#riku n' kairi

[smovs]

forgot to share the standee design I did up for Shorelines & Sandcastles last year. there they are!

[thefreshprinceofjunes]

kingdom hearts + holding hands

bonus:

[m-kyunie]

tried to redo a past drawing to better convey what I was going for but I still don't think I got my concept across. better luck next time!

[dullahandyke]

one thing i love about kh 'family tree' diagrams is it rlly drives home how little of the confusing 'who is who and there's two copies of this guy' stuff is related to family, which is i feel where a lot of that stuff comes from in other stories. you don't have a long lost dad, you've been possessed by this old guy. oops! there's no family legacy but you ARE a clone so gl with that! bbs eraqus situation obviously exists but even then it's not blood ties. the fact that blood ties almost universally mean fuck all is actually rlly endearing to me

[amazingkittenwithaskateboard420]

○Going to the aquarium with Kairi, Riku, and Sora!○

°◇🪼---------------------------------------------------🪼◇°

Kairi

-She was probably holding your hand the whole time, she also pecked you on cheek a bunch of times, she wanted it all romantic

-Her favorite thing was probably the weird looking fish so you and her could stand and laugh at them

"Why does it look like that? Its eyes are bulging out its head!"

"Ew gross!"

-Girly took pictures every second of everything. Literally.

"Can we stop standing? You've got like 1000 pictures by now!"

"Hold on, I wanna get a good angle!"

You knew she had to get some pictures with you two aswell. She said she needed to look back at them although she's been taking pictures as soon as you guys stepped into the aquarium.

-She'd also get a souvenir, like magnetics or something. But she also got lots of plush animals. And if she got an plush, you'd have to get the same one too.

°•🐟-----------------------------------------🐟•°

Riku

-Every fish you'd pass by, he'd give you a whole lesson about the fish, he's really, really, into aquatic animals.

"Babe, I don't need a lesson about stupid clownfish!"

"Too bad, anyway.."

-He'd hold your hand aswell, but wouldn't cling onto you.

-Would try to scare you about the sharks if you came by them. But it doesn't work, obviously.

"Riku, I'm not five."

"Well, uh, whatever."

-When you guys were about to leave, Riku told you he had to use the bathroom but then just ended up in the souvenir shop buying himself a penguin plush.

"You could've just told me you wanted to go in there."

"I didn't go in there, I told you, I just went to look at the stuff."

"Uh huh.."

•■🍥-------------------------------------🍥■•

Sora

-Boy, you guys were inside there forever. He'd take forever looking at everything.

-(Have you guys ever touched a stingray at a aquarium btw?) Would absolutely make you go and touch the stingrays with him, turns out he'd never want to touch a stingray again after that. (stingrays r rlly slimy if u touch then with ur bare hand btw)

-Would also take pictures of EVERYTHING, just like Kairi, he'd take pictures of the fish, sharks, you, him, you name it.

"Cmon? Just take one more picture with me, pleeease?"

"It better only be one more."

-When you guys were about to leave, he saw the souvenir shop and went bezerk. He bought everything in that shop.

"Jesus Sora! You got everything!"

"Had to remember this day somehow, right?"

---------------------------------

[p-kmatt]

Doodled this last night,, Destiny Island Trio but Splatoon + what I think they’d choose for the upcoming Splatfest

-

Sora: Milk Chocolate

Kairi: White Chocolate

Riku: Dark Chocolate

--

I still haven’t gotten down what species they’d be plus their tentacles so I just went with Sora n Riku being Inklings and Kairi an Octoling :o

[keywieldsarc]

ok ok let’s see if i can decently condense the soriku thoughts that make me go Absolutely Feral every fucking time....

bc it’s quite honestly about the way they endlessly chase each other.  every time sora disappears, riku goes after him.  when riku wanted to hide from him, sora was hellbent on finding him.  it’s about the way sora will Never want to be anywhere without riku, it’s the way sora can’t feel at home or complete without riku.  it’s about the way riku is the only constant in his life, riku is the One Thing that has never been taken away from him or used against him, the way he feels towards riku has never been weaponized or used to manipulate him.

does sora know Exactly what he feels for riku ??  no, he doesn’t, but it doesn’t matter to him because riku is his home, riku is his best friend, and of course he cares about kairi too, but that’s like a drop compared to the very massive depths of what he feels for riku.  because sora has had every opportunity to go home and leave riku, has had every chance to say he’s done, but he can’t be done, because he refuses to live anywhere or anyway that doesn’t have riku by his side.

it’s about the fact that riku is the one thing sora cannot stand to lose and it’s about the way riku has given up so much to keep him safe and sora knows that, knows he owes riku a debt he can’t ever repay and it’s about the way he wants to protect him, fight for him, be strong enough to ensure riku never has to give up anything for him again.

it’s about the way that sora loves riku so unabashedly, so purely and so deeply that there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for riku to see him happy and safe

[tonberry-yoda]

[Kingdom Hearts Request] How about S/O sharing a Paopu fruit with Roxas, Axel, Ventus, Terra, and Riku if you don't mind? I know Riku knows the whole legend with the fruit, but it'd be so cute with the others not really knowing and then finding out

Sharing a Paopu Fruit with Roxas, Axel, Ventus, Terra, and Riku

notes - I LOVE KINGDOM HEARTS! I don't often get KH requests, so to get this was a delight! Like this whole idea is super sweet and I am more than happy to do it for you, especially as a Terra and Axel simp :) thanks so much anon and I hope you enjoy!!! <3

Roxas

when I tell you that this lil guy's jaw was hanging open when you told him

and like, he started getting all stuttery and saying that he isn't worth being all connected to you and stuff

what a doll

and you were just giggling while he was panicking

though he is more than happy to have life shared with you like that

he didn't even think he would find anyone that wants to share a destiny with him especially since he's just a confused lump of a boy, so he is more than happy

Axel

he was SUPER hungry

so you convinced him to share this fruit with you

you were giggling and holding back laughter the whole time, but he really didn't care considering the dude was hungry as hell

once he put that thing away, you finally told him

and let me tell you, he was BAFFLED

at first, he laughed at you, thinking that you were joking

and once you told him that you weren't, he went silent

and then got a little teary

he quickly wiped said tears though and just looked at you, tilting his head and asking, "you really want our hearts to be connected, y/n? even if I don't have one?"

you just told him, "everyone has a heart, Axel. Even you."

and omg he fell in love

Ventus

you wanted to share the fruit with him so bad, but you wanted to tell him the conditions first

when you did, he agreed SO FAST

he wants to be there to protect you and be there for you your whole life, so to have a destiny that goes hand in hand is a dream come true

he wants to go through everything with you and eating that fruit in the sunset was amazing for you two

Terra

you and him have talked about the fruit before, you've explained it to him and the two of you have even joked about sharing one

but once you actually got one and showed Terra, the man was BLUSHING

"you really wanna do this y/n?"

