C07
Location: Hollow Bastion Main Hospital
Time: November 30th, 5:13 PM
Sora inhales deeply. Holding his breath, he knocks on the hospital room door.
For a good ten seconds, no one answers. He hesitates briefly but finally decides to enter after announcing his presence.
The room is indeed empty, but just as Sora's turning around, a familiar pair enters through the door. Kairi is holding onto a mobile IV stand, while her mother hovers by her side fretting about one thing or another. Despite the frustration in Kairi's tone, she can't hide a small smile that suggests she enjoys being fussed over - at least Sora knows he would.
He meets Kairi's eye and smiles nervously. Kairi's mother notices him, beaming but then expression turning sour to match her daughter's. Sora sighs internally, figuring he deserves this response given what he'd said to Kairi last week.
"So you brought flowers," Kairi's mother says in a vaguely disappointed tone that Sora has heard before. He readily hands the bouquet over to the older woman. "Well, carnations are a little inappropriate for the occasion - "
"Mom," Kairi grumbles.
"They're a nice color," she finishes airily. "I'll find something to put these in, so you two can talk. We can grab dinner as well," Kairi's mother decides. Sora is used to the woman's pushy ways, so he simply nods.
Once the door shuts behind her mother, Kairi sighs. "Here to tell me off again?"
"...c'mon, Kairi. I even brought flowers."
"Doubt it was your idea."
"...right, it was Riku's." Sora watches Kairi slowly seat herself on the bed. "Do you need help?"
"No, I…" she trails off, wincing as she slowly shifts her body to lie down. The smallest movements seem to take her a gargantuan effort, and Sora can't bear watching her struggle. He leans towards her, grabbing the covers to tuck her in.
Kairi flinches when he takes her hand off the sheets. He looks at her worriedly, wondering if he'd provoked an injury. Her wide-eyed expression seems to convey shock more than anything, but before he can ask more, she turns away from him to look out the window.
Sora draws a deep breath. He'd prepared for this but still feels nervous as hell.
"Kairi...I'm sorry for yelling at you," he starts, remembering his numerous coaching sessions with Riku. "Not sure if you know, but I'd just had dinner with my dad that night. And everything with the memorial service and my mom just had me on edge - I'm not making excuses," he hastily cuts himself off, "I'm just...sorry I took it out on you."
Kairi's gaze slowly drifts his way and she sighs. "I know. And I'm sorry that you're going through all of this and I can't help. Instead, I'm stuck on bedrest until my vitals pass some arbitrary test…" Kairi's voice trails off to one of annoyance -
And there it is again, the tendrils of frustration creeping in Sora. Even he knows that everything else happening to him is only half the reason he'd snapped at Kairi. The other half is still convinced that his opinions are valid - that Kairi isn't taking this seriously enough.
Wary of repeating what happened during his last visit, he steers clear of that topic...for now.
"Well, take advantage of your break. You know Squall's gonna have you hitting the gym everyday after you're cleared."
"Oh my god, I was trying to not think about that. Last time I was so sore that I was walking funny for weeks after boot camp - and Selphie made some crude joke about it…"
Sora snorts. "It did kinda look like it." Kairi glares, so he quickly clears his throat. "I mean, when do you think they'll let you go?"
"Who knows?" Kairi pouts. "They gave a concrete timeline once in the beginning - two to three weeks - but now they just keep giving me vague answers. 'When you're feeling better,' the nurse says. Well, I'm feeling just fine! So can't I - ow, oww…"
Sora sighs, heart throbbing at the sight of Kairi flinching at her injuries. There's so much more he wants to ask her about - the mission she'd picked up with Selphie's team, more matchmaking ideas for Squall (their team's self-assigned side mission), how 'weird' Kairi has been acting recently...but he feels an unspoken truce in the air. This is as normal things have been between them for awhile. He sees how vulnerable she is, physically recovering from wounds and entrapped in this room. He doesn't want to confront her about everything when they've just patched things up.
So he stores his questions in the back of his mind. He can always ask some other time. Now, he just wants to support Kairi. She's a precious friend and teammate after all. The two of them pass time with Sora updating her on everything at HBRC that she's missed. Per Kairi's mom's request, the three of them head to a nearby restaurant for dinner. Kairi's dad meets them there, where they enjoy a tasty meal of rice and fried chicken.
