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 Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 6:44 pm
Dining Table
Having finished his breakfast after probably wiping out a good quarter of the food on the table - he wasn't sure if it was still a quarter now, because the maids kept replenishing the food - Sora stood up and wiped at his mouth with a napkin with all the grace of a young gentleman. (Well actually, it was more like he finally remembered his manners - but that is not important)
With a nod at Elizabeth and Will, who essentially, were the ones hosting them, Sora thanked them with a bright smile and stated that if it was okay with them, he wanted to take a little nap now. Come to think of it, he didn't know exactly where to start looking for Riku, but as per his earlier promise to his lover, he was going to search world after world to find him, and with the worlds that opened up, the most complicated thing would be to try to decide which world to hit first.
Surely there was a link to Riku in one of those worlds!
With a bright smile at his friends - Roxas and Namine were going to The World That Never Was, which unsettled him alot, but optimism still sprang eternal in the dismal hope that it was not some kind of trap - Sora nodded to Kairi and said his goodbyes to Roxas and Namine.
Goodbyes meaning, "I'll see you guys real soon, okay? Roxas, you better not let any of the Heartless kick your a**." The latter part of his sentence was Sora's trademark challenging tone that came complete with a matching grin and twinkling blue eyesbatteries not included.
Silently hoping that nothing evil would befall his brother and Namine and the rest of the Nobodies, Sora turned to head back up the steps. No one needed to see his worry; not really. It wouldn't do any good to them, anyway.
~~
“What about that Lucrecia chick? Vin’s going to want her to come along so we might as well pick her up. We could send a transmission to Rufus with the idea, yo.”
Good point. Giving Reno's former question a nonverbal affirmative, he settled almost elegantly into the plush leather seat - even in turmoil, ShinRa Inc prided itself on possessing the finest, always - he thought about the latter question a little before speaking.
"We only have space for one more. Elena's aircraft would have to pick both Vincent and Lucrecia up, then." So yes, they would be going to the Beast's Castle, and even though Tseng's and Vincent's earlier argument over the scientist woman had settled, the Wutaian man was not about to become her very best friend just yet - if not ever.
Essentially, the woman was the cause of Vincent's downfall, and facts were facts, and so Tseng was more or less content to leave it at that. He could tolerate her, for his old superior's sake, but anything beyond that was asking for a little bit too much.
That, and the fact that Marina was going to be on this aircraft lightened his mood just a tiny bit. She had an inimitable knack for distracting a person from their thoughts - or maybe it was just him - and vehement denials to the contrary aside, he was actually looking forward to seeing her again.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 6:58 pm
Dining Area
Namine watched -- mouth closed, eyes a little wide as if pins were holding up the lids -- as Sora disappeared up the steps and she turned her face down at back at her food as if willing the rest of it to disappear. She didn't have much of an appetite, though she wasn't sure why. Her chest had been feeling hollow which she attributed to the uneasy thought that she was being not only a burden to her friends, but undeserving as well.
What had that boy meant about ruining other people's lives? She wasn't quite sure herself. But it hurt. A lot.
Lifting one last slice of meat from her plate, she gnawed at it until it slid down her throat easily, possible to settled in what she imagined would be the flat plane of her stomach. "All done," she spoke softly and set her utensils together at the center of her plate, perfectly aligned from top to bottom.
She nodded to both her hosts and then to Kairi and Roxas, and stood from her chair. what she was going to do now, she wasn't sure. But maybe standing upstairs and watching the outside world go by from a window would make her feel much better.
It was odd. Windows were nothing more than glass and railings, depending on their design, but the distinctions between outside and inside -- "locked in" and "looking out" or "locked out" and "looking in", made the thin barrier seem so ominous. "I'll be upstairs." She murmured and ducked uot the room, her head slightly bowed.
Yes. Standing by one of the windows in the upper floors would make her feel better. She could think. And then maybe she could ask Miss Elizabeth for a piece of paper and something to write with. She had unnatural urge to sketch even though she wasn't quite sure why.