"of course I do, dummy! what? you don't wanna do it or something?"

"n-no! it's not like that I just... are you sure?"

of course you were sure, so you cut that thing in half and handed it to him

he was hesitant, as he didn't want you getting involved in anything dangerous in the future, but you were so sure that you wanted to share this life with him and he was more than grateful <3

Riku

when i tell you that you got this man BLUSHING

he wanted to share the fruit with Kairi YEARS AGO, but it never worked out because it was meant for her and Sora, so when you offered to share it with him after everything that had happened in the events of KH2, he couldn't believe you

of course he agreed though, you two had been through so much and you fought so hard that he knew that it was perfect that you two were to share this fruit

it was also perfect because you were back on Destiny Islands smiling and having the time of your life <3

~~~~~

kingdom hearts masterlist | pinned post

2023 @tonberry-yoda – do not repost or claim ANY of my work as your own! likes, reblogs, and comments are not only welcome, but appreciated

~~~~~

[spriteofmushrooms]

Please nominate characters for the incredibly stupid event I want to run, The Annual & Eternal Allcheng Completionist Run Any% Event. Here's the random roll 2d10 table so far:

01 Jar Jar Binks (Star Wars)

02 Olaf (Frozen)

03 Heathcliff and/or Catherine Earnshaw (Wuthering Heights)

04 Six Balls (SVSSS)

05 Wang Lingjiao

06 Bowser (Mario)

07 Ganon and/or Ganondorf (Legend of Zelda)

08 Xenomorph (Alien) and/or any Predator (Predator)

09 GLADoS (Portal)

10 Shrek (Shrek)

11 You (you) and/or Your "Y/N" Name (reader)

12 Xie Lian and/or Hua Cheng (TGCF)

13 One Direction

14 Kairi, Riku, and/or Sora (Kingdom Hearts)

16 Song Lan and/or Xiao Xingchen

17 Gongyi Xiao and/or Zhuzhi-lang (SVSSS)

20 Luo Qingyang

23 Loki (any)

24 Xie'er (Word of Honor)

27 Shigure Shoma (Fruits Basket)

29 Ming Fan and/or Ning Yingying (SVSSS)

30 Jiao Liqiao (Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

34 Alucard (Castlevania)

35 Ianto Jones (Torchwood)

36 Sha Hualing and/or Liu Mingyan (SVSSS)

37 Ouyang Zizhen and/or Su Minshan

38 Qi Rong (TGCF)

40 Wei Changze and/or Cangse Sanren

41 Sephiroth (Final Fantasy)

42 PIDW Luo Binghe and/or SVSSS Luo Binghe (SVSSS)

43 Claude von Riegan (Fire Emblem)

44 Anne Elliot and/or Frederick Wentworth (Persuasion)

45 Haruhi, Kyoya, and/or Tamaki (Ouran High School Host Club)

46 Feng Xin and/or Mu Qing (TGCF)

47 Magnai (Final Fantasy)

48 Qui-Gon Jinn and/or Obi-Wan Kenobi (Star Wars)

49 Yennefer, Jaskier, and/or Geralt (The Witcher)

50 Danyin, Dongfang Xunfeng, Jieli, and/or Shangque (Love Between Fairy and Devil)

51 Venom (Marvel)

52 Mobei-jun and/or Shang Qinghua (SVSSS)

53 Tadashi (Big Hero Six)

54 Tadashi (Sk8)

57 Jinzhu/Yinzhu/Jiang Cheng

61 Ling Wen, Pei Ming, and/or Shi Wudu (TGCF)

62 Wen Kexing (Tian Ya Ke/Word of Honor)

65 Elizabeth Bennet and/or Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride and Prejudice)

66 Yue Qingyuan (SVSSS)

67 Sesshoumaru (Inuyasha)

69 Tianlang-jun (SVSSS)

70 Toji Fushiguro (Jujutsu Kaisen)

73 Riza Hawkeye (Fullmetal Alchemist)

77 Shen Qingqiu: Shen Jiu and/or Shen Yuan (SVSSS)

80 Qin Su/Wen Qing/Jiang Cheng

86 Sidon (Legend of Zelda)

88 Mo Ran and/or Chu Wanning (Erha)

91 Jin Guangyao/Lan Xichen/Jiang Cheng

96 Di Feisheng, Fang Duobing, and/or Li Lianhua (Mysterious Lotus Casebook)

99 Wang Yue (The Journey of Chongzi)

100 Pike Dexter (Big Eden)

Only 47 options to go! Ideally, your ship should have no fanworks on ao3, but having up to 10-25 is alright.

Please include a number to assign on the table since I know very few of these characters. You don't have to stick with bad = low.

[hollowwhisperings]

Kairi the Character: The Future of a Grounded Star

The creators of the KH series have emphasized that, going forward, the series will focus on Sora and Riku. They also repeated that KH3 was the story of "childhood friends who drift apart as they grow up" & that change can be sad but is necessary, that people can always re-conect in new ways.

Essentially, the KH team marks KH3 as the "end" of Kairi's Story with Sora & Riku: the end of an age of Childhood Promises, of resisting "Change"... and of growing up "together".

Going forth, the "Destiny Trio" hyped up in marketing & the fandom consciousness is firmly "retired": KH3 ends with Riku's connection to Sora is stronger than ever, Sora on the cusp of a Realization pertaining to Riku being Sora's "Light"... and, as of Melody of Memory, Kairi knows that "following" her two childhood friends is not conducive to helping them nor to herself.

