Open KH Mingle

[keybearer]

[You are here. You probably made a wrong turn down that dark corridor. Maybe your Gummi Ship got knocked off course. Maybe you just felt like a change of scenery, or maybe you already lived here.

Regardless, you've stumbled upon Radiant Garden in all its glory. The flowers are in bloom, the fountains flowing. Or perhaps you're less fortunate and ended up here or even here. Time's in a bit of a flux. Open corridors link from one version to the other.

And for those uninterested in sight seeing, there are other activities to enjoy. Several moogles seem to have set up booths with snacks, items, and a synthesis shop. There's a sale on sea salt ice cream, and for thrill seekers, plenty of Heartless lurking in the shadows.]

[ooc: Just a general post for KH mingling. Other Disney and Square Enix characters are welcome, too. Doubles and AUs are all welcome.]

Comments

[keymains]

[Here again? Heh. Not what he expected, but he's got time to burn. Might as well have a little fun.

It just so happens that Vanitas' idea of fun isn't exactly safe, healthy, or productive. As he strolls through the square, he snaps his fingers and sends Floods and Scrappers scurrying toward the booths. The goal? To shake things up. Spread panic. Bring a little excitement to this otherwise dull world.

While he watches his Unversed work, he chomps down on some sea salt ice cream.]

Heh. And people actually like this?

[Pfft. He throws it aside and conceals his face with his mask. Yes, folks, we have a nonbeliever.]

[coincidentals]

You know, I'm pretty sure someone'd have your head for wasting so much ice cream like that.

[ She says it with her hands on her hips. This guy seems like he'd like to stir up a little bit of trouble--which is her specialty. They're almost like two peas in a pod, really. ]

[seasaltkeys]

[Roxas does not know how he got here. And really, he's not completely sure where here is, exactly. But he has a good feeling that it's probably not where he's supposed to be. But that place wasn't desirable either, so this is the better alternative.

And they have sea salt ice cream. So clearly the best thing to do is grab some and find a high place where he can eat and think and figure out what to do next. Maybe he'll explore a little later.]


[ooc: Just a Roxas, coming from the end of the KH2 prologue. Not exactly but he has ice cream so things are slightly better than they were. Can be located in a high place or exploring the city.

(Can also come with game memories for Route 29 or Empathieas. Just let me know.)]

[cloak]

[Funny that they had similar ideas upon reaching this place. Well, mostly similar ideas. One of these things isn't entirely like the other.

And he doesn't expect to find anyone on this particular high perch, let alone Roxas.

Which leads him to stiffen in a manner much resembling a cat spritzed with water. He casts a glance around, hood turning first left then right, weighing the possibility of disappearing altogether.

But can he, in this place?

He doesn't feel the presence of data]

[prismbloom]

[ Seeing Radiant Garden whole again is a little overwhelming. The last time Aqua was here, there was a huge amount of darkness. Now, though... now it's as she remembers. It feels light here, and she stays still for a while, soaking in the warmth.

But how did she get here, anyway? Not that she's complaining; who would after so long in the darkness? ]

I'm glad everything is as it was before.

[ Everything is normal, maybe everything outside of this world.

Right? ]

[risingwinds]

[Aqua better watch out, because there's a big, grinning dork zooming in from the side. It's been ages since he's seen her! Well, partly because he got pulled to another world and got wings slapped on his back, but this? This is great.

Oh, don't mind the fact that he's like nineteen now.]

Aqua! You're really here!

[uneased]

[ She's only seen this place in others' memories. Seeing it and actually being here are two completely different things. The wreckage of the place sets her a little on edge. She's more than a little disoriented, too. Being torn from her other self isn't something she ever wanted to experience. If you come across her, she might be huddling into herself, eyes wary and searching every which way.

But, really, who would want to willingly talk to a witch? ]

[individuate]

You okay, Naminé?

[He's... not quite sure what's going on. Granted, he was on his way here to visit Scrooge and the nephews again, but it's odd that Naminé looks so wary. Did something happen?

