Entry 1

[twilightskey]

Sender: The Little Mermaid (The Little Mermaid) | Roxas

Recipient: Everyone

Hi everyone.

I can see that a few people have been trying to message me on my journal, and I'm really sorry if I worried anyone. I didn't mean to make anyone worry about where I've been.

[There's a pause in his words, as Roxas gathers his thoughts on how to say what he wants to say.]

I think I went back to my home world. It feels weird to say that, but I definitely remember leaving here, and going back home. I think it was for the best that I did; I was able to help out with something pretty big that happened back in my world.

But, I guess the point I'm trying to make is I'm back now. Sorry again if I made anyone worried.

[And then, since one person in particular seemed rather worried about his absence.]

Sender: The Little Mermaid (The Little Mermaid) | Roxas

Recipient: Kotori

Hi Kotori. I'm sorry I left without saying anything, and about worrying you. But I'm back now. Everything's okay.

Comments

[skyofreality]

[ Hope Roxas is ready for some semi-bad handwriting. ]

Geez Roxas! You didn't have to go home just because I was here to look after things! You could have stuck around to at least say hi to me. :P

[ Yes, he really did just draw a face in his message. ]

[twilightskey]

[Roxas has to take a moment to stare at the name that's attached to that messy handwriting, because there's no way that this could be happening... but there it is. The journal has yet to lie to him.]

Sora? Is that you? You're here??

[skyofreality]

[ It's right there in writing [The Boy | Sora] for all to see. He'd been hoping to surprise Roxas by just appearing in person but that plan was ruined. ]

Yep, it's me! I got here days ago! Maybe just after you left. I've been looking forever for you everywhere since then.

[twilightskey]

[To think, he went home just as Sora arrived... it makes him chuckle a bit.]

Yeah, I just got back today. I didn't expect to see you here when I came back.

Where are you?

[skyofreality]

[ What poor timing they had. Or perhaps it was a little too good. ]

What was the something big you helped out with back home?

[ Did Sora miss out on a big thing while he was gone? ]

I'm at the castle. You gonna head this way?

[ricebird]

[It’d been a rough few days, to put it lightly. Aside from her grandparents, when she was so little she barely remembers it, she’s never had anyone she knew personally DIE before. And Roxas is easily one of her best friends here. Talking with Shizuo helped but... the last few days she’s been alternating between slinking away to eat whole pots of food by herself, and then barely eating a thing all day.

But then her journal flashes... and it takes every ounce of restraint to wait until the words stop coming before scrawling put her response, normally neat handwriting shaky and with barely restrained speed.]

Where are you right now?

[twilightskey]

[He knows from the increasingly-frantic messages left in his journal that Kotori had been worried about him. So seeing the shaky handwriting makes a pang of guilt stab through his heart.]

I'm in my room in the undersea castle. Where are you?

[ricebird]

In the castle garden. [Trying to work up the nerve to eat something.] Do you want to come meet me?

[Because it just BARELY registers that offering to go to a boy's room might be a bit much.]

[twilightskey]

Yeah. I'll come meet you. Be right there.

[Roxas doesn't really get the social norms of a girl going to go to a boy's room, but he knows where the castle garden is and has no qualms of going there.]

[He swims out from his room and makes his way down to the garden. Once there, it doesn't take long for him to spy Kotori.]

Kotori!

[ricebird]

[It's really him... For a second she just sits there, blinking... and then in a flash, that swift skipjack tail propels her over to him, stopping just shy and just... staring at him like he'll disappear any moment.]

Roxas-kun...!

[takeittothebridge]

[Bridge hadn't been one of those people who'd been messaging him. But not for a lack of concern.]

So you went home too, huh?

[twilightskey]

Yeah, I went home. It felt really strange, going there and then coming back when everything was done. It felt kind of like a really strange dream.

[takeittothebridge]

Yeah, I know what you mean. I had gone home for a while too, and it was almost like I hadn't been here.

[twilightskey]

And then coming here, you remembered everything again, right? It's so strange. Maybe it's part of how this world works?

[takeittothebridge]

Maybe. I wonder if it has something to do with how time doesn't pass at home while we're here. Like when we go back, our memories here are suspended like time at home is to let it catch up or something.

[holdthemtogether]

Nice to meet you, Roxas. I just got here not so long ago. It's cool that you got to be part of something big back home.

Well, I hope it was cool.

[twilightskey]

Oh, nice to meet you too. [He pauses, looking at the name of the recipient.] Your Essence is Winnie the Pooh?

Yeah. It wasn’t really cool, but we managed to stop something really bad from happening.

[holdthemtogether]

Yeah, it is. [And he's got the teddy bear ears to prove it.] Do you know that story?

Oh man, I can relate to that.

[twilightskey]

I do. And I know someone who met him, too. Pooh Bear really connected with him.

[Of all the worlds Sora visited (and by proxy, Roxas felt via his connection to Sora's heart), Winnie the Pooh's is one of the ones that Sora looks upon most fondly.]

You can? I guess every world has darkness people are trying to stop.

[holdthemtogether]

Wait, what? I'm not sure I get that. Winnie-the-Pooh was a real bear in your world? Or, well, real teddy bear? Is that it?

But yeah, I guess so. For us, it was the Galra.

[hatesviolence]

You apologized to Kotori, right?

[No welcome back's or good to hear that he's fine—which he really is. BUT THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING HE'S GOING TO SEND.]

[twilightskey]

[THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING. Roxas doesn't even blame Shizuo; he knows he's friends with Kotori as well.]

Yeah, I apologized to her. Right after I posted this.

[He'd sent a message directly to her.]

[hatesviolence]

Good.

[Given the stretch of silence after, it might seem that's all he'll send. But after a bit, another message follows.]

So what really happened?

[In truth the reason for the large gap was Shizuo uncertain as to what he should ask next. There's actually a lot of scribbled and scratched out writing on his pages before he ended up tearing it up in agitation, but Roxas wouldn't be able to see.]

[twilightskey]

It's just like I said. I went back home, was able to help stop something bad from happening, and was brought back here. I didn't know it was happening, or I would have let someone know.

[That still feels rather lacking, but to write down everything that happened... that would be a lot. So instead, he offers another question.]

Do you want to meet somewhere? I can explain everything.

[hatesviolence]

[Part of him is wondering about what Kotori had told him...but he's not really doubting Roxas. He doesn't really know anyone personally who's gone and returned again, so he has no frame of reference on how this works, either.]

Only if you want to. In the end you're back, so guess that's all that matters right now. [At least for Kotori.]

But no warning, huh... I know we can always leave if we want to, but never really thought much about how it actually works...