vatheon | [Day 1]

Entry tags:

[Day 1]

Who: Roxas and whoever!
Where: Plaza
When: Late evening
Style: However
Status: Open!

The setting didn't seem unfamiliar at first: he was in some kind of alley and the sky was dark. He was sure he'd just been in a place like that. Maybe that was why, at first, he didn't realize the crucial change.

But he had trouble remembering what he'd been doing, moments ago. Why was he wet? His coat was sopping and heavy and--

And Sora didn't wear a black coat.

Roxas froze, forgetting to wonder about the circumstances for the moment, and stared down at his black-gloved hands. Sora wasn't with him; many of the memories were there, but Sora's presence, that person he'd felt himself slipping back into, was gone. He was Roxas again. Just Roxas.

If he didn't know any better, he'd say he felt a sudden surge of joy at that realization. Of course it wasn't real. Still, a tiny smile spread across his face as he stepped out into the plaza, baffled, slightly suspicious, but still glad.

"What the heck is this place...?"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Roxas knew that voice; he'd never met her in person, but he knew it. Even better from Sora's memories.

He turned towards her in surprise. "Kairi?"

He certainly hadn't expected to see her here. Wasn't she supposed to be locked up in the Castle that Never Was? Then again, he was supposed to be with Sora. So, which one of them had more right to be here?

"What... Back with you where?"

He remembered! Kairi's smile warmed, and she moved forward to give him a brief hug in greeting. Then she took a step back, and nodded at him once. It'd been awhile since she'd last seen him, and she found herself happy that she was able to again.

"Yeah." She ran a hand through her hair, and then frowned.

"Where we're all staying. It's safer there." She did add quickly: "You don't need to stay there a long time, but there's been at least one murder here in the last few days."

It went without saying. In her own way, as defenseless as she currently was, Kairi was trying to protect someone she knew was important to her. Roxas could take care of himself, but it wouldn't stop her from worrying or trying to ensure his safety as best she could.

"We can catch up on the way, if you want to come with me."

And then she was hugging him. Wow. Okay.

Feeling a little awkward about that, he almost missed what she said next.

"A- a murder?" he repeated, staring at her. In reality it wasn't like he'd never known anyone who'd been killed, but when it was other members of the Organization, no one ever called it that. You didn't kill someone who didn't fully exist, you just erased them. You certainly didn't murder them.

Kairi was like that; she didn't mean any harm by it.

Although it was new and a bit awkward for herself as well, for other reasons. She'd totally dismissed him during their first conversation, and she still felt terrible about it. Even if the need to regain her memory of Sora had been urgent at the time.

Here, maybe she could try making it up to him, once the murderers were caught. By being his friend. In any case... they hadn't yet been caught and so she was nodding gravely.

"On April Fool's Day, someone was murdered by the people who run this place. They thought it was a joke."

And her horror at hearing of that was in her eyes. "I know you don't know me, but you should be somewhere safe. I'm pretty sure nobody's going to mind you staying with us at least until this all blows over."

If she'd asked she'd have learned that Roxas didn't bear her the slightest ill will for that. The connection had been so brief, why would she have used up the time on Roxas, someone she didn't know, instead of one of her best friends? The thought that it was anything to make up for had never crossed his mind.

He shook his head. "I know you." Sora knew her. "But who's 'us'?"

If Kairi was here, then Sora couldn't be far behind.

Of course he wouldn't; but she'd never have presumed to ask, either. Kairi was as good at keeping her worries and what few negative feelings she felt as Sora had always been. Her regret over not asking one simple question of a boy who'd somehow been able to forge a connection to her heart could be remedied now in a positive manner, though.

She could be his friend. Something she felt he more than deserved.

Naminé would approve, she thought, as she smiled a little.

"I guess you do. I'm staying with everyone--Riku, Mickey, Minnie... and a literal zoo thanks to all of Riku's pets."

Kairi had no idea of the lingering enmity between Riku and Roxas, and so thought nothing of offering him a place to stay in a house he owned. It seemed only natural. Not only was he part of Sora, but he was someone she felt was important to her in his own way.