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 9:49 pm
Near the stairs
Stifling a yawn even as he moved to head upstairs, Sora paused as he heard the soft footfalls of dainty feet - it was too light to be a guy's, and if it was Kairi--
Hm, not Kairi.
Namine.
Her head was bowed slightly, and Sora frowned. Did anyone make her unhappy? As a personal rule, he hated seeing anyone upset Kairi, and since Namine had been a part of her, that particular courtesy had been unconsciously extended to her as well.
Pausing at the foot of the stairs, Sora regarded her with a faint, frank curiosity and a strange lingering sense of familiarity - as if he knew her before it was discovered that she was Kairi's Nobody... - and asked quietly. "Hey Namine, you okay?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 2:41 pm
Elizabeth was seated at the table with Will. He'd been gone all morning and arrived later than usual. She tapped her foot under the table after finishing her meal. Elizabeth wasn't in the best of moods. She received no sleep, and her little facade of a cheerful morning had fooled everyone, but she doubted it had fooled Will.
It was awakward as Will and her just that there in total silence. No one dared speak, no one dared make a move. Any slight evidence that conversation existed was gone. Elizabeth clenched her fingers together before raising an arm and tapping him on the shoulder.
"Mr. Turner could I speak to you...in private?" Elizabeth stood up and motioned him toward the parlor.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:36 pm
Dining Area--Parlor
Oh no...
Will felt his stomach sink at Elizabeth's words. He was a dead man. The gallows were looking more appealing then going into that other room to talk to her.
But he knew he had too, slowly he pushed back the chair and lifted himself up. Swallowing hard, past the newly formed lump in his throat; as he walked off to meet her in the parlor.
"Y-Yes, Elizabeth?" he said, sounding as meek as he felt.
Dining Area--Near Stairs
After talking to Seifer online, Kairi decided she would head to Balamb soon. Pulling the card out of her pocket, she nodded and smiled at Namine when she entered...only to have her quickly exit.
Kairi shrugged, figuring her nobody must still be tired. She wasn't going to bother her if she wanted to be left alone. The princess then got up and followed Sora, feeling she had to tell him she was leaving.
"Hey, Sora...I'm going to head to Balamb soon...that ok?" she smiled, "We'll meet up again somewhere...Right?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 6:54 pm
Copter
So they were picking up Vincent and uh...Lu...something, now? Well...alright.
Elena opened the door and stepped into the copter, reaching over to open the door on the other end for her boss. She wasn't overly happy at the idea of going to the pride lands...much less picking up the former Turk. He kind of scared her, but...he did help Tseng and her in the past. So she really couldn't complain.
Alright, so it would be two stops: Pride lands and Beast's Castle. The rookie ran through her orders in her head as she waited for Rufus to enter the copter. The last thing she wanted to do was mess them up somehow.
"We can take off whenever you're ready." she smiled a bit towards Rufus. She'd let Tseng and Reno take off first though, they were just picking up Marina. It would be easy for them to get her first then follow her and Rufus.
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Posted: Tue Oct 17, 2006 7:39 pm
Near the Stairs, Outside the Dining Area
“Namine?” Roxas looked up at his plate. The food was incredibly good and Elizabeth really seemed to know how to cook. He hadn’t eaten too much but was satisfied for the time being. Setting his silverware down quietly, Roxas stood from his seat and walked to Will and Elizabeth. This was the last time he would see them… at least for a very long time… if everything went right.
“Thank you for the meal and your hospitality. It was nice to meet you myself and I hope to see you again.” With a slight nod, the boy sprinted off in the same direction Sora and Namine had wandered. He didn’t want Will and Elizabeth to notice the sorrow on his face. They were too good of friends to lay his burdens on.
And he truly hoped that heading to the World That Never Was was a good idea.
Xeryim had basically threatened Sora to stay away and even went to Roxas to help. He only wanted the Organization XIII there. But why? What “of interest” could be there?
Soon enough, however, Roxas caught up to Namine and Sora. Once again, his hand strayed to the card that resided within his pocket. He stood by Namine and looked at the ground. She was never on the network much and luckily hadn’t dealt with the Heartless and Xeryim much. He would have to protect her in the World That Never Was more than ever.
