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. ]

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That could be anywhere from days to years. What do you imagine when you think of a pet destined to be mine?

[ Are you worried yet, Isa? She kind of wants to grab more candy out of the bag, but that would require breaking this handhold, and it feels more important right now. ]

A parrot that spends 75% of its time screaming.

[no, not really, the deadpan should say that much. Lea hasn't been egregiously loud and obnoxious in years, despite efforts to the contrary. Isa would be like ????? if she knew what Lea was thinking, because whyfor the extra touchy and pampering.]

[ She missed her. ]

One day I'm going to show up with a bird and you're going to threaten to move out, or cook it or something. It'll be great.

Why would I threaten when I could just do?

[well. good!!! she missed Lea too, and it's just unfortunate that the desires in the relationship are on totally different levels for the two of them because Lea's a dumb baby virgin. otherwise there'd already be hot sex happening right now.]

The... The moving out, or—

[ Look, she's trying. Things were certainly happening back home and now they're here and caught up and she's coping with that, she just had the whole coming back thing plus not having the kiddos here to deal with first.

Oh look, we're approaching the apartment. ]

No, god, I'd warn you before that, but I would just cook the bird without asking.

[if there wasn't an enormous bag of candy involved she'd scoop Lea up right now and carry her over the threshold, alas. also she's fine, she certainly has a lot of her own shit to work through while Lea gets her own shit together re: them.]

Not sure which would be more upsetting at that point.

[ She says, cheerfully! No one said she's not up for makeouts though. Especially now that she is back and caught up. One day she's going to do that and Lea is going to fake-swoon and KO herself on the doorframe.

But right now she's just going to step ahead of Isa to open the door. ]

[random observers would probably guess that Lea brains herself on doorframes and furniture constantly.]

"What smells so good? Fried chicken, you shouldn't have!"

[Isa's Lea voice also comes with exciting eyebrow action. Isa is also an asshole, in case Lea forgot while she was gone.]

[ Isa no, look how horrified you've made her. The door is open now, feel free to walk past her and her shocked, horrified face. ]

You're such a tool sometimes. I wouldn't actually do that to you.

[—anymore. uh. and they both know it, too. Isa leans in to smooch the horrified face on her way by, and heads for the kitchen where i assume there's a table she can dump the candy bag on.]

It's the idea. The principle of the matter.

[ Horrified. Also she would have, once, and Lea does know it, but she won't bring that up. She seems slightly mollified by the kiss, and slightly embarrassed, but she's going to forgo more candy for now, and wanders over to collapse on the couch and take her boots off. Now, hm... ]

Now what?

You mentioned a bath, which sounds better to me than eating candy right now. I'm full of pie anyway.

[if this were a movie Isa would just start stripping right here and leave a trail of clothes to the bathroom. instead she follows Lea to the couch and flops down to sit next to her and maybe lean on her a bit.]

Oh yeah. Right? That seems like a good way to recover from your furry episode.

[ She means that in the literal furry sense, not the Furry one. Lea is more of a shower person than a long bath person, but Isa needs more stress relief in her life and it seems like an overall good idea. Plus I'm sure Lea has a great shower-bath combo. ]

[i mean, hopefully. all i envision for shower/bath combos is the stuff we have around here, which is inadequate and unpleasant, mostly.]

Am I Riku now?

I hope not. I can barely handle two of her.

[ This is a replica joke. It's funny. As much as she likes sitting by Isa, she's going to hop to her feet with renewed energy and whirl to face her. ]

I'll set the bath up.

[it IS funny. also Lea's a dork, but they both know Isa secretly likes being taken care of.]

Go for it. Don't fall in.

[if Lea's gonna do that then Isa can get her shoes off and put Lea's flannel shirt away and pick out some candy to take into the bath with her.]

[ Also that Lea loves taking care of the people she cares about. She thinks she's sneaky about it, though. ]

What? I said a hot bath.

[ This is a temperature joke, but Lea realizes the double meaning after she says it. Oh well, she's already fleeing to the bathroom, of which there were no good reference pictures on google. We're going to say it's primarily black themed like other various parts of her house. Black, with big bursts of color. Red rugs and towels and decor, with gold accents. A great big, black, clawfoot tub in the middle of the bathroom. It has a curtain tied together, to keep water from going everywhere because it does have an attached showerhead (that is also detachable) because realistically, how often does Lea soak in a bath? She does like the temperature pretty high, though, and draws a nice steamy bath for Isa.

Lea's still in there, but she's tied her hair back and rolled up her sleeves. Candles are a thought that occur, but is that too extra? The door's left open so she can come in any time, at least. ]

[candles are a little extra, yes, but only as much as Lea is. Isa wanders in after a few minutes in just leggings and tanktop, with a mug full of sour candy that she sets on the sink for now. she's probably used this tub a fair amount since she arrived in the dressing room, but it's always nicer when someone else sets it up for you. is Lea planning on sticking around? :eyes: ]

[ Fine, no candles. Still Lea, though, and yes she seems to be sticking here unless Isa tells her otherwise. ]

Get in. I'll wash your hair.

[ This is totally a good idea, right? Isn't it a good idea? ]

[Lea's about to find out if it was a good idea, since Isa had very little modesty before she lost her heart, and now has basically none. so here we go, next step in this game of gay chicken, Isa's going to start removing clothes before Lea has a chance to flee from the room. she's got some additional scars, nothing super exciting, just old faded Heartless claw marks. into the tub she goes, enjoy the eyeful of boob and butt on the way by.]

Again, I thought I was the one doing the pampering today.

[ Nice... boob. Okay so it's time to focus on the tub and just the tub. Got it. She's a little too perfectly composed and blank to be convincing, but at least she's not staring at her. Nope, she's going to take a seat on a convenient stool near the head of the tub, totally casual. ]

I figure you can go back to it for dinner.

[not much of one tbh; these are not busty ladies in this room. hopefully Lea knows that if she gets a nosebleed she's excused and can just bail whenever. i just remembered that Isa's got some pretty haphazard braids going in the back that survived Halloween Town. she's gonna reach back and start untangling them.]

I suppose that works. What do you want?

[ Hey no, she smacks at her hands weakly, trying to take over the braid undoing. ]

I've got this. As for food...

[ Because she's not high level enough to make eating jokes— ]

Stirfry?

[whoops. she's been doing for herself for so long, it's habit, but Lea can do the hair stuff. instead, Isa's going to stretch and grab the mug of candy off the edge of the counter.]

Hmm, I think I can do that. I know there's a package of fake crab in the freezer, and veggies. Anything else?

[ She is focusing very hard on undoing the braids without tangling them, and might've accidentally brushed the back of her hand on the back of Isa's neck, but it was definitely an accident. Can't catch me, gay thoughts. ]

Mmmmnnnoodles? You mean in the stirfry, or—