pullmeoutalive | Ven + Rise; I don't think life is quite that simple

Ven + Rise; I don't think life is quite that simple

[ Okay.

Okay.

Rise's encountered a lot in this past year. Kidnapping, yes. Being thrown into a TV, yes. Being forced to face herself as a... well, a stripper and then having to immediately throw herself into a fight against a black hole of a bear, to say nothing of trying to hunt down a killer and--

It's. Been. A lot. And she'd like to think that she's grown stronger for it, that very few things will surprise her anymore. But right now, as she peers out a window of a stupidly tall tower, Rise can honestly admit she's (unhappily) surprised by how she'd gone from home to-- this. There's also an oddly massive amount of brown hair at her feet and shards of what look like a mirror, but nothing else that looks remotely helpful when it comes to dealing with one heck of a drop.

When she focuses, she can feel her Persona, just underneath her skin, comforting. Right. If there's no one else around, maybe she can use Kanzeon to find a viable exit, but for now, Rise braces her hands on the ledge of the window and leans out. ]

Hello?!

Anybody?????

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[Their voices do ping on Ven's awareness, but since there's no unusual Darkness around them, it's not something he drops his concentration to pick up on specifics. While searching like this, he's instantly able to sense any Heartless or Nobody activity in the area, and he's found out that his Chirithy has its own ways of getting his attention if it needs to. It's safe to let them be for now.]

[But Chirithy stops spinning around at Rise's reassurance, getting its little legs under its body again and giving a big sigh that fully rocks it forward on its legs, letting its head hang to its chest for a brief moment. Then it straightens up again and moves over to Rise's chair, somehow managing to look slightly annoyed even though it doesn't have facial expressions. The little creature really has an amazing amount of demonstration in its body language.]

That's one thing he's looking for, and there might be much worse. There's already been a bad Heartless problem here, and Shadows are the least of what we have to worry about. There could be Neoshadows out there, or even Darksides! That would be a major problem! He could take care of it, but it's still not something we need today, since this was supposed to be a routine patrol.

Sorry, sorry...

[ Rise's expression is completely contrite, and while the cute stuffed cat is this close, she thinks she can probably be forgiven for caving in to that primal urge to--

Reach down and pet its head. ]

If there's something dangerous here, maybe I can help. Even if I've never heard of Heartless before.

[ Shadows, yes. But Neoshadows? Darksides? Either those are kinds of Shadows she's never encountered before, which is entirely possible, or Heartless are a different kind of monster entirely.

There's that vague sense of unease again, but Rise chooses to ignore it for now. One thing at a time. ]

[Chirithy doesn't squawk, but it does jump at the headpat and wave its arms up around its face, hopping back from Rise as it does.]

Be careful! You can't just touch someone, you know! [There's another couple of hops in agitation before it settles down, pulling its cape down with a little wiggle to make sure it sits comfortably over its back.] Maybe you can - we'll have to see. And it probably won't be here; I haven't sensed any Darkness, and I don't think he will, either. At least nothing that's unusual for this area. But it doesn't feel like you have-

[And at that point, Ven gives a long sigh, relaxing his stance and letting his muscles fall into a momentary looseness that drops him from his statue-like pose into a slump, then straightens up into his normal posture once again, shaking his head much like his Chirithy did earlier.]

Nothing odd here, at least not in this area. I couldn't get as far out as Aqua could, but this was where all the really bad stuff happened, so I'd think if there was anything to find, it'd be here. Right?

Mmm-hmm! [Chirithy bounces over to him, easily hopping the glass that might have cut its feet, then jumps higher than it looks like it should have been able to to reach his arms. Ven catches it and gives it a boost, and the cat-creature clambers over his shoulder to hang, backpack-like, from the back of his pauldron, head next to his.] It makes sense to me. There could always be something we don't know about, but since you didn't find anything this is more important right now.

["This" clearly being Rise and her mysterious world travel, as indicated by Chirithy nodding in her direction while looking at Ven. Ven nods back, then looks back at Rise with another smile, stepping back over to her.] If I need to, I can come back tomorrow - are you ready to get out of here?

