#also I love the different way in which they all hold the keyblade

[remmammie]

Can I get headcanons for riku, sora, and ventus babysitting a really hyper kid while traveling different worlds?

Sorry for the small hiatus, college threw a lot of exam intervention at me after my winter mocks so I had to get all that done before I could think about you lovelies. Still, I'm here now! I'm so excited to do some writing about platonic love with the Kingdom Hearts cast!

Riku, Sora, and Ventus babysitting an energetic kid on their adventures HCs

Riku

Now, over the years, Riku has learnt to be patient with a lot of things: his energetic friends, the darkness, meddling villains, etcetera. But he never really expected to be dealing with children.

I can't say he'd be experienced at all, so, after defeating some Heartless attempting to attack a young child in a world, Riku wasn't entirely sure what to do.

They clung onto his leg with an enthusiastic smile, toothy and wild. They were so in awe of Riku's style of combat and the Keyblade itself that Riku almost couldn't get a word in edgewise. Eventually, he managed to ask them where they were from and where he should take them to.

The child told him they were from a different world, that they had been dragged into some sort of dark portal and transported to this strange place. And, though Riku knew he had other things to do as a Keyblade Master, he couldn't exactly leave a child in a strange place with no guardian - they sort of reminded Riku of himself from not too long ago. Lost, confused, vulnerable... This was his duty as a Keyblade Master, right? To protect the light and, therefore, the people of the future?

After bundling the excitable child into the Gummi Ship, Riku knew exactly which world they had mentioned and planned the correct route accordingly. However, the main issue Riku was facing was keeping the kid away from the many flashing lights on the ship's dashboard. He felt bad having to tell them off and drag them away from buttons that would forcibly eject their seats or open a door in the middle of the Lanes Between, but knew he'd much rather be seeing the kid's pout than lose them completely.

Once arriving at the correct world, Riku almost feels sad to let the kid go. Their excitement reminded him of Sora, and their unbridled curiosity reminded Riku of his younger self. He'd refuse to give them the power of the Keyblade purely out of kindness, not wishing his cruel life on this innocent child who knew nothing of darkness or war, but would offer them a way to contact him again.

Riku told them that, if their world was in ever danger or if someone they knew needed protecting from darkness, they could call for Riku using their heart and he would be there.

Sora

I'm not entirely sure if I would trust Sora with a child on his own, much less a hyperactive one. He's quick to notice the light heart in danger and jumps in to protect them, but doesn't know how to react to the clinginess that follows.

When the child starts to show interest in his Keyblade, that's when Sora starts to lighten up to the idea of having a little companion for a bit, even when he recognises that they have to return to their homeworld eventually. So, he sets up the Gummi Ship to head out to this world he's...never actually heard of. Oh no.

Sora might end up taking the child to a few worlds before getting to the right one, choosing to use his heart to guide him. Maybe he also wanted to spend some more time talking to his new friend, but an excuse is always nice.

The two spend their entire journey together chatting about Sora's life and the Keyblade as well as the child's life in their homeworld. Sora adores talking about all the adventures he's gone on and about his friends, and the child watches and listens with stars in their eyes, perhaps sitting in Sora's lap as he (tries) to pilot the Gummi Ship.

Throughout every world, the two hold hands. Sora is eager not to lose such an innocent soul and he makes sure to fight off any darkness while he's there while he's at it. The child watches on in awe and might even try to copy him with a blunt stick on a big rock while Sora is asking townspeople about the child's home.

When the two eventually reach the child's home, Sora isn't excited to let them go, but he's glad they can get back to having a normal life, relieved that they have a nice home to return to. He makes a promise to return one day with the famous "paopu fruit" that Sora mentioned.

Ventus

As someone eager to prove himself to others as mature and reliable, Ventus immediately jumps at the chance to protect the child and swoops in to save the day. Of course, he also just can't sit idly by and watch someone as innocent as a child get hurt by the darkness.

At first, he's not quite sure how to take all the new attention. The praise is strange and it really warms Ventus' heart with a type of pride he never knew he was capable of feeling. He might take a while to take the child away from the world he found them in because he's too busy showing them how he fights with a Keyblade. Maybe he's showing off, but it's nice to have someone cheer for you.

Still, Ventus knows the child is someone with their own life and they absolutely need to return to the people that love them. So, he shows the kid something even cooler than the Keyblade: his Keyblade glider and armour. He places his helmet on their head to protect the kid from the darkness in the Lanes Between and tells them to hold on. They kid laughs heartily the entire time, thoroughly enjoying the ride through the Lanes Between.

With no real way to navigate the Lanes Between and differentiate between where worlds are, Ventus has to entirely rely on both his heart and the child's, asking them various questions about whether they feel closer to home or not. It takes a while, but the fun, exciting ride makes it all worth it.

When they arrive at the kid's homeworld, Ventus makes it his mission to speak to their guardian, making up some story or another about finding them somewhere in the world. He makes a pinkie promise with the child to never ever talk about what they did together, promising that they'll definitely do it again when they're older.

#kh fanfiction #kingdom hearts fanfiction #kingdom hearts sora #kh sora #kingdom hearts #kh x reader #kingdom hearts headcanons #kh ventus #kh riku #sora x reader #riku x reader #ventus x reader #kingdom hearts riku #kingdom hearts ventus

[chronicbackstabbingdisorder]

PLEASE INFODUMP TO ME ABOUT KH 👀 I love when people share the crazy lore about this series because I cannot keep track of it myself. Pick your favorite topic and go off my liege 👑

Oh it would be my pleasure. So let me tell you about why the stupid fucking mobile game is crucial to understanding the events of Kingdom Hearts 3.

So first off, there's a mobile gacha game called Kingdom Hearts Union X (technically set after the events of a Japan only browser game called Kingdom Hearts X, but it's easier to think of it all as one thing to save yourself the headache) that covers the events that led up to and surrounding the Keyblade War, an event that is referenced in Birth By Sleep, mainly by the game's final stage being the battlefield of said war, The Keyblade Graveyard.

Thing is, of course, the Keyblade War happened so far in the past compared to the rest of the series that a game covering it, while certainly interesting backstory and lore to the setting, didn't ever seem like it would super relevant to the events of future games, especially not when it was portrayed in a mobile game of all things.

And then KH3 came out and it was fucking littered with tie ins to the phone game. The big important connection we have would be Maleficent and her quest for a 'black box' the entire game, the box in question had up until then only been mentioned in KHX. The box was entrusted by a character known as The Master Of Masters to another character named Luxu, along with The Master's keyblade, which contains one of his own eyes and allows him to see whatever the keyblade sees, neither of their faces have ever been shown, but they wear the same iconic coats as Organization XIII. The Master instructed Luxu to keep the box hidden and never open it, as well as to observe the events of the future so that The Master could also witness them through his keyblade and write a book detailing the future. Luxu did just that right until the end of KH3. An extra scene at the end shows a hooded figure in the Keyblade Graveyard holding The Master's keyblade and standing next to the black box and the figure mentions that the keyblade is 'back where it belongs', and of course that keyblade is one we as an audience have seen before, it's the keyblade that our main antagonist, Master Xehanort, wields. Four other characters then appear, the union leaders from KHX, essentially The Master's other disciples and leaders of the different factions the player can choose from. They address the hooded figure as Luxu, though mention that he looks different, when Luxu reveals his face, it's actually Xigbar, the number two of Organization XIII. The way Luxu decided to go about watching over the events of the future was to pass the Keyblade along to someone else, then cast away his original body and instead hop from body to body and observe from the sidelines. The keyblade eventually made it's way to Xehanort and Xigbar was quick to present himself as an ally so he could continue to keep watch. Bascially the entire plot of the entire series trace back to The Master of Masters and his convoluted game of 4D chess.

And like, that's just the Big Thing, there's lots of other things that tie back to KHX. I won'tgo into all of them because we'd be here all day, but my personal favorite is that Marluxia and Larxene's original identies before losing their hearts, Lauriam and Elrena, are shown in KHX, both were keyblade warriors involved in the events surrounding the Keyblade War.

#thank you for the excuse to infodump lmao #i'm sure this is fucking incomprehensible if you don't go here #but i love the chance to talk about how ridiculous it is that a fucking gacha game is now the backbone of the lore

[empyreasheart]

I RETURN WITH MORE QUESTIONS. and one topic on my mind. xion xion xion xion xion xion XION shes so interesting and your hcs are always so good do you have any about her or the sea salt trio in general. i miss them so much (also i know you have work to do sorry if this is a distraction from it!! feel free to leave this ask for later)

IM FREEE WHICH MEANSSS I CAN TALK ABOUT MY DEAR DEAR XION!!!! no joke i have been thinking about her all day.

first off i LOVEEE xion so much. whenever i see her get attention and love im so happy. when i see her i have a habit of going "XIONNNN" super loudly.

im putting this under a read more cuz its gotten super long oops

my xion headcanons... well first of all i love every reading of her character as a trans allegory & how people intepret her as either trans or nonbinary! i dont think it was done on purpose but shes been claimed by the commjnity and im so happy about it. transfem xion my beloved. second of all shes autistic TO ME but honestly everyone in soras heart hotel is so thats a given. third of all give me xion with big dark brown eyes or give me death!

what id like to see explored in future games / i fanwork: her identity! we see roxas's frustration and anger about being his own person plenty but we hardly see xion upset at her predicament. i think this is because she wants to do the right thing, not because shes okay with the situation. i really want to see xion's feelings about not having her own identity explored, given that everything about her is based on either sora or his memories of kairi and she was basically created in a lab as a tool for organization 13. she should feel weird about existing in the first place, especially next to roxas and naminé, who dont have the same history behind their creation

in addendum to that, i want to see xions character design change to something more unique. she already has a new outfit, but id love to see her have a new hairstyle (whether she grows it out or just puts it up) so she has something different than a mirror of kh1 kairi's hair. i think ive also mentioned that i think itd be interesting if xion had her own eye color after kh3 (side note its bullshit we never got to see her norted eyes in kh3. she shouldve played a bigger role in the story too but thats another rant) to symbolize that shes her own person now, not a puppet meant to copy sora. lastly she !!! deserves !!! her own keyblade!!! there's so many cool keyblades from days to choose from & theres the weapons from her boss fight - theres no reason for her to still be using the kingdom key and i really hope she gets her own soon.

i keep thinking about what you said about xion not being another "nice" girl character and im like... so true. i dont think xion would be mean i want to go about it in a way that doesnt completely rewrite her character but i think exploring how she copes with her past w/ both organizations & her identity & trauma would be interesting, especially with how it parallels to naminé's own way of coping and dealing with her own trauma. theyre like Shy vs introverted to me lmfao i think xion tries to be friendly but overall she prefers to stay close to the people she feels safe around. i want to see xion be rude but in the autism way where she doesnt mean it shes just not aware. and stuff like that i guess. this paragraph was just word vomit my bad

THE SEA SALT TRIO... theyre seriously the family of all time i love them so much. ill just focus on xion here because this is already super long. BUT AXEL LOVES XION SO MUCH IT MAKES ME SICK THEYRE NOT TALKED ABOUT ENOUGH.. the implication that lea subconsciously keeps his coat on in kh3 so xion (and roxas) can recognize him makes me so emotional. also the fact that lea just clicks with kairi because she also holds a part of xion inside her... AND WHEN HE BUYS HER AN ICE CREAM AND HE DOESNT EVEN REMEMBER WHY HES BUYING THREE. UGH. i love them so much. theyre definitely one of those duos found in the trios that dont get much attention which just draws me towards them more (like riku and kairi). i think lea is absolutely riddled with guilt about the events of days so he never lets xion forget that shes loved. i think xion is touch-averse *except* when it comes to roxas and lea because she feels safest around them.❤️

to end i will discuss roxas and xion . they are like a little orange cat and a little black cat to me. halloween colored. theyre so small i love them so much. i imagine when xion first meets the twilight town gang shes jealous bc roxas has other friends :( but roxas assures her shes super duper special to him and no one else can take her place in his life. they have such a unique bond that i dont know if any of the other characters have with each other. just something so special about those two. when it feels like no one else understands they have each other... and i think that makes for some angst when xion struggles with her own issues that even roxas cant relate to

