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paixaorpg2006-03-06 12:57 am
keynote.livejournal.com) wrote in paixaorpg2006-03-06 12:57 am
Entry tags:
A Reunion that's been LONG Awaited. [Closed]
Character(s): Sora, Riku
Content: Sora finds himself in Paixao and reunites with someone unexpected as he struggles to make sense of everything.
Setting: At the center of Paixao near Cid's shop
Time: Friday morning
Warnings: Angst, Mild Fluffiness, More Angst
“Mgnn...” The boy groaned, confused with his waking. The sensations with consciousness were strange, cold rather, and invasive to sound with the small chatter suddenly all around. Voices, Sora’s brain dully noted, he didn’t recognize.
His body shivered as a drop of freezing wetness plopped itself on his cheek, stirring the brunette further as it slid down to his chin. A successful chain reaction as protective lashes reluctantly rose from sky blue orbs, fluttering to blink away blurriness while the process of slumber terminated.
A pause.
Then suddenly, he couldn’t help but gasp, eyes wide as they were met with horrifying demons and angels, even griffins and long clawed dragons towering over him on the.. Ceiling? The paintings mingled with make-belief clouds that somehow poured perfect rain and mild snow. ..Sky?
What the...
He blinked again for good measures, attempting to break away confusion of what he was seeing and piece together comprehensive information - that is until the scary dream slammed back into memory, the jolt of it almost what caused him to snap up into sitting.
He remembered now! There had been grass, lots of grass; he was with Donald and Goofy, and then next thing he knew, darkness. It had almost hurt, its familiar sickening pull of his body to it sucking him in, fighting and screaming useless as it became one with the mind for hollow sleep. What a nightmare!
Donald… Goofy...
Blue eyes darted around himself, “Guys?” He called weakly, but no one answered. The crowd around him seemed to walk on as if nothing was out of the ordinary, each their own lives to attend. Pale, he noticed, the people were pale, young and almost all radiating a sense of beauty – blond hair accenting glassy blue eyes that should have reflected the ocean - but the beauty was almost fake just like the sky. Something was lacking.
Something he knew all too well: Life, emotions. The faces were mute and monotone looking, expressions extinct.
Sora didn’t know whether that was the cause or the weather, but it gave his skin a chill. With skinny arms instinctively crossing over his chest to rub at cold exposed flesh for warmth, he began to wonder where he was – and more importantly, how he got here. He hadn’t known there was a town like this nearby... Had he passed out from exhaustion and sleepwalked?
With a small blush, he frowned. How embarrassing… Even though no one seemed to notice the small boy right in the center of what appeared to be the town square. Maybe if he started by finding– The object that fell from his lap as he moved to stand made him jump as it clattered to cobblestone ground, attention darting to it instantly.
It was rather small and metallic, light in weight too as he bent forward to pick it up. He bit his lip in wonder as he examined it before looking around briefly to see who could have lost it, “Hey...” he asked aloud, “Does this belong to anyone?”
No answer. Few people turned their heads to the question as he waved the object, but no one claimed it. Waiting a few more minutes, it was soon confirmed by the silent way people eerily strode on with their private affairs that the object had been left to the realm of the forgotten.
He shrugged, bringing it to eye level for a quick peek; maybe the inside would clarify?
As it opened with an unlatched click, the sudden words etched onto the digital screen almost like a robotic message made him blink dumbly for a moment - but soon filled in a gap for many of his questions while at the same time created more than he knew how to find the answers for.
‘Welcome to the World of Paixao City, Sora.’
What…? And suddenly, it was like a brick to the face as he remembered just where he’d felt that same tugging darkness before – It hadn’t been a dream. It was sickly like the first time he’d found himself in Traverse Town, when his world was cruelly torn apart and swallowed by darkness.
Was this…? But he’d closed the doors! With Riku too! Had it…What?
Shit!
...Oh, right, mom told him not to swear!
Crap!
[OOC: GOD THIS CRAP TOOK ME FOREVER, BIGGEST BRAIN BLOCK EVAR, IGNORE THE HORRIBLENESS, I'LL EDIT TOMORROW. I'M JUST FRIKKEN SICK OF IT AND SHALL MAKE RIKUMUN WAIT NO MORE.]
