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[shadowedheart]

⌈ CHARACTER SECTION ⌉
Character: Riku
Age: 16
Canon: Kingdom Hearts
Canon Point: Before defeating Roxas in 358/2 Days.

Background: Riku | 358/2 Days

Personality:

Riku is one of those characters that goes through a lot and grows over the course of the series. With learning from his mistakes and eventually coming to accept himself, picking him from any point in canon has its own ups and downs. Unfortunately, with the canon point he's coming from, he's at the lowest you'll ever see him in Kingdom Hearts. Whoops! So with that being said, let's see just what exactly that means for this gloomy gus here.


you could say i am the biggest nobody of them all.

Let's just dive right into the gloominess that makes Riku how he is in this current chapter of his life. The best way to sum it up is with three words: Guilt. Regret. Shame. These are three emotions, three feelings that Riku carries deep within his heart at this point in his life for everything that he's done not only to those around him, but to the most important person in his life and best friend, Sora. To think that he had allowed himself to be corrupted by his envy of Sora wielding a keyblade and an obsession with getting off the islands that he gave into darkness and allowed it to twist his heart... it's not something that Riku can ever fully forgive himself for and he considers himself (and his heart) weak for it. Dramatic? Not for him. This is, however, a major factor in how Riku operates as he seeks redemption for his wrongdoings despite his inability to forgive himself... and what better way to achieve some sort of redemption than to wake Sora from his slumber and restore his memories to him? Even if it costs him giving into the darkness more and more. This heavily ties in with how Riku is willing to do whatever it takes for those he cares about, especially Sora. Need him to take out a couple nobodies (sorry Xion and Roxas) that are the walking versions of Sora's memories and have their own lives but hey, you're not really real to begin with? No problem. Doesn't matter if he's painted as the bad guy for it. Now, you're thinking, but... that's a good thing? Yay for being loyal to those he cares about? Well, sure. But the problem is that Riku can be, shall we say, maybe not reckless but have absolutely no care for himself and whatever consequences come from his actions. Which, these actions, more often than not, are much like a double-edged sword and end up hurting him in some way... or, in his case, being swallowed further and further into a darkness that he struggles to control within his heart. But, you know, tomayto-tomahto. Which, is another point in what makes Riku how he is: the darkness within his heart. Now, that's not to say that he's completely doomed and is going to take up a throne in some Underworld as the King of all Darkness (hopefully not) no. But it's something that he's struggled with since allowing it to take control of him and has rejected it in fear of what he might become, what he could end up doing, and what he could ultimately lose as a result of being weak to it. Darkness = bad. This is something that he's strongly believed about himself and why Riku has refused to embrace that part of him despite the many taunts and efforts made by others in trying to get him to do just that. But there does come a time of self-realization where Riku gently accepts his darkness within him... but still refuses to embrace it. This? This is still not good as there's still fear tied to this decision of his, a fear of losing control to it even if he's come to admit it's a part of him. Jumping to another gloomy little stone here, Riku has a habit of punishing himself for his darkness and the wrongdoings that he's done. He fails to see how anyone (especially Sora) could ever forgive him for what he's done, doesn't even consider himself worthy of forgiveness to begin with, and would rather keep to himself and the shadows that gently linger around his heart. When Sora does finally wake from his little snooze fest he's been having for a year (after Riku's allowed the darkness within his heart to fully consume him), Riku avoids him at all costs, though does make an effort to leave little clues behind for him here and there. This is due to those three words that sum it up best: guilt, regret, shame. Guilt for the wrongdoings he's done to people. Regret for not having been stronger and giving into the darkness. Shame for what he's done and what he's very well become... a nobody, as he puts it. Another thing worth mentioning is that Riku has insecurities about himself despite his calm and collected manner that he typically displays. Now, who doesn't, right? True. But Riku's insecurities run deep into his heart and allow that darkness to remain there and continue to grow. He's accused Sora of not caring about or needing him (and Kairi) and has even felt left behind with not being the one to wield the keyblade and having Sora wield it instead. He was also pretty angry about that but, again, insecurities and all. This feeling of not being needed, of not being good enough and of being easily replaced can also take the form of anger and jealousy and has in the past, causing a rift between him and Sora which, on Riku's end, hasn't fully been mended yet because, well, sort of hard to when your best friend fell into a slumber. Alright, you're probably thinking well, this guy is just a ray of sunshine, isn't he? Sure is! ...not. He's more like the cloud that's covering the sun but depending on who you are to him, there's more to Riku than his I'm nobody, going-to-brush-you-off attitude. So, hopping off these gloomy stones then, there's the other side to Riku. Riku actually has quite a bit of a competitive side to him, especially when it comes to things like challenges of any kind. He likes to come out on top, can usually best Sora, and isn't against using a few friendly taunts to get his opponent riled up and possibly even distracted. This leads to his being rather lighthearted and jokingly arrogant, especially with... you got it, Sora. But don't think he's about to stand around and crack open a 101 Best Jokes book and let loose on you. That... is not Riku and will never be Riku even if it's funny to think about. Also? He's quite perceptive of things, people, even the environment around him and it's probably why he's not one to be trifled with. The fact that he was able to pick up on Roxas being Sora's Nobody as quickly as he did and even tested this theory of his out with a playful taunt he would often give to Sora and only Sora, shows how he is able to see through facades... within reason. When it comes to his own darkness? That's a whole other story. His perception also extends to situations and Riku is able to see a situation for what it is and that includes seeing the worst case scenario of it. When he comes to realize he might not come out alive with his taking on Organization XIII, he asks King Mickey to look after and take care of Sora which, again, willing to do anything for those he cares about, especially on his own. Where Sora shines in a group of five, ten, thirty or more people, Riku prefers smaller groups and close-knit relationships with those he can trust and likes. Now, this isn't exactly because he's a loner or anything. It's more that Riku has a habit of guarding his heart and not just because of the darkness he's allowed to enter it. When he does let someone into it, he becomes extremely loyal and protective of them. Now, he might not think he deserves them at times but, that doesn't sway his feelings towards them nor his desire to protect them in any way that he can. When Riku bonds with someone, it can very well last a lifetime as it has with Kairi and Sora since they were kids running around on adventures and even with King Mickey, the one person Riku took comfort and understanding in when he was left in the darkness. To anyone Riku considers to be important to him, their loyalty is his, despite the many mistakes that he might make along the way. The most important of all is, of course, Sora. Despite the battles that the darkness has caused them to have with each other due to Riku's moments of weakness, there is nothing that Riku won't do for him... and there's a good chance Sora will take advantage of that every now and then. But, that's just how best friends are. Basically, Riku views Sora as someone better than him, someone who deserves happiness and light and to be awake already, stop snoozing you slacker. While prone to giving Sora a hard time and even teasing him here and there, it's done out of love and because Riku shows his affection in ways that aren't so open and direct. He could just, you know, say it instead. But no, not Riku. Not usually. Rather, he'll give a smile, ruffle the hair, something non-verbal. Is this due to an insecurity of being misunderstood or a fear that he might just not get it across right with words? Possibly. There's also the whole being stubborn about it but, you know, a mix of both is probably a better way to look at it rather than pinpoint a single reason for it. But Sora is someone who has been with Riku since they were children, have a collection of memories and adventures together, and is the one person that can always make Riku smile and laugh, especially when he needs it. Sora is his light (even if he feels he doesn't deserve it) and if you ever give Sora a hard time, he's going to find you and he's going to have words with you. At his core, Riku is a determined young man who, when given the chance to have his darkness locked away and to forget but would have to fall asleep for it, refused, claiming that he would rather battle his darkness on his own despite the struggles that he comes to endure with it all. He's made mistakes, has been blinded by weakness, even fought those he considers his friends, but deep within his heart, he is not as hopeless as he likes to think he is. Coming to accept the darkness that lingers within his heart while simultaneously accepting the fact that he cannot run from the light, Riku is at a crossroads with himself but still, there is hope for him. Choosing neither light nor darkness, he stands between the both of them and while he has a strong affinity to the darkness, it's the dawn which he chooses to move towards.

