feel between them, the way she and the Key felt less and less separate.  A piece of her here, a piece of her there, it felt like if she just stepped slightly to the left, she would –

“Alright, I think that’s enough for today.”

She startled, reality slamming back into her, “What?  I can go longer.”

“Uhuh,” he said skeptically, and she scowled back, “Look, your head’s obviously not in it.  Why don’t you got sit-down, I’ll clean up.”

For a minute she considered protesting, but in the end, she sighed, trudging over to drop onto a tree-stump.  She found herself pulling a knife from her pocket – the one Axel had given her – running her thumb contemplatively along the edge.  Somewhere along the way, it had become a habit, something to do when nervous energy twisted up insider her with nowhere to go.

Eventually a shadow fell over her and she looked up, finding Axel offering her a water bottle.  She took it, cracking it open as he stared down at her with an inscrutable look in his eyes.

“You still have that?”

“Yeah.  I wasn’t… quite sure what to do with it.  It seemed too dangerous to just leave it in anyone’s hands.  I suppose I could have handed it over to Leon or Aerith, but,” she shook her head, shrugging it off, “Do you… want it back?”

“No,” Axel said immediately, and despite herself a knot in her chest unfurled in relief, “Keep it.”

“Okay.”

Axel slumped onto the ground beside her, and she looked back to the knife, twisting it so it caught the fading sunlight.

“Hey, Axel?”

“Hm?”

“Do you think you could teach me to dual-wield?”

She could feel the sudden weight of his stare, heavy and calculating.

“What brought this on?”

“I… I just want to be prepared, that’s all.”

Axel hummed skeptically, “I don’t think it’s a good idea.  Learning to dual-wield properly takes time – otherwise, you’re more likely to hurt yourself than anyone else.  We don’t have the kinda time it would take for you to get good enough.”

“Oh,” Kairi sighed.

“Besides, I got a better idea.”

“What do you mean?”

“Look, you’re good – you keep up at this rate, you’ll probably be great, before long.  But right now?  You’re at a disadvantage; everyone else has been doing this for years, and you’re just starting out.  The Keyblade gives you an edge, but in a situation like earlier, where your Key is taken out of the picture?  You’ll be helpless – unless you have a way to turn the table.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean you make them think you’re helpless and use that against them.  Keep them distracted, focused on the obvious, and when they let down their guard – that’s when you strike.  Everyone needs an ace up their sleeve, and this?”

He reached out, folding her fingers around the handle.

“This will be yours.”

“The time has almost come.”

“Yep!  And he’s walked right into our trap, just like I told you.”

“Indeed.  Despite the initial setbacks, it seems everything is going just as we planned.  Only one more stage to set before the final act.”

Next

[seraphsama-art]

Fem! Riku

[mushroom-winners-proof]

Tell us, what is Rikus ideal hair style? how long? layered? is it long all around with an undercut below? Does he shave with the power of Darkness?

i think my heart just wants me to say that he should have a wolf cut or like just a restyled version of his KH1 haircut

[brushstrokesapocalyptic]

*raises hand* i think riku kingdomhearts should braid his hair

[enbycupcake]

i just thought up an au where selphie gets riku to pretend to date her so a boy/ex leaves her alone (since selphie forbid tidus from beating the boy/ex up) and sora and kairi short circuit seeing riku as Boyfriend Material and want him

[avv3ryyy]

i just had the sudden urge to draw a character in shizukus new outfit.... so.......

i really needed to see riku in a ponytail too

[localcryptideli]

But what if we both fell asleep in the middle of the day on the couch while reading a novel because we stayed up too late the previous night to work and do paperwork, and being this close and feeling each other breathing and our hearts beating relaxed us to the point of sleep, but we were both oblivious of each other's feelings and barely aware what we feel extends beyond friendship.

(An illustration from Nobleman Au I am spinning with my partner.)

[ID/ two digital paintings of the same subject, one with a white frame and one without, starring Riku and Sora from Kingdom Hearts in a late 18th century setting sleeping on a green couch. Riku has his hair in a small braid, and is wearing a purplish jacket with a yellow waistcoat and black pants. He is asleep sitting, his head leaning on his shoulder, one arm thrown along the couch. Resting against his side, Sora has fallen asleep sitting with his legs on the couch, a book still open in his hands. He has a low ponytail and his usual messy hair, and is wearing a black jacket adorned with a red carnation, with a red and grey striped waiscoat and red pants. His mouth is slightly open and he seems to have just drifted off. The lighting hints at a sunny and soft morning. /end ID]

[inuyashaha]

The first of many sad ramblings about Yashahime...

Lets call this post: They Did Rin Real Dirty...

In the original, Rin never had much screen/page time, but when she appeared, she made a big impression -- she was brave, polite, loyal, funny, sassy, fearless when it came to defending those she loved. Jinenji compared her to Kagome, feeling that she had the same kind of loving and bright soul. She also had a lot of trauma which was acknowledged and shown to still trouble her, though she tried to overcome it by talking and focusing on bright, silly chatter. She also sang to comfort herself when she was away from Sesshomaru and Jaken. Her fear over losing Sesshomaru and Jaken was an important part of her personality, and though it was not said explicitly, living with Kaede was an important step for her to cope with her trauma over losing people she loved. Small though her role may be, she was a big personality, and she was of the utmost importance to Sesshomaru's character arc.

I was not at all surprised that Rin was the mother of Sesshomaru's children. I don't think you were ever supposed to think of Rin and Sesshomaru as "romantic" in the original, but you could not deny that they had a very deep platonic love for each other. At the end, when Rin is left behind in the village to grow up, it seemed a pretty clear signal that the option for them to get together later was on the table. Separating them allowed her to grow up, sort out her trauma, and have a real choice when it came to following him again (in whatever form that might take). There was also the Assate CD, which call it non-canon, satire, or whatever, it showed us fairly explicitly the romantic possibility between the two.

I'm not going to defend the morality of Rin as Sesshomaru's wife. Other people have done it better. I had no problem whatsoever with Rin as his wife, but the way Sunrise portrayed their relationship gave a lot of ammunition to people who did not want to see Rin as the mother of the twins.

