no running in the halls!

[moonstrualcycle]

[hot off the presses, this one, horrendous new clothes and all. wherever it is in the DR's apartment building that Lea's chosen to roost, that's where Isa's getting yeeted catapulted, quite literally. at least it had the decency to drop her outside the apartment, right? enjoy the distinct sound of someone colliding hard with the wall next to the door and crumpling into a groaning mess on the floor. there's sand on her shoes, and a familiar frisbee came with her, dropped a short distance from where she landed. knock knock, Lea.]

Comments

[moonstrualcycle]

[that gets that very specific look that's reserved purely for Lea. you know the one.]

She's dead, for starters. Again. For good, this time. They all are, all the versions of Xehanort that existed. You played a role in some of it, did you somehow forget?

[that's what a diet of naps and ice cream will get you, you know: short-term amnesia. also if this is some kind of misguided seduction tactic, it's not going very well.]

[cinderlea]

[ Well that gets the equivalent of a record scratch going across her face, and she starts, then stops and waits a beat. What? They won? She helped save the day? Is this some kind of alternate dimension, or the future? Fuck, please let it be the future.

Nevermind, she's just going to plop down on the floor and cross her legs. She needs time to process, so when she speaks, her voice is incredulous, and shaky. ]

That's great. But y'see, the last time I remember seeing you, we were surrounded by them. You remember? Thirteen vessels, the throne room, Sora marks the spot?

[moonstrualcycle]

[Isa's torn between giving someone with head trauma and some former very bad blood their personal space and getting right up in a cautiously-reacquainted friend's business to make sure they're alright. she finally decides on the latter, and crosses the room to sit on the couch, and puts the back of her hand to Lea's forehead.]

That was months ago, all the vessels have been dealt with and Sora defeated the original Xehanort. Did something happen to you?

[cinderlea]

[ She flinches, but only from shock. Even when it was Saïx, and they were having real fights, she never felt like they would really hurt each other. It was just part of the job.

But Lea is painfully aware of how aware she is. This is no dream or hallucination, or anything. She had been lucky enough, until now, not to run into anyone from their world and have to explain this place to them. Riku and her crew were here first. Everyone else who showed up were boy Roxases and Kairis and she had to explain why she was the one with tits. But this...

This is so much more personal. It's Isa, and she says that they won. ]

Besides this? You won't believe me. You'll think I'm dreaming. But you—

[ If the vessels were dealt with. ]

What about you? How're you— you?

[moonstrualcycle]

[she withdraws her hand and leans back, crossing her legs and folding her arms again as some sort of defense against the confusion. she's slowly realizing, assuming Lea's forgotten the last few months, that that also means she's forgotten that really great stuff Isa said before dying, which she clearly said would only happen the once. goddammit.]

I was also... defeated, and then woke up in Radiant Garden like this some time later. And if you're dreaming, where does that leave me? Where are we? I don't understand how you've just forgotten all that happened.

[cinderlea]

Well lucky you, I never forgot anything.

[ Probably not the best choice of words. Man. Where does she even begin with this? ]

Remember all the time shenanigans going on now? Back then? Whatever. Listen, this place is basically a hub for that. Time outside doesn't exist here. The me you know... She must not remember any of it, either. We both showed up here, but you and I are from different points in time.

[moonstrualcycle]

[better than it might have been tbh, though she still tenses slightly. she's silent as she considers this information, taking into account what the room they're in looks like, and the definitely not sunset time of day she can see through the windows.]

...a copy of you was made here from that earlier point, it sounds like. Where Nothing Gathers is really the last place you saw me? How long have you been here?

[she's starting to flounder, with nothing familiar at all to ground her, just weirdness everywhere.]

[cinderlea]

[ She just shakes her head, staring at Isa, mouth twitching like she might smile or burst into laughter. This is the weirdest thing to happen to her since then, honestly. ]

Months. This place doesn't let you go until it wants to.

[moonstrualcycle]

[it's been years and you and i both know it, unless you changed something. Isa looks honestly flummoxed, and surprised, neither of which are familiar things to her, but it slides pretty quickly into that smug little quirk of the mouth she's so good at.]

I guess that means you also don't remember - or didn't experience - me finding you at your beloved clock tower and stealing one of the three ice creams you had. You looked like you were ready to fling yourself off as soon as you saw me.

[cinderlea]

[ Yeah, but she's not about to tell Isa that. Yet. She's been waiting to go back, to finish training and be considered good enough to go.

Hearing her say that is like getting shocked by Larxene, and Lea stares at her, mouth agape. It takes her a beat to get back under control. ]

You've got a bad habit of creeping up on people. Too quiet and all that. But three? Yeah, right. The way I go through friends it doesn't make any sense to buy more than one, don't you think?

[ It's a dig at her own situation, and if she was still Axel from the old days, there would be a malignant spark behind her smile. This one is just bitter, and sad. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

It didn't make much sense to me then, either, and you said you didn't know why you'd gotten three. Now, though-- hm.

[given how this Lea's already reacted to things, maybe she doesn't need to know about getting her kids back just yet. does she even know about Xion? probably not, not much of anyone did until he was suddenly around again, which this Lea hasn't experienced.

Isa doesn't even take the bait for that dig of Lea's, which may or may not indicate some of what went on there towards the end. Saix would have agreed with the dig and been a shithead about it, probably, or have made the dig before Lea even could.]