If he refused, hopefully at least he'd find somewhere safe to stay.

His expression drew into a frown the moment she mentioned Riku. He didn't expect her to know about it. He didn't expect her to know most things about him, which was why he'd needed to ask who she was trying to bring him to.

Roxas shook his head again, more slowly this time but no less decisively. Stay in the same place as Riku? There was no way that would make him feel safe.

"I can't stay there. Sorry." The apology was an afterthought. She was just trying to be helpful.

She noticed the change in expression, and frowned along with him. There was confusion, plenty of it. What about her friends made him so--oh. Maybe it was being close to Sora while they were apart that spooked him? For that, she couldn't say she could blame him at all.

Would Naminé be the same? There'd be no blaming her, either.

"It's fine..." She wasn't about to leave it at that, though.

"We'll just find you somewhere you can stay inside and be safe for now. There's apartment buildings and houses all over, so it's entirely up to you."

Right. Not about to let her disappointment show, she'd play tour guide and get him to safety, and maybe try and broach this subject with him later. Once he'd settled. She had a lot to think about in the meantime anyway.

He was a little relieved that she didn't pry. As much as Riku and what he had done angered him, he knew Kairi believed in him. For her sake, he didn't really want to badmouth one of her best friends. Even if the guy deserved it.

"As- long as it's someplace else, I don't really care."

Unless it was one of her boys (or an emergency) Kairi never took it upon herself to poke her nose into others' business. If Roxas chose to tell her, he'd do so on his own and without any prompting from her. Still...

It was going to trouble her for awhile. What could've happened?

"Don't worry, it will be. On one condition, though." She smiled a bit.

"That I get to visit."

Roxas blinked at her.

"I thought I just needed someplace to crash for a little while."

It wasn't that he had any objections to her visiting. He just hadn't figured that wherever he wound up staying would be any place worth visiting. His room at the Castle certainly hadn't been.

Kairi blinked, and shrugged her shoulders.

"You're not staying with me and my friends, so that's why I asked."

Because either way, it seemed very plain that he had no wish to stay with them. And since she considered Roxas someone she'd like to become friends with, she did want to visit him.

"I guess it's fine," Roxas said. "I just don't see why you'd wanna hang out there."

He definitely had a lot to learn about having a place of his own.

"Great!" Was her reply, along with a happy smile. She wasn't hard to please.

Kairi tilted her head at his addendum, and then her grin brightened.

"To spend time with you. Though technically we can do that anywhere."

He sure did. But that was okay. A good development in someone's life was always welcome.

And she'd help him out however she could.

"Right, well... you're doing that now," he pointed out awkwardly. He wasn't sure what to make of having that smile turned on him, when he wasn't Sora. It just didn't spark the same feelings--which was good, he was a different person, but it was also slightly disorienting. He felt like something was missing and she just didn't notice.

Kairi raised an eyebrow, and then laughed a bit.

"I used to have sleepovers with Sora and Riku when we were little. Or they'd come over and we'd watch a movie or something. We didn't just hang out at the beach, y'know."

Though she could see how he might be under that impression with how much time the three of them had used to spend there.

"Friends do that; visit each other's places, aside from spending time with each other outside."

Granted, the last few times she'd been to Selphie's had involved helping the younger girl do her homework, but the point was still there.

"If you don't want me to, I won't. Anyway, c'mon. Let's just find you somewhere to stay for now."

Since to her it did translate very clearly that he was awkward, she was determined not to push the topic of friendship anymore. If he wanted it, she was more than open to it. But she'd let him get it started, instead of continuing to jump on the topic of visiting and hanging out now.

She was just eager to get to know Roxas as Roxas, not a part of Sora.

Just as himself.

"I don't remember that so much," Roxas admitted. Most of his memories of those three together really were at the island. Probably because it was such a special place to them, it stood out more clearly.

At her suggestion, he nodded--not exactly eagerly, but it was some small relief to be off the awkward topic of being friends with Kairi. Not that he didn't want to be friends, he'd just always thought of her as Sora's friend. And how did you start a friendship with someone who wasn't remotely a stranger?

He could worry about that later.

"Lead on."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Day 1]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject