logsinthenight | July Catch All

Ha!

( Kairi cries out as she swings a flower covered weapon through the air, lunging at an invisible enemy. Her brows furrow together in concentration as she moves, seeming light on her feet and fairly graceful. She's picked a spot away far away enough from the bonfire that she wouldn't be disturbing anyone with her practice, but close enough so that it's light could be used to see what she's doing. She's alone for the moment, seeming fully absorbed in her practice. But for a person to be so focused on training, they must have a reason to, right?

Things may seem relatively peaceful enough now, but it doesn't mean that they will always be that way. The moments before her death haunted her, visions of how easily she had been taken off guard making her stomach twist into knots. She hadn't been ready. She hadn't seen enough real battle to be fully prepared for what they had to face. But next time, Kairi will be prepared. She'll know what to expect. There are people here that she wants to protect, even if it means laying down her life to do so. So it's important that she's ready next time.

Kairi takes a moment to breathe out a sigh, shifting the keyblade over to one hand to wipe the beads of sweat from her forehead with the other. )

...I sure miss my partner right about now.

Edited 2019-07-10 01:29 (UTC)

[ It hadn't be hard to spot the figure off in the distance of the fire. With such little light though it was still hard to tell completely what they were doing. For a long while he thought they were doing some kind of dance. If they were, why do it so far from the fire? Maybe if people saw someone actually trying to have some joy here the optimism levels would be much better. Because seriously, there's very few people who are optimistic right now.

But, as he draws closer, he definitely had it wrong. She wasn't dancing, she was just...slashing the air through her movements. Was she practicing for a fight? It definitely looked like it now that he was approaching. He lifts his lantern up to shed more light in the girl's direction, canting his head curiously. ]

Um, would be assuming a lot if I ask if you needed a dance partner?

( The sound of someone approaching does catch her attention, turning to face him with a little grin on her face. She's surprised that someone noticed her, given her position being tucked away from the fire, but she certainly isn't averse to a bit of company. The keyblade is let rest idly in her hand, hanging down toward the ground. )

Well, I'm not quite dancing, but it's close.

( Kairi can understand how what she was doing might look odd from the outside. A girl jumping around and swinging a flowery looking stick...It's really no wonder that he thought she was dancing. Also, she's pretty sure that normal people didn't have to worry about things like fighting. )

I was just doing a bit of training, though I don't know how much good it's doing. I'm Kairi, by the way.

Guess I should've figured that it wasn't dance practice.

[ He replies with a bit of a embarrassed grin as he makes a gesture to the sword. Though he does look at it a bit peculiarly. Who would forge a sword to look like an oversized key?

But, training, that definitely made more sense. At the introduction he steps forward to offer his hand to her. ]

Mine's Elden and uh, I'd be willing to spar with you if you want a battle partner. Though...I'm not really that great, so maybe I can learn a thing or two from you.

( Kairi can't help but laugh a little at that, glancing down to her keyblade as he motions to it. To be fair, it looks more like something used for decorative purposes than an actual weapon, what with the flowers all over the end of it. So she can't understand where the confusion might come in. Either way, she reaches out to take his hand and gives it a little shake. )

Elden, then. Well, if you want to spar, that would be fun. It's okay. I'm not really that good, either.

( She admits with a sheepish smile. After all, she's only recently even learned that she can use a keyblade, no less fight with it. )

My friends are way better than I am. But if you still want to, I'd be happy to spar with you.

[ He can't help but let out an embarrassed laugh of his own when she tells him that she wasn't "that good". From what he saw, she definitely was more capable than him with a sword...or any real melee weapon honestly.

He just holds up his mace with something of a sheepish grin. ]

Honestly, I'm terrible at combat. I mean, I'm a decent shot when it comes to range but swinging swords? You're gonna want my other friend for that.

[ However, he's probably selling himself short as well. So, he huffs his cheeks and tries to give a more confident grin; ]

But, hey! If we practice together we could probably get even better than your friends and mine.

[ Elden, she already agreed- ]

Anyways, so, how do we start?

I just started practicing how to use the keyblade, so we're about on the same level.

( She says, offering him a sheepish smile. Though, she doesn't exactly remember how long she spend in the pocket space training with Axel. Still, she isn't one to turn down a partner. )

Well, my friends are pretty good. It would be great if we could catch up to them, though!

( She pauses for a moment, then lifts the keyblade up. )

I've been starting with swinging it through the air. You imagine that someone is in front of you and swing like you mean to hit them. It's just to get used to the weight of the weapon and maneuvering it.