Well, there's one thing about Riku Replicas that remains consistent across universes: a desire to care for and protect Naminés. So here he is, approaching with a soft expression and a gentle tone. He's also got an Organization coat.]

[ipheion]

[ If you have the misfortune of wandering into the fountain court, you'll see this guy inspecting the place. Radiant Garden. He'd never had the, ah, pleasure of coming to such a light place during his time in the Organization. It's not too impressive, he thinks. ]

[[ooc: voicetesting this guy! coming after his demise, aha.]]

[keyternal]

[Ah, now this is interesting... He'd thought Marluxia had perished. But then, Axel's word of late has been.. unreliable, to say the least. Add that to their present location, and he's willing to throw logic aside for the time being.]

This world suits you.

[After all, his element is flowers...]

[avert]

[To say that Noel is out of place would be a massive understatement.

What he last remembers was facing off against two monsters. Lightning made it - he's sure she did - but he... well. He took them down, he can say that much.

He brings up a hand to shield his eyes as he squints up at the bright daylight, far too accustomed to his nocturnal patrols of Luxerion. This place can't be a part of the tiny, fast-fading world that he had known.

Is this the 'new world' then..?

He drops his gaze and shakes his head]

No. The others would be here if...

[7thfists]

... If what?

[Hi Noel. Tifa had been wandering around this place too, she couldn't help but over hear him.]

[thiefmaster]

[This wasn't an area of his world that he knew of, but who knows. He might have stumbled on somewhere new during his travels back to Lindblum. He was positive that this town wasn't a part of his world though.

The thief can be seen wandering around and stopping to say hi to people. While in the process of figuring out just where the heck he is in the first place.]

[risingwinds]

[Does this guy have a tail? That's so cool! And... well, Ven might be slipping in because, hey, new face! Potential new friend. What's there to lose, really?]

Hey, I don't think I've seen you around here before!

[dreammark]

[Riku doesn't recognize Hallow Bastion at first, not until he's walked around a bit and explored the place first. Keyblade in hand, he definitely taking out the occasional heartless that seems to pop up.

Why was he back here anyway? He did just bring Kairi to Yen Sid's Tower.]

[[ooc: Riku can be found anywhere and everywhere.]]

[keybearer]

[Riku with Keyblade? Meet another Riku with a Keyblade, though this one's currently toting the Kingdom Key, with Kairi's lucky charm and a black version of Sora's necklace dangling from his belt.

Thankfully, he's kinda used to doubles, having endured the Tower of Animus. So, when he sees another version of himself, he decides to slip in to investigate.]

Huh. The haircut's new.

[And it kinda sticks out. Then again, didn't his double get his hair cut after a while?]

[notatyrant]

[The last time Terra was here it didn't exactly go as planned, a lot of things he didn't exactly want to happen happened and so he doesn't really like this place, as pretty as it is.

He's not entirely sure why he's back here, but he wants to try and replace the memories from the last time. He's walking around, hands in his pockets, looking at the buildings, the flowers, the stores, everything, taking in as much as possible.

He'll stop and sigh as soon as he sees the door to the underground though.]

[keyternal]

[...Fascinating.

He'd already noted the time fluctuations here. The Garden was utterly destroyed, reduced to ruin and clumsily cobbled back together. An admirable feat, perhaps, but far from its former glory.

But this... Both the location and the company bring back unpleasant memories.

How fortunate that he lacks a heart.]

A truly wondrous world, isn't it? Its beauty unparalleled...

[He's concealing his face beneath his hood for now, watching closely.]

[risingwinds]

[There's a slightly older Ventus zipping around. At age nineteen, he's nearly Terra's height, though his spiky hair remains the same as ever.

One moment, he's out by the the castle, the next, over by the fountains. Eventually he settles in the square, entertaining the crowds with ridiculous break dancing to help advertise the sea salt ice cream stand.

The crazy thing? He's trying to break dance and eat ice cream at the same time.]

