INTRO LOG: JULY

[inthenightmods]

INTRO LOG: JULY
IT'S HAPPENING AGAIN

characters: everyone.
location: the harbor, as well as the rest of town.
date/time: july 1-3.
content: beacon's newest batch of residents arrives on the ferry. winters, will, and rastus introduce themselves and explain the situation.
warnings: n/a.

welcome to beacon.

It's dim, and the room won't stop swaying, gently rocking you back and forth. A loud sound startles you fully awake, a deep, moaning call: a foghorn. As your eyes adjust, you note faint red light streaking through the room from a tiny, round window.

You've found yourself in a private room, lying on a bed. The last things you remember are the events that led up to your death. Beside you is a folded tablet and a lantern that glows steadily with a healthy flame.

You're on a ship. And that ship is docking.

Making your way to the deck, and eventually the pier, you find only moonlight to greet you, and a dark forest beyond. There are other people here, each with their own unique lantern, and many of them look just as lost as you are. On the ferry you've just disembarked from, the speaker system begins to play a song.

In the distance, across the waters of the lake, you can see the tall silhouette of a lighthouse, its red light slowly turning.

•••
Winters and Will are waiting for you on the beach. Winters flags you down from where he's standing atop a large rock, surveying the gathering crowd. Will stands next to him, though he's monkeying with his tablet and looks rather bored. He barely looks up as Winters speaks:

"First thing's first: I'm sorry you're here. There's no easy way to break this news, so let's just get it over with, hm? You're dead. Or, ah, you've died. Call this the afterlife if you want, or don't if that ain't your thing, but point is, you're here 'cause you died. Those are the facts.

This world's dead, too. You've noticed by now it's pretty dark, yeah? That's 'cause there's no life here, not anymore. And that lantern you've got? That's your life, so to speak. The flame goes out, you die, and vice versa. Keep it close. Should be easy enough to remember on account of how the sun don't rise. You'll need something to see by.

This place is called Beacon, and that's Lake Red Jacket. Town's 'bout a mile down the road, and we've got a bonfire there, but that's the only other light you'll see in this place. Save for the moon and all, though the sky won't do you much good out in the woods. I'll let Rastus explain the bonfire to y'all.

Ah, right. I'm Ben Winters—Winters'll do—and this here's Will Ingr— What? For christ's sake, Dr. Will Ingram. Likes to think he's the brains of the operation, as you can see. If you've got questions about these tablets, he's your guy. Rastus tends to the fire, and you'll find him in town. He's married to his job in a way. And you may never've seen a person like him back wherever you came from, but don't make a big fuss over it. He's a nice fellow. Mind your manners.

The three of us are leftovers from past resets. We came here on that ferry just like you, but it's just us left now. 'Sides the Lighthouse Keeper, but it'll be a bit before you get to meet her. She's got control over the town, see, and if she ain't satisfied with a group's performance, they get the axe. Town gets reset. If she pulls a reset on you folks, a couple of you might end up like me and Will here, giving this speech to the next crop."

The red beam of the lighthouse pulses over the group, over the trees. Winters glances up to watch it swing out over the bay.

"But don't hold it against her. Ain't her fault we're in this mess, and we've all got a job to do, including you.

For now, concentrate on accepting your lot, yeah? We're here to answer your questions, but we ain't gonna tell you all there is to know just yet. Some things are best learned on your own, and some of it we just don't want to saddle you with yet. There's a limit to how long we can stay here safely, that's true, but thing is, we do got time. Time enough to play this smart. Do better than the folks before us did. Settle in, make peace, explore a bit if you're up for it. Use these first couple weeks to come to grips. You ain't gonna be any good to the town if you don't sort yourself out before worrying about what comes next.

So listen up: You're dead. You died. Whatever your old life was, it's done now. None of us can go back, so all we've got is forward. Welcome to Beacon. Could be worse, yeah?"

ooc.