[ In a sense, Chirithy reminds her of Teddie-- soft, weirdly adorable, a thing that probably shouldn't be talking by the standards of reality. But also, the little plush thing reminds her of the fox at the shrine, an actual animal that was so strangely intelligent and had managed to follow them into the TV world and really only deigned to allow affection when it felt like it.

Inwardly, she vows, that before she finds a way home and returns to her friends and her grandmother, she's going to befriend the hell out of this stuffed cat.

Until then, Rise's still stuck wondering what even happened here, but if Ven's not offering an explanation, she's not going to pry one out of him just yet. She settles for smiling in acknowledgment and nodding quickly. ]

I was born ready to not be stuck in a tower, believe it or not.

[ It's a warmer smile, a lot less tremulous than before. She seems to have found her footing, now that she has something along the lines of (very vague) answers. ]

[It honestly wasn't occurring to Ven to maybe give Rise an explanation - Rapunzel's story wasn't technically his to share, maybe, but he was also used to everyone knowing what was going on more or less and an explanation not being needed. It also hadn't occurred to him that she didn't know what the Heartless were, although that was something he had experience with in the past. Once he gets reminded of it, he's going to feel pretty stupid.]

[But for now, he laughs at her enthusiasm, nodding in understanding.] I get it - and there's not a lot of room up here. Actually there's a door down at the base, and it's open, so I'm sure you'd've found the door up here soon enough even if I didn't show up. But, uh - it's probably best to get you to the Tower, we can talk more there and try to figure out what happened. [A slight pause, and then more quickly, stumbling over the words a little-] The other Tower, I mean, not this one, there's- sorry.

[A little sheepishly (and ignoring Chritihy who tilts its head at him in a very "really?" manner), Ven holds his hand out to the side, and another flash of light expands from it, identical to the one that took his armor and glider away outside the window except much smaller. When it clears, his Keyblade is in his hand, and he spins it in his grip to point in front of him, at the center of the room.]

This is going to be kind of odd, but I promise it's safe. When it opens, just run through - I'll be right behind you and close it.

[With no further preamble, a beam of light lances out from the tip of Wayward Wind, collecting in a small globe about eight feet in front of him, before expanding with a white radiance into an ovoid about seven feet tall and three feet wide, more than big enough to let them both through. It glows as it settles down, pulsing a little like wind or water, shining like a lighthouse beacon.]

Go!

[ The stumble, the slightly faster pace of talking to make up for a sense of embarrassment and awkwardness... that much is very similar to Yosuke, without the starstruck flustered nature of it, and something that sounds suspiciously like a laugh escapes before Rise can press her lips together to prevent it. She does her best to disguise it by quickly rising to her feet.

Okay. Good to know that her rescuer, mysterious as he is, is actually kind of a dork. It makes her feel a lot better about this whole mess, especially when she knows she's in for a lot of surprises. Like the... giant key.

If Yukiko can use fans, and their leader had once used a golf club, there's no real rule stating that someone can't wield a giant key, and just when Rise convinces herself of that much, said giant key opens up a portal?

That's a portal.

You entered a different world through a television, she tells herself sternly, well-aware that she's staring at it with some mild trepidation. You've got this. ]

... Right!

[ And with that, she gathers up her nerve and sprints into that gently pulsing light. ]

[There's no reason for him to be starstruck with Rise; he actually has no idea what an idol is, given his upbringing. Thanks to his "memories" of being in Sora's heart, he's aware that some sort of entertainment industry exists, but that was never really something Sora focused on and so Ven himself just never had any reason to remember it. But Rise traveled, and she's definitely unhappy about that, and so he's trying to keep things under control to not make her panic. He'd realized a second too late that telling someone who'd said they were ready to not be trapped in a tower that they were going to a tower probably wasn't the smartest thing in the world, but oh well, too late. Her staring at the portal in shock is expected, really, hence the prod. Anyone who's not aware that world travel can be a thing is always shocked by the appearance of a Light or Dark Portal. But it's the fastest way he knows of to travel, and while he could take her on his glider, that would involve him having to hold her on or her holding on to him (both bad ideas when one might have to fight during travel) and she wouldn't be protected from the Darkness since she wouldn't have armor. The portal is just the easiest way to do this, so he's glad he's been practicing it and is confident of his ability to do it now.]

