a_facility application.
OOC Information:
Name: Greed
Age: 18
AIM:
MSN: fullmetal.greed@hotmail.com
Y!M:
E-MAIL: fullmetal.greed@hotmail.com
IC Information:
Name: Riku
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Timeline: One year post-KH2.
Age: 17
Appearance: Lean but muscular, Riku's lengthy white hair and greenish, almost-aquamarine eyes offset his more masculine physique. He's paler than a kid from an island world should be, and he stands at around 5'10", towering over most of his friends. He can usually be seen in a white vest with a black one underneath and jeans, but on occasion has been known to be wearing a long black coat, too, which has protective qualities. There is a white wristband on one forearm -- it is wide, and beneath it sits a long scar that looks like it was once upon a time a very deep cut.
Abilities: Riku began with no abilities to speak of, as Sora did. He gained powers gradually, utilizing the potential the darkness in his heart had displayed. Maleficent was the main catalyst for these, giving him powers he'd never imagined having -- the ability to summon a wickedly-curved blade named Soul Eater, crafting Anti-forms out of darkness, and controlling and summoning Heartless. As he descended further into darkness, his powers grew; but as he had begun to drown in it, he could not extricate himself from 'Dark Mode' -- something that changes his clothes to armor like muscle-fiber and increases his dark abilities again. He was capable of using at least four new attacks -- Dark Raid (throwing a spinning Keyblade), Dark Break (a powerful jump attack), Dark Firaga (countering spells with dark energy) and Dark Aura (dashing around the area at top speed, attacking everything in his path).
In Castle Oblivion, Riku discovers he has the power to 'smell' darkness -- and perhaps other things as well. He is granted the power to use Dark Mode voluntarily in the middle of battles, and use his dark attacks as well as utilizing help from Mickey for healing and holy-attribute attacks.
In the Dark City, Riku utilizes the power of darkness to assist himself in the fight against Roxas -- when it looks like he's about to lose, he unleashes all of the darkness pent up in his heart. His appearance becomes distorted, now identical to Xehanort's Heartless himself. While trapped in this form, he was capable of controlling the Guardian Heartless, as well as using some of Xehanort's attacks in addition to his own.
When Riku returned to his own form, his powers of darkness diminished significantly, and his powers of light increased. He wields a different Keyblade than he did at the beginning, now something called the Way to the Dawn which is, both symbolically and in appearance, a lot more balanced than Soul Eater was. He can combine his dark powers with Sora's light powers in various combinations, firing Dark Firaga orbs to inflict a Stop effect, and can protect himself and others behind a Dark Shield.
Personality: Originally, Riku is presented as, quoth the manual for KH1, "cool and collected, but not quiet". He's the one friend who'll tease you relentlessly, but he's not doing it to hurt. As he grows, he presents a darker side of himself; he can be very jealous in certain situations, particularly when he feels left behind, but this particular trait has been internalized since his childhood, when he was very open about it. He is always curious about the unknown, though he knows better than anyone just how curiosity murdered the cat and all her kittens too.
His personality has been changed by what he's been through in canon; he does not consider himself to be much of anything anymore. Where there used to be confident smirks, Riku has become very immersed in his guilt, tentative with things like physical contact and what he thinks should be said. His old personality surfaces as well, though, when he's with his friends, and his sense of humor remains the same, goodheartedly teasing. If you asked him directly, he'd probably mumble something about "feeling 32", though.
Riku is very regretful. Everything he did during the first game haunts him relentlessly, and he finds himself often trying to make up for it in different ways, apologizing when he can and making things easier for those he knows he hurt.
Distrustful of new people, he will not easily accept the darkness in them, just like he cannot accept his own. Despite coming more or less to terms with it, he still dislikes what he can see within himself. Despite his negative traits, he is very protective of his loved ones, and will go to extreme ends with his loyalty.
History: One night, there was a meteor shower -- during it, a girl named Kairi appeared on the beach. She was taken in by the mayor of the town, and two young boys quickly became her best friends there. Shortly after her arrival, the boys were exploring the 'secret place' -- a cave where they often played and explored. They discovered a door inside. Unable to open it, they decide to leave, but Riku caught a glimpse of Destiny Islands' Keyhole behind it, and so became obsessed with it, wondering what could be behind it and if it might be a passageway to another world.
For the majority of his life, Riku spent his days living on the Destiny Islands with his friends Sora and Kairi. They spent their days under the endless blue sky, building a raft that would allow them to leave the island world and see new places. Sora and Riku often bickered good-naturedly, competing over many things, like siblings might. All three of them, in addition to the few other children who live on the islands, spent most of their time on the smallest island, using it as their personal playground.
The night before their journey, there was a storm. Riku, unable to leave the islands without knowing what's behind it, opened the door in the secret place. Heartless flooded their small world, looking for the world's heart. Sora and Kairi both set off for the play island, but Sora reached Riku first. While Sora was concerned for him, Riku was focused only on finally leaving -- darkness surrounded both of them, and while Riku disappeared, Sora gained the Keyblade.
He eventually appeared in Hollow Bastion, having fallen through a Corridor of Darkness, and Maleficent found him there, offering solace and protection. Though she offered him a place to stay, she began corrupting his mind in return -- sowing seeds of hate that would grow quickly. She convinced him that Sora had replaced him with Donald Duck and Goofy, and claimed the only way to save Kairi (who had lost her heart to the Darkness) was to ally himself with herself and her fellow villains, and abandoning Sora. Shortly afterwards, he met Sora in Traverse Town -- beginning to agree with her and officially beginning his stay with her. However, he remained extremely suspicious of her motives.
