It's finally here. After four long months of tireless effort, Kiko has finally reached Riku's heart and proven herself worthy of his consideration. After all the off-hand remarks and cold shoulders and general avoidance that Riku has subjected her, he has finally let up and opened himself to the possibility of romance. Four long months of frustration have truly paid off.
But it hardly ends there. Oh, no. Getting that first date in a proper womanly fashion might be the hardest part, but there are a hundred different things that go into a date. Before any preparation can be done, she needs to think about what sort of impression she should be aiming to impart. She still isn't quite sure where Riku's tastes lean, so the best idea is probably something a bit simpler for her appearance. Less frills, less layers, less gems. Sure, she doesn't have any gems... beside that lapis lazuli brooch, but that's much too ugly to include as part of any outfit.
But that's getting ahead of herself. The big question before anything else can be decided is whether to go with shorts or a skirt. Which does Riku find more attractive? She doesn't have the slightest clue and her own preference would be shorts, but she knows she has no real fashion sense. It's probably a big reason she got bullied in her old life, after all. Maybe she should think of how to be distinctive compared to her usual self? She almost always wears shorts or pants, so she should wear a skirt for a change.
Things get simpler from that point onwards. She only has four outfits with a skirt: one is dark green, one is dark red, and the other two are different textures of the same dark blue. Unfortunately, the dark red dress was probably a bad investment considering her hair color. It made sense from the context of her old hair color, but a contrast between a dark red dress and her dark blue hair is not what she wants. At the same time, either of the two dark blue dresses will make her hair look like a part of the outfit and that's also a big no-no. Not if she wants Riku to see her as someone wearing the clothes instead of simply being them.
That leaves the dark green outfit. Green is a good color because it gives off a calm, relaxed, and receptive image that suggests growth, renewal, and life. Someone who will understand him, care for him, remain loyal, and mold herself to his needs. Combined with her blue hair, it evokes nature and harmony. With both as dark colors, they suggest a desire to not be noticed by anybody but the one she decides to approach; a desire for Riku and Riku alone.
Everything else falls into place from there. She doesn't even have to think about whether or not to go with heels: she has none. She's already at a disadvantage with her height setting her eye level just a little short of Riku's. After all, men find that kind of threatening. So long as she slouches a little, makes a point to sit before Riku and rise after him, and keeps her voice below his, she can beat this. With that in mind, she dons her thin strappy sandals.
With the clothes settled, the last topic to be tackled is make-up. She has never really learned how to properly use the stuff for beauty before, so it's probably better not to even try. It's a shame, since her stealth class goes into detail how to change her appearance but offers no perspective on just looking better as herself. She's only used to foundation, but even that is largely unnecessary with her unnaturally perfect skin. Whatever. Less work for her.
With everything prepared and still seven minutes to go, she sits down on the couch and thinks about her first move. Those couple seconds when she reveals herself are the most vital part of the occasion. More than the activities, more than the conversation, more than even the farewell. What would Riku find better, though? Should she allow him to open the door so she can pose or should she open it herself? She gets a small startle as some clicking sounds emanate from the door.
"Rye-koo," says that harsh robotic voice. She completely forgot about that whole system with her lack of visitors, but she now has the problem of what to do with Riku waiting. Why is he six minutes early? Surely, he has more grace than that? He must have just misgauged his walk. Kiko hops over and opens the door to reveal Riku... wearing his usual stuff. White and yellow jacket vest with poofy blue jeans and white sneakers. Why doesn't he wear something different for this?
"Hello, Kiko," Riku starts, his face just its usual passive self, "How are you?"
"I'm good," Kiko says, doing her best to sound as friendly as possible while standing with her hands clasped in front of her stomach, "How are you?"
"Okay, I guess," Riku answers, glancing over Kiko's shoulders, "Do you need anything else?"
"Not really," Kiko says, a bit disappointed by the lack of attention to her outfit. Does she not look like she put a lot of effort into it or something?
"Shall we?" Riku says in a vaguely inviting manner, motioning outwards with his outstretched arm.
"Yeah," Kiko says, walking out the door. Riku silently lowers his arm and starts walking towards the elevator, Kiko taking a few long strides to get by his side. What the hell kind of greeting is that? That's just a disappointing way to start a first date, but she can't fault him. It's probably his very first date as well and they're both used to each others' presence. He's probably just too relaxed to think anything of this. Still, why no comment about her dress?
As the two pass over the bridge, Kiko decides to let Riku continue the lead on this date. He can choose to talk about whatever he wants, whenever he wants. After all, it's not like Kiko really has anything to her life that really matters any more. The tall but meek girl with few friends and plenty of enemies died when she came to this universe. Riku doesn't need to know anything about Emily; he only needs to know about Kiko.
With the two now at the elevator, the silence finally gets to her. She'd much rather not break her vow so quickly, but this is much too awkward.
"What do you think of my outfit?" Kiko asks as Riku starts up the elevator. He glances over Kiko while the whoosh of the wind drowns out any chance of an audible response. As it comes to a stop, Riku glances back over her shoulder.
"You look okay," Riku comments, starting up his walk again as Kiko follows, "Green seems a little odd on you. I guess I always thought blue was your color."
"I wanted to try something else," Kiko says, unsure of how to respond to that. She's already starting to regret her choice of outfit now that Riku has displayed a preference, but she's not at fault. This is the first time he's ever said anything on the topic. She'll make a point to wear nothing but blue whenever she has a choice. Another awkward silence goes by before Riku continues.
"I guess that dress makes me feel uncomfortable," Riku says as the two walk into the spiral atrium, "I'm just thinking about your side-training and how it would make you more muscular. Puffier arms, muscle grooves, that sort of thing. Combined with your dress, it just kind of reminds me of something."
"What do you..." Kiko starts, the realization hitting her like a sack of bricks, "...oh, god, I'm so sorry. I'll go change."
"Wait," Riku calls out as Kiko starts to jog back, "You don't have to change. It's fine."
"No, it isn't," Kiko says, stopping in her tracks, "I look like that horrible person."
"No, you don't," Riku says, "Her outfit is bright and gaudy. Your's is dark and tasteful. You don't really look much like her at all."
"Are you sure?" Kiko asks, turning to face her idol, "I can change."
"It's fine," Riku starts, "Why let someone ruin a whole color for you? Besides, if Maleficent keeps her on the same leash she kept me, nobody else is going to even think of such a comparison."
