#vanitas deserves the whole world

[rinarin-karimel]

Okay, but for now this is the most illogical moment for me.

Where did Luna get that he could run away at all: she doesn't know about the conditions of their detention, maybe they were put on a chain at all for the night?

And yes, they were locked up, and adult men walked around the laboratory during the day, and little Vani is not a super soldier, even though he wounded Luna.

[sigmashuffle]

I have a question!! So I’m a long-time BSD enjoyer but I haven’t read nearly as much of the manga as I would like. I’ve seen all of the anime though, most of it multiple times through. I didn’t realize until looking at the comments on Danny Motta’s video at how much people fucking hate Fukuchi and his sword. Up until this point I’ve thought it’s cool as hell and he, along with the sword, bring something kinda new and fun to the series.

HOWEVER, I know BSD is FAR from perfect and there’s a lot of dumb shit that faithful manga readers have a better perspective on. Would you mind explaining why Fukuchi and the sword are such a sore point? I hope this isn’t too much to ask. I just really want to know.

Hi anon! Its not too much to ask at all!

Unfortunately the answer to that is best explained in the context of ALL the issues I have with the manga/show so... this is going to be v long... and im done giving this show more credit than it deserves but don't take it that seriously lol I hesitate to even consider my pov to be on par with the average manga reader but ig we'll see how my opinions hold up after i post

And disclaimer: I don't mind answering this but ONLY with the context that this is 100% my opinion (as of late, bsd as a whole has just been REALLY bugging me so im just gonna take this opportunity to explain my gripes since most of them apply to or tie greatly into fukuchi's character/design/motivations/development)

I simply don't want anyone to come for my head bc of anything I say here tho, bc I feel like I may disagree with a large portion of the fanbase but WITH THAT SAID...

***from this point forward there will be a few spoilers from s5e11***

Here are my gripes with BSD...

1. BSD and its "magic system"?

bsd powers suffer from what i like to call a "lack of scope"

granted this could be due to the fact the story isnt complete HOWEVER im sure any anime fan can tell you this story doesnt feel like it is leading anywhere its just... going... (ill get to the awful pacing later)

for comparison sake im going to also talk about The Case Study of Vanitas since it is the world I have the most experience in

what does BSD not have that VNC does?

simply put, the magic system doesnt reinvent itself character to character

in VNC if you have an ability it is EXCLUSIVELY connected to "manipulations of the world formula" which is essentially elemental control (fire, ice, gravity, etc.) based on a sci fi version of chemistry (alchemy, if you will) and this rule applies to EVERY CHARACTER in VNC

its a structure that starts developing from the beginning

BSD however introduces a WHOLE NEW magic system for each character

some character abilities are similar, yes, and can be classified as such, but many cannot be classified

again a magic system doesnt NEED to have strict rules (its actually more boring that way if the rules are too simple) but it DOES need RULES... and solid ones

otherwise its tempting to use the MAGIC system to fill in PLOT RELATED gaps

and if that system isnt defined, well, to me that looks like lazy/sloppy/illogical writing

if you like the whiplash of not knowing whats gonna happen next, fine, (i did for awhile too!) up until the unpredictability started to come from powers that as a whole look like an authors way of trying to write themselves out of their own plot hole

ie: time travel

specifically time travel that isnt introduced FROM THE BEGINNING...

2. Fukuchi and his "deus ex machina" sword

time travel is NOTORIOUSLY difficult to pull off and especially by my standards

I have watched Doctor Who since 2008, before I even knew what tumblr was I was doing my own solo fandom stuff (basically just watching a LOT of youtube video essays) but basically I have high standards when it comes to time travel in stories

Amenogozen has the POTENTIAL to be a great weapon if used in a logical context... but theres one thing the sword (and BSD as a whole) does not follow

RULES

time travel is TRICKY mostly bc it has consequences... in BSD fukuchi gives nothing in exchange for his powers

lets even toss time travel aside for the moment

what is Fukuchi's innate special ability? Mirror Lion... (read below)

its essentially an attack multiplier of x100 at CLOSE RANGE

lets say your average untrained human punch is 150psi (pounds per square inch) which is the pressure equivalent of a point 100m below the surface of the ocean...

with Mirror Lion's multiplier you get 15,000psi which would be 10,000m or 10 kilometers

a pressure equivalent to the deepest part of the ocean (i dont need to remind you how powerful water is... we all know about oceangate)

MY POINT IS HE'S OVERPOWERED AS FUCK

dont even get me started on his motivations too

im glad we got backstory for him in ep 11 and im sure we are just supposed to sum up his motivations into "he was willing to pay the high price for world peace" but tbh royally fuck that

dont TELL me thats what he believes

PROVE to me how you made that conclusion

also the only reason he even dies is becasue he wants fukuzawa to kill him... we dont have any sense of accomplishment for stopping his scheme because NOW the scheme has been PLOPPED right into fukuzawa's lap which fukuchi intended to do from the start... apparently

and this seemingly retroactive decision-making is a problem A LOT of bsd characters have, especially the one and only character i hate THE MOST... *drumroll*

3. Osamu fucking Dazai

oh boy...

I have thought long and hard about Dazai... im not going to lie, after ch109 and ep10 I was about to admit Dazai might actually have grown on me BUT

this was all erased after 6 minutes into ep11 when he was confirmed to indeed NOT be dead

Dazai just *knows* everything thats gonna happen

Chuuya was never a vamp... he knew this... and somehow his ENTIRE escape plan was just hinging on that? bc yknow... hE kNeW fRoM tHe bEgiNniNg

OSAMU DAZAI IS A PLOT DEVICE USED *ONLY* TO FILL IN NARRATIVE HOLES

HE IS A WAY TO FORCE PROGRESS ON A STORY WITHOUT EVER GIVING A REAL EXPLANATION

HIS CHARACTER IS AN INSULT TO INTELLIGENCE

His character is paper thin, with motivations that do not translate to his actions

and frankly... im tired of it...

additionally... if sigma doesn't survive, all of Meursault was literally useless... so why pick him for nikolai's prison break game?

even if he does, it means the ONLY thing we get out of the arc is information about fyodor... as to WHAT information, who knows... but regardless, a villain arc that has been going on for TOO GODDAMN LONG (40 chapters?) should have a resolution that isnt "i knew what was gonna happen all along"

we spent the whole time being SHOWN that fyodor and dazai were of equal intelligence levels... or at least higher than what dazai was used to dealing with

if dazai could just predict shit like this from the beginning why was fyodor a villain for so long? makes ZERO sense, dazai would've defeated him AGES ago... what makes THIS time any different?

also... why is he even suicidal? yeah ok the author was... but like... why make it such a present character trait?... so we can fake kill him over and over? idk

can you tell i dislike him?

4. THEORY vs PRACTICE

I am a "show dont tell" girlie

ALL BSD DOES IS "TELL TELL TELL" ...its infuriating

almost every power/special ability has an element of "trust me bro" ok SOME OF THEM DONT but most of them do

ie: atsushi is a tiger (what does that even mean), kenji gets strong when he's angry (ok hulk?), and THIS JUST IN we STILL don't know how fyodor's ability works... and now he's DEAD?... we also dont know almost any detail about sigma's ability and he might ALSO be dead

but thats only regarding abilities...

when it comes to writing stories using people of high intelligence it is VERY difficult to not get into the aforementioned "trust me bro" mindset which BSD does REPEATEDLY

im not listing off every example but off the top of my head is one scene from s4...

ranpo explains his plan for saving yosano loosely involved "replacing the engine [of an armored vehicle] with an electric motor and playing engine sounds over the speakers so no one noticed" ...and only i can pick this claim to shreds lol (i engineer electric vehicles for a living) but this is so wrong on so many levels...

Internal combustion engines and Electric motors are IN NO WAY EQUIVALENT

ranpo would never be able to power a vehicle the size of an armored truck with a motor that he installed an hour before the truck was put to use... he just wouldnt... the vehicle is too big... ugh *facepalm*

and dont even get me started on batteries...

MY POINT IS

if you want to write some *genius move* at least TRY to do some research to make the action believable

thats like saying "oh yeah i ran out of gas so a threw a couple AA batteries into my gas tank until i could make it to the station"

BUT THAT WOULDNT FLY BECAUSE MOST PEOPLE KNOW THATS NOT HOW CARS WORK

*sigh*

5. Manga Readers' POV

the.chapters.are.too.short

especially for a monthly released manga

i am relatively new to anime and manga... like late 2020, so I am part of the "new gen" I guess you could say so i know i dont have any right to complain about pacing in comparison to like... the dressrosa arc of One Piece

with that said, not enough in bsd BUILDS on itself

it all feels like a self "one-up"

its been too long since any of my large questions have been answered

honestly its rare that any of my questions are ever answered because the narrative rarely follows logical progression anyway and any scenes thats ARE useful are cut from the anime

characters do not *develop* their powers, they just simply ARE

whatever ability you are born with limits what you can do and thats that... which leads me to...

6. Types of Ability Users

the most coherent thing i think i can speak on so this will be short lol

there are 3 types... i think (excluding lightnovels, i have not read 15, Stormbringer, or any others)

(1) natural abilities (ones that can be nullified by dazai or stolen like in Dead Apple)

(2) human/god fusions (chuuya) -> but this can ALSO be nullified???

(3) when an ability isnt an ability (it CANT be nullified) -> ie: whatever the fuck Lovecraft is

Sigma -> ??? (he could be part of the natural ability category but like... it feels weird to put him there)

but... there is never a comparison between these types so im not even sure of this "list" is exhaustive

this is just another way the story is leaving open ways to dig itself out of a plot hole... which isnt fun... bc now there are no stakes... there are no rules... its disorganized chaos where anything can happen

everyone will always be fine because there is a way out of everything

and thats BORING... and for me, downright infuriating

fukuchi likely falls into the first category... but then again he's also using a tool from another ancient ability user... so does he even fit there?

