(no subject)

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[It's not a bad day out, Xeha's thinking, as he ambles through the Radiant Garden district with a cup of spiced hot chocolate in his hands and a couple of rolls of wrapping paper under one arm. Hopefully that'll be enough: he went a bit crazy with the present collection, but better safe than sorry!

Suddenly, though, he slips. The chocolate goes flying, melting a nicely scented puddle in a patch of snow. It wasn't that the ground was icy, either...

He stares up, dazed, in no hurry to move. It's like he's walked into a brick wall, and his head's spinning. Disconnected. He knows what he's seeing, but at the same time, it's all wrong... There's no Radiant Garden. But this isn't. He wasn't here before, but he was. But it looks like... but everything's changed.

A whole chunk of memories. A whole slice of a life he'd lived elsewhere. New experiences, new worlds, new sights, new perspectives.

How's that for an early Christmas present?]

((A quick note! Subject lines contain references to the latest Jump Festa trailer; if you're really trying to keep unspoiled for 3D it may be wise to stay clear. If trailers count as spoilers. I don't know. Sorry about that!))

Comments

[rainxfallen.livejournal.com]

[Oh dear, that was quite a fall.

Aqua runs over as quickly as she can and crouches next to him.]

Xeha, are you okay?

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[It takes him a moment to even register someone's talking to him. Part of his mind's embarrassed. Part of it wishes he had her present to give her.
And part of it's going who is this yellow-eyed person I just had enough to deal with...

Brain rushing, he manages to stammer out-]

... A- Aqua?

[Yes. That's her name. He knows her. So where are those strange thoughts coming from?]

[rainxfallen.livejournal.com]

[She noticing that he seems confused, and is worried that he might have hit his head too hard. She frowns and takes a better look at his own eyes, checking the pupil sizes. A concussion would not be welcome.]

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[His eyes are rather glazed over, but there's no other sign of damage. Visibly at least.]

What's going on? Wh- where am I?... I shouldn't be here! Is this real? No, you are real, aren't you?

[rainxfallen.livejournal.com]

[...So much frowny face is happening here :C]

Of course I'm real..And I'm also worried. How do you feel? That was a nasty fall..

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[Managing to calm his whirling nerves enough to speak-]

Don't know. It feels like - something's wrong, I wasn't here a second ago but I must have been? I was ... I was home, Aqua!

[And she's not. There's no Aqua there that he's ever met. It's helping him anchor on reality just seeing her.]

[rainxfallen.livejournal.com]

[8C She seriously has no idea what's going on here, but she's not going to leave him until she knows he's alright.

But first, it'd probably be a good idea to get out of the snow. Don't want him catching a cold on top of whatever's happening now.]

..Well, you're not there now. You're lying in the snow. So come on, let's get you someplace warm. Then we can figure out what's happening, okay?

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[It takes him a moment, and-]

... Mmm. Okay.

[Alright, moving arms and legs. He thinks he can do that much. ... ow.]

[rainxfallen.livejournal.com]

[She's right here to help when needed.]

Just try sitting up first. Then you can try standing.

[Whatever's happened, if it's messing with him this badly then she's definitely worried.]

[skybright]

Xeha! You okay?

[someone's jogging up, having seen him fall. she looks and sounds concerned, and will even throw a Cure over him once she's closer.]

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

S-Sora?!

[He sounds rather shocked, his head spinning. No, he sent Sora to sleep, but this is, it's his Sora not his Sora, he's not there, he didn't just, it was him not her he beat...

All the same, his reaction's a bit twitchy, confused, and he scrambles and scoots back a bit. While that Cure took the pain out of his system, it hasn't descrambled his head.]

[skybright]

[she looks confused, and maybe a little hurt by the reaction, but stays where she is instead of coming any closer.]

Yeah?

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[And as he realises ... he lets out a sigh. No. He's being as bad as anyone who ever jumped on him for his face. It's just - it feels so fresh, so...]

I'm. I'm sorry.

[Swallow.]

[skybright]

It's okay.

[and just like that she doesn't look hurt anymore! apology accepted and all that.]

What happened?

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[Heh. He gives a weak smile.]

I - I was at home, it feels like I was just in my world, fighting [pause] - doing what I had to do - but I can't have been...

[skybright]

Why not?

[sure, he didn't actually leave, but stranger things have happened.]

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

It makes no sense! How can I have been here and there and living both lives at once? I didn't even go anywhere! [He's sitting up, now.]

[youstillneedme.livejournal.com]

[Xeha's not the only one, it seems, because after a moment Braig drops out of the sky, trailing darkness as he comes, before landing facedown in a snowdrift.]

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[Did Xeha just hear a thing? He thought he just heard a thing. Groaning slightly, he pushes himself - if not to his feet, then up enough to see what's going on.]

Br- Braig? Is that you?

[youstillneedme.livejournal.com]

[The first answer is muffled by the snow. But at least he's heard, and after a moment or three Braig manages to roll over.]

Mostly. Did you get the number of that gummi ship?

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[Despite his own confusion, he lets out a huge sigh of relief. And then an 'owch'.] You're here! We made it! I was so worried after...

[After the end. After the Door.]

[youstillneedme.livejournal.com]

[Braig attempts to laugh in response, but it comes out more like a breathy wheeze.]

Yeah. Got it closed an' everything.

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[But he's here now and that is so good, it's just brilliant to hear...]

... what was it like? The - other side?

[youstillneedme.livejournal.com]

Dark and cold, mostly. Pretty much mind-numbing boredom interspersed with moments of terror.


Oh, and lots of Heartless.

[lower-case-x.livejournal.com]

[He cringes a bit on hearing that.]

...sorry.