#ask #THANK U FOR THIS IM SO GLAD TO INFODUMP . I TYPED SO MUCH IM SORRU I LOVE HER SO MUCH AND I HAVE SO MANY THOUGHTS

[lovetals]

so, like, idk jack about the lore to kingdom hearts, but the idea of an mc who’s from the game tingles my brain a lot so i gotta dump this out

i’m gonna keep this vague enough so that ppl can interpret the mc however they please (whether we be besties with the beach trio or some other group)

but this idea would fit perfectly since the two are a collab of sorts with disney, only difference is how they use it. kingdom hearts is about traveling to other worlds, which are the disney movies. with twisted wonderland, everything takes place in one world

so imagine a keyblade wielder mc that somehow winds up in twisted wonderland while going from world to world. something happens and they aren’t able to go back, maybe they lost a bit of their powers or the gummi ship they were on is somewhere between the worlds. whatever the case, they’re stuck and now have to reside in the nrc because it’s just their luck that they land there

idk how much they can reveal because of that whole world order thing and they probs don’t trust anyone with outside information cause it’s a school of villains lmao

OH MY GOD AND THE MC WOULD KNOW THE TRUE NATURE OF THOSE GREAT SEVEN BECAUSE THEYVE WITNESSED THEM IRL LMFAO

they keep their mouth shut, tho, cause maybe it’s different for them. also, they do not want to be chased out for talking shit on them 🧍‍♀️

mc would feel so conflicted about the world and everyone there tho cause, like stated earlier, they got to witness the great seven’s actions in other worlds and with how the dorm leaders are inspired by said seven they’re just so cautious. but after riddle’s overblot they realize “oh shit they have actual issues” and everyone is actually kinda cool with enough time

the mc in this can still use their keyblade and some magic (if we’re going with the power loss route then i’m afraid your firagra has been reduced to just fire TwT) so they can chip in with the battles and show off how cool they are hehehe

OH OH AND EACH BATTLE THEY GET TO UPGRADE THEIR MAGIC AND SHIT!

mc getting thunder before azul fight: i’m going to shock the heart!

jade: ????

ooh it’d be so cool if every time the mc defeats an overblot they receive a new keyblade based on the dorm, just like how when we beat a world in kh we get a new keyblade based on it

oh god there’s gonna be so many questions from their peers when they see the keyblade. ace is gonna mock the shit out of you for it cause it’s just an oversized key (he shuts up real quick when you bonk him with it tho). it’s just such a unique weapon and the fact that you can summon it from nowhere?? slay

kalim would want to hold the weapon so badly and gets sad when it instantly materializes back into your hand lmao

idk much about lilia, but i think he’d know something about the keyblade and your origins when he sees it. he’s old, he probably knows something. might have had tea with young xehanort before he got old

vil asks to see your whole collection so he can rank them from most to least beautiful

ya know those wayfinders that aqua/kairi made for her friends as a way to show how even if they’re apart they’ll never lose each other or whatever? it’d be so cute if the mc did something like that for their friends :> (currently sobbing at the idea of drawing their faces on it like kairi did for sora 😭)

oh, poor mc would get bullied by ace for saying the corniest shit (“my friends are my power! 😜🤪”) but over time he grows to love these words so much, starts to tear up frfr

your constant reminders of the importance of friendships and how the bonds you all formed are unbreakable really does start to grow on everyone. (cater stan here: he also starts believing in this too cuz i said so <3) (CATER USES THE WAYFINDER YOU MADE AS A PJONE CHARM DUDE)

OH AND DONT THINK I FORGOT ABOUT SILVER

man looks so much like riku, there just has to be some interaction with him and the mc about it

mc, seeing a sleeping silver: god fucking damn it not again. plz don’t have yellow eyes, plz don’t have yellow eyes—

aaaaaaaa ok it’s past 12 a.m for me, my brain is a mess and my eyes want to get some shut eye so i’m gonna end this here. also, can’t think of more stuff to add :((

if anyone has more things they’d like to chip in, PLEASE do! i want more hcs and shit to add onto this idea of mine

#plume rambles #twst #kingdom hearts

[localcryptideli]

Exactly! Riku would say like what he said when Roxas joined Sora! You’re still you! 🤧

Absolutely! Aaaaaah I can't wait to find out more. Honestly I also have a theory that Sora could have Player's heart (reincarnation or not), because rewatching khux there are A LOT of parallel scenes between them, and they are both the kind of person who silently sacrificed themselves to save everyone else (while keeping the worst self esteem ever, rip). Which would make Xehanort passing him the x-blade kinda funny. But then Player in khdr was so different from Player in Khux, so I wonder.

But the end result would be the same: the one fated to die holding Darkness, in a way or another, so I guess the rest is just variables. Sora could be a puppet, or he could just be a heart experimented on for a specific purpose (since the games don't shy from that - it would explain why he is so skittish as a kid and why riku is so determined to protect him); or he could be someone who accidentally, through a series of choices and coincidences, became the perfect tool for the job; or he could have the job due to his connection to Riku whose heart was made to be what the Master wanted from the Dandelions.

But the point is: he is there now and he is an easy sacrifice and given how much his reality got shaken in the past years of his life he is going to have that existential crisis no matter what he is. The rest is logistics. If the "it" was really referring to him what that tells me specifically is that Yozora and Luxord might not see Sora as human - maybe Yozora thinks he is a simulation or virtual character like Sora thought Yozora was a game character. Maybe given he is dead they don't bother treating him as a human - just a heart. Maybe given his rage form and how peculiar his heart is, be by coincidence or planning, they end up seeing that as a trait worth stripping him of humanity. All options are honestly very interesting. It would be interesting seeing Riku clash heads with that (although I think his reaction will be just drawing his keyblade and a metaphorical glove and challenging whoever called Sora an it do a duel).

He could also hold the heart of someone we haven't met yet who had a similar trauma and who we could meet in Missing Link, because not going to lie the pose of the main character in Missing Link gives me huge Sora vibes.

I am just

this game

has so many possibilities

I love each one of them and I love knowing whatever Nomura picks, there is going to be people already opening google docs or office or word and writing canon divergent aus for the rest. And I'll be there at 3am reading them all, probably.

[marvelous-amaranth]

shhh i'm not late <3

ok so the next kh game is birth by sleep which is a game that has 3 (or 4 depending on how you count it) different story paths. i'm gonna tell you just one of them rn because i don't trust myself to explain all three in any sort of succinct manner <3

RIGHT SO

in this (part of the) game we play as a wonderful little lad named ventus. or, actually, i'm getting ahead of myself.

bbs opens with this quaint little shot of a wooden structure on a beach (on the world 'destiny islands') at night. there's a little bridge out to a small outcropping nearby, some nice trees, lovely white sand, plenty of spaces for little kids to run and play around on- oh, and some old dude in a black coat carrying... something wrapped in white cloth under his arm.

the cloak dude drops whatever it is he's carrying over one of the trunk of one of the trees and turns to leave. which is when we get to learn that the 'something' is a boy! a small, maybe 12-13 at best, catatonic boy. who is being left here to die.

yay!!!! kids game :DDD

anyways we cut to black very briefly before there's a flash of light. the boy gets to fall onto a completely whited-out heart station (i'll. explain those some other time) that's half fallen apart. there's another flash of light and then the broken side begins to repair itself.

back out in the physical world, the boy lifts his hand, summons a keyblade, and shoots a light off into the sky. this, understandably, makes the man turn around.

we then cut to four years in a world known as 'the land of departure' later where we pan across a mildly messy room till we find our beach boy again. this boy's name is, again, ventus, though he goes by ven. and, more importantly, there's a meteor shower happening outside.

ven bolts out of his room and down to the cliffside to watch said meteor shower and is intercepted by his two friends, terra and aqua. the friends have a (expositional) chat, have a brief (tutorial) sparring match, and then aqua pulls out three star charms she calls 'wayfinders'.

these wayfinders are based on the paopu fruit that grows on destiny islands which is also something i'll explain more later. all you really need to know right now is that the fruit are star-shaped and supposedly if you share one with someone your souls will be forever 'bound together' or whatever.

regardless, the friends each take their glass charms, hold them up to the night sky, and then a rather ominous voice-over line from all three of them cheerfully tells us that this 'was the last night [they'd] ever spend under the same stars'.

we then cut to the next day! now, today is a very special day because today aqua and terra are taking a test called 'the mark of mastery' to become keyblade masters. this test consists of smacking some large, glowing, made of light(?) orbs and then fighting in a 1v1 duel.

in the end, aqua passes and becomes a master while terra is told he has too much darkness in his heart and that he'll have to try again some other time. terra is, very understandably, bummed out by this.

ven tries to comfort him, gets brushed off, and decides to go back to his room. where there's a lovely, cryptic, ominous masked figure waiting for him who tells him that terra is leaving him behind. ven runs all the way outside just in time to watch terra, fully suited up in his keyblade armour (that's a thing. dw about it) turn his keyblade into a bike (dw about it) and blast off through a portal.

ven sees all of this go down and then, like the protagonist he is, takes the smart option. of immediately also suiting up, turning his own keyblade into a bike, and then blasting off as well, despite aqua, who recently came out of the building herself, yelling at him to wait.

then we get disney world adventures. they aren't really important to the plot. like, yeah, ven leaves the wooden practice keyblade he got from terra in a treasure chest on the peter pan world and he gets to run around the size of a mouse for some reason in the cinderella world and he fights the masked boy, gets his ass beat, and then gets saved by micheal mouse dropping in out of the blue who then gives him three passes to disney world. but like. y'know.

anyways more actual plot happens in a world called 'radiant garden' where ventus meets several familiar-looking characters that you have no idea of who they are. and fuck it, i'm gonna tell you their names cause they're important later: ienzo (a literal child. no really he's like 8 tops), even (one of the royal scientists), aeleus (one of the royal guards), dilan (another guard), lea (a kid around ven's age (16)), and isa (another kid who's ~16). remember them for later there will technically be a quiz. in the loosest sense of the word.

ANYWAY. ven, aqua, and terra then all finally meet up again, fight a big unversed together (oh, right, in this game the enemies are unversed. not heartless. for... reasons. i'll explain that later too.), and then ven gives them his two extra disney world passes. terra tells ven to watch out for the masked boy, whom he calls vanitas, tells ven to go home and then leaves. ven has a talk with aqua who also tells him to go home and then she leaves to. ven wallows for a bit, has a talk with the aforementioned lea and isa and then sets out for more disney adventures.

we successfully avoid the plot for another few worlds (minus the bit about ven still trying to cath up with terra and aqua) until ven sorta-accidentally steals mickey's questionable teleportation device and gets dumped off at yen sid's tower. this dumps him right back into the plot as he sets off looking for mickey, winds up in a desert place, and crosses paths witha very evil-looking old man named master xehanort.

this is important because the combination of everything that's happened over the past few days, the location, and the appearance of xehanort lead to ven having a very plot important flashback.

so. ventus used to be the apprentice of master xehanort until he got fed up with ven's good boy-ness and forcibly ripped his heart in two - one half pure light, one half pure dark. the pure light half became ven, who was then dumped on a beach, and the pure dark hal became (drumroll please) vanitas! who master xehanort continued to teach over the past 4 years. the reason this is important is because xehanort wants to fuse the two of them back together to make the..... χ-blade. χ being the greek letter 'chi'.... pronounced 'key'..... :))))

ven, upon learning this news, goes back to the land of departure where he runs across his current teacher, master eraqus (voiced by luke skywalker. i'm being serious.) who... uh... makes a questionable choice and upon also learning this information, attempts to kill ven. he's stopped by terra showing up, blocking his attack, and then fighting him for trying to, y'know, murder one of his friends. he summons a portal and tosses ven through it, despite ven's best efforts to get them to stop fighting.

ven and vanitas then have a fun little chat when vanitas tries to get ven to fuse with him and ven pointedly tells him 'no. the only way we'd forge the keyblade is if we fought. and i refuse to fight you.'

and then everybody heads over to the keyblade graveyard to have their final fight. (uh. yeah. so you remember khux? how there was that big war? yeah,, the keyblade graveyard is the battlefield where all that remains is a bunch of keyblades stuck in the ground after their owners... er. yeah. kids game.)

ven, very tired with the whole situation, tells his friends that if (when) he and vanitas fight and they fuse to just "put an end to [him]". so he's doing great.

and then vanitas and xehanort show up and they have a big, long, dramatic fight. ven gets frozen trying to help terra and dropped off a cliff, barely surviving. then he fights vanitas once in the physical world, and once in their hearts as they fuse together.

the χ-blade is briefly formed before ven defeats vanitas, accidentally shattering their heart along with the χ-blade in the process, and sending ventus into a coma.

his(/thier) heart zips back over to destiny islands to heal up by latching back onto the heart that healed ven's heart 4 years ago. and boy, wouldn't you guess it, the kid whose heart that is might be slightly important for the rest of the series. just a hunch though. i mean it's just some random kid named sora.

and yeah that about wraps up ven's part of bbs, see you at some point for terra's part! <3

wait hold on

THE KEYBLADES TURN INTO MOTORCYCLES???????

#snowflakesandlemons #ask #don't worry i did in fact (mostly) process most of this ask #but i felt my cartoon eyes elongate out of my skull when i realized that it's just an established fact the keyblades are also motocycles #but i am now starting to understand why the xehanort multiple people who are not the same people #gets so fucking wild #like the microsteps theoretically can be understood by my tiny brain but once the big pictures im just #maybe the real xehanort was the friends we made along the way

[unchained-dual-key]

Questions I have about the future installments of Kingdom Hearts part 1

Immediately after the end of KH3: Remind, Sora fades away and ultimately ended up in the world of Quadratum setting up KH4. The games that precede it is the start of the Lost Masters saga.

A. Is Sora’s memories escaping him? Why is that? Why is he having trouble remembering with each passing game?

B. Is it implied that the tear in the fabric of space created by Sora allowed darkness to manifest after following Sora and the keyblade into the world of Quadratum, a world of fiction, unreality, where light and darkness don’t exist? What does that mean for the inhabitants of this world in the future? Will it give birth to light and darkness in the world for eternity until it is stopped and returned to the way it was before?

C. Why is it Riku’s dreams the most important hint out of the “3 keys” that he was able to get a hint where Sora might be? What does this personally mean for Riku’s continuing story?

“Dreams hold our memories. Sleep holds our dreams. And darkness—they hold our sleep.” -Ansem SoD, KH3D

Riku never been to Quadratum until he used the Nameless Star’s heart to reach the world of Quadratum. So, if he is having dreams about it, he is experiencing a memory. But who’s memory? How are they connected? Through Sora’s time in Verum Rex? Sora and Riku are connected, so his heart could have resonated with Sora’s and automatically gave him a hunch to where he might be.

D. Why does Yozora look like Riku? Where can we trace the connection to?

E. Who is standing with the MoM in the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer?

F. In that trailer, The voice (young xehanort??? No? If so, how and why?) says, “However— if you wish to leave this world behind, don’t expect to return to the one from which you came—.” The final “—“ is implying that the thought was still ongoing. How does it finish? Is it insinuating that if Sora was to go back to his world he would be changed? If so, how would that negatively or positively affect him?

G. The lost masters are said to be the antagonists of the next saga. Why is that? They are implied to have not completed their mission, well, all of them besides Ava and Luxu. So what have they been doing all this time? Were they summoned to the new timeline by luxu from the pervious one? If so How much time lapsed or did not lapse? Were they all together or split up?

H. Chirithy roughly says that, “they( “they being the lost masters, but also can apply to literally everyone in the series now thanks to the true goals of say the Organization both real and fake and Lea in particular because I’m sus of him. During his time at the organization he has done sus things and said to Sora that he was kinda on their side although he was in the Organization. This series have double agents) all walk different paths, but they share the same goal. Don’t lose sight of yours, alright?” What is the main goal everyone is trying to get to? To solve the light vs darkness clash? To find out the truth of kingdom hearts? To find a solution to peace? (I personally think it’s “the exploration of the power of love expressed by connections of the heart, memories, and body” which might be the games’ central theme.)

I. Missing Link is suppose to give us answers to the bloodlines of characters. Bloodlines in general are the physical connections binding us to the greater picture as a whole. What does this entail for the characters we already know, mainly Sora, Riku, and Kairi?

J. Am I wrong to say that Kingdom Hearts to me is setup like a theater stage where everyone is given a role and waiting for the lead roles? Do some people know the series’ endgame and others do not? Are the ones who do know guiding those who don’t while looking upon them, but not touching as it would ruin whatever surprise/ reward around the corner? What are the roles of Riku and especially Kairi? Who are the main roles belonging to? Sora is repeatedly told to be himself and follow his heart, which is such a simpler role.

#kh #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts 4 #lost masters saga #game questions #questions #asking questions #asking for a friend #Sora #Riku #Yozora #Kairi #MoM #master of masters #young xehanort #luxu #Ava #lost masters #plot #story #want to ask #video games #games #light and darkness

[glamoplasm]

hii your kingdom hearts posting is getting to me is kingdom hearts any good?? idk anything abt it other than theres disney characters, keyblades, theres a lot of games and you play them in a weird order, and my friend cloud strife is there. the disney characters are really throwing me off bc everything i see abt the original kh characters looks good and also i love my friend cloud but is it worth getting into? or is it one of those things thats good bc youre already into it and u love it? i ❤️ piracy and have a hacked 3ds so the price of so many games is not an issue. u do not have to answer this ofc! but i thought it was worth asking nc the art u are reblogging is intriguing to me

smile :)

my short answer is, i think its good! definition of good here being it was really fun to get into. i havent personally actually played any of the games if you're planning to play them tho- all of them are action rpgs, the first has like a certain amount of platforming and also bad camera controls that are just kind of a given considering its age. if you enjoy those types of games tho, its still very fun! holds up well. most of them are first and foremost playstation games except for 358/2 Days, which was a ds game (it hasnt had a remake like some of the other games, which is sad bc it has some of the best story and the cutscenes by themselves miss A Lot, but the gameplay itself is uh. Rough)

first, look up "kingdom hearts 1 opening"

if you think that looks sick as hell, i would honestly try out the first game and see how you feel about it afterwards! watching someone play that was what got me interested in digging into the entire thing and it is the first game so its a naturally good introduction with none of the weight of all the stuff that gets added over the years to the Lore. if you like 1 you can either play them in release order or chronological order and both would work probably. except the mobile game kh union x stuff i wouldnt touch that until you go through everything prior to kh3 even if its chronologically the first

(more details under the cut since this is getting long lol)

extremely basic summary: a young boy, sora, lives on a group of islands called destiny islands with his best friends, riku and kairi, and they dream of exploring outside their small home. sora and all his friends are taken from the island and their world by the forces of darkness and are swept into a grand battle of light and dark. he teams up with donald and goofy from Disney(tm) and they fight monsters born from the darkness in people's hearts. sora has a blade that's a key bc he unlocks doors between worlds and hearts and stuff. rinse and repeat with a new iteration on the enemies you're facing and the worlds you visit

asides from the disney, the basic plot there is very normal jrpg fare! whats special about it to me is in the specifics, its visuals (i think despite not liking disney as a company the existence of these differing tones and visual styles is what Makes kh what it is), the non disney world and monster designs, the weirdness of a lot of the scenes and writing, and its complete sincerity in statements that are inherently very corny. while the themes shift and compound, the primary theme is connections between people and how those make up who you are and your heart.

you may have heard the story is confusing. honestly, i think this is mostly hyperbole and it makes as much sense as it really needs to. there are bits of lore that are definitely confusing but the games explain everything in such a way that the concepts arent confusing, they just sound weird when taken out of context. not that a lot of it isnt really silly and weird LMAO just that its easy enough to follow and grasp what its going for

re: the disney sections (like the actual worlds): theyre at best like. inoffensive filler i guess LOL. you can really see disney not giving a shit about their part in kingdom hearts the later it goes, with the kh3 disney worlds being like. sure lets put the entirety of frozen's "let it go" in who gives a fuck. however this was after pixar was bought out by disney, and the people working on the pixar stuff that was subsequently added to kh3 definitely put more thought into them as far as tying it in thematically to the rest. still not majorly important tho asides from a couple plot relevant scenes.

you will never escape the Big disney characters tho lol. mickey mouse will Always be there after kh1, as well as donald and goofy who are literally the main character's party members. against my better judgement i do enjoy donald and goofy in kh, and find them generally fun characters despite having limited personal nostalgia about them! they're fine to have around.

if u want to see cloud strife our friend, i will say he isnt there a lot and he's in full sulky guy mode, tho a Lot of final fantasy characters are included until kh3 where i guess they decided they were going to stop putting ff characters in for whatever reason. sephiroth is a major secret boss fight in both 1 and 2. yuffie, aerith, cid, and leon are there immediately. tifa is in 2. barret has never shown up despite all the other ff7 main characters which is a little. raises eyebrow. but whatever

[daybreak-academy-fanfic]

BBS: Sabrina Remix: Birth by Sleep

Old Masters & Dark Corners

Summary: In which Mickey enlists Sabrina’s help to steal the Star Shard, all in the name of brotherly love. -Sabi Mix Master Post- ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆ ⚬ ☆

Yen Sid’s tower was the least symmetrical building Sabrina had ever seen. It looked like magic was holding it all together. No surprise; this world had the odd quirk of traveling in the Lanes Between whenever it felt like. It might as well have a heart or brain of its own.

“Please don’t let this be a mistake.” Sabrina hissed under her breath before opening the doors. She worked her way through the tower’s steps until she reached the main chamber.

Her only warning inside the room was a prudent knock before she barged on. Yen Sid slowly looked up to face her. The old wizard with his blue robes and matching hat didn't really seem to have been doing nothing of importance beforehand, but he gave her a mildly displeased scowl regardless.

“Sabrina,” the old master said, “Master Eraqus did not inform me that you have also left the Land of Departure.”

“Funny thing, I’ve been trying to escape for years. I just finally found the chance.” she shot back. There was a pause, then the confused addition of, “I’m not the only one that left?”

Yen Sid raised an eyebrow at her.

“I suppose you are unaware that Aqua is now a Keyblade Master, while Terra failed his Mark of Mastery?”

“Like I said,” Sabrina said, her voice a bit darker, “I’ve been trying to leave for years. The Mark of Mastery was not going to stop me.”

“I see.”

Sabrina flinched. What a condescending jerk. She hadn’t even been in the room with him for five minutes, and she could already feel the forced guilt. This guy must have been brutal toward his students- if he had any. Even Master Eraqus had a bit more decorum when it came to his disappointment.

“Is there something that you wish to know from me?” Yen Sid then ventured to ask. “It must not be something Eraqus could answer, if you are here and not there.”

“As if I’m not going to get the reprimanding of a lifetime if I do go back,” Sabrina hissed under her breath. She shook her head before addressing Yen Sid proper. “When I left home, I entered a new world for the first time. While spending time with some of its residents, I encountered creatures that were not part of that world. They were different. They felt like…”

“Raw, unrefined emotions?”

Sabrina recoiled slightly. “That’s… one way of describing it.” she agreed.

Yen Sid gave her a solemn nod. “Had you stayed home for a bit longer, you would have known what those creatures were.” he said. Prick. “Indeed, those monsters that you encountered in the Dwarf Woodlands did not belong in that world. They are a new threat that I have decided to call ‘Unversed.’ They upset the balance of light and need to be eliminated.”

“Understood.” 

Yen Sid paused for a moment. He seemed to be looking around Sabrina before saying, “I know you are there, Mickey. Come in and introduce yourself to our guest.”

Sabrina heard a sheepish little laugh before the door opened again. In came a four foot high mouse with large round ears.

“Sabrina, this is my apprentice Mickey Mouse.” Yen Sid said once Mickey was presentable.

Without skipping a beat, Sabrina said, “Oh wow, I feel so sorry for you.”

The mouse curiously tilted his head at her. “Huh?”

“Never mind.” she mumbled with a half wave of her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mickey.”

“Likewise!” the mouse grinned.

“Mickey,” Yen Sid then spoke, “While you are here, how goes your preparations to embark on your Mark of Mastery?”

Once more, the mouse gave a sheepish laugh. The old wizard gave his pupil a dark scowl.

“Just as I expected.” he droned. “Get back to your studies, Mickey.”

“Yes Master…” Mickey agreed, hanging his head low in shame. The mouse’s body sagged as he slowly made his way out the door. It wasn’t until he shut the door behind him that Sabrina turned to Yen Sid with a nasty glare of her own.

“You shouldn’t talk to your students like that.” she snapped at him.

For a moment, all Yen Sid did was blink at her.

“Pardon?” he said- his tone indicating that he was expecting an answer. She did not give him one.

After several tense moments, Yen Sid started to ponder on something.

“Sabrina,” he said, “Have you heard of a world called Wasteland?”

A sharp stab hit her heart in that moment. The feeling nearly made her recoil in discomfort. Despite this, her face contorted into a frown.

“No.” she told him. “Master Eraqus told us precious little of the worlds outside our own. Most of what I know came from personal study sessions in the library. Even then, the knowledge was scarce.”

“I see.”

Sabrina looked over the old wizard as he steepled his fingers together. He was plotting something. She could see it in his intense gaze.

She wasn’t even remotely surprised when Yen Side finally said, “I believe there is something I should show you. Follow me.”

The girl nodded in agreement. She wanted for the wizard to stand up, then lead the way out of his room and down a flight of steps. He took them to a room that felt a lot like the one they had come from- the only real difference was that there were no windows here. 

The only real object of note was an oak desk in the center of the room. On the desk was a very large map. At first it seemed to be normal parchment, but on closer inspection there was a great magic tied to it. Several important landmarks were raised off of the paper- much like a model train set. As much as she wanted to call him out for it, there was a force that prevented Sabrina from speaking altogether. It wasn’t anything conscious. If anything, it led to a small amount of fear. This was…

“Do you know what world this is?” Yen Sid questioned her.

“I… can’t name it.” she admitted in a small voice. “But I do know it. My heart does, at the very least. I can feel it.”

Yen Sid gave her a small nod. “This is Wasteland. In the worlds that belong to our universe, it is considered one of the youngest. It came into being after the Keyblade War. I assume Master Eraqus has taught you about the event, at least?”

She gave him a firm nod. All of her attention was focused solely on the map. The master never told her about this world, but something about the story seemed familiar. Small pictures imitating static etched themselves into the back of her head. It was giving her a headache.

Yen Sid either didn’t notice, or did and was ignoring her increasing agitation.

“If you are unwilling to return home,” he told her- his voice somehow sounding a lot more grating in her head, “I suggest you visit Wasteland instead. Find a rabbit there named Oswald and-”

“Oswald?!”

The sudden voice brought Sabrina out of her trance with a start. She whipped her head around to see Mickey at the door. Yen Sid looked at his student in contempt.

“This does not concern you, Mickey.”

The mouse gave a solemn shake of his head before taking deliberate steps into the room.

“If Oswald’s in Wasteland, then I’m going too!”

“Absolutely not.” Yen Sid coldly told his student. “You are about to embark on your Mark of Mastery. You will not be leaving this world until it is complete.”

“But Master!”

“Enough, Mickey. You are my student, and my word is absolute. Do you understand?”

Mickey’s fingers curled into a tight fist. He refused to look the old wizard in the eye.

“Yes sir…”

Sabrina cocked an eyebrow at the mouse. Was she getting deja vu right now? Odd, and slightly irritating. But she did file away the thought of Mickey knowing Oswald. That may come in handy later.

She then realized she had been glaring at Mickey a bit too long- immediately shifting her gaze back at Wasteland’s map. Her thoughts slowly started to trickle back to how it seemed so familiar as Yen Sid sternly made his apprentice leave the room. Mickey was not happy in the slightest. Once he crossed the other side of the doorway, Yen Sid used his magic to close and lock the door with a single wave. You couldn’t even hear Mickey’s surprised yelp as the door slammed on his backside.

“Now, Sabrina,” Yen Sid then addressed the girl, successfully snapping her out of her thoughts with a single word, “Due to the unique nature of Wasteland, there is more than one way to enter the world. For now, with the Unversed running amok, I will show you a secret way that I refuse to tell Mickey of. It will be the faster route in this situation.”

Sabrina gave a nod. She wasn’t quite ready to leave Yen Sid’s tower yet, but she could learn how to get out when it was time. She was sure the old wizard would let her rest before moving forward. All she could hope was that he didn’t rat her out in the meantime.

. . .

Now was the perfect time to sneak into the basement. Mickey had already decided that Yen Sid would keep their visitor for another ten minutes or so, which meant he should be in the clear.

Trying to avoid the walking brooms was a bit of a hassle.

The door leading to the basement was a bit smaller than the other doors around the tower. It was made that way so it could be ignored easier. Mickey had tried to go in when he first became Yen Sid’s apprentice, and was very quickly reprimanded from even daring to go in. Since Yen Sid was surely still busy, that meant he could just go right on in. Right?

What he didn’t anticipate was Sabrina to partially follow him out of her own curiosity. As he fiddled with the lock on the basement door, she leaned against the hallway door frame to watch.

“Whatcha doing?” Sabrina casually asked just as he cracked the lock. The sudden sound of someone’s voice made Mickey jump a solid foot in the air.

“O-oh Sabrina! It’s just you!” the mouse nervously laughed. “I was just… uh… checking somethin’ out. That’s all.”

Sabrina gave a slow nod, and a small noise indicating that she didn’t believe him. Mickey gave another nervous laugh.

“Well,” she then mused in a rather unfriendly voice, “If you’re just snooping around, then I guess you have time to answer a question of mine.”

Mickey jumped. “H-huh? Really? About what?”

Sabrina turned her gaze at him. Her face was nearly unreadable.

“You knew him?” she asked. “Oswald, that is.”

“Of course!” Mickey happily agreed. His face soon fell as he admitted, “But Oswald and I… we don’t really see eye to eye. In fact, the night he left, we had a huge fight.”

“Sounds like a personal problem.”

Mickey shrunk a little at the thought.

“It was the last time I saw him,” he told her. “I thought it was because I was chosen by the Keyblade, but I think there was more there. I’ve just never figured out what.”

Sabrina cocked an eyebrow at him. If he was requesting sympathy, he certainly wasn’t going to get it from her. Mickey must have realized as much, quickly shaking himself out of his regrets. The mouse glanced away from her for a moment, his gaze falling on the basement door again, before a sudden thought came to him.

“Hey,” he happily declared, “I just got an idea! But I’ll need your help with it.”

He expected her glare, so he just went on to explain; “Yen Sid has this thing called a Star Shard in the basement. We can use that to go to other worlds.”

Sabrina adjusted her stance slightly. So Yen Sid wasn’t lying when he said he never told Mickey about that secret route into Wasteland. Bless the poor mouse- he really wanted to make up with his brother, huh?

“Do you know how it works?”

“Well… no…” the mouse admitted. “But I can figure that out once I have it, ya know? Whattya say? Will you help me just this once?”

His smile was bright as he offered his hand to her. It almost seemed innocent -or ignorant- of what he really wanted to do. Not that Sabrina was a saint in taking things from her master either. Perhaps it was that thought alone that made her agree. There was definitely a whiplash of deja vu when they started their journey. Did old Keyblade masters always keep their secret things in the darkest place possible? It was rather ironic, the more Sabrina thought about it.

She did find herself terribly disappointed that, for all the pomp and circumstance, Yen Sid’s basement was not very fortified. Getting to where the Star Shard was located had been a breeze. It made her wonder just why Mickey needed her help. A scapegoat, maybe? No, she decided with a shake of her head, Mickey was too impulsive to think that far. If anything, he had full intentions of using the Star Shard before they ever left the basement. Sabrina never touched the artifact, but threatened to take it from Mickey if he was going to use it before getting somewhere safer- like on the front landing.

When they got back to the room with Wasteland’s map, Mickey was practically bouncing on his toes with excitement.

“Thanks so much, Sabrina!” Mickey grinned as he held the Star Shard close to his chest. “If you get to Wasteland before me, and you see Oswald, can you tell him that I’m sorry? For everything. He doesn’t have to actually forgive me, though. I know he won’t.”

“I will.” Sabrina agreed with a nod. She looked him over for a moment. He had no idea how to use the Star Shard, but he was just so sure he would get where he wanted. The thought made her stomach churn. Before realizing she was saying it, she asked, “You really still care about him, huh?”

Mickey’s grin grew even wider.

“Of course! He’s my brother! We always have to look out for each other- whether we like it or not!”

With that, Mickey quickly departed. Sabrina waited another moment or two before turning her attention back to Wasteland’s map. She had to make herself breathe. Mickey was impulsive, and wasn’t she by doing this? By leaving home to begin with? If her heart wasn’t hurting, she would probably be hitching a ride with Terra, Ventus, or Aqua in whatever they were doing. But no. She had her own journey to go on.

Probably should have told him about this entrance. It might have been faster. Oh well.

Smirking slightly, Sabrina called her Keyblade forward. She pointed the tip at the center of the map of Wasteland. It took only a moment for a beam of light to connect her Keyblade to the map. As a portal appeared above the map, Sabrina activated her Keybalde armor. Once the portal was wide enough, she jumped in like Alice in pursuit of a rabbit.

#kingdom hearts #birth by sleep #bbs: sabi mix #kingdom hearts fanfiction #Sabrina #Yen Sid #Mickey #Mickey Mouse

[theoathkeeper]

The Destiny Trio Sprites

#kingdom hearts #spirtes #my edits #sora #kairi #riku #destriny trio #am I the only one who thinks of the spirte drink when I hear sprite #also I love the different way in which they all hold the keyblade #if only I had all these sprites as plushies

[kicktwine]

do you have more thoughts on keyblade fighting that you need to put somewhere, because i have two hands ready to catch Should The Need Arise

anon: hey I heard you mention you’d analysed the combat styles in KH and what you said in the tags was already alluding to really neat stuff, but I for one would love to hear more of what you came up with!! so if you ever wanted to share any of your analysis then the floor is yours

aHAH, MY EXCUSE!!