[therighttobe]

[It's a jolt, being here suddenly. And for multiple reasons. He could never bring himself to visit here, after he'd been banished to the Realm of Darkness. He could never bring himself to look upon his people, knowing how he'd failed them. To see the damage that Xehanort's actions had wrought, knowing they could have been prevented.

If only he hadn't been so foolish, to begin looking into a topic that outght to have been left well enough alone.

Ultimately Ansem can be found walking the streets, lips tight and eyes full of pain as he gazes around the bright buildings and clean streets, trickling fountains and verdant gardens. Occasionally he reaches a hand out, brushes a bit of stonework and masonry, lifts a flower so he can examine it more carefully.

He doesn't have much to say himself, though perhaps you might have something to say to him?]

[dreammark]

[This one is bound to bump into Ansem at some point, considering he's exploring the place himself. Riku just freezes in his tracks, shocked. He had seen Ansem last time in Sora's heart, on the island.]

DiZ-- [No, he needs to stop doing that.] Ansem the Wise. [Seems like a lot of people are popping up here. Why though?]

[7thfists]

[The fountains kind of reminded Tifa of the well back in her hometown. The well where her and Cloud had made that promise.

She's stopped by one of the fountains, watching the water run. Cloud had kept his promise, even if he didn't think so.

She'll be asking about a guy with spiky hair, spikier than Sora's. Her friends have got to be around here too, right?]

[connectedsky]

[Even though he isn't sure how he got here, or where Riku is, or how much trouble he'll be in when his parents find out he's not at school, Sora is having the time of his life! He had no idea where he was, and everything was so neat!

Except for one thing - his stomach is reminding him that he hasn't eaten lunch yet, and he has no idea where to go for food. Uh-oh...

Oh, but maybe he could ask someone! He spots a woman standing by a pretty fountain as soon as he thinks of the idea, and she looks nice, so he walks up to her with not a hint of shyness.]

Um, can you help me with something?

[attheclocktower]

[Xion ends up in a rather different place, when Hollow Bastion was in it's most shattered and fragmented state, the castle covered with extra stonework and pipes and other such things. And there's something... familiar about it. Familiar enough that instead of turning to go through one of those corridors to somewhere more inviting, she starts hopping her way up instead.

From there, she ends up walking through the halls, using her Keyblade to take out any Heartless that attack her, but mostly looking around, curious and puzzled. She stops at a few places.

Until finally she finally reaches the place where she comes to a stop, staring. Her head is starting to hurt a little. She reaches a hand up, almost absentmindedly to rub at her forehead while she speaks, her voice a little fuzzy and distant.]

What is this place?

[[ooc; I know I've got a couple flavors of her, so if you'd prefer any in particular, just let me know in the subject line! Only exception is SnD!Xion, who I'll be making a separate toplevel for]]

[individuate]

[Hollow Bastion is like a second home for Xiruk. It holds some of his best memories since escaping the Organization, and while the castle's always carried echoes of pain and loss, he's braved it enough times to stomach the lingering guilt. Guilt over a fabricated failure.

Still, on his way into the Grand Hall, a sharp twinge of pain overtakes his heart. He stops for a moment, until he realizes he's got company.

Is that Xion? A ghost of a smile spreads across his face. Man, when Roxas finds out, he'll flip! Picking up the pace, Xiruk moves closer.]

It's Hollow Bastion... or Radiant Garden. That's what Aqua calls it, anyway.

[Odd, but then again, he's seen stranger things already. There's something about the situation here's that's mind boggling, but he'll save those thoughts for later.]

A little bit rusty, bear with me...

[abovetheprogram]

[And here we have another who isn't in the Radiant Garden of old perhaps, though the city is clearly working its way up to try and become that again. Instead this... not-quite-the-Sora-you-know is wandering around the Marketplace and the Borough excitedly, staring around at the buildings

And then he sees the castle, half-repaired as it is, and it all clicks together]

Whoaaaa. Is this Hollow Bastion? It looks so different now.