[Ven follows her through, Chirithy still clinging to him as he jogs, and once he's past the portal collapses in on itself with another flash of light, blinking out of existence a second after he's through. Where they landed is a stretch of path on a small field of grass, some trees and bushes to either side and a spectacular sky full of stars above them, with the Mysterious Tower directly ahead. It's tall and ramshackle and looks probably more imposing than it should, but Ven obviously doesn't see anything wrong with it as he starts up the steps for the door, pausing to look back at her.]

Master Yen Sid lives here - he knows more about the worlds and how to get around them than anyone. If anyone can figure out how to get you home, it's him. I'll introduce you.

[ That... is a tower she doesn't think looks particularly stable, but it's apparently been here for awhile, long enough to house a Master. It's probably not as alarming as it looks, and Rise nods, lips set into a thin line. This is the closest lead she has, and she's going to follow it as much as she can.

That determination doesn't completely prepare her for the sight of a wizened old man in a wizard's hat after trotting up enough stairs to make even her idol-strengthened thighs start to ache, but Rise maintains a stiff upper lip and a rather sensible demeanor when Ven introduces her. There's no sense of her earlier desperation as she explains her plight, tells them where she came from (specifically a small town in Japan, Yasoinaba), and admits she can't entirely remember what had happened before she'd ended up in that tower.

Yen Sid ponders this deeply, regarding her over clasped, gnarled hands and through thick brows. He assures her that he doesn't doubt her story, or her, that "Young Ventus was wise to rescue you and bring you here", but then there's the kicker.

He knows of the world she speaks of, but for some reason, establishing a connection to it has been lost, possibly pertaining to her lost memory and an outside force he can't yet define. Until she remembers - until that connection returns - that world is as good as lost to her. In the meantime, he'll reach out to their other allies to assist her, to help protect her and find those answers.

And Rise, politely, thanks him and excuses herself to get some air, grief and worry clogging her throat once she actually steps past the door and reaches out to steady herself with one palm on a nearby tree trunk. ]

... Okay... okay.

[ It's thin and choked, a frail attempt at a pep-talk to herself, but Rise slowly inhales, holds it for a count of seven, and releases that breath. Again. Once more.

Ven's already done this much for her. She has help. Her world doesn't seem to be destroyed, she just can't... get back to it yet. Her friends have to be safe, and she's going to make herself believe it until she stops feeling like way too much just smacked her in the face. ]

[As Rise turns to go, Ventus starts to go after her, knowing that not being able to go home is not what she wants to hear and that it has to hurt so much he can barely imagine it, but Master Yen Sid's voice stops him before he can follow more than a couple of steps. Whether it's because Yen Sid knows that Rise needs time to herself or because he has things he needs to discuss with Ven (or both), the Master keeps him there for a couple of minutes, talking about his abbreviated patrol of Corona and what needs to be done around the worlds in the next few days. Tentative assignments in mind, Ven is finally able to leave his chamber and follow Rise.]

[But not immediately. Ven sits down on the stairs below the star-shaped portal and pulls out his Gummiphone, opening up the group text feature that Ienzo had insisted be added for better functionality. The Keybladers had their own going for important news or just giving each other a hard time, and this certainly counted as the former. Chirithy disappears at some point while he's firing off questions and getting responses, but that's okay; the little creature seems to be able to find him anywhere, at any time, and doesn't need to always be corporeal. Once he has some more information and possible plans, he gets up again and continues following Rise ]

[It's about ten minutes after she left that Ven pushes the entrance door open, looking around for where she went and going over to her once he spots her, moving slowly so she doesn't get another shock. He doesn't know exactly what to say, but he knows he has to say something, so he gives it his best attempt, his voice quiet.] I'm sorry... I know you didn't want to hear that. You wanted to go home...

[But they didn't have a way to get her home. A small pause, then he continues.]

If you... want to hear them, I had some ideas about what happens next. T- For you, until we can figure out how to get you there.

[ It takes a moment for Rise to reply-- not because she doesn't hear him, or because she's trying to ignore him, but because she's trying very carefully to keep her composure and not immediately start crying. It helps to reach out to her Persona, Kanzeon's warm presence exactly where it should be, right beneath her skin.

