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 nodded to recognize what Kairi said, though she already figured out that Ashe was Riku's ex. Clearly he didn't want to talk about it though. "Do you still need this?" she asked Riku, holding the menu towards him. She had chosen what she wanted while the conversation was going on. Or so she wanted them to think. She didn't want them to know that she was a jealous mess on the inside the entire time.

"Yeah," Riku said, taking the menu gently. "Thanks." He busied himself with trying to figure out what he was going to eat, but after a moment of what felt like an awkward silence, he spoke. "Kairi, make sure Sora doesn't order everything on the menu. We all need to eat tonight."

 

Kairi saw that Riku was trying to lighten the mood, and she agreed with the direction he was going on. She put a hand on Sora's knee, squeezing it. "We're on a budget," she reminded her husband, while also informing her friends. "I'm sure he'll go easy tonight."

"Unless Riku decides to be a good friend and shares his infinite wallet with us," Sora said with a smirk, noticing Lightning glancing at the menu while sitting close enough to see it. Riku had already planned on treating Lightning, so why not treat his best friends too? Riku had more money than them, since he didn't have to pay for a wedding and college.

"You would like that, wouldn't you?" Riku asked, glancing up at his two best friends. He saw Kairi smile shyly for Sora's sake, but the smirk on Sora's face said it all. He shook his head, leaning back in his seat and putting his arm behind Lightning on the booth. "In case you haven't noticed, this was a planned dinner for two." But he loved his friends, and he hadn't seen them much lately. Maybe he would treat them to dinner for once.

"Ah," Sora said with the same smirk. "But we'll offer you our wisdom if you pay for us. We thought of how to get the press to back off you guys." Lightning was fully alert at that comment, but at that moment, the waiter came to take their orders. Telling them the plan would have to wait a minute or two.

Riku arched an eyebrow, but he looked to the waiter as he started the round of orders. During the process, he noticed that the waiter recognized them. How couldn't he, when they were all over the news the last few years? All of them... Riku told himself not to worry about it as he kept his position, his arm behind Lightning as he let the others order.

After Sora and Kairi placed their orders, so did Riku and Lightning. Then the waiter was gone and he could tell them what he and Kairi had come up with earlier. "So, Riku," Sora said, serious now because of the matter at hand. "Do you remember how a few years ago, the press was all over me and Kairi, harassing us because we weren't in a relationship?" It was hard to forget. It was brutal.

"Yeah," Riku said, not sure where this was going. He gazed at Sora before looking to Kairi, who was now staring at her hands in her lap. Clearly she was reflecting on that time; the press had been mean to them back then. While Sora could handle it, Kairi hadn't been so secure at the time. The attention had been rough on her. Riku remembered being very protective of her.

"Well, once I finally had the guts to ask Kairi out," Sora said, wrapping an arm around Kairi's shoulders and giving her a light squeeze before he continued. "The press backed off significantly. They didn't have as much material to use against us, you know?" They acted like a couple beforehand, like Riku and Lightning were being accused of now. It was basically the same situation again.

"So what you're saying is that Lightning and I need to be together," Riku assumed. If they did that, then the paparazzi would back off a bit, or so he guessed since that was what Sora conveyed. But...how would that even work? He had a feeling that Lightning wouldn't be all for that, and a part of him wasn't either. He liked Lightning, but...he just wasn't sure.

"Or make them think you're together," Sora said, looking Riku in the eye. "The press already thinks they see the signs of it. Just act a little more flirtatious in front of the press, say you're in a relationship and--boom-- problem mostly solved." The press would still want pictures of them, but they wouldn't be so inquisitive or abusive. He glanced over at Lightning, who was looking down at the table and thinking. But Riku had been right in assuming she wasn't quite comfortable with this.

Riku lifted an eyebrow, seeing a flaw in that plan. "...I don't think that'll work," he said, speaking his thoughts. "If they find out we're faking, or we don't meet their standards, we'll be in hot water." What if they had to "break it off" and the press found out? They would hound them even more than they already were.

"Things can't get much worse than they are now," Sora pointed out with a shrug. Granted, Riku was able to escape the press today, but that involved a lot of risk taking. He couldn't believe Riku cast a spell at the reporters. Then again, Kairi couldn't believe that he broke the reporter's camera either. It came naturally to want to protect the victim, and that was what Lightning was.

