paixaorpg | True Colours [Active]

Entry tags:

True Colours [Active]

Character(s): Naminé, Marluxia, and Timon
Content: Some unwelcome company arrives at the park.
Setting: Jogo de Crianca
Time: Afternoonish
Warnings: I'm lookin' at you, Marluxia

“Look, kid. Don’t think too much of it but I, uh, got you something.” The meerkat look away from Naminé for a moment, as though embarrassed, before holding up the decoratively wrapped box he had been trying to hide behind his back. “Go on. Open it.”

He had not been much better at hiding the gift during their walk to the park that afternoon, having made Naminé originally carry it in a small bag. The content of the oddly shaped gift had been heard rattling inside the bag throughout much of the journey, Timon having coughed or simply spoken louder to drain the sound. Still, the girl may have had an idea of what it had been, especially if she had caught sight of the sketchbook also in the bag when the redhead had pulled it out. By chance he had stumbled upon a set of pencil crayons while out with Vyers one day, having noted the large variety of colours in comparison to Naminé’s. He wasn’t sure why he decided to purchase them for her, mostly because he couldn’t figure out what sounded best, but the thought had certainly been there. There was no denying that Naminé hadn’t given his heart a run for its money. She had run off more than once and given him more scares than he could have predicted. But, even so, all that worry he had felt over her... He hadn’t exactly predicted that either.

“I noticed you were a little short on colours.” He spoke up once she had unwrapped the gift. “Now you got ‘em all. You shouldn’t have any trouble drawing me in my full perfection now.”

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Naminé had been curious, yes, but she'd figured whatever it was wasn't for her, so she hadn't tried to look too hard. People just didn't do things like this for her, so she hadn't come to expect anything like this from anyone. She was just worried Timon was going to yell at her at some point, but the longer they walked, the farther that fear got from the front of her mind.

Eventually, they stopped and he offered her the box. She was a little startled to realize it was for her and she took it with wonder written all over her face. Her first real gift. Was this what having friends was like? Did they do these things for each other?

It took her a few minutes to unwrap the box and she gasped once she had. Colored pencils, more colors than she'd ever imagined would be here. "Thank you, Timon."

Remembering how Kairi had hugged her and that it was supposed to be such a good thing to show appreciation, Naminé knelt down and wrapped her arms gently around his body.

"Thank you."

She'd be sure to draw every day now, to get the most out of these colors.

Timon had expected thanks from the girl but the last thing he thought he’d ever receive was a hug. He stood in her embrace, eyes wide in realization when it occurred to him what had happened. And, once it had, he did his best to hug her in return. Placing his arms over her shoulder the meerkat nuzzled his head against her. For all the times she’d made him mad, she was still a good kid. A smile spread itself across his features as they held their embrace for another moment before Timon finally pulled away and cleared his throat.

“Gee, kid. Didn’t think you’d like it that much.” He scratched the back of his head and chuckled. “You’re, ah, welcome.” Looking back to the bag, he walked over and opened it further to reveal the sketchbook he had brought along. “I figured you’d want to test ‘em out right away so I thought I’d bring this along too.” He said, dragging the book slowly out of the bag for her. They had all afternoon to themselves, sitting and watching Naminé colour for a bit was alright by him, especially when it was something she enjoyed to do.

Naminé was starting to learn from Kairi and Sora. It seemed this had been the best reaction she could have given. Timon's return hug made her feelings swell... or whatever she had inside. If she'd had a heart, she would have sworn it was aching with happiness.

"It's wonderful," she breathed as she pulled back. The sketchbook was met with another smile of wonder. No one had ever done something like this for her before and it meant so much to her. She opened the sketchbook up, gently trailing her fingers across the pages before something occurred to her.

"Timon... do you want to draw with me?"

The meerkat looked at Naminé in surprise yet again. Draw, him? He had never drawn with pencil crayons before, only berry juices back home. If anything, he was more of a finger paint sort of guy, the reasons obvious. However, that did not mean he wasn’t willing to try the new medium. If it made Naminé happy it was worth a try. Timon shrugged at the idea, a smile still across his face. “Sure, why not? Though, I gotta warn you. I’m pretty good.”