Hey there, wonderful players, and welcome to In the Night! For this intro log, all three NPCs will be available for chatting with, whether your character wants to make casual conversation or ask questions about all this. The headers on each NPC toplevel are there for easy reference as to what each of them are responsible for, but you're welcome to go to any NPC for whatever reason. You're welcome to assume your character has overheard any NPC conversation to learn more about the game. After the NPC threads have died down, we'll compile the info learned ICly and add it to the game history page. If your character would contribute something specific to the game history records, let us know!

DELIVERIES

The following packages can be found in the cargo hold:

• The monthly store restock

QUICKNAV
comms	|	network • logs • memes • ooc
pages	|	rules • faq • taken • mod contact • player contact • calendar • setting • exploration • item requests • full nav

Comments

sora | kingdom hearts | ota

[dualikey]

ships in the night

[It isn't his first time on a boat, and maybe that's the reason that his body knows before he really wakes up and thinks about it. His head doesn't lift right away, instead, his legs dangle off the side of the bed and sway with the rocking of the water. After all of that it's easy to find his feet. His footsteps are shallow thuds as he makes his way through the ferry's halls, squinting curiously at the long stretches of pathway and pausing before opened, or even cracked cabin doors.

It's a whole lot bigger than the kind of boats they used to take out back on the islands, but it also feels really different from something like a pirate ship. There isn't so much- open air. He feels like he's passing a bunch of bedrooms, and he isn't reluctant to venture a curious-] -Hello?
[At those doors he's able to get a peek through.]

[Little by little Sora makes his way above deck, where he finds a spot for himself against the railing to watch a harbor town come into view.]

Whoa- what d'you think that's about?

a long walk off a short- wait

[Off loading onto the pier isn't a rough task, but it looks like the walk into town is going to take a little longer. Sora raises one hand to his face the way someone might try and shield their eyes from the sun, squinting from one direction to another. He can't really see anything from here except the lighthouse way back, and a bunch of dunes ahead- but they said the town would be somewhere in that direction so it can't be too hard to miss, right?

His lantern tucked casually under one arm, Sora matches his footfalls to the people around him, readily falling into step with anyone near enough.]

Hey, you're pretty tall- so lemme know when you see it alright?
You know, kinda like a, what's it called again?

[The lantern gives him something else to juggle, but Sora manages to bring both hands to the edges of his face and cup them like he's miming a pair of binoculars.] A periscope!

oh man this is totally hotel california

[This seems like a lot of rooms, more than he's really seen in one place before. But it's not like the- what's it called again? The Invisible? It's not the only big building around. And that's the reason Sora stands out on its deck with both hands on his hips, head swiveling as he looks around.] Hey- what do you think that big building is? Wanna go check it out?

[Never one to be content with unsatisfied curiosity, Sora won't be found just watching from the sidelines. When he makes his way to the general store, instead of trying to stuff his pockets with goods, he crouches down between shelves and reaches out to pick up mysterious tins- squinting at the labels and reading them aloud.] Eight hot dogs. In a can?! Gross!

house hunters except without credit checks

[It doesn't take a whole lot of waiting to see that their lodging has more guests than space available, but that doesn't really bother him. Life on the islands had been communal in a lot of ways and he's grown up used to sharing space and resources with the families around him. Besides, it's summer isn't it? The weather's definitely warm enough for sleeping outside.

Sora slings his lantern over one shoulder and goes from room to room- asking if anyone has extra blankets to spare, and isn't shy with the gratitude he extends in return either. He won't be staying in the inn and instead can be spotted carrying his little piles back in the direction of the ship they'd come in on- prepared to hang up a few hammocks inside the boathouse and call it a day. Uh. Night?]

hotel california; general store

[withsadness]

[Mary, from somewhere nearby as she searches through the shelf, lets out a surprised gasp at Sora's exclamation. She darts over, all but flinging herself at him and the can.]