First of all, from the very beginning, the powers that be chose to play coy with who the mother was. Anyone who had seen the original and understood that Kagura, being dead and a demon, was not able to give birth to hanyou for the sequel could figure out there were not a lot of options for the mom. It was not hard to figure out, but they made the audience wait until January 2021, almost a year past the first announcement, before they confirmed. They hinted -- Narita and Noto hosting the event revealing the girls design, Rin in the tree, some subtle hints with the twins characters, but over all, they left everyone hanging, and the resolution wasn't worth it. Those of us who knew were just tired by that point. Those who did not want to believe Rin was the mother were disappointed.

I don't blame the people who wanted to see Kagura return for being disappointed. For all that I was convinced that it was Rin, I saw where the Kagura fans were having their chains yanked. For example, why give Towa red/pink eyes when Rumiko had designed her to have gold? Towa's ponytail when she was a little girl looked exactly like Kagura's ponytail. In the first episode, Towa was wearing a robe with the same motif as the infant's clothing. Interesting choice by the animators! Finally, Towa's romance with Riku, an incarnation of Kirinmaru, certainly has something of the same flavor of Kagura and Sesshomaru's relationship. Like father, like daughter?

In addition, like many of the Kagura fans, I was fairly convinced that what we were seeing on screen was some kind of illusion, that at some point, the girls were going to wake up and find out they were in some kind of elaborate training sequence. There were so many odd discrepancies, so many quite frankly cruel choices made for the characters and the narrative, I, like many others thought there must be some kind of reset in the works. Surely, they would not leave our beloved characters in such a narrative mess?

But they did, and I think Rin suffered probably worst of all. Rin had the potential to be fleshed out beautifully. Her backstory, her travels with Sesshomaru, the bond they already shared...there was so much that they could build on to show us what kind of woman she became, worthy to be the wife of the greatest of all yokai.

Instead, they locked Rin silent and weeping in a tree for 3/4 of the entire series. We never saw her truly shine except for a few, very few seconds where she stood up to Zero and Kirinmaru. She barely spoke except to call out names: Sesshomaru-sama! Jaken-sama. Towa! Setsuna. Moe got more dialogue with the girls than Rin did (more on that later).

Also, this may not be a popular opinion, but they did her SO dirty with her character design. It's not about her being short...though she is REALLY short. It's the fact that except in a few scenes, she is made to look like a child. I don't think she's a child. I don't think Sesshomaru groomed anyone. However, I do think that Rin's character design is at best, unfortunate. At worst, it's deliberately malicious to spur controversy. Given that we know the animators CAN draw her beautifully, why show her on the official pages looking like that? Why did all the marketing show her as a child? Why did they keep her in the purple robe she wore as a young girl when we were SHOWN that she was given new ones? We know they were paying attention to the fans, in part because of that ridiculously weird non-sequitur Jaken dropped about "Rin being about 18-years-old at that time..." Get out of here with that. They knew what they were doing. They were stirring the pot to get a reaction rather than, you know, just telling a good story.

Also, they took away everything about Rin that made her so wonderful. Rin was one of the liveliest, chattiest characters when on screen, but they put her in a coma for almost the entire series.

Rin wore beautiful kimonos, gifts from her lord and her eventual husband. He showed his love and affection, honoring her with rich and beautiful clothing. They showed her in her underwear for the entire series, and when she finally got dressed, it was in the old kimono she wore when she was a kid.

Rin loved to sing. Music was her thing, at least in the anime and in the funny extras that were recorded to go along with the movies. Her song for Sesshomaru was sweet and wistful. She sang funny songs with Jaken. There is even a little subplot in one of the extras (yes, I know, not canon), where she says she wants to sing for Sesshomaru because she finally has her voice back because of him. Setsuna's lullaby is supposedly from Rin. Setsuna remembers it from the womb (how fucking stupid was that...you could not have let Rin actually sing to her babies...I'm so bitter). We get mere seconds of Rin going "da-da-da" to the melody. RIN! The SINGER. Does not even get to sing to her babies the lullaby she created. Towa gets to talk about how Moe comforted her with music after she fought, and Setsuna learns music from Moe, Towa's adoptive mother. Setsuna plays the lullaby with Moe, and yes, she plays it FOR Rin, how much more moving with it have been to have Rin sing to her or with her? Instead, we get Setsuna watching 'Moe-Sensei" with stars in her eyes thinking how amazing she is. And at the very end of the series, MOE plays RIN's lullaby while thinking of the girls. Rin NEVER has a moment with both girls and the lullaby. That's just cruel, and I swear to God, it seems like it's mean on purpose.

Speaking of being mean, the worst of all is that the writers chose to take Rin, a character who watched her entire family get murdered, who died twice, who had to restart her life with Kaede, a girl who had been rendered mute by trauma, and give her even more hell.

They took away Rin's voice. Again. They took away her family, her children. Again. They gave both Rin's music and her children to Moe, a new character that I cannot imagine anyone cares about. It wasn't an illusion. Time was not turned back. They took everything from Rin again, and then showed that she is happy and smiling, trotting off after her lord while the children she birthed but will never raise go flying off in the sky on their stolen -- ahem, "borrowed-- ride. The original honored Rin's tragedy, showing her pain and methods of coping. Yashahime added to the pain and dared to show her unaffected by it.

I hated what they did to Rin. While I love the idea that Sesshomaru and Rin married and had children. I cannot get over what they did to Rin's character and story.

[crusty-the-snowman]

@dripping-moonlight you enabled me. you're welcome

Heart Hotel Apperance HC's bc sometimes you just gotta make these bitches a little more distinct

(Long Post Incoming)

Sora - hes Hawaiian!!! He had a pretty obvious tan in kh1 (before they whitewashed him) and like. Come on. He lives on an island. Lemme have this mr Nomura

His eyes are sapphire blue! He also has a ton of freckles, they show up more in the sun. He's taller than Kairi only because of his hair, and has a pretty compact body type that may be small, but sturdy.

Ven - WHITE WHITE WHITE my man is PALE! AS! SHIT!!! Projecting my white ass self onto him here. Ignoring the models in the game, Ven has a pointer nose (with very light freckles splattered across it), and his features in general are just kind of like that white person elf look™️. Hes also TALL!!! He hits a growth spurt a few weeks after KH3, and shoots up like a weed until he's 5'11 and the tallest one of the Heart Hotel

His eyes are green!! His hair is very, very blond, more like butter than honey. He grows his hair out just enough for a little ponytail in the back!! Aqua is the only one who can handle giving him head pats though because this boys hair is STRAW. it looks like straw and it feels like straw and any attempt to fix it is in vain. Unpleasant sensory experience.

