Application @ thegreening

[believeprotector]

APPLICATION
OOC
Name: Icey
Age: 30
Contact: plurk: iceyly | discord: iceyly#7221
Character(s) Played: n/a

IC
Name: Riku
Canon: Kingdom Hearts franchise
Canon Point: post Re:Mind/Limit Cut DLC (about a year after KH3 ends)
Age: 18ish
Appearance: "Kn-knight? You've got the wrong idea.


Abilities:

Keyblade Mastery: As the name implies, Riku has mastered the ability to summon and wield the Keyblade and any related magic:

– The default form of Riku's current Keyblade is Braveheart. When not in use, the Keyblade stays in a small and handy pocket dimension, from which Riku can summon it at will.
– The Keyblade's main power is to lock or unlock most physical, digital or magical door, barrier or even the Heart of a person. (Sora has been seen using the Keyblade to 'hack' programs, so really… just think of it as the ultimate Skeleton Key) The Keyblade can be used like a sword, in spite of not having a cutting edge; if its wielder puts his mind to it he can even cut sky scrapers to size (though I'm going to nerf that, Riku isn't going to cut buildings down in-game, that's just ridiculous).
– Other Keybearers have been shown able to transform their Keyblade into other kinds of weapons (think canons, whips, or even hoverboards); however, Riku has not been seen using any kind of Keyblade transformation at this point.
– Over his journey, Riku has developed the power to sense the presence of Light/Darkness in a person. Birth By Sleep has revealed this to be somewhat common place ability among Keybearers. This ability doesn't mean he'll know if someone is good/evil right off the bat, but it may give him a grasp of the key emotion the other person is carrying around, as this ability tends to have a slight empathic quality.
– Riku was named Keyblade Master for mastering the ability to Wake A Lost-Slash-Sleeping Heart. He does this by diving into the Heart and/or Dreams of that person and fighting off whatever has kept them trapped. Doing this is a significant risk to Riku himself though, as he risks getting trapped if he fails to free the Heart in question, so he'll absolutely never do it lightly.
– As Keyblade Master, Riku is technically capable of passing down the Keyblade and naming a successor. Given that he has only been a Master for a little more than a year at this point, the chances of that actually happening are currently very close to zero though.

Magic (elemental and otherwise): Riku is capable of a wide range of magic spells, including but not limited to the standard brand of Kingdom Hearts elemental magic. He has mastered Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Gravity, Magnet and Healing magics to the third tier level (-ga) and is capable of also using the fourth tier (-ja/-za) in dire situations.

While most of his spells have a certain range – especially his Lightning element spells are capable of affecting his immediate surroundings – Riku can't use magic to affect the weather or cause major damage to his environment.

Riku is able of focusing his magic into a long distance attack called Shotlock, which is capable of targeting multiple enemies. His default Shotlock is Dark Divide.

Movement: Riku is extremely agile and capable of (some more, some less) superhuman feats when it comes to movement on the ground and in the air:

– He can avoid attacks on him by dodge rolling (Dodge Roll) and sliding away (Slide).
– He can jump higher than most people (High Jump) and if that isn't enough to reach the height he is going for, he can make one (1) additional jump by using magic as leverage (Double Flight).
– He can change direction while in the air (Air Slide) and even power up this slide to deal damage when he collides with someone/something twice in a row (Sonic Impact/Double Impact). He can also recover from being flung away mid-air (Aerial Recovery) or counter attack right as he recovers himself (Payback Blast).
– Riku is capable of using his environment to travel faster by pushing himself up off and forward from walls or rails and boost his jumps and slides even further (Flowmotion). He can turn those powered jumps into attacks and even use Flowmotion to fling away most unmounted objects or people that are larger than himself.

Darkness (and Light): Riku, over the course of the games, has been shown to master the Darkness inside him to the point where even the resident evil incarnate, Xehanort, admits that he has grown immune to the effects and corruption of it. During his second to last confrontation with Xehanort's Heartless, he came to the conclusion that the best way for him to fight would be to consume the Darkness and turn it into Light.

