keychained | 016; [video/action for goldenrod-- backdated to early morning]

Entry tags:

+action,
+aerith,
+bell the togepi,
+goldenrod,
+hope,
+kaito,
+leon,
+puddles the girafarig,
+raven,
+rika,
+riku,
+rise,
+roxas,
+smoker,
+ven,
+video,
darkness darkness,
hello network!,
i miss cura,
messages in a bottle,
puddles/whitafarig,
resting point,
so this is love,
sora has awesome pajamas,
sora you can't fight buildings until kh2,
thinking of you wherever you are

016; [video/action for goldenrod-- backdated to early morning]

[around 4 or so this morning, Sora had been lying in his bed in the pokécenter, awake, not very comfortable, and bored out of his mind. not a whole lot was going on over the network, and Sora didn't want to wake Hope or Rise or Puddles or anybody else nearby. there were, however, two people he had no problem bothering: Riku got a smattering of text messages full of bad puns-- hey, he needed to practice them on someone! right? but shortly after he sent Kairi a text asking if she was awake, and where she was, a new message popped up on his pokégear screen:]

error: this number is no longer in use.

[... and that's when he silently swung his legs over the side of his bed and grabbed a few things-- including his pokémon asleep in their balls and his notebook-- and for the first time this entire week, Sora creeped out of his room and successfully snuck out of the Goldenrod Pokécenter.]

[first things first-- Sora lurched his way over to the closest vending machine and picked up two bottles of soda. he... made an honest effort to chug them, but wound up dumping the contents of the second bottle into a nearby sewer. it wasn't the soda he was interested in, anyway. next, he walked over to the radio tower-- he couldn't really see the ocean over the fence nearby, but he could hear it... seems no matter where you go, the ocean always sounds the same. he sat down, leaning against both the radio tower and a newly hatched Dratini for support, and began writing.]

Dear Kairi,

I'm sorry that I didn't get a chance to talk to you about this before you left. I hope this gets to you in time, or that you know it already, but there's something really important you need to keep in mind. I am ALWAYS [--and he's underlined this word several times. even drawn a box around it.] there for you. You know that, right? Even if I try to act all tough about it, you're my best friend. You and Riku mean everything to me.

Your heart is the most important thing you have. It's what makes you who you are, and it's how we stay connected, even if we're worlds apart. If you ever feel like you or your heart are in danger, come find me. I swear I'll do everything I can to protect you. If it hasn't happened already when you get this, then... something's going to happen to the islands. And when it does, I want you to come look for me, OK? I'll be looking for you.

I get the feeling you already know this, though. I miss you. And I'll see you soon.

Sora

[when the video feed clicks on later that morning, the sun's out in full force by the radio tower. the sound cuts in right in the middle of Sora saying something.]

--tini, could you throw this in the ocean for me?

[the Dratini nods, and wraps its tail around the neck of a bottle with a note carefully rolled up inside. with a grunt, it chucks the bottle right over the fence, and both Sora and Pokémon watch as it soars, then plunks right in the ocean. please don't berate them for littering.]

Thanks. I-- [and Sora turns, noticing Bell pointing his gear at him and recording. he still hasn't actually been out and about Goldenrod wearing something other than his pajamas, but he at least thought to put on some shoes and a jacket this time. he steps a little closer, looking down at the 'gear and Bell-- he's smiling genuinely, but there's definitely a tinge of sadness somewhere in there.]

Morning, you guys! I kind of have an odd question. Have you ever been on a date before? I think we're going to set Puddles up with Whitney's Girafarig today.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[it even hurts to cry properly-- maybe back in October he had it in him to stop himself pretty quickly when the tears started, but right now he's just hanging in Rise's arms miserably. this little meltdown is partly because he's worn out, but it's also mostly because he feels safe enough around Rise to let himself be completely vulnerable.]

[after a few minutes though, he stops and wheezes, and... he feels ten times better. so have a watery-eyed and very wobbly smile, Rise.]

[ she's honored, really. It makes her feel like she can do something for him, though him wheezing and wincing has her concerned. She smiles back at him when he lifts his head, her own a lot steadier. ]

Feeling a little better?