[He turns and keeps looking, and that's when he sees you. And runs over, practically bouncing]

And there are people here too!

[Yes he's talking about you.]

i'm... just going to carry on calling him Journal here if that's ok with you?

[collectivedata]

(( ooc: it flows better than Dataku/Data-Riku. sob. ))

I don't know if 'person' would be the right word--

[The Journal began talking before he turned around, so when he finally did realize who he was addressing, he paused awkwardly.]

Sora? [Wait. Wait, no, not Sora. Ugh. That isn't Sora, and he isn't Riku, and he's been over this... but there really isn't much else to call his fellow AI, is there?]

[capax_infiniti]

[It's not uncommon for him to be here, really. It's a fascinating world in its own right, one that he's taken to learning about quite readily. It being the world that his cohort Braig is from helps too, and that particular in has served its purpose well.

Things are all on track, as they usually are, and that leaves a smile on his face as he leaves the castle gate. Braig has his new orders, Vanitas is well on his way, and the apprentices are scattered and confused. There's still a little time until the next step.

His feet take him to the marketplace, and he watches silently. It's entirely frivolous, watching the people buy and sell and attempt to haggle. Still, you never know what you'll find in such a large gathering of people, and while his body is old his eyes are ever sharp, scanning the crowd.

No one knows him. Do you know him? Does he know you? Time is a funny thing.]

[keyternal]

[...Xehanort.

Now this is interesting. A face he hadn't seen in more than a decade, though he had certainly left scars of sorts. Twisted him. Left remnants of knowledge and ambitions that clashed with Terra's own.

Xemnas is quiet at first, observant. His hood conceals his face, and he keeps his hands tucked behind his back. What to do...

Fortunately, his lack of heart allows him to think clearly, unhampered by rage. Terra would have attacked. At the very least, he would have made a scene.

Instead, he opts for a more rational approach, casually approaching.]

Ah... Have you come to join the festivities?

[It's certainly intriguing. For a world so radiant, seeds of greed have worked their way into the residents' hearts.

But then, what is light without shadow? And what is the heart without its faults?]

[traverses]

[Radiant Garden?]

[...Well, of course Leon is in Radiant Garden. Where else would he be?]

[Choosing to pointedly ignore the portals to darker times that popped up a while back, he is instead just wandering around town, hands in his pockets, looking around quietly. Though he's certainly not smiling, his general demeanour suggests that he's at peace. Or as close to 'peace' as he can manage.]

[individuate]

So this is what it was like... I can see why you've been working so hard to fix everything.

[Leon probably won't recognize this kid, but Xiruk definitely recognizes him. He's been around Hollow Bastion long enough to know the big head honcho of the restoration effort.

Plus, Leon's kinda cool. That's always a bonus.]

This is Data-Riku, for those wondering- this one prefers to be called just 'the Journal'.

[collectivedata]

[...The place is nicer than he expected.]

[The Journal can remember Sora's memories of Hollow Bastion clear as day, but it's a bit surreal seeing the place so... complete. Still, it's nice.]

[He's presently standing in front of the ice cream shop, arms folded, staring up at it thoughtfully. 'Sea-salt ice cream'? Was that even a thing? What did it taste like...?]

[shroudedwind]

[...Ugh. Here? Now? This is hardly the time! But for some reason outside Ventus' realm of understanding, he's smack dab in the middle of Radiant Garden instead of the Keyblade Graveyard. And that's just not right.

He's noticeably out of place, what with his dark armor and yellow eyes. He's clearly not too happy about it, either, given the way he's awkwardly milling around, eying the people, huffing a little. He's without direction, and it's... kinda overwhelming.]

Hmph. But it's not like I need his help. Good riddance...

[He shakes his head, hands clenching and unclenching. When he spots someone interesting, he'll stop and swivel around.]

Hey, you!

