kismet_loop_logs | Missing Home [Closed]

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Missing Home [Closed]

Who: Jendayi and Lea
What: Lea finds out the little girls he's kind of adopted is a cuddle bug
Where: Lea's apartment
When: Backdated to about a week after Jendayi's arrival
Warnings: You'll need mouthwash, floss, and toothbrush if you intend to keep all of your teeth.

Jendayi lay sprawled on the couch in Lea's apartment. It was okay, not as soft as the bedding in her Papa's den, but it was soft, and warm. She'd been having bad dreams since getting here, though, and now she just couldn't get back to sleep. Her dreams with full of the faces of the men who'd attacked her. She'd been so scared, and then hurt. She'd been sure she was going to die.

Her Papa had saved her, but even as he'd been treating her wounds she'd been pulled away from him, waking in an alien place. It looked so strange, the people were all so different. They were nice! That was wonderful, but she was homesick. She wanted her Papa.

Blinking back tears she got up and went down the hall to Lea's room. He'd taken her in, looked after her, made sure she was safe and fed. She stood at the door for a long time, kind of tugging at the shirt he'd found for her to sleep in. It was as long as a dress on her. He was so nice, but would he be okay with her in his room? In his bed? She just wanted to be held, to feel strong arms around her, even if it wasn't her Papa's arms. And so finally she stepped across the room, around the bed, and crawled up onto the bed.

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As a rule, Lea was a relatively light sleeper, unless he was exhausted. He'd always been a little bit, though living with the Organization had intensified it. That was probably part of why most of his vacation days had been spent in bed. One of the few times he could really sleep soundly was when most members of the Organization were out. Since reclaiming his heart, he'd gotten a bit better about it, but still, it was something he doubted he'd ever shake fully.

Which was why the unexpected feeling of something crawling onto his bed woke him fairly easily, even if it obviously wasn't something that was very heavy. For a moment he froze, tensing, his sleep-fogged mind conjuring up images of tendrils of blackness reaching out to ensnare him. But once his eyes had readjusted and his brain had dispelled the fuzziness, he realized that the room was no darker than it was meant to be. Moonbeams filtered in through the window and faintly from the now open door as well, and none of the shadows stirred. He relaxed, letting out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding; whatever had woken him, it was obviously something of a more mundane nature.

He sat up, looking around for what had woken him and almost immediately had his answer in the form of a blue haired little girl sitting on his bed. "Oh hey, Jendayi," he greeted her softly. "Did you need something?"

When she opens her mouth the sound that comes out is a little gasp, the kind of sound made when someone is trying to not cry. "I had a bad dream. Can I sleep with you?" Her voice is soft, almost squeaky with suppressed tears.

It was difficult to see clearly in the dim light provided by the single moon that was up at the moment, but that tone was unmistakable. Lea frowned slightly in concern, both at what had brought her here and the request itself, all the while wracking his brain trying to recall how his parents had handled such requests when he was very young. His few hazy memories of his young childhood provided no immediate help, however, so he was on his own.

He really should have expected this sort of thing, but now that he was faced with it, it was rather... awkward, to say the least. Still, he couldn't exactly turn Jendayi away. Not when she seemed so close to tears. "Yeah, sure,", he said after a moment, "long as you don't mind if I snore or anything."

He scooched back a bit to sit back against the headboard, patting the mattress next to him and pushing the covers back a bit to invite Jendayi to join him. It was probably best to sit with her for a little while and let her calm down before attempting sleep again. "You wanna tell me about it?", he asked gently. "Sometimes that helps with bad dreams. Gets them out of your head and into the open, where they're easier to deal with."

She instantly moves to him. She slips her legs under the blankets and tucks to his side, one arm tucked between them, the other across his chest. She tucks her face against his chest too.

She's trembling softly. If he has a shirt on it'll take him a little bit to realize it, but shirt or not he'll quickly realize his shirt is getting damp under her cheek.

"I-I was dreaming about the m-men who attacked me. A-and my Papa. I-I miss my Papa."

Lea wrapped his nearer arm around Jendayi, holding her gently but securely against his side, hoping it would help calm her trembling. He couldn't protect her from dreams, but nothing else would harm her; not if he had any say in the matter.

He noticed the wetness against the light shirt he was wearing, but didn't say anything about it. Crying was understandable, especially given what she said next. Really, now that he thought about it, he souldn't be surprised that there'd be some lingering trauma from the experience. "That does sound scary, yeah," he said. "Did your Papa scare them off again?" He knew that her Papa had saved her during the real incident, but who knew whether the same held true in her imagination?

She was quiet a moment. "Sometimes. In one they killed him, and then were going to kill me. But then it started over and they ran away from him, but then came back with lots of people to kill us." She shudders and tucks a little closer, as if that's even possible.

She didn't want to talk about it anymore, she just wanted him to hug her tighter.

