stilldontgotit | 51 - voice/action;

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51 - voice/action;

[After two years, Riku thought that maybe things would turn out all right. Most people who disappear leave in a flash. A month, maybe three. When he woke up in the morning, he expected everything to fall back into its usual routine.

There's just one problem: his apartment's half-empty. At first he thought the absence of Ino was because she'd woken up earlier, maybe decided to do some training. She had a test coming up, after all, but as Riku zips through the apartment, he finds all her belongings have gone amiss.

Stunned silence overtakes him. It's about a half hour later that he addresses the journals.]

Ino's gone. I know she had a lot of friends from back home, so... just thought I'd let you know.

[His voice is strangely subdued, soft and weak. For a moment, he thinks about ending it there, but another thought creeps into his mind.]

How do you guys even handle it? I know some of you have gotten married here or plan to, but don't you realize it could end in a heartbeat? Luceti's just so unpredictable. When you're with someone it's bad enough, but to take the next big step in a place this unstable... I swear I'm not trying to bring anyone down. I just don't understand.

[...]

I'll be out by the lake if anyone needs me.

[With that, he snaps his journal shut, venturing out into the woods with his Komory Bat fluttering close behind. His destination is simple: the larger of Luceti's two lakes. Why there? Well, it has everything to do with a raft he's been keeping for the past five years. One of his first accomplishments.

He's had to replace pieces of it more times than he can count, and the sail's a bit tattered now, but anyone in the area may spot him leaning back against the mast and flicking stones into the water.

His bat perches on his shoulder, and he lets out an airy chuckle.]

Hey, relax. I'll sort this out. Just need a little time...

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[Mickey has no idea of the measure of this relationship, but this is important to Riku, so this is important to him. And that's why he shows up at the lake, calmly walking up to Riku's side.]

Nice throw.

... it's exactly why we chose to do it. Because Luceti is like that. [Getting married that is.] We found that we'd regret it more if we didn't go through with it, than if we decided to hold off because of this place's whims.

[It takes a second for Riku to realize he's got company, but the chittering of his Dream Eater rips him out of his daze, and when he looks over his shoulder, he's got a tired sort of smile on his face.]

I should've known you'd find me here. You always had a habit of popping up when I'm at my lowest point.

[And given the circumstances, he's certainly not complaining. Truth is, any company's good company right now, and a friend? Even better.]

I've got a lil' Riku antenna in my head. Lets me know whenever yer down.

[He smiles a little, trying to lighten the mood a little. He picks up a pebble, tossing it up and down, and he'll probably skip it across the lake at some point.]

[Hmm, that's an interesting way to look at it. So they didn't want to deal with regrets, huh?

Riku chuckles. Ah, if only he could look at it that way, but there's a giant roadblock in his path that keeps him from such an outlook.]

But still, doesn't it worry you that one of you could disappear someday? Or worse, disappear and come back as a blank slate without any memory of your experiences.

Not saying you made the wrong choice or anything. Truth is, I think it's brave that you guys went through with it, it's just... this is painful enough. I don't know if I'd be able to take it.

Edited (wanted to reword a little bit) 2014-04-30 00:29 (UTC)

[Heh. That's a funny thought. Throw an antenna on Mickey's head, and he'd almost look like an alien.

While Mickey tosses his pebble up and down, Riku scoops up another stone to fling across the water.]

Well, to tell you the truth, I'm glad you found me, Mickey. Good to know I've still got a couple friends around. Especially after today.

[he nods, glancing at Riku carefully.]

... Never easy when a friend has ta leave. It's even worse when ya don't get a chance ta say goodbye.

Yep, but that's Luceti for you. Sometimes people manage to leave letters behind, but most of the time, they're just gone.

[And with that, he gives a stone a particularly hard through. Rather than skip across the surface, the rock sinks.

Ah well.]

I'll deal. I have before. It's just tough going through it again and again, and it's even worse when the person who leaves isn't just a friend.

... But that's also good, in a way. That ya didn't get used to it.

No one should ever just 'accept' those kinda things. As long as you feel that kinda pain, it's guarantee yer gunna heal. It shows how much ya still care about folks, and how much they can mean ta you. And bonds that strong... they always come through. They always come back.

[His throw is light, and so his pebble skips a few times.]

It's funny, though. I keep thinking that I am used to it, but every time someone leaves, it still takes me by surprise.

[He slumps slightly, rubbing the back of his neck.]

I always thought maybe it'd be better to just accept it, but you know what? I think you're right. Growing apathetic here won't make things feel better. And I feel like if I avoided friendships just because they might disappear, I'd just end up feeling lonely.

[With another flick of the wrist, he sends a third stone across the water-- this one actually skips, too!]

The hardest part's dealing with all the uncertainty this place brings. When people leave, they usually forget all about this place, and I don't want to feel like our time here means nothing.

[And he knows that some people have developed that mindset, too. For some people, the constant roulette's just too much to bear, so, all things considered, he could be a whole lot worse.

Having Mickey's company certainly helps.]

[He shakes his head, scooping up another pebble into his giant gloved hand.]

Time spent with someone ya care about always has meanin'. And memories... they're funny things. The head might forget, but somehow, the heart hangs on.

['Thank Namine'... A smile tugs at the end of his mouth for a moment.]

It's okay ta feel sad, and worried. And those feelin's gotta take their course, so don't try ta rush yerself into happiness. Sounds like this gal was worth every ounce of sadness.

My husband has disappeared twice on me already. So does it worry me? Yes, yes it does... and I know how painful it will be when we're parted again. And how painful having someone you care about having no idea what you've been through together. [Although he's not talking about Itachi in this case.] But I guess it comes down to this. We could be taken away from or made strangers to each other unexpectedly in a heatbeat no matter where we were.