Abilities:

WEAPONS • Soul Eater Riku's signature blade that reacts strongly to the power of darkness. • Way to the Dawn Alternate form of Soul Eater which boosts strength and magic. MAGIC Riku has a number of dark magic abilities (is anyone surprised?) such as: • Dark Aura spheres of dark flame. • Dark Shield a shield of dark energy that can protect another from an attack. • Dark Firaga a ball of dark flame that can be shot at a target. • Darkstrom Riku's limit break which allows him to dash within strands of darkness and attack targets. • Cure can heal another.

Alignment:
Given the fact that Riku is coming from when he's at his lowest point, PEROMEI is what he will align with. Aiada is a very close second but the regret, guilt, and shame that he feels for everything that he's done is overwhelming to the point of even avoiding Sora after Sora wakes. Therefore, Peromei. He does, however, possess hope as well, though it's more for Sora than it (currently) is for himself. But, you know, it's there.

Other:
Riku is skilled in battle and hand-to-hand combat as well as being rather evasive. Another "skill" of his is the ability to smell darkness within another. This is something that both horrifies and disgusts him and he would rather ignore or not have to deal with. Aka he won't be going around sniffing people, don't worry. He'd rather not.

⌈ SAMPLE SECTION ⌉
Remember that we ask for samples that show 1) core character portrayal and 2) some use of emotions, such as environmental effect. You can also use the same sample source for both, just make sure to directly link or quote the emotion portion. We highly encourage using the Test Drive, and you can use prompts from the Test Drives, Intro Logs, and the Task board if you need them. Refer to the main application page for links and more suggestions.

General Sample:
TDM toplevel
• Salt steps with Beatrice
• Hathama with Roxas
• You're such a baby with Sora
+ insomnia ( meme, Naminé )
another look at how his thoughts are.

Emotion Sample:
Rainshower from sadness

Questions:

thank you for reading.