open-ish

[shadowedheart]

Who: Riku and others
Where: Around Verens
When: Middle of the month
Format: [ like this ]
open-ish
Summary: Just a gloomy gus needing some fresh air. Closed prompts will be top-leveled, open prompts free to anyone.


( TREE OF MEMORIES )
[ This place isn't anywhere that Riku has been before, though he's heard of it, somewhat. It's basically a tree that holds petals of memories from all those who come near it... or who inhabit the island... one of the two? Maybe both? Regardless, he's here, feeling the need to just get out and away from everything and everyone and he's made sure to keep himself relatively bundled up lest he end up sick again.

When a breeze gently drifts by, crisp and cool and allowing strands of silver to blow around his face, Riku catches sight of a drifting petal that falls from the tree and, perhaps without even realizing so, he holds his hand out and allows the petal to land in his palm.

The memory that it contains is one that seems almost ironic considering current circumstances of people within his life. It's distorted, perhaps a bit scratchy in a way, but it shows a sleeping Sora encased in what looks like a bubble. Standing outside that bubble and staring to the sleeping Sora is Riku, dressed in black and donning the blindfold much as he still does within this world. Off to the side, Naminé is there, sitting at a long table and seemingly sketching in a book, though she doesn't seem to address Riku within the memory. Gently, he reaches out with a gloved hand and presses it to the front of the bubble and the strongest emotion that can be felt even with watching this memory unfold... is grief.

It figures this memory would show itself now of all times and, to be honest, he almost finds it funny, as if a silent punishment personally dished out for him. Well-played, Tree of Memories.

Riku, of course, tries to brush off the memory and any feelings that might be attached to it. Though one can't exactly deny that the air around him seems a lot more chillier than anywhere else near the tree. ]


( IT'S RAINING, IT'S POURING )
[ What had started out as something that should have taken maybe ten minutes at most has turned into a good thirty minutes standing outside the tea shop in the pouring rain.

The weather hasn't been the greatest as of late and yet Riku thought he could pick up this box of tea for Cloud and be out of here before it started to come down like it is now. How wrong he apparently was. Thankfully, he's standing under the awning of the shop, arms crossed, blindfold on, finger tapping against the box of tea he holds. The rain doesn't seem to be letting up anytime soon and the shop has closed, leaving Riku out here in the damp without an umbrella. He sighs, head lolling to the side as he shifts his weight to one leg, contemplating the thought of just sucking it up and walking back to Cloud's in this weather. ]

It's never going to stop...

[ Maybe you're stuck under here with him. Maybe you're passing by. Maybe you have an umbrella to lend to him. Or maybe you're out enjoying the rain. Whatever the case, Riku's not looking too happy... and the frost that's come to coat the tips of his shoes is a little bit of a hint to that. ]

Comments

It's Raining

[madcuriosity]

[Alice was walking home early from her music lessons, her instructors all having come down with whatever it was going around. She spotted the familiar figure under an awning and hurried over to him. Only to realize she never learned his name.]

Ah sir, you really shouldn't be out in the weather like this, you'll get sick!

[shadowedheart]

[ He doesn't even need to look over in her direction to know who it is, the voice alone is enough to give her away.

Alice.

Turning to look away from her, arms remain crossed while his finger stops tapping at the box of tea. It's not that he wishes to come off cold to her it's just... complicated with her. ]

It's fine. I've already been sick.

[ And he didn't enjoy a single moment of it... ]

[madcuriosity]

[She frowned at his being so standoffish. Well, that was quite rude, wasn't it? What had she ever done to him?]

Would you like me to walk you home? That way you needn't stay here all day.

[shadowedheart]

[ It's nothing you've done to him, Alice. More like what he's done to you. Not that she knows that. ]

You shouldn't be out in the rain to begin with. You could be the one getting sick.

[madcuriosity]

Well, then walking you home will get me there much faster, sir.

[shadowedheart]

I don't-

[ Have... a home? He's not sure what "home" is anymore and is glad Sora is not here to dispute this or even side-eye him. ]

I'm probably not going your way.

[madcuriosity]

Well, that's alright, I have an umbrella for that reason! [She was properly dressed for the weather, Suzaku and Lelouch wouldn't allow her to leave in improper clothes.]

[shadowedheart]

Keep it and get yourself home.

[ He shakes at his foot a little, kicking off some of the frost that had clung to the front of his shoe. Thankfully, it's not doing anything beyond that. ]

[madcuriosity]

[She frowned again and her patience, what little of it there was, was quite gone now from his stubbornness. She clenched her fist and a cold wind picked up.]

