Oh yeah! As a quick @khoc-week bonus, here's a quick WIP of a line up I've been slowly chipping away at of all of Kimbri's different designs through the years! She had a brief involuntary pirate phase when she first got to Traverse Town due to having to borrow some clothes lol (one of these years I'll tell y'all about Rosa, I promise)
Also don't worry too much about the blood in the second one, it's Leon's and my headcanon is that in KH he got his scar during RG's fall and head wounds bleed a lot is all. He kinda fell on her after that happened and she did her best to help him as they made their way to Cid. (And, yes, that is Leon's jacket draped around her)
I had a lot of fun drawing this! On the right are Kimbri and Echo (Also known as Aoi) and the two absolute cuties on the left are Amaya and Haru! They're all Sora's sisters, or in Kimbri's case she just kind of adopted him and calls him her little brother, haha! I got the idea of them all hanging out in my head and it was just so cute I couldn't not draw it!
Kimbri and Echo belong to me. Unfortunately I do not have a story about them up anywhere, sorry! If you wanna know more and ask questions you can head on over to my KHblog @kingdomkeykitsune !
Amaya and Haru belong to @blissfulnightrain ! And if you want to find out more I suggest you check out her blog and her fic, Keeper of the Keyweilders! That can be found here:
It's always so bittersweet to come to the end of @khoc-week, but we couldn't have a more fitting prompt.
So, the thing about endings is that they don't really mean everything's over, they're just a good stopping point. When Kimbri's journey comes to an end, when all of her loved ones are home safe and sound and she's free to settle down, it's only the start of the next chapter of things. She shifts her focus more fully onto the restoration efforts, ending up stepping into a bit of a community leadership role. She repairs her relationship with Ansem, even letting him walk her down the aisle at her wedding. She also becomes a teacher, passing her hard earned knowledge to the next generations. Speaking of which
As mentioned on day 3 she becomes a mother. She loves her children more than anything, and of course they and their friends have their own stories, in which she features heavily.
After the Fall of Radiant Gardens Kimbri spends a very long time fighting back and trying to contain or reject her darkness, terrified to succumb to it and potentially hurt somebody. But with the damage done to her Heart that method of approaching the situation is extremely detrimental to her well being. It effects her mental and physical health and leads to more problems than it solves. Inevitably she always reaches a breaking point and her Darkness overflows far worse than it would have if she would have just accepted it.
And when it does overflow she doesn't like the person she becomes. Sure, it comes with extra strength and power, which can be handy if she's in a tight spot, but it also ends up amplifying all the other things about herself she tries to repress. Anger, jealousy, pettiness, grudges... It all comes rushing to the surface, worse than it ever is under normal circumstances
It takes years for her to reach the realization that Darkness is not inherently evil, but is something that exits within almost every Heart to some degree. What matters isn't how much Darkness you hold within yourself, but what you do with it. And even once she reaches this conclusion it takes a long time for her to reach a point where she no longer gets overwhelmed or associates it with her worst traits. She has to learn to manually release the pent up Darkness. To this end she asks the Good Fairies if they could imbue her clothes with the needed Darkness protection so that she can use Dark Corridors as a means of short range travel, as that gives her a non-destructive way to channel the Darkness into something productive. She also learns to incorporate using Darkness in her fighting to additionally help release it.
Of course she also has to be careful to keep her Light at a healthy level too. After all, as we see in several Final Fantasy games too much Light where there's meant to be balance can be just as detrimental as too much Darkness. She has to strike a careful balance, ensuring she never ends up with too much of one or the other in her Heart. But once she finds that sweet spot she's much happier and healthier over all, and she actually goes on to teach future generations the importance of Balance, wanting to insure that no one else ever has to face the same struggles she did.
Back to our roots this year, huh @khoc-week ? Then I think it's time I circle back around to my oldest KHOC, Kimbri. Maybe you know her, maybe you don't, but regardless some things have changed, some of which is new while others are resurrected concepts from her early days given a new spin, so sit back and enjoy! To go with the changes to her story she got a bit of a redesign, and in doing so I brought back some of my favorite things from earlier KH character design, excessive belts and zippers. (And, yes, for those of you who remember who she's shipped with, she did steal some of her partners aesthetic)
Now, I do want to issue a disclaimer, throughout July I was doing Art Fight and balancing the busy season at my new (as of March) job as a Youth Library Assistant (a job I've been chasing for years, so yay me!!) so I didn't end up getting much prepped in the way of new art so we might be seeing some really old art this week that won't match the updated ref, sorry! I'll try to do a couple more pieces on my days off, but other than that it might just be a lot of me talking this year.
Posting her ref sheet info under the cut in case peeps can't read it
Kimbri
A scholarly young woman from Radiant Gardens with a big heart and a difficult past. Ansem the Wise's niece, she spends most of her days doing work for the Restoration Committee and searching for her missing brother.
Age: 26 (As of KH3)
Homeworld: Radiant Gardens
Occupation: Restoration Committee Member
Likes: Magic, Archery, Reading, Rainy Days, Cuddling, Chocolate, Long Walks
Dislikes: Cold, Close Range Combat, Heartless, Maleficent, Nightmares, Her Darkness
Special/Other: Her Heart was damaged in Apprentice Xehanort's experiments, this causes issues at times allowing Darkness to overwhelm her temporarily. She isn't aware but there was also a being created from a sliver of her Heart that broke off.
So, like I said I the previous @khoc-week post for today, I'm a sucker for romance. Well, I'm especially a sucker for soft domestic scenes. So please accept this offering of another short snippet looking in on the alternative version of things where Leon, Kimbri, and Cloud are a triad. (Also I call Leon Squall in this because I like to think that in these soft domestic moments he'd let that name be used, as a way of letting his guard down and being intimate)
I Miss My Lover, Man
It was late, well past midnight, when Squall woke up to an empty bed. Sighing, he got up and shuffled out to the living room. Just as he'd expected that's where he found Kimbri, curled up in their window seat and staring out into the dark street with one of Cloud's jackets tucked around her shoulders.
"Missing him?" Squall asked, sitting across from her. Kimbri jumped slightly and looked up at him before turning her attention back to the street with a heavy sigh.
"I thought he'd be back by now… I mean, tomorrow is all of our anniversary, you'd think he'd want to be home for that." She said, tugging the jacket tighter around herself. Squall reached over and took her hand.
"You know how he is when he gets like this. At least he took his phone this time, we can try calling him tomorrow. If he doesn't just randomly turn up at some point, that is." He smiled softly. She met his gaze for a moment before her eyes dropped to her lap.
"You're right, I know you're right, I just…"
"You still want to wait here." Squall finished and she nodded. He gave her hand a squeeze before getting up and heading back to the bedroom. Kimbri watched him go before curling up even more, thinking he'd gone back to bed.
Suddenly, she was scooped up into a blanket before Squall took the spot she'd previously occupied and settled her in his lap, wrapping the blanket around them both.
"Wha-! Squall, you don't have to sit up with me…"
"I'd rather be out here with you than in that bed alone." He replied and snuggled her close. Kimbri tried and failed to suppress a smile as she turned her attention back to the window. Squall closed his eyes and settled in for a little more sleep, glad they'd chosen to make this window seat as cozy as possible.
~☆~
"Cloud…?" She mumbled and he chuckled softly.
The sun dawned warm and rosy the next morning, finding the pair fast asleep in the window seat. Of course, it wasn't the only one to do so.
Kimbri stirred slightly at the sound of something thudding onto the floor nearby, but didn't truly wake until another weight settled onto the window seat, warm, chapped lips pressing against her forehead. She blinked awake slowly and rubbed at her eyes.
"Hey… Happy anniversary." Cloud smiled softly at her. At the sound of voices Squall began to stir behind her and Cloud leaned over to give him a kiss as well.
"You two take your time waking up, I'll take care of breakfast."
"Can you do that without catching the house on fire?" Squall quipped drowsily and Cloud rolled his eyes.
"Yes, though for that I might overcook your bacon." He snarked back. Kimbri sighed.
"Boys, be nice. 'M too sleepy for this…"
"Alright, I won't burn his bacon." Cloud chuckled and kissed her softly again. "I'll make coffee first."
"Mmm… Coffee…" she smiled and snuggled into the blanket. Cloud gave an amused smile and went to go get everything ready.
So, today's @khoc-week prompt is one I was really excited for! As stated on Day 4, I've explored a lot of alternatives for Kimbri, this includes a lot of different paths her story could have taken based on her choices. From things like ending up Maleficent's Apprentice (An AU I call "A Constellation of Crows") or embracing her Darkness instead of running from it, to choosing not to return to her homeworld, I've explored the gamut. But there's one alternative I'm a sucker for everytime, and that's different pairings. because I'm a huge multishipper even for my OCs. So I thought today I'd give a small glimpse into one of the AUs where she chose to pursue Cloud instead of just letting him walk away without a fight. (Don't worry, she still ends up with Leon in this AU too, hell they actually end up in a proper triad with the boys dating too, he just doesn't come up in this snippet because this is specifically about Kimbri and Cloud)
Anyway, set in an alternative version of KH2 we have:
Chasing Love
"I'm sick and tired of having to chase after you all the time!" Kimbri growled, grabbing hold of Cloud’s top and jerking him around to face her. Her face was twisted with uncharacteristic anger that surprised him, she so rarely actually lost her temper, especially with him. He sighed heavily and offered the simplest solution to her complaint.