Riku slowly became angrier with Sora, leading him to eventually hate the boy completely. He taught himself to use the blade he was given by Maleficent, Soul Eater, believing it to be a good aid in his search for Kairi's heart.
Riku and Sora met once again in the belly of the whale Monstro, where Riku intended to use the puppet Pinocchio to discover a way to regain Kairi's heart. However, Pinocchio was kidnapped by the Heartless Parasite Cage, and Riku was forced to reluctantly help Sora and friends defeat it. Afterwards, he kidnapped Pinocchio and the friends followed him, where Riku asked Sora to help him in his quest to save Kairi. However, Sora recognized that his friend's methods were wrong, and refused. Riku left through a Corridor of Darkness as Parasite Cage returned.
Later, Riku appeared in Neverland, traveling with Captain Hook, Kairi's comatose body in tow. He showed that he had gained the power to control the Heartless, an ability granted to him by Maleficent. Sora warned him that the Heartless would turn on him and eventually devour his heart, but Riku refused to listen, instead summoning an anti-form of Sora to attack his former friend. When he left, he informed Captain Hook that Wendy was not a Princess of Heart, and therefore useless. He took Kairi and traveled through the Corridor of Darkness without any protection, an act that weakened his already-strained heart. Maleficent took advantage of this weakness and used it to unlock the rest of the boy's powers, plunging Riku almost completely into darkness.
When Sora arrived in Hollow Bastion, he saved the Beast from a swift death by Riku's blade. But the Beast is not what concerned Riku -- he confronted Sora for a different reason. Having realized he could control the Keyblade, he took it from his friend, informing him that Sora was "just the delivery boy" and that Riku was the true Keyblade Master. Leaving Sora with a toy sword from Destiny Islands, he left with Donald and Goofy, who, following the King's orders, were bound to follow the Keyblade Master.
Sora followed him into the castle, weakened as he was, where he confronted Riku. Riku, having been switched into Dark Mode by the darkness pouring out of his heart, told him to quit, but Sora refused to leave without Kairi. Riku attacked Sora, fully intending on proving which of the two were stronger. However, Sora was defended by Donald and Goofy, who help the boy regain the Keyblade, driving Riku to fight him.
Riku left confused as to why Sora could take back the Keyblade. A mysterious voice spoke to him then, offering him something he could not refuse: a Keyblade of his own. However, when Riku accepted, the mysterious voice possessed him instead. The new Riku presented himself to Maleficent, warning her of the dangers of unlocking the Final Keyhole. When she stated she was not afraid, he shows her a newly-created Keyblade -- the Keyblade of People's Hearts, constructed out of six of the seven princesses' hearts. However, it didn't react to the Keyhole -- it needed one more. Kairi's. Maleficent headed off to defeat Sora and company. When she failed, Riku used the Keyblade on her -- unlocking her heart and transforming her into a gigantic dragon. While this form was much more powerful, Sora and friends still managed to defeat it.
Riku, calling himself Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, confronted and fought Sora (who was cut off from Donald and Goofy) at the Final Keyhole. He knew that Sora was carrying Kairi's heart in his own, and hoped to release hers from his, to use it in the Keyblade he had forged. He failed, but Sora used the Keyblade on himself anyway, restoring Kairi and turning himself into a Heartless. With Sora now gone, Ansem attacked his friends, but was stopped by the real Riku, who was using the last of his strength to keep him from them.
Riku's defiance caused an internal struggle between the two -- however, Riku lost, while Ansem was able to fully take over the boy's body. Confronted once again by the newly-restored Sora and friends, Ansem was defeated in front of the Door to Darkness.
Riku was restored by Ansem's defeat, and appears on the other side of the door. However, he was unable to cross it, as only pure darkness could pass through it. He instead decided to help close it from the inside, pulling while Sora pushed it from the outside. Waiting to enter the Realm of Light were thousands of Heartless, creating further problems, but for the first time King Mickey appeared, warding the shadows off with his own Keyblade. The King and Riku helped the friends close the door then, Riku telling Sora to 'take care of her', meaning Kairi.
--
Riku awoke in a gray void, the lowest basement in Castle Oblivion, by his heart resonating with Sora's. A disembodied voice presented a card to him, and a choice -- he can stay here and sleep, or he can take the card and the first step toward truth. Riku took the card without hesitation, confidently stating that the place 'seemed like a boring place to nap anyway'.
He arrived in none other than Hollow Bastion -- however, there was nothing there. Riku searched for any sign of people, but until he found Maleficent, there was none. He defeated her, then left Hollow Bastion, only to discover the true appearance of Castle Oblivion. The disembodied voice presented itself to him in a corporeal form -- revealing itself to be Ansem, really Xehanort's Heartless, which wanted to possess him again. However, though the Heartless was powerful, King Mickey came to his aid with his light, warding the Heartless off. It left Riku with some World Cards, and the ability to wield his Darkness as a weapon.
Riku realized he had the ability to 'smell' the Darkness, and was discouraged. Mickey comforted him, but lamented that he could only appear to the boy as a projection -- for he was still trapped in the Realm of Darkness. With the mouse king's encouragement, Riku began to ascend the Castle's floors.
