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!

"Yeah," Riku said, smile fading. "It didn't take long." After she drank the cure, she relaxed a lot more. That was good, and he had a feeling she would sleep for the rest of the day and throughout the night. Lightning would be better rested in the morning. 

Serah nodded faintly, looking down at her hands. "Is the nightmare over, then?" she inquired quietly. This whole experience, that was what it was. It was nothing shy of her and Lightning's worst nightmare. Their father dying hurt both of them, but Lightning really was daddy's little girl. She aspired to be just like him until the day he returned as a villain. Even then though...Serah had a feeling Lightning didn't want to believe in his corruption. Serah was heartbroken for herself, yes, but Lightning had it worse than she did. But now that there was physical recovery, would their hearts heal too?

"Yeah, it's over," Riku confirmed lowly. He rose to his feet upon seeing Serah's expression, and he held his hand out to her. She hadn't eaten much today, since she was so worried about Lightning, and neither had he. They would go to the kitchen and get some food, a small snack before dinner. Lightning needed to rest in the meantime, so they would leave her be.

Serah looked up, seeing the hand that beckoned to her. A hand that invited her to think more brightly about the future. She reached out and grabbed it, rising to her feet. But she did more than that--She embraced Riku when she stood, both her arms weaving around his back. "Thank you," she said quietly.

Riku would have been uncomfortable with hugs in the past, but the past few years, he'd gotten used to it. Kairi was all about hugs, and so was Namine. He grew to actually like them, especially when Lightning was giving them. Serah, though, was a sweet girl, and someone he really cared about. So when she wrapped her arms around him, he did the same. "You're welcome," he told her softly. He did what he could, and he was glad it worked out in their favor.

Later That Night

 

Lightning rolled over in her bed, tiredly realizing that it was empty. She knew that she had been passed out for a while, and she assumed (correctly) that it was night. And if it was night, Serah should have been there with her. She peeked her eyes open tiredly, seeing that her initial assumption was correct. The room was only lit by one light in a distant corner, which she guessed was on far away so that it wouldn't disturb her. She doubted any light would have disturbed her though; she was knocked out for fourteen hours. 

Riku sat in a chair in the corner of the room, a book in his hands. He was going over the cure again, and its side effects. Lightning would be tired a lot, but that was just the cure taking its effect. She would get better in a few days, thank goodness. By the fourth day, she should have been able to walk again.

Lightning groggily sat herself up, rubbing at her eyes to make sure she was seeing things right. There was Riku, reading a book in the corner. Serah was elsewhere in the castle, reading a novel that would keep her mind occupied for a while. "Hey," she called tiredly to Riku as she began to sit up in bed. What was he doing?

Riku looked up from the book, his eyes finding Lightning's. "Hey..." he replied softly, closing the book. She was awake. It was late, but at least she rested for a while. Most of the day, really. "How're you feeling?" Riku could see that Lightning at least looked better. She could sit up on her own now.

"I'm...good," Lightning said, surprised herself at that truth. She was exhausted despite all the sleep that she just got, but she was alert other than that and in a lot less pain than earlier. Whatever pain she felt now was almost nothing compared to what earlier had been. She felt like she was forgetting something from earlier though--something important. She really hadn't been with it when she took the medicine, so naturally she didn't remember the events that clearly. 

Riku set the book aside on a table and leaned forward slightly, nodding. "Good," he said with a faint smile. He was relieved to hear that. Lightning even sounded better. The cure was actually working... He had a hard time believing it, but he did promise it would would make her better.

Serah. That's right, Serah had run out earlier in tears for some reason... "Is Serah okay?" Lightning asked, forcing herself to wake up for that important question. It was nighttime and her sister wasn't asleep in bed, and she was crying earlier. Lightning's state upset her--she knew it. She wished she could have prevented that, but she couldn't have. 

"Yeah, she's fine," Riku said quietly. He didn't want to speak too loud in case Lightning's head hurt as well. He made sure she ate a good meal and was in a better state of mind before he left her alone. Riku wouldn't have left her otherwise.

Lightning remembered something else then: a promise. "You kept your promise," she said quietly. Riku said that he would take care of Serah, and he did. Just knowing that Riku kept his word with something so important deeply touched her heart. 

Riku lowered his gaze at that, nodding slightly. Yeah, he guessed he did. It wasn't hard to do; Serah was important to him too. She was an innocent girl wrapped up in a troubled world. He would try to make her feel safe whenever he could.

Lightning sat herself up more, daring to slowly swing her legs off the side of the bed. Yeah, it still hurt, but again, it was nothing compared to earlier. "Riku..." she called quietly. He didn't get it: that was a very important promise, and he kept it. He fulfilled his word. That time, it was more than his actions that were genuine. He said what he meant and meant what he said. She was grateful and wanted to thank him.

Riku looked up at the call of his name, and he rose to his feet when Lightning swung her legs over the side of the bed. "No, don't get up," he said, approaching her side. "You're not ready to walk yet." He knew she wasn't, because the book said so. Lightning needed to stay off her feet for a while.

Lightning nodded slightly, looking down at her legs. "I don't understand though," she said quietly. "Why would a potion help? It was all in my head..." That was what she still believed, even after all the pain. She thought that the pain increasing was a sign that her father deeply disturbed her to the point where she couldn't overcome the lie of pain. She thought that maybe he screwed her up permanently...

Riku shook his head, taking a seat beside Lightning. "No, it was physical," he said, voice low in the otherwise quiet room. "I found a book in the library. It explained the bullets that your father used. They had Dark magic in them, Light, a curse. Without the cure, you would've never been able to walk again...and the psychological effects... They would have driven you mad." Riku didn't like to think about it, but it was reality. They had to confront it head on.

Light's eyes widened slightly as she stared down at her lap. She should have been terrified that the bullets had the power to shatter her psyche, but more than anything... "...I'm relieved," she said quietly. "So it wasn't a lie that I just couldn't overcome. He didn't...screw me up completely." She could be okay now.

Riku shook his head. "He didn't," he agreed softly. Lightning was going to be okay. She would be different because of all of this, but Riku had faith that she would be herself again. "But...you were never screwed up, Light. Just hurt." Cedric hurt her more than anything, emotionally and physically. Lightning was never going to be screwed up. She didn't fit that description.

Flashbacks of the day with Cedric came back to Lightning's mind, reminding her of the terror that she felt then. And Riku said she wasn't screwed up? "...I think you might be wrong, Riku," she said quietly. "What happened with him...It was worse than just being hurt." He should have seen her and how she idolized him. He was exactly who she wanted to be for most of her life and he came back and tried to kill her and turn her to Darkness. He did mess her up.

"But you'll recover," Riku said, turning his head to look at Lightning. It was great to see her talking and forming complete sentences, unlike before. "I know you're strong enough to bounce back from this, and so does your sister." Serah believed in Lightning more than anyone, more than Riku even. She was a good sister.

"Yeah," Lightning nodded. She looked over at Riku, meeting his eyes. "I will." I will recover. Now she had a very real way of moving forward. Before, she told Riku that she wasn't going to let the Darkness take her, but even so, it began to get to her. Her own thoughts of doubt and hurt and negativity brought her down. But now she had a glimpse of the dawn, and she was walking towards it.

Riku smiled faintly at the confidence in Lightning's tone, and he lifted his hand to sit on her head. He stroked her hair in the silence that followed, his aquamarine eyes following his hand. She was going to be alright, especially when she had friends and family to support her. Riku never felt so relieved; he had feared before that Lightning wouldn't walk again. But the cure was proving him wrong.