Content: Sora finds himself in Paixao and reunites with someone unexpected as he struggles to make sense of everything.
Setting: At the center of Paixao near Cid's shop
Time: Friday morning
Warnings: Angst, Mild Fluffiness, More Angst
“Mgnn...” The boy groaned, confused with his waking. The sensations with consciousness were strange, cold rather, and invasive to sound with the small chatter suddenly all around. Voices, Sora’s brain dully noted, he didn’t recognize.
His body shivered as a drop of freezing wetness plopped itself on his cheek, stirring the brunette further as it slid down to his chin. A successful chain reaction as protective lashes reluctantly rose from sky blue orbs, fluttering to blink away blurriness while the process of slumber terminated.
A pause.
Then suddenly, he couldn’t help but gasp, eyes wide as they were met with horrifying demons and angels, even griffins and long clawed dragons towering over him on the.. Ceiling? The paintings mingled with make-belief clouds that somehow poured perfect rain and mild snow. ..Sky?
What the...
He blinked again for good measures, attempting to break away confusion of what he was seeing and piece together comprehensive information - that is until the scary dream slammed back into memory, the jolt of it almost what caused him to snap up into sitting.
He remembered now! There had been grass, lots of grass; he was with Donald and Goofy, and then next thing he knew, darkness. It had almost hurt, its familiar sickening pull of his body to it sucking him in, fighting and screaming useless as it became one with the mind for hollow sleep. What a nightmare!
Donald… Goofy...
Blue eyes darted around himself, “Guys?” He called weakly, but no one answered. The crowd around him seemed to walk on as if nothing was out of the ordinary, each their own lives to attend. Pale, he noticed, the people were pale, young and almost all radiating a sense of beauty – blond hair accenting glassy blue eyes that should have reflected the ocean - but the beauty was almost fake just like the sky. Something was lacking.
Something he knew all too well: Life, emotions. The faces were mute and monotone looking, expressions extinct.
Sora didn’t know whether that was the cause or the weather, but it gave his skin a chill. With skinny arms instinctively crossing over his chest to rub at cold exposed flesh for warmth, he began to wonder where he was – and more importantly, how he got here. He hadn’t known there was a town like this nearby... Had he passed out from exhaustion and sleepwalked?
With a small blush, he frowned. How embarrassing… Even though no one seemed to notice the small boy right in the center of what appeared to be the town square. Maybe if he started by finding– The object that fell from his lap as he moved to stand made him jump as it clattered to cobblestone ground, attention darting to it instantly.
It was rather small and metallic, light in weight too as he bent forward to pick it up. He bit his lip in wonder as he examined it before looking around briefly to see who could have lost it, “Hey...” he asked aloud, “Does this belong to anyone?”
No answer. Few people turned their heads to the question as he waved the object, but no one claimed it. Waiting a few more minutes, it was soon confirmed by the silent way people eerily strode on with their private affairs that the object had been left to the realm of the forgotten.
He shrugged, bringing it to eye level for a quick peek; maybe the inside would clarify?
As it opened with an unlatched click, the sudden words etched onto the digital screen almost like a robotic message made him blink dumbly for a moment - but soon filled in a gap for many of his questions while at the same time created more than he knew how to find the answers for.
‘Welcome to the World of Paixao City, Sora.’
What…? And suddenly, it was like a brick to the face as he remembered just where he’d felt that same tugging darkness before – It hadn’t been a dream. It was sickly like the first time he’d found himself in Traverse Town, when his world was cruelly torn apart and swallowed by darkness.
Was this…? But he’d closed the doors! With Riku too! Had it…What?
Shit!
...Oh, right, mom told him not to swear!
Crap!
[OOC: GOD THIS CRAP TOOK ME FOREVER, BIGGEST BRAIN BLOCK EVAR, IGNORE THE HORRIBLENESS, I'LL EDIT TOMORROW. I'M JUST FRIKKEN SICK OF IT AND SHALL MAKE RIKUMUN WAIT NO MORE.]
no subject
He couldn't go back. He couldn't look anyone in the face until he'd conquered the darkness within his own heart. Wasn't that what had started all of this?
Riku didn't like to think about it too much. That his weakness, that his stupidity and blind eagerness to be free of Destiny Islands had started this whole thing, been the last cog in the works that had nearly caused the end of the world. All of the worlds.
