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!

Lightning wanted to run across the sand and say goodbye to Riku. No, actually, that wasn't true. She wanted to run into his arms and stay there forever. That was where she felt safe. But she knew that if she went over there, she would have an even harder time leaving. She swallowed and looked back to her new family, walking over so that she was with them now. It was time to go now.

Zane fought the urge to laugh at Riku's face when Lightning finished coming over, and to tick the Keyblade loser off even more, Zane wrapped his arm around his new "sister's" shoulders. Believe it, freak, he thought toward the nineteen year old, who clearly looked angry. She's mine now, and there's nothing you can do about it. If she tried to escape, she would only get hurt. If she refused him, she would get hurt worse.

Lightning shut her eyes briefly, gritting her teeth at Zane. She had a hundred things she wanted to say to him, and all of them had at least one curse word involved. But she kept her mouth shut. She glared down at the ground, noticing that Zane's parents turned and started walking to the car that was waiting. This is where the suffering really begins. As if being away from Serah isn't torture enough.

Riku watched as Zane walked away with Lightning under his arm, and the young man's fists tightened. His warning toward Zane still stood, but he was clearly pushing it by touching her now. I'll kill him, he vowed, looking away and over to the side. One wrong move and he's dead. As for Serah... Riku closed his eyes at the thought of her. She had to be so...heartbroken. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling.

Serah was released by now, though she knew somebody would intercept her if she ran after her sister. She sank down to her knees in the sand, crying still. This wasn't right. Lightning must have known at least a few days. That would have explained why she was so upset about losing the case. Of course losing Serah was another big reason she was upset; Serah wasn't fooled into thinking Lightning didn't care about her. She would never believe that. But she cared for Lightning too! And so did Riku. As she thought of him, she looked over at him. Her eyes pleaded for him to do something, even if he couldn't.

Riku felt a gaze on him, and it was heavy with sorrow and full of pleas. Serah, he thought instantly, eyebrows furrowing over his closed eyes. He couldn't do anything, not a thing. Lightning...was gone. He opened his eyes and met Serah's gaze, almost hesitantly. The sorrow in her eyes brought out a soft side of him that not even his friends had ever seen, and he made his way over to her with calm footsteps. Kairi may have reached for him, but she was too late. It wasn't like Riku was going to do anything rash; he knew the consequences of those actions. The young man stopped next to Serah and knelt down next to her, instantly bringing her into his arms. He...wasn't sure what else to do.

Serah leaned her head against Riku's shoulder, trembling. But the tears had stilled; she was all out of them. She sniffled, savoring his warmth while she could. She knew why Lightning liked him now, though she figured it out before. He was actually a compassionate guy. And his arms felt like a safe place to be. Except for the fact that outside those arms, the world was falling apart. Lightning was gone, maybe forever. There was no telling with that family.

Edited July 15, 201213 yr by Peanut

Riku stared down at the sand as he held Serah, not sure what to say, or think. He wanted to believe everything was going to be okay, but he couldn't be sure. He had been so positive he could help fix things, but he failed. Riku wasn't going to give up, though. Lightning and Serah were the only family they had left; they had to stick together. He would do something. He had to.

Later that same day, Celes was just sitting on the couch of her house in silence. She was friends with Serah's new family and had heard all about what happened that morning when the sisters were separated. Except that she didn't understand why Serah reacted the way that she did to Lightning's new family. Yet she trusted Serah had her reasons. Celes was restless, dwelling on everything. Had she really done the right thing? Or was this all a terrible mistake?

Riku approached his parents house in silence, his jacket blocking some of the cool wind. He still couldn't believe that Lightning and Serah had actually been separated, and now...Lighting was on another island. He knocked on the door, and only a few seconds later did his father answer.

 

Locke saw the somber look on Riku's face, and he nodded to him slightly in greeting. "Son," he said softly. Like his wife, he was wondering what exactly the right choice here was. The youngest Farron had been so fearful for the eldest, something he didn't quite understand. Why had she been that way? Perhaps Riku knew... He stepped aside and let his only child into the house, shutting the door softly behind him.

 

"Where's Mom?" Riku asked, his hands resting in his pockets as he looked to his father. He had noticed the look on his father's face, and it wasn't a good one. What, was he just now having second thoughts about this entire thing? If that was the case, he was too late. Much too late.

 

Locke motioned to the next room. "The living room," he said. As his son moved to go to that room, the man grabbed Riku's arm. When he looked back to him in question, Locke only looked at the young man who stood an inch shorter than him. "Don't be too hard on her. She's a bit...confused."

 

Confused? Riku nodded despite his own confusion, his father releasing him and letting him join his mother in the living room. By her posture, she didn't seem well. Riku had no sympathy, however. If his parents were truly upset for what they did, they deserved it. He tried to tell them what was right and wrong, but they didn't listen. Just as they never had.

Celes heard voices from the other room, and she looked over when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye. "Riku," she said quietly. "Please, sit. ...I have some questions I'd like to ask." About Serah, and Lightning. Why had Serah panicked like she had that morning? She was normally so soft-spoken, yet from what she heard, Serah was completely different this morning. Could Riku explain why that was?

