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Somnambulists; Application
{{ CHARACTER INFORMATION
{ CHARACTER NAME: Riku
{ CANON: Kingdom Hearts
{ CANON POINT: Right after Destiny Islands’ destruction
{ HISTORY: http://www.khwiki.net/Riku
{ ALTERNATE HISTORY: Sora reached Riku right after Destiny Islands’ door opened, preventing him from giving into the darkness. Together, the two searched frantically for Kairi, catching up with her after a futile struggle against the Heartless. Determined to protect his friends, Riku summoned the Keyblade, and the three hurried to the Secret Place, as Riku believed that they could still reach the outside world via the door. Kairi’s heart wound up in Sora as in canon, but Sora remained at Riku’s side up until he defeated the Darkside Heartless, and Destiny Islands faded away.
Riku will have entered the dream just as he lost consciousness.
{ WORLD INFORMATION: N/A
{ APPEARANCE: For his age, Riku is a very fit teenage boy, who I estimate stands at the mid 5' range. He's got a muscular upper body and wears a tight sleeveless, black and yellow top with criscrossing straps down the front. His arms are heavily muscled, particularly his biceps, suggesting he does a great deal of lifting. Fitting for the island lifestyle, Riku wears a pair of jeans with blue waders strapped to his pant legs. Black half-gloves cover his hands, and he wears two black wristbands, one on each wrist.
Riku's most striking traits include his shoulder-length silver hair and bright aquamarine eyes. To those from more mundane worlds, he probably looks quite strange. However, the hair color is natural and something he's had ever since he was a child.
Image:
{ PERSONALITY: Riku is a cool and collected individual with a sarcastic streak. He frequently teases his friends, especially Sora, who often falls victim to jabs about his laziness, Kairi, and his overall dorky demeanor. While some people might look at his teasing and view them as harsh or mean spirited, it's worth noting that Riku usually means well. While he often hides his feelings beneath his self-confidence, Riku is shown to care a great deal about his friends. When he does inevitably turn on Sora, it's because he feels as though Sora no longer cares about him or Kairi. Not because he himself has stopped caring. After all, part of the reason he wanted to visit the outside world in the first place was to protect the things that matter. But with Sora being the hero, how could he protect him? He was off showing off that key, saving worlds, and hanging with all new friends. What if he didn't need Riku anymore?
Obviously, he won't have to worry about that just yet, but it goes to show just how awful Riku is at dealing with his feelings, much less communicating them. When faced with uncertainty regarding his friendship, he ends up snapping at Sora rather than giving him a chance to speak his mind. He keeps any unhappiness locked up tight, concealed by his sharp tongue.
The thing with Riku is that he's very fixated on appearing strong, often to the point of recklessness. As a result, he tends to keep many of his thoughts and feelings to himself. And indeed, one thing that Riku conceals so well is his jealousy for Sora. Yes, the big, strong Riku with his smug attitude actually harbors some envy for his dorky best friend. Unlike Riku, Sora isn't caught up with what's ahead. He follows his heart day by day with an easygoing attitude and not a care in the world, something Riku himself struggles with. It’s also entirely possible that he envies his closeness with Kairi, perhaps even harboring a bit of a crush.
Whatever the case, he later goes off the deep end for her sake, thrusting himself into darkness and taking drastic measures just to restore her heart. This again ties back to Riku's original desire to protect the things that matter and to prove his strength. A real risk taker, Riku prides himself in his supposed fearlessness. He did, after all, plunge his world into darkness all for the sake of seeing the outside world.
So, as you can probably guess, Riku is a flawed character. This doesn't mean he's a bad guy, but his recklessness often dangers others... as well as himself. And not only is he reckless, he's also a fair bit selfish. After all, the idea of Sora having new friends obviously sets him off in canon. And later on, he's willing to turn his weapon on his own best friend just to be the one who gets to save Kairi. But does this make him an irredeemable douchebag? Far from it! Riku's intentions are good, he just makes stupid life choices. In Monstro, he does end up trying to get Sora back on his side, showing that he still cares. In fact, I'd argue that, deep down, he was really lonely, having only Disney villains to keep him company. And after planning to see the outside world with his friends only to get split apart must've done a number on him.
So how does he act around his friends at this point in the game? And what's his usual demeanor like? Well, under normal circumstances, he's actually a pretty laid back kinda guy. He enjoys friendly competition, seeing new sights, and while he's certainly not as social as Sora, I don't think he'd be opposed to meeting new people. Especially people from outside the islands. Sora and Kairi obviously mean the most to him. There's no replacing his childhood friends, and he obviously can't stand the idea of being replaced himself. But if you can look past his issues, you'll find a fairly friendly guy who... just happens to be a little rough around the edges, with an occasionally harsh sense of humor.
