keychained | [018; video/action for goldenrod]

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[018; video/action for goldenrod]

[hey there, Johto! it's New Year's Eve, and as such the network is receiving a video feed from Father Time himself-- who knows where the hobbling little bearded old man came from, but he's currently curled up warm and toasty leaning up against the inn at Goldenrod, with his hat and his windbreaker and his scarf and his Girafarig blanket and-- wait. it's just Sora.]

[it appears he's wearing as many Christmas presents as he could pile on today (yes, the beard was a Christmas present. it's long and gray and glorious and one of these days he'll notice the stuffed pidgey in there, too). and when he starts speaking, it sounds like Father Time is having a really difficult... time... keeping a straight face.]

... My egg exploded into a dinosaur! See? [the feed turns to reveal a very tiny Tropius-- even though she's just a baby, it's pretty obvious that she's on the small side... probably around knee height to Trainer. the Tropius squeaks in greeting and flaps a leaf like she's trying to wave.]

The pokédex said that these guys start to grow their favorite fruit around their necks because it's the only thing they eat. Sooo, I was wondering... Has anybody seen a star-shaped fruit around? I already checked the stores here, but no luck.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You mean-- Vanitas!? He didn't threaten you or anything, right? What'd he say?

N-no, he didn't threaten me-- I didn't know it was him at first, so we just had a normal talk. [ did she Light Vanitas into civility? WHO KNOWS. ]

But when I found out, he said... you stole his place.

I what now?

[give him a minute to think about that. he knows the story behind Ven and Vanitas, and why... well. but none of that registers to Sora as "stealing his place."

[ Kairi doesn't get it at all, but she isn't very happy either way. All that darkness looking and talking like and HURTING her best friend just makes her feel sick. Cue silence on her end while he ponders. ]

... Hey, Kairi?

-- Yeah?

I don't... I'm not really sure if I know what he was getting at, but I do know there's a good reason things are... the way they are.

[he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a pokéball-- there's a biohazard sticker stuck to the side.]

So don't worry, okay? Just worry about staying as far away from Vanitas as possible.

[ WHY is there a biohazard sticker stuck to the side? Kairi stares at it for a minute, then looks back up at him, and she's really not too satisfied with that reassurance. Because she was never scared for herself. ]

Sora--

Promise me you will, Kairi? Ven knows how to handle him.

[and he can't bear the thought of anybody-- especially a doppelganger-- hurting her.]

... [ Kairi still doesn't look too happy, but she nods. ] Okay. I promise.

... I know how you feel, though. He's-- not easy to look at.

[ she hasn't SEEN him yet, quite thankfully, but Kairi frowns anyway and leans in a little closer. ]

Hey, Sora?

... Yeah?

Even if he looks and sounds like you... he doesn't have your heart. And to me, that's the only thing that matters, because it's your heart that makes you Sora. Not any of that other stuff.

I--

[briefly, his memory flickers to another black-haired lookalike he's met. even if Xion wasn't going around breaking ribs or thrashing people to within inches of their lives, it's still... unsettling. seeing your face staring back at you. hearing your voice come from somewhere other than your own throat. he can't imagine how Roxas and Ven must be feeling all the time.]

[Sora silently vows to tell Kairi the exact same thing she's just told him, if Xion ever returns-- if they ever figure out who exactly she is. no matter how many lookalikes they run into, Sora will always be Sora, and Kairi will always be Kairi. he smiles down at her, after that moment of silence.]

Thank you...

[ Kairi's been watching him as he thinks, even if she can't even begin to guess what he's dwelling on, and his smile draws an answering one from her. It looks like he'll be okay. So instead of answering out loud, she just reaches for his hand for a brief, encouraging squeeze. ]

[he smiles back, returning the handsqueeze. yeah, Rise might be mad at him later for being out with what's probably a cold, but he can't really think of anywhere else he'd rather be right now. Sora can sleep later.]

[ They'll both be sleeping later, most likely. Though Kairi's curious. ]

I would have thought you'd be inside. Did you just want to get some air?

Yeah. Besides, it feels nice out here.

[... not that Sora would know, considering how bundled up he is.]

[ she considers this.

... Then crinkles her nose as one of those winter breezes decides to play with her hair. ]

It feels cold.

[ possibly because the jacket is not as warm and she's not running around with a blanket, or just that Kairi's a wuss. ]

Edited 2011-01-01 01:56 (UTC)

Cold? Oh! Here-- [handing over that Girafarig blanket now.]

Are you sure?

[ -- except in the process of asking that, she's already bundled herself up in it. ]

You look like you need it more than I do.

[ ENGULFED IN BLANKET. ] It's not like it's not big enough to share.

I'm good! I've got a big coat, see?

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