[Hi Ruby City. Take a look at that. The video image you're seeing is in one of the resting rooms of the clinic. Seems like someone's been out of the loop for awhile considering the indistinguishable groaning and grumbling that the microphone's picking up. Finally, the image somewhat jerkily pans around before a pretty beaten-looking Roxas comes
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But as he felt himself giving, ready to slump to the floor in front of her, he found himself feeling confused as he became aware of a new sensation. An arm joining one that had curled around him before he'd noticed it and as his legs gave out, he found himself almost curiously in his friend's embrace.
That's about when it hit him though and he finally heard that voice of reason that had been trying to get through to him. It was his best friend after all, she went... but then she'd come back all the same. He was reminded that time wasn't a constant among those taken and even though his story had been brought to what had more or less been its uneventful end, he'd never known just when she'd really come from. There'd been pieces and he'd been able to at least guess that she'd come from just before that fateful duel, the time he'd made his choice to stand and fight her. And in his fear, he struck down one of his best friends; her passing eventually taking her even from his memories. The point was, from where she was from, she still did have to return. His time, the version of the world he was from wouldn't have been possible because his return would have been useless without hers.
Still, there were questions. And that realization did nothing for his suffering, for the time he'd just wished he'd disappeared, but was unwilling to erase himself. But that could wait for now. At the moment, he was feeling tired and he hurt.
Xion might be surprised then as he lay partly slumped against her, his arms working to slowly find their way around her after his hands release her collar. His cheeks were still wet with his tears, his breathing punctuated by the odd sniffle here and there as he just seemed to embrace her for now.
He felt tired. He wanted to sleep. But while there was a great deal he wanted to say, Roxas found that he was only really able to sum everything up in only a few words before he goes limp in her arms.]
I missed you.
[Sleep claims him almost as soon as he utters those words. But that's all it seems to be. And knowing him as he is, he'll be up in an hour or two. It probably wouldn't take much work to remove him and if help is needed, the clinic staff will probably be able to help get him back into his bed. But if she decides to stay, there won't be any protest.]
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And then, while she had stood there, trying to decide what to say or do next, she had felt his hands lose their grip, how his arms shifted so that they were parallel with hers almost. Wrapped around her in turn. While it was brief, it didn't change the way she stiffened slightly in surprise, tenser yet by his words.
A small gasp emitted from her soon after as she felt him dissolve into unconsciousness again and she found herself affirming her hold on him, trying with all her might to make sure he wouldn't fall because she wouldn't have that. He wouldn't be further injured than he was. Not on her watch. When she finally managed to right them enough, she slowly slid herself down against the wall, easing until she was nearly sitting on buckled legs. With the way he had been leaning, it hopefully left him in a comfortable enough position. Hopefully anyway. She considered getting help but soon hashed that idea. Moving away might hurt him more. So, instead, she found herself sitting there with him, freeing one of her arms so that she could touch his injured shoulder gingerly.
It took time and strain on her part. While it had been two weeks for the others, it had felt like forever since she had existed and casting something after so long wasn't a simple task, but still, she managed a minimal cure spell to stop the mist from pouring from his injury before her hand retracted from it. Then reaching up and softly wiping the wetness that had leaked a little from her own eyes from the strain of the situation before she found herself combing his messy almost wind-swept hair out of his eyes, taking notice of the moistness from the tears he had been shedding. Gingerly, she found herself dabbing it away until she was satisfied that she had cleared up most of it. And then sighing shakily, she reaffirmed her hold around him.
She would be there when he woke. Which was probably for the best considering his initial reaction.]
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Mentally, he retraced his steps. He remembered being in the clinic and there'd been enough going on there that he was confident that had been real. Roxas remembered several conversations -especially one with that odd boy that Celty warned him to be weary of. And then something else happened, something that just entirely shook him so hard mentally, that he... he couldn't remember what happened. He just remembered feeling; all at once feeling angry, confused, abandoned, afraid and somewhere mixed into that, overjoyed, the latter feeling which had been virtually drowned out by the others that came with it.
