Just the casual mentioning of the raft reminds the spiky haired boy just how long it’s already been since he, Riku and Kairi had made plans to build a raft to take them to to other worlds. Or rather, it’s at least felt like a long time since then. In some ways, he misses when life was that simple, not having a care in the world. But then again, he wouldn’t change a thing for the worlds. All the journeys he’s been on thus far, all the people he’s connected with, make him who he is, and those are things he’ll never give up.
“Well, it is kinda hard not to get lost when everything kind of looks the same, but you know what, I’ll take that as a compliment!” he responded a small but smug smile on his face as he places his hands on his hips for emphasis. “Still though, it’s a good thing you found me! Don’t wanna give myself too much credit.” Inside he knows he’s done basically nothing, but he always tries his best to look good in front of his best friend.
Though Riku often struggled with his emotions, it’s still as clear as day to him how much Riku cares. He may not be the best at expressing it physically or in words, but nonetheless, Sora knows him better than anyone, and is willing to do anything to make him happy. “Heh, right. Now that we’re together, I think we’ll be okay.” he says reassuringly, nodding slightly as he places a hand on his friend’s shoulder.
It’s almost as though whenever they talk, Sora tends to forget that he’s in a harshly cold environment. It feels nice having a friend who can take the pressure off like that. “Well…okay. If you’re sure. But don’t worry though, if you catch a cold, I’ll be here to take care of you, and that’s a promise!” he exclaims, giving another nod of acknowledgment to Riku. “A few weeks, huh? That’s still longer than I’ve been here.”
As the two of them continue walking, almost out of nowhere, Sora finds himself struck with thoughts about his other friends. What if they’re in trouble? He knows that they can handle themselves, but still. And what of Kairi? He hates the thought of her being left behind time and time again while he and Riku are away from home. “Hey Riku, do you think that Kairi is okay? I know how strong she is, I just… it feels like we’ve lost her again, even if there’s nothing we could have done.”
A raft— just how far would a raft have really gotten them? Would they have really succeeded at leaving the tiny island that he had once called home? These days, he is not certain it would have been as easy as them as children would believe ( Riku is certain of one thing, and that is how selfish his desire had been— what a risk he had put upon two others who had only been to willing to blindly follow his lead. How selfish, how foolish, that had been, and he was the one who was supposed to know better ). “Everything looks the same? I suppose you aren’t completely wrong about that, but I think your observational skills might need some work.” Of course Sora would take that as a compliment— finding positives in the negative, that’s always how he’s been, for as long as he can remember. It’s hard to scorn him over a trait that he envies, to an extent.
A pause, averting his gaze; an indifferent sort of shrug of his shoulders. “I didn’t do much. You would’ve found your way, eventually. Give yourself some credit, just because everyone might act like you’re a bit hopeless, it’s not like you to go down without a fight.” Once, he might have puffed up his chest and bragged about how dependable he was, but— he’s done enough of that today, he’s not done that much worth of praise ( and sometimes, Riku thinks he needs the reminder too, that he is not worth that praise— that Sora is plenty capable himself ). He’d always be there to find him, he hopes, but Riku has faith that if he was not there, that he would be able to handle himself just fine.
He’s not exactly reassured— placated, at best; Sora’s right, but he’s not one to accept things simply, these days. Even if he can’t completely express it, it is a comfort to have him here ( and a comfort to have him try and comfort him, irregardless ). Will they really be okay here? Their future here feels a little bit like that raft of theirs, lost at sea, close to capsizing, fate uncertain. He can’t be certain of much these days, he thinks, but he is right in thinking they are at least better off together ( alone— hah, he is the one that cannot do anything alone, as much as he might act otherwise ). “Mm. Well, we’ll manage. Don’t have much choice, anyhow.” Survive— at this point, it is all he really knows. Live, just for the sake of seeing the next day, if nothing else.
He snorts at the exclamation he makes, raising a brow at him. “Not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment, but maybe focus on taking care of yourself, first. I’ll hold you to that promise, though I don’t think you’ll need to.” If only because Sora won’t let him do much otherwise— Riku doesn’t like having people worry over him, but that is probably unavoidable, now. Worst comes to worst, he just has to make sure he doesn’t seem too outwardly ill. “Sure, but I don’t think it amounts to much. You’ll probably catch up before you know it.”
There’s a grimace at his words— nothing they could have done? Does Sora really believe that, or is that just what he’s saying? ( No, actually, Riku has a hard time thinking that’s what he really believes, but— it’s hard to really gauge what Sora thinks with regards to Kairi these days ). He does not lash out though, any anger he feels is always redirected at himself; he is at fault, isn’t he? What is the use of being a master if you could not even do something as small as save someone— a friend? It is hard to say anything because his throat feels tight with the anger he does not speak ( the grief that he hasn’t quite figured out what to do with yet still weighs heavy in his chest ), and he is not really meant to speak words of comfort— what Sora wants to hear and what he needs to hear are not exactly the same, nor entirely different. “It’s...hard to be sure. Though I doubt that she wouldn’t be trying to get back on her own.” And that’s the truth of it. She’s always been a fighter too, a blessing and a curse in itself ( one day he will learn that he cannot protect them all, no matter how much strength he gathers ). Riku gnaws on his lip for a moment, a slow shrug of his shoulders; voice a little softer as the bitter anger leaves his body. “I don’t think you’d be here if she wasn’t okay. It isn’t like you to leave someone waiting.” This too, is a statement that he finds to be ( mostly ) true, especially for her sake— he doesn’t think Sora would be here if she wasn’t safe, in some sense of the word ( if they ever are truly safe is debatable within itself ); but this is the statement with which he does his best to deliver some sense of comfort, however little that may be.