The official KH1 website states that Riku is by no means quiet, and they'd be correct. While not a chatterbox, he's more than happy to strike up a conversation, so long as it interests him. He also has a habit of being pretty introspective, putting his head before his heart, as shown by just how much time he spent planning to visit the outside world. Wondering just what was out there and why he had to live on a tiny, ordinary world. He's a big fish in a small pond. An adventurous spirit with an insatiable thirst and boundless curiosity. He's also shown to be very resourceful, having gathered all his supplies for the voyage way ahead of Sora. In spite of his occasional rashness, he is one of the more responsible members of the trio.
When it comes to Sora, Riku pushes. Hard. Other than his teasing, the two boys constantly compete, sometimes for Kairi's attention, sometimes just to prove who's stronger. Racing, sparring, it's all in good fun. The two boys stick together like glue, and the same can be said about Riku and Kairi. While they aren't shown interacting near as much, Riku's shown to tease her a fair bit too. But he's nowhere near as rough. Rather, he assumes a rather protective stance and considers her a key reason why he wanted to visit the outside world. Not only that, but later on, when Riku struggles with darkness in Chain of Memories, Naminé assumes the form of Kairi to aid him-- further proof that Kairi's hugely important to him. Just perhaps in a slightly different way.
Riku tends to assume a nastier attitude towards people who order him around or question his resolve. Despite working alongside her later in the game, Riku shows no respect to Maleficent, even going so far as to tell her to mind her own business when asking about Sora. He shows no sorrow when Jafar and the other villains die. I feel like he doesn't care for authority all that much, especially when they shove it in his face. He's a very self-serving guy... but he's also ripe for manipulation. Promise a way to make him stronger, and oh, he'll listen. Say you can help him get to his friends? Try him. The fact that he hasn't made any major mistakes yet just makes him all the more clueless to the real dangers outside his home.
In short, Riku isn't perfect. Heck, in the first game, he's a ball of arrogance, recklessness, and a dash of selfishness for good measure. But in spite of a few rough patches, he's a loyal friend who'd go to great lengths to protect the things he cherishes. Someone who enjoys a good time with his pals, even if it means poking at them a little bit.
Because his fate will have changed, it’s unlikely that he’ll fall quite as far as he did in canon, but as his flaws remain ever present, it’s still possible that he’ll face personal struggles within the game and in the waking world. My goal is less to go for a straight up role-reversal and more of an exploration of what would happen if Riku obtained the Keyblade as he was in the first Kingdom Hearts game.
{ POWERS & ABILITIES: Riku’s powers are severely limited at this stage. As he has only just received the Keyblade, he lacks the ability to use elemental spells. He can summon the Keyblade at will, but for the time being, it’s nothing more than a glorified sword than can open a multitude of locks.
Although he lacks magical skills, this isn’t to say that Riku is weak. Having spent his childhood sparring, racing, and competing with the other islanders, Riku is in peak physical condition. He’s very muscular his age, capable of carrying logs around without too much effort. He’s fast on his feet, can jump incredibly high, and as anyone who plays the optional fight in KH1 will agree, his kicks hurt, suggesting he’s got a fair bit of lower body strength.
In combat, Riku is fast and relentless. When he’s not taunting his foes, he reacts with fast, hard physical strikes. He's shown to jump around a fair bit during the first fight against him on Destiny Islands, and when he blocks with his sword, he typically follows it up with a spinning blow. And then there’s the aforementioned kicking attack, which he tends to use when knocked flat on his back. He’s no seasoned warrior, but for a fifteen year old boy, he’s certainly a force to be reckoned with.
{ POSSESSIONS: Nothing but the cloths on his back, his Keyblade, and perhaps a few potions he’s stashed in his pocket. Given that the islands collapsed, all his other possessions were lost in the storm.
{ ANYTHING ELSE?: Because Riku’s side of the KH1 story is only shown when relevant, I have my own ideas for why and how he opened the door. I believe that Riku overheard Sora and Kairi’s conversation at the docks and, in the heat of the moment, he truly believed that they planned to take the raft without him. Hurrying to the Secret Place, he found the illustration of Sora handing Kairi a paopu fruit. Couple his fears with his curiosity towards the door, and all it took was a light push from Ansem for him to open the islands’ Keyhole. Coded shows that Ansem was still present when Destiny Islands’ fell apart, so it’s entirely possible that he encountered Riku and coerced him down his dark path from the very beginning.
