TRIGGER WARNINGS: frank, somewhat censored discussion of rape/non-con

Chapter Three

"That was so weird," Namine breathes out. "Why was he acting like that?"

Kairi drops her head into her hands in frustration. "Ugh, you have no idea. He's been like this since yesterday, and I have no idea why. Snapping at me and saying hurtful things. I don't know what's wrong with him."

"Could it be darkness?" Aqua asks, frowning in concern. "Riku did say something about his Forms being affected by it."

"I have no idea," Kairi replies with a shrug. "He's acting completely out of character."

"I'll say," Namine says. "He looked at me like he wanted to kill me."

Kairi thinks back to the promise he made her in the cockpit of the ship and shudders. "Hopefully it's not the darkness. If it is, I don't think things are going to get any better without some help from the King or Master Yen Sid."

The three women remain quiet, watching as Aqua dusts some translucent powder over her face. She talks as she does.

"I think we should be prepared for at least one of us to not be accepted. Sora may be acting like an asshole right now, but there's no way he'd jeopardize all the girls that have been kidnapped by blowing our cover."

"Right," Namine agrees, sharing a nod with Kairi. "Our goal should be for at least one of us to get in. But I don't think we should tell the guys."

"Have either of you ever been in a place like that for any reason?" Aqua asks, spinning to face them. "Do you know what you're walking into?"

Both younger girls shake their heads. Aqua's expression turns grim.

"I think the guys are being a bit ignorant. This plan might go off without a hitch, but it might also go sideways. And this place is not some…clubhouse. It's a brothel. Everyone knows what goes on in a brothel and oftentimes, there are abusive things taking place. Our goal is to talk to the girls. To ask them if they know the owner's name. If he's in the building, even better. We find out the information, and then we get out of there. If only one of us makes it in, then it'll be on that person's shoulders to do it."

"Okay," Kairi says.

She starts to tell them what Sora said, about the promise he made, but she stops herself. Something tells her she shouldn't tell anyone the full extent of his behaviors. She knows there's something seriously wrong, and she doesn't want anyone to change their opinion of him by thinking it's the real him. Because it's not, and it never will be. In spite of what he insinuated, he's not a killer. He can't be.

Hopefully.

Kairi looks at the make-up that's organized neatly on the vanity. Aqua's always been like that—rigid. Controlled. Clean. She follows all of the rules, even if they don't make sense, because it's the right thing to do. That's something she admires about her. Kairi doesn't like rules and regulations. She likes the freedom in doing what she wants, when she wants, and hang the consequences.

"So, I'm guessing you guys have a dress for me, too?" she says.

"Indeed we do," Aqua says, disappearing into the bathroom for a moment. She returns with something soft and see-through, a rich emerald-green in color. It's got gold sparkles smattered throughout. "We got the dresses from Esmerelda."

"Esmerelda?"

"She's one of the people Sora and Riku met the first time they came here. Her and some others," Namine explains. "She's really nice."

"What does she think about us doing this?"

"She's not technically supposed to know," Namine says with a sheepish expression. "But we needed her help with looking the part, you know?"

"Makes sense."

Kairi accepts the dress from Aqua and holds it up. It's gorgeous, to be honest, and something that she wouldn't be caught dead in anywhere else based purely upon the fact that it's so risque. She knows she's a Princess of Heart, but she's never felt comfortable looking like one. She's never dressed up like one, either.

"Here's a pair of slippers, too." Aqua hands her a pair of gold slippers. They're soft but sturdy on the bottom.

"Well," Kairi says with a resigned sigh, "I'll go put it on. Be right back."

Kairi goes into the bathroom, closing the door behind her. For some reason, it surprises her that the toilet and sink are so modern-looking. This entire city looks so historical that she half-expected it to be a hole in the ground and a wooden bucket.

Quickly, she shucks her battle clothes and steps into the dress. It slides over her skin like silk, light and airy in the way it floats on her body. It's similar to Aqua's, with a slit up the leg, but the bodice is structured and the sleeves fall off of her shoulders in a haphazard way. The glitter catches in the lantern-light, sparkling like a golden night sky. The neckline is simple and straight, highlighting the teardrop pearl pendant that decorates her neck.