There are dogs trapped in there? Oh no, let them out! They're crowded!

[dualikey]

[There aren't a whole lot of places to hide in the store- maybe because there isn't a whole lot of stock either. Sora's found a few nooks and crannies, but there aren't rows of boxes and cans stretching out into forever; that means it's hard not to notice the voice that pipes up. And by extension, there's no way he's able to miss the little figure running towards him. The enthusiasm that has her pitching forward leaves the can clattering to the ground, a reflexive attempt to open his hands in case he'll need to catch her.

It's not just the can he loses either. It's the whole train of thought.]

Wai- What? Crowded?

[withsadness]

The dogs! Save them! It must be dark in there, they must be scared!

[Hot...hot dogs.]

ferry

[callada]

[This particular room is heavy with the smell of cigarette smoke through the slightly-ajar door. There's a delay after the 'hello' - Rosinante looks exhausted as he stares out the window of the room he's cramped into, with his knees curled to his chest and his shoulders bowed low just to fit. It's the change in the pattern of light, not the sound of the boy's voice, that attracts his attention and when he looks over there's an abrupt raise of eyebrows indicating he's only just noticed there's someone there.

He snaps his fingers soundlessly, then turns his blood-streaked face to his visitor.]

Hey. Sorry, if you said something, I missed it.

[dualikey]

[Sora has been curious for as far back as any of his friends can remember. It isn't the kind of curiosity that had their little group charting expeditions to the other side of the island, or building a boat to see what new places the could discover. It didn't start things- it just kept them going. There's a kind of perpetual and self-sustaining motion inside him not because he's afraid to stop, but because once the first few questions bubble to the surface, they just keep on coming.

That's the reason he pokes his face into cracks and peers on tiptoe into half-open rooms. He doesn't have an expectation beyond that he's sure there's got to be someone else around. But in retrospect, maybe that's the problem. Maybe he should have expected that he'd find somebody else eventually. In his defense, it's not the plume of cigarette smoke that brings him up short. It's the blood-streaked face and the slow way the person inside turns to look. Sora's entire body straightens up at once. Later, this'll make a great joke: that he looks like he's seen a ghost.]

You're-! [Urgency tightens in his stomach and Sora's hand lingers on the door, where he's half in and half out.] You're hurt!

[callada]

I was. I don't think I am anymore.

[But he must look absolutely frightening, judging by the look on the poor kid's face. He can't feel the burn in his chest anymore; no longer drowning in his own blood. Naturally that made it the right time for a smoke.]

Did you need something? Or better yet, do you know anything about where we are?

[Man, he'd offer the kid a seat, too, just out of basic etiquette, but this berth was not made for someone well over nine feet tall and there's not a lot of space left over. Still, he tries to scoot his feet over so there's room on the bench opposite if he does want to sit.]

Ferry

[spitefullight]

[ Elden had woken on this strange ship out on the water. Nothing lit this place but the stars and moon and a faint light off in the distance. The water was quietly lapping up against the ship with the smell of iron and water about him. The dark haired youth was standing at one of the banisters watching the boat sail closer to what appeared to be a shore.

He had remembered an arrow striking his neck and then darkness as he was delivering his speech to the nobles of Fellengar. Maybe that's why he's assuming the worst now as he stands on this boat. Many fairy stories did mention a boat to the afterlife, but, he had expected to be in that dark room like Andrew when they died. This was so different than what he was expecting.

Elden can only sigh, just letting the breeze touch his face, feel his hair blow slowly in it when he's startled from his thoughts. It's the voice of a boy standing right beside him and when Elden looks he can't help but look a little perplexed at their appearance. The clothes were definitely of odd make and those shoes....was he some kind of jester?

But, it's their question that stops him from taking in their appearance and look back towards the town. ]

I think...it's a town? Probably our destination.

[ He leans closer to look, resting his elbows on the railing as he squints harder. ]

Does this scream "Evil trap" to you? Because it's really screaming evil trap to me.