This post will examine the many ways Kairi has "functioned" within the greater narrative of Kingdom Hearts & its themes. It dips into Kairi's Resistance to Change being her greatest inhibitor in taking an active role within the series, how and why her first attempts were met with failure (spoiler: copying your friend's homework can only ever get you so far), why Kairi's "Staying Behind" (Home) is where her own story begins & the importance of Kairi's Distancing herself from the main story of Kingdom Hearts. Kairi's Story has never been the one shared by Sora & Riku: Kairi's Story is found in the wide cast of characters, "crossed-over" and original, and interwoven with the setting's many Mysteries. Kairi, independently of either of KH's protagonists, but together with Others "Left Behind" is a crucial lynchpin to unravelling so many spools of thread: threads held separately by many hands... each confused, in their isolation. Kairi can play a Key Part in "sorting" these threads, in enabling Different Characters to Meet (& so see their Common Threads), and in doing so "consolidate" them all within a "Wider Picture". Mostly, however, I'll be contextualizing Kairi in Themes of "Home" and as "Light".

Kairi the "Starcrossed"

Kairi has spent the KH series thus far in a pattern of "staying behind" and "chasing after her friends". While the former is not actually a bad thing (indeed, it was a Key Element in games past & likely in future too), the latter has lead to immense "disappointment".

Disappointment in fans of Kairi, who believe Kairi is suffering from "Chickification" (demoting a female character to love interest & subsequently removing every aspect of her character to better enable "romance" that better resembles a female acting as an Emotional Support Human). Disappointment from fans of the mysteries in KH's worldbuilding & lore, who find Kairi an inherently Mysterious Character connected to most every Subplot on either side of "Reality".

Disappointment from Kairi herself, who initially mimicked her friend in footstels both literal & figurative only to find that what "strengthens" Sora (or Riku) does not strengthen her. Kairi's desperate efforts to cling to childhood has greatly hindered her personal growth, as most harshly evidenced by her almost-death in KH3 & Sora's disappeatance thereafter. In Melody of Memory, Kairi takes her self-growth more seriously: she wants to reunite with Sora, to renew the closeness they had so recently (for her) yet so seemingly long ago (for us, for Sora himself). By the end of Melody, Kairi "fails" again: this failure was not for naught. Kairi's Failure "demoted" her from the Assumed Role she has long held (in & out-of-universe) of "Designated Love Interest [to Sora]" & Sora's Hypothetical "Prince[ss] Charming".

At the end of Melody, Kairi makes her first true act of personal agency in the series: she requests to train under Master Aqua, a woman who rescued her once in childhood (though Kairi may not remember) & who acted as the "Lynchpin" to the safe returns of the "Wayfinder Trio".

With Master Aqua as Kairi's new mentor, let us return to the subject of "Home" & how "staying behind" (as Kairi consistently chooses to do) is not actually a bad thing.

Kairi's "Homes"

"Home" can be different things to different people. To Sora, homes can be made whenever he connects with new places & friends. Sora also considers the Destiny Islands, especially the "play island" where he spent so many years growing up with Riku & Kairi, to be a "home". To Riku, "home" is wherever Sora is. To Kairi? Home is a much more complicated creature to an amnesiac girl who became a Literal Shooting Star.

The first "home" (that we know of) Kairi had is one she claims to no longer remember: Radiant Garden. This is where Kairi lived prior to the Destiny Islands, the place where the errant Master Aqua met a 4th Princess of Heart and bestowed upon her a [protective blessing/charm] (likely enabling Kairi's safely ending up at the Destiny Islands rather than Traverse Town or even Quadratum). Radiant Garden is also where we met Kairi's Mysteriously Well-Informed "Grandmother", someone whose Stories Kairi remembers even when she (claims) to be otherwise amnesiac of her life prior to "The Meteor Shower".

Other characters from Radiant Garden include Cid, Squall Leonhart, Aerith, Yuffie & Merlin (whom Kairi first met in KH1, in Traverse Town, and who seem Mutually Oblivious as to their Shared Heritage). It was also the home of characters Foreshadowed to be Involved with the "Bloodlines" plotlines of Phase 2 of KH: Ansem, Ienzo (a character whose origins are possibly More Mysterious than Kairi's), Apprentice Xehanort ("Terra-Nort"), "Braig" (the latest Host of Master Luxu), Isa & Axel (friends of the Mysterious "Subject X".

In studying with Master Aqua, Kairi will take her first step in acknowledging her Past & seeking to recover it: that step was made easier, perhaps, by Kairi's befriending fellow keyblade wielder Axel. Axel, like Kairi, is originally from Radiant Garden but has found a "new" Home. Axel's Home is with Isa, Roxas & Xion in Twilight Town: Kairi's Home has long embraced the Destiny Islands as her Home.

Kairi's continued, sometimes stubborn attachment to the Destiny Islands makes Sense: whether she Remembered it or not, the memories immediately prior to her "debut" as a Literal Shooting Star would have been of her being the latest Test Subject of Xehanort. If her memories of Xehanort were not stolen safely away by her young age, Repression or the traumas of Crashlanding into an ocean (possibly featuring a bit of Drowning? between Aqua's Magic & Kairi's Own, hopefully this was one trauma young Kairi was Spared from)... Kairi has Good Reason to disassociate with Radiant Garden & its labs. That Kairi willingly submitted herself to be studied in sleep by Ansem & his reformed Apprentices for a year? That in itself was an act of Remarkable Bravery and True Desperation. "Survivor's Guilt" is one of many potential "Darknesses" that Kairi, a Princess of Light, may need to Accept into herself to "grow" beyond that role & into young adulthood (as all other Original Princesses of Heart did). It is a subject Familiar to Kairi's Peers, the Princesses & those "left behind".

Yet Kairi is not someone "left behind" by the narrative: Kairi is someone who Chooses to Stay Home. This "passive" choice of Kairi's, to be a person to Return To and a Representation of "Home" has been the most plot-relevant aspect of her character since KH1 & continued to be her Key Narrative Function... right until "the power of childhood promises" was brutally, thoroughly Proven Insufficent. Childhood Promises were Kairi's "theme": with each timeskip, each near-death experience, Kairi's friends had Grown Up & Apart from her. "Promises" could not be as carelessly, made as meaningfully fulfilled in the Stakes of young adulthood & War: KH3 forces Sora, Kairi & players to recognise that "promises are for children"¹.

That is not to say that Kairi's Choices to "Stay Home" are bad: Kairi is not weaker for seeking the security of a fixed "home". Kairi has lost every Home she has ever had. That she clung to the "idea" of the Destiny Islands, once the world was restored, is consistent with how Kairi has been shaped by her own Traumas (well before & then in opposition to Sora and Riku, who found "Home" in each other more than once).

