compnetwork | RIKU → first dawn || video

[He reacts as quickly as she expects -- but instead of pulling out his Keyblade, hers clashes against the metal of his right arm, the noise of the impact making the port at his shoulder shudder. The Way to the Dawn appears an instant later in his empty right hand as he jerks it back into his familiar fighting stance, and he can't help but look over his shoulder at Kairi for an instant, incredulous, before he looks back at Xion.]

What is wrong with you?!

Edited 2013-07-14 06:40 (UTC)

Xion, stop!

[Kairi shoves her way between Riku and Xion much like Riku had done for her moments earlier, arms stretched out but with no weapon in hand. She didn't figure Xion would try to throw a blow while she was standing here, nor did she want to potentially scare her by pulling out her own keyblade. If she did get hurt though, so be it; she had bigger issues right now.]

Riku is my friend!!

[Kairi is right to think that. Xion doesn't motion to attack, but she's clearly enraged by the fact Riku is there. Her teeth are grit together, shoulders hunched forward and ready to strike as soon as Kairi moves.]

He's not a friend!

[At all.]

Don't defend him, he's a bad person!

What is this about?

[He frowns, arms dropping to his sides. He's only going to defend, of course, and he wouldn't try to land a blow with Kairi in between them. A bad person... well, maybe once, but...]

Xion, what's wrong with you?

[He... honestly he wasn't sure how he was supposed to react to seeing this post on the network. After everything he'd been through, Joshua really didn't think he was supposed to be shocked by anything anymore, but...

Well this wasn't the most shocking face he could have expected, but it certainly was shocking nonetheless. In fact, it takes several minutes for Joshua to even decide that he wants to respond with a message.

And when he does, he can't honestly come up with anything good. His voice is a little weak and he doesn't seem to be looking directly at the camera, fingers gripping his hair almost nervously...]

... So, you made it here too... This has to be some kind of cruel joke...

... Yeah, I... guess I did.

[He's surprised and yet... he isn't, not really. He'd heard there were others from the Facility after all, and Joshua was pretty resilient. Even termination couldn't keep this guy down, apparently.

He's peering back quietly, watching Joshua's face. When the other boy still doesn't meet his gaze, he frowns a little, and looks away himself.]

Sorry.

Ahh... don't be.

[Joshua glances at the camera for a moment before looking away again, running his fingers all the way through his hair and brushing some of his bangs back... He feels like he misspoke.]

I suppose I'm... glad that you made it out of there. I would never wish for anyone to stay in that place, not even those I despise...

[He fades off for a moment. Wow, it really sounds like he misspoke again, doesn't it?]

... several others recently returned there, it's why I thought it was ironic that you would show up here so soon after they went back.

Yeah, I... heard about that.

[Riku looks uncomfortable then, unsure how to continue the discussion. It's difficult to know what to say when you're aware the other person is disgusted just looking at your face. He wonders how all those villains did it.

He twists his ring around his finger quietly, then looks back up at Joshua.]

You think they'll... ever get out again?

I don't know... it's possible. We're apparently free to come and go. I honestly don't know why they would ever return to that place, though...

[We're starting to hit a sore patch here, he's even more uncomfortable with this topic... In fact there's a flash of something on his face... anger? Sheer fury, quite definitely, mixed with a certain amount of pain. But it's gone almost an instant later.]

Kairi and Naminé... Have you already talked to both of them? I assume you must have, if you heard about the others here.

Yeah, but...

[He shakes his head quietly, unsure what to say. Even if they're free to come and go, it's the Facility. How hard would it be for Val to cut off their return somehow?

He doesn't say anything about the emotions flitting across Joshua's face, but he sees them. For a moment he's distracted, and there's a noticeable pause before he nods in reply to the question.]

I did, yeah. They said it's... better here. What do you think?

Undoubtedly... almost anywhere would be better than Alpha Omega, wouldn't it? It's hardly a contest...

[This place... it was a new start. They were being given lives that they never had in the Facility. As clones, copies plagiarized from the originals, they didn't belong anyplace. This was as close as they could get to a true home, in his opinion...

And speaking of homes. Joshua mulls over his next question a little bit, before taking a bit of a shaky breath, and letting it out. His chest rattles a bit.]

... They didn't discuss... housing arrangements, did they?

That's true, I guess.

... Housing... no. I... didn't ask. I'm not going to just... barge in on them, after all.

[He's pretty sure Kairi will ask him to live with her, but he doesn't feel right just inviting himself to. Though, that's because he has no idea they all live in a massive castle.]

Why?

I see... Naminé asked me to live with her and Kairi not too long ago. I haven't finished preparations yet, either in terms of financial stability or even packing my things, and they seemed a bit uncertain of their own living arrangements the last time I checked... There was quite an upheaval for them recently...

[Joshua sighs and presses his palm to his forehead.]

... If Kairi or Naminé ask you to live with them, I... I don't want to cause any trouble between us. [He pauses for some time, trying very hard to decide what course of action to take. To abandon his claim living with him, to stand his ground, or to attempt to actually reside in the same house as Riku peacefully...]

We'll have to discuss a solution.

Oh, okay. ... Yeah, I can imagine there was one.

[Riku frowns gently, unsure what to say to him about this. Joshua's living with them? Honestly, he's not surprised, but...]

