cinderlea | (no subject)

(no subject)

[ Riku disappears first. Vanished in her sleep, in the middle of the night, collapsing in on herself in a shimmer of starlights. This isn't like last time. No warnings, no chances to say goodbye, no hesitation or resistance. She just isn't there.

Lea goes minutes after Riku, in the same way. But she's awake, lounging on her couch, having a conversation as she flips through her phone. Here and then gone, like a flame. This isn't the first time either of them have gone home, but it's the first time it's so abrupt. At least it isn't death. The last time Riku went home was seven years ago. She was gone for a month, and she came back with shorter hair and the Mark of Mastery. The last time Lea went home, no one really noticed. She thought she was used to it by now.

Things are different this time. Disorienting. Lea meets Kai in the training, for real this time. Riku has her memories, or at least most of them. They're hazy, dreamlike, but real. She has them all. She remembers how old she really is and how long she's been gone. She remembers everyone she cares about, and everyone that won't change here. She keeps her ice magic and takes what she's learned here to use there. But time is fluid. She doesn't feel like she's been gone for seven years.

Lea's are gone, for now. She lives everything new and fresh, with the dressing room appearing only in dreams vivid enough to unsettle her.

Things aren't the same for every world.

Things go better than expected.

The core story is the same. The heroes rescue the ones that need it, they bring everyone back, they defeat the darkness, and they go home. How and when and who — these things vary, but they do it all together and they go home together. And then their story is over, at least for now, and they come back.

Unlike how they went out, Lea and Riku reappear together on the beach. Coming back is just as disorienting, and neither has their phone, so they get their bearings and confirm memories with each other, of the dressing room and of home, and then separate to find their friends.

They've been gone two months. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh really? Well I guess you and Serein don't need me anymore, in that case.

[ As if, but as his sister-in-law she's obligated to tease him in this nature. ]

I guess that's true, although Isa and I certainly don't have the history that you and I do.

[can you feel the eyebrow waggle in that statement, and also Hachibi's presence. once you've slept with someone and also your head-monster tried to kill them, you're legally required to be best friends with them, those are the rules.]

[ They're definitely the rules. But Riku's still enough of a dweeb that she goes pink, and then aims a hard poke at his ribs. ]

Nice thing to say when you're practically laying on me.

Don't tempt me, I did really miss you, I could just turn into a blanket. Now that I've said that, though, are you expecting Red back at any specific point or...?

[true love takes priority, he gets it, and also he's not interested in fisticuffs today.]

[ Does that mean neither of you are in true love. Honestly. Riku looks a little suspicious by this phrasing so close together. ]

No, when I got home and she was here I sent him a text. Said I'd be back after I caught up on some things.

[maybe it's a sign of maturity that there only needs to be a couple of days of endless sex and crying and cuddling, instead of like a whole week. he and Kai have been together for years longer than Riku and Red have, so. also why is it suspicious, if he's going to turn into a blanket he'd rather not have Red walk in on it.]

Ohh. That's weird, that it plopped her in here after everyone else.

A little, but... not that much. She never came here before, and if she's going to show up anywhere, it might as well be my room.

[ She was in her Heart, after all. Is Axel going to turn into a blanket? Is she going to be covered? Is this a euphemism? ]

[ ;O no actually Riku's going to be the blanket, because the only person Axel readily tops is Kai. he's just gonna get more comfy on this couch and rearrange a bit so he's not squishing Riku, which means she's laying more on him now.]

Yeah. I dunno, I would've thought it'd be more like when Hachibi gets his own body, not her just showing up while you weren't here.

[ She'll allow herself to be maneuvered around. She's too happy to see him and too used to it at this point. ]

She has her own body, though.

Now she does, yeah. How'd she take the explanation about this place?

[Riku's the best pillow/blanket. Rikus in general are pretty good for that.]

Better than someone new should, but she had some of my memories. Or at least a vague idea of the place, and the kind of people I knew here.

[ A hack, basically. But it made things easier on Riku. She's very comfortable right now. Don't let her get sleepy. ]

[dude, being slept on by Rikus is the best, second only to sleeping with them. he's not going to complain if she conks out for a bit.]

That makes sense. That must've been weird, if she had any memories while you guys were still gone.

No, she only got them after I went back. After the thing in the realm of darkness.

[ God, she hated walking around that place. It's just so desolate and full of miserable memories. She's gonna yawn now, you big heated blanket. ]

Yeah, that's what I meant, sorry. You gonna fall asleep on me?

[he's not helping with any of this, but especially not with the way he's rubbing Riku's back like she's a sleepy baby (spoilers, she is).]

No.

[ ... ]

Maybe.

[ She's gonna drop her face down, so her sleepiness is out of view. Muffled: ]

I will if you keep doing that.

Do it more, you said? Works for me. You guys all need to catch up on sleep, it doesn't sound like any of you got enough once the shit really hit the fan.

[he missed this, he couldn't do this with Isa, he hasn't known her long enough. next time people disappear he'll probably just suddenly have a dakimuraka with Riku on it.]

I've been sleeping for days.

[ As if it matters much. Ugh, she hates how quickly she's getting sleepy right now, but she's not compelled to move, either. She missed Axel, and Hachibi, and everyone else too. ]

So? Sleep is important, you went through a lot.

[Axel is not the person to talk to about sleeping a lot, when one is attempting to not sleep more. hopefully no one calls either of them while they're napping, or comes over. he'd hate to have to like, flee because Red came back and found his girlfriend sleeping on someone else.]

As opposed to last time I left, when I slept the whole time.

[ At least her sass didn't suffer any from this visit home. Tsk. She's going to manhandle Axel a little since he's so bony so she can at least be comfortable. It seems she's given up trying to fight sleep. ]

[success! \o/ the only way this would be better is if Hachibi were out and they could just make a non-sexual Riku sandwich, but the couch probably isn't big enough for that, they'd have to move to a bed. Axel goes along with the manhandling, anyway.]

That doesn't count, you were doing stuff the whole time you were asleep.

You know what I wasn't doing? Eating. Not enough, anyway. Let's gorge on something after I take a nap.

[ She's a werewolf again, after all. She's waiting for Hachibi to give her a more personal hello, by the way. Butthead. ]

Sounds like a plan. Got anything in mind, or should I pick?

[he'll come out once they've all napped, or when she asks. Riku was Axel's friend first, after all, and he doesn't want to intrude yet.]

Surprise me.

[ As long as it's not flavored with darkness she's good with whatever. Also gosh, that's sweet. ]

[he tries. hell, maybe he'll be the one driving Axel's body around once Riku wakes up; Axel could use the sleep too, after being low-key stressed for two months straight.]

Hmm, maybe barbecue, and there's a good ice cream place right across the street from the place I'm thinking of.

[ Only low-key? Riku grumbles and tucks herself against Axel to suppress a yawn. ]

Barbecue sounds amazing. Thirty minutes.