heartswillbeone: (Default)
heartswillbeone ([personal profile] heartswillbeone) wrote in [community profile] allsoend2013-12-15 06:18 pm
Entry tags:

A day with family remembered

Who: Kairi and Ven, but more can appear
What: The first memory in the next chain...where does it lead?
Where: Memory chains
Warnings: Nothing thusfar


There are seven new sparks of light remaining in the darkness along with the others at the end of Sora’s last available memory. When touched, the light of this memory opens up onto a bright, warm place that no one present would recognize. It doesn’t appear to look like any world anyone would have visited before, while at the same time feeling strangely familiar.

The scene actually starts from a bird’s eye view before those visiting find themselves suddenly swept to the ground. From above can be seen a wide lake fed by two waterfalls, with a vast forest hugging sloping mountains on one side, and a large town spreading out on the other. Up the hill from the town is a castle, although it’s not recognizable.

When brought down to the ground, those visiting will find themselves in an open-air plaza, situated right next to a garden overflowing with gorgeous flowers. A couple small clusters of people are talking or enjoying lunch in the plaza; there looks to be a bakery nearby. The two will find themselves closest to a father and son sitting at a table right next to the garden’s entrance. The father, looking to be in his late thirties, sports dark skin, black hair and blue eyes, while his son is a squirrely six-year-old with brown eyes. The boy apparently has a beloved pet with him: a blue beta fish with yellow-edged fins swimming around in a small fish bowl. The father is attempting to get the boy to sit down and eat the sandwiches just purchased, but the boy is too busy fussing over the fish or getting up to look at the gardens closer.

There is one thing distinct about this place: it seems to be overflowing with light. Everything here feels happy and at peace.
halfdarkened: (introspective)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-01-13 05:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Cocking his head slightly, he, too, wondered what the world's name was. It felt almost like it was on the tip of his tongue, but just out of reach. "...Good question."

"Just as many," he asserted, still smirking. Riku wasn't really lazy, and he remembered well how he caught Kairi hanging with Sora instead of working on the raft. He hadn't hesitated to call her out on it then.

Riku doubted they'd find any Heartless either. This place was far too at ease. Why DO they have munny anyway? Not like they need it. Then again, it didn't seem fair that hearts held by darkness could carry it and here they were, pure hearts, and they couldn't even carry a facsimile of it with them. It was a shame they couldn't open up a tab... right?

Riku briefly wondered if there was such a thing as a collective memory.

Yeah. It really didn't make sense, and Riku knew it. He resumed watching the scene unfold, listening to Toshi and his father and watching the couple.
gimmiemyflower: (View from the mainland)

[personal profile] gimmiemyflower 2014-01-14 07:43 am (UTC)(link)
Kairi couldn't help but feel the same way. "...I guess we could ask?" It felt kind of strange to just walk up to someone and ask 'what's this world called?' though. Especially since they were trying to blend in for now.

She raised an eyebrow at Riku again. Do you mean the people in the memory, or them back when this happened? I'm sure people needed to make a living even in a place like this. She heard of very few worlds that didn't use munny in some capacity. I guess we could always leave before having to pay a bill. Not like they'd find us, anyway! She joked. Although she was not-so-secretly thinking it wouldn't be fair to stiff a waiter, even in a memory.

Kairi caught on that kind of thinking, and continued it a little further. It would explain some of what they were feeling here...but then, how collective of a memory could they be talking about?
halfdarkened: (?!)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-01-15 06:38 am (UTC)(link)
Or we could read the signage. There's gotta be some sign for the library or town hall, right? It would require a little more work on their parts, but it was something. And worst-case scenario, maybe at a library they could ask for a book on the town history.

No, "they" as in Heartless. Why do they have munny? If their bodies went elsewhere, why did Heartless have it? Nobodies made better sense, though they had it, too. Hmm, they wouldn't, but honestly I'd rather not cheat a memory out of paying for food we can't really eat. Not only was Riku not exactly okay with it, he also found it not worth the potential risk.

If Kingdom Hearts was collecting memories, "collective" could be every memory of that world at that time.

Riku atypically acted without so much as a thought. On sheer impulse he quickly vaulted over the wall, making a dash for the tomcat with the beta in its mouth. There's not much time!
gimmiemyflower: (Holy cow!)

[personal profile] gimmiemyflower 2014-01-15 07:56 am (UTC)(link)
Yeah, I think so. It did look like there was a library nearby, or at least a few blocks away. This town really did seem to have everything. But she was more curious to see what this place held for them first.

You know...maybe it's something we shouldn't think about. She certainly didn't want to stop and think over it too much, because the idea of Heartless was always just a little bit upsetting for her. Call it a throwback to things that happened with Sora when they were younger. Yeah. It hardly seems fair, even to memory-people!

Her thoughts were interrupted by the cat's sudden grab for the fish. Her eyes widened in shock, and her first thought was that they should try and intervene, if for nothing else than the obvious fact that the boy really loved that pet. But to her even greater surprise, Riku beat her to the punch, vaulting over the wall and going after the cat right away. That was fast, even for him!

"Riku, wait!" She called after him, and broke into a run after the cat as well.
halfdarkened: (Bravery)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-01-19 02:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Leave it to Riku to wonder about something like that, anyway. He gave her a shrug, knowing that would be at the back of his mind a long while. Maybe we can open a tab later or get a job here. He wouldn't mind revisiting this world, though he knew they may not have time to.

Climbing, Riku could do if the cat decided to. He'd scaled many a palm tree, and a tree with branches would be a piece of cake. However, the zig-zag pattern proved troublesome for Riku. While he was very fast, Riku was also very tall, meaning that with a higher center of gravity, those hair-pin turns forced him to slow down. That didn't deter him in the slightest, though.
gimmiemyflower: (That's what YOU think!)

[personal profile] gimmiemyflower 2014-01-20 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Kairi didn't have the same running speed as Riku or Sora, but she was certainly quick on her feet. And there was nothing like the sound of a crying child to spur one to action. Or maybe it was something else...she definitely felt like she needed to catch this cat, like there was something personal at stake.

She darted down the garden rows by Riku, eventually running off to another side from him so that she could attempt to cut the cat off. Talk about trying to herd cats!

Once she thought she was close enough, she attempted a grab to get it by the scruff of the neck.
halfdarkened: (Shock)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-01-21 12:27 am (UTC)(link)
Riku attempted to scale the tree, but the weak branches broke under his weight, losing him valuable time and a decent amount of dignity as he landed on his posterior in a flurry of leaves. There was no way he could scale those weaker vines. He returned that glare.

Just as he considered simply trying to float up there, the cat downed the fish. Riku felt strangely cold. "No..."
gimmiemyflower: (Wait for me!)

[personal profile] gimmiemyflower 2014-01-21 05:23 am (UTC)(link)
Kairi gritted her teeth and made her grab for the cat, but just missed it, and ended up stumbling around to the side to avoid running headlong into some bushes. She righted herself just in time to see the cat on top of the wall, and Riku attempting to follow...only for him to come crashing back down.

She ran over to his side, keeping one eye on the cat as she did. "Riku! Are you all right?"

Kairi stooped to help him back up, but it quickly became apparent that Riku was not all right. Following Riku's gaze up to the wall, she saw the cat swallow up that poor fish, and her heart sank.

She knew that Riku of course would care about trying to help out a little kid that lost his pet, but he was definitely reacting strongly here. Then again...she felt a lot of that cold sadness, too, and an odd sense of responsibility. Why wasn't she able to stop that cat from getting away?
halfdarkened: (concern)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-01-21 11:38 pm (UTC)(link)
Riku took her help, still staring at that cat. A hint of a smirk crossed his face when it gagged, but it was short-lived. Served it right. At least the fish was a fighter.

It was a parent's responsibility to explain this sort of thing. That said, Riku felt like he had a stake in this, too. There was no doubt by now he and Kairi had been noticed by the father and likely little Toshi. As such, he stood nearby, ready to offer any support he could. It wasn't his fish, and they were strangers, but he still ran after the cat. He still involved himself.
gimmiemyflower: (Yes that sounds okay)

[personal profile] gimmiemyflower 2014-01-22 05:32 am (UTC)(link)
Kairi finished helping Riku back to his feet. At least it mostly seemed like just his pride was hurt, not that it would matter much in this space, anyway. She shot her own glare back at the cat, and probably would've picked something up to throw at it if she was the kind of person who could throw things at animals, even troublesome ones. As it was, the glare would have to suffice.