7. Anime Adaptation

rushed

rushed

RUSHED

and i know why...

BSD is so thin on STABLE plot the story would feel like its dragging if Bones wasn't animating at the pace they are (see Manga Readers' POV)

so to try and counteract the feeling that nothing is happening they are cutting "irrelevant" scenes BUT ALSO important portions relevant ones (ie: aku's death)

do all the plot points from the manga happen? by definition, yes... but the nuance the manga has is lost almost entirely

Atsushi doesn't physically throw an injured Aku's arm over his shoulders... Aku doesn't smile upon his demise... Aku doesn't reach out through the fog of the fire extinguisher (the adaptation of this scene was personally my last straw)

and then we have the new anime content...

why did we tack on an additional fight? zero context... didn't even tie up loose ends from fukuchi like...

is sigma alive?

are chuuya/dazai/nikoali still in france? europe?

is fyodor going to return in some way? (we know nothing of his motives, ability, or MOST importantly, what information did he learn from Sigma??? his ability is an EXCHANGE so why even have that happen if they are both dead anyway?) why would you fucking kill off a character like this

WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS ENTIRE ARC??? The mere reason I'm asking this question is, in and of itself, unacceptable

we MAY get an answer later... but its been 20 episodes... why the fuck dont we know anything about the arc we just completed? ...ludicrous

Final Thoughts

BSD does not have enough reliable rules in its magic system to form a solid foundation of... anything

Fukuchi is a disjointed character trying to do too many things at once, he doesn't have solid motivations, and his arc provides more questions than it answers

Osamu Dazai is not a character... he is a plot device used like a saving throw in DND

BSD frequently insults my intelligence to cover it's ass in its storytelling

being a manga reader is like taking 30 days to rip off a tiny band aid... the pacing is unbearable

even with the end of fukuchi's arc now known, there was no sense of accomplishment in defeating him bc technically we didnt… he gave himself up... so the sword was just to make him overpowered... it was pointless

the anime adaptation was rushed, scenes cherry picked, and plot narratively thinned into water... there was no depth this season

In my opinion...

There are very few redeeming characteristics about BSD now

The few meaningful scenes we do get in the manga are overwritten by later context that negates any emotion initially associated with the scene

even with the end of fukuchi's arc now known, there was no sense of accomplishment in defeating him bc technically we didnt... he gave himself up

Dazai is the worst written character I have ever read

It is very likely i drop this story entirely

If I seem salty/upset/etc. its because I am. However is NOT directed at you, it is simply a manifestation of my disappointment in this story.

...

And there you have my opinion... in way too many words... thanks for sticking around if you made it this far im impressed bc i am salty as hell lol

fin

[theshinazugawaslut]

could u also do it the other way around with three characters u love from each anime watched?

a/n: i'm genuinely so surprised all y'all want my opinions on this stuff xxx

MY HERO ACADEMIA

Bakugo Katsuki (my glorious carmine-eyed king, they could never make me hate you. he genuinely has some of the best writing and development i've ever seen, and i love characters who have boatloads of ambition.)

Todoroki Touya/Dabi (what a fucking guy, he's got such dramatic flair and his design is genuinely so sick. his backstory makes me sob every time but he's just so amazing. his writing is genuinely so brilliant, too!)

Midoriya Izuku/Deku (him, Katsuki, and Shoto really emphasise what it means to be a hero in different ways but Izuku contradicts typical hero society at its core. and he's a hero at his own core, too, and i love him so much for it!)

special mentions: todoroki shoto, hawks/takami keigo, all might, kirishima eijirou, aizawa shouta, shigaraki tomura/tenko shimura, nana shimura, tamaki amajiki/suneater, yaoyorozu momo, himiko toga, rody soul

DEMON SLAYER

Sanemi Shinazugawa (was there ever a fucking doubt? my goat, my king, my lord, my saviour, my husband, my everything in this world. writing, backstory, design, voice is mwah mwah mwah)

Tanjiro Kamado (he's such a beautiful, pure-hearted soul, i could go on about him for years. if you don't like tanjiro, you're probably genuinely a dickhead)

Mitsuri Kanroji (sweetest girl in the whole world, i feel as though her character is very universal whilst simultaneously being unique. though i feel like people constantly put her down a dumb bimbo when she's a whole ass hashira who fought an uppermoon and muzan)

special mentions: yoriichi tsugikuni, michikatsu tsugikuni, muzan kibutsuji , gyutaro shabana, lady tamayo, nezuko kamado, genya shinazugawa, kotaha hashibira, rengoku kyojuro, rengoku senjuro, sabito fujikasane

JUJUTSU KAISEN

Choso Kamo (he's one of the best big brothers ever and he's the nicest boy in the whole wide world; i love his writing. best boy)

Itadori Yuuji (he deserves the whole entire fucking world, i wanna eat him up he's the goddamn cutest and he has such a kind heart i love him so much!)

Kugisaki Nobara (i love how well Gege showed her and she's the best written female character in JJK, especially how well she handles being 'feminine' and 'masculine', was very upset at her destiny)

special mentions: inumaki toge, geto suguru, sukuna ryomen/dickhead, uraume

ATTACK ON TITAN

Levi Ackerman (best character in aot hands-down, the warmest heart in the whole world and just such a cool badass to watch!)

Eren Jaeger (one of the best MC's in anime, his turn was both unexpected, devastating, and absolutely brilliant.)

Pieck Finger (I love her so much; she's so pretty and smart, like her intelligence genuinely blows me away!)

VANITAS NO CARTE

Noe Archiviste (what a fucking hottie cutie patootie. i genuinely love his positivity so, so much!)

Vanitas (he's so ethereal and mysterious, i love his aesthetic!)

Vanitas (except the majestical one who raised the MC Vanitas; they/she/he were so fucking cool!)

SERAPH OF THE END

Guren (i would literally combust for him)

Shin'Ya (love this bro)

Mikaela (blondie)

ANGELS OF DEATH

Zack/Isaac Foster (I LOVE HIM SO FUCKING MUCH, I WOULD DO ANYTHING FOR ZACK !!! ANYTHING !!!)

Rachel Gardner (genuinely such a well-written mc and her bond with Zack was so, so good!)

[venjamin-kingdomhearts]

Writing based of my thread on twitter. Of course Ventus would hate himself after everything. The realization that your happiness has made others suffer, that your whole existence has brought bad luck... it's a nightmare. You WERE meant to exist, Ventus. But the world would be better off without  you, wouldn't it?

"Ventus. Listen to me."

Ventus. The boy who's brought nothing but misery. You wanted to be happy, and Strelitzia died. You wanted to survive being split from Vanitas, and he suffered under Master Xehanort's teachings. You didn't want to die, not really, so you took sanctuary within Sora's Heart, and since then, his life has been hell.

"Stop that. Stop talking to yourself like that,  Ventus."

Why shouldn't Ventus think of himself so lowly? You've brought nothing but pain. You never meant to, but you did. And despite it all, despite knowing people have been hurt and that the universe would be happier without you, Ventus, you're selfish enough to be scared of being punished. Being blamed. Paying for what you did with your life--

"You didn't DO anything!"

Despite knowing people were hurt, Ventus is still selfish enough to WANT to LIVE.

It's not until Ventus feels wet fabric against his face that he realizes he's been crying into someone's shirt.

"Those people were hurt, yeah. It fucking sucks," Roxas whispers into Ventus' ear, holding the other tight against his chest. "But do you really think beating yourself up about that's going to change anything? You really think Strelitzia and Sora want you to hurt?"

They should want you to hurt. It's what you deserve.

"Yeah? Well people told me all I deserved was to become part of Sora again. That it was my destiny to be a part of him and nothing else."

Ventus is quiet. Shaky, selfish arms grip Roxas closer. Ventus feels his fingers tangle together. It's hard to feel connected to his body right now. So any sensation that proves he's still here is helpful. But deep down, Ventus knows he shouldn't be holding Roxas so tenderly. Shouldn't be allowing himself to feel this comfort, after all the pain he's caused.

"Sora couldn't wake up until I was put down. He'd never wake up if I wasn't killed. Do you think I deserved to stop existing for his sake? Do you think he should've stayed asleep for mine?"

Ventus feels his throat tighten. His lips quiver all fierce, and he finds himself rubbing his forehead against Roxas' chest. His breath hitches. Roxas' voice is still strong, but it's a lot gentler. More quiet. Still determined to get a point across, but so very, very caring.

"See, Ven? It's more complicated than one person deserving to live and someone else deserving to be hurt. Bad things might've happened to you. And some might've happened because of an accident. But you didn't cause this shit. You didn't mean to hurt them. All you did was exist. All you did was try to survive and do you really think anyone should be punished for that? For just wanting to live life, for fighting for their survival?"

Ventus sobs. Roxas rubs a hand along his back.

(Ventus remembers a long time ago, when he begged Terra and Aqua to "put an end to me". He'd brought the two of them nothing but suffering, hadn't he?)

(. . . But if he'd REALLY only brought them sadness, then why didn't they destroy him? Why did they fight so hard to keep their family together?)

"You might not think you have a right to exist. But I do. We all do."