He can use the Darkness to create dark flames (Dark Firaga), infuse his Keyblade with Darkness and boost his physical attacks (Dark Break, Dark Aura) or even use the Darkness to teleport over short distances to strike his enemy from behind (Shadow Slide, Shadow Strike). He can also use the Darkness to create a barrier around himself to shield away common physical and magical attacks and blast this barrier apart as counter attack (Dark Barrier, Counter Aura), or use it to power up his dodge (Dark Roll).

While his control of Darkness is by far stronger as that of Light, he has also learned to infuse his Keyblade with Light as well, or even use Darkness and Light in short notice of another.


(Optional) Personality:

"I know it's out there somewhere – the strength that I need."
"Strength for what?"
"To protect the things that matter. You know, like my friends."

From young age, Riku has always been certain of what he wants – to leave his home, the Destiny Islands, behind so he can grow stronger and become a protector of all things important to him; first and foremost his friends. During his short encounter with Terra, he proves to be curious, smart – he recognizes that the other has to be from the Outside World right upon seeing him – and restless. He is a child in a hurry to grow up and find out what the worlds hold in store for him. Over the following years that curiosity turns into an obsession – he feels trapped and begins to regard the Islands as nothing but a cage – which in return is the first sign of 'Darkness' within him.

When Riku makes actual plans to leave the Islands – not just alone, but with his two best friends – his drive to depart is noted with slight discomfort by Kairi. His determination to escape the Islands is absolute to the point that he is willing to do absolutely anything without even asking what the consequences might be – when told by Ansem, Seeker of Darkness that opening the Keyhole would allow him to leave, he forces it open, unknowingly plunging the Islands into Darkness.

Before leaving home Riku has always been the strongest person of his friends group on the Islands, fiercely competitive and eager to prove himself. Due this he certainly developed an arrogant streak as well as fierce pride - both would cause him quite a bit of trouble when he first starts to explore the worlds.

Riku, at that point, is used to the attention of others (first and foremost Sora's) lingering on him and seeking him out for leadership and advice. Maleficent ends up using that habitual need in order to spark jealousy in his heart and guides him to start relying on the Darkness inside of him. Even as Riku grows more jealous and irritated at Sora's independence and success as the "Keyblade Master", his original intention – to protect his friends – still remains as he searches for a way to return Kairi's Heart; though his utter ruthlessness shows as Riku is willing to justify any means as long as the outcome is satisfactory.

He feels little to no remorse about kidnapping Pinocchio and using him in order to find out more about Kairi's condition and is taken aback when Sora calls him on it, even angry that his supposed best friend draws his weapon on him in response to his actions.

His anger would fester and poison their bond to the point of indifference and almost even hate (on Riku’s part), and that – along with his despair over being unable to help Kairi – would drive Riku further and further into the Darkness, until Ansem, Seeker of Darkness became able to posses him, using the weakness he showed the moment he first starts to crave power out of selfishness and pride – in order to best Sora – instead of his desire to help and protect others.

However, Riku has grown from his failures.

Over his journey through Castle Oblivion, he learns to accept his past mistakes and how to bear them, to accept consequences as they relate to his actions, and how to use the Darkness inside him without letting it overwhelm him.

When offered to lock away the Darkness and become the person he was before leaving the Islands, Riku refuses, noting that he has no need for that kind of thing as he was ready to face the Darkness (and Ansem) on his own terms.

Riku often comes across as very serious and mature, even more so after his insights at Castle Oblivion. He is very thoughtful and kind to the people he judges to be deserving of it and seems to have a softer spot for girls.

His maturity shows in his response to Xion when she accuses him of hating her for "taking away" his best friend ("Nah. I guess… I'm just sad.") – instead of assigning blame to her or Roxas, he is just focused on what needs to be done to awaken Sora again… saddened by his slumber, and also the sacrifices his awakening would come to cost, but determined to see things through anyway.

