fourteen | oo36 [ voice // action ]

[ There is a girl in the woods west of the village. She's unconscious, and wearing a New Feather dress, so it'd be easy to mistake her as part of the crop of new kids.

However, she is anything but new to this place (and new to showing up wearing things other than what she ought to be wearing gosh darnit), and when she comes to, she will sigh, quietly, under her breath. She wakes up groggy and feeling extremely tired, oddly, so she won't bother trying to go anywhere on her own just yet. It is, thankfully, not cold today. However, it is pouring rain, which is also just her luck. So she will curl up at the base of a tree, trying to get shelter from the worst of it, and reach for her (slightly soggy) journal. ]

This has got to stop happening...

( Luke | Locked 100% )

Hey. Sorry I just disappeared like that. Um... can you come pick me up? And bring a coat? Or an umbrella, or something...

[ The first voiced bit, before the filter, was sort of murmured to herself. Now she addresses the journal directly, figuring she's got at least something of a wait ahead of her. ]

Hi, guys. Can anyone tell me what I've missed? Or maybe just how long I've been gone. The draft had only been over for a day or two when I got taken, I think...

Is everyone okay?

[ Of course, Ven and Vanitas are immediately on her mind, but she doesn't say that outright. She also doesn't know about who's left... and who's arrived. She's not aware there's been a new feather cycle at all! Someone ought to get her up to speed.

a day later, in the evening, an additional filter is added to the post. ]

( Richard | Locked 100% )

Hey, um ... I ... wanted to talk to you.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

... I can't imagine how they feel right now. [ well ... actually, she can. Sora left. Riku left. She can picture it pretty well. But she's so focused on them right now that the thought doesn't even occur to her. She looks worried. ]

I'm going to talk to Richard. I ... there's no way he's alright, but still, I... [ trails off. this sucks. ]

... I'm gonna miss him.

... Yeah. [He offers a tired half-smile, the only real proof this has hit him harder than he shows.] I'll miss him, too.

[But he's quick to recover and erase his weariness.] We can check up on him together. Somehow I doubt he's left the house.

[ ... she sees it, though. and she sighs, not wanting to press. it's probably hitting Sanji harder than it's hitting her, anyway...

makes something of a face at that. ] Yeah. First the draft, and now this... it's awful. I wonder if I can do something nice for him... [ this is her thinking cap face. ]

... I'd say cookies work. [A grin, with warmth growing in it] And company.

[Or so Sanji hopes. He doesn't know how Richard handles grief, or how he'll react to his friends reaching out in sympathy.

Still, he figures, they should at least try]

[ that gets a pause out of her, and she simply stares at him for a moment .... then her expression softens significantly into a smile. a sad smile, but a smile nonetheless. oh not!dad, you know her way too well. ]

... that sounds like a good idea. I've wanted to try baking a cake, but ... cookies are probably better for this.

[... Cake.

... Cake.

He can't help it - the face Sanji makes is startled, guilty, and repentant all at the same time; a complete turnabout from the quiet grief of before.

Probably because thoughts of Richard have fled his mind, for the moment. Someone might've forgotten to tell someone about a birthday, and shit, it's a little late to bring it now now]

... Sanji?

[ what is that face. looking at him with mild suspicion. ]

Ah-- it's nothing, Xion-chan! I just forgot some little thing~!

[Yes, because you can clearly see he is telling the absolute truth]

... [ hands.

on.

hips.

and raising her eyebrows. ]

Sanji...

... A-aha. Well, you see...

For the record, I'm sorry in advance.

[ a little startled. ] For what?

... [A sigh. he straightens up, ready to get ~~the beatings~~ this over with]

The day we got back from the draft?

... That might've been my birthday.

[ there are no beatings this day. for a moment, she simply looks at him with wide eyes. ... and then she just looks ... kinda sad. ]

... what awful timing. [ a very sad, crooked smile. ] Well, I guess I know what I have to do now. What's your favorite flavor?

[Odd enough, Sanji recovers from his guilt and instead chooses to look thankful]

Awful timing, but my crew remembered. [A soft chuckle] Hell, even Ginko got me something. [Still boggling. Anyway:]

And after all these years of cooking, I still don't have one.

But vanilla's as good as any. [A nice, neutral flavor]

[ ... rubs a hand up her arm, looking sheepish. ] I feel bad ... I should have remembered. I'll just have to make it up to you with the best cake ever. [ tiny, still sheepish smile. ]

I don't think I ever told you. [It's not a fact he goes out of his way to inform people of. Call him lazy.]

But I look forward to this "best cake ever"~! [giving her shoulder a squeeze.]

It's going to be, just you wait! [ normally there'd be a little energy there, something a little more genuinely pleased... but there's a lot of mixed emotions behind this, and she lifts her hand to gently place it on top of his. ]

oo36 [ voice // action ]

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