[dj-of-the-coven]

how about kingdom hearts for the fandom ask game

YOU DARE ASK ME ABOUT MY GAME BLORBO??? AS IN THE SERIES ITSELF IS MY BLORBO??? good cause I will answer

Blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most): Riku. Ever since I started the series when I was fifteen (I played like a maniac and started with DDD bc I had no idea there was an order to the games. Sue me, I found my copy in a secondhand game store) Riku has always been my FAVORITE. He was just such a sarcastic little weirdo but also so cool!!! The fact that I started out being able to control him probably helped in cementing the dude as my fav, especially in the traverse town portion of the game. Traverse town has such a special place in my heart and I'll never forget what it was like wandering around there as Riku, oohing and aahing over the scenery and the music, having a blast seeing him interact with the world's characters, fighting the epic boss in the greenhouse, and playing with his little komory bat. Riku aaaaaaaaaall the way, baby.

not to diverge from the ask for too long, but I actually made a painting inspired by my fond memories of Riku's side of TravTown!! It's titled "distorted memory":

kinda shit quality image but I think you get the idea.

Skrunkly (character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped): I don't know why, I wish I could tell you, but it's Ventus. I'm one of the twelve people who really liked Birth By Sleep. Anyway, Ven was the second character I played after Aqua. I love him so much. He's just a funny little guy and yet he's imbued with so much goddamn trauma!!! The whole time I played as him I had an absolute blast, especially during his time in The Castle of Dreams and also that stupid cutscene where Ven hands the Disneytown tickets to Aqua and Terra. 10/10 best baby boy ancient murderer.

Scrimblo Bimblo (underappreciated fave): AQUA AQUA AQUA AQUA. I'm literally in love with her I'm not kidding. I'm a demiromantic (lesbian) ace, so I basically never get crushes on fictional characters, but Aqua was the first to break that streak since I was like 10 years old. I literally have a fancy canvas painting of her that I hang above my bed. When I was fifteen I wrote a 100,000+ word fanfic about her being an epic lesbian keyblade knight who saved Ventus from a dragon and fell in love with genderbent Terra. This is the most embarrassing thing I've ever admitted to. Nobody look at me

Glup Shitto (background fave): Before I got into twewy, the entire cameo cast was my glup shitto. I was so fucking hype to see them on replays of DDD (although yes, looking back on it, they didn't treat Shiki the way she deserved). Plus who could forget the SICKEST FUCKING JAMS that played any time they were on screen??? The thing that I find the funniest was that Beat was my favorite even when the most I knew about him was that he was loud and very sad about Rhyme being gone. I really am just predictable like that <3

Poor little meow meow ("unproblematic" fave): This is a tie between Roxas and Vanitas. Vanitas is obviously the harder to excuse, which makes him a better meow meow, but I happen to love Roxas' dumb little war crimes about as equally. The thing that skews me to Roxas' side is that I had SO much fun in Twilight Town playing as him in KH2. Even did yet another painting based on the experience:

this one is a popup card called "view from twilight station".

I also have a full-scale model of his Oblivion keyblade hanging next to my bookshelf.

Horse Plinko (character I would torture for fun): Xigbar!! He's so funny lmao, I just love him whenever he's on screen. My brother and I have an inside joke about how he reminds us uncannily of our favorite uncle.

Eeby Deeby (character I would send to superhell): Donald fucking duck. Because I think it's where he belongs, personally. Donald duck in superhell. Yeah that's where he's supposed to be. Makes sense

[muses-morii]

Q. What Colour Is Your Love Language?

A. Vanitas

Scarlet

Key words: passion, intense, flames. A love that lights you on fire. You don't do anything by halves, and this is doubly true when it comes to love. You're an incredibly intense and complex person. Your ideal partner is somebody who can match your intensity and feed the flame that keeps you interested in things. Most likely to be great in bed and to break hearts without meaning to, you've probably had few 'casual' relationships and tend to love with your whole heart. Best matched with: Scarlet, Mulberry, Peacock

A. Sora

Canary

Key words: friendship, happiness, light. A canary's love is freeing, and brings the recipient true and pure happiness. Everyone you love is your best friend in one way or another, whether it's your fiancess, your little sister, your mother, or your favourite English teacher. You're most likely to buy small gifts for the people you love, such as their favourite snack or little trinkets, to show that you were thinking about them. Yours is the love of holding hands, singing in the shower, Spring time and wide smiles. Best matched with: Fern, Lavender, Cerulean

A. Percy

Cerulean

Key words: fun, youthful, exciting. For you, love is fun, bright, and exciting! When you're in love, you feel young and on top of the world. You'd much rather a trip to the beach or an amusement park than a regular old dinner date, and you're likely to want to travel to exciting places with the people you love the most. Your ideal lover is someone who can keep up with you and knows how to have an exciting time. Best matched with: Cerulean, Canary, Fern

A. Zidane

Peacock

Key words: gifts, doting, devotion. A crazy love that makes you want to tell every stranger you meet about it! Your love is wild and extravagant. You feel most loved when you're being showered in the attention of choice. You're a unique person, and you deserve to feel that way by the people you adore! You show your love by making the recipient feel as if they are the most treasured person in your life. Best matched with: Peacock, Mulberry, Scarlet

Tagged by: @rcsetorn (I saw it and wanted to do it too!) Tagging: @wayfaringnobody, @bloodbondcd (Riku!), @k3ytoheart, @knightfeared (Squall/Leon and Riku!), @stygicniron

[cinammonelles]

Belated happy birthday to Domi <3

I'm never on time for birthdays *sob*

[scarlet-streak-fanfics]

Oooh, Jeanne & Noe and Vanitas & Domi sounds good! I don’t have any ideas in mind, so anything you have in mind is good!

- Celestia (Tia) ✨

Hi, Tia! I can't wait to get into this one, so let's go!

Generally, neither of these pairs are going to immediately get along, mostly because of Jeanne, Vanitas, and Domi's possessive nature and the general trauma they've all been through.

Domi is especially affected by possessive issues. If Domi isn't in some sort of relationship with Noe, Vanitas has both the people she wanted and to make matters worse she has to share one of them while he keeps the other all to himself. Even if she has both, Domi doesn't have an immense amount of faith in Vanitas, especially because of his past, powers, and general existence. The happiness of the two people she cares about most in this world hinges on him and she absolutely hates it. Domi makes it her mission to remind him of that as frequently as possible, just to keep him in line.

Noe's simply happy to be here and to love this weird family he's found for himself. He's the most patient when it comes to solving disputes and strengthening platonic bonds with the rest of the polycule. Of course, he still gets jealous over sharing Vanitas with Jeanne, especially if he isn't allowed to drink from or mark Vanitas--that's what adds the strain on that metamour relationship. Still, he's the one most likely to be able to push past that and form a friendship with Jeanne. Still, managing one on one time and affection is key for this balance, and Vanitas won't always be the best at keeping this.

Speaking of Vanitas, he's genuinely the worst at this. He doesn't find himself deserving of love, and now he's got two people to love who also love him back. This is something that makes him incredibly territorial, as he's acutely aware of the danger having such a strong weak spot can put him in. He wants eyes on both of them at all times. This is mostly why my headcanon has Noe just in a relationship with Vanitas and Domi just in a relationship with Jeanne. There's no primary partners, but Noe and Domi act as anchor partners for the emotionally unstable center of this polycule. It does help Vanitas to know that if he doesn't have eyes on Jeanne, Domi does--it's something that allows him to focus on his time with Noe. He and Domi don't get along at all--it's more like a custody agreement that just allows him to (sometimes) sleep at night.

Jeanne is incredibly paranoid about anyone in this situation dying as punishment for any of her past mistakes, even Noe. Just like Vanitas, if she could put this whole group into a safe room and then just keep them there, she'd do it. That's where Domi comes in as her anchor partner--Domi knows and can remind her of how capable Noe and Vanitas are, especially when they're together, and Jeanne knows she and Domi are strong enough to protect themselves. It's a fine balance of reassuring and helping let go.

[kaleidonope]

If you have the time, can you explain your blorbo and co from Kingdom Hearts?

Oh boy! Blorbo Time!

Sorry if this isn't super well-formatted, I'm doing this on mobile. ^^;; Also I'm adding gifs for visual reference so this is gonna get long, sorry!

(In reference to this post)

--

-blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

I know this is cheating but I'm putting both Roxas and Xion here. Their stories are so intricately tied that it would feel wrong to separate them. You could put either of their themes on and there's a 50/50 chance I'll either start bawling my eyes out or going off about how tragic their characters are and how they both need a hug and/or therapy. They Are Best Friends. Their story genuinely affected me so much that it still influences my thoughts and choices about my own characters to this day.

(Axel gets an honorable mention, because he is also very tied to their stories and I do like him a lot! But when I originally played through 358/2 Days, the game these three starred in, I was about Roxas and Xion's age and had a much easier time relating to and attaching myself to them than to Axel.)

-scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

Naminé, without hesitation. I'm gonna throw hands with DiZ/Ansem the Wise for how he treated her, she deserves the world. (And also a new outfit, c'mon Square everyone else got a cool update to their look she deserves one too even if she's perfect the way she is.)

-scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

Okay okay SO I gotta give this to Riku Replica (Repliku for short). He has a surprising amount of similar themes to Roxas/Xion when it comes to struggles with his identity and becoming his own person, and he deserves So Much for what he had to go through from the very start of his existence. I'm not... super happy with how Square finished off his story line, but from a narrative point it's fitting enough.

-glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week)

Zexion/Ienzo. That is my SON. He deserves a better father figure than Ansem the Wise. 10/10 would love to ruffle his hair and take him to get ice cream.

-poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave)

This was hard to figure out, but Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (yes, he is different from Ansem the Wise, don't @ me) is probably the closest I can get to this? I find the ending of his story line interesting, how he's finally able to admit that he was wrong in his belief in the Darkness and acknowledges the strength and growth that Riku has made since their initial meeting. Compared to the other Xehanort variants, it's nice to see one of them genuinely humbled.

