[OPEN] Say it ain't so!

[oathkeeper]

Who: Sora & Roxas, Sora & OPEN
What: Sora wakes up a few days later after Axel is killed and finds out the bad news. Open prompt for visitors or door crashers.
When: April 30 late afternoon and May 1
Where: Lakshmi’s Temple
Warnings: Probably talk of body injuries


[ Closed to Roxas ]

[Sora hasn’t woken up in two days.

After escaping Axel with Riku Replica and leaving the fight to Leo and Saix, Sora barely managed to stay alive and make it to Forrest’s temple. Thankfully, Sora did manage to get there with his last ounce of strength with a final teleport.

He lays in a bed in Forrest’s temple. Sleeping and healing slowly thanks to the healing pools. But it’s not only blight Sora suffered so he lays banaged from the bloody wounds he received from the battle as well.]

[ May 1; OPEN ]

[The day after waking up, Sora still can’t walk very much without feeling fatigued. He’s tired and weak and still healing very slowly.

But the bright side is, Sora is awake now and he’ll welcome anyone who wants to come visit him. People probably want answers and Sora might just have them. He currently lays in bed, propped up with pillows and looks really bored.

He’s decided to stay at Forrest’s temple just for a few extra days until he can walk on his own again. There’s bandages up his left arm and on his torso as well. Sora got pretty banged up and it wasn’t just blight.]

Comments

[subtract]

[Add doesn't drop by again until a bit later in the day, once he's able to confirm that Sora is awake. One less thing to worry about. The first visit with Roxas around was awkward enough, so he makes sure to come by when Sora is by himself. Hopefully the temple's god (goddess?) doesn't mind Add lurking around scanning for visitors a few times throughout the day...

But now seems like the right time to check up on him. In place of a greeting, Add gives the door a sharp knock to get the other's attention, lingering in the doorway with a grocery bag hanging from his other hand. He looks a bit tired, and his grin feels more forced than usual. But everything's perfectly fine, really.]

So, did anyone have to kiss you, or did Sleeping Beauty wake up on his own this time?

[oathkeeper]

[Sora doesn't notice Add at all until that sharp knock breaks him out of his focus. That being staring at his phone at some random game he downloaded that's been keeping his attention for about an hour. He snaps his head up, startled.]

Add!

[He's a little bit surprised to see Add, but it's welcome. He grins and gives a lazy shrug at the remark.]

Well no true love came around, that's for sure. How are you?

[subtract]

Better than you are. You must be bored, being stuck in bed all day.

[Add hesitates for a moment before fully entering the room, stopping next to Sora's bedside. He's fine with standing for now, he's not expecting to stick around for very long anyway. He sets the bag down next to Sora.]

I imagine you're probably being fed a healthy diet for your recovery, so here's something to balance that out. [Which is to say that bag is filled entirely with candy. It's the good stuff, too, so none of that dollar store bulk Halloween candy or whatever. He even managed to snag another one of those chocolate robot tins.

And even if Forrest is serving him sweets, well, no one can complain about more free candy.]

[oathkeeper]

[Sora sighs dramatically.] Tell me about it. I'm going bonkers. I've read a book, it's that bad.

[He glances at the bag that Add sets down with curiosity. He brightens when Add explains and reaches out to tug the bag over and peek inside.]

Whoa! Add, this is the good stuff! Like... All the really good stuff!

[Directly from the store that he told Add about. It's actually really thoughtful of Add and really surprising. He's not too sure why Add would bring him such a great gift. Sure, he nearly died and stuff, but he's fine now. This is kind of overboard.

Not that he's complaining he'll eat all of it.]

Thanks! You didn't have to though, this is a lot.

[subtract]

Books are good, if that's bad to you you're reading the wrong ones.

[Seeing him so happy about the gift makes Add feel marginally better, even if it doesn't fix any of their problems. The kid's positive cheer really is infectious. It's amazing how he can bounce back so quickly.

Add shrugs, waving dismissively.] It was on sale. [It wasn't on sale. He didn't even use his five-finger discount.] Try not to eat all of it at once. If you make yourself sick then that's not my fault.

[oathkeeper]

Yeah, maybe that's true. I haven't really found many books that I like yet.

[The Fantasy and Science Fiction books that Leo got him were decent though.

