Now for a healthy helping of PARADOX

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

[clang, clang! It's a sound that echoes throughout one of the halls of the dressing room.

There's an older Riku there, about thirty, fighting off some heartless. For someone so old he's not too shabby, but he still looks pretty exhausted.

And dirty.

But he continues to fight nonetheless.]

Comments

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

[here, Riku, have some help fighting them. c:]

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

[o hay. Help is always good.

Fortunately these buggers seem pretty weak...almost too weak, come to think of it.]

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

[she's used to that by now. just finishing off the last of them with a Firaga.]

You okay?

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

[give him a second here-- and boop. Keyblade gone. No need for a weapon right now.]

Yeah. Nothing a few potions won't heal.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

Still. Can't hurt to be careful.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

--Heh. I knew you'd say that.

[Just going to lean against a wall now. Exhaustion is the price for taking on so many heartless alone.]

Looks pretty clear... almost too clear, actually. Am I missing something?

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

We're in the past. Fifteen years back...

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

The--

[...which sounds oddly familiar. Oh, time paradoxes.

Pardon him if he's a bit frustrated now.]

...Great.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

[fff, hugs him.]

At least there aren't as many Heartless.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

[hugs back, but that doesn't change the look on his face, fff]

And who's going to take care of them if we're both here? It's not the heartless I'm worried about.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

[must you bring up what she was trying not to think about.]

There are people who won't mind taking care of them.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

[it's not his fault. >: Okay, maybe it is, but it's a valid point.]

You've got a point. Still, this isn't what I had in mind, even if it means less heartless to worry about.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

[sighs.]

Yeah. Maybe we'll get lucky and they'll show up here too.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Yeah, maybe is right.

[grumpy? Who's grumpy?]

What are we supposed to do until then?

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

[thinking.]

Trying to change the future would probably be a bad idea, huh?

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

It's probably not worth the risk. Who knows what could happen?

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

Yeah.

[leans against him a bit, careful not to hurt him.]

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

[aw. c: He doesn't mind. In fact, he pulls her closer, pulling a potion out with his free hand]

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

I missed you.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

How long have you been here, Kairi?

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

A little more than four months.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Four months...

[and for him it was as though she never left. Crazy, time paradoxes.]

I had no idea.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

Must be because of the time travel. So maybe when we get back to the future, it'll be like we never left at all.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Probably. I never really thought about time travel... Funny how things happen, isn't it?

[shrugs, then takes some of the potion]

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

You'd think by now we'd be used to weird things happening.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Fifteen years is a long time.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

Just a little.

[teasing? what teasing?]

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

I still remember running into you... Was it really four months ago?

[he only vaguely remembers it himself, after all]

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

I think so. That was right when I got here.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Well...

[and there goes the last of the potion]

Sorry I kept you waiting.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

It's not like it's your fault.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Still, I remember how this place was-- is, technically. Heartless or not, it sounds like a pain more than anything.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

Nothing we can't handle, right?

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Yeah. We already did once, after all.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

At least we know what to expect now.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

--Only if people don't go changing anything. That might complicate things a bit.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

There are a few other people here from our time... I don't think anyone'd try to change anything, though.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

I don't know, Kairi. I'm sure there's at least someone who might try.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

...Yeah, most likely.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

I guess if anyone tries something stupid I'll just have to knock some sense into them.

[ugh, pushing away from the wall]

But that can wait...

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

Sounds like a plan.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Have you found a room yet?

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

No, Riku, I've been crashing on couches for the last four months.

[laughs.]

Of course I did. Come on, it's this way.

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

Just making sure.

[tsk, tsk]

Lead the way.

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

I think you'd be more likely to do that than I would.

[leads!]

[anoldku.livejournal.com]

And risk losing my heart? C'mon, you know me better than that.

[and follows, of course]

[oceansshore.livejournal.com]

Okay, true.

[pushes a door open.]

Home away from home...sort of.