compnetwork | ☼ 001 [video]

[The feed flickers on and Lea fiddles with it a moment, turning the screen sideways briefly before making a face and righting it. Crazy newfangled technology. He's not wearing the watch, rather has it set on the table in his apartment like it's a tiny tiny computer. After making sure the little screen will stay upright by itself, Lea frowns at it a moment before scratching his head.]

So they tell me this watch thingy posts live to a network everybody in the city can see. Wow, that's pretty impressive--not just in technology but in trust! [He leans forward a bit, folding his arms on the back of the chair he's sitting backwards in and plunking his chin down on them.] I mean, I could say anything, and I wouldn't even be censored? [A low, appraising whistle.]

I mean, not that I'd ever do anything like that. [Grin~]

So where can a guy find the best ice cream in town? I've had a long day you guys wouldn't believe.

[Nothing like being dead and then waking up and finding out you got your heart back and wrangling with the idea of having real emotions again and debating whether or not you should track down your old friends who think you're dead and then getting pelted by children falling out of trees to wear you out. Yup. But he's not gonna go into details.

[A beat of silence and then he glances around as if making sure no one's watching before he cups a hand beside his mouth and says in a stage whisper,] Xemnas is an insufferable ass. And his briefings were boring as hell. [Just checking on that censorship thing. Yup. Nothing to see here.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He's about to say thanks and note that this is a seconding of the place in Virgo, but then makes a bit of a face. What a peculiar thing to say.]

Insulted? [He scratches his head, a little perplexed. Why would a crack aimed at Xemnas insult anybody else? He quirks his mouth a little and eyes this new person a moment, then gives him a curious look, something teetering on abashed in his expression.]

So, this might be an odd question, but have we met? You just... look really familiar somehow. Usually I'm real good with names and faces, but I just can't quite place yours.

[Well, that confusion is just going to make him laugh a little and sheepishly scratch the back of his neck.] It's a long story.

[... well, not the Axel that was in Promenade. That's fine; Xion hadn't remembered, either.] It's Axel, right? I'm Terra.

That seems to be the theme around here, long stories.

[Ah! Oh, okay, that's a name he knows. He's still not quite sure why you look familiar, or how you know his name, but he can roll with this.] It is. [Or was, more specifically, but for now Axel will do. Especially since he's not quite sure how to bring this up to Roxas and Xion yet.] Terra, huh? Well it's nice to finally have a face to put with the name--Naminé and the king told me about you... [He scratches his cheek.] Actually he wasn't entirely sure what exactly had happened, but when we went looking for your friend Aqua in the Realm of Darkness, you were nowhere to be found, and that was about the only lead we really had.

[If Terra is paying attention, there's a grain of apology in the explanation, though it's very faint. Lea has an easier time with apologies than Axel did, but they still don't come entirely naturally, especially for things that aren't his fault. But he is a bit sorry they didn't find Terra; he can't imagine how awful it must have been for Aqua to be trapped in the dark realm for so long, and doesn't want to think about possibly having left anyone behind.]

[Another brief laugh.] Really? We'll have to swap sometime.

[As he listens, his expression goes from somewhat light-hearted and friendly to closed off and pensive, even a little apologetic. He can't help but look away from the camera on his watch for a second.] There's... a reason for that.

[He sighs, shakes his head, and looks back at the camera, an almost weary kind of look on his face. The smile is back, but it's a little more forced.] Don't beat yourself up; you can't find someone that isn't there to be found.

[Lea frowns a bit--he wasn't really trying to make things awkward or sad or anything, but as he studies Terra's face a moment, he just nods. He recognizes that look; he's seen Riku make it. Hell, he's probably made it himself a few times. It's a look of determination, of someone who knows what has to be be done, even if they don't like it... He can certainly respect that look.]

Fair enough; I won't be nosy about it, your business is your business. I, ah... [An awkward pause and then he fidgets briefly.] Well, for what it's worth, I'm kinda glad you got it sorted, whatever it was. The king was pretty upset about it, after all, and... I mean I dunno how I'd'a faced Ven again otherwise, you know?

[When, not if. Lea still isn't sure he's got the knack of this helping people thing; he's always been better at causing damage than fixing it, and he wore the antihero mask pretty well, after all, but... well, Roxas and Xion make him want to try, awkward as he is about it.

[He still can't quite shake the feeling that there's something really strangely familiar about Terra, though, and it's going to bother him until he figures it out.]

Edited 2012-11-14 01:23 (UTC)

[Well, that's another small wince.] ... thanks.

[For not making him elaborate. He wasn't kidding when he said it was Complicated.

He blinks, and looks slightly confused.] The king? ... You mean Mickey? He knows what happened to us?

[He almost sounds hopeful about that--that he and his friends aren't forgotten, that someone is actively searching for a way to fix what they couldn't, and find them in the process. Find Aqua, and restore him and Ven to how they were before Xehanort tore everything apart.]

[The wince doesn't go unnoticed--yeah, he knows that feel, bro. It's all good. He nods then.]

Mmhm, that's the one. [He grins.] Wow, on a first-name-basis, huh? [He's teasing, but nods again.] Yeah, he told me and my friends about you and Aqua and Ven. I actually met Ven once, a long time ago. Man, everybody I know is like way better at napping than I am--I'm lucky if I can sleep four hours, and they all manage for days, weeks, years at a time. [He clicks his tongue--it's teasing again, there's no malice in the words, but they're a bit heavy all the same.]

Like I said, the king didn't have all the details, but he knew Aqua was trapped in the Realm of Darkness, so... when we went looking for her, we figured we'd see if you weren't there with her. No dice, unfortunately, but it seems like you figured it out, so I guess no harm no foul.

[~~If there were any more possible irony in that statement...]~~

☼ 001 [video]

[private]

[private]

[private]

[private]

[private]

[private]

[private]