#riku: sad

[kingdomsaurushearts]

An entry I did for a SoRiKai zine. U3U

[gummi-ships]

Kingdom Hearts 3 - San Fransokyo

[holleighgram]

TFW when you give a 5 year old kid a keyblade, and then suddenly that kid is 16, gay, depressed, and needs a hug but can’t break down because he has to be a “leader”.

[gulava]

The way the original Coded for mobile (the version without cutscenes) is lost media and because of the time it came out, it is not watchable even on Youtube without the cutscene version of scenes playing out...

I have often said both versions of dialogue in COM and Days are relevant. Same case here. Dialogue taken from khwiki.

"But, because of these bugs, I could not complete the restoration. Out of all available memories, I was selected to be a vessel to hold them all together."

In this version of Coded, Data Riku states he's responsible for restoring the journal as he is what holds the memories together. He is what holds Sora's memories together. Maybe it's a small difference to "shield them from corruption" but it's the wording that gives me pause.

Coded shows us that Riku is what holds Sora together. KH3 utilizes "show, don't tell" by telling us otherwise but then showing us the truth.

Sora is told to look for the light in the darkness. He finds Riku.

He is told to go to the person holding him together. He goes to Riku.

It's always been Riku.

[imminent-danger-came]

RIGHT. AM I RIGHT.

[sweeteastart]

What happened to us ..?

Was inspired by @xshinina serie of illustration of Kairi/Riku's relationship during each games. I HAD to draw this out !!

[melasy]

[daylighteclipsed]

In KH2, Sora learns Riku tends to self-isolate and try to deal with his pain on his own... KH3 revisits this, even highlights it by paralleling Elsa the queen of self-isolation with Riku… then Riku self-isolates again when he realizes Kairi is gonna shoot her shot with Sora. Sora notices Riku’s behavior and naturally thinks something might be wrong/Riku’s hiding pain from him, not buying that Riku’s fine or should be left alone here… But Sora doesn’t know WHY Riku is in pain. He’s staring at Riku, wondering what it could be, why Riku wants to be alone again now. Sora can’t figure it out… And it’s because . Riku is in love with him. But Riku thinks Sora is in love with Kairi, and he just wants Sora to be happy. So Riku will keep this to himself forever. He will suffer in silence forever as long as Sora is happy. But Sora’s not happy if Riku’s not happy. But Riku can’t tell him

[gunstellations]

in his dreams ✨🌟

[daily-rikukingdomhearts]

Happy (late) start of pride month

Predicting inappropriate kh4 worlds 🫶🥺

[kingdomhearts-and-soriku-trash]

After KH 3 and everything, I wonder if Riku knows about Anti-Sora and knows what that Side of him is.

Does he ever wonder about when Sora became a heartless? Like late at night does he ever think about his actions all those years ago in Hollow Bastion (I think that’s where it happened right??)

Do these questions ever plague him in the night and he can’t sleep because he feels at fault and he’s tired of feeling this way but Sora isn’t there anymore to help him understand that’s it’s okay?

[inexplicably-spookified]

started drawing it in one style, got annoyed and switched halfway through, wound up finishing it in both

[grimcatician]

I used THAT Anne Hathaway photo as reference because it has the most KH1 Soriku vibes ever I—

[holleighgram]

Listening to Dearly Beloved:

[mykeymonster]

Distance

[strayheartless]

Vanitas and the Chaotic Good learning curve:

Leaving complete darkness behind isn’t hard exactly. After having Mr. Giddy goofy light bringer (Sora) witter in his ear for a good nine hours about the “benefits of not being evil” Vanitas isn’t willing to say he caved…. But he caved.

Besides if little miss “How can I face everyone” Martyrdom (Riku) can find the balance, how hard could it be right?

Turns out it’s not hard, it’s just… interesting. He’s observed a lot from those light bringers who still have to find a balance with the darkness in their hearts. Here’s what he’s learning:

Dawn (Riku) is not above small acts of violence against Sora. Whacking him with a paperback, flicking his forehead, tripping him when he gets up to do to the bathroom. It’s all fair play apparently.

It is not acceptable to firaga people for annoying you, but that doesn’t mean Kairi hasn’t.

The real-boy (Roxas) can hit HARD and no he won’t apologise for braking something if he thinks you deserve it.

Raggedy-Anne (Xion) has a higher kill rate then Vanitas does… which is only mildly disturbing.

Biting people is bad, but Terra and Aqua always seem to be covered in Bite marks anyway. He has been informed it’s a different kind of biting. He doesn’t wish to explore that further.

His own natural eye colour after possession is red, and ain’t that a kick in the teeth.

Dawns a bitch when he’s grumpy and apparently the way to deal with him is to be a bitch back. Kairi is very good at being a bitch back. Sora just wishes everyone would get along.

The-real-boy and Dawn have serious history and it makes families dinners tense sometimes. Vanitas would not like a repeat performance of helping Ven drag Roxas into another room whilst Terra heals Riku’s fractured cheek. Roxas apologied but Riku still didn’t get out of bed for three days after.

Spikes and fire (Lea/Axel) apparently has the power to kill a man with the snap of his fingers. ApPaReNtLy he has killed someone with the snap of his fingers.

Moon boy (Isa/Sïax) has a limit beaker that could level city blocks. Wild.

Cry baby dislikes Cloud Strife for reasons only Ventus, Aqua and Hercules (apparently) know. Vanitas is pretty sure not even Cloud knows what he did. Van recons it has something to do with the big sword and the… Squats???

“I will not summon Floods until Xion and Sora cry. It is bad and I will apologise for it” … In Vans defence Naminé thought it was hilarious.

Dawn blindfolds himself when he’s upset about… something?

He gets along surprisingly well with Roxas… apparently shared trauma and distaste for stupid people goes a long way. Neat!

Raggedy Anne knows there is a spot on the back of Axels neck that if you dig in hard enough he passes out…. Isa showed her this.

Sora it not above throwing things at Riku and Kairi when he’s overtired and upset. He gets more upset that he threw the thing at them though.

Apparently master water slide (aqua) can still open dark corridors, she just doesn’t.

Dawn knows how to access dark gear. He’s done it exactly once in Vans presence and they didn’t see him for DAYS afterwards… that’s how Vanitas learned about the blindfold.

Naminé can get in your head. She hasn’t but she can. It makes for tense moments between her and Sora when she says something she shouldn’t know.

It is acceptable to throw water at Axel when he gets “fired up” during training. This was a delightful discovery.

Upon being introduced to the restoration committee it is not acceptable to point out that Leon looks like if Simba was a person… but it does make Sora and Aerith laugh so hard they end up crying on the floor.

Cloud strife is apparently more trauma then man and now Terra feels bad for hating him.

It is not acceptable to to tell Winnie the Pooh that forest fires are caused by thinking too hard. Sora and Ventus will slap you in the head and it will hurt

And possibly the most disturbing discovery of them all in Vanitas’ opinion… Sora has a Rage form AND an Anti-form. And they come out to play regularly in training.

Ultimately what Vanitas is learning is that nobody is amine to the darkness. He’s learning that it’s not about being evil or good by nature it’s about deciding who YOU want to be. For all he makes fun of them and calls them soppy lights, it’s…. Good to know that there is hope for him, even if it means he can’t get rid of the darkness. He can still exists in the light.