A constellation of tears on your lashes

[skyofreverie]

Who: Sora [AU3], his cat and you!
Where: Pretty much anywhere
When: April 7th
Summary: There's a new arrival and he looks like a Sora


[Okay, he is not afraid to fully admit that he is completely and utterly lost. This place is huge for an F3 without any sign of the creepy fog that hangs out at the edges of the area that spit people back out and leave them feeling sick. His Faciliberry doesn't seem to be working either which must be the reason he's been given this other weird thing.]

[So if he can't call anyone then Sora figured he'd just have to find his friends. Which is exactly what he's been trying to do for well over an hour with absolutely no success as of yet. They have to be around here somewhere and he's determined to find them before night ends. Who knows what Val has in store for them this time around. Probably something terrible and there was always the chance that there would be monsters lurking around.]

[Anyone who sees him from afar may notice some differences from the Sora they know. First off, this one seems to be wearing an over-sized coat that looks a lot like Leon's over his own normal clothes. Also there's something orange that seems to be wiggling around in his hood. Watch long enough and a matching tail will pop up.]

[Up close even more changes are noticeable - his pale skin, thin features and most importantly, a black collar encircling his neck. And of course, it'd be hard to miss the scars along both of his arms -- one long and jagged, with the other covering a large area. Strangers might be drawn away from all that thanks to the protesting mewls coming from Sora's hood. Taking a peek inside will give someone a good view of an orange tabby cat with a purple ribbon around their neck. Don't get too close or the cat might bite though.]

[Those who aren't brave enough to get that close may hear Sora talking. To the cat. Well, more like responding to the cat as if he can understand what she says.]

Five more minutes?

[Protesting meows.]

I know you're hungry but we have to find them.

[An unhappy howl.]

Okay, okay. Let's go see if we can find something.

[After his conversation with the cat Sora turns to the nearest person, not quite looking up at them and keeping his distance seeing as how the people in F3s are generally the violent sort.]

Excuse me. Can you point the way to the nearest pet shop?

Comments

[dreamprotector]

[Riku is on his way back home from a tutoring lesson, mind lingering on his student and the material he would have to look up for next time, on his own studies, the homework he'd have to take care of tonight for the new week as well as dinner, because wow he is starving.

Distracted as he is, he is actually a bit startled to hear Sora speaking up to him - not that he'd ever admit it - so much, that he doesn't quite catch the differences to the other Sora, at least not before he notices the cat in his hood that is clearly not Star.

Given the collection of pets they are starting to gather in the Land of Departure, nobody really can blame him for the first thing that tumbles over his lips.]

What, you picked out another?

[Then he takes a closer look at the Sora before him though, and well... now that he's looking the differences are rather striking.]

...Oh.

[Well. That's awkward.]

[skyofreverie]

[Sora is seriously contemplating scaling a nearby tall building to get a better look when a familiar voice is answering back with a question. It has him spinning around to find the source and actually casting his gaze upwards.]

Ri-! [The excitement, the smile that formed in that moment melts away a bit. This is not his Riku. His hair is shorter, he still has both his arms and most importantly, there isn't a collar around his neck. That was the clear sign of not being the Riku from the Facility.]

[And it hurts. Two years of memories that don't exist -- can't exist, not for this Riku. The real Riku. He tries to not let it show but this is Sora's best friend. It's hard to hide the pain lingering in his eyes even as he smiles again and Riku will surely notice the hesitation, the way he draws back and the way he's clearly attempting to put the focus on the taller boy.]

Do I get to call you Master Riku now?

[dreamprotector]

[It's hard for Riku not to notice all of it - he is quite practiced in reading Sora(s) after all. It's also hard not to feel just a little bit hurt upon realizing that he is not the Riku this Sora is expecting to see. It's really mostly a reflex feeling, and he's annoyed with himself a second later - it's not like he doesn't long to see his Sora... the one that left for Traverse Town by himself... or better yet, the one that remembered Promenade.

Still. Sora is Sora, regardless of what experiences they may or may not have in common and so he gets a flash of a sheepish smile at that question, because the whole Master-deal is still something that Riku isn't exactly comfortable with. Or at least comfortable enough to bring it up anyways. Or be called by the title. Or so.]

Only if you are in trouble with me.

[Otherwise he prefers to stay just "Riku", thank you very much.

The smile is swallowed by a frown as Riku's eyes come to linger on the scars and the collar again and well... given what Kairi has told them it's hard not to jump to conclusion.]

...You are from the same place as Kairi, aren't you?

[skyofreverie]

[No matter what, Sora's always been the type to wear his emotions on his face. It's the same for the clone as well. Just standing here, trying to pretend that there's nothing wrong is painful. He's constantly reminding himself that this is okay because his Riku could be coming. The two of them can be friends.]