"Well..." Kiko says, unsure of what to say, "...okay."
"Thank you," Riku says, motioning back outwards, "Shall we?"
"Sure," Kiko says, resuming the walk. That was certainly an uncomfortable revelation, but he's right. Why let a color be ruined by association? Besides, green is the standard military uniform color. She can't imagine everybody as being evocative of Mint.
The two continue their stride through the yellow hallway without any more discussion. Time to change that.
"What do you mean by 'leash'?" Kiko asks, "Did she cast a spell on you or something?"
"No," Riku starts as they emerge into the main hallway, "I meant it metaphorically. She finds orphans and outcasts with dark magical ability. People that won't be missed and the more emotionally damaged, the better. She takes them in with open arms, promising to make them her apprentice and keep them sheltered. She then stops them from seeing other people while teaching them to hate the rest of the universe just like her. Show them the latest wars, the ruined cities, the morgues. Only when she thinks she has complete control will she send them on missions."
"Oh..." Kiko says, unsure how to respond to that. Maleficent never seemed too convincing in her eyes. She just looks so completely evil and makes such hollow statements. How anyone could fall for her lies is a big mystery.
"I'll never forget what she had me do," Riku starts, "When she took me in, she had this other apprentice. Some girl, couldn't have been any older than 12."
"I don't think I want to hear this," Kiko says, recognizing the direction of this story and realizing it would cast a pall over the whole day, "What kind of festival is this?"
"Some inter-galactic culture thing," Riku answers as they exit outside to the bright and sunny day, "I think it's more for trading between the allied worlds. See any of the advertisements yet?"
"No," Kiko admits. She doesn't watch television or browse the internet and she hasn't been outside the castle in a long time, so she has no reason to have seen anything.
"I guess you'll see when we get there," Riku says, falling silent once more. With such a vague description of the festival and a lack of conversation topics, Kiko is just going to have to accept this pause. Something about the 'trade between worlds' brings to mind that bazaar back on Discord. She can't imagine a place with piles of raw materials being terribly fascinating, but there are probably plenty of other things going on. Bring enough people together and more interests will be represented.
In this disagreeable silence, Kiko and Riku walk through the packed streets. Music is playing all around, with bright fanfares clashing with moody symphonies and hopping promenades within the same city blocks. Even that is barely audible over the constant din of conversation, with terms like 'contract', 'deficit', and 'even flow' coming up surprisingly often. She never really thought about it before, but it does seem kind of weird how everybody speaks English in spite of signs with a dozen languages a piece. The tidy and messy alike all have their shops, with beautifully adorned stands full of velvet and silver residing next to hastily constructed canopies over a pile of merchandise. Seemingly everything one could ever want to legally purchase is here, with what appears to be signs of a black market stemming from the more dubious looking stands. Certainly a far cry from the Taste of Hometown.
Riku seems to have a pretty specific idea of where he wants to go. Without a word, he leads Kiko around through winding alleys and crowded district to some humble looking clothing shop. How it can stay in business with such scrappy looking clothing is anybody's guess. The material is scratchy, full of holes, and outrageously priced. Probably exactly why they're practically flying off the shelves, with people buying a dozen at a time. The clerk, some tall husky man with short curly hair and a full beard, seems to find some interest in Riku.
"Ahh, Riku!" shouts the blithe mountain of a man as he moves the whole counter out of his way, "Good ta see ya! 'ow ya bin?"
"Pretty good," Riku answers as the hulk slaps him hard on the back, staggering him a bit, "How about you?"
"Good, good," the man says, a jolly expression on his face, "Wut can ol' Basil do fer ya?"
"I have a proposition to buy some 'shawls'," Riku says in an awkward manner, "Is the back room open?"
"Of course," the man named Basil answers, motioning towards this door hidden behind some rough drapes, "Anyt'ing fer me main mon."
Kiko tries to think of an objection to this, but finds herself speechless. Why is Riku doing business with this incredibly shady man during her date? This isn't a business trip. However, he did ask to go to the festival and there's nothing that shows he's going to just take her to stuff like this all day. Without saying a word, she follows behind as Riku and Basil enter this small room. It just appears to be some wooden shack, light pouring in from the cracks. The only features within are a hanging fluorescent light, a long table with a metal top, some hastily constructed wooden chairs, and the same poor quality cloth hanging over the walls. One can practically see waves from the sweltering heat.
"'ey!" Basil grunts hostily, starting to approach Kiko, "Wut arr you doin'?!"
"She's okay," Riku quickly announces, "She's with me."
"Oh," Basil says in a friendlier voice, motioning towards the chairs, "Come on in! Take uh load off!"
With apprehension running through her, Kiko takes a seat in one of the wooden chairs next to Riku. Already, she can feel a bunch of splinters embed themselves in her skin. Such great hospitality. Basil casually sits on the table, resting his stubbly arms on his knees.
"Sooo..." Basil starts, glancing around the room, "Wut can ey do fer ya?"
"Your two shipments of assualt and sniper rifles..." Riku trails off, giving this deep gaze to go with it.
"Wut abowt dem?" Basil asks, his voice betraying his innocence.
"They're misaligned," Riku starts in an irritated tone, a disapproving frown on his face, "At first, we thought all our infantry in training were just bad shots. It took us a long time before we found out they had a slight curve and a couple knots in the rifling. We gave you the benefit of the doubt and just assumed it was a manufacturing defect. So when our new guns utilizing a new standard with a different barrel type came in with the exact same problems, we knew it had to be you. Why are you sabotaging our weapons?"
"Ey don't know wut yer talkin' abowt," Basil maintains, "Ey don't run de factor'es."
"We tracked down some of the other shipments from that same factory," Riku continues, "Including many from the same production quotas manufactured within the same week. They were all up to your usual high quality. I find it hard to believe that the 6000 assault rifles and 200 sniper rifles we ordered just so coincidentally happened to have the exact same problems two times in a row."
"Ey don't know wut dem Discord freaks arr up to," Basil retorts, making a backwards waving motion with his hand.
"Please stop pretending we don't know..." Riku says, squinting his eyes just a little, "...Pete."
"...You figured it out, huh?" the man now named Pete says.
"Your accent's slipping," Riku comments in a deadpan manner.
"Wait... you're Pete?!" Kiko blurts out as the name finally sinks in. How can this possibly be Pete? He's some big cat thing; not a human.
"Don't recognize me when I'm all humie, huh?" Pete starts, giving a belly laugh, "That Metadronis lady messed me up but good."
"Back on topic," Riku starts in an annoyed tone, "Is this some personal grudge against King Mickey?"
"You bet it is!" Pete bellows as he pounds the table with his clenched fist, his face starting to contort with rage, "That mangy git banished me twice! Why should he get good guns from me?!"
"Because he pays you a lot of money," Riku sighs, "King Mickey has been more than generous this past year. Even though he knew you'd work the black market, he still invested in you. You're not still with Maleficent, are you?"
"Oh, don't even get me started on her!" Pete snarls, "She gave me nothing for all my work! Nothing!"
"Please stop changing the topic," Riku retorts, "King Mickey has forgiven you. It's all in the past now. He is showing his faith by allowing you to supply his military. Surely, you must appreciate that?"
"Well..." Pete says, calming down a little, "...he did pay me ten times what that Dukakis git did. Oh, did I mess up his guns."
"You remember Grandmaster Uina, don't you?" Riku asks, reaching into his jacket.
"Yeah, I do," Pete admits, still sounding agitated, "What about him?"
"He has a new design," Riku starts, pulling out a laminated binder and glancing at a sticky note on top, "...'it is the best sniper rifle ever created. You can sell it for a hundred times its cost and you will still never be short a buyer'."
"Really," Pete says in a disbelieving tone, sliding himself off the table with a loud thud.
"'We will give you this design and its exclusive rights free of charge'," Riku continues in a flat voice, "'All we ask is you produce a shipment. We will pay 350 killo... kilograms of gold for 200 rifles up front and an extra 50 once we test them all to our satisfaction. After that, you can sell to anybody else you like at any price. Do you accept?'"
"...sure, why not?" Pete says in a begrudging tone, walking past Riku and snatching the documents as he heads towards a draped wall, "I'll make guns for that runt. But know this! If he tries to play a trick on me, I can still thrash that boat boy king to next Sunday! Come over here, Riku."
"Um... okay," Riku says, hopping up and striding over. Pete tears off the scratchy cloth to reveal this large mannequin of about his size. There are these thick red and blue armor pads covering the major areas, with a metal helmet sporting a single rhino-style horn. Of more interest, however, is the absolutely gigantic weaponry in its hands. In the right hand is a black and blue steel hammer that must be at least as big as Kiko and five times heavier. In the left is this equally massive chaingun with bullets the size of softballs streaming in from a massive backpack. The sort of thing of which you don't want to find yourself at the business end. Pete grabs this nearby camera off a hook and turns to face Kiko.
"Hey, greeny girl!" Pete shouts, tossing the camera at her, "Take a picture, will ya?"
Kiko barely catches the camera from sheer instinct alone. She wants to say something about that choice of words, but why bother? Starting an argument just means staying here longer and it's not like he'll learn anything from it. Pete grabs Riku, turns him around, and pulls him by his outer shoulder in for a side by side pose. There's something almost majestic in his tooth bearing frowny smile. Kiko fumbles a little with the camera before locating the viewfinder and button. Framing the shot with the battle equipment to the left, Kiko takes a picture. Some slip of pliable paper plops out, fluttering a little before sliding onto the ground.
"Tell that pipsqueak I'll think about it," Pete announces, picking up the picture and abruptly swapping it with the camera from Kiko's hands.
"It was nice to see you too, Pete," Riku says as he starts walking out, very lightly tugging Kiko's shoulder as he passes by.
"Sod off," Pete grumbles with irritation as he starts reading the document.
--
With that so-called meeting out of the way, it is only proper for Riku to treat for lunch. Get that smell of sweat and grease out of the system. Thankfully, near Pete's stand is this restaurant of vaguely Mediterranean style with all sorts of meats and fried veggies. The sort of place that someone trying to lose weight should avoid, but that doesn't apply to high end soldiers like them. Kiko still isn't used to the menus of this universe, though; she'll just order what Riku is having.
"Hello, and welcome to Pomegranate Phoenicia!" some cheery door girl with tanned skin and light hair greets as Riku and Kiko approach, "Business or leisure section?"
"Leisure," Riku casually declares.
"Right this way!" the door girl jubilantly calls, skipping in under the canopied door. Kiko tries to make a comment, but before she knows it, Riku is already several paces ahead. She follows her idol inside through the well adorned waiting area, the walls covered with banners and plaques. Some simplistic, vaguely stringy music is playing through an intercom system, barely audible over the chatter. They go through the cordoned off walkways through some rooms filled to the brim with people in formal wear. Each table has a monitor tree displaying charts and graphs, with a huge LCD monitor displaying six boxes of scrolling numbers and line graphs. The music in here is some odd techno-style thing that an executive in his or her fifties would consider 'powerful'.
This is not the final destination, though. They exit out into a fenced in outdoor area with simple tables and barely anybody in sight. Just a family of three and some woman tending a nearby bar. The music is back to the stringy stuff from the waiting room, its inoffensiveness almost offensive in its own right. At least it's quiet enough to ignore. The employee indicates some small table as she drops a few menus on the places, Riku and Kiko sitting down on the cushioned steel chairs.
"I'll send a waiter right over!" the cheery girl announces, skipping off back towards the front. Riku practically buries his head in the menu as he reads it over, his face obscured to Kiko.
"Why is that one room so full but this one is so empty?" Kiko asks.
"There are lots more people here for business than leisure," Riku starts without bothering to put the menu down, "Last year, they didn't even have this leisure section. City ordinance now requires 10% capacity or 6 tables minimum for non-business customers. People were complaining about being forced to pay three times as much to sit at a crowded computer cluster and share the room with loud 'alien' businessmen."
"Oh," Kiko says, not sure why it's still so empty. There are eight empty tables here right now; shouldn't a popular festival have long lines for everything? Kind of boggles the mind. Some waitress barely any different from the door girl or bartender comes right up, a plastic PDA of some kind in her hand.
"Welcome to Pomegranate Phoenicia!" the waitress greets, "Can I interest the pretty lady in a drink?"
"Um..." Kiko says, picking up the menu and glancing through it, "...White Dwarf is that yellow sparkly stuff, right?"
"Yep!" the waitress jubilantly confirms with a slight, gleeful hop.
"I'll have that," Kiko orders, unsure of herself.
"And for you, good sir?" the waitress asks.