EDIT AS I'M FINISHING UP: I'm adding another character to this, because I already did that at the beginning of this post so no one should be surprised I'm doing it again. I'm gonna make my second choice for this Vanitas. He's a cocky jerk and beat me up Several Times with his boss fight in Birth By Sleep, but if you get down to it his story is incredibly sad? He's a fractured heart desperate to become whole again, and forced to live half a life under the hand of Xehanort while his other half gets to make friends and actually live fully. He knows intimately that the only reason he exists is to be a weapon, and even though he acts as if he's fine with this I think, deep down, he's only so desperate to form the χ-blade because it's the only way he'll know for sure he's whole again. (I haven't read the novels, so I only know the surface amount of his character from BBS and the glimpses I've seen of him in KH3, so I could be wrong! But for now, I'm happy with my interpretation.)

-horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason)

DiZ/Ansem the Wise. I've already complained about him twice, he needs to get bonked on the head for how he treats everyone else. (Yes, I know he gets better with this. No, I do not care <3)

-eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell)

Xigbar/Braig/Luxu, My Beloathed. I would happily toss him off a cliff but unfortunately I know my best attempts would never be able to rid me of him. His smug face is so punchable it makes him look stupid.

EDIT: apparently I missed one the first time around NOW this is all of them! Sorry the length/tone of answers varied so much, but I hope it's entertaining regardless!

[voidgearr]

*rings the doorbell on ur blog* Omg more bbs headcanons Pretty please !

OH YOU BET YOUR SWEET BIPPY !!! These r very miscellaneous HAHA also these include implications of my Neurodivergency headcanons (theres a chart i posted if you scroll down on my blog)

VENTUS:

- Does NOT like weather extremes. Snow? sure! He’ll go sledding (or snowboarding w his key-armor?) and have fun, but a blizzard? You will find him next to the fireplace with his Chirithy under all the blankets in the house. same goes for summer and like. heatwaves

- Ventus is for sure one of those people who learn the weirdest hobbies and then drop it a week later “Hey Aqua, look what I made!” “Where did you learn to make ceramics?” “Felt like learning, so I did!” (This is how he learned to breakdance)

- The second he goes to the outside world, more specifically worlds and towns like Traverse and Twilight Town, he is booking it straight to the shopping district. He gets all kinds of outfits and stuff! He’s experimenting with his style, but refuses to take off his jacket thing (the black and white jakcet thing). I also think he would wear flowy Skirts and Dresses!!

- I think Roxas gets told he has to change how he looks because “it’s confusing” and he’s rightfully bothered by it, so when Ventus catches wind of how he feels, he immediately goes out and gets hair dye. Ven dyes his own hair, probably the tips a light minty green or something (aka his favorite color). I also like the idea that after some time of being out of Sora’s heart for so long, one or both of his eyes are green :D 

AQUA:

- She really likes dance! Not just ballet, she looks up dance videos on her Gummiphone and tries to copy their movements. She’s pretty graceful, and sometimes

- Aqua starts carrying around a little bag that is borderlining a mary poppins bag after KH3. It’s filled with bandaids, potions, ethers, everything you can think of. She also carries everyone’s favorite snacks on her, as well as water. There’s so much in her bag wtf

- She often visits where she, Ven, and Terra placed Master Eraqus’ keyblade and their wayfinders. Usually she just goes there for some peace and quiet, to meditate, anything calming. Though sometimes she’ll go there to “chat” with Master Eraqus, usually it’s small talk or she’s asking for advice or smthn like that. Every so often Ventus or Terra join her.

TERRA: 

- He bakes!!! For some reason Terra is a seriously good cook, and anytime the Light Gang get together they get very excited for Terra’s food. His only downfall is that he has a hard time going against his recipes, and has to have all his measurements and cooking/baking times exact.

- Post KH3 Terra has to dye his whole head of hair, or it’s a few silver strands in his front pieces that he chooses not to color (Side effects of being Norted). If he does dye it entirely, it’s a secret for a good while until either someone walks in on him doing it, or he’s panicking in the bathroom because the store didn’t have his usual color so now it’s pretty obvious and everyone’s gonna know. Once everyone finds out it’s clear sailing, no one’s bothered by it, and Ven gets excited and pleads Terra to let him help out.

- Terra usually gets roped into Ventus’ hobby of the week, and will also run up to Aqua to show off his latest talent. He made a fairly sturdy shelf once, and it is where he and Ven display the new things they make (along with other trinkets). He probably learned he can cook well from Ventus deciding to learn how to make food (Ven did not do too well)

VANITAS:

(yeah i had to do him. I love him. also this is very “im giving him the redemption arc he deserves”)

- He claims he doesn’t need to eat, or that he can’t (depends on who’s asking), but he can. His food palate is very...all over the place– sweets like gummies and chocolate bars, all the way to really spicy foods. Do not catch him up at like...3AM he is probably in the kitchen making the worst food combination ever.

- Once he meets with Ventus after KH3, he is oddly clingy. Not in a “I need you so we can complete they keyblade” way, more of a “if I lose you I will feel empty and not be whole anymore.” If you were to visit the Land of Departure, you would see Vanitas trailing behind Ven all the time. He probably tries copying him as well (in mannerisms or in appearance), once again because he just wants to be whole again. Also it’s completely platonic, and I think I might headcanon both Ven and Van as AroAce :P

- Vanitas is forcefully taken on shopping trips with Ventus. He usually just carries the bags and gives opinions on Ven’s outfits. The only way he can tell Vani likes it is if he hesitates or the insult isn’t as mean. Van doesn’t buy anything (rather he steals little things), but after some wearing down he gets platform boots. His usual shoes r already platforms, but he needs more leverage (hes small bro). Maybe he gets a skirt or dress, i dunno.

[hallowed-nebulae]

ghosts and nightmares

[ @beastenraged this ended up being more focused on the Spirit than the Nightmare, but yknow what, they deserve it. It’s not necessarily that long but I wanted to finish this before I went to bed, so yeet]

They watched as the Wielders, the Replicas, and the other humans all went to sleep. There would be many nightmares tonight, this they knew.

The Spirit was apprehensive of this place -- this was not home. This was not a place they knew. Oh, they could still teleport to their other half, or to Vanitas or Ven, but this place was not home.

The Nightmare did not mind, as much. It was not home, yes, but there were still things that were the same. Both the halves of Ventus were whole -- as whole as they could be -- and healthy, and Ven and Vanitas both would at least be free from nightmares, should need be.

The Nightmare settled in their place, curling up near Ven, and Vanitas, and Terra.

Terra’s nightmares were the same as they always had been -- futures and pasts flashing behind eyelids, the many deaths or ways the worlds would be torn apart, the many ways Terra would be torn apart, the many ways the past had been shredded before his own birth.

Ven’s nightmares were more. . .twisted, warped, tearing apart and stitching together and dissolving into nothingness again. They never formed into anything, and were not truly nightmares so much as they were simply dreams that happened to be a bit more twisted than any of Ven’s other dreams. Ven never remembered these in the morning -- the Nightmare’s role by Ven’s side was, instead, one of comfort, their presence simply reminding Ven of something to hold onto and keep close. Perhaps that was the oddest thing about their Ven -- Ven didn’t have nightmares. (Those ones that were nightmares, true nightmares, were eaten as everything else was -- and would not be remembered at all.)

Vanitas’ nightmares were simple. Just that man, or of himself being torn open. Easy to eat. Easy to see. Easy to remove. Easier still, to replace with dreams, good ones. That was the Spirit’s job, for many years -- slip into Vanitas’ dreams, replace anything bad with better dreams.

That was not mentioning the ghosts that haunted the halls of this place.

The Nightmare was not able to see the ghosts as easily, of course. The Nightmare dealt in the now. The living. What existed currently. The Spirit dealt in the then and the will-be, the dead, what no longer existed. So while the Nightmare was willing to stay with the little group -- Ven, Terra, Vanitas -- the Spirit would wander the halls, if not needed, and see what ghosts could be met.

That was how they found him. Not the wielder of that Chirithy who held the one named Xehanort. Not the one who kept memories of a past life, no. But a Xehanort all the same.

It was not that Xehanort who’s Dream Eater was that Replica named Ruse, either.

No. This was simply a ghost who’d stayed by the one he felt he had failed with his death -- this was a ghost who belonged to Ven and Vanitas’ worldline. The was the ghost of that Xehanort who had died, decades ago, who’s body had been taken over by a Darkness who worked with the Master of Masters in assumption that it would win.

The Spirit did not say much to him, that ghost, that boy who was barely eighteen. Simply butted their head against his hand, demanded pettings. The ghost’s face was young -- younger still with the small smile, and he raised a hand to gentle run over the Spirit’s head. “How kind of you, to visit me like this.”

The words were spoken, but not heard by any who could not sense the ghosts, of course.

You need some good things too. The Spirit reminded the boy.

He laughed, softly. “I’m just a ghost who’s not allowed to move on. My happiness can come from seeing those I hurt in my absence grow past that hurt and become better people than I could have been.”

His speech was the same as it always was. Quiet, calm, a tired, resigned self-loathing, trapped because his soul could not quite free itself from the Darkness that still existed on the living plane. Blaming himself for dying, for letting the Darkness puppet his body as it wished, for letting that Darkness cause all that hurt. Blaming himself more, now, because he has seen what could have been, what he could have been -- and the Spirit has spoken to this person, many, many times, knows this ghost more than anyone else except himself. The Spirit knows that this boy will see his life -- even one that is “evil” -- as proof that he has failed, proof that it is his fault that that evil, working with the man wanting to tear down the universe, is allowed to do as it pleases.