[He's... got a mission to carry out, but maybe you're a familiar face. Or maybe you at least seem tolerable. Whatever the case, this awkward kid wants to talk.]

[uneased]

[ The voice catches her off guard, and she stops before turning to face him. Oh. This is... wrong, isn't it? She'd assumed it was Roxas, but it's far from him--there are so many familiar aspects about him that it makes her a little dizzy. ]

... Yes?

[ It's the only thing she can think of saying. She's not nervous, no, not one bit. ]

[keyternal]

[Xemnas simply cannot pass up the opportunity to investigate this anomaly. As such, he can be found everywhere, and frankly, he stands out quite a bit. The black coat isn't exactly subtle after all.

He begins his journey in the Marketplace, striding through the crowd, casting occasional glances in case familiar faces appear. A friendly moogle flutters over to him, passing out a pamphlet for the synthesis shop's grand opening. He takes the pamphlet with a nod, looking it over with a vague smirk hidden beneath his hood.

So blissfully unaware...

He wanders toward the castle bit by bit, stopping by the Fountain Court, then the Outer Gardens. He retraces his steps-- this was, after all, a place he'd visited as Terra. And as Xehanort's vessel, he'd seen the deepest secrets of the castle, an unwilling witness.

Ah, but the Garden in this state isn't quite as fascinating as what he finds behind the first corridor. Xemnas' travel through the castle is swift, eventually leading him to the Grand Hall. There is a great crater in the floor, before the Final Keyhole, and it is there he stands, chuckling.

I'm taking back what you stole, and everything else with it! This is MY heart, and I'm through with being your puppet!]

To think it was more than a decade ago, yet this chamber remains the same... How utterly nostalgic.

[He turns to regard any potential company, but eventually he presses on, arriving in the ruined town.

He hovers around the shops, making mental notes of the changes. Occasionally he stops to peek at the patchwork houses in the Borough, but his true destination once again lies elsewhere.

Adventurous sorts will find him in Ansem's study, eying the painting of Xehanort with his hands tucked behind his back. He's sifted through some of the remaining research papers, in an attempt to cover his tracks.

Later still, he makes his way into the Chamber of Repose, and if by some chance one of the corridors dropped you here, prepare to be questioned in an eerily calm manner.]

[astrologia]

[ It seems horribly ironic that he should meet Xemnas of all people upon his return. What a cruel twist of fate. Still, he retains that mask of stoicism that is his habit. This is a place in which he's never been. The armor doesn't go unnoticed, however; his eyes linger for a moment before he bows his head toward his Superior. ]

Xemnas. My apologies for intruding upon your musings.

[ Is he, or isn't he? Xemnas doesn't need to know. ]

[whereibelong]

[She knows Radiant Garden. She's been to Hollow Bastion a couple times. Never for very long, only in passing, but long enough to see it in the buildings and the rooftops, the flowers and the fountains that were familiar yet brighter, less touched by difficult times.

It was beautiful, and yet very bittersweet too, in its own way. Bittersweet because of who and what it reminded her of.

She's a little bit concerned about how she got here so suddenly, and she's definitely keeping a wary eye out. They've been waiting for the Organization to make their next move, ever since Ansem had sacrificed himself to destroy the Kingdom Hearts Xemnas had been making. She does hop through each of the corridors once, returning here to Radiant Garden as soon as she realized she was going to different incarnations of the same place. She could just try to make a corridor back to Destiny Islands if she really wanted, and yet...

There's curiosity there, as she peers down streets and at buildings. Had this been important? Or this? Asking about Axel would bring up way too sore of topics (more than merely already bringing up those very topic), but she can at least look and listen. No detail is too small, really.

She's still a bit skittish though, steps restless and arms wrapped around herself, for the most part.]

[[ooc; AU canonpoint is mid-Bridge arc, prior to Lea's return. Destiny Strings memories are available to any who might want them. You know who you are :P]]

halp

[terra_nullius]

[He's never been here before, not that he can remember, though there's something about it that tugs at his heart in a way that makes him wonder if he has been. Is that why he's there, then, instead of in the familiar streets of Hinoto-ri?

