"So….," says Taivas, breaking the ice, "Vanilla fits in your handbag?"
Why oh why did she expect him to behave. Honestly. They will have words later. "Yes."
"And he… was here the entire time?"
Mud crawls through her head and out her throat. "Yes."
"And now he's," -Taivas makes air-quotes around the word,- "'loose?'"
She shrugs with more force than necessary, "Probably!"
Repliku buts in with "Let's save those questions for later. How about we look for him and stop him from breaking world order?" and oh goody he can totally tell how stressed Naminé is, the bloodhound. Doesn't help that he kept offering to carry her bags or what else.
Naminé's out of social brain juice, and really, she doesn't want to keep her answers short and her body language stiff, and she doesn't want to be out of juice yet, but she is. Get her a pack of juice and she'll be fine. Any juice. Except maybe Papou juice because she doesn't like it that much and it's overrated.
"Great idea!" She claps her hands together and the smack sounds much to loud. "Let's do just that!"
She strides ahead. Taivas and Himoyachi shoot each other a questioning look as Repliku frowns at her. However, none of them protest -there's a Vanilla to catch- and trail after her.
A short and awkward walk later in the direction the screaming couple came from, places them at the mouth of an alley. An alley inside of a mall which is a building. Smart design.
The alley is dark. Ridiculously dark, even for 'strange hallway inside a mall' standards. Naminé takes out her phone and turns on the flashlight function. Gummiphones sure are handy.
The cone of light flits around the area, shaking back and forth.
"D'you think he's here?" Taivas asks, making a show of looking left and right like some sort of scout.
A blink of red dashes through her vision. "Definetly."
She stares intently at the spot she last saw him, as if he will magically appear if she looks hard enough. Repliku's fingers twitch where he would hold the hilt of his blade.
The shadow appears again. Himoyachi jumps. "What the hell was that?"
Whereas a regular person would announce themselves by saying something along the lines of "Hi guys!", Vanilla opts for an ominous laugh that bounces of the cramped walls. When the darkness converges in a puddle on the ground, the lamps flick back on. So that's why it was so dark!
Naminé and Repliku stare at the form taking shape in the puddle with practiced neutrality. Himoyachi and Taivas, on the other hand, fall back in caution at the sight.
Until Vanilla, in all his glory, arises with a mighty roar.
A little to late, it occurs to both Naminé and Repliku that their new friends might murder Vanilla. Repliku leaps forward, arms and legs covering as much of the view as possible. "There's nothing to see here!"
Once Naminé joins him, they both appear as if striking a finishing pose. "That's right! Vanilla probably left and we should leave!"
Himoyachi blinks. Clears his throat. "Uh, do you honestly expect us to believe that?"
The overdramatic posers falter, their poses crumble, stopping short of tripping over each other and toppling to the floor.
Vanilla decides that they both have rancid vibes and says, "You ruined my dramatic entry! I practiced that!" He scuttles forwards between their legs.
"Oh my, he's adorable!" Taivas glomps him. With speed that has won him many a fierce battle, he nuzzles the intimidating creature. Which claws at him and swears up a storm.
"You won't kill him?" Repliku has seen neither of them draw a sword, chances are looking up.
In response, Taivas swings Vanilla around like a lion cub. "Are you kidding me? I could never."
"I mean, we've been outlaws. We don't snitch," Himoyachi adds. Naminé actually falls to the floor.
"I'll just-" she draws a shaking breath, "- lay here for a bit. You three become friends or something.
Repliku plops down on the floor next to her, sitting instead of laying. A glance back shows people walking past their little nook without sparing a look of their own. "You alright?"
First, Naminé sets her arms down next to herself, then heaves herself up. "I know my limits perfectly well, thanks."
"Do you?" He gestures at her general disposition. Distantly, Himoyachi proclaims, "Yeah, we both had magic amnesia once. No big deal, really."
She laughs at the sound of incredulous yelling behind her. "Of course."
Repliku frowns. "So when you ran off at the party, you totally didn't overstep your limits again?