While the other Chirithys tend to their wielders, mind the dreams and nightmares, and while the others inside of this castle sleep -- the Spirit stays here, for the night, by the side of that young, self-blaming ghost, who’s silver eyes are always alight with tears never quite shed.

It is all that they can do for him. It is not nearly enough -- but it is better than nothing.

[cryptidcryptic]

Hey hey! I was just wondering if you have any anime/manga with hot vampires in them that you can recommend me, I'm asking you cause you have really good taste! Thanks so much! ^^

NOW!!! YES!! Don’t wirry I got you fam 😤😤😤 my time to shine ✨

Hellsing

In terms of hot tier vampires hellsing is the strongest suggestion on this list imo, Alucard, seras and integra should be enough to get Anyones blood pumping, rge story itself is awesome in the nuts to butts pure action way. Think about a opm level vampire that’s basically unkillable but stripped of the essence that makes them human anymore. Now content warning, a lot of the hordes of vampires are Literal Nazis, but you get to watch a dilf tear them apart with his bare hands.

In terms of vampire hottness 20/10, integra alone has enough pure butch energy to literally put me in the ground eveb with zero powers she’s dom enough to have two pet vampires on her leash. Story 10/10, watching a genderqueer immortal tear apart Nazis is always fun.

Case study of vanitas

THIS THIS IS THE CUTEST SHIT!! It’s a anime about French vampires and has a soft boy dark skinned purple eyes beautiful baby boy that is Noè, I’d die for this man, I’d live for this man. WHAT BLISS! Also vanitas makes the heart beat in ways I do not understand 😪😪

Seraph of the end

This one is hella cute, it’s got demons and angels too, a real monster cluster fuck and I did skip the begging because it was a bit too boring after the initial backstory. It’s your standard ‘human vows to kill whole race of monsters after family dies’ story. In terms of hottness most vampires wear thigh highs and Crowley existing alone makes the hottness rating a 7/10

Shiki

Now, hear me out! This isn’t a happy anime, it’s sad sad as shit, it’s the most beautiful on this list and is super underrated imo. It’s whole theme is ‘who’s the real monster’. Please please watch this, it’s so good. In hotness terms it’s a lil limited, but there are some hottie vampires floating around. Megumi for one, the royals another hottness 5/10 story 200/10 please god watch this

Black blood brothers

This one is basically a hidden anime since no one seems to achlnowldge it’s existence and I’m half convinced a fever dream I had once. But if it’s not is really really cute. It’s about a vampire raising the reincarnation of his lover. As a little brother, it’s really sweet and wholesome, but all shit tons of mystery. Zelmen is enough to make the hottness of this show 3000/10 story 10/10 pls watch for zelman

Blood+

Warning, their is assault in this one, besides that one awful fucking scene it’s a good story, and haji deserved better. Haji existing is the hottness enough for this show. Hottness 10/10 story 5/10

Vampire knight

Tw, this one got incest shit in it, real gross amounts Hot vampires a plenty but it’s essentially anime twilight with better action and more ‘keeping the bloodline pure’ imo, story isn’t the greatest but it’s interesting enough, the powers are cool and if you are looking for a twilight lovd triangle anime then this is it hottness of the vampires 10/10 story -100 for that ending.

Rosario vampire

I hear me out, t’s a ecchi n a harem anime but it’s actually okay if you can get passed the fan service panty shots every 15 mins, but the story is interesting and I lovd the world, it’s also the funniest one on this list, it’s so close to being a parody it’s crazy, abs inner moka was one of my gay awakenings women along with shiego. 10/10 for monster school with cool monsters and dangerous mermaids infinite/10 for pure hottness of the characters. Not a lot of guys tho 😪

[atomic-taco-muffin]

Can you make a part 11 to the “MHA x Fem!Reader: Kingdom Hearts”

Kingdom Hearts Part 12

Warnings: Angst

Rating: SFW

Before I start this, here is your hero costume:

Now onto the series!

You and the others stepped onto a barren, windswept land.

“It’s time. The Keyblade Graveyard is up ahead,” Mickey said. You all nodded, directing your eyes toward your destination. 

“Someone’s coming,” Sora said softly. 

Beyond a cloud of dust, Master Xehanort approached you all across the wasteland, his pace calm and unhurried. 

“You were right, dunce face. He is gross,” Bakugou whispered. 

“Right?!” 

“I can feel him staring into my soul. That’s so no manly,” Kirishima whispered. 

Xehanort stopped before you all and began to speak. 

“Legend has it that darkness once covered the world. We know so little about the Keyblade War--only that it was just the beginning. If ruin brings about creation, what, then, would another Keyblade War bring? When the darkness falls, will we be found worthy of the precious light the legend speaks of?” he said. Ansem appeared beside Xehanort.

“Who’s that?” Mina asked Denki. 

“Ansem Seeker of Darkness. Xehanort’s Heartless,” Denki replied. 

“Or will all of creation be instead returned to shadows? Today, we will re-create the legend and see,” Ansem said. 

Next, Xemnas stepped forward, taking his place on the other side of Xehanort.

“That’s Xemnas. Xehanort’s Nobody,” Denki whispered. 

“But first...Your light shines far too brightly. It must be extinguished in order for the truth to be seen,” Xemnas said. Vanitas appeared in front of the previous three.

“That’s Vanitas. The dark part of Ventus’s heart,” Denki whispered. 

“Only when your hopes have been broken by battle upon battle can the key be claimed to Kingdom Hearts,” Vanitas said. 

“And break you is what we shall do,” Y!Xehanort said, who had appeared next to Vanitas. “It has been etched.”

“That’s Xehanort younger self. You can totally see where things went wrong,” Denki whispered. 

“That’s his younger self?” Mina asked. 

“Yep.” 

Darkness flowed from the five villains and surrounded the whole area, blocking out the sky itself. The cloud opened, and countless Heartless, Nobodies and Unversed began raining down upon you all. 

“Look at how many there are!” you said. 

“Okay, everyone, get ready!” Izuku said as the number of Heartless grew and grew. 

“Remember! The Nobodies can only be defeated by a Keyblade!” Sora said.

“Got it!” you and Class 1-A said. 

The number of creatures surrounding you all was fast growing into a near-endless horde. After managing to clear out the Heartless in your immediate vicinity, you and the others paused to catch your breath. 

“Is everybody okay?” you asked as you surveyed the team. When you saw that they were, you relaxed somewhat with relief. 

“C’mon, let’s go,” Sora called out. But just as you all were about to get moving, yet another figure appeared in the distance. Ventus was the first one to notice. 

“Terra!” he shouted, running off before you all could get a word in. 

Aqua started after him, calling his name with a hint of apprehension. Ventus was unaware that Terra’s body was under Xehanort’s control.

“Terra! We found you!” Ventus exclaimed as he took his friend’s hand (protect this baby, okay? he deserves the world!). 

“Terra, please say you’re in there,” Aqua pleaded in a rather more cautious voice. 

“That’s not him, is it?” Sero asked Denki, who shook his head in response.

Instead of replying, Terra observed Aqua quietly. His blue eyes seemed to stare right through her, and she placed a hand on Ventus’s shoulder to draw him away.

“What gives, Aqua?” Ven asked. 

“I know that you’re not him,” she said as she placed herself before Ventus protectively. “Now, let our friend go!”

That was when Terra’s hair turned white, and his blue eyes turned to gold. 

“He is their thirteenth,” Mickey said softly. 

“Great. More Xehanort’s,” Bakugou said. 

“Hey! Now you’re catching on!” Denki said. 

“Shut up, dunce face!” 

“Today is the day you all lose,” Terranort quietly told you all. 

“What?!” Aqua cried. A dark fog began to congeal behind Terranort. 

“Before you even face the thirteen, every last one of you will be torn heart from body. But fear not. The χ-Blade will still be forged,” Terranort said. 

He called his Keyblade to his hand. Beyond the dark fog, atop of the cliffs looming above the wasteland, countless Keyblades stood thrust into the terrain like grave markers. 

“We’re not gonna lose to you,” you said. 

With a smirk at your challenge, Terranort launched himself at Ventus, closing the distance in a single moment, and dealt the boy with a devastating blow with his Keyblade. Ventus was sent flying and crashed to the ground in a cloud of dust. 

“Ven!” Aqua gasped. 

“That’s it!” Bakugou and Sora shouted as they charged at their foe. But Terranort caught Sora’s strike on his Keyblade and sent him sprawling on the dirt as well while he kicked Bakugou out of the way. 

“Kacchan!” Izuku shouted. 

“I’m fine, Deku,” Bakugou said. 

Terranort next set his sights for Kairi, lunging for her. Axel threw himself in front of her, but he, too, ended upcast to one side. 

“Axel!” Kairi cried. 

Terranort held his Keyblade over Kairi’s head, poised to strike. Scrambling to his feet, Sora rushed over and threw his arms around her protectively, you doing the same thing to Sora. 

“(Y/N)!” Class 1-A shouted.

“No! Sora!” Mickey shouted as Donald and Goofy rushed past him to either side. 

Goofy’s shield found its way in front of Terranort’s Keyblade just before it could connect with you and Sora. The clash sent both of them staggering back, while Donald poured his magic into a spell so powerful it created glowing emblems on the ground beneath him. 

“Zettaflare!” he shouted. 

A tremendous beam of light shot from Donald’s staff straight into Terranort, cascading over him and blasting him away. Utterly exhausted, Donald collapsed, and Goofy and Mickey hurried over to him. You rushed over to help Donald while Aqua checked on Ventus, Riku and Kairi went to aid Axel, and Deku rushed over to Bakugou.