He dragged the bag over to a near bench and gestured for the girl to join him. Though it seemed fine to them, standing in the middle of the sidewalk probably wasn’t the best idea. Besides, sitting down would allow Naminé to rest her likely tired feet.

Naminé just smiled at Timon and sat next to him, holding out one of the pencils for him as she pulled the sketchbook into her lap. Timon could draw as much or as little as he wanted. Naminé would just be happy to have gotten the opportunity to draw with him at all... to spend time with him like this. It was nice.

"Then I could learn some things from you," she answered with a smile as she settled back. "I just thought it would be fun."

“A master never gives away his tricks.” He told her as he accepted the pencil from her hand. “Or maybe that’s a magician. Either way, I don’t go giving away my secrets that easily, young lady.” The meerkat stepped onto the sketchbook and testingly pressed the coloured pencil against the page to make a mark before he continued. “In your case I might be willing to make an exception, though.” He looked up Naminé from his small wobbly drawn circle, confident as ever. “Just no telling everyone the secrets of the trade should I let anything slip.” Timon said with a winked and offered her pencil back. He’d need a new colour.

“Let me know if I’m in your way.” He added, having fully expected her to start drawing too. Maybe they could even make something together.

Naminé's smile widened a little and she nodded. "I won't tell anyone. I promise."

And she wouldn't. But if he didn't want to say, she wouldn't push him. She just wanted to draw... and enjoy the time they had. Somehow, Timon had become special to her. Like a friend.

She took the pencil and blinked. He expected her to draw, too? Well... maybe it could work.

"Okay," she answered, turning a little so she could start in on one of her famous black blobs from the last picture. "You're not in my way."

And if she was in his way, she expected him to tell her.

Timon recognized the black blob immediately – sort of. “Drawing a grub too, huh?” That had been what they had agreed on calling the blobs, hadn’t it? The meerkat carefully removed another pencil from the box and began to work on filling in the wings he had drawn to his insect. Naturally, the first thing he drew had to be food.

“If you’re as hungry as I am, we can pick something up on the way home. It’d save us both from Flonne and Vyers’ cooking. Unless it’s Gwen’s turn tonight, then it’d actually be worth eating.” Timon slipped the color he had been using back into the box and grabbed another. “You ever think about trying to cook, kid? I mean, other than with the waffle iron or…” He paused and shuddered at the thought. “the toaster.” When they had it, at least.

Well, a grub was certainly better than what it really was. Naminé nodded, shading the blob in before she answered. "Okay." Gwen did cook very well. She didn't mind eating her food.

The question about learning to cook brought her head up and she frowned. "Me? Cook?" She'd never really thought about it. Cooking wasn't ever something she'd had to do. Someone else had always done it or she'd gone to get it here. But that was all. "I guess... I could. But... I don't know how."

“Neither does Vyers but that’s never stopped him.” The meerkat shrugged in response. “I mean, you couldn’t be as bad as Flonne. No one could be as bad as Flonne.” Timon shuddered at the thought of the angles cooking. It looked edible but in reality was quite the opposite. “You should ask Gwen. Er, if you’re interested. She could probably show you a thing or two. I’d teach you myself but cooking ain’t exactly a meerkats strong point.” Being loud and obnoxious on the other hand…

He tapped his chin thoughtfully with the coloured pencil he was holding. “Why do you always make the bugs black?”

The quip about Vyers made Naminé smile as she colored in another "grub." He had a point. Vyers wasn't the best cook, but his food wasn't entirely inedible. "I guess so. I never really... thought about it."

Cooking might be nice, though. It would be one more thing to show Kairi anyway.

"Hm?" The bugs, right. "Oh... because that's what these are." These 'bugs' wore black coats all the time. And were mean. And scary. It was just easier to pretend they were bugs and not Organization members.

Admittedly, Timon didn’t know what the girl meant when she explained the bugs dark colour. Perhaps that those specific bugs were only black? He didn’t know, nor did he know what kind of bug it was. Timon’s own drawing evolved into a series of crooked lines as his eyes wandered to Naminé’s side of the page. He tried to decipher her drawing, or at least the bugs she always drew. What was it that made this black species so popular with her?

Oblivious to Timon's thoughts, Naminé continued drawing. She glanced over to his every so often, smiling gently at him. "This is fun, Timon," she admitted. Maybe they should do it again sometime.