Roxas - mixed Hawaiian/white!! He has both Sora and Ven's features; he has Sora's face, Ven's hair and body type (if shorter), and his skin tone is in the middle of Sora's deep tan and Ven's paleness. His complexion is more ruddy in general, with Very prominent freckles all over.

Roxas has heterochromia! He has one Sora-blue eye, and one brown eye! His hair is also a darker blond than Ven's, more honey than butter. His hair is a little softer than Ven's thanks to Sora's fluffiness, but it's still pretty stiff.

Vanitas - white Sora. Moving on /j

In seriousness, Vanitas's eyes are now hazel. They change color depending on his mood, like Riku's Dream Eater eyes but in a way that if you see them go yellow, you know someones probably gonna die. He's very pale due to always wearing his helmet and suit, and has more of Ven's facial features with Sora's hair and body type. He is the most buff out of the Heart Hotel, but he's still tiny and Sora-sized, being a good 7-10 inches shorter than Ven after his growth spurt.

Xion - mixed Hawaiian/white, like Roxas! Kairi's white too BUT Xion has a deeper skin tone than Roxas because Kairi tans ridiculously well. This passes onto Xion, who already has Sora's skin tone, n yeah.

Shes the shortest of the bunch bc she has rap music and younger sister energy flowing through her veins (also bc shes as tall as Sora at 14 + without his hair to give him some height). Her hair isn't as coarse as Roxas's or, God forbid, Ven's, but her bedhead IS very reminiscent of Sora Spikes.

Naminé - got all the white from Kairi and Ventus + Ven's inability to be in the sun for any longer than 5 minutes without 100+ spf sunscreen on. Poor girl. F

Her eyes are a very intense blue-gray, and they used to be steel gray back in the Castle. They're bluer now, because she's more relaxed! Her hair has the ability to be straw like Ven's, but she takes care of it enough that its pretty soft, all things considered.

[phoenix-downer]

The Bucket List

After Sora’s return, Riku helps Naminé fulfill the items on her bucket list. 

~2100 words. Post-Kingdom Hearts III and Melody of Memory. Rikunami/Namiku. Romance, Fluff, Friendship. Naminé POV. Written for @memoryofpromises​.

Golden light danced along the walls and rested on Naminé’s face. The breeze from the open window brought in the smell of sea-salt, and she sighed deeply. Having a body of her own again was truly special, even though it had been over a year since she’d gotten one. Every day was a new adventure, and she couldn’t wait to see what this one had in store.

“Morning, Naminé,” Kairi said as she yawned and stretched. Her red hair stuck out from all different sides of her head, and she smiled sleepily. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did, thank you.” Naminé sat up and rubbed her eyes. One of Riku’s baggy hoodies served as her nightgown, and her cheeks flushed pink as she thought about the time he’d given it to her to wear. Since then, she had a growing collection of his hoodies and jackets that supplemented her own wardrobe nicely. 

“Did you enjoy your first sleepover?” Kairi asked as she swept her hair back into a ponytail. 

“I did! It was a lot of fun.” 

They’d stayed up late, watching movies, eating candy and popcorn as they talked about all sorts of things. Another item Naminé could cross off of her bucket list. Now that Sora was home, safe and sound, they were all able to focus on just enjoying life again. Soon after they’d gotten him back, Kairi had helped Naminé make the bucket list, and now her friend was helping her do all the things on it, one by one. 

“We’ll have to invite the other girls over sometime so we can have a proper slumber party,” Kairi said. “We’ll need to figure out a time that works for everyone, but I’m sure we can make it happen.”

“Thank you, Kairi, really. You don’t have to do all this for me—”

“I know. But I want to. You’re my friend.”

Naminé smiled. It was so nice to have Kairi for a friend. Before, she’d felt so alone, and now she had so many friends that there was never a dull moment. Her Gummiphone was always lighting up with messages and photos and phone calls, and her schedule was filled with school and dates with Riku and plans to hang out with friends. 

“So, today you said you wanted to go shopping,” Kairi said as she rummaged through her closet for something to wear. “And that means we can dress up if you’d like.” 

“I’d like that very much,” Naminé said as she got up from Kairi’s trundle bed. It was nice to go from having one dress to a full wardrobe of clothes, and now Kairi wanted to take her shopping to get even more clothes. 

Together they got ready for the day. Naminé went with a simple blue dress with yellow accents that Kairi let her borrow with sandals to match. That was the nice thing about being Kairi’s (former) Nobody; they could swap clothes no problem. Kairi swept her hair up into a French twist and secured it with a clip, then gave her some paopu fruit earrings to wear. When she was helping Naminé put the finishing touches on her makeup, the doorbell rang. 

“Huh, I wonder who that could be,” Kairi said, but there was a mischievous sparkle in her eyes, and her lips were twitching. 

“Kairi?”

“Why don’t we go see who it is,” Kairi said as she grabbed Naminé’s hand and led her downstairs. Naminé’s heart pounded; could it be—

“Surprise!” Kairi squealed as she opened the door. Standing there, wearing a nice shirt and slacks, was Riku. He broke into a smile as soon as he saw Naminé, and she felt a blush creep up her cheeks as she returned his smile. 

“I assume we’re not going shopping?” she asked Kairi. It was strange but also a little thrilling, how much trouble she had looking away from Riku when he was nearby. 

“We can, some other time. But yes, today is supposed to be for the two of you. Riku just wanted it to be a surprise, and he recruited me to help.” 

“You don’t know how hard it was not to say anything,” Riku said. “I’m… not very good at keeping secrets. But I wanted to surprise you.” 

“You did,” Naminé said. “I didn’t suspect a thing.”

They just smiled at each other for a few moments until Kairi cleared her throat. “Better get going, lovebirds, or you won’t have time to do everything Riku has planned.” 

That snapped them out of their reverie, and Riku blushed as Naminé ducked her head and giggled. They hadn’t even left Kairi’s house yet, and they were already getting so distracted. Naminé went back inside to grab her purse, and with that, she and Riku were off. 