He just couldn't understand why. In fact, now that he thought about it, he couldn't fathom even how long he'd been like this. But at least for the moment, he knew something, something important happened -something he practically couldn't accept. He felt his hand close on something and as he slowly opened his digits for him to see, he saw a seashell in his palm. Like the ones she left for him while he slept; like the ones he left for her in turn... her. Xion.
In the waking world, his eyes flew open as he started and sat up with gasp. It was a breath taken too soon for his lungs to be ready, sending him into a brief coughing fit as he gave a solid rap to his own chest in an effort to settle his breathing. A half minute passed and he was only drawing heavy breaths as his gaze darted around the room, almost nervously.
He was on the floor, but propping up against something -no, someone. And he whirled about, almost half-stumbling off her and entirely onto the floor as his eyes confirmed for him that she was there with him. And somehow with all that was rushing through his head, he could only get a single query out.]
Xion?
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She jumped when she heard that first sign of his awakening, looking like a deer caught in the headlights as he attempted to sit up all too suddenly. Sending himself into a coughing fit shortly afterward; she reached out to him, her fingers feathering his shoulder. Uncertain of how to aid him but there for him all the same. Waiting for him to settle. But when he did, the next thing she knew, he was scuttling off of her and onto the floor. And before she knew it, she was following him. Er, well. At least attempting to. The moment she moved her legs, they started to get a sort of funny yet really uncomfortable feeling. Like if she moved them anymore, they would feel much worse. So, she found herself frozen in that half risen position for a little bit. Of course, it didn't stop her arms and she was soon reaching out to at least touch his uninjured shoulder again, looking to him with a nod and an expression that spelled sympathy mixed with some guilt and a wince from the feeling of her legs.]
Easy... It's. -It's alright. [She really wanted to avoid him fainting again if she could help it.]
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He watched as she touched his shoulder, his expression momentarily betraying a little more of that confusion he felt than he probably showed normally. Something about that wince seemed off, there was nothing there... why would she? And it was about then that it hit him: she must've just stayed like that after he collapsed.
As Roxas calmed, that confusion slowly bled away -at least on the outside, as that voice that reminded him that no matter what, she was his best friend. Everything else past that, he trusted she could explain. Just he wasn't assured to like any of the answers he got. And then some of the things that led up to all of this, he was fairly sure he'd be chewing her out over. But at least for the moment, he'll offer her the grin of a Nobody that felt about as beaten in spirit as he had been in body not more than a week earlier.
Settling back onto the floor, he gave a nod as he sat directly across from Xion, folding his legs to sit cross-legged. There was a lot that he knew needed to be covered and he wanted to be more or less upright and attentive for this.]
I guess for starters... I'm sorry about that. Losing you and everyone else was just really rough on me.
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But right then as she watched him, she couldn't help but feel almost a bizarre sense of relief despite the messy predicament that had transpired hours before. The tidal wave of lose and confusion was overwhelming and tore at her without doubt, but knowing that she could be there to see things through with him. Knowing that she could do something about it, sort things out and be there for him- to feel a bit of that barrier between them disperse.
She tried her best to relax as he did likewise as he took a seat next to her. And she let her hand slowly trail away from him then once she was certain he would be alright for the time being, sitting as he was. She was honestly not really liking that he was out of bed but he seemed comfortable for the moment and she preferred not to further tax his injuries if it could be helped at least for the time being. The smile admittedly had caught her off guard, too. Making her feel that guilt well up again. That tired look. She never liked seeing it on him yet it was often times an expression he always.. seemed to wear... She finally pressed herself to find a better position herself, one with her legs stretched out in front of her as she combated the prickling, uncomfortable feeling in them. Gazing at him with quiet contemplation.]
I.... I understand. And I'm sorry... I really didn't know things were that way. [She ducked her head, gritting her teeth a moment. Dealing with that pins and needles feeling as best as she could. And then she was looking to him again, expression almost placid but always with that guilt.] No one even told me you were in the city or I would have found you sooner.
