Wow, there really is a lot of sympathy for the Org, though I don't consider it a bad thing. I will just add on that really if you were in the situation of Sora, it would not be an easy choice to do things, but I still side with the fact it had to be done. I don't feel they were all -evil- but some of them were pretty rotten people and they were fanatical about their drive to get what they want. Some of them though were just people that were not good at all really. Marluxia - He was scum really. He was a betrayer and possibly with his own motivations and drives for power was worse than Xemnas. He seemed the true psychopathic one out of the Org with no real caring for anything other than power. Larxene - I debate on. She seemed to at least care somewhat for Axel and just because she was sadistic and liked to torment some others, I doubt she would have betrayed the Org itself if Marluxia hadn't motivated her to it. She just wanted to do her own thing. However, it doesn't make her a nice person. She and Marluxia were pretty rotten to Namine and also Riku Replica. Luxord - Was a manipulator that was controlling Heartless which ...killed people. He was not a nice guy and was just having his fun living it up while doing his job. He showed no real care either way in what he did other than a flare for doing it fancily. He had to go. He also cursed Jack Sparrow, though we can debate on how 'good' a person Jack is too heh. Xaldin - He's a killer and a manipulator, cold and ruthless. He was also pompous and was attempting to force Beast to succomb to Darkness and nearly succeeded. Beast is a friend of Sora's so of course he's going to try to prevent such a nasty fate from befalling him. Vexen - He's another one that was one of the worst members of the Org. He was a manipulator and shrewd. He also made the Riku Replica and messed that creation's mind up pretty darn good. He was clearly on his own agenda to betray Xemnas and the Org and confronted Zexion on trying to recruit him, which Zexion didn't really want a part of. He wasn't a nice guy. He was a selfish mad scientist. Saix - People keep mentioning his pining for the Kingdom Hearts and his poor wittle lost heart. He had no care about anything else the whole time, was mocking Axel pretty well because Axel -did- want a Heart and he saw it as a weakness that he had a -friend-. He also was just a jerk and dirty player with people's emotions and also a sadist in his way, though he preferred to break people mentally rather than just physically. He was one of the worst people of the Org, when people compare who is -evil- or not. Lexaeus - He was attempting to force Riku to become 'one with the Darkness' and nearly actually killed Riku, who had to be saved by King Mickey in his time of weakness there. He wasn't that bad of a guy for the Org itself and seemed loyal enough, but he wasn't a -nice- guy either to do that. Zexion - Was trying to break Riku's spirit and kill him. Riku really wasn't doing anything wrong there and if they had just let him alone in trying to manipulate him and then destroy him when they found his will too indomitable, Riku may have just left. I wouldn't say Zexion though was so -evil- as I would say he was what his title was...a schemer. He did appear loyal to the Org despite what Vexen was doing. Xemnas - The leader who was behind it all had a fanatical design and zealous approach to doing what he wanted and nothing else mattered to him. He wanted revenge probably on Master Xehanort, who though his Heartless may have been dealt with, he may in some or other form still be out there. At least that's my thoughts on his motivations, though I can't be sure. Something has driven Xemnas to rage though, despite the loss of feelings, those were the ones he wanted most. The ones he remembered. Now, Sora -did- do the typical Sora thing and try to talk to Xemnas too, and I think people forget that. He tried to tell him that the Heart was not just meant for such negative emotions. Xemnas though was bent to his scheme and revenge, rage etc and that's all that mattered to him. He had to be stopped, whether he had reasons for it or not. So what's that leave us with really? Demyx - He followed orders. He may have been approachable had Sora tried to communicate with him instead of doing what he did. However, the fear of the Org as Axel had may have just resulted in the same outcome happening any way. It's hard to say. Demyx ran often on the instinct of -fear- though he had no emotions. He is one of the few people that actually may have been redeemable though at that time. Had Xemnas been taken out, maybe some of the others would have too but I don't know if they would have been worse or not. Demyx alone though probably would not have. Xigbar - He was caught up in things and what his true thoughts on stuff was, we will never know since Sora really didn't talk to him much at all. He did have information though being #2 and if I were in Sora's shoes, it'd have prompted me to try to learn more. However, he did wake up and corrupt the dragon there too so that the dragon would get to corrupting and destroying the castle there. I don't know if he was working with Shan-Yu but it did not appear so really as much as he was working around him and using Shan-Yu's actions to aid his own plots. He did seem disappointed and upset about Roxas though, and he probably knew things about Roxas that Sora did not, and about the past Keybladers. His agenda may have been important and yet we won't know. Sora was pretty dumb on just offing him really. Axel - Axel was selfish and just wanted his friend back. Also, he was scared of Xemnas turning him into a Dusk. However, he was also motivated to turn and it was sad he gave up his life, but he did not really probably think there was a point in existing after all that he had gone through. Sora wasn't bad here but Axel too had not been a great good guy in CoM despite his wildcard nature. So in the end, the Organization may not have been bad and perhaps the last 3 were people that could have been altered to other goals, and maybe Larxene too if she wasn't too sadistic to change, but I don't see how Sora could have been any different with the former people, nor could Riku. Even if they aren't all -evil-, they were simply too devoted to what they wanted and had no real care at all for other people's sufferings or deaths to get their own agendas met and that kind of fanaticism can be seen in the real world too. Sometimes, even if you can sympathize with the enemy, you still have to fight them over what it is they are doing wrong. I feel it is better to understand the enemy and if anything, that is where I'd most fault Sora. He never really asked much and if people were telling me I was someone else...I'd pay attention. However, KH1 also could have been resolved a lot earlier if Sora had taken notice of Kairi's Heart being merged with him too and Riku wouldn't have descended himself into Darkness with his own desperation had Sora noticed anything. Sora is not so dumb but he does have a serious problem with perceiving things. He just flows as his name suggests, like the wind or air and follows his Heart. He's not a real thinker and so he's not going to be perfect. I think that all of the characters in KH had their flaws and that is Sora's main one. It's not that he doesn't -care- because he truly does. It's that he doesn't evaluate, question enough, or open himself to perceive things about his surroundings. My apologies for another long-winded post. =:)
The Organization wasn't -evil- necessarily but they were doing bad things to get what they wanted. - They did trap Sora and Riku at the castle and attempted to use him to get around things if you think on it. Then when they found out they didn't need Sora and Riku, they set to destroy them. They could easily have just let the kids leave. - They could not work with each other and were betraying each other from within the Org. Marluxia and Vexen clearly had their own agendas and were not looking out for the Org and obviously didn't believe in what it was doing, or just wanted to be in charge. - Saix earns little sympathy because really, he was the worst one other than Xemnas to messing with the Keyblader in the first place and was tearing at Sora's heart and clearly manipulating him. Really, him pining after Kingdom Hearts was amusing to me and I can't say I had much feeling at all when he died after all of the rotten stuff he did throughout KH2. He also was really in the way of the only Org member who was actively having a chance of crossing over to help others, though Axel's agendas were also self motivated to begin with. - Namine was held by the Organization as a prisoner, stuck at the Castle Oblivion and forced (albeit not that strongly so I consider her a wuss) to doing things for them, including messing with Sora and Riku's minds. She was a prisoner clearly so why no sympathy for her? - The Org were encouraging the Heartless to continue attacks on people and killing them, making more Heartless for their plans. This may not seem a big deal but imagine it was someone close to you or your whole town that was wiped out so that the Nobodies could be whole? It makes more sense why it was bad and as Riku said, it messes with the worlds. They weren't just collecting Hearts of the Heartless slain..they were using the Heartless as well as Saix showed. Without the Dark Council anymore to do that job, they did it themselves. They were killers. - Xemnas does have other reasons I believe that prompted him to want to go this route but at the same time, he was not honest with the Org either, which was leading others such as Vexen and Marluxia to do betrayal. Saix seemed to be his staunch supporter and even he was used as fodder to just hold up Sora. - Kairi was kidnapped, not just by Axel but by Saix after that had intentions to use her against Sora to do things to further his goals. - Roxas obviously was not pleased with his position in things and the Org were not nice people. He wanted out for a reason, and it wasn't just to pursue why he's a Keyblade wielder. Some of the Org, to include anyone below #6 were not even of the original group of people from Ansem's apprentices so they might have also recalled what Xehanort and others had done. I do ponder if any of the others below #6 were not unwilling experiments to the tests that Xehanort ran before deciding to cast his lot in with Darkness. All in all, being in the Org itself was cold and promoted decisions to betray from people like Larxene and Marluxia (not that I really have sympathy to Marluxia who seemed psychopathic). - The Org were going about making tougher Heartless and recruiting stronger Hearts to fall to Darkness such as Beast. Xaldin didn't approach me as a nice guy and was pretty rotten. There are some people of the Org who seemed not so bad, such as Demyx, who I debate might have given up his lot with the group with proper motivation and Sora did not even try when Demyx really didn't seem to want to confront him. Xigbar also didn't seem that bad to me and actually had information and if I were Sora, I would have been trying to get more information rather than just confronting them but eh, Sora tends to fight first and ask later. This is why I think Sora actually needs people like Riku, who seemed more cognitive the entire time and asking things. The Organization itself, with its purpose and disregard for all life other than their own, did have to be stopped. I think some things could have been done a bit different for a select couple members but in the end, it was clear some were not at all receptive to things, such as Xaldin and Saix, Luxord and especially Xemnas. I do hear the point though that Sora could have asked more. He didn't really have the issues Riku did, who actually remembered Castle Oblivion and his battles where Lexaeus and Zexion tried to destroy him and make him turn to Darkness. Riku was the one who even though Axel and Namine feared him, he did nothing to them other than talk things out to get an understanding. However, I do believe the Organization, whether some were ok or not and in different circumstances were salvageable, did need to be stopped and confronted. They may not have been -evil- but some were just rotten people with no compassion at all for anyone else. It and Yen Sid's words were enough of a reason for Sora to need to do what he did. Let alone the fact that the worlds were in a bad state because of what the Org did.