She was more concerned about the boy approaching them. She hadn't expected them to get so involved with this memory, but there was little turning back now. She glanced back towards Riku, uncertain of what to say to him or to the father in this memory.

Well, there was at least one thing. "I'm sorry..."
halfdarkened: (Sad smile)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-01-23 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
Riku would have been a little more tempted to wing something at the cat if he’d thought of it, but he’d be less inclined to try to get out the fish, which probably wouldn’t survive the experience regardless.

He could only wish he were responsible, though he felt he could relate to a fish being a fighter. He couldn’t quite figure out why the father was giving Kairi an odd look, though. It was Riku with the grass clippings across the seat of his pants.

When the father said Riku’d been hurt, he simply waved a hand. He was fine. He did kneel down when Toshi stepped forward. With a bit of a sad smile, Riku replied, “It’ll be okay.” He stopped suddenly, looking to Kairi. What am I thinking? Looking back to the child, he paused, then continued in a way that made more sense. “It’s hard now, but you’re trying to pull yourself together. You’re a tough kid. Like how Finny was a tough fish.” He smiled slightly at the miserable cat still out of reach. “Or is.”
gimmiemyflower: (View from the mainland)

[personal profile] gimmiemyflower 2014-01-23 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
Kairi couldn't quite figure out why she was getting the curious look, either, although before long she found herself returning it. There was that feeling again...like trying to remember someone else's description of a dream from long ago. She brushed some hair behind her ear. "It's nothing! We just saw what happened and wanted to help."

What are you thinking? She thought back at Riku. There was no sense un-involving themselves from the whole matter now, but trying to console a sad boy was tough for anyone.

Toshi's last statement, however, left her a little confused. Did he think that his fish was going to come back somehow? Sure, it was putting up a good fight now, but that wasn't going to last forever. She debated whether she should respond to it or not, but decided too, anyway...that strange feeling of responsibility wasn't going away. "I'm sorry, but...I don't think Finny's gonna come back. That's why you have to be brave now. And I know you will be...you're being really brave right now, I can tell!" He certainly seemed to be taking it as well as a little kid possibly could.
halfdarkened: (Blink?)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-01-26 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know... It's not okay, just I feel like it is or should be or... He trailed off.

As Toshi told his story, Riku's expression became serious and thoughtful as he looked to the child. Slowly he turned to Kairi with a similar expression, but still spoke to the child. "No... My parents never told me that." Slowly he looked back to the child in front of him. Those additional words left him even more thoughtful.

His eyes widened slightly when Toshi began to cry, and Kairi would get a sense of Riku trying to figure out how to comfort a sobbing child. Undoubtedly she'd also feel his relief When Toshi went back to his father.

After a moment, Riku stood and turned back to Kairi, speaking quietly. "Thanks for helping me out when I took off."

And then something came to mind and he went over to the child to kneel again. "Hey. If what you're saying is true, you know what? Maybe you and Finny will be friends next time, too. And who knows? Maybe you'll be a fish and he'll be human."
gimmiemyflower: (Yes that sounds okay)

[personal profile] gimmiemyflower 2014-01-27 12:07 am (UTC)(link)
There was a whole lot of confusion there, which Kairi felt that she shared. They didn't stop the cat, and Toshi had lost his pet...so why did it strangely feels like would still be okay?

"Oh...no, I'm sorry, mine didn't tell me that, either," she replied to Toshi's question.

That wasn't the sort of reaction Kairi was expecting, especially from a young child. Kingdom Hearts was a distant, strange thing to her and everyone she knew...or at least it had been before now. But this family seemed to talk about it as if it were common knowledge. That left a pretty big hint as to where they were now, especially since this world felt so full of light. Maybe this isn't any specific world...maybe it's the whole world, before it was broken up by the Keyblade War.

Kairi's breath caught a little bit once Toshi started crying, and her first instinct was that she needed to reach out and comfort him. But she hesitated, which was probably for the best, since the boy ran to his father instead. She was left feeling a little saddened by the whole affair, and wishing that she could do more.

