021; [voice/action for Goldenrod; forward dated to about 3 a.m.]

[newhero]

[gosh, Johto, hope you weren't trying to sleep or anything: there's suddenly a series of sharp clunks and clatters, and the microphone screeches loudly and shrilly like it's short-circuiting. pokégear's clearly on its last legs, what with how many times Sora's been dropping the dang thing

Comments

[action]

[pluckycharm]

[ Kairi's one of the more lighter sleepers, and if Sora moving about didn't wake her up, the 'gear certainly started her on the path to wakefulness. She wakes up to find one of them missing and jolts upright, nearly falling out of the bed but staying quiet enough out of fear of waking up Riku. The last time Sora disappeared, he'd been gone for around two weeks. With that thought, Kairi grabs her jacket and a scarf and heads out. ]

... Sora.

[ and now she sounds both relieved and concerned. ]

[action]

[newhero]

Kairi?

[he turns away from the door he'd been staring at to look at her-- Sora always looks a little disheveled in the middle of the night because he sleeps so hard, but somehow he's sporting a different kind of disheveled right now. like he's worn down and unsure, and definitely apologetic for waking her.]

Sorry... I tried to be quiet. [it was a spectacular failure, but.]

[action]

[pluckycharm]

You're pretty bad at being quiet, you know. [ in general, and it's almost an automatic tease. Kairi's worried, and it shows. But she steps forward, gaze inquisitive, and peers at him. ]

You don't mind company, right?

[action]

[newhero]

'Course not. [he'd never say no to Kairi's company, after all. Sora lurches away from the door and kind of... topples over onto the nearest couch. such is the strife of being bundled up in winter coats.]

[action]

[pluckycharm]

... You really are hopeless. [ and without prompting, Kairi plunks down unceremoniously beside him and begins to tug one of the (many) coats off-- coaxing his arms up and the like. ]

[action]

[newhero]

I know.

[oooof-- Sora lifts his arms obediently and allows her to tug off the winter wear. look, Totodile jammies! he sighs, and scrubs at his eyes once he's winter wear free.]

[action]

[pluckycharm]

[ it's an additional minute for Kairi to free herself of her own gear, and then she settles against him. ]

At least you're still here. I thought--

[ ... she didn't know WHAT to think. She's just been having dreams herself, ever since Sora disappeared, about waking up to find her best friends gone for good. ]

[action]

[newhero]

[he rests his cheek gently against that head of red hair, his frown apologetic, even if she can't see it.]

I didn't mean... I just really needed some fresh air. M'sorry, Kairi.

[action]

[pluckycharm]

[ she can hear it in his tone, head resting comfortably on his shoulder. He's here, that's all she needs right now to breathe easy. ]

I'm not mad. Did you have a bad dream?

[action]

[newhero]

... Mm. I keep having it, too.

[action]

[pluckycharm]

What is it? [ Kairi doesn't lift her head, figuring Sora might find it easier to talk about without her staring at him expectantly. ]

[action]

[newhero]

Some of them are kinda normal, I guess. But it doesn't matter where I am, or what I'm doing, I just can't warm up. I could be sitting in the middle of the desert and still feel like I'm trapped in an ice cube.

Other times it feels like I'm drowning. [those are the ones that pull him out of sleep so violently. the first ones really aren't that bad; he just can't stand feeling like he's freezing, so it gets to him.]

[action]

[pluckycharm]

...

[ if she wasn't worried before, she's definitely worried now. Protip: SHE WAS WORRIED BEFORE. Enough that Kairi's glad he can't see her face just then. She reaches for his hand, working her fingers in between his and gripping it firmly. ]

Do you think it's because of what happened? [ she knew personally how cold it was when she and Riku were out looking, but they had Flare and Leon's Arcanine to help keep them warm. The drowning part makes enough sense, too. ]

[action]

[newhero]

[Sora'd like to think he was surprised by her taking his hand, but he's just grateful, nothing else. it's a very solid reminder that he's not sitting here and mulling things over alone, which, nearly three weeks ago, easily soared above all the rest in his list of top fears.]

I think so... They're just dreams, though, right? It's not a big deal.

[action]

[pluckycharm]

If they're waking you up, they're definitely a big deal. [ it's all she says, but she doesn't want Sora trying to laugh things off when they're truly bugging him. She can't help like that. ]

[action]

[newhero]

I guess. I just... don't really know how to get them to stop. [maybe Riku could get Phantom to use Hypnosis every night until he gets over it. that sounds logical!]