Yeah, I think anyone that saw Star Wars noticed the similarities of Star Wars with the double lightsabers like Obi-Wan used in Ep1. He also did have a Sith thing going on with the red sabers. It was amusing that the difference is that the sabers were just extensions of his hands technically instead of being an actual handheld weapon. The similarity could be a fan thing because they've used Wedge and Biggs as characters that are reoccurring in the Final Fantasy games, so they may have asked permission.
I didn't consider Sora to be that -racist- against Nobodies. After all, they were racist against all life other than themselves too and so bad they were willing to destroy life to get what they wanted. Sora really had no choice but to fight them. Of course, I see the point of problem when it comes to people like Demyx, who might have been swayed, and what Axel did, etc, but really, most of the Nobodies were worse than he was. Look at all Saix did to him. You also never know if some of Sora's problems weren't because of issues from CoM that were instinctive or from Roxas's own anger at what happened, even if Sora didn't know it and it was subliminal. However, Sora, as in KH1, said a lot of funny lines and Goofy was so intelligent. My favorite parts are where Auron comments on the person who unlocked the underdrome and Sora asks "who would do something like that?"...and of course the Ping incident, not seeing she's a woman before GOOFY. I start to worry when Goofy is the smartest person on your team. Sora's intelligence and wandering mind let me really think on why he's very fortunate to have Riku as a friend.
Yes, it's pretty clear by now that unless some miracle happens, we were shnookered out of getting this game. It's sad because it had so much more stuff in it than the KH1:FM did and Re:CoM is nearly a new game. I think by now we should give up on posting about it and just leave ONE topic for it open so people can discuss and mourn over it and then people won't keep wanting to make a new one. Maybe we'll get surprised but at this point, I don't think it's happening. Just get the Japanese version.
In the end I don't think anyone is killing Sephiroth that is in the Org, nor do I think any of them may have a chance at actually -beating- him in a fight, but perhaps. Some obviously have more chances than others to do pretty well and walk away themselves. I'm not sure really that Sephiroth could kill them either because of what they are. Ones to me that have any chance in hell of beating or just going toe to toe with the guy and making it interesting are: Roxas, Saix, Xaldin and Xemnas I think would be the top 4 contenders in this to be able to possibly beat him or have the longest battles really. Middle ground entertaining battles: Axel (though fire isn't going to do crap, he's pretty versatile otherwise) and Larxene could be entertaining as well. Demyx is pretty good too but he has no real weapon to fight the guy if he breaks through with Masamune so though it'd be interesting, he'd definitely be a hurting puppy. Lexaeus probably would last but he's a lot slower than Sephiroth and Sephiroth also is very strong but fast, so I think he'd whomp him. Biggest losers would be: Marluxia (easiest boss to beat ever), Vexen (the shield isn't going to go well against the sword), Zexion (he would not even enter this fight. ) Luxord because unless Sephiroth gambles, cards just aren't going to cut it and you do not stand still in a battle versus Sephiroth.
In the end, all of them because I'd want to see what they all can do. Axel, Xigbar, Zexion and Larx would probably be the first choices but definitely, I'd choose any of them.