“Where are you taking me first?” she asked as Riku led her down the winding path away from Kairi’s house on the hill. It was amazing how comfortable it felt to hold his hand like this now. She still remembered the day when he’d first offered his hand and she’d taken it, the day she’d gotten a body of her own again and a precious reminder that she wasn’t alone.

“To the Gummi Ship,” Riku said as he gave her one of his charming half-smiles. 

“And after that?”

“You’ll see. And no cheating and looking at my memories,” he teased. “I’ve been to the places I plan on taking you today, so I’m sure you’ll find them in there.”

Her lips twitched. “Me? Look at your memories? I would never.” 

“The innocent act doesn’t work so well on me, you know,” Riku said with a laugh. “It might fool Sora and Kairi, but I can see right through it.” 

She bit her lip and stopped walking, and Riku turned around to look at her.

“What is it?” he asked, his face twisted into a frown. 

“You know I wouldn’t look at your memories without your permission, right?”

His eyes softened. “Yeah, of course. I trust you, Naminé.” 

She relaxed at his words. Sometimes she wondered how the others could trust her at all, with the powers she had. But Riku really did mean what he said, of that she was sure. He had always been honest and open with her about his feelings and struggles, so she was trying to do the same. 

She found his hand again, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. 

“C’mon, let’s go,” he said, and she nodded and let him lead the way once more.

Their first destination was Twilight Town. Riku took her to Le Grand Bistro, where they ate a delicious lunch consisting of Pumpkin Velouté and Sea Bass en Papillote, with Berries au Fromage for dessert. The weather was perfect as they dined outside, just the right temperature with a light breeze blowing through, and Naminé sighed as she set her fork down and patted her mouth with her napkin. 

“Thank you, Riku. The food was delicious.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded. “I used to walk past here sometimes, when we were looking for a way to help Sora. It’s nice to be able to finally eat here myself. It was something I’ve been wanting to do for a while.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” he said, then found her hand again. They just gazed into each other’s eyes for a moment, until Naminé had to look away because she was getting too flustered.

“I’ll go pay up, and then we can go to the next place,” he said. 

The next place was still in Twilight Town. The little outdoor theater, to be exact, the one tucked into a side street that showed the latest cartoons and movies. Naminé had never been to a movie theater before, and she watched enraptured as the action unfolded onscreen.

“It’s so big,” she whispered. She knew from Kairi’s memories what a movie theater was like, but seeing one in person was completely different from seeing it in someone else’s memories. 

When she glanced at Riku, he wasn’t really watching the movie at all. She caught him looking at her instead, and that just made a blush creep up her cheeks once more. She found his hand again and worked up the courage to lean against his shoulder. Yet another thing on her bucket list she could scratch off.

Wait a moment. Was this… on purpose? Did Riku somehow know about her bucket list? And if he did, was he trying to help her do the things on it, one by one?

She shyly looked up at him, and he smiled again and squeezed her hand. “Enjoying the movie?” he whispered.

She nodded and turned her attention back to the screen. There was only one way to find out if he was, in fact, working off of her bucket list. She’d have to wait and see where he took her next. But if she was right, there was something on the list she wanted to experience, more than anything, and she couldn’t wait to see if it would come true. 

When the movie was over, Riku led her up to Sunset Hill. The view from here was as beautiful as it had been the last time she’d seen it. Golden light flooded the sleepy town stretching out below, and the sky above was filled with fluffy clouds tinged purple. Beyond the town were green hills as far as the eye could see, and Naminé found herself longing to sketch the scene before them. They sat on one of the benches and savored the moment till at last Riku spoke up. 

“Do you remember the last time we were up here?” he asked. The breeze ruffled through his hair and clothes, and Naminé was very glad he was dressed like himself this time instead of shrouded in a dark cloak. His eyes were their natural green, and he was looking at her in a way that made her heart flutter. 

“Yes, of course,” she said, pressing her fingers together. “How could I forget? You spared me and saved my life.” 

DiZ had ordered Riku to dispose of her, but Riku had defied his orders, and in doing so, allowed her to escape. That was the first of many times he’d shown her kindness. 

His face was very serious when he spoke again. “Of course I did. It was the right thing to do. I knew in my heart that you were your own person, and I couldn’t just ignore what my heart was telling me.”

“This was the first time, wasn’t it?” Naminé said softly. “The first time we realized… there was something more between us. Against all odds, a human and a Nobody had developed feelings for each other.”

“Yeah. I realized I couldn’t bear to lose you. Funny how that meant letting you go.”

Naminé smiled shyly and found his hand. “But now we’re together again, at long last. It all worked out in the end.”

Even after the long separation they’d endured, they’d found each other again. Even after they’d spent more than a year apart, searching for a way to save Sora, their work was done at long last, and they could finally rest side-by-side, hand-in-hand. 

Her eyes searched his face. He’d fallen silent, like even a whisper risked ruining such a special moment. Her gaze wandered to his lips, full and soft. How would it feel if he bent down and—

Oh. Oh my. He must’ve been wondering the same thing too, because he was leaning closer and closer, his breath warm on her cheek. She tilted her head and let her eyes flutter shut so she could focus completely on how it felt when their lips met. Despite how sweet and gentle the kiss was, it still felt like an electric jolt went coursing through her body at the connection. To think that kissing could feel so wonderful. No wonder people liked to do it so much. 

When it was over, she opened her eyes and smiled. Riku was smiling, too, and he rested his hand against her cheek and gave her a long, lingering kiss on the forehead before straightening. It was funny, how that forehead kiss made her melt even further. She found his hand again, and they sat there, gazing into each other’s eyes, the scenery around them all but forgotten.

As nice as her bucket list ideas were, nothing compared to getting to do them with him. When he was by her side, each moment was a wonderful adventure that would soon become a precious memory.

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A/N: A big thank you to the mods, Kai and Sera, for organizing everything! And thank you to the artists and other writers for creating such beautiful pieces! I really enjoyed being a part of this zine and seeing everyone’s lovely works 💜

[tiifalockhart]

Missing You

Anonymous asked: Can you please make a KH Sora x female reader oneshot? One where the Sora misses his crush so much that he starts dreaming of seeing her again. As he continues his quest to find the power of waking. He reminds himself that if he continues he’ll see her sooner. The sooner he sees her the sooner he can confess and share the paopu fruit with her. But the organization tells him that they have someone special to him. This causes Sora to get angry and ask them where is she?! They ask him how important is she to him. Sora would do anything for his crush. As soon as Sora sees you in front of Xehnort Sora screams her name. But before he could get to his love it was too late.

