walk the fine line [open]

[Hope Estheim]

wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen i

i need more affection than you know[/size][/right][/color]

This was defiantly not Pulse and just as assuredly not Cocoon. Well, no. It could be he supposed, but it didn't feel like either and Hope was pretty good at putting two and two together. There was a lukewarm feeling in the air, like warmth going cold or perhaps cold warming up. He wasn't sure but either way it made him just as confused about whether or not he was comfortable being here. Of course, not knowing where here was put a damper on being at ease with it. And worse yet, he didn't know how he came to be here. The boy was laying on his stomach, arms bent in front of him, legs sprawled behind. His head was up, stormy eyes raking quickly, than slower over the surroundings in front of him. Cliffs. Dark blue cliffs that met purple ground on every side he could see. Hope Estheim swallowed and pushed himself up onto his knees. He was in a giant pit, with walls he couldn't climb. If behind him was the same . . .

He took a breath and forced himself to look. For a moment, fear flooded through him. At first glance, it certainly looked the same. It looked like he'd been caged in but after forcing himself to look again, Hope saw were the maw turned, offering at least a little bit of anticipation that he could get out. He shifted to his feet, rubbing the side of his face he'd slept on. There were soft indents where the rough terrain had pushed into his skin. Irritated, Hope began to walk, his boots making it an easy trek. It felt like he'd walked forever, the canyon making it seem like he was getting no where, the path he followed narrow and not at all direct. And then, there was the damn wind that blew against his back and made his footsteps muffled and his imagination run away on him until he was physically running like he intended to leave that part of his mind behind, running against the wind now, than beside it, not seeing where he was going, missing the first indication, the second, than -

Then he was skidding to a halt in what had to be part of a town. The rocks and dirt were gone and he was standing on cobblestones, his breathing a bit irregular from the sprint. Hope itched his cheek, noticing there was more than one way to go. He did not put much thought into it, knowing he would over think it and there was still the prickling of his imagination in the back of his head he had to evade. So he took the high road, following the curved path past the construction and the materials used for building. Hope was pleased with his choice. A large castle stood erect on his left and on his right was a view of the town he'd found himself in. He moved slowly across the Postern, setting his hands on the edge and closing his eyes. His body relaxed while his mind picked up speed. Where were the others? The rest of Nora? Or even that bastard Snow? His eyes opened, roaming over the houses in the distance. "Maybe down there?" He mumbled, not realizing he'd said it aloud. But his body was reluctant to move, and so he didn't, watching the sky turn colors as the sun began to settle onto the horizon.

[Kairi]

Kairi was just visiting her hometown. She was able to convince Sora and Riku to let her use the gumi ship and travel there. She also promised to stay away from the darkness and out of trouble and if anything was to happen she should find Leon and the others immediately. Kairi knew that her friends worry a lot about her but it was only because who she was a princes of hearts and the dark side did try and use her more than once.

However, this time Kairi wasn’t searching for an adventure and hoped for a peaceful day. She walked down the streets to the old castle. That place used to be her home. It changes so much as now it was a home for the Heartless and Nobodies… a place of darkness. Kairi sighed lowering her head. The one place she hoped to save was this castle but now that seemed impossible.

Kairi then heard a voice and immediately hid herself. She didn’t think that anyone would ever come down there. It was a boy and he didn’t seem to be from this world. "Um hello…" she said coming out from where she was hidding. He didn’t seem to be aligned with darkness but Kairi knew she had to be careful when trusting new people just in case.

[nami]

The sunlight pouring in through the windows of the library touched her face, warmed her hair, dried the trails on her face left behind by the tears she didn't have the right to shed--but they weren't out of emotion. No emotion had touched her since she'd told Sora good night, and even then that shouldn't have been an honest feeling. The broken sobbing and screaming had simply come from the pain of being ripped away from her Other by force, being stripped of her heart and emotions yet again and cast out as a puzzle piece that didn't fit in...an unnecessary piece.

Shaking, she got to her feet, tried to get herself in some sort of order. There was no rhyme or reason to her return, unless it was because she didn't even fit with Kairi. In a way, that would make sense--she was Kairi's forbidden Nobody, resulting not from the loss of Kairi's heart but its ejection from Sora's chest. She was the product of both of them, it was no surprise that Kairi--complete, with both heart and body--had rejected her.

But that meant picking up the pieces. Finding the broken crayons, the yellowed sketchpad, and eking out a place for herself in the flow of things.

She hesitated, getting her bearings. Hollow Bastion...no, Radiant Garden. Where Kairi had lived, and where Naminé had been born in the first place. This didn't feel like her place, though...this wasn't where she belonged. Maybe there wasn't one. Either way, she wandered through the castle, sandals tapping hollowly against the floor and echoing throughout the empty halls, until she got to the neglected side door out. It didn't look like it would give to her hands, but it did, and as she headed out and caught sight of a stranger leaning against the edge of the Postern she shrank back onto the dip in the walkway, peering over the edge of the upper level at him. He didn't look familiar, and she hesitated to approach, feeling oddly like a ghostly princess freed from an empty prison.

