Ugh, I'd rather not compare anything to IRL directly because well, I really dislike allegory but that's another topic for another time.
Instead, I would compare Heartless!Ansem's grooming of Riku to a more subtle version of Old Xehanort and Terra. And outside the KH franchise, I'd compare it to the Sith Inquisitor's relationship with Master Vash from Star Wars: The Old Republic.
You gotta start somewhere.I mean, the Sith are sorta loosely Fascism-inspired to begin with, so like.
Everything can be traved back to IRL eventually.
...It's.
Part of me feels weird that one thing can take KH 3 from a, like, 9 or 10 of 10 to, like. A zero. But it does, for me.
Which, I guess it's not just one thing, there's flaws throughout, but.
I enjoyed a lot until, like. The thing that broke me, with some of the most evil and bad writing and scene direction in all history.
But aside from that.
...I mean, it occurs to me that my existing plans sorta end up roleswapping Vexen and Ienzo, almost, and that's. A thing.
...I hate that I don't know how to avoid having excess Norts for what I want to do.
Like.
...I saw a lot of fics that considered Replica bodies and had basically decided to go there myself, but I also think that, like, it somehow still feels a bit contrived and rushed and botched in 3 itself??
Like, when we already saw Vexen/Even and had him accounted for in DDD him suddenly a Nort is. Just, why, though. Is my question.
...I also feel a little bad that, as my plans exist currently, like.
I really don't have a lot to do with Repliku, and was, sorta, just gonna kill him off?
And. Hmm.
I don't entirely feel right about it, Y'know? Even at the time, but, especially now.
...Hngh.
...Maybe I could have Naminé take his heart?
Like, I was gonna have her kill him to save Zexion, but.
I mean, somehow killing Eraqus got his heart into Terra, I guess?
...I tossed around the idea, of, like, having. Naminé impersonate him to fight Riku and Kairi there and.
...Oh. OH!
Oh, I just had a wonderful, awful idea.
I've long been worried about how sympathetic Naminé is in all this, and.
I honestly. Do not know. Entirely.
...I dunno if basically Fridging Repliku would help, honestly.
Hmm.
..,I'm worried some of this new dialogue might be a little contrived and on the nose.
...Like, everyone reading would know what telling Naminé to fix Sora as fast as she possibly can would result in. It happened.
But.
Hmm.
...It probably isn't spoiling the fic too much if I point out that the central conflict of Days in this story is between "I need to wake Sora up" and "waking up Sora would require me to kill the shit out of my best friends" is it?
Like. Thats the issue with Naminé being sympathetic, here. Communication is sorta a big weakness of. Literally everyone in Kingdom Hearts.
Like. She can't let Sora keep sleeping, but she really doesn't wanna do what she knows she has to.
I sorta need Vexen to still die, in COM, because Replica bodies, the obvious solution, need to not really be available because. The obvious third option solution needs to not be there yet.
...I'm planning a thing of. Like, even if she finds some of Vexen's prototype replicas. Like, they're documented as unfinished and unable to replicate bodily things, like eating.
Yeah, I know Xion can eat ice cream, No. i was explicitly the last and best and most advanced Replica that Vexen ever made while he was alive.
And even Xion has the issue of absorbing too many memories, so. Stuffing everyone's heart in Xion's body is. Like, it'd keep Sora from ever waking up, so that's why they sorta want to avoid that.
...I had a dumb idea. Naminé tries to ask Roxas what he'd think about not being able to eat ice cream anymore, he tells her he'd rather not exist.
Naminé: "shit"
...I dunno where or how to go with the. Comedy. Of that. Or what.
Roxas DOES view ice cream as a cornerstone of life.
(I joke, but his frame of reference is such that it probably holds disproportionate value to him.)
In any case, that’s a good conflict for Namine to have.
...Are you willing to say what happens to Xion here?
Edited by KarkatTheDalek on Feb 7th 2019 at 4:12:23 AM
Oh God! Natural light!Xion will be just fine.
Y'know, eventually.
Honestly, though, 3 is a lot like everything I've ever wanted for Xion, and sorta vaguely planned on doing eventually, maybe, for this, so.
I mean, I think her eyes should have been yellow, but aside from that.
Edited by unnoun on Feb 7th 2019 at 4:27:59 AM
Well then...
On another note, while I haven’t finished III yet (that will take a few days) the spoilers I’ve read about have given me a few ideas for a fic starring Kairi as the main character, set after III. I’m not sure if I’ll actually end up writing it, but if I do, what sort of tone do you think I should take with her? She’d have reasons to be downbeat, certainly, what with what happens to Sora, but should I keep her the cheerful, optimistic type, or take her in a more melancholy, even angry direction? Or maybe a mixture of the two?
I will say that at my current stages of planning, this would be more of an intermediary story than a true sequel to III, though that might change after I’ve actually finished III. As such, I wouldn’t be picking up ALL the future plot points, just a few (namely, the New Seven Hearts).
Oh God! Natural light!I actually did have a kind of crazy idea involving the Master of Masters as an Author Avatar of sorts, which would turn into a big thing about the nature of stories? There probably wouldn’t be room for that here, though - I wanted to make up my own threat for the most part.