If he thought that way, he really would kill himself.
But committing suicide was quitting, and Riku was not a quitter. Even if he hated himself more than just about anything in the universe right now.
He stopped where he was in the street, wiping the salty snow from his face, which was starting to freeze on his cheeks. He walked into an alleyway, and saw the eaves of a nearby roof fell within easy reach. In spite of the snow and ice on the roof, Riku used his good arm to pull himself up, to get onto the roof with a little push and a flip, and climb up to where no one would think to look for him if they came after him.
But they weren't coming after him. He knew they weren't.
At the very top of the building, Riku sat down to think. Hating himself was fine, but he still needed to save Kairi. Maybe it was better that Sora hadn't responded to the messageboard. If Sora was here right now...Riku just didn't think he could face him. He was still torn up inside just from having dealt with that kid Roxas. If Sora looked at him like that...
Riku took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts aside. He needed a plan. Namine had said Kairi was in a hidden jungle underneath the city.
And Riku knew one sure way to get there. The thing he was less sure about was what using Ansem's powers would do to him...
no subject
After having pocketed the device in a panic, Sora began rushing forward down the street in a pack of nerves. He had sealed every world! Closed the doors.. What had gone wrong?!
Thinking almost irritated him in this confusion, desperately trying to ignore his clattering teeth. Crap it was cold!
What the heck was this place?! No sky, no animals, no real plants or trees - unless you counted the people, but they were so stiff and strange they might as well have been robots. The boy wasn't sure he wanted to figure it out by himself yet - it reminded him of a scary horror movie he'd seen once! He was going to find his friends first.
Ok.. So maybe he should have looked for some kind of store for a coat before leaving.. he was sort of regretting it now as he felt his legs begin to go numb, and his head hurt from probably all the snow mixed rain that accumulated in the thick brown strands.
In which, speaking of strands..
Sora squinted as something high up caught his attention. Silver, blowing in the chilly wind as gracefully as he always remembered it to - even envied, once. Was he...? Upon further inspection as the brunette approached the figure, it was confirmed that no, this was not an hallucination from dying of the cold!
His heart hammered as excitement suddenly lit his features in the form of a gigantic smile. Finally! I found you!
"RIKU!" He yelled to catch the other's attention - and as if it wasn't enough, he even flailed his arms like an infected turkey as he rushed directly under to where his friend stood, his frozen neck almost cracking in protest from his head looking up. He let out a laugh of honest happiness and relief.
"I knew I'd find you!"
no subject
"I knew I'd find you!"
He looked down to see the sun beaming up at him from the cold, damp street.
Riku blinked. It couldn't be.
...
It was! It was Sora! And he was...actually happy to see him!
Riku stood up suddenly, his heart lurching almost painfully in his chest. Did he really want to see Sora now?
Of course he did.
No way, he reminded himself. Be cool.
Slipping back into devil-may-care mode, Riku smirked down at the one person he'd been waiting to see.
"Took you long enough."
no subject
After all those years of promising to wipe it off his best friend's face when ever a challenge broke out, Sora never even thought the day would come when now more than ever, he would be glad to see it.
In fact, it made the smile split wider - if that was even possible - and grow rock solid against the bomb drop of Riku's response.
On normal occasions, however, anything condescending from the older boy would have moodily made Sora pout - but not now, there was enough joy to overlook the most cruelest of insults just from the wonderful sight before him. Riku was safe, alive, and well.
"I was looking all over for you!" He began, lips wavering a little from biting back another chill, "How long have you been-"
Realizing something with a blink, the brunette chose to tactfully maneuver around the question for a seemingly more urgent one;
"What are you doing up there?"
There was a few pressing seconds before he broke in a chuckle, the scene suddenly reminding him of a childhood memory,
"Being a ninja?"
no subject
"I was looking all over for you!"
...
Sora...had been looking for him? A hairline fracture appeared in the shell that held in Riku's pain. For a split second, it showed in his eyes, that potential for it to all come tumbling out of him, to be acknowledged and finally shared. But just as quickly, he slammed his barriers into place, damming the flood.
To his friend's question, Riku returned a derisive snort of amusement. "You're the ninja," he reminded Sora, walking confidently to the slope of the roof. "I'm the ogre."
