#sora's catchphrase is 'huh'

[characterssaythedarnestthings]

Joshua: The Disney corporation is a perfect example of capitalism, and it's detrimental influence on our society-

Sora: Corporation? Capitalism? HUH?

#sora's catchphrase is 'huh' #kingdom hearts #kingdom hearts ddd #dream drop distance #sora #joshua kiryu #twewy #the world ends with you #joshua twewy #yoshiya kiryu #disney #politics #quotes

[otakween]

Digimon Adventure (Manga) - Vol. 3

Not much to day about this one. Sora looks kinda derpy on the cover. The front is so-so, but she straight up looks drunk on the back

Ch. 15

-This was an adaptation of the Skullygreymon episode and Joe got his crest. I noticed that they're not saying the names of the crest like they did in the dub. It's just "my crest" not "the crest of X." Well that's closer to the original Japanese I guess.

-Kinda bugs me how the kids instantly know that Skullgreymon is a bad digivolution. I get that they would know something's up when he starts acting out of control, but to assume based off looks feels weird. They haven't even seen any other ultimate forms at this point, how do they know a skeleton is a bad thing?

Ch. 16

-Apparently Piximon's English catchphrase is "yep yep"/"nope nope." What is he Ducky from the Land Before Time? (Well...minus one word).

-They really didn't explain how cleaning Piximon's house helped them get stronger at all lol

Ch. 17

-I forgot all about Etemon merging with his dark network. He kinda looked like the flying spaghetti monster.

-The impact of Tai and Koromon ending up in Tokyo was much weaker here than in the anime. In the anime it's a moment of silent shock and they do a close up before cutting to the reveal. Here it's zoomed out with lame "yOu'D nEvEr GuEsS wHeRe We EnDedD uP!" narration. Oh well, least I get to see Kari in manga form now

Ch. 18

-Well damn, that sucked. They really had the nerve to shove 5 episodes of the anime into one brief chapter. This means that the real world bit is basically skipped over and we don't get to see a bunch of the ultimate digivolutions' first battles. SO lame! No wonder no one's talking about this over on MAL

-The gang is now looking for Sora but they neglected to mention why she isn't with the group in the first place. The could have just stuck a "we split up" line in there somewhere. Sheesh...

-Kari's calm reaction to Koromon makes no sense. Yeah, she saw him when she was younger, but it's been what, 4 years since then? She should still be surprised that he's suddenly reappearing. Instead she acts like she's seeing her cat or something smh.

Ch. 19

-We're already onto Myotismon, which is weird because I don't remember them ever defeating Etermon! I flipped back a couple chapters and I guess they defeated him right before Tai went back to Earth, but it practically happened off screen. What the heck...you don't end an arc like that.

-I don't think they even bothered saying Garudamon's name. They were just like "Birdramon digivolved!" I guess they really just expect you to know things from the show huh...at least the art was good.

Ch. 20

-When I first watched the anime I thought Izzy was really smart for figuring out Myotismon's card-based key system, but now that I'm more familiar with how digimon work it's really obvious lol. Guess the other kids didn't get the background info from Gennai though, so it makes sense that they'd be impressed.

Ch. 21

-Okay I completely forgot that Vamdemon/Myotismon actually drinks human blood. Definitely makes him feel more threatening. It's really weird though because that would mean he just starved in the digiworld all this time? There aren't any humans...I guess he can eat other things too -shrug-

-They finally said Garudamon's name but they called her Garudomon so...yeah

#Youtube #digimon adventure #manga #manhua #digimon

[aeoki]

Grand Slam - The Blood-Vomiting Beast: Chapter 8

Location: Yumenosaki Grounds (Sports Festival) Characters: Ritsu, Sora & Natsume

Natsume: Well, in any caSE, let’s not get ahead of ourselves and continue to steadily maintain our victoriES. It’s still the first dAY, there’s no need to push ourselves too much to pull ahead of the otheRS.

It’s not just thAT. If we’re winning by a landslide, the viewers might not be curious about what happens in the end and they might stop watchiNG.

As an idol performing in this “show” called the “Old-Fashioned Sports Festival”, we’ve got to leave a sense of thriLL.

Ritsu: Amazing. You’re an exemplary idol. …I can’t help but wonder if you were always such a good boy, though.

Natsume: What do you know about mE?

Well, we’re both fellow brothers of the saME “Nii-san”, so I think that’s something we share in common, though…♪

Ritsu: Huh? What’re you talking about? None of your “big brothers” have anything to do with me, though?

Natsume: (Phew… It seems the magic has somehow workED, I suppose I’ve dodged most of the follow-up statemenTS. If I bring up a topic he dislikES, he’ll distance himself all on his oWN.)

(BuT. As expected of the younger brother of Rei Nii-san, the leader of tHE “Five Oddballs”.)

(The brains behind the veteran unit “Knights”... I don’t know if he’s doing it on purpose or by instinCT, but he just smoothly touches upon the dangerous topiCS.)

(As eloquent as I am competeNT, I shall manipulate the strongest here – “Knights” – and fulfil my goal.)

(In order for that to happEN, I can’t have them become wary of mE, so I cannot act any differently than I normally dO.)

Sora: Master~...? What’s wrong? You’ve got a scary look on your face~

Natsume: It’s nothiNG, Sora.

Our current situation is, well, not that bAD. I’m glad I told Mophead to put your name forward during the "Summit” when they were deciding on the leaders yesterdAY.

You prioritise harmony and happiness over victoRY. As long as you’re holding up a brocade flAG, even the attitudes of the other teams towards us will softEN.

There aren’t that many humans who will kick a small, affectionate and soothing animal with all their migHT. Although, I can immediately name a few who would do such a thiNG.

If the leader was me or someone from “Knights”, we would’ve unintentionally won so many evenTS, the people around us would probably come to hate uS.

Sora: Yes! It looks like Tsuka-chan loves fighting and winning, after all~♪

Natsume: YeAH. But since the “Old-Fashioned Sports Festival” is a re-enactment of an ancient ceremoNY, negative feelings and danger go hand in haND.

Sora: Yes. It’s a ceremony to cleanse the “bad thing”, but if ill feelings and hatred are gathered in one place, then that would be upside-down thinking instead~

Sora knows it might be too late for this, but we can’t explain that to the others? We can’t work together, make it a fun event and drive away the “bad thing”~?

Natsume: AhaHA. “Something” stained with evil that drives the humans of this land crazy is swirling togethER.

In order for us to cleanse thAT, we need everyone’s happiness and positive feelings, don’t wE?

Those who assert that with a straight face and, in turn, questioned whether they’re sane or not is what we call modern socieTY.

Magicians, aliens and people with ESP don’t exist in this worLD. Those sorts of occult things are simply a fantasy that should be told as a joke to pass tiME.

Sora: HeHe~♪ Master~ You’re saying things that would make people come to their senses like it’s a catchphrase of yours~

But, in reality, Master~ wants to believe in “those” actual things the most, correct?

Natsume: …You see right through mE, Sora.

YeAH. I truly believe it would be nice if “that” exists in this worLD. Something supernatural that we humans cannot fully comprehend nor contrOL…

I think it would be great if “that” could be an ally to humaniTY– No, I wish they were my alLY. With that, life would be much more comfortable and simpLE.

That is the mentality we’ve bore in our hearts since the very beginning of tiME, one where we seek god’s salvatiON – a religious beliEF.

Sora: Hmm~? Master’s speeches are very educational as usual!

Natsume: Fufu. It’s because you’re here listening very intently that it makes it all the more worthwhile to sAY.

(But even so, there are things I cannot tell hIM.)

(If there were some sort of wisdom that would befall humanity, it’s a magician's job to monopolise that and use it for our own gaiNS.)

(Therefore, those existences are the enemy of religious belieFS; in other words, they were hunted down because they were the enemy of all humaniTY. That is the grim history of humaniTY.)

(I cannot make my precious Sora “humanity’s enemy” so, in the end, I must be the one to eradicate thAT “bad thing”.)

(As for whether or not I’ll be able to obtain the power to destroy it or something that will be usefUL, I’ll have to ascertain its quality firST. The “Old-Fashioned Sports Festival” will be the perfect and worthwhile testing ground for thAT.)

Sora: (On second thought, does Master~ actually like the occult? But he must~ Otherwise, he wouldn’t call himself a magician!)

(I’m glad! Sora likes it too! Sora is happy knowing Master~ likes the things Sora likes!)

(That’s why! Sora wants to show Master~ the thing he wants the most!)

(It looks like Sora is the only one who can see it right now, so Sora has to think of a way to allow everyone else to see “it” too~)

(To do that–)

(Hyaa! Hmm!?)

Natsume: ? Sora, what’s wroNG? Was there a moppy piece of Mop-Glasses in the lunch box we got from the agenCY?

Sora: That sounds like a blessing if that was the case~♪ But it’s not that. Sora just got a message on “Hallhands”.

Natsume: A messaGE?

Sora: Yes! It’s a message about the next event? But there’s something fun scheduled to be happening soon during the lunch break?

Natsume: Something fuN…?

Sora: Umm? The thing that they often have at sports festivals. A cheering contest~♪

← Previous Chapter ᠂ ⚘ ˚⊹˚ ⚘ ᠂  Next Chapter →

#grand slam

[sunyatas]

“Void” As for a fun fact. Sora's most known word to say is 'Huh' and by now it's like one of those shounen-esque catchphrases that some mainlines do. Glad to be on board here Snowy!

Because I forgot to answer this from way before, I’m glad for the Rules check and fact! Sorta I our true Disney Shonen, prove me wrong

#snowy speaks; ooc #rules check #asks; #I’m iconless and I feel naked but here we are

[hyenahunt]

Werewolf - 6

Writer: Nishioka Maiko

Season: Summer

Proofreading: 310mc (JP)

Translation: Bella & hyenahunt

Hiyori: This is truly worthy of some super sleuthing! As the great detective that I am, you should just leave it to me, Natsume-kun!

[Location: Seisou Hall Common Room]

Hiyori: Jun-kun! Aren't you so glad we got to see that just now?

Jun: You mean the cat sittin' all cozily out in the courtyard, right? Yeah.

It was real cute... though it ran away when I tried to pet it. Wonder if it got lost and wandered in?

Hiyori: If it was a lost cat I would have loved to welcome it into my home...

But I can't do something as irresponsible as that, what with all the unpredictable travelling we do for work.

And besides, we can't have our Bloody Mary getting jealous, of course!

Natsume: ......

Hiyori: Hm? If it isn't Natsume-kun! Right as I was thinking I could feel some despair in the air!

Jun: Oh, you're right. Heya~

Hiyori: What's the matter? You shouldn’t be spreading gloomy vibes all over the place, you know? They'll just infect everyone around you, you see.

And I was in such a good mood, too! What a foul weather!

Natsume: I’m in an extremely bad mood right NOW. Leave me ALONE.

Jun: Hmm. Well then, wanna play some game again? Pick something fun and maybe your mood'll clear up a bit, whether you win or lose.

If you'd like, I can let you win, too? You could even pick something you're a pro at if you want — wouldn't bother me.

Natsume: I'm not in the MOOD. I won't feel like playing games for as long as I have all these worries weighing on my MIND, you KNOW.

Hiyori: Oh, that’s no good now, is it? If there's something troubling you, you should come have a heart-to-heart with me! How fortunate you are, to be blessed with advice from me of all people ☆

Natsume: ...Are you joKING? No way. You're not the least bit reliaBLE.

I don't approve of you inserting yourself into other people's affairs in the first PLACE. We call that "meddling," you KNOW?

Hiyori: Heheh. Tweak the meaning slightly and even meddling can turn right into care!

Everyone would be so much happier if they'd look instead at the bright side of life ♪

Not to mention, I'm always the one who soothes Jun-kun's woes. So knowing that, you should just kick back, relax, and tell me everything!

Jun: You're usually the source of my woes to begin with, Ohii-san.

Hiyori: Feeling bashful, are we, Jun-kun? You're so cute when you are ☆

Jun: Bashful's the last thing I am, actually....

Natsume: HonestLY. I don't understand how you can stay so needlessly optimisTIC, Tomoe-senpai.

Hiyori: Yes, yes. You see, this is what you'd call an adult's composure. I'm on a different level entirely when it comes to experience — after all, I'm basically your senior in life!

Jun: Well, putting Ohii-san and his advice aside...

If you're at your wit's end over something, Sakasaki-san, it might help to ask around for opinions, y'know~?

In times like these, you could totally have some kinda breakthrough just by looking at it from a different angle.

Natsume: A breakTHROUGH…?

(It is true that asking Sora hasn't gotten me anyWHERE, and I don’t even have an inkling of what the problem is in the first plaCE. I'm well and truly STUMPED.

Hrmm… These two were with me when Sora started acting strangeLY, so perhaps they might know someTHING...)

But it literalLY, physically pains me to rely on the two of THEM...

Jun: Sakasaki-saaan? You kinda said that out loud, y'knooow~? Please keep stuff like that to yourself.

Natsume: I'm sooo sorRY. That was on purPOSE ♪

Jun: Man, both you and Ohii-san are such pleasant people, huh.

Natsume: But it's exactly as you SAY. I feel completely and utterly STUMPED.

You SEE, it's because of Sora that I'm so glooMY.

We met him in the kitchen some time ago, RIGHT?

Jun: Yeah. We did, now that you mention it~

Natsume: Since THEN, Sora's been acting oddLY. He's been aloof for some reaSON.

As you might exPECT, it's worrying ME. He ran away in the blink of an eye when I went to visit his room just NOW.

Hiyori: Hmm~ Are you sure it's not because of you, Natsume-kun?

Like maybe you said or did something to upset him. That's my deduction, anyway!

