kingdomdressing | (no subject)

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riku

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[ Here's a Riku, about sixteen-seventeen years old, wearing casual clothes with a shockingly short haircut. Overall, doesn't stick out enough to approach. But she's asleep, dangling mid-air, slightly reclined, the Way to Dawn hanging from her grip. If anyone does approach her, they might get a surprise.]

[ooc: and then I canon updated. Riku's been missing from the DR since July 25th. There will probably be spoilers for KH3D as I'm pulling her post-game. (That's why she looks a little younger than she should - it won't last.)]

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[Weirder things have happened. She opens her eyes when she says her name, then jerks away from him, looking extremely confused.]

Axel?

[a smile cracks through his worried expression, and he moves to set her on her feet now that she's awake.]

Yeah. We've been really worried about you, you were gone so long.

[She stares at him a little more, not seeming to really understand what's going on, but then the realization lights up her face and she steps forward quickly to wrap her arms around his shoulders in a huge hug. Her Keyblade vanishes before that can happen, luckily.]

Axel.

[she squishes a noise of surprise out of him, but then he hugs her just as tightly, lifting her off her feet with it even more easily than usual. she's also getting a smooch on the cheek. P: if she looks at him, she may notice the gold settled low in his eyes; Hachibi's glad to see her back too, for his own reasons.]

Maybe you should leave more often, if this is the kind of greeting I get when you come back. Who's your colorful little bat buddy?

[She laughs quietly, pulling back enough to get a good look at him. The bat takes advantage of this and rubs itself against her cheek, and Riku moves one hand to pet it.]

A friend. I'll explain it later. I-- How long was I gone?

[he sobers again, looking sad.]

Almost a month.

[they've probably had Serein and the puppies at their house, presuming that Red wouldn't be up for taking care of them for that long.]

[She looks calmly surprised, and then sad herself, and she moves her hands to Axel's face. Whatever she's been gone doing, it's changed her.]

You have no idea how glad I am to see you.

[watch his eyebrows draw together in concern. this is so very unlike her, and it's weird, but not at all unwelcome.]

Riku...

[That makes her snort, and she drops her hands, shaking her head.]

I mean it. I... I went back. Back 'home'. Some... big things happened. Good and bad. I learned a lot. Forgot some things that were weighing me down, and remembered some things that I should never have forgotten.

[She presses a hand to her head, squinting at the memories still returning.]

Are you okay now? You look different, you know. Younger. And not just because of the hair, which I like, by the way.

[he touches her new, shorter hair, smiling a little again. she doesn't seem unhappy or injured, but he still wants to take her somewhere and fuss over her.]

Oh. Right. I'm twenty.

[She looks down at herself, amused, and then bats at his hand with one of hers.]

Thanks. I needed a change. When I went back I didn't remember a lot of this. Not completely. I remembered parts of it, don't worry. I couldn't forget about you guys.

You're making me feel old, especially today. I'm glad you remembered, though. And it seems like it all came back pretty quickly once you were here.

[your hair is getting ruffled now for that, miss.]

It still is-- Hey!

[She tries to duck away, batting at him with both hands now. But she's grinning. She's in remarkably good spirits, considering what happened.]

Y'wanna come back to the house with me? Kai'll be glad you're back, and I'm pretty sure Serein and the puppies will too.

[and Red will be thrilled, but that's kind of a given, I guess.]

Oh man. I don't know if I can handle puppies right now.

[She's not serious, but after all those Dream Eaters it's going to be tough getting used to normal animals again. She immediately looks to the bat, though, and holds an arm out for it. It lands on her upper arm and scoots its way up her shoulder while she watches.]

Yeah. You lead. Tell me what I missed. Did Red tell you guys what happened?

Yeah, he did. Sounded like the way you disappeared, maybe you wouldn't be coming back this time.

[he wants to pet the bat, but he's not sure if it would like that. he sticks his hands in his pockets and turns to lead the way to the house.]

I didn't think I was going to. It was so different from any other time I left. It felt... final.

[She scritches its ear, frowning and staring ahead of her at nothing in particular.]

I might go back when things are ready. I told you, some big things happened. The Organization's coming back, only not how you'd think. Xehanort's forming what might as well be an army, and the others... I don't know about all of them, but my Axel came back. Heart and all.

[She breathes out a laugh, correcting herself.]

Her name is Lea.

Wow. That must've been weird. I thought she died, basically, how'd she come back?

[he still only has a very tenuous grasp on some aspects of Nobodies/Heartless/etc. :( ]

I have no idea. I guess with their bodies gone they were able to form as whole people again.

[She shakes her head.]

I have a lot to tell you guys. But I also owe you an apology.

What? What for?

[he's the one who apologizes, gosh. he honestly can't fathom what it could be for.]

For ever holding a grudge against you because of who you are.

[She has a sort of weak, guilty smile. She's still not too great at apologies, but she can admit when she's wrong.]

And for every time I said you weren't like her, like that was a good thing. Twice now she's saved Sora when I couldn't, and this time she saved me too. Don't get me wrong, she's not my favorite person, and I shouldn't have treated you like that regardless.

[he goes a bit pink and ducks his head at that. it's close enough to a compliment to have that effect on him.]

That never really bothered me, it was pretty understandable. We all have our faults, anyway. There's nothing to apologize for, but thanks, I guess. I know you don't just hand those out like I do.

It doesn't matter if it bothered you. It shouldn't have happened to begin with, with you or any other Axel. Well, any other Axel that didn't act like an ass.

[She slows down, hands moving to her pockets]

A lot of things are clearer to me now. Way more than they were before.

[he stops walking entirely, turning to face her.]

You've changed a lot since I met you. Remember how standoffish you were with me when we first met? And now you're hugging me and coming over to ask for advice, all sorts of things. It made perfect sense, I showed up out of nowhere and was suddenly stealing a lot of Kai's time when he might otherwise have been hanging out with you, and you had a bad history with Axels. I'd say you had every right to feel like that.

[can he take her hand? he's going to, and smile a little, the gold brightening in his eyes for a moment.]

I'm glad things happened to change your views a little, though. I've been thinking you were a little too judgmental for anyone's good for years now.

[She stops when he does, surprised, and of course he can take her hand. She has no reason to stop him. As he talks, though, she goes from surprise to slight guilt and shame, and then calm again.]

Well, you were right about that. You're right about a lot of things I wouldn't want to admit.

[She smiles and puts her hand over his, looking down.]

Both of you.