Well, I'm not going to tell you you have to leave or anything stupid like that. You were there first, after all. You'd... be uncomfortable if I was there, though, right?

[His frown deepens a little as he lapses back into thought for a moment. Of course he would be.]

What would you have me do?

Don't put that sort of decision into my hands, Riku...

[He lets out an irritated sigh and just folds his arms across his chest in thought.]

I wouldn't mind if we were staying in a larger place with more private space... if you recall, for some time I had no choice but to stay at your and Sora's place to make sure that Neku didn't lose his life due to a pact he had with Shiki...

But if it comes down to living in a small apartment together... I'm sure you wouldn't be able to stand me...

Perhaps we'll have to let the girls decide in the end.

You always assume the worst of me.

[He saw that coming, though, and he smiles gently, looking away again. He's not sure what they should do, though, either, and he nods quietly.]

I won't mind whatever decision you guys make. I'm the newcomer, after all. Though, if you let the girls decide, I think I can guess what they'll want to do. Are you okay with that?

[Somehow, he doesn't think Josh will be, but he'd like to think the other boy might surprise him.]

... Perhaps I simply assume the worst of myself. I'm perfectly aware that I'm one of the most difficult people to get along with.

[He sighs a little and looks down, hiding his eyes. Yes, that's true... The girls would undoubtedly try and get everyone to get along and live side by side. It wasn't something Joshua was good at. In fact, he really wasn't sure he could do it.

But with everything that's happened, there were two fatal mistakes he could make here. The first would be choosing to live alone. After everything that's happened, if he chose to seclude himself again, he knew his mental stability would shatter. He was aware that even Riku knew that. After Suki was terminated.... Riku... he was one of those few who showed up at Joshua's apartment uninvited to try and keep him from going under. An action Joshua still didn't understand.

The second fatal mistake, if he chose to turn Riku away. Not that he didn't think Riku could handle it, but Riku had been friends with Kairi and Naminé for so much longer. They'd been cloned with memories of each other, a lifetime of memories. If he turned Riku away, chances were that Kairi and Naminé would discover the reason why and become upset with him. After all the hell he'd put them through, after the loss of many of their friends recently, denying them the comfort of living with one of their closest friends would... probably result in unpretty consequences. Perhaps they would never speak to him again, perhaps they'd simply kick him out...

The only remaining solution was obvious.]

I'm going to have to be. It isn't... the most desired of situations. But I truly have no choice. [Joshua shakes his head a little.] What about you? Would you honestly be okay with this solution?

You don't make much of an effort to change, though.

[He can see Joshua working it out in his head -- his thoughts are written all over his face. He won't complain, no matter which outcome Joshua would come up with. It's not right of him to protest, as the newcomer, and given their prior relationship, Joshua probably wouldn't appreciate it either.

Finally the other boy speaks, and he blinks in surprise. Not what he was expecting. But he nods at the question.]

... Well, yeah, I guess I would be. I'm not... out to get you or anything, you know. I don't mind. It's not like we'll have to share a room.

[Riku's words, about change, make Joshua's eyes snap up at him coldly. There's no snarl, there's no deep frown, just severely angled brows and a gaze dark enough to be pitch black.]

You have no idea what you're talking about.

[He looks away, jaw locked tightly and hair hiding his eyes once more as he attempts to calm himself down with deep breaths.]

...I'm not out to get you either. I hope you understand that. So long as we... mind each other's business, we should be able to tolerate one another. Though I'd prefer it if you kept your rash judgments about me to yourself.

[He's startled by this -- he hadn't meant to be offensive. He just doesn't see an effort, that's all. But maybe Joshua is different from the way he was originally? Riku supposes he'll never know, given he can't go back in time to Joshua's home to see.

Riku's quiet, unsure what to say to this. He nods after a moment passes in silence between them. Honestly, he feels bad.]

Sorry. I didn't mean to be... offensive. I just... can't see it from where I'm standing. That's all.

... I don't need to validate to you everything I've been through to get to where I am. I don't need to prove to you that I've changed, and I'd simply prefer it if we left it at that.

[Joshua gently touches the right half of his face, gaze still obscured by his hair... He wouldn't let it slip but... the fact that Riku couldn't see any progress with his behavior was making him feel quite insecure. Even he himself had trouble believing he'd changed, he always had to get other people like Neku to tell him so.]

Just stay out of my business, alright?

... yeah, I can do that.

[He feels like it's obvious to him now that there might not be a point in trying someday to reach out to Joshua. Riku isn't going to bother him if he doesn't want him to, after all. Sora can make friends with anyone, but... that's his talent, not Riku's.

After another moment he nods quietly, unsure whether to hang up or not. He's pretty sure Josh doesn't want to talk to him, but... he does feel bad.]

... sorry.

... Quit apologizing. It's fine. We have our differences, and there isn't anything wrong with that. This is a truce between us, alright?

[He gives Riku a bit of a frustrated look, before his expression just shifts into a tired one.]

Whenever I call a truce, I mean it.

[He's not going to say so, but it seemed that half of the time he called truces with people, he ended up being good friends with them... Joshua really can't see that happening between the two of them, and he doesn't really want to try to.]

Looks like you're settling in nicely.

Seems like it. Still gotta get myself to the town hall, I guess.

RIKU → first dawn || video

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text; ouo

eeeeee also does the comp tell you who you're talking to