☓ where will you go?

[otherness]

Characters: Roxas (otherness) and Riku (darkercalling)
Location: The World That Never Was But Is Anyway, and possibly other places
Time: Sometime recently.
Summary: Riku lets Roxas out of prison, but the Plane has a gift for them.
Warnings: None, will update as needed.


[The cell is cold, but not silent. Even from down here, Roxas can hear the distant sound of cogs turning, gears knocking and turning together, pistons pushing to keep the world above going. Twilight Town is a lovely city for sure, but Roxas wonders if he might waste away here, if maybe in fifty years someone will find out the old creepy mansion had a dead body beneath it.

He could go hang out on the Plane, again. That's where he spends most of his time. But some recent conversations and some thinking have led him to believe that his place is with Sora, by his side, out there. And that means escaping.

He summons his keyblade and knocks it against the bars. They ring loudly, but they don't budge. He tries again and again until he's exhausted, and then he keeps going. When he's truly given up, there are bloody blisters on his hands to match his bare feet. He lets his keyblade disappear, finally, and falls to his knees.]

I-I guess... I really can't do this alone.

Comments

[darkercalling]

[Things have never been smooth between DiZ and Riku. They had the same goal: help Sora wake up. They had to work together - along with Naminé - to make absolutely sure that it would happen. Well, now that Sora is awake, DiZ insists that he has no further need of Naminé. Or Roxas. And it's DiZ's final order that pushes Riku over the edge, to the point that he won't stand for this anymore.

Really. Enough is enough.

It's late. DiZ is... well, Riku doesn't care where he is. He's not here. That's what's important. The selfish old man can't keep him from doing what he should have done all along.

The first thing Riku does is let Naminé go. "Destroy her"? Over his dead body, maybe, though he would find a way from beyond the grave to keep that from happening if he could. He hands her over to Axel, barely has any time in the rush and confusion to reassure her that it will be okay. He hopes that maybe he'll see her again someday. There's a chance, isn't there? Even if he says this is repayment for the favor she did for him in Castle Oblivion, he will always feel like he owes her so much more.

But... that's taken care of. He has one last thing to do before he ditches this awful place.

He makes his way to the dungeon, determination carrying him on every step. But when he hears that comment from afar, arrives to find the Soulless on his knees, he's careful to keep the guilt and sorrow out of his own expression. That won't help anything here, now.

He doesn't waste any time. He finds the card key slot near the barred door, begins adjusting the gears and switches to the proper alignment, each mechanical "click!" indicating another correct adjustment.]

I'm getting you out of here. But I don't think we have much time before he comes back.

[otherness]

[Roxas jerks his head upward when he hears footsteps. Maybe it's DiZ coming to finally put him out of his misery. But-- no. It's Riku. His eyes widen, bright and blue and terribly familiar.]

You're... letting me go?

[What Riku says confirms it. He's doing it against orders. His breath catches in his throat. He can't afford to hesitate, but his movements feel sluggish and distant somehow, like someone else is controlling him. He scrapes to his feet, palms stinging, bringing him back.

Riku put him here. But Riku is setting him free. Roxas looks at him seriously, bracing himself to be thrown back in the cage. At the same time, he feels like-- like Riku wouldn't really do that.

He seems so sad, somehow. Something is hurting. Maybe it's... Sora? He doesn't know anymore. He won't know where he ends and Sora begins until they meet again.]

Are you sure about this?

[darkercalling]

[He doesn't look up from the mechanism. Hell, he doesn't react at all, though he has to make a point not to. The way his heart seems to feel heavier and heavier in his chest with each passing second between them just drives home the fact that this had better be the right thing to do. Because if it isn't, then... he may very well be fresh out of ideas. Reasons.

And he's not going to let that happen.]

Yeah. I'm sure.

[One last series of clicks, and the lock on the bars snaps out of alignment, twists out of the way so that Riku can reach over and yank open the prison door.]

One thing... What do you plan to do now?

[otherness]

[Roxas ducks his head for a moment, trying to think of a good response to that question. In the end he goes for honesty. It's easiest.]

I don't know. I'm a Soulless. I don't have anywhere to go. I don't have a-- a home.

[He shakes his head slowly, then looks up at Riku.]

I... want to help Sora. How do I do that?