(I’ll also say that I’d prefer to tell a cool Kairi-focused story than focus on tearing down III’s failings. I don’t mind expressing my displeasure with canon, certainly - I just don’t think it’s really my style. No judgement for those who DO want to take it directly to task, though.)
Anyway, in all seriousness, what sort of tone do you think would be good?
Edited by KarkatTheDalek on Feb 7th 2019 at 5:11:53 AM
Oh God! Natural light!I don't have a problem with Author Avatars as my love for Kreia can attest to that. Then again, I like her because she is complicated and nuanced.
Then again, Chris Avellone (the same writer who made Kreia) also made Ulysses for the Fallout setting who was his Author Avatar for that one and I don't really like him that much.
If I had to be that guy, I would have Kairi going through something similar to grieving for Sora while getting help from her party members and generally getting better. Actually, I would really like to see a KH adventure fic that doesn't have a traditional BBEG and focuses on a personal quest, like reviving Sora and focusing on the dynamics of the characters.
Edited by heliosKAISER on Feb 7th 2019 at 2:53:46 AM
You gotta start somewhere.In other words, for tone, this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AIlz08fZos
...Staring at this chapter, where Sora, Kairi and Goofy have stolen Donald's hat and unzipped it to serve as a pair of panties/bikini bottoms for Ariel, because Donald is willing to magic her a pair of legs but not pants to explore Monstro with, and. I wonder if I have gone too far.
...What's too far probably is how I wrote Larxene making a clam joke, while watching on the crystal ball thingy, and her and Axel and Donald cussing.
...Somehow I think I keep starting off with giving Larxene dirty jokes and then working my way backward for some reason.
Also I dunno why I'm making Donald and pants a running thing, but it is now, I guess.
I'm not allowed to have Goofy or Mickey swear, ever, not even for emphasis. I need you all to keep me to that.
I know I swear a bunch, but.
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To be clear, I meant more like, an Author Avatar for Nomura, though at least not especially overt about it. Again, I probably wouldn't use the Master for this fic. I actually wanted to use two separate factions of (mostly?) original villains, with Xigbar (or should I say Luxu?) working behind the scenes. To figure out the exact details, though, I do think I need to finish III.
I do understand the appeal of an adventure with smaller stakes, but I did have the idea for something grand is scope, if mostly unconnected to the larger mythos. So I probably wouldn't really be placing any focus on Sora? That may change depending on what happens in the future, like announcements and DLC.
Speaking of which, I've been thinking about candidates for the New Seven Hearts. We know Rapunzel, Elsa and Anna already, and of course Kairi's there too (though this ties into the tone I mentioned - if I go for something...darker, she probably wouldn't be on the list).
I've thought a bit about the options, and here's a list of possibilities that I've come up with:
- Moana (Pretty much a shoe-in for me, and I'd honestly be surprised if she didn't make the list in canon)
- Tiana (Also a likely choice for me, if less so than Moana. I expect this world to show up in Kingdom Hearts eventually).
- Maid Marian (I'm surprised that this hasn't shown up yet, though I believe Disney isn't too fond of this movie, or at least they haven't been in the past. I'd honestly probably use Zootopia first if I did a talking animal world, or at least a human-sized one.)
- Miss Bianca (Might add some variety, what with one of them being a talking mouse, even moreso than a human-sized fox. If I used The Great Mouse Detective, though, I probably wouldn't use this as well. Furthermore, I'd probably use ''The Rescuers Down Under if I picked Princess and the Frog - no need for two swamp worlds.
- Kida (I'd love it if they gave this one a chance in the future)
- Lilo (Well, the actual setting of Lilo & Stitch hasn't actually be used yet, so she's viable. She might be a particularly most interesting choice, actually, coming from the humblest background. Generally shying away from children here, with the exception of Lilo and...)
- Vanellope (Wreck-It Ralph is in III, after all - only Summon not from a previous game, in fact. I wouldn't be surprised if the movie got the promotion to a new world in the next game, a la'' Simba, Mushu and Stitch. There is the issue of her being a video game character, but hey, data can have hearts.)
- Padme/Leia/Rey (This would depend on which trilogy I'd want to use. I will say that if Kairi was excluded from the list, this would pretty much be a lock, and would simply depend on which I wanted to go with.)
That's pretty much it. I did exclude [[Western Animation/Brave Merida]], mostly because I don't really care for Brave all that much, though I readily acknowledge it's a valid choice. I also excluded some possibilities due to lack of interest (The Black Cauldron, for one) as well as Pocahontas for its...issues. I do want to use Marvel for the story, but I wouldn't describe any character from there as "pure of heart", so I didn't really consider it. I also decided to exclude characters who had appeared in previous games but weren't Princesses of Heart, like Ariel and Mulan.
That said, some characters here (Lilo, Vannellope, Rey) do seem like they could be susceptible to darkness, so maybe they shouldn't be on the list? Then again, Larxene seemed to think that the same was true of Elsa, and yet she's confirmed. In fact, the way that she talked, it sounded like the new lights weren't necessarily set in stone, and had to sort of...earn it, I guess? Am I right about that?
