video;

[pullsheavendown]

[Roxas doesn't address the entire network a lot, but he's reasonably social (well, kinda-sorta), so some people might recognize his face. Those who do won't see much difference, but his voice is a touch more gravel-y, as though he's been through a lot and gargled sand recently, or maybe he's just completed the journey of Boy Becomes Man and reached the bottom of his register. Who knows.]

Hi.

[He raises a hand in greeting and lets it drop to his lap, smile fading at the same time. He doesn't look upset so much as he looks really tired.]

It's been a while. Even before—I didn't want to talk to anyone for a while, because my best friend left and I didn't know how to deal with it.

But then I went back, too, so it's been even longer for me. I'm not sure how long, exactly—I didn't have a good sense of time. Months, for sure. Maybe a year. I don't know. Anyway, I'm back now, if anyone missed me. Or...either way.

[He moves as if to end the transmission, but then stops himself.]

A lot of you guys have done this before, right? Ported out and come back? Is it weird to feel like not much has changed, but everything has changed, at the same time?

Comments

[adamantlyardent]

I'm assuming you're using "born" in a rather distinct sense from the literal form, unless you're about to reveal you're some kind of demigod born of some odd union of godly forces and a mortal.

[pullsheavendown]

I don't really know anything about that but yeah. It wasn't normal.

[adamantlyardent]

Credit to you for not exuding any sense of being actually two years alive, then; you're a bit too tall to get away with toddler hijinks.

[pullsheavendown]

That's the first time anyone's ever called me tall.

[adamantlyardent]

Your hair alone makes you pointedly taller than I, though that hardly needed saying, did it?

[pullsheavendown]

[He is totally not patting the top of his head now, testing how high the spikes go.]

Well, most people are taller than both of us.

[adamantlyardent]

Well, you're welcome then. I didn't even set out to compliment you.

[pullsheavendown]

What's height got to do with compliments?

[adamantlyardent]

Are you asking genuinely? It seems so commonplace that most people favor taller statures. It's all over the advertising and media in this world!

[pullsheavendown]

I don't pay much attention to that stuff.

[adamantlyardent]

Besides ice cream and athletics, what DO you pay attention to, really?

[pullsheavendown]

My friends.

It's nice to talk to you again, Cecelia. Even if I couldn't remember you to miss you while I was gone.

[adamantlyardent]

[adamantlyardent]

[that...THAT'S WEIRD AND SWEET...............................................STOP.]

Well, thank you. I don't utterly believe that, but I appreciate the sentiment.
Welcome back, if being here is where you want to be.

[pullsheavendown]

I want to be with my best friends. The world doesn't matter so much. But this isn't such a bad one, now that I know I can get back to where I came from eventually. And I know they're okay—I don't have to worry about them anymore.

[adamantlyardent]

Where did all of this confidence and certainty come from? You know there's no guarantees any of us will ever get back to where we were from for good.

[pullsheavendown]

I didn't even have my own body or existence anymore the first time the porter that brought me here. Xion and Axel were dead. Before I came back here yesterday, we were all safe and together again when that should never have been possible. If that was possible, then I'm not really worried about the porter keeping us apart forever.

[adamantlyardent]

WHAT DO YOU MEAN "XION AND [SOMEONE I DON'T KNOW] WERE DEAD"???

[pullsheavendown]

A lot of bad stuff happened where we came from.

[adamantlyardent]

Yes, I can INFER that, thank you! On account of what you wrote a second ago! But then again, maybe I should be questioning what "bad" even means to you.
How fanciful the world must be if death was nothing to quiver at, and certainly nothing of note to share with anyone who DARES presume to be a friend. I suppose it's nice to know upon which ladder rung I am properly placed, even if it is well after-the-fact.
Congratulations on your happily ever after, then. At least SOME people get them in this dreadful world.

[pullsheavendown]

You should stop talking now.

[adamantlyardent]

Of course. I know my place. Or one would think.

[pullsheavendown]

I didn't know Xion hadn't told any of her friends here that this world was all she had. But I was there when she died. She was in my arms and then she was gone and it was my fault and it was the worst day of my life.

So you don't get to talk about it like it was no big deal.

[adamantlyardent]

[U G H

"stop talking" he says, CONTINUING TO TALK AND MAKE HER FEEL WORSE!! OK COOL!! WHAT?? DOES SHE SAY ANYTHING AND MAKE HIM MADDER?

nope. NOPE SHE'LL GIVE HIM WHAT HE WANTS AND NOT RESPOND OK.]