Natsume: I'm sure it isN'T. Sora only acts like this at the dorms; he's his usual self when we're doing WORK.

He's not the kind of person who does a total 180 between his public and private life eiTHER.

If I'd really done or said something to HIM, then it'd be strange for his attitude to change only based on where we ARE.

Jun: Mmm... It does sound like a real mystery...

We're not gonna find any answers standing around thinking about it, so why not just straight-up ask Harukawa-kun why he ran away that time?

Natsume: Absolutely NOT.

Jun: You're practically pulling your hair out over this, so why not? Isn't hearing it straight from him the quickest way to get a guaranteed answer?

Natsume: I certainly could force him to tell me exactly what's going ON...

But that wouldn't be FAIR. Sora doesn't belong to ME. He's his own perSON.

If he doesn't want to talk to ME, then I'm not going to corner HIM.

Hiyori: Ah-ha~ ♪ I can see right through you. You're trying to put up a front, aren't you! You don't want to let your adoring junior see you looking lame in the slightest, correct?

Natsume: God, you're so annoYING...

AnyWAY, that's THAT. If Sora's decided he's not going to talk to me about IT, I'm not going to make him, BUT...

If I could just figure out what's going ON, then I might be able to do something about IT.

You two saw him that day too, didn't YOU? Did you notice anything OFF? Anything's better than noTHING… I'm not expecting that much from you, anYWAY.

Jun: Easier said than done.... Nothing really happened that day, right? I can't think of anything that could've been—

Hiyori: Heh heh heh.... Interesting.... Reaaally interesting!

Natsume: What? Did you figure something OUT, Tomoe-senpai?

Hiyori: Nope, not in the slightest! But I do believe Sora-kun's hiding some sort of important secret!

Hiyori: This is truly worthy of some super sleuthing! As the great detective that I am, you should just leave it to me, Natsume-kun!

In the name of my dear old grandfather, I'll solve this mystery for everyone! After all, only a single truth prevails ♪ [1]

Natsume: ...Just what is he so obsessed with this TIME?

Jun: The detective mangas I've been lending him, I'm guessing?

Ohii-san, I'm just saying but you got things a little wrong, y'know?

Natsume: (Sigh) I feel like reaching back into the past and punching myself for even trying to talk with THEM...

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Translation Notes:

[1]: Hiyori references two famous detective manga series in this line — the first is a reference to The Kindaichi Case Files, where the main character's catchphrase is "In the name of my grandpa!". The second is from Detective Conan, with "One truth prevails!". In both cases, he gets them slightly incorrect, hence Jun's comment: お爺さま instead of じっちゃん (a more formal way of saying grandfather), and 真 相 instead of 真実 (both meaning truth but pronounced differently)

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#hiyori tomoe #jun sazanami #natsume sakasaki #enstars #ensemble stars #enstars translation #s: werewolf #era: !! #type: scout #status: complete #hyenahunttl

[chemicalmagecraft]

The Gamer Hero, Deku Chapter 30

A/N: I initially forgot that the HP-related stat in The Gamer was VIT and not CON when I first started writing this chapter because I had DnD on the brain. How embarrassing would it have been if I hadn't caught that?

xoxoxo

I looked at my newest text boxes as Aizawa-sensei talked.

Through repeated meditation, your VIT has increased by one!

By raising VIT above 100, two random skills have been created!

The skill 'Healing Grace' has been created through VIT rising above 100 and having a healing skill with a level of 95 or higher!

The skill 'Immovable Object' has been created through VIT rising above 100!

The skill 'Purity of Body' has been created through VIT rising above 100!

Through repeated meditation, your STR has increased by one!

I'd actually got them on the way to school so I could go to my work study, which was pretty lucky. My VIT had been pretty close to the hundred-point benchmark after that ridiculous +15 to all stats, so naturally I'd had my Mantra set to level it up for the past few days. And now that I had the skills, I'd probably be trying to get my STR up. It wasn't as high as VIT was, but it still wasn't that far off so I'd set Mantra to level it unless I was Meditating, when I would switch Mantra to something else and use Meditation for STR. Mantra's benefits had improved slightly as it leveled up, so it might even happen within the month!

I closed the text boxes after I was done reading what the skills did. Purity of Body was the standard improved version of the previous benchmark's skill, nothing much to comment on there other than the fact that it probably synergized well with Damage Reduction because it improved my HP. Immovable Object was... I suppose it was good and I could definitely find uses for it, but it looked a little unwieldy, too... It was a powerful barrier spell, but the barrier got a lot of its strength from being rooted, completely immobile. Even after turning the skill off the barrier would take a few moments to dissolve, leaving me immobile unless I could brute force my way through it... which I could probably do if I wanted, but not without using up more MP. At the very least I was already halfway through puzzling out how to use Item Enchantment to combine it with Imaginary Architect, which would give it a lot more versatility (though I doubted I'd get much EXP if at all for it if I only used an enchantment derived from it...). The barrier would be immobile even in midair, though it thankfully made me immobile relative to Earth and not truly immobile so I wouldn't fly off every time I used it.

I noticed, though, that it reminded me of Illusion Barrier in a way. I couldn't tell too well without actually using the skill, but it felt like it drew on the same underlying dimensional... thing... that Illusion Barrier tapped into, though in a different manner. Instead of creating another layer of reality using its fabric, it seemed like the barrier would gain extra stability by being rooted to it. Though maybe 'rooted' might not have been the right word for it...

The best skill, though, was Healing Grace. In addition to increasing the rate at which my HP naturally regenerated, it also enhanced the effects of any skill I had that was even remotely related to healing. That was amazing, especially with how my current objective (even if I hadn't gotten a quest for it) was to heal Iida's brother. And that wasn't all Healing Grace enhanced. Regeneration, Meditation, and Mantra also healed for more now, though it seemed that Super Regeneration, being a Quirk and not a skill, didn't have the same benefits. It didn't seem to do anything for the MP regeneration effects on Meditate and Mantra, and while I couldn't check it as easily I assumed the same could be said for the rate at which it trained my stats. Not that I cared that much, it was already good. And that wasn't even mentioning its active effect, which let me sacrifice HP to further increase how effective my healing skills were at healing others. HP that it caused me to regenerate at an increased rate. I would have to be careful with it, but just skimming a bit off the top of my very large HP bar to improve my healing and level up Healing Grace faster seemed like a good idea.

Okay maybe I was overhyping Healing Grace just a little, but it looked pretty good. Plus the fact that it modified Mantra meant that it was passively gaining EXP with Mantra, even if it was only a little.

"Remember, you're not allowed to wear your hero costumes in public without express permission from a hero you're studying under," Aizawa reminded us. We were waiting for our transportation at a train station, and Aizawa-sensei was using it as an opportunity to give us some reminders. "And make sure you keep track of them, don't just leave them lying around." He glared at me. "Speaking of... Midoriya, you're the only person here without a costume case. Where is it?"

"I have it in my inventory, sir," I told him. "I figured that since I would only be allowed to take it out when I'm allowed to use my Quirk anyway, I might as well make it easier on myself."

"I suppose that's fine, then. And everyone, remember to mind your manners. Now go, your transportation should be here soon."

"Yes, sir!" everyone said before we went our separate ways. I noticed Iida walking away alone, so I walked towards him.

"Iida!" I said. He stopped. Kacchan and Uraraka walked up behind me. "Just remember," I said. "If you ever feel overwhelmed, you can talk to me."

"Me too!" Uraraka added.

"Again, I'm probably not the best person to talk to, but I'll totally listen if you want," Kacchan said.

I smiled. "We're friends, okay?"

He slowly turned around. "Of course." With that, he resumed walking to his train. I followed him. "What are you doing, Midoriya?" he asked.

"Sorry, I think my train is this way too."

He glared at me. "Did you plan this?"

I raised my hands in defense. "I swear I didn't! My train is just this way."

"I suppose so."

"Good luck on your work study, though," I said. "And be safe."

He nodded. "You too, Midoriya."

xoxoxo

I stared at the little map that Yagi-sensei had given me, comparing it with my minimap as I walked down the street. "So this Gran Torino guy even made Yagi-sensei nervous... I wonder what he's like."

"I can't say what he's like now, but when I knew him he was nice, though very... severe," Shimura told me.

"So like Yagi-sensei's version of Aizawa-sensei?" I asked.

She made a noise a bit like a verbal shrug. "Kind of, but not exactly."

"Well I can't wait to see him."

"Speaking of, why did you choose to go here?" Honenuki asked me. "You have us, so it's not like you really need his instruction on how to properly use One For All. No offense to him, of course."

I shrugged. "Yagi-sensei said that he was heavily DEX-based, and I've been meaning to work on my mobility anyway. Plus I didn't want to just brush him off, if he knows about One For All and All For One." I paused. "Hang on, were they just the two halves of that saying? Why did I not notice that before?"

"That was the last time my brother and I agreed, actually," Ichigo explained. "A few years after he forced Power Stockpile on me, we had a confrontation. He had continued to use his Quirk, called Power Theft then, for his own selfish gain, while I had just found out I could give my Quirk to someone else." He chuckled wryly. "We actually used One For All and All For One as a bit of a shared catchphrase when we were kids, so we agreed to split it in half, as it were."

"That's... kinda poetic, actually. Thank you for telling me." I stopped, seeing that I was in the right place. I looked up from the note. "Huh. This... is the right place, right?"

The place was... this might sound bad, but it looked a little run-down. Yagi-sensei mentioned that this Torino guy had come out of retirement to teach me, so it was probably just that the building was old. The doors looked fine, though, so I hoped that it was just that the outside that was worse for wear. I knocked on the door, waiting to be let in.

A few minutes passed, so I knocked again. And again I was met with silence. "Excuse me," I said loudly. "I'm here for an internship?" There was definitely someone there on my minimap. I asked my elementals, and they told me the person was just... laying there, covered in ketchup and sausage links. "I'm coming in, excuse me!" I decided, then opened the unlocked door. If I didn't know the old man was alive and the things under him were ketchup and sausages, I probably would've thought he was dead. It didn't help that the lights were off and there was a shattered plate on the floor.

Get Off My Lawn

LV 92

Torino Sorahiko

Though I was pretty sure the dead didn't have titles. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked.

His head shot up. "I'm alive!" he shouted.

"Yeah, do you need help cleaning up? You appear to be covered in ketchup." I didn't want to assume it was a test or prank, in case he actually did slip while carrying a plate of ketchup-covered sausages. "If you'll allow it, I have water magic and can summon paper towels with my Quirk."

"Oh, thank you, young man!" He got up shakily, leaning heavily on his cane. He was definitely wearing a hero outfit, regardless of his current state. I didn't think anyone would wear a yellow cape and a domino mask casually, at least. "Who are you?"

I pulled some paper towels out of my inventory. "I'm Midoriya Izuku, from Yuuei. I'm here for a work study?"

He took the paper towels and started wiping himself off. "Oh. Who are you?"

"Midoriya Izuku."

He smiled at me. "Toshinori?"

That was Yagi-sensei's name, so I guess he knew I had One For All, at least... "Um, any help, guys?" I asked the past bearers.

"Maybe try reading his mind?" Hikiishi suggested. "You can do that, right?"

"Sora, why?" Shimura sighed.

"Where's your costume?" the old man asked once he finished wiping himself off. His bearing had shifted, and he looked a lot more serious. He wasn't shaking anymore. "Put that on and fire One For All off at me."

I opened my inventory and dragged the costume case over to my equipment screen. Just like I'd hoped, it autoequipped my costume for me, and it even put on a little button that looked like it would let me autodequip my costume and pack it back up for me (hopefully returning my original clothes with it). I'd have to check if it actually did that, but it was cool nonetheless. My hero costume appeared on my body with a rush of air. I stretched, checking the changes to the outfit. It looked mostly the same, but I could already feel that it was easier to move around in than my old costume.

"How'd you do that?" Torino asked.

"Did you get any information about my Quirk?" I asked him.

"It's called The Gamer and it gives you powers like a video game character, specifically an RPG."

I nodded. "I have an inventory power, which is what I used to get those paper towels for you. It also has an equipment menu, and I just equipped my hero costume."

"That makes sense, I suppose." He got into a fighting stance. "Now hit me with your best shot. One For All only."

"Um... Can I do something first? If I throw a blast of One For All, it'll probably cause property damage."

"What is it?"

"I have a spell that... It's a little hard to explain but basically I can use it to let us do as destructive training we want without worrying about property damage, by basically putting us in a temporary pocket dimension."

He nodded. "Do that, then."

I placed my hand on his shoulder and dragged us both into an Illusion Barrier. Then I turned around and punched at the door. "LIMIT BREAK!" I shouted as the blastwave wrecked most of that wall, as well as the street and the building on the other side. "I am very glad I used Illusion Barrier," I said as I shook off my hand. It didn't hurt too bad, but after using One For All at 100% it was a little tingly.

"Well there's your problem, kid," Torino said. "Well, I can see another thing that you should be mindful of, too, but you've got one main problem. I know a bit about video games, you know. Watched a few YouTube videos on some RPGs when I decided to take you on, too. Plus I watched your performance in the sports festival as well. You're thinking about One For All like a limited resource or a super meter to draw on when you need a big attack, but that ain't just what it is. Think about how Toshinori uses One For All, I'm sure you've seen him use it before."

I nodded and put some ideas about what he meant in the text chat for the past bearers to give their thoughts on. "I think I get what you're suggesting."

