Riku Sekido (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
fightbydawn) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
kaisou2025-02-15 10:31 pm
fightbydawn) wrote in kaisou2025-02-15 10:31 pm
「All in the Golden Afternoon」
WHO: Riku and Roxas
WHERE: Some random street in Kaisou and also Riku's swanky penthouse apartment
WHEN: February 13th-ish, sometime just before the therapy train gets a little grabby
WHAT: Roxas finds Riku stocking up for his menagerie and has some Questions. Riku would really rather he didn't have questions.
WARNINGS: Teenagers being stupid, Kingdom Hearts Things™
[Riku... had never expected life to turn out quite like this. He'd never considered himself an animal person, even though he liked them well enough. He'd always had his hands full with his Noibat, but even she wasn't an animal-- she was his partner, his best friend. Someone who had his back, no matter what, who had grown up with him since that day he found her in that cave, all the way back during one of his first hand held expeditions into the island's spirit realm. She was everything he felt he needed for so long....
And then, this city had given him a cat. And then a caterpillar, and now--
Well, there's a reason why Riku has spent almost all of his weekly budget in the past hour at the fancy little pet boutique just down the street from his apartment building. Why, at two in the afternoon, he's pushing a fabric cart fully loaded with boxes upon boxes of what, if the pictures on the side are anything to go by, seem to be hamster tubes.
With a quick look from left to right, Riku is hiking up the scarf wound around his neck almost like he's trying to hide in it, before very quickly going to make his way the few blocks to his apartment.
He has absolutely no idea that he's been spotted.]
WHERE: Some random street in Kaisou and also Riku's swanky penthouse apartment
WHEN: February 13th-ish, sometime just before the therapy train gets a little grabby
WHAT: Roxas finds Riku stocking up for his menagerie and has some Questions. Riku would really rather he didn't have questions.
WARNINGS: Teenagers being stupid, Kingdom Hearts Things™
[Riku... had never expected life to turn out quite like this. He'd never considered himself an animal person, even though he liked them well enough. He'd always had his hands full with his Noibat, but even she wasn't an animal-- she was his partner, his best friend. Someone who had his back, no matter what, who had grown up with him since that day he found her in that cave, all the way back during one of his first hand held expeditions into the island's spirit realm. She was everything he felt he needed for so long....
And then, this city had given him a cat. And then a caterpillar, and now--
Well, there's a reason why Riku has spent almost all of his weekly budget in the past hour at the fancy little pet boutique just down the street from his apartment building. Why, at two in the afternoon, he's pushing a fabric cart fully loaded with boxes upon boxes of what, if the pictures on the side are anything to go by, seem to be hamster tubes.
With a quick look from left to right, Riku is hiking up the scarf wound around his neck almost like he's trying to hide in it, before very quickly going to make his way the few blocks to his apartment.
He has absolutely no idea that he's been spotted.]
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Yep.
[Simple as that, really.
Kairi shifts in Riku's arms, curious about this newcomer, but not quite curious enough to abandon her perch just yet. But the movement gets Riku's attention, and he opens his mouth to introduce her before... pausing.
Because, well. He did name his cats after his past life's friends. He named them after people that were important to Roxas in that other world, that other lifetime, as well.]
... right. [He bends over to let Kairi hop down and walk over to Roxas, hopping up in that cart and taking a seat amongst the boxes as if they were put there just for her.] So. Before you come in, some of the next few minutes might not be... pleasant.
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Why's that? [He's blissfully unaware of what the problem might be.]
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For a moment, he remembers the pain and rage of a boy in the basement of a mansion, smashing a computer to pieces and breathing hard and desperate through it.
...... but then he remembers how much of a brat Roxas has been since ambushing him on the street and he decides screw it (7).]
That's Kairi and the caterpillar on her head is Sora.
[As if on cue, a small brown tabby just a few inches long pops up out of the fluff on Kairi's head, letting out a cute little mew! as he waves his many, many legs at Roxas.]
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Kairi... and Sora. [He leans in a bit, reaching his finger out so that Sora can grab onto him with some of those little legs.] God, this little guy is cute.
[He looks up at Riku.]
They're your friends' names, right? [Leave it to Roxas to fucking no-sell it (20).]
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.... yeah, they are. [He's just. Going to look at that caterpillar for a moment like he just committed the ultimate betrayal before sighing and turning to walk back inside.] Close the door behind you. Kairi and Kory I trust, but not the other two.
[He's going to lead Roxas into the living room area, gesturing for him to park the cart in the middle of the room as he goes to hunt down wherever his bats have wandered off to.
Not... that that's going to take very long, because once Roxas is inside there's the flutter of wings as Riku's Noibat comes over to investigate the visitor while... there's some muffled complaining, crashing, and stumbling from the direction of the bedroom before Riku comes back to the living room with a giant rainbow puffball of a creature attached to the back of his head and shoulder.]
Okay. [Honestly, it's like Riku's sanity is hanging by a thread. And that thread is currently getting plucked like a guitar string by the very happy rainbow bat nuzzling against the side of his head.] These four are mine. The rest [He gestures to the patio where a few cats are lounging on beds and cat trees and playing with some toys.] are what I'm trying to protect against.
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[So instead of focusing on it, he's going to close the door as he's asked to and focus on greeting Kory, who he seems particularly delighted to see as Riku comes out of the bedroom covered in an extra bat.
[And then he's directed to look at the patio, and... He's going to the glass door to look at them all.]
... Is this the penthouse? How are they getting up here?
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Well, he doesn't know how much Roxas would even remember from the Mark of Mastery Exam. He doesn't know how much he would have absorbed from that time, what with being trapped in Sora's heart.
Still, it's oddly nice to have a peaceful moment with Roxas. It sparks a memory, hazy and incomplete. Running on a beach at sunset, playing and racing-- a rare moment of peace at the end of a long journey, celebration and heartache twisting deep in Riku's chest in equal measure.]
... huh? [But that was another life, another time. And that's not a memory that Riku has time to try and slot into place with all the others he's acquired. At least not right now. He blinks, looking over to the patio Roxas is looking out to and... sighing.] Yeah, it is. I-- here.
[He shifts the dream eater to his back, letting it rest on the scarf still wrapped around his neck, and calls his Noibat over, asking her to start unloading the cart as much as she can, sneaking her a quick treat from a box on the kitchen counter, before gesturing for Roxas to follow him.]
I think it's just easier to see for yourself. [He leads Roxas back towards the entrance, turning towards a narrow set of stairs in a side hallway that lead up to a small storage room on the roof and... the truly ridiculous part of this penthouse apartment-- Riku's roof access. A mix of a patio and a built-up rooftop garden that is just infested with cats of all shapes and sizes.
Cats who very clearly have their own pathways to and from the roof in the form of nearby rooftops, trellises, signs, poles, sidewalk trees, and scaffolding.] ... at least someone is using the space now, I guess.
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[But for now, he's going to follow him upstairs, through that storage room, and into a cat lover's paradise. He's kind of stunned, looking at how beautiful it is up here.]
... How could you not use this space? Even with the cats everywhere? Some people think that's a bonus, you know--but look at this! The view, the air--is that a hot tub?
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This is his rainbow emotional support bat, clearly.] I dunno, it just-- I don't have people over.
[He doesn't have friends to invite over, really. Though Kory does bully him into doing some training exercises on the roof. And Kairi does love sunning up here with him.
But that does remind him-- ]
... what are you doing over here, anyway? You couldn't have just been taking pictures if you were this ready to follow me home.
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I mean--it's not weird for me to be taking pictures out in the city, and I do play it pretty loose with my schedule.
[He's not lying, he's just.... omitting something.
[Something that he's going to show Riku, finally, as they're standing there. He pulls his hand out, and holds up a pokeball, looking almost guilty.]
But I did... kind of wanna know a little more about what to do with this?
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Oh. [He's honestly taken aback, surprise obvious in his expression and his tone. It wasn't a complete surprise, seeing that Roxas had awakened to the supernatural in this life. But to have him involved in the same thing Riku is, even a little? He wasn't expecting it.] Oh, okay.
[He reaches up to his dream eater, nudging him towards the stairs with a quiet word to send his Noibat up instead.]
That's... a pokeball, in case no one told you. Do you know what kind of pokemon is in it?
[There's a flutter of wings getting closer, and Riku holds his arm out without looking away from Roxas, Kory the Noibat landing on it and leaning forward, curious to see what Roxas has.]
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I found it at that weird store, so... no one's talked to me about it. I don't know what she's called, but...
[He's going to let out his little Hatenna. She only comes up to Roxas' knee.]
I've been feeding her and spending time with her, but now that I see that you let yours kind of... do whatever, I feel bad for keeping her in the ball.
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He's dropping into a crouch almost immediately, letting his Noibat down so she can hop on up to that sentient hat with feet, chattering softly but excitedly. Riku, meanwhile, isn't reaching out for her, instead opting to just smile softly at the little pokemon. He doesn't want to alarm her, but he does want to look her over, to just get a good idea of what they're working with, here.]
If she's not fighting to get out of the ball, I don't think she minds too much. Pokeballs are kind of like... a pokemon's own personal living space; a room. I keep Kory in hers when we go out unless there's an event happening.
[Riku pulls out his phone, then, pulling up some of his POKEGO files, scrolling through the recorded types of pokemon that they've done research on, until-- ]
I think she's a Hatenna-- it looks like she's the first of a three evolution line.
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[He just can't help but feel like he's been isolating her.]
Three evolution line? What does that mean? [He's leaning over, trying to look at Riku's phone.]
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For a moment, he thinks about just locking his phone screen and moving away. For a second he really is that petty. But... this isn't about them. This isn't about the fact that they seem to get along like oil and water, this isn't about past-life tensions and a fist fight when they were younger teenagers.
So, he tilts his screen, letting Roxas at least get a peek at the picture of scribbled notes from someone exploring the Alolan gate back during Riku's training days on the islands.]. ... it means that your Hatenna has the ability to change her form twice as she gets older and stronger. I'm not sure how-- some pokemon evolve after battling, some evolve through friendship, some just evolve over time or if you've groomed them enough.
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... wait, battling? [Normally, Roxas loves a good fight. But making this precious little thing do it?!] People make these things fight?
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You'd be surprised, most of them want to fight.
[His Noibat perks up at that statement, letting out a very proud Noinoi! as she spreads her wings and wiggles back and forth before pulling them back in as she clumsily mimes throwing a few punches like humans do.
She
She might be trying to make the Hatenna laugh.]
But it's really up to the pokemon. Some are companions, some like working, and others love battling. Maybe you and Hatenna can figure that out together?
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[And that just has Roxas grinning so wide at them.]
... yeah. Man, they really get along, huh..?
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[He watches for a moment as Noibat scoots on next to Hatenna, swapping from miming a punch to trying to figure out how to teach the little bundle of pink how to kick.
And, eventually... Riku's just going to shift so he's sitting on the ground, his hand absently reaching up as Kairi comes wandering up the stairs to see where her person has gone, petting her absently as he watches the two pokemon interact.]
You know-- I help out at Cygnus' Pokemon Daycare most of the week, now. If you want to drop Hatenna off so she can hang out with other pokemon more often, I can cover the cost of it.
[......... he should really figure out if he's supposed to be charging people for watching their pokemon, actually.]
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There's a daycare? I could see other pokemon there, right?
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For a moment, he weighs his options, balances the weight of his and Roxas' past lives and their general animosity against... the honest love Riku has for pokemon. And the earnestness with which Roxas seems to want to learn.]
... yeah, you could. [He SIGHS, for once making the nice, calm, rational decision(19) of being a decent person to this gremlin that's always pushed his buttons.] Or, I could take you to where these guys live naturally.
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Really?! [Oh now you've done it, Riku. Roxas is never going to leave you alone.] We can go there?
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Yeah, we can go there. [Kairi is going to take advantage of this situation to crawl into Riku's lap, making herself comfortable as that Caterpillar in her fur pokes his head out and starts making the long and arduous journey through all that floof over towards Roxas.] Between the two of us, we should be safe from any wild pokemon... but it'd be worth the trip just to get you a stock of berries...
[He is going to take a moment to look at Hatenna, going through the notes he'd read in his head before... taking a deep breath, closing his eyes and trying to focus himself a little, to stay calm and controlled.]
Honestly, your Hatenna probably likes being in her pokeball. The last person I know who was studying them said that they seem like they constantly sense and absorb emotions from the people around them. The pokeball probably helps dampen that for her.
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Absorbing emotions... [He nods lightly, taking that in.] That makes sense, then. Maybe I'm good for her, too, since I don't really lose my head a lot.
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....... you don't? [He can't help it-- he has to open his eyes again if just to raise an eyebrow at Roxas.] Really? The guy who decided it was on sight with me in O'ahu doesn't lose his head a lot?
[If only Riku was aware of the magic beginning to wind around his wrist.]
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