"So, I heard about the memorial service," Kairi's dad broaches the subject during a lull in the conversation. Sora manages to focus on the chicken wing in hand. Nonetheless, he feels Kairi's dad watching him intently.
"...um, yessir," Sora mumbles belatedly, brushing the crumbs off his fingers and looking up. He briefly meets Kairi's eyes, which gives him the courage to meet her father's. He summons a smile. "For all the deceased veterans, right?"
"And to celebrate 5 years of safety," Kairi's mom adds, resting a hand on her husband's arm.
"Yes, you're right, dear." Kairi's dad places his hand over hers. "All courtesy of the men and women protecting us."
"And you too, honey," Kairi's mom adds with a proud smile.
"Aw, I just do the busywork," Kairi's dad says with a guffaw. Sora chuckles at the man's humility. He's known Kairi's dad since he was a kid, when Kairi's dad was still on the bottom rungs of the government. He now holds a prominent position in the department of domestic affairs, but you'd never tell at first glance.
Kairi's dad then turns serious. "You kids, Sora and Kairi, you're the ones on the frontline protecting our world. We're safe from the Heartless because of all the brave men and women who put their lives on the line."
Then again, he tends to pull these grandiose speeches out from nowhere, so no doubt he's a politician.
"I know HBRC only handles low-level ops, but I still worry about you, Kairi," her mom murmurs. "When the hospital called, I thought it was like last time - "
She chokes up for a moment, and the table grows eerily quiet. Kairi's dad quickly fills the silence.
"Your mother and I, we worry, Kairi. It's a dangerous job."
"C'mon, you guys," Kairi begins petulantly. "We've talked about this before. I want to help. I want to do something for our world. Just like dad." She looks towards her father, who's smiling proudly. "This is how I can contribute. Plus, you know Sora and Riku are watching my back. Stop worrying all the time."
"We're parents - it's part of the job," Kairi's mom quips. The family chuckles brightly and the tension resolves, replaced with a familial warmth Sora has envied from a young age. It's sometimes hard not to compare Kairi's family to his.
"Maya, please. Another long-term op? You just got back last week."
"You know how these things are. I go where I'm needed. Where our world needs me."
"Well, have you thought about where your family needs you?"
"...how dare you say that to me."
Sora shakes away the feelings to focus on the conversation before him. Kairi and her parents are chatting about other jobs they would've pursued. Kairi talks about being a schoolteacher, to which her mom points out it's not too late, and while laughing it off, Kairi excuses herself to use the restroom. Her mom rises to help her, which leaves Sora with Kairi's dad at the table.
"So, Sora. What else would you do?" he asks jovially.
"Huh? Me, sir?" Sora does a double take and realizes they're talking about alternative careers. "Well, I've never really thought about it. I was always set on the army, like my mom..."
"A noble profession, that's for sure," Kairi's dad concedes. "But also very dangerous and not for everyone."
"Yessir," Sora agrees. "I can't imagine anything else for me though."
"I see…" Kairi's dad takes a long sip of his beer. "Well, don't let the job consume you. Work is important to a man, but so are other things. Like family. You're a soldier, but you're also a son, and you could be a husband, a father…"
"Well, I'm still a little young to think about that…" Sora chuckles nervously. "I'm only 21."
"You think you're young and you have all the time in the world. But that doesn't mean your girl will think so. If you meet the right girl, Sora, the best advice I can give is to not let her get away."
Kairi's dad trails off, looking towards the side with what looks like a nostalgic expression. Sora isn't sure how to interpret the pointed silence, so he's infinitely grateful when the rest of their party returns to the table.
"Why's it so quiet? Dad, did you tell a lame joke again?" Kairi whines while sitting down.
Her dad squawks. "What do you mean lame joke?"
"I bet Sora was too nice to call you out so there's just awkward silence," Kairi quips.
"No, I was just passing on some wisdom to the next generation. It was a meaningful silence."
"Sureeeee…"
"Well, do share your wisdom," Kairi's mom says with a grin.
Sora smiles hesitantly. "Uh, well, we were just talking about, uh…"
"When you meet the girl of your dreams, make sure you snatch her up!" Kairi's dad finishes boisterously.
"Eww, Dad, you're giving Sora love advice?" Kairi squeals.
"Your dad is right though!" Kairi's mom chimes in. "Were you sharing from personal experience?"