What did I ever do to you, sir? You must hate me terribly to allow yourself to stand here in the rain of all things then just walk with me.

[She demanded before throwing the umbrella at his feet and running out into the rain]

You keep it then and get yourself to wherever, I don't care. Or stay there all night and freeze! I don't care what you do.

[She began walking home, the rain pouring down on her head and she immediately shivered but she made up her mind on the matter and turning back now would just make her look like the fool.]

1/2

[shadowedheart]

[ What... just... happened?? ]

2/2

[shadowedheart]

[ Ugh. Why is he surrounded by so many stubborn people never mind that he's one himself but just UGH.

Tucking the box of tea inside his jacket so as not to get it wet, he snatches the umbrella off the ground and pops the thing open, though by no means uses it as a form of protection from the rain for himself.

Quickly, he makes his way up alongside Alice and holds the umbrella out over her head. ]

Would you stop being so dramatic? Just take this.

[madcuriosity]

No.

[She hugged her arms around herself, easily soaked to the bone but quite grateful that her face was wet and hiding the fact that she had tears in her eyes from acting so silly out of nowhere. Yes, it was rash, but it was quite upsetting to think she was hated by someone when for the life of her she couldn't think of a single thing she'd done to him. They had only met once before, she knew first impressions could be everything but was hers so dreadful that he walked her home and then promptly decided to never want to see her again?

Now that was someone quite mad, now wasn't it. With her little legs, it was rather easy for him to keep the umbrella over her head, so she had to speed up and slow down periodically to stay out of it.]

I told you to do what you will with it.

[shadowedheart]

[ She's really going to do this, isn't she? ]

I'm trying to do that with giving it back to you. That's what I want.

[ And he comes around to stand in front of her, umbrella still held out over her, the rain falling down on him and soaking him due to his lack of protection from it. ]

[madcuriosity]

[Yes, yes she is.]

We're both already soaked... [Him more than her. She frowned as she shivered again. He was so strange, first refusing to take the umbrella then insisting on walking it over her.]

And I have a jacket and you don't.

What did I do to you, sir, that you would act this way?

[shadowedheart]

[ Standing there and still holding the umbrella over her head, Riku sighs as he looks away. Really, she's going to make him try and give her an answer of some sort, is she? ]

It's nothing you did. It's what I did. Just believe me when I say you shouldn't be around me.

[ Because he doesn't deserve to be. ]

[madcuriosity]

What you did? What did you do that I should avoid you then?

[Nope, sorry, Riku, you don't get to bring up that kind of subject and expect her to drop it.]

[shadowedheart]

[ Sheesh, kids. ]

Can't you just take my word for it?

[madcuriosity]

Not when your words are nonsense, no.

[shadowedheart]

[ Hanging his head for a moment, a sigh escapes his lips in the damp weather, the sound of rain gently patting against the umbrella that he keeps held over Alice's head. ]

Back within my world, I kidnap you because you're a Princess of Heart. I need you and the others for the power of darkness to win but Sora saves you.

[ A beat. ]

Are you happy now?

[madcuriosity]

[Admittedly, that wasn't the answer she expected in the slightest. She blinked and she looked up at him before pressing a hand to her chest.]

Then... the answer isn't to avoid me or tell me to avoid you. You need to ask for forgiveness. You did the bad thing, you don't get to make it easy on yourself by avoiding the matter as if it didn't happen.

[shadowedheart]

[ That has Riku glance up to Alice in... surprise? Shock? Confusion? All of the above? It's... not exactly anything that he had been anticipating to hear but... he can't say that she's wrong. ]

I know that it happened. I carry that guilt with me everyday, Alice. I don't deserve your forgiveness.

[madcuriosity]

You've not even asked me for it, you don't get to decide what is mine to give or deny.

I'd never know you carried an ounce of guilt on the matter, your way to show guilt is to be rude to me? No. Your way isn't guilt, it's merely running away, out of sight, out of mind as it were.

You aren't guilty at all. If you were, you would try and make amends, not run away and say "oh well, nothing can be done."

[shadowedheart]

[ The sudden crack of thunder in the sky could either be from Riku's emotions swirling within him or, simply the gloomy weather itself, it's difficult to tell in the moment. But the rain continues as he stands there in it, holding the umbrella out for her as he looks to the blond Princess of Heart before him. ]

That's why I'm the biggest nobody of them all, Alice. So go home.

[madcuriosity]

No.

I won't. You don't deserve that when you can't even say so much as sorry. Why should I take any pity on you at the moment? You'll just have to suffer with me at your side.

[shadowedheart]

[ Why is this child so difficult? ]

I'm faster than you. You won't be by my side for much longer if you don't go home.