• day 6 •

[otherness]

[Roxas looks worse for wear. He's tired and exhausted if his face is anything to go by. His signature black coat is gone, leaving him in a dirty, bloodstained shirt and pants. All the fight in his eyes has gone. The blood is old, at least.]

Didn't think I could still come here. [His voice is quiet, almost disbelieving. He gets up, carefully feeling the air in front of him for hidden walls, and then he begins to walk. His steps are slow, careful, and tender.

He stops in front of the movie theater and doesn't move for a long time, just looking at the sign.]

Comments

[spiritofadventure]

[Castor is pretty good at remembering faces, if not names, but even she has to stop and stare for a minute at the state this kid is in - she doesn't even recognize him at first.]

Hey...You're not doin' so well, are you?

[otherness]

[He's a little surprised to see her. He thinks it's been an eternity since the last time he was here.]

Oh... hey.

[He tries to smile, but it's a little weak.]

I'm okay. Just a little worn out.

[spiritofadventure]

That's an understatement if I've ever heard one. You look about ready to drop.

[otherness]

Well, I haven't really gotten out in a while.

[He sits down, not wanting to worry her any more than he already has.]

I'm tired, but I think... I'm just tired of fighting more than anything else.

[spiritofadventure]

[She folds herself down beside him.]

Hey, if you need to talk about it, I'm here, alright?

[There's a beat, and her nose wrinkles up a bit]

But I think we should start with getting you a change of clothes.

[otherness]

You probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you. [He looks a little embarrassed at her comment, and adds:] Sorry. I don't really... have anything else.

[spiritofadventure]

It's up to you. You could make the whole thing up and I'd be none the wiser, if you wanted to.

Yeah I...kinda figured. Do you want me to see if I can find you something?

[otherness]

... I wouldn't do that.

[He tugs at his ruined shirt.]

You've already done so much for me, and all I did was make things worse. You sure you still want to help?

[spiritofadventure]

Hey now, there's nothing wrong with telling a good story, and the best ones are based in truth.

People screw up, it's part of life. Doesn't mean I think any less of you for doing it. [So yes. She does.]

[darkercalling]

[Riku has been more than frustrated with the situation. And what better way to deal with it than to come to the Plane and angst about it, right? ... Don't answer that.

He isn't expecting to see Roxas, actually - even though it makes perfect sense, seeing as while he's here, he's not... stuck. ... Maybe it's time to clear the air a bit. He starts toward the blond.]

I guess sometimes, this place really is better.

[otherness]

[Roxas is surprised to see Riku. There's no reason for Riku to continue caring about his well-being. Sora is off and well, and DiZ tossed Roxas away like he's nothing. And maybe, well, that's what he is.

Roxas is too defeated to fight, or even argue. He doesn't smile though. He's just confused.]

I thought I wanted freedom. But now... I don't know what I want.

[A delicate pause.]

Aren't you with Sora?

[darkercalling]

[That's the thing - Riku does care. He may be a Soulless and, well, Nobody - but he's not nothing. There's a difference. And the fact that DiZ can't seem to see that is just part of what makes him twitch.

Riku isn't here to fight, anyway. There's no hostility in his demeanor, only a little bit of caution that comes from speaking up to someone who has every damn reason to hate you just for who you are and what you've done up until now.]

I think I understand what you mean.

[And at Roxas's question, Riku's expression darkens, just a little, purely out of guilt.]

No. ... I can't.

[otherness]

[He peeks at Riku curiously, not expecting him to understand. But he lets it go, for now.]

What? But... you woke him up so you could be together again, right?

[A rather simplistic view of things, but... that's really all Roxas can see, considering his position.]

He's... your friend.

[Something Roxas doesn't have anymore.]

[darkercalling]

Yeah. That's part of it.

I woke him up because he's my friend. And I'd like to be together again. But it's not that simple right now.

[It's because Sora is his friend that he feels like he should stay away. He doesn't exactly deserve to be around right now.]

[otherness]

[Roxas still doesn't understand.]

What do you mean, it's not that simple? Even when things got really complicated with Axel and Xion, they still—

[He cuts himself off. Does he have any right to call Xion his friend now? He looks down at his feet instead. He takes in a small, quiet breath and murmurs the following:]

You should be with him. He worries about you a lot.

[Roxas should know-- they have a bond no one else can understand.]

[darkercalling]

[Meanwhile, Riku doesn't expect anyone to understand. So he doesn't even bother arguing, especially when Roxas stops himself short anyway. He does frown at that, curious as to what could be going on in his head.

Then he goes and says that, and it feels as though something in Riku's core drops.

He hangs his head for a second, pointedly glances off to the side.]

Yeah. ... He shouldn't.

[otherness]

That's what friends do. They worry, even when you don't want them to.

[He pulls his knees to his chest.]

You aren't going to drag me back?

[desertdaggers]

[Roxas might not be wearing the coat, but he's still fairly recognisable. Hawk watches him for a few moments before approaching, hands behind him.]

More trouble found you, huh?

[otherness]

[Roxas blinks once, twice, almost not recognizing him.]

Hawk? It feels like it's been forever.

[He runs a hand through his hair.]

It was... inevitable. I guess.

[desertdaggers]

You don't look old enough for it to have been forever.

[he's maybe being a little facetious, but things are just feeling too serious. He doesn't like that.]

Inevitable? Why… what makes you say that?

[He doesn't hold with life being guided almost completely by fate, whatever the fortune tellers may say.]

[otherness]

[Roxas appreciates the humor. It makes him smile a little-- strained but mostly tired.

He slowly lets himself down against the outside wall of the theater.]

I thought I could run from something, but in the end-- I had to face it.

[desertdaggers]

[that's something, at least!

He goes to sit beside Roxas, face turned towards him.]

Mm… some things are like that. Does this mean… it's over with now, though?

[otherness]

Yeah. Now, things will start to get better. [A pause.] For everyone else, anyway.

I don't really know what's gonna happen to me. I think--

I think this might be my punishment.

[desertdaggers]

That's something. [but…]

Your punishment? Why? What happened, anyway?

[otherness]

[Roxas keeps his eyes down.]

Because I had to kill one of my best friends. And the other-- he didn't want me to leave.

[They'd talked about it briefly before, so Roxas is okay with just coming out and saying it.]

No matter how I look at it, there's no way I could save anything. There's no way I could change anything. I'm probably... going to die here, all locked up. The scary thing is... I think I'm okay with that.