I could -swear- I made a comment here last night/early this morning. I must have been really tired. Any way, Diana was a good person and a positive role-model and despite all that had happened to her, she was doing many things to assist others. No, of course, she was not perfect as we humans just can never master the art of being that, but she did inspire and motivate others and was also a figure of grace and beauty. When you think about it, she added beauty back to the nobility in England because really...Prince Charles was U-uu-uu-ugly! Fergie also is a pretty woman and Diana's two sons fortunately inherited Di's looks more than Charles's. They needed these genetic improvements. Sorry for anyone I so likely offended there. It was a joke =:( but who hasn't thought it? Sorry! I do worry, if there is no real evidence at all for this kind of thing, why there is going to be this full blown investigation. If the conspiracy theories held any water at all, I could see it, but as far as I know it was a tragic accident concerning a driver that was a bit too drunk and some nasty paparazzi morons that would not back the heck off the poor woman. They are drudging up a lot of pain for people in doing this so if it's all for nothing but a bunch of whispers and rumors, it's not worth it. If there are valid reasons, then sure, but I have not myself been privy to anything above info that I have heard about which is pretty much heresy.
Wow, that's pretty sad. Porn kills! I do wish they would have said something like if the guy had lied to her and said he had no porn or something, because usually there's a pretty big reason why someone would snap like that, like it's an utter betrayal.
I believe it was pretty clear how she seemed to die because the driver was drunk and some paparazzi were being crazy and well...crap happened. I don't get why it took 10 years any way for them to be doing this again. If investigations were going to happen, it should have been done then and now, unless there is any viable proof of foul play, which I haven't seen anything yet so I could be wrong, then this whole thing should be left be. Diana was a great person and a lot of people miss her but if there is no evidence of anything other than a tragic accident, let it go.
All of the Nobodies essentially used Darkness so I don't really see it as an element to a single combatant as a dominant thing. All of the Nobodies also had alternate elements like Vexen had ice and Zexion seemed more to have a body altering ability element. Marluxia was plants, Axel was fire, Lexaeus was earth, Larxene was lightning, Xigbar was space/gravity, Saix was lunar, moon, etc. If anyone used darkness mostly it was probably Xemnas. But all of them could use Darkness as it was used to dark portal them around and also materialize, and draw forth their weapons. Sonics sounds like an interesting one, metal or magnetism could be one too. Magnet was a spell so maybe it could be an element as well. Other than that, I'm not sure at this time, but maybe even actual shadow manipulation (not heartless Shadows) or bending of illumination, light abilities (not Light like Sora) is also possible, since none of these that we've mentioned have been used yet.
I'm not sure why people would want to change the font either really, unless someone is unable to see the smaller font clearly, such as having vision impairments. Already some people use tiny font in posts and I have to get up to my LCD screen and really peek at it to see what the small font says, so no smaller font please! lol. A suggestion in case there is concern for those who might need bigger font is perhaps if there are new skins and all being made for the site, one could offer a bigger font option for the board on just one template. Otherwise, for others it just would make a mess of the design of the forums really.
Very interesting. Thanks for posting that. An invisibility cloak could be so useful...seems that right now they can't get it to work 3d though so it makes it somewhat limiting. However, they already have alternate thoughts for it too, so it's an intriguing invention.
