As some of you may know, Peanut and I are crazy about Roleplaying, and it's clear, since this is the second one on this site that belongs to us. And we aren't even done with the first one! Regardless, that won't stop us from starting this new roleplay, Rude Awakening!

 

Kinda dark and mysterious title, eh?

 

As stated in the title, this RP is one on one, no exceptions. Please refrain from posting in the RP. Instead, follow us on this new journey!

 

Peanut, my amazing friend, let's begin!

Light sighed, seeing there was no way to get through to him. She grabbed her clothes from the fitting room and followed along to where Riku was, putting hands on racks as she went along for stability. In his excitement, Riku forgot that she couldn't walk too well on her own.

Riku glanced back at Lightning, and when he saw what she was doing, he blinked. "Oh, uh..." he stuttered, stepping over and wrapping his arm around her again. "...Sorry." He got carried away by her beauty and getting the outfit. Riku gave Lightning an embarrassed and nervous smile, hoping she wouldn't give him too much of a hard time about this.

Lightning rolled her eyes at Riku's sheepish response, but she didn't wrap an arm around him. "I'm good for now," she assured him. Besides, he was still damp, so it wouldn't have been good for him to hold onto her while she was without the poncho. And it would be hard to shop for Serah this way too.

Riku lifted his hand to rest on Lightning's upper back, his fingertips roaming over her skin that was revealed by the toga. He nodded slightly and released her completely, waving his arm for her to lead in their quest for a dress for Serah. He wasn't sure that he would be shopping much; his eyes hardly ever left Lightning.

After handing her clothing over to Riku for him to hold, Lightning had an easier time sifting through the clothing. She found a dress that Serah would like: a simple lavender toga dress that went to the knee. As she and Riku approached the clerk to pay, she tried to stop him. "Are you sure that you want to....? I can," she offered faintly. Of course, she didn't have much money at all: she and Serah were practically broke. 

Riku smiled faintly and reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. "I got it," he stated softly, offering the money to the clerk. This felt kind of like deja vu. Back on the Islands, this same thing happened when the paparazzi were on his and Lightning's tails. At least this time they had the privacy.

Light at least had comfort in that the clerk gave Riku a discount because of Lightning being "more beautiful in that dress than any girl she ever saw." Lightning tugged at the neck of the burgundy poncho, looking down at it as Riku completed the payment. The dress wasn't that big of a deal...was it?

Riku nodded his thanks to the clerk and held the bag that contained Serah's dress in one hand, turning to Lightning then. "Ready?" he asked then, offering a hand for her to take. He wasn't losing her in the crowds, and he didn't want any other guys staring at her...even though they probably would. But it would be clear to them that Lightning was taken.

Lightning nodded, reaching out and grabbing Riku's hand. While they were inside, the clouds outside had begun to clear, but only slightly. But her thoughts were elsewhere: she managed to walk just by holding on to the racks, so maybe she could walk just by holding Riku's hand. That would have been fantastic. 

Riku started away from the check-out counter and toward the exit, going at his normal pace with Lightning's hand in his grasp. Could she walk like this? Or did she need to lean against him? Either way, he didn't really mind; he had contact with Lightning. Contact he missed while he lost himself in guilt and grief.

As soon as they were outside the shop, Lightning felt her legs start to give. "No," she said to her previous thoughts, one of her arms quickly weaving around Riku's back as she forced herself to stumble in his direction and not the other. She was better, but she wasn't quite ready for walking without that support. 

Riku stopped walking and released Lightning's hand, instead wrapping it around her shoulders. "You okay?" he asked softly. He had a good hold on her now, like all the other times before. She wasn't completely healed yet, which was fine; it would take time, and there was no rush. 

Light looked up, nodding to Riku in assurance. "Guess my legs are tired from all the shopping," she said with a weak smile. Of course, her legs always felt tired--weak. The rest of her body felt the same, which was why she slept more in the past few days than usual. But they had done a lot of walking that day, so it was natural both her legs and her body felt more tired and weak.

Riku ran his thumb over the skin of Lightning's shoulder and started out of the shop again, the two of them stepping back into the crowded street. "We won't be out too much longer," he assured her with a faint smile as well. He just wanted to see a few more shops, then they could head back.

Light shook her head faintly, a small smile also present on her face. "No rush," she said. They were having a good time out in this city, and it didn't look like the matches would happen today. The sky was still dark enough that it could downpour at any moment. There was no way the coliseum would risk their most epic match being ruined by a storm.

Riku's smile grew as he pulled Lightning closer. "In that case, more gifts for you," he said, confident. Lightning suffered a lot because of him, because he wasn't strong enough or kept his promises. He knew material possessions wouldn't do much, but it was a start.

Lightning groaned, though she didn't fight or argue with Riku bringing her closer to him. "Great," she sighed. "More shopping." Shopping wasn't really her thing: she hated spending money on things that weren't important. But then again, the world thought that clothing was pretty important, and even she had to agree that they were worth investing in every now and then. 

"Souvenirs," Riku corrected, his smile turning up on one side into a smirk. This was only the second world that Lightning had actually visited for fun, so Riku was going to help Lightning remember these times. They were good, and they were fun. Riku just hoped she enjoyed herself, especially with him.

"Still shopping," Lightning groaned. However, she was distracted from those thoughts when they passed by an outdoor cafe. There were customers there despite the rain, or rather, because of the rain, since there was an awning that covered the tables. There were a few men at one of the tables, and they were all staring at her as she walked by with Riku. What, can they tell we're not from here?

Riku's trained ears picked up on most conversations going on around them, and when he heard a few vulgar comments, he turned his head to follow Lightning's line of sight. The group of guys that were at the cafe gaped at Lightning, and Riku's grip tightened against her. They're looking at her like she's a piece of meat...

Light looked over at Riku when he held her a little too tightly. She hadn't picked up on everything like he had--in fact, she picked up on nothing, since she was oblivious to the idea of others finding her beautiful enough to gawk. "What?" she asked him. What was that look about, and why the squeeze?

Riku ground his teeth together, glaring at the group of guys before he focused forward. He snapped his fingers and seconds later a rough wind appeared at that particular table, knocking everyone in their chairs over. The guys screamed like girls and cursed in surprise, but all Riku did was smirk. "Just a nuisance," he said then, proud of himself. 

Lightning blinked, looking over her shoulder at the table that was in chaos. And by Riku's tone, she knew that he was the one responsible. "Why did you do that?" she asked, furrowing her eyebrows as she looked up at him. "Weren't they just noticing that we're not natives?" Maybe Lightning fit in more than Riku now, but he didn't have a good wardrobe for blending in.

"No," Riku snorted, glancing over his shoulder before he focused forward again. "They were drooling over you." Hounds, he thought bitterly. Lightning was dating him...right? He and Lightning never outright agreed to it, but...Riku never broke up with her either. What were they? Did he have the right to claim her?

Lightning looked back to the group, seeing a worker at the cafe bring out a pack of ice for one man's head. They didn't look like a rough crowd... "...Are you sure?" she dared to ask. "They don't look like..." She caught them staring before, but she hadn't seen the lust behind their gazes like Riku had.