Anonymous asked: May I ask for a Sora x normal female reader oneshot? Where she doesn’t know about keyblades or heartless. Sora doesn’t want her to be involved with all of this. Because he’s afraid that she’ll get captured like Kairi does.

Pairing: Sora x Reader

Word Count: 3k

A/N: goodness, I’ve been working on this for about two weeks straight. I decided to mesh these two requests together because based on the content of both asks, I could muster up a pretty decent story from both of them. I hope this is okay!!! I really hope you enjoy reading this, I’ve worked on it for so long now haha

Ao3 || Masterlist

It had been so long since the last time you had properly seen Sora. You remembered the first time he went missing when the two of you were just kids. It was terrifying, he, Kairi and Riku suddenly disappearing without a trace. The fact that this was possible by a few kids was scary enough, but they left behind no clues. 

You remembered the adults of the islands were upset over this. They couldn’t seem to figure out why this happened. You found yourself conflicted and confused as well. Your three friends just.. Vanished into thin air. You remembered everyone spent so many days and nights out searching for the three of them, only to continue coming back with nothing. You ended up living in fear. What if they were taken by someone? What if they were coming after everyone on the island? It seemed everyone on the island was paranoid as well. 

It wasn’t until Kairi suddenly returned home when everyone’s nerves finally calmed down. You could never find it within yourself to carry on like everyone else, though. You didn’t really understand it, everyone was acting like Sora and Riku never existed. You asked Kairi about this several times; however, she had the same answer every time: ‘I don’t know.’ She’d answer that way to everything you asked. Eventually you and Kairi grew far apart.

It seemed like a lost cause to try and ask around. No one seemed to remember Sora, and Riku ended up never returning. You grew concerned. Something really bad had to of happened, but there wasn’t any way for you to find out.

...Until you started dreaming about it.

-

Sora couldn’t remember the last time he felt at peace since leaving Destiny Islands. While this adventure was amazing and fun at times, he also missed being home with his family and friends and knowing they were safe. He missed you so much. The day he and the others disappeared from Destiny Islands was probably the most confusing day of his life. He hasn’t been back to Destiny Islands since... And he probably won’t be back for a long time. 

By the time Kairi returned to Destiny Islands, Sora was trapped in Castle Oblivion. Having his memories rearranged and changed, he ends up forgetting Kairi. However, an important aspect is overlooked. 

Sora had spent so much time trying to protect you without you knowing it. During his adventure so far, he was careful to avoid mentioning your name. He was lucky enough that you happened to stay home that night he and the others disappeared. Not wanting to risk another one of his friends getting hurt, he had to be careful when it came to you. 

So Naminé ended up overlooking you in Sora’s memories and focused on Kairi and Riku specifically. Out of every confusing emotion that he had during this time, somehow relief was present. Knowing that you were safe for now made all of this comforting some how. 

As the giant doors to the memory pod slowly shut, Sora felt himself begin to drift off to dreamy state. The last thing to cross his mind was you. Every memory of you that remained untouched played through his mind like a movie, from the time you two first met, up until the day he disappeared. He longed to see you again, maybe even share a paopu fruit with you. As he fell asleep, he looked forward to seeing you again. 

- 

Somehow, his dreams managed to transfer over to you. As you slept, you began to see something similar to visions. Some of them were hard to decipher. You couldn’t tell if it was the future, or if it was the past. You’d see people you didn’t know and live their lives as if it were your own. You dreamt of fighting and wars that you had never seen before. When you woke up, all of it was gone within an instance. 

It was confusing. You didn’t know who’s memories these were, nor why you were seeing them. There was no one to ask, either. If anyone found out, they would think you’re crazy... 

You managed to mention it sneakily in a conversation with Kairi. After school one day, as the two of you walked together down the beach, you suddenly turned to her in the middle of talking. “You know... I’ve been having weird dreams lately.” You stated. If anyone were to have answers, it would be her, right? 

Kairi simply looked over at you, her expression going blank as you spoke. “Weird dreams?” She asked, raising a brow. “Like what?” 

Finally, some progress. You began to explain in detail of what you were seeing. You mentioned seeing Sora and Riku in worlds that didn’t look like Destiny Islands, or seeing people older than the two of you fighting each other. As you explained all of this, Kairi’s expression slowly twisted into one of discomfort. When you realized this, you immediately stopped talking. “I’m sorry, I-” You tried to apologize, but she stopped you.

“It’s alright. It’s getting late, isn’t it?” She pointed out, looking up at the sky. The sun was beginning to set on the distant horizon. You hesitantly nodded and turned towards the small town. “I need to go home before I worry my parents.” She reminded, waving goodbye as she walked off. 

A slightly frustrated sigh left you lips as you watched her go, unable to find it in yourself to press the situation further. Kairi’s been through enough by now... She doesn’t need you interrogating her. 

Troubled by your overwhelming thoughts and dreams about Sora, you found yourself unable to settle with the fact that he was just... Gone. You were willing to believe anything at this point, you just needed some kind of peace of mind. 

That’s when you first met him.

It had been months since your dreams first started occurring. You and Kairi were much older by now, with no sign of Sora or Riku ever returning. Eventually conversation fell off about them. No one seemed to remember them. 

You don’t really remember how this man ended up on the island. You remembered he was dressed in a black, weird-looking coat, and his face was hidden by his hood. He was the one that approached you first, his hands clasped behind his back as he silently observed you. 

Before you could question him about what he was doing, he interrupted you by simply lifting a hand. “You’re friends with... Sora, aren’t you?” He asked, his voice slightly raspy as he spoke. Something inside of you told you to not answer him, but if he approached you, he already knew the answer, didn’t he?

“...Yes. Who are you?” You questioned, your eyes narrowing slightly. He let out a sly chuckle as he shook his head. 

“I’m no enemy of yours. Promise.” He stated, holding out his left pinky. The cloaked man seemed to be expecting you to link your pinky with his; however, you held your suspicious gaze. “You see, a friend of yours sent me to find you. What was his name again? Something like... Riku...” The man explained, causing something inside of you to snap. 