[dualikey]

[Making his way up here hadn't told him a whole lot, but Sora had passed plenty of doors along the way. After waking up in a room of his own and then seeing all the others, it's an easy conclusion to reach even for someone who doesn't spend a whole lot of time thinking things through: there are lots of other people here too. Going... wherever it is he's going. He'd only talked to a handful of them and none of the faces were familiar, but that's alright.]

Hmm...

[It's the reason he doesn't squint at the boy standing up against the railing. Each person he's met has been just as new as the last.

The boy leans forward and Sora settles in beside him. He isn't craning in kind only because his gaze is drawn to the single point of light out on their right. A lighthouse?]

But we didn't really get tricked into it, right? I know why I wound up here...

I guess I just expected it to look kinda... different.

[spitefullight]

[ Elden purses his lips in thought as he notices where the other boy was looking off to. He follows their gaze to see the lighthouse himself and wonders about it himself; ]

At least we don't need to worry about the ship crashing. [ He'd hate to die a second time by drowning...he was definitely not a great swimmer by any means. Though he can't help but catch what the other says; ]

No...I mean, I know there was no way I could've. But, that begs the question, on how you got here? Because...I know I died.

A long walk full of complaining;

[broplaints]

[This is probably the one time in his entire life that anyone has ever called him tall. But considering he can at least kind of see where they're going, the least he could do is help.]

Sure. I always wanted to be a seeing eye Noctis.

[dualikey]

[Sora doesn't usually think about his height, but maybe part of that is because he's always sort of been in the middle? Not average, but in the middle. He was taller than Donald but shorter than Goofy. Taller than Kairi but shorter than Riku. It'd only been later, as he got to know even more people that he started to notice- and here, surrounded by and large by adults, it just seems kindof obvious.

They don't really fall into step with one another, but Sora squints up at him curiously all the same, lengthening his stride just a little to try and keep up. All it really does is make him walk kinda funny but to be fair- this guy walks kinda funny too.]

What's a seeing eye Noctis?

[broplaints]

[Huh. Every single person in his life must just be a giant then because he could count on a single hand the number of people who were actually shorter than him.

And most of them were girls.

He takes a moment to look over, just in time to watch Sora attempt to match his gait. And end up doing - whatever it is he's currently doing.]

Me, apparently. [And then:] Why are you walking like that?

knock off hgtv

[replicates]

[ even if there wasn't a limited amount of space, he would have opted to sleep outside. he'd spent most of his life indoors, and he wouldn't count his brief moments of reprieve at the castle resting. it's a little funny in a way, how he went from the bright halls of castle oblivion to the unending void of the realm of darkness ‐ being in this world now, it's almost as if he'd never left.

the only difference is that he's not alone. ]

Here. [ he hands off two of the blankets he'd taken to sora, the remaining one slung over his shoulder. he was on his way out to see about finding a space on the beach, but he thinks better of it. ] You bringing them back to the boathouse?

[ it's not hard to figure out what sora is trying to do, not when he remembers him and riku doing something similar when they were younger. tying a few blankets together between trees just for fun is a far cry from what they're dealing with now, but it doesn't look like they have many options currently. ]

[dualikey]

[Riku's voice is a pitch and shape that he would recognize anywhere- but how could he not? The sound of it goes back as far as he can remember, long before they were organizing fights and races, keeping a running score. It's just that it isn't exactly the way he remembers it. Sora knows that it's his friend the moment the first syllable hits the air, but there's a reason that instinct doesn't raise his chin in an effort to make up the difference.

Still, familiarity is a warm thrum inside his chest and Sora turns to look, lantern swinging from it's place just beneath his elbow. And it is Riku there, falling in step beside him. Just- not the same one he'd found dozing inside one of the inn's rooms.