"Again? What do you mean by that?"
"What I mean is, you always say that. You push through until you can't and I find you off somewhere having a panic attack. You know that wasn't the first time." She isn't having a panic attack now, is she? Naminé is just.. laying on the floor, at the mall, like a regular shopper.
"It doesn't happen that often."
Taivas giggles, and it's not entirely sure what they're doing. They run around in circles though, maybe a weird form of tag in which Vanilla walljumps everywhere.
"But it happens enough. You never ask for help, no matter what. I've gotten good at reading the signs.
"You remember what happened the first time." She knows saying that is mean as can be. Nothing stops it from ringing true, though.
And Repliku understands that. "Sora wanted to help you. We both did."
"But only because I messed with your memories!" Her voice picks up, she slaps a hand over her mouth when the others turn her way. Then, she shoos them of with an extra wave and they go back to horsing around.
"He would've helped you regardless." The hand on Naminé's shoulder is warm and firm. "You know why? Because you needed help. That's all it takes."
"You don't know that."
"I do. I worry because I want to."
"Not because you feel sorry for me?"
"No!" Repliku's expression is hurt when the last words leave her lips. For her or because of her, she can't tell. "You're my best friend, Naminé. I'll always help you. I'll never hold it against you, no one will."
"And if I promise to ask, you'll stop acting like such a mother hen?" Finally, the corners of her mouth turn upwards.
Repliku smiles as well and adds, "Except when you paint for five hours straight. I will force you to eat lunch."
"I can live with that."
"With that out, anything you want to tell me?"
Refreshed but still tired without doubt, Naminé lets out a deep breath. "I'd like to go somewhere a little more quiet, please."
After standing up, Repliku brushes dirt of his pants and turns to the other three they'd been ignoring for the past several minutes. "As soon as I get those three to be less stupid. It isn't that hard, right?"
It is hard. But it's a start. "Thanks. I know it can be.. difficult for you to act like this. I appreciate it.
Even though he makes a big show of crossing his arms, the annoyance is cleary fake. "Come on, I can be gentle."
He glances left and right, reddening. "One last thing though. I could forget you a thousand times, but at the end of the day, I'll always be by your side. You're my best friend, and I-"
Whatever Repliku intented to declare stops in its tracks as a blur smashes into his face, knocking him off balance and back to the floor, shortly followed by Taivas tripping over Repliku's remains and kissing dirt, in turn followed by an out of breath Himoyachi tumbling after his boyfriend.
Naminé snorts. Then laughs. Then laughs so hard tears threaten to spill.
Vanilla climbs onto the tangle of boys, proudly proclaiming, "No one can ever catch me, foolish children!"
She giggles again from her position next to them on the floor and shuffles closer. Vanilla remains so absorbed in his victory, Naminé nabs him. "Got you!"
While laughing at Vanilla, Taivas hits Himoyachi in the head with his elbow. Afterward, with a bunch more accidental kicks and hits, everyone stands at full height.
"Soooo," Naminé draws out, because big serious conversations need to be compensated with theatrics, "what does Vanilla the Terrible, greatest monster the worlds have ever known, to say for himself?"
What Vanitas the Terrible, greatest monster the worlds have ever known (which he once called himself in a moment of overblown egoism) has to say for himself is, "HEY!" at a volume right between speaking and shouting.
"Well," she taps on her bag. "It just so happens that I have an item which our dearest friend Repliku suggested I give to you."
Vanilla's eyes widen but makes no move to escape, since Naminé still holds him by the scruff of the neck.
Slowly, carefully, Naminé reaches into her bag with her free hand to retrieve said item. The three boys present track her movements with bated breath.
Red fabric comes into view, tied into the neatest shape of a ribbon. Vanilla, guessing exactly what fate shall befall him, gives his closest approximation of a frown.
He doesn't even speak, instead letting Naminé seal his fate around his neck (it fits perfectly). "It matches your eyes."
"I hate you."
She pats him on the head. "Love you too."