Meh. Too lazy to color properly.

Now, if you're a Kingdom Hearts fan, chances are you've seen some Syn art, whether you realize it or not. Isn't Absolution the most perfect name for a keyblade for Riku?

Absolution = 1) forgiveness for a sin 2) formal redemption as pronounced by a priest in the sacrament of penance

Design for Absolution and Riku "Delacroix" belongs to who's an awesome writer and artist (Go look at her gallery. NOW!). Some of her imagery... and her diction... **melts** I found myself actually having to look up a few words. It's not everyday you see a word like "tintinnabulation" used in a fanfic. O_o

Read Synonymy: [link]

It may be a bit confusing to read, but then, when speaking of KH epics in general, if the sheer number of crossovers don't get you, the symbolism and plot twists will. (Why must everything KH remind me of Sora's potential for evilness?)

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Fic clip:

Thin trails of white steamed from his large nose, hissing out like twin snakes to give him the appearance of a guarding dragon. It was silent, save for the hum of the night lights casting a dying yellow glow on the glass display cases. Teeth chewed on the filter of his cigarette thoughtfully as he watched the pale boy sleep. The fire had long died in the hearth, red embers fading to black. Night had fallen.

Cid dragged long on his cigarette, sucking the stick down to the filter, before removing it from his mouth and tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling. Long streams of smoke gusted into the air, hazing the soft light into the misshapen forms of lost ghosts. He knew what to do; he trusted his instincts, relying on that mystic sixth sense which had saved him during many battles and sticky situations.

At the same time... this boy was a stigma.

After cleaning up the remains of dinner, Cid pulled a woolen blanket from an overhead cabinet, shaking it out. He kept it there for the nights he decided to work late, opting rather to sleep in the store than head home. He smirked a little to himself as he bunched the material in his fingers, callused skin snarling the wool. He was getting soft. Buying the kid dinner and now letting him sleep in his shop?

Plus getting a blanket to cover him with, no less.

Wouldn't Shera just get a giggle over that if she knew? Maybe tease him a little about patriarchal urges. Fuck that shite.

Snorting, he trudged over toward the sleeping kid--Ruki, Reeki, Ricky, Riku, yeah, that's it--and carefully laid the blanket over him, while resisting the urge to tuck him in. Hell no, he wasn't feeling fatherly toward nothing.

A hand absently smoothed the covers across Riku's shoulders, wrapping the hem close. The moogle in Riku's lap chirped before flopping over, bulbous nose twitching with the breath of sleep, knocking the jeweller out of his reverie. With a low curse, Cid scowled at his traitorous appendage and it wisely drew back.

"Keyblade Master, huh..." Cid shook his head, digging for his pack of cigarettes, pulling out another stick. He stuck it between his lips, sucking on the end. "You ain't gonna be jack shite if you don't frickin' believe in it," he quietly told the deeply slumbering boy.