limitstorm | IC CONTACT.

[Okay focus on the robe. The sash. Yeah. The brush of Riku's fingers against his doesn't really register as anything particularly noteworthy to Lea anymore--he's taken a few opportunities to appreciate Riku's hands lately, running his fingertips over the defined knuckles or pressing his thumb against the back of his wrist. Riku has a swordsman's hands--rough and decisive until met with an unexpected parry--and Lea's found he's rather fond of them.

[He fumbles visibly when Riku explains the scar, and the sash almost falls from his hands as he gawps at him for a moment.]

Wha-- really? [Of course he knows that Riku and Sora fought and defeated Xemnas. He supposes he hadn't really considered just how difficult or dangerous that might have been.]

[ riku notes the sound; he notes the emotion, and accepts the excuse, even if it is one. he's not going to pressure lea into spilling everything he needs to--after all, there's going to be a time and place for that, and it isn't now. at least lea knows now that riku's noticed and that he can't play it off that easily. that's more than enough for the moment.

what gets riku to react is the the shock in lea's face, to counter the confusion in riku's. why is he so surprised? ]

Uh... yeah.

We got into some trouble, and I had to shield Sora so he wouldn't... [ well. get maimed. die. ]

Wasn't much I could do.

Had to, huh? Interesting choice of words. [He goes back to the sash, scrunching his face up as he fiddles with the way the robe puckers at Riku's hips. Is it supposed to do that? Why doesn't this thing come with a manual? He pulls the sash free and tries again, and as he shifts the fabric his eyes linger on that scar a moment.

[He shakes his head, frowning.]

Like you 'had to' push me out of the way of the falling rubble, right? [He doesn't like to bring it up, but... Riku, come on, there's a pattern here. Aren't you gonna acknowledge it?]

[ instead of his face becoming redder, it pales considerably, and he looks down and away. ]

I guess you could say so.

[ he's certainly not gonna label them as the same... ]

It's just something I felt I needed to do. Sort of like instinct. Fight or flight... or protect, I guess.

[ he grips onto the counter, frowning. ]

You'd know.

['You'd know.'] Would I? [His voice is curious rather than accusatory, and he shakes his head a little.] I think I get it conceptually, but... I feel like we have some pretty different connotative distinctions here. [He fiddles with the robe a moment longer, then ties off the sash, straightening and giving it a scrutinizing look. Well... it... looks right ish? He's not really sure how it's supposed to look, frankly.

[He meets Riku's eye then, leaning against the bathroom counter.]

I mean... yeah, there's people I feel like I have to look out for. Roxas. Xion. Hell, even Sora. So I do get that. What I don't get is why you seem to feel that way about everybody. [He frowns a little.] There's people I want to protect, sure, even at the cost of my own safety... but the pool's pretty small.

Smaller words, Lea.

[ riku narrows his eyes at him. ]

I only got half of what you said.

There's people I want to protect, and then there's people who matter that I have to protect. It's not just everyone.

Sorry, sorry, ah... [He waves his hand, trying to think of a good way to explain what he means.] It's like... like when you cook something somebody else can cook too. [This is surely a comparison he'll understand, right?] You both make it a certain way, and it's still obviously the same thing, they just taste a little different. You can tell them apart even as you know they're the same food.

[He lowers his eyes, frowning again.]

I'm cooking for a single family and you're cooking for a whole city, it seems. I guess I just don't get how you can... do it on that scale. I feel like I'd run out of ingredients.

[ riku purses his lips and then looks down.

it's certainly easier to think that way--it's like cooking now, and cooking back then when exsilium was still standing, at the NORA cafe. it was very different; riku was always tired. he brought more stuff home than he actually made, unless it was his day off. there's no day off from protecting. ]

I think it's because I've always had to cook for four families, so it's not that hard to do it a little more.

[Right, yeah, he knows. Mr. Responsible, expected to look after everybody. It's really no wonder he's got such a complex. Meanwhile Lea had usually been the one getting into trouble, and Isa had been the one to get him out of it. Having the tables turned--being the one placed in the charge of others--had been novel and exciting, so what had started out as a simple Train The Rookies had evolved into the brotherly streak he now wears with pride.

[Same food, different recipe, different portions. He sighs softly, then reaches down and closes one hand in the hem of his own tee shirt. He hesitates, then pulls it up to reveal a scar of his own: a blanched and ugly thing that clutches at his side, with tendrils that curl out and away from the center, like they're reaching for his spine, clawing for his ribs.

[There had been a time that Axel would have done anything to make sure Saïx reached the top of the Organization. A time when Lea would have done whatever it took to watch his old friend's back.

[Times change. Lea still has every intention of saving Isa from Xehanort's clutches, but... he's not sure he'll ever actually get him back. He's not even sure there's anything to retrieve at this point.

[He meets Riku's eye and drops his shirt back down.]

Just be careful those families don't bite the hand what's feeding them, got it memorized?