Kairi touches the pendant, thinking fond thoughts about its origins. She can still remember her twelfth birthday, when Sora gave it to her. He'd been so excited for her to open it, having gone to a jewelry shoppe with his mother specifically to pick it out. He'd even wrapped it himself, judging by the shoddy wrapping that surrounded the box.

She wishes things weren't so tense right now. She wishes they hadn't grown apart. What if his behavior isn't just behavior? What if it's his new personality?

What if he's changed?

She supposes she couldn't begrudge him a personality change. He's twenty-four, not twelve or fourteen or seventeen. Whoever he was as a teenager was bound to shift over the years. And after everything he's seen and been through, how could he be expected to stay the same?

Setting her sadness aside, she puts on the gold slippers, folds up her discarded battle clothes, and leaves the bathroom. After she puts the folded clothes, belt, and leg satchel on the bed, she lets them see the full effect of the dress. Namine and Aqua fawn over it and the way she looks in it, causing Kairi to blush and feel put on display. She isn't used to such treatment. She doesn't think she's ever heard someone call her beautiful, for that matter.

"Here, sit down," Aqua says with a gentle smile, pulling out the vanity chair for her. Her movement causes the late afternoon sunlight to glint warmly off of a set of dangling silver earrings that she's wearing pierced through her ears. "I'll do your make-up."

"And I'll do your hair," Namine says. "Come on, come on. Let's get it done before the guys get back. They'll be so surprised."

Kairi rolls her eyes, but takes her seat without issue. Aqua and Namine spend the next twenty minutes working in tandem to get her ready. Kairi isn't sure which she dislikes the feeling of more—having her hair tugged and yanked on, or having the soft bristles of make-up brushes fluttering over her face.

It's also a little disturbing how comfortable the two women seem to be with this plan.

"Aren't you guys worried?" Kairi asks when Aqua stops to select a lipstick color for her. "What if something goes wrong?"

"Like what?" Namine asks.

"Well, like getting stuck there, or taken away. Or…well, you know."

Aqua gives her a troubled look. "Taking clients?"

Kairi goes pale. She hadn't wanted to say it aloud. It's unthinkable.

"There's no way I'll let that happen, Kairi," Aqua says.

"What if you don't get accepted? What if it's me and Namine? Or one of us alone?"

"I have thought about that, actually. And I won't lie—I'm concerned about it."

"We could keep knives or daggers on us?" Namine suggests. "Tucked away somewhere."

"I don't think that will fly," Aqua says, shaking her head. "It would be stupid of them to take on girls and not check them for weapons. It's probably the first thing they'll do to whoever's accepted."

"I mean, I can fight hand-to-hand, thanks to Terra's help a few years ago, even though I'm not the best at it," Kairi says. "Can either of you?"

"A little bit," Aqua replies as Namine says, "Not really."

The three women fall silent for a minute or two, a time period during which Aqua takes the opportunity to paint Kairi's lips with some pale pink lipstick. When she's done, she speaks.

"I think we should be realistic. Between the three of us—and we shouldn't clue the guys in." She clicks the lid back onto the lipstick. "There's always a chance things will go wrong, and there's a chance things could really go wrong. And I want you to know that if you need to do something to protect yourself, then you should do it. If you have to hurt someone, or maim them, or even kill them."

Kairi and Namine exchange glances, but they don't respond. Aqua's right. There is a chance things could go wrong, and they could find themselves in a very bad predicament. And even if none of them want to seriously hurt or kill anyone, in a situation like what Aqua's implying, it might be necessary.

But there's always the chance they could freeze up. There's a chance something terrible could happen to one of them, and they would be too scared to react. Kairi isn't sure how she'd truly react in that sort of situation, because she's never even been properly kissed before.

"Aqua," Namine whispers, her voice a mere squeak. There are tears rapidly forming in her cerulean eyes. "I'm a—I mean, I've never—Roxas and I, we—"

"It's all right," Aqua says, her voice gentle again. "Don't be scared. I think everything will be okay, but just remember that if you find yourself needing to protect yourself, do it. No one will judge you. And if they do, I'll make sure to stand up for you."

"All right," Kairi says, her voice shaky. She doesn't offer up her designation, but she does think about it.

Kairi, like Namine, is a virgin, too. She's never done more than kiss Sora the one time, accidentally. She's an adult, and she never thought she was saving herself for Sora, or anything, but there was a small part of herself that assumed or hoped he'd be her first. Perhaps it was naïve of her, but she was always a fanciful girl. She liked to daydream and imagine a perfect life, and in that perfect life, Sora was her first.

