coexistent | ic contact;

[ Mary's done her best to stay... well, herself, these past few days. Because she's been through this song and dance before. People come into the colony, she befriends them, they promise not to leave, and then they leave. It's not their fault, and for the most part, she's kind of wearily accepted, that much more determined to save them.

But Ene is the first friend who'd come from home-- and she was gone too. And with that came thoughts, ones that troubled her-- because she knew she'd go home one day. She'd see her friends again.

But then what about the people here? What about Hiro and Kaoru and Shiho? What about Roxas? Going home meant not seeing them--

But--!

She's both sad and conflicted and it's starting to show in how she responds in conversations. For now, though, she's just on the couch with her knees pulled to her chest, staring ahead without really looking at anything. ]

[it's not like roxas hasn't noticed that something's up with mary—with how much time they spend together, it would be difficult to miss even the slightest change in her disposition.

he's let it slide for a bit, because he hasn't come to confide in him and he doesn't want to force it out of her. but when it goes on for too long to the point where their conversations just peter off, and when she sits on the sofa that way, she looks like...

well, she looks like him when things are weighing on him. so roxas is quiet for a while, quietly stalking off to the kitchen before returning with a sandwich—haphazardly cut in half so they can split it, but putting it down on the coffee table in front of couch as he sits.]

So... [he starts, but he trails off before he can try to say anything else.

he'll get there in a minute, though.] ...Do you wanna talk about it?

[whatever "it" is.]

[ Mary may have picked up certain habits from him-- like being able to enjoy sea-salt ice cream without immediately wrinkling her nose at the first lick, or curling into herself when she's sad instead of how she'd used to just sit with her hands in her lap and stare out a window.

She offers him a side-glance now, slightly surprised but not really, because she hasn't really hidden it that well lately. But at least with Roxas, she's comfortable enough to not immediately refuse to respond. ]

... I was thinking about the worlds-- all the different ones, that everyone's from.

[ Which doesn't explain why she looks so despondent, and she's not even mentioning Ene, but she'll get to some of this soon enough. ]

I don't think a lot of people would want to live here forever.

[it doesn't explain much at all, but if nothing else, roxas isn't taking this at face value.

it's a lead-in to whatever else is on her mind—even roxas can figure that much out. something... did something happen? he can't really be sure, but something's obviously bothering her a lot. it's not like roxas can say words just to appease her, though.

all he can do is be honest.]

I don't think most people do. They... have places to go back to, right? I get why they wouldn't want to stay here. [it makes sense. they have homes and lives and friends...

but for roxas? it's a little different.] But there are probably a lot of people who don't have a place to go back to. So... I dunno. I guess it depends.

Yeah... [ Mary has to consciously prevent herself from biting her lip, instead resting her forehead on her knees. ]

I was just thinking... I'll see my friend again, for sure, but if I disappear one day, or anyone else... what if I never see them again? Hiro was worried that we'd forget, too.

[ And that hurts. Even though she's tried to stay positive. ]

[there's not much thought that goes into what roxas does next—which is slide a bit closer to mary, enough so that his shoulder touches hers.]

I dunno...

I don't know what will happen, either. [he's thought about it too—when xion returned, she apparently didn't remember cerealia. would they all forget once they were gone? would they even have a chance to leave?

or would one of them end up going first and leaving the other behind? all of those options seem scary. he doesn't want to lose mary and he doesn't want to leave her behind, either.]

I don't have anywhere to go back to, though. So... no matter what, I won't forget. [roxas doesn't know if that's true or possible, but he's determined.]

[ But what if she forgets? What if she goes back and Roxas stays here, and he remembers her and all the promises they'd made, and Mary remembers absolutely nothing about a blond boy with ocean eyes who liked an odd flavor of ice cream?

The touch of his shoulder to hers prompts her to draw in a shaky breath, though she doesn't shy away from it. ]

I don't... want you to be stuck here, though. And I don't want to forget you, not again-- [ It had been bad enough, knowing that this person was important, but not knowing why. ] And there's just-- I don't want this to be the last place I see you and the others and I don't wanna lose you but I can't stop people from disappearing or forgetting and I don't know how to make sure that won't happen!

[ The next breath she takes hitches in her throat. ]

I don't want to give up... t-thinking there's a way, but I don't know how to find it either...

I won't be stuck here, okay? Once... once we find a way out, I can take it from there.

[that's the first assurance he can give her. he may not have a home of his own to return to, but that doesn't mean he's restricted to staying in cerealia for the rest of his life, either.

he can still travel between worlds once he knows what's preventing him from doing it here—and that means he can do whatever it takes to try and find mary's world, or hiro's—he'll find his friends, no matter what.]

I don't know if we'll forget, but... [she's really upset about this, isn't she? not that roxas can blame her, not when he knows it's a possibility that's scary for them both.

so just as easily as he'd bumped shoulders with her, he seeks out her hand to clasp it lightly, just as she'd done for him so many times before.] I don't care if you do. We're still friends... so...