"I'll have a malt," Riku starts, completely confident in his choice, "Sea Salt. Scrooge brand, if you have it."
"Of course!" the waitress says, tapping some stuff into her device and starting off towards the employee door, "I'll get that right up for you!"
"So..." Kiko pauses, struggling for a topic of conversation, "Why is King Mickey buying weapons from Pete? Didn't he try to take over the universe or something?"
"He's given that up," Riku answers, putting the menu down, "Now that he's settled down, King Mickey wants to get him back on our side."
"But why?" Kiko asks, "Won't he just betray us?"
"Pete is actually very easy to figure out," Riku explains, "All he wants is money, power, and respect. So long as he thinks you can give that to him, he will stay by your side through everything. Even a castle flooding with Heartless won't break his loyalty."
"But didn't Mickey have to banish him for causing so much trouble?" Kiko asks.
"I think Pete's just sore because Mickey used to work for him," Riku starts, "When Mickey became king, I guess he just kind of snapped. I don't know all the details, though, but it looks like he's calmed down since then."
"I guess," Kiko says, unsure of what else to say. She was always under the impression that he turned evil or something, but he didn't seem too bad. Grumpy, sure, but almost sympathetic. Another awkward pause occurs for the next minute or so, only finally broken up by the re-appearance of the waitress with the two drinks.
"Do you need any more time?" the waitress asks, gently placing the drinks down.
"I'm ready," Riku says.
"How about you, pretty lady?" the waitress asks.
"I'll let you decide, Riku," Kiko says, the words making Riku wince ever so slightly. He opens the menu back up and quickly glances over the first page.
"An order of Marakesh Loops for my friend," Riku orders, putting the menu back down, "I'll have the El Fassi Platter, extra wraps. Bring a whole bottle of Tahini sauce, please."
"Just the loops for the pretty lady?" the waitress asks, puzzled.
"Yeah," Riku confirms, holding up the menu.
"I'll whip it right up for you!" the waitress announces, grabbing both menus and skipping off.
"What's up with these people?" Kiko asks.
"Hmm?" Riku says.
"I just noticed all the people working here look the same," Kiko explains, "And that waitress keeps staring at me and calling me 'pretty lady'."
"You don't know about the Pomegranate Gendercide?" Riku asks.
"No," Kiko admits. She has no clue why she should know something like this, but whatever.
"It happened a couple hundred years ago," Riku starts, "Some scientist on Discord IV engineered this virus. It spreads through everything but the vacuum of space, eats every cell with a Y chromosome, and then dies after about a day. He didn't want to test it on his planet for obvious reasons, so he just went to the nearest one with life and fired it off."
"Just like that?" Kiko asks, just a little shocked.
"Yep," Riku answers, "Five billion sentient beings and countless everything else killed in the name of science. The most casual mass murder in recorded history."
"That's terrible," Kiko comments.
"They tried to stay on the planet," Riku continues, "Invented a way to keep making children, but once the other animals all died off, they had to leave. Used everything to create space ships, took off, and found a new planet. They've kept going as an all-female race since then. Does that answer your question?"
"...yeah, it does," Kiko says, taking a second to figure it out. She needs to make a power play after something like that. Unhappy topics are not befitting a date. What to say, what to say... awkward pause starting and nothing comes to mind. What is there to talk about, anyway? School is boring, military life is boring, she doesn't really want to hear about Riku's immediate past...
"Tell me about yourself," Riku finally blurts out.
"Huh?" Kiko mutters, taken a bit off-guard by the question. Before she can even think of a stalling ploy, the divine timing of the service brings in the waitress. Her board has one raised tray and a total of seven plates of food.
"Okay!" the waitress jubilantly declares, taking a plate with these fried loop things off and placing it in front of Kiko, "One order of Marakesh Loops for the pretty lady."
"Thanks," Kiko says, staring at her paltry dish.
"And the El Fassi Platter for the gentleman," the waitress continues, moving the tray and remaining plates over, "Extra wraps and an unopened bottle of Tahini sauce just the way you like it!"
"Thank you," Riku says as the waitress wanders off, cracking open the bottle and pouring a large glob into one of the wraps. Something about this bugs Kiko; why did he get all this stuff for himself and just order what appears to be an appetizer for her? Seems rather unfair.
"Um..." Kiko pauses, thinking on her next words.
"I didn't know what you'd like," Riku starts as he scoops some meat into his wrap, apparently reading her intent, "So I thought I'd just get you the 'safe' thing and the platter for myself. You may have as much of mine as you want."
"Okay..." Kiko says, a little disappointed. While reasonable, surely, he can do better than this.
"Tell me about yourself," Riku asks again, drenching his wrap in some more sauce. No wonder he asked for a whole bottle.
"Well..." Kiko stammers, looking down to her food and nervously flicking a piece around, "...it's not that important."
"I just feel like I don't really know you," Riku explains, leaning in a little to take a sip from his malt.
"I already told you everything that happened up to when I met you," Kiko says, deciding to try one of the loops. Kind of salty and greasy, yet chewy.
"That was all of a day," Riku quips, rolling the wrap into a cylinder, "You were obviously someone before you got sent here."
"I wasn't really anybody..." Kiko sighs, sipping some of her citrus tasting carbonated drink. Riku looks kind of disappointed, taking a quick bite of his brown stained wrap.
"How old are you?" Riku asks.
"Huh?" Kiko says, taken aback by such an obvious question, "Didn't I tell you?"
"No," Riku starts, "You told Sora... sort of, but you didn't tell me."
"Well..." Kiko starts, "I'm fifteen, I think. My birthday was July 22nd, 1993 and it was September 19th, 2008 when I got sent here... I think... I don't really feel 15 any more."
"You don't look it, either," Riku comments, taking another bite, "What sort of day was this 'September 19th, 2008'?"
"It was awful," Kiko says, "I don't think-"
"It was the last day you were..." Riku starts, pausing as something apparently crosses his mind, "...former Kiko. The most important day of your old life. I want to hear all about it."
"But..." Kiko trails off, thinking hard on what to say. These months in the universe have only darkened her view on her old life. Maybe it seemed slightly tolerable when she had no other alternative, but living such an exciting life here while witnessing just how screwed up her old world truly was has made even the thought of describing it sicken her to her stomach. Why should he care, anyway? She's here, her past isn't coming here, she's most certainly not going back there, and she can just mold herself to his expectations. What is there to talk about?
