This is random, I’ll admit (light/dark discussion thing)

but maybe it's not random, considering I just read "Contrast" (which Flightfoot was so kind to post a link to the translation on the previous post, I'll give you a link on this in case you missed it)

I laughed at Terra's dislike of sweets

and then Van and Ven--

I found my soft spot for Van. The novels really portray him in a different light (a light that makes me want to strangle Xehanort *fingers twitch around hilt of Master Sword* even though Master Swords and strangling have nothing in common)

Anyway

it made me think of this video

which I think parallels the relationship between Van and Ven, and then Roxas and Sora quite nicely

(and though the song sounds way too happy to fit a sort of video, go read the translation)

http://www.animelyrics.com/doujin/vocaloid/damiidamii.htm

The song describes very well the relationship between Van and Ven, especially the: "But the more I tried to look for the answer, the stronger the urge I'd feel to kill the self of me who's laughing with someone"

Which, btw, is what Miku's singing when it shows the picture of Terra, Aqua, and Ven laughing and Van's watching them

Obviously

The lyrics, I'll admit, get more obscure after that, but maybe that's because I'm not looking them in a light that fits Roxas and Sora. But whatev.

It's not entirely my fault I can't get my my brain to stop thinking Ven/Van. I really do love their relationship. Not saying I ship them or anything (I find it sad that I have to clarify this...). I love their relationship as it is: light and darkness, two halves of the same whole, all that. I've always loved things like that (there's a recurring theme of twins who one wields light and one weilds darkness in the novels I try to write) and have only just now figured out how to portray a relationship between those kinds of characters.

Because it's not just dark and light

there's their relationship, too -- or the relationship as I've come to love it; being two sides of the same coin, whether you like it or not.

Anyway

I'm going to move on now. I lost whatever point I had originally for this, and I need to finish the stupid question answering thing, because there's too much going on in the next chapter of Dead Inside itself, and it'll require like three seperate blog posts. I'd like to wait until I'm done with anniversary stuff to worry about that.

btw, here's the link to Contrast, in case you missed it

http://remember-kingdom-hearts.tumblr.com/post/28870649241/bonus-translation-...

and if you haven't read Dark Memory yet, read it here (at first I posted the wrong link, but it's fixed now)

http://remember-kingdom-hearts.tumblr.com/post/28798364782/bonus-translation-of-the-novel-chapter-dark-memory

Yes! Go ahead! Plot book 5, everyone! (Hilarious conversation)

Reposting because I found this post hilarious

I was up till... 12 last night? all because certain people WOULDN'T shut up! *glares at Shadow*

Shadow: what? You know you WANTED that conversation!

me: ug... okay... yeah I did... but still.

Kairi: it's their fault! *glares at Sora's parents!*

me: (sternly )Kairi! Don't blame them! It's not entirely their fault.

Shadow: umm... yeah it is...

me: *sighs* Sora was the one who started it...

Sora: *throws hands up in defeat* YOU were thinking about it.

me: hey! I was having a hard time focusing! Namine and Riku have been quiet lately...

Namine: it's only because you were writing that random crap Hollow Bastion scene

me: which I was only writing because you insisted!

Namine: *starts to argue, but frowns* okay... I did insist...

Riku: hey, I don't-

me: Riku! we're not going there!

Riku: *pouts*

Shadow: You know... we've strayed away from the original point...

Kairi: (angrily) Right! Sora's parents!

me: (sternly again) Kairi... no need to yell at them...

Kairi: No need? There is EVERY need!

Me: KAIRI! SHUT UP! We've got another year before this actually happens! And it only turned out as bad as it did because Xehanort went and meddled! If you want to yell at anyone, go yell at him!

Edd: but she already-

me: Edd! What are you doing here!?

Zack: bothering you, duh!

me: *rubs head* THIS is why I stopped doing these things

Riku: yeah, because your mind wanders and random crap characters show up! Oh well, it's not as bad as that one time where you had like... Tippi, Navi, Link, then I got smothered by fangirls-

me: no, that was the Real Riku.

Riku: oh it was? *bursts out laughing*

me: *groan*

Zack: you guys were complaining about Xehanort, right?

Kairi: no, I'm still complaining about Sora's parents

Sora:*turns to Zack* I could complain about Xehanort, if you want.

Shadow: *hasty look at Aerith* that MIGHT be a bad idea

Zack: sorry! I can- I can GO if you guys need me to. 

me: that might not be a bad idea, Zack, sorry.

Zack: ah, it's nothing. I can go do something else... *heads off*

Kairi: right, now where were we?

Sora: NOT complaining about my parents.