[ protecting people, even if it means laying down his life to do so; being ready next time. that's something he understands, and it's something he respects.

which is why, with her next forward lunge, the tip of destiny's embrace meets the blade of way to dawn in a clash of dark sparks. it's as if he'd simply slipped out from the shadows, but in truth, he'd been watching her since she pulled away from the bonfire. for someone who had fought to survive for as long as he has, it's not difficult to tell that there's a difference in ability between kairi and sora, or kairi and riku — but he knows now that appearances mean little as far as real strength goes. ]

If you're alright with a stand-in, [ he bites back a laugh. isn't that always what he is? a substitute, a stand-in; never quite what people really want. ] I could be your partner.

[ and maybe he needs this, too. since riku had left way to dawn behind, this is the first time he'd ever summoned it. it feels foreign in his hands, a little too long compared to soul eater, like it was meant for someone taller to wield. but in some ways, it feels right. ]

( The sudden clash with the familiar keyblade causes Kairi to startle for a moment, her bright eyes widening as she looks to its wielder. What's more surprising isn't the fact that it is the other Riku, but the fact that he slipped up on her so easily. She hadn't noticed him at all, which spoke to the level of his skill and the divide between them. Was it surprising? No. It's only natural that Riku should have this kind of skill. It seems like forever that she's been chasing his back, trying to catch up, even if this isn't the original Riku.

Either way, she holds the position with their blades crossed for a moment longer before leaping back away from him. The change in her expression is visible as he offers his assistance with her training, excitement making her eyes seem all the brighter in the dim light. It's easy to see that, despite his self-deprecating words, she's thrilled that he would even think to ask her. )

Really?! You'd do that for me? Wow...Thanks, Riku!

( The grin tugs at the corners of her lips, lifting the keyblade defensively in front of her. Kairi isn't too pleased with his choice of words, that much is certain. But it's more important at the moment for her to take his offer seriously than to give him a lecture on why he's good enough. That's something that will be pushed to the side until she has some quiet time with him.

In this situation, Riku might be the perfect person to help her train. Yes, he's Riku and still has Riku's tendencies of being soft deep down, but somehow, she doesn't think that he will go easy on her because of a lingering attachment. That, or maybe he understands, as well, the importance of being able to protect the people you care about and how awful being weak feels... )

Whenever you're ready!

[ he watches kairi's eyes go wide, sees the change in her expression from surprise to excitement, and it almost makes him shy away. he's come to realize that a lot of the reactions he expects from the others are completely opposite — there isn't the disappointment he's grown so used to, or the fear that should be present. like sora, they're always reaching out rather than pulling away. ]

It's not a big deal, [ he says, though his tone isn't nearly as sharp as it should be. ] I don't have anything else to do.

[ in the infamous words of vanitas: what he is, is darkness. it means when he comes at her, he doesn't hesitate — there's weight behind his strikes, fast and vicious, a different sort of grace compared to riku. way to dawn has a longer reach than soul eater that he still hasn't completely mastered yet, so she's able to slip under his guard a few times, but it only leaves a sense of satisfaction rather than frustration. he doesn't believe that kairi won't be able to catch up to riku or sora, but maybe that's not the path she needs to take — she'll grow and become stronger in her own way.

maybe the same will happen for him.

he won't disrespect her by going easy; that's no way to learn and he doesn't understand that concept to begin with. he does, however, remind himself that he isn't fighting with the intent to break and destroy — each time he parries or knocks her back he repeats it, occasionally nudging her feet to shift her weight and correct her balance. ]

( Kairi can't help herself but to laugh a little at his reaction. It's so very Riku, and yet, not her Riku. She's seen him using the air of indifference with others, yet the softness is still there. After all, hadn't he been the one to reach out to her first? There's goodness within him, yet she's not so blind that she can't see the darkness, as well. But all of that, the struggle and the ability to overcome, that's what makes him who he is. She won't try to change him, but she can be there for him.

His sudden approach yanks her out of her thoughts and pushes her into the moment, lifting the keyblade to try and block his vicious attacks, immediately on the defensive. It's different than Riku's style of fighting and certainly more rough than anything he would try with her, but it's exactly what she needs. Someone who won't pull their punches just because they're afraid of breaking her. Kairi defends until she sees an opening, lunging in closer to him with a swing of the keyblade. This sort of back and forth happens a few times, with her managing to slip through his defenses a couple of times, making her heart swell with pride.

...And then he delivers a couple of punishing blows that quickly remind her that she hasn't won. Real battle won't stop long enough for her to feel proud of herself. And while he isn't going easy on her, he is giving her the opportunity to learn. He repeats his movements in order for her to get the hang of what she's focusing on, with the gentle reminder of how her stance affects the way she fights. )

Wow...You're tough...

( Kairi huffs out, flashing him a little grin. She speaks again, a little breathlessly. )

I'm lucky...to have found a good partner!