To be clear, there would be a kidnapping plot here, but there would also be a scene where Kairi (kidnapped or otherwise) would help lead an awesome jailbreak (I can see Elsa in particular getting a cool moment).
Anyway, what do you guys think?
Edited by KarkatTheDalek on Feb 7th 2019 at 11:47:39 AM
Oh God! Natural light!...God, part of me wants to write Naminé in the Days thing now just for fucking Xigbar.
Like.
Her first words after getting back from Castle Oblivion are just staring at Xigbar and going "you son of a bitch".
kreia would absolutely be one of the new seven hearts in my book
because i love her
...I weirdly appreciate how you aren't even touching my last post.
I'd appreciate an appraisal of my list, though, if you have any opinions on it.
Oh God! Natural light!Part of me is a little irritated by the New Seven Hearts to begin with, but.
I mean, like.
Before BBS, or, during, or after. Around then. Nomura had an interview about how, one of the themes and things he was interested in was showing how the princesses hearts were filled with light.
And. Like, BBS sorta even does that? Kinda?
Like. Castle of Dreams, Terra and the Fairy Godmother have a talk about how Cinderella believes her dreams can come true.
And around that same time, Nomura also talked about how what filled Kairi's heart with light was her grandma's story. "Believe in the light, and the darkness can never defeat you."
Which. Is clearly a lie.
...Okay, to be more fair, belief and faith is a fairly consistent, constant thing with Kairi's character, even in 3, so.
...Also, around the same time, Nomura talked about how when Vanitas mentioned using Aqua as a backup, it was because Aqua's belief in Eraqus's teachings filled her heart with light, which.
He doesn't outright say that Aqua's one of the 7 princesses but he does use the same terminology of belief and hearts filling with light to describe Cinderella, Aqua and Kairi, so like.
...I mean, shit, did Eraqus not notice? How is Vanitas the only one that noticed?
Are Eraqus and Xehanort as bad at everything else as they are at chess? Is that even possible?
Yep.
I mean.
I decided that as much as I hate COM Atlantica. I like the Little Mermaid, and Ariel isn't Peter Pan, and after referring to Kairi's awkward pansexual crush in the earlier story I felt bad to not include her while Kairi and Sora were still together.
But I still didn't really have enough to justify Monstro and Atlantica, my least favorite worlds. That don't have Peter Pan in them. So, I pushed Monstro after Larxene, and decided I love Riku being a dick inside a whale, so Repliku's here, and decided that Whales live in the ocean or are supposed to, so I fused the worlds, which is good thematically because both stories are about/involve dads with Geppetto, Jiminy and Triton, which, isn't a theme of Kingdom Hearts or COM, but it isn't a bad theme either, so. Everybody gets one.
...I just realized, that, the Blue Fairy gave him life, and Geppetto and Jiminy raise him, so Pinocchio has two dads and an absentee, deadbeat mom.
She should pay child support or something.
Edited by unnoun on Feb 8th 2019 at 10:16:15 AM
Oh dang, so Aqua may have been as pure as a Princess of Heart at one point? DANG, that's neat, and suddenly Vanitas' backup comment makes way more sense. Nice catch! :) I'm surprised that hasn't been toyed with more.
I also quite like the idea of merging worlds like that. It's something you really don't see in a lot of Kingdom Hearts works, but if it opens up unique storytelling possibilities, then go for it! Certainly seems like a fun way to spice things up.
On my end, I'm gonna launch the new Antipode chapter today, which is nice after a hiatus of over a year. What I need to figure out is how much to prioritize The Year Between's
re-edits. Right now, pretty much all the plot-central chapters have been polished and made consistent with Fragmented Truths' re-edits and other plotholes and hiccups have been smoothed. I wanna at least do touch ups on the Pocahontas, Gargoyles, and Monsters Inc. worlds, but I also feel like with the current story being dormant for so long, I should get a few chapters done on that first.
Since I already re-edited like 30+ chapters of TYB anyway.
I also need to figure out a few things for Treasure Planet, 'cause right now it's set up like so...
- Xigbar plans to yoink Riku for the map instead of Jim because they can track Riku, he's isolated himself because of that fact, and his Keyblade is a thing.
- Scroop wants to go out and have some fun with the other TP folk since Riku ain't there (though Sora IS with Jim and Xig made clear that Sora has to be left alive- Xemnas kinda wants the kid for his own reasons).
- Amelia and Doppler are lying low and assessing the situation.
- Kairi, Donald, and Goofy are trying to trail Riku from the air (Gummi Ship has cloaking), but Riku is repeatedly swoocing through dark corridors to try and throw off Xigbar's trail.
SO! Do I have Kairi and co. find Sora and Jim or Amelia and Doppler? If I go with the latter, I can always have Sora and Jim find BEN. Ultimately, I just need to figure out the best way to position everyone before I set things in motion for the climax, which is probably gonna go fairly differently on account of Xigbar shifting gears to Jim.
But I COULD have Silver pull a surprise rescue if Scroop starts going all Heartless-like. Maybe even under the pretense that if things go south with Riku, Jim's their best backup.
Though I can't imagine Sora OR Jim would take that lying down. And Sora's hella powerful now that he and Ven take turns controlling their Heartless body, so Ven could totally whip out some Wingblade or something.
The way I see it, I kinda want everything to converge on the planet's core itself, when the big, scurry skeleton Flint Heartless fight begins. But the specifics are still a lil' up in the air and I need to figure out the ideal atmosphere for a grand battle.
But I mean, melty, exploding planet and DARKNESS GUSHING EVERYWHERE and spooky, scary skeleton gives me a lot to work with. Plus Xigbar's space/gravity manipulation, Sniper Nobodies, and all that good stuff.
Edited by Dorked on Feb 8th 2019 at 7:46:36 AM
My Fanfiction Account | Kingdom Hearts: The Antipode seriesI mean, maybe Aqua was replaced by Alice or something? Or, Jasmine, or. BBS only has 4, including Kairi, 5 if Aqua herself was one of the 7. Which. I honestly do not know. I think she might be, though?
...Anyway, after I wanted to do a fusion I realized that Ariel probably couldn't swim inside Monstro.
Donald can do all the world transformations, so. It's a plothole why he doesn't give Ariel legs, in II, but. World Border, and also he might be scared Triton would break him in two.
And I can't blame him for that fear, honestly.
Also it's not the real Ariel anyway, so the World Border isn't in any danger.
But then I thought "would Donald give her pants" and my id responded "absolutely not". And is quite insistent.
...Naked People Are Funny is absolutely a thing for me.
Which, I mean. She still would have her bra thingy?
Also.
I keep realizing, that. KHUX or KHIII or otherwise, there's still stuff I still can do and want to do now with Marluxia-Nort and I hate myself now because fuck.
I have fucking 14 now.
Possibly more, because. I want them to try another Repliku and fail miserably. For reasons.
I want Xaldinort becauss him and his Incel ass (just listen to literally anything he says about Beast, Belle and love and tell me I'm wrong and that isn't exactly what he is) not being a Nort makes no sense to me on like 8 different levels. You can't tell me I'm wrong.
And.
They sorta. Retconned or dropped the thing about Zexion being high ranking and close to Xemnas but I liked it because it's fucked up and that's my shit and my brand.
...Luxord being a Nort makes sense just because of where he is in II.
He's the odd man out at TWTNW.
...Shit, I need to.
Terranort, Ansem, Xemnas, YX, Vanitas.
Xigbar, Xaldin, Zexion, Saïx, Luxord, Marluxia, Larxene, Xion, Naminé...
Fuck. 14.
Fuck.
...Xaldin and Zexion are the most obvious drops.
...Maybe I could get Xaldin killed and recompleted again in DDD because it's not in his nature to hold back.
And he doesn't cut and run, but stays to fight at "My friends are my power" because unlike Luxu he isn't a coward.
Also Xemnas and Xaldin Dual-Boss.
With Xigbar taking potshots until all the Soras scare him off temporarily by glaring at him with The Angry Look again.
...Huh, I like it. The first three.
...You know, since KHII isn't that long in-series before KHIII, there isn't really a reason for smartphones and social media to not be a thing.
There's out of universe reasons for it to be a thing in III, but.
...Fuck, I want to do the social media and phone stuff in II.
...Maybe Days, a bit?
I mean. Hmm.
I can buy Xemnas not. Allowing. Phones. Cults don't like outside contact, they like isolation, and dependence, and he's an old man at heart.
...Which, I'm an old lady and I'm not sure I'm good at social media, but. But these characters should be, I think.
Or, if not good, then. Enthusiastic.
...I'm not good at photoshop or art, so it'd just be descriptions of posts and texts, but.
God.
I am afraid of Naminé and Xigbar discovering memes.
I am afraid of unleashing this upon the world.
Still thinking about Last Midnight.
Still not sure exactly when it should go, but.
Hmm.
It's the last wish
It's the last midnight
I am so done with all——
THIS!
(At Xemnas)Told a little lie,
(At Xigbar) sold your little soul,
(At Axel) broke a little vow...
...Did you!?
(At Xaldin) Had to get that prince!
(At Saïx) You just had to bow, had to get your wish, doesn't matter how...
anyway, it doesn't matter now!
It's the last midnight!
It's the boom...crash!
Nothing but a vast midnight!
Everybody's hopes dashed!
...Broke a little vow suits Axel way more now.
Though, "sold your little soul" suits Xigbar. I dunno if it's less or not.
I honestly can't tell. Is he still Der Freischütz, now?
I think who the devil is has changed, now.
Not exactly true.
You could always give them the boy!
Oh, no, of course what really matters is the blame!
Someone you can blame.
Fine, if that's the thing you enjoy,
placing the blame,
if that's the aim,
give me the blame.
Just give me the girl.
...I think. Naminé wants Xion because with her she can fix things, maybe.
Hmm. Maybe this should be after Axel brings Xion back and Xion gets completed, armored and Norted. Day. 356? Night 356?
But she can't get to Xion, so instead she tries to cause a distraction, by tricking the Dusks into making everyone think there's a meeting at the Altar of Naught.
Axel and Saïx are probably pretty beat up.
...I dunno what to do with the "you're so nice" verse because. The Organization isn't.
I sorta want to have her sing it to Sora and/or Kairi in DDD and/or 3, though. Hmm.
"I'm not good, I'm not nice I'm just right" is a note I want to hit, though.
...I like musicals, and I mostly like Into The Woods, and how much it's about stories.
And when I started this fic I saw the musical while thinking about Naminé and. I couldn't not do this one song.
I'm the witch
You're all liars and thieves
Like his Other!
Like you all will be too!
Oh, why bother?
You'll just do what you'll do!
It's the last midnight
So goodbye, all
Coming at you fast, midnight—
Soon you'll see the sky fall!
Here, you want a heart? *summons keyblade*
Come and get a heart! *fires a beam at Kingdom Hearts*
Hearts will make you exist! *hearts fall from the sky, Xemnas is furious*
Break them and they pour—
Here, you want some more?
Listen to the roar:
Heartless by the score—!
Oh well, you can blame another witch!
It's the last verse!
Now before it's past midnight,
I'm leaving you my last curse!
(At Axel:)I'm leaving you alone.
(At Xemnas:) You can have the Heartless they're yours!
Separate but alone!
Everybody down on all fours!
...One thing I sorta wanna do is.
I mean.
A beat I want to hit is, the moment Sora wakes up in KHII era, with no idea about COM, and Naminé is still there.
Like, she tries to explain the Heartless and Nobody stuff, and Sora asks if that essentially makes Naminé his and Kairi's daughter, and.
Like, I don't personally know if I think that's how the Heartless and Nobody stuff works, but.
I think it's also one perspective of the situation that, I sorta want someone to bring it up.
...It's such an overly simple perspective that either Sora or Goofy would have it.
Even if Naminé rejects it and is embarassed by and uncomfortable with it because she sorta brainwashed Sora into falling in love with her that one time.
And I bring it up here, because.
...I sorta wanna do the "Alright mother when!" final verse of Last Midnight for her defeat in the Real Organization, in the Graveyard.
I want her and Kairi to recomplete in II but for Naminé to be stolen in DDD and.
She expects punishment from Kairi, because she thinks she deserves it.
...This is. Complicated, maybe.
But, like.
...One thing I'll change is.
I am using "Anything can happen" and running with it.
Kairi and Naminé merge when the Encoder explodes. And she gets unnorted because fuck it.
Kairi replaces Naminé in the party, and Riku joins at the same time.
Except, Naminé also sorta merges with Sora as well.
Instead of the thing with Roxas and Naminé being together when Sora and Kairi are together. That's still true, and they're still friends.
But it's more that Naminé only completely exists when Sora and Kairi are together. Like she's divided between them, almost.
She's able to piece herself together a little more conceptually in DDD because of Sleeping World and The Final World shenanigans, and willingly reaches out and goes to the Real Organization, putting Kairi in danger, just because it fucking hurts otherwise, being torn apart.
...I might write a fic for between II and DDD. Actually.
Sorikai is the only good Destiny Trio ship, and all three of them are at their best and most interesting together.
They're all just so boring in DDD and 3. Lifeless and soulless. Because of how sociopathic and uncaring they all 3 are.
But the handful of scenes where they're all together in the games, and the manga, and the novels, they and their characters sing.
...And, wait, wait.
Shoot, Mickey's letter is because of coded, because of Naminé and. She doesn't have much of a reason if she was in II up to the end.
Shit.
...I mean, if coded can just not happen, I'll accept it.
Mickey broadly hoping he can do things on his own for a few weeks or so before roping the kids in again does make sense, so.
...On the recurring topic of vaguely inappropriate and cursed shit I'm doing.
Partly because of how much I love the modernization in the 2017 Ducktales, and how I love the fandom there, and because I love the SJ conscious fandom of AO3 and Tumblr.
Like, I'm considering having Donald Duck explicitly talking about bisexuality and polyamory.
Donald/Daisy/José/Panchito would probably go in the ship tags if they ever all show up.
I love Hold Your Violet Tiara High
so much.
And, a lot of LGBTQ+ themed and headcanoned Ducktales genfic.
It's weirdly cute, to me.
...I'm probably going to fuse An Extremely Goofy Movie into a Ducktales world floor, because all I can think about for a world plot otherwise is Sora skateboarding early, and the dance scene.
The part where my fic's background diverges most from the games is going to be Huey, Dewey and Louie, I think.
And Webby.
Birth By Sleep and up to the first visit of Hollow Bastion would be the same. And X and UX and all that.
Except, while BBS is exactly the same, to the pixel, in my version of KHI, the triplets would be their 2017 versions and Webby would be there.
...I ain't rewriting the entire first game just for that, but.
I should probably, put a disclaimer or something somewhere.
...Write a super-short one-shot? Hmm.
And I just found my notes and remembered why I have to do Hollow Bastion for the 10th Floor and it's Belle.
The Keyblade of Heart summons the real Belle's heart the way it did Alice a bit ago.
...My notes have 'keyblade masters and guardians of light Belle and Alice' so. That's a thing.
...I think I wrote this around 0.2 and the concerts, so I had Lea training with them with Merlin for some reason.
So the real Maleficent from Riku's side and the real Belle from Beast's Castle.
I sorta want to do a divergence of Hollow Bastion as well because of Kairi's Radiant Garden memories and Naminé fucking them up.
As in.
Naminé's powers are more an art than a science, and as a result, if Kairi thinks about it too hard she would realize her life makes literally no sense.
Naminé made a mistake inserting herself to replace Aqua.
And.
...I dunno how to explain this to get it to make sense, but.
It isn't that Naminé isn't replacing Kairi in Sora's memories. Earlier there was a bit where Sora looked at Kairi and didn't really see her.
"Rub two memories together and you get a spark of emotion, a feeling" and what Naminé is trying to do is leverage Sora and Kairi's feelings more than the facts or logic of the memories themselves.
She literally is the Nobody of both of them, (and Ven) in a sense, so, anything in them that has to do with themselves, each other or Ven is easiest for her to do Find+Replace with herself. Within reason.
Naminé = Kairi = Ventus = Vanitas = Sora = Roxas = Xion.
...Realistically, we could do 7 guardians right there.
Vanitas would never agree, and he's also half-Xehanort, but.
Anyway, there's, a blind spot there, almost.
Aqua is useful because everyone has a lil' bit of a crush on Aqua, that's just facts.
The problem is, if Kairi thinks she knew Naminé in Radiant Garden, and they both think they knew her in Destiny Islands.
That makes no sense.
Marluxia and Larxene are upset, but the drama of it all, and the details were Marluxia's fairy tale idea. Naminé could have introduced herself as Master Naminé and made them her students, there to train them after their bequeathing if she could borrow that memory from Riku and let Sora and Kairi think they did it.
But Marluxia had to have his Drama.
So Naminé had to work with the parameters she was given, and forging an emotional bond is tough as shit, especially when they already have an emotional bond right there in each other.
...The irony I'm planning now though, is, no matter what Naminé says about Marluxia being too into the melodrama, at least he doesn't burst into musical theatre from Sondheim.
I sorta want that to be a point for the final battle, which has to be Naminé, Zexion, Marluxia and Larxene vs. Kairi, I think. Chain of Memories redux.
Luxord gets shuffled in the deck to the Saïx and Xion vs. Lea battle.
If only because of "how could you, Roxas" being a thing. Luxord does have a relationship there, if not much of one.
...And, Fuck, I dunno what I wanna do about any of the others. Only 7 Seekers down, and I have no idea what to do with the remaining 6.
Especially if I wanna keep Terra/Apprentice Xehanort as the last one, that's.
I think Terranort and MX separating makes no sense, but.
Now I'm struggling because of how good that going down was.
Or, not the details, but.
...I need to think more about stuff I hadn't really thought about there.
I really need to work out who kills who more, though.
Edited by unnoun on Feb 10th 2019 at 6:54:49 AM
I will say that I don't think that Sora's especially boring in III? He's got a lot of fun moments?
I agree that the three of them absolutely need scenes together, though.
Bit difficult to take everything else in? I don't think I have any objections to anything in particular, though would maybe advise you to be careful about how many plot points you put in here - it could get a bit overwhelming. You definitely have lots of good ideas, though.
Speaking of Naminé, I've thought about what sort of role I'd like her to have in the post III-fic I'm writing, and I was thinking...maybe she decides to take up magic and wield a Keyblade of her own, and ends up apprenticing under Yen Sid? I think that by the time the story begins, she's actually a lot more confident than she used to be.
Also, how long after the end of III do you think would be a good time to start the story? I plan on starting it with Kairi ending up in the Final World, with your standard KH tutorial scene before Sora comes to get her (I may or may not do the final Destiny Islands scene), and then a scene with Xigbar soon after the scene with the Foretellers that sets up the main conflict of the story (which isn't the Foretellers, actually - Xigbar sort of shoos them off-stage so they can stay a secret for now), and after that, I'd have a Time Skip, which I think could be anywhere from a few weeks to half a year? I want work a few things in, like the aforementioned apprenticeship for Naminé, Kairi renewing her training, and Huey, Dewey and Louie aging just a bit to bring them more in line with their 2017 Ducktales selves, but I'm worried that the longer it is, the more implausible that they've been going too long without searching for Sora. I also wanted Riku to go looking for him and vanish too, though he was really just planning to look around for a bit at the time, explaining why Kairi or anyone else wasn't with him.
What do you guys think about all that?
Edited by KarkatTheDalek on Feb 10th 2019 at 10:44:17 AM
Oh God! Natural light!I mean.
I'm genuinely sorry, but all I want for post KH 3 and Kairi is to punch Nomura in the face.
And the dick.
So.
...I dunno, I find it just. So hard. To care about Yen Sid.
So I heard a theory a while back that Xemnas's keyblade was at the core of the Kingdom Hearts in TWTNW and that honestly makes a lot of sense to me.
Keyblades in general are for collecting and stealing and holding onto Lux and Light.