[There was a girl named Sugar that Law knew (how well... who knows) when he was young. A Devil Fruit user, like himself, with the power to turn people into toys. And once they were turned, all memories of their existance were erased from everyone around them, leaving the toy as the sole person to know of what once was.

They could become strangers through injury or jutsu or so many things...]

... oh, I know. It's not for everyone. It's really not.

Edited (rewording a little as well) 2014-04-30 02:54 (UTC)

Heh, yeah...

[He shuts his eyes, exhaling softly. Those memories will always stay in the heart, won't they? The chains may get disconnected, but if they're still there, even down in the heart's darkest depths, then maybe there's still hope.

Of course, sentiments alone won't ease his sadness. It's easy to convince himself that it'll be okay, but the heart's tricky. Sometimes it acts in ways that confound the mind. ]

I'd hit a rough spot for months before Ino popped up. She wasn't the first person I'd gotten feelings for here, but the first time around, it blew up in my face. I was at a point where I didn't want anything to do with love...

She helped push me through that, and that's one thing I'll always be grateful for. Getting bitter and pushing people away never solves anything. I mean, it sure didn't help when I was struggling with the darkness.

[He'd have to thank this Ino, if and when he got the chance to meet her. Anyone who helped Riku, especially so deeply, deserved to be treated like royalty.]

Then a gal like that... No way is she out of yer life forever. The bonds you made will drag the two of you back together again. Until then... She wouldn't want ya ta bottle anythin' up. And I bet she's missin' ya just as much. Who wouldn't?

[He knows his wife must be lonely, even with all of her company. He misses her in every hour of every day. He's tempted to bring this up for comparison, but he also doesn't want to 'take over' the conversation. This should be about Riku.]

True. There's always gonna be that risk. It's not even exclusive to love, either; I know almost all of us have lost friends here. Even that's painful, sometimes just as much.

[Riku's not certain other worlds would fall under the same risks, but then, someone in his universe held the power to manipulate memories, and circumstances stripped him from his friends on more than one occasion.

To that end, maybe he's onto something.]

I think the uncertainty's the worst part. You never know if they'll come back with memories, without, or if they'll even return at all. A lot of my friends have been gone for years now with no sign of coming back.

Ha, I'd like to think so. We spent two years together. That's a pretty big feat in a world like this.

[As for Minnie, that's one heck of a coincidence because that's just where Riku's thoughts were drifting.]

But I guess it's nothing compared to you and Minnie. If the Sleeping Worlds were any indication, you guys must have one heck of a history together.

[he'd been about to toss the pebble when that stopped him. Wow, no wonder they were such good pals, they nearly had some mind-melding stuff going on here.]

... Everyone's got a different kinda love. Ain't really fair ta go comparin' it. Sure, I miss her... Miss her all the time. Gosh, sometimes I wish i could just... turn right back around and go home.

[Then he chuckles.]

But she'd probably bop me on the nose and tell me ta go back out there and beat the bad guys. No way she'd let me slack on the job!

[..... Well.

Teddy's not sure which lake, but that doesn't mean he can't check both. He doesn't know him (okay, he does, what kind of geek doesn't know Riku, holy shit), but that doesn't mean he can't talk to him about this. Especially when he was obviously close to Ino (Ino?).

The larger lake happens to be the one he checks first - by flying, at that. Once he sees him there, though, he decides not to startle him by just flying on in. He lands first, his larger, shifted wings receding into his back as he makes his way to the spot where Riku's sitting. As the stones skip across the water, Teddy gives a faint smile.]

I never got the hang of that. I always threw them too hard.

I... Ino-san! Is she... Could she truly be gone?! [He remembers her being here since he first arrived. To have her gone now, it's jarring.

And knowing what awaits her at home... it's worrying. Ino had yet to experience the war. And her father's fate on top of that.]

Riku-kun! Are you absolutely certain?!

Yeah... Truth is, we should both probably be out there. Xehanort's not gonna rest for a minute, but thanks to this place, there's no telling how long it'll take us.

[Shrugging, he flicks one more rock into the water before letting his hands drop to his lap.]

But this world's got its share of problems, too, so I guess it's not too bad to stick around. Even a small difference has to count for something.

[Huh. Riku does a double take at the sound of the unfamiliar voice. After all, if he was gonna get company out here, he thought it'd be people he knows. Granted, that number's dwindling over time.

Well, who's he to complain? Chuckling, Riku picks up another rock and lazily flings it at the water.]

Well, if it makes you feel better, my first few throws weren't that great. Think it helps that I've cooled down a bit.

Lee, we were living together. Checked her room this morning, and everything was gone.

[He blows out a hefty sigh, speaking with a soft, tired tone.]

Believe me, I wish it wasn't this way, but... well, that's Luceti for you. When is anything ever easy?

[Teddy keeps his hands in his pockets, otherwise he'd want to go up and grip Riku's shoulder, just to say that he's sorry for the loss. But he's kind of a stranger, and he knows many people don't appreciate touches from people they don't even know. So instead, he stops nearby and looks out at the water.]

Never knew skipping stones was therapeutic. I always went with punching things, but whatever works for people.

[He remembers Rapunzel. They weren't in a relationship like Riku and Ino, but he loved her dearly and could still vividly remember - no, feel - the pain of losing his dear friend. He knows what Riku feels... It must be proportionate to that, likely even moreso.]

I am sorry to hear this, Riku-kun.

Things are rarely easy, in Luceti, or in youth. That... that is what helps us to be strong.

[And... toss! skip skip skip skip...]

We've got our hands full, no matter where we are. But just remember ta take care of yerself too. And if you won't, then I'll just do it for ya.

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