She smiled back at him. "Anytime, Riku."

She didn't add on to Riku's statement to Toshi, because it was appropriate words of comfort. But she couldn't help wondering... If this really is the ancient past...then that's probably already happened for them. Maybe even multiple times.
halfdarkened: (Spark of a smile)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-02-01 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
Riku offered a small shrug. "No problem. I think we took ourselves by surprise at how fast we acted." A look to Kairi was enough to tell her it was true for him at least.

His eyes widened at the thought of this being the whole World, curiousity piqued. Then man what I'd give to be able to take a longer look. And then a thoughtful, speculative idea floated though his mind. If Kingdom Hearts was always hidden, and there's only a World instead of worlds, could Kingdom Hearts be the heart of this World?

"You know, you're right, you won't remember. But a friend of mine taught me about memories. Listen up, now it's my turn to teach you something." I owe Namine one. "Just because something's forgotten doesn't mean it's gone. If your hearts are still friends, then it won't be gone, right?"

And then there was a time to simply humor the kid. With a smile he replied, "I bet you're right. And you know what I'd bet he'd do? He'd keep you at home and use blocks to build a wall almost as tall as the bowl. He'd turn it into your very own castle. You'd be nice and safe and you'd be King Fish." Emphasis on keeping him at home.

Riku continued on Kairi's thought of their hearts having gone to new people. Does Toshi seem familiar to you? He couldn't shake the feeling, and he had a lingering suspicion he couldn't quite shake.

Having that cat up there wasn't helping things. It couldn't see Riku's scowl. He briefly considered throwing something at it, but the thought was short-lived. Vengeance didn't help anyone. ...But reality checks did. If it was gutsy enough to linger after what it did, then it deserved what was coming. Riku walked to the wall quietly, slowly reaching up to take hold of the ivy with both hands. His height came in especially handy here since it meant he could pull that much further down when he jerked back abruptly.
gimmiemyflower: (There's still hope)

[personal profile] gimmiemyflower 2014-02-02 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
Kairi gave him a look back that said she had been surprised by it, too. But a lot of things here were winding up surprising.

I don't know...I feel like it's bigger even than the heart of a whole world. It had kept using the term 'we' instead of 'I' to describe itself. But I'm starting to wonder if this isn't why we can't pinpoint whose memory it is...

You don't think maybe that fishy would get a little bored being at home all day? She teased Riku. Even if that definitely was the safest spot for a fish. Riku's encouragements to Toshi got her to thinking about some other things, though...what happened if you did forget everything, like the hearts with Kingdom Hearts now that were completely blank? Where did those lifetimes of memories go, if they became unchained from their original heart?

Yeah, he does...but his dad feels even more familiar to me, somehow. It was almost unsettling in a way. She sensed that Riku had that lingering suspicion, and in turn shared it.

Kairi wasn't sure what Riku intended when he approached the wall with the cat on it...and while normally she probably would've scolded him for being mean to a cat, in this case she couldn't help laughing a bit under her breath. Talk about a reality check.
halfdarkened: (Quiet laugh)

[personal profile] halfdarkened 2014-02-04 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
Are you saying that the memory might be the memory of the World?

That's why Finny would read his fish stories he thought back in an equally teasing manner. Her thoughts mingled a bit with his. Perhaps one of those memories went to be etched in another heart as a foundation, lost in its darkness but there to forever shape it. Perhaps they were lost forever, or perhaps they were kept safe by the vastness of Kingdom Hearts itself. Maleficent herself had said that within Kingdom Hearts lay untold wisdom... Now that was a thought.

Yeah. He seems... very caring and patient. And gently teasing, I remember... And something else. Like a presence, I guess. Riku never was one to beat around the bush too long. He reminds me of you, Kairi.

Smiling, Riku shook his head. "How about making friends with anyone born after today. Finny's heart can't swim that fast."

"Maybe if he asked for his dad's help he could make a little castle fort, and his dad would show him how to build things. And he'd make a sturdy shelf by a window for you." Kairi would know well that Riku spoke from some experience. His own father had taught him how to build. While the woodwork on the play island was certainly older than Riku, he and his father were some of those who helped repair it.

Riku smirked slightly as the cat vociferously ran off. "Good riddance."

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