gone shopping [that AU]

[haveacuraga]

Who: Roxas and Aerith
What: A quick pit stop for supplies and first aid winds up leading Roxas to help Aerith out on fetching said supplies. Possible suspicion of his origins ensues!
Where: Hollow Bastion – Merlin's house and around town.
When: Sometime after visiting Beast's Castle, sometime before visiting the next world.

[starting some two years ago, Aerith had been named the official healer for the Keyblade Wielder and his friends– whenever there happened to be an injury on the battlefield too grievous for a curative spell, she would be the one to take over.]

[though, to be honest, she wasn't exactly expecting for Sora to show up again with another wielder she'd never met tagging along. regardless, upon their arrival Sora and the others dispersed to various areas and patrols, leaving the... oddly familiar boy by himself in the middle of Merlin's house.]

[which is why she'd chosen to invite him to come along with her to the market. it's not every day she gets to meet a new friend of Sora's, not after they'd all returned home.]

Comments

[binarysky]

I used to. [shrug] Turns out I don't really belong anywhere. So traveling around with Sora's just as good.

[...why is he telling her this?]

[haveacuraga]

[she doesn't mind. Aerith actually looks a little sad at that – she hasn't really matched his pace yet, she's just watching him lengthen the gap between them slightly.]

I want to tell you that you not belonging anywhere isn't true – you know yourself better than anyone else, Roxas. There's a place, even if it isn't what you expect.

[binarysky]

I dunno.

[He'd like to believe he still belongs on Twilight Town. But no matter what the memories he can still recall tell him...he never really did.]

For now, I'm where I should be. That's good enough.

[haveacuraga]

[Aerith sort of gets the sense that maybe Roxas might have shared more than he meant to on how he thinks about his home world, but... he seems to be a private boy. she has no reason to pry further.]

[nor would she have the chance, even if she did – shortly after a brief lapse into silence, a small band of Heartless spring from the ground, surrounding the both of them.]

[binarysky]

Look out!

[Oblivion appears in his hand in less than a heartbeat, and Roxas charges forward. The lone soldier is the most obvious danger, but the way shadows slide across the ground in groups makes them far less than safe too, and he doesn't know if Aerith can fight at all. But still, they're pretty lowly Heartless—he's more concerned about property damage.]

[haveacuraga]

[Roxas can obviously handle the Heartless by himself – and though Aerith can use an array of offensive spells, she works best in the background, supporting. which is why Roxas might feel the light heat of a spell hitting his back – just a simple haste.]

[strange... judging by his posture with his Keyblade, Aerith can't help but think she's seen Roxas fight sometime before.]

[binarysky]

[Roxas' eyes widen as he finds himself moving faster, but he doesn't stop to ask questions, just takes out the Heartless before they can escape or get past him to attack Aerith.

Soon enough, they're gone, not even smears of darkness. He isn't even breathing hard.]

Thanks for the spell.

You okay?

[haveacuraga]

I am, thank you.

[see the icon? that is exactly her, studying the way you're holding that Keyblade, Roxas.]

[binarysky]

Guess we should have expected to run into some of them.

[He hesitates, watching her for a moment.]

Uh...should we...move on?

[haveacuraga]

[well, that little niggling thought in the back of Aerith's mind has suddenly ballooned into an observation of how plain familiar Roxas seems to her in some ways. very different in his own terms, but somehow... she can't quite place her finger on it.]

[after all, she's never met the Nobody of someone she knows very well before. now that her train of thought and little observations has taken off on their own, it's entirely possible she'd make a connection if Sora and Roxas were to stand side-by-side again.]

[brace yourself.]

All right. Are you sure you don't want any supplies just for you? You never know when something might come in handy.

[binarysky]

[Obliviously, Roxas is more ready to relax. Aerith already knew he's a Keyblade wielder, so it's not as if smashing into some Heartless is a surprise, but he's just as happy to explore other topics unrelated to what he and Sora have in common.]

I don't really need a lot. As long as there's stuff to eat and drink and we have the Gummi Ship, we should be okay. [Although—] Well...I guess I could use a thicker jacket? In case we go to a cold world again.

[haveacuraga]

I'll go get potions, then. You can pick up a jacket at a store across the market.

[as she walks over to plop a small munny bag into Roxas' hands. no, don't argue, Keybearers need to stay warm!]

[binarysky]

[He blinks in surprise, but accepts it, as if he senses the futility of resisting.]

Okay. See you soon?

[haveacuraga]

Yup! Come get me when you're ready to go.

[binarysky]

Will do.

[It takes a while, longer than Roxas expected. Apparently residents of Hollow Bastion aren't in the habit of buying long-sleeved jackets during warm weather; he has to go to several shops before he finds a shopkeeper who doesn't just look at him like he's crazy.

Eventually, though, he does find and purchase a suitable coat, which he promptly stuffs in a bag, since it is pretty warm in this world. After looking around for a few minutes, he spots Aerith, who appears to have been more successful on her shopping trip.]

Hey. All set?

[haveacuraga]

[with a smile in the affirmative, Aerith lifts a rather large basket filled to the brim with an assortment of potions, tonics, and what-have-yous. there's food in there, too, because she knows Sora's usual travel diet, and she figures Roxas might want something other than a sandwich once in a while.]

Did you find what you were looking for?

[binarysky]

Uh huh. Took a while, bit I'll be all right if we end up in the snow again.

Should we head back now?

[haveacuraga]

We should. Sora's probably waiting for us by now.

[binarysky]

Right.

[He falls into step beside her, and they had off.]

So he visits you guys a lot?

[haveacuraga]

Normally only when he's in need of something. Supplies, healing... advice.

Otherwise, he always seems to show up right when we need him.

[binarysky]

Yeah. He's good at that.

[He half-smiles.]

[haveacuraga]

Is that how you guys met?

[binarysky]

Pretty much. I was coming to help with the battle here, but he had everything taken care of before I even arrived. A real hero.

[The lies come easier, now.]

[haveacuraga]

[that gets a smile out of her.]

You know him well.

[heck, she'll still be smiling when they get back, and right through seeing Roxas and Sora standing right next to each other.]

[binarysky]

I'm still learning.

[Of course Aerith why would you stop smiling when seeing something so totally normal.]