Vexen appeared to him, and Riku wondered if the scientist Nobody was in league with Xehanort's Heartless. However, Vexen replied that he was with 'another Ansem', something that puzzled Riku. The teen fought the Nobody, but the battle only aided Vexen, who used the data he gathered to create a Riku Replica. The Replica attacked Riku, mocking Riku's fear of the Darkness while the Replica embraced it. However, Riku defeated it, and it ran off. Xehanort's Heartless appeared, stating that the Replica was a model of what Riku should be. However, Riku simply restated his desire to conquer his darkness.
Riku was later approached by Lexaeus, who fought and nearly defeated the boy. Taking advantage of his weakened state, Lexaeus moved in for a killing blow, but Xehanort's Heartless possessed Riku and killed him instead. Although Lexaeus was taken out of the picture, Riku ended up having to struggle again with the presence in his heart, nearly losing before Mickey came to save him.
Riku met Zexion, who asked Riku if he could still see Sora, having shouldered the Darkness for so long, then gave him the World Card for Destiny Islands, throwing all of his fears at him at once. Zexion began to drown Riku in the light, but Namine appeared to him in the form of Kairi, telling him that light could not beat him, and neither could darkness -- so he should accept both, to drive away his fears. Riku awakened his dark powers again, accepting them as part of himself, and drives back Zexion. Zexion disappears, but is quickly killed by the Riku Replica.
He made it to Twilight Town, where Xehanort's Heartless appeared again. However, Riku discredited him as 'Ansem', saying that his scent was not darkness but something else entirely. The man introduced himself as DiZ, wanting Riku to choose between Light and Darkness.
The Riku Replica attacked when their conversation was done, intending on fighting Riku to the death. However, Riku defeated it instead, and he comforted the Replica, saying that though its body was fake, its heart would go to the same place that his would.
Namine offered to seal Riku's memories of the Darkness and Xehanort's Heartless away, but he would have to sleep to do so. He refused, hoping to win on his own, and told her that he knew it was her and not Kairi who appeared to him.
Riku finally defeated Xehanort's Heartless after this conversation, though a part of it would always be inside his heart and would someday return. He had formed a bond with the King that was as strong as Sora's with Donald and Goofy, and called Mickey by name, making him, barring Queen Minnie, the only character in their universe to do so.
They took the black coats given to them by DiZ, setting out along the dark plains. When DiZ appeared to Riku again, wanting an answer to his question, Riku told him he'll choose the middle road between Light and Darkness -- the "Road to Dawn". The boy and mouse separated after Riku realized he had not rid himself of the darkness within him. Deciding to return to DiZ and offer his help, he donned a blindfold to hide his eyes, so that he could not lie with them.
--
Riku appears again in the Beast's Castle, fighting Xion. When she is on the ground, defeated, Riku removed her hood and pushed up his blindfold to get a better look at her face. Seeing her as Sora, he was shocked, wanting to know how she could use the Keyblade and telling her to 'get a new crowd'.
Xion left the Organization, and Riku went with her to Castle Oblivion, hiding there. When Roxas and Axel went to find her, he held them off. After her nightmare, she questioned him as to who "that girl he's always with" was. Riku told her that Kairi was someone special to Sora, and explained the reason Sora was unable to wake up was because Xion held part of his memories. Because Xion is unsure, Riku gave her some time to think about her choice.
Riku met with King Mickey outside of the Twilight Town mansion, where his appearance has once again shifted back to that of Xehanort's Heartless. Mickey did not recognize him, preparing to fight, but Riku pulled on his blindfold, reverting to his own form. He told the King that he would be fighting an Organization Member soon and had a chance of not surviving, forcing the King to promise that he would protect Sora.
Riku found his memories of Sora fading, being a side-effect of Namine's work with Sora's memories. He allied himself with DiZ, who asked Riku to collect Roxas, who was having trouble regaining his memories. If Roxas were to rejoin with Sora, Sora would awaken.
Riku finally fought Roxas in the streets of the Dark City, cornering him there. During their fight, Roxas dealt a blow that seemingly crippled Riku's left hand. When it became apparent that he could not win without additional power, Riku let go of the darkness in his heart, and distorted his own form into that of Xehanort's Heartless once again, permanently this time. He defeated Roxas with the power of the Guardian Heartless and the darkness, and brought the unconscious Number XIII to the Twilight Town mansion, depositing him in a virtual Twilight Town with no memories of his real life, to be held until they could use him.
--
Riku watched over Roxas, occasionally entering the virtual town himself to keep Roxas ignorant to the truth of the situation and his own nature, which included keeping Namine from saying too much to Roxas. With all this work done, Riku demanded to know what DiZ wanted of him and Sora. Upon hearing that it is simply revenge against someone unknown, Riku was disgusted that DiZ was simply using he and Sora for his own selfishness.
When the time comes for Roxas to meet Sora, Riku kept the Nobodies from flooding the town. DiZ ordered Riku to eliminate the now-useless Namine, but he instead hands her off to the now-renegade Axel.
Riku came into contact with King Mickey, begging him not to reveal his condition and whereabouts to Sora. Mickey reluctantly agreed, and Riku left with him the virtual versions of the munny pouch and crystal orb he had pilfered from Roxas earlier.
Axel tried to kidnap Kairi, in an attempt to use her to turn Sora into a Heartless and force Roxas into being reborn as a Nobody. Riku rescued her, opening a portal to Twilight Town, but never revealed his identity to her. However, instead of being safe there, she was instead kidnapped by Saix, who intended to use her to fuel Sora's rage.
Meeting Sora, Donald and Goofy in an empty realm, Riku appeared, but said nothing to them, simply leaving them a box with a picture of Roxas and his friends and a stick of sea-salt ice cream inside.
