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!

Celes knelt down, keeping her spot in front of Lightning in the hallway. She gazed at the girl before her, someone beautiful inside and out, and someone who was fighting tears. Celes knew they were for Riku's sake. "Lightning," she began softly. "I know my son, and I know how much he means to you. But...I don't think you realize how much you matter to him." Celes never saw Riku the way he was now, and Celes had an idea why: Lightning.

"You're wrong." Lightning looked away, frowning and glaring at the floor. "He won't look at me. Whenever he does, he's disgusted." And I'm 90% sure that he broke up with me, she silently added. Riku may have cared for her before, but he certainly didn't now. Celes was wasting her time with Lightning. 

Celes blinked. "Oh, sweetheart, no," she said, placing her hands on Lightning's knees lightly. "Lightning, he is not disgusted by you. That would never be an option." Even if Celes wasn't around a lot, she could tell from the past when Lightning stayed with Riku, and even now, that there was so much more there than before. Whatever the two went through lately, it strengthened their bond.

"I'm not debating this," Lightning said. She set her hands on the wheels and pulled the chair backwards, out from underneath Celes's hands. For one thing, their placement was dangerously close to areas that were still in pain. Like Riku said, she was lying to herself by saying there was pain, but she couldn't dispel the lie no matter how hard she tried. No wonder he was disgusted by her.

Celes felt her heart drop when Lightning retreated. There were so many things she wanted to say for her son, because right now, he couldn't say them. He was in a dark place, and as much as that scared Celes, she knew her son found the light with the girl in front of her. He's falling in love with you, the mother wanted to say. But she felt Lightning wouldn't want to hear that.

Serah stood in the doorway of Riku's bedroom, watching two different scenarios. Riku was being comforted by Sora and Kairi, and Lightning was leaving Celes stranded. Somehow, Serah knew that chasing after Lightning was a bad idea. Riku and Lightning...both of them were in really bad shape. 

Celes rose to her feet, watching Lightning wheel herself away. Maybe she needed to be alone for right now... Whenever Riku was ready, he would find her. That Celes was sure of. She approached the bedroom again, and seeing Serah in the doorway, she placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. I tried, she thought to the young girl, squeezing her shoulder before stepping into the room to be with her husband and son.

Sora stood by Riku, watching Kairi finally pull back from her embrace. He was taking a gamble here, but bringing his family was one helpful gamble, so he hoped that this one would be too. "This revolves around her, doesn't it?" he checked quietly with his best friend. "You should talk to her..." He turned, looking to where Lightning had been. To his surprise, she was gone. Where'd she go? 

Riku's tears were gone now, since Kairi wiped them away for him. This was humiliating. He was always the strong one between the three of them, the oldest, the wisest. But now...he felt like the weakest, the youngest, and the most clueless. But with Sora's words, all Riku could do was stare at the door. Of course this revolved around Lightning. Everything did. She was his world now, it seemed, and that scared Riku quite a bit. No girl had ever impacted him this way before.

"She left," Serah filled in for a confused Sora, her voice quiet. "I don't know why." She could tell that she was upset, but telling Riku that probably wouldn't help him anyway. She heard Sora's words and saw how Riku reacted to them. Lightning really was important to him.

Kairi looked up at Riku when Serah spoke, and he expressed even more sadness at the words. She squeezed his arm, attracting his attention. "...Talk to her," she encouraged, much like Sora did. "Riku...you're the only one who can." Lightning was sad too, and while that wouldn't help the situation much, Riku had to do this. He could do this. He just had to believe it.

 

Riku looked from Kairi to Sora, and then to his parents. His mother tried to talk to Lightning, but it hadn't worked, and his mother was a very logical person, easy to talk to. Would he really be able to help? Celes nodded to Riku, and his father smiled weakly. His family was encouraging him to do this, but what about Lightning's family? What about Serah?

Serah nodded slightly when Riku looked to her. "You're the only one who can," she echoed. Lightning hid a lot of things from Serah. Even now, Serah knew her sister was hiding something about what got her into her current state. Riku was the only person she might be completely honest with.

Riku glanced down at the ground, taking in a breath. So that was his answer. Lightning's recovery was in his hands, just as her downfall was. But maybe if he did this...he would get better too. He had to tell her the truth, about watching the video. Once she knew that, maybe she wouldn't be as angry with him; he couldn't watch it the first time. But...now that he did, what then? Riku silently stepped away from his friends and family, leaving the room and pursuing the girl who needed him...the girl he needed.

Lightning didn't know where she was going when she left Celes in the hallway. If it was her choice, she would have gone outside to escape the walls that kept her in, but there weren't clear enough paths outside for the wheelchair. She retreated to a library where she was the only one there, the girl fitting herself in among some of the shelves. She was hiding, she would admit it to herself. She was hiding and lying to herself, but the lies didn't cover everything. In her lap, she held her Keyblade. The sparks were no longer white and blue: they were a dark purple. She realized a few days ago that her Keyblade reflected the state of her heart, and now it was reflecting her Darkness. No matter how hard she tried to seek the Light, her Keyblade reflected the Darkness of her heart. 

Riku's Dark abilities came in handy once more, since he sniffed Lightning out by her Smell. He followed the scent of roses, and as the scent grew stronger, his heart rate grew faster. What was he going to say? What was he going to do? Riku walked quietly through the library, glancing down the rows of books until he heard a faint sound--the sound of sparks. He stopped when he reached the far side of the library, turning his head and looking down one of the rows to see her. Lightning was in the corner, holding her Keyblade--one that reflected the state of a darker heart. "...Lightning," Riku called softly. He needed to talk to her.

Lightning looked up, feeling like a child who was caught doing something they weren't supposed to do. Her Keyblade immediately disappeared, her startled eyes on Riku. He looked...slightly better than he had before. It looked like a cry had done him some good. No, it was his family and friends that did him good. And she didn't do anything at all to help because she couldn't.

Riku wasn't sure what to think of Lightning sending her Keyblade away, but one thought did cross his mind: she didn't want him seeing the state of her heart. The Keyblade gave it a physical representation, and she hid it from him just now. That was...sad. "Can I...talk to you?" Riku asked, glancing nervously to the side before his eyes found her again. Riku was the only person who could reach her, and he wanted to. The talk could do them some good, or so he hoped.

Lightning curled her hands slightly in her lap. Riku only briefly glanced at her before he had to look away. She did disgust him, after all. "You don't have to," she said quietly. If he was sent after her by Serah or Celes or anybody else, he didn't have to talk to her. 

"Yes I do," Riku said, keeping his eyes on Lightning. "I...I want to, if that's okay." He was cautious around her now, because he didn't want to hurt her. He'd done enough of that lately to last them a lifetime. But who was to even say they had that long? If they had a future together, this could be a conversation that could turn the tables.

Lightning looked up and met Riku's eyes. There he was again. There were so many occasions in the past where he would say things like "we have to talk" and not give her the option. He saw how well that went with her--She hated being ordered around so she wouldn't do it. But if he asked her, she always said yes because she always wanted to give him a chance. She nodded slightly, giving him the permission he sought, just like she always did. 

Riku caught the nod and started forward slowly, swallowing as he gathered the courage to do what he had to. He couldn't remember a time when another girl made him this nervous, this worried, but he also couldn't recall a time when he was as happy with anyone else as he was with Lightning...before all the misfortune. He stopped next to Lightning and sat down, leaning his back against the bookshelf as he gazed at her. "...You're not okay, are you?" Riku asked lowly. She wasn't alright because of him.

Lightning looked at the books on the shelf, shaking her head. But she wasn't doing that to respond to Riku's questions. "My state isn't important right now," she said quietly. Yours is. He just broke down in front of everyone--how could he be asking about her? Better yet, why did he even care? She thought he didn't care anymore.

"It is to me," Riku replied softly, voice low in the otherwise silent library. Lightning's state was always important to Riku. It always had been, ever since he could remember. It was just bullies back then, but now...it was something much darker. Her Keyblade proved as much.

Edited March 12, 201411 yr by Forever Love

"I told you I'm not letting the Darkness take me," Lightning said, though she refused to look at Riku when she said it. "Don't worry about me." She wanted to talk about him and where he was at, but she had no clue where to start. What was there even to say? 

"I always worry about you," Riku said, lowering his gaze to his knees then. What was the point of looking at Lightning if she wouldn't even look back? He cared what she thought, and how she was feeling. She was very important to him, so important that Riku sometimes wondered if caring for someone that much was even possible.