stilldontgotit | 36 - voice/action;

[Today, those wandering through the village might spot this young man wandering around. Not aimlessly, mind you; he recognizes just about everything. How could he not after spending 'years' in Luceti? However, he's taking note of his surroundings. Snow, passersby who look remarkably younger than they usually do.

Oh yeah. Riku's already catching on to what's happening around him. When he opens up his journal and skims through the entries, his suspicions are confirmed, and he opens up to a blank page and starts to speak.

His voice should sound pretty familiar. A bit older, but distinctly Riku's.]

Alright. Let me guess, this is just another experiment. There are a lot of things I could ask right now, but I'll keep things simple.

Just what year is it right now?

[With that taken care of, he closes the journal and continues his search. His old house has to be somewhere close by; it's just a matter of remembering where it was. But for those who spot him, they might notice the ring on his finger. Yup, he's a married man.]

[ooc: I was enabled! Like with Xion, if you guys could comment here, that'd be snazzy. Comments will be made with

dawnsend.]

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Not too long. [ props her chin on his chest and headtilts. ] About two days.

[ rather abruptly, her expression folds into concern. ] ... Riku, we're ten years in the past. I don't know how, but... this is the fourth cycle year.

[He nods. That much was pretty obvious, given how everyone looks distinctly younger.]

I figured as much. Something seemed off about the village, not to mention the journals.

[ somewhat reluctantly, she does finally get off of him, standing up and offering him a hand. ]

I'm just a little worried... I haven't told Axel and Roxas yet about ... well. [ smiles a little, crooked and uncertain. ] ... dad knows, and he's okay with it, so there's at least that.

Something tells me they won't be happy about it.

[He'll get back up as well, tucking his hands in his pockets.]

But I don't think it matters. Even if it bothers them, you're happy. The least they could do is accept that.

[But he remembers how stubborn Roxas was. 8/]

[ she watches his expression for a moment, eyebrows drawing up, then looks away. ]

... you know they've gotten better in the last few years, Riku, don't be too hard on them. It's just... all this time in the past... I can't remember exactly how things were between us, but I think they still weren't that good. Axel and Roxas were just trying to look out for me...

[ she sighs. ] Still, even if it bothers them... I'm not going to be ashamed of it or back down. [ she reaches out to cup his cheek in her hand, expression determined. ] I love you. We'll figure this out.

[Sigh. He knows she's right, but he's still a bit tense, if only because he doesn't want to take chances while he's in the past.]

They've gotten better, and I know they're looking out for you. That doesn't change the fact that Roxas used to be pretty stubborn.

Maybe Axel won't mind, but we might have to be careful about this.

[He'll brush back some her hair, shaking his head.]

I love you too. Let's just take our time, okay? Just seeing us like this might throw them off.

Just Roxas? [ with a hint of a smile. ] But I know. I'm going to have to confront him about it eventually.

[ her smile warms at that, and she leans up to kiss him, soft but quick, before stepping back and taking his hand. ]

I know. But we'll be okay. [ gives his hand a squeeze. ] ... we're in house 14, by the way. Remember that place? It feels like so long ago... but it's really familiar at the same time.

Yeah, I remember.

[Well, he'll squeeze her hand back.]

I guess we should head over there. Better to get this over with than to worry them.

[ her expression falls slightly, and she chews her lip. ]

... Riku ... I want to tell Roxas on my own. If that's okay. I just... he won't take it well, and it might be worse if you're there. I'm really sorry, but... [ frets. she doesn't want to leave Riku out, but at the same time... ]

[Hm. He'd rather be there too, but... sigh. He nods.]

You've got a point. He's less likely to freak out if you tell him.

[Does he look happy? Nope, but he won't put up a fight.]

The only thing I'm worried about is what he'll do once he does find out. If people don't like the future, they might try and change things.

[Though, as it stands, their 'normal' selves aren't even around.]