His smile is soft and a little uncertain, but he doesn't turn away to look in the direction of the boathouse. It isn't visible just yet, especially with the nearly complete darkness out on the shores- but count on Riku to guess it in one. He has the good grace to look a little sheepish about it at least, like he's been caught with a hand in the cookie jar.]

That obvious, huh?

[replicates]

[ it's riku, but not. sora doesn't give the reaction he comes to expect from people: the confusion, the wariness, maybe even fear — it hasn't been that long since he'd ripped the heart out of that other replica, at least not to him anyway. but sora doesn't do any of that; he smiles instead, and while it's uncertain, it reminds him of the same ones he'd given him back at the castle. the same ones that feel familiar and not, but always leave him feeling like he's back home on the islands, like he's where he belongs. as if he is capable of belonging anywhere.

but he thinks that's just something sora is best at. always reaching out, always inclusive. ]

No. [ he shakes his head, adjusting the blanket over his shoulder as he walks past sora towards the boathouse. ] I just have a cheat sheet.

[ it's easier to predict when he has riku's memories, after all. ]

hotel california

[steadfastjewel]

[Boromir sort of peers over, curious about the tins himself. He doesn't really have the context to know what canned food is, even.]

What is a hot dog? [just assuming it's not related to actual dogs? although that would be gross.]

[dualikey]

[He still has a can in each hand when he looks up. Sora remains crouched and his head turns, craning towards the source of the sound. If he's troubled by the world they've wound up in and what being here in the first place means, it's impossible to tell. There's only openness and curiosity in his face. As if he's trying to bridge the gap somehow, Sora turns both cans label up- displayed into the space between them.]

They're these things! You're supposed to cook 'em over a fire and then you put them in buns.

[His chin drops and his attention goes back to the unfortunate logo on the front.] Some people like them more than hamburgers, but I'm still hungry after I eat a hotdog so I guess they aren't really my favorite either.

[steadfastjewel]

[There's so many children here. It's not like Boromir lives in a world where no one ever dies young, but also what the fuck

He peers at the picture on the can. This has answered a few questions, but not the primary one]

What meat is it?

House Hunters / continuing TDM

[equinoctials]

[ Hearing his best friend's familiar stride on the wooden planks of the boardwalk leading to the boathouse, Riku looks up from a sturdy canvas backpack, the result of his own foray into the town for supplies. Given what he'd seen there, it would be the first of a few trips, if they intend on venturing out into the dark unknown. And he does.

He rests his shoulder against the nearest support beam, folding his arms as the smile that spreads across his face appears impressed, pleased even (for a few reasons). It may be a while longer before this feeling wears off... the novelty that's finally finding a friend who had proven so elusive. It's not lost on him, that he had to lose something as important as life to find someone as important as Sora. ]

Here I thought you were gonna slack off while I was gone.
Nice haul, Sora.

[ As for the result of his own trip to town? Some food, a trio of canteens full of water, a set of tin mess kits and mugs, some toothbrushes to go with them. A comb and brush, soap and washcloths. The practical stuff that probably slipped Sora's mind but Kairi would appreciate. He'll be putting in some hard work later in clearing up rooms at the Invincible too cluttered with furniture to live in to do his part and pay back for what he's taken. ]

[dualikey]

Says the guy that was sleeping on a floor!

[There's something different about the way it feels to make his way across the unfamiliar shore and into the relative quiet of the boathouse. The sea smells the same. There aren't any gulls crying and the sun isn't drenching everything in reach- but the water keeps lapping against the shore and the sand crunches underfoot. It could be home if he closed his eyes and loosed his hold on the memory of it. But then, maybe the only reason he could think that at all is because he has friends here. Because of Riku and Kairi.

The door creaks on its hinges as it closes behind him, and though Sora almost sticks his tongue out at the accusation, he doesn't. It probably speaks to a difference in their priorities, or maybe the things they each consider practical. Where Riku ekes not just the necessities of food and water, he grabs a few other things too. Sora peers over at the haul, toothbrushes, a comb, soap. They aren't creature comforts so much as they're the little touches that make them all feel a little more human. Those details really had slipped his mind.