Lea was silent for a moment, just holding Jendayi, before making a decision and shifting her up into his lap so that he could hold her with both arms. "So this isn't the first time you've had dreams like this, huh?", he said, extrapolating from what she'd said. "You're a very brave girl, dealing with it by yourself for so long."

"But it's always easier to face scary things if you've got someone there with you who cares about you. Coming to me tonight is another kind of courage. And I'm glad you did." Mostly because it was proof of her trust, which wasn't something he was about to take lightly.

For another long moment he just held her there in his lap, unsure where to go from there. Maybe letting her know she wasn't alone in the bad dreams department would help? "I have bad dreams sometimes too, you know," he finally said gently. The tone held a subtle prompting to it. He hoped that she would ask about them. If she didn't he planned to go on anyway, but it'd feel more natural if she did.

She stayed tucked close, taking comfort in the feel of his arms around her. They weren't the same as Papa's, but they were strong and protective and that's what she wanted, needed.

Jendayi does peek up at him at the last. "About when your heart was taken?"

Lea nodded. "Sometimes," he said. "Or sometimes about bad things happening to my friends. We have a lot of powerful enemies back home. And sometimes they've come very close to winning. They still might, if we're not careful."

"And one of my friends... I had to let him leave Haven, knowing that something bad was going to happen to him," Lea said. "His name's Ventus, Ven for short. I first met him when I was still a kid back in Radiant Garden. Then I didn't see him again for a long time. Almost twelve years. That's when I was first brought to Haven. But when I saw him again... he was still the same age he was back when I was a kid. Haven can take people from different times, as well as different places, see. And it took Ven from a much earlier time than it took me."

"Something happened to Ven during those twelve years back home," Lea said quietly. "I don't know what, but... he's not around any more back there. I keep thinking... what if I'd warned him? What if I'd tried to stop him? Would it have helped? Or would it just have made things worse?"

He sighed. "There's no way to know, but... it bothers me a lot."

Lea was silent for a moment before chuckling sadly. "Sorry," he said. "Not sure why I'm telling you all this. You've got your own stuff to deal with and this is probly over your head anyway."

He was worried about a friend. That wasn't over her head. She reached up to rest a hand on his cheek, cuddled to his side and just content with the closeness. She wasn't alone. She knew that, he Papa had told her about having his own nightmares before, she knew it was normal and she'd be okay. It helped to know that she wasn't alone.

Without a word she tucks closer to him, a hand still on his cheek if he's not moved it away.

He smiled slightly at her small and on his cheek, allowing her to cuddle as close as she liked. For a long moment he's content just to sit there like that with her, the room illuminated only by the moonbeams coming in through the window. It was peaceful, quiet... and it reminded him of something.

"Hey," he said softly, "how'd you like me to tell you a story? It's one my parents used to tell me when I was little."

Edited 2015-02-12 03:41 (UTC)

She'd been lying there, awake, and just gazing at the blankets. But that has her shifting to look at him. "I like stories." In other words, please do.

"Alright," he said. "This is a special story, though I didn't know how special until fairly recently. And the reason it's so special? Is because it's all true. Now, watch carefully, because this story comes with a little show."

He cleared his throat slightly and began. "Once, a long, long time ago, people lived in peace, bathed in the warmth of Light. Everyone loved the Light." In the air, a bit beyond the foot of the bed, a solid heart made of golden fire appeared. Beneath it a dozen or so tiny humanoid figures of normal, orange fire danced in a circle, their arms raised as if in praise to the golden heart above them.

"But then some people began to fight over it, because they wanted it for themselves. And Darkness was born in their hearts." The dancing circle was broken. Half of the tiny flame figures vanished, while the others sprouted equally tiny swords of fire and began to fight. And as they fought, the fire forming them turned a sickly green, representing the Darkness.

"The Darkness grew. It covered everything and consumed many people's hearts. And the world was destroyed." The green fire spread from the fighting figures, consuming them entirely. It consumed several more briefly conjured flame figures of people and animals before sweeping up in a wave to consume the golden heart before vanishing itself.

For a moment, the room was dark again. But only for a moment. "But," Lea said, "some small fragments of Light survived, within the hearts of children." A figure of a child from the torso up formed in the air, from orange and blue fire. Jendayi might notice that the child looked as similar to her as the shifting flames allowed. Cupped in the figures hands was a small tongue of golden fire. Light.

"Together, the children used the fragments of Light to rebuild the lost world. That's the world we live in now." The child figure released the 'fragment of Light' before fading away, as six more small, golden tongues of fire floated up to join it. They flared brighter for a moment before bursting silently into hundreds of tiny sparks that hung in the air, a brief starscape showing the world's recreation.

"But the True Light still sleeps, deep within the Darkness. That's why the worlds are still separated from each other." The golden heart reappeared, though this time surrounded by a ring of green fire. "There it waits until the time comes when the right person arrives. The person who can open the Door to the Light."

The fire faded, leaving the room lit only by moonlight once again. "So you see Jendayi," he said. "No matter how deep the Darkness, there will always be a Light to guide you. Always."

The first appearance for fire brings a gasp from her, and she’s about to leap up until she remembers that Lea controls fire. She settles against him and listens, watching the show. The child that’s “her” earns him another gasp, this one of delight.

Story over, she’s lies there quiet a long moment. “Do you know who the right person is? The one who can open the door?”

Lea smiles as Jendayi enjoys the show, glad that she seems to be settling down. When it's over, he's content to sit there with her until she speaks again.

"Well," he says, "I don't know anything for certain. But... I think it might be my friend Sora. He's a Keyblade wielder who's different than any other, and it's not exactly clear why. One thing's for sure though; there's something very special about him."

She’s silent a long moment. “So...your friend is a hero?”

Lea nodded. "Definitely," he said. "Him and his friends have saved the World more than once already, and are gearing up to try and do it again. With me on the right side of things this time. Not sure how much help I'll be, but one thing's for sure; we'll need every Keyblade wielder we've got if we're going to stop Master Xehanort."

She frowns at that, thinking again for a long moment. “But...you’re here.” You can’t help if you’re not there Lea...

"Yeah," he said gently. "But eventually we'll all have to go home. I've got some promises to keep there, and friends waiting for me. And you have your Papa waiting for you. Even apart from any serious stuff like stopping the bad guys, they'd all miss us if we stayed away forever, just like you miss your Papa right now. And at that's something I don't think any of us wants."

"But luckily, when you go back, it's generally right to the time you left, and you can still remember everything from here," he said. At least that was how the First Forged had made it work, and he really hoped it would work again. "So even when you go home, you won't forget any of the new friends you might have made here. Your hearts and memories will always be connected."

Her gaze drops at the mention of her Papa. She misses him so much... She’ll look back up at him as he continues, though. They could go back? They could go back and still remember this place and the people here? They could go back?!

“How? How do we go back?” Sorry Lea, she’s come to love you, and she’ll come visit if possible, but she misses her Papa!

But then she frowns. She was hurt when she got here, and Mister Paian had healed her quickly, but Papa can’t. If she went home would she be hurt again? If she went back to the same time she left then... “Would everything be the same there? Like I hadn’t left? Even me? Except...my memories?”

"We can't go back by choice," Lea explained. "Not right now, at least. But sometimes the miasma sends people home just like it brought them here. Nobody really knows why. And I don't know if it can happen here too, but the last time I was in Haven, sometimes people would fall asleep for a few days, then wake up with more memories from back home, even though your body stays here. It happened to me one time; it was weird, but ultimately a good thing."

Lea frowned slightly. "That, I'm not sure of," he said. "If you go back permanently? Then I think you'll stay healed. But if just your mind goes back? I really don't know. But what happens while you're there does affect your body here. I know, because when my mind went back, I got my heart back, and I still had it when I woke up again in Haven."

Lea hoped that explanation was clear enough.If it wasn't though, he'd try to clarify as best he could.

It was clear just....confusing. She’s frowning as she listens. “I don’t like being stuck here.” It’s all that she’s really got to say about that...

"Yeah," Lea said. "You and most other people here."

"But look on the bright side," he said. "You get to make lots of new friends and have new adventures in a place where no one is going to be after you for what you are. Plus, think of all the cool stories you'll have to tell your Papa and your friends when you go back. Even if they don't quite believe them, they'll still be fun to tell. Right?"

That thought does put a little smile on her face. She...she does have friends here. “It’s just me and Papa. Papa would believe me, I’m sure he would.”

She pulls a breath and lets it out in a huff, snuggling close, tucking her face against Lea’s chest. “I miss him. My Papa...”

"Well there you go then," Lea says. "I'm sure he'll love to hear about all the adventures you had here, and about all the things you'll learn. Cause there's always something new to learn around here, lemme tell ya."

When she snuggles against him, lea just settles his arms around her a little more comfortably. "Yeah," he says. "I miss my friends too. But even if we're far away from each other, our hearts are always connected. Just like yours and your Papa's."

She considers for a moment before speaking again. “I don’t even know how I’d try to tell about this place. I mean, it’s huge, and flat, but not flat, and sharp, and...I don’t know. It’s so unnatural. But not in a bad way. I wonder if all cities are like this.”

The thought of still being connected to her Papa put a little smile on her face. The thought of being so connected with the friends she’d made here made her happy too.

"Well, cities are kinda unnatural by definition," Lea says. "But some try to include more nature than others. Like, when I was a kid, I lived in a city called Radiant Garden. And it lived up to its name too. Lots of fountains, and flower gardens, and beautiful stonework... It was a great place to live."

"Malificent kinda wrecked it when she took over, though, and for a long time, the place was so infested with Heartless that no one could live there," Lea continues. "But thanks to Sora and his friends, the worst of the Heartless were cleared out, and people could move back in. And ever since then, they've been working hard to rebuild it and make it beautiful again."

"Who knows?", he adds gently as he relaxes with Jendayi. "Maybe it'll be even better than it was before."

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Missing Home [Closed]

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