You don't need to bother [Open]

[boundbynaught]

Characters: Riku Replica and anyone he bumps into
Location: Around; starting near the fountain
Time: April 18th, morning
Style: Prose or Action; my main entry is in prose
Status: OPEN

Comments

[boundbynaught]

Everyone else who'd passed by Rep that morning were all various shades of grey - common enough that they all blurred together in a muddy haze around him, not helped at all by his exhausted stupor.

Before Ventus even got close to the boy, Rep was looking straight at him. Sora, Naminé, even those other three Sora hung around with - they all shone with light in their hearts, but they did have some darkness there. Faint, yet still present; that much Rep knew through firsthand experience. All of the Princesses of Heart, on the other hand, were filled with pure light - Rep knew that through his planted memories.

So it was almost like a train approaching through that dense fog, lights on full blast and cutting through it all. When he could finally see the blond boy, the ice-cream and towel in his hands were the last thing on Rep's mind.

What's with this guy? No darkness in him at all? Rep suspected that he was probably a lot like Sora, or maybe Kairi if she'd been born male, and that made Rep initially want the other boy to just go away

[wayward_faith]

"Right... It matters more what we do with it than how we got the power." His Keyblade vanishes in a flash of light the moment Rep dismissed his; he wasn't going to attack, right?

And the ice cream wasn't important. After all, how the other was doing was more important. And with that tone it was definitely something to make him worried.

"Hey..." Ven began, but hesitated. Was it really his place to try and be what Terra and Aqua were to him for this guy? Eh, who cared; he was too kindhearted not to try, at least. "I have to pick up a few things, but... how about we meet back here in an hour? I could show you around so you don't get lost. I mean, this is a pretty big city for it being in a bubble under the sea."

[boundbynaught]

Rep paused mid-stride when he heard Ven speak again. That tone of voice and general helpfulness... it really did remind him a lot of Sora. He didn't decide right then and there that he'd come back to the fountain in an hour. However, he did turn his head a little, the only acknowledgment that Ven would get that Rep heard him. Then, he kept on walking away, a barely-there smile on his face.

[wayward_faith]

...Mission complete.

He smiled a bit too, giving a faint nod at that slight head turn before he turned to walk the other way--right to the paint shop. Whether or not Rep would be back or not in an hours' time didn't matter; he'd be waiting regardless.
________

Actually, he was a few minutes early. He'd actually managed to carry all those groceries to his apartment and put them away with a considerate local's help. Apparently she'd been one of those he'd helped save during the ghost-pirate invasion. Go figure, right? Either way, he's messing around with some strange game while he waits. Might as well try to level up a few of his Fire spells while he was at it.

[boundbynaught]

Wonders never cease - Rep showed up. After interacting with more people, from the kind-hearted like Naminé to the goofy like Lea and Tsuzuki to the frustrating like Ritsuka and Joshua... it became quite apparent to Rep that his interactions with Ven had been the ones he preferred. Though he didn't think it consciously, they were the most casual, the least annoying, and even hinted at a mutual understanding - that wasn't blanket sympathy, but rather real empathy.

Ven let him go, and was there at the fountain just as he'd said he would be. It was a start to Rep being able to trust the other boy, that was for sure.

As Rep approached, he wore a fairly neutral expression. When he got there, he said exactly what was on his mind: "I didn't think you'd show."

[wayward_faith]

A wonder, indeed. Ven was beginning to wonder if he'd come back out here for nothing and with Axel's warning about Ansem and Xemnas, staying out in the open put his safety at risk with his current condition. Not like it was back home, but still.

Ven looked up from his Command Board game, giving Rep a faint smile as he approached. "Well, I said I'd be here to give you the grand tour, didn't I?"

He was a man of his word, or at least tried to be.

1/2

[boundbynaught]

"I know you said that," he admitted, "still didn't expect you to show." It's the most honest - and calm - he'd sounded all that day. Naminé tended to have that effect on him.

He debated for a moment, then stretched out a hand to see how damp his outfit remained after the hour of walking around. Unfortunately, it was indeed still moist enough to bother him if he was going to end up walking some more. He was starting to regain his energy, and he was generally very fit, so his feet weren't tired; it was just the discomfort of wet clothes.

2/2

[boundbynaught]

So he closed his eyes for a moment, and threads of darkness closed up around him. With a brief pulse of energy, they were gone again, and the boy was now standing in the signature yellow shirt and blue pants that Riku had worn while assisting Maleficent.

Rep gave a small smirk, then crossed his arms over his chest - waiting.

1/2

[wayward_faith]

"Well, Master always taught me to be honest..." He rubbed the back of his neck, smiling a bit easier even though his last memories of the one he had considered his father... well, it was something he'd rather not talk about.

Though, Ventus blinked at the burst of dark energy before it was suddenly gone. Whoa--!

2/2

[wayward_faith]

...Okay, despite the crazy looking baggy pants, that was pretty cool! N-not like he was able to judge about baggy pants. After all, his were kinda funny though at least they didn't seem to be a pleated skirt like someone's...

He grinned a bit, nodding. "Okay, onto the tour, then!" He motioned for Rep to follow, thinking of where to lead him first. "So... did anyone else tell you much about this place?"

[boundbynaught]

"A little, but you might want to start at the top. You may be honest, but not everyone is." Rep knew that firsthand. "One guy up and started calling me... Raravis, of all things, instead of Riku." He didn't sound particularly thrilled with the name, but not pissed off about it either. "And I found out he's here..." That was said with a grumble. "But at least Naminé is too."

[wayward_faith]

He too knew it firsthand. Damn you, Xehanort. "...Raravis?" Ven actually chuckled at that. "You know... I forget if that means either 'rarity' or something to do with birds." ...Wait, Riku? Well, that explained a few things. Though whatever memory he had of the guy was...fuzzy to say the least. Thank you, week-long zombie mode. "Guess there really is a positive and negative side to everything

[boundbynaught]

Rep wasn't sure in what context Ven meant that remark; he looked a little intense as he tried to figure it out, but didn't say anything. He just listened to what Ven had to say - some of it was repeated information, but not much. Different things mattered more to different people, as Rep was discovering.

As Ven mentioned the fairies, Rep looked up and noticed his for the first time. It'd been practically invisible, he was so unfocused on his immediate area for the past hour. And he only spared a glance to it, then went right back to Ven.

"What's so special about some coral?"

[wayward_faith]

It wasn't anything negative, just... something he thought one of his friends would do. And since this was a tour, of course he'd give more information on the city as well.

"...Didn't you notice? It glows." And here he showed he has at least a slight case of ADD. He chuckled a bit. "Actually, the locals refer to it as the Lamufao; I think its their god? Either way, it also powers the barrier and is like a recharge battery for us foreigners. And I don't suggest attacking it; the locals get pretty mad when you do."

Not like he tried it, but still!

[boundbynaught]

"I won't have to unless it attacks me first," Rep answered and it wasn't obvious whether he was kidding or not. 'God' or not, he didn't plan to let anything walk all over him. "Then it won't matter how weakened I feel." After fighting with every ounce of your strength, you learned just how much you could accomplish even while utterly exhausted.

"And the marks?" He wasn't automatically assuming they were permanent or ugly or anything of consequence at all.

/ohgod so late. ;A;

[wayward_faith]

Unless it--

...Well, guess he's find out about the... yeah. Good luck with that, Rep. "...We'll see when you can't move at all." It was said as though it was more of a fact than a possibility, possibly from personal experience. "They don't come off." Might as well say it, before Rep tried to remove it, wherever it was.

"And... one more thing you should know. At least once a month, something a bit crazy happens."