Kairi & "Safe Return"

Recall now the Wayfinding Charm Kairi made for herself & her friends as her "contribution" to their Raft Project: thalassa shells set in a starfruit's shape, a Sailor's Promise of "finding their way home". Unlike Riku "the Reverse-Little Mermaid" or Sora "the Adventurer", Kairi only worked on the Raft so her friends wouldn't leave her behind. Kairi was genuinely worried of being lost at sea, something she was miraculously spared from when she crashed into the waters of Destiny Islands.

In KH2, Kairi sends a "message in a bottle": while how sizable its role really was in providing a "Door to Light" for the stranded Sora & Riku is ~vague~ due to its "Timing" (right after a Heart-to-Heart between two uniquely "bright" Keyblade wielders), Kairi's "wish" in bottle-form certainly helped in said Door's directly opening to the Destiny Islands specifically.

Kairi & "Geography"

Then there is KH3's "Tunnel of Light" sequence. While players may Expect that the Abrupt Deus Ex Machina as "GPS Princess Kairi Saves The Day Offscreen, Again"... the sequence is Deliberately Misleading.

Sora's initial recognition of his "Light" as Riku's Light is correct: Riku, now and always, is the "Light" Sora knows best. Riku is also Found At The Tunnel's End: Kairi, however, was with Sora the whole time. Kairi was Geographically Incapable of being Sora's "Light" because she was right next to him, following Sora as he was lead by Riku's Light.

The entire "Light Tunnel" scene in KH3 is referential to the Infamous Meteor Shower event recalled by Sora & Riku in CoM.

Sora and Riku both recall watching a Meteor Shower with Someone Very Important to Their Heart(s). During this Meteor Shower, the person Naminé replaces feared that a Meteor (a Shooting Star) would strike the Destiny Islands: Sora or Riku then promised to [always protect] the Person Naminé Replaces in this Shared Memory. It is Naminé's placing herself within This Memory that prompts the Drastic Increase in [Devotion] from both Sora AND Riku['s Replica]. Due to Naminé's previously inserting herself into either boy's memories in Kairi's place, players "expected" that the True Memory & the Promises of Protection must have "also" been With Kairi.

...except that Kairi could not have exchanged anything with anyone during That Meteor Shower: Kairi was the Meteor Shower, one of its meteors & its most Significant Shooting Star. The promises that both boys recall making were made to each other: they exchanged tokens by the light of a Shooting Star.

Ascertaining Kairi's "Relative Geography" is the Vital Clue to many of her Weirder Moments throughout the series: in Sora & Riku's Shared Memory of a Meteor Shower, Kairi was a Meteor; in the Tunnel of Light sequence, Kairi was inside the Tunnel & not at its End; when Sora & Riku find themselves stranded in Another Side of Reality, as they once were in the depths of the Realm of Darkness, Kairi will be their Connection Home.

Kairi the "Lighthouse Keeper"

Kairi, through imagery & Choices, has made herself into a "Guiding Star". She is no longer a "starcrossed meteor" of Sora's: Kairi is the Fixed Point of "Home", her Home.

Kairi has become not a Lighthouse but its Keeper: she "tends the hearth" that is her own Heart, one that shines its light from the Destiny Islands where she "stays behind". As a Princess of Light, Kairi can act as the "Keeper" of her own Light: she can determine where it shines brightest ("home" in the Destiny Islands), who it guides (those Lost in Darkness, friends)... amongst other things.

This role of "Hearthkeeper" or "Lighthouse" will not give Kairi any dramatic rise in martial prowess, magical or otherwise. Kairi is Not Sora & she's Not Riku either: their strengths are theirs and Kairi has yet to even consider that her own strengths could be entirely different (& helpful for entirely separate situations). Narratively, making Kairi a "magical powerhouse" is unproductive: other characters are Experienced Battle Mages, their skills & prowess Well Established as Terrifying Extremely Competent.

Rather tham becoming Yet Another War Mage, I would speculate that Kairi's role is something more "unique" to her person & something sorely needed on This Side of Reality: an "Illuminator" not only of pressing dangers and safer shores but of the setting's Mysteries, old and "new". Kairi is already capable of acting in this role: she just hasn't had the opportunity to realise it yet.

Kairi the "Illuminator"

As a Princess of Light, Kairi connects any & all Disney princess past or future: the Princesses are "Torchbearers", their Hearts host to the still-burning remnants of the Ancient X-Blade's Light. These seven individuals are essential to the stability of the Realm of Light, in the absence of Kingdom Hearts. Their endangerment in KH1 was apocalyptic for all Known Worlds: finding the successors of Kairi's Peers in KH3 was a subplot "dropped" upon the miraculous recovering of Master Aqua & her lost friends thereafter. By "staying behind", Kairi's story as a Princess is possible to explore without the risk of her being assumed to be Sora's Princess (or, heavens forbid, Riku's).

As her Grandmother's [lorekeeper] & as a keyblade wielder herself, Kairi is connected to the mythology of the Keyblade Wars of the Ancient Past: the Master of Masters, the Foretellers & how history has seemed Doomed to Repeat. Kairi's placement as "student of Aqua" puts her (& her grandmother's stories) in proximity to Ventus, an amnesiac whose history lies hidden within such stories. That Ven too is "pure of heart" (albeit artificially) is another means of consolidating story threads: how similar is Ven, post-Xehanort, to Kairi the Princess of Heart? How are their Hearts different from each other's & why was Riku's ability to meld his Darkness to his Light so seemingly unprecedented? Is "lack of darkness" holding Kairi back, as a keyblade wielder? Or will Kairi (& Ven) be used by the likes of the Foretellers as "precedent" for all to follow?

As a Wayward Daughter of Radiant Garden, any explorations into Kairi's Life prior to her stint as a Shooting Star opens the world's history to Other Interested Parties: Kairi's hypothetical birth family, for one, and the Concerned Friends of "Subject X". It also requires an Addressing of Xehanort's Time apprenticed to Ansem the Wise... and Questions on how, exactly, he & Ansem "acquired" their Test Subjects in the first place. The technology used to send Kairi from Radiant Garden bears Remarkable Resemblance (in function, if not "form") to that used by the Dandelions. Was there, perhaps, some "reverse-engineering" in play? From Whomst couldst Xehanort Possibly Findeth Such An Arc, one of So Very Few?

Oh, Hi There, Ventus the Secret Dandelion: have you seen the Other, Long-term Human Test Subject? No, not Kairi. One escaped from [our setting]'s Other Resident [Evil] Scientist? Ansem the Wise?