Okay, so first some words on “standardized wielding styles”. These are styles shared by Terra, Aqua, Vanitas, Riku, and Xehanort and every other scala and daybreak kid. I will make the argument that the red style is the fanciest standard style, while the purple is seen often to make it easier on the little chibi sprites. BUT, I cannot discredit Eraqus, who uses the purple variant in bbs, nor can I discredit half of the Foretellers (Gula and Ava, at least, use this. Invi and Aced use the first type). So, two standard styles. For simplicity, let’s say one for primary offense, one for primary defense. The standard offensive style really wasn’t popular before Scala-era society.

check this difference out, specifically between ava invi and gula:

then between eraqus, hermod, and xehanort, and eraqus and terra.

These two were likely popularized and standardized for education in Scala ad Caelum for their predominant lack of obvious weak spots.

After this, we have unique styles. Those include Sora Kairi and Xion’s (similar to standard defense, but more mobile at the expense of form — Kairi takes after Sora but less confident, she hasn’t been hit that heavily yet), Ven’s (backhand, heavy range and mobility), Roxas’ (modified for two keyblades, but takes after Sora), and Axel’s (taught himself, comfortable with chakrams).

So! Let’s go.

.

Standard (offensive)

All styles have sub-variations, of a sense. Different wielders can choose where their keyblade points, and how they hold it exactly, based on what makes them most comfortable. Terra and Aqua point theirs downward, while Vanitas and Riku hold theirs above their head. What is recognizeable to this style is a hand for the sword, and a hand for guarding/blocking/items/magic.

It’s incredibly efficient. With only one hand on the weapon, you not only free up a hand for other things, but increase your range of movement with said weapon. Test it out yourself! The keyblade hand is always your dominant hand, held behind you for increased power when attacking (since you lose a significant amount of it by choosing not to grip with both hands). This style also decreases the speed of the defense you have, but with that increased mobility and swing power, along with a hand free to brace against the keyblade (defense strength up!), it makes up for it. Many people who use this also have strong barrier spells — both a testament to their preference for coverage and an acknowledgement that any directional block will take a little longer and be weaker if they try it with one hand.

The pointy end, though. What difference does it actually make, the height it’s at?

I think it’s half a matter of attack style preference and half intention. Riku, Vanitas, and Xehanort stab quite a bit. Aqua and Terra slice more. Not that they don’t do both, but it’s the first instinct. Aqua and Terra are also likely taught to hold their keyblade neutrally, in a safe position, until someone starts attacking. It’s polite! Eraqus also holds his one-handed, neutrally, until he gets into position. Riku and Vanitas learned to fight assuming everyone was out to fight them. Invi and Aced may like this style because of range (i hc she’s blind and strikes very very quickly, and he’s already very powerful with just the one arm and wants better motion).

and on character specifics: Terra often switches to two-handed, to copy his dad and add extra power to his hits without always sacrificing the empty hand. Vanitas likely was forced to relearn how to fight, as instead of solely being trained to be better at withstanding, he was constantly being made to better his own attacks. The moves Xehanort uses would best be replicated in the same style. Vanitas is wild for holding the massive spiky x-blade like that.

Now, what‘s good on this style does not correlate to what’s bad in the other. The two standard styles simply have different ways of dealing with each con they create or taking advantage of each pro.

(Here’s an interesting side note — Gula uses standard defensive, but in this instance, swaps. One hand… likely to display confidence! Wrong move, but hey. He got cocky. He’s also doing it wrong, and swaps back to two-handed to take Aced’s attack.)

.

Standard (defensive)

The main detriment of this style is the lack of ease of long range movement. Hold a wrapping paper tube out in front of you with both hands, then run. It goes to the side, or tucks in to your stomach, right? Dodge. Your legs will get in the way unless you know where to move that sword. It requires, interestingly, a little more discipline. You’d think Aqua would like that, but no, she wants movement and practicality, and she loves magic, and remember that you must take a hand off this style to grab a potion. You’d think young Eraqus wouldn’t, but remember that he’s a fancy royal lad.

The main draw, though, is tankiness, readiness, and power. You don’t need to move as much if nothing dares hit you! Ava and Gula might be attracted to this style because they’re not as physically strong, but want protection in close-quarters fighting. Using this style when your muscles aren’t as big but you still want to Hit Things Good, or when you want to be a boy you can’t knock over with a pail of water (horse stance rules), is probably solid advice.

Traditionally, this is a lot less like fencing, and a lot more like a samurai sword or kendo. Your blade is held in front of you, giving you very easy access to blocks and frontal attack/defense. In losing some twirly spinniness, you gain power and minimize your opponent’s ability to parry and block.

you gotta dodge master Eraqus so mcuh

All styles will swap between one and two hands for different moves. Eraqus, notably, swaps to a stance very similar to Xehanort when channeling a metric ton of magic.

Both of these styles require a degree of upper body/core strength, as does all swordfighting. I would be interested to see someone whose keyblade style relies on leg strength.

.

Sora, Xion, and Kairi

please look at the difference between the foretellers’ or eraqus’ two-handed grip and Sora’s. Do this with your shoulders and a top-heavy object.

They’re both in a hard stance, but hon. What are you, a gremlin? Anyways, a traditionally taught master would have… better form, even if it’s harder to learn at first. It’s habitual. Sora nearly crouches, and holds his keyblade back-pointed with two hands, which makes it easier for him to dodge roll, push off his feet quickly, and pull off those spinning combos he loves. It‘s really gonna hurt his muscles, in the future, though, since he’s doing a squat for like…. hours. Pulling on those shoulderblades and neck. Xion, too. Replicas had better have correct muscle dynamics. Kairi is brand new, so… maybe Aqua can teach her how to hold a sword so it doesnt hurt you.

Okay, now look at the grip itself. Held in front versus held to the side-back. They’re really attempting to combine both standard styles subconsciously, giving themselves more attack power while really wanting to keep that hard defensive parry, wanting to prevent all attacks to the front while also wanting mobility. It’s working for them really well, they fight like an anime character, and manage to get the best of both, with a minor sacrifice of length range that they don’t care about. We’re flexible and full of magic, baby! Holding the blade like this makes it pretty easy to let go with one hand without sacrificing that crouched defense position.

Now, Sora, specifically, is very adaptive. He’s had two keyblades, claws, guns, yo-yos, and a giant shield, to name a couple. He retains a bit of that alert crouch no matter where he goes, but Sora knows how he wants to attack and how to balance that with the most effective way to use his current weapon. He’s a smart kid! Sora has the most ridiculous shotlocks, which are also probably due to not always wanting to go standard for it. He also prefers to keep his focus on the enemy, which is evident in his reprisals and lack of very many effective “escape” moves.

Xion is very similar to Sora, but she does have some moves that are all movement. She switches to one handed for strikes a lot — using two for defending, one for smacking. In her data battle I’d swear some of those heavy hits are claymore-like. But anyways, since we’re magic, Xion cares not for the laws of exhaustion, and will ping about as a ball of light everywhere. Short range? Up in your business. Mid-range? In your business with one hand. Long range? Throws a boomerang. Hit her? No you dont. Ball of light. She’s above you and wants to bash your head in. (Vanitas also does this! A lot. It’s an easy way to catch someone off-guard. I’ll argue that the soras are very tough and strong, but not tanky. they want to avoid being hit a lot)

Another interesting note about Kairi. I say “unconfident” not because she doesn’t hit hard, but because her stance is also often tilted back, ready to dodge. It’s two handed, but almost all her moves are one. She does love spinning and throwing the thing! It looks like she’s been taking notes from the wielders she knows. It would be easy to teach her a standard style, I think. See here, she lets go on the strike, and by trying to do both, actually ends up with an advantage (being confusing) and disadvantage (losing both the power of two handed and versatility of one handed).

A counter to Sora and Xion is difficult to pin down. Time? Probably. Lack of heating pads. Something that takes all their attention is about the only way to get a sneak attack in, and then you have to hit hard. A counter to Kairi would be anyone who can knock her off balance. She needs a sturdier stance. .

Roxas

Roxas is interesting. He takes after Sora for the one blade. Wielding two, however, nets him a totally different way of fighting. Roxas’ clavicle muscles n… deltoids and stuff must be Ironclad. Also, two handed means you are very fast and sharp all the time. He has the advantage of standard defense (horse stance), and the advantage of offense (range of one sword, but twice).

Roxas generally attacks in two ways — simultaneous hits, and follow-up hits. Either he hits with both at once, or hits hard with the first one, and adds the second one as a bonus smack. He can attack by hitting in opposite directions with the two, like a drum, but that will be a little awkward and leave him prone to being tangled. That established, the follow-up hit method means he spins a bunch. As do we all.

Roxas gets a little complicated because we are not in the real world. We have magic and turning into light and physics that let you become a circular saw. So, typically, disadvantages would include: being unable to let go of a weapon to grab something or use an item, having just a very big silhouette to attack on, having difficulty with close-range attacks because Oathkeeper and Oblivion are kinda long, and convenience. Roxas gets to dodge #1 (keyblades can be unsummoned) and #4 (keyblades can be unsummoned). Speaking of dodging, he also gets to skirt the difficulty of dodging and rolling with two swords because he turns into a beam of light. But he can’t dodge how difficult it is to use two swords effectively — he needs to concentrate on fighting, and nothing else, or he risks messing up. He has to be very, very coordinated, and undistracted. Luckily he’s pretty good at making his opponents shut up, most of the time. Blocking is another thing — theoretically his blocks could be strong, but Roxas has no real brace: crossing your blades and taking a hefty stab might smack one of them back into your face. He mostly uses reversals and dodges, because of this.

The takeaway to this is Roxas is built for speed and power, and he is very strong. He’s a mid- to far- range fighter who if you’re not careful can snap you in half if you’re too close (be SO careful of that cross blade scissor).

A perfect counter to Roxas would be a tank that can grapple, and also be very distracting. If you can take hits, be talkative, and get close enough to stop his blades, you have a chance.

.

Ventus

This is a bizarre choice, my guy, but I get it.

Backhanded weapons are very impractical for a lot of... attacking, mainly in mid-range combat, and Ven likes to either fight very close or throw the keyblade like a boomerang (and hey, backhand gives it a good whip for throwing). His attacks aren’t meant to one hit KO, but they do come with a bit of power to them, especially on the backslash. Like holding a knife for gouging. It’s for very close defense — pretty good when Wayward Wind and Missing Ache have hooks.

Backhand also, while retaining that empty hand for potions and guarding, gives you an extreme coverage boost. By which I mean Ven’s sword hand now has a nearly 270 degree sweep of “I see you, don’t touch me”, very quickly, based on just flicking his wrist. It sacrifices a ton of strength/sturdiness, but you don’t need that if you’re dodging. You also don’t really need to block, which is slower, but relatively sturdy when Ven does it, as he blocks with mostly the chunky hilt between crossed arms. He sacrifices (again) a bit of strength for coverage — an attack would hurt his arms, not his chest, if he were hit head-on.