"Come on..." Riku says, annoyed, "I guess I'll be more direct. When you woke up on the morning of 'September 19th, 2008', what did you first do?"
"I took my medication," Kiko sighs, her mood falling with the memories of her former body. Such a frail thing.
"Medication?" Riku asks, now suddenly a lot more interested... or so it seems. Still not more interesting than his soaked wraps, apparently.
"Some type of a-ner-bol-ic steroid," Kiko explains, "Back then, I was so weak. I couldn't even lift my 50 centimeter TV. No matter how much I could force myself to eat, I just couldn't gain any weight."
"...they gave you steroids?!" Riku asks, a look of total astonishment on his face, "At fifteen? What quack of a doctor did you have?"
"I stole them from my uncle," Kiko corrects, starting to feel ashamed of herself, "He was a big guy. He could bench over 500 pounds and he had steroids to thank for it. I thought maybe if I took them, I could be strong as well."
"Wow," Riku says, shocked and appalled, "That's just... wow... holy crap..."
"I know," Kiko says, holding back her tears, "I was just desperate. I hate being weak. Hate it. So. Much."
"There, there," Riku quickly consoles, his tone more obligatory than natural, "It's okay. You're certainly not weak any more."
"I guess..." Kiko responds, thinking happy thoughts to purge that sadness out. She can't cry. If she cries, she loses. Imagining 'Make It Wit Chu' by her favorite band seems to do the job admirably.
"Anyway," Riku continues after finishing off his wrap, "After you took your stolen steroids, what did you do?"
"I brushed my teeth," Kiko says.
"After that?" Riku asks, pulling out another wrap and pouring some more sauce.
"I took a shower," Kiko continues, hoping to bore him out of the topic. Riku gives off a small sigh as he starts scooping meat into his freshly drenched wrap.
"What's the next interesting thing that happened?" Riku asks as he scoops stuff into his wrap, masking his growing impatience pretty well. So much for the boredom tactic.
"Jamie was waiting for me outside," Kiko continues, "She woke up early to walk me to school. She just said it was because she was being nice, but she asked me at lunch to go to her poetry reading at this coffee club that night."
"Who's Jamie?" Riku asks, pouring some more sauce on his wrap.
"She was my friend," Kiko explains, "I knew her since grade school. We were both in the same special education classes until 8th grade."
"Was she a good friend?" Riku asks, putting his wrap down and grabbing some type of yellowish green vegetable. He starts chewing on it as he stares passively at Kiko.
"I guess..." Kiko says, thinking carefully about her next words, "Our parents kind of forced us together. Always scheduling 'playdates' and crap because I didn't have other friends."
"She sounds like she liked you," Riku comments, "She cared what you thought if she asked you to go to her reading. Anyway, what happened at school?"
"Er..." Kiko pauses, thinking fast on a stall, "...may I have one of those wraps?"
"Help yourself," Riku says, taking an empty plate off of the raised tray and scooping some materials onto it. He slides it in front of Kiko, placing the bottle of sauce in the center of the table. Some sort of direction would be nice, but she'll just save that diversion for later.
"Thank you," Kiko says, picking up her fork and prodding at the brown meat a little. She seems to have bought some time, so all she has to do is figure out how to keep him away from that topic. Before she can think of anything concrete, he finishes his wrap and starts up again.
"What happened at school?" Riku asks once again, picking up this bread roll type thing and pouring sauce all over.
"How do I-" Kiko attempts.
"Scoop meat and whatever else you want into the wrap, roll, and eat," Riku explains, unfazed, "What happened at school on the day of 'September 19th, 2008'?"
"It was my fourth period history class," Kiko explains reluctantly, "I wasn't paying attention and was writing down a story."
"What sort of story?" Riku asks. Kiko starts sweating as she realizes just how undone she is. She was hoping he wouldn't ask that question, but if she mentions her old stories the way they were, both her respectability and her cover story are shot to hell. Riku would have every right to completely forsake her if he found out she was using him as a pawn in her self-gratification fiction. Against all her wishes, she's going to have to lie.
"It was..." Kiko starts, tripping over herself as she realizes the flaw in an intended path, "...a story about me and... Solid Snake as we went... shopping for clothing."
"...really..." Riku comments dryly, "Sorry, sorry. Continue."
"That wasn't all it had," Kiko continues, realizing just how major a plot hole her story would have without the glossed over element, "It also, er... um..."
"Yes?" Riku prods.
"Had-a-sex-scene," Kiko blurts out all at once, her voice barely traveling through the air. Too bad Riku apparently has really good hearing. After another uncomfortable pause, he gives a calm sigh.
"That's perfectly okay," Riku says in a totally sincere manner, picking up his malt and taking a sip.
"...wait, what?" Kiko says, shocked.
"You were a fifteen year old girl near the end of puberty," Riku says, "It's a lot better you got those feelings out in your writing than by sleeping around... you weren't-"
"No," Kiko interrupts, kind of insulted by Riku's doubt in her so-called purity, "I'm still a virgin."
"...well, anyway," Riku says after thoughtful pause, "I think I can guess what happened, but I'd like to hear it from you."
"My teacher took it, made some remarks, and threatened to read it aloud if I didn't start paying attention," Kiko quickly says, getting it out of her system. That should shut him up.
"That wasn't what I was thinking," Riku admits, a puzzled look on his face, "I thought some other student stole it from you, but damn. A teacher did that?"
"Yes," Kiko sighs.
"Well, that's..." Riku starts, looking kind of uncomfortable, "...kind of crappy. Did the other students pick on you after that?"
"Yes," Kiko responds, "Mr. Selacia didn't even say much of anything, but everybody kind of made their own assumptions. The usual gossip exaggeration."
"Mister Selacia..." Riku says, giving a thoughtful look.
"What about him?" Kiko asks, unsure of how Riku could ever know who he is.
"Mister," Riku says very deliberately, "Last name. What's your last name?"
"Huh?" Kiko asks, the scope of the question hitting her immediately after.
"You never gave a last name," Riku starts, "We always thought you just came from a culture just like the Destiny Islands. Small towns, everybody knows everyone else. If two people end up with the same name, then we just say 'Karthas, son of Longus' or 'Paimi, daughter of Quima'. However, with this so-called Mister Selacia, you just told me your culture uses last names. What is your last name?"