Arriving at the Land of Dragons, Riku attempted to warn the Emperor of the dragon-like Heartless Xigbar created, but instead ran into Sora, who tried to attack him due to his Organization-like attire. Sora realized Riku is wielding Soul Eater, and began to suspect Riku's identity. Riku still went on with his mission, warning the Emperor. When Sora meets the Emperor, the wise man's description of the person he spoke with further cemented Sora's suspicions.
The disfigured boy protected Namine and Kairi from Saix when Namine sprang Kairi from her prison. Namine called Riku by name, and Kairi, excited to see her friend, removed his hood. However, his face was still that of Xehanort's Heartless. She took it in stride, seeing his true face under the skin he was wearing. When Kairi was attacked by Heartless on her way to find Sora, Riku gave her the Destiny Place Keyblade so that she may protect herself. When Sora defeated Xigbar, he reunited with Kairi, who revealed Riku's identity. Sora, with some concentration, recognized his friend as well, and broke down at his feet in tears. Riku explained that he did not want to be found, due to his appearance. Still, he accompanied his friends through the castle, realizing along the way that he never had to fight Roxas at all -- Roxas left the Organization because he wanted to meet Sora, and that he would have met him after a while anyway.
Near the top, Riku reunited with King Mickey and DiZ, who reveals himself to be Ansem the Wise. Ansem attempted to use a machine to digitize the Kingdom Hearts the Organization had been forming for quite some time, trading bitter words with Xemnas. When the machine became overloaded, it exploded, raining the escaped hearts over everyone -- Riku, under their influence, regained his own form. After some encouragement, he also removed the coat and blindfold.
Confronting Xemnas, Riku and Sora were separated from the others. After a long fight, the two were drawn into a realm of nothingness, for their last battle. Riku took a blow intended for Sora, allowing Sora to finish Xemnas off using both of their Keyblades. After Xemnas fell, Sora and Riku were attacked by a legion of Dusks, intending on fulfilling their master's last order to defeat the boys. However, the Dusks disintegrated, and Riku and Sora escaped, Sora helping his injured friend along, entering a world known as the Dark Meridian.
Having time to talk, Sora and Riku were able to reconcile truly. Riku discovered a message in a bottle, and believing the contents were meant for Sora, handed it over to his friends. Sora was able to open the Door of Light, and the friends returned to Destiny Islands, where Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and most importantly Kairi were waiting for them.
Roleplay Sample - Log: [CANON SETTING]
It was nice to be back home.
Feeling the sand between his toes on the beach, the bark of the old paopu trunk beneath his fingers -- things he'd missed and was now reveling in experiencing again. He felt like a kid who had never seen snow, remembering the images from books but never actually seeing it or feeling it until now.
He was lounging on the rocks in the cove now, white hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. It wasn't the most comfortable, feeling the jagged slate jut into his spine, but it was part of home too, and he figured he could stand it. Riku hadn't bothered to dress up today, really, forgoing jeans and vest for shin-length shorts and a wifebeater with a hood. He had no idea where Sora was right now -- he didn't think the brunette was avoiding him, but he could never tell when Sora was avoiding people, so he might have been. It wouldn't surprise him, really, but it was okay if he was.
"Mm... ice cream, or something would be nice," he mumbled to himself quietly, sitting up to kick his shoes off and go stand in the cool surf. It was hot today... he wasn't used to it anymore. How nice.
He leant over, rolling the hem of his shorts up a little as he went a little deeper and a guppy nosed his ankle curiously. Riku glanced up, shoving his hands into his pockets as he thought about the past few days. He hadn't spoken to Sora since the day after they'd returned. Last week, he was estimating. There was no particular reason -- they had just been... enjoying the time back, he supposed. Sora had so many people to see, so much to do -- Riku, despite Sora and Kairi insisting he could go back scot-free, did not share the same sentiment.
The silverhaired boy glanced down again, hands on his knees so he could lean over and see better while watching the minnows and tiny shrimp nibble at his toes. "Hm..." They were cute. It was interesting, really -- they weren't particularly endearing little animals, because they weren't built to look attractive, and at the same time he thought their little lives were kind of fun to watch. Riku gave a sigh, straightening again to instead focus on the horizon. It was bright today -- a little past afternoon, so everything was swathed in a bright orange glow that was sort of reminiscent of Twilight Town.
It was nice to be home, but nothing was the same anymore.
Roleplay Sample - Journal:
I always had an easy time sleeping when I was a kid. It was nothing remarkable -- I'd dream seldomly, and what I did dream was always a nightmare. But I slept easily and deeply, for the most part.
Lately, ever since... well, it's been almost two years. But I've almost stopped sleeping completely. This strange insomnia, I feel sometimes like I've been eaten by it -- separated by a membrane of sleeplessness from the outside world. I function normally enough -- I can hold a conversation, I can fight if I must, and I'm not falling asleep all over the place. The little sleep I get is riddled with holes, two hours at best split into segments of five minutes with three or four in between.
It's not healthy. Sleep deprivation can kill you, but I just -- can't do it anymore. Is it because he's in my heart, sleeping there, smirking at me the way he did when we were separate? It's not really him, just a shadow with his form -- but I have worn his face and I know that even just his form is enough. Or is it something else, something I haven't thought of? Maybe I'm just scared.
Maybe I've just lost the ability. I don't know. It doesn't matter anymore.
Questions? Comments? Crazed and creative statements? Those go here. As the mun herself doesn't want to be spoiled, Birth by Sleep and coded spoilers were omitted from the 'history' section.