[darkercalling]

[He knows. Unlike Sora, Kairi and himself, with their home back on the islands... Roxas really doesn't have anywhere to go. It's enough to make him pause, consider if he maybe should have thought this through a little more - he doesn't want to deem the entire thing "not his problem," after all, because he does have some sense of responsibility about all of this.

And Roxas's question brings him back around. He nods.]

Sounds like we want the same thing.

[And yet... after everything that's happened, Riku's not sure he can even face Sora right now. Roxas, though...]

Find him again. And in the meanwhile, get stronger. Wherever he goes... He'll need the help.

[otherness]

... Yeah.

[Riku sounds serious about this. Not just about letting him out-- he's already done that-- but about helping Sora. Roxas knows from his dreams that Sora believes in Riku, has always believed in Riku. He can feel it, a little.]

Can I-- come with you?

[He holds out his hand, unsure if this is the right decision. But he doesn't know where Sora is, and Riku is the only safety he has.]

I promise I'll pull my weight.

[darkercalling]

[... Come with him? Why would he want that?

For a long moment, Riku doesn't answer - has no idea what to think. He almost does ask him why, if he really think that's smart... but ultimately, he makes up his mind: he'll take the question at face value. Because even if he doesn't completely understand, it may be the best course of action right now.

If not for Sora's sake... then for Roxas's, at the very least.]

Don't worry. So will I.

[He nods, reaches and takes Roxas's hand in his own.]

Come on. Let's go.

[otherness]

[Roxas lets out a little breath and looks down, as if he might trip. He steps over the threshold. He's a free man, now.

It's scary in a way he can't altogether describe.]

... I don't have a place I belong, [he murmurs.] But... that's no excuse to sit around doing nothing.

[He moves to let go of Riku's hand, then stops. His finger appears to be stuck. He tugs. It doesn't work. It might actually pull Riku with.]

What...?

[darkercalling]

[A place he belongs... It makes something in Riku's chest drop like a stone into water, but he knows he's right - he can't sit around doing nothing. Neither of them can.

This really might be the best thing to do right now.

He's about to turn and go, expecting Roxas's hand to fall away from his, but then there's that tug, and he stumbles along with it. He blinks a few times, looks down at their joined hands.]

... Don't want to let go?

[He tries it himself, but... that doesn't work. At all.]

What's going on?

[otherness]

Did you cast Magnet or something?

[He wraps his other hand around one of the prison bars and pulls, but... no dice. They're stuck.]

T-this isn't funny!

[darkercalling]

[Squint!] Why would I do something that?

[He tries bracing himself against the wall even as Roxas pulls, but it doesn't help. Not even a little. Ugh.]

Yeah, and I'm not laughing. [He runs his free hand down his face, already a little bit exasperated.] We'll have to figure this out later. We need to get out of here. Unless... maybe the Plane?

[otherness]

[Roxas huffs from the effort. He'd really been trying his best! But... his best wasn't enough, apparently. They were stuck.]

Uh, right. Let's go!

[He closes his eyes briefly, trying to drop and pull Riku with him. Well, not exactly trying, but even Roxas knows that touching someone means you're dragged with.]

[darkercalling]

[It works, of course, and they appear on the Plane... just as stuck together as they were in the prison. Great.

He immediately tries letting go again, and when he can't, gives a little bit of a tug with it. Still no luck! He glares at their joined hands (like it's gonna do them any good).]

... Maybe we can pry ourselves apart?

[Shot in the dark, but it's worth a try, right??]

[otherness]

Is there anything here we can use?

[He's not sure keyblades make good pliers.]

[darkercalling]

[He's not so sure of that either.

But he also doesn't actually answer - just reaches with his free hand to try and pry their fingers apart. It works, but only to the extent that their palms are still touching. Riku scowls.]

This doesn't make any sense!

[otherness]

[He might be embarrassed if he wasn't angry.

... Nah, okay, he's embarrassed AND angry. Flustrated? That's a word now.]

If it's not you, and it's not me, and we haven't ever had this happen before coming to the Plane--

Maybe it's an experiment?

[darkercalling]

[You know what, that's a good word for it. Even if Riku's doing his damnedest to hide any of the "flustered" part of that on his end.]

Yeah. Maybe it is. [He sighs, heavily enough that it's practically a growl.] Good to know they're finding more ways to make our lives that much harder.