Kairi: but-

me: Kairi! Leave it alone! We already wrote it off as Xehanort meddling-

Zack: again

me: Zack!

Zack: sorry! Sorry... *leaves*

Shadow: How many times is this that Xehanort's meddled?

me: only twice... but it is annoying...

Sora: *makes a face* it is...

me: It wouldn't be as bad if he didn't solve my problems in doing so!

Riku: *frowns* actually... he's meddled and fixed your problems three times now...

me: he ha- oh...

Riku: (smugly) yup.

Me: I thought 37 was mostly responsible for that.

Riku: no, remember? Xehanort was the only reason he actually bothered. Otherwise he would've just-

me: we should stop talking now before we give too much info away...

yeah... so... that was fun...

just in case you didn't catch, my characters have been extremely distracting lately. Sora, Kairi, Aqua (who didn't want to show up in that conversation for some reason...) Xehanort and Shadow-

Kairi: and Sora's parents!

And Sora's parents were all talking last night. I suppose I wouldn't have minded, but they were all plotting book 5. Even Shadow! And I could've SWORN he didn't make it out of Dead Inside!

Shadow: I never said I made it out... I was merely throwing ideas around last night

*Groan* okay, whatever. The point is, everyone was plotting book 5 last night-

Riku: me and Namine weren't!

No! you weren't, but you have almost no part in- ug! nevermind, stupid blog. I have to go anyway.... *leaves*

About Riku's memories 2

read first post here
They didn't end up together because they were labeled separate things whoops
actually it happened because one was labeled review replies and the other wasn't

technically, this conversation happened in a comment thread, but It was so long I figured I'd post it in a new blog. 

Flightfoot asked: Building replicas isn't the only thing that memories are good for. Saix should have looked through them to see if there was any useful information on how to defeat Repliku in them. Also, it may have been helpful to see what the Organization in AtP was like, so that he could avoid the pitfalls that they stepped into. In addition, I'd imagine that looking into Repliku's memories may be helpful in figuring out what is causing meltdowns and how to prevent them.

If Repliku's memories contain the fake memories that Namine planted, then the other Riku's memories may have been helpful in figuring out what was going to happen next in "Falling to Pieces", and his fake memories may be helpful in figuring out what was going on in "Falling to Pieces". At the very least, people should have checked to see if this sort of useful information was contained in Repliku's memories

I replied:

Holy flip, I almost need another blog post to respond to that...

You do bring up some good points, Flightfoot! Really making me think!

Alright, I suppose Saix COULD have gone through his memories to figure out his weaknesses and all that. I don't have a rationalization for why he DIDN'T, except that he never thought that Riku would be such a threat... which... well... doesn't entirely work.

However, for that second question, you have to keep in mind Repliku didn't live long. He saw only what happened inside of Castle Oblivion, and even then he didn't pay much attention to it. Back in the Truth Hurts, they DID use... uhmm... no, hang on, that's not what I wanted to say... They did see his memories and guess that maybe trying to use Namine to control Repliku was a bad idea, but Marluxia was too arrogant to listen. (there, that's what I meant...)

I don't think Repliku still has planted memories of Riku. I remember reading somewhere a theory that when Namine shattered him, she shattered all his false memories, but his heart was so unstable that everything else just went with. So, those memories are probably the most vague for him, IF he even still has them. And even if he does, no one's going to THINK to look through them to see what was going on in FtP. Riku (my Riku) didn't have such close ties to the Rebellion then. And the Rebellion had other things to deal with. I'm sure maybe... 19 would have maybe warned him if he had actually SEEN, but 19 isn't terribly good with computers, remember? I doubt anyone else would've cared.

Yes, I do realize that his memories would've been a good spot to find information, but that didn't occur to me that they were even still ON the Database until just recently. The best excuse I can come up with is someone looked through them, found absolutely nothing interesting (to them, at least) in them and no one bothered to double check.

or... his memories are just too unstable, not just to use but to view (as, actually, you will see in the next chapter...)

Plus, memories are not accurate at all. They do not portray facts, but feelings. And Repliku's feelings, with no doubt, clouded up most of his memories. I doubt he paid much attention to what the Organization was doing. He cared more about Namine, and was probably focusing on her most of the time. And, I'm pretty positive, that information is almost useless. Well, okay, except the Organization can gather that she's his weakness, but I think they've already established that.

...

okay, I think I covered everything.

Feel free to ask more questions, though. This was actually fun to figure out. Thanks for making my brain work more than it's used to!!

KKBeckett asked a good question

and, I don't remember if I explained it

So, why did Sora fall into darkness? He was so bright as a kid... what changed?

the very very simple reason?