"...I don't have a last name," Kiko starts, her creative sectors working in overdrive, "My family is from out of town. We moved there when I was young."
"Immigration didn't give you a last name?" Riku asks, dealing the decisive blow to Kiko's cover story. It's over now... or is it?
"...Fluffypants," Kiko says.
"Fluffypants?" Riku asks, squinting his right eye in confusion.
"The person at immigration was a dick," Kiko explains, now confident in her new path, "He saw my dad wearing cotton pants and decided to name us after them."
"That's... um... wow..." Riku starts, "No wonder the other kids made fun of you."
"Yeah," Kiko says, doing her best to mask her satisfaction, "I got beat up all the time and couldn't defend myself."
"So, um..." Riku says, apparently a bit bored now, "What happened immediately before you got sent here?"
"Heartless attacked, appeared to destroy my world, and I got sucked into the storm," Kiko explains, thinking about a new topic of conversation to follow. She really can't let these sorts of topics overtake this date. Maybe she should talk about music or something? But there are no Queens of the Stone Age here. No AFI, no Foo Fighters, no Beck, no Coldplay... is Riku not going to say anything? He's just sitting there eating some grey brittle thing.
"My bad," Riku says, putting down the unidentified food, "I was expecting you to say more."
"What more is-" Kiko attempts.
"You were processed through the celestial system," Riku interrupts, "People don't just fall in for no reason. They get chosen because they have some great role to play or some crap. In over four months, we cannot figure out what that is. Yen Sid said he never even heard of you and he's usually able to predict new arrivals months in advance. Your performance is actually below the average in King Mickey's regular army."
"...somebody attacked me that night," Kiko continues, doing her best to quell her rampant emotions, "I was walking home from the coffee club in town. I think I was around Laurel Avenue when it happened."
"Laurel Avenue doesn't mean anything to me," Riku comments.
"It's where some shops are," Kiko explains, "I was between two stores when someone tackled me into the alley. I thought I was going to be raped, but he just stared at me for a while. Then he said 'my god, what have I become?' or something before running away."
"What can you tell me about him?" Riku asks.
"...I don't know," Kiko admits. Unfortunate but true, for a change.
"What do you mean?" Riku presses.
"It was dark," Kiko explains, "I couldn't really see anything."
"But you identified him as male," Riku starts, "Surely, you must have seen something. How tall was he?"
"I don't know," Kiko answers, "He knocked me to the ground."
"What sort of frame did he have?" Riku asks.
"I don't know," Kiko says, "I was dizzy and scared. By the time I could see, he ran away."
"...what sort of voice did he have?" Riku asks, now sounding very frustrated.
"What do you mean?" Kiko asks.
"Was it deep?" Riku asks, lowering his pitch to match, "Was it high? Thick? Did he have an accent?"
"...I don't know," Kiko admits, "It didn't really sound like anything. Just a voice."
"So you were attacked by someone," Riku summarizes, "You couldn't make out any features, don't know how tall or how big they were, and their voice didn't sound like anything distinct. Tell me: how do you even know it was male?"
"What woman would ever attack a teenage girl in the middle of the night?" Kiko asks, a bit confused by Riku's implication.
"I didn't say it was a woman," Riku starts, a bit annoyed, "I just don't think you should presume that it's male. Do you even know if it was human?"
"...I guess I don't," Kiko answers, now just wanting a different topic of conversation. She doesn't want to be this completely useless to Riku, after all. Perhaps it's by the good grace of some type of deity that brings the waitress back at this opportune moment.
"Did you enjoy your meal?" asks the waitress, her hands clasped in front.
"Of course," Riku says, giving a polite smile, "It more than lives up to its reputation."
"Why, thank you!" the waitress jubilantly responds as she does a slight hop, "Would you like some dessert? Coffee?"
"I'm okay," Riku says, "Thanks."
"How about you, pretty lady?" the waitress asks as she turns to face.
"I don't know..." Kiko says, thinking about whether she should get dessert. The menu was mostly indecipherable to her and there's also the fact that this cuisine is kind of a departure from her usual fare. Then she realizes something: if she doesn't order anything, they'll probably leave this restaurant and go on to do something that's actually enjoyable. She can distract Riku away from prying at her unfortunate past and hopefully find some activity in the vast cultural canvas they can share.
"I recommend the kulfi," the waitress says, a wide smile on her face.
"I'm okay," Kiko says, doing her best fake smile in return.
"Need some boxes for the platter?" the waitress asks, turning to face Riku.
"That's okay," Riku responds, "Just pass it along to the staff."
"Thank you!" the waitress exclaims, even more excited, "I'll be right back with your check!"
As the waitress skips merrily off towards the employee entrance, Riku leans back a little and drinks his malt deeply. It's only now that Kiko realizes she never got around to actually eating any of the stuff Riku passed over. Since the alternative is to continue that discussion, she scoops a bunch of meat into a wrap and takes a bite. Kind of salty and very dense, but it's not bad. She wouldn't come here on her own, but if Riku likes this place so much, she won't object. Maybe she can earn some bonus points if she can learn how to make this same sort of cuisine? Not that she really wants to be some stereotypical cooking and cleaning girlfriend, but if it makes Riku happy, it shall make her happy in turn. The waitress comes back with a small vinyl folder with the restaurant logo embossed on the front.
"How are we paying today?" the waitress asks, pulling out a pen from her waist smock.
"Expense account," Riku answers, pulling out a card, "Just write 'food' as the reason."
"Certainly, sir!" the waitress says, taking the card, "I'll be right back!"
"You have an expense account?" Kiko asks as the waitress wanders off, not entirely surprised but in need of a conversation topic.
"Of course," Riku answers, "I am working for King Mickey, after all. He gives everybody generous expense accounts."
"Oh," Kiko fakes. The waitress certainly didn't waste any time, arriving with the card and a form of some kind.
"Thank you for choosing Pomegranate Phoenicia!" the waitress exclaims, "Have a nice day!"
--
With that meal finished, Kiko and Riku decide to take a tour of the festival. It still bothers her that the apparent definition of 'festival' is 'place to sell stuff', but at least there are some recreational stands. This one section even seems zoned specifically for that purpose, with obviously rigged carnival games costing 2 munny an attempt. They've already tried a couple of these, with nothing but a courtesy keychain doll to show for it. One would think Riku's awesome keyblade powers would allow him to toss a ball into a milk bottle, but whatever. As they walk out to find something less frustrating, one particular game seems to stand out.
