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[ Please don't be alarmed by the few deep breaths. ]

Xion....? Are you here?

[ Xion is, unfortunately, a little on edge currently so she almost is alarmed by the deep breaths, but-

Oh, it's Squall. ]

Squall? ...Yeah, I'm here.

Are... are you alright?

[ oh thank hyne..! For the first time in a few days Squall actually sounds relieved for a moment.]

I'm fine. Sorry I just... needed to make sure you were here. And okay. But it sounds like you are so good.

I'm still here.

[ Although she sounds a little unsure, as though waiting for something to prove her wrong or change that. ]

I'm glad you are, too. This is... it's about Sora, right?

I... yeah. And not just him either... It seems like a lot of people from your world are disappearing and I.

[ He takes another deep breath. He couldn't let this get to him. He couldn't show signs of weakness. He was holding onto two important amulets and he didn't want to give them a single drop of negative energies. ]

But they should be okay. I just wanted to make sure you were as well. Okay I mean.

Other people? Like... like who?

[ There's a twist in her chest at hearing his pause and deep breath; this was clearly hitting him hard. Despite everything, she can't help but feel touched that he'd want to check in on her, of all people, so she does her best to sound reassuring back to him. ]

R-right. Yeah, I'm sure they're gonna be fine. That's... people leave and come back here sometimes, right? It's... normal, for this place.

[ Even if she can't shake that feeling from when Sora disappeared. ]

Sora, Riku... Ventus told me that Terra and Aqua were gone too, but... they left behind their amulets.... any time someone leave behind their amulets it means they'll be back.

[ So everything has to be alright... right? ]

Sorry I... didn't mean to trouble you with this I just... It's nothing.

Riku's gone too?! [ That one is a surprise, for sure. ]

I... I didn't know. [ Aqua and Terra... she knows them, too. She's going to have to check in with Ven as soon as she can. But, for now- ]

No, you're not! [ Okay, she said that a little more forcefully than probably necessary. ]

I mean- no, you're not troubling me. I'm really glad to hear from you. Thank you, for checking in on me. [ There's a genuine sense of gratitude through the connection. ]

[ He does wanted to make sure she was okay. He wasn't sure where she was staying so if she had disappeared he was worried he'd have to go looking for her amulet too.

He paused, something popped up in his mind.]

How did you know I meant Sora at first... wait. Did you feel something...?

[ There’s a moment of silence before she admits, in a quiet voice: ]

Yeah. I felt... it was like something snapped. [ She puts her hand to her chest, remembering but unsure how to really explain that sudden, intense feeling of disconnect. But- ]

How... how did you know?

I felt it too... I think? It was like a pain in my chest. I didn't know what to make of it but I've had a bad feeling about it ever since.

Really? [ Squall, have you been in Sora’s heart not only figuratively but literally, too?! This is the first Xion’s heard of someone other than the people she’d have suspected feeling it; it only confuses her more. ]

It was like that. I thought it was just... [ She hesitates, unsure. ] ...I don’t really know what I thought it was. Maybe... it’s just while he’s gone, because this world is so separate from other ones? Or... something.

[ Not quite, but he did help bring out a new keyblade for Sora. ]

That... would make sense I think..? Because Sora's connected to so many people, maybe the world had to... put it on pause for Sora? I don't really know how this works but that sounds logical.

Yeah... yeah, I guess it does. [ It does seem to make some sense, and Squall has been here much longer than her, so... ]

You know... there was a time when I would have loved to lose a connection with Sora. [ She's not one hundred percent sure why she's telling him this; maybe because of his story about running away? ]

But, now that I've met him... it's strange, right? I... I hope they come back soon.

[ He was actually a little surprised to hear that. Besides Vanitas, he didn't really know anyone who wouldn't like to be close to Sora... And they seemed pretty close. To him anyway. ]

Ah... well things change when you actually meet someone in person... You actually get to see them for what they are.

They do, don't they? [ She makes a light humming sound. ]

I'm lucky, to be able to see that now. [ Or... she was, anyway, before he disappeared. ]

When... when people leave like this, they go home, right?

Yeah... When they disappear from this world it means they went back to their own world. You can usually tell if someone is gone either because their name appears on this wall of names. Everyone who has come here and left has a name on that wall.

[ He pauses for a moment, taking in a soft breath before speaking up again ]

Ah, but... if they leave an amulet behind, it means they will come back here. No one who has left an amulet stayed away for long.

[ He started fiddling with the amulets in his hands now. Without realizing it he was thinking a bit too hard and she might hear a soft comment of: Maybe I should connect their amulets? So they're together when they come back... ]

Edited (what is ending brackets even) 2019-03-07 04:23 (UTC)

[ It's sort of reassuring, to have all of these facts laid out for her. Everything here is still so new and different, but... It sounds like something that's happened before. Still- ]

Maybe I'll... go look at the names on the wall. [ The underlying implication of "to make sure they're not on there" is strong. ]

Oh- yeah, they'd probably like that, wouldn't they? To be together, I mean. [ Sorry Squall, she totally heard that, but she's also a little oblivious. She thinks of a different Riku from a million years ago, telling her he's not mad at her for keeping Sora asleep, just sad- thinks of how she felt thinking she'd never see her friends again. ]

...I hope they're together back home, too.

It might help... give some peace of mind. [ Or something like that, but honestly how could any of them really sit there without feeling a little anxious. That's how Squall felt anyway.]

Ah...!

[ Did he actually think that out loud? He sputtered a little until he fell into a small little coughing fit. ]

I-- you heard that?

Was... I not supposed to?

[ W H O O P S ]

Are you okay, Squall? [ That cough sounds rough, buddy. ]

[ He clears his throat a little ]

I'm fine... just had a tickle in my throat.... or something.

[Because that sounded very convincing, don't you think? ]

[ So convincing...! Even Xion's a little thrown by just how utterly convincing this sounds. Was she... missing something? ]

I know they're best friends, Squall. [ But, just in case he really did have some kind of weird cough -]

I hope you're not getting sick, with all the stress.

[ Okay, so maybe he was the most obvious person in the world. He was terrible at hiding his emotions, and he likes to blame Sora for that all the time. ]

I know... I'm pretty sure everyone does... which is why I thought it'd be better to keep their amulets together.

[ He murmured softly, scratching at his neck. Maybe he was just going crazy. Maybe he actually did say that bit out loud... huh]

What? Oh... no I mean. I haven't really gotten any sleep, but I don't feel sick.

Right... [ She's. Still a little confused. He seemed so flustered! ]

Well... Sorry if I wasn't supposed to hear it, but I think that's a nice idea. You're really sweet, Squall. [ Which only makes her frown more to hear that he hasn't really slept. ]

Then you should get some sleep before you do get sick. What'll happen if you sneeze on the amulets?

[ GROSS, SQUALL. ]

Edited (html oh no) 2019-03-19 21:32 (UTC)

[ he shifts awkwardly. ]

I wouldn't really say I was that sweet... and you don't need to worry about me, Xion. I can't even remember the last time I got sick.

[ And he doesn't get much sleep usually anyway. ]

Voice;

astericus - 2019-03-24 04:46 (UTC) - Expand

Voice;

innermonologues - 2019-03-25 16:49 (UTC) - Expand