A Persona was a source of strength, after all. A facade to help you face life's hardships, and right now, she certainly thinks she could use a little bit of that strength. Her own determination, her idol self's ability to keep smiling in the face of anything and everything. ]

There's never really an easy path to get to where you want to go. I knew that. [ Finding the killer... realizing what it was she truly wanted... even this. It's just another path, isn't it? ]

... But thanks, Ven-- I'll hear you out. [ It's a much more sober smile, more from tiredness than any real urge to be overly formal. ]

You didn't have to do all of this for me... and even now, you're still making this your problem too.

[ Even though she thinks he's done plenty just bringing her here. ]

Sure I did - I told you, it's our job, me and my friends. We go around the worlds and help people that need it with problems they shouldn't be having. [He shrugs a little, not smiling now because trying to reassure her at this point is fairly useless. She can't go home, which is the one thing she wants more than anything. He can't do anything to get her home. But he can at least make things not as terrible for her while they work on it.] I'd say this falls under that category. Come on, come sit down and I'll show you what I'm thinking of.

[The steps up to the Tower are actually fairly comfortable, at least for sitting, wide and not too steep. Ven had sat there with Aqua weeks before, looking at the sky through their Wayfinders and planning their reunion with Terra - it's a good memory, and maybe that's why he goes there. But he digs his Gummiphone out of his pocket as he settles down, legs outstretched in front of him as he unlocks it and starts to pull up the camera feature.] You're going to need somewhere to sleep, and food, clothing, that kind of thing. Master Yen Sid might be okay with you staying here for one night, but he likes his privacy, and there's not much here so you'd probably get bored. There was a town that was just for people who'd lost their worlds, but it's- [He abruptly pauses and looks weirdly poleaxed for a second, trying to find the right word to describe it, before hesitantly offering-] ...gone? Sort of? Halfway not... existing anymore? In any case, we can't get to it through any kind of waking travel now. But there's other worlds you can go to, so you can look at some pictures and decide which one you like.

[If asked, Ven would say he's not a heavy user of the Gummiphone. Ven would be lying. In terms of video calls and texting, he does use it less than several of the others (including, surprisingly, Terra), but he apparently gets his jollies with using the camera to take photographs. There's already mid-triple digits in his storage and he should probably clean some out, like, now, but they'll be useful in showing Rise possible locations for her to stay.]

You're going to need to stay where people are used to off-worlders, so that kind of limits it because of the world order, but it's still a good handful of places. Twilight Town might be the best, and you'd have the most of us around if something happens. Radiant Garden's also really nice, but none of us live there. We have friends there, though, and they could help you until we get there. Or you could go to Disney Town, that'd probably be fun. You could go home with me to the Land of Departure, Terra and Aqua already said yes, but it's pretty quiet there.

[As he speaks, Ven's shuffling through his photo storage to show her various shots of the places he's talking about. Several of the pictures are from incredibly high up, which considering he was flying a glider when they met might not surprise her, but most of them are taken from normal heights, showing the buildings and the people of the towns he's mentioning. Some are candid location photos, some shots of a person or a group of people grinning or making stupid faces at the camera, and there are a few selfies in there with other people, though it's a surprisingly small number. But what they do achieve is showing at least some of the life and character (and residents) of the places he's mentioning so casually, sunsets and trams and cobblestone streets and castles and fairgrounds. It's a bit of a dizzying array, but at least she has options.]

And I'd say the Islands would be perfect, but... right now, probably not.

[ Rise settles down beside him, legs slightly out to the side and pressed close together as she leans in to take a closer look. A town that used to harbor people who lost their worlds... if that no longer exists (ish??), then does that mean their worlds came back and there was no longer a need for it?

Rise opts not to comment on that, though she nods to show she's listening. None of these sound remotely familiar, until he mentions "Disney Town" and both eyebrows raise in surprise. The scenes there look like something straight out of an amusement park, and the residents look like mascots. But-- nah.

That can't be-- nah.

Twilight Town looks tranquil, and the residents welcoming... and Radiant Garden lives up to its name, from the looks of it. Then there's the Land of Departure, and if Ven himself hadn't claimed that as home, she would have taken that name as "the place people went when they died".