Edited 2013-12-30 10:35 (UTC)

[ there's a strange twist in riku's stomach and he feels like bile's building up at the back of his throat, and for a few moments, he feels like he could actually spit acid.

he knows what that's from. at least, he's decently sure.

he almost reaches out, but he pulls back, looking up to lea. ]

I'll memorize it. [ it's quiet, and a promise, because he understands.

probably a little more than lea thinks. what he does do is reach for a hand, to lightly squeeze it. ] Sorry.

[He knows. Riku wasn't there for the strike that caused it, but he was there when Naminé worked the magic that kept him alive long enough to do one last thing right.

[He squeezes Riku's hand back, then impulsively tugs it and presses the younger man's palm against the scar on his side, through his shirt. He gives him a stern look.]

Do. [Memorize it. Never forget it. Sometimes you can't even trust the people you once trusted with everything... don't just throw yourself into danger for someone you hardly know.] Don't be sorry, just... be careful, okay?

[He releases his hand then, suddenly feeling claustrophobic and unsettled in the harsh yellow light of the bathroom, and he turns quickly to head back out into the bedroom, raking a hand back through his hair. He moves to the window, pressing one hand against the glass and gazing out into the driven snow. Then he glances at the clock on the wall. Time for a deft change of subject.]

Almost midnight. [Another year gone by. He turns away from the window and sits down on the bed, rubbing his thumb over Dusk's head.] So did you guys have any traditions for New Years on your islands?

[ a quiet noise escapes his mouth when lea tugs him closer, so his palm frames his side, and for once... heat doesn't rise into his face. instead, his eyelids lower, and he relaxes his hand against the fabric of his shirt.

be careful. it feels like a lot of people say that to him nowadays--this time, it really sinks in. maybe it's because of the scars, maybe it's because lea is a little closer to him than most people are, but he knows he's going to try to heed his warning.

he lets his hand fall back to his side, and he looks to the mirror, idly adjusting bits of his yukata before lea speaks. ]

Hm? [ he takes a few steps out of the bathroom, peering at the clock and sliding his glasses off. ]

I didn't even notice. Usually, [ he smiles a little, wiping his glasses with a corner of his sleeve. ] the kids would go out and dance with fireflies. It's still warm around this time back home. There's this special stew you're supposed to eat, too--it's good luck.

[ but, he sighs. ] We don't have the ingredients, though. Would've made it. Maybe it'd make Sora happy.

[Lea idly notes how he removes the glasses to look at the clock across the room, a smile rising mostly unbidden to his features. He's never known anyone who wore glasses--it's kind of interesting to watch how they change things. Riku doesn't squint anymore, and he's a little proud he could help with that.

[He looks a little envious then.]

Ahh, you island kids and your tepid weather. It rarely snowed when I was a kid, but it was definitely way too cold for fireflies this time of year.

We usually drank some kind of fizzy cider and stayed up til midnight--there was a bell that would toll in the square. What's in the stew?

[ he smirks slightly, looking over at lea when he notes the climate. ]

Don't be too jealous. We didn't have snow, but we had a ton of rain and hurricanes, sometimes. [ he distinctly remembers flooding a few times during his youth. he exhales slowly and shakes his head. ]

That's right, grown-ups liked to drink champagne, too. That's what I remember my parents doing every year.

Usually, beef, green onions, mushrooms... the thing is, there's this vegetable that's kind of like a potato, but it's more thready. We're missing those and the mushrooms. Doesn't taste the same just with potato. I tried to make it last year, too.

[ his brows knit together with some frustration, but they smooth out-- ]

Some of the people here have traditions, too. I hear there's something like the stew we have back home at a place here, but it's dangerous. Apparently you can choke on one of the ingredients.

Yeah, need an ocean for that. Garden didn't have one. [He sighs softly.] I never even saw a real beach 'til I became a part of the Organization. So I guess there's a little good that came with all the bad. [Honestly, he's a little uncomfortable being grateful to the Organization for anything, but he can't deny that he is. He wouldn't have his powers, wouldn't have met Roxas and Xion... wouldn't have met Riku, for that matter. It doesn't justify what Xehanort did, certainly, but being able to appreciate those things takes a bit of the sting out, at least.]

Thready? [Now he's imagining a potato that looks like a ball of yarn.] I kinda thought all potato-y things tasted the same anyhow, but I guess I just dunno any better. [He chuckles.] Don't have a cook's tastebuds.

[And then he looks alarmed.] Why would you make a stew that chokes people? What even is it you choke on? Don't people around here know how to chew?

[ he shakes his head. ] It must be weird, but I can't imagine anyone growing up without the ocean nearby. Sometimes...

[ sometimes it's the only thing that calms him down. funny that his name means land and he finds comfort in the sea. he interrupts his thoughts for lea's questions. ]

I had it so much that I know how it tastes, and I know if it's wrong. It's not about ability, it's about... I guess... [ he looks down to his robe, and pinches part of it, then looks back away. ] ... memory.

[ of course, lea is right there to swipe that sad frown off of riku's face, actually making him snort in laughter. ] --I--I think they choke on rice cakes? What kind of question is that? It's not like they make it to choke people!