Name: Greed
Age: 18
AIM:
MSN: fullmetal.greed@hotmail.com
Y!M:
E-MAIL: fullmetal.greed@hotmail.com
IC Information:
Name: Riku
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Timeline: One year post-KH2.
Age: 17
Appearance: Lean but muscular, Riku's lengthy white hair and greenish, almost-aquamarine eyes offset his more masculine physique. He's paler than a kid from an island world should be, and he stands at around 5'10", towering over most of his friends. He can usually be seen in a white vest with a black one underneath and jeans, but on occasion has been known to be wearing a long black coat, too, which has protective qualities. There is a white wristband on one forearm -- it is wide, and beneath it sits a long scar that looks like it was once upon a time a very deep cut.
Abilities: Riku began with no abilities to speak of, as Sora did. He gained powers gradually, utilizing the potential the darkness in his heart had displayed. Maleficent was the main catalyst for these, giving him powers he'd never imagined having -- the ability to summon a wickedly-curved blade named Soul Eater, crafting Anti-forms out of darkness, and controlling and summoning Heartless. As he descended further into darkness, his powers grew; but as he had begun to drown in it, he could not extricate himself from 'Dark Mode' -- something that changes his clothes to armor like muscle-fiber and increases his dark abilities again. He was capable of using at least four new attacks -- Dark Raid (throwing a spinning Keyblade), Dark Break (a powerful jump attack), Dark Firaga (countering spells with dark energy) and Dark Aura (dashing around the area at top speed, attacking everything in his path).
In Castle Oblivion, Riku discovers he has the power to 'smell' darkness -- and perhaps other things as well. He is granted the power to use Dark Mode voluntarily in the middle of battles, and use his dark attacks as well as utilizing help from Mickey for healing and holy-attribute attacks.
In the Dark City, Riku utilizes the power of darkness to assist himself in the fight against Roxas -- when it looks like he's about to lose, he unleashes all of the darkness pent up in his heart. His appearance becomes distorted, now identical to Xehanort's Heartless himself. While trapped in this form, he was capable of controlling the Guardian Heartless, as well as using some of Xehanort's attacks in addition to his own.
When Riku returned to his own form, his powers of darkness diminished significantly, and his powers of light increased. He wields a different Keyblade than he did at the beginning, now something called the Way to the Dawn which is, both symbolically and in appearance, a lot more balanced than Soul Eater was. He can combine his dark powers with Sora's light powers in various combinations, firing Dark Firaga orbs to inflict a Stop effect, and can protect himself and others behind a Dark Shield.
Personality: Originally, Riku is presented as, quoth the manual for KH1, "cool and collected, but not quiet". He's the one friend who'll tease you relentlessly, but he's not doing it to hurt. As he grows, he presents a darker side of himself; he can be very jealous in certain situations, particularly when he feels left behind, but this particular trait has been internalized since his childhood, when he was very open about it. He is always curious about the unknown, though he knows better than anyone just how curiosity murdered the cat and all her kittens too.
His personality has been changed by what he's been through in canon; he does not consider himself to be much of anything anymore. Where there used to be confident smirks, Riku has become very immersed in his guilt, tentative with things like physical contact and what he thinks should be said. His old personality surfaces as well, though, when he's with his friends, and his sense of humor remains the same, goodheartedly teasing. If you asked him directly, he'd probably mumble something about "feeling 32", though.
Riku is very regretful. Everything he did during the first game haunts him relentlessly, and he finds himself often trying to make up for it in different ways, apologizing when he can and making things easier for those he knows he hurt.
Distrustful of new people, he will not easily accept the darkness in them, just like he cannot accept his own. Despite coming more or less to terms with it, he still dislikes what he can see within himself. Despite his negative traits, he is very protective of his loved ones, and will go to extreme ends with his loyalty.
History: One night, there was a meteor shower -- during it, a girl named Kairi appeared on the beach. She was taken in by the mayor of the town, and two young boys quickly became her best friends there. Shortly after her arrival, the boys were exploring the 'secret place' -- a cave where they often played and explored. They discovered a door inside. Unable to open it, they decide to leave, but Riku caught a glimpse of Destiny Islands' Keyhole behind it, and so became obsessed with it, wondering what could be behind it and if it might be a passageway to another world.
For the majority of his life, Riku spent his days living on the Destiny Islands with his friends Sora and Kairi. They spent their days under the endless blue sky, building a raft that would allow them to leave the island world and see new places. Sora and Riku often bickered good-naturedly, competing over many things, like siblings might. All three of them, in addition to the few other children who live on the islands, spent most of their time on the smallest island, using it as their personal playground.
The night before their journey, there was a storm. Riku, unable to leave the islands without knowing what's behind it, opened the door in the secret place. Heartless flooded their small world, looking for the world's heart. Sora and Kairi both set off for the play island, but Sora reached Riku first. While Sora was concerned for him, Riku was focused only on finally leaving -- darkness surrounded both of them, and while Riku disappeared, Sora gained the Keyblade.
He eventually appeared in Hollow Bastion, having fallen through a Corridor of Darkness, and Maleficent found him there, offering solace and protection. Though she offered him a place to stay, she began corrupting his mind in return -- sowing seeds of hate that would grow quickly. She convinced him that Sora had replaced him with Donald Duck and Goofy, and claimed the only way to save Kairi (who had lost her heart to the Darkness) was to ally himself with herself and her fellow villains, and abandoning Sora. Shortly afterwards, he met Sora in Traverse Town -- beginning to agree with her and officially beginning his stay with her. However, he remained extremely suspicious of her motives.
