Always

“But seriously, why don’t you wash off now? Isn’t all that mud uncomfortable?” Rebekah asked.

Rebekah’s will to argue faltered when the nickname slipped out of Felix’s mouth, and all she could do was sigh with the concerned expression still on her face and try not to smile. “Well, if you’re sure. Just...get dressed as soon as you can. You know...so you don’t get sick,” she said, embarrassed.

“What? You’re not sleeping at all? That’s crazy! You need to sleep before tomorrow of all days!” Rebekah’s voice had taken on a somewhat parenting tone, but there was also concern in it. Keilani’s ears perked up at Felix saying he wouldn’t be sleeping. Of course, she agreed with Rebekah about him being crazy, but if his resolve couldn’t be changed, this could work to her advantage. She would just have to make sure to try staying up until Troy was asleep, then maybe she could talk to Felix one-on-one.

Even though Felix was covered in mud, Rebekah still had to turn her eyes away, her face turning red again. “Looks more like you dove down,” she commented, slightly amused, and hardly surprised. “Why are you under here? Don’t you want to wash all that mud off in the rain, especially before going to sleep?” she asked.

That's so awesome!! College is good. ^_^

Rebekah quickly looked away and blushed as Felix began taking off his shirt while going behind the loft. Before her eyes were averted, though, she had caught a glimpse of something on his back that looked...off. It was hard to tell in the dim glow of the firelight, it could’ve just been shadows, but she could’ve sword she saw a large scar or two on his skin. In spite of how painful it appeared to have been at the time it would have been an unhealed wound, she smiled a little, wondering what kind of crazy story was behind it, if her eyes weren’t tricking her, of course. Mariah ate either until she was full or until she could no longer keep her eyes open--whichever came first, she couldn’t remember. She went over to her makeshift bed, mumbled a “Good night” to everyone, and curled up under her blanket, falling asleep instantly. Keilani sat beside Troy as soon as the food was ready and leaned her head against his shoulder, extremely content with her situation. The one thing the bummed her out just a little was that she couldn’t foresee any time when she would be able pull Felix aside and ask his advice in private. Maybe she could ask one of the other boys, but there was the same privacy issue. As much as she loved being around people, the one downside to all of this was that there was little opportunity for someone to be alone with just one or two other friends. Oh, well, no use dreading over that now. She ate the meal that the others had prepared, enjoying every bite. This stuff was better than anything she’d had at a restaurant, and she gave her compliments to all the chefs, concluding with Troy and kissing his cheek as she did so.

Nope, I could never, ever forget it as long as I live. No exaggeration. It's the love of my life. (Okay, maybe that's a slight exaggeration. Just a slight one, though. )

(I did notice! Indeed, we are awesome! http://kh13.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/happy.pngJust curious, which girl are you referring to?) As they made their way to their suite, Alexis noticed the presence of another Inhabiter. A familiar one, very much like...Naminé? Ugh. She hoped that Riku wouldn’t sense her, but even if he did, it shouldn’t be much of a threat. “Looks like we’re here,” she said as they neared the door. “I can’t wait to see the inside!” ------------------------------------------------------------ “Mariah, may I?” Rebekah asked, indicating the knife that her cousin was no longer using. Mariah nodded and gave it to her. Rebekah took some of the plants back from Elie and cut them up herself so that the job was done twice as quickly. “So you’re Elie, right? I’m Rebekah,” she said. Normally, she would’ve been too shy to be the first to introduce herself, but she was beginning to feel more and more comfortable with this group, so it was easier to be a little more outgoing. Keilani laughed again. “Hey, you gotta start somewhere,” she said to Alex. Her attention was drawn to Tudi when she asked when the food would be ready. “Yeah I’m starving, and it smells so good!” she agreed eagerly. (So can we just say the food's ready and they're all eating now? )

Woo!! Good luck!

(What do you mean by that?) Keilani giggled. “Thanks. I’ve been drawing since I can remember, and becoming Inhabited by someone who also likes to draw has just been the frosting on the cake. So you like to draw, too? That’s cool!”