But Ven isn't dead, and she's just going to have to hope that "Aqua" and "Terra" aren't either. ]

I don't think I'd do so great living on an island, anyway... I'd be as red as a lobster in no time.

[ It's a mild, weak joke, but Rise's doing her best, even though curiosity has her really tempted to ask what's happened there.

Again, she doesn't. ]

... If it's okay, though... can I stay with you?

[ Sure, his home might be quiet, but so was Inaba, when it wasn't embroiled in a murder case. Ven's the first person she met here, and as much as she does believe his friends are good people and trustworthy, Rise's reluctant to leave the safest and closest thing she's got to a friend right now.

... And, more importantly, she needs to befriend that cat. ]

[At some point, Ven will explain at least most of the stuff he's breezing through as if it doesn't really matter. It all does, of course, but he's rather too used to world-jumpers knowing what's going on and everyone being more or less up to date, which Rise obviously isn't, through no fault of her own. She has a lot of questions, but also right at the moment they need to work primarily on getting her settled, comfortable, and taken care of for however long she's with them.]

[He nods at her request - honestly, he'd half thought she'd want to come with him. She knew him at least a little, though he knew she'd like the others once she met them, and at the moment it might be better for her to be in a quiet place like the Land of Departure.] If you want - we'll need to go to Twilight Town first, Xion said she'd get some clothes together for you, since Aqua's too tall for you to borrow a lot of stuff from her. And you'd just swim in anything of Terra's. [He gives a quick smile to show it's a joke, but he's also completely serious about that. Rise's not the shortest girl he's ever met, but Terra is just big.] And Aqua asked me to run a couple errands if we had to go through there. It shouldn't take long; I know today's been... weird for you. You probably just want to go to sleep and hope you wake up and this'll have never happened.

[If she pays really close attention, Rise might be able to tell that that statement feels all too sincere for someone as seemingly happy and open as Ven. Like he's had that happen to him, too, probably more than once. It's part of what's making him want to help her - he's remembering what it was like when it was him having these problems. The other part being, of course, that that's just the kind of person he is.]

[ Rise's specialty is support-- and it shows during times like this, where her perception kicks in. As warm and encouraging as Ven is, and how positive he is, he's not speaking empty platitudes.

For some reason, he knows exactly what it feels like to have gone through something so overwhelming that the desire for it to be nothing but a dream is the most prevalent feeling. Which could be surprising, but Rise knows that the happiest people sometimes have the most tragic experiences behind those smiles.

It's why she's quiet for a moment... before she shakes her head. ]

No... that's not it.

[ Not entirely. ]

It's... scary, for sure. I don't know exactly what happened, and none of my friends are here with me, and I'm not as strong as they are. But...

... I don't want to close my eyes to the truth, either. Maybe I'm here for a reason... or maybe not, but I got to meet you and I think that alone is worth a lot.

[ A pause; Rise smiles ruefully. ]

Honestly, running errands sounds amazingly normal right now; I'll take it.

[He'd been pretty sure he'd had her feelings nailed down, so when she refutes his statement, he tilts his head at her quizzically. If she wasn't exhausted, then what was it?]

[But her explanation makes sense, and actually also improves her standing in his mind, and he nods a little in understanding as she explains. Rise seemed nice, and she had more than earned uncertainty and freak-out-time as she'd been unexpectedly dropped in a world she knew nothing about, so of course he wanted to help her and thought well of her, was sympathetic to her. He completely understood why she was so distraught after hearing from Master Yen Sid that she couldn't return home, and wanted to at least try and make it better for her. But something this hard and this ... outré had hit her, and instead of wanting to hide away, Rise's decided to face it head on and deal with it instead of letting the Keybearers do most of it, which would still make a lot of sense since they're the ones with experience with this sort of thing. That kind of strength is something he's run across before, and it always shows up in special people. Maybe there is a reason Rise is here, after all.]

[His smile widens as she finishes and he stands up, stuffing his Gummiphone back into his pocket before offering her a hand to get to her feet.] I wouldn't say meeting me is worth going through this, but thank you for thinking it's a good thing. Hopefully you won't change your mind about that.

Ready to go?

Yeah.