Riku slowly became angrier with Sora, leading him to eventually hate the boy completely. He taught himself to use the blade he was given by Maleficent, Soul Eater, believing it to be a good aid in his search for Kairi's heart.
Riku and Sora met once again in the belly of the whale Monstro, where Riku intended to use the puppet Pinocchio to discover a way to regain Kairi's heart. However, Pinocchio was kidnapped by the Heartless Parasite Cage, and Riku was forced to reluctantly help Sora and friends defeat it. Afterwards, he kidnapped Pinocchio and the friends followed him, where Riku asked Sora to help him in his quest to save Kairi. However, Sora recognized that his friend's methods were wrong, and refused. Riku left through a Corridor of Darkness as Parasite Cage returned.
Later, Riku appeared in Neverland, traveling with Captain Hook, Kairi's comatose body in tow. He showed that he had gained the power to control the Heartless, an ability granted to him by Maleficent. Sora warned him that the Heartless would turn on him and eventually devour his heart, but Riku refused to listen, instead summoning an anti-form of Sora to attack his former friend. When he left, he informed Captain Hook that Wendy was not a Princess of Heart, and therefore useless. He took Kairi and traveled through the Corridor of Darkness without any protection, an act that weakened his already-strained heart. Maleficent took advantage of this weakness and used it to unlock the rest of the boy's powers, plunging Riku almost completely into darkness.
When Sora arrived in Hollow Bastion, he saved the Beast from a swift death by Riku's blade. But the Beast is not what concerned Riku -- he confronted Sora for a different reason. Having realized he could control the Keyblade, he took it from his friend, informing him that Sora was "just the delivery boy" and that Riku was the true Keyblade Master. Leaving Sora with a toy sword from Destiny Islands, he left with Donald and Goofy, who, following the King's orders, were bound to follow the Keyblade Master.
Sora followed him into the castle, weakened as he was, where he confronted Riku. Riku, having been switched into Dark Mode by the darkness pouring out of his heart, told him to quit, but Sora refused to leave without Kairi. Riku attacked Sora, fully intending on proving which of the two were stronger. However, Sora was defended by Donald and Goofy, who help the boy regain the Keyblade, driving Riku to fight him.
Riku left confused as to why Sora could take back the Keyblade. A mysterious voice spoke to him then, offering him something he could not refuse: a Keyblade of his own. However, when Riku accepted, the mysterious voice possessed him instead. The new Riku presented himself to Maleficent, warning her of the dangers of unlocking the Final Keyhole. When she stated she was not afraid, he shows her a newly-created Keyblade -- the Keyblade of People's Hearts, constructed out of six of the seven princesses' hearts. However, it didn't react to the Keyhole -- it needed one more. Kairi's. Maleficent headed off to defeat Sora and company. When she failed, Riku used the Keyblade on her -- unlocking her heart and transforming her into a gigantic dragon. While this form was much more powerful, Sora and friends still managed to defeat it.
Riku, calling himself Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, confronted and fought Sora (who was cut off from Donald and Goofy) at the Final Keyhole. He knew that Sora was carrying Kairi's heart in his own, and hoped to release hers from his, to use it in the Keyblade he had forged. He failed, but Sora used the Keyblade on himself anyway, restoring Kairi and turning himself into a Heartless. With Sora now gone, Ansem attacked his friends, but was stopped by the real Riku, who was using the last of his strength to keep him from them.
Riku's defiance caused an internal struggle between the two -- however, Riku lost, while Ansem was able to fully take over the boy's body. Confronted once again by the newly-restored Sora and friends, Ansem was defeated in front of the Door to Darkness.
Riku was restored by Ansem's defeat, and appears on the other side of the door. However, he was unable to cross it, as only pure darkness could pass through it. He instead decided to help close it from the inside, pulling while Sora pushed it from the outside. Waiting to enter the Realm of Light were thousands of Heartless, creating further problems, but for the first time King Mickey appeared, warding the shadows off with his own Keyblade. The King and Riku helped the friends close the door then, Riku telling Sora to 'take care of her', meaning Kairi.
--
Riku awoke in a gray void, the lowest basement in Castle Oblivion, by his heart resonating with Sora's. A disembodied voice presented a card to him, and a choice -- he can stay here and sleep, or he can take the card and the first step toward truth. Riku took the card without hesitation, confidently stating that the place 'seemed like a boring place to nap anyway'.
He arrived in none other than Hollow Bastion -- however, there was nothing there. Riku searched for any sign of people, but until he found Maleficent, there was none. He defeated her, then left Hollow Bastion, only to discover the true appearance of Castle Oblivion. The disembodied voice presented itself to him in a corporeal form -- revealing itself to be Ansem, really Xehanort's Heartless, which wanted to possess him again. However, though the Heartless was powerful, King Mickey came to his aid with his light, warding the Heartless off. It left Riku with some World Cards, and the ability to wield his Darkness as a weapon.
Riku realized he had the ability to 'smell' the Darkness, and was discouraged. Mickey comforted him, but lamented that he could only appear to the boy as a projection -- for he was still trapped in the Realm of Darkness. With the mouse king's encouragement, Riku began to ascend the Castle's floors.
Vexen appeared to him, and Riku wondered if the scientist Nobody was in league with Xehanort's Heartless. However, Vexen replied that he was with 'another Ansem', something that puzzled Riku. The teen fought the Nobody, but the battle only aided Vexen, who used the data he gathered to create a Riku Replica. The Replica attacked Riku, mocking Riku's fear of the Darkness while the Replica embraced it. However, Riku defeated it, and it ran off. Xehanort's Heartless appeared, stating that the Replica was a model of what Riku should be. However, Riku simply restated his desire to conquer his darkness.
Riku was later approached by Lexaeus, who fought and nearly defeated the boy. Taking advantage of his weakened state, Lexaeus moved in for a killing blow, but Xehanort's Heartless possessed Riku and killed him instead. Although Lexaeus was taken out of the picture, Riku ended up having to struggle again with the presence in his heart, nearly losing before Mickey came to save him.
Riku met Zexion, who asked Riku if he could still see Sora, having shouldered the Darkness for so long, then gave him the World Card for Destiny Islands, throwing all of his fears at him at once. Zexion began to drown Riku in the light, but Namine appeared to him in the form of Kairi, telling him that light could not beat him, and neither could darkness -- so he should accept both, to drive away his fears. Riku awakened his dark powers again, accepting them as part of himself, and drives back Zexion. Zexion disappears, but is quickly killed by the Riku Replica.
He made it to Twilight Town, where Xehanort's Heartless appeared again. However, Riku discredited him as 'Ansem', saying that his scent was not darkness but something else entirely. The man introduced himself as DiZ, wanting Riku to choose between Light and Darkness.
The Riku Replica attacked when their conversation was done, intending on fighting Riku to the death. However, Riku defeated it instead, and he comforted the Replica, saying that though its body was fake, its heart would go to the same place that his would.
Namine offered to seal Riku's memories of the Darkness and Xehanort's Heartless away, but he would have to sleep to do so. He refused, hoping to win on his own, and told her that he knew it was her and not Kairi who appeared to him.
Riku finally defeated Xehanort's Heartless after this conversation, though a part of it would always be inside his heart and would someday return. He had formed a bond with the King that was as strong as Sora's with Donald and Goofy, and called Mickey by name, making him, barring Queen Minnie, the only character in their universe to do so.
They took the black coats given to them by DiZ, setting out along the dark plains. When DiZ appeared to Riku again, wanting an answer to his question, Riku told him he'll choose the middle road between Light and Darkness -- the "Road to Dawn". The boy and mouse separated after Riku realized he had not rid himself of the darkness within him. Deciding to return to DiZ and offer his help, he donned a blindfold to hide his eyes, so that he could not lie with them.
--
Riku appears again in the Beast's Castle, fighting Xion. When she is on the ground, defeated, Riku removed her hood and pushed up his blindfold to get a better look at her face. Seeing her as Sora, he was shocked, wanting to know how she could use the Keyblade and telling her to 'get a new crowd'.
Xion left the Organization, and Riku went with her to Castle Oblivion, hiding there. When Roxas and Axel went to find her, he held them off. After her nightmare, she questioned him as to who "that girl he's always with" was. Riku told her that Kairi was someone special to Sora, and explained the reason Sora was unable to wake up was because Xion held part of his memories. Because Xion is unsure, Riku gave her some time to think about her choice.
Riku met with King Mickey outside of the Twilight Town mansion, where his appearance has once again shifted back to that of Xehanort's Heartless. Mickey did not recognize him, preparing to fight, but Riku pulled on his blindfold, reverting to his own form. He told the King that he would be fighting an Organization Member soon and had a chance of not surviving, forcing the King to promise that he would protect Sora.
Riku found his memories of Sora fading, being a side-effect of Namine's work with Sora's memories. He allied himself with DiZ, who asked Riku to collect Roxas, who was having trouble regaining his memories. If Roxas were to rejoin with Sora, Sora would awaken.
Riku finally fought Roxas in the streets of the Dark City, cornering him there. During their fight, Roxas dealt a blow that seemingly crippled Riku's left hand. When it became apparent that he could not win without additional power, Riku let go of the darkness in his heart, and distorted his own form into that of Xehanort's Heartless once again, permanently this time. He defeated Roxas with the power of the Guardian Heartless and the darkness, and brought the unconscious Number XIII to the Twilight Town mansion, depositing him in a virtual Twilight Town with no memories of his real life, to be held until they could use him.
--
Riku watched over Roxas, occasionally entering the virtual town himself to keep Roxas ignorant to the truth of the situation and his own nature, which included keeping Namine from saying too much to Roxas. With all this work done, Riku demanded to know what DiZ wanted of him and Sora. Upon hearing that it is simply revenge against someone unknown, Riku was disgusted that DiZ was simply using he and Sora for his own selfishness.
When the time comes for Roxas to meet Sora, Riku kept the Nobodies from flooding the town. DiZ ordered Riku to eliminate the now-useless Namine, but he instead hands her off to the now-renegade Axel.
Riku came into contact with King Mickey, begging him not to reveal his condition and whereabouts to Sora. Mickey reluctantly agreed, and Riku left with him the virtual versions of the munny pouch and crystal orb he had pilfered from Roxas earlier.
Axel tried to kidnap Kairi, in an attempt to use her to turn Sora into a Heartless and force Roxas into being reborn as a Nobody. Riku rescued her, opening a portal to Twilight Town, but never revealed his identity to her. However, instead of being safe there, she was instead kidnapped by Saix, who intended to use her to fuel Sora's rage.
Meeting Sora, Donald and Goofy in an empty realm, Riku appeared, but said nothing to them, simply leaving them a box with a picture of Roxas and his friends and a stick of sea-salt ice cream inside.
Arriving at the Land of Dragons, Riku attempted to warn the Emperor of the dragon-like Heartless Xigbar created, but instead ran into Sora, who tried to attack him due to his Organization-like attire. Sora realized Riku is wielding Soul Eater, and began to suspect Riku's identity. Riku still went on with his mission, warning the Emperor. When Sora meets the Emperor, the wise man's description of the person he spoke with further cemented Sora's suspicions.
The disfigured boy protected Namine and Kairi from Saix when Namine sprang Kairi from her prison. Namine called Riku by name, and Kairi, excited to see her friend, removed his hood. However, his face was still that of Xehanort's Heartless. She took it in stride, seeing his true face under the skin he was wearing. When Kairi was attacked by Heartless on her way to find Sora, Riku gave her the Destiny Place Keyblade so that she may protect herself. When Sora defeated Xigbar, he reunited with Kairi, who revealed Riku's identity. Sora, with some concentration, recognized his friend as well, and broke down at his feet in tears. Riku explained that he did not want to be found, due to his appearance. Still, he accompanied his friends through the castle, realizing along the way that he never had to fight Roxas at all -- Roxas left the Organization because he wanted to meet Sora, and that he would have met him after a while anyway.
Near the top, Riku reunited with King Mickey and DiZ, who reveals himself to be Ansem the Wise. Ansem attempted to use a machine to digitize the Kingdom Hearts the Organization had been forming for quite some time, trading bitter words with Xemnas. When the machine became overloaded, it exploded, raining the escaped hearts over everyone -- Riku, under their influence, regained his own form. After some encouragement, he also removed the coat and blindfold.
Confronting Xemnas, Riku and Sora were separated from the others. After a long fight, the two were drawn into a realm of nothingness, for their last battle. Riku took a blow intended for Sora, allowing Sora to finish Xemnas off using both of their Keyblades. After Xemnas fell, Sora and Riku were attacked by a legion of Dusks, intending on fulfilling their master's last order to defeat the boys. However, the Dusks disintegrated, and Riku and Sora escaped, Sora helping his injured friend along, entering a world known as the Dark Meridian.
Having time to talk, Sora and Riku were able to reconcile truly. Riku discovered a message in a bottle, and believing the contents were meant for Sora, handed it over to his friends. Sora was able to open the Door of Light, and the friends returned to Destiny Islands, where Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and most importantly Kairi were waiting for them.
Roleplay Sample - Log: [CANON SETTING]
It was nice to be back home.
Feeling the sand between his toes on the beach, the bark of the old paopu trunk beneath his fingers -- things he'd missed and was now reveling in experiencing again. He felt like a kid who had never seen snow, remembering the images from books but never actually seeing it or feeling it until now.
He was lounging on the rocks in the cove now, white hair pulled back in a loose ponytail. It wasn't the most comfortable, feeling the jagged slate jut into his spine, but it was part of home too, and he figured he could stand it. Riku hadn't bothered to dress up today, really, forgoing jeans and vest for shin-length shorts and a wifebeater with a hood. He had no idea where Sora was right now -- he didn't think the brunette was avoiding him, but he could never tell when Sora was avoiding people, so he might have been. It wouldn't surprise him, really, but it was okay if he was.
"Mm... ice cream, or something would be nice," he mumbled to himself quietly, sitting up to kick his shoes off and go stand in the cool surf. It was hot today... he wasn't used to it anymore. How nice.
He leant over, rolling the hem of his shorts up a little as he went a little deeper and a guppy nosed his ankle curiously. Riku glanced up, shoving his hands into his pockets as he thought about the past few days. He hadn't spoken to Sora since the day after they'd returned. Last week, he was estimating. There was no particular reason -- they had just been... enjoying the time back, he supposed. Sora had so many people to see, so much to do -- Riku, despite Sora and Kairi insisting he could go back scot-free, did not share the same sentiment.
The silverhaired boy glanced down again, hands on his knees so he could lean over and see better while watching the minnows and tiny shrimp nibble at his toes. "Hm..." They were cute. It was interesting, really -- they weren't particularly endearing little animals, because they weren't built to look attractive, and at the same time he thought their little lives were kind of fun to watch. Riku gave a sigh, straightening again to instead focus on the horizon. It was bright today -- a little past afternoon, so everything was swathed in a bright orange glow that was sort of reminiscent of Twilight Town.
It was nice to be home, but nothing was the same anymore.
Roleplay Sample - Journal:
I always had an easy time sleeping when I was a kid. It was nothing remarkable -- I'd dream seldomly, and what I did dream was always a nightmare. But I slept easily and deeply, for the most part.
Lately, ever since... well, it's been almost two years. But I've almost stopped sleeping completely. This strange insomnia, I feel sometimes like I've been eaten by it -- separated by a membrane of sleeplessness from the outside world. I function normally enough -- I can hold a conversation, I can fight if I must, and I'm not falling asleep all over the place. The little sleep I get is riddled with holes, two hours at best split into segments of five minutes with three or four in between.
It's not healthy. Sleep deprivation can kill you, but I just -- can't do it anymore. Is it because he's in my heart, sleeping there, smirking at me the way he did when we were separate? It's not really him, just a shadow with his form -- but I have worn his face and I know that even just his form is enough. Or is it something else, something I haven't thought of? Maybe I'm just scared.
Maybe I've just lost the ability. I don't know. It doesn't matter anymore.
Questions? Comments? Crazed and creative statements? Those go here. As the mun herself doesn't want to be spoiled, Birth by Sleep and coded spoilers were omitted from the 'history' section.