His attacks often have him flip the blade around in his hand, too. Quick swaps between standard moves and backhand ones. Basically, Ventus is built for moving, protecting himself, and quick attacks that wear down the enemy, not outclass it. Likely because he’s good at fighting, but everyone he’s fought hits harder than he can! It doesn’t matter how he holds it, getting hit will hurt. So he just. Doesn’t. He’s not a buff little guy — but he is a persistent one. Ven very likely made this up on his own, in Daybreak, and it was too hard to fix his whole style, but it was enough to correct most of his form so he doesn’t hurt himself too much. He is going to have to really stretch that shoulder and wrist (maybe get a brace), though. At least his neck is ok. … not sure about his knees tho dang boy that crouch

A perfect counter to Ven would be someone big and fast, who hits hard mid-range. He’s already been sparring with Terra, though, so when in doubt, try scruffing him?

.

Axel

Theres not a ton to say about him — he‘s not a swordfighter. He uses his keyblade like it’s a frisbee. Because that’s what he’s used to! His neutral is behind his back on his shoulder, which is terrible for readiness, but okay for chucking the thing. It’s good it has a sort of… ripstik like… boomerang quality.

Axel’s fighting style is completely made up, like most of the self-taught wielders’. His strengths lie in some of the benefits of standard offensive style (one-handed), and some of the same coverage stuff as Ven, having a cocked wrist most of the time so no one can sneak up around him without risking getting whacked very quickly, and having an interesting range due to the pointy end being basically on a spinny swivel wherever his hand moves. He’s not going to be good at close-range and he knows it — his attacks are mostly distance. And the guy has ZERO defense, combined with zero coverage when idle, so it’s for the better.

Distance-wise, though, he rocks. Treating the blade like it’s a flaming throwing weapon means his idle is actually great for sudden flick-tossing and attention-guiding for sneakier attacks, and his stance itself (…nonexistent) serves a different purpose: bait. Basically a big "come hit me". Fun, when you have a lot of fire magic and two friends who are beasts and love to take advantage of a distracted enemy — distance on the blade, proximity on the burning.

A perfect counter to Axel would be someone pinging around very close <—> very far and circling him incessantly. Like, data Xion could wreck him, as he has to wait for the boomerang to come back -- he no longer has two spinny wheels. Also someone with water magic.

.

SO! In conclusion! Having a teacher who teaches you correct sword usage rather than instinct may detract from overspecific styles that benefit you most but leave weak spots, but your muscles and your oversights will thank you. Everyone is glad we have the power of the Mouse and anime on our side.

Keep in mind again that I have done cursory research, and have had minimal actual sword instruction, I am not an expert and this is all for fun anyways :]

#I ran out of images which is homophobic #KH #ask #mojimallow #THANKS MOJI #If you’re wondering what the counter would be to Terra and Aqua; in terms of counters there are no counters #not style-wise anyways. That’s why they’re standard. #Terra can’t react very fast and Aqua needs more mp but that’s individual #and we are mostly talking BASE COMBAT here #of course lingering will can use keyblade transformations and there’s magic strategies — but that would make this post… much longer #brrrrrrr #kh analysis #kh meta #thanks to the handful of other people who asked me to expand on the same thing <3<3<3 #REALLY wanted to include one of Invi blocking — just go watch invi and aced fight for two standard offense #it Shows off their strengths and weaknesses #… no living adults do the two handed grip. Watch Sora and Xion’s data battle for an approximation I guess?? #you. Hey you. Look in the notes rn #metazone

[drazavonia]

(DF) Kairi & Namine's Final Form

When Roxas finally accepted Sora as his other half, they were able to unlock Final Form, bringing out the true power of the keyblade (at that point). 

In Dead Fantasy, Monty Oum (we love you Monty) gave his interpretation on if something like this ever came to be once again, but for Kairi and Namine.

Kairi actually transformed into Namine, hair and all. She also summoned 10 keyblades that acted as gunblades that levitated behind her back similar to Noctis' Armiger and Armored Xehanort in Remind.

However what I want to draw the most attention to is what she does with her primary keyblade. Kairi transforms Destiny's Embrace into a rapier weapon that is very similar to the KH1 Ultima Weapon.

But I'm pretty sure the way she summoned it (by guiding her hand down the keyblade) was supposed to mimic the original Stella Nox Fleuret as she was about to do battle with Noctis. 

Monty was a huge fan of Final Fantasy (hence why Tifa reigned Supreme in DF) and Square Enix in general. 

On the pink FF7R theme with the cast, Tifa's pose is pretty similar to her pose on a Dead Fantasy render.

Almost every FF character in Dead Fantasy is of Nomura's creation, so I wonder if he was inspired by Monty's work?

This is a new addendum to my Kairi/Stella union theory.

In current day Kingdom Hearts, Namine and Kairi are separate people now. So unless a situation like ReMind Sora occurs (or drive forms return?), there's no way for Kairi and Namine to reach a final form together.

However, Namine and Stella's designs had always been extremely similar, even now with "Estelle" (how I'm gonna distinguish Stella from new Stella).

As the previous theories stated, if Kairi received Estelle's heart then it would be possible for a power such as this to be born.

Not to mention from the VERUM REX trailer, Estelle showed a pretty extraordinary feat of power, summoning an ether of sorts that "warped and inverted" Unreality. This is similar to how Kairi and the other six POHs can be used to summon Kingdom Hearts which can alter the world on the wielder's behalf.

Other notes:

To start her transformation sequence, Kairi summons a feather that when she slashes, turns into several flower petals that circle and intertwine behind her back summoning the gunblades that act as her wings/armiger.

Kairi has always had flowers as a part of her motifs. But in M.O.M, her crystal heart that's shaped like a flower bursts into the seven different pieces which strongly resembles how DF Kairi slashes the feather into flower petals. Speaking of the angel wings/feathers she shares with Sora are a recent motif for them. I always thought this might have been a little nod toward the relationship between Squall and Rinoa from FF8. Squall goes by Leon and Sora was originally going to be a lion. Not to mention Leon acts as Sora's mentor for KH1. Rinoa has a pet dog for attacking with and in KH2, Kairi gains Pluto as a companion and animal guide. KH2 was also the game Rinoa was first teased in.

Kairi's magic finisher has her spin around, spin her keyblade almost as if she's holding it like a gun. In DF, Kairi actually does use one of the gunblades as a gun.

It would seem those gunblades are keyblades because she transforms one of them into a significant black and red keyblade (also if you look really closely when they are all summoned they each have a keychain). 

Towards the end, Kairi levitates the keyblade and slams it into the ground. From that keyblade came Vincent Valentine to assist her.

Kairi summoned Vincent from a keyblade. This isn't too new in KH, but typically Sora summons by using his heart and bonds as a conduit. I brought this up because it is very similar to how Kairi "summoned" Sora to defeat Xehanort in her stead when she was unable to.

If this theory has any truth to it, then whatever training Kairi comes out of with Aqua has to make her busted as hell. Final Form was an endgame power-up for Sora, meaning if Kairi and Estelle were to eventually join hearts it would have to be close to the very end of the next game/her training arc.

Lastly, I have a feeling that the Unreality contains unique powers separate from Reality. If certain hearts in Quadratum have those powers, (equivalent of hearts chosen as keyblade wielders) then while Sora and Riku gain those powers while in quadratum, Kairi would have access to those powers already contained within Estelle's heart (similar to how Sora had Ventus' keyblade enabling him to summon it through drive forms).

#kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts melody of memory #melody of memory #kairi kingdom hearts #kh kairi #sora #kh sora #namine kh #stella nox fleuret #nameless star #Xehanort #vincent valentine #namine #rwby

[databoyreekoo]

thoughts on khmom

this thread contains spoilers for khmom, you have been warned

long story short; i loved it

i’ve always been indifferent about kairi. i don’t like her, but i don’t hate her either. honestly, it’s hard to have any sort of opinion on her when her presence in the story is severely lacking...especially compared to other female characters like aqua, xion and namine, who are all developed and well-rounded. but that’s the thing...it’s just kairi. fans like to jump to “nomura doesn’t know how to write female characters and will never give his female characters anything” when in reality, kairi is just poorly written. (i’d like to add that i’m not saying there aren’t any flaws in the way nomura writes his female characters, but this issue is exclusive to kairi as far as kh is concerned). i mean...even larxene and ava have more depth than kairi, and they haven’t even been featured in as many games as her. this is frustrating for those who already like her, and for those who want to like her. yet...it’s been kinda obvious that nomura a) didn’t really know what to do with her post kh1, and/or b) doesn’t particularly enjoy writing for her.

between kh1, kh2 and ddd, kairi showed only a smidgeon of her desire to fight for and help her friends. however, these moments were immediately countered by her waiting on the islands for sora and riku to return, her getting kidnapped, her getting manipulated by xehanort (and other orgxiii members)...or her getting killed. in kh3, her training was left in the hands of a wizard...not a keyblade master. and yes, even though time doesn’t exist in the secret forest, there’s only so much knowledge axel can pass onto kairi...and without a variety of enemies to fight, there’s only so much experience kairi can gain. she still had a lot to learn but was thrown into a war and expected to hold her own (she did good for what little time she had to prepare, though).

then..remind happened. apart from the lore bits that were added and the plot holes that were addressed, the rest of it felt like fanservice, to be quite honest. it gave the fans everything they had been screaming about since kh3′s initial release, including “kairi development/spotlight.” i’m using quotations because kairi was very inconsistent in remind. one moment she’s blocking xion’s attack and protecting axel (repaying him for protecting her earlier in the KG, regardless if she remembers it or not AND for plot reasons; getting to see xion’s face, all in all this feels good, this feels like natural progression for kairi, love that for her), then...she’s suddenly overpowering XEMNAS of all people after he literally slapped sora, roxas AND xion away like a couple of mosquitos...(thematically, it would’ve made more sense for it to have been xion or roxas getting the upper hand, and it would’ve been in character too since they’re both powerhouses...it just feels like this was compensation or an apology for kairi not doing anything in the base game when xemnas kidnapped her...WHICH STILL HAPPENS BTW making this interaction between xemnas and kairi feel insincere and unrewarding...i want natural progression for kairi, i don’t want her to come off like a mary sue), then later once sora and the guardians bring kairi back, she’s totally clueless as to what sora means by “kairi, are you ready for this?” when she can obviously see darkness swirling above their heads...yet, earlier, she immediately gave axel affirmation when he asks “you with me?” just as they’re about to fight saix and xion...her fight against xehanort was wonderful though, her gameplay suited her very well. i just want consistency and natural progression like the rest of the main cast experienced.

i feel like remind was kinda misleading when it comes to kairi...and a lot of fans just rolled with the hype straight into khmom, believing it to be this huge turning point for kairi...only to be let down by the ending.

however, khmom is a turning point for kairi...but it feels sincere, it feels deserved. it feels natural. she got to address her repressed childhood memories and confront an illusion of xehanort, the embodiment of her suffering. she acknowledged her weakness (in jp, sena translated it different) and how it put sora and everyone else in danger. she showed frustration and anger with the way xehanort used her and altered her fate. she charged in to fight and stand up for herself without a second thought. she’s more assertive and involved now than she ever has been, and her personality is finally showing through and she’s bursting with life. even when she tells riku she wants to go, and he denies her in order to keep her safe (i swear to god, if i see one more person call riku a misogynist for gently putting kairi down because she isn’t experienced enough and doesn’t have the power of waking needed to journey to a dangerous, unknown world i’m gonna lose my mind, sora was literally denied access to the realm of darkness all throughout kh3 because it was too dangerous and he hadn’t regained the power of waking and nobody said a damn thing about that), she acknowledges her lack of experience and tells riku with confidence that she’s going to train hard and get stronger so she can fight alongside sora AND riku...not just sora this time. this is the first time in a long time we’ve seen kairi so vocal and adamant about her training so she can grow stronger and not put herself or anyone else in harms way anymore...instead of her writing it down in an unsent letter or having the game telling us but hardly show it. she even tells yen sid she wants to train under aqua WHICH IS HUGE because not only is it a decision she makes herself (and actually voices this time instead of remaining passive), but she also utilizes magic and speed in combat...training under aqua will help her develop SO MUCH, in both character and skill. this also opens potential friendships between kairi and terra, as well as kairi and ventus.

kairi is finally...FINALLY starting her own journey, and even though her path is different from sora and riku’s right now (which, honestly, will be more beneficial for her in the long run), i have more faith now than ever that kairi’s path will cross with sora and riku’s again and she’ll have the strength she wants in order to stand by their side and support them.

