Disclaimer: I don't own Kingdom Hearts! I do, however, own the various KH merchandise cluttering my desktop.

Oh, and I forgot earlier:

Warnings: Contains Yaoi. If you don't agree with it, please don't read.

Along with schoolwork and tests and everything…time's been pretty short lately. (Kudos to everyone taking tests soon!) Then again, there's only about a month of real school left, so writing will take priority then.

Also posted another story called Perfect Person. It's a bit darker than this one, I guess. Story updates, excuses and so on will be in my profile, so check there for info.


Running With Scissors

-Chapter Three-

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"It looks like blade to me."

"No no. Look at the spirals curling around the edges. That's magic, I'm sure of it."

"But that indent in the center means blade!"

Riku studied the sphere as he slowly let his energy run through it. It was ever-changing, a mix of light green and dark blue. Watery thin wisps, not unlike those found in crystals, swayed in mockery.

Both Sora and Kairi were right. There was an indent in the center. And there were also swirls twisted around the rim.

"An odd mix you have their, child." Riku started, looking at the old woman behind the counter. She gestured to the orb, and he reluctantly handed it over.

"See here," she murmured softly, her voice worn by time. "The spirals, they unravel themselves to the displacement in the center. This shows that your core is to swordsmanship. However…"

She turned the area of interest over to its side. "These patterns - they declare that you do have some charmed talent in you. But the coloring is rather shaded, so I doubt you'll be able to do anything as precise or light-biased as healing. Perhaps fire or teleportation magic…"

Sora frowned. "So he has two completely separate cores?"

"Not if he wishes it to be that way." The woman breezed over it airily. Her coarse fingertips caressed and lifted Riku's jaw upwards, tilting his head to the side. "No, he may connect his mainstays if he so desires."

He jerked his head out of her grip, sudden feeling debased. Her eyes looked amused.

Kairi smiled enthusiastically. "That's something to think about, Riku. Think about it! You could be in the middle of sword work and suddenly teleport away! There're many advantages to having mixed centers, now that I think about it." Her mind rushed through possibilities, creativity blooming.

…Well, with a roommate like hers, you'd have to pick up on some imagination.

"Only a few others that have come to me have had hearts like these, child." She paused, crinkled eyes grinning half moon circles. "Take care."

-

"Riku? Darling, is that you?"

"…This is Riku. Can I ask who I'm speaking with?"

"Ri-ri… You don't remember my voice?"

Pause. "…I'm sorry?"

"Riku, darling. It's your mother."

-

Riku blinked, pausing in his return to his dormitory room. His eyes tried to focus on a spot of gold he was sure he saw.

"Kairi, does Sora have –"

"Let's take Riku shopping for a sword!" Sora burst in, having just returned from the restroom. He paused, noticing the somewhat baffled look Riku was wearing. "Sorry, did I interrupt something?"

"I don't think so. Were you going to ask something, Riku?" Pairs of eyes turned to him expectantly.

"What? Oh, never mind."

"You sure?" Sora inquired, cerulean-blue eyes blinking curiously.

"Yeah…maybe I'll remember it later."

"Oh, all right then. Should we visit Marlene's, then?"

-

"I don't care."

"Sir, we –"

"I. Don't. Care." Words were spoken laced with poison and unspoken threats. "Almasy is creating enough trouble as it is. We do not need another media-catcher at this school."

"There are people to contact. Something like this can't simply disappear –"

"You will make it."

"…Sir."

-

"What about this one, dearie?" The shopkeeper held up an equally flashy and overly glamorous rapier almost identical to the ones he had already turned down.

Riku sighed. His so-called 'escorts' were picking up various weapons and presenting them to his disbelieving face.

"This one has an especially balanced grip!"

"What about this one? It's suited for more long-distance combat than anything."

He held his nice, cool hand to his forehead, somehow hoping that the movement would relieve his annoyance. They were really loud… And the swords here were more pretty than lethal, meant to be mounted and hung on walls rather than fought with.

Then again, both Sora's weapon choice and Kairi's staff were sort of decorative, in their own way.

Kairi's was a long, slender rod the length of her forearm. It was white – not a pure white, but white nonetheless – and a scarlet gem was firmly secured at the tip. White bracings matched it, holding it in place. The jewel gleamed and set off odd sparks of color at moments.

Sora's…was a giant key. Strapped to his back in a leather-looking sheathe, it was the easily the most peculiar weapon he'd ever seen. (Riku eyed it doubtfully.) …He supposed that if you whacked someone on the head with it long enough, it could do some damage…

As if from some preschooler's cartoon, with a hero wielding a weapon that no one could match and who went off to save the world – before bedtime.

It was a bit blocky, but it had a firm hilt and there was a loop where, Sora had tried to hard to explain, paranormal chains could be connected.

Riku hadn't even tried to understand. The flowery words of summoning genies and sparks of fervor had dulled his interest soon enough.

-

The two childhood friends had ended up making Riku buy a sword. It was the least flashy in the store, at least. (Kairi's guilt simply wouldn't let her leave a store without buying anything.)

It was longer than most blades, with a curved hilt and polished edge gleaming in the light. It was light, the sheathe able to slip onto it with stunning clarity.

…Riku doubted he would be able to use it, though. Whatever happened to those fancy custom things he had read about?

Well, they were on their way to his room now. His companions had vividly complained about the unfairness of him having his own room.

Shouts of "My roommate's a psychotic cowboy with a fetish for females!" and "She's all right, but she gives me absolutely no privacy whatsoever! Going through my things when I'm not there -"

It was funny, actually. Seeing them try to out-reason themselves.

-

"God…damn."

His delayed echo spoke for both him and Kairi, Sora was sure of it.

Riku had been true to his word. Sticking to his checklist, he had promptly ordered a new bed (honestly, that dinky little twin thing wouldn't have done a thing for him) gotten a fridge (not too big, but just enough to fit snugly in the corner) and ripped up the plastic-like carpeting.

The result was rather nice. Riku, never one claiming modesty, patted himself on the back. (Not literally, of course. He'd once tried – his arm just didn't seem to stretch that long.)

Yes, having connections was a good thing.

A sofa directly under the large window served his habit of settling on his window seat soon enough. Smooth, dark wood panels preset themselves onto the floor, while the whole room had been bathed in a soothing, prussian blue color. The bed dominated nearly a fourth of the room and matching drawer space decked it.

All in all…it'd ease his Cenni experience, if anything. And he'd be leaving a rather nice room to a lucky fellow if he left. When he left.

"How did you…are we even allowed to…" Kairi.

"What they don't know won't hurt them." Riku commented, pulling out Cokes for his friends and another health drink for himself. Ever since he was a kid, it'd been drilled into his head to drink those things. The taste faded into the back of his mind, after a while.

It was like downing grass. Sordid thought, really.

He settled on his 'window seat', settling sideways so the breeze could thread circles around his hair. The other duo threw themselves onto another couch near the other wall, and the three of them settled themselves into conversation as if they were old friends.

Puzzle pieces connecting one part of themselves to each other, finally.

As he glanced out the window, he paused much like he did earlier in the day.

…Doppelgangers, maybe?

"Hey Sora? Do you have a…blonde…brother?"

-

-End Chapter Three-


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:waves: Hi. The story will probably gain some actual plot by the time 'classes' begin, so don't go away yet! …I remind myself of one of those cheesy television shows. Those "So don't turn that dial…!" things.

Implications in this chapter may be a bit obvious, but that's okay.

Anyway, reviews really do help, so… :3

Til later.

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