"Good." To my surprise he jumped around the rest of the room, zooming between the floor, three remaining walls, and even ceiling. He landed on a nearby table, breaking it, and grinned at me. "You wanna put it into practice?" He pulled out a stopwatch. "You have three minutes to land a single hit on me, using only One For All. Starting now." He clicked it and started jumping around again. He was using his Quirk, Jet, which let him shoot powerful jets of air from the bottoms of his feet. He darted in for a punch, and I dodged backwards, tapping into One For All. Really, it was so obvious that I would've hit myself if I had time. It was basically what I did for Elemental Aura already, just using One For All instead of elemental magic. I felt a feeling like lightning running all over my body as I jumped. I sailed clear out the hole that was the broken fourth wall, still keeping my eyes on him.

He bounced a few more times before shooting straight at me. I stood my ground, concentrating more One For All in my arm. When he was close enough that I was hoping he couldn't dodge the attack, I punched in his direction. It was a textbook Texas Smash, sending a powerful shockwave in Gran Torino's direction, but he managed to dodge to the side with his Quirk. He shot at me again, but I dodged out of the way first. "I see what you did," he noted. "You saw me bouncing around the room with blinding speed and decided to get me out in the open, where maybe I'd be a bit slower." He grinned. "Changing the environment to your advantage or your opponent's disadvantage. Good. Just remember that it might not always work. After all, you're the one on a time-"

I didn't let him finish that, trying to blindside him by charging at him while he was still monologuing. He still managed to shoot upwards before I hit him, but I had anticipated that and used Weird Flex (that might have been cheating slightly, but it was less of a magical or Quirk-related skill and more of a literal skill that just happened to get enhanced by The Gamer, like Sword Mastery) to pivot so that I could push off the ground with my hands. The ground cracked with the force that I used pushing off of it, and I shot into Gran Torino foot-first. He grunted, stunned, and I punched off the air a few times to get on the opposite side of him so I could catch him before we hit the ground.

Your level has increased by one!

I was already pretty close to a level up before that fight, so even though it wasn't much of a fight the EXP was still enough to level me up.

"Sorry if that was a little too hard," I said when we landed, then pulled out my Quirk healer license. "I can heal you, if you're hurt."

He grunted, got up, and rubbed his stomach. "Thanks, kid." He chuckled. "You really showed a lot of promise there, kid," he said as I healed him. "It only took me a little prodding to correct how you use your Quirk."

I smiled. "Yeah, and we didn't even touch on my other Quirks."

He raised his eyebrow. "'Other Quirks?' Plural?"

"Sorry, did Yagi-sensei not mention that?" I asked. I raised my hand, switching Skeletal in. Oof, my costume wasn't looking too good after that giant blast... I was already going to use Mending after my demonstration, but still... I tensed my arm, activating Skeletal. White armor calcified along my hand and forearm, forming something like a gauntlet that destroyed the remains of that sleeve and glove. "The Gamer evolved the ability to copy Quirks during the sports festival. I got the Quirks of the past bearers, as well as a few others, as quest rewards from a quest related to the sports festival." I deactivated Skeletal, causing the bone armor to retract back into my skin, and fixed my costume with Mending.

"Well, practice with those new Quirks of yours for now." His demeanor lightened. "I'm gonna go get us some food!" He walked away.

"Um... Let's go inside first so I can drop the Illusion Barrier first?" I suggested. "I don't think I'm allowed to just drop us out of a pocket dimension in the middle of the street."

He looked at the carnage we'd made, then around at the lack of people on the street, and chuckled. "That sounds about right. No use scaring the civilians." We walked back inside. "Who are you, again?"

I broke the barrier. "Midoriya. Should I just practice with my Quirks and magic until you're back?"

"Sure. But who are you, though?"

I sighed. "Just go, please."

"Goodbye, Toshinori!" He said with a smile as he walked out the door.

"Goodbye," I said. The second the door closed I activated another Illusion Barrier, leaving my elementals on the other side so I would know when he came back. I'd recently gotten a new setting for Illusion Barrier, but I decided against using it quite yet and just made another skeleton barrier. "Practice with my Quirks. Got it." I activated One For All again, getting that electrical feeling again. It reminded me of using Lightning Aura, actually. Which made sense, given how close what I was doing was to Elemental Aura.

That gave me an idea, but first...

I jumped, putting all of my strength into it. I immediately regretted that, as using One For All's full power to jump seemed like it was slightly overkill seeing how high I flew. Luckily I had I Burn on, so I'd absorbed all the energy from how hard I hit the ceiling, an impact hard enough that I lost some HP from it even with my Physical Endurance and Damage Reduction. And then I absorbed the negligible amount of energy I got from punching through a cloud a moment later. Speaking of which, I looked at the building...s I just destroyed from the giant hole in the cloud I was above. It was so far away that even with Hawkeye I could just barely see the largest chunks. I didn't actually expect it to work, so I was pleasantly surprised when I felt them when I reached out with Singularity. "The range it has is ridiculous, if it can do that," I muttered. I yanked, pulling those chunks upwards. "It doesn't even feel like I'm straining it..." I did notice my regeneration dropping a few points as I pulled the chunks up to me, but it was amazing how much power I got out of Singularity.

I turned off Singularity as I dropped below the cloud headfirst, switching to grabbing the chunks that had just flown past me and into the clouds with Blackwhip. I made a barrier enchanted with Immovable Object above my feet and braced on it to stop the building chunks. I strained at their momentum for a second, then jumped with half the power I had used before once the pull from the chunks abated. As I hurtled downwards I looked around the town I was above. I saw a few important landmarks: a tower, a square with a fountain, an important-looking building that could've been town hall, and the train station I'd arrived at. I double-checked that I was still in the Illusion Barrier, because this would be really bad otherwise...

I raised the amount of One For All I was using and swung my hands, trying to hit the four targets with the building pieces I was carrying with Blackwhip. My aim was a little off, but considering the fact that I was throwing around giant chunks of rubble I was fine with the result. Plus, they had all ended up crushing some skeletons that had spawned. I'd read in an article of tips for heroes Yagi-sensei had shared in one of his classes that in general a hero should try to not throw stuff at people if they can avoid it because they can typically hit harder than whatever they can pick up and it lowers property damage in general, so while that was fun I wasn't planning on making a habit of throwing buildings at people.

I let myself fall after that. I'd lost some of my momentum when I'd thrown the buildings, but I was still coming in fast. I could probably just use Float to stop falling, but I decided to try to tank the landing instead. It'd be great for I Burn, for one. I switched in Skeletal, giving myself some extra armor over the areas that I'd be landing on, and used Earth Aura to provide some shock absorption. I landed in a textbook three-point landing in the middle of a throng of skeletons, triggering an OFA-overpowered Earth Burst as I did that basically caused a miniature earthquake.

"Ow," I said despite the fact that it only took off a small bit of health that I gained back almost immediately. "Deadpool was right, those are hard on the knees..." I got up, turning Skeletal off and Mending my shredded costume again. I was standing in the middle of a crater with giant cracks radiating from it. I noticed dust pouring into one of the cracks. "Hello," I said as the skeletal samurai spawned. "It's nice to see you again." I could've probably just flicked it to death with One For All, but I decided against that.

The skeleton charged and swung at me, but I blocked it with Skeletal armor. I trapped the sword as I glanced off my armor by forming spikes of bone around it, then switched in Magnetize without switching Skeletal, Copy, or I Burn out. I could feel that the efficiency dropped when I used Magnetize on the sword, but not as much as the last time I tried it. After Magnetizing the sword, I slapped the skeleton's armor, giving it a dose of Magnetize too, and pressed the sword to it. I snickered when the skeleton tried futilely to pry the sword off of its armor, even though Magnetize wasn't as strong as it could've been.

It glared at me, despite not having any eyebrows. I somehow got the message that it wanted me to take our fight seriously.

"Okay, sorry." I put the palm of my hand up to its chest. "I'll take this seriously now." I switched out Magnetize and Copy for Explosion. I had an idea I wanted to test, so I created a hole in the bone armor on my palm for Explosion to work. I gave my hand a bit more One For All than the rest of my body and triggered a blast. I was forced to take a step back from the recoil as an explosion like a shaped charge blasted a hole through the skeleton's armor. It was armor-piercing, sure, but just like when I tried chopping bits off of the other skeletal samurai it only shaved off some HP.

"I guess sometimes finesse just doesn't compare to brute force," I muttered. True, I could've taken it down with hits like that, but it would take way longer than just encasing it in ice with Half-Cold Half-Hot and throwing it into a building with Blackwhip, which I did. This time the skeleton didn't drop anything, which hopefully wasn't because I encased it in ice before killing it.

I got a message from my elementals that Gran Torino came back, so I went back to his house in about a second using Sonic Embodiment. I placed myself about where I thought the floor was before I turned it into a crater, then dropped my Illusion Barrier. Thankfully, dropping out of Illusion Barrier in a position where something was there in the real world didn't do damage to anything and just caused the two objects to move if possible until they weren't inside each other, so even though my aim was off and my feet were clipping through the floor I just shot up until I was standing.

"Ah!" Gran Torino, who was carrying some grocery bags, shouted when I appeared out of nowhere. "...Who are you, again?"

"Sorry for startling you, Torino-sensei," I said. "I decided to train in my Illusion Barrier, which was a good call because the first thing I did wrecked this building."

"That's nice, whoever you are." He yawned. "I'm tired. I think I'm gonna go to bed after I put these away."

"Oh, I thought you'd want to spar some more..." I said.

He handed me a bag full of packages of frozen taiyaki. "That's nice, kid. Wanna help me put away the groceries?"

"...Did you only buy taiyaki?" I asked. Observe told me the other grocery bags only had taiyaki in them, too... It was a good thing The Gamer meant I didn't need to eat, I guess...

"Don't be silly, Toshinori!" he said with a goofy grin, then produced a lollipop. "I got this for you, young man!"

I took the lollipop. "Thanks, I guess..." I put it in my mouth. It was green apple, not my favorite flavor but at the same time it wasn't my least favorite flavor. He probably picked it because of my hair... I checked the fridge when I put the taiyaki in the freezer. He had a wide variety of food, a lot of it healthy but also a lot of sweets, too. I guess he just really felt like getting taiyaki. I felt his gaze on me while I checked the fridge. Maybe he was testing me by showing fake signs that he was senile?

"Good night," I told him when we were done putting the taiyaki in the freezer. "I think I'll train a bit more before I turn in for the night. I'll try not to stay up too late, though." That was kind of a lie, but one could argue that because The Gamer made it so I didn't have to sleep I technically couldn't stay up to late...

"Good night, Toshinori," he said with a grin.

xoxoxo

A/N: So yeah Midoriya already has experience enhancing his entire body at once with magical energies, so I figured we could skip the whole "I'm a taiyaki" bit and get straight to the Full Cowl with only some light scolding to jumpstart him.

Elemental list: Midoriya: Halitus, Dune, Rayne, Blaise, Juniper, Mifuyu, Raimon, Iggy, Sonia, and Claude Bakugou: Pyra and Leaf Tokoyami: Corvo Uraraka: Nebula and Ion Hagakure: Lucy Tsu: Bubbles Aizawa: Charlie and Cassiopeia All Might: Seth O'Scope

#fanfiction #bnha #bnha fanfiction #The Gamer Hero Deku #GHD CH30

[blushpanda]

small rix/xigbar thing

FANDOM: Kingdom Hearts

SHIP: Xigbar x Rix (Self Insert OC)

SUMMARY: Shortly after Xigbar approached Sora, Doanld and Goofy in Olympus and gave some rather ominous words, he’s sought out by another with a request for clarification...

TRIGGER WARNINGS: pregnancy implication

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i started writing this and realized I didn’t know where I was going with it but tis cute anyway. it takes place sorta in KH3 somewhere btu idk if its canon to Rix’s story I just wanted to. write something. im embarrassed

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Rix knew the drill by now: that when Organization XIII was involved, it generally meant trouble was also going to be involved. They had known this for years now. Everyone on the side of light did, really...But in Rix’s experiences, there was one member they had managed to connect to. Oh yes, it was a brief connection, but it had given Rix unexpected hope...Hope that was now fleeting just a little now that the member had shown up again and given some...harsh, ominous words to their friend Sora...And they were starting to wonder what he was talking about. Certainly nothing he’d mentioned to them…

Still, they wanted to know, and so...They tried to seek him out. It took some time, and they had almost given up finding him...But when he finally showed, it wasn’t the reunion they expected. They didn’t even initiate it, in fact - it happened on a rare moment they hadn’t been out...

They were sitting in the Mysterious Tower when he made his appearance, reading a book...It wasn’t any sort of interesting book, just one of basic spells and small enchantments...In fact, it was more like a cookbook of magic than an actual novel, but Rix didn’t seem to mind this fact and read it pretty normally...But a noise would catch their interest. They looked up, wondering if Yen Sid had returned - and were met with a cloud of smoke instead.

At the very least, they didn’t have much fear - they kinda knew it was him by instinct.

“X-Xigbar? Is - is that you?” Rix tensed as the dark corridor opened, and a man much, much taller than them stepped out. At first cloaked in a dark aura, he quickly took a more solid form and pulled his hood down, revealing himself.

“As if...” He pulled his ponytail out of the cloak with a shake of his head. “Really, I’m starting to wonder myself.” Standing, Rix seemed a bit shaky - nothing unusual for them, but Xigbar appeared amused nonetheless. “Don’t rush - you’ll hurt yourself.”

“Xigbar, what - what was that about?”

“Eh? What was wh...Oh,” He chuckled, “You mean what I told Sora, right? Straight to the point without a bit of hospitality. Man, you heroes of light are all the same...”

