→ voice. twenty-six.

[icanhasgummi]

[the door slides open, and a man is firmly stating orders.]

Careful--careful, I say. You have no idea what that child is capable of.

S'not like he'll feel it, he's practically asleep.

[cue a quiet groan from Sora, who starts to struggle. his voice is tired, exhausted and weak.]

G-get'offa me...

Waking up, I see. That's an alarmingly fast

Comments

[pallidmemory]

....

[If only her powers could reach him without her getting shocked. She could do something, anything -- even if it was just to find the words to finish that tune, or to draw up the sweetest memories she could find. But whatever she would have done was useless, if there was no way she could.]

...Sora.

[icanhasgummi]

[he's definitely not going to try and seem miserable or lonely around someone who he promised he'd be okay for!]

H-hey! D'you... know 'Under the Sea'?

[pallidmemory]

--...No. I'm sorry. [But she could have, if only she was stronger. Somebody sees your bravado, Sora, and is not sure whether to smile or frown. Either way, she'll just be very gentle when she speaks.]

[icanhasgummi]

[he clears his throat (and winces afterward) as he tries to go on singing. he may not be Ariel, but...]

You dream... 'bout going up... there... but that--that is a big mistake!

[pallidmemory]

....

[Apparently it was, considering they were both trapped on an air ship. (She kind of doubted that was what the idea was, but still.)]

[...It wasn't right for him to have to sing this by himself. Not when there was even a chance that someone else might know the words -- or be able to find out. At least now she had something to go on, to reach for. So she took those words and started looking, reaching out with her powers to find the particular set of memories she'd done both the most damage and the most good to. She dug through the chain, past memory after memory as quickly as she could, and her reach had just closed around the one she was looking for when--]

Eek!

[-- her collar finally caught on.]

[But it wasn't the first time that had happened, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. And besides, what did it matter... when she'd gotten what she'd wanted? Give her a second to catch her breath, Sora, she'll be with you in a moment.]

[icanhasgummi]

[even when exhausted, he sort of jerks up.]

N-naminé!

[pallidmemory]

[It's silent for some time but for a few gasps, and then...]

....

....

[It's quiet at first, without much tune, but--]

J-just... just look at the world around you... right h...ere on the ocean floor.

[icanhasgummi]

[... his heart most surely breaks at hearing her voice, trying so hard for him.]

Such... wo-wonderful things su-surround you, what more is you ... lookin' for?

[pallidmemory]

[And she'll keep trying, too, until it breaks her.]

Under the sea, under the sea....

[icanhasgummi]

Naminé...

[his voice isn't quite full of hurt, but more of awe and fondness--she's trying to help him? help herself? whoever it is, he doesn't care.]

D-darlin' it's better, down... where it's wetter, take... it from... me!

[pallidmemory]

[It took her a moment to continue, this time -- she heard that, heard her name, and--... well, he was still singing along. As long as it was helping him, what did it matter what he thought of what she was doing? A weak little smile tugged at her lips.]

Up on the s...shore they work all d-day, out in the sun-- they slave away.

[icanhasgummi]

[his voice has gone from tired and exhausted to, once again, cheerful, full of hope.]

W-while we're... devotin' full time to f-floatin', under the... sea!

[pallidmemory]

[Ah-- now that was the Sora she knew. There was a tiny laugh, and then,]

Under the sea. S-- since lif is sweet here, we got the beat h... here, naturally~....

[icanhasgummi]

E-even the stur... sturgeon and the ray--they... get the urge and... start to play! We... we got... the spirit, you got to... hear it, under the sea!

[he's stronger, he's louder. it doesn't take much to rebuild Sora, not at all. give him hope, that's all you have to do.]

[pallidmemory]

[Better, much better. She tried to keep, tried to raise her voice too, because why sing loud if you're singing alone? It was still much quieter than his, but-- it'd have to do.]

Under the sea, under the sea. [A quick, sudden cough -- her voice is still difficult to hold onto sometimes, these days. But she makes up for it with persistence, with the cheer she's trying to hard to project.] When the -- sardine begin the beguine it's music to m-me~!

[icanhasgummi]

What do they... got? A lot of sand! We got a hot... crustacean... band! Each little clam here... know how to jam here! U-under the sea!

[he's almost back to normal. tired as hell, but he's always been able to stand, even when tired. and there's cloth shifting--he's trying, he's trying...]