“I said I’m fine, damn nerd!” Bakugou shouted. 

“This can’t be real,” Sora whispered. After healing Donald, you rushed over to Axel and did the same thing you did to Donald. You were all completely out of your depth. Sora could hardly believe what he’d just seen; Terranort had taken down four of them with almost no effort at all. And another dark whirlpool was growing beyond his fallen friends, releasing another wave of Heartless. Riku ran over to Sora and took him by the shoulder. 

“Pull it together, Sora! We haven’t lost them. They still have their hearts. But we have to protect them,” he said. 

“Right!” Sora agreed with a nod. The stream of countless Heartless in front of you all swirled upward into a vortex. 

“We stand together,” Aqua said as she came to join Sora and Riku, Keyblade in hand. 

“Go beyond!” Izuku said. 

“PLUS ULTRA!” you and Class 1-A said. Aqua looked back at the king.

“Mickey, Kairi, Goofy, watch the others,” she said. 

“No, we should all get to safety while we still can,” the king pleaded from where he knelt beside Donald. 

“It’s too late for that,” Todoroki replied as he watched the storm build in the sky. 

Masses of Heartless wove through the ravines, congealing into a colossal river that rushed straight at you all. The legion of Heartless--the Demon Tide--was so enormous you all could hardly understand what you were all-seeing.  This was nothing like anything you all had seen in the Realm of Darkness and back at U.A. You all looked on in stunned amazement as the Demon Tide reared into the sky like a whirlwind.

“Denki, what the hell is that?” Mineta asked. 

“It’s called the Demon Tide,” Denki replied. 

“It can’t be...No...” The memories from Aqua’s time in the darkness were rising in her mind. The nightmarish Heartless that came back, again and again, no matter how many times she struck them down...had been just like this. 

Perhaps sensing this sudden weakness in her mind, the storm of Heartless swept over her.

“Aqua!” Riku shouted. He watched as the Demon Tide swallowed up Class 1-A. Mickey, Goofy, Donald, and the rest in one fell swoop. You and Kairi knelt, protecting Axel, but were quickly carried away, too. 

Yours and Kairi’s hands reached Sora’s--but your fingers passed through empty air. As the strength left Sora’s body, his Keyblade slipped from his grasp and vanished. Sora dropped to his knees and screamed, falling forward onto his hands in the dust. 

“Sora!” Riku hurried over to his friend. 

“They’re gone. Kairi, Donald...Goofy, the king...I just lost (Y/N) for the second time...Gone forever.”  Sora raised his head slowly, eyes brimming with tears. “What do we do? Without them...I...All my strength came from them. They gave me all of it. Alone, I’m worthless. We’ve lost...it’s over.” 

Riku considered comforting Sora with a hand on the shoulder, but he chose to get to his feet instead. 

“Sora, you don’t believe that. I know you don’t,” he assured him, then walked toward the Demon Tide to face it himself. 

As Sora watched, the Heartless attacked, and Riku took the full brunt of it head-on. The flood of Heartless split in two against Riku’s Keyblade, streaming out around them to either side. But not even that was enough--eventually, the darkness swallowed him, too. Sora gasped--and then the world went black.

And so, as foretold, the darkness prevailed, and light expired...

[elia-de-silentio]

RECAP ON DOMINIQUE AND NOÉ

So, as finally our girl Dominique has been given a well deserved focus after two years of absence, I want to make another recap, this time about her and especially her relationship to Noé.

Above, here's how Dominique is introduced to us. A confident, charming lady in a somewhat masculine attire, her image surrounded in shojo flowers, claiming to be Noé's fiancée.

Her later appearences at the Bal Masqué seem to confirm her 'Strong & Charming Lady' appeal: she's a graceful dancer, she lives up to the sadistic side implied in her name, she swordfights and her open, assertive personality destabilizes more conventional, 'shy' women such as Nox and Jeanne. She's also shown to be very protective of Noé, worring about him and even torturing Vanitas to ensure he wasn't a threath.

But there's also a softer side to her relationship with Noé - who actually keeps her friendzoned - one made of mutual respect, long-standing affection, comprension and willingness to listen to the other troubles ... partially. She listens to Noé, but doesn't actually tell him her feelings or thoughts, even if our cinnamon roll would very likely listen.

At the same time, some cracks begin to appear in this image. She fails to fight her sister away from Vanitas and Noé (and ends up tied and hanging from the lamp for everyone to see); she's later revealed in her chat with Jeanne about Vanitas that she doesn't know much about relationships, despite what her being so outgoing can lead to think.

Moreover, by this point of the story, Noé's childhood flashbacks have started.

Dominique is the one in the frilly dress, hiding behind her brother. As a child, her personality was very different: a conventionally feminine, shy child. This led people to theorize that her change was brought about by her mourning for Louis, an attempt to keep his memory alive by resembling him as much as she could.

Then we have the Arc of Gevaudan, in which she is barely mentioned, and then we have the latest chapters.

First of all, in chapter 43, we see her interacting directly with her older siblings. And while it was hinted that they didn't have that great of a relationship, here she looks to afraid to be in their mere presence. Every single disparaging remark from Veronica and Antoine (and they throw around a lot of them) gets an almost frozen in fear Dominique as a reaction. It's like, in the presence of her family, she regresses to the shy girl of her childhood, with none of her usual confidence.

Next, in chapter 45, in the midst of trying to keep the "insecure" Jeanne from entusiastically yelling to the world how horny she is for Vanitas, she reveals: 1) that she actually is pretty conventional when it comes to love and relationships; 2) that she sees Noé as dashing and strong and is confirmed as head-over-heels for him; 3) that she doesn't think she is good enough for him.

She believes Noé would prefer Jeanne (when he never indicated anything more than a vague curiosity about her), and when reflecting about it, she thinks back to her siblings' insults.

She thinks that she's not as charming as Jeanne, and then she seems on the verge of a panic or anxiety attack, thinking obsessively about Noé.

The ending of the same chapter reveals that there is a good helping from Misha on her situation: he did something to her, to tamper with her control of her own actions, but still her love for Noé is stronger, she fights back against the order of bringing him to the little creep.

The bigger point, as revealed in chapter 46, is: Dominique has zero self-esteem. Like the flowers around her were spewn around by a machine, that first image we got of her was carefully crafted, to hide an extremely insecure young woman.

Since early childhood, Dominique was unfavourably compared to her older siblings; she isn't as strong of a combatant as Veronica, and as Antoine helpfully points out, she holds no political power, unlike him.

And then there's the whole Louis affair.

The story so far has shown the toll his death had on Noé, but here we see the effect on Dominique, and it was devastating.

She wished she had been the one to die. She believes she's at fault for what happened.

And she gets what in her mind is a confirm: the reason why Louis was kept isolated was because he was her twin, and this in the appearently terribly superstitious vampire culture is seen as bad luck. So, in her mind, if she had never existed, her brother would have had a long and happy life.

Moreover, Veronica sees fit to completely destroy her sister's self-worth by bringing up those 'expectations' Dominique failed to live up to.

Then, with an excellent timing, Noé wakes up from an angst-induced fever, and puts the icing of shit on the cake of shit that has been Dominique's day. He essentially confirmed her worst fears: everyone would have preferred Louis to her. Those who theorized that Dominique's new mannerism where due to trying to keep Louis alive were so right, in a likely worst way than they could ever have thought of.

(Random thought I don't know where else to put: Dominique, in all of the manga,has never been seen in her usual masculine clothing around her family. She had either a ballgown or a nightgown, both very frilly and similar to what she would have wore as a little girl; way to represent her feelings of inferiority in front of them).

And so we have it. Dominique's life has been one of regular emotional abuse and a severe trauma; between the image her family tried to force her to live to and the awareness that only a whim of her father and grandfather -independent of any personal characteristic of the children - left her to live instead of her brother, she developed a very feeble sense of self - and what little personal identity she has, she doesn't like. So she tried to hide it all with a mask, to take on herself the identity of her brother to make someone worthier live in her stead ... but it didn't work out very well.

And the saddest part of all of this, is that Dominique has a very definite identity to those who love her, and it's a great one. Despite not reciprocating her feelings (as far as we know) Noé values her the world as his friend. She has always been here when he needed someone to talk to. She worries about him, but respects his choices. Her love for him is so strong, that it overrides Misha's mind control.

And do we want to talk about Jeanne? Dominique barely knows her, but she sees this girl in a social position other vampires despise, and she immediately bonds with her. She encourages her to get out of her shell, tries to give her advice at the best of her abilities, and she was very willing to risk her reputation and the wrath of her family to protect her.

Dominique is a great friend, an observant and caring person, and she doesn't give a damn about her family's racism and classism. If only she could realize it.

Personally, I don't know where her arc is heading. She's in a very precarious position right now. Her death would give Noé a second trauma and a reason to hate Misha that could lead to a clash with Vanitas (who clearly still cares about his younger brother, as shown by his guilt complex), but would also make Dominique's own arc a very tragic one. Her life would have been defined by being used by others, never realizing her true worth. It would lack closure - which narratively is something that can be done to work, but it's not what I personally would like for poor Dominique.

On the other hand, if Noé manages to get her to safety, then she can be helped. She can be cured by whatever Misha did to her, but above that, she can make her own arc one of self-descovery and affirmation, which definitely would have me cheering on for her.

Knowing Mochizuki's reputation, her survival is quite uncertain; but let us remember that the main theme of this work is 'salvation', and that we already got a surprisingly sweet ending for the Arc of Gevaudan, with everyone surviving and happy.

Until next chapter, we just have to wait and hope.