“Wh-wh - Why did you tell him that?” Rix frowned, holding their book close in anxiety. “I-I’m sorry, I just...I just want to know what’s g-going on…”

Xigbar raised an eyebrow, gazing at them for a few moments. There was silence, but...then - “...C’mere, will you? Then I’ll answer your - ”

And Rix rushed forward without thinking, possibly even startling their man slightly. But they buried their face into his cloak, trembling in his arms, holding tight. His embrace was warmer than people tended to believe, and Rix was dying to be in it again...They felt their eyes tearing up a bit. “Aw, don’t cry, Rixxy Sticks. You’ll get my cloak all wet, I’ll have to get it dry cleaned, and then our little meeting won’t be that secret, will it?”

He was joking, and Rix gave a soft, shaky laugh. “I - I just missed - missed you…Y-You were so cold with Sora...I was...”

“Me? Cold? When they were bein’ so warm and fuzzy back there with Mr. Godly Hero?” Xigbar brushed hair from their eyes. “Don’t think that’s possible…”

“St-still...What did you mean - mean when you said...about Sora...His reward…Did you mean anything by it? Were - were you just trying to get under his skin?”

“As if!” That catchphrase brought Rix more comfort than it probably should’ve. “C’mon. I was bullying the kid a bit, that’s all.”

“...Really?”

“Sure. What, you don’t believe me?” Xigbar grinned down at them, ruffling their hair. “Probably for the best - I’m not exactly the most trustworthy guy, am I?” He pulled away a bit...And Rix paused. 

“...Some- sometimes, I wonder…Um...”

“Anyway, you have bigger things to worry about than a little ominous teasing, don’tcha?” Xigbar glanced around the room. “You think this place is fit to raise a kid?”

Rix blinked, though their hand slightly moved to their stomach... “Um...I - I was raised here, so...Y-yes?”

“Aaah, well,” Xigbar shrugged, “Long as you think so. Kid won’t be leavin’ very much, will it? Might wanna set up a play area.” He smirked a little, crossing his arms. “You know. In case the little tyke is as rambunctious as its parent…”

“Um…” Rix frowned. “...What do you mean? I-I mean...I’m sure that- wait, uh...We’re getting off - off topic, aren’t we?”

“Don’t know what the topic was to begin with.”

“W-what you said to…”

“Oh, you’re worried about that still.” Xigbar now waved his hand. “Look, don’t worry about it. Just stay here and you’ll be fine.”

“S...Stay here?” Rix shook their head. “I’m going back to Sora and the - and the others, Xigbar. I’m keeping track of their adventure - I’ve- I’ve already missed a lot of it as is, a-actually...”

He frowned at that...Briefly, at least, before his smile returned and he approached. “C’mon, you’re gonna put yourself in danger with a kid growin’ in you? Talk about carelessness…”

“X-Xigbar…” How much longer was he going to be vague and avoiding the topic? Rix shook their head. “I’m...not fighting. I’ll be fine. What danger are you - are you even talking about…? The Heartless?”

“More than THAT, Rixxy Sticks.”

“Huh?”

“Listen, I gotta go. Can’t stick around, much as I’d like to - and I can’t tell you the organization’s plans, either.”

“I- I...Xigbar, w-wait.”

And so they hugged him. They didn’t really know what else to do, but they didn’t want him to leave so soon. Not only had he not given them answers, but...They were more scared than ever. He went quiet in their embrace.

“...Xigbar, please...please - p-promise me you’ll stay safe out there.”

“................................”

“Xigbar, please...”

...And then he sighed. “As if...You think I have control over that? But still…” He pet their head. “I don’t have any intention of dying. Not soon.”

#long post #this isnt good writing but its ok 2 rb if u want it....pls be nice #kermitwriting #f/o xigbar #si rix #pregnancy mention

[nadziejastar]

Lea’s Promise To Isa Was “Let’s Meet Again In The Next Life”

I cannot possibly agree with you more. Lea finding out that his best friend was really Xehanort would have made for fantastic drama. Saïx had access to all of Isa’s memories and thoughts. He knew all the right buttons to push. Then he finds out that Saïx wasn’t even really his friend at all. It was actually Xehanort—the man he despises to the core of his being—using his friend’s body as a puppet. I mean, Jesus Christ. Can you imagine how utterly violated he would feel after learning that?

It’s horrifying. It’s like if Ventus had gained Roxas’ memories and found out that Xemnas was using Terra’s body. And Axel carried on a relationship with Saïx for TEN YEARS. Lea and Isa was such wasted potential and it’s not hard to see that their relationship was set up to be something totally different. Axel is one of Nomura’s favorite characters, and a fan favorite. OF COURSE they had amazing things planned with his best friend/love interest. Not only was it supposed to be a rescue, it was supposed to be an EPIC rescue.

The shards came from several different sources. Riku’s were in the jumble, too. She remembered because she had tried to manipulate his memory, too, just once. She’d copied that memory into the Replica. But why was the other girl absorbing Riku’s memories, too?

What is happening? What exactly is that girl?

Yes, I am 100% convinced that they promised each other to meet again in the next life. And I do have a lot of evidence that supports this belief. But there are a lot of interconnected components to explain why I came to this conclusion.

So perhaps Naminé’s power was only necessary for the rewriting part. What if copying memories and abilities could be accomplished simply through battle…? Having Xion and Roxas work together, then, let the puppet copy his memories. Memories and power were inextricably entwined, which was how Xion gained Sora’s abilities along with his memories.

First has to do with Xion, a unique Replica who absorbs memories either by fighting against or alongside someone.

“You’re to send Xion,” Xemnas ordered immediately.

Xigbar shrugged his shoulders. “Where’s the sense in sending Xion? There’s a chance that the faker is, as they say, in cahoots with the Hero’s party, right? Have you even gotten hold of the Hero’s whereabouts?”

That’s why Xemnas ordered Xion to be the one to fight Riku.

That was the difference between Xion and the Replica of Riku. The Riku Replica was a puppet made from a complete copy of Riku’s memories, while Xion was a puppet created to absorb memories.

And why she needed to work alongside Roxas.

“It doesn’t just copy; it can soak up an opponent’s memories and powers without even having to destroy them first. And it came with a nice little bonus of transforming based on the memories of whoever’s looking at it.”

Xion also transforms based on the viewer’s memories.

The Organization was taking Sora’s memory, but what exactly they intended to do with it was an open question. Riku only knew how it was happening: through Xion. And Xion was a girl Roxas cared about, which made her like the girl Sora cared about. She was a reflection of Sora’s memories.

This is the basic meaning behind the mirror thing. Xion is a Replica that absorbs memories. And she is a puppet that reflects the people she’s exposed to. And the mirror thing is important because of what I think led up to the making of the promise.

Day 27 ~The Dark Margin~

Xion got out of bed, and looked in the mirror in the middle of the room. It’s the same me as always in there. Getting ready, she went to the lobby, to find Saïx and Xigbar standing there. I don’t see Roxas.

“…Where’s Roxas?” she asked Saïx.

“It’s got nothing to do with you.”

I thought he’d say that. Saïx never answers my questions for me.

Then, Xigbar poked his face in.

“As cold to Poppet as always, aren’t you—Saïx.” Saïx pointedly ignored him.

Xigbar is always coming to talk to me. He talks to me a lot more than Saïx, so I like him.

The first day the novel mentions Xion looking in the mirror is after Roxas faints. She goes to the lobby and specifically mentions just Saïx and Xigbar being there. Since Saïx is also a puppet, we can assume this was intentional. Saïx is his usual cold self.

“Roxas fainted and now he’s sleeping it off, as they say—”

“Huh?” Surprised, her words wouldn’t come out. Roxas fainted…?

“You worried?” Xion nodded at Xigbar. “Heh heh, you’re so cute, Poppet. I can take you to see him after.”

“Okay…”

Xigbar patted Xion on the head. Even so, I wonder why Xigbar calls me Poppet.

And Xigbar teases Xion for being worried about Roxas. I think that the hidden secret here is that Braig acted the same way with Isa during the experiments. Isa was worried about Lea and Braig would rub it in and act patronizing to him.

“You can’t just do as you—well, I don’t mind if you go see him, but complete your mission first.”

Saïx didn’t stop me, which is rare. “What should we do today?”

“The same as yesterday, investigation. But, in a different world,” answered Saïx, and told them the place.

“…Got it,” Xion nodded, and stepped into the darkness that opened up beside her.

Interestingly, Saïx actually is lenient with Xion during this time. He knows that Xion could help Roxas wake up, but he also seems to have an ever-so-small soft spot, probably due to his memories of being human.

The lower dusks clean my room for me. I think they probably wash my clothes, and change my sheets too. Then she washed her face, and looked in the mirror. It’s the same me as always in the mirror. I don’t change. I’ll leave my room, and head for the lobby. Depending on when I go out, there are people I meet and people I don’t. Today, there’s no one here but Saïx and Xigbar.

“Today, you have investigation with Xigbar.”

“Got it.” Once I’ve received Saïx’s orders, Xigbar calls out to me right away, as if he was waiting for me.

The next time Xion looks in the mirror is about 20 days later. Roxas is still asleep. It specifically mentions just Xigbar and Saïx being present in the lobby again.

Well, it’s rare that I go out with others. This is the first time I’ll go on a mission with someone other than Roxas. I mostly just go on my own. I want to revisit the world they made me go to earlier—Destiny Islands. I can collect sea shells there. Though, even when I visit other worlds, I can collect shells on my way back.

The sunset that I watched from the edge of that island is a lot like the one I watch from the clock tower in Twilight Town; it’s very pretty. I don’t really know why I decided to give Roxas sea shells. But I felt like it was something I had to do, so I collected them.

Because the shells become a keepsake. So that even if we’re separated, we can meet again— But, I wonder how I knew shells were keepsakes. Nobodies are beings that aren’t allowed to exist—I don’t really know much more than that.

She then brings up the fact that she’s been leaving seashells for Roxas. She remembers they’re a keepsake that means when people are separated, they can meet again.

I don’t know, but I know about the worlds. I don’t remember a thing, but I know things. For example, the way to fight, and use magic. Of course, I have been taught many things. But, even though I was taught, I wonder why it felt like I already knew.

That’s probably what a ‘memory’ is. A memory—what on earth is a memory, anyway? I feel like if Roxas was here, we could talk about it properly. There’s no one else I could talk about that kind of stuff with.

“…How is Roxas?”

“Still sleeping. He might not wake up.”

At Saïx’s reply, I stop knowing what to say.

Xion is still very worried about Roxas.

“You go to see how he is every day, don’t you? You’re so kind, Poppet.” I look up at Xigbar’s words; I didn’t realize it could be seen like that.

“Well, you can go see him until you’re satisfied. Perhaps he’ll just wake up all of a sudden.” Those words give me an unpleasant feeling, too. So far, Saïx hasn’t even once acknowledged my actions.

“Let’s hurry up and go.”

“…Yeah.” Xion stepped into the darkness that Xigbar opened. On the other side of that darkness was blue ocean.

And Saïx is still pretty tolerant of Xion. Pretty much the only times he ever is. Even Xion finds it unsettling how accommodating he is. It’s nothing like how he acts later. Saïx didn’t hate Xion from the very beginning (more than anyone else, anyways), so there was definitely more to his hatred than JUST her being a puppet.

Day 72 ~Reunion~

Tearing furiously around Twilight Town, Roxas destroyed Heartless. He didn’t really understand why, but he had to do it.

All of them gone… annihilated. I can’t see him again.

Thinking about it made him want to run.

What the hell is this?

Dashing into a back alley, Roxas swung his Keyblade down on the last Heartless. A heart floated up from the vanquished Heartless and vanished. Just then, Roxas could hear clapping coming from somewhere.

Roxas is fighting furiously because he is filled with anxiety thinking he’ll never see Axel again.

“Yo! Roxas. You haven’t changed! Fight fight fiiight!” Roxas turned, and standing there was… Axel.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Axel walked casually towards him. “What’s the matter? You look kind of dazed there,” grinned Axel, and he laughed, just like always. I don’t know what to do.

“…They said all the members who went to Castle Oblivion got annihilated…”

Axel stuck out his chest. “Well, I’m pretty tough.”

I feel weird, somehow. But I know. Axel probably… isn’t really as strong as he says. “…I was worried, okay.”

When Axel returns, he praises Roxas’ fighting ability with his “fight fight fight” catchphrase. Then he brags that he survived because he’s tough. When Roxas tells him that he was worried about him, Axel is troubled. He postpones RTC'ing. The next day when he reports in, he’s wondering if Saïx was worried about him. That seemed to be his main issue and why he didn’t RTC right away.

Day 96 ~Xion’s Keyblade~

“If Heartless attacked our castle, we’d be the ones to go fight them, right? Xemnas definitely wouldn’t fight.”

“That’s because it’s our job,” said Xion, squeezing the Keyblade. It’s our duty to do our missions, and we’ll be annihilated if we don’t fulfill our duty.

“That’s why I had that idea of what a leader is. So why was that beast fighting so hard? He has underlings like what we are…” Roxas looked up at the door through which the beast had disappeared.

“But, I don’t think we’re exactly Xemnas’ underlings… and I think that beast must have had a good reason to fight,” Xion said, looking at the Keyblade. The reason I fight is…

“A reason… to fight?”

“Like… wanting to protect something important, for example.”

I think the situation leading up to their promise was a parallel situation to Roxas and Xion, when she lost her ability to wield the Keyblade. On this mission, the Beast’s Castle gets compared to the Organization’s castle. Well, there’s another castle that’s comparable. Before the experiments got discovered, perhaps Heartless created from the victims needed to be eliminated so Ansem wouldn’t find out what was going on. So, of course the underlings would have to do it. It’s also a good way to test and train the subjects.

“What about mine?” Roxas called his own Keyblade to his hand and held it out to her. “Do you think it would work?”