Sora either doesn't know how, or. Actually, maybe all the Emblem Heartless in X are actually pureblood and pureblood release Lux?
...Also MX made the KH in BBS with No Name somehow, so. Idk.
More than that, I can't get over the idea of, every time Xemnas and Saïx look at the moon, the moon is looking back.
Even if KH ever contradicts the idea and it doesn't really, I love it too much as an idea.
Like, we're told that Xigbar is a Nobody again in DDD and 3, and he can use No Name so.
He doesn't seem to have recompleted a second time either.
Also I wanna have someone flip the bird at it.
I understand how you feel, unnoun. In any case, I know you aren't a huge fan of Yen Sid, but he probably wouldn't have too large a role in the story, though I do think he might have been more eager to take on a new apprentice than even Naminé expected, as his contribution to the final battle actually took a lot out of him, and he doesn't have that long to live.
The No Name idea's pretty interesting, and makes an intriguing amount of sense.
Anyway, I'd appreciate if you could tell me what you think would work best for my ideas, but if you can't, that's fine.
Oh God! Natural light!This is true.
Anyway, Dorked, heliosKAISER, any thoughts on my ideas?
Edited by KarkatTheDalek on Feb 10th 2019 at 12:17:39 PM
Oh God! Natural light!I think he just tells them to go hide out for a bit and wait for this one thing to blow over, then they'll be in business, Master's orders.
...I did have this entire thing I was writing out, but then I lost it all.
Let's try again...
A long time ago, in one of Luxu's lives before Braig, there was a schism in the existing Keyblade order, spawning two rogue factions - one, the Ebon Choir, that embraced Darkness, and another, the Ivory Knights, that essentially became Light extremists (which is a thing you can be in Kingdom Hearts - think Eraqus trying to kill Ven, but worse). Luxu had originally thought that this would be a great opportunity to start the next Keyblade War, but quickly realized that if either of these factions fought and won a proper Keyblade War (which their current conflict wouldn't technically count as), their end goals would pretty much spell the end for the Master's plans. So instead, he worked behind the scenes to defeat them, but ultimately they couldn't be bested by force of arms. Instead, he was able to use a spell to seal them both away, with the condition that once the next Keyblade War had concluded, they would be allowed to return and fight again, albeit under certain rules that Luxu would lay down. I think there's a spell involved here, and since it's almost like a game, I'm wondering if Luxord's original self might have been Luxu's collaborator here.
Fast forward to post-III, and Xigbar meets up with them again, and lays out the terms. I don't know all the specifics, but they'll at least be partially fighting over the New Seven Lights - Xigbar tells them that four are currently know, but refuses to disclose their identities. They'll be able to figure that out easily enough on their own, but since Xigbar doesn't want either of them to win, he decides to add a complication...
(Warning, this part wouldn't be revealed until later on in the story) In the deepest depths of the Realm of Darkness, there exists a place where strange creatures of darkness dwell - not quite Heartless, but something more. These are incarnations of the banished darkness of those whose hearts are filled with light, entities similar to Vanitas. For every bit of light in such a person's heart, there exists an equal amount of darkness. Everyone with a heart of light, like the Princesses of Hearts, has such a counterpart...including Kairi.
Xigbar's been around for awhile, so he's managed to find out about this place, but he's never had cause to actually travel there...until now. He manages to create a more direct link (how, I'm not exactly sure) between Kairi's heart in the Final World and her dark counterpart, which forms in the Final World and attacks her (Kairi, like Sora, exists in semi-corporeal form - their connection works both ways, it would seem). She manages to fight it off, Sora returns, and together they leave the Final World, but as a result of this, Kairi has darkness in her heart for the first time in over a decade...
From there on, things play out as they do in the ending - celebration on Destiny Islands, Sora vanishes. After that, I'd like a Time Skip, preferably one of about six months so that I could shake-up the status quo, but then I'm worried that it'll seem like they've given up on Sora too quickly? I'm pretty sure that Riku goes missing as well (hence the Secret Ending), having gone out alone for one last look around before planning to return and help out the others.
Speaking of the others...
- Aqua and Terra have taken charge of things in the Land of Depature, and are have put together plans to give everyone with a Keyblade formal training until they're officially Masters. Ven's a Master by the time the story starts, as is Terra - Aqua, upon remembering that he wasn't technically one, ended up just giving him the official ceremony on the spot.
- Roxas and Xion don't have training for the moment, since they've had, like, one vacation day in their lives, and they're both pretty proficient in the Keyblade. They're currently staying in Twilight Town, where they end up enrolling in Hayner, Pence and Olette's school, which they either hate or love to a truly irritating capacity. They were also the finalists of the latest Struggle, which Xion won.
- Lea and Isa, when not in Twilight Town, are currently searching for leads on Subject X. They've found little, but what they do have is promising. Lea may or may not have gotten his Keyblade back.
- Naminé, able to do whatever the fuck she wants with her life now, has decided to become Yen Sid's apprentice. She is now Keyblade wielder and a very proficient mage, and has gained a lot more confidence.
