[Day 1: Try Not To Wake Me]

[vacationisalie]

[The feed comes on to a blond sitting in front of an empty capsule, obviously only recently vacated. He looks tired, a little overwhelmed, a little too much like the world is being carried on his shoulders, but he's still looking into the source of the video with some determination.]

I've just had everything explained to me- re-explained to me- I

Comments

[Video]

[lockandkeyblade]

No... You don't have to disappear.

[He's glad you're awake, Roxas. But there's a touch of sadness there too.]

Hey Roxas.

[Video]

[vacationisalie]

...Sora?

[This part- well, it hadn't been explained. He stares at the feed- Sora. There's a touch of resentment there, a touch of fear and a few more things that, as far as the rest of the world was concerned, he couldn't feel.]

[Video]

[lockandkeyblade]

Yeah. It's me.

[Oh, Sora's well aware things aren't right between them. It might've been before. It might have even been decent. But they're back to the beginning again because that's what Stasis does.]

[Video]

[vacationisalie]

Oh...

[Maybe before, back when he'd just left the Organization, he'd had a plan on how this was supposed to go. Meeting Sora, finding Kingdom Hearts, proving once and for all that he was his own person, independant of what others wanted from him-]

[But his his mind seemed to be one huge, uncomfortable blank. Just as it had been before him in the chamber.]

And you're awake.

[watersacrificed]

[Aqua nearly does a double take. What in the world?]

You...already know where your room is, Ven. What are you talking about?

[vacationisalie]

[Roxas looks back and blinks, giving a tired, wry smile.]

First Sora and now Ventus? No one's ever going to call me by my name.

I'm Roxas.

[watersacrificed]

[Blinks herself before giving hi a...sad smile.]

Roxas...I'm sorry. You...just look a lot like Ven.

I'm Aqua and I can help you if you like.

[vacationisalie]

I've heard that before.

[He just gives her another smile back before staring at the ground.]

I'd like that.

[Video - Can't you see? All of my dreams are all I wanna see~]

[wayward_faith]

Hey. Glad to see you're awake again.

[Most of his face is hidden, all that's showing is his chest and mouth, lips lifted up into a smile.]

And no. I didn't have to disappear, and you don't either.

[Video - Try not to wake me let me be~]

[vacationisalie]

[Well that's...curious. And Roxas has always been interested by things that leave a question mark. He sits up and leans towards the screen, scrutinizing what he can see.]

So even those who weren't meant to exist can live here? Even if-

Even if we get infected and die, we still get that time?

[Time. It's the one thing that's never been on his side. Even with an apparent death looming in the horizon, this is more than he ever expected.]

[Video - Trapped in side my own dreams I'm not complaining~]

[wayward_faith]

[He can see that curiosity, and it makes him smile just a bit more. Though, those words said make him hesitate a moment. Not meant to exist... He nods.]

Right. I wouldn't be here right now if it weren't the case.

[Same here, man. Same here. Especially after... what Aqua said before she'd gone into stasis then reawakened.]

[Video - Leave behind all I offer your kind, here we could disappear~]

[vacationisalie]

[For a brief moment, that nod brings more of his face into view. All Roxas gets from it is more of that blonde hair, and a nose. Still, the boy's words are an exceptional relief.]

[Even if...the boy seems familiar, somehow.]

Who are you?

[the_daybreak]

R--

[He's scared to contact him. Roxas doesn't remember his time here. He won't remember their friendship. At best, Roxas will remember hating him.

He doesn't really... want that. Not after... repairing so much.

But he's already started the feed, so --]

... Welcome back.

[vacationisalie]

...You.

[He's up on his feet, staring at the device in his hands with an almost horrified expression. No. Not here. Now now.]

[He just- He just got told he was going to live. Without having to be with Sora.]

I'm not going back to him. I'm not. [Half a snarl, half a desperate plea. He doesn't want to disappear.]

[the_daybreak]

[As he'd anticipated, Roxas is having none of this. Riku sighs.] ... I won't ask you to do that.

I don't think that's possible here anyway, even if I wanted that anymore.

[vacationisalie]

You don't want-

[This is...unbelievable. He's close to tears, even though, according to that man, according to Riku, he's not whole enough to feel them.]

Is this some sort of joke? 'Cause I'm not laughing.