With me disaster finds a playfield [Open]

[cadenbychoice]

Who: Riku Replica and anyone
Where: Plaza
What: Returning from Death #3
When: Friday June 8th (9 days after his death)

-----
His head was pounding as he blinked his eyes open. Oh no, he groaned inwardly, feeling completely drenched. At first he had to wonder if Demyx hit him with some powerful attack that had knocked him out. It was a possibility, given the the fact that much time had clearly passed in the day, all the way to another morning.

However, as he lay on his back, he started to mutter. "Can't believe I..." 'Fell for it' would have been next out of his mouth, but that was how he learned whose voice was coming out. His eyes darted all around, starting to panic.

"... Not again."

Comments

hey bb hey

[seablaze]

Seems like luck was definitely on the pirate’s side. Faris was dropped off not long prior to the appearance of the Silverette on the scene. Forgive the lack of mobility Cadence, but it’s hard to get places with only having a fish tail. He was sitting on the edge of the fountain with his tail in the water. Green eyes inspected the boy from his spot.

“Oi, bucko!” He turned himself around to face him fully. “C’mere for a moment, lad.”

hey bb hey

[cadenbychoice]

"I don't feel like getting up right now."

Rep turned his head away from this person. I don't even know you. He just closed his eyes and laid there, arms out to the side.

/o/

[seablaze]

A bit of a smirk given as his gaze swept around the plaza. Attention settled back to the kid. He had to consider his words carefully in case there were any eavesdroppers.

"Jus' have a couple things I'd like to ask ya. Like if your that Cadence I keep hearing 'bout from my mate."

<3

[cadenbychoice]

"That guy died, stranger. Whatever mate you heard from must have made a mistake."

He desperately wanted the questions to stop. If another one came, he might not even answer. He also had no idea how good she was at telling lies, but in his mind Caden really was gone - something had happened to him when he died. Something to make his body... reset, or forget, back to when all he knew was Riku's face and Riku's form.

[lucentpalisade]

She didn't have as much need to hang around the coral since it brought Asbel in. But Asbel was resting at the moment, so she went off to visit the coral. No one will ever convince her that it didn't want friends, apparently.

On the way, however, she caught sight of a new face. A new face that was drenched, in fact. And lying on his back. Quietly she walked over to the replica, cautious because he felt weird. But she knelt next to him, and leaned over curiously. "Are you okay?"

She thought it was perfectly cozy to lie on the ground, but for some reason sometimes other people didn't share that opinion.

[cadenbychoice]

"It doesn't matter if I am. I deserved what happened to me."

He did take a moment to look at this girl, though, and wondered what it was about purple-haired people bothering him right now. Maybe it was fated punishment for what he did to Zexion.

[lucentpalisade]

"How come?" Sophie wanted to know! Even if she wouldn't really get the concept of whatever it is. However, when he glanced at her, she tilted her head. How does one deserve getting taken away from their home, exactly?

[cadenbychoice]

"You wouldn't understand, so don't bother." He did decide to sit up, awkward as he was in his daze. "Complete strangers don't care about each others old scars."

He ran his hands through his hair, settling them at the base of his neck as he leaned over his knees.

[bardofdrips]

To say that Demyx knew this many days had passed already would be stretching the truth a bit. With everything that had happened within the last week, his mind had been akin to a mental shipwreck. So when he spotted Cadence in the plaza on his way back from picking up a few groceries it was understandable that he'd drop everything and stare with his fins slanted downward.

Zexion had already revived, so it only made sense for him to be back. So why was his heart pounding in his chest? It wasn't until he heard the replica speak that the Nobody-turned-Troll realized he was biting his lip hard enough to draw a bead of purple blood.

"C-Cadence..."

He was rooted to the spot. He could probably abscond, but where would he go?

[cadenbychoice]

There was a visible twitch when he heard that name again. He curled in on himself a little more, before finally shouting over his shoulder.

"I'm not, by the way. He died."

[takesyoubytheheart]

Mickey still insisted on doing patrol, despite his awkward human body that still hadn't quite mastered balance and walking. Yet there he was, stumbling down the way, trying to do his 'job'. So as he comes across the boy formally known as Cadence, there was probably shock on both ends as he almost trips over his own feet.

"Hey!"

[cadenbychoice]

"Hey--!!" He answers before scooting backwards across the ground, all of the material from the 'skirt' splayed out around him and the Heartless symbol clearly visible.

They hadn't spoken since the incident - and not Zexion's death either. He look abashed, mainly, and a little afraid of how angry Mickey might still be.

[takesyoubytheheart]

Mickey's human eyes look over Cadence carefully. The differences about him are very obvious, and a quiet tension hovers around them as they inspect one another. But it's not anger that Mickey's face shows when he speaks again.

"Yer okay!" It's... relief? Happiness? That's a genuine smile he's wearing as he begins trying to walk over. "Thank goodness!"