"Then just stop following me." He stated with a shrug. Kimbri’s scowl deepened and she shook her head.
"No! You need to stop running!" She insisted, her grip on his shirt tightening. Tears glistened in the corners of her eyes, much to Cloud’s alarm. He didn't think he'd ever seen her cry for anything less than the total loss of their home world. “Don't you get it? No one cares if you have darkness, VERY few people are completely free of it! We care about you! We love you, Cloud, I-” her voice cracked and she had to clear her throat. “I love you, deeply and truly. If you're so determined to find a light then let me share mine. It might not be the brightest but it's better than running off into the void all the time.” She said, pink dusting her cheeks. It had taken a lot of courage to make such a declaration and she was already wondering if maybe she should have just kept her mouth shut. Cloud stared at her for a long moment then sighed and tucked her hair behind her ear.
“There you go making bold declarations again… You really are something else, but I guess that's part of why I feel the same way for you.” he said, the smallest smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. “But this is something I have to do, I have to go.”
“I really can't change your mind then? You're going to do this either way?” Kimbri asked, looking sad, but resigned at this point. Cloud nodded and she sighed. “Fine then, so be it. If you have to leave again, at least take this.” She reached up around her neck and unfastened the star pendant she always wore, pressing it into his hand. The one he knew was one of the only things she had left of her parents, of her mother. Cloud shook his head and tried to push it back to her.
“Kimbri, I can't, I know how much this means to you-”
“Exactly, that's why I know you'll bring it back to me. Let it be your guiding star.” Kimbri smiled softly at him and he couldn't help but smile back. Leaning down he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek.
“Thank you, I'll make sure we both come back safely.”
Alright, so, Day 4 of @khoc-week ! Old af art, I didn't have time to redraw it, but the outfit designs hold up!
I had a plethora of choices for AUs with Kimbri, I've come up with a fair few over the years, but I decided to pull out an old favorite, my untitled Modern Fantasy Slice of Life AU! You might remember this setting from... I think it was Year 3? I posted a drabble about Vanitas vs The Gremlin at Exhaustion Departure, the coffee shop. Well Kimbri just so happens to work at Merlin's Books right next door in this AU! It's a magical place that holds WAY more books than it should be able to, while also playing host to it's own resident magical creatures, in this case mostly colorful pixies who live in birdhouses around the store! They're definitely a bit better off in this regard than their neighbors, lol. Other members of the staff include Merlin himself, Ienzo, another OC of mine, Lena, handyman Cid, who also owns his own garage down the street, and part-timers Pence and Olette.
Below the cut find a drabble I wrote set in this AU. Enjoy some warm, fuzzy goodness in:
Sweater Weather
Ienzo frowned as another strong gust of wind rattled the windows of the overstocked book store, causing the resident pixies to scatter back to their little houses. Judging by the drafts it caused, it was high time Merlin got the windows resealed, though he remembered thinking something similar around this time last year. Sighing, he tried to return his attention to the inventory sheets in front of him, trying not to shiver as a draft blew down his neck.
A few moments later the bell over the door rang, signaling someone's arrival, but he paid it no mind, knowing that if whoever it was needed help they'd come to the counter to get him. A moment later he regretted his decision not to look up when the only warning he got before his vision was completely eclipsed by something fuzzy and purple was the smell of salted caramel and espresso, the hallmarks of Kimbri's favorite drink from Exhaustion Departure. As he sputtered, startled, and fought his way out of his warm, lavender and vanilla scented prison he could hear his coworker and foster sibling giggling mischievously. Eventually he managed to pull the soft turtleneck over his head and turned to glare at the girl next to him in irritated confusion.
"Kimbri, what on earth possessed you to do that?"
"You looked cold." She shrugged with a grin. "Besides, I bought that for you, you always forget to bring a sweater when it first starts getting actually cold. I saw that the last time I went to the thrift store and it was just your size. Don't worry, I washed it twice before I brought it to you."
Ienzo looked down at the purple sweater with an almost perplexed expression before finally pulling it the rest of the way on.
"Thank you Kimbri, I really appreciate it." He said once it was properly adjusted.
"No problem, what's family for?" Kimbri smiled again and took a sip of her drink. "Now let's have a look at these inventory sheets..."