- Mickey is currently back at Disney Castle, feeling guilty about leaving Minnie so often. Donald and Goofy are often there with him, but also spend a lot of time with Kairi, bringing Pluto along too (he is a good boy).
- Yen Sid, in addition to trying to determine the whereabouts of Sora and Riku, is also attempting to locate Xigbar, Luxord, Marluxia and Larxene, as no one knows where they are. (Demyx, on the other hand, has made no effort of hiding, and has elected to remain a Nobody because he's lazy like that, but since he's mainly just fucking around, no one's really worried about him.)
- As it turns out Lauriam and Elrena have been recruited by Xigbar to help him out behind the scenes. They originally told him to take a hike, but then he told them that he knew how they could bring back Strelitzia…
And finally, there's Kairi. She's been training hard, and once Aqua and Terra judge her to be at a suitable level, she plans on resuming the search for Sora. Lately, however, she's been feeling strange, like there's something inside her heart that she's never felt before. She's been quick to dismiss it, but she's been feeling it more and more often, and she can't ignore it any longer...
And it's in this status quo that the Ebon Choir and the Ivory Knights return to wage their war. The conflict of the stories involves a three-way war between our heroes and the two enemy factions, with Xigbar's group working behind the scenes. Meanwhile, Kairi has to keep the new darkness inside her in check.
One thing I'm worried might be the case, and something that I want to avoid, is Kairi merely being a pawn in the machinations of the villains (though that's not exactly a concept strange to Kingdom Hearts protagonists). I want Kairi to have agency in the plot, even with her own Heart in conflict. I also want to avoid her becoming a major edgelord, a raging berserker, or a helpless damsel - I do want her to be recognizably her, still a kind, determined person, but uncertain of what this new darkness means for her.
What do you guys think? I will say that I am legitimately uncertain about the whole Darkness infecting Kairi thing, and used it mainly because A) I wanted include a one more New Light than I had available, and B) I wanted a inner conflict for Kairi that wasn't just missing her friends, and an internal struggle between light and darkness seemed fitting when this story would have it be less clear-cut than in the past. I also thought it was kind of clever that Xigbar would have a way to screw up the plans of his enemies.
Edited by KarkatTheDalek on Feb 10th 2019 at 2:39:24 PM
Oh God! Natural light!

...Yeah, it's directsd at you sorry.
I just. Have a knee-jerk thing whenever I see Nobody names with the X to go "you're doing it wrong".
Like. Part of that is because Xemnas and Xehanort's God-complex and sense of ownership is legitimately interesting to me?
It occurs to me that. The rest of my Days and Chain will probably be more Rikai than anything else?
Which.
I've gone back and tagged Tempestuous with Sora/Kairi because most of it is them interacting and supporting each other.
I don't feel right tagging Sora/Riku at any point at least so far no matter how many talks Riku or Sora have about each other because the real ones just. Don't interact yet.
It feels. Dishonest.
So, like, even if Sorikai is endgame, structure wise, like. It's more of a Sokai fic and then a Rikai one? Sorta? Ish? I dunno.
Hmm.
I mean.
...Hmm.
I've honestly found myself drawn to it more myself over time, but not in a. Good. Way.
Like. Even though I was an adult when I got into this series, I'm certainly not the same adult I was then in 2002.
And.
Part of it might be the novels and manga, part of it could be fanworks, part of it might be other media, part of it could be me being way too obsessive.
But, I find myself actually respecting and enjoying Riku's redemption arc more and more, and how much genuine effort he puts into it, and how much actual self-loathing there is there, because KH 1 Riku is honestly bad enough that he deserves it.
Like, maybe it's David and Hayden's acting, which again, I might be reading too much into, but. When Riku says "if not for you I'd never thought of any of this" and "Kairi thanks" Kairi seems. Ridiculously, genuinely uncomfortable. She says you're welcome, but. I dunno if she means it. The delivery, and the body language and animation is.
And. The "Riku's changed" bit is.
We see it from Sora's perspective, but.
I dunno. Again, maybe overreading.
But the animation and performance from Riku in the Night of Fate bit, "I'm not afraid of the darkness" just.
Riku ain't right, in the first game.
...And, I weirdly like the potentially implication in DDD that Ansem, might have been doing some grooming there?
And. Like, for some reason, with, like, current events, I'm reminded of shit like. I dunno. Incels, like Kylo Ren, or. Just. A whole lot of things with male entitlement and stuff that. I mean, however much experience I did or didn't have at the time, I didn't have the words for them, and they weren't as talked about much.
It's subtextual, and I'm honestly not sure it's deliberate, don't think it is because literally none of the characters at any point in the games of this series treats Kairi like a person instead of a prize or object, yes I'm bitter, but.
I dunno. With the lense I have now it's.
...I mean, there's lines into irredeemability, in my book, for those sorts of behaviors and attitudes, and as bad as Riku gets he never actually crosses them.
But the general. Sense. Of KH Riku is.
Like, some people do the leather pants thing and say he wasn't that bad, but, no, what's interesting to me is that he came as close as possible to being literally the worst and still pulled himself out.
There's a lot of growth with Riku just attitude-wise that I sorta love.