“Riku?! Is he okay? Can I see him? Does this mean Sora is okay as well?” You asked, the questions basically spilling out of you. You probably should have left off the last question, you didn’t know who this man was. As far as you knew, he could have been the one responsible for their disappearance. It didn’t matter in the moment, though. You were desperate for answers. You needed to know that Sora was okay. 

Unbeknownst to you, you had fallen straight into his trap. You finally established that connection between the two of you. Now they had an opening to attack. “Oh, I thought you knew. We’ve been taking care of Sora for a while now...” He lied smoothly, a twisted smirk forming on his features. “Would you like to see him? I’m sure he misses you a bunch.” The man said, his hand stretching out towards you.

You couldn’t stop yourself from taking his hand. As soon as he held his gloved hand out, you subconsciously reached out, not a single second thought in your mind. The moment your fingertips touched, a pool of darkness formed around your feet. Before you could get a word out, the two of you were consumed by it.

When your eyes opened again, you stood in the middle of a grey room. You quickly backed away from the male, a newfound look of fear in your eyes. “What did you do?!” You demanded, her brows furrowing. Have you succumbed to the same fate as Riku and Sora? 

The male let out a low chuckle as he removed his hood. His long black ponytail fell down his back as his smirk was shown in the light of the room. “Oh, I’m sorry, I thought you wanted to see Sora.” He hummed, a sarcastic tone to his voice. “As if.” He stated, summoning a weapon similar to one of a gun. “Walk.” He commanded, gesturing for you to go. 

You figured as you were pushed through the twisting halls of this weird building, you’d at least look for a way out. Your eyes scanned the halls, you would stare down every corridor, and you’d examine every opening in the walls. From what you could see, there was really no way out. Each room lead to another room that eventually went in a full circle. The castle was massive, there really was no escape. 

Even if there was, the cell that they placed you in was unescapable. It seemed to float in midair, the bars were thick and too close together. You looked around the inside and realized there was no way of getting out except through the bars. A troubled expression formed on your features as you moved to sit against the wall. 

How did all of this happen? How did this man know who Sora was? He mentioned Riku too... Does that mean Riku is here? But why would Riku let this happen? Wait... How did you even get here? What is this place? You definitely weren’t at Destiny Islands anymore. How could you be so foolish? 

-

It felt like years had passed by the time Sora woke up again. His body was sore and his mind was filled with thoughts and memories of everyone in his life. He wasn’t really sure how much time had actually passed when he was asleep, but he did know he missed his friends. 

His life quickly changed as he eased into being awake again. Organization XIII had been more and more active, Sora was mostly unaware of his previous encounters with them in Castle Oblivion. Mickey and Riku were still gone, and he had no clue when he would be able to return to Destiny Islands to visit you or Kairi. 

It wasn’t until he arrived at Hollow Bastion when he came face-to-face with the Organization members. He met one of them, a dark haired male with a long ponytail and an eye patch. This one was pretty much like a huge jerk. He kept taunting and mocking Sora, causing increased frustration with the group, until he mentioned something odd. 

“We have something you want.” He dropped between his lines. Sora’s expression contorted into confusion. Something he wants? What could he possibly want from the Organization? 

“That’s not true. I don’t want anything from you.” He argued, frowning as he looked up at the older man. Xigbar immediately began to laugh, his yellow eye piercing into Sora’s gaze. 

“As if.” He answered, waving him off. “I guess [Name]’s gonna be waiting a little longer, then.” He shrugged, disappearing into a pool of darkness. 

For a moment, Sora stood in silence. His expression held confusion, shock and a hint of anger, but he knew he was powerless to stop Xigbar now. His eyes slowly moved to his keyblade. They had you. He worked so hard to avoid bringing you into this... How did this happen?

Throughout his adventure, trying to find the Organization felt impossible. It was frustrating to say the least. He wasn’t sure who to blame. Had he accidentally let it slip? Did Riku or Mickey tell them? Where were they anyways? There were so many confusing questions that probably wouldn’t be answered until a long time from now. 

His adventure began to feel like a cat-and-mouse game. He was constantly chasing someone, whether it was Organization XIII, Riku, Mickey, or heartless. It was so exhausting, especially with you constantly on his mind. He couldn’t help but be terrified for you, he was so worried and there wasn’t a waking moment where you weren’t on his mind. 

Things finally began to look up when they finally arrived at the World That Never Was. It was time to face the Organization for good, while finding you, Kairi and Riku. 

-

From what you could remember, Kairi somehow ended up in the prison as well. While the two of you were separated, you still could talk. Even if that was the case, there wasn’t much to say. You felt guilty, the blue haired male stopped by occasionally to remind you that you’re the reason why Sora is being lured here. It made you feel so guilty, you hated that you had somehow become a burden in the middle of a bunch of problems you didn’t understand. 

You missed him so much. You missed Riku, you missed Kairi, you missed Destiny Islands. Why did everything have to go wrong? Why couldn’t everything just be normal? Nothing made sense anymore. 

A shaky sigh left your lips as your eyes shut. With this endless waiting, you found yourself enjoying solitude. There wasn’t much else to do besides wallowing in your guilt. You longed to see Sora again, you missed home so much. 

In the middle of your depressed thoughts, you heard some movement from the cell besides yours. You narrowed your eyes as you moved closer to the bars, before widening your eyes at the sight of a... Ghost? She had light colored hair and wore a white dress, but she seemed to be see-through and she stood in the same pool of darkness that the Organization uses. The two of you made eye contact for a moment, before another pool appeared behind you. Kairi seemed to trust her without hesitation, you could only do the same.

When you entered the darkness, you emerged in a long white hall. You hadn’t seen this part of the Castle before, so you weren’t sure of which way to go. The mysterious girl and Kairi seemed to be separated from you, because they have yet to arrive. 

This only meant that you were on your own from now on. You weren’t sure which way to go, so you ended up blindly choosing. As you explored the Castle, you suddenly heard some talking. When you finally approached the voices, you saw all three of them. Sora, Riku and Kairi were standing together, reunited and smiling. 

Your heart swelled at the sight. They all looked so grown up, they looked so different from the kids you met on the islands. You weren’t sure how to approach them anymore. They were basically different people. You hesitantly took a step closer, noticing how Riku’s gaze moved towards you. 