[Hope Estheim]

wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen i

i need more affection than you know[/size][/right][/color]

The sudden company caused his spine to jerk upright. A girl had snuck up on him and Hope couldn't quite decide if he was more happy or upset that he now had company. He supposed it was a good thing: maybe she could help him find Oerba and the others and maybe she could tell him where he was. Or maybe she needed help to, and he could prove to Lightning through this girl that he was not a burden. Of course, all these thoughts ran through his head in the short pause that came after the voice. He hadn't even turned around to find the speaker yet. Suddenly nervous, he swallowed but forced himself to shift slightly, angled toward her. Hope blinked when his eyes found her pleasantly shocked that she didn't look much older than him.

It had been what felt like ages since he'd talked to someone his own age. Before Nora, before being cursed, before his mother's death, before that stupid Villiers, before the Purge. When everything was still normal and he could play with friends in Cocoon and go home to his mother's smile. It took a moment for Hope to realize his eyes had gone slightly out of focus and stared at the redheaded girl's feet rather than her face. His lips parted as he inhaled quickly, ears growing hot from embarrassment. He did his best to collect himself quickly in front of her. As if it wasn't bad enough he was making a fool of himself in front of someone he could maybe relate to, he was making a fool of himself in front of a girl. His ears grew hotter.

"Ah, hello," he returned as unsure as her greeting had been. Hope lifted a hand to his face, itching his cheek nervously. Now that the 'hello's' were out of the way, Hope realized there wasn't really anything else to say. He knew, however, that if he wanted to ask her about his travling companions, he'd have to keep up the conversation. But absolutely nothing came to him and he found himself scrambling for something, anything, to hold her here. Due to his desperation, the words fell out rushed and a bit hard to understand. "How're you?" Hope blinked, realizing he'd spoken out loud and worse yet, it sounded completely stupid. His mind stumbled again, trying to fix his blunder. "Er, I mean. Who, um, are you . . . " His voice faded as he spoke the words, knowing they too were wrong as they came out. The blush spread over his ears to tint his cheeks. He should have just left it alone. Now she might take him as stupid and rude and not talk to him at all. But the information was necessary enough, right? Maybe it would be okay? Maybe? Yeah? His insecurity told him it wouldn't be.

[Kairi]

Kairi smiled at the boy once her turned around but for some reason he was looking down at her feet. was something wrong? Kairi thought as she glanced around then she too looked down. Nope everything was fine and she was wearing her usual pink dress and white boots.

"..." Kairi paused as she thought of what she might say`there was an awkward silence between them. What should she say now? Kairi opened her mouth but just then he asked her how she was ... "um..." They just met still Kairi just smiled but just before she could answer he asked something else. This time it was who are you?

Kairi chuckled slightly as she as she tucked her hair behind her ear and looked at him. The thought of him being stupid or rude didn't really cross her mind. Kairi just thought that maybe he wasn't used to talking to people his age or that like her he was careful when it came to trusting new people and needed information.

Maybe this was a good thing making a new friend, maybe someone who she could talk to. Kairi did love Sora and Riku they were her best friends but they were always trying to protect her and rarely listened to what she would say. It was hard to convince those two to take her on an adventure with them and Sora joked sometimes about how she would get in their way.

"I am Kairi..." She paused right there thinking it was too soon to tell him that she was a princes of hearts. Kairi still didn't know what side he was on. So now she remained silent and waited for him to introduce himself.

[nami]

The stranger started to turn and Naminé shrank back behind the dip she'd chosen as her cover, letting out a silent breath. There were precious few people in her life that hadn't used her, that had treated her as an equal instead of a toy or tool--and while it wasn't fear that made her hesitant to approach anyone, reticence was an ingrained defense mechanism.

She felt something twist inside when she heard a very familiar voice--her own voice, except it would never be hers. Kairi.

"I am Kairi..." came the confirmation only a moment later, and Naminé realized her Other must have approached the boy. Nonetheless, Naminé was careful as she headed up the incline, putting a hand out to steady herself and stopping before her sandals came into view. "Kairi?" she called, her voice just slightly uncertain, and she brought her sketchbook up to her chest like a shield, completely prepared to run back into the castle if something threatened her but equally prepared to leap to Kairi's defense if this boy were someone malicious. He didn't seem to be, though--his voice was young and he hesitated when he talked--but Naminé knew that Nobodies pretended and Somebodies could pretend too, if they were good at it. "What are you doing here?" she asked simply, her eyes sliding back to Kairi. Little point to mentioning the islands--if not the boy, someone listening in might want to know where these islands were, and Destiny Islands at least had to be a sanctuary away from the conflict between darkness and light.

For Sora's sake, if no one else's.

[Hope Estheim]

wonk uoy naht noitceffa erom deen i

i need more affection than you know[/size][/right][/color]

ooc: sorry for the wait D:


It took a second for Hope to realize that she wasn’t laughing at him, per say. The redness in his cheeks lessened slightly and he felt himself smiling a little. Her happiness was a bit contagious. Not that he minded: embarrassment was a horrible thing to feel. His smile widened a little further when she introduced herself. This was okay. She seemed friendly enough. Unlike Kairi and the blonde he wasn't aware of yet, Hope was used to knowing who was good and who was bad. He trusted his instincts, instincts that told him the redhead wasn't a threat at all. She was just somebody like him (in more ways than he knew), maybe even caught up in some mess she couldn't pass off as a true story to strangers. Oh. That would be very comforting to know. Cursed as an I'cie. Not many people in Cocoon would ever believe him. But he could summon Shiva and he did bare that stupid mark.

He hoped that she had a story too. He would believe her, no matter how strange. "My name is Hope," he responded, a note of joyful ease in his voice. She hadn't made fun of him, she'd answered, and for that he was willing to give his own name as well. The silver-blonde boy studied her for a moment, linking her name to her face. After a moment, he realized he should have said something else. The conversation would die away if nothing else was said. However, the panic didn't have time to set in.

From behind Kairi, another voice rang out, another girl, another insecurity. His eyes flickered instantly away from Kairi in surprise, finding the blonde that had, not to his knowledge, been watching, listening. Her inquiry pushed him into the background, and he lifted a hand to rub the side of his neck. The two had very similar faces, making Hope wonder if they were related. Not that he was good at that sort of thing. But they, at the very least, knew each other, if not very well, from the way the new girl questioned her. He felt slightly left out. He didn't know either of them; he didn't know where he was. This sucks, he thought sullenly. Hope didn't know anything about anything right now. His fingers brushed the cord that held his mother's pendant around his neck and he felt a little better. It was okay. Now, maybe, he could make two friends his own age. Right? Yeah. He could, maybe. But he remained silent, feeling certain that he should let them finish their familiar question and answer.

[Kairi]

Kairi returned the smile at Hope. "Its nice to meet you Hope" She replied once he introduced himself. She did calm down once she saw his smile broaden. Now Kairi didn’t see Hope as a threat no but maybe a friend if she got to know him.

She was about to say to say something to keep the conversation going when a moving from behind startled her and she turned to see her nobody. "Namine…" Kairi wasn’t aware that her nobody had separated from her again. She just stared at her for several seconds.

This was the last place she expected to meet Namine and was now lost in thought about how this happened and why when Kairi thought that she merged with her nobody again. Did this have anything to do with the darkness or was it that those two had different lives to live.

She shook her head slightly once she heard her question "I am here to visit my old home…" She answered. Kairi didn’t see the harm in coming back here it was always a good place for her to get away from all her troubles and just remember her past. "What about you?" She asked as she took a step closer to Namine. Kairi was surprised to see her standing there but smiled all the same at her.

Kairi then realized that Hope was still there. This was an odd moment but she turned back smile at him. "Hope this is um… my friend Namine" She thought that for now it was best to say that she and Namine were friends.

[nami]

"Naminé…"

Kairi's voice sounded oceans away, and Naminé felt the separation more than ever before. At least her memories hadn't been wiped, though, and while her recollections of Castle Oblivion and the year thereafter were at the forefront, all the memories that really belonged to Kairi were a distant echo that she could bring into focus with effort.

But she also knew that she didn't fit...and while that should have saddened her, it didn't. But she associated it with the same emotion she recognized from Kairi almost losing Sora, from Kairi wilting in the castle dungeon in the World That Never Was; sorrow.

"I am here to visit my old home…What about you?"

Naminé's lips moved, but no words came out. She was too overwhelmed by this dramatic change. I don't know.

But when Kairi introduced her to Hope she forced a smile, relaxing a little. "It's nice to meet you, Hope. I'm sorry for bursting in out of nowhere..." she said carefully, only slightly inclined to duck behind her Somebody for protection. "Kairi and I are close, but I didn't mean to be rude," she added, taking the cue from Kairi. It would be easier if they just treated it like they were separate people, especially since it didn't feel like Naminé would be able to merge again.

Nobody coming from nowhere? Was that it? Maybe that made sense...

That said, she didn't like the fact that Kairi was away from the islands--but if Naminé didn't think Kairi could take care of herself, she never would have asked Axel to go through with the kidnapping. Besides, Radiant Garden had Leon and the rest of the Restoration Committee close by.

"Do you remember anything important from here?" she asked Kairi. She didn't necessarily want to leave Hope out of the conversation and hoped he joined in to a degree, but she was curious, as Kairi and memories were both things that involved her pretty intimately.