Fake 17 [Action]

[personafalsify]

[ In the town square, freshly imprinted in the snow is the impression of a face down figure. A face down human figure, but all that lies to be seen there now is a Heartless, unconscious, in the same position.

Or maybe he's only sleeping. Probably not, though. ]

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[poppetry]

[ ....... she knows that heartless.

and that human-shape impression...

hm.

Xion's gonna go over there and crouch down in the snow beside him, reaching out to give the Heartless a gentle poke. ]

[personafalsify]

[ It's still my name.

He goes to write it, and stops. It's a lie. It's a lie, and he knows it, he knows it and hates it, both because it's a lie, and because he still says it even knowing that. It's not his name. It never was. It was borrowed like the rest of him, everything was borrowed and now there's nothing left that's his except some faked memories and a longing for someone who hasn't come back. That's all. Everything else belonged to the Real Thing, or belongs to him by now at least. And with the real Riku around, he's nothing. Just a shadow.

Maybe he's supposed to just disappear back into the darkness.

Without responding he turns from Xion, suddenly fighting with the urge to just run. ]

[poppetry]

... hey. Hey, look at me.

[ though she won't wait, and move around him, crouching down before him again. ]

Listen, I ... I asked that question because it doesn't suit you. You're someone else. You've never been him, you've always just ... been you.

[ but again, she thinks of Luke. "I'm me ... but what does that mean?" ]

You're my friend. And you're a person all your own... I swear, you and he act nothing alike. [ a weak smile, that fades almost instantly. ] ... you need a new name.

[personafalsify]

[ It's nice to hear, even comforting in a way, but hearing it just makes the fact that he can't believe it all the more painful.

He knows he needs a new name, he should, but...

... but, what? ]

[poppetry]

... what does the name "Kohan" really mean to you? That's ... the one I knew when I was older.

[personafalsify]

'I '

[ He's still for a moment, then starts writing again. Xion already knows the name, so it's not as if keeping quiet about it would accomplish anything. ]

'It's the name I told Kyrie when she asked. after she came back. I didn't want her knowing what had about this. That's it.'

[ He chose it quickly, more of on a whim than anything else. It wasn't supposed to mean anything, it was just...

a name. ]

[poppetry]

... I don't know what it is, but ... I think it suits you. Kohan.

Can I ... call you that?

[personafalsify]

[ There's a long pause. Honestly, honestly, he doesn't know what to decide. Or what to even think.

Maybe. Maybe if he just let the real Riku win this one time, maybe things would get better. It's not like he hadn't lost to him before, after all, anyway. ]

'I guess'

[poppetry]

Good. I think that's a lot better than Riku.

[ if she know Kohan had thought he'd lost... she'd be upset. If anything... she thinks he's won. ]

[personafalsify]

[ He gives his best impression of a Heartless!shrug, and after a moment, realizes that might not have been the most easy to understand gesture in the world. So he adds on paper, ]

'If you say so.'

[ Well, in the grand scheme of things, he has. But he doesn't realize it, and if he was in the sort of mindset where he'd realize it, well he wouldn't be stuck as a Heartless now would he. He's not going to realize right away what a big step forward giving up Riku's name was, after all. ]

[poppetry]

I do. [ smiles. ] I'll tell the others, too. ... except for Riku. Unless you want him to know, anyway. [ she doesn't think he will. ]

[personafalsify]

[ No real reaction to that, except for a tiny movement of the wings at the name 'Riku'. This is a pretty big deal for him, okay, let him try to digest this. He's still thinking. Brain not with the workings and the quicklies. ]

[poppetry]

[ oh boy. when he doesn't respond she'll blink, then lapse into silence, waiting for some sign that he's still with her. ]

[personafalsify]

'Fine'

[ ... Just. This is going to take getting used to 8| ]

[poppetry]

... okay. Good.