2.8;

[binarysky]

What—this again? Hey, deities, can you let us know ahead of time when we're going to have guests? I'd have done my shopping earlier if I'd known.

[Roxas sounds more resigned than annoyed. Although he is a little annoyed.]

Sora, Demyx—I'm gonna be late getting groceries for dinner tonight. The streets are really crowded. Again.

[ooc: Fourth Wall time! Visitors are free to network with him, overhear him in person or just bump into him on the street.]

Comments

[binarysky]

[Roxas almost doesn't respond—it's not just crowded today, it's loud, and he's grown used to filtering out the din. But the voice combined with the proximity of a tall, built older boy does get his attention.]

Yeah?

[It's not anyone he knows. Maybe this guy needs directions?]

[todomarishi]

[Terra comes a stop beside him a moment later. There's a small, relieved smile on his face as he drops his hand on the boy's shoulder.]

Thought I was alone here for a minute. [A pause he looks the kid over...] Where are we?

[binarysky]

[Um, okay. That's awfully friendly.]

No, there's lots of people here... [Obviously. Is he blind?] It's called the City.

[todomarishi]

Well, sure, but I haven't seen anyone else I know yet... [First guess that it's Roxas appears to be correct. Not checking off many Ven-trait ticky boxes on the mental comparison list.] Just the City?

[binarysky]

Just the City. Kind of a weird name, I know.

[Getting a little uncomfortable with the hand on the shoulder now.]

I don't think you know me, though. You must be thinking of someone else.

[todomarishi]

[Blink. Well shoot.]

No... I know you. [Whoops, there goes most of his smile. Maybe it's like when he showed up at the Port and couldn't remember the names or faces of people...]

My name's Terra. And you're Roxas, right?

[He removes his hand slowly.]

[binarysky]

[He nods. Right.] I'm Roxas. But I don't think I ever—

Wait, Terra? [Something familiar there.] You're that guy's friend—the one who looks just like me. Ventus.

[todomarishi]

[He remembers... something! ... And of course it would be Ven.]

Yep. Ven's one of my best friends. [You are, too. He looks away briefly. People people people.]

Do you know if Ven is here?

[binarysky]

[Better than last time, at least, right?]

He was. A few months ago, he was stuck here for a while like everyone else...then he was one of the weekend visitors, too. That's why it's so crowded. I haven't seen him in a while, though.

Did he tell you about me?

[todomarishi]

[Yes, so far it's an improvement over last time.]

... Figures.

Not exactly, no. Guess I've got a lot to tell you.

[binarysky]

[He nods slowly. This guy...seems friendly, and it's not like he can't defend himself if necessary. Besides, he's getting really curious now.]

Okay...I'll listen. Uh, if we head this way, the crowds might thin out some...it's always worst near the fountain. At least the ticking's gone.

[todomarishi]

[Terra motions with his hand - lead the way - and steps back to follow him.]

The ticking?

[Mumble softer.]

[binarysky]

You hear it when you're alone. No one's going to have that problem this weekend.

[They won't be able to find a completely empty street, but slowly the crowds thin out.]

[todomarishi]

Some unusual world effect, huh?

[Tucking his hands in his pockets. Sigh.]

[binarysky]

That's just the start. [Grimace.] The deities who run this world make weird stuff happen all the time. Once I turned into a creepy puppet. And one time everything was Legos.

[todomarishi]

Deities... [He can grimace, too.] Great.

[binarysky]

Don't worry. They don't usually do much on the weekends where extra people show up. The crowds are annoying enough.

[He gives Terra a long look, not so much suspicious as searching.]

So tell me. How do you know me? And why don't I know you?

[todomarishi]

[The longer he's around this Roxas, the stranger everything seems.]

I don't know why you don't know me... Or I don't know for sure, anyway. It might have something to do with the deities. Or the heart of this world. In some worlds like this one, peoples' memories get messed up when they arrive.

[Pause. Sigh.]

I know you because we met in another one of those kinds of worlds. I... mistook you for Ven, at first. [... Possibly an understatement.]

[binarysky]

What?

[Roxas stops in his tracks, caught thoroughly off-guard by the maybe-not-a-stranger's words.

It's not that he believes them because Terra sounds sincere, though he does. It's because...well, it's not that hard to believe he could have lost memories. Not when it's happened several times before.]

So I got pulled to some other world—met you—and then I just forgot it all?

Not again.

[todomarishi]

[He's bracing himself for the anger, the skepticism, the complete, unwavering denial that such a thing is even possible...

...

...

Whoa, what was that?]

That's what it's looking like... [Blinkblinkblink.] Not again?

[binarysky]

[New world, new Roxas. Or maybe it's time that makes the difference.]

You could say I've had a few problems with memories before.

[todomarishi]

[Baffling.]

Oh.

[So baffling.]

I've had a few troubles with memories myself. They're trickier to hold on to than some people think... But yes. We have met before.

[binarysky]

Then...I'm sorry I forgot you.

[He looks away for a moment.]

It stinks. Being forgotten.

[todomarishi]

[Hair ruffle time, Roxas.]

It's okay.

[He nods slightly, if only to himself.]

No one ever means to forget.

[binarysky]

[This feels oddly familiar and even more oddly comforting so he'll let it slide.]

They don't need to mean it if someone else makes them forget.

[He shrugs and starts walking again.]

So if you know me, you know what I am. And about the Keyblade.