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!

Riku ground his teeth together and gripped his head with hands. "Ugh, shut up!" he roared. "Stop saying that!" He couldn't take it. Riku didn't want to hear Lightning call her self weak anymore. If she was weak, what was he? Lightning was strong, she just couldn't see it. 

Lightning's eyes softened in hurt. She didn't realize that Riku was upset because she was calling herself weak. She thought that he was upset that she brought up the fact that he was now a wanted criminal on the Islands. "...Look," she said quietly after a moment. "I'll...clear your name, somehow." He didn't have to be associated with her; he didn't have to suffer for her actions. "You can have your home again." She couldn't, but he could.

Riku rolled his eyes, shaking his head as his arms fell back to his sides. "You don't know me at all," he grumbled, peering at the ground through moist eyes. Riku didn't care about anything relating to being a criminal; he assaulted the officers on his own. In fact, going to jail was the farthest thing from his mind.

"...Maybe I don't," Lightning agreed quietly. "The Riku I know wouldn't lash out at the people he loves like this." Maybe he wasn't lashing out, but he was ignoring everyone and sulking around the castle. He was treating his friends like garbage for some reason and that was unlike him. He cherished his friends more than anything else. 

Riku felt his heart leap at the word "loves." It implied so many things when it came to Lightning, but he decided to focus on something else. "...You said yourself that I'm not the same, remember?" he told Lightning, his glare finding her. "I'm just proving your point." He wasn't like this all the time, not until recently, but Lightning said he changed. He was living proof of that claim.

"I want you to prove me wrong," Lightning said, meeting the glare without fear or reservations. "C'mon Riku, I know you're better than this." And when she looked into his eyes, she hoped he was looking into hers. She was revealing something to him through her eyes: the truth behind her words. Riku may have changed, but he was still Riku.

Riku gazed at Lightning, but only for a moment. It was hard to keep eye contact. How could he when he was the reason she was put in the wheelchair? He was the reason she got hurt; he never would have let her go with Cedric before, so why that time? How didn't he see through Cedric's lie? How didn't Riku sense something? Riku lowered his gaze to the floor, hands balling into fists. He didn't like this. He didn't like feeling like this or being like this. Yelling at Lightning, shutting out his friends, feeling miserable. But he couldn't just shut it off.

Lightning rolled up to Riku, reaching out and grasping one of his hands as she gently pulled it towards herself. "I know you're better than this," she repeated quietly. "Will you trust those words?" They had some issues with trust lately--mainly on Riku's side. He made promises that he either couldn't or wouldn't keep. Lightning was asking him to trust her now though, and to trust that she still had faith in him despite his shortcomings. 

Riku took in a silent breath at Lightning's touch. He'd gone without it for the last twenty-four hours. Willingly, of course, but...it still sent his heart reeling, even if it was a simple holding of his hand. He distanced himself on purpose so he wouldn't disappoint her. Regardless of those thoughts, he nodded anyway. 

Lightning looked to the hand she held after witnessing Riku's slight nod. Thankfully, he didn't pull away from her. She kept a grip on her his hand, letting the words overflow. "I may not know exactly why you're upset," she said quietly. "I have a feeling but..." She shook her head, letting it go. She wasn't going to make an assumption. "But trust me when I say that we're all here for you. And you won't be able to shake me off that easily."

Riku closed his eyes, a single tear trailing down his cheek. Lightning... He didn't want her hanging on to him. All he did was get her into trouble and make empty promises. She said herself that she didn't trust him, and she didn't know who he was anymore. Maybe it was better that it stayed that way.

Light lifted her gaze to Riku's face, blinking at the tear that he shed. Since she didn't know for sure what was wrong, she didn't know how to comfort him. And then she was reminded of how he wouldn't look at her, how he avoided her, how he thought she was weak. She hesitantly pulled back her hand, speaking down to her lap. "...Unless, you don't want me around anymore," she said quietly.

Riku lifted his arm and wiped the wetness from his lashes. "It's not you," he mumbled, glancing at Lightning briefly. At her posture, he felt his heart break. "...It's me. That's not an empty promise." It was the truth. She hadn't done anything wrong; he had. He did everything wrong. Riku turned, walking away from the situation and the girl he cared for. He couldn't face her when he was like this.

Lightning's heart dropped into her stomach. "Is that...a break-up?" she called softly after Riku. That was what people told each other when they called off relationships. Not that she knew much about relationships in the first place, with this being her first. 

Riku stopped, his back to Lightning as he blinked in shock. They...were still together? It didn't even feel like it anymore. "I just...need to be alone," he said. He wasn't breaking up with her. That hadn't been a thought. He just needed some time to himself for the day, maybe two.

So that's a yes, Lightning thought. That was how she understood it. Riku needed to be alone--away from her. Because of him or because of her, she didn't know. But she wasn't going to ask him now. She set her hands on her wheels, prepared to go, but go where? Where could she escape her own heart?

"...Sorry," Riku said over his shoulder, then starting forward. He continued down the long hallway without looking back, deciding it would be best if he went outside. He needed to be away from people for a while, that way he could understand what was happening within him. He wasn't okay, but it was his own fault.

Edited March 5, 201411 yr by Forever Love

Lightning sat there until Riku was out of view. All that she could think to do was to turn around and go the opposite direction. She was okay...before that conversation. Now she didn't know where she stood at all. All she knew was that things weren't so okay now, and she couldn't help the person she cared about. 

The next day

 

Namine walked through the halls of the castle alone, blue eyes darting around as she searched for her friend. The last couple days she had been with Kairi and Sora, and sometimes Lightning. Riku was nowhere to be found and Roxas avoided Namine to train instead. But why? There was no reason to fight anymore... She passed the training room after finally locating the right hallway, seeing that the red light was on and continuing on to reach the viewing room. Upon entering, she saw Roxas swinging away at simulations of Heartless and Nobodies. Witnessing him fight... It brought back unwanted memories of Seifer. That had been an ugly night.

Roxas swung at the last Neoshadow, wiping the sweat off his brow with his arm when the exercise came to an end. He had been at this for hours--no, days was more accurate. He hardly stopped training since arriving. He had been too weak to protect somebody important to him. He didn't care if there was no need to fight anymore; he would never forgive himself if he was too weak to fight whether the fight was foreseen or a surprise. 

Namine walked forward, approaching the small speaker set in the room. She pushed a button, but hesitated. Was he finished? She didn't want to interrupt. "...Roxas?" she called gently. He looked exhausted, and she wasn't sure whether that was because of training or the art room he set up for her last night. He didn't have to do that...

Roxas blinked, automatically turning his head towards the observation room. "Namine?" he checked quietly, ruffling his hair as he sent his Keyblade away. Was that Namine's voice he just heard over the speaker? She was on his mind a lot lately, so naturally he would think the voice was hers before anyone else's. 

Namine couldn't help but smile faintly at Roxas's reaction. "Yes, it's me," she said, seeing that his eyes weren't focusing on any particular spot on the one-way mirror. "Can I...talk to you for a minute?" She had some things she wanted to say, and do.

"Yeah," Roxas automatically nodded. I hope I don't look too gross. Where did that thought even come from though? He and Namine weren't dating or anything; though he had to admit that he liked her. She was genuine and caring and just...she was Namine. He started towards the door, snapping out of his thoughts to focus on the current matter. What did she want to talk about? 

Namine moved to a separate door when Roxas made to leave the training room. She met him out in the hall just before he arrived, the girl dressed in shorts and a t-shirt that one of the servants was kind enough to find for her. She saw the sweat that dampened Roxas's forehead and caused some of his spikes to stick to his skin, but he was just as attractive as always. Namine surprised herself with the thought, but she didn't ponder it too long. Now wasn't the time.