"Come one, come all!" shouts the seedy looking operator of some type of rifle game, "2 munny buys 25 shots! Punch out the star and win a prize!"
"I think you should try this one," Riku offers, motioning over to the stand.
"I don't know," Kiko says, not really feeling up for it. It would be so easy to rig something like this. Hell, with the average person being a terrible shot, it's almost unnecessary.
"Come on," Riku says, "Rifles are your specialty, right?"
"I guess..." Kiko reluctantly says, walking alongside Riku as they approach the stand.
"Hey, I know you!" the man says, pointing at Riku, "You're Sora's friend, aren't you?"
"I guess you could say that..." Riku says, sounding a little uncomfortable from the sudden attention of the nearby people.
"Have a round on the house," the man says, picking up a rifle and offering it over to Riku.
"Actually," Riku says, motioning to Kiko, "It's for her."
"Ohhhh," the man says, offering the rifle to Kiko, "Have a round on the house, lady friend of Sora's friend."
"Um... okay," Kiko says, accepting the cheaply made plastic rifle. Without much choice in the matter, Kiko eyes the piece of paper seated five meters down the lane. Judging by the tiny barrel of the gun, it probably shoots BBs of some kind. With twenty five rounds, that only gives her five shots per point. With the top point scoped out, Kiko fires a shot. Seems the sight is slanted slightly higher, but nothing too hard to overcome. She continues, putting two BBs per line with one at each outward convergence point. Start with the top side so gravity will help bring it down and try to space the holes just barely apart. Through some miracle, the paper star actually falls entirely out of the frame. The man tending the game gives a look of total shock for a second before going back to his self-satisfied grin.
"It seems we have an Annie Oakley here with us today!" the man calls out to the small crowd of a dozen people, "Here, keep the rifle. It deserves a fine marksman such as yourself."
"Um... thanks, I guess," Kiko says, looking at the cheap thing in her arms. Certainly a far cry from the Barrett M82A3 that accompanied her to this world, but it's the thought that counts, after all. His other prizes are just ugly cowboy dolls and plastic prop guns, anyway. Riku slightly tugs her as he starts walking away, the stare of the people apparently making him uncomfortable. Kiko follows behind as they leave the scene, emerging in some type of commodities market. Buckets of screws and other loose change.
"Why don't you act like your true self?" Riku asks, completely out of the blue.
"What?" Kiko asks, taken aback by the question.
"I've known you for over four months," Riku starts, "You're usually kind of boyish, to be honest. You wear clothes for comfort and durability rather than appearance even with the lack of a dress code. You talk about video games that seem designed for boys, with male main characters fighting the forces of evil. You specialize in guns and killing specific targets instead of tactical or medical support and never seem to turn your fights personal. To that end, your weapon of choice is not something graceful like a fencing degen or sorcery, but bulky knives and cast iron guns. You were even trying to get strong enough to use an even bigger gun."
"I didn't-" Kiko attempts.
"And yet," Riku continues, "You completely change when you're around me. You change your clothes just for dinner the times you come to my table. You never talk about video games around me and sidestep the topic of your training. In fact, you act almost submissive. Why?"
"I don't know," Kiko says, at a lost for words, "I just... I don't know."
"Do I make you feel uncomfortable?" Riku asks, totally sincere.
"...I don't know," Kiko says, unable to think of a proper response. She never really thought about it that way, but there might be some truth in it. She does want him to like her, after all. However, it's perfectly understandable that she would act differently around him. She wants him to be her boyfriend, after all, and that's only going to happen if she proves herself a worthy girlfriend. He is Riku after all; he can get any girl he wants... which doesn't explain why the only ones he ever seems to interact with on a regular basis are Kairi and Chou. Seems unlikely he'd seek romance from either his childhood friend or the pink alien and there is the fact that he asked Kiko out pretty specifically. Regardless, the fact that he showed interest in her through her modified actions must mean they're working.
"I just think you should be your true self," Riku continues, "Don't try to hide or change your hobbies and interests just because of me or anyone else. That will only make you unhappy. Anyone who can't accept you for who you are is not someone you want to be around."
"...how did you get your keyblade?" Kiko asks, just wanting to get out of this doomed conversation. Riku starts to say something, but stops as he apparently thinks something over. After a little, he recollects himself.
"When Maleficent recruited me," Riku starts, "I was just a 'mediocre sorcerer', as Maleficent put it. Still am, actually. She had this other apprentice, some girl that couldn't have been any older than 12. So damaged, so aggressive, so spiteful. We were kept separate for a few weeks, neither knowing of the other. Then Maleficent told her that she was grooming me to be a replacement because she didn't have any faith in her ability to kill when needed. This apprentice, feeling betrayed by her mentor, tracked me down and accused me of 'stealing Maleficent's love'. I attempted to reason with her, but she wouldn't listen and tried to kill me."
"But she didn't," Kiko comments, suggesting the unfortunate outcome that must have resulted. While she still doesn't want to hear this story, she can't stop him again. Besides, if she has to tell him about her less than pleasant memories, she should let him do the same. Let it be a cathartic moment for both of them. She'll just keep playing that song in her head in the mean time. 'Sometimes the same is different, but mostly, it's the same...'
"She almost did," Riku continues, "Maleficent had taken my normal sword for some crap reason a few hours before. Said it 'wasn't becoming of a proper magician'. Considering the timing, it was obviously to stack the deck in the girl's favor. All I had were a couple protection spells and a weak darkness blast. It was no contest compared to her total mastery of darkness and the elements. Just when she had broken my defenses, summoned a banishing portal into the Realm of Darkness, and was about to throw me to the whims of Darkside itself, I had a vision. A single heavenly voice, light and soft but warped with an undertone of chaos called out to me as I stood on this barren plain under a black sky. It told me 'don't be afraid' as this dark purple light started flooding into me from all directions. With a bright flash, I found myself back in reality..."
"...what happened?" Kiko asks after Riku's uncomfortable pause.
"I was standing there holding a red crystal shard," Riku starts with a strained voice, holding back a shudder, "I had this girl impaled through her chest and pinned against the wall. If there was a struggle, it had long past during my vision. I can still see her face, a final look of regretful innocence so unlike her seething rage only moments ago. Only when the full extent of the horror started to dawn on me did Maleficent show up. 'Why did she attack me?', I asked. 'Survival of the fittest', she answered."