Even if that happens, we'll figure it out. [not that he wants mary to forget him, or any of her friends—and he certainly doesn't want to forget either. but..]

I think—I think your heart would remember, even if your mind doesn't. [that was the kind of thing that seemed important where he's from, even if he didn't think hard about it or know for sure while believing he didn't have a heart. can a heart... forget the people that matters? he's not sure.]

[ Roxas and his casually suave moves are going to be the death of her one day... if he ever actually grasps her hand for a reason other than trying to comfort her. All the same, the sensation prompts a very light flush, which is only apparent when she lifts her head.

It helps ground her, though. Even if she's wondering how he's so confident about not remaining here. But if he's reassuring her on that front, she'll willingly accept it. ]

I thought... something like that, too. About the heart remembering. I don't know if that's how it is, but I wanna believe it. But I also don't know how the heart could help the mind remember. There's a lot that I don't know about this still, and it's all important.

[ She absolutely doesn't want to forget her friends. And especially not the one leaning against her now, whose hand she grasps with a desperate sort of melancholy. ]

I don't really know, either. It's kind of new to me too still, you know? [he lightly chides, if only to try and help her feel a bit better.

in that regard, they're both in the same boat. there's a lot they don't know—and when it comes to hearts and the finer points of what they're really capable of, roxas knows he definitely still has a lot to learn. but he also knows they shouldn't let that stop them.

especially not when it comes to their friends and the things that matter most.]

We'll figure it out. If things end up like that, we'll find a way. [he sucks in a quiet breath, shaking his head a little.] I don't want to lose any more friends.

[so mary is one of those people he's just resolved to not finding and sticking by, no matter what happens.]

Roxas...

[ There's a note of sympathy, and apology-- because here he is, trying to cheer her up and here she is, making him sad. Way to go, Mary. It's true, though-- neither of them wants to lose their friends, and remembering that she's not the only one who wants answers that she doesn't have... helps, oddly enough. ]

... Yeah. [ finally, with a tiny smile. ]

I guess this is just something we can add to the list of wanting to figure out, right under helping you figure out your heart.

[it's not as if he's really sad about it—he's more resolved now than ever to not lose the things that matter to him, though. he doesn't want to think about the worst possible outcome, because when it comes to his friends—and mary especially—the idea of losing them is honestly just too much to bear now.]

Right. We're still here, so we have time to figure all of that out. [whatever it is, whatever they may have to do.]

Mm. [ It's a very small nod, more fleeting than her smile, but she hasn't loosened her hold on his hand (and the blush has since faded, thankfully). They're still here... and while they're here, they can work hard on getting these answers all figured out, and hopefully by the time something does happen, they'll know what to do about it. ]

... Thanks, Roxas. I... I won't give up.

You better not... I don't think it'll be easy to do this all by myself, you know.

[he chides just a little, if only to try and cheer her up a bit. he'll keep his hold on her steady, and his shoulder still lightly touching hers.

he doesn't really know how to make her feel better; this is all he can really do in the end.]

[ Mary's cheeks puff out, slightly-- is she pouting? ]

I promised I wouldn't let you be alone, anyway. [ And she takes her promises very seriously, so even if she's frustrated and sad about all of this and her only connection to home disappearing on her--

She wouldn't leave it all to Roxas and have him try and handle everything on his own. ]

Mm, right. We don't leave each other alone.

[so even if she's sad and missing a friend right now... he's still here to hang out with her and try to make her feel better even if he's not always sure how to do that.]

It's nice out today... [so he'll just do what he can to stop her from wallowing—that's what she would do for him, right?] We could go for a walk.

Yeah... can we go to the gardens?

[ Mary's Feel Good place, other than their usual spot. The flowers always help settle her down, whether she's sad or upset. ]

Yeah... if that's where you want to go, it's fine.

[he gives her a nod and a small smile—if it's where she'll feel comfortable going, then roxas is fine with it. he doesn't mind the gardens, even if he doesn't know nearly as much about flowers as mary does.]

[ Roxas didn't spend about a hundred years of his life staring out the window at flowers, that's probably for the best--

But Mary visibly perks up. ]

Mm-hm! There's some flowers I found the other day that kind of remind me of you.

...That remind you of me?

[that... isn't what he expected to hear at all. but mary seems to perk up a but, so it can't be too bad of a thing, right?]

Yeah... I'll show you if I can find them again, but they were really pretty.

[ Boys probably don't appreciate being compared to pretty flowers, though. ]

[he doesn't really mind, but he's not sure he gets it.]

Well, we can look together. I guess it'll probably be easier for you to find, though...

Probably, but I think it'll still be faster with two people.

[ And up she goes, tugging on his hand. A distraction of any sort is something she needs right now, and this ought to do the trick. ]

As long as you tell me what it looks like...

[he'll follow mary's lead though, allowing her to tug at his hand and pushing his weight off the sofa. if it'll cheer her up, it's the best plan.]

It's only got four petals, but they're big... and blue.

[ So it probably won't be too hard to find. If the fountain monsters don't kick up a fuss, anyway. But gardens ahoy!! ]

action;

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject