• ic contact •

[otherness]

"This is Roxas. I'm not here, so... leave a message, I guess."

{ VIDEO | VOICEMAIL | TEXT }

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Comments

Friday 21Nov, evening | audio

[promises_to_keep]

Roxas, please tell me you're not busy right now.

[Roxas was the one who had asked Axel what love was in the first place. Suddenly this is the most awkward role reversal ever.]

[otherness]

[Roxas sounds a little sleepy.]

Huh? Axel? What's going on...?

[promises_to_keep]

[He doesn't even correct him.] Do you have ten minutes to help me with something? I need to borrow your... infallibly straightforward logic.

[otherness]

[He just woke up from a nap, give him a break!]

You need to borrow my... what?

[He sits up, stifling a yawn in his sleeve, and then he returns his attention to the tablet.]

Is something wrong?

[promises_to_keep]

Not really. I guess I just... want your opinion? Sorry, didn't mean to wake you up.

[otherness]

[Well, he's up now.] N-- no, it's fine. It's just... you're usually not the one who asks me for advice. [His tone lightens.] Makes me wonder what it is.

[promises_to_keep]

I know. It's weird. But I don't really got anybody else I can talk to about it. [The circle of people he really trusts is pretty small, Roxas, you should know this.] A guy can wanna know what his best friend thinks, can't he?

Wanna pull up a table at the cafeteria? We're a little short on clock towers here, unfortunately.

[otherness]

Yeah, and we got some catching up to do.

[Roxas has half a mind to curl up in his blankets and go back to sleep, but any longer in here and he might wake up his roommates. He throws on the hoodie he managed to nab before it all went to hell. It's three sizes too big, but it's comfortable and that's what matters.]

Sounds good. See you in a bit.

> action!

[promises_to_keep]

[Lea will be waiting in the cafeteria with a mug of coffee in front of him and a spare in front of an empty seat. He hasn't really drank much of the coffee, he just likes the sting of the slightly too-hot mug on his palms as he rolls it between them. Glancing up when Roxas' mop of yellow hair catches his eye, he grins.]

Hey hype. Sorry I interrupted your beauty sleep. Payback for all those naps you and Xion crashed.

November 23rd | Late | Text

[heartstorage]

[He normally hates texting but- well at least he has enough manners to TEXT instead of call at like 11pm at night.]

[Especially when its an awkward thing]

hey roxas u awake

[otherness]

[who else could this be]

Sora? Something wrong?

[heartstorage]

[Yep. Already feeling really stupid about this. Oh the troubles of being 16]

no no!

i just [a beat] couldnt sleep and wanted to see if you were awake too!

[otherness]

[Hahahahahahaha your life.]

... You really think hiding stuff from your other half is gonna work?

1/2

[heartstorage]

[NO SCREW YOU ROXAS. YOU DON'T GET TO PLAY THAT CARD, HE HATES THAT CARD.]

[HE IS SO FINDING A WAY TO DIVORCE HIMSELF.]

[heartstorage]

[Except it DOES save them a few minutes of beating around the bush and lies. Good job Roxas! So after a pause, he'll respond]

ok ok

my roommates are gone so im all alone in here and its

kinda creepy

[a beat]

please dont tell anyone

[otherness]

[Oh, that's... not what he was expecting. Roxas sits up a little in his bed.]

Why would I tell anyone? This place is totally dark and creepy. My roommates aren't that bad, so you can come over if you want.

Plus, I have popcorn.

[heartstorage]

[What were you expecting Roxas, oops I sorta stabbed my arm? He swears he knows to call the clinic for something THAT bad]

[But that does sound like an appealing offer. He still feels a little stupid and childish, but that idea beats the prospect of staying all night alone in a creepy room that reminds him of...well, something he rather not think about]

really

you sure your roommates wont mind

[otherness]

It's fine. Xion comes over sometimes too.

[A pause.]

wait. How are we gonna... what happens if we bump into each other?

