Not Such a Small Little World

Kairi's PoV

While at the mall with her two best friends, Kairi looked at this "Lollipop Chainsaw" game. And despite how macabre it was, she couldn't help finding the pairing there kind of cute... Maybe as a Princess of Heart, she was just hardwired to like anything with romance.

And while Riku was by Kairi's side—checking out other video games—it was only Sora who noticed that she was holding the game up to the light with a reverent look on her face.

And he came abreast her the moment he did, it seemed to Kairi. "I didn't know you liked that game," Sora said with an amazed lilt to his voice, as he put his hands behind his head in his trademark gesture. Kairi giggled. There was just something about seeing Sora in that pose, that always cracked her up.

"One of my favorite parody editors made a video about Lollipop Chainsaw… and I liked it enough to give the game a go," Kairi said as she put a hand on her hip. Then, reluctantly, she placed the game down… almost feeling sad about it, which was ridiculous since she already owned it.

Riku—who had come into the conversation somewhere during the middle of it—grinned, as he ruffled Kairi's hair some (something that Kairi pretended she didn't like, but really she did): "This game fits the princess. Doesn't it, Sora? I can just see her poppin' some gum and being cheerleader-like while fighting in a stronger manner than anyone else."

And at this, Kairi couldn't help but to blush and bow at Riku for his compliment. She was still new to the Keyblade, after all. So any praise like this made Kairi's heart soar… and made her think she didn't quite deserve it.

"Yep! I'd sure say so!" Sora joined in with the attempted ego-boosting now—making Kairi feel even more humiliated, as he handed one of the Mario games where you played as Princess Peach to her.

"Sora, what-" Kairi started, because while she thought she knew where he was getting at with this—that she was as strong as they eventually made Princess Peach in some games—there was another way she could've been taking it, too.

And seeming to realize that, Sora scratched his cheek a bit awkwardly and decided to go another route. "I would've gone with Tales of Vesperia, since Estelle's a lot like you in my opinion… But that game's still Yuri's… and Kairi, what I'm trying to say here, is that one day the game is going to be yours. I just know it."

Kairi grinned widely—fully appreciating Sora's words and kind gesture now—but also wanting to get the focus off of her some, she decided to move the conversation to another topic. "So, what are you two shopping for?"

But the moment the words left Kairi's mouth, she already figured out the answer when it came to Sora; he was holding the item he'd come here for in his hands, and it was a Naruto game.

Riku just shrugged and pulled out what he'd been hiding behind his back... and he seemed a little bit embarrassed about it, if Kairi said so herself. "I bought a Dating Sim..."

And instead of commenting on that, like she really wanted to—though it seemed Sora was about to speak on it, with the way he leaned towards Riku with a cheeky look on his faced—Kairi made the decision about how they should spend the rest of the day for them. "So, I say we go over to Riku's house and play a lot of video games, like we did in the early days of our friendship. Sounds good to me! Sign me up! Maybe it'll even inspire my fighting some!"

So that was how the three friends found themselves on Riku's balcony: their old hangout. And Kairi was about to put one of the video games in for them, but Sora stopped her as he came forward and put a gentle hand on her wrist. "Actually, Kairi… I feel like we should watch something instead. Maybe something we've all already seen. Because, to be honest, I want to enjoy this new Naruto for all that it is, and I know we'd just talk over it. And I'm sure Riku feels the same way about his lovey-dovey, kissy-kissy, game, too."

And as Riku started chasing Sora around the balcony then—threatening to throw him off of it—Kairi set to work finding an anime they could all watch together. And almost instantly, her fingers found "Cardcaptors", and she sighed.

"You guys are gonna wanna watch Cardcaptors, huh?" Kairi asked as she looked over her shoulder, to see that Sora and Riku had finally settled down on the couch and were watching her in an expectant manner. "Even though this weird version of it killed some of what the original—'Cardcaptor Sakura'—had, by doing things like increasing Syaoran's—I'm sorry. 'Li's'—role?

"It did do all of those things," Sora said, as he fist bumped with Riku. "But it made a cool anime even cooler, because he's the best."

"...I guess I can give you that. And I assume every boy in the world feels that way," Kairi said surprisingly bitterly… almost wondering if this hangout was a good idea, if they were going to be arguing over this fandom. She hung her head and had to fight against putting a video game in, after all. "...But since you guys love me—and can respect that I think they downplayed Sakura to do this—can we watch something else?"

It was then that an answer to all three's prayers arrived, in the form of Riku getting a package dropped off at his house downstairs, that he quickly went to retrieve... a package full of anime stuff, since he was subscribed to a company that gave him new content of it every month.

And what was this, that Riku was showing them now?! Some sort of anime and manga named "Tsubasa", that had Syaoran and Sakura as the main characters?! Kairi was ripping the items out of the box they'd come in, and eyeing them immediately—as she tried to figure out just how much the gods of Olympus must have loved them all, to make this a thing.

"Well, there you guys go," Kairi laughed, as she handed the manga to Sora and the DVD to Riku (having to knock "The Third" DVD out of Riku's hand, so there was room for it). "There's a Cardcaptor Sakura spinoff, where Syaoran is the main character. Now, this I can get behind, since it respects the original writers' wishes. So, let's watch away."

…But half-way through, they couldn't do so anymore. The boys missed the humor from Cardcaptors and/or Cardcaptor Sakura: whichever. And Kairi felt the show was somewhat slow. "…Even from the little I remember of being in your heart, Sora... I don't think you wasted so much time exploring every nook and cranny of a world on your first journey…"

I have an idea," Riku said, as he gave the kind of small smirk he'd always worn before suggesting they do something that would get them all into trouble. Kairi's breath hitched in her throat. "…Why are we even trying to watch anything, anyway? Most of the times we played some sort of game together: video game or other. So why don't we do that now?"

Kairi thought that was a fine idea; she had many pleasant memories of playing Monopoly with Sora and Riku... as well as Life, even though those boys had always somehow beat her at that. She always won at the Barbie Rapunzel game she made them play with her, however. But somehow, she thought that they wouldn't appreciate that suggestion now…

"I know!" Sora exclaimed, as he clapped his hands together. And Kairi, jokingly, was tempted to ask him if he had been spending more time with Tifa Lockhart or the London Tipton girl they'd just met, because they were both known to do that. "Why don't we go out and buy that 'Boxers and Briefs' game? It's supposed to help friends get to know each other even better, in an amusing way."

Kairi was down for that (and she tried to discreetly let him know this, in handing him his favorite orange soda when his first can went empty). But really, she was always down for any of Sora's ideas.

But Riku seemed dubious… as he tried to act like he was above Kairi and Sora, Kairi guessed, by eating orange candy instead of drinking pop with so many calories. "It sounds like that 'Would You Rather' game. And we can easily make up questions for that ourselves. So, Sora... why even bother spending munny on that rip-off game, then?"

"To... uhh, celebrate us all finally being together on the Islands again?" Sora asked, as he jumped atop a pizza box to try and stand taller and make them buy into his point that way. He seemed cute like this, to Kairi. Like a little kid play acting for the first time… which sounded a little condescending, but she swore that it wasn't! Especially since she was on his side!

Or maybe… now that Kairi thought about it, mayhap Sora looked more like something else she knew about… "You look like that lovers' statue from Olympus, that you said Meg hates," Kairi laughed.

But Sora was instantly retorting. "I do not! If anything, I look more like Meg when she grabbed onto the statue to keep from falling. Not the statue itself."

Kairi really could've argued the point… but since Sora still knew more about Olympus than she did, she decided to drop the issue and return to the matter at hand: "….I think we should play this game of Sora's, Riku. Who wants gross things—like 'would you rather have a ton of bandages ripped off your hairy skin or lick a dirty one?'—when I'd like to believe this similar game has better questions?"

Riku seemed like he was about to say something—perhaps to argue with Kairi, that he thought this new game would be much worse—but Sora gave him a look, Kairi saw, so he zipped up his mouth and threw away the key.

And smiling at Kairi then, Sora muttered, "So 'Boxers and Briefs', it is." But by his tone, he almost seemed sad by her agreeing now and at first, she couldn't figure out why. But then she did.

"Unless... unless it isn't," Kairi said, feeling as though she'd just had an epiphany as she pulled at the fuzz on the orange blanket atop her. She'd been desperate for this hangout because she'd wanted a normal night with her friends again more than anything... and was Sora the same way? "…Sora, you're really not fighting for that game itself, are you? You're worried that we don't know each other anymore?" Kairi asked as she put a comforting hand on Sora's shoulder and snuggled a bit closer to him.

"I- I guess?" Sora admitted, but he seemed to think it was shameful to do so. Because almost immediately, he'd clapped a hand over his mouth.

But then, sighing, Sora continued on after Riku shot him a look this time. "I mean, how could I not? We've all been to so many worlds lately, but without each other. I wanted to make sure we haven't lost track of who the others are. Even though we didn't play this type of question game back in the day, we would play things like 'Trivial Pursuit' and I wanted to recreate that… and more."

"We do still know each other, Sora," Riku promised, as he also got closer to Sora and slapped him on the back. "I know you hate Mr. Sanyee with a passion... that Kairi wishes we'd bake bread at school every day, and you guys know how I love to grill food. You two are the chefs, but I'm the griller. None of that has changed.

"But if you're really worried, Sora, I'm willing to put my love for grilling aside and cook with you guys. Why don't we make pizza like we used to with Sora's mom all the time?"

"You guys-" Sora started with tears in his eyes. And he was clearly so moved, that Kairi was sure he'd be the one to give Riku the affirmative.

But when he instead seemed too choked up to, Kairi went on ahead with it herself. "Let's do it, Riku!"

…And while Riku threw flour at Sora, Sora cooked up a mean sauce, and Kairi amazingly found some black truffles to put atop the pizza, she reckoned the three of them had never had a more magical time: even amidst all the normalcy.

"Small little world", her foot!

Author's Note: I swear I wasn't bashing any of the fandoms referenced in this story. I just needed to give them all different opinions on things.

Also, full disclosure... I haven't played Lollipop Chainsaw or any of the Princess Peach games.

And Riku being rich, and with a balcony, is based off the manga.

I swear I didn't include Tsubasa as a joke, since Sora's Japanese VA is also Syaoran's Japanese VA, but it still works well for one. And I also just realized it's funny that Kairi likes Lollipop Chainsaw, when Sora almost had a chainsaw in KH. Yep.