And frankly, Kairi's never even touched herself, so this might be a nightmare.

"Let's try to be positive," Namine says, trying to sound chipper. "As long as we find out who the leader is as fast as possible, we won't have to worry about…that."

"Right," Aqua agrees. "But just…keep it in mind. And be prepared. You guys…you do know about sex, right?"

Namine and Kairi both turn bright red.

"Yes," Kairi says. "My mother explained it to me when I was younger, before we ever left Destiny Islands the first time."

"Namine?" Aqua asks.

"Well…I don't exactly have parents, so…I don't really…"

"Oh. Oh, okay." Aqua reaches for her and takes her hand. "I'll explain it to you, but I want you to understand that even if a…situation…happens tonight, it wouldn't be sex. Not real sex, okay?" When Namine nods, Aqua continues. "If you don't want it, then you know what that is, right?" Another nod. "So, if something happens to you there, then it's not your fault. You, either, Kairi. I need you both to understand that whatever happens, if a situation takes place, it is not sex. Not if there's not full, enthusiastic consent. Okay?"

"We understand," Kairi says, giving a sage nod. She grabs Namine and Aqua's other hands. "We're in this together. We watch each other's backs. If anything happens, we'll do our best to help each other."

"Agreed."

"What if we can't get to each other?" Namine asks. She sounds terrified. "What if…what if we're r-ra—"

"We'll do our best," Aqua says, cutting her off before she can say the word aloud. "That's what matters most. And if we can't—if you try to protect yourself, and fail—then fight until the end. And if that fails, too, just close your eyes and go somewhere else in your head. Wherever you feel happiest."

"I'm scared," Namine whispers.

"I know," Kairi says. "Me, too. But I want to help those girls. I have to. They're going through something I can't even fathom. I can't just leave them to suffer."

"Same," Aqua says. "Namine…you do not have to do this if you don't want to, either. You can back out."

"No. No, I want to do this," Namine says, drawing her shoulders back in spite of the tears that are still on her cheeks. "I want to help them, too. And we need all three of us—it's a better chance at least one will get picked."

"Good. I'm glad we're all on the same page. Let's do this, okay?"

"Okay," Kairi says.

Namine agrees, and then tells Kairi to turn around and look in the mirror. She does, and stares at herself in shock. Her make-up is flawless, rouge perfectly applied to the apples of her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose. Her lashes are long, dark, and curled, framed by a backdrop of pretty champagne-colored eyeshadow. The pink lipstick makes her lips look full and pouty, and the emerald color of the dress makes her skin look creamy and smooth. Her long red hair, normally flowing down to her elbows, has been curled tightly, the top half pulled up into an intricate chignon with two curls that frame her face. She looks and feels more beautiful than ever before, and that makes her sad because it's being wasted on an awful place for a good cause.

"Amazing," Namine says, shaking her head in awe. "You look amazing, Kairi."

"You really do look beautiful, Kairi," Aqua says, and then she gives her a teasing look. "I bet Sora's going to fall over his own two feet when he sees you."

"Oh," Kairi says, blushing again. "Sora and I aren't…anything, actually. He's got his own thing going on."

"Really?" Namine's brow furrows. "I thought you two were together?"

"Uhh, no. We are not. He likes to go to San Fransokyo to spend his time." Kairi can't keep the bitterness from lacing her tone. "We've been drifting away for a while now."

"That's terrible! So he has a girlfriend, then?"

Kairi shrugs, trying to ignore the painful beats of her heart. "Beats me. I don't know how he spends his time there, but I do know he's a young man that everyone knows to be a hero down there. According to Riku, they go to nightclubs a lot, and he's left with a girl or two."

"That really sucks," Aqua says, pursing her lips. "Terra and I aren't together anymore, but when we were, I could tell he thought he was missing out on things. We parted amicably, but he was quick to start exploring."

"I'm sorry," Kairi says. "Does that upset you?"

Aqua smirks. "I was quick to start exploring, too. With Lea."

Kairi and Namine both gasp.

"You and Lea…are together?" Namine says, her hands flying to her mouth.

"Aqua, you dog, you," Kairi says, poking Aqua in the stomach. "I had no idea."