[heartstorage]

[A pause. Good question]

dont worry ill be careful

i dont mind sleeping on the floor

[not here: christmas day]

[limitstorm]

[ under the tree, there's a plain white box with a yellow ribbon. on a sticker at the top is written roxas, with from: riku underneath.

inside, at first, is a pair of fluffy white earmuffs and a very long, soft checkered scarf. underneath that is a simple, hardcover book that's dark red, and in golden letters reads journey to the center of the earth, and a note reading never checked your reading level, but i figured you'd like this.

the last item inside is a rectangular tin box, and if roxas opens it, the smell of sugar and almond will hit him square-on. it's almond brittle, drizzled with dark chocolate and bits of seasalt.

there's nothing else but a merry christmas on a piece of cardstock. ]

[ reaction ]

[otherness]

[Whoa, he's not expecting to get anything from Riku even though he made sure to get something for his other's best friend anyway. Like-- like mending bridges. He still isn't sure he can talk to Riku casually, but he's trying to keep things friendly, both for Sora's sake and Lea's.

Still, a present? It's really nice. The scarf is perfect and the earmuffs are, too.

Riku might be able to glimpse Roxas running back to his room, scarf trailing behind, with a book clutched to his chest and his mouth full of almond brittle. NO ONE SAID HE COULDN'T EAT IT ALL AT ONCE.]

[Christmas Day, have a present GOSH]

[promises_to_keep]

[Lea's still not sure how this all works, but beneath the tree there's a small, flat box wrapped neatly in bright paper that looks suspiciously sea-salt ice creamish in color. It's got Roxas' name written on it but the from should be pretty implied. Inside the box is a simple spiralbound leather journal in a familiar checkered pattern. There's a full page for every day of the year, and space for extra notes at the end. An ink pen made of driftwood is looped through the coils of the spine. There's a stickynote on the first page that reads, 'for the things you want to make sure to never forget'. Then there's a handful of interesting looking shells he picked up while he was on that mission to Hawaii littering the bottom of the box, along with a box of sea-salt caramels, which also have a stickynote on them that just has two exclamation points on it.

[... Hey, it was an exciting find, okay?]

[ reaction ]

[otherness]

[OH MAN, A SHINY NEW JOURNAL. Roxas realizes only when he's staring at it that he actually misses keeping a journal. Now he can write everything down and make sure that someone, somewhere, knows he and Xion were here. That the war happened, that they all tried their best. And all the good times, too-- cake shared (or not shared), pillows thrown...

He writes on the inside of the cover, "Given to Roxas by Lea, December 25th". That way he won't ever forget. The shells remain in the box, which he puts on a shelf for safekeeping.

He considers for a moment, then writes a thank-you-note on the journal page so he can leave it in Lea's room along with one of the seasalt caramels.]

Thanks for the presents. The candy's good so I wanted to make sure you got some.

[He's also traced one of the shells with his pencil on the note as a sort of signature.]

Not here - Christmas Day

[heartstorage]

[Under the tree, there is a present that's been wrapped in a way that looks someone had a bit of trouble doing so- you know, a bit too much tape, some ends coming open, wrinkles. This should be a clear sign it came from your talentless hack of a somebody from the get-go. If that tip off isn't enough, there is a note:]

Merry Christmas Roxas!

I dunno how useful this'll be right now, but hey- the snow's gotta melt someday right?

- Sora

[And inside the wrapping paper is a white skateboard. It's not exactly like the one Roxas had, but, he tried to get as close as he could given the money and resources he has]

[ reaction ]

[otherness]

[Roxas stares in silence at the wonderful new thing in his hands. He spins each wheel experimentally, fingertips brushing the edges of the board, making sure it's real. It's an incredible gesture on Sora's part even if he doesn't realize it.

That week-- that week wasn't real, but...

Ah, jeez. He wipes his eyes furiously.

There's no point in writing a thank-you note since they're in the same damn room, but Sora might notice Roxas is taking the damn thing /everywhere/. It's propped up against his bed when he's writing, and gently rolling beneath his feet when he's reading... that sort of thing. You'd think it was a teddy bear.]