[storm-driver]

Chapter 10 for Atone and Repay is at about the 56% mark and I should be able to get more of it done in the next week, maybe get it up soon. Chapter 11 shouldn’t take nearly as long, since I’ve been working on that one alongside Chapter 10. As a thanks for putting up with my excessively long hiatus, here’s a preview for Chapter 10 below the cut! I’ve been working on this chapter since I published Chapter 9 last year, but a majority of this chapter was written in the past few months. Thank you again for sticking with me, and I hope to have “Once More” up on Ao3 sometime in the next few weeks! <3

(Be warned, has direct spoilers for AAR, please consider reading the full story before reading this ^^)

“So much for leaving home...And here I thought I’d get to go on a real journey for once…” Ventus huffed, dragging his tired, armored legs across the stone floor outside his castle home. Night had fallen on the Land of Departure, and it was getting increasingly cold with each passing second.

Ventus’ pulled the helmet off his head, making his blond spikes spring back up as he did so. He stole a glance at the clouded skies, spotting the first specks of snow that fluttered down. The cold wind pressed against his face, soothing the small pain from the scratch that he still had on his cheek.

It’d only been a few hours since the Nobodies attacked them in the mansion, but it felt like it could’ve been months ago. Roxas’ unsuspecting body being hurled across the room, through a doorway and crashing down into the broken table and chandelier. The desolate look on his face, his eyes unblinking and heart beating all too slow. He must’ve had a concussion, even after Aqua administered some healing spells. He had still been slurring his words and glancing around the room as if he had not escaped the memory from the past.

It only gave rise to worry when he insisted on searching the mansion still. Standing up from his spot on the table and tumbling forward as Terra and Riku tried to get him to sit down. And then Roxas fell over seconds after standing up.

Would that they hadn’t encountered those Nobodies, or that Roxas hadn’t fallen at such a precarious moment. He wouldn’t recover within an hour, and Aqua made the decision to go back home. To take a break and simply breathe rather than throwing themselves into the next piece of this puzzle they couldn’t solve. It had been several nights since anyone in the castle got good rest, being awoken by Ventus’ screams at painful nightmares, or the everyday trauma that seemed to haunt them all.

Being back home was reassuring, at least. Ventus knew this place, better than anywhere else he may have lived in the past. He knew the halls, and where he could sleep without someone bothering him. He knew the mountains where they trained, and he knew the forest far and below them. It was a small world, but it was a haven. Even if Nobodies had proven they could reach here. 

The dark corridor he’d walked through was ever shifting and threatening to close if someone had lost his grip on the darkness. It was sketchy to let Roxas bring them home, after being knocked out in such a manner and with a blur of new memories at the front of his mind. 

But Roxas stepped through it just fine. His hood was draped over his head, giving way to only tired, blue eyes and a small frown. The chains rattled on his chest and he leaned forward to keep himself from falling. He still wasn’t fully healed, and he may not have been for some time.

The tip of his boot snagged a crack in the cement, throwing off his already shaken balance. Roxas’ eyes popped open and he started falling forward, the hood over his head slipping onto his back and exposing his frightened face. Fortunate that Ventus had walked through the portal first, his armored frame caught Roxas’ against his chest and kept his friend from face planting against the stone.

Roxas’ body fell limp against Ventus. The latter, who nearly shrieked at the sight, kept his arms around Roxas and held him up. Roxas’ head was resting over Ven’s shoulder, eyes staring at the ground beneath him and Ventus. A bandage still resting over his skin to help a new scar heal. 

“Yeah, no, I was wrong,” Ventus hauled his friend up as he started to slip back down to the concrete. “You’re hurt more than you told Aqua. I’ll tell her when she gets here.” 

Ventus sighed and shifted his arms around. He pulled Roxas’ left arm over his shoulder and kept one hand around his friend’s back, already starting to drag him towards the castle. Roxas didn’t seem entirely conscious, but as Ventus started walking, he tried to pick up his feet and walk with him.

Ventus kept his eyes on the doors of the castle, stepping up the stairs one at a time. Roxas’ head lolled around aimlessly next to him, as if he were still passed out. But if Ventus glanced over, he could see Roxas blinking and taking deep breaths, brows furrowed with a frown planted on his face.

He looked back towards the doors, already nearing the last step. “You feeling okay, besides that?”

“No…” 

That much probably should’ve been obvious. A concussion alone doesn’t feel good. Whatever else was bothering him didn’t help. 

“What’s wrong?”

“I hurt Vanitas…”

Ventus almost stopped in his tracks, hesitating to take the next step up. But he kept going. He let go of Roxas’ arm over his shoulder, letting the Nobody lean his whole weight into Ventus instead. He reached forward and pushed the doors open with one simple nudge. Such was the benefit of living in a magically-imbued castle.

“He’s fine, I’m sure. Don’t worry about him right now,” Ventus tried to reassure. But looking once again at Roxas, he could tell his words had little effect. 

“I can’t stop worryinaboudim...”

Roxas’ words were slurring again, but he wasn’t impossible to understand. Ventus kept dragging his body along the hallway and towards the staircases at the very back of the corridor. The clanks of Ventus’ armor echoed around them. The hall was dark with no practical light source. It was almost hard to see where the tiles ended and the staircase began.

“That’s kind of you to worry about him, really,” Ventus pulled Roxas a little more over his shoulder. “But he’s fine. You saw Aqua treating him, she said that whatever happened had passed.” 

“That’s not what I mean…” Roxas mumbled out. His shoes bumped each step as Ventus climbed the stairs. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

The older of the two kept his silence. Perhaps he didn’t quite understand yet.

“I shouldn’t care as much as I do,” his eyes flicked across each step as they climbed. “He’s the one that tried to-”

Roxas’ breath hitched. That still haunted him. What happened on that beach, and what he’d almost done in Radiant Garden. Just trying to say anything about it pressed down on his heart and started rejuvenating a deep-rooted fear in him. Something he thought he’d gotten over when his heart sprung free from Sora’s and he was finally given a body of his own again. When he would no longer be confined to another person’s soul. 

Alas, that was an unfortunate lie. Vanitas had no regrets for his volatile actions against Roxas. He’d hardly issued an apology. 

“You don’t have to tell me, I know what he did,” Ventus kept talking, noting how much Roxas was struggling to speak. “And I’m sorry, I really am. I wish I’d known better then.” 

In a way, it was Ventus’ fault what happened. If he’d stopped Roxas from running off to Radiant Garden in the first place, he never would’ve ended up in the Realm of Darkness. If Ven and Sora had never fought Vanitas in the graveyard, he wouldn’t have been there to grab hold of Roxas’ body. And if he hadn’t been so weak all those years ago, Vanitas would never have…

The doors to the west wing were propped open and closed as Ven tugged his friend up the stairs. Ventus did most of the lifting, Roxas’ boots hardly attempting to step on each stair and scraping over the edges. It wasn’t helped by his armor, which was heavy enough on its own. 

A part of him wanted to tell Roxas to at least try to help make this easier. But another knew too well that he’d be asking too much. His friend had already taken a beating today, both physical and emotionally. Slamming his head into a broken chandelier and having been forced to relive dangerously painful memories was more than enough for one day. He deserved a reprieve, even if brief. 

Roxas’ room was lit from the gentle moon outside his window. Frost edged the glass and gave the room chills that he didn’t think possible, even if covered in his armor. 

Dragging his twin to the bed was easier said than done, with Roxas’ shoes scraping across the floor and his body slowly dozing off. Ventus shook him as he pulled, saying, “Don’t fall asleep yet.”

Roxas gave no verbal reply, but his head nodded, which was indication enough that he heard and understood Ven. 

He gently dumped Roxas onto the bed, letting him find his place before letting go entirely. Roxas leaned against the soft mattress, then practically fell into it. His eyes shut and he groaned.

“I’ll go get Aqua as soon as she gets home. For now, just rest,” Ven folded his arms over each other. Roxas lazily blinked twice, throwing a glance at Ven, before turning his eyes back to whatever else was on his mind.

Just a few days ago, he’d been so resolute in helping Ventus remember everything, even if it meant he’d suffered the consequences. But now he appeared utterly drained. It could’ve just been the awful beating he’d had from the Nobodies and whatever darkness possessed Vanitas. But that hopeful attitude seemed bleak now. 

Aqua had ordered that Vanitas be taken back home through anything but a dark portal. Ready as she was to give that same order to Roxas, she thought it better to keep the two separated. Vanitas’ prey had been Roxas during his previous outburst. If they couldn’t contain it a second time, with the Nobody in such a weak state now, there’d be no protecting him.

After he’d come back from his venture in past memories, Roxas only stayed conscious for a few minutes before he was falling over. Even Naminé’s safe return was not enough to move him back to full recovery. Rather when he saw his dear friend walk through the door of the mansion with Kairi and Xion by her side, he tripped on his own feet trying to run up to her.

Roxas was sent home, even if his method of travel was still risky at best. The only thing that made Aqua agree in the first place was when Ventus swore he wouldn’t let anything happen. 

But something had already happened. Whatever Roxas saw had much more drastic effects than anything before. He’d almost always been willing to share what hazy details he could remember from the dreams and the memories that he glimpsed. But this time, even when Ventus had asked him about it, Roxas didn’t say a thing. 

Ventus kept staring at his friend. He couldn’t keep to himself and finally spoke up:

“So what else happened?”

Roxas hardly moved, much less spoke.

“You’ve never been quiet about this before. Was it really that bad?”

Roxas kept to himself for a moment, but only a moment. As if pondering the words in his head before he dared to speak them.

“It’s nothing to do with the memories.”

Ventus blinked twice. He wasn’t expecting that answer. “Then what is it?”

“Vanitas tried to hurt me,” Roxas mumbled.

“Well...yes, he did.”