#khmom #khmomspoilers #kh mom spoilers #khmom spoilers

[phoenix-downer]

Love Letter

2280 words. Contains spoilers for Melody of Memory. SoKai. Romance, Angst, Fluff, Pining, Mutual Pining, Valentine’s Day, Valentine’s Day Fluff. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! 

Successor of sorts to this story I wrote for Christmas.

The weeks flew by as Kairi’s training continued. Though it was halfway through February now, it was still very cold outside. Snow blanketed the ground, and Valentine’s Day was going to be chilly. Back home, Kairi would’ve made chocolates for her friends and family, so she took it upon herself to make some for Terra, Aqua, and Ven.

Chirithy, unfortunately, got no chocolates, as Kairi figured it wasn’t good for cats of any kind to be eating chocolate. But she made some nice treats for the little cat spirit to substitute. 

There was one more person Kairi wanted to make chocolates for. But would it make any sense? He couldn’t eat them, not where he was now… 

Maybe it was pointless. 

“No, it’s not pointless,” she muttered to herself. “The heart behind them is what counts.” She made those chocolates look as nice as possible and put heart and effort into every single one of them. Added little messages and hearts to them too. 

“Those for Sora?” Ven asked when he bopped into the kitchen to grab a snack. 

“How’d you guess?” she asked as she put the finishing touches on the last one. She was glad Ven didn’t question the logistics of how Sora would be eating these chocolates or judging her for making chocolates for her sort-of-dead boyfriend in the first place. 

“He’ll love them,” Ven said. “They look awesome.”

“Thanks.” 

Kairi was quite pleased with the result. She’d been making chocolates for years, and she’d gotten pretty good at it. 

Ven took a bite out of the sandwich in his hand. “You know what else you should do? Write him a letter.”

“Oh, I’ve written him lots of letters.”

“No, I mean… A love letter.”

Kairi flushed. “You really think so?”

“Trust me, he’ll love it. I was in his heart for years, remember? I got to hear aaaaaall about how much he wished you would do this and that for him.”

“O-Oh.” Kairi tried to avoid thinking about the full implications of that statement. “And love letters were high on the list?”

“Yep, especially after you wrote him that letter that brought him out of the Realm of Darkness. ‘Man Kairi is amazing, I really wish she’d write me more letters,’ Ven said in a pretty accurate imitation of Sora’s voice. “So yeah. He wants more letters from you.” 

She sighed sadly. “I should’ve sent him the ones I was writing to him during my training with Merlin. I kept them to myself instead, and I—”

“It’s okay. I’m sure he understands, and he’ll be happy to get a letter from you now.” 

Terra, Aqua, and Ven all knew about how she could contact Sora. And she was the only one who could do it, which led them to believe the legend of the paopu fruit was more than just a legend. Something had changed about reality that fateful day, like sharing the fruit had bound her and Sora together in more than just a metaphorical sense.

She thanked Ven for the suggestion and neatly packaged the chocolates in a little heart-shaped box. With that, she retreated to her room and closed the door. A quick spell ensured a nice fire was going in the fireplace in the corner, and she sat at the creaky desk and pulled out her stationary. 

“A love letter, huh? What exactly should I say?”

Sora, she began. “Ummm… What do I say next?” She got all flustered thinking about what to say. 

Happy Valentine’s Day! Roses are red, violets are blue,

“No, that’s so cliché!” She groaned and crumpled the letter up. “Here, let’s try this again.”

Sora, 

I wish I’d sent you those letters I wrote to you during my training with Merlin. I regret that I didn’t do that, so I’m writing you this letter now. 

A blush crept up her face as she thought about what to say. She didn’t want to sound sappy and corny, and in her earlier letters she was only able to be as open as she was because she didn’t send the letters to Sora. 

I like you, a lot. I think that’s pretty obvious. But I’ve never sat down and explained why, and you deserve to hear it. 

Ever since I first met you, I’ve been drawn to your smile. I always feel better when you smile. It doesn’t even have to be at me, you know? Just seeing your smile warms my heart.  

And I can’t mention your smile without mentioning your big heart. You’re so kind and caring, and if it weren’t for you, our friends wouldn’t be safe and whole. I wouldn’t be safe and whole. 

She stopped writing. Thinking about his sacrifice still made her emotional. 

Sora, thank you. 

You’re welcome. 

She gasped and dropped the pen. This wasn’t the first time this had happened, but it still took her by surprise. Sora possessing her body at random intervals because he wanted to talk to her, reassure her, protect her. 

When she’d collected herself, she brought the pen back to the paper. 

Hey, she wrote.

Hey, was the response scrawled on the paper when she let him take over. I know it’s not the same as me being here, but I wanted to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day. 

I made you chocolates. 

Really? Awesome! Can’t wait to eat them. 

I hope you like them!

I’m sure I will. Chocolates from Kairi? Dream come true.  

She knew her face must be turning bright red. The room felt warmer in a way that had nothing to do with the fire.

I’ve made you chocolates before, remember?

Nah, those were giri chocolates. You made those for everybody. These are different. 

Who says the chocolates I made you before were giri chocolates?

Oh, they weren’t? 

Uh-uh. You just thought they were :P 

Well, you gave them to everyone… 

But yours were always specially decorated, didn’t you notice? 

There was a long pause. Kairi was beginning to think that she’d lost the connection to Sora when at last he moved her hand again. 

I did. I just didn’t dare hope you felt differently about me. I wanted you to, but I was too scared to ask. 

We both were. Too shy, I mean. 

We’re not now, are we? I mean, we shared the paopu fruit. We’re finally on the same page about how we feel. 

She sighed and rested her hand on her cheek. Were they though? Sora’s actions proved how he felt, but Kairi couldn’t help but wonder if her feelings were enough. She also wondered if Sora’s feelings were a general “would’ve done this for anyone” or “would’ve done this only for you.”

Something’s on your mind. What’s up?

It’s silly. It’s not something I should be worrying about. 

Your feelings are never silly to me, I promise. 

I shouldn’t be insecure about this. 

About what? The paopu fruit? Kairi, I wanted to share it with you, trust me. I only hesitated because I knew how serious a commitment it would be, and I wanted to make sure I was ready. 

No, it’s not that, it’s more… I don’t feel like I’ve proven how much you mean to me. Not the same way you have.  

Do you have to? 

She sighed. He had a point there. No, it’s something I’ve put on myself. 

Why? 

I don’t know how else to show you how I feel. 

There are plenty of ways to do that. The chocolates, this letter… Trust me, I don’t want you dying on me, even if it is to save me. 

She bit her lip. She felt the same way, only it didn’t feel right to tell him she’d prefer him alive and whole. That would be a slap in the face after his sacrifice. 

Besides, you’ve already shown me, he continued. You brought me back from being a Heartless. You freed me from the Realm of Darkness. You kept me alive when I should’ve died at the Keyblade Graveyard.

If only I’d been strong enough to keep you from disappearing. 

There it was, all her grief and regret and self-loathing summed up in one single sentence. It blurred in front of her, and thick tears fell on the page. She just sat there and let the tears flow until she felt another tugging at her hand. Both her hands. Her right hand went to the paper, and her left hand gently wiped the tears away.

I won’t tell you not to cry. You have every reason to cry, Kairi. I just wish I was there to comfort you. 

You are comforting me. 

It’s not the same as holding you in my arms. 

Then you’ll just have to make up for it the next time we see each other. 

I can do that, and I’ll do you one better. When we see each other again, I swear, you’ll be crying tears of joy. 

I’ll hold you to that, Sora. 

Her hand trembled a little, and she realized she wasn’t the one who was shaking. Sora was nervous? Why?

Kairi, he finally wrote, and the letters were sloppier than normal, I know I show how I feel through my actions more than my words, and when I do say stuff, I tend to beat around the bush. I don’t wanna do that anymore. You deserve to know what I’m about to tell you. 

Her heart beat quickly, and she took back control. 

Tell me in person, then. I want to find out what you have to say when we see each other again. I want to hear the words from your mouth, from your heart, spoken with your voice. 

Whatever he had to say, it would be better if she could see his face, hear his voice, hold his hand. A letter was nice but it wouldn’t be the same. 

Okay, but I don’t know when I’ll be back. What if I can’t get out of here on my own?

Riku’s searching for you, and I’m training hard. One of us will figure something out. 

I don’t wanna wait, came the words so quickly Kairi could barely make them out. I want you to know. I can’t keep my feelings locked up anymore. Can’t keep them hidden or buried. They’re pounding inside my heart, tearing me open day by day, and it’s killing me. I can’t take this separation anymore.  

Then I’ll come for you. I’ll rescue you, and you can tell me then. I promise. 

That seemed to calm him down a little, but Kairi sensed he still needed comfort and reassurance. Time to do what she could. She turned her left hand over, palm facing up, and rested the pen on her skin. 

“Sora, hold out your palm too,” she said softly. Maybe this would work, maybe this wouldn’t. At the very least he’d be able to see it on her body, right? 

“I want you to wait to tell me how you feel about me because I want to hear your voice when you do,” she said. “But I never said I couldn’t tell you how I feel about you. You need this to keep you going. To give you the strength to face each day until I find you.”

Slowly, carefully, she wrote on her skin. When she reached the final word, her hands shook as the full meaning of her message sank in for Sora.

“There,” she said softly. “Whenever you’re feeling down, all you’ll have to do is look at the palm of your hand and remember how much you mean to me.” 

In that moment, Sora fully took control of her body. A wave of emotions washed over her that weren’t her own, and he brought her hand to her mouth and kissed it, the closest he could get to kissing her hand himself. She smiled, amazed that her message was enough to get him to react like this. She felt his heartbeat in her own, beating out a staccato as it raced and pounded and struggled to be contained. 

When he brought her hand to the paper again, it was to write one last simple message. 

Kairi, thank you. 

You’re welcome.

Till next time. 

Till next time. 

With that, he was gone. For now, anyway. He’d visit her again, Kairi knew he would. And she would bring him home herself, just like she’d promised. 

She set the chocolates on her bedside table. Time for dinner. 

Ven grinned when she strolled into the kitchen. “Look at that big smile. I’m guessing you took my advice?”

“Maybe,” she coyly said. 

Ven peered at her hand. “A-ha, what’s that you have written there? A love note?”

She quickly hid her hand. “None of your business.” But her lips were twitching and she knew Ven had probably seen at least part of the message. 

Oh well. It didn’t really matter, because the words had their full depth of meaning to her and Sora alone. That was the beauty of her feelings for him. She could express them in a way that only he would truly understand, and it made the message as beautiful as the meaning behind it. 

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In a world without Kairi and a reality far from hers, Sora unfolded his hand. Written on his palm was a simple message, simple but heartfelt. It had worked. It had really worked. Kairi’s words were with him, had stayed with him despite the odds, and they made all his fears and doubts melt away.