[Riku is Riku. His best friend. Or at least that's what his memories and heart tells him. There's no stopping the cheeky grin at Riku's sheepish smile.]

Then that'll be a lot.

[Because Sora knows he can be a bit of a handful sometimes. Rushing off into a fight with no back-up. It's only gotten worse for him.]

[But then the conversation is switched around again and he can't help but lift a hand to touch the collar he generally forgets his has.]

Yeah, I was there for a while. [He tries to make it sound casual but there's a weight to those last two words.]

[dreamprotector]

[Riku feels similar tense, though he does a much better job in hiding it (except for that flicker in his eyes), but the tension disappears the moment Sora grins at him, and somehow it feels like something just clicked into place; something that will make them Sora and Riku, best friends always, regardless of everything else.

He replies it with a playful raise of his eyebrow.]

Making plans for that already?

[You better not worry him too much, or he'll, he'll... Well, he'll think of something. Some very effective and embarrassing punishment. Bet on it! B|

But well... here goes the humor again.]

...Do I even want to know how long that 'while' was?

[He won't pry any further than Sora will allow; not with all that Kairi has told them, has hinted at - but that question, he can't quite bite back.]

[skyofreverie]

[They may not be the one the other expected or even wanted but he's sure that they can still be them. Somewhere in them it will always be Sora and Riku and that's something he's grateful for.]

[He laughs then, rubbing the back of his head.]

No but you can be sure I will be soon.

[Bring it, Riku. He will take any punishment you can dish out.]

[It says something that Sora has to take a moment to think about that question. Not because he's completely against answering it (he's sure Riku will be concerned) but because it takes a moment to add up all the time.]

Three years...maybe three and a half. Sometimes I'd think I'd "gone home" for a while.

[Though it wasn't really that he went home, just that he got new memories.]

[dreamprotector]

Make plans for trouble or be in trouble?

[He is not sure which of those he prefers.

His stomach curls in dread as he watch Sora think - he is not going to like what he's about to hear, is he? No, he doesn't like it; not at all.

There is nothing to reply to this, nothing that could make this well - no 'I'm sorry' could change anything. So instead he just shifts in invitation - he is not going to initiate anything, but if Sora wants a hug...]

Well, this place isn't home, but it isn't all bad either. Definitely better than that facility, from all I've heard.

[skyofreverie]

Both, definitely both.

[Though he never planned to be in bad trouble - that just happens. Unless he's willingly going into a fight without telling people.]

[Ah that...]

[There is no denying what Riku was subtly offering in that shift and there's a part of him that wants to. Another part is screaming - already hurting at the fact that it won't be the same Riku. This one isn't as tall, has shorter hair, lacking that metal arm and all the scars caused by the Facility. It will never be the same - never - because the Riku he knew and loved is gone. Dead. Burned in the incinerator and his ashes spread across the biodome as fertilizer.]

[And he opens his mouth to say something but words get caught in his throat as tears threaten to form. Nothing. He can't say anything without letting the entire dam burst. So his mouth snaps shut.]

[Then Sora shuffles forward until his forehead connects with Riku's chest and he leans into him, arms limp at his sides. Home. Home was where the people he loved lived - Kairi, Naminé, Riku, Roxas, Axelea, Xion, Mera and a whole entire list more. Most of them now gone and he couldn't let himself be weak - not in front of the ones who were here. Except he could never keep up the facade with Riku, any Riku. This one was no different. Riku could see through anything Sora tried to hide - though he might respect it and not push.]

[Another step and his entire face is buried, his hands coming up to grip at Riku's shirt tightly but he doesn't cry. He doesn't want Riku to see how broken he is right now. When he does manage to speak it comes out muffled.]

I want to go back. I need to. There are still people trapped there.

[dreamprotector]

[...Sora, plz. Have a sigh and a semi-amused head shake.]

At last give me heads-up on either when you can.

[So he can pull you out of it early enough. Because really Kairi was right about what she said in the Castle That Never Was: Sora is hopeless without either of them.

He doesn't say anything when Sora takes up his invitation, dropping one arm on his shoulder, the other hand reaching up to settle on top of Sora's head, ruffling his hair a little. It's okay, he's here. He's not going anywhere. And he is definitely not going to leave Sora to deal with this alone, even if he isn't this Sora's Riku.

And he can't help but smile at those words.]

Just how did I know that you'd say something like that? At least the good thing about this world and its like is that time always works a bit funny here.

[That is at least the experience he made with Promenade.]

You don't have to go back right away.

[Riku probably wouldn't let him anyways.]