Edited 2010-12-06 22:55 (UTC)

Yeah.

[he swipes his hand across his eyes briefly.] M'really sorry... I just had something important I needed to do.

It's okay. I probably should have woken up a little more before I came after you.

[ but she'd been too panicked for that. The thought of losing Sora or him getting hurt (again) had scared her. ]

I meant to be back before you guys woke up... I guess I just lost track of the time.

[big time. he lowers his head again.]

Kairi's gone.

Wh--

[ oh.

... oh. ]

Oh, Sora...

It-- it's okay.

[he smiles-- it's weak, ~~and maybe just a bit lovesick oh god~~, but he's trying.]

I know for a fact that she'll be safe back home.

[ she'd known the same thing for Nanako, but that hadn't really made her feel any better. Rise knows it hurts. Still, she draws back, smoothing a hand through his hair before she nods and reacquires that stern look from earlier. ]

We can talk more after we get you back inside.

All right.

[he doesn't resist; it's pretty dang chilly out here-- so he recalls all of his 'mons and tucks away his extra bottle and his notebook carefully.]

I never got a chance to thank you for the Drati-- Rise, where are your shoes?

Huh? Oh--

[ Rise glances down at her feet, stern fading to momentary puzzlement and a dawning "... Oh, yeah, that would explain a lot." ]

... They're still in the Center. I must've forgotten to put them on.

... When we get back to the center, I'm getting you a big thing of juice. You're not allowed to get sick on me, got it?

[ sjkdjksdjkf excuse me WHO IS THE OLDER SIBLING HERE AGAIN. ]

I'll be fine! [ firmly steering him in that direction. ] There's no way I'd get sick when I've got you to look after!

[hey, hey, little bros can look after their big sisters, too!]

All right, all right... M'still getting you that juice, though. Just as a precaution!

Fine. But then you're getting back in bed.

All right.

[he's going to get the scolding Rise had been holding off on from a nurse once they get back to the center-- but Sora just smiles pleasantly through it and asks for some juice. here you go, big sis! it's in a bottle with Eevees all over it.]

[ Rise got deflated from that by a miserable little bro, so she's willing to let the nurse (and Hope, she's sure) take that up for her while she accepts the juice with a small grin at HOW DAMNED CUTE THE BOTTLE IS. ]

Thanks. My immune system will definitely win out now.

Good!

[it's probably not as good as the fresh juice he drank back home, but it is pretty tasty-- and virus deflecting. Sora gets another bottle for himself and plods back to his room/bed, flopping comfortably with a deep breath. good cries always leave you kinda stuffy.]

[ Rise settles back in her chair, giving a glance to Pepper-- who burrowed in the sheets in Mommy's absence and went back to sleep. She'll be watching Sora closely ALL DAY now. ]

So you were asking about dates?

[don't worry, he's not going anywhere. he's pretty tired.]

Uh huh. Have you ever been on one, Rise?

[ SMALL WONDER, BRO. ]

Well... I've gone places with guys before, but... I've never actually been on an actual date, no.

[hhhhh he misses being able to run around all day without tiring out-- Sora's turning into a blob.]

Really? Me either... Kaito told me the kinda stuff that you're supposed to do on dates, but that's all I know about them.

[ one day, Sora. One day you will frolic like Bambi with a jet pack. ]

Yeah, really. But what'd he tell you? I know how they usually go, anyway. [ because she's such a matchmaker it isn't even funny. ]

[if Rise were to say that out loud, Sora'd get a really weird mental image of Bambi flying around pooping MP orbs.]

Uh... Well, you're supposed to give the girl flowers and tell her she's pretty... Then you take her to dinner and a movie and you make sure that you pay for everything.

[ ... such a beautiful mental image, that. ]

That's... kind of how it works, yeah. You don't have to do a movie, though. You could go to an arcade or find some spot with a pretty view and have a picnic...

[the littlest prince of MP... with a jetpack.]

Ohh, okay! So it's more of whatever you want to do?

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