The grey haired male quickly patted Sora’s shoulder and gestured towards you, making the younger male look over at you. A look of relief crossed his features immediately as he ran over to you. 

“[Name]....” He whispered, seeming to be unsure of how he should approach you. “We were just about to find you, I was so worried, how did any of this hap-” He was cut off from his rambling when you embraced him tightly, your tears falling down your cheeks finally. 

“Sora, I missed you so much...” You whispered, looking up at him and gently cupping his cheeks. “I was so worried, the moment you and Riku never returned, I didn’t know what to do with myself. I kept thinking about you... Everyone else seemed to forget, but I couldn’t.” You explained, shaking your head.

He nodded hesitantly and sighed, shaking his head. “I should have told you what happened, what was going on, I’m sorry that I never could.” He whispered, frowning. “I just wanted to keep you safe.” He murmured, looking down at the floor. 

“It’s okay. You have unfinished business, don’t you? We’ll talk about it when we get back to Destiny Islands.” You replied, nodding slowly and taking his hand. 

He nodded firmly and turned towards the others. “Then let’s finish this.” He stated. 

The entire group ran towards the top of the Castle, preparing to face the final boss. Avoiding obstacles and defeating seemingly endless amounts of heartless and nobodies, you finally arrived at the top. Sora stood in front of you and Kairi protectively. You were basically useless when it came to confronting Xemnas, so you stayed back with a weird looking duck and dog. 

Everything seemed to be going well... You weren’t really sure what was happening. You couldn’t believe your eyes for the most part. All you remember was a giant door opening and Sora and Riku disappearing into it. You couldn’t help yourself become nervous at the sight. What if they didn’t return? There was so much on the line. Eventually, you and Kairi were urged to return to Destiny Islands, the small mouse telling you that Sora and Riku would be home soon. 

You had no choice but to go with them. Your eyes were glued to the sight of the door beginning to shut behind Sora and Riku. You swore you saw something resembling a smile on Sora’s lips. Nervousness formed on your chest. What if he doesn’t come back? What if you never see him again? You found it hard to breathe as you returned to the beach of Destiny Islands. 

You and Kairi waited for so long, neither of you speaking as you waiting at the edge of the coast. You were so anxious as you waited for some kind of answer, or sign that they were alive and well. As the sun began to set, the stars above you began to shine through the clouds. You stared up at the sky for the longest time until something else caught your eyes. 

Two shooting stars, side-by-side, fell towards the ocean. As they splashed into the water, you hopped up to your feet and prepared to run out into the water. That’s when you saw his spikey brown hair peek above the water, followed by long silver hair. “Sora!!” You cried out, running into the water. The two men turned towards you and Kairi, eagerly swimming towards the island. 

The moment that you and Sora met, the two of you embraced tightly, as if you were afraid something were going to separate you two again. You could feel your own tears running down your face, as well as his falling onto your shoulder. “I missed you so much.” He whispered, pulling away and looking down at you. 

“I missed you, too.” You replied quietly, taking his hands and guiding him to the shore. It felt nice being home with everyone again. It had been years since you were all united like this again. You never wanted them to be taken away from you again. 

As everyone exchanged their greetings and hugs, you found yourself slowly walking towards the leaning palm tree. Sora managed to catch up to you, a grin on his lips. “Hey, I have something for you.” He explained, pulling you along and hopping up onto the palm tree. He reached up and plucked a couple of star-shaped fruit off of it, handing one to you. “I heard that if you share these, your lives are connected forever.” Sora mentioned, raising a brow and handing one to you. 

“Share them?” You asked, taking a seat next to him on the tree. “Where did you hear that?” You asked, a giggle leaving your lips. 

He chuckled softly and shrugged. “Some guy named Riku.” He answered, smiling quietly and sighing. He quietly took a bite from one of the fruit, before holding it out towards you. After you took a bite, a soft hum left your lips. 

“So... What now?” You asked, looking out towards the sunset. He hesitated, before shrugging. 

“I’m not sure. The Organization is defeated, we’ve finished our journey, I think.” He murmured, furrowing his brows. “I guess I can finally tell you about everything that’s happened.” He pointed out, grinned. 

You smirked. “You better get started then. You have a lot of explaining to do.” You answered, smiling as he eagerly began to explain everything from the night they left, up to before you found them in the castle. 

Honestly, no matter how hard it was getting to this point, you were beyond happy to be next to him again.

[miss-tc-nova]

