1 (video)

[mirroredmemory]

[For someone who's been in Heropa for half the month now, Xion has been keeping her profile low and doing as much reconnaissance as she can, as well as staying out of the way in case she hurt anybody. Again.

But she's been watching the network; she's been keeping her eye on the weird happenings and seen a lot of people who live on her street suddenly get tiny or older and it's odd, even before the explanation and the truth came out.

She's sitting outside somewhere, the sound of waves crashing and gulls crying can be heard in the background and the wind is ruffling her short, dark hair. She looks hesitant but thoughtful when she starts filming.]

I... I haven't been here very long and I don't know if this is the right thing to use this device for but I wanted to say something.

[She pauses for a moment.]

Everybody is talking a lot about their bodies changing, about how they're older or younger. It isn't a good feeling when something happens to you and you can't do anything to stop it. I haven't changed here but... I know how it feels. So, um... it's okay to be mad, I guess. Or sad. I don't know if that makes anybody feel better.

In the end, you're all still you! And you've got people who know you and remember you and love you. That's important. It doesn't matter whether you're big or small, just as long as you've got someone to make it easier for you.

[And here she looks embarrassed and sheepish, realising she's maybe gone a bit far.]

That's all I wanted to say, really. Sorry.

Comments

[onthegroundsofbrooklyn]

What's with all the sunshine around these parts?

[But he says it and sounds more amused than cynical]

[mirroredmemory]

I don't know. It's nice though, don't you think?

[She picks up a shell and turns it over in her free hand.]

I like the beach. It's nice to be able to come somewhere like here anytime you like.

[onthegroundsofbrooklyn]

I like the water well enough, sure.

[mirroredmemory]

Did you have a lot of places like this in the world you came from?

[onthegroundsofbrooklyn]

Like what do you mean?

[mirroredmemory]

Like this beach? Or places where you could sit by the water?

[onthegroundsofbrooklyn]

We gots the pier.

[He holds court there, pretty much.]

[mirroredmemory]

Do you do other things there too?

[onthegroundsofbrooklyn]

Do you know people who only do one thing?

[mirroredmemory]

Well, yes but... I've never seen a pier before. I don't know what they're for.

[She's only a year old, humour her.]

[onthegroundsofbrooklyn]

They's for ships, Sunshine. They come in there, and the ships deliver goods.

[mirroredmemory]

What kind of goods? Are there many of them?

[onthegroundsofbrooklyn]

Depends on the pier.

How many piers are there? Thousands, probably.

permavid

[resipiscent]

[He's staring -- he can't help himself. Roxas said there was a girl in a black coat here. Her face... it's not what he was expecting, mostly because she looks like Kairi. The black hair is enough to make him realize it's not her, and the fact that she's younger than Kairi, but... how many times did he see her smiling at them after a race? How many times did he look at her sleeping face, when her heart was missing? He'd know her fourteen-year-old self anywhere. It's Kairi.

But when the girl speaks, it's not her, and the illusion is broken. Something about her reminds him of Sora, too, and that's weird, too. Why does she... remind him so much of his friends?

He blinks, and then he can't help but frown, because suddenly there's something in his brain that wasn't before, and all of a sudden he knows exactly what Roxas was talking about, because it's happening to him, too. His memories... are different.]

... You're...

permavid

[mirroredmemory]

[Oh.

It shouldn't be a surprise to see him, not really. After all, Roxas is here, why wouldn't there be other people who she's known from before? Apparently the world's a small place, she's heard people say that before, it stands to reason that more than two people from her world should be brought here.

But the way that Riku's staring at her in disbelief is making her uncomfortable, and after she stops gawping at the screen she looks shy and rueful, not sure what to do or say to him either in the same way she completely lost any sense of control when she bumped into Roxas.]

Riku...

permavid

[resipiscent]

[His frown deepens at the utterance of his name and he's looking away from the screen for a moment, memories suddenly fresh in his brain. He can't help but think about them, the way they just appeared there. Something is still foggy, but...]

... I know you, don't I?

[mirroredmemory]

You don't.

[She can't quite bring herself to look at him as she says that, but then she reasons she has to, because as hard as all of this is to explain, hiding isn't going to make it any easier.]

I mean... you shouldn't. I don't think you should-

But you did. Once.

[resipiscent]

So which is it?

[He frowns, eyes averting again while he thinks. Once he's arranged the words of his reply in his mouth, then he meets her eyes again.]

How can I have known you once and not know you now? That doesn't make any sense.

[mirroredmemory]

It's hard to explain.

[She tucks her hair behind her ear nervously.]

I had to... go away, and when I did-

[There's no more hair to tuck away, so she fidgets a little.]

I didn't think I'd come here. I thought I'd be with Sora.

[resipiscent]

[With Sora.]

... he's not here.

[His voice is low -- he misses both Sora and Kairi so much every day that it's hard for him to bring that to the surface. For a moment, he considers hanging up, but then he remembers what he told Roxas.]

... Listen, can I... meet you? In person, I mean.

[mirroredmemory]

I thought you might ask me that.

[There's a small smile on her face, a little one, and it's tinged with something bittersweet.]

Okay. Where?

[resipiscent]

Doesn't matter. Heropa park? [It's just the easiest place, in his mind.]

[mirroredmemory]

I can do that. When should I get there?

[She should be feeling more nervous about this, but perhaps the relief of knowing that she can explain all this and try and come up with a reason why she's still here with him. Riku's always been good at helping her figure things out, even if he doesn't remember.]

[resipiscent]

I... whenever you want. I'll go there now.

[Something about her makes him... eager to do this. He feels like he knows her, like this feeling in his brain will explode into a waterfall of memories if he just lets it go. He's already getting up from his chair, shrugging on a sweater, and leans to click the communicator off. He'll be waiting there.]