...I May or May Not Harbour Deep Mistrust & Plentiful Suspicions regarding the man formerly known as "DiZ" (for example: did Master Yen Sid ever hear about Ansem's misappropriating his name, just as Xehanort did with Ansem's own?).

That aside, let us continue exploring how Kairi's "staying behind" is much more interesting than putting her back into Sora's Coming Of Age Story for No Actual Narrative Purpose (except to continue in her past role of "Being Conveniently Female"?).

Kairi the "Supporting Character"

Kairi's "Potential" has been Unexplored for nearly the entire series: her resistance to Change, to "leaving Home" & her Seeking Security in Familiar Things has kept Kairi from involving herself in anything "unrelated" to Sora & Riku. Being the series' protagonists, Sora & Riku have been Out Of The Loop on the wider mysteries of their setting: mysteries that Kairi (willingly or otherwise) is intrinsically connected to.

By again Choosing to "Stay", Kairi is able to act as the Fixed Point of Reality's "worldbuilding": Kairi is the connecting character for keyblade wielders to Disney Princesses, the point of reference to clarify "past" from "present" (this is more speculative, contingent to Kairi or Any of the Seven Lights existing as "fixed points" in Reality), and the Meeting Ground of characters (& plot points) old & "new".

Kairi's adjacency to Every Worldbuilding Subplot on This Side of "Reality" makes her an extremely useful Supporting Character. By departing from the "main" story of KH (that of Sora & Riku's "Comimg Of Age"), Kairi is free to support characters in their "shared" stories. Many of these "shared stories" all end up featuring Kairi, as a reference point or otherwise "Key" figure.

As a Supporting Character to Literally Anyone Other than Sora or Riku, Kairi is in great demand (see Speculations Above).

To her Childhood Friends, as they enter Their Arc on Sora's Darkness & the Continued Explorations of the many ways Hearts "Combine"?

The best way that Kairi can help her friends is by doing what she always has (now with other characters supporting her): being a "Fixed Point" in their Reality.

Kairi is no longer Sora's "Starcrossed" Meteor: her role, in his story & Riku's, is to now be that Beacon that Guides Travelers in Dark Seas, the "Lighthouse Keeper" keeping ships mindful of the shoreline & directing sailors to Safe Harbour. When Sora & Riku, weary from whatever Quadratum demands of them, would seek passage through death & dream to Another Side of Reality? Kairi will be There for them, a friend whose life has continued in their absence, ready to welcome them "home".

Conclusion

Kairi was a Reluctant Protagonist and an Absent Love Interest: that was Intentional, as evidenced by the Thematic (& Literal) "Geography" of Key Points in Sora & Riku's Coming of Age story being impossible for Kairi to have actually been "there" to fulfil such roles. Kairi's biggest strength, thus far, was her Faith & Innocent Love enabling her Friends to Find Their Way Home.

Kairi is strong: Sora tells her as much, in the Actual Text of the Tunnel Sequence. Kairi has, however, been "stagnant" in her strength. She can only truly become "stronger" when she needs not constantly compare herself to Riku or Sora (whose strengths are their own, not Kairi's: she has ever been mimicking their footsteps, never able to fill their shoes nor willing to consider getting different shoes for herself to wear instead).

As Kairi grows up & apart from "Childhood", Kairi can make new friends & find new "purpose". Rather than finding herself a "poor subsitute" for Riku or Sora, Kairi can seek the training they never had an opportunity to have & do so in ways neither boy may have "preferred" but Kairi would. Limiting herself to "one-of-three" (a Destiny "Trio") has never made Kairi Stronger, not in the way it has for Other Trios in the series: the "Destiny Trio" was never of the same nature as subsequent trios, the recurring & contrastingly "equilateral" dynamics being KH's means of indicating that, often in life, the friend groups you start out with aren't meant to last. People change and so does the ways they can or would want to relate to each other: is KH to is the story's method of showing the different friendships we can or "used to" have, some friendships remaining unchanged for life & others changing along with its members. to truly grow up, Kairi had to let go the "forever friends" of her childhood. They have been growing up: now Kairi will too.

Footnotes

¹An existing exploration of KH3's distinctions between "childhood promises" & "Oaths" can be found here, on Youtube. It includes a line-by-line analysis of KH's "thesis" on this Theme, Utada Hikaru's "Chikai". My only addition to said video essay is on how its structure acts as a Callback to KH3's immediately preceding title, Dream Drop Distance.

"Chikai" exists distinctly & complementary to the song that shares its melody, "Don't Think Twice". The songs, like the entire premise of Dream Drop, are two perspectives of a shared experience: this is Foreshadowing, specifically pertaining to the concepts of Mirrored Realities & the different ways Hearts can be Combined.

That last theme is especially pertinent given the Various Ways that artificially "combining hearts" has already been used to form or summon the eponymous Kingdom Hearts. This will be the Bloodlines Arc, afterall: "blood" will be Explored, in ways both Literal (ancestry, familial inheritance, generational keyblade violence) & Figurative (keyblades as a concept, Darkness as the "bleeding" of a Heart, the "oldblood" versus the "new"). That any & all depictions of blood will be censored into Water or as "Darkness" is par for the course.

²Kairi, Sora & Riku were never "a family" [trauma-bonded] to each other in the ways of the "Wayfinder" or "Seasalt" Trios. Kairi & Sora are only one (1) year younger than Riku: that means a lot, as a kid, but matters less & less the older you become. Axel's success in his role as "life coach" & "cool older brother" to the [newborn] teens Roxas & Xion highlights the difference that Age & aging has in one's friendship dynamics: Axel was the age of his friends when he "joined" Organization XIII and can thusly prepare them for what they will experience. Upon Isa's "resurrection", Axel keeps his childhood best friend with him: the changes this would prompt in the "Seasalt Trio" have inspired many an "Axel the No Longer Single Dad" joke, if not with that specific wording.

My Elaboration on Relative Age in the Dynamics of KH's Iconic Trios got, uh, Longer Than intended: its elaborated form has been Squirrel'd Away for "Later, Maybe".

[thefreshprinceofjunes]

reading about kh3 gameplay mechanics on the khwiki (cuz i didnt do shit fuck with 99% of them when i played it) and like

the shotlock for oblivion is called ‘dawn eclipse’ in japanese, while oathkeepers is ‘sunset bright’

and i realized

kairi is associated with sunsets, which in kh (and in real life) are symbolic of endings

while riku is associated with dawn/sunrises, which are symbolic of new beginnings

also, dawn eclipse? like the dawn being eclipsed by something?

and sunset meaning the loss of (day)light, while sunrise means the return?

[kumeko]

A/N: For the @kairizine! Since it was flower-language themed, I went with: Sweetbrier (simplicity, wound to heal), Star of Bethlem (atonement, reconciliation), Spindle Tree  (your image is engraved on my heart). The amazing @mellekist drew spot art for this fic, please check them out!

…

…

…

…

i.

The air was clear. Kairi gazed across the calm waters separating the mainland from Destiny Islands. When she had been younger, the distance had felt enormous, as wide as an ocean. Now she knew it as a small channel, a short canoe paddle away. The islands were close enough that she could spot the spindle trees that dotted the hills, the docks and the pirate ship that hadn’t crumbled over time. A breath, and she smelled the acrid flowers, the musty wooden planks, the salty sea breeze. Straining her ears, she barely heard children’s laughter as small figures raced one another across the white sands, repeating scenes from her own childhood.

If she squinted, she could see herself running too, her short hair tickling her neck as she tried to keep up with two reckless boys. Kairi, they called, turning around—

“Really?” Selphie broke her thoughts as she followed Kairi’s stare and rolled her eyes. She snorted delicately before taking a lick of her blue popsicle, her lips and tongue already taking on an icy hue from the frozen treat. In the hot summer sun, she had rolled up her sleeves before she could make a mess of them. “Do you have to stare every time we pass?”

“I can’t help it,” Kairi replied, reluctantly tearing her eyes away from the islands. The image was gone, the two boys fading with every passing second. There had been a time when Selphie was eager to visit the islands all summer long, but that was years ago. Now, they were no longer children. Now, they were on the cusp of adulthood, between fish and fowl, and Selphie was more than eager to let go of that part of her past.

“Don’t get me wrong, I get it.” Selphie waved her free hand before raising her popsicle for another lick, stopping the melting treat from turning her fingers into a sticky mess. She glanced at Kairi from the corner of her eyes. “The islands are fun and so much better than boring homework.”

That wasn’t the reason Kairi still visited them, but she hummed along nonetheless.

“Still,” Selphie continued, scrunching her nose slightly. “Aren’t they kinda…I dunno, childish? I mean, only kids play there.”

“I guess…” Kairi shifted uncomfortably and tugged her collar, letting in the cool breeze. Their summer uniforms did little to relieve them from the heat, and she wanted to be in a canoe, to sit in the water and let the cooler air surround her. Or better yet, on a raft, the wind playing with her hair, her hand tracing the sea. “It’s not like I want to play, though.”

Selphie raised her brow, forgetting her popsicle entirely. “Then what do you do there?”

“Just…” Kairi mulled over it, trying to find the right word. “Cleaning.”

Her friend snorted, doubling over with laughter. “Cleaning? You? Have you seen your room?” She wiped the tears from her eyes, still chuckling. “You even trick our classmates into cleaning the classroom for you. You’re so lazy.”

Lazybones.

You’re both lazy.

A memory, unbidden, rattled off. The two boys turned to look at her, the sun blinding her eyes. Kairi froze, trying and failing to grasp their faces, their names. Riku and S—but it didn’t stick, blue eyes turning into the water the second she blinked.

She forced a laugh. “I know. It’s weird.”

How could she explain it to Selphie when she couldn’t even explain it to herself? There was a memory of starlight, of tears, of someone asking her to wait. A promise etched in chalk. Darkness swallowing Riku. A smile as bright as the sun. There was a gap in her memories, in everyone’s memories. An empty space that left behind too many remembrances to just be a dream.

“I just have to,” Kairi continued, with a certainty she felt down to her core. She had promised to stay, so she would. The caves would be cleaned, the old spots would be left untouched, and she would wait.

Kairi was a protector, if only for these childhood places, these lost memories.

ii.

It was strange walking on Destiny Islands. Keyblade in hand, Kairi walked her old haunts—the beaches, the cave, the ship. Jamais vu, Selphie had called it, a sense of unfamiliarity in the familiar. Kairi knew all of these places like the back of her hand, yet they felt different, almost scary, now. Her memories had returned, and with it the monsters that lurked in the dark.

As Kairi passed through the cave, she brushed her hand against the wall. This was where it had all started: the Heartless, the Keyblade, the door to other worlds. Where Riku had fallen and Sora had risen and the door between worlds had opened. There were no signs of that anymore, just faded drawings on a cave wall, just litter from children sneaking out treats from beneath their parents’ noses. Even her paopu drawing was smudged, newer drawings taking over it bit by bit.

Try as she might, her Keyblade could not open another door, could not bridge a path from her world to the next. The cave remained a cave. The islands remained isolated. And Kairi remained behind, as she always had.

She sighed as she spun on her heel, meandering a well-trodden path down to the beach, her eyes glued to the clear, blue skies. A war was being fought out there, Sora and Riku keeping the darkness at bay. Not that anyone could tell from here. There wasn’t even a cloud in the sky. Across the still waters, her hometown looked as peaceful as ever.

No, not her hometown—she did not come from there.

It was still home nonetheless.

It was still hers nonetheless.

Kairi gripped her Keyblade tightly. Sweetbrier grew at the dune edges, the wild roses bordering the sand as though to keep it out. Beauty and thorns; she admired their strength and wished it were her own. A gentle breeze blew, her long hair falling over her eyes. She pushed it back, looping the strands behind her ear, remembering that once those hairs had tickled her neck instead of reaching her lower back.

It was funny to be here again, to be waiting. It was like nothing had changed since that starry night years ago, when she had reached out desperately to Sora as they parted worlds. Or when she had gathered driftwood during high school, her body falling into old patterns that her mind had forgotten.

Kairi stopped by the low-arching tree, running her fingers across the trunk. The three of them had sat here, once upon a time, imagining distant shores.

“We found out what’s out there,” she said aloud. “Didn’t even need a raft to get off this island.” Her nails dug into the bark. “You didn’t come back with me.”

Her words were met with silence. Riku and Sora were still on those faraway planets and she was still waiting at home.

The Keyblade in her hand warmed, reminding her that not everything was the same. Sora was no longer forgotten, Riku was found, and she had her own weapon in this ongoing war.

Wordlessly, she raised her blade as though to challenge. Let the monsters come—they would find this place would not easily succumb. Let the monsters know that there was a light in this patch of the universe, that the darkness would broker no hold here.