[ It's a lot more unfaltering than last time, and Rise rests one palm on the step behind her to push herself up, grasping Ven's hand with the other for assistance. Given the last time she'd wound up in a foreign world by herself, that had been days and days of purple-tinted fog and the mocking, wailing laughter of her Shadow waiting for an audience to show everything to. Monsters, that had avoided her, knowing she was prey of a different sort.

And the exhaustion and sickness that had swirled within her-- compared to that, at least here she wasn't alone for too long. There are no clear answers yet, but there are methods to try and find them, and that's the important part. ]

... Um, are we... doing that whole portal thingy again? [ Because that? That was still weird. ]

[His Keyblade had flashed into his hand as she straightened herself out, off to the side and ready to summon- when she asked that question. Turning to look back at her, Wayward Wind disappears in another flash (that's definitely a standard thing, as she's probably already figured out) Ven raises a hand to the back of his head, rubbing a little there as he puzzles it over.]

Yeah - it's the quickest way. I could call Donald or Ienzo and ask them to send a Gummiship to get us, but then we'd be waiting for a few hours for them to get here, then another few hours to get home after Twilight Town. I could use my glider, but that only carries one - you wouldn't be protected in space without your own armor, even if I carried you or something.

[He, Terra, and Aqua rarely used the Gummiships now that their armor was repaired, since they all had gliders that doubled as personal ships. Truthfully having three wielders that had their own modes of transport was a blessing for the group, since it meant they were available to go to new worlds any time a sudden problem occurred, without any prep work involved in maintaining a ship since magic was involved. Terra had already made it clear he wanted to try and figure out how Master Eraqus had made their armor so everyone could have a set; it was one of the many goals the group had for the long term. But at the moment, the glider just isn't going to be a help.]

Is it... that weird?

[ No, in the realm of things truly weird, Rise could honestly say that being kidnapped at the front door and flung into a television to plummet into a world filled with fog and other nasties was much worse. But she'd grown used to being able to enter a television now, the screen parting beneath her hand as though it was made of water and not glass.

... There's a thought to file away for later, in case televisions also exist here. Maybe that's something she can try. For now, she shifts in place a little sheepishly. ]

Not... that weird, just a little weird. It's fine, I'll get used to it.

[ And she's not sure what to think about the glider yet, and has no idea what on earth a Gummiship is, so. Magical swirling portal of light it is. ]

[Ven's going to give her another encouraging smile (he seems to be partially made of those) as he summons his Keyblade again, but does not immediately summon the portal.]

Don't worry - it's pure light, which means it can't hurt you. You've got too much light in your heart for most things to hurt you, except physically, and that can happen to anyone. If you relax, it'll probably feel warm and comfortable.

[At least, it felt that way to him. He had to have been somewhere before he could place a portal, which was why he'd flown to Corona, but truthfully he does favor them for reasons beyond saving time. Maybe it's just because of his nature, but Light Portals really are something that feels good to him, and he's pretty sure Rise is close enough to pure that she should feel something of that. But he's not exactly a scientist. For the moment, though, he summons a portal exactly like the first, which will lead them to the Usual Spot in Twilight Town, a good place to put one since he has to try and not break the world order. From there, it won't be hard to find Xion, especially with the Gummiphone (and he can punch Lea in the shoulder for deliberately misinterpreting what Ven meant when he'd texted "Guys I found a girl" earlier). He also offers a hand again, since maybe it'll be more comforting for her to go through actually touching someone and being reassured of the rest of the world still existing.]

Ready?

H-huh? How did you-- [ It's a little too on-the-nose, a little too matter-of-fact, for Rise to simply overlook the fact that Ven seemingly knows about the state of her heart. Had he somehow picked up on that while he was doing that hunting for monsters thing? More and more, it reminds her of her own support abilities, and she can't help but wonder what he'd appear like to her if she summoned her Persona.

That's a thought for later, though, and she gives her head a quick shake to dismiss her own curiosity. Ven's got her pegged for what she finds comforting, at least, though he's no leader to latch onto. Instead, Rise reaches out to grasp his hand, looking ahead at the portal-- and then, almost stubbornly, to maybe prove that yes, she's a big girl, she can handle it, she's the one to take the first few steps forward and into the light, not pausing until they've emerged into a town bathed in sunset. ]

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Ven + Rise; I don't think life is quite that simple

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