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In either case, it did raise the question of him wondering just how long she'd been back for. Was she in the city while it'd been transformed? Well, obviously if she had, she clearly made it out of the ensuing mess in far better shape than he had. And then thinking more about things, he wondered which of her friends knew of her return. They had a few mutual friends and especially after how worried they'd been when he'd gotten depressed over things, why they never told him was a mystery. Again, unless she arrived while he'd been incapacitated, which honestly would explain a remarkable lot. But he wasn't ready to just accept from his own modestly educated guesses what the story there was.
Still focused on her, he figured the best cure for so much of what was swirling around inside him was just talking for now. So when he worked it up in him to talk again, Roxas offered a chuckle to accompany that weak grin of his.]
I still wish you would've told me or something before you left... but I guess that can't be helped now. [He pauses for a little bit, just trying to make eye contact again.] So... how long were you back for? What happened for you?
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But these were thoughts that just remain that: thoughts. At least for the time being. Rather, she found herself shaking her head mildly.] To be honest, Roxas...? I don't even remember leaving. [Although whether she would have told him or not. That was something she honestly wasn't sure about. In a way, her abrupt leave had been almost a blessing for her. She hadn't had that chance to waffle over it. Because it happened before she even knew what was going on. Sighing slightly to herself, she brushed her bangs out of her eyes before she found herself lacing her hands on her lap, staring at them.]
...I've been here for fourteen days now. I kind of... did some recon for a while. [Not implying that she had been perhaps homeless for a while as he, himself, had been the once, nope.] Then... When the people in the city started acting strange, I just stayed out of sight for a while. [Squeezing her hands a bit tightly together.] And after that... I've been just doing some more exploring. It's.. actually what I was in the middle of doing when I found you here.
[A pause and then she glanced back over at him.] What happened to you anyway? You look... [Pretty banged up. Awful. All of the above.]
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Yet as much as he was feeling inclined to drill her on that matter, some part of him knew that she sincerely wouldn't be able to provide any answers. Certainly not now, possibly not ever. Besides, that voice that had been trying to look at this in a positive light was largely focused just on the notion that all of that didn't matter and that she was here now.
So he continued to listen, making a conscious point not to interrupt her as she explained how things had unfolded. It was odd to hear that she'd been running recon; this place had been her home longer than it had been his. So he was feeling inclined to think that maybe she was still recalling a great number of details and while he was just assuming that she was living where she had before... well, he'd deal with that later. Before he had too long to ask more of her, he figured that he owed her some answers.]
Pretty bad? [That expression of his followed by his attempt to finish her train of thought had almost been flawlessly timed, coming just a few seconds after she'd trailed off and seemed to be trying to imply something close to what he said.]
I was trying to run a pretty simple errand when the city went all strange. Just trying to get all the friends I had left here over to the clinic; I figured like when the Heartless came, we could just use this place as a fort... but I got jumped on the way. It felt like most of the town came after me. [A somewhat embarrassed chuckle.] If Celty hadn't come along...
[No need to finish that one.]
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It's... a good thing they did then. [She would have to thank whoever Celty was later. Definitely. For now though... Xion looked down at her hands, letting them untangle and flexing them open and closed, open and closed. Murmuring softly.] I'd usually be able to do something about that, but it feels like it's been forever since I've used any kind of magic. My spells really aren't that strong. [There was a pause and then with a weak wisp of what could have been a laugh despite how misplaced it was.]
Everyone said I was gone for two weeks, but I think it's been longer. I can't say how long or even prove it. It's... just a feeling.
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Don't worry about it. It seems that Cure spells don't fix everything and it's not so bad... I mean, I'm still here. [He offers a weak grin, as if trying to lighten the mood a little with it.] A little worse for wear, but nothing too serious. [Alright, she probably won't buy that one, but it was worth a try.]
[Anyway, seemed like about time to move the subject along... or at least try to.] Your old apartment must feel a little lonely now, huh? I mean, without Axel or Naminé around.