Sora just happened to intercept him before it could get any worse in this universe.
{ CHARACTER NAME: Riku
{ CANON: Kingdom Hearts
{ CANON POINT: Right after Destiny Islands’ destruction
{ HISTORY: http://www.khwiki.net/Riku
{ ALTERNATE HISTORY: Sora reached Riku right after Destiny Islands’ door opened, preventing him from giving into the darkness. Together, the two searched frantically for Kairi, catching up with her after a futile struggle against the Heartless. Determined to protect his friends, Riku summoned the Keyblade, and the three hurried to the Secret Place, as Riku believed that they could still reach the outside world via the door. Kairi’s heart wound up in Sora as in canon, but Sora remained at Riku’s side up until he defeated the Darkside Heartless, and Destiny Islands faded away.
Riku will have entered the dream just as he lost consciousness.
{ WORLD INFORMATION: N/A
{ APPEARANCE: For his age, Riku is a very fit teenage boy, who I estimate stands at the mid 5' range. He's got a muscular upper body and wears a tight sleeveless, black and yellow top with criscrossing straps down the front. His arms are heavily muscled, particularly his biceps, suggesting he does a great deal of lifting. Fitting for the island lifestyle, Riku wears a pair of jeans with blue waders strapped to his pant legs. Black half-gloves cover his hands, and he wears two black wristbands, one on each wrist.
Riku's most striking traits include his shoulder-length silver hair and bright aquamarine eyes. To those from more mundane worlds, he probably looks quite strange. However, the hair color is natural and something he's had ever since he was a child.
Image:
{ PERSONALITY: Riku is a cool and collected individual with a sarcastic streak. He frequently teases his friends, especially Sora, who often falls victim to jabs about his laziness, Kairi, and his overall dorky demeanor. While some people might look at his teasing and view them as harsh or mean spirited, it's worth noting that Riku usually means well. While he often hides his feelings beneath his self-confidence, Riku is shown to care a great deal about his friends. When he does inevitably turn on Sora, it's because he feels as though Sora no longer cares about him or Kairi. Not because he himself has stopped caring. After all, part of the reason he wanted to visit the outside world in the first place was to protect the things that matter. But with Sora being the hero, how could he protect him? He was off showing off that key, saving worlds, and hanging with all new friends. What if he didn't need Riku anymore?
Obviously, he won't have to worry about that just yet, but it goes to show just how awful Riku is at dealing with his feelings, much less communicating them. When faced with uncertainty regarding his friendship, he ends up snapping at Sora rather than giving him a chance to speak his mind. He keeps any unhappiness locked up tight, concealed by his sharp tongue.
The thing with Riku is that he's very fixated on appearing strong, often to the point of recklessness. As a result, he tends to keep many of his thoughts and feelings to himself. And indeed, one thing that Riku conceals so well is his jealousy for Sora. Yes, the big, strong Riku with his smug attitude actually harbors some envy for his dorky best friend. Unlike Riku, Sora isn't caught up with what's ahead. He follows his heart day by day with an easygoing attitude and not a care in the world, something Riku himself struggles with. It’s also entirely possible that he envies his closeness with Kairi, perhaps even harboring a bit of a crush.
Whatever the case, he later goes off the deep end for her sake, thrusting himself into darkness and taking drastic measures just to restore her heart. This again ties back to Riku's original desire to protect the things that matter and to prove his strength. A real risk taker, Riku prides himself in his supposed fearlessness. He did, after all, plunge his world into darkness all for the sake of seeing the outside world.
So, as you can probably guess, Riku is a flawed character. This doesn't mean he's a bad guy, but his recklessness often dangers others... as well as himself. And not only is he reckless, he's also a fair bit selfish. After all, the idea of Sora having new friends obviously sets him off in canon. And later on, he's willing to turn his weapon on his own best friend just to be the one who gets to save Kairi. But does this make him an irredeemable douchebag? Far from it! Riku's intentions are good, he just makes stupid life choices. In Monstro, he does end up trying to get Sora back on his side, showing that he still cares. In fact, I'd argue that, deep down, he was really lonely, having only Disney villains to keep him company. And after planning to see the outside world with his friends only to get split apart must've done a number on him.
So how does he act around his friends at this point in the game? And what's his usual demeanor like? Well, under normal circumstances, he's actually a pretty laid back kinda guy. He enjoys friendly competition, seeing new sights, and while he's certainly not as social as Sora, I don't think he'd be opposed to meeting new people. Especially people from outside the islands. Sora and Kairi obviously mean the most to him. There's no replacing his childhood friends, and he obviously can't stand the idea of being replaced himself. But if you can look past his issues, you'll find a fairly friendly guy who... just happens to be a little rough around the edges, with an occasionally harsh sense of humor.