Who knows. There's still a lot of things he doesn't, though he's made do as well as he can. At least he's prepared, with his bow slung over his shoulder, though he highly doubts that this place has the same sort of infestation issues as his home.

Curiosity gets the better of him, and he begins to explore, taking in the sights with wide eyes. It's bright and colourful, and it makes him feel light, almost weightless in a way he can't describe.

Then he rounds a corner, peering down a street, and something familiar flashes into sight. Something... something dear, but that he'd been forced to put out of mind to keep from sinking into his own darkness. The lightness he'd felt dissipates, and he holds his breath, staring, shaking just slightly.]

[fallingsky]

[He wasn't sure what he was expecting to happen next, but it wasn't this.

Normally, Sora wakes up gradually - yawning, stretching, rubbing his eyes, trying to squeeze in five more minutes of sleep, the whole bit before he's finally sitting up and acting like his usual self again.

This time he instantly sitting upright, looking around wide-eyed almost before he can even comprehend that he's awake - as if he had been woken up by a Heartless attack, or a really awful nightmare. The latter would be right, technically, except that what had happened in the nightmare was real.

Is he awake? Where is he?

He still felt worried, and sacred, and like something was still a bit wrong, and yet he also felt more like himself again. Exhaustion and darkness were no longer weighing down his limbs and clouding his thoughts - he no longer felt like he was going to be crushed from within by a heavy weight. Yet that weight was still there, somewhere - but none of that helped him figure out where he was, or what was going on. Waterfalls surrounded the area, and he could see a series of floating platforms leading upwards, to crumbled pieces of architecture and...the castle, yeah. He definitely knew this place, even though he hadn't been here since the city was called Hollow Bastion.

He didn't have a mirror or anything, but all he had to do was see his clothes (and his shirt, which he really, really didn't want to have on anymore, now that he knew that the pattern on it wasn't just decoration) to know that he was still in the form he had taken to enter the Realm of Sleep...so he was still sleeping, right? Even though this definitely wasn't a sleeping world, which didn't make sense, but not a whole lot did right now, anyway. In fact, he had kind of thrown sense out the window a long time ago.

With all that established, there wasn't much left for his mind to do except go though an instant replay of everything that had just happened, which reminded him that he had been having a minor heart attack just a few minutes ago, which made him very glad he hadn't stood up yet because his head was still spinning with too many thoughts and he wasn't sure if there was a lot of room left for the little things, like telling his legs to work.

He was okay, though, wasn't he? He didn't feel like anything bad had happened, so...had Riku been able to help him? Sora didn't see him or anyone else around, though, and why would he have ended up here, anyway?

At that thought he flopped back on the ground and let out a long, exaggerated moan of long pent-up irritation. The thought of anyone overhearing didn't even occur to him, since it didn't seem like anyone was around anyway.

Sora was REALLY tired of everything being a puzzle all the time.

But, with that done, he sat up, finally getting up on his feet.]

Well, guess I may as well start looking around.

[At least it wouldn't be nearly as hard to jump to the platforms this time around....wait, is that a moogle shop way up there?]

((Sorry about the incredibly limited range of icons! I'm making my own, so it's taking awhile.))

[dualstance]

[ He isn't sure the term "waking up" really applies to him right now, but if Roxas is honest that's the only thing that comes to mind when he opens his eyes next.

One second he's conceding defeat, retreating back and slowly resolving to not interfere despite his own wants. The next thing he knows his eyes are adjusting to the brightness of this.. world? Some place that he's not familiar with, neither his own memories that's returned to him nor the scattering few of Sora's that remains with him. And a part of him figures he would remember a place that just seems to resonate with such a bright light, one that he may have avoided if he's perfectly honest.

As a (ex)member of the Organization, they emphasized on being covert, never to be seen or really known about. Stick to the shadows and focus on the mission. He doubts he would have ever been sent here for a mission. There's just something about it that sits oddly with him. Not in a bad way, just...different.

