#man. man.

[that1notetaker]

He really tried the oldest trick in the book mid battle.

[sodheeee]

maybe it will work out this time, on the road to hell, on the railroad line

[strelitzicae]

it is very concerning to me that we haven’t seen strelly use her keyblade yet.

Yeah! Actually, I think this is related to a theory going around. It's a little hard to see in game in kh3, but Yozora has an odd logo/symbol stitched onto his shoulder of his jacket.

It's not the clearest (i did my best to illustrate it with my crappy mouse lol), but the patch is a skull with two keyblades positioned as crossbones below it, and a crown on top. In addition, one of the core mechanics of his fight in re:mind is that he is able to steal Sora's keyblade.

I believe that Yozora and his fellows may be fighters specifically hunting down keyblade wielders in Quadratum to stop the spread of darkness and heartless. He is mentioned to be a 'commander', and seems to be equipped to fight keyblade wielders as his sword can absorb sora's keyblade. That would also explain why he's watching Riku in the secret cutscene - Yozora might be hunting him since he's a keyblade wielder. We don't know the full situation in Quadratum, but he could have learned of Sora and Riku from the book of prophecies, MOM, or Sigurd...

So assuming this is true, I think Strelitzia may be hiding the fact that she's a keyblade wielder. Perhaps that why she saved Sora as well - she wanted to warn him that if he showed his powers, he would be hunted, but obviously Sora is Sora, and would never stand still when someone is in danger.

Streli, on the other hand, is known for her shy disposition, her dislike of fighting, and how she regrets not overcoming her fears and speaking to the player in KHUX... I could see her having regressed in Quadratum and in her fear refusing to fight. It would provide an interesting contrast to Sora, and would be the grounds for a character arc for her throughout the game. I like the idea of Sora (and possibly Xehanort) pushing for her to overcome her fears and come out of hiding, and meanwhile she would push Sora to take care of himself, and not put himself in constant danger for others.

I think nomura is keeping the Streli lore close to his chest for now - theres obviously more at play than what we've seen so far. But I think Streli is hiding her keyblade on purpose to protect herself.

[baeshijima]

anyway royal au, duke (of the north)!flins with possible arranged marriage trope.... hm.... like his whole gimmick being that he is a well-respected gentleman and bachelor by day, yet cursed with seeing these dark evils (read: the wild hunt) and keeps quiet about it, fighting them off during the night and protecting his dukedom in secret...

then you, his arranged marriage partner, come along, all soft glows and welcoming smiles and shining eyes and something so distinctly pure and you it almost feels as though the world he has known until now is caving in on itself around the two of you. he feels bad; awful, even when remembering your warm smile upon exiting that carriage. you'll be kept at arms' length, something you'll undoubtedly be confused by when met with his cold distance, but it is something he must employ regardless to protect you like he has with everyone else. your cautious and saddened gaze won't let his guard fall, he won't allow this affliction to—

what is this calming sensation washing over him? is this what it feels like to get a full night's sleep without being plagued by the Horrors™?? even those ghastly shrieks and bemoans have begun to grow quiet, their ghostly figures dissipating until your expression breaks through the fog — brows pinched together, lips moving to form words he can barely decipher amidst this haze, and eyes shining with something dangerously akin to worry.

duke!flins never did love, having long since grown adverse to the idea of putting someone else at risk of his affliction, of the ceaseless voices and phantoms he is plagued with. but maybe — just maybe — he can allow himself to finally let someone in and love after so long if it is you.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

imagine you’re patching up this very obviously abused and troubled kid and you’re worried but you’re not too worried because you know he’s going to be okay in the future, except then he unexpectedly and intentionally dies young, leaving an indelible mark on your conscience and the very foundations of your boundary forever, and you don’t even get to unpack all that because the kid comes back and now he’s your fucking boss for the next fifty years. happened to my good buddy tsuchigomori

[kindatiredtho]

There was supposed to be better rendering. And also Rin. But I gave up. I'm sorry.

[rochenn]

I could still go crazy abt Charlie rescuing Coop being juxtaposed to Coop rescuing Lucy btw. The heavy implication of him holding the lighter after he gets her on her feet is that he now puts her in the same compartment of his mind that Charlie existed in. Comrade. Someone who gets funny ideas in their head sometimes (communism, or being nice to people) but ultimately is someone Coop grounds himself in emotionally.

And the fact that he betrayed them both in a way... I could gnaw through granite rn