 

It can't get much worse, Lightning agreed silently. But it would disappear if she spoke to Cecil. She had forgotten about it earlier with all the stuff that happened with Riku, but now it was back on her mind again. Now would be the best time to bring that up.

Kairi decided to speak up, having been quiet for some time. "After today, they've seen how protective you are of her," she explained, earning the young man's gaze. "You used a spell against them, Riku. That isn't exactly something that's going to be taken lightly." He had to have known that when he made the decision.

 

"I did what was necessary to get her out of there," Riku said, motioning to Lightning with his head. "That was all that mattered. She wanted to see Serah." Press weren't going to be in the way of that. That was why he took the route he did.

Lightning shook her head. "You were reckless," she said quietly, glancing over at Riku before she looked to Sora. "You too." Both of them were extremely protective of her. They should have just given up and let her go back inside, but no, she led them both to extreme action. What was going to happen next? Would Riku actually take a swing at somebody?

"I agree," Kairi said. She looked over at her husband, eyebrows furrowing slightly. "And now we owe a reporter money for a new camera." That wasn't something she was too happy about, but she knew Sora hadn't exactly thought through with his actions. He was impulsive when defending someone, and that just happened. But still...he was reckless, like Riku. She looked to the oldest of the four, glaring at him in disapproval. "And you could've gotten somebody seriously hurt."

 

Riku looked away, out at the aisle as he avoided Kairi's glare. He never did like to receive that kind of look from her, but he guessed he did deserve it.

"There's one real way to solve this," Lightning declared without looking up. "Tomorrow I'm going to talk to the lawyer and agree to testify if he gets the press to disappear." There, it was out in the open. She tried to tell Riku earlier, but he had been distracted with trying to help her get out anger. Now he knew though, and now he would be the one who would need anger management.

Riku looked over at Lightning instantly, eyebrows pulling together as his eyes turned hard. "What?" he nearly hissed, hoping he heard that incorrectly. Lightning was not going to agree to that creep's wishes. He was wrong for what he was doing to her--to them. He couldn't just win like that.

Lightning ignored Riku, looking up at Sora and Kairi. The former didn't look pleased, but oh well. "Problem solved." She took a drink of her water, knowing that she may have spoken as if the conversation was over, but she suspected Riku wouldn't let it drop easily. He seemed angry already, not that she was surprised.

"After all the crap he's put you through, you're just going to do what he wants?" Riku asked, keeping his voice down since they were in public. But the bite was still there. "You can't be serious!" He was bribing her. If she did this, he would get the press off her back, and that wasn't okay with Riku. She needed to fight it, not give in.

Light looked over at Riku with furrowed eyebrows. "You and Sora were extreme today, and this has only just begun," she said lowly. "I'm not waiting around to see what other stupid stuff you guys try." She was about to say that it was her fight, but she knew Riku would disagree. He would say she wasn't in this alone and that he was fighting against the press and Cecil too. But...

Riku blinked, but he instantly looked away, taking his arm away from Lightning. "It's not stupid if it's to protect you," he grumbled, crossing his arms. At least, in his opinion it wasn't. He was sure Sora could agree; they did what they thought was right at the time, and they would continue to do that if it meant defending her. That was what Riku was going to continue to do.

"So swinging a Keyblade at a reporter isn't stupid?" Lightning asked with an arched brow. "Because that's where I see this going." She already saw Riku's extremity in the past, against Zane. He threatened him with the Keyblade right in front of Lightning. Little did she know that he seriously threatened Zane again later, by nearly running over him with the motorcycle and shoving him against the wall very roughly.

Edited July 27, 201213 yr by Peanut

Kairi could see that this was going to get ugly, and fast, so she cut in. "Lightning," she said, speaking before Riku could; he had been about to, she could tell. "I don't think Riku would go that far, but..." She glanced over at her friend, meeting his gaze. "I know he'll do what he can to defend you. He cares about you." Riku didn't shy away from that comment, and she knew he was willing to accept it. He knew he cared about Lightning too, and that was why it was okay to admit to it. But, Kairi had a feeling it had gone beyond general care. It was much more than that.

Lightning didn't have a chance to respond, because that was when their food came. And it took a minute to sort it all out. By the time it was done, Lightning didn't feel that she needed to respond. She glanced down at her plate and picked up the fork, staring at the food for a moment before looking over at Riku. Like she told him earlier, his opinion did matter to her.