This also being true for the weapons belonging to the other members of the Organization, when someone other than the original wielder tries to hold the Keyblade, it naturally returns to the hands of the wielder, but… the Keyblade Xion gripped in her hands didn’t disappear.

“I guess…it does,” she murmured. After so long, the weight of it was somehow strange in her grip. She thought she could feel the warmth from his hand lingering in the metal.

It’s interesting that the Organization’s weapons are brought up in this specific situation. How the members awakened their weapons is never explained nor the fact that they can’t be held by anyone. It’s not specified whether they got their weapons and abilities as humans or Nobodies. But Lea could still use his chakrams when he was recompleted. So I think it was an ability they gained as humans, perhaps as part of some experimentation. But that ability carried over to their Nobody selves. They didn’t need hearts to use them, just memories. Since Nobodies were new beings at the time, they didn’t understand the process very well.

Since the weapons were tied to their memories, they needed something to base the weapons off of. Lea’s chakrams were based on his frisbees. But Isa’s berserker claymore would be based on his memories of being filled with adrenaline, and focusing on something to be his “önd”, or divine inspiration. He probably had trouble manifesting a weapon with no memories of fighting to rely on. The Organization’s weapons are like Keyblades. They can’t be used by just anyone. But what if Lea gave Isa one of his chakrams to use? And…it worked. Because they are Twin Flames a.k.a Twin Souls.

“Are you okay, Roxas?” she ran to him, still sitting on his bum.

“I’m fine,” he said, standing and brushing the dust from himself.

“I’m sorry Roxas… it must be so hard for you, having me use your Keyblade.”

“Not any harder than it’s been for you,” said Roxas. “Don’t worry about me. What about you? Any luck?”

“Nothing yet… I’m sorry.” Xion shook her head. Fighting with Roxas’s Keyblade was perfectly comfortable for her, and yet, she couldn’t recall the sensation of wielding her own.

“Well, don’t be,” he told her with an encouraging grin. “I bet it’ll come back to you soon. Don’t sweat it.”

She smiled back. “Yeah. Thanks, Roxas.”

So, Lea let Isa use one of his chakrams for a portion of time to cover for his lack of weapon. If the apprentices thought he couldn’t fight, he’d be considered useless and they’d dispose of him, like Xion was afraid of. When Isa asked how Lea would manage with only one chakram, he said “It’ll be all right. Cause I’m tough”. Isa could feel the warmth coming from the weapon, like Xion could. Oddly enough, the heat thing is actually important and comes up again later.

“There it is! Let’s get it, Xion!” said Roxas, and they nodded to each other. He started in with magic. “Fire!”

A ball of flame struck the Heartless square in the emblem. Now they had its attention.

Xion charged and leaped up high to smash the Keyblade down on it. She’d missed this—the solid impact on small Heartless just didn’t cut it.

She kicked off the Bully Dog’s back, regaining her balance in the air, and touched down to rush it again without even catching her breath. I can fight like this with the Keyblade.

Isa was fighting so hard to do well on his own so he could give Lea back his chakram, so he wasn’t at a disadvantage. Like Roxas was while using the stick, basically.

Another spell from Roxas had the creature stunned.

Now! Xion thought, thrusting the Keyblade at it. There was no mistaking that sensation of a heart being released. The Bully Dog howled, and Roxas shouted in victory as its form turned to fading light. The huge heart floated up and away through the ceiling.

Seeing Isa get better as a fighter, Lea came up with the “fight fight fight” catchphrase and praised him.

As she watched it rise, Roxas ran to her, and she turned to hand him the Keyblade. “Thanks, Roxas. Now you can have this back.”

“Did it help? Do you think you remember how it works?”

“I don’t know…but I might as well give it another try.”

Xion closed her empty fist. Please, Keyblade, please come back to me…

There was a brief flash of light. And…

“You did it!” Roxas cheered. Xion stared agape at the Keyblade in her hand. Her Keyblade. It came back to me…

She closed her hand around her weapon. Her own weapon. “Roxas, it worked! Thank you so much!” she exclaimed.

He waved their joined hands around with the Keyblade. “I can’t wait to tell Axel. C’mon!”

“Okay!” They couldn’t stop grinning at each other.

And in the process of being filled with adrenaline (he’s still pretty nervous fighting) and "divine inspiration” for the sake of Lea, he awakened the ability to use Lunatic, his own personal weapon. He was overjoyed and grateful and thanked Lea profusely for helping him. It was a very special memory to both of them.

“You, today you will be going on separate missions.”

It felt as though someone was squeezing the muscle in Xion’s chest. It’s impossible… I can’t do it without him.

“We have received information that Heartless have appeared in two separate worlds. Roxas has Beast’s Castle, and Xion has Agrabah.”

“But…” Xion looked over at Roxas, unconsciously. He was silent. What do I do…

At that moment, Axel poked his head in. “Oh, is Roxas going to Beast’s Castle?” Xion gazed up at Axel, as if clinging to his presence. Axel glanced her way, and nodded to her slightly. “I checked that place out yesterday, and that Heartless looked pretty darn tough. I reckon it might be impossible for him to get that thing on his own, hmm ~”

Now let’s look at how this day went from Axel’s point of view. Xion was feeling helpless. She needed Roxas and couldn’t get by without him. Axel steps in to help them both.

“Are you trying to tell me to let them go together?” asked Saïx in a disagreeable tone.

“I’ll go to Agrabah. Then there’s no problem, right?” Axel’s voice was a little deeper.

“Can you really defeat the Heartless in Agrabah?”

“It’ll be fine. I’m tough, you know.”

“But, you can’t collect its—”

“I’ll just keep the thing in check for now,” Axel interrupted.

For a moment Saïx glowered, the scar on his forehead twisting. “Today is the last day. From tomorrow, you will be doing your missions solo.”

Axel tells Saïx he’s “tough”. He knows Saïx isn’t dumb and knows he’s covering for them for some reason. So he said that probably to soften him up by reminding him of the past and how he was in a similar situation before. He’s also basically admitting that they NEED to work with each other.

“Your performance was quite forced,” Saïx muttered, noticing Axel’s gazing at him.

“What is this about?” asked Axel, cracking his neck.

“I’m not all that impressed.”

Sensing an incoming lecture, Axel started walking away. “Well, I’m off to Agrabah. I’ll be back.” His figure vanished into a corridor.

Saïx apparently got the reference and didn’t appreciate the attempt to appeal to his memories of their past. He puts down Axel’s forced “performance”. He seems to be referring to the performance to connect with HIM more than even his lying ability. In the past, Lea said he was tough and saved Isa from a terrible situation. Isa was extremely grateful and thanked Lea profusely. Lea praised his performance. To Axel, the rejection contained in Saïx’s words would have been ice cold and one of the cruelest things he could possibly hear him say. And I think this is the reason behind Axel’s depressed mood on this day.

On top of the clock tower, Axel was gazing vacantly out at the sunset.

“Aa-ahhh…” he sighed.

It was no big deal heading to Agrabah alone, but getting slammed into the ground was pretty nasty. Taking care of other people, and not being able to take care of myself… this isn’t like me.

Axel’s depressed because he’s looking out for others, but has no one to look out for him.

“Why the hell do Heartless have to move around so annoyingly, you know? Got my ass kicked. Literally,” he added, rubbing the sore spot in a slightly exaggerated manner.

“Didn’t you say you were tough?” said Roxas, laughing.

Axel shrugged, winking. “This and that are two different things. Hey, how did your mission go?”

Same as Roxas. Got knocked flat on his ass.

“It’s all thanks to you and Roxas.” The Keyblade disappeared as Xion smiled.

“I didn’t do anything,” said Axel, a wry smile pasting itself on his face.

“You made it so we could go on a mission together this morning, didn’t you?” said Xion, and Axel looked away.

When I’m smiled at with such a happy look… I feel uncomfortable.

Axel hated being thanked and smiled at.

“Maybe Xion wouldn’t have been able to make her Keyblade come back, if it weren’t for you, Axel,” Roxas added.

“Thank you, Axel,” they said, in unison.

This is why… this feeling is so hazy. Scratching his head unconsciously, Axel looked away from the two of them.

“Then how about a sea salt ice cream?” Axel asked, his back still turned.

“Huh?” Roxas asked.

This was Axel compromising, grudgingly. Don’t think I can take any more of those thank-yous.

“Then we call it even,” replied Axel. Roxas and Xion looked at each other.

“I’ll go buy it!” Xion dashed away.

He said the feeling was so hazy. It was reminding him of the past, and the huge contrast between past and present. It was really hard for him to see their uncomplicated happiness.

The setting sun was sinking. Axel gazed vacantly out at it.

If you stare at the sunset, the image sticks on the back of your eyelids, and it feels like you can see the sunset, even with your eyes shut.

An illusion sunset.

The reason the sunset is red… who was it that told me that?

On this day, it hints that Isa taught him about the sunset.

“It’s just… you’re not being very Axel-y,” Xion said, trying to get the words out, but she couldn’t stop laughing.

It would be nice if we could always be together… but that’s an unattainable dream. That’s why it will have to do to just think of each other.

But… if maybe even that becomes unattainable, what will we do?

It was at the end of the successful weapon awakening that I think Lea and Isa made their promise.

Day 117 ~Secrets~

“Hey! You guys talking about something interesting?” said Demyx, poking his head in.

“Poppet’s a lot more useful that you, yanno.”

“Huuuh? I don’t get it,” Demyx shrugged.

A little late, Saïx entered. “Xion.”

Xion looked up, and trotted over to Saïx. Matching her timing, Axel stood up from the sofa.

“You have a mission with Axel. Hurry and depart.”

“With Axel?” Xion turned to look at the man. Axel nodded in answer, and smiled.

On Day 117, Axel is teamed up with Xion while Roxas is teamed with Xigbar.

“It’s the first time we’ve worked together, isn’t it.”

“Don’t go holding me back, now.”

“That should be my line.” Saïx was watching them joking and laughing together. Axel noticed Saïx’ slightly reproachful gaze, and stopped laughing. Xion put on a meek face, as if she’d noticed too.

“Oh yeah, where’s Roxas going?” Axel asked Saïx, trying to wipe away the oppressive atmosphere.

“Investigating a new world with Xigbar.”

“Ohhh…”

Saïx was triggered by the way they were acting. It probably brought back memories of Lea jokingly saying similar things to Isa. Part of him is probably jealous, too.

There’s definitely some meaning in Saïx’s instructions. He doesn’t just pair members randomly and send them out with instructions. I bet there’s some kind of objective behind pairing Xion and I, and Roxas and Xigbar.

But, I don’t know that objective as of yet… I don’t even know if he’s not intending to tell anyone, or if he’s actually being ordered to do it like this.

“Hurry and depart.”

“Yessir.” Axel turned his back on Saïx and started walking, stepping into a dark corridor.

The mission assignment is not random, of course. Xion’s purpose is to absorb memories of those she comes in contact with, specifically while they engage in combat. That’s why she needed to work alongside Roxas, and why she was occasionally sent on missions alongside Axel. He is the only one who has met both Roxas and Sora, so they were looking forward to seeing if he had anything useful in his memories by having him fight with Xion for the first time. He was due to return to Castle Oblivion the next day.

Coming out of a back alley and halfway up a hill, a huge swarm of Heartless appeared. Xion destroyed Heartless after Heartless with her Keyblade, causing hearts to float up into the air.

The way she moves, you wouldn’t even think she’d ever forgotten how to use that thing for even a moment. She’s almost as—no, she’d probably be even stronger than Roxas.

In any case, I don’t really get why I had to go on a mission with her right at this time. There are certainly a fair few Heartless, but with the force Xion has now, I think she could fight just fine without my help.

“These Heartless here are the last, I think.”

Xion was fighting so well, Axel found it hard to believe she ever lost command of the Keyblade.

“Xion, fight fight fight~” Axel clapped, as she turned around.

“What are you doing?”

“What am I doing… I’m praising you, you know.”

“You’re weird,” said Xion, laughing.

Just then, Axel suddenly felt like Xion’s face had blurred, and he rubbed his eyes.

“Is something wrong, Axel?”

“Nah…” For a second, the Xion I saw there had the face of… Naminé. Xion and Naminé look very similar to begin with. But they aren’t exactly the same; their hair colour is different. But, just now, for just an instant, Xion’s hair was blonde. What is this?

“…Axel?” The face peering anxiously at him was Xion’s again. What happened just now?

He praised her skills with his “fight fight fight” catchphrase. Then as SOON as he does…Xion appears as Naminé to him. Xion changes appearance based on the viewer’s memories and in relation to Sora. In other words, she’ll only appear as people who have a connection to Sora, but that person depends on the viewer’s memories.

“Naminé was really scared. She started crying. She said, ‘What if a falling star hits the islands?’ So I told her, ‘If any stars come this way, I’ll just hit ’em back into outer space!’” Sora grinned, telling the story, and swung the Keyblade at the sky. “I was swinging my toy sword around the whole time. And Naminé just smiled and said, ‘Thanks.’ Then she gave me this.”

Naminé was described as a quiet girl who liked to draw. Sora and Riku were very protective of her. They both tried to act tough in an attempt to impress her. They boasted they would defend her from a meteor. Isa was described as a quiet boy who only came out of his shell for Lea.

She took something from her pocket. It was a seashell. “Yeah, the ocean… I feel like I’ve been there, talking with someone, just like this… somewhere I can hear the sound of waves.” Xion stared at the shell.

“You’re saying you have memories?” Axel asked.

“Not really… no, but…” Xion shook her head. “I don’t know… maybe these are memories.”

“Hm… I wonder.” Again, silence passed between them.

The ocean… seashells. Only one thing comes to mind. They must be Sora’s memories. I know as much as I could find out about the memories that Naminé scattered in Castle Oblivion. At Sora’s home—Destiny Islands—a blue ocean spreads out to the horizon.