He rested his hand over his heart and closed his eyes, a soft smile on his face. His voice was hoarse, but at last he could use it. 

“Kairi, thank you.”

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A/N: This fic is dedicated to the lovely @angel-with-a-pipette​ for all her input, feedback, and suggestions! Thank you again for the help!

And a Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone! Thank you for reading!

#kingdom hearts #kh fanfiction #sokai #sora #kairi #melody of memory #melody of memory spoilers #kh mom #kh mom spoilers #sora x kairi #sora/kairi #phoenix downer #phoenix writes #post-canon #long post #romance #angst #fluff #pining #mutual pining #love letter #love letters #valentine's day #happy valentine's day #ven #ventus #kairi and ventus friendship #friendship

[whimsicalbumblebee]

Hey strangah, found out your an avid fan of Omori, from your art for TMAWH, and KH and made an AU outline thang and went "AAAHHHHH" CUZ TWO OF KY FAVE THINGS IN AN AU HITS THE SEROTONIN!!!

I love the ideas of having Mari and Sunny sparring inevitably leading to their accident from the stress the boy must feel - possibly having the expectations of being a Keyblade master just like his sister - to Basil doing his best to try qnd save his friends from the hold of Darkness as a sorta reflection of the teachings of Light and everything with Eraqus in BBS, and even Omori being his own person being "born" from Basil in the same vein as Xehanort and Vanitas (also wondering how the FUCK Basil still learns forbidden knowledge/techniques).

I'm wondering if you've planned to have a few inclusions of D*sney worlds into the story with Hero and the gang, and I'm wondering if Omori would have an outfit that's like a combination of Vanitas' suit and the Black Coat? Anyways I hope you know that you're awesome and have good things come your way, got it memorized?

glsgkfk Im actually really happy someone saw my giant mashup of two considerably very different genres of games that also? are incredibly similar once you kinda look into it?

And listen listen Basil is doing his best here.... I imagine him that out of all of them? (well second to Hero probs) he tends to read up a lot more on Keyblade stuff? Like he learns best from books versus someone like Kel and Aubrey who thrive in actually learning things hands on?

So the likeliness that he read something about how to separate Darkness from hearts to destroy them (using capital letter for that for a reason, if you're not caught up with KHUX lore this kiiinda plays a role with that so keeping it vagueish for spoiler reasons) is very high and this is very much a situation of Basil just acting before fully assessing the situation (which tbf was pretty chaotic at the time)

Also I was thinking of not? having D*sney worlds? but thats really cuz I was thinking instead of those- it would actually be based around headspace locations but more like a mash up with non d*sney KH worlds. Example: Destiny Islands mash up with the Playground. Radiant Garden and Otherworld, Traverse Town and Last Resort? So they're more or less fleshed out unique worlds?

I don't have an outfit for Omori quite yet! but your timing couldnt have been more perfect as I was sorta ? planning out Sunny's and Mari's outfits! This is still very early in the development so these will most likely change but since I'm just so excited?? Here's what I've got so far!

very..early planning stage ahaha

But thanks! for your interest in this silly little AU!

#Omori KH AU #Omori spoilers #Omori AU #bee buzzes #kh spoilers #? just in case? #anyways I could probably go on about this for hours ahah

[casualtheoriesandthoughts]

The role of memories in Kingdom Hearts

I recently replayed KH Re:CoM and I have to say it’s one of the more brutal entries in the series, with very little light-hearted letup on the action of the main story. Marluxia and Larxene, more so than nearly any other antagonist (even more than Xemnas imo) in KH, are incredibly cruel. Ansem SoD is literally a ghost haunting Riku and taunting him with his grief (and honestly made me think this is why a lot of fans came to support Riku in the first place). 

The scene where Larxene flings Riku Replica to the side? Positively gut-wrenching. Sora being uncharacteristically angry? It honestly made me slightly uncomfortable. Naminé accepting her fate to be forgotten by Sora (despite him promising to meet her again) was super tragic.

But more than anything else, I feel like Re:CoM is a somewhat overlooked entry in the series for its influence on the meta-universe of KH (even if it is a bit of a ridiculous game with the card system). Especially since Melody of Memory has been released (spoilers ahead!), I felt the need to revisit Re:CoM for its lore on the role of memories in KH. Memories are an intriguing dimension of what I’m going to start calling the metaphysics of the KH universe. In this post, I’m going to cover things that memories do in Kingdom Hearts, and the implications it has for Melody of Memory and the ending of Re:Mind (last warning: SPOILERS AHEAD). 

Re:CoM - Memories and connected feelings shape the heart

As Sora enters Castle Oblivion, we are told that the deterioration of his memories has already begun. Naminé is actively altering the links in his memory to insert her presence therein (all at the behest of Marluxia, who is manipulating her desire to meet Sora and her loneliness). Despite the creation of false memories in Riku Replica and Sora, however, they still induce people to experience very real feelings. Before his final battle with Marluxia, Sora still feels a responsibility and desire to protect Naminé in spite of the fact he has no personal relationship with her in reality and that she manipulated his memories. He also goes out of his way to tell Riku Replica that his own feelings are real, and that even if the memories are false, his experiences are his own and even possesses his own heart. For Sora and Riku Replica, all feelings are genuine even if they arise from false memories.

It’s worth noting the way memories are referred to in Re: CoM, starting with the title: Chain of Memories. A chain can be either shackling or connecting, as Marluxia and Naminé allude to when speaking about Sora’s memories. Marluxia orders Naminé to control Sora by way of his memories, in order for the latter to do his bidding (help him to take over the Organization, that is). Naminé, on the other hand, refers to Sora’s memories as that which tie him to his friends and loved ones, especially Riku and Kairi. His feelings of friendship and love towards others never fade in spite of his memories being changed, and is even willing to allow Naminé to destroy his heart by erasing his memories.

But that’s where it gets complicated. It is highly implied that memories have the ability to shape a heart, but only at this point is it suggested that the erasure of memories can actually destroy a heart. Marluxia states that if Naminé were to erase Sora’s memories, he would become an empty shell incapable of feeling (which coincidentally describes a Nobody). That said, she doesn’t actually do it, and when she destroys Riku Replica’s false memories, his heart does not disappear. This is why Riku Replica is able to return right before Sora fights Marluxia, his heart intact. This seems to indicate that Marluxia was either speaking in hyperbole, or simply did not know the true relationship of memories to hearts. 

It may then be more accurate to say that the destruction of memories traumatizes and numbs a heart rather than destroys it. Larxene comments during Reverse/Rebirth that Naminé’s magic almost remade Riku Replica’s heart by changing his memories, but not quite. In the KH universe, memories seem to be inscribed on a heart rather than fundamentally altering it. Yet, memories also bind hearts to the world by giving them meaning. 

Remember that as Sora journeyed through Castle Oblivion, people outside apparently forgot about him and remembered him spontaneously when awoke from his pod in Twilight Town. It’s not just the individual memories that make up a person, but the shared memories and experiences which connect hearts together in a “chain” of memories. In the presence of others, characters acquire purpose and senses of self. In Reverse/Rebirth, Riku rediscovers himself after falling to darkness and battles against his insecurities by rekindling his connections to people like Sora, Kairi and Mickey. This is how he maintains the light within, by dwelling on his memories of his bonds to his friends.

In that context, we might see how memories play an important role in giving rise to new hearts later on. 

358/2 Days - The case of Xion

Xion is one of the most curious and earliest cases of a heart being generated seemingly out of nowhere in KH (I’d say possibly even before Riku Replica). Just like Riku Replica, Xion in 358/2 Days is derived from the memories of her original persona (in her case, Sora). She is not a true Nobody, though Vexen muses that his replicas are a special kind of Nobody in the Day 23 Report of 358/2 Days’ Secret Reports. In addition Xion, unlike Riku Replica, actively embodies many of Sora’s qualities while being distinctly aware that she is not truly Sora. It is this crisis of identity which eventually leads her to believe that she must return to Sora, and forces Roxas to defeat her. 

After that, people cease to remember Xion after she returns to Sora, a fact about which I’ve always wondered. Consider that Riku Replica, upon returning to Riku (or at least residing in his heart), does not fade from Riku’s memory or anyone else’s. Axel repeatedly doesn’t remember Xion even when hints of her come up (such as the fact that Roxas wields two Keyblades, his knowledge of the Replica Program and his many interactions with Kairi, even during KH3). Yet he clearly remembers Riku Replica as evidenced in the Day 194 Secret Reports from the 358/2 Days. This is well after the events of Re: CoM for both Sora and Riku’s stories, as Xion had already met Riku in his Organization XIII coat. 

In theory, one might assume that Axel shouldn’t remember either Xion or Riku Replica because they have both returned to their original forms. Yet objects that belong to them or are about them remain in existence (ex. Vexen’s reports about the Replica Program). Even Xion’s personal memories and those attached to her are sealed inside Roxas’ heart. Presumably because Sora never actually met her or Roxas (a crucial difference from Riku and his replica), and Roxas lost his own memories in his fight with Riku, memories of her became doubly compromised when he returned to Sora. So this begs an important question: what do memories do when it comes to having a heart? 

I would say that memories, especially independent ones, allow for the arising of new hearts. Riku Replica may have acquired a heart (and therefore a distinct existence) when he decided to defend Naminé and claim his memories of her, even though they’re not real. In contrast, it is not clear whether Xion has a heart at the end of 358/2 Days, and it is implied that she has one by KH3, and essentially confirmed in Re:Mind.

From where, one can only vaguely guess. Let’s look at other KH beings: darkness is the source of Heartless; nothingness of Nobodies; negative emotions (or rather Vanitas) of Unversed; dreams of Nightmares ,Dream Eaters and Spirits. It would seem that hearts arise from light, or perhaps Kingdom Hearts itself (seeing as it appears to be the bedrock of reality). It makes sense since Kingdom Hearts is composed of all hearts that exist. But crucially, it is memories which give hearts their forms. Xion returns to existence when Sora liberates her memories/essence from within Roxas’ heart during Re:Mind. 

Memories clearly play some role in generating an existential niche for hearts. They also may very well be the reason that people can be re-completed: Axel recalls his memories as a kid as he spends time with Roxas and Xion (Day 118 Secret Report). He even says that he feels like he has a heart in the presence of Roxas, Xion and Sora (and very critically, is unsure if he in fact doesn’t have one in a conversation with Roxas). Marluxia seems to recall his memories as Lauriam from KH Union Cross, right as he is defeated in KH3. Terra’s memories occasionally surface in Xemnas, and his feelings of loneliness come up as he dies in KH3. 

Sora states in KH Re:CoM that he was able to return to being whole after becoming a Heartless by holding on to his memories of Kairi, and her own ability to free him from the darkness. Roxas, Xion and Riku Replica all develop hearts distinct from their original personas as they experience the world and forge new memories. Xion is primarily able to return to the world because people’s memories of her are restored. Her true consciousness becomes freed through Sora’s actions, not unlike the way Sora’s friends and allies suddenly remember him at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts 2.

From this, we can deduce that memories are critical for three things: 

existing as a unique, complete individual

returning from states of incompleteness (such as being a Heartless or Nobody) 

verifying that someone actually still exists in a reachable place

The last one is the kicker with Xion, and bears on a working theory of mine about Melody of Memory and Re:Mind’s endings (which I’ll put in another post for clarity). Hope this interests some people, and inspires some discussion about the possible connections between Re:CoM and Melody of Memory!

#khrecom #chain of memories #kingdom hearts #kh #kingdomhearts #khtheories #xion #kairi #sora #namine #kh lore #kh3 #kh2 #kh3 remind #kh meta