“But I’m not worried about myself at all.”

Ven’s eyes narrowed. 

“Why am I only worried about him?” Roxas’ fingers curled into his hand. “After everything that he did?”

“I don’t know…”

Roxas started to move again, trying to sit upright. His palms pressed against the mattress and he leaned backwards. Still shaky and tired, but he managed it all on his own.

“Is it...what I did for him?” He lifted up a palm and clutched at the front of his coat. “Or what he did to me?”

Ventus knew exactly what he meant. Had his and Vanitas’ union, albeit temporary, truly caused this kind of change? It could explain why Roxas seemed to get over it so fast, or even why he put up with Vanitas at all. It may even explain why Vanitas was suddenly so willing to follow him and Ventus around, or help them with anything. 

But the implications of such were harrowing to think of. Roxas was already tempered by his connection to Sora, and now this connection to Ventus. The boy has never truly been just himself. He’s always had bits and pieces of others in there, to influence his choices or pass along certain traits. Maybe even to store memories or keep pieces of a heart safe while it was still recovering. 

He’d hardly ever known what it is to be himself. The one thing he must’ve yearned for more than anything, yet bound from him by the cruel fetters of fate.

If it truly was that connection between him and Vanitas that was turning his decisions or guiding his choices, what would that mean for him and Ventus? The two must’ve shared a similar connection. How would that have-

Ventus shook his head. No, that’s not it. Roxas isn’t bound by other people like he used to be. He may still be Sora’s Nobody, but he has his own heart, his own body. He isn’t anyone besides himself. 

Ventus would’ve preferred to remember what was said of Roxas and Vanitas’ first meeting, on those dark shores. When Vanitas was drifting away and Roxas refused to let him go.

“I doubt it,” Ventus muttered. “You were there at his side before any of that happened.”

Roxas looked to his friend once, then back down at the floor beneath his boots.

“You didn’t care that it was Vanitas who was on that beach. You just wanted to keep him company, maybe even help him in whatever way you could,” Ven offered a smile. “You’re willing to put other people before your own needs. That’s just the kind of person you are.”

As much as he hoped the words would be of comfort to Roxas, Ven wasn’t entirely sure it worked. His twin kept staring at the ground, deep blue eyes staring at nothing but the dead air between them. 

Roxas took a deep breath in and let it out slowly, “Unless there’s-”

Before he could say another word, an armored hand landed on his left shoulder and pulled him away from his thoughts. Roxas looked up to meet Ven’s gaze, who looked a bit more frustrated than before.

“You’re still you, Roxas,” Ventus gave him a shake, pulling his fleeting thoughts out of whatever dark tangent they were going on. “Nothing is going to change that. What you did for Vanitas was your own choice. You could’ve let Terra take care of everything, and then we wouldn’t have Vanitas here at the castle with us.” 

Roxas kept staring, already recalling that day. The darkness had been tugging on his very soul. But as soon as he saw Vanitas’ disheveled body, the darkness pouring out of his shattered heart... Suddenly it didn’t matter that Roxas was about to turn into a Heartless. The only thing he cared about was to give any comfort he could to the dying boy.

“You chose to help Vanitas. And I know, it didn’t have much pay-off...but you saved his life. That was all you, Roxas. Nobody else.”

I did save him… That was a choice that I made. 

Roxas lowered his head, closing his eyes and taking another, much needed breath of air. As he exhaled, the smallest smirk appeared on his face. “Alright,” he mumbled. “True enough.”

Ventus felt relief flutter through his chest. He stepped away from Roxas, letting his friend have a little breathing room. 

Roxas looked again at Ven, but not at his friend’s face. Rather what he was wearing.

“...You have armor?” Roxas mumbled as he looked Ven up and down.

And just as he was regaining hope for Roxas’ wellbeing, Ven felt that hope shatter. Ventus stared at his friend, unsure of how to respond. He glanced down at his attire once, then back at Roxas’ baffled expression. “You KNOW I have armor.”

“I do?”

Ven’s shoulders drooped and his eyes narrowed. “Oh my-” He sighed in such an overly exasperated way. “Alright, I’m healing you myself.” 

[meadow-roses]

Okay I'm here to confess a sin, I don't care much for Aqua. So I'm really curious what are the fanon misinterpretations of her?? With Ven it's funny, like I saw I saw in an incorrect quotes blog. Ven: People think I'm an angel. Terra: ...I have no idea how.

Yeah, most mischaracterizations can get pretty amusing, trying to imaging so-and-so actually saying such-and-such. XDD But anyway, thank you for asking!  I was actually just talking to August about it last night but wasn’t sure typing anything out would be worth it because who would read it??

Quick disclaimer, I am not Nomura.  I do not claim my opinion is right and I know who these characters are, as they are not mine.  What I AM saying is, characters are my passion in storytelling.  I love sitting down and thinking over a story, mulling over what they said and did and how they reacted, so I can feel like I really know the characters.  I began playing BBS after knowing the basic plot, and having met the characters and “knowing them” from the fanon.  Through playing the game, however, I became confused, because the character interpretations I had understood were so, did not match the way they acted in the actual game cutscenes.  Playing through Aqua’s storyline especially, I was struck with a compelling and interesting character, completely different from who the fanon had told me she was.

First I just want to say, cause this is the one that gets me the most:  Aqua’s greatest fault is NOT HER SELFLESSNESS.  Aqua’s selflessness is her STRENGTH.  I personally know people who are selfless to a fault, and Aqua does not behave like that.  From what I see playing BBS, Aqua’s greatest fault is pride.  She thinks that no matter what, she is always right.  (if you want to hear all of the reasons why her fault is pride I have more, this is just three)  She refuses to listen to any of the explanations Terra and Ven give her, because she “knows better than them”.  After defeating Maleficent, Aqua misses her opportunity to destroy her (as she wanted to) because she has to gloat in her face about the power of love.  Ventus, who knows Aqua very well, even tells her, “You’re letting this Keyblade Master stuff go to your head.”  I don’t think he’s just saying that cause he’s mad about being treated like a kid- he actually knows Aqua, and is worried she’s getting carried away by her pride. (yeah he doesn’t deal with it maturely but he’s Ven and that’s one of his faults)  Another of her flaws is actually impatience- she’s just soooo much like Eraqus- she leaps into action without pausing to think at all what the consequences are, or if she even should be interfering at all.  She’s also very judgmental. All this to say, Aqua is usually right.  She has a strong innate sense of right and wrong, she knows her own mind and is not easily swayed by anything that goes against that.  Her problem is, she’s just too stubborn and prideful and it gets her in trouble.  (the main reason why she hates Vanitas so much.  He offends her by making her feel like she isn’t in control of the situation.) 

Okay, so.  “Aqua is a kind young woman who’s sense of right and wrong never wavers.”  Not much personality to go off of in that one sentence, but it does tell us the most core parts of her being.  She was raised to quickly determine right from wrong with her innate sense of justice nurtured to an almost purist level.  She cannot STAND for “light to mar darkness”.  She is Eraqus’ prize pupil.  We can pretty much easily tell from watching the mark of mastery exam scene- there is absolutely no doubt in Aqua’s mind that she is not ready, that she could possibly not be what Eraqus is looking for.  That likely means she rarely fails to meet his expectations.  **She is confident and secure in who she is, and how the world works** even though she’s never been out there to see it.  Aqua’s storyline follows a young girl who has lived a very sheltered life, and is just as naive as Ventus and Terra are, she’s just not as quick to accept she could have been wrong.  

One of my favorite scenes is her conversation with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother.  This is one of the few moments we see Aqua not being a “Keyblade Master” and actually acting like the confused young woman she is.  Her purist attitude is questioned- darkness can never be destroyed, only conquered,  (which on an interesting note also was what needed done with Vanitas too.  🤔) and for once she is at a loss for what to do.  The Fairy Godmother in her wisdom, realizes this is not a lesson that can be taught, it must be learned through experience.  In other words, Aqua’s gonna have to TRY to destroy darkness to protect the light, and lose, before she’ll realize and finally admit, that she was in fact wrong.

People like to characterize Aqua as “the STRONG one”, “the perfect one”,  “the one who never did anything wrong”, and say “she never deserved this”.  Aqua is strong.  She is too strong.  She is not adaptable and does not know how to bend and shape her worldview when it comes out that she was wrong.  Aqua is NOT perfect.  If you say she is you do her an injustice.  No character should ever be perfect that is just ridiculously DULL and does Aqua and Nomura an injustice.  Aqua did a good deal wrong throughout BBS!  It’s actually my opinion the three of them being driven apart was entirely her fault.  She pushed them away by refusing to listen to any explanation they tried to give.  Basically,  “do it my way or we can’t be friends”.   She didn’t deserve it, those years in the Dark Realm, losing her friends like that despite her best attempts.  But she did need it.  Aqua needed to lose everything, and find herself completely helpless, to really become a Keyblade Master, who knows how to wait, listen, and show compassion.   Real quick so the whole thing isn’t negative lol,  Aqua’s strengths.

She is Brave.  Personal danger is not a worry for her when the things she has sworn to protect are in danger.   She is Confident.  There is no whishy-washy decision making.  She makes a plan, she sticks to it, and no one with their beguiling words can pull her astray.   She is Kind.  Her ultimate goal as a keyblader is to protect the weak.  “To protect the things that matter, like my friends” which I think is something that should be at the core of every keyblade wielder.   She is Selfless. Aqua will do. anything. it. takes. to protect the light, and her precious friends.  Her life, her safety, is of little importance if she can secure the safety of another.

Honestly, it can be nicely summed up in the one sentence describing her in BBS: “Aqua is a kind young woman who’s sense of right and wrong never wavers“  u_u