Riku showing up in this universe threw the universe out of balance. In a desperate need to fix the balance, the universe did practically everything.

Sora falling into darkness was one of those things

There is, however, a deeper level to this (what!? I'm going DEEP on you? NO WAY!!)

and to understand that, we have to go back to when Sora was a kid.

Sora LOVED fairytales. LOVED THEM. His mom would read him a book (or three) every night before he went to bed. His father would take him (and often Kairi, too) out to the smaller island every day so he could play. he'd be a pirate one day (taking Kairi as his captive) a knight the next (protecting "princess" Kairi)

he wanted more than anything to actually be part of that magical world

he wanted to actually fight monsters, be a hero

see where I'm going?

Then Riku showed up.

Riku showed up, and he could fight. He could kill heartless, or "monsters" without breaking a sweat. He used "magic". Of course, it wasn't REALLY magic, but to Sora's unknowing eyes, a Dark Aura looks like a pretty epic magic attack (and, I suppose, basically is. just depends on what you ACTUALLY consider to be magic)

Sora.... Sora hated him for it.

"The magic, the monsters, all of that- it's REAL. And I'm not a part of it."

He saw that it was real.

He wanted to be a part of it to.

He'd stop at nothing to BECOME a part of it.

When you grow up on fairytales and magic, you don't just sit there and let someone who's as good as one of those heroes go. you see them, and you think "what? It's REAL? Why aren't I a part of it?"

Rough draft of Riku freaking out (ch105 or so)

said I'd post it

the thing is, this focuses more on what everyone else is doing, which is funny, because Riku tunes them all out in the chapter itself.

anyway

Does Namine still have meltdowns?

“Yes.”

Do they hurt?

“Of course they hurt her.”

No, no, do they hurt you?

“What?”

It seems like they hurt you. You just can’t stand to watch her, knowing that there’s absolutely nothing you can do to stop them, knowing that youmight be causing-

Riku’s eyes widened in anger. He rounded on Sora, looking positively furious.

“Aerith!” Yuffie shouted.

(Sora continues)

            (Riku gets even more upset)

            “Riku! Don’t listen to him!” Aerith called. “He doesn’t know what he’s saying! He doesn’t mean any of it-”

            (Sora says something particularly nasty)

            (Riku draws his blade)

            “Quick! Someone grab him!” Yuffie shouted. “Sora!! Snap out of it! Aerith? Can I slap him!?”

            Leon came up and grabbed Riku from behind, restraining him. Riku fought hard, though, trying to break free.

            “Take that back! Take that back, do you hear me!?” he was shouting.

            “But it’s true,” Sora continued, not even fazed. He almost sounded as if he were enjoying this. “And you know I’m right-”

            “Sora’s Shadow ain’t around, is he?” Cid asked.

            Aerith shook her head, though she didn’t seem too sure. “I can’t sense him,” she said. “And I can’t hear him, either. I would assume he’d be laughing at-”

            Riku broke free of Leon’s hold, and launched himself at Sora. Within moments he had Sora pinned to the ground, blade at his throat. Sora hardly reacted at all, he just kept talking, the amusement in his voice growing. Leon tried to pull Riku away, but he didn’t have much luck.

            “Sora!” Yuffie screamed, placing a rather kick in his side. “Riku’s going to kill you if you don’t snap out of it!”

            “I think that’s what his Shadow wants,” Leon grunted, as he tried to hold Riku back. It didn’t take Riku much effort to break free of his grasp again.

            “She shattered you!” Sora laughed. “And you’re protecting her? Even though she took your heart, shaped it to her liking and then broke it the minute you stepped out of line? How can you still have feelings for that bi-”

            “Shut your damn mouth!” Cid shouted.

            “Cid!” Aerith gasped.

            “Like what he was gonna say was any better!”

            The room suddenly went silent. A look of sheer terror crossed Sora’s face.

            “What did I say?” he gasped, frantically. “What did I say!?”

            Riku was in tears now. Leon was having absolutely no trouble holding him back.

            “Riku- I- I’m so sorry!” Sora stammered, scrambling to his feet. “I swear I didn’t mean it!!” He turned to Yuffie. “What did I say?”

            She just slowly shook her head.

            “I hate this!!” Riku screamed suddenly, his voice choked in his tears. “I hate feeling like this!!” He threw his blade to the ground. Leon slowly let go of him, and he collapsed to his knees, sobbing. Aerith calmly grabbed him by the shoulders.

            “I’m not crying!” he said, shakily. “I’m not weak! I- I’m not-”

            “Riku, it’s alright,” Aerith said, calmly. “It’s alright.”