When Xion then asks him what she should do after finding out that her memories are not her own but Sora’s, he advices her to chose for herself but to take care that she chooses what is ‘right for everyone’. After that he makes sure to give her the time and keep her away from outside influences that might sway her from coming to her own conclusion.

Ultimately, a large part of his actions is defined by his will to do anything and everything to make sure that the people he cares about are safe and content – no matter the means and the costs. His absolute loyalty and protectiveness of those he cares about are two of his key traits and his most favorable attributes – if Riku considers someone a friend, he will go to hell and back to help and protect them.

In his time working with DiZ, he has become quite good at keeping himself hidden to observe and act out of the shadows – skills that would later help him in aiding Sora during his second journey through the worlds. In that time, Riku comes to realize that Sora's awakening would come at a price (Xion's and Roxas' existences as well as Riku's own physical appearance), and starts to prepare accordingly by asking Mickey to guide Sora after his awakening, showing the fair amount of foresight he has gained.

In spite of his remaining pride – he is determined to see the consequences of his actions through by himself, to atone as "castaway from the Darkness" and never return to his home world or his friends – Riku remains insecure about his ability to wield the Keyblade and place among the Light, even after reuniting with Sora and Kairi, regaining his appearance and returning home. When approached by Master Yen Sid about taking on the Mark of Mastery, he notes that he may need to be tested, as the Darkness remains within him – his motivation to enter the exam isn't to attain Mastery, but to resolve the question of his own worth of the power that he inherited from Terra.

While traveling the sleeping worlds he is shown to be far more detached from the events within the dreams than Sora - while he is friendly, he does keep more distance to most of the people he encounters, is more than willing to help, but never forgets his own objectives in this journey.

Dream Drop Distance shows that his previous year of isolation hasn't done much for his social skills. Riku has become somewhat task-oriented as a result; focusing on what needs to be done and walking away after that. Shiki immediately calls him on this when he rescues her and tries to walk away two seconds later, and Riku even admits to her that he doesn't quite know how to interact with people after helping them out.

He also tends to be slightly thrown when being complimented even in joke, stunned when Shiki calls him her "Knight in Shining Armor", immediately telling her that she has the absolutely wrong idea about him, then is tongue tied when she teases him about it.

When confronted with Ansem, SoD/Xehanort's Heartless in The World That Never Was, he comes to admit that locking away the Darkness hasn't resolve anything and that rather than that he needs to consume it and return it to the Light. While he sees this through as he confronts Ansem and the other Xehanorts in the Keyblade Graveyard, when watching the Heartless fade for good after his defeat, Riku notes that he feels he will miss the Heartless. Ansem, in turn, notes that Riku's strength goes beyond the Darkness and that he should "go forth and seek" (which is about the closest to "don't mourn me, I'm proud to be the stepping stone to greater ambitions" that any Xehanort is ever going to get, I guess).

Ultimately, Riku's journey through the Realm of Sleep has lead him to fully come to peace with himself and his actions, and especially with who he has become as a result of them. He has lost what doubts he has in regard of his worthiness to carry the Keyblade and while he is still very new to his title and responsibilities as Keyblade Master, he has resolved to honor it.

When told about Master Aqua and her sacrifice to save him in the Realm of Darkness, Riku reacts with outrage – openly showing how upset he is with Yen Sid's judgement to keep her story a secret to prevent him and Sora from making any rescue attempts – to the point that he is called out on the oddity of that reaction by Kairi.

Riku then admits on having tried too hard at being a 'role model' for Sora and Kairi, and voices his resolve to listen to his Heart more, rather than to overthink what he is doing.

After all, he has already gained what he went looking for in first place: The strength to protect the things that matter.


History: "You see, it's my job to keep him on his toes. Besides, what kind of Keyblade Master sleeps through his test?"


Sample(s):
"…So much for being stuck in the void between the worlds again."
"Why don't you just ask outright if I prefer the fire or the frying pan?"
"Try to cut off it's path!"
"Word of advice, don't eat the cabbage soup."