After the mission, Xion brings up the seashells again. It’s like Axel’s memories triggered hers in response.

And, the charm Sora carried to remember the promise he made to Kairi was made out of seashells, wasn’t it…?

At the same time, there were memories of the Princess—Kairi. It’s only natural that Kairi is very strong in those memories, if Xion and Naminé are connected. Because Naminé is Kairi’s Nobody.

No, it’s possible to think that that Xion is the one directly connected to Kairi. Who’s Nobody is Xion? Now that I think about it, it wasn’t an illusion when I saw Xion and Naminé during our mission. It feels like there must be a reason.

“You have memories, don’t you, Axel?”

“Generally, yeah. They’re not much use for anything, anyway,” Axel replied, looking at Xion. Her expression seemed lost somehow.

Xion even asks Axel about HIS memories, indicating a connection between the seashells and Axel’s memories. 

Day 119 ~Work to Do~

“And Poppet is brilliant, of course,” Xigbar butted in. “Vexen’s annihilation is a crying shame, as they say,” Xigbar grinned, meaningfully.

A couple days after Axel sees Xion as Naminé, Xigbar is up to something regarding Saïx. This is the day Xemnas specifically ordered Xion to fight Riku. No doubt to absorb his memories.

Xigbar, standing and watching their exchange with his arms folded, opened his mouth. “You’ve been working really well lately haven’t you, Poppet.”

“…Thank you,” Xion replied in a small voice.

“Thank you? Why do you have to say thanks?”

“Well, you were praising me, weren’t you? Was I wrong?”

“Haha… Yeah, I guess you could see it like that.” He pressed his hand to his mouth and snickered.

“Did I say something funny?”

“No, no. You’re fine.”

Xion looked up at Xigbar, anxiously. Beside them, Saïx didn’t show any notable reaction. He just watched.

On this day Xaldin introduces a certain idea to Roxas. Having something you treasure is a weakness. Xigbar starts praising Xion on this day, saying she’s been working well lately. And he tells her she doesn’t need to thank him for praising her. Xigbar is barely able to hold back his laughter the whole time. Saïx seems to recognize the contents of Xigbar and Xion’s exchange as relating to himself. I had to reread the entire novel lately in both official and fan translations, to try and put all the pieces together of what was going on here. Because the fan translation is more literal, I was able to notice the same wording in certain parts and pick up on connections more easily. This whole exchange is VERY similar to Xion and Axel’s interaction immediately before Axel saw her as Naminé.

Then it hit me: Xigbar is laughing because HE KNOWS ABOUT ONE OF AXEL’S MOST PRECIOUS MEMORIES!! Helping Isa fight, praising him, Isa being impressed with Lea and thanking him, Lea telling him it’s not necessary. Then the two of them making a promise. Xigbar finds it absolutely hilarious and can’t resist tormenting Saïx over it. It clearly triggered Saïx. He started acting totally different with Xion after this specific exchange. He started to DESPISE her, calling her broken and defective all the time and wanting her destroyed. 

His insults about her being broken and his report calling puppets something to be toyed with until they break are probably subconscious memories. He didn’t have these complaints about Xion until after this scene. His conscious reason for hating Xion is because she exposed the special promise made between Lea and Isa to the Organization. He found it thoroughly humiliating and that’s when his vendetta against her began. This might even have been the first time Xigbar became aware that the feelings between Lea and Isa were more than platonic. Saïx no doubt would view that as a shameful secret. And Day 117 was called “Secrets”. Of course, I think after this, Xigbar started to suffer a mental decline. It’s why he started seeing Xion as Ventus. He grappled with a guilty conscience, especially since Axel was still clinging to Saïx and trying to keep his promise, a full decade after Isa already “died”.

“What will you do, Roxas?”

Roxas smiled slightly. Then, he picked up a stick that was lying by his foot. “I’ll make do with this.”

“But… with that…” You won’t be able to defeat Heartless.

“You were fighting without a Keyblade, right? I’ll try it, too. So, today you’re using my Keyblade.”

A smile surfaced on Xion’s face. “…Okay. Thank you… I’ll do my best to make up your share, too.”

When Xion was using Roxas’ Keyblade, she thanked him and said she’d do her best to make up for his share that day.

Keep an eye on Roxas.” Without answering Xigbar, Xemnas made himself disappear.

“Yeah, do your best now.” Xigbar followed after.

I wonder what on earth Xigbar was trying to say…

And after learning that Saïx couldn’t “see” Xion, Xigbar doubled down on his mocking. He started to condescendingly tell Saïx to “do his best”.

“Understood, sir,” Saïx replied, and Xemnas disappeared.

“…Well, do your best. The best a kid without a heart can do, anyway,” said Xigbar, and he too disappeared.

He did it on two separate occasions, one of which he also referred to him as a kid without a heart.

Kingdom Hearts II

Cheers rang out from the centre, where Roxas and a little boy wearing a big hat were fighting, tightly gripping artificial sticks. In that battle, Roxas was slightly the inferior.

“What are you doing, Roxas…” Axel muttered, looking down on the affair from the roof of a house.

I wouldn’t have expected Roxas to have such trouble against a child like that. Having it brought home to him that it wasn’t the old Roxas down there set Axel’s teeth on edge.

Now I’ll finally explain why I think the promise was specifically that they’d meet again in the next life. On Day 4 of Roxas’ summer vacation, he was fighting Vivi in The Struggle tournament, and Axel was watching, noticing how badly he was doing.

“These damn things–” Roxas muttered, and the second he readied his toy sword, it became a keyblade. “So you’re telling me to fight…!”

Roxas smashed the dusks down with the keyblade in his hand. That figure overlapped with that of the Roxas who had routed heartless on duty—the real Roxas. The dusks defeated in the space of a breath, Axel jumped off the roof and applauded. Roxas turned around, gripping the keyblade.

“Who are you?!”

“Roxas, all right, fight-fight-fight~!” Roxas’ expression hardened in answer.

Then Roxas summoned the Keyblade and began fighting intensely, like he did in Days and like Xion did on her mission with Axel. He emerged to finally confront Roxas for the first time and used his “fight fight fight” catchphrase.

“How like you, Roxas!”

“Axel… what do you know?”

It’s not the first time Roxas has asked me that. I know. Yeah, I always know the things Roxas doesn’t. I know things I can’t tell Roxas. That’s why… I definitely couldn’t go.

“…I can’t say right now.”

They get into their first fight and Roxas asks Axel what the heck is going on. He says that he can’t tell Roxas. He has things he couldn’t tell Roxas, which is why he couldn’t go with him when he deserted.

Maybe, this is the last time I’ll see Saïx, too. Thinking, Axel looked at the seated Saïx’s back.

“We’ve known each other for a pretty long time, haven’t we?” Ignoring Axel’s words, Saïx continued typing on the keyboard.

“Say something. Have you even thought that maybe I can’t erase Roxas?” Axel said, in a playful tone, and Saïx finally looked up. “It’ll be all right. Cause I’m tough.” Axel puffed out his chest.

“How stupid,” said Saïx, and for a moment he smiled. “Let’s hurry up and prepare. Time is limited. The hero will wake up soon, too. I’ll send you in right in front of Roxas.”

“Okay.” Axel stood in front of the sending device. Saïx rested his finger on the button.

“I’m off the~n!” Waving to Saïx, Axel’s figure disappeared.

This is the what Axel chose to say to Saïx immediately after he decided that he couldn’t betray the Organization and he had to destroy Roxas. He was thinking it might be the last time he’d ever see Saïx again. And he chose to brag to Saïx that he was tough. We can probably assume it was a reference to one of Axel’s most precious memories if he thought it’d be the last thing he ever told Saïx. It must have been one of Isa’s most precious memories as well, if Saïx couldn’t even resist smiling. Saïx appears to be heavily influenced by Isa’s fond memories of Lea. He doesn’t like the influence these memories have on him, but he cannot fully eliminate the feelings he has for Axel. Which aren’t really his feelings, but still.

“So this time, you’ve really remembered?” Axel asked Roxas. Roxas nodded slightly.

But–it’s too late.

“I’m SO flattered!” Axel summoned the chakrams. “But, it’s too late!” Axel yelled, and radiated one big gush of power. Axel’s power was that of fire.

On Day 6 of KH2, they fight again. Roxas recognizes him, and he uses his “I’m SO flattered” line. In BBS, the localization used “I’m immortal!” which is very thematically appropriate. But in the Japanese version, he actually says the same thing Axel did to Roxas on Day 6. “Ureshii ne”. Translations include “I’m so happy!” or “I’m SO flattered!”

Just then, a change came over the Keyblade-wielding Roxas.

“Two?!” Roxas gripped a keyblade in each hand.

I think I’ve seen one of those Keyblades somewhere before. But, I can’t remember.

He seemed to be remembering something–but, as if shaking that off, Axel flashed a grin.

During the fight, Axel was distracted by the fact that he recognized one of the Keyblades Roxas was using. One of them was Oblivion and the other one was OATHKEEPER!!! Axel had seen Kairi’s lucky charm while in Castle Oblivion, and he knew it represented her promise to Sora. That is probably what inspired him to say what he does next to Roxas.

“Let’s meet again in the next life.” At those words spoken with just a hint of a smile, Roxas nodded quietly.

“Yeah. I’ll be waiting.” There was something funny about Roxas’ serious answer, and Axel laughed.

“Silly… you’d have a next life, but…” Axel said to Roxas–and his figure disappeared in the darkness of a portal he’d opened behind him.

Of all possible things, he chose to say THIS to Roxas. He was amused that Roxas took it seriously; Roxas didn’t remember him and Axel truly didn’t think he had a next life, anyways. And here’s my theory: Axel only said this to Roxas because THIS was his promise to Isa back when they were being experimented on. They knew the chance they would both survive and escape were slim. People around them were dying all the time. Their end could happen at any time. After the happy day where Isa awakened his weapon, a sad realization set in. Their happiness was unlikely to last. So Lea told Isa that if anything happened, then they could always just meet again in the next life. Lea believed that inside people’s memories, he could live forever. So as long as they kept each other in their thoughts, they’d never have to be apart.

So they made a promise. And Isa said that he’d be waiting for Lea in the next life. This promise was extremely important to Lea and later to Axel. It was his heart’s sincerest wish, made at a point when there was hope for the future. It explains why he never wanted to give up on Saïx. And it explains why he was filled with new hope after being recompleted. It explains why he was looking in the mirror when he was wondering where Braig and Isa went. It explains why his Keyblade was called “Flame Liberator” and based on the Phoenix, which represents rebirth from the ashes. The Moon Rabbit represents immortality. The lunar phase also symbolizes the cycle of life and death. And if Isa had gone to the Realm of Sleep, then he did exactly what he promised. He waited for Lea. If Lea had given him a birth by sleep, it would have been the fulfillment of their promise to each other to meet again in the next life. They both would have been reborn at that point.

“You fight off whichever organization member comes here,” Axel told him. “You were able to defeat Roxas. You can handle any of the others, except Xemnas. There are only four left, but one of them is probably trailing Sora right now. And I seriously doubt Xemnas would come all the way out here himself. So you’d be up against Saïx or Xigbar. Or Luxord. And you can take any of them. Once there’s one less member in the castle, I’ll come back with Kairi. How’s that for a plan?”

In the KH2 novel, Axel offered to go back to the Organization to free Kairi, and he knew there was a good possibility that Riku would face Saïx. Presumably, he was aware that Riku could potentially eliminate him. Sooner or later, it was probably inevitable.

Axel stretched his neck and munched on his ice cream. “You know, I don’t mind disappearing.” Naminé’s breath caught. Riku stared at him.

“Roxas is gone. When we bring Kairi here, Naminé will be gone, too. So, same for me,” he said, as if he were discussing the weather, and then punctuated his comment with another bite of sea-salt ice cream.

“We don’t disappear… We’re only reborn,” Naminé murmured, perhaps to herself.

“I’m not like you and Roxas,” Axel said flatly. His hand holding the ice pop stick paused in midair.

“But—but you…” She looked down, clenching her fists.

“It’s because I don’t have a heart,” Axel went on. “I don’t want to disappear, but I’m not upset or sad about it.”

Immediately after he tells Riku and Naminé of his plan, Axel’s attitude turns dark, which they were taken aback by. He said he didn’t mind disappearing and has no hope that he’ll be reborn. When he confronted Saïx, he said something extremely similar. He doesn’t want to disappear, but it wouldn’t be so bad if he did.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Axel.”

“Yeah, I figured you’d show up.” His smirk turned nastier as he turned to see Saïx. He didn’t take his eyes off the other man as he spoke to the girl in the cage.

“Listen, Kairi! Trust me. I’m going to get you out!” Behind him, the portal closed.

“What are you saying…? Vile traitor!” The great Claymore took shape at Saïx’s back. Axel didn’t waste a second grabbing his chakrams.

But his body was reluctant somehow. I don’t want to disappear… But still, it wouldn’t be so bad if I did. Not here.

When Axel shows up to free Kairi, look at what Saïx says. “I’ve been waiting for you, Axel”. Chapter 2 of the novel entitled “Axel’s Last Stand” is called “Waiting For You”. This line was so important that they named the whole chapter after it. And Saïx’s usage was the only time the phrase “waiting for you” was used in the chapter. Nobody else said it. Saïx knew about their promise and was referencing it in an attempt to hurt Axel as much as he possibly could.

This is a pretty overwhelming disadvantage, Axel thought. Well, I knew that before we started fighting. I can’t win against Saïx with my own strength.

Still, he refused to hesitate. He had to force this path open. He wanted…to find hope—the hope that Sora and Riku had.

