IT'S DOUBLEPOST TIME 8D
Seriously, I either abandon this journal or I spam it like mad. What the hell, self.
I have more bitty!Terra! I actually fell asleep twice in the middle of writing this one, so I'm afraid it's disjointed in the middle. Please, please beta the hell out of this one. |Db
~~*~~
The day was sunny, the weather was warm, the market was still in full swing a little ways away, and Aqua had evidently decided that today was a good day to read outside, perched on the short stone wall that ran alongside the pathway with a book open in her lap. Terra stood next to her, leaning against the low wall and marveling silently at the sensation of having a full stomach. The usual hunger pains that clawed at his stomach and back and constricted his chest, making it painful sometimes even to breathe, were gone. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened, and he knew it had never lasted for days before - but here he was on his third day of staying with Master Eraqus and Aqua, his third day of routine meals and a consistent place to sleep. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the muscles in his back stretch, and quietly enjoyed it - enjoyed everything. He felt free - good, even, and that was a rarity to be enjoyed while it lasted.
"Watch out!"
His eyes snapped back open in time to see a rubber ball about the size of his head come flying towards his face. Reflexes honed sharp out of necessity kicked into action, and he caught the ball inches before it would have clobbered him, breathing shallowly and wide-eyed at the surprise.
Aqua had nearly fallen off the wall at the warning. "Are you okay?" All Terra could do was nod and slowly force himself to calm down.
"Oh man oh man oh man-" He heard the voice approaching before he lowered the ball enough to see its owner, a blond boy who looked to be about his age. "I didn't hit you, did I?" Calmer, but still struck by what seemed to be genuine concern in the boy's voice, Terra simply shook his head, never quite taking his eyes off the boy.
This, of course, gave the boy ample time to see his face. "Oh, good. Good....hang on, you're Terra, right?" Terra still wasn't accustomed to people recognizing him on sight - Aqua called it instant fame, and Eraqus explained that it was likely a result of hs actions while fighting the Heartless. Heartless were rare in this world, as Terra understood. Because of that, acts of bravery such as his were also rare and therefore all the more intriguing to everyone else.
He wasn't used to positive feedback.
Still having a tough time finding his voice, he nodded again. The boy grinned in response. "Cool! Hey, wanna play with us?"
If the ball flying at his face had been a surprise, then this invitation was the bottom dropping out of his world. Except for Aqua, every kid his age he'd ever met had either seen him as a target or a nuisance - the'd never asked him to join in their games. But here...
More and more, Terra was beginning to realize he liked this world.
It hit him that the kid was waiting for an answer. "Uh- sure. Yeah!" He nodded, then looked over at Aqua, catching her eye as she looked up from the book on her lap. Was she...was that sadness? Or was she lonely? Struck by an idea, he looked back at the kid, tossing the ball back to him. "Hey, can Aqua play too?"
The boy caught the ball with practiced ease. "Sure, why not? Hey Aqua!" and he was looking at her now, "You wanna play?"
It was Aqua's turn to look gobsmacked, and Terra had the sudden feeling that she'd never been invited to play either. "Yes," she replied, a smile slowly growing on her face, "I do." She closed her book and stood, placing it on the low wall behind her before joining Terra, really warming up to the idea. "I'd love to!"
That smile was contagious; as Terra ran with Aqua and the boy to join their game, he found he was wearing it too.
I have more bitty!Terra! I actually fell asleep twice in the middle of writing this one, so I'm afraid it's disjointed in the middle. Please, please beta the hell out of this one. |Db
~~*~~
The day was sunny, the weather was warm, the market was still in full swing a little ways away, and Aqua had evidently decided that today was a good day to read outside, perched on the short stone wall that ran alongside the pathway with a book open in her lap. Terra stood next to her, leaning against the low wall and marveling silently at the sensation of having a full stomach. The usual hunger pains that clawed at his stomach and back and constricted his chest, making it painful sometimes even to breathe, were gone. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened, and he knew it had never lasted for days before - but here he was on his third day of staying with Master Eraqus and Aqua, his third day of routine meals and a consistent place to sleep. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the muscles in his back stretch, and quietly enjoyed it - enjoyed everything. He felt free - good, even, and that was a rarity to be enjoyed while it lasted.
"Watch out!"
His eyes snapped back open in time to see a rubber ball about the size of his head come flying towards his face. Reflexes honed sharp out of necessity kicked into action, and he caught the ball inches before it would have clobbered him, breathing shallowly and wide-eyed at the surprise.
Aqua had nearly fallen off the wall at the warning. "Are you okay?" All Terra could do was nod and slowly force himself to calm down.
"Oh man oh man oh man-" He heard the voice approaching before he lowered the ball enough to see its owner, a blond boy who looked to be about his age. "I didn't hit you, did I?" Calmer, but still struck by what seemed to be genuine concern in the boy's voice, Terra simply shook his head, never quite taking his eyes off the boy.
This, of course, gave the boy ample time to see his face. "Oh, good. Good....hang on, you're Terra, right?" Terra still wasn't accustomed to people recognizing him on sight - Aqua called it instant fame, and Eraqus explained that it was likely a result of hs actions while fighting the Heartless. Heartless were rare in this world, as Terra understood. Because of that, acts of bravery such as his were also rare and therefore all the more intriguing to everyone else.
He wasn't used to positive feedback.
Still having a tough time finding his voice, he nodded again. The boy grinned in response. "Cool! Hey, wanna play with us?"
If the ball flying at his face had been a surprise, then this invitation was the bottom dropping out of his world. Except for Aqua, every kid his age he'd ever met had either seen him as a target or a nuisance - the'd never asked him to join in their games. But here...
More and more, Terra was beginning to realize he liked this world.
It hit him that the kid was waiting for an answer. "Uh- sure. Yeah!" He nodded, then looked over at Aqua, catching her eye as she looked up from the book on her lap. Was she...was that sadness? Or was she lonely? Struck by an idea, he looked back at the kid, tossing the ball back to him. "Hey, can Aqua play too?"
The boy caught the ball with practiced ease. "Sure, why not? Hey Aqua!" and he was looking at her now, "You wanna play?"
It was Aqua's turn to look gobsmacked, and Terra had the sudden feeling that she'd never been invited to play either. "Yes," she replied, a smile slowly growing on her face, "I do." She closed her book and stood, placing it on the low wall behind her before joining Terra, really warming up to the idea. "I'd love to!"
That smile was contagious; as Terra ran with Aqua and the boy to join their game, he found he was wearing it too.