Keilani brought out her Keyblade and used Esuna on Alex. After that, she opened her sketchbook again and showed him the picture. “Oh, I'm just drawing everybody,” she said. “I thought the campsite and all the people here would make a nice picture. I've also drawn Troy in this book.” She flipped the page to show him the picture of Troy. “What do you think? And be honest with me!” She was happy that Alex was talking to her now, and that maybe they had something in common, as he had mentioned an art teacher.

Keilani looked up from her sketchbook when her drawing was finished and saw Troy, her wonderful boyfriend, glancing at her, and she grinned at him, but had to look away quickly to avoid the sight of the bird. It was then that she noticed Alex...the boy from school who had ignored her the other day. He was sneezing and looked cold. She sighed as Naminé’s compassion for Roxas overtook her and closed her sketchbook, grabbed one of the blankets, and crawled over to Alex, staying under the lean-to as she did so. “Here,” she said, offering him the blanket. “Do you want me to try and cure you? I’m not sure if magic will work for something like a cold, but it’s worth a shot.” She braced herself for him not to respond again, and if that ended up being the case, she would just throw the blanket on him and go off to draw something else. But if not, she would have someone to talk to again, which would be nice, since everyone else was occupied with their own stuff. (Just so we're all clear, I'm NOT trying to start another firetrucking love triangle here--Keilani's interaction with Alex is purely friend-zoned. This RP already has an abundance of love triangles, and I'm so done with them. )

I've got my fingers crossed for you!!

“To our suite, silly!” Alexis replied. “And what’s with me guiding you around all over the place? I think you should take the lead this time.” She smiled suggestively and winked. “Ah, I can't wait! Ethan just handed you the keys, right? What’s the number on them?”

(Dang it! I hate it when I get characters' names mixed up! *edited* I agree that we need to wrap this up. Haha poor Number XV must be really bored waiting for us.) “Thanks. That really means a lot to me,” Mariah said. “It’s nice to officially meet you, ‘cuz.’” She smiled back at Troy, intrigued and honored that he had said she was like his cousin. On the inside, though, she was sad. This boy, who couldn’t be much older than sixteen, was getting dragged into what would probably be a huge battle. What made it worse was that she couldn’t help but feel like she was the one dragging Troy and everyone else into this, out of her eagerness to save Joy. Of course, Joy was her first priority, but would she be able to stand it if more of her friends got hurt or died along the way? If some of these kids lost their lives? Mariah cast the thoughts aside, focused on the bird in her hands, and started talking to Troy, asking where he was from and how he had learned to prepare a bird, and making general conversation with him. He was a very charming boy with an eye-catching smile, and she could see why Keilani liked him so much.

(Understood. Same goes for my characters, especially Lexi. ) Alexis watched the interaction between Ethan and the receptionist with an unchanged expression. Cute, she thought. She felt what most people would call a tinge of jealousy. But to her, as she had taken the J-word out of her vocabulary years ago, she was just suffering a bruised ego. Oh, she had noticed how Ethan still lusted after her, as all men in their right mind did. That was the whole reason she had taken on this career--she enjoyed the power she had over these disgusting, pathetic creatures, able to bend their weak wills in seconds with her charm and beauty. Not to mention that once in a while, she would have a fantastic night with a particularly skilled man. Of course, there was the rare occasion when the person she had to deal with was a woman instead, but that was a different, and mostly very awkward, story. Mostly. Now, she felt as if she had lost her power over Ethan, and she didn’t like it. Well, not that it mattered all that much, except that he was one of those whom she especially enjoyed the nights with. Anyway, as soon as the two of them could be alone again, he would be wrapped around her finger once more. She would make sure of that. She turned to James and smiled. “Come on, let’s go!” As she started pulling him along, she looked back at Ethan with the same happy expression and said, “Thanks, big brother. Always having my best interests in mind. You haven’t changed a bit.” ------------------------------------------------------------ Keilani watched with admiration and fascination how Troy handled the bird that Tudi had given him. Who would’ve guessed he knew how to prepare one? She soon had to look away, though, as it started to make her squeamish. Since she didn’t want to be near the gutted birds, she decided it would be best not to offer to help with the cooking. Tudi and Tyler looked like they didn’t want a third person with them, and Mariah looked distracted, so she brought out Naminé’s sketchbook and started drawing everyone at the campsite. It would make a cool picture. Mariah felt like she needed to help with preparing the food. Besides, if she did, it would be ready that much faster, and it would keep her awake long enough to get some food in her system. She walked over to Troy and said, “Hey, can I help you? I know a thing or two about cleaning and gutting animals. It should speed up the process at any rate, since we’ve got multiple birds here. Oh, and I'm Mariah, in case you didn't know my name already.”