[cinderlea]

[ She was probably lying, Lea thinks, to throw her off. Two would make sense, if she wanted to be dramatic, but three... probably Kai, and someone else. Sora? Whatever about the ice cream — Lea's picked up on how she's acting. It's been actual years since Saïx was like her old friend, and even then...

It makes her tilt her head and sit up straight. And by sit up straight I mean move from leaning back to leaning forward, shoulders hunched. Lea never sits up straight. ]

You really came back, huh?

[ Not Roxas, but Isa. It's not bad, it's just... unexpected. ]

Thought you were too far gone, by the end of things.

[ A pause, then, before she can respond: ]

Did we fight?

[moonstrualcycle]

Lots of people came back, and lots of people fought, but yes, we did. I had you on your knees and Xemnas nearly killed you. If you'd been slightly less competent with that keyblade I'm sure I would have killed you.

[she's still just incredibly bemused at Lea having a keyblade, it's so weird. presumably she does still have it after that thing Xemnas did; i'm assuming that just fucked it up at the time but who even knows.]

[cinderlea]

[ Who even knows. This Lea still has her Keyblade 100% intact, pre-Xemnas interference. She huffs, more amused than offended, but still pretty offended. ]

It's like you have no faith in me at all. Was I at least a little badass?

[ Nevermind the fact that she (Saïx) had kicked her (Axel's) ass multiple times in the past. Like when he took Kai! Lea's fighting style is a lot of style and a lot of fucking with your opponent, and it's really hard to do that when your opponent is a berserker.

Either way, she's crossed over the threshold of anxiety and can no longer do anything but crack jokes. Wait... ]

Wait. What stopped her?

[ Was it you? ]

[moonstrualcycle]

Not really, you spent most of the fight trying to run out of my range so you could throw your keyblade at me. But...

[that stuff the world-hopping hero squad had to adhere to for the sake of order probably applies here. she seems almost hesitant, which is something else that doesn't look good on her. the good guys won anyway, so knowing in advance probably wouldn't change much, at least.]

It wasn't me, unfortunately, and I'm not sure if I should tell you who it was.

[cinderlea]

[ Lea's mouth flattens into a line, but she nods, accepting it. She didn't really think it would be her, but it's still disappointing. Could be worse. ]

How about we don't get my hopes up, and just say it was Sora. Anything else and I might change the future, you know.

[ It can stay a secret, for safety. Let her keep that little hope anyway. ]

[moonstrualcycle]

I doubt it, I think you would have all won anyway. Things came out surprisingly better than expected, given what you were up against. I certainly wasn't expecting to actually come back.

[too bad what Lea's hoping is only half of what she actually got. how long until the curiosity kills her? Isa huffs out a little displeased noise and leans back into the couch cushions.]

...for what it's worth, I'm ashamed it wasn't me, especially after I found you at the clock tower. But I was too far down to even be aware of the threat to you.

[read: completely berserk and only held at bay by Xemnas's presence which just raises more questions for me in terms of how and why that happened, but w/e.]

[cinderlea]

[ She doesn't have her poker face at maximum power anymore, not since Roxas left, so the face of neutrality she's going for is dismantled by the way her brows knit together. Is she going to be a dumbass and cry? Ugh.

She scoots around so they're both sitting with their backs to the couch, side by side. ]

Almost seems too easy, since I missed it all. I'm glad you're back.

[moonstrualcycle]

[god, what do. she's had the discussion about Lea being a big softie already, just not with this one. and she did say she wouldn't say the thing a second time. at least she's probably already been around weepy Lea a few times just since returning to the land of the living.]

I am too. Hopefully that's the end of it and there isn't a fifth death in my future.

[she sounds so casual about it, but presumably Lea was there when they both died the first time as teenagers. heart or no, there's bound to have been a little freaking out after that.]

[cinderlea]

[ With both kids and Isa back? She's probably been a disgusting mess twice. That startles her. ]

Fifth? How did-- oh... Yeah. I guess it is.

[ A pause. ]

Not to kill the mood, or spoil my own story, but did I at least get to find out what the hell you were thinking? Going back?

[moonstrualcycle]

I went back because I still had hope that I'd be able to find him. It was stupid at that point, I know, but I didn't want everything else to have been for nothing. I couldn't just give up.

[like Lea apparently did, but Isa knows better than to say that now.]

[cinderlea]

[ That is like being dunked in ice water. ]

The second time? But we--

[ No, she gets it. It's a shock, but she gets it. ]

Always thought I was the impulsive one. Do you... Feel good about it, feel like its over? Anything?

[moonstrualcycle]

[she shakes her head, looking almost sad.]

It is over, at least. All I accomplished in those years was to die multiple times, assist a madwoman with her plans, and drive my best friend away. Since I came back this time I'm just tired, usually, and sort of wrung out. Ienzo said that should pass in another week or two.

[honestly being around Lea and the kids helps immensely, everyone's just so happy about being together again. but she can't say that, and it's irrelevant here anyway, without them also here.]

[cinderlea]

[ Hey, wait, no, we were enemies until a few minutes ago for me, and I'm the emo one. Man. She can't even scrunch up her face in distaste for Ienzo like she might normally. ]

It wasn't for nothing. You're here now. And hey, you ended up on the beach with that best friend in the end, right?

[ Another pause before she jerks her thumb to point at herself. ]

I uh, I am that best friend, right?

[moonstrualcycle]

[the deadest of deadpans:]

No, I meant Demyx.

[she leans down, gets an arm around Lea's neck, and gives her a solid but brief noogie.]

Of course you're that best friend, you dork.