Saïx gave him a cruel grin. “You will lose everything!” And then the Claymore pierced Axel’s chest.

Saïx kept saying Axel would lose everything. He was suffering unbearable pain himself, since he was experiencing the emotions of Isa’s heart. He lost his true purpose and felt like he was as good as dead, anyways. So it was fitting to use that line under the circumstances. 

“Yo.”

Axel moved shakily up to Naminé, a hand pressed to his chest, and with a glance up at Riku, bit one of the ice creams she was still holding.

“Now that’s salty…,” he said in a small voice, and sank heavily into the chair. His breath was coming jaggedly.

Axel retreated and came back to the hideout mortally wounded.

“How about treating that wound?” Ansem the Wise asked Axel.

“…We Nobodies just vanish as we die okay,” said Axel, and he put the ice cream in his mouth and stood up. “Besides, maybe now I can finally go see Roxas.”

Axel threw the ice cream stick on the ground, and opened up the darkness of between before him again.

“Bye then—Ansem the Wise,” Axel said, a smile rising on his face as he gave a leisurely farewell.

He was pretty despondent and reiterated that Nobodies just disappear anyways.

Axel struggled to his feet, back-to-back with Sora, and readied his chakrams. He could feel Sora’s heat against him, the hint of sweat. It reminded him of Roxas.

Sora leaped back into the fight. In the same moment, Axel sprang up with his chakrams in hand. Donald cast a barrage of spells, and Goofy ran to and fro bashing at the Nobodies.

But no matter how many they eliminated, more Nobodies poured out as if from some inexhaustible source. Axel could remember fighting like this beside Roxas…He wanted to fight that way again. He wished they had talked more, about lots of things. About nothing. He wanted to talk to his friend again.

Here’s where the body heat thing comes up again. The description of the fight not only is reminiscent of the scene where Roxas and Xion were fighting while she was borrowing his Keyblade, but Axel says he can feel the warmth of Sora. Which I found a little weird until I connected it to the other scene. Axel is sacrificing himself here, after all.

“Feeling a little R-E-G, R-E-T?”

It was Axel’s turn to look back at Sora.

“Nah? I’m tough,” he said. “Watch this!”

There was no longer any need for hesitation, escaping, or wavering.

Axel said he was tough to Sora, too, which also made bells ring for me.

“Axel…,” he heard Sora saying. And all the strength fled from his body. If I wake up…I hope I can see Roxas. I just want to see him again. No—I know I will. Roxas… Hey, wake up. Are you really in there? Didn’t we promise…we’d meet again in the next life? We were best friends. Weren’t we? And then Axel faded from existence, vanishing into nothing.

Right up until his death, Axel was running away from his pain regarding Isa. He was clinging to Roxas in a desperate attempt to fill the void he felt after Saïx basically killed him. He said he and Roxas would meet again in the next life. Because they were best friends. As if that’s just what best friends do.

A promise… We’ll meet again…in the next life. We did say that. I remember. I remember our promise.

The promise is reiterated immediately afterwards, in a separate paragraph and in a more generalized manner. Axel already disappeared though. I think this promise would have been revealed to have a LOT more meaning than we ever realized at first—if the full story was told, that is. Without a doubt, I believe Lea and Isa promised each other they’d meet again in the next life. It would explain why Axel didn’t say Sora’s name in Blank Points. Isa wasn’t waiting for Sora, he was waiting for Lea.

“Finally awake?” came a voice. Roxas looked up.

“Axel—”

Standing there was his one and only best friend—Axel, holding two sea salt ice creams.

Even in the afterlife, Axel was avoiding the pain of what happened with Isa.

“I gotta go soon. Sora’s waiting.”

Roxas got to his feet.

“Ah. I guess you’re right.” Axel turned away from Roxas, his shoulders shaking. “…This ice cream’s so freakin salty…”

He repeats the complaint about the ice cream’s saltiness, like he did after Saïx mortally wounded him. Sora is waiting for Roxas. But no one is waiting for Axel...Or is there?

“See you later, Axel,” Roxas said. Axel looked up at the words.

It was a promise. Like we promised to meet again in the next life. We’ll make another promise. “See you, partner,” said Axel. Roxas gave him one last smile and vanished into the air. Moments later, Axel did the same.

Axel mentions the promise one last time before he disappears, this time to be reborn in Dream Drop Distance.

#kh lea #kh isa #kh leaisa #kh isalea #kh akusai #kh theories #kingdom hearts #kh meta #kh axel #kh saix

[digimonadventuretimelines]

[05 - The Birth of the Space-Time Traveler]

“I won’t tell you anything!” Strikedramon shouted “My brother and I won’t talk to any of you humans!”

“Don’t test me, or else…”

“Or else what, punk?”

Stingmon cracked his knuckles, giving a death glare at the Strikedramon duo who gulped quietly.

“Sir, we will t-talk!” the second Strikedramon babbled “We’re part of a gang called Roar of Freedom, and they’re planning to separate humankind from the digimon.”

“Y-Yea, and our leader is a big bad wolf named Lupin--”

“Don’t say that name idiot! Don’t you know he can hear you!?”

“... R-right, the troop might be around.”

“Don’t worry” Ken said with a serious tone “We will do our best to keep you two safe. But please cooperate with us” they he smiled.

“Wow, Ken’s really good at dealing with criminals” Agumon whispered to Taichi.

“Indeed” and he answered with a quiet voice.

“Okay, we will talk about it” the first Strikedramon nodded, “His name is Lupinmon and he has ordered us to invade the human world and get rid of the DigiWorld’s ambassadors.”

“He also has loyalty of two dangerous digimon” the second Strikedramon added “One is his most powerful soldier, and the other is his assassin.”

Ken recorded those on his phone and mind, while Taichi was learning against the wall and watching the interrogation.

“Thank you for cooperating with us” Ken said with a soft tone “As my promise, we will keep you two safe from them. I will call the assistance for you now.”

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

The gate opened next to the Motomiya-Inoue’s residence, where Kiyoko, Taisuke and Eiji were taking a break and eating some snacks. 

“You brought us to my house…?” Daichi blinked “Wait, we need to help mr. Yagami--”

“Taichi’s old but not weak” Natsu said “Don’t forget, he was the leader of his group, the same group your parents were part of. And Daisuke also was like, the third in command, Yamato was the second.”

“Uh, guys” Ulforce interrupted them “I think there’s someone at home. It’s not a good idea go there”

“It must be Kiyoko” Daichi mused “I hope she’s okay… Wait I will call her.”

Natsu and Ulforce looked at each other while the kid took his phone from his pocket and dialed up his house’s phone. As he assumed, his little sister answered the call.

“Hello, Kiyoko? Are you and the guys ok? I was going to the theater when heard the news. Wait, you three left before it happened!? Ok, ok… Glad you’re fine. Anyway, I’ve met my friends and I will be a bit late today. Tell mom to not let her worried with me again. Thank you, sis” he hung up the phone and put it back on his pocket.

“So… you lied to her.”

“Not totally” he smirked “After all you two are my friends. Anyway, let’s go. I’m partnered with Ulforce now.”

“Wait, you want to go after your father right now!?” she gasped “No, no. Daichi, listen. Your father does not remember of you or him being human! He was brainwashed to think he’s a digimon!”

“He… he remembered of my name. I’m sure he’s still there. But i meant… Travel back to the time he was captured, before that and warn him!”

“Um… you want to do a minor change on the past?”

“That doesn’t seem a bad idea” Ulforce shrugged “It wouldn’t erase this world right?”

“Hm… I think not” she answered “How about we ask Skuld’s opinion? She seems to know more about space-time.”

“You trust on that woman-like Digital World’s agent, digi-girl!?”

“She seems nice” Natsu shrugged.

“... Let’s ask her, please” Daichi nodded “Take us there again Natsu.”

“OK! I think I figured it out, it’s connected to…” from behind her scarf, she took a pendant on her necklace. It seemed an octagon-shaped crystal, with some pink sand inside “... this little thingy I have here!”

Natsu took the pendant and pointed it from an empty place. In the next seconds, a flash came from the crystal, opening a gate in front of them.

  “Daichi called and said he was inside when the theater got attacked” Kiyoko told Taisuke and Eiji, and they could notice her panic “But he said he’s fine. Do you think… No, the adults are adults and know how to handle things.”

“So you were concerned about my father huh” Taisuke didn’t know how to avoid bitterness but it was too late. Kiyoko frowned at him, and Eiji put a hand on Taisuke’s shoulder.

“I’m sure my dad will be called and he will protect uncle Taichi.”

“Huh, you really think that ol’ man is unable to protect himself!? Nothing to worry about!”

“You admit it. You’re worried about him,” she said with a deadpan face.

“What!? I don’t!?”

“It’s okay” Eiji laughed nervously “I think Kiyoko just misinterpreted your commentaries.”

“... I just want him to go home” Taisuke whispered “and safe.”

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

The gate opened in front a mysterious armored angel digimon, it seemed like part of the Angemon species branch, but nothing like anything Daichi had seen before. Its armor was white, and the chest plate had a keyhole on it. The angel was also holding a big key… That made the young kid think of an old game he had seen his best friend talking about once.

“Who’s there?”

“Uh, it’s me. I’m back” Daichi announced, and once everyone was on the mysterious dimension palace, the gate behind them closed.

“You…” the digimon approached from the boy “Ah yes, you. The child from the other day.”

“Excuse me, but I don’t remember of knowing you before…”

“Pardon, I’m Clavis Angemon and I protect this place.”

“Oh…! I’m Daichi, these are Natsu and Ulforce. Do you know where Skuld is, mr. Clavis Angemon?”

“She was waiting for your return, space-time traveler. Please come with me you three” and the angel digimon gracefully led the trio to a part of that emptiness place where was filled with doors, all of them of the same size and design. They had rustic wood, but the doorknob was completely made of gold.

“Mrs. Skuld” Daichi called her once they found the mysterious woman reading a holo-screen “I’m came back. I’ve decided what I want to do.”

“You did?” She moved her hands, and the screen disappeared “Say my child, what’s your decision.”

“I want to use the space-time power to prevent Motomiya Daisuke to be captured.”

There was a serious tone on Daichi’s voice. Very determined, somehow reminding of his father. Skuld smiled, then she responded to his bravery with a nod.

“Very well. You found an objective to be achieved. However, rules are important my young traveler.”

“Rules…? Like, not let anyone know I’m from the future?”

“Yes. And you cannot let any of your parents and their acquaintances to know about your true identity.”

“Fair. I won’t mess with more than warning the Chosen Children about the enemy.”

“But Daichi” Natsu interrupted him “You don’t know what kind of enemy is!”

“Heh, we will see” Ulforce nodded “It can’t be THAT bad!!”

“... Considering Daisuke got BEATEN and CAPTURED” she replied with a very angry tone “Oh yes, it might not be a real deal huh?”

“M-maybe he miscalculated!?”

“You’re saying that Daisuke messed things up and that’s the result of his own mistake!?”

“Stop fighting, please” Daichi interrupted them “My dad isn’t that smart nor that dumb, but he can commit a lot of mistakes in a row.”

“I’m so offended right now!” Natsu crossed her arms.

“Anyway, we can do that right Skuld?” Daichi glanced at the mysterious woman “Warn the Chosen Children that someone is after one of them.”

“I don’t see any problem” she answered “As long you don’t get your true identity be revealed, you’re free to do anything harmless.”

“Ok,” he looked back at the other two digimon “Natsu, Ulforce let’s roll.”

“You’re channeling into your mother right now” Natsu sighed, but nodded.

“Wait, his mother had some kind of catchphrase??” Ulforce blinked.

“She was the cheer of the group” the digi-girl explained “Used to say ‘Digital Gate open! Chosen Children let’s roll!' every single time they went to the Digital World.”

Daichi blushed, “L-let’s stop talking about my mom and let's go save my dad please.”

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

“Mom, I’m home”

Taisuke closed the door after arriving at home, but the lights were off in the living room. He walked in, then something caught his attention: He heard his mother’s voice talking on the phone and hid in the corridor to hear a bit of the conversation.

“I see, you’re investigating those incidents…Should I tell Yamato and Koushiro?”

Seemed it was his father the one on the other side of the line.

“Are you OK though? I heard the premiere event had been attacked. Oh thank goodness you’re fine…! Are you… Coming home? Huh? You will be late again?”

“Tsk, just like the usual” Taisuke muttered.

“I… I understand. Do you need my help? No? Oh okay I will keep an eye on Taisuke then, don’t worry. The mom Sora is still in shape to protect those she loves!”

“Me? Protect me ?!” he thought and clenched his fist “I do not need to be protected! I can do anything by myself! I… I’m strong, stronger than you and mom!”

The rage Taisuke felt had been there for a long time ago. Mostly after Taichi had become an ambassador for the Digital World, working day and night to keep both parties safe. Sora is a Japanese fashion designer, but tries to find time for her only son, Taisuke.

It does not help that the young child despises how busy Taichi had became. Especially now with this new enemy reveal. However, Taisuke does not know about that. He does not know that both parents are linked to the old stories he heard from his aunt Hikari.

And deep down, he wanted to do something big enough to make his father look at him. Something…

“Oh, Taisuke you’re home??” once Sora had hung up the phone, she noticed him there eavesdropping, but pretended he wasn’t listening to her and Taichi at all “Did you eat something?”

“Uh I… I had. I was with Kiyoko and Eiji” he replied “I’m going to sleep. Good night, mom. Night, Piyo” and he went to his room.

“Is he okay?” Piyomon tilted her head.

“... I think he heard me” Sora frowned “He’s missing Taichi because lately...”

Piyomon got a bit concerned about that scene, but wasn’t able to cheer Sora up or give any kind of advice like she had used to in the past.

