Takes place between Life Goes On stories Law of the Jungle and Team Spirit
The door to Disney Castle's gym slams shut, and almost immediately Riku starts feeling a little better. He can thankfully no longer hear the voices of the trio inside, one in particular. Azlyn's absence from his presence alone can usually do wonders.
He looks up and down the corridor he's standing in, not seeing another soul. That's good enough for him, to be honest. People are sort of confusing, Riku's always found. Even Sora, his best friend since before he can remember, doesn't always make sense. Being alone is nice once in a while. Not that he isn't aware that there can be too much of a good thing, a little place called the Realm of Darkness taught him that. Still, he himself is often Riku's favorite company.
But he knows he can't just stand around in a corridor alone all day. Steeling himself for any possible upcoming encounter, he starts up the hallway.
Disney Castle is a bright, beautiful place. Almost every inch of it gleams with a carefully applied polish, maintained by the army of animated mops in residence. Mickey had described it often, in great and fond detail, during their travels together. The place more than lives up to the image Riku had conjured in his head. Lost in comparing his imagination with reality, Riku only realizes he's reached the colonnade after he hears the library doors opening up.
Telary emerges, gripping a folder full of papers in his hand. "I'll be right back, Your Majesty," he calls back into the room, grinning in that nervous way he always does. "You sure I can't get you anything while I'm gone? I'd be happy to…" The wizard pauses, nodding sheepishly as Mickey speaks to him. Riku can easily imagine his mouse friend assuring the redhead that he has no need for anything at all for the moment. "Okay. Be right back."
After a quick bow, Telary backs away and closes the doors very carefully. Looking down to thumb through some of the papers, he gets a few steps closer to Riku before he realizes the silver-haired Keyblade wielder is also in the hallway.
"Hey," Riku says with a subtle nod, his usual greeting to the wizard. For some reason, he always feels like any other kind of acknowledgment might come off as too aggressive.
"Hi, Riku!" Telary replies with plenty of enthusiasm, as he always does. Said enthusiasm never sounds completely sincere to Riku, but he knows that's just the way the wizard talks to most people, always trying just a bit too hard. "I take it the lesson got a bit hectic for you, huh?"
He shrugs one shoulder. "You know how those three can get," he says, grinning slightly, as if the trio of their younger friends is a kind of inside joke shared between the pair of them. "Besides, I wasn't really needed at the moment. So I thought I'd…"
"You can totally go in and see the King, I mean, see Mickey." Telary shakes his head. "I still haven't quite got the hang of that 'first name' business yet. I guess a lifetime of habit dies hard."
"What are you doing?"
"Just a bit of minor King stuff," Telary replies, shrugging. His are always considerably twitchier than Riku's. "You wouldn't believe how things pile up when you're gone for more than a year. But don't think because he's working that the king won't…"
"Actually," Riku says, not even trying to hide the bemusement in his voice, "I was referring to you, personally. The folder…?"
Telary almost drops the item in question, but manages to hold on. "Uh, these are some old files. The king just needed to see them for a second, so I pulled them up from an annex a few floors up. He's done with them now, so back they go." He shifts his stance, pulling the folder even tighter to his chest. "Like I said, Mickey would be more than happy to see…"
"That's fine," Riku interrupts, consciously not shrugging again. "He's probably got to focus on this stuff. He's the king after all." There's a moment of hesitation, which in the back of his head he knows his stupid, and then, "Maybe I can come with you? Keep you company."
The wizard's jaw drops a little at that suggestion, quite obviously taken by surprise. He recovers in the span of a few heartbeats. "That would be cool, I suppose. In fact, I welcome it!"
Their quest set, the pair walk off down the hall, Telary immediately starting up a flurry of chatter. Riku doesn't say anything, but he can't help but feel like the wizard thinks silence might be deadly in this situation. Still, the silver-haired Keyblade wielder tries to absorb as much information as he can. Considering how quickly his companion is talking, that is no mean feat.
"…after that, of course hanging up rapiers any old where came quite into fashion," the wizard says, possibly referring to the thin-bladed sword they passed a moment ago, hanging on the wall. "When the Musketeers turned into the Royal Guard, that sort of thing fell right out of fashion. But we still keep some up, as a reminder of the old days. Ah, here we are!"
They stop at a pretty nondescript door, simple blue wood with a brass handle. A plaque's mounted at eye level, reading, "Library Annex B and File Storage." Telary opens the door right up, groping for the light switch.
When Riku finally gets into the room, he sees that, like its entryway, the place is hardly anything special. A few metal shelves are arranged against two walls, full of books. Another one only takes up part of the third wall, the rest occupied by a squat filing cabinet. Humming to himself, Telary opens a drawer and started filing.
Feeling awkward just standing around, Riku asks, "Can I do anything to help, or…?"
Startled, Tel drops the paper he's holding. He snatches it up again quickly, proving that his time adventuring has considerably honed his reflexes. "Uh, unfortunately this is sort of a one-person job, so… Sorry."
"It's no problem," Riku assures his nervous companion. "I asked to come along, after all." He leans against a shelf, again trying to make himself look non-threatening. It seems like that's always his goal where Telary is concerned these days. Their serious issues are far behind them, but still. There's just something about the wizard that screams handle with care.
"I am glad you came," Telary says almost absently, sorting through the folder again with practiced carefulness. "I hate to admit it, but this tiny little room freaks me out a little. Don't quite like coming up here alone. Plus, company is always good, right?"
"More or less," Riku replies, a notion suddenly hitting him as he speaks. He hesitates over whether to share or not, before deciding that Telary is an emotionally sensitive guy who might appreciate a little candor, sappy or not. "Especially someone, y'know, your own age."
The sentiment gives Telary visible pause, but the wizard recovers admirably, filing away the last piece of paper very calmly. When he turns, after closing the drawer with a loud noise, he's smiling.
"I know what you mean," he says, shaking his head as he walks back out into the hall. Riku steps out first, pausing as the wizard closes the door. A moment later, Telary's turned around again. he's still got that smile going. "I love the others, obviously, especially Azlyn, but…" He sighs, before stepping up very close to Riku and saying in an almost-whisper, "It can start to feel like I'm babysitting, from time to time."
The silver-haired young man smiles right back. "I know what you mean, exactly. It's not like that with you."
"I appreciate that," Telary says, his grin suddenly turning quite a bit shyer. "You're a good guy to have around, Riku. I really feel bad that I couldn't see that before."
Riku shrugs, not bothering to make it any more demure than usual. "Hey, I didn't exactly make it easy. And you…"
"Riku! Telary!"
Sora's voice interrupts Riku, coming from down the hall. Footsteps can be heard too, several sets from the sound of it. It seems that the younger members of Team Keyblade have caught up to their older companions.
"Well," Telary says with a sheepish, but undeniably sincere, smile, "that was fun while it lasted, huh?"
Just as Sora, Azlyn, and Kairi are rounding the corner, Riku throws his head back and laughs.