Hmm, I debate. The reason I debate it is because there are people with A's in school that are not critical thinkers and simply just 'memorize' things verbatim so that they can pass high school. However, going to college, I've learned it is a lot different than high school, and in a way, I wish they'd teach high school with the intentions that kids might be going onto college. It's nothing like the higher education. So cognitive thinking, structure of stuff etc in those tests is important. Without it, even the A students in High school drop out. There is an "enormous" drop out rate for students attending college in their first year. You really do have to be more cognitive and attentive in college, and many kids, even if they are A students in high school, may not be able to don the critical thinking caps they need right away, thinking instead it's going to be just like high school. I've literally watched in my classes that at first there are 30 kids or a bit less, but at the end of the semester there are around 15 to even as few as 8 that remain. Most fail out the first 2 weeks. I also though had either A's in classes or C's and some D's because some classes in high school didn't interest me and there was a lot of high school drama and cliquish nature with groups that made me annoyed. However, I did very well on any exam I ever took, even if I didn't bother dealing with homework that often, and could critically think. Book smarts is not the same as commonsense and being able to rationalize things out, which become necessary in college. There is also a way around the SATs and ACTs though if you don't do so well in them. You can attend a community college for a year or two and if you do really well, those grades transfer to a University and you also paid significantly less to take those simple classes you would have to do at the University. So, I wouldn't say there's a reason to worry too much about the tests taken, because if you know the education system, there's always a way around it. I do agree they shouldn't be so high in one sense though because if someone is getting straight As etc, they are doing the work, and also some people aren't good at taking exams, even if they know the material sadly. I've known a few people that just tense up and no matter what, can't stop having anxiety over tests because they feel they will make them or break them. I don't think those exams alone are so important though as colleges do insist on knowing a student's GPA as well, and the higher it is, the better a student looks. However, the aims of the tests are really the only things that connect public school requirements together at all if you think about it. Schools aren't ran the same in different states, and in some areas the education is taught unique or even less on par than where it should be in comparison with other states. SATs and ACTs are ways to ensure that common educational needs are met and if the percentages compared to other places are that off, the government -knows- something is wrong. Especially if kids are getting As and yet they score a 75 on the exam. I do believe even if you do not do well on the ACT or SAT, you can take it again after a period of time, but can't recall for sure. So, if you aren't getting 'a lot' of this material on the tests, there's a problem with your school too and parents should be shaking some sticks at the school board. Some of it is done on purpose, but other things, kids just aren't being shown and that's not good either.
=:( Whaddoya mean it's not in the dictionary? It will be someday. I'm sure it is just an error on their part that it has been omitted. Such a shame. Repliku is actually the name for Riku Replica, because I'm lazy and hate to say the whole thing out, not that anyone probably didn't know. However, I should be mentioned in Firefox's listings as a proper word. I'll have to email them about that. If Pimplike though means Repliku...I may be going to get this nick changed soon. *snickers* I think you are on the right track and you are cognitive, thinking this stuff through. It shows a maturity simply in the fact that you asked this and your responses are also thoughtful. You also are thinking through things people say and asking for help to mature. I think you could also ask your mother some of these things too, and have a serious talk with her. Part of what will really help your relationship with her now is communication. As for your dad, guess he's not the person to go to, unless he's sober. =:/ I do agree with what someone else above commented on, saying that it is important to teach children when they are young to be mindful, respectful, intuitive, and encourage them to be educated etc. I do feel that many parents wait until a kid is a teenager to really start expecting them to -follow the rules- etc, and then it is too late. All teens start moving away from ideals of parents and testing the fields but unless people want their kids to get into some unscrupulous things, and want them being made into followers that go with -bad crowds-, they should instruct kids early on with all I've said as well as self-confidence. I don't think a parent out there can say they always got along with all their parents said, but if they were raised decently enough, they knew to respect the parent, despite the off views that parent may have. An open-minded parent will also learn from their kids things as they are raising them. Also, another comment was raised that parents who act like they are 'giving you so much' when it comes to clothing, school stuff, etc is a reason for them to 'dominate' you...they should know they are doing their duties. The duties of a parent seem simple enough truly, which is 1. to set a kid up with a good set of qualities that prepares them for the real world and 2. to make sure the child's health and mental stability is fine. I have heard of parents who won't even teach their teens to -drive- which to me is an integral part of our society and cripples a person later in life to be co-dependent on others. Teaching kids responsibility and respect comes early on in life so that when the teen years occur, there can be more of a trust instead of this big gap. However, responsibility also falls on the children too, which means that teens should see their parents aren't perfect but do give credit where credit is due. The parents have fought to raise kids as best as they can and some are severely lacking, but if it is that bad, you certainly can learn what -not to do- when you have kids. Sometimes parents are not as -hip- and with it as we want, but at the same time, what they like and a teen likes aren't always going to be the same, even if they are with the times. Teens that don't get their way, most will accept this if they can have a reason why. Maybe you can't have that pair of super 200 dollar shoes because the parents feel it's a waste of money and takes food away from you otherwise etc. There are usually reasons why parents do stuff and as a teen, you should be able to start asking and be willing to hear out the answer. It will help you get a taste more of what the real world outside of under the roof is like. Living alone is great, and it's a joy and freedom when you are ready for it, but many people aren't as ready for it in the beginning as they can be. Ask the questions if you can, speak with parents and try to work as a team if you do have any possibility for it. The only exceptions really are those kids who are child abused and well...their parents did them a favor of making them know that although life outside from them may be a bit odd and even terrifying or frustrating at times, at least it's not as bad as home. I don't believe teens or parents are always to blame etc. I think it comes down to each individual person and how they are willing to make things work. I don't like it when people blame everything on parents or teens, because we just can't know without investigating each case. You made a point also, that teens get investigated and such by psychiatrists but why aren't parents subjected as much to it? I do know sometimes parents are examined too, but you are right that often it seems kids are the targets that need fixed. However, if the kid is straight with things and explains things out, often a psychiatrist will try to do family therapy if possible, when realizing that the kid is not just doing things for the purpose of rebelling or hating authority. So if any of you ever do have to deal with such a thing, I would urge you cooperate with a psychiatrist and don't give the person too hard a time because it could work out in your favor that you get your life set up and can mature and learn, but also the adults can cope with their situations too and educate themselves on the matters.
