(no subject)

[cinderlea]

[ 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. ]

Comments

[moonstrualcycle]

Probably. Knowing what I know now, I'm surprised Kai didn't just finish Xemnas off right there, he probably could have.

[canon Kairi was just a victim of bad writing and several different tropes. what's up, friend, how u doin.]

[cinderlea]

[ o, u no, just craving physical contact because I've had two kids hanging over me for weeks and I got accustomed to having my friends and family of choice around at all times. ]

...yeah, I think he could have. He's got a handle on all that Light stuff.

[moonstrualcycle]

[Isa wishes there was something she could say to make things better right now. she wasn't nearly as attached to people as Lea, and didn't have the history involved, so she adjusted pretty quickly once she was here. Lea's lost a lot more by coming back, and only time will help soften the edges on it, but she still wishes there was something she could do to help or distract or anything. they're talking about Kai to avoid talking about the elephant in the room, but what else is there to do?]

I almost wish I'd gotten to see her get defeated, even if it wasn't Kai that did it.

[cinderlea]

You should've, if anyone.

[ If she was going to see anyone defeated, or if anyone deserved to see her defeated. Both, maybe, knowing Lea. It's okay, Lea's already internalizing everything upsetting her, she'll be back to normal in no time! Just with random weepy episodes around Isa and Isa only. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

[yeah, but Isa did say "almost". the part of her that was genuinely attached to Xemnas, even though she hated it, wouldn't have let her just watch, and especially wouldn't have allowed her to take the killing blow. it's complicated, what the two of them had, and Isa hopes she never has to talk to anyone about it, which is why that just gets a vaguely affirmative noise.]

I'm just glad it's over, finally.

[cinderlea]

Oh, yeah. Can't wait to run into the losing team around here. Has it happened yet?

[ Defeated Xehanorts and various little shits spawning here and all that. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

I haven't seen anyone new around, but I haven't been looking, either. The only people around with silver hair I've seen are Rikus.

[like that nice, if slightly weird one that lives with Axel and Kai. who is she to judge weirdness, though, at this point. Isa's in need of more physical contact now, so she gently manhandles Lea until they can both be comfortable about like they were before she got up.]

[cinderlea]

Guess it's for the best. No idea what would happen if they came here now, though most of the ones who popped up before just cause a little chaos and disappear.

[ Do they go home? Do they find homes? She doesn't know. She allows herself to be manhandled without complaint. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

[if they weren't all such shitheads they could just be adopted by locals, but alas. Isa's considering just gathering Lea up and dumping her in bed now and kissing her face a bunch. maybe in a while.]

I wouldn't mind tossing a Vanitas into a lake, that might be fun.

[cinderlea]

[ Lea... probably would not object. After a pause: ]

We could go find one.

[moonstrualcycle]

Not right now, you need a nap and I need to... do this.

[she goes very slightly pink and gestures vaguely at the two of them on the couch. but that includes more kissing maybe, so yeah.]

[cinderlea]

[ There's a longer pause this time, and you can see her eyebrows go up and her brain short-circuiting clearly. ]

This?

[moonstrualcycle]

[BIG EYEROLL. some things never change.]

This, us, being close to you. Assuming that won't finish frying your brain.

[cinderlea]

[ She huffs a little out of embarrassment and drapes an arm across her eyes. ]

Not my fault you're so vague. Gonna hang out with my body while I nap then?

[moonstrualcycle]

Someone has to keep an eye on you, so yes.

[up they go, then, because Isa's not planning on just sitting here while Lea sleeps, that's weird and creepy. Lea's getting scooped up and carried around the wall, where she gets gently dumped onto the edge of a bed that hasn't seen a lot of use lately. she won't mind if Isa kneels to pull Lea's boots off of her, will she?]

[cinderlea]

Haven't heard that one in a while.

[ She doesn't mind, but she will cope with the gay thoughts by making dumb jokes, apparently. Being carried is way more tolerable than what she's doing now. Lea just flops on the bed with her arms spread out and her eyes shut. Can't catch me. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

[that's fine, that's why the bed is there. if Lea's eyes are closed she'll have to deal with listening to Isa stand back up and commence rustling around as she takes her own shoes off, and the flannel shirt, and disappears back around the wall briefly to retrieve her water bottle. but then she's back and flops down on her side of the bed, reaching for whichever of Lea's hands is closest to lace their fingers together.]

[cinderlea]

[ Lea's not asleep, and will probably have troubled, restless sleep when she gets there, but she doesn't move when Isa enters the bed. Except to curl her fingers more tightly around hers. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

[well, Isa will at least haul Lea fully onto the bed and turn her around the right way, because why not, but she completely understands the unresponsiveness, and won't let go of her hand at any point. she'll snooze too, and will wrap herself completely around Lea for any major disturbances. timeskip?]

[cinderlea]

[ We can timeskip! Lea might be unresponsive, but once she's asleep even with the bad sleep she'll attach herself good and thoroughly. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

[the best of arrangements. Isa's still sleeping a lot - maybe she's making up for how little she slept in the Organization - so unless Lea has a nightmare or something Isa will probably still be conked out when Lea wakes up. she's got Lea in a pretty protective snuggle, too.]

[cinderlea]

[ She's pretty awake for a few minutes before she decides that the best decision would be to wake up Isa as well. For company. She's probably been sleeping. A little.

What if she wakes her up by cuddling closer? That's a good plan. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

Mmngh.

[she tightens whatever grip she has on Lea for a second and then stretches her legs out as she wakes up. this feels familiar, and it's nice.]

[cinderlea]

[ She's going to wake up more fully to Lea's face stuffed up in her neck. She doesn't really want to move, because that means moving away from Isa and her primary source of comfort right now. But also... she missed her. There's a gentle but muffled "hey". ]

[moonstrualcycle]

[Lea gets a mumbled "hi" in return, and Isa yawns until her jaw pops. she doesn't really want to move either, but they can't just lay here and not talk for the rest of their lives. probably. maybe like ten more minutes tho, which is why Lea's getting pulled over to be more on top of Isa, like the world's pointiest blanket.]