Let Sora and Riku fight across the universe, let them alter the course of worlds and fate. That was not her war. Kairi would protect their home, their haven, their memories.

And when her boys returned, bloody and broken and weary, she would protect them.

iii.

There came an end to every story, to every battle and war. A happily-ever-after, if you were lucky, and a final chapter if not. Of course, it was the case here, in this story of light and darkness, of princesses and fate.

The light had won. The shadows were gone. The war was over. Worlds were back in place, and so were the people displaced by years of loss and bloodshed. A key turned somewhere, a satisfying click that signaled that everything was done.

And at the end of it all, Kairi stood on the beach once more, her bare feet digging into the warm sand. Above her: a bright sun, stray white clouds drifting lazily with the breeze. Waves lapped the shore, the water choppy as though it too wanted to celebrate this moment. Tiny stars of Bethlehem grew stubbornly against the rocks and craggy grasses, their white flowers straining toward the sun.

Once again, Kairi was back on Destiny Islands, surrounded by her familiar haunts.

Once again, she was staring out into the distance, looking at her home.

Once again, she had her two boys by her side. Riku’s large palm utterly engulfed her own, and Sora’s skin was sweaty as he gripped her other hand tightly. The Keyblades were gone, the worlds at peace, and Kairi closed her eyes as she let herself just feel. The last time they had done this, they had been younger and shorter and oh so innocent. Her hair had reached her chin, Sora had been her height, and Riku had been cocky enough to take on the gods. Their eyes had ever been on distant seas, on horizons unknown.

Now she could feel the strength in their hands, calloused and rough from fighting. Kairi peeked at them—not that she had to. They were too distracted to notice her stare.

“It’s just like how I remembered,” Sora said quietly, too quietly. It was strange to have him so calm, his smile muted. He sounded almost shell-shocked. Part of her expected him to tug her, to race across the sands to the docks, but he didn’t move a muscle.

For once, Riku did not mock him. He merely grunted, his hand squeezing Kairi’s in agreement. He didn’t move either, except to turn his head this way and that, processing everything.

“The ship’s still there,” Sora added, swallowing hard as he watched three kids climb the mast.

“Where would it go?” Riku said bluntly, but there was no bite in his words. His gaze was locked on the docks, as though he had forgotten what they looked like.

“And the tree!” Sora continued, still whispering, still awestruck.

It was like watching blind men given sight, parched travellers drinking from an oasis. Their hands didn’t leave hers no matter where they turned.

I saved it all, Kairi didn’t say. I kept your memories, she didn’t remind. There was a time and place for everything, and unlike in her younger days, Kairi had learned to control her need to boast.

This wasn’t the time for glory.

No, this was the time for healing, for remembrances, for simply being. They were together again, and there would be plenty of days ahead for her to fill them in on exactly what she had been doing over the years.

“There’s more,” Kairi said, breaking the silence with a bright smile. She glanced at Sora, at Riku, and squeezed their hands. When they squeezed back, she took a step forward, gently leading them down familiar paths. “The caves, your rooms, our canoes—they’re all still here.”

It was like she’d pulled a trigger. Sora picked up the pace, pulling her forward eagerly. “Race you to the docks.”

“Is it a race if you always lose?” Riku taunted, keeping up with him.

Kairi burst into laughter as they all but dragged her into their competition, their hands still clinging to hers like a lifeline.

Her boys were home.

Her wait was over and they were home.

[dullahandyke]

final note on kh fashion, lea's kh3 ending outfit has a sleeveless hoodie like kairi's and thats rlly cute. matching outfits w the bestie from the time cube

[ID: two screenshots from Kingdom Hearts 3, showing Lea during the ending cutscene, and Kairi. Both are wearing sleeveless tops with hoods.]

[amazingkittenwithaskateboard420]

why don't I have followers that like kingdom hearts? THATS LITERALLY HALF OF MY WHOLE FUCKING PAGE AM I GONNA HAVE TO SAY SOME OUT OF POCKET BS FOR YALL TO FOLLOW ME😭😭😭 sighhhhhhh💔💔💔💔💔 sorry guys mb😔😔😔🙁🙁🙁🙁😔😔😔🙁🙁

[cinnbar-bun]

Helloooo i'm back, can I request a hc cuddles for Roxas, Sora, Ven and Xion please? (female or gn reader, what inspires you the most I'm not picky, I just like the idea of ​​hugs and touch haha) Thank you in advance, your writings are a bath of happiness!

Roxas, Sora, Ventus, Xion- Cuddling HCs

Roxas

A nervous cuddler until he starts getting into the groove of things.

Likes laying on your chest so he can hear your heartbeat, it really relaxes him. 

He loves cuddling when he wants to go to sleep, it’s his favorite thing ever because you feel so nice and he adores it.

Likes cuddling in private because he gets embarrassed about other people seeing him, he’s not big on PDA. The most he’ll do is have you lean your head on his shoulders or lean his head on your shoulders. 

He’s fine with spooning but he doesn’t like it too much because he can’t see your face.

Nightmare cuddles, he needs them. Sometimes the pain is unreal and he just needs you to hold him.

He likes when you stroke his hair and hold him close, it calms him down and he feels safe with you. 

He’s not openly physical with many people so it’s a sign of trust when he actively seeks you out for comfort. He cherishes you a lot. 

Cuddle quirk: This is going to sound a bit out there but he likes how you smell. Hear me out, it’s just your scent- maybe the smell of perfume, shampoo, cologne, or your clothes- reminds him that you’re physically there. 

On the topic of scents, he doesn’t like overbearing scents, but he tends to like very “cold” and clean scents. Something like fresh laundry detergent or ocean scents are his jam, and it makes him even more of a cuddlebug. 

Sora 

Excited cuddler, even before you were dating. 

He is very much a physically affectionate guy, and he’s gotta be touching/holding you almost every minute or he gets very sad.

He spreads his arms wide or he just wraps his arms around you- that’s how you know he wants to cuddle. 

Even at night, the boy does not want to let go of you. You’re just a tangle of limbs at this point and Riku and Kairi make fun of how disgustingly domestic you two are. 

He doesn’t mind any cuddling position honestly. You wanna be the big spoon? Sure! He is the big spoon? Cool! He just wants to hold you. 

His favorite cuddling position however has to be the pretzel though (that’s what google calls it ig, but think of it like you’re laying on his chest but both your legs are wrapped around each other). 

Goes crazy when he sees you wearing one of his shirts/jackets/sweaters, and he HAS to squeeze you tight and tell you how cute you look. 

