The coming of the eclipse startled Ikki--but not that much. He'd only been in Spirale for a few days, but in that time had already found his way to the Black Fens (as a Darkness-oriented, photosensitive person, it seemed a natural match), to the town of Tuirse, to the inn of the Smoking Dragon, where he'd spent any time not job hunting, rubbing elbows with the locals, listening to their stories, taking their advice to heart. They'd told him that eclipses heralded new arrivals--people like himself, pulled from their worlds, from their place and time. Are we sure these aren't the Sleeping Worlds? he had wondered aloud at one point, and had to brush off the bar patrons' confused stares. Ikki wasn't sure of anything at this point, but he'd resolved to trundle along with life regardless.
He wasn't going to look. It wasn't really any of his business, who had arrived--and besides, he didn't expect to recognize any of the names. What would the Stars want with Riku, or any of the other Keybladers? People like himself--people who'd been dead before arriving to Spirale--seemed to do the best here, according to the folks at the Smoking Dragon. Riku and his friends had too much to lose. What benefit would there be to bringing them here?
Ikki froze while scrolling through his phone's contacts. A chill washed all through him, coldness running from his head to the base of his spine.
Oh, fuck. Fuck. Naminé was here? Naminé was here. Had she died, like he did? He worked so hard to get her that Replica body, so she could come back, so she could be her own person--! Damnit! Damn it all!
Fury and despair and selfish, selfish hope ran through Ikki in waves. His hands started to shake around his phone as he tapped Naminé's contact.
He just...he just wanted to make sure she was all right. If she never wanted to see him again--if being around him was too painful a reminder of everything that had happened in Castle Oblivion, all the things she had done, been forced to do--
Could he really survive it if she said no?
His fingers shook, hovering over the screen, frozen.
Yes. Probably. Maybe. Did it matter? Only her happiness mattered.
[txt] hi Naminé. it's Ikki.
[txt] do
Fuck. Why had he hit send? Fuck, fuck fuck; he looked like an idiot. But as usual, his instinctive response was to double down.
[txt] can we meet?
[txt] we dont have to if you don't want to I just would really
[txt] just wanna make sure ur okay.
What more could he say than that? He had no idea. The rest was up to her.