I get into 'the zone' by either trying to relax and spend time outdoors, enjoying and annoying people singing to music, or doing some exercise and taking a nice shower. Sometimes I'll even do a sort of meditation just closing my eyes and filtering out distractions, breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth in slow breaths. Probably the last thing I must confess is my overzealous addiction to caffeine I think I support too much. I also like to research things as a break. This is a fun topic to read through. =:)
Marluxia was pretty easy. You just have to know when to jump to avoid his attacks really and surprise him. He isn't that hard at all, kind of like in CoM...I thought he was easy there too and a waste of a boss. Larxene and Axel were more entertaining. Good luck with that.
Technically, Riku didn't 'steal' the Keyblade from Sora. It was intended for Riku. What would have ruined the whole story was if Riku had noticed back when he took it at Traverse Town and passed it back to Sora, that it was weird it ended up in his hand and he just willingly let it go. I do think Roxas is a Keyblade wielder but he definitely threw the wrong weapon at Riku, since Riku has connection to Oblivion, and Roxas meant to throw it, not be nice and pass it to him for a fair fight. I do agree with your observation that in the end, Riku may have the strongest heart, or at least willpower, in the game, especially after what he had gone through. I guess that does go in another thread though. I'm not even sure that Roxas is simply a Keyblader because of Sora alone, so anymore now, any doubts I may have had, I cast aside because Ven and he are just too much alike to discount that as well.
Aqua is the blue haired Chaser and to me she somewhat looks like a cross between Riku and Kairi but I'm not going to wager she's related to either of them. Also, people keep saying her and Ven are an item, but I'm not going to venture to say that either as there isn't enough information and I really don't enjoy making up fake pairings. I am -pretty sure- she is the third usable character in the BBS game. As for the shadow on the ground, it could only really be her or Riku, because the hair and form matches really no one else. Despite the fact Riku is a kid in that time which is set apparently 10 years prior to KH, so he'd be around 6 years old, we can't be sure it might not be him through some unexplained weird event either. I also think Aqua or Aqua's Nobody any way, may be the 14th Org member viewed, unless they are introducing some new female we don't know of. I'm also pretty sure that Terra's Nobody is Xemnas, and Riku had the true Master Xehanort's Heartless which had been inside Terra before he and the other apprentices of Ansem tossed themselves to Darkness. Aqua seems to be pretty important in the KH storyline coming up with BBS and if I'm right, 358/2 days as well. I also think that Roxas is at least a part of Ven that hid in Sora and because the Org figured out, or Vexen did at least, in CoM that he was important, Sora was then a killable person and not wanted. In KH2 however, they figured a purpose for him, and Riku stole Roxas who wandered off, so it made things more hectic. I do ponder if part of the reason Roxas might have left might have been because of the 14th member, which I'm about 60% sure is probably Aqua. I do not believe Aqua is Sora's mom, because Sora is alive when the Chasers were doing their thing, and Aqua doesn't seem old enough to have a 5 year old kid that's running around unattended. I could be wrong but she also doesn't really look like Sora at all, except eye color. If she was anyone's mother or sister or some relation, I'd wager more strongly on Riku because her features more match his, but I don't think that's necessarily true either.
I tend to read the main thread itself before I answer the actual poll and go through browsing the first page if it is a new thread. That way I can read what others had to say before I type something myself as a response. Sometimes, I may even change my mind before I vote in the poll if I see a good presentation of an opinion from someone. I do agree that sometimes it seems people don't read the actual first thread which seems critical to voting so we know what's going on, but also I see some people don't bother to really write out a good presentation for the poll either and so it's guesswork what they intend. It is a good point you bring up though.