"We're not together," Aqua says with a laugh, "but we are sleeping together. I mean, I'm in my thirties. Can't be expected to stay celibate forever."

Kairi starts to reply, but is stopped when the door swings open and the guys come walking in. They bring with them the scent of food and dinner, and Kairi's growling stomach takes her mind directly to whatever it is they've brought. She ignores Lea's obnoxious catcalls and Riku's attempts to dramatically spin her in a circle, heading straight for the basket and rifling through it. It's sandwiches, and by the looks of it, delicious ones. If things go horribly wrong at the brothel, who knows when she'll get to eat a hearty meal again?

She tears into it.

"Oh, my goodness," she says. "This is delicious."

"Good?"

Kairi jolts, turning in a semicircle. Her heart leaps in her chest. Sora's standing there, his arms crossed over his chest as he watches her. She doesn't speak, immobile as his gaze rakes over her body, from head-to-toe. It weighs heavy on her, heating her skin in a way she doesn't quite understand.

"Yes," she finally says. "It's really yummy."

"Hmm."

Kairi doesn't know what to say, so she takes another bite. She doesn't know how she feels about the way he's looking at her. She's never been looked at like this before, so she doesn't have anything to compare it to. It's like he's angry but also…

…possessive?

Except that doesn't make any sense. Why would he feel possessive over her? They have nothing romantic between them, save for the one embarrassing, accidental kiss that he ran away from when they were younger.

"Hey, Kairi. Sora," Riku says as he comes to grab the basket. "Come over here. We're gonna discuss the plan while we eat."

Kairi nods and turns to follow Riku. She feels Sora at her back, so close that his body heat shares hers, and for a moment, she thinks she feels his fingers drifting over a section of her lower back.

She thinks.

It makes her shiver anyway, but she doesn't acknowledge it lest she imagined it. She follows at Riku's heel, coming to join the group in the center of the room. Everyone grabs a sandwich and starts to eat, and Riku begins talking.

"So this is what we're gonna do. Sora and I are too recognizable, so Lea's going to be the one to take you girls in. He's going to pretend to be your captor, there to sell you to the establishment. Whichever of you gets picked, whether it's all of you or some of you or just one, will stay and Lea will leave. He, Sora, and I will be outside in the alley next to the building. There's no windows so we won't know what's going on inside, but after two hours pass, we'll send Lea back in to try and buy time."

"Won't they find that suspicious?" Kairi asks with a frown.

"Maybe," Lea says. "But I'm gonna pretend I grabbed you girls and never touched you, so it looks like I'm greedy for it."

Kairi shudders. Just hearing him say it makes her feel sick. She knows brothels are a thing that exists, but she doesn't like the people who go in and participate in them with their money. She doesn't like that these girls are all kidnapped, and that they don't want to be there, but there are people who go in and pay for their time anyway. It strengthens her resolve to stick to the plan and do this. She's got to do what she can to take this place down.

"Now," Riku says after chewing a bite of his food, "if something doesn't go according to plan and we can't get back in, we have two options. One is not ideal. The unideal option would be to involve Phoebus. But if we do that, his soldiers will steamroll in there, and sabotage it. The better option would be to ask Esmerelda to request help from her people. But that might be difficult. The Romani people have been through a lot with everything that happened with Judge Frollo. They're trying to get back on their feet and they don't really have the people to spare for something like this, nor would getting involved be safe for them."

"Is there a third option?" Kairi asks. "Both of those options aren't ideal."

"We go in," Sora says. He's already finished his sandwich and is now standing with his arms crossed again. His eyes flicker over Kairi and linger before scanning the assembled group.

"Sora, we talked about this," Riku says with a sigh. "We can't just go in. If the leader isn't there, or if we don't find out who he is, he could run. The King doesn't want him to run. The mission requires delicacy."

"If something goes wrong, they'll be stuck inside, Riku."

Aqua interjects, wiping crumbs from the corner of her mouth. "He's right, Riku. The longer we're inside, the more chance there will be that we get given to a client or whatever they're called. I'm assuming when we first arrive, there's a period of time used for preparation, acclimation, rules, etcetera."

"We can't," Riku says. "We cannot just run in there, attacking everyone we see that isn't one of the girls. If the leader gets away, he'll just do it again. He'll move shop. And even if that doesn't happen, he's a terrible piece of shit who needs to be held accountable."