Sora tends to enjoy you sitting on his lap and him resting his chin on your head while you’re doing something like reading, playing video games, watching tv. It’s not very comfortable after a while though because he complains his legs fell asleep (what a cutie)

Likes kissing you lots during cuddling sessions. Sometimes it’s just a soft kiss. Sometimes he is making out with you. Sometimes he’s just peppering kisses all over your face because you’re too cute. And other times he likes kissing your nose and seeing you smile.

Cuddle quirk: This boy also talks a mile a minute when you’re cuddling. He can go on and on and on just talking about random things that it takes him a while to realize you fell asleep. It’s okay though, he kisses you and then goes to sleep immediately with you. 

Ventus

A sweetheart. Unlike Sora who does it immediately, or Roxas who hesitates, Ventus likes to ask your permission to cuddle. He doesn’t mind PDA- except maybe if it’s so excessive Terra and Aqua tease him- but he’s pretty much down all the time. 

Big spooner. He loves spooning. He wants to feel manlier and stronger so he likes being the big spoon. 

Secretly though enjoys being the little spoon in private because he does not want Terra and Aqua to tease him. 

A lot of times you two cuddle horizontally on the couch and rest your head on your elbows when you watch tv or movies. 

Pretty chill cuddler, he’s not like Sora who is excessively talking, but he’s a really nice, quiet, and relaxing cuddle. 

Honestly though you two are probably surfing the web and then you just quietly snicker and show each other something funny you found or something you might wanna buy. 

“Hey (Y/n), look at this picture, it’s hilarious!” 

“Hey Ven, what do you think of these matching mugs?” “Oh that’s cute. You should get ‘em.” 

9/10 your cuddling leads to a nap. The other 1/10 is interrupted by Terra or Aqua busting down the door and asking you guys a question. 

Cuddles under the stars! Ventus likes telling you stories about them and maybe some constellations you can see, if you’re curious. 

Please let him talk, it’s so cute to see his smile and his eyes light up as he points out a certain constellation or maybe his thoughts on the sky. 

Cuddle quirk: BLANKET THIEF. Do not trust him with your blankets. He’s horrible. You will begin the night spooning and wake up cold after Ven yanked your blanket and has his back faced towards you. 

You’d kill him except for the fact he’s snoring so cutely and you let him be before you grab an extra blanket. 

He will steal that too. 

Xion

Nervous-excited cuddler. She wants to cuddle, a lot, but she gets embarrassed and nervously asks if you could. 

She does not mind it in public, although she’d rather have it be a bit more subtle because otherwise she’d get too flustered. 

She likes being held, so she likes sitting on your lap or being the little spoon. She’s watched and read plenty of romantic movies so she wants the total romantic package. 

She cutely makes a list of all cuddling positions she’s seen and says she wants to try every position with you. I-if you’d like to of course!

She finds she likes spooning or laying on your chest to be her favorite position ever. 

Xion has a habit of tracing over your skin or drawing shapes while you two are cuddling. It’s super cute, oh my gosh, she just wants to remember how you look and every crevice, curve, and scar on your body. She thinks all of you is gorgeous. 

Quiet whispering and talking. She likes to discuss what she today or what she wants to do in the future. 

“Hey, I had a great day with you today. I think next time we go out we should try that new cafe that opened.” 

She loves when you kiss her while cuddling. She feels so spoiled and she’s internally squealing at how happy she is. You make her feel like a princess. 

Likes to watch scary movies as an excuse to cuddle you. Some don’t really scare her in all honesty, but she thinks it’s so romantic if you hold her and keep her close. If you don’t like scary movies she changes her plans to romantic comedies. 

Some days she gets really emotional or down, and likes when you just hold her to remind her she exists. She has some terrible nightmares and likes to cuddle in order to not feel like she’s being actively hunted down again. 

Cuddle quirk: She likes singing when you’re cuddling. Sometimes she’ll hum a song she heard on the radio while out and about, or a random tune she made up. It’s quiet and she’s got a great voice, so sometimes you just stare at her in adoration and she gets caught off-guard like “what’s wrong?” 

When you explain it’s because you love her singing, she hides her face in your chest and mumbles the rest of the song. 

Bonus points: start singing along with her and she’ll perform a duet with you. The smile on her face is so bright and it is even cuter with the red on her cheeks!

[vansvoidgear]

if kairi gets to be a keyblade wielder, so should naminé!!

also a norted nami n' a role/color swap for nami and van

more thoughts vvv

image 1. ) i love nami so much i think she deserves the world.. i think she has a lot of potential to be a really great hero of light. i think she feels a lot of guilt from the events of re:com and that she would hold that as a sort of drive for her initial desire to wield a keyblade, and that she would have to work through that guilt and come into her own strengths.

this is why i named her first keyblade, Sanctuary's Penance and used elements from castle oblivion/events of com. sanctuary pulled from the kh2 op, and penance as she feels she's using the keyblade to make up for her past mistakes. a reminder of the things she's done, but that she's trying to make up for it.

the second keyblade i made for her is based off the key altered memory from re:com of the meteor shower. i think thats an important falsity for her! i think she obviously knows that the memory is fabricated, but i think she can't help but feel attached to it. i, as a namixi enthusiast, have a scene in mind where xion and naminé bond over the memories that aren't actually theirs/memories that aren't real and after that scene nami would get this keyblade<3. maybe ill do a comic of it one day it lives in my head day and night..

i also just really like butterflies and thought it would be fun to incorporate them into a design for nami. final thought i think she should train underneath aqua.

image 2.) i just wanted to draw a norted nami that's it!!

image 3.) i have a thing i like to call namiswap in which i take naminé and switch her with another character i like. it's something of a role & color swap because erm.. i like messing around with putting characters in different places and seeing how they would act in those circumstances. and i like drawing characters with different palettes. you don't have to think too hard about the consequences of this or how they came to be it's just for funzies.

vani-> i think vanitas would loooove gaslight gatekeeping sora in com. i think he would have soso much fun with it and he and larxene would get along great pushing sora around both physically and emotionally. i think he would also really really make marluxia mad. in this swap i think he would replace riku in soras heart instead of nami replacing kairi, and there would be a different sort of promise about leaving the island together.

nami-> naminé has an incredibly gentle heart.. though she's capable of doing horrible things under the right pressure, i think making the χ-blade with ven is something she would really dread. still, she wouldn't be able to refuse xehanort, so she would have no choice.