[He shakes his head.] Nah, it's not weird. When you grow up with something every day it's hard to imagine not having it at all. You probably can't imagine what it was like growing up an only child, either, right? You said you had a brother...

[Lea's glad to see the frown vanish, replaced with laughter. Riku really doesn't laugh enough. He decides to milk this.] Rice cakes? [He makes a face.] I thought those things were coasters. Anyway, how do you know they don't make it for the purpose of choking people? That'd be a really sneaky way to do it, you know? Nobody'd suspect the stew.

Yeah, older brother. [ he makes a face at the memory of being yanked around town and never being allowed to be on his own, with his older brother around. ] I think I would've liked being an only child.

They're not-- [ laughing again, riku shakes his head, uncut hair starting to flick against his neck. ] They're not hard, they're soft! And sort of... sticky. There's no way they'd actually make it to be dangerous, the rice cakes're supposed to be good luck!

Eh, you always want what you don't have, I think. I used to wish I had siblings, but... I think it would've made things harder, in the long run. [Losing his home, parents, and best friend had been hard enough. He grins a little.] Guess I'll just have to settle for Roxas being my little bro. I could definitely have done worse.

[And then he folds his arms over his chest, giving Riku a very serious look.]

Well obviously they can't be that good of luck if people choke on 'em. Think I'll stick to ladybugs and four-leaf clovers, thanks.

[ his laughter fades to a softer smile. ] Yeah, that's true. He's a pretty good person.

[ riku wholly believes that. he simply raises an eyebrow at lea, finally stepping into the room more. he'll fix his robe later. ]

You can stay being boring, then. I think I'll try some I-could-choke-on-this stew.

He is. Better than he realizes, I think, but... that could be said for a lot of people I know. [He's looking at one of them.

[He leans back on his hands on the bed when Riku steps out of the bathroom and lifts his eyebrows before grinning wickedly.]

I better go with you, then; can't have anybody else giving you mouth to mouth if you choke on stew.

[ it's the combination of his words and the fiendish grin on his face that have riku's stomach fluttering and his skin heating up, probably the reddest lea's seen. he just gives a strangled noise before he grabs the nearest soft thing (the towel haphazardly sitting near the windowsill) and throws it at his head. ]

[Lea just cackles like a hyena. Now the score is 13254685 to 2. He drapes the towel around his shoulders and gets to his feet, moving back to the window and making a beckoning gesture.]

Okay before you go choke on stew, though, there's like. A minute til midnight now. You can't miss midnight walking somewhere, I'm pretty sure that's like super bad luck. [He peers out the window again, gazing down the street. The streetlights reflect brightly off the snow, making the night not nearly as dark as it probably should be.]

Back home they would always set off fireworks at midnight. My old man would always manage to find me some sparklers, and me and Isa would--

[He cuts himself off with a sharp inhale, then hefts a sigh that clouds the window glass. He clears his throat then.]

I didn't see any fireworks stands or anything here.

[ he doesn't know quite what to do at first, but then he raises his hand to lea's arm, gripping it lightly. he's taken to actually touching him a little more, now, but it's not often at all. after a moment, he actually steps closer to the window, pushing it open and, without a word, sticking most of his body out of it. he exhales sharply--it's freezing--before he raises his hand to the sky, breathes in, and channels.

dark energy itself is easier to channel. light energy is harder, it's like sparkling electricity and the sun burning in his palm. when he finally lets it go, his wrist aches at the drawback, but it pelts all the way to the sky, and riku pulls himself back in with a little wince at his shoulder.

in seconds, the light bursts, and it's not quite a firework, but... soft petals of light drift down across the sky. it's similar. ]

Sorry. That's the least I can do.

[ he glances to lea with a helpless little smile and a shrug, taking one glance to the clock as the seconds start to tick down, closer and closer to midnight, the seconds hand already past the 50-second mark. ]

[Lea looks a little surprised by the grip on his arm, but less because of the contact and more because suddenly Riku seems really... intense. ~~[ʀɪᴋᴜ ɪɴᴛᴇɴsɪғɪᴇs]~~ He actually makes a wordless noise of alarm when Riku pulls the window open though, his expression warping with bafflement.]

Riku, what the hell are you--?

[Oh. Oh. Oh, jeez. He really wasn't expecting that. He watches as the little comet of light arcs away into the sky and bursts, a brightly colored spiderweb of color and shine tumbling back to earth. Lea exhales, his breath a bloom in the cold air at the window, and he smiles with a shake of his head. He really has to wonder how he got so damn lucky. New leaf or otherwise, since when does the shifty antagonistic troublemaker wind up with the noble hero, anyway? For that matter, Lea hadn't expected to find a relationship of all things in this place.

[He expected the happiness even less, at that.

[Lea shakes his head then.]

Don't be sorry. That was great. [He glances at the clock, then grins.] Actually there's one other thing that's a New Years tradition back home. It's one I've never had the chance to take part in, though.

Edited 2013-12-31 06:04 (UTC)

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