"You're suggesting something that I don't like," Sora says, words sharp as knives. "You're suggesting that we let it happen if it comes to it."

"I'm not suggesting that!" Riku cries, facing Sora fully. "I told you that already. I'm not suggesting anything because things aren't going to go wrong. And if they do, we'll ask Esmerelda. If that doesn't pan out, we'll get the soldiers. Phoebus can figure out a way to make it work. He could…I don't know, claim they're looking for specific criminals. That the girls—Aqua and them—stole something from a shop or nobleman."

"And if he can't?"

"I don't know, Sora!" Riku snaps back angrily. "But I don't like your attitude about it."

"He's being realistic," Aqua says. "And realistically, there's always the chance that we're there too long and get into a situation we can't get out of."

"There's also the chance that we don't all get accepted," Namine says. She's holding her sandwich like it's a lifeline. "And of all of us, Kairi might be the only one who gets picked. She's the best with her words. She could talk her way into that place."

"I'm not that good at talking," Kairi says, averting her eyes to the floor.

"But I'm older," Aqua says, "so they might not take me based on my age. And Namine is likely to get picked, too, however if she doesn't, it would be because she's so quiet. They might see that as willfulness."

"I'm willful," Kairi says with a short laugh.

"Yes, but you can talk your way into seeming like you're not," Aqua says. "Hopefully we all get picked, but there's a chance it'll only be you. And if that happens, there's a higher chance for things to not go as planned."

Lea frowns deeply. "By herself, Kairi might get stuck there long enough to…"

"To what?" Kairi says, even though she knows the answer.

"To take a client."

Something shifts in Sora's face, darkening as rapidly as a storm on an ocean horizon.

"I will burn that fucking building down, Lea."

Everyone stares at him. It's clear that no one expected him to say something like that. Even though Kairi's not surprised, she still stares at him with wide eyes purely because of his vehemence.

"No, you won't," Riku warns. "You'll stay back with the rest of us, and you'll stand down."

The corners of Sora's lips twitch up into the ghost of a smirk. "Watch me."

Riku takes a step toward him, clearly threatening in nature, and Kairi's quick to move between them. She presses her hand to Riku's chest and halts him.

"Don't," she says, and then she glances back over her shoulder. "And Sora, I can take care of myself. There's no need to be acting a-fool, burning everything like Lea."

"Hey!" Lea cries.

There's a drawn-out second, and then Sora's gone. He storms out of the room, slamming the room's door so hard that the wall rattles.

"You weren't kidding," Riku says, shaking his head. "Something's definitely wrong with him."

"I've never heard him talk like that before," Aqua says. "He's usually so happy. He would never burn an entire building down."

"Yeah," Lea says with a grin, "but it's Kairi."

Kairi waves a dismissive hand, ignoring the way her stomach swoops. "Sora doesn't feel anything like that for me."

"I'll go talk to him," Aqua says.

"I already tried," Riku says. "It's like talking to a wall."

"Maybe he'll take it better from me. Er…no offense."

"None taken. Shit, do whatever you need to do to get him to knock it off. The King would go ballistic if he burned a building down. There's no guarantee everyone would make it out."

"Wait," Kairi says, stopping Aqua halfway to the door. "Maybe I should be the one to talk to him. I've been dealing with whatever it is that's wrong with him since yesterday. He might listen to me best of all."

Aqua and Riku exchange glances before Aqua nods. "By all means."

Kairi makes her way down the stairs of the Inn, looking around for Sora as she goes. She doesn't see him in the lobby, so she asks the clerk, who tells her that he went outside. She steps outside the Rosehip, scanning the crowd and looking to the left and right. She spots him leaning against the stone wall a few shoppes down. He's got one foot kicked back against it, with his hands resting loosely in the pockets of his joggers, thumbs outside of them. His head is down, messy hair falling forward to shroud his face as he stares at the cobblestones beneath their feet.

She takes a deep, steadying breath, and approaches him.

"Sora," she says by way of greeting. She stands beside him, putting her back to the wall and leaning against it, too. "Everything okay?"

"I'm fine," he says without looking up, voice flat.

Kairi hesitates before she says, "I don't think you are. I think something's wrong, but you don't realize it. Either you don't realize, or you do, and you don't care."

He huffs a laugh that lacks humor. "Right."