Sora's hands go to the knot tied across his sternum instead- a pair of waterproof tarps he'd found, just in case, along with a couple more blankets, a pair of hatchets, some sand paper, a hammer and nails.] The ceiling looks pretty old, like it could leak in a storm so maybe we should put these up? [He found an old can opener that looks like it'll help, but without a fire of their own he's not sure how they'll cook anything. They'll have to use the kitchens at the Invincible. Somehow using the bonfire itself sounds like a bad idea.]

Oh! And I found this!

[It takes him a moment to root around in the depth of one pocket, but Sora offers the small, folded piece of metal into the space between them all the same. There isn't really a lot of moonlight that gets in, so with only their lanterns to see by he has to make an effort to close the distance. Their shoulders bump.] I thought maybe for Kairi's crafts and stuff...

[The beat is small, but maybe all the more pronounced because of it.]

-Do you think she'll like it?

i 👏 do 👏 what 👏 i 👏 want

[evulsed]

[ Two things surprise Vanitas about the storm: the first, is that he sleeps through it after his head hits the pillow, and the second is that the morning after, the world is mostly the same in it's wake.

Mostly the same, anyway. The buildings aren't blown down, and neither are the trees, but when he wanders back down to the beach, it's to find the shoreline covered in debris blown off the trees— but the animals he expects, the fish thrown up by the churning lake, are mysteriously missing. Vanitas crouches down to pick up a piece of driftwood and uses it to poke around, looking for the seashells that some abstract memory tells him should be there— and he does this for a while until he hears the tell tale thwack, thwack, thwack of someone cutting through wood.

That brings his attention up. The darkness isn't the same as what he knows, so he can't see through it the way he knows he should— but he can see the glimmer of a lantern in the distance. Instead of walking toward it, he opens up a dark corridor and steps through it to land a short distance away from the mysterious figure— and feels like he shouldn't be surprised that it's Sora that he finds.

Some part of him might have known, too. Something tugging in his chest.

He thought, after their last interaction, he might feel stranger about seeing Sora again in the flesh— but now that he's here, he finds it's easy to pretend like nothing ever happened. Anyway, it's not like he has anything better to do, so: ]

What are you doing?

gee how unexpected

[dualikey]

[The storm was rough and after the worries about flooding had kept them up for the first half of the night, the crash of thunder kept them up for the second half. It leaves all of them bereft in their own way the next morning- if it could be called that. They only have the cycle of the moon to mark the passage of day to night, but Sora knows that's on the assumption that it's going to be anything like the moon back home. Waxing and full and waning and new.

He walks along the beach and takes his time, crouching down occasionally just to he can get a closer look at the driftwood that's managed to find its way onto shore. Some of the pieces have been worn smooth by their time in the water and that'll make them easier to work with than chopping and carving and sanding planks by hand. The last two he passed hadn't really been salvageable- one had started to collapse in on itself, rotting around a big crack through the middle, and the other was too small to use. But this one looks alright.

Sora brings his lantern up near his face and squints, rubs his palm across the expanse of smooth wood to feel out the details he can't make out right away. And then he gets to work.

It'll give him something to do with his hands and also with most of the day; with the excess of free time and mystery, they could do worse for themselves. His lantern rests in the sand nearby, close enough that he can drag it over and use it for light if he needs to- and Sora kneels in the sand. The hatchet isn't just old, it's small. But even that he's sort of used to- after all, how many times did people tell him he wasn't strong enough or significant enough to matter? The hatchet swings down in short strokes at a time, a little by little process.

