Nothing yet. I was trying to draw the sunset, but... I guess crayons weren't the right choice. [An awkward little laugh.] I've never painted before, but it seems like it would work a little better.
[...No. At least, not for recreation. She was always drawing, but it was never for herself -- it wasn't for fun, it was for work. It was the thing she did most often, almost more often than she slept. Or at least, it had been. Here, now, she could do other things, for once, and for a while it had fallen to the back of her mind. But then she saw the sunset, and... it reminded her of the one place that she'd been that had been anything at all like a home, even if only briefly.]
[The thought still made her hesitate, as if to admit that she drew was to admit what she did with those drawings, what she used them for, to manipulate--]
[But that was stupid. There was no connection. Not unless she said something about it. He'd never know she...]
[Yeah, this was definitely weird. He didn't want to press the topic, mainly because he had no idea which topic to press, but that didn't mean he could just ignore it, either. Something was off here, something was weird, and while he didn't want to push her... he did want to know what it was.
Belatedly, he realized several seconds had gone by and he hadn't said anything.]
[His pause made her suspicious as well, but only for the briefest moment. He wouldn't know. He couldn't know. That was just, that was stupid. He didn't even know who she was.]
[Right?]
[No, there was nothing to worry about. Or, rather, she was afraid to worry, even as she was already doing it. Still, she drags a smile onto her face and tries to lose herself in her words instead.]
[She didn't want to be afraid of him, too.]
Mm.... They can be. It's not that bad, once you get a little practice.
[...Even if it never was quite right. No matter how much she drew someone, no matter how much she manipulated each memory she made... they never were the real thing.]
[Except it didn't, or at least, not for her. Drawing shouldn't cause this type of anxiety in anyone. ...Or at least, he didn't think it should. He hadn't even drawn anything, but it was supposed to be fun, right? But maybe she was nervous about it for reasons that had nothing to do with anything bad.
[He didn't know whether it would help if he just told her the truth--that he knew--or whether it would make her even more nervous. Might as well test the waters, first.]
...Is there anyone here that you know? From where you were before?
[...No, he couldn't know! That was impossible. She hadn't even been sure it was the same Roxas until recently, and... and... he hadn't even remembered her, at first! She hadn't done anything to his memories. So how could he...?]
[It had to be a coincidence. At least, that was what she told herself, over and over and over again.]
[Her voice was dangerously tight, and the smile that she tried to pull onto her face only snapped back, slipping from her grasp.]
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
Reply
[...No. At least, not for recreation. She was always drawing, but it was never for herself -- it wasn't for fun, it was for work. It was the thing she did most often, almost more often than she slept. Or at least, it had been. Here, now, she could do other things, for once, and for a while it had fallen to the back of her mind. But then she saw the sunset, and... it reminded her of the one place that she'd been that had been anything at all like a home, even if only briefly.]
[The thought still made her hesitate, as if to admit that she drew was to admit what she did with those drawings, what she used them for, to manipulate--]
[But that was stupid. There was no connection. Not unless she said something about it. He'd never know she...]
...Yes. I do. [A forced smile.]
Reply
What kind of stuff do you draw?
Reply
[...'You. And your other, by the way (well, mostly him), and your best friend, and that guy you hate.']
[That would go over wonderfully.]
[Despite the guilty twist in her throat, she couldn't just blurt out the details, even if it didn't feel right to avoid the subject.]
...People. And places, sometimes, but... mostly people.
Reply
Belatedly, he realized several seconds had gone by and he hadn't said anything.]
Oh. Seems like people would be hard to draw.
Reply
[Right?]
[No, there was nothing to worry about. Or, rather, she was afraid to worry, even as she was already doing it. Still, she drags a smile onto her face and tries to lose herself in her words instead.]
[She didn't want to be afraid of him, too.]
Mm.... They can be. It's not that bad, once you get a little practice.
[...Even if it never was quite right. No matter how much she drew someone, no matter how much she manipulated each memory she made... they never were the real thing.]
Reply
I guess... do you draw real people, or do you just make people up?
Reply
[Just a little -- hopefully enough to hide, if she spoke quickly enough.]
Um, mostly real people! From--
[The word 'memory' was suddenly difficult to pronounce.]
...from pictures, sometimes.
[Pictures that she'd drawn.]
Reply
[Except it didn't, or at least, not for her. Drawing shouldn't cause this type of anxiety in anyone. ...Or at least, he didn't think it should. He hadn't even drawn anything, but it was supposed to be fun, right? But maybe she was nervous about it for reasons that had nothing to do with anything bad.
...Yeah. Right.]
Hey... Namine?
Reply
Hm?
Reply
...Is there anyone here that you know? From where you were before?
Reply
[....]
[...No, he couldn't know! That was impossible. She hadn't even been sure it was the same Roxas until recently, and... and... he hadn't even remembered her, at first! She hadn't done anything to his memories. So how could he...?]
[It had to be a coincidence. At least, that was what she told herself, over and over and over again.]
[Her voice was dangerously tight, and the smile that she tried to pull onto her face only snapped back, slipping from her grasp.]
...Yes.
Reply
Leave a comment