And he was leaving his brother behind.
“Sora… I think we have to go…”
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 5:26 am
Stairs
It seemed like everyone around him was leaving lately, moving off to live their own lives and to walk their own paths, and despite himself, Sora felt a strange sense of loneliness that was different from before. This time, it wasn't that they were kidnapped or anything; they were going of their own free will, and the boy didn't quite know what to do, or what to feel, really.
"Hey, Sora...I'm going to head to Balamb soon...that ok? We'll meet up again somewhere...Right?"
Even Kairi was leaving to meet Seifer, and Sora didn't blame her in the least; he was happy for her, that she had found someone who could give her what Sora had realized he couldn't, but even then, it didn't mean that he would not be sad that his dearest childhood friend was leaving, too.
They had essentially grown up together, he, Riku, and Kairi who came a little later, and now...
Even Roxas, his other half, his brother was leaving.
"Y-yeah, it's okay." Sora mustered a warm smile - a smile he normally saved just for her. "Be careful, okay, Kairi?"
“Sora… I think we have to go…”
It seemed too fast, though. Sora had expected Roxas to leave a little later, probably, and that now probably wasn't a good time. But then again, when, exactly, would be a good time?
"Okay," Sora nodded, turning to a face that looked exactly like his own. It was like looking into a mirror sometimes...
...If he actually dyed his hair blonde and decided to re-style the unruly mess of hair he had, that was.
Giving Roxas a broad smile, Sora nodded, a hand on the banister of the stairs. "You be careful too! And tell me if you find Riku, okay?"
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Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 3:50 pm
Namine's head jerked up. She had just been considering ehr response to Sora when Roxas had appeared beside her and had said something about leaving. "Go?" She searched Roxas' face, not caring to hide the fact that her eyes were wider than they should have been, or that her voice all but hitched on the single syllable.
Her fingers curled around Roxas' wrist possibly a tad bit tighter than she normally would have liked. "What do you mean you have to..." she glanced to Sora and then back to Roxas, and then to Kairi. Nevermind the boys, maybe Kairi could explain this. There was of course, the possibility that this had been mentioned while she wasn't paying attention -- she'd had a lot on her mind lately. Well... not really a lot. Just that one phrase that echoed over and over in her head.
Ruined other peoples' lives...
"What does he mean Kairi?"
She swallowed. It didn't make her feel better.
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Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 4:00 am
Nearby Stairs
Roxas couldn’t force himself to pull his gaze upward. As much as he hated the fact, he was deserting Sora. If anyone needed to be with someone important, especially at a time like this, it was him. Kairi was going to leave with Seifer… He was leaving with Namine… Riku was still in Kingdom Hearts… and Sora was all alone. Utter guilt and self-loathing was all Roxas could feel. But he had to do this. He had to go to the World That Never Was. He’d have to receive Xeryim’s challenge with head high and determination.
“I…” Roxas paused, rethinking. “Maybe… you could take Will and Elizabeth with you, wherever you go. I think they’d really like to see other worlds too. No one wants to travel alone anyway…”
Finally, Roxas pulled out the card. It was blank and resembled the cards the Organization XIII had given Sora in Castle Oblivion. Oh, how he hoped it truly had to power to transport them to other worlds.
“Namine,” he said, staring down at the card. “I’ll explain every single thing when we get there. Just trust me, okay?”
The boy then looked up, grinning as wide and earnestly as he possibly could. “See you Sora! Bye Kairi!”
With that, Roxas took Namine by the hand, fingers entwined, and squeezed hard. He raised the card high above their heads and with an instant, they were gone.
((Noeyyyy~))
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Posted: Sat Oct 21, 2006 6:12 pm
Watching quietly as Roxas and Namine disappeared, Sora silently wished them well, and -once again - hoped that nothing truly bad would befall them once they were in The World That Never Was.
“Maybe… you could take Will and Elizabeth with you, wherever you go. I think they’d really like to see other worlds too. No one wants to travel alone anyway…”
Roxas had said that, and Sora mused at that for a moment, wondering if he really should ask them to come along with him. But....they were getting married and all soon, right? Dragging them along on what was most likely a dangerous mission made him feel a little guilty - and as apt as they were at fighting and defending themselves, they were not Donald, or Goofy...
But even then...maybe he should ask them if they wanted to go, too?
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 9:08 am
Before Kairi could answer Namine, she had left with Roxas. She frowned slightly; she really wished she could talk to her nobody more. Like Sora and Roxas. Well, there was always later. She knew she would see the two again.
Right now, though…she looked at the card to Balamb. After talking to Seifer again, she wanted to get there even faster. Kairi turned to Sora, she didn’t want to leave him alone…she was the one who said they would all stick together this time.
But that was before…
Shaking her head, she went over to the keyblade bearer. Kairi wanted to give him her charm again, as a promise that they would all meet up…but Seifer had that now. She felt like he needed it a bit more. The princess took Sora’s hand; a fake smile masked the sadness.
“We’ll see each other again soon, ok, Sora? And then we’ll go get Riku!” she looked down a bit, “So…don’t be sad. We’ll get him back. We can meet up in Balamb a little later if you want.”
Slowly letting her hand slip from his she smiled, “Don’t worry…everything will work out.” With that, she closed her eyes and focused on the card, disappearing in a flash of light.
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Posted: Sun Oct 22, 2006 7:51 pm
Kairi sure liked to smile, Sora thought even as she took his hand. Her own felt small and warm in his grip, so much unlike Riku's, whose grip was stronger, firmer.
She likes smiling, even when there's nothing to smile about, Sora thought faintly even as he returned her smile, false as it was. He had grown up with her, had known her well enough to know when she was sad without even needing to look at her expressions.
Barely managing to squeeze her hand briefly before it slipped from his grasp, the Keyblade Master had a strange, sinking sensation that she was saying goodbye in so many more ways than one.
Kairi was growing up, getting older and slowly walking away, just like they all were. And just like - he supposed - life meant them to be. Surely he didn't expect both her and Riku to be by his side constantly, like when they had been children?
Perhaps... that was what Sora had been fighting for for the past two years, right? For the chance for them to be back on the islands together again, to live the good old days of their childhood before all three of them had been forced to go through things no child had to go through...
Maybe that was the nature of change; things never went back the way they were whenever change struck, no matter how much one tried.
“We’ll see each other again soon, ok, Sora? And then we’ll go get Riku! So…don’t be sad. We’ll get him back. We can meet up in Balamb a little later if you want.”
His words were caught in his throat as he watched her focus on the card, not knowing what to tell her. Was the word goodbye that difficult to say?
"See you, Kairi." Sora murmured even as he moved away from the stairs and back to the dining room, knocking a little before entering and hoping that he didn't disrupt anything.
"Will?" He ventured almost shyly. "Elizabeth?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 24, 2006 6:56 pm
Elizabeth turned her face away from Will's. Sora was standing there, ready to speak to them. She'd just gotten finished reprimanding Will for returning so late. Ever since Barbossa, you never know what could happen. She sounded like an old married woman interrogating her husband after a night of drinking. Elizabeth grinned, the smile barely noticeable by the others around her.
The idea of her being married sounded odd and yet it sounded wonderful. She'd been Miss Turner once...perhaps Mrs. Turner wouldn't be so different. Elizabeth straightened her fingers and gripped Will's hand for the sake of comfort.
Finally, she concentrated her mind on Sora and what he needed from her.
"Yes Sora?" Elizabeth replied to him.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 7:10 pm
Stepping in, wondering how to say just what he was about to say, he hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Um, I just wanted to say thanks for the breakfast, and for letting us stay for the night." Gesturing behind him, he continued. "The others have already left for other worlds, and I was wondering...if you guys wanted to come along with me." Amending his words quickly, he added. "Not that I'm forcing you to, or anything..."
Was this a bad idea? He didn't know how dangerous the future would be, and while he didn't really care about that, Will and Elizabeth were about to get married, didn't they?
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