A Haircut - Riku x Reader

Just a little rough draft for an idea I’ve had for a while. Something kinda domestic but mostly just silly. 

~~~~~

              “And his little folded ears were the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!”

              His gentle laugh makes my heart flutter. “Yeah? Is that the kind of cat you want?”

              “Yes!”

              School’s out and Riku met me out front to escort me home, just as he does every day. It’s not always home though, sometimes we go to his place or the smaller island, but the point is, he’s there, every day, waiting for me.

              We had been neighbors before he disappeared—and yes, I hardcore had a crush on him. I was devastated when he vanished and when he came back, he was different. When I ran into him at the market, I didn’t recognize him at first until he spoke. He was a full head taller with a messy mop of hair but I still felt my heart skip at the sight of him. Turns out he was also softer, kinder, and apparently more informed of my ridiculous infatuation. Several attempts were made to assure me I wasn’t dreaming when he asked to start dating and I’m still not entirely convinced, but if this is a dream, I don’t want to wake up.

              “Okay okay, other than day dreaming about cats, how was your day?” he asks with his teasing tone. “Got any homework?”

              “Ugh, what are you, my mom?” I complain, bumping a hip against his. “You don’t even go to school anymore, why are you worried about homework?”

              A finger pokes against my cheek. “Because if I don’t nag you about it, you won’t do it. Just because I dropped out doesn’t mean you should.”

              “So you are my mom,” I huff, tongue showing him my annoyance.

              “I am not—”

              A bang rings out and Riku is suddenly no longer at my side. Turning back, I find him doubled over, hands pressed to his face.

              “Son of a bitch!” he hisses.

              My eyes jump between him and an inconspicuous light pole before I burst into a fit of laughter.

              “Shut up!”

              “Are you okay?” I ask with a wavering voice. Careful hands push back the hair hiding his face. There’s a bright red mark forming but, other than that, he seems alright.

              “I’m fine,” he grumbles, rubbing at his forehead. “This pole came out of nowhere.” His griping encourages my giggling to which he glares.

              “You make it sound like it jumped in your way.”

              “Keep walking,” he orders, an embarrassed blush adding to his reddened face.

              We make it home without anymore incidents though there are multiple instances where I have to distract myself before I start laughing again. Riku notices and I see his lips form a scowl almost every time. Part of his revenge is enforcing my homework on me, forcing me to sit at the table to work while he lounges around, waiting for me to finish.

              Just as Riku enters the kitchen, probably to badger me more, I point across the table at my calculator.

              “Can you pass me that?”

              The boy shoves the hair from his face. “What?”

              “Seriously?” I snicker.

              “What?” he snaps.

              Eager to get away from math homework, I jump up. A quick trip to the bathroom produces a brush and hair tie. Upon my return, I shove him into a chair.

              “Hey!” he protests.

              “Oh hush.”

              It takes careful work to detangle all the knots in this boy’s hair—surprisingly, he’s got a soft head and is not thrilled. Once it’s all neat and straightened, I pull his hair back, unable to help myself when I fluff it out a bit after.

              “There. Can you see now?”

              “I could see before,” he grumbles, pulling it all to the side.

              “That bruise on your forehead says otherwise.” He glowers, pulling some of his bangs back down. “Maybe I should cut your hair.”

              Shoulders droop. “Yeah. It’s probably way past time I got a haircut.” Those teal eyes he’s been hiding turn on me. “Wait, did you just say you can cut it?”

              “Yeah, I can if you want.” I run my fingers through that surprisingly soft mane. “Or I can keep styling it for you. I could have a lot of fun playing with your hair.”

              The young man contemplates the offer for a moment before he shakes his head. “Hold on, you’re just trying to get out of doing your homework.” I can’t help the cheeky grin and Riku stands. “No. Stop procrastinating and finish your homework.”

              “Yes mom,” I mutter sarcastically, grabbing my calculator and sitting back down.

              Riku’s sigh draws my attention but I notice him playing with the few strands he freed from the hair tie. It’s like he’s rediscovering what’s it’s like to actually see. When he catches me watching though, his eyes narrow and he leaves me to my torture.

              The days pass and I take every opportunity I can to pester Riku about his hair. He’s given up arguing with me about tying it up, though he was not thrilled with the bow I put in it once—or the pigtails another time. It’s almost become a ritual for us where the first thing I do is pull his hair back before we do anything else. I’ve come to enjoy it, but still make a point of teasing him about a haircut.

              And today is the day he caved.

              I’ve cleaned my bathroom up and laid out a pair of scissors I bought especially for the occasion. Just as I set the chair down, Riku appears in the doorway.

              “Ready whenever you are,” I hum with a wave to the seat.

              Heaving a sigh, the boy sits in the chair. My arms cross.

              “What?”

              I know I’ve been teasing him, but he’s acting like I’m pulling teeth. “Are you sure you wanna do this? I don’t mind playing with your hair.”

              He rolls his eyes. “You won’t always be there to pull it back and I’m sick of hearing you tease me about it.”

              “Alright,” I sing. As I tuck a towel around his neck, I ask, “How short?”

              “Just…do whatever you want.”

              Oh, he might regret that. He observes very closely while I assess the work ahead; I’ve been thinking about this for weeks but didn’t think he’d actually let me do it. Once I’ve decided what I want, I start meticulously brushing his hair back, ensuring every strand is in my grasp before binding it with a hair tie. The scissors in my hand get a few test snips and I take the ponytail in my fist.

              “Last chance.”

              “Just do it.”

              I give the boy one merciless smile and chop straight through all of it. His face pales, eyes glued to the mass of hair I lay on the counter.

              “These are wonderfully sharp,” I say, knowing my smirk makes him even more uncomfortable.

              Riku leans forward to stand. “I think we’re done.”

              My grip on his shoulder plants him back in the chair. I point to the half-assed mess his hair is left in. “You really wanna go out looking like you cut your hair with gardening shears?”

              “You did this!”

              “And I’m not done yet,” I retort. “Look, you said I could do whatever I want. Just relax and trust me.”

              He groans but submits to his fate.

              His nerves show all throughout my process of fixing up what I’ve left behind. Once or twice he futilely leans away from my scissors but stops when I warn him he might lose an ear doing that. From that point on, Riku sits as still as a rock.

              “Are you done yet?” he asks impatiently.

              I’m really not, but this is still much more presentable than the lion’s mane he started with.

              “Hold on,” I sigh, fluffing up what’s left and brushing the stray hairs from his face. “There, ya big baby.”

              While I clean up the mess on the floor, I notice him scrutinizing himself in the mirror. I half expected him to be annoyed or maybe even indifferent; Riku surprises me when he smiles.

              “Huh, not bad.”

              Dumping stray hair in the bin, I plant a fist against my hip. “I told you.”

              “Yeah, okay,” he chuckles. “You’re amazing, you know that?”

              “I do.”

              A skeptical smile meets my grin but he let’s my arrogance slide. I, too, let it slide, shifting to admiration as I look into the eyes he’s been hiding for so long.

              “What are you staring at?” he asks.

              My ears burn at being called out but I grin again. “Those pretty eyes that I finally get to see.” That was not what he was expecting. “Oh and that adorable blush!”

              “Stoooop.” A hand slaps to his face.

              I can’t help laughing, mostly because it’s either that or risk fawning over him again.

              The next thing I know, my feet leave the floor and I’m sitting on the counter. His mouth at my neck infests my skin with goosebumps.

              “H-Hey!”

              I shouldn’t have said anything. Now those beautiful green eyes are inches away, sparking with confidence that leaves me speechless.

              “You’ve been picking on me for weeks. Now that we’ve fixed the problem, I think it’s your turn to suffer a little.”  Oh dear gods, seeing that daring smirk along with those eyes might set me ablaze. “Unless you’d like to apologize.” When I don’t immediately answer, a finger lifts my chin and he leans closer. “Hmm?”

              Knowing exactly what will happen next, knowing I’m being stubborn, I answer with a whispered, “Never.”

              “Good.”