After that, he sort of loses track. His palms feel sore but not sore enough to stop. The back of his neck beads with sweat and he pauses just long enough to shrug out of his jacket- to wipe his forehead against the bend of his elbow. Maybe it's because of that little lull that he feels it in the first place: a weird prickling sensation. He thinks it's his imagination at first. When Vanitas's voice materializes, that answers that. His weight leans back on his keels, knees digging further into damp sand.]

Hey Vanitas. I'm chopping wood.

[A beat and his shoulders soften, it's an attempt to ease the tension out of them but it doesn't really feel like it works. Maybe he's just sore.]

Or trying to, anyway.

Ships In The Night

[carriedbylight]

( Arriving in this place has left Kairi with an incredible amount of things to mentally unpack. The implications of her being there didn't sit well with her. It means that they had lost. That she hadn't been strong enough when it mattered the most. She knows that Sora and Riku would say. That it isn't her fault. That they aren't disappointed in her. She couldn't help what happened. But is that really true? Maybe there is something she could have done differently, some path that had fallen by the wayside when things had descended into chaos. Still, is there any point in dwelling on it now?

A soft sigh leaves her lips as she turns her gaze up to the unfamiliar stars, fighting back a shiver as the cold sea air brushes against her and rustles her red hair. She idly leans against the railing as she watches them, grateful for the minimal amount of light that they provide. Despite being such small things, they gave her hope. Hope that returning home wasn't completely out of the question. That things weren't too far gone to recover. And if that is the case, she needs to get stronger. There are people that Kairi loves and wants to protect, after all.

The sound of footsteps draws her out of her thoughts, watching the stars for a moment longer as the person approaches. Finally, she turns her attention away from them in order to look toward the sound, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips pleasantly. But as soon as Kairi lays eyes on who this is, she freezes. )

Sora.

( Questions flood through her mind in that moment, a sort of noise that leaves her unable to pick one of them to throw at him. Instead, she sets to motion as if her body has a will of its own, crossing the deck with long, fast strides until she reaches him. She launches herself at him, throwing her slender arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Every fiber of her being screams that yes, this is right. This is where she belongs.

There are no words in that moment. She simply buries her face into the curve of his neck and holds onto him tightly, trying to ignore the near painful swelling of her heart within her chest. )

[dualikey]

[He thinks he might have been home. After Sora had first woken up on this ferry and started making his way through the halls, he'd met someone who asked about the last thing he remembers, the last place he was before ending up here. And he thinks it must have been home- on their island, under their tree, in their long sunset. But the thing is, he's not entirely sure. Because Sora hadn't been looking at the island or the tree or the sunset.

He'd only been looking at Kairi.

It's a name he's been careful not to say just yet, where the sense of loss intersects with finality. Sora doesn't regret the choice he made, despite the cost, and he knows that after everything he saw and learned while visiting the other worlds- even that single day should be enough. It isn't as much time as they wanted, as they thought they were going to have. It was only as much as they needed; and it's no accident that he didn't use that time to say goodbye. There were much more important things to tell her.

Is he content with it? It's hard to say. It doesn't feel the way happiness had, it's a quiet kind of satisfaction, something sweet and something sour. Finding her again was the only thing his heart wanted and he'd been willing to exchange whatever came after, to make his peace with just that little moment if it was all they would get.

But here he is, far from home on a boat to who knows where.
And here she is, with a sky full of stars at her back.

Sora visibly falters, a step that ends short and freezes him in place- a beat that they share. Until she says his name. His whole heart squeezes against his ribcage, like it's too full, too big for his body. Her feet thud against the deck and Sora doesn't come running because he doesn't have to. He opens his arms instead, feels her fingers catch on the fabric of his jacket, then against his shoulder blade. He feels her hair against his chin and the shape of her nose against the curve of his neck and his heart throbs helplessly against his chest, trying to remember how to beat. She fits so easily here. She smells like home.

His arms come down around her own, folding her protectively into the shell of his body; Sora doesn't say her name. It just falls out of him instead, like a question. Or an exhale.] Kairi.