I'd say that I beat some (KH and FFVII) and leave all others unfinished.

(Sorry for the ridiculously long dialogue between Mariah and Keilani, everyone. I just really prefer taking a little extra time to develop relationships between characters, instead of just saying, "Oh, they met, and BAM, they're friends!" Yeah, I'm a perfectionist. Anyway, in the part between Mariah and Keilani, you can just skip everything that comes after the first paragraph. ) Keilani smiled widely after Troy called her his girlfriend, and waved at Tudi and the new guy, Tyler, when they arrived. She then brought out the pillows and blankets and set them down in a big pile. “Feel free to claim your stuff whenever you’re ready, everyone,” she said. She took a pillow and blanket for herself and started to set them up, then addressed the woman beside her, oblivious to the tired look on her face. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said. “I’m Keilani.” Mariah smiled. “Mariah. Nice to meet you, Keilani.” “So who’s your Inhabiter?” Keilani asked. “Mine’s Naminé.” “I’m Inhabited by Tifa,” Mariah replied. She was charmed by this girl’s bubbly personality, but also struck by how innocent she looked. She didn’t seem like a fighter. Of course, almost no one was a fighter before gaining an Inhabiter, but it was different with this girl. This piqued Mariah’s curiosity. “So, Naminé...I’m not familiar with her. Have you and she been in a lot of battles?” Keilani paused, and a chagrined look crossed her face. “Well, no. I’ve only done a little bit of healing. Naminé’s never really fought before. But I do have a Keyblade! It would be nice if I could use it more, though. I only just discovered it when...” she trailed off, thinking of Troy, then lowered her voice. “When Scott and Ethan were holding me hostage. And so, I haven’t had much practice with it.” Mariah’s eyes widened. “Scott? As in the assassin who wants to take us all out?” “Yeah, Inhabited by Marluxia. He had the audacity to kidnap me in broad daylight and use me as bait to trap the other Inhabiters, but when they all came, the coward bounced. Do you know him?” “You could say that...” Mariah said. He had nearly killed her, for one thing, and there was also the fact that he bore so many similarities to Cain. She shook her head. “Weren’t you scared?” “A little...I mean, it’s not every day a couple random guys force you into their car while you’re on a date. I was mostly scared for Troy, though. Scott threatened to kill him several times...” Keilani’s voice had dropped to a whisper, and she could feel the emotion rising up in her, but she quickly pushed it back down. Mariah glanced at the boy she guessed was Troy and nodded, understanding. “Yeah...I know how you feel...” “Someone’s threatened a person you love?” Mariah nodded. “He’s being held captive right now. I’m so worried about him.” She started to tear up once more. Keilani put her hand on Mariah’s shoulder. “Mariah...I’m so sorry,” she said. Mariah blinked the tears back and smiled sadly. “I’m sure it’ll be okay, though. We’ll go and save him tomorrow. After tonight, I won’t rest until he’s safe, I can promise you that.” With that, she took her own pillow and blanket from the pile and made a bed beside Keilani’s, wanting to distract herself. Keilani turned back to her own bedding, and as she straightened it, said, “You know, Mariah, you’re pretty cool.” Mariah didn’t look up from her work, but laughed a little at the very direct compliment. “Thanks. So are you.” ------------------------------------------------------------ Rebekah stepped over to Felix. “Mind if I help?” she asked. “I like cooking, and it would be nice to finally do something relatively normal today,” she said with a chuckle. ------------------------------------------------------------ When she, Ethan, and James got the the spa resort, Alexis got out of the car, looked at Ethan, and said, “Lead the way. I’m curious as to these strings you’re planning to pull. You know I’m not a big fan of surprises.”