#daichi arc phase 1 #datl text chapter

[soartfullydone]

I was gonna say 'Fancy seeing you here,' but I bet that gets old, huh? So here. Figured you'd be around sooner or later, since Sora's back. And I've been saving this for you. One of your old weapons. Xion's been working on it. She's got a knack for making things, turns out. Well? What are you looking at me for? Get over there and hug that kid.

“I haven’t gotten tired of it yet,” Melody assured Axel. She didn’t add that, unlike enemies, friends get passes for their catchphrases, no matter how repetitive. She didn’t have to.

It took a moment for Melody to place what Axel handed her, but once she did, she laughed. “You really kept this? After I chunked it at your head?” 

In her hands was a metal hammer, the pole still two feet long and the large head shaped like a mallet. It had been one of the many weapons she’d gone through before becoming a keyblade wielder. She’d never expected to see it again, not just because she’d thrown it at Axel but also because he’d been fleeing into a Corridor of Darkness at the time.

Gracefully departing, she could practically hear him argue.

Now, the hammer looked brand new, devoid of wear and tear, its loud magenta and teal paint job completely restored. Despite being made of metal, Melody swore it felt lighter, too. She gave it a few experimental swings and found it was definitely easier and faster to wield, and there was something else… A surge of power between her fingertips.

The hammer had been imbued with magic.

Melody did look at Axel then because when had Xion learned to do this? Then, she was turning, finding her standing shyly off to the side.

That wouldn’t do. 

“Xion! This is amazing! Thank you!” Melody said, gathering the younger girl in a bear hug.

“Mmf mmmf mmmph mmm mf?” Xion said into Melody’s collarbone.

“Sorry, what was that?” Melody said, pulling back.

“I asked if you think you’ll use it? I know it’s no keyblade.” Xion tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “That didn’t occur to me until after the fact.”

“You kidding? Of course I’m gonna use it! You turned it into a mage weapon! Oh, hang on.” 

Melody put some distance between herself and the two former Nobodies. With a stylistic twirl of the hammer over her head, Melody brought it down with unrelenting force and thought, Thundara! 

The head put a dent in the ground, but on impact was when the magic literally happened. Five forks of lightning shot out of the hammer, blazing across the grass in all directions before vanishing, leaving the smell of burning ozone in their wake. Melody whooped while Axel gave a low whistle.

“Nice one,” he said to both of them.

“The next bad guy is getting this thing right in the face,” Melody vowed, gazing at it in awe.

“And in my experience, ouch,” Axel added dryly before rumpling Xion’s hair. “Good work, kid.” Xion batted his hand away, looking pleased with herself. 

Smiling, Melody draped the hammer across her shoulders and hooked her wrists on the handle, watching them both. That’s when she noticed. “Wait, did you both finally ditch those Organization cloaks and get new threads? You look so cute,” she told Xion, beaming. 

Sweeping a non-existent wrinkle from her white skirt, Xion blushed at getting fawned over, but her grin was like the sun breaking through the clouds. It couldn’t be stopped. “Thanks. Olette helped a lot.”

“She has good taste.”

“Hey, what about me?”

Melody quirked an eyebrow at Axel. “What about you?”

“I don’t get one measly little compliment, even after all the hard work I’ve done?”

“Fine,” Melody sighed out the word, then simply stated, “You look nice.”

“‘Nice’?” Axel waved an airy hand that somehow conveyed his disappointment even more than his let-down tone. “And here I’d pegged you for a wordsmith.”

“Dry your tears, darling,” Melody told him. She drew closer to Axel until she could rest the hammer in the dirt between them, the neckline of his shirt running smooth between her fingers. Her next words were just for him. “Can’t say what I’m really thinking, not in front of the kid.”  

She held Axel’s gaze for a beat, then winked. Hefting the hammer, she skirted past them both. “I’ll be back. I need to see what this thing can do against some heartless. Tell Roxas I said hey!”  

#yo i've got to establish an otp tag #axel anon #ca: observe my sins

[crackinwise]

Can i rant and ask questions about the entire KH3 finale?

--Wut

--Okay, sorry, seriously: Kairi spent all this time training with a keyblade, right? And i remember her being really gung-ho and up for holding her own in KH2. So in this one... she just has to be rescued again over and over? Um. Yay, her?

--And Riku--right--Riku was just as much a friend to her as Sora and obsessed over helping her in KH1. Sora meanwhile spent every game going “RIKU!” in various outbursts of emotion. (Sora being happy to see Kairi yet falling to his knees the moment he sees Riku again will forever be a hilarious meme to me.) Yet Kairi shares a papou fruit with Sora and neither one is like “maybe i should share with Riku who’s like 20ft down the beach rn.” 

--I mean, at the end Sora wants to find Kairi (who i thought was turned to glass and shattered but apparently not?) and Riku just shrugs. Wut wut?

--This has nothing to do with anything but talking about Riku reminds me of Mickey, whose VA for this was somehow fine in Epic Mickey but horribly off pitch here i cringed so much. I miss you, Wayne Allwine.

--Alright, new topic: Lea is really weak. No, sorry, actual topic: Why does he suddenly care so much about Saix? Axel did not give two shits. The whole Org could burn in a fire for all he cared. Lea apparently was friends with him enough to cry over him?? News to us!

--Time Out to say i really just Do Not Care about everyone getting keyblades. Lea sucks at it anyway and his is a godawful design. Everything from the coat to the fire and chakram say “Axel” as if everything before hasn’t told us the Person and the Nobody are different entities. But the only thing different is how lame this person is. I get it, Square, you’re banking on a fan fave and trying to have things both ways. But...

--Wasn’t it also told to us Nobodies can grow their own hearts? That’s how Roxas could get his own body there. Didn’t Axel grow a heart? So... He has to be stuck inside a dollar store version of himself? Ouch.

--Lea was also friends with Ventus? Enough that Saix implied Axel got tattoos so he wouldn’t have to cry over a lost friend (unless that was something else i misunderstood). And it’s implied his “got it memorized” catchphrase (which i am so sick of by now omg he never even said it this much in KH2 and Lea isn’t even HIM) came from thinking his good friends just would leave and forget about him. But Ventus doesn’t get tears? Or a hug? Okay.

--Roxas all of a sudden cares (yay, but also weird, and just as suddenly doesn’t gaf about Namine) and we get a reunion but it’s very....awkward. First of all the add-on convoluted clone-thing Xion is thrown in, but also everyone is crying like the voice actors AND animators know it’s forced and can’t bring themselves to take it seriously, then there’s a poorly animated 3-way-hug that’s more new-football-player-teammates-in-their-first-huddle than anything.

--No one pronounces Vanitas correctly and i want to scream every time. They say “vuhNEEtus” or something and nooooooo stoppppp

--Is it me or are “Empty Vessels” creepy as shit? Stop showing me beige manikins on the floor like a dead body.

--Okay, so wtf was it Larxene, Marluxia and Demyx were supposed to be doing different than the others? That cutscene with the meeting on natural rock structures in a desert? Did they just pad to talk about nothing??

--Off of that: WHY was Vexen talking to Demyx about sabotaging or backstabbing, then the only thing they did was bring a Vessel to Ienzo?! Who tf cared? No one cared! Every single one of Xehanort’s extra pubic hairs could have seen this in front of them and said whatevs.

--(Was i supposed to know who that plushie was in Final World? Ventus did?)

--Did they forget to explain why 1)Sora got a mental cutscene of the words “Do you seek our liege?” when he talked about Roxas in Twilight Town, and 2)Haynor has X’s all over him and a Nobody protected him? Anyone?

--There’s so many KH chars Square either refuses to let go of or makes up for no reason that FF chars will never be seen again. After almost 20yrs of vague hope, that makes me one sad Turk whore. 

--Quick sidetrack to ask why Hiro would make both Baymax’s fighters when he could have made the returned first robot body a healthcare companion for some person in need like Tadashi intended? They’re not Big Hero 7, ya know?

--The Caribbean world for PotC3 was too long, too boring, and every ship handles worse than my dad’s old gigantic 80′s Oldsmobile. (potc only had one movie i can’t hear you lalalala)

--But Ansem already tried to open Kingdom Hearts in 1 and it just revealed a bunch of light (and an actual door). When did that change? Why is it now an actual giant heart emoji that will reset the world like we’re Wolf’s Rain?

--You’re telling me after all these years and all this work, Mark Hamill just shows up to tell Xehanort he’s acting like a dick and he stops? ...Fair.

--Did Yen Sid die in the sea of heartless or...? Cuz if he was the one training Kairi and Lea, that doesn’t surprise me.

--They’re gonna end it like that, huh? Xigbar was really some big bad, backseat time traveler, original mentor to the Keyblade Furries this whole time? Maleficent and Pete’s mission could have been introduced and ended in that one end cutscene instead of wasteful moments throughout the game? This black box contains “hope” but it’s NOT Pandora’s Box? istg if they continue this in another side portable or mobile game with more retcons and redundant additions...

--Secret Ending: GDI game within a game Inception 20 dreams deep full blown art school student wetdream bs

--TIL there will be both free and paid DLC. Because of course there will.

GAMEPLAY:

--”When i get hit i want to be stuck in a 5 second animation or have no option to escape/block the entire time i’m repeatedly pelted,” said no one ever.

--I appreciate the extra content and fight moves/attractions, but omg if i’m not in a fight why do the fighting options not go away? Do you know how many times i went to open a chest or finish a time sensitive mini-game only for the triangle button to make a fuckin carousel or gd Buzz Lightyear arcade ride pop up uselessly instead???? WHY. YOU HAD 14 YEARS TO CODE.

--So many useless cutscenes! Why! Especially right at the end fights when they lure me in, i swing a couple times (yay, gameplay) then immediately into another cutscene! Each fight! FINISH YOUR CUTSCENE IN ONE SHOT THEN LET ME BUTTONMASH YOUR GAME, SQUARE! YOU ALREADY MAKE MOVIES TOO!

#kh3 #kh3 spoilers #criticism #i miss kh2 #ya know i think i only ate meals twice this entire game

[otakween]

.Hack//G.U. Begins 

A manga recap released for the Nintendo Switch version of .Hack//G.U. The manga is broken up into 3 sections: SIGN, IMOQ, and Roots. You can find it on the Bamco site here: https://www.bandainamcoent.com/landing/hack-gu-begins-manga

.Hack//SIGN

-I like the art style, even though it looks kind of sketchy and unfinished. They managed to make Sora look hot which is no small feat lol. 

-Listening to the SIGN OST reading this was very nostalgic. I think I’ll always feel the most connected to SIGN and its characters compared to the later entries in the franchise. 

-The fact that they treat player killing like this horrific act is a little hard to take seriously. I feel like if a game has that mechanic and is full of hormonal teens/preteens, it would be pretty commonplace. I guess that’s Japanese politeness for you...

-It’s interesting reading something written after everything has already come out. They drew Sora knowing he’d become Haseo and it kinda shows. I can see this Sora turning into Haseo way more than I can see anime!Sora becoming Haseo.

-I can never get enough of seeing Tsukasa and Subaru being cute together, so I’m glad they had Sora react to that. 

-Not Sora having the sad Naruto flashback where nobody likes him lol. I would have really loved to have seen more IRL Ryou, both as a kid and a teen. It would especially be interesting to see what the heck he was doing when he went through his batshit crazy phases online. 

.Hack//

-Funny how this section is just called “.Hack//” I guess they never really gave it an overarching name, huh...

-Omg it’s the .Hack//Zero version of Sora! I didn’t even think about the fact that Ryou was in SIGN and G.U. but not IMOQ. (Unless you count Skeith). Really interested to see where things go from here since I never read Zero. 

-Lol @ Sora’s “there’s nothing special about Kite, he just has an off-spec bracelet.” Yeah, pretty much. (I’ve never liked Kite). 

-I appreciated the callback comparing Tsukasa gaining strength from Subaru to Kite and BlackRose. It’s annoying that the anti-social Sora has to learn a generic “power of friendship/love” lesson, but the continuity is nice. 

-The “Ryou was there the whole time as a ghost!” thing is interesting, but iirc Haseo has no memory of when he was Sora, right? I wonder how this manga will handle that...(Edit: this section ends with him getting the amnesia). 

-Oh my God, they managed to throw an “apoptosis” mention in there...of course

-Cool to see all the random background party members in this art style. Kinda a shame they didn’t do more with some of these characters. The designs were so good! 

.Hack//Roots

-Reading this in quick succession makes me wonder. Did Ovan know about Sora and what happened with him and Morganna? I can’t really remember why he latched onto Haseo so intensely. (Only other explanation would be gay lol).

-Honestly, Ovan and Shino were made for each other. Both annoyingly cryptic and “cool” in that dumb anime way. I wonder if anyone out there ships them...

-Even though I don’t ship them, Shino and Haseo do make a handsome couple. I appreciated their heart-to-heart in chapter 3. Felt like a real conversation instead of a bunch of vague catchphrases. (Also we get to see blushy Haseo hehe)

-I can’t take Shino’s tear drop tattoo seriously. I know it’s just supposed to be a fantasy thing, but I just think “oh, so she’s killed someone before” 

-This section wraps up on my least favorite parts of the Roots/G.U. saga: Haseo’s rage monster phase. And of course Ovan comes back to be annoying too. Bleh. Ah well. I can definitely see the value in putting something like this out for people who don’t have time to watch SIGN, Roots and play IMOQ before jumping into G.U. It’s also nice to see some plot points from a new POV and with a new art style. Probably wouldn’t read this again, but I had fun taking a stroll down memory lane. 

#dot hack #.hack #.hack// G.U. Begins #manga #dot hack manga