"I don't know what it is that's wrong," she continues, "but you can't let it interfere with the mission. You know better. You can't let your temper influence your choices."

"Wow." Sora turns to face her, one hand going to the wall and the other being used to gesticulate as he talks. "So you expect me to just accept it if you end up stuck there? Huh? You want me to stand by while someone's—"

"It's not going to happen," she interjects, keeping her voice low in volume and her tone neutral. She tilts her head back to keep her eyes locked with his. "Everything is going to be fine. All three of us will get accepted, and we'll be out of there in two hours."

"You all might not get accepted. It might only be you."

"Then so be it."

His eyes flash and his eyebrows shoot up. "So be it? Are you fucking kidding me, Kairi?"

"Shh!" Kairi hisses, glancing around at the passersby. "Lower…your voice. Everything will be okay. If I'm the only one to get accepted, then so be it. I'll find out who the leader is, and then when Lea comes in, he'll be able to get me out. Smooth sailing."

"Except that it might not be smooth sailing," he retorts. "It might go horribly. They might throw you in immediately!"

"They won't do that. They'll need time to explain the rules and whatnot to me. That's when I'll ask probing questions, and I'll be able to find out who it is that's running the show."

"And if you can't?"

"Then it takes a little longer. Eventually, I'll find out."

"No, you won't. What you'll do is leave with Lea anyway, regardless of whether or not you have the name."

Kairi scowls. "You know that's not how it works. How else will we find out the name?"

"We just won't."

"We just…won't."

He stares at her, unblinking and completely serious.

"Sora, that is stupid. We can't sabotage the mission for one person when there are who knows how many girls trapped in there."

"This isn't a normal mission, though. This is a mission where you're pretending to be a prostitute, Kairi. Do you know what that means? Do you understand what you'd be doing?"

"Yes, Sora." She holds her fingers to her temples, closing her eyes as she struggles to keep her own temper in check. "I'm twenty-four years old. I'm not a child. I know what prostitutes are."

His blue-eyed gaze washes over her face, traversing the planes and distance between her own blue eyes. "Then you understand why I'd raze that building to the ground if you get stuck in there."

"You can't just burn an entire building down, Sora!" she cries. "You have to listen to the King. We have to catch the leader. That's ten thousand times more important than me!"

He raises his hands, pressing his forefinger and thumb together on each hand. "And I…don't give a fuck…about the damn…leader."

"And I'm willing to do what it takes!" she says, enunciating each of her words. Her hands ball into fists at her sides as she glares up at him.

"Well, I'm not."

"Why?!"

"Because, Kairi," he snarls, stepping closer to her and looming like a threat, "you're mine. You are mine, and I'm not letting anyone fucking touch you. Do you understand?"

Kairi reels from his words, staring at him in an entirely new light because, what? She's never once heard him say anything like that and while everything else he's said is completely mental, this is something else entirely.

Still. He needs to grasp her sincerity, and he needs to put his reservations aside. They're Keybearers. They have a duty to the multiverse to protect those in need. To fight all darkness, no matter what the cost. He of all people should understand that.

Kairi looks him dead in the eye.

"You might not have a choice, Sora."

She turns to go but right as her back is to him, she feels his hand grasping her wrist. Sora yanks, forcing her to face him again. He takes both of his hands and adheres them to the sides of her head, fingers in her curls and thumbs in front of her ears. For the first time since yesterday, he doesn't look angry or annoyed.

He looks determined.

"Nothing is more important to me than you. I cannot lose you again, Kairi. I won't. So don't tell me I don't have a choice. I'll always have a choice. And every time, that choice will be you."

He lets go of her and brushes past her, before stopping abruptly. He casts her a glance over his shoulder, his expression unreadable.

"You look beautiful, Kairi."

And then he walks away, leaving her where she stands. She doesn't move, her breath caught in her chest and her thoughts spinning in a tornado.

This doesn't make any sense. They've been growing apart for so long now. He essentially has a completely different life from her. Yet he thinks of her as his? He cares that much about her?

What's going on?

When she gets back to the room, it's uncomfortably quiet. Kairi can't help but notice that Sora's standing at the window while Riku's as far away from him as possible. Aqua's standing with Sora, but Lea and Namine are talking to each other near the vanity. Upon Kairi's return, everyone but Sora turns to look at her.

She fixes on a false smile.

"So, when do we leave?"