[coolerthansora]

Roxas had been out quite a bit this week; he wanted to experience as much as possible in whatever brief time he would have a heart of his own.

Of course, spotting Riku by the coral awoke a whole mess of feelings. Anger and apprehension were foremost and strongest, and beneath them there was still that part of him with Sora's memories, who saw this as a friend. He grimaced and was about to turn away before Riku could spot him, when some logic pushed through the unfamiliar emotions.

It didn't make sense for this to be Riku. He hadn't spoken to the guy, but he wasn't going around in that get-up anymore, and why would he be lying around near the coral unless...?

"...Caden?" he said, still keeping his distance.

[cadenbychoice]

"Ven is that-?" Caden asked before he turned around and faced the other person, getting a whiff of his scent. "Sorry, Roxas. My mistake. I just... Just woke up."

He ran his hand all over his face, then threw his hands out to the side. "You want to hit me, or yell at me, anything. Just get it over with."

[coolerthansora]

Caden's reaction threw him for a moment. He knew who he was? Had he known Roxas when he'd been here before, that time he didn't remember?

Roxas eyed him suspiciously, taking a few steps closer. "Maybe you can explain first."

Zexion wasn't a friend and he wasn't exactly an ally either, so Roxas had no strong personal grudge on his account. But he was a Nobody, like Roxas and several of his friends; he needed to know if there was any danger to the people he did care about. And, there were a few other questions nagging him.

[imaginarytides]

Xion hasn't been out much since she talked with Roxas a few days ago. With this week's powerswap curse however, Xion's decided to get outside and figure out just what her wings are for. So far she's been pleasantly surprised to find out that her appearance is static in this form. She's more surprised, however, by the familiar face she sees in the plaza. At first she thought nothing of it, but when she noticed the fact he had the drowned-rat appearance of a new arrival, she stopped.

"...Riku?"

The statement lacks any real conviction, though. She's clearly noticing the oddity here and expects some kind of correction in response.

[cadenbychoice]

He chuckled a little. "That's the exact opposite reaction I expected - from you, from everyone." Rep sighed, then crossed his arms in front of him. "Somehow, everyone else knew I wasn't Riku - and yet you don't, you of all people..." He let his dark uniform disappear. "Xion."

[imaginarytides]

That was far from the rebuttal she expected. She's sure this isn't the Riku she knows now, but that isn't the question on her mind at the moment. He shouldn't be talking like he knows her when she's never encountered him before. Her suspicions raise a bit, but despite the inconsistency Xion has yet to see decide whether it's founded or not.

"How do you know my name?"

[angelphones]

Katsu is wandering near the coral, a keyblade in his hand, and he blinks in surprise as he hears someone who sounds like - oh.

It's him again - huh. He hasn't looked like this for a while, has he? Katsu heads over, dismissing the keyblade, and reaches a hand out to Cadence.

"You all right?"

[cadenbychoice]

"Katsu..." He took his hand immediately, but frowned. "I'm sorry I look like this."

Especially in front of him, now knowing what was going on between him and Riku. Funny how he'd once mistook Katsu for Riku, their scents being so similar.

[angelphones]

He helped Cadence to his feet. "It's fine. I think I can tell the difference between you two now." He grinned a little bit, but then thought of something he should mention.

"There's a curse going on now, by the way. Power swaps again."

[limitless_land]

To be honest, Riku noticed the moment that familiar presence was back. For once. Maybe it was just because of hypersensitivity, or maybe the strange urge to protect others flaring up again. Especially since there was a sense of failure for having been in one of the infamous sleep comas this time. Adding that with the second death was--

... Was it really that much of a surprise that he held off on following that familiar darkness until his usual work was done? He sighed, having not gotten anywhere with the personal assignment either. Then again, maybe the best way to find out was through the victim himself.

Riku approached the latest of all of them, blinking at the appearance for a second before pushing it aside for now. "...Caden."

[cadenbychoice]

It was actually harder to face Riku like this than anyone else, because it felt like he'd failed. They'd both gone through so much to prevent this from happening - the identity crisis - yet here he was again. Both of them speaking with the same voice, looking into the same eyes... it was very disconcerting.

"I'm sorry - not for killing Zexion, though that wasn't supposed to happen either. I'm sorry I'm not Caden anymore."

[limitless_land]

If only one of them could feel the other's pain, or sense it. Then they could both dope slap themselves. But alas, they have not created a perfected method of 'twin telepathy' just yet. He isn't disappointed in the appearance, but what was said...

Nope. Nope.

'...Idiot,' Riku shook the thought from his head. No, he wouldn't say that even if it was written on his face.

"What, you think one slip up changes everything that happened?" The older of the two frowned, making note of that admittance later on. He was more concerned about everything else right now. Especially someone's mental state. "We're living proof that there's always going to be at least one person who'll accept us as ourselves."