Riku did as he was asked, not surprised that his mother had questions. She should have, after today. After the last couple days, really. Everything had been hectic, after all. He sat down in a chair as his father took the seat next to his mother, sitting close on purpose, probably to comfort her. For a moment, Riku thought of Lightning, and he looked down at the floor at the thought. Stop it, he told himself. Thinking of her... It didn't do any good. But then again, she and Serah had been the only people on his mind for a while now. He couldn't really help it.

Celes gazed at Riku, knowing she would be the one to ask the questions. "I heard what happened this morning," she said quietly, though her voice sounded loud in the otherwise silent room. "Do you know why Serah reacted the way that she did to the separation today?" She had been so quiet for the rest of this, but today, she had snapped somehow.

Riku lifted his aquamarine eyes to his mother, staring at her for a moment before his eyes flicked to his father. The gaze on the man's face encouraged him to answer, and so he did. "Yeah," he answered quietly, his sight finding his mother again. He knew exactly why Serah had freaked. Once his parents knew, they would understand completely.

"Why?" Celes asked softly. And did Riku know before today that the separation was going to be such a big issue? Did he know that Serah was going to cry like she did? There were so many questions, but Celes chose which ones to ask carefully. If she was wrong in starting this whole thing, she didn't deserve all the answers.

Riku sighed softy, knowing that his parents were not going to be happy to hear this. But they at least needed to know the truth, no matter what trouble they caused. "The family Lightning was moved to, the Yedons," he started quietly, "their son, Zane..." He nearly spat the name as his eyebrows furrowed, his expression turning angry as his voice tightened. "He's a creep if there ever was one."

 

Locke found himself even more confused. "How do you mean, Riku?" How was Zane a "creep" of all things?

 

"Because he's hurt Lightning," Riku hissed, not meaning to. "More than once." He hit her, punched her, nearly kicked her in the stomach once. Riku had been there enough to see it all, and it was only that much more disturbing.

Edited July 15, 201213 yr by Forever Love

Celes leaned forward on her seat, eyes frantically searching Riku. "What do you mean, hurt her?" she asked, though she had a feeling that she knew what Riku meant. If this was simply emotional pains, Riku wouldn't have looked so bitter about it. He did care greatly for Lightning, or so Celes believed. But that still didn't explain everything. This was bad, wasn't it?

Riku's eyes found his mother, rising from the floor. He gave her a look, his eyes hard with the expression. What do you think? he silently asked her. All his mother had to do was think about it, and the answer would be there. He was thinking of it now, and it hurt to remember those moments. He had been there to help a few times, but not enough.

Celes put her face in her hands after a few seconds. "Oh no," she murmured into her hands. It was as she had feared. Lightning was going into an abusive house. And it was her fault... Here she had thought that things would be better for the two girls. Now she realized that she should have at least guaranteed good homes for both of them. She made a mess.

Locke put a hand around his wife's shoulders, looking at her for a moment. "Celes," he said softly. But he knew he really needed to focus on his son right now, and ask more questions. "Riku, were you ever there to protect her?"

 

"I was, but not enough," Riku admitted, his eyes locked on his father's. "The second day of trial, I witnessed it, but couldn't help in time." His fists tightened in his lap as he ground his teeth. "And I heard his...other intentions." Those nearly made him sick.

Celes looked up at her son, eyes desperate and pleading for this not to be the truth. But she knew that it was. Riku wouldn't lie just to make them feel guilty, even if he did disagree with them. "What did Lightning ever do to deserve this treatment from him?" What could she have done to infuriate him?

"She humiliated him," Riku revealed, glaring at the floor now. "Apparently he taunted her to a point of no return, and she snapped. They got into a fight at their school in Bodhum, and she ended up beating him. It was enough to get her transferred here, and suffer his personal consequences." He couldn't believe he was actually revealing all of this, since it wasn't his place. But...maybe his parents would do something now. At least, if they had hearts strong enough for it.

Celes didn't bother asking any more questions about Lightning. She didn't want to know more about how she sent the girl to an abusive family and how rough a past she had. The guilt was already terrible enough. But her next question would probably deepen her guilt. "Riku," she asked quietly, looking over at him as she put her hands in her lap. "...Do you care for her?" She had to know for certain.

Riku hadn't expected this question, and when he looked up at his mother and father, he was sure they recognized that. He gazed at them in silence, thinking of the times he had been with Lightning and cared for her--after the fight with Snow, and after the confrontation with Zane; how he paid for her hospital bill and took her home; held her hand and held her as she slept; how he was there for her when he didn't need to be. He had wanted to be all along, and that was what set her apart from any other girl he knew. "...Yes," Riku said with a small nod. Yes, he did.

Celes nodded softly, though Riku's added information made this more dramatic and heartbreaking. "I know it doesn't mean much," she said quietly. "But I'm sorry. I was wrong." She shouldn't have separated the two sisters. She should have believed her son when he said that they were living the best that they could now. But she was a mother, and she couldn't imagine children living without at least one parent. It broke her heart.