Really?? Haha I had no idea that was their reason for not getting married... Interesting tidbit. http://kh13.com/forum/public/style_emoticons/default/happy.png

Rebekah felt a rush at Felix’s words. Even though it was hard to process, she realized he really meant what he was saying about her. No guy had ever told her those things, except maybe her father, when she was much, much younger. Her cheeks reddened and she felt a lump forming in her throat as she said, “Thanks. You’re really sweet.” She felt so overwhelmed that she became lightheaded and dazed, and almost forgot about the question Felix had asked. “Oh, um, yeah, phone number. Of course!” After she gave it to him, she thought of something else he had said. In case they got separated, or...she got taken. She realized with horror that she could be used not only against Mariah, but now against Felix as well, and he against her. Just like Scott had done when he kidnapped Keilani, just as Reilly was manipulating everybody--especially Mariah--by holding Joy captive. She shivered and hoped she would never be forced into a situation like that, either where she was used as bait, or someone she was especially close to was taken in order to manipulate her. Maybe this was one reason she was afraid to fall in love... ------------------------------------------------------------ “That sounds wonderful, Ethan,” Alexis said with a grin as she started to drive. “Thanks for hooking us up.” She cringed inwardly at the double-meaning of her last sentence. She didn’t want to be with James more than she had to. She was also ready to get this whole killing off the “good” Inhabiters thing over with, her only reason being that if they didn’t know of her by now, they might soon, especially if any of them decided to come looking for their friend. Of course, with Scott doing whatever the hell he was doing, their plans might be delayed a bit. Or not...? She could never tell what he was up to. ------------------------------------------------------------ Mariah emerged from the shadow beside the tree and almost immediately saw Rebekah’s and Felix’s red faces in the firelight. She smiled, but decided not to ask any questions, never having been one to pry. Maybe she would ask her cousin about it later in private. Despite being happy for them, though--assuming their expressions meant something positive--she also felt pained and worried, remembering Joy. Tomorrow, she thought. We’ll save him tomorrow. Tomorrow couldn’t come fast enough. She forced the thoughts aside and spoke casually. “Hey, guys,” she said. “Alex and I got some plants that we can eat. I’m not sure if we’d eat the raw or cook them somehow...but I’m pretty sure we’ve got enough for everybody.” She quickly got under the lean-to so that she could be out of the rain, almost too tired to think about eating. ------------------------------------------------------------ When Keilani arrived at camp with Troy, she almost instantly noticed the way Felix and Rebekah were looking at each other and couldn’t resist an, “Awwww!!!” She decided to back off when Rebekah appeared embarrassed. Her eyes focused on Felix for a second, and she wanted to talk to him and ask his advice right now, but she figured it would be better to wait until Troy was distracted, since the advice was about him. “So, I got some bedding and some water bottles for us,” she announced as she got under the lean-to beside a woman she hadn’t yet met (Mariah). She then looked at Troy. “Wait, what did you get? I didn’t even see!” she said with a laugh.

I doubt it. There are plenty of serious console gamers left in the world, and they're not going anywhere anytime soon.