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And one of those honest gestures was in that look of disbelief when he tried to shrug off his injuries as if they were nothing, particularly with that last statement. Lying to her wasn't exactly going to win him points. So, she just stared at him a long minute, her expression deadpan up until he decided to try and redirect the conversation. And that... That caught her off guard, causing her to pause suspiciously longer than she usually would. Just maybe a little bit caught red handed. Just a... Well. Looking off to the side.]
...Actually, I. Haven't been back there yet. Maciel told me we would go looking for it, but... [...Then they hadn't. And now, well. ...Perhaps she would find out more about her time in the city through going there. But even in just that moment, the idea of living with Naminé was news to her. It made her feel a little guilty, admittedly. She had figured that she would have lived with Axel, but Naminé. That was a new thought.]
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However, Xion's response to his query didn't exactly make him feel too happy with the implications. While some part of him wanted to believe that maybe she'd just found some other resident to stay with, his instincts were telling him that he knew her far too well to do anything like that. Her generally dismal sense of self-worth made her view herself as an impediment where most others were concerned. And having gone through quite a few phases of needing his own space, he generally got the hunch that she'd been out on her own.
It also wasn't helping her that she didn't strike him as the sort to salvage her own housing as he had. Then again, he also showed up on the tail end and staying outside just wasn't a terribly viable option.]
Uh... hey. I know you might not like this idea too much -especially with how I greeted you. But I was thinking; there's still a free bedroom in the house I'm living in...
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...So, she had a terrible poke face. But she had at least been hoping he wouldn't catch on. Wouldn't be displeased. And a part of her felt like she was being ridiculous, doing something she almost felt certain that he had done himself and she had been bothered by it. Although the details themselves she couldn't distinctly recall at the moment. The thought was enough for her to hesitantly glimpse away from him as he gave an aware look.
And then she was freezing. ...Wait, did he just? ...Well, no, it wasn't exactly a surprise. Despite the overwhelming matter before, she at least had pieced things together enough to understand that it wasn't like he hated her... right? She slowly peered over his way, eyes half hidden under those pesky yet convenient bangs of hers. Linking her hands again.]
...If that would be okay with you.... You know I wouldn't mind. [There was a brief pause as she shuffled about a bit, trying to get more comfortable or perhaps just trying to settle herself.]
...I know you. ...What I'm saying is... [A bit more shuffling. Just trying to sort herself, say this. Why couldn't she say this?]
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His outburst hadn't been because he hated her, it was because he was hurt; the fact that she had apparently premeditated her departure without giving him a chance to say goodbye. It was because he felt Xion had chosen to abandon him, that their friendship -the friendship that made them best friends like how he was with Axel, wasn't as important as doing something that to him had already been taken care of. That she was pursuing a self-destructive path just because she seemed to have that much of a complex of disliking herself. At least that's how he viewed it.
Internal monologue not withstanding, he nodded his head when she answered... wait. And then he double-took, did she actually accept his offer? He had to stop and just stare at her for a moment, as if trying to see through those bangs of hers.]
R-really?
[Sorry Xion, he'll let you finish, but accepting his offer might as well have been a cure spell. Because he actually seems pretty happy -still a few tics on the pained side, his fault for straining himself like that really, but actually very pleased at the moment.]
That's great. I mean, we should still find your old place and pick up any stuff you have left there, but... it'll be nice having you around.
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So, she found herself nodding dumbly... and then... Maybe the smallest of smiles peeking out of her generally withdrawn demeanor she had been holding up for the most part. It faltered a bit at the mention of her place again, but she managed to hold out... the smile returning to something more genuine at his last comment. That welcome feeling permeating her again... It wasn't as if she hadn't been welcomed by others in the city, too. But at least with Roxas, she had a piece of home. At least one part to the two piece puzzle that had made existence worth it. Shaking her head lightly though.]
...But I think first, you should worry about staying here and healing. Although... [Another shift. Sitting on the floor was quickly becoming uncomfortable.] If there's anything you want me to bring for you, all you have to do is ask.
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