Either way, he's here now and for a moment Roxas wonders if he should shed his cloak because he feels like he sticks out like a sore thumb in this place. The last thing he wants is to be accused of something for looking suspicious. The black coat is a slight comfort to him, but if it becomes a hindrance to him, he won't hesitate to take it off. Maybe he could replace it with something else?

Seeing a few moogles flying about, it's worth a try to ask. ]

Why not. [ He shrugs slightly before making his way to the closest one, wondering if he'll meet anyone here before realizing that he probably shouldn't be able to.

Because. He's not supposed to exist, right? ]

[connectedsky]

[If you happen to be in the square, you might see a small child with big blue eyes and spiky brown hair - a familiar child, to some - quite literally running around everywhere.

He has no idea how he got here, where he is, or who all of these people are, and clearly this is amazing.

Of course, he also has no idea how he got here, where he is, where all his friends are, or how he's going to get back home, and that is very, very worrying for a little boy. But, like a certain little fairy he won't meet for many years, he's really too small to hold onto both of these emotions at once, and for now excitement has won out over panic.

This is another world! It has to be. There's so much to see that he isn't sure where to start, and so far trying to see everything at once has had...mixed results.

One of the downsides is bumping into people a lot, which he probably just did.]

Oops, sorry!

[He can't help but smile, though. Hello, new person!]

[radiantsmile]

[Kairi is perched beside a flower bed working on making a chain of flowers when she hears his voice. He's pretty easy to spot with his red shorts and hair that reminds her of an upside-down tulip! She smiles seeing that he has bumped into an adult.]

Are you lost?

[She asks as loud as she can, not sure if she could be heard over the fountains.]

Over here! [She waits to see if their eyes meet before patting the spot beside her.] They won't bump into you if you're by the flowers.

[astrologia]

[ A strange turn of events, to say the least. He had just faded from his nonexistence; that he ended up here is intriguing. And the worlds have a ridiculous sense of humor, it seems. To end up here after he perished at the Keybearer's hands... and to see it in its unmarred state...

If he could feel something, perhaps it would be nostalgia, amusement, or a deeper longing he'd rather not confront. ]

[portalhopper]

[ This place... it's familiar. She's never been here (has she?) but her heart certainly remembers it. There's a sort of ache there, and as she gazes around at the restored Radiant Garden, she feels at ease. She should be feeling uncomfortable in a place she's never been, but it's the exact opposite. ]

It feels... like home.

[roadtodarkness]

[He tilts his head at her just a bit, before glancing off to the side.] ...

[This is certainly...refreshing, considering the place he was just in. There's a long moment of silence, before he looks back to her with a faint smile.] Home, huh?

[Well, princess, there could be a reason for that.] That's a good thing, right?

swoops in a week late with starbucks

[bladecharge]

[Aqua hadn't realized how bright everything would be, when she finally managed to make it out of the darkness. It's surprisingly hard to get used to, even after a few hours (mostly spent finding her way out of the less-restored parts of the world with one arm shielding her eyes, and unsuccessfully attempting to find someone who knew what had happened in her absence).

But now she's found a spot in the Marketplace, on some tarp-covered supplies, to sit down with some ice cream and enjoy the sun on her face for the first time in who knows how long. She needs to discover what's happened - to her friends, to the worlds, to this world, covered in construction equipment as it is - but without access to her Glider, some of those things are going to be pretty hard.

And with the fact that she's somewhere bright and (relatively) safe and bustling with other people, going about their business, well. Aqua can't help taking a few minutes of downtime.

Still, she's keeping an eye out for anyone she might recognize, or anyone who looks like they're not from around here.]

[kappatsuna]

[So if Aqua sees this kid running by surely it means she hasn't been in the dark all that long, right? There's a cat he's chasing, and it isn't hard to see which of them is winning the race.]

Hey! That's my sandwich!