prismatica | Audio: UN; redkey

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Audio: UN; redkey

Hey everyone. This is Kairi.

I just want everyone to know, I checked this morning and I've been looking around to make sure, and it's confirmed at this point... Sora is no longer with us.

I... Light, I really don't have much else to say beyond that. He wasn't at home when we were brought here, and I don't know what's going to happen to him when he's sent back, but... hopefully, some way, somehow, he manages to make it back to the islands.

That's all I've got. If you'll all excuse me, I'm gonna eat all the ice cream we've got in the house.

[And then cry herself to sleep.]

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That's the idea. "In the meantime, I'm, uh, here for you. You know, if you need to talk or something." He really is absolutely awful at this. "I don't always know what to say, but I think I'm a good listener. And I'm getting better at hugs." He shakes his head roughly. "Man, I hope this doesn't sound too dumb."

He really just wants to handle this the way he always handles the ugly moments in his life. Hitting things with his Keyblade until he can barely stand. Why do they both have to keep losing so much here? And in Sora's case, they don't even have the assurance that everything will be fine back in their world.

"I just wish we knew... anything." The frustration sneaks back into his tone, reminding him that he can only hold things in check for so long. He can feel the familiar lump building up in his throat. He had once wondered what it meant. Now he wishes he didn't know.

That coaxes a warm, thankful smile out of her, and she responds by gesturing for him to come a little closer, ready with a hug when he does.

"No, don't say that. It's sweet. You're sweet. And I'm so grateful." She pulls back enough that she can give him a thankful smile. "And you know that goes both ways... I know Xi and Axel have been gone for a while, but we just lost Nami, and if you need anything... I mean, we can grieve together, if nothing else, right?"

It's about the best they can hope for right now, given that the world's just being kind of rotten.

He closes the distance between them, bringing his arms around her, maybe a little too tightly at first.

"At least we're not... alone." As much as he misses the others, Kairi is special in her own way too. A different kind of comforting connection but one that is entirely welcome right now.

She leans into the hug and returns it, ice cream forgotten, not that there's much of the bowl left at this point. Holding tight to him, she buries her face in his shoulder and takes in a deep, shuddering breath.

"I'm not... Not sure I could handle that." Being here all alone, with nobody at her side? Yeah, that would be rough to say the least.

"It's awful..." Because yeah he knows about that. Even though it sounds like Axel might actually have had it worse.

His gaze finds her mostly finished bowl. "Do you think we should get some more? Ice cream, I mean?" He doesn't even know why he's asking. Maybe it's just become his default for dealing with feelings that are just too strong to handle by himself.

Her hug tightens a little when she says that, because yeah, if it's getting to him even now, she wants to support him as best she can, regardless of how she's feeling. Besides, the hold kind of helps her too.

A few moments ago, she would have immediately answered yes to his question, but now that he's here with her... "Nah. I don't think I need anymore. You wanna move, though? Maybe lie down on the couch or something?"

He hopes the refusal means that he's doing something right by being here. It'd hard to tell since from what he knows, people normally only refuse something they enjoy when they're too upset to appreciate it. But Kairi's tone doesn't suggest that at least.

"The couch is probably a better place for this than the kitchen."

"Yeah, it's getting kind of uncomfortable here." Pushing her chair back from the table, she stood up, leaving the bowl where it was. She'd wash it later. For now, she stood up, and lead the way over to the couch.

Which she promptly sat on in a way that was less of a normal sitting down, and more of a collapse. She leaned back into the comfy piece of furniture with a soft sigh.

"At least we've got nice places to hang out."

Roxas just sits down slowly, though his shoulders are slumped. "Yeah, your couch is a lot more comfortable than mine. By the way, where did you put the other Paopu?"

"We spent a lot of time picking this one out." She still remembered arguing with her boys about which one to choose. Not exactly the greatest memory to dwell on right now, but it was a good one, at least.

"She's in my room. I was lying in bed holding onto her earlier." And the stuffed dragon might still be a little tear-damp from that...

"I didn't realize furniture shopping could be so involved. But it sounds like you guys just wanted to get something that everyone would like." Honestly, he had just let Naminé choose most of the things for their apartment. He didn't have any strong feelings about home decor, other than the pictures and other objects he put on his walls.

"She seems she would be good for comfort."

"It depends on how much you care about how your house looks and how comfy you want everything to be versus how much money you want to spend. I think it was worth the extra effort." Certainly it's really nice to have this big comfy couch for times like these.

As for stuffed Paopu... "Yeah. She was... basically just what I needed pretty much right before I made the post. And what I'll probably need when I go to bed tonight, too."

"I'll have to agree with you there. It's just the sort of thing you want when you're going to have friends over." He rubs at the back of his head, unsure whether he should make the suggestion he's considering. Kairi said she has the other Paopu...

"I could stay over. If you want."

Maybe the place would feel a little less... empty that way.

There was a brief moment of silence as his suggestion sank into her head. Somehow, she hadn't seriously thought he'd say that.

"Y-Yeah?" She asked, stumbling over the word to her own embarrassment. "You'd want to do that?"

Roxas isn't sure whether he should have expected that sort of surprised reaction or not. Either way, he musters up his best reassuring smile.

"Sure. Friends should support each other through rough times, right?"

"Roxas..." She can't say anything else for a moment, just staring at him with moistening eyes.

Before she flings her arms around him and hugs him tight, sniffling.

"I... I could really use that, tonight. Thank you, Roxas."

Roxas hugs her back. "I think we both could."

A few moments into the hug, she can feel her shoulders shaking. Then her eyes getting wet...

Oh. She's crying now. Yeah, that tracks. "S-Sorry..." Is all she manages to get out as far as words go, the comfort he offered having been enough to let her self-control fall.

Again, but for the first time where someone else is with her.

Her tears shake Roxas for multiple reasons. Though the trust she's showing in letting herself fall apart like this around him isn't lost on him.

He can feel his own sorrow weighing down on him. But for some reason, the tears won't come this time. Maybe it's too fresh on the disappearance of Naminé or him never quite having gotten over the loss of Xion and Axel. Either way, his shoulders mirror Kairi's, as he leans his head against hers, breath equally shaky.

"Don't apologize."

She's not sure how long they stay like that, both shaking, tears falling from her eyes, though she doesn't think there are any coming from him. It feels like hours, and though she's pretty sure that's not even close to being right, it's not like she's watching the clock.

Not when her broken heart seems to be trying to force its way out of her body through her eyes.

Her tears end before her sobs do, not because her grief has lessened but simply because she doesn't think she has anymore left. That's when her sounds trail off, with a last little whimper. Her face is a complete mess, she's certain of that. But right now she can't seem to care.

It's a new experience for Roxas, having another around to grieve with. All the other times he'd either been alone or felt like he had to be alone, like when Axel and Xion disappeared. He just hadn't known how to reach out then. Maybe it's because he knows how much Sora means to them both that it feels more natural to share this with Kairi, no matter how much it hurts. It makes things feel slightly less empty. And the Chroma exchange generates its own comforting warmth, albeit never enough.

Maybe it is that warmth that finally allows the tears to fall freely, silently, spilling over his cheeks. Not just for Sora. But for everyone else that he so desperately wants to see right now. And for his connection to Kairi's own pain.

When she notices her shoulder's getting damp as well, she somehow feels... weirdly better? Not as if her grief has exactly lessened, but more like she's found the right shoulders she can share it with.

And boy, is this a load that needs to be shared.

Her own tears spent, she holds Roxas against her while he lets out all of his own. Time doesn't really matter, he certainly gave her enough of his.

Besides, at this point what else would she do with herself?

He doesn't apologize for the tears. It would be really hypocritical after he just told her not to and he also doesn't really understand why people apologize for crying in the first place. It seemed human, in general, took their emotions for granted enough that they wanted to hide them more often than not. While he can understand why others wouldn't value them as much as he does, it's still jarring to witness.

And maybe he's also glad he can share something personal like this with Kairi. After all she's helped him with here.

"I'm glad you're still here." It's barely more than a whisper, perhaps not even intended for her ears.

"Me too." Regardless of whether she was meant to hear that or not, the response comes easily.

"I don't know what I'd do without you after all that's happened." This is just one of those things you have to share with someone... and at this point, she's not sure who else she could choose.

"I help that much?" Even Xion has never said something like that.

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