lightwithin | 4th ♥ Plantfection [Audio]

Th-- that's good. It-- i-it'd be... w-weird, if y-you couldn't.

[At this point, he's just humoring her. Is this what being drunk is like? Xanth might have been high before, but never drunk.]

Yeah...

[Her chin drops back onto his shoulder and without realizing it, she's hugging him more than simply holding on.]

Like when I lost mine.

[Xanth very nearly stops in his tracks. As it is, his step falters, and he goes a little more slowly. She couldn't mean the time he's thinking of. She couldn't mean losing her heartbeat to the cardinals. She couldn't. She was not that Kairi.

But what else could she mean?

Realizing that he'd been quiet far too long, Xanth speaks up:]

B-But... don't... d-don't you h--have it? R-Right now, I, I-I mean?

[She nods, the movement awkward.]

Sora gave it back. That's how Namine was...

[She trails off, unable to explain right then exactly how Namine was created. Born? Made? Separated? Oh well. Xanth would understand. He'd known her. He'd known her really well. The old guy with the gravelly voice had said they'd been close and he missed her.

Kairi's mouth turned down as she tried to puzzle out her own thoughts once more.]

Xanth?

[No, this was clearly a different situation. Neither Sora nor this Namine were present, and Kairi's heartbeat never returned. Xanth is relieved and sad all at once.]

Um... y-yeah?

Were you in love...

[Mid-sentence, she lost her nerve and had to search for a good ten seconds before she found it again (and remembered what she was trying to ask)]

Did you love... Namine?

[During that pause, Xanth holds his breath. This is not a topic he wants to address. Yes, he loved Kairi - in fact, he still does - but telling this Kairi that he was in love with her would make things too awkward. Better that she didn't know.

And then Kairi finishes her sentence, leaving Xanth relieved, but so confused.]

K-Kairi... I... I-I don't know a-anyone n-named Nam--Namine.

[That? That is hilarious. Kairi dissolves into silent, slow and sleepy giggles once more. Silly Xanth.]

Namine's my other, my... You know, the other me.

[Xanth blinks twice. His confusion is not abated.]

The-- the o-other you I-I knew wasn't N--Namine. She... sh-she had red hair, a-and blue eyes, h-her name was... K-Kairi.

She... sh-she was-- y-you.

[Kairi stops laughing. That... She doesn't understand that. She shakes her head, trying in vain to dispel the sleepy, foggy sensation and succeeding in only causing a wave of dizziness.

That doesn't make any sense and yet somehow it makes perfect sense and she can't help but feel that if she could just concentrate a little bit harder then maybe she could understand it, maybe.

But she can't. And so instead she sits in silence, unsure what to say or think.]

[WELP, THIS SEEMS AWKWARD ENOUGH. Upon finding Kairi's note to him, Riku had rushed right over to the infirmary, only to find that... she wasn't there. It hadn't been -too- difficult to find her (and Xanth), not with how slowly they'd been moving at first. He'd been just about to make his presence known when he heard Kairi ask about Naminé.

And he listens.

But very quickly he realizes what Xanth means--and suddenly things have become very, very awkward.

So Riku strides forward now, pretending as though he hasn't heard a thing as he walks toward them.]

There you are.

[He shakes his head at Kairi, giving her a pointed look in spite of the blindfold.]

Shouldn't you be in the infirmary still? Or are you already breaking out?

[Xanth easily fell into the awkward silence. In fact, he could have easily gone the rest of the way without saying another word... but then Riku appears.

Xanth is never pleased to see him.

Throwing a glance Kairi's way, Xanth answers for her.]

She-- sh-she wanted-- w-water. I... I-I knew I c-couldn't stop her, s-so...

[Kairi's face lights up, all awkwardness forgotten. She clings tighter to Xanth with one arm as she throws out the other towards Riku.]

Riku...!

[She doesn't mean to throw Xanth off balance, really. But she isn't exactly thinking about what she's doing.]

Whoa--

[Riku very quickly steps closer to the two of them, hands out just in case he's needed to help for balance. Kairi's not with it, that much is for sure, and he doesn't want Xanth falling over trying to hold her while she's flailing all around.]

How're you feeling?

W-Woah--

[Xanth tilts to the side and very nearly tips over, but he catches his balance at the last second.]

S--Stay still!

[Ignoring both question and instruction, Kairi snatches for Riku's hand to try and tug him forward into a very awkward one-armed hug. Her other arm is still curled tightly around Xanth's neck. She's still perched, though precariously, on Xanth's back. But neither of those things occur to her or convince her that hugging Riku might not be the best idea.]

I'm tired.

[She mumbles.]

[Riku's not expecting that.

Nor is he expecting her to have really any strength at all, not with the way she looks right now. So all in all, it's not too hard for Kairi to pull him over, to get her arm around him in that hug. Instinctively his arm comes up to try and wrap around her back, to keep her from falling off.]

Maybe we should put you back to bed.

[And Xanth is squished between Kairi and Riku.

This is the most awkward position he's experienced in months. Perhaps years.

He grits his teeth and ignores the fact that he's talking into Riku's shoulder as best he can.]

W-We could-- take her back t-to the-- the i-infirmary, o-or, j-just... take her t-to-- her room?

[At this point, they're about halfway between either place.]

[Kairi is oblivious to both the awkwardness of the situation and the conversation going on around her. What little energy that waking had gifted her has now been spent. Water or no water, she's ready for sleep, whether she makes it to a bed first or not.]

Take'is blindfold, Xanth...

[Whatever Riku was about to say? It dies in his throat at Kairi's words.

And he's just going to -look- at Xanth.

Is he really going to go there?]

[Xanth gives Riku the flattest of looks. It is flatter than a pancake. It is flatter than Kansas. His mouth is set in a thin line and his brow is furrowed just the same.

As if to further reinforce how much he was not going to go there, Xanth shakes his head.

Then, more gently:]

N-N--No, Kairi.

[Kairi frowns. Why is she being told 'no' again? There must be a reason. It doesn't matter. She doesn't like being told no. She wheedles.]

C'mon Xanth...

[Riku nods in understanding. All right, Xanth, they're cool.]

Come on, Kairi. It's time to go to sleep.

[He lifts a hand, summoning a corridor of darkness before the three of them. Then he's going to be trying to disentangle himself from Kairi, though he'll still be hovering close just in case, and turns to Xanth.]

Through here.

[The portal gets a momentary stare from Xanth. He knew Riku could use some kind of weird, dark magic, but this... this is a little more alarming.

Then Xanth reminds himself that this Riku has nothing against him. And in any case, there is no reason for this blot of darkness to lead anywhere but somewhere Kairi would be safe.

Making sure Kairi was secure on his back, Xanth steels himself and steps into the corridor.]

[At the word "sleep," Kairi's eyes drift closed. She misses seeing Riku summon the corridor, but there's no mistaking that sensation, even half-asleep as she is.

As Xanth steps into the corridor, Kairi starts to squirm.]

No... don't...

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