caughtinanetwork | 20 ✰ [Video]

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20 ✰ [Video]

[For a moment, all that's seen is a little kitten on the screen. It mewls sadly, soon picked up by a certain silver-haired teen that hasn't said much for a while. Why isn't Tomoe-san in the box? :c]

For anyone who knew Mami Tomoe... she's returned home. [And those who know... know what that means.] She left Aurelio here, and I'd take him in... but I have a few too many pets as it is.

[Seriously, guys. WHY DO YOU KEEP LEAVING HIM YOUR PETS? He has a small petting zoo, here! He sighs, turning off the feed.]

[Private to Roxas]

[...At least, long enough to set up a private message.]

...We need to talk. I know you hate me and would rather not hear from me again, but if you're willing to listen... I'm willing to answer whatever you want to know.

[Couldn't blame him from trying to keep his promise, right?]

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[Hey, not like he can help it. Someone hasn't taught him light portals yet, and darkness just doesn't want to lend itself in that manner to him anymore. So he approaches, seeing Roxas already there.

Well, this was going to be awkward.]

...Hey, Roxas.

[Awkward might be an understatement.

Roxas just nods in reply. This was your idea, you start.]

[He's good at understatements during meetings like this. At least this time, its partially on their terms?]

... Before I start, smelling salt wouldn't work. Castle Oblivion and those there did a number on his memories.

[Also they are more appropriately dressed for it.

Well. Okay, he sort of figured that, but.]

I thought Namine was fixing them.

[Incredibly more appropriately dressed for it. No beach brawls for these two!

...Oh, this was going to be fun (not).]

Yeah. But half-way through that year, she discovered that the memories that were crucial to waking him up were leaking to someone else.

[He looks rather regretful, glancing away for a brief moment. Something is missing from the puzzle that is eluding him. But how could that be, when he was there?]

We tried what we could, but all progress in restoring his memory suddenly stopped not long before we first 'met.' And you know how DiZ is. ...Was.

Edited 2012-07-11 18:30 (UTC)

[Roxas looks more confused about this than frustrated. Maybe because they're talking about Namine.]

Why couldn't she just take them from me? I didn't need Sora's memories...

[Wait. Hold up a second.]

'Was'?

That's what I wanted to know, but she was likely being pressured by DiZ because the Organization was getting closer to their goal.

[He frowns.]

...He regretted most of it, realizing the repercussions of his revenge scheme. Also fist to the face. [Was that a smirk? If it was there, it fades quickly.] Last I saw of him, he disappeared in an explosion that made me look like this again.

[Riku wanted to know that?]

...

[He doesn't really care if DiZ regretted things or not. He's beyond being forgiven. But that exploding thing, he would have liked to see. Or cause.]

Was Sora there when it happened?

[Shocking, huh. He waits for the reaction or lack thereof. After all, he'll never admit to really knowing Roxas. Thus he's silent, patiently awaiting the next sentence....

Ah, figures.]

The punch, no. He had left Twilight Town by the time I knocked some sense into him and let Naminé go. As for the explosion... yes.

['I was shielding him from it.' goes unsaid.]

...good.

[At least in some way, he gets to see DiZ get what's coming to him.]

[Maybe.]

...Anything else would you like to know?

[Roxas is quiet for a few moments, giving Riku an appraising look.]

Maybe. But I guess most of it wasn't your idea. You just went along with it.

[Yeah, that still sounds like an accusation.]

For some of it, anyway.

[He raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms in the process.]

DiZ wanted Axel and Naminé dead, after all. [Guess what he didn't do?]

[Axel still wound up dead. It's not exactly a pleasant thing to be reminded of.]

...am I supposed to be grateful you didn't kill my friends?

After all that I've done, I'm still surprised anyone ever is.

[At least someone has one or two of his friends here. It's more than what some others could say. He sighs. Might as well subtly address one thing Sora mentioned, right?]

Naminé is a friend of mine, too.

[That might be a little too subtle for Roxas. Or anyone. He doesn't know what you're expecting to accomplish with that statement.]

Great. You did have plenty of time to get to know her.

[Someone just hasn't been around him long enough to pick it up. Sigh. Alright, he'll spell it out for you, even if he is getting close to being annoyed right now.]

Point is, I'm not like DiZ. I don't think anyone is less than anyone else.

[Except Xehanort. He can go die in a grease fire and never come back. Maybe worse.]

[Right. Okay. The idea was not to have this turn into a fight. Roxas takes a hopefully calming breath and lets it out before speaking.]

...I know you're not like DiZ. You were doing it for Sora. I get that.

[Riku takes a calming breath as well, nodding.]

But it still doesn't change what I helped happen. [I'm sorry.]

[Here's the important part, Riku. Try not to answer in your head.]

Would you change it?

[~~Is this a test?~~]

Yes. [But no one can. Not without severely messing up the timeline.]

What happened to all that stuff about running out of time and not having any other choice?

[...He pulls out a small book from his pocket, tossing it at Roxas with a muttered 'catch.' Only a few people have seen it, ]

...Look for yourself.

[—If something doesn't change soon, then he may never awaken like he should have well over a month ago.

...

Watching another r̡͟͡e͘͜͞pl͟i̶c̢͏a͡tí̛on҉, I can't help but wonder what mine would have been like had he survived Castle Oblivion, too—what would be different? Would we get along like X̷̢i҉̶͡o͡n͜͝ and the friends she speaks of so often, or would we still fight like we had? Guess I'll never know, or be able to apologize for what I did to him.

—Sora doesn't deserve this; to be asleep forever. If only there was another way...]

Edited (what is no sleep-) 2012-07-12 14:09 (UTC)

[Roxas catches it with a frown ~~what are you doing keeping a journal~~, but opens it and thumbs through trying to find something of use. He doesn't really want to read Riku's thoughts, and without any suggestion on what part to look at, he just skims it. Judging by his darkening expression, he may be missing whatever Riku was hoping he'd see.

Xion's name keeps showing up, even if he can't really read the rest; did Riku have something to do with her disappearing, too?

He doesn't even see himself mentioned in here... Oh. There. Of course, Riku wouldn't bother mentioning him by name. With a grimace, Roxas snaps the journal shut.]

You'd still do it again if you thought you had to, wouldn't you? Without even giving me the choice.

What gives you the right to decide things like that?

[Riku says nothing at first, sighing at the reaction. For some reason...]

When you look at what's plainly visible, maybe... but something doesn't feel right, and I can't put a finger on why. All I know is it has something to do with one of your friends...

The last entry from 'home' was written three days before we fought, and even that one has parts missing.

Also... it wasn't my decision to make. I would have given you a choice.

[But they were out of time... If things didn't continue progressing, Sora would never be able to wake up and he'd be lost. He still hates himself for that, because thinking back... it's all his fault any of it happened in the first place. At least in his mind.]

20 ✰ [Video]

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[Action] pff you actually said smelling salts

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[Action] hover over the text for what he's really saying.

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