tall_dark_and | a day's rest and retreat ; twilight town

Our scene is set in the World That Never Was, sometime in the morning. Or at least, what passes well enough for morning - it's not as if the lighting changes, but it is sometime after people wake up, at least.

The specific setting for this venture is in Namine's Tower, where a dark path is opening. Out of this steps Riku. Today is the day that Riku and Namine have planned to take a trip to another world, and he wanted to come as early as possible. Partially in case they run into any problems, and -- well. Partially because he would just like to spend as much time with her as possible.

He has prepared for the occasion, and this fact is obvious from one glance at him. Riku has taken the trouble to ditch his usual outfit, and get ahold of something nicer. Hanging around Hollow Bastion for a few hours can prove to be a beneficial venture. It earned him some nice slacks, and a white dress shirt. His hair is pulled back into a simple ponytail.

That is not all the preperation he has done. His left hand is hiding somethng behind his back - but what could it possibly be?

"Namine?" he asks, his voice a little hesitant and soft.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No...she doesn't really want to think about that right now, but she's forced to and there's a sinking feeling inside her that mingles with all the euphoric, more fuzzy things she feels everywhere.

"I...it's selfish," she manages to say, closing her eyes again, letting out a breath. He's teasing her in every way, and she's completely falling for it all.

"So?" Riku asks. He doesn't sound too concerned with that fact. "Everyone's allowed to be selfish, sometimes."

He slides a finger under her chin, gently pressing it up so that he can kiss the hollow of her throat. He still has a hand on her hip, and his fingers are tracing slow patterns there.

She shivers very slightly again, letting out a rather contented sigh. One of her hands goes to Riku's arm, resting there lightly enough so that his movement along her hip guides her.

Every part of her tingles with his touch, and it's hard to concentrate, but she manages. She manages to whisper, "...Even someone like me?"

Surprise registers in Riku's eyes for a moment, though he should have expected that this was the problem. He won't press her to talk about it before she's ready, but that doesn't mean he can't reassure her.

Riku lets go of her hip, sliding his hand up her arm to take ahold of her hand. He presses a gentle kiss against the palm.

"Especially someone like you."

She watches Riku carefully, deciding in her mind whether it would be all right for her to tell him what she wishes to say.

Oh, she wants to. How she wants to. But whether or not she should is another matter entirely.

Hesitantly, Naminé takes a breath. "Will you...promise me something, then?" she begins.

"What do you want me to promise?"

Riku isn't sure what to expect from this. But he'll do whatever's necessary to make her happy.

She clutches his hand with both of hers, now. Her expression is one of utmost seriousness.

Part of her remains hesitant, pensive, maybe even a little reluctant. She doesn't want to make him promise her this if it means keeping him from the things that could make him happy...or happier.

"After you've accomplished what you have to do here in the Shadow Realms...And you are ready to go back to your home, back to Sora and Kairi..." she starts, her voice soft, "...could you..."

Riku isn't sure he'll ever be ready to go back there. But that was beside the point, and it wasn't something he was going to make a mention of. "Could I what?" he prompts, instead.

She takes a breath.

It's too late to take her words back, now.

"Could you bring me with you?" Pause. "Even if...only for a moment. I would just like to see what it's like to be in your home world...with you, after all of this is over."

That was easy to promise.

"Of course," he says, and smiles. "I wouldn't want to do anything else."

Somehow, now... it wouldn't be quite the same, without her there.

Suddenly she lets out a giggle of relief.

"I just didn't want to...burden you with having to keep this sort of promise," she says.

"A burden?" Riku grins at her. He feels a sudden urge to be stupid, so he just... goes with it. Sora doesn't have a claim over the right to do so, after all.

"I would slay a thousand heartless to get to your door," he declares. "I would carry a hundred boulders to clear you a path. I would walk the entirety of the worlds to get you your heart's desire. This is hardly a problem."

Naminé begins to smile and soon it turns into a series of giggles. She is so relieved and glad, and her entire body language shows this.

Why is it that Riku has this sort of effect on her? She can't explain it to herself, and she isn't sure whether there really is an explanation.

"You're silly," she says, still giggling.

"Only because of you," Riku says, although that may not technically be true. He was certainly silly enough before any of the past year's mess occured. He just... hadn't been for awhile.

She lets out a content sigh, and hugs him just because. Now she believes she is at the point where she can freely do this without having to hesitate.

It feels oddly liberating.

"Thank you Riku," she says, as she rests her head against his chest.

"You keep thanking me," Riku says, and hugs her back. "I'm never exactly sure what you're thanking me for."

But clearly he was doing something right?

She smiles against him, letting out a soft laugh. "For cheering me up when I feel sad," she says. "And making me feel like...I'm somebody."

"You are somebody," Riku says, and smiles at her.

His gaze is focused only on her, and there's this look to it - sort of like, at the moment, she's the only thing that matters in the entirety of the worlds.

Her cheeks grow warm and she blushes quite obviously as she looks up into Riku's eyes. She returns the smile, feeling so entirely content and pleased that none of her usual gloomy thoughts could dare to challenge such a mood.

It takes her a long moment before she realizes that they have been in this small little alleyway for a while, with the odd person here and there passing them by, giving them strange looks.

She hugs him again, then asks, "Should we find somewhere I can draw you, now?"

"That sounds good to me," Riku says, and holds onto her hand once more. "There's still a lot of territory to cover."

"Yes, there is."

She lets him lead her once more, out of the alleyway and back into the main road of the town. She wishes this day could last forever because she isn't looking forward to when it ends.

But whatever the case, she'll remember it forever; it will be etched in her mind until the end of her lifetime.

As he tugs her along, she watches him carefully, studying every part of him once more. Her drawing of Riku, wherever they plan to go, will be perfect. She's never had a more perfect idea or a perfect subject than him.

a day's rest and retreat ; twilight town

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject