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Is...that something that happened to you? Like, speaking from experience?

[beat.

wait--]

...We just got over over-explaining, so you don't have to answer that.

A bit, yea.

[He shakes his head when she backpedals, then realizes that she can't see that right now.]

No, it's okay. I don't mind.

[Right now he can trust himself not to go as much into detail.]

When I was younger, I thought I had the answer to everything, until well… I didn't anymore, and I didn't take too well to that. Sora – my best friend – and I, we ended up disagreeing on something, and I wasn't willing to stay around to actually listen to what he was thinking.

[Instead he was a jealous idiot who couldn't stay still for even a second to listen…]

Looking back, if the two of us had talked more instead of me just saying my piece and running off, we'd have saved ourselves quite a bit of trouble, that's all.

[she makes a faint, thoughtful sound.

mildly:] You know...that's one of the most tired tropes in the book, right? I can't tell you how many times I've screeched at a story because two dunderheads wouldn't just stop and explain things to each other.

Fiction has to be born of some truth though, right?

[Riku can't help but laugh lightly at that because well. Dunderhead is definitely a good term for his fifteen-years-old-self.]

I guess it is. Stories usually come from some kind of experience, right?

[Not that he has much experience with story writing, but that's what he figures anyway.]

Or a desired one, yes. Warnings, wanderlust, wish-fulfillment...there's a lot of utility, and the same tale can provide very different things to different people. It's almost collaborative that way, without the author even wanting it to be.

But--er, sorry. You didn't call for more boring babble. In any case, I'm glad that's behind you. Your...other friend, the girl. Kerry? Kaitie? She spoke of the both of you very, very fondly.

That makes sense. And, it's not boring at all – I never wrote anything, but I always loved reading stories, growing up.

[The stories he heard growing up, were mostly warnings about boys getting carried off by a storm, but he'd loved them anyway. The Lost Boy… he'd ended up in the Outside World, after all… that's one thing that Riku is still really sure about!

Anyway, he better correct Cecelia on that name though!]

Kairi. You've met her?

[Well, obviously, duh.]

She might be a little biased – we've grown up together after all. But I'm still glad that she has good things to say about us.

Yeah, her. Sorry. [more than a few good things, really. especially about this Sora kid. but...she decides that's something to keep to herself, if only to honor that whole chicks-before-dicks code.

that, and she doesn't want to find out there's some weird love triangle thing going on -- cliche and also the worst, thanks.]

I get the impression that, despite whatever crazy conflicts and separations have happened along the way, you're all thick as thieves. I imagine that's good to have, especially getting flung so far from home.

[It's not like Riku doesn't know already – the two of them are really, really not that subtle – but he'd be glad that Kairi has made a friend who keeps her secrets. Also, yea no. They are so past that weird love triangle drama.]

Yea, the last few years were crazy like that. I'm glad that we can finally have an adventure with all three of us together… even if we really didn't plan on coming here.

[That's one thing he's grateful to the porter for at least.]

[dry:] Even with the accidental loss of filter, huh? I mean--if you have to blab to anybody, I suppose it's best to be around people you trust.

Anyway, it's fine. Whatever you did say? I wasn't kidding when I said it didn't make very much sense. Different worlds, different lives and all...And it sounds like you've been around.

[...............................]

Like. Traveled around different places, not like--d'ohh, you know what I mean!

Definitely. As weird as that was, it's not nearly as bad as some other things that happened to us.

[Heartloss being on the top of that list.]

I know… and you are right, we traveled a lot. It was kind of… part of the gig. The best part, really.

[Riku likes traveling and seeing new places. He just likes it better when he gets to do it with his friends at his side.]

Seeing new places...

[beat. sigh. jealous.]

I hope it went better than this place.

Well, that depends on how you look at it. So far, nothing that happened here is anything that I'd consider really gone badly…

[There were annoyances, sure, but nothing that really needs like. Serious Keyblade Master intervention, or something like that. Which just shows how messed up his life is, probably.]

Counting your blessings, then? That's probably not a bad idea.

Or is it a matter of just...waiting for the proverbial shoe to drop? Like, if bad things are inevitable...

Maybe… but if you keep looking for bad things to happen, that kind of makes them really inevitable.

[Going out with that kind of thinking is certain to doom you.]

I guess it's just… I'm sure that this place must have summoned us for some reason, but… I'm starting to think, that it might not be the usual kind of trouble that Sora and I are used to.

[Going a month without any monsters to fight is a long time, if that's pretty much all you've been doing in the past two years or so.]

[she hesitates with a faint sound.

then, warily:] But...what if there wasn't a reason? That is, if those fate-goddesses are a big crock and this was all some...glitch or, or weird dice-roll? Would that bother you?

A weird dice-roll that called five of us into this world at the same time?

[Yea, he's counting all Keys here, because well… five Keybearers at the same time, that looks kind of weird… too weird to be entirely just coincidence.]

But even if it was… I don't think it would. Even if these goddesses of fate don't need me to do anything specific… I guess, I still want to help out, if I can.

[He can try that much at least, right?]

[huh...]

So that means you've...ditched the, uh, what was it? Bat-bathing job? That you'd been asking about before? On to the heroics and saving the day stuff?

Huh? No, not at all!

[He still goes to the bat sanctuary, when he can and they call him in.]

I'm not going to go looking for trouble!

[…At least, not yet anyway.]

[with a laugh in her voice:] Well, that's nice to hear; for a second, I was thinking I was going to have to reconsider my offer of friendship!

Hoo, so you strictly are only friends with the none-heroic type of people? That sounds like the hard kind of life, here.

[Considering that they all have been summoned to be super heroes.]

[a touch flustered, trying to hide it in a breathy laugh:] We-well, not that, no...I mean--I don't really have a lot of friends in the first place, but the ones I do have aren't...heroic so much as...foolhardy? And it's. It's pretty stressful?

Honestly, I wouldn't mind a proper hero; I hear they're quite handy. And...you know. All those heroic tropes.

Huh, I think I know three wise guys that would fit that bill pretty well themselves… so I know what you mean. It's definitely hard work to keep up with someone like that.

[Riku spent almost a year trying to keep them on proper track to save the worlds, that is really hard work, so believe him he knows.]

Oh? So, what would you say makes a proper hero? Aside of being handy.

Well, um...

[prrrooobably better to play it safe here, she thinks. chatter too much, and it's the exact awful situation he was just apologizing for.]

I would say someone very compassionate. Mindful of others, you know. Maybe not always putting others first, but at least...knowing how to find time to tend to others' needs as he sees fit?

Historical ones I've read about often had to make very tough choices, but did so anyway, even to their detriment. Not...not so much flinging themselves all willy-nilly into the fire so-to-speak, but just...able to accept a risk for the sake of a good cause if it can't be avoided.

And...yeah. Things like that.

[Riku leans back where he sits in his room, humming faintly as he turns that over in his head.]

So… a hero is someone who is looking out for others… but not to the point of being utterly self-sacrificial. They take on the heavy decisions and the risk of maybe never returning home, though not thoughtlessly so… not just for their own good or that of their friends… but for the sake of everyone.

[He pauses there for a second, before he just shakes his head and grins to himself.]

Being your hero sure seems to be a tall order.

[He says that last thing with a laugh, a teasing edge to his voice. Whoever that turns out to be, sure must be a pretty great person though, Riku thinks.]

Shouldn't it be? I mean, to be one on the regular; even a coward or criminal can do something heroic once in a while. It's very different to have that mindset carry you through life.

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