The next piece of her drawing involved small, pink flower petals on and around one of the 'bugs.' Naminé's mind was on him in particular, oddly enough since she'd only actually seen Xemnas here.

“What?” Interrupted from his train of thought, he looked up from the girls drawing and stared at her. “Oh! Oh, yeah, me too, kid.” It wasn’t a lie. Timon took as much enjoyment in lecturing Naminé as she did listening to such lectures. These, however, were the times he enjoyed, even with the lingering thought of the Organization in the back of his mind. He smiled in return to the girl and returned to his own drawing. Maybe it would shape up to be a good day after all.

Maybe it would be. But it was unlikely, except, perhaps, for one.

Darkened petals disappeared into faded wisps in the air as the portal closed behind Marluxia, his lips curved into a small smile has he regarded the girl and meerkat seated next to one another. "Out enjoying the day, are we?" he asked as he began to cross the distance to the bench.

"It's been awhile... Namine."

Naminé smiled a little more at Timon's words. He could be harsh at times, but sometimes she did think he really cared about her. It was a nice feeling.

A nice feeling that was quickly blasted apart by the sound of a new voice. Naminé knew it quite well. Her head shot up and she broke the point of the pencil she was using. No... why was he after her now? What did Marluxia want?

She clung to the sketchbook in her lap, afraid of what he might do to her... or to Timon. She couldn't say anything; she just watched Marluxia in fear.

“Marluxia.” Timon practically spat the name, teeth bared at the figure as made it’s approach. He had feared this day, when they would finally find her, when they would take her away. Marluxia may have grown to be independent from the Organization, but it was of no difference to him. The meerkat growled and jumped down from the bench to stand between the two. It would be of little use, but regardless he tried to use his body shield the girl protectively.

“Yeah? Well it’s about to be even longer.” He replied, now clutching the white pencil he had been using as a weapon. “Get lost you carnie!”

Edited 2011-10-21 04:31 (UTC)

Marluxia only spared a passing glance at Timon, an eyebrow raising a fraction at the makeshift "weapon" in the meerkat's paws. If this was the best knight the witch could come up with, Marluxia couldn't help but be a little disappointed. But it was all the better to speak with her now, in the end. "Not even a hello?" he asked, shaking his head as he came to a stop in front of her.

"I have been looking for you for a long time. Have you been enjoying your time away?" he asked, tone casual. "What have you been up to, I wonder?"

The fact that Timon was willing to stand up to Marluxia to protect her would have made Naminé smile had the situation not suddenly been so frightening. She slid to the other side of the bench and stood up, clutching her sketchbook to her chest.

"What do you want?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper. She had a feeling she knew what he wanted and she didn't want to give it to him. She wouldn't hurt Sora again.

It didn’t matter what he wanted, Marluxia wouldn’t get it as far as Timon was concerned. He growled louder as the distance between them began to close and pulled himself up to his full height in an attempt to make himself look taller. It would amount to little, Marluxia sure to ignore him as simply as he had before, but Timon could think of little else to do. Even with the pencil in hand, he knew not how to use it against the Nobody other than point it at him. Shakily, point it at him.

“Didn’t you hear me the first time?” he shouted, louder than the last. “I said get lost!” Coming from him, it may not have not have amounted to much, but it was intended as a warning. If he so much as laid a hand on her...

Marluxia glanced back down at Timon again, toying with the idea of ripping the meerkat's makeshift "weapon" from his paws. Not that the pencil would do much to him--if it would do anything at all--but Timon's brandishing of it in his direction was almost too pitiful to bear.

"To sit and talk awhile," he said, turning his attention to Naminé once more. His tone was still pleasant, but there was a sense that there was no argument to be had. "I assume you have some free time now, if you can spend it drawing."

Naminé glanced from Marluxia to Timon and back. Marluxia was here for her. She didn't want Timon getting hurt because of her. She'd already hurt enough important people. Timon didn't need to get added to that list.

"Talk about what?" she asked warily, leaning down towards Timon. She wanted to pick him up, hold him close to her and protect him, but only if he'd let her. Timon was more important than her sketchbook and pencils.