Mariah accompanied Elie and Alex as they hurried towards the campsite. When it came into view, she could barely make out two figures, which she assumed were Rebekah and Felix. It looked like they were having a conversation that wasn’t meant for anyone else’s ears. She backed off and took her place on the other side of the tree where Alex was situated, hoping their conversation would wrap up soon. Not that she didn’t care what they might be talking about, but she was getting cold and wet and wanted to get out of the rain as soon as possible. ------------------------------------------------------------ Troy's dazzling smile practically made Keilani's heart melt. She smiled back at him, hoisted her bag over her shoulder as he had done, skipped over to him, and kissed him. “Alright, then,” she said. “Let’s go!” She started to walk out of the bus and into the open air. Before she did, though, she turned back around. “Troy, you have the greatest smile. Just thought I'd say that.” She walked the rest of the way outside and found that the rain was getting heavier. I guess we’d better hurry, she thought. But she still savored the rain as much as she could while she walked. She grinned as it came into contact with her face and hands. ------------------------------------------------------------ “Okay, let’s get out of here,” Alexis said. As she got up, she noticed that Scott had left the keys to the Jeep on the table and swept them up. “I’m driving.” She made her way out of the restaurant through a side exit. ------------------------------------------------------------ Rebekah looked away sheepishly. “Whatever. I’m not any of those things,” she mumbled. Then she looked back at Felix and laughed. “But you know, some say that a person’s quirks can be his most lovable qualities.” She looked at him with admiration, and again wondered why his parents had treated him so badly. Sure, he claimed to have been a bad kid, but his parents had to play some part in that--most kids didn’t just behave poorly out of nowhere. At that moment, she heard some people approaching. Strangely, she didn’t realize until just then that Felix had been holding her hand the entire time, but now her eyes widened and she jerked it away, then scooted a little away from him. She wasn’t sure why, but the idea of other people seeing...made her feel weird. She hoped she didn’t hurt his feelings by her reflexive actions.

(So glad to finally have you back!!!! ) Rebekah’s jaw dropped open, and she quickly closed it again. She wanted to take back every bad thought she had had about Felix before. “I can’t believe anyone would treat you that way...” she whispered. “You deserve so much better,” she said fiercely, looking straight into his eyes. ------------------------------------------------------------ Interesting... Alexis thought. She wondered what Scott was planning, and whether it should put her on edge or not. She tried to “protest” when Scott walked off, then sighed, appearing defeated. She looked at James and said, “Well, I guess we should try to act normal so that we don’t draw attention to ourselves. There’s nothing we can do to get Scott to come back.” A small, sad smile appeared on her face. “But hey, look on the bright side, it’s just you and me now.” “Ugh, guess again,” Larxene said. “Those people he just turned himself in to are all Inhabited. One of the Inhabiters seems familiar...well, it’s a total weakling, whoever it is. Doesn’t scare me.” Alexis hoped that those Inhabiters wouldn’t notice Larxene--she didn’t feel like being bothered right now, not when she had some business to do with James. Just as their food arrived and she was going to start a conversation, Ethan made his grand entrance, and it was all Alexis could do not to roll her eyes. He just had to pick that moment to come in and make a scene. “Well, you just missed him. He...had some personal affairs to attend to,” she replied, ignoring the fact that he’d just produced a flame with has hand. As Ethan got to their table, she explained in a quieter, “distressed” tone, “He just turned himself in to the people who were hunting him. I tried to talk him out of it, but he wouldn’t listen. Also, Larxene tells me those agents are Inhabited.” ------------------------------------------------------------ Keilani managed to find some pillows and blankets in the back of the bus, and gathered as many as she could. There were also plenty of water bottles, and she put everything in a large trash bag which she had located. Once it was stuffed full, she turned to Troy and froze when she noticed how beautiful his ocean-colored eyes looked against the dimming, blue-grey light. Then, realizing how stupid she must look just standing and staring, she forced herself to snap out of it and shook her head. “Wow, what a day this has been, huh?” she said, trying to cover up her blunder. “Not a single dull moment.” She smiled and looked out of one of the broken windows. “And to finish it off with rain...I actually really love the rain, especially this time of year.” As she gazed outside, Keilani tried to think of a way to get the message into Troy's head that there was nothing lacking about him, that he shouldn't be so hard on himself, but nothing came to mind. She sighed. Maybe she would ask Felix what to say--this obviously wasn't a question to ask another girl. “Well, you ready?” she asked, turning back to Troy.

Knew you could pass!