Riku threw his good arm out and surfed down the snow and ice to the edge of the roof, where he dismounted with a single graceful flip and stuck the landing. Hah. A broken arm couldn't stop him.
He walked around the corner of the building to cast a cocky grin at his best friend. "Or did you forget?"
no subject
"I'm the ogre."
The younger boy wrinkled his nose with a snort. "I told you, you should have been a big white dragon or something," His eyes followed Riku, going on despite his tall figure disappearing out of sight for a moment, "Ogres are too ugly!"
And scary. But he wasn't going to admit they used to be one of his most feared monsters under the bed. Besides, he had the keyblade now! He'd defeated even uglier things!
The brunette turned to move to the front of the house, smile back tenfold instantly as his friend popped back into view.
"Or did you forget?"
He frowned. Perhaps Riku hadn't heard him then.
"No! Of course not. I said; I told you, you're too pretty to be an ogre!"
...
Okay, that came out weird despite it making sense in his head, but he brushed it aside. "You should have been the great white dragon. The ninja would have rode on his back after winning the battle."
A cheeky grin now found itself countering the cocky grin.
no subject
What the...?
Secretly, Riku felt complimented that Sora was praising his looks. But "pretty"?
"Watch it there, squirt," he said, sauntering over to his best friend and putting him in a loose headlock that also served as a manly-subtle hug of reunion. "I'm not a girl."
When Sora continued, saying what sort of monster he should have been named instead, Riku snorted again. "You wish. The ninja will never beat me."
It was so automatic, referring back to their old rivalry challenges. But as soon as the words were out of his mouth, they took on a different meaning. And Sora HAD already beaten him. Twice. Riku looked almost stricken to suddenly recall everything that had happened between them since leaving Destiny Islands. Fortunately, since he still had Sora in a headlock, the younger boy wasn't at a vantage from which he could have seen the expression on Riku's face.
Reluctantly, he let go of his friend, trying to change the subject. "Damn you're cold." Riku looked meaningfully at his friend's attire which was much better suited to a tropical climate. "Way to dress for the weather, genius. Here."
He peeled off his fleece poncho and stuck it unceremoniously over the younger boy's head. Riku still had two layers of shirts after all, and he could handle the cold.
no subject
We're still friends. It's all okay now.
"The nin-!" He was about to protest, but flying fabric obscured his vision upon release, sending the brunette into fight mode with it first before it's warmth invited him to wiggle in and poke his head out.
"Thanks." Sora mumbled, pouting, "I just got here! I didn't know-" Oh, right! "-Hey, What is this place?"
He chanced another look at the "sky" once he felt brave enough, its painted monsters of ablaze gold quite frankly freaking the younger boy out much more than the citizens did. Not even Halloween Town had been this bone chilling. Though everyone had been friendly, he supposed, but this place felt nothing close to welcoming. Sora's instinct told him so.
"I don't even know what's going on..."
no subject
Riku's expression grew serious as he remembered all the shit that was 'what's going on.' He'd completely forgotten in the last few minutes after finding his best friend again.
"I don't really know, either," Riku admitted. "I keep hearing that it's a city called Paixao, but. I'm not really sure."
He paused a moment, considering how to share the information he'd gotten from Ansem without betraying the source. "I think it might be some big freaky experiment. There are these people in black robes who don't have hearts...but they're not Hearltess. One of them kidnapped Kairi. I was looking for you so we could go rescue her."
Riku reached into his pocket for his journal so that he could show Sora their friend's entries after she'd gotten captured. It was awkward trying to flip the small device open and punch the right buttons using only one hand.
OH ANGST
Time stopped.
What..?
Eyes wide and face visibly falling, Sora's heart practically clenched as all trace of joy, relief and warm feeling were squeezed to death. Everything just broke. Extinct.
...
Maybe our journey meant nothing after all...
no subject
"Here," he said when he found it, holding his journal out so that they could both look at it together. "This jerk named Axel and the people in black robes, they--" He broke off when he looked over and saw the look on Sora's face.
"What's wrong?" Riku asked. It wasn't like his best friend to suddenly go emo. Damn, he'd even smiled right before stabbing himself with the Heartbreaker.
no subject
... Riku wouldn't lie.
Ignoring everything while still in thought, Sora's eyes darted to the screen of Riku's journal and read Kairi's message, along with her friend's and their strange conversation. The brunette was quiet for a moment, finishing up rather quickly with a knitted brow.
Axel huh..
Everything could suffocate and die within him, be ripped from him, even stolen and torn - but no matter what, he always still had one thing;
A Promise. A promise that he would never let crap get to him OR his friends! Ever! And that's what kept him going.
"So this Alex guy kidnapped Kairi?" Sora asked, looking up to Riku. The fire was back in the boy's blue eyes and so was a double dose of determination.
Oh no one Fucked with his friends, especially not Kairi. Sorry mom, but sometimes big boys needed to swear.
no subject
"Seems like it," he replied in answer to his friend's question. Riku flipped his journal shut and slipped it back into his pocket. "But there's more. These people he's part of...this organization...I met a girl who works for them...kind of. Like their slave. She says there's a jungle underneath the city where they're keeping Kairi. I'm not sure what they're up to, but I say we go rescue Kairi and then kick some ass."
Riku grinned a challenge at his childhood friend. "Bet I can kick more organization butt than you can."
no subject
"The jungle Kairi's friend was talking about in there?" That part of the conversation confused him greatly, the other girl apologizing to Kairi over and over made no sense. But his friend's sudden offer didn't need any of it to make sense, causing an instant grin to form on the brunette's face.
"Heck yea!"
Sora couldn't say no to some ass kicking right now, the thought of someone taking Kairi against her will absolutely infuriated him. He was going to get them! Especially that Axel guy!
"Bet I can kick more organization butt than you can."
Something about that next line made him bite his lip, regarding Riku in the eyes with a thoughtful pause before shaking his head.
"No. Last time, we only ended up fighting against one another. This time, we'll fight together, side by side." Sora nodded. "For Kairi."
His lips curled in a determined smile, hand fighting a few moments to get out from under the poncho to extend itself to Riku.
"Deal?"
no subject
Sora seemed ready to go when Riku's challenge backfired in the worst possible way. His best friend stopped smiling. He just. Stopped. And looked at him.
Riku knew exactly what he was thinking, too.
Things will never be the same. Never.
There was a reason he'd stayed on the other side of the door. It wasn't just because he had to in order to close it.
Riku was so tempted to just run away from that look. From Sora. From everything. If it could never be like it was, why bother? Their friendship was over. These last few minutes had just been...like running on autopilot or something.
When Sora spoke, it only made the feeling worse.
There were so many things Riku wanted to say in response to that summary of the events that had transpired between them since they'd left home. I was never fighting against you. And so many things he could have said about all the times he'd asked Sora to come with him, extended that hand, encouraged him to fight alongside him, and Sora had turned away. It was Sora who had challeneged him first. Who had raised the Keyblade against Riku when all he'd asked...
He couldn't think about that now. And, much as he wanted to, Riku couldn't run away, either. At least. Not yet.
"For Kairi."
Riku's nostrils flared, a reaction he could not help as it was a byproduct of his having suppressed a sneer. Yeah. For Kairi. It was always Kairi.
Some days, Riku wished he didn't love her so much. It would have been so much easier to just hate her.
And so it was a very subdued Riku who responded to Sora's offer. "Yeah." His voice came out soft, but not quite weak. He felt a little sick.
Maybe more than a little.
What else was he supposed to say?
"Let's go."
Riku led the way back to Cid's.
no subject
Sora frowned when his friend never seemed to acknowledge his hand, this strange awkwardness igniting feelings of worry. The response even lacked enthusiasm, stabbing a soft hurt in his chest.
Riku...
Even as the older boy turned to leave, the brunette just stood there, feeling as guilty as ever. What had he done? Why did Riku suddenly just...?
As the retreating back of his best friend became too unbearable to just keep watching in confused hurt, Sora finally gave himself a boost to start following.
Mutely, he vowed another promise.
No way am I going to lose sight of you again, Riku! I promise. I don't care if you hate me and want me dead, I won't let you go!
I...
I need you. I need both of you.
Sora remained silent the whole way.
no subject
"Oh yeah. The old man who owns this shop, he says he knows you."
His lips quirked in a small smile as Riku tried to find amusement in what he could.
"He called you a brat."
Seme'd.
Huh..?
But asked nothing as he followed Riku in.
Soon, he'd see for himself.