"...and you still stayed with her?" Kiko asks, not so much surprised at Maleficent's actions at the fact that anybody would trust her after a stunt like that.
"Believe me, I didn't want to," Riku explains, a look of regret on his face, "But she talked me into it. She told me she arranged this fight for 'the best of all possible worlds', that she was always watching in case one of us went too far. Considering the girl wasn't stopped from summoning a portal into the Heart of Darkness itself, she obviously had no desire to prevent either of our deaths. Most importantly, however, she convinced me it was my fault. Said it was my lack of control that ended with the death of her 'beloved apprentice'. She told me that she had every reason to kick me out and make sure I never leave Hollow Bastion, but if I 'repent for my sin', she'd keep me. So I stayed, she trained me to forge my keyblade shard into a proper sword, and in turn, I did her dirty work."
"...wow..." Kiko mutters, unsure of how Riku can be so dumb. How could anyone fall for something that evil? It just boggles the mind. There had to be some mind control involved. Riku is too smart for something like this. Sure, she knew Maleficent somehow tricked Riku into joining her, but to just be so thoroughly and unrepentently evil while keeping his trust is beyond belief. If Kiko remembers correctly, Maleficent even called herself the 'mistress of all evil' right in front of Riku...
"Now that you know my story," Riku starts, "Tell me: is your life so bad?"
"What?" Kiko asks, confused by this question. He wouldn't possibly dare...
"You sound like you were just some normal girl," Riku outlines, "Maybe you were a little weak and got bullied a bit more than is healthy, but you had at least one good friend and a family that kept you sheltered with expensive video games to play. They didn't even search your room while you're away, since I don't think any responsible parent would allow steroids. Your so called 'worst day of your life' would have blown over after a month at the most. Even the so-called 'Heartless' attack wasn't anything bad. You didn't have to watch any friends get consumed by the darkness."
"After maybe a couple bruises and a lot of fear," Riku continues, "You got sent here through a system reserved for only the greatest heroes and most terrifying villains. You aren't even close to the importance of other celestial transfers like Grandmaster Uina, General Trevor Mithas, Simon Le Bon, or Master Williams, but here you are. Without working for it, you got the perfect body for the purpose of infiltration and assassination without a single magical tie. Your precognition might even make you more powerful than Sora and me if you learn to harness it. You spent less than a day on the streets before getting backdoored into a cozy military school that has done everything to accommodate you."
"...I..." Kiko breathes, unable to come up with a response. Nothing good can come from this.
"I didn't even describe the worst thing that has happened to me," Riku starts in a truly dire tone, looking deep into Kiko's eyes, "I have seen horrors beyond your imagination and committed ones that make those pale in comparison. I watched as the Heartless destroyed worlds and consumed people by the thousand. I watched as Maleficent inducted monsters that make Cenari seem rational by comparison into her coalition. I watched helplessly as Xehanort controlled my body and attempted to kill my childhood friend. As this puppeteer sent me smashing against Sora's weakening resolve, I got the smallest window of control to banish myself into the darkness. That was only the start of the nightmare that was my so-called adventure. Tell me: is your life so bad?"
Kiko makes a small whimper as she tries to think of something to say, but there really isn't any point at this stage. Date's ruined. All she can hope is to end it with dignity. No tears. If she cries, she has forever tainted this relationship. Nobody wants some overly emotional, weepy girl. They bring nothing but problems and Riku is more than smart enough to realize that.
From out of nowhere, the sound of a music box melody rings out. Some haunting tune, slow and deliberate. Seems almost poignant after Riku's diatribe on what true horror feels like. After a couple seconds, Riku reaches into his pants pocket and pulls out a cell phone. His face goes back to neutral as he presses a button and holds it up to his ear.
"Hello," Riku says in his usual voice, turning a little away from Kiko, "...yes...I think he accepted, but I don't know...he wasn't too happy about it, but he seemed...I didn't have to go above the first offer...he also wanted me to remind you that he can 'thrash you to next Sunday', with a picture to go...no, I don't think he will...I'm just at the festival with Kiko...now? But...fine...see you back at the castle."
Kiko continues to just stand there as she contemplates what Riku told her. This is so far from the Riku of her imagination, it's scary. She always thought that perhaps he was tossed about and used like a blunt tool, but nothing ever broke his magnificent spirit. Now, he talks about these events with a level of guilt suggesting he went along willingly. Why feel so guilty about being possessed? It was not his own actions, but those of somebody else. Riku eventually puts away his cell phone and faces Kiko more directly.
"King Mickey called," Riku starts in a vaguely annoyed tone, "He needs me for something. I don't know what. Shall we walk back to the castle?"
Kiko just continues to stare as she tries to rationalize his actions. He knows this is a date; why did he decide to rain on it like this? Dates are for happy things, not angsty brooding about horror and darkness. That's only for when there's actually something relevant such as an upcoming mission. After a little, Riku reaches out and lightly grabs her hand.
"I just want you to be happy," Riku says, awkwardly holding her hand close to him, "Your one day of darkness has passed. The school will see to it that another will not transpire. Will you cheer up... for me?"
"...sure..." Kiko eventually breathes out, her emotions too wracked to truly appreciate his gesture.
"Let's walk back home, now," Riku says, gently leading her by the hand towards the castle. Kiko, unable or unwilling to comprehend what Riku just told her, just silently follows as she thinks back on this date. She always imagined her first date would be something magical, something legendary. A true testament to the unbreakable bond forged between them. Instead, what she got was a whole lot of emotional baggage. If anything, this was a giant step backwards in her hopeful relationship with her beloved hero. She barely even pays any mind to where they're going, allowing him to lead her through the castle corridors and into the spiral atrium. Riku stops by the hallway to the elevator, turning to face Kiko again.
"It was nice seeing you," Riku starts, "If I'm able, I'll find you at dinner tonight. Just relax, think about your life, and be happy."
"...okay..." Kiko murmurs weakly.
"Have a nice day," Riku says, finally releasing her hand and walking off towards some unmarked door. Kiko wanders through the hallway, up the elevator, and back to her room without a coherent train of thought. Now that she's in the privacy of her room away from the prying eyes of Riku or anyone that might tell him, she does the only thing that seems natural after an event like this: she walks into her bedroom, tosses aside the cheap toy gun, falls face first onto her bed, and weeps.