“It doesn’t matter.” He interrupted, beginning to feel as though he had been repeating himself. “We’re not talking about anything because we’re leaving.” Gesturing for the girl to stand up, he narrowed his eyes at Marluxia, never once looking away from the Nobody. “Come on, Naminé, let’s go. Maybe we’ll pencil you in sometime next week but I wouldn’t count on it, carnie.”

Timon would go on to allow Naminé to pick him up, so long as she did not try to turn him away from Marluxia, in which case she would be faced with struggle. He wouldn’t turn his back on the Nobody.

"Your place in this castle of memories. Or did you forget?" Marluxia stared down at Naminé with half-lidded eyes, and while it didn't seem as though he even registered Timon's presence anymore, he was sure to target his words to both members of his present company.

"Have you forgotten just how valuable you are? Or have you decided to take a more active role in finding your knight in shining armor?" Marluxia leaned forward a little, just out of Timon's reach, and smiled. "I've come to ask you a simple but important question: has my witch been led astray?"

Naminé wanted to stand, mostly because she felt cornered while she was sitting down. But she didn't know what she should do. So she looked down and to the side, away from Marluxia and Timon. She knew what Marluxia wanted from her and knew she didn't want to obey if it meant hurting Sora or anyone else...

She also knew that she didn't really have a choice.

So she shook her head, still not looking at either of her companions. "No. I haven't forgotten."

Timon grew quiet. When he had originally intended to shout at Naminé, demand that she rise to her feet and run, he found himself at a loss for words. What had Marluxia just called her, ‘his’? Like, she actually belonged to him? Not to mention the use of ‘witch’. Did she always let them, the Organization, call her such nasty names? What was even going on? If this was Marluxia’s way of trying to convince the girl to go with him he really had to work on his approach.

His grip tightened around the pencil still in his hold, waiting for Marluxia to lean just a little closer.

No answer? Marluxia's head cocked to the side slightly and his smile fell into a frown once again. Her silence on the matter was as good as a confirmation. "Then you know your role. Now who is it who has taken your strings?" He narrowed his eyes, examining her closely. Her unwillingness to say anything made him wonder, and surely Xemnas wouldn't leave Naminé to her own devices for long. If he already had her in his grasp...

"Or do you believe you cut them yourself? I can assure you, you have not." A pause. "Your talent will earn you attention from all sides, and if you haven't already noticed, there is a conflict brewing. What side will you pick, I wonder? That of the man who would hold the heart of all worlds in his hand? Or the one who would depose him?" It was a question to them both.

"No one!" Naminé's head snapped upwards at that and she glared at Marluxia. Subconsciously, her hands tightened a little bit on Timon's frame, not enough to hurt him, but enough that he would feel her tension.

She knew her words were a blatant lie. Xemnas had already come to see her and he'd told her her role. She knew what he wanted from her and she hated that she still wasn't strong enough to disobey him. She wanted to... but she was afraid that he would be able to hurt Sora... or any of her other friends since they were all prisoners of the castle. Until they could escape, she didn't want to risk that.

"I'm not-"

But there were people on the other side who liked her for who she was, not what she could do, didn't they? But she couldn't say... so she lowered her head again and squeezed her eyes shut. Either way, she was still a puppet.

Hesitantly, Timon looked away from Marluxia and up at Naminé. Was this what Marluxia had come for, not to take Naminé but convince her she was already his? He reached to touch the girls face and remind her that he was still there. She was not alone and Marluxia had no sway over her.

"You're not...?" Marluxia echoed, looking her right in the eye. Wherever this defiance of hers had come from--Sora, he assumed from the Riku replica's memories--he didn't like it. It didn't suit her. "Think hard, Naminé," he said, voice cold and low. "Or maybe you need time to discuss your abilities with the people around you."

His eyebrows rose. "Or have you told them what you can do?" Again Marluxia's lips curled into a smile, and this time he faced Timon. "Tell me. Do you know Sora?"

Naminé's head snapped back up as Marluxia spoke again, now addressing Timon. "No!" She'd never told anyone about what she could do. Sora had forgiven her before she'd made him forget and Riku... But no, no one else... She'd been too afraid they would hunt her, hurt her... even hate her for what she was, what she could do... what she had done in the past. But none of that seemed to matter now.

Her head ducked down again in defeat, eyes squeezing shut against the tears she could feel. Why did this hurt so much?

Fear, probably. Fear of the Organization, beings much more powerful than she would ever be.

The way he mentioned her abilities, it was as though she had tried to hide them. She hadn’t been hiding anything… Had she? Timon continued to look up at Naminé in question. Not once had she, nor any of the others, said anything about what she had been capable of. All Timon had asked was that she not read his memories and she had kept that promise. What else could there have been?

Noting how increasingly upset the girl had gotten, he looked away from her and to Marluxia. Just what did this guy get out of making little girls cry? Or at least come close. “I ain’t gotta tell you nothin’!” he snapped. “Why, I outta give you one right in the… Is this what you came for, just to upset the kid?"

It was amusing, really, seeing the meerkat try to act so brave. Whatever anger Timon had toward Marluxia was obviously clouding his judgment. "I only came to remind her of what's at stake. She may enjoy being with her friends now, but those moments won't last forever. You can try to hide from the truth as long as you like, but I would rather not be there to fall into whatever grave you dig."

Naminé knew well enough what was at stake. It was one of the reasons she wasn't saying anything else. What else could she say? She had nothing else to do with them, nothing else... If they thought she would hurt Sora again, they were wrong. She would rather be unmade, die herself, than do to him again what she had done before.

But at that particular moment, she couldn't give words to her feelings. She was cornered and nothing could undo the damage Marluxia's words had already done.

The only thing preventing Timon from attacking Marluxia was Naminé. Were he not in her arms he’d have long since lashed out. He began shift in her hold, tempted to escape and wipe that arrogant smile of the Nobodies face. The nerve of him to show up and talk to them in such a manner... The only grave being dug was his own and it was only a matter of time before he finally fell in. Marluxia would get what was coming to him.

“You were leaving.” It wasn’t a request.

"So you choose to let your eyes remain shut..." It was disappointing, but not unexpected. His efforts seemed to always fall apart lately. His time in the Organization was proving to be more of a hindrance than he thought.

"If you believe you can defeat Xemnas alone, I won't stop you," he said, and turned to walk away.

The quip about defeating Xemnas made Naminé's head shoot up, but she wasn't stupid enough to say anything to him. He wouldn't tell her anything useful anyway. He'd just keep going about her powers and the less she heard of or spoke about them, the better.

Part of her wanted to call out, to ask him, but she didn't dare. So she remained silent again. If Timon asked her about her power later... she would tell him. She would be honest. Maybe it would be better if he knew. Then he could cast her out and never have to worry about what she would or wouldn't be ordered to do.

Timon continued to glare at Marluxia’s back, silently waiting for the Nobody to finally disappear. He had long overstayed his welcome – not that he had really had much of a welcome in the first place. If only he could do them the favour of disappearing from their lives too.

It was not until his scent was gone completely did Timon breathe a sigh of relief and finally deflate in Naminé’s arms. Notably relaxed once again, he looked up at the girl. Marluxia’s visit had raised a lot of questions but only one was important to Timon. “Are you okay, kid?”

Naminé could only nod at Timon's question, releasing him from her grasp if he wanted to leap down and do something else now that Marluxia was out of the picture. She was trying to say that she was okay, but it was clear from the way that her head was bowed still and the slight shaking of her shoulders that she was far from okay. Marluxia represented something she couldn't escape from, a destiny that had been chosen for her that she wanted no part of.

“Kid…?”

Timon had seen her nod in assurance but could not help but feel doubt. Absolutely nothing about her state backed up her response. He held his gaze on Naminé, his concern just as evident as the girl’s discomfort. How he longed to assure her things would be alright, that he would keep her safe, but the meerkat simply had not the means to do so. Timon hadn’t the strength to keep himself safe, much less those he cared about. For someone who spoke so highly of himself, he could not have felt more useless.

Still resting in Naminé’s arms, the meerkat gently patted the girls arm in reassurance. A much needed smile was shared with the Nobody. “Let’s pack up and go home.”

Naminé snapped out of her thoughts at the pat on her arm. She tried to smile, but it didn't quite work. Still, Timon's subject change was welcome and she nodded, reaching over to start picking everything up.

"Yeah. Home."

What little could be considered a home for her. Naminé didn't know if she even really had one. Not with the way the Organization kept reminding her that she had nowhere to go that was safe from them.

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True Colours [Active]

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