Kairi's dad downs the rest of his beer before sighing satisfactorily. "Should I? Well, more than 20 years ago, on a dark, stormy night…"
"Oh god," Kairi groans, hands cupping her ears while she shuts her eyes. "This is so embarrassing…"
Sora laughs at the lighthearted atmosphere. He's literally grown up with Kairi and her parents by extension since he had to stay over often as a kid. Jabbing Kairi with his elbow, she opens an eyelid to peer at him. He grins, pointing at her parents.
"That's cute."
Kairi scoffs, cheeks flushing at the comment. "My parents? I think you mean disgusting."
"Disgustingly cute, a little. But mainly cute. And sweet."
"Ugh, don't remind me. They just celebrated their anniversary, and Dad ordered the full menu from one of Mom's favorite bakeries...I still can't eat anything from that bakery without wanting to throw up. Also, this story?" Kairi gestures at her dad, who Sora realizes is actually recounting the tale of how he met Kairi's mom. "I've heard it a billion times. I could probably tell it better than them."
"I can see where you get your loving personality from," Sora returns.
Kairi stares at him for a moment before breaking into a grin. "This is dumb. Let's ditch and grab ice cream."
"You know I'm always down for food," Sora agrees readily, grabbing his things. They make enough ruckus that Kairi's parents notice they're leaving.
"Where are you two going?" Kairi's mom asks. "We still have dessert."
"I hope you get something as sickeningly sweet as you two," Kairi returns. "We're gonna go to Scrooge's, bye."
"Don't stay out too late, you need your rest," Kairi's dad reminds her.
"Sora, please make sure she gets back by 11 PM," Kairi's mom requests.
"Yes ma'am. C'mon, Kairi, we're on the clock."
The two chat and laugh while Sora drives towards Scrooge's ice cream parlor. On the way, Riku texts him to ask where he is, so Sora responds with the address of their destination. The pair enters Scrooge's, and before Kairi can say anything to the cashier, Sora takes the initiative and recites her order from heart.
"A two scoop in a cup, one scoop strawberry and one mint chocolate, with caramel sauce and whipped cream please. And a single chocolate scoop on a cone as well." Sora quickly pays and sits down with Kairi, who's looking at him with an astonished expression.
"What?" he says, a little self-conscious with the blatant staring.
Kairi opens her mouth but then closes it and shakes her head. "You're impossible to read sometimes, Sora."
"Really? Everyone says I'm like an open book. You've said before that I can't lie."
Kairi narrows her eyes. "You're right, I did say that. Maybe I'm just overthinking…"
"Overthinking what?"
Kairi's quiet for awhile, which Sora wants to question but he's distracted by Riku's familiar silhouette entering the store. He waves down their friend, who blinks in surprise and cautiously approaches.
"Hey, guys," Riku says, looking from him to Kairi. "Didn't realize you were with Kairi, man…"
"The more the merrier, right?" Sora exclaims with a wide grin, swinging an arm over Riku's shoulder as he slides into the booth seat. "What's up?"
"Nothing at all, you should've told me you guys were hanging out and I could've - "
"What are you talking about, Riku?" Kairi interrupts sharply. A smile then spreads across her face. "Like Sora said, the more the merrier. What's up? You look a little tense."
"Yeah, what happened?" Sora probes, noting Riku's knitted brows and surlier-than-usual expression.
Riku draws a deep breath and then exhales slowly. "Nah, just had a long day. Oh, dude, check your email. I got approved for the volunteer mission."
"Oh, shit, I totally forgot about that…" Sora scrambles to unlock his phone, noting the email notification. Riku gives a quick explanation to Kairi: while their team is on break given Kairi's injuries, the two of them decided to be useful and signed up for open positions in a volunteer mission. Truthfully, Sora had signed up while he was still mad at Kairi and wanted to avoid her. Riku, being the amazing friend he is, followed suit.
"What's the mission?" Kairi asks.
"YES!" Sora exclaims, throwing his hands into the air. "Me too, man! High-five!" His palms meet Riku's, the loud smack reverberating in the air, until their bromantic moment is broken by Kairi repeating her question.
"It's pretty simple," Riku explains, "we're attending a conference and writing up what we've learned. On second thought, it's weird that they went through a semi-rigid selection process given that it's volunteer-basis..."
"Cause intergalactic travel is expensive, so they could only pick the best of the best!" Sora exclaims.
"What? Where are you going?" Kairi asks with a hint of envy in her voice.
Sora grins, excited for this upcoming mission. It's been so long since they've even left the border, much less traveled beyond their world.
