sirenspull_logs | 002 @ The Morning After The Night Before

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002 @ The Morning After The Night Before

Who: Eraqus, Terra, Ventus
When: [Backdated] Early morning onwards on 4th September (After this scene).
Where: House of Departure, Sector 4
Summary: A family starts the process of fitting the pieces back together again.
Warnings: Angst. Feels. Srs faces. Bonding?

Staring at an unfamiliar ceiling in the dark, it took a moment for Eraqus to process where he was. When he was.

Inhale, exhale.

That the aches running through his body were very much self-inflicted (more or less) was not at all in doubt. The fact he had a body at all to feel them in was, and tired eyes stared at the shadows his hands formed in bewilderment, before he pressed the heels of each palm against them. The fact it was still dark meant he could not have slept long -- assuming he hadn't simply passed out from a combination of exhaustion, confusion and overextending his abilities. It could well have been both.

Inhale, exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Though his back protested, the keyblade master pushed himself into an upright position; he didn't have the reserves to call on more restorative magic, though he could sense the lingering remnants of Curaga in the air. The familiarity of the spellcaster's signature gave him pause. A pause that was neatly toppled by a resurgence of memory, of what had happened. Who had happened, so to speak. Of why he felt so exhausted.

Left hand lifted, pressing over his chest, and for a moment, Eraqus felt the uncertainty nestled there, wings unfurled protectively over the frayed tatters of his heart.

So many things, so many bonds that needed mending..

Inhale. Exhale.

Pushing himself to his feet, the old master brushed absently at his robes before taking slow stiff steps towards the door.

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While he did his best