Add's next comment makes Sora tilt his head and look at him with a puzzled expression. Sora's been to that store enough times that he knows that that these chocolates are never on sale. They were too popular, why would the store ever put them on sale? Well, maybe Add is just trying to be humble.]

Haha, yeah I'll be sure to ration them as long as I can. Who knows how long I'll be stuck in this bed for.

[He laughs because he's joking. He only plans to stay for a few days before heading home.]

So I'm guessing you heard about everything that happened?

[subtract]

Perhaps I'll bring you a few of mine next time. [...which is a terrible idea, because Add's taste in books is mostly the kind of stuff that would bore people to death. Not everyone can be so enthusiastic about scientific theory and robot schematics.

But he's not really planning on visiting again, so that's fine. He's not even sure why he's lying to Sora about these things. Maybe he just wants to believe for a moment that everything can stay the same, that there will be a next time...

He's silent for a moment at Sora's question, glancing off to the side to avoid eye contact. The grin doesn't leave his face.]

It was your shinki. Roxas told me. Too bad, he seemed like a tolerable person.

[Because Add doesn't care. He barely knew Axel, he has no reason to care.]

[oathkeeper]

[Sora is pretty curious though, so he'll accept books that Add might be interested in. He might not understand a lick of it, but he'll still look.] That sounds good! Next time it is.

[He's observant enough to pick up on the silent pause and the way Add looks away. He's puzzled again. Is something wrong...? Knowing that Add has already spoken to Roxas about what happened might be part of it.]

Yeah, he was a great friend. Because of what happened though... Add, I don't think I can ask Namine or your Roxas about what you wanted to know before. I don't want to see you getting hurt the way Axel did. I'm sorry.

[subtract]

[He snorts out a laugh.] You were still thinking about that? Keke, I'm not interested anymore so it's fine. Forget about it.

[He pauses again, feeling more and more uncomfortable. Hearing Sora not only act concerned about him, but apologize to him... he really has no idea what Add's done. If he knew the truth, would he despise Add?

He should just make up an excuse to leave. He did what he came here to do, even if it ultimately means nothing. At least he did something. He's too much of a weak-willed coward to be honest with him.

Still... there's one thing that's been nagging at him, so maybe...]

Gods feel pain when their shinki are blighted like that, right? What... does it feel like?

[oathkeeper]

[Sora's a bit surprised that Add doesn't want to know anymore. He's relieved at the same time though, he'd hate to cause Add any pain or even worse.

Add's question makes him tense, his shoulders going rigid. It's still a really fresh memory in his mind. All that pain and all that blight. He'd never forget it.]

Honestly... [Sora takes a breath in slowly, like it hurt to even recall.] I've never felt anything that bad in my entire life. I... I thought I was dying.

[Because he had been dying. He felt his heart actually slowing down and struggle to beat.]

It feels like fire and cold all at the same time, if that makes sense. But I'm just really glad it's over!

[subtract]

[Sora's reaction is enough. It must have been extremely painful to get that kind of response. So if Add lets his condition worsen...]

Right. Thanks. [He sounds a bit distracted, and he's already starting to eye the door.] You probably have friends waiting to see you, so I won't keep you any longer. I'll let Chang'e know how you're doing.

[oathkeeper]

[Sora frowns. He's really starting to question Add's strange distracted behavior and questions now.]

Add. Are you okay? You've been acting like you're gonna fly outta here by the seat of your pants for the last five minutes. Is something wrong?

[subtract]

[He hesitates, eyes locked on the door. Any excuse not to look at him right now.]

... No. Everything's fine. [As if that isn't the most suspicious answer in the world.

But he won't stick around for Sora to question him if he can help it. He turns to leave, forcing the grin back on his face.] Sorry to hear about your shinki. At least you have others to rely on, so it shouldn't impede you too much, kekek.

[oathkeeper]

[He knows they're not the best of friends, but Sora really does consider Add a friend. A strange friendship that started from him teasing Add for that little kekek. Now an even understanding of each other through spending time together with their pets. He really does like Add and likes to think they're friends.

So he'll offer when Add turns to leave,] Thanks for coming to see me, Add. If you wanna talk sometime, I'm all ears. I'm always around, okay?

[subtract]

[He'd like to think they could've been friends, too, but it feels far too late for that now.

Add responds with a simple shrug.] Noted.

[And with that, he's out the door.]