"We're going to Castle Oblivion."
Location: OATS (Operations and Tactical Support) Room 2, DiZA
Time: December 3rd, 6:30 AM
Though it's the crack of dawn, Naminé's day has already started...or at least it was supposed to.
She stares angrily at the schedule posted outside the OATS room. Her OATS room. She was supposed to head a mission, per her phone reminder, but she'd forgotten to mute it since starting probation. When her alarm had gone off at 5:30 AM, she'd autopiloted through her morning routine and arrived at her destination before realizing she was still suspended.
Stepping back out into the crisp morning air, Naminé figures she's too alert to go back to sleep. She has nothing to do - and for the umpteenth time since starting probation, Naminé realizes that she has absolutely no life outside of work (what does DiZA count as anyways - school? Employer?).
She trudges towards the cafeteria, pocketing her granola bar and yogurt cup in favor of a hot meal. To her surprise, she spies WINNER in a corner, chatting noticeably louder than the rest of the morning crowd. Though she's sitting three tables away, she can clearly hear most of their conversation.
"...you both owe me ice cream," Axel declares.
"What? Stop pulling this bullshit all the time," Xion counters. "You just make stuff up and think we won't call you out."
"I just bought both of you ice cream last week," Roxas complains.
"That's cause you lost our bet," Xion chirps.
"Wait, why'd I pay for yours?" Roxas stares at Axel pointedly.
"Cause you shouldn't have been betting in the first place," Axel says matter-of-factly. "Anyways, you both owe me ice cream, and I'll tell you guys why. Remember that super-selective mission we all signed up for? The one heading to Castle Oblivion?"
"Oh yeah, when'd they say they'd get back to us?" Xion asks.
"By Wednesday. But anyways, I got confirmation that we'll get in for sure."
"...what'd you do, Axel?" Xion asks suspiciously.
"What? Are you doubting me, your team leader?"
"I second what she said." Roxas points his thumb in Xion's direction. "That sentence sounded sketch, Axel."
"Oh ye of little faith! Isn't trust the foundation of any team? How can we work together if you don't believe in me?"
"Stop being a drama king and tell us what happened," Xion snaps.
"Okay, okay. So, I heard from my man Rai, who we all know just recites what Seifer says verbatim, who was talking with Aqua cause they have their weird thing going on - "
"What?" Roxas squeaks. "When'd that happen?"
"Seriously, Roxas? Get with the gossip." Axel rolls his eyes. "Anyways, where was I...Aqua, who heard from Cecil himself - probably cause she's his fave - that the main criteria for getting selected is if the big bosses approve."
"Big bosses? What's that mean?" Xion asks.
"Y'know. Basically Cecil, Edge, or the principal. And I sure as hell can get fricking Edge ma man to guarantee me. Of course, we're all a package deal, so you're welcome you guys for a sponsored trip to Castle Oblivion!"
Xion beams and excitedly high-fives the taller boy, while Roxas snorts with a pleased grin on his face. Obviously, WINNER is ecstatic about going on this mission, which sounds to Naminé like the presentation invitation by Organization XIII. It makes sense to bring field agents, since intergalactic travel poses the risk of Heartless attacks. But they'll need at least one or two OATS operators to coordinate, right…?
Though said OATS operator is technically still on probation.
Naminé considers what Axel had said about the 'big bosses' having the final say. Well, Cecil likely won't approve her. She's probably not on the principal's favorites list either, since he was the one who had proposed her probation in the first place. Which is a shame, since usually she's a teacher's pet just cause of her grades. That leaves one person who would vouch for her…but Edge handles the field agents. That's partially why he and Axel are best buds (they have kinda similar personalities, now that Naminé thinks about it). Naminé had met him years ago along with hundreds of other students in class for mandatory basic field training. He probably - definitely - doesn't remember her. Also, even if Edge miraculously vouches for her, Cecil would veto it. The principal too, probably.
Lost in thought over this dilemma, she jumps when someone rests a lunch tray and sits down across from her.
"Dad! What are you doing here?"
"I feel unwelcome," her dad quips, digging into his plate of food that largely resembles Naminé's. He chuckles at Naminé's rolled eyes. "Grabbing a bite before heading to a meeting and thought I saw you. Sorry, I just ended up crashing at the office last night..."
"At this point, they should get you a futon or something," Naminé grumbles. At her dad's mumbled response, Naminé sighs. "Let me guess - you bought one yourself."
"Like you said, makes sense, right? Given how often I have to stay over." Her dad grins innocently. Naminé supposes there's a lot of things she could say, but most of them are unproductive. She sighs, returning her focus to her food.
"...my probation ends in a few days," Naminé mentions.
"Oh, right! I'm sure you're looking forward to heading missions again. You should enjoy the rest of your break though. What have you been up to?"
Naminé grimaces at the question. What has she been up to? Besides sneaking into some of Hayner's missions and getting a super headstart on studying for level 4 Qual-E's, she's picked up some...'old people habits,' for lack of better words. By that, she means sleeping early, waking at the crack of dawn, learning to bake chocolate chip cookies, and going on long one-hour walks. Physically, she's feeling a little healthier. Mentally, she's still finding the balance between enjoying her leisurely routine and growing restless from the lack of work.
She doesn't want to sound like a loner, nerd, or grandma though. She does remind him about the chocolate chip cookies, since she'd had him try some the other day.
"Oh, that's right, those cookies! Haha, they were...flavorful, weren't they? By any chance, did you give them to anyone else to try?"
"Well, I ended up leaving some in the student lounge. They were all gone by the end of the day, crumbs and all."
"Oh, interesting…" her dad trails off mysteriously. Naminé isn't sure how to interpret his comment, but she brushes it off in favor of asking a more pertinent question.
"Do you know when's the mission for Castle Oblivion?"
Her dad's gaze hardens, and she knows that he knows why she's asking. "To my knowledge, the pre-selected crew is heading out this Friday…" Which is after she'll be reinstated! "...but you haven't been selected, have you?"
"I signed up," Naminé grumbles under her breath. It's the first thing she did when the announcement went out. But what can she do to sway the vote in favor of her?
"Naminé, there's a reason I'm against this, and there's a reason they're being so selective with who they bring. It's dangerous. I don't know how else to tell you that except by repeating it over and over again…"
A ruckus from a few tables down catches her attention. At WINNER's table, a lot of people have gathered for unclear reasons. Eying the commotion, Naminé's about to approach out of curiosity when her dad stops her.
"Did you know him?"
"Huh?" Naminé blinks, staring at her dad.
Her dad looks at her pointedly. "The kid who passed away. Did you know him?"
Naminé's blood grows cold as she turns to watch the crowd once more. A few of the students are crying or on the verge of tears. It looks like they're constructing a mini shrine with a framed picture and...platefuls of the cafeteria tater tots. The scene is a little jarring because of it, but that just makes it all the more eerie. Naminé can't see the picture from where she sits, but she vaguely remembers seeing an announcement for this impromptu memorial service.
"...no," she mumbles in response to her dad's question. "What hap - did he…?"
"KIA during a field mission," her dad murmurs. "Good kid. I know his dad, he works in a lab next to ours…"
It's not the first death among her peers Naminé's heard of. DiZA does their best to protect them as kids, but as she's grown older, she'd started to see the truth. That lives are lost everyday to maintain security within the borders. That tracking into OATS or field work is mandatory for everyone because even schoolkids are expected to contribute to the war efforts.
She knows her dad isn't bringing up this kid to prove his point, but it's nonetheless a timely reminder of the truth behind his words. Naminé's part of the generation that's grown up relying on the safety of the border. She wouldn't say she's ever faced true danger.
She isn't entirely sure why she's so fixated on joining this mission. Usually, by now, she'd have acquiesced to her dad's suggestions. Maybe it's the recent screw up during the Code Black mission that has her grasping for opportunities to prove herself. Maybe it's just to go against what her dad says (is this that teenage rebellion thing?). Mainly, she just feels like she needs to go so she can do her job properly and be good. Shouldn't that be enough?
Her feelings come in package deals these days. Being a teenager sure is tough.
...package deals. She suddenly recalls what Axel had said earlier, about WINNER being a 'package deal' so if Edge guarantees Axel, then he's gotta guarantee the entire team. What if she made the argument that she's also a package deal?
Now all she's gotta do is package herself...
A/N: Comeback time!
I'm back - not that I ever really left, but I wasn't updating this fic - but here I am, 'cause I'm committed to seeing this grand vision of a story through, so here you go, here's the next installment for Legacy! Please leave a review and let me know what you think about the (slowest progression of) plot, characters - or anything! Old readers, thank you for sticking around while I silently passed this fic's one-year anniversary. I hope everyone stays tuned for more!