[ they're afraid of breaking her, but that's his secret: he's been beaten and broken too many times to count, and each time he's had to pick himself up and put himself back together again. sometimes, he isn't the one doing so. he's hardened to pain, made tougher from fighting to survive his whole life, and he wonders had he been the real riku he so desperately believed he was, would he be the same now? he'd be gentler, maybe, slower and more patient rather than this sort of trial by fire he's pushing her towards. but beacon isn't a place where anyone can afford to be gentle and this is the only method he knows. ]

Say that to me again when we're done.

[ he swings way to dawn around his fingers as he gives kairi a moment to catch her breath, feels it thrum in the air in much the same way soul eater did, and it shouldn't feel so familiar. but maybe it should — soul eater is still present in the blade, an intermediary, the in-between state; he'd been there as well, left in the void of darkness, stuck in limbo between his broken body and mind.

his whole life he'd been made to break, because that's what it meant to survive: he'd take and take so nothing more could be taken from him. but way to dawn had been broken when riku left it for him and he'd taken it still, made it whole again.

it's more than just a hand-me-down. like his memories, like his heart, it's his now. ]

Edited 2019-07-17 08:56 (UTC)

( Ever since Kairi washed up on the islands, Sora and Riku have treated her as if she were precious. If they walked too quickly for her to keep up, they would slow their pace to match hers, without ever commenting on the fact that they were doing so. They did the protecting while Kairi stood back. It just seemed to be the way of things back then. It was recently, when everything was set into motion, that Kairi realized that waiting by the sidelines wasn't good enough. Her desire to protect the people she cares about was her main motivation throughout her training. But desire alone isn't enough. That was proven when she was so easily taken by Xemnas when her guard was down.

So she's thankful for this sort of training. He has a skill similar to Riku, yet none of the hesitance to go all out due to the risk of potentially harming her. But Dawn sees what Riku and Sora cannot. She isn't glass. She won't break so easily. She can take a beating and still keep going, just as they can. Really, she's incredibly lucky that he's reached out to her, the desire to not disappoint him lingering within the corners of her heart.

The comment earns him a little laugh, the sound soft and full of light as it leaves her lips. She's positive that she'll be able to say the same thing after they're done, even if she ends up bruised and sore. But while they're taking a small break, Kairi reaches into one of the pockets of her dress and pulls out a small black band. The other hand props the keyblade against her leg for a moment as she gathers up the longer pieces of her red hair, pulling them back away from her face and into a small ponytail behind her head. The band is pulled around her ponytail, securing her hair in place.

She looks at him thoughtfully for a moment before reaching back into her pocket and producing a second band, offering it out to him. Having pockets is so incredibly useful! )

Do you want one? Your hair is longer than Riku's, so I thought you might want to get it out of the way.

[ she isn't glass, nor is she so fragile like everyone treats her as. he's known few women in his life, but all of them have proven to be stronger than him in some way or another — naminé was no different from larxene, shattering his heart with a single thought. for as much as he wanted to protect her, sometimes he wondered if she really needed to be protected at all.

but that was then and this is now. kairi is different from naminé, but there are some parts of kairi that remind him of her: the soft laugh, the gleam and determination in her eyes, the set of her shoulders. he knows he'll never see naminé again, but maybe this is enough. knowing he was able to do something like this, helping kairi grow stronger because he wanted to, because he felt that it was right — maybe it's enough. ]

... Okay.

[ he takes the second band, looking down at it for a moment before he pulls his hair up in a high ponytail. he doesn't remember riku ever doing the same during his time at the castle or before that, and the thought leaves something indescribable behind. something lighter. ]

( Kairi can't help but watch him as he pulls up his hair and secures it in place with the band. She admired the silvery hair when it belonged to Riku, and Dawn is no different. It's lovely, and seems to suit him even more now that he's pulled it up into a ponytail. Maybe, if she plays her cards right, she'll be able to talk Dawn into letting her braid his hair. Then again, it might be a strange request, seeing as they've only recently met.

Oh well. She'll just have to work up to it.

There's a fondness for him that warms her heart, which leaves her wondering if it's a lingering sentiment of Namine's or if the feeling is her own. There's a part of her that knows that it isn't due to his connection to Riku. His face has the features of Riku's from years passed, but his personality is his own. His kindness is his own, becoming apparent in the way he approached her and offered to help. He certainly doesn't need Kairi's protection, yet there's a part of her that wants to keep him close and protect him, just as she wants to protect Sora and Riku through her own abilities. The heart truly is a mysterious thing.

Bending at the waist, Kairi reaches down and picks up the ornate keyblade once again, lifting it in her hand and slashing through the air in front of her in the form of a practice swing. Her gaze then shifts to Dawn, a little grin tugging at the corners of her lips. )

Okay. I'm ready when you are.

July Catch All - OPEN

Room For Improvement - Mid July - Open

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iM HERE.... im here

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