The official KH1 website states that Riku is by no means quiet, and they'd be correct. While not a chatterbox, he's more than happy to strike up a conversation, so long as it interests him. He also has a habit of being pretty introspective, putting his head before his heart, as shown by just how much time he spent planning to visit the outside world. Wondering just what was out there and why he had to live on a tiny, ordinary world. He's a big fish in a small pond. An adventurous spirit with an insatiable thirst and boundless curiosity. He's also shown to be very resourceful, having gathered all his supplies for the voyage way ahead of Sora. In spite of his occasional rashness, he is one of the more responsible members of the trio.
When it comes to Sora, Riku pushes. Hard. Other than his teasing, the two boys constantly compete, sometimes for Kairi's attention, sometimes just to prove who's stronger. Racing, sparring, it's all in good fun. The two boys stick together like glue, and the same can be said about Riku and Kairi. While they aren't shown interacting near as much, Riku's shown to tease her a fair bit too. But he's nowhere near as rough. Rather, he assumes a rather protective stance and considers her a key reason why he wanted to visit the outside world. Not only that, but later on, when Riku struggles with darkness in Chain of Memories, Naminé assumes the form of Kairi to aid him-- further proof that Kairi's hugely important to him. Just perhaps in a slightly different way.
Riku tends to assume a nastier attitude towards people who order him around or question his resolve. Despite working alongside her later in the game, Riku shows no respect to Maleficent, even going so far as to tell her to mind her own business when asking about Sora. He shows no sorrow when Jafar and the other villains die. I feel like he doesn't care for authority all that much, especially when they shove it in his face. He's a very self-serving guy... but he's also ripe for manipulation. Promise a way to make him stronger, and oh, he'll listen. Say you can help him get to his friends? Try him. The fact that he hasn't made any major mistakes yet just makes him all the more clueless to the real dangers outside his home.
In short, Riku isn't perfect. Heck, in the first game, he's a ball of arrogance, recklessness, and a dash of selfishness for good measure. But in spite of a few rough patches, he's a loyal friend who'd go to great lengths to protect the things he cherishes. Someone who enjoys a good time with his pals, even if it means poking at them a little bit.
Because his fate will have changed, it’s unlikely that he’ll fall quite as far as he did in canon, but as his flaws remain ever present, it’s still possible that he’ll face personal struggles within the game and in the waking world. My goal is less to go for a straight up role-reversal and more of an exploration of what would happen if Riku obtained the Keyblade as he was in the first Kingdom Hearts game.
{ POWERS & ABILITIES: Riku’s powers are severely limited at this stage. As he has only just received the Keyblade, he lacks the ability to use elemental spells. He can summon the Keyblade at will, but for the time being, it’s nothing more than a glorified sword than can open a multitude of locks.
Although he lacks magical skills, this isn’t to say that Riku is weak. Having spent his childhood sparring, racing, and competing with the other islanders, Riku is in peak physical condition. He’s very muscular his age, capable of carrying logs around without too much effort. He’s fast on his feet, can jump incredibly high, and as anyone who plays the optional fight in KH1 will agree, his kicks hurt, suggesting he’s got a fair bit of lower body strength.
In combat, Riku is fast and relentless. When he’s not taunting his foes, he reacts with fast, hard physical strikes. He's shown to jump around a fair bit during the first fight against him on Destiny Islands, and when he blocks with his sword, he typically follows it up with a spinning blow. And then there’s the aforementioned kicking attack, which he tends to use when knocked flat on his back. He’s no seasoned warrior, but for a fifteen year old boy, he’s certainly a force to be reckoned with.
{ POSSESSIONS: Nothing but the cloths on his back, his Keyblade, and perhaps a few potions he’s stashed in his pocket. Given that the islands collapsed, all his other possessions were lost in the storm.
{ ANYTHING ELSE?: Because Riku’s side of the KH1 story is only shown when relevant, I have my own ideas for why and how he opened the door. I believe that Riku overheard Sora and Kairi’s conversation at the docks and, in the heat of the moment, he truly believed that they planned to take the raft without him. Hurrying to the Secret Place, he found the illustration of Sora handing Kairi a paopu fruit. Couple his fears with his curiosity towards the door, and all it took was a light push from Ansem for him to open the islands’ Keyhole. Coded shows that Ansem was still present when Destiny Islands’ fell apart, so it’s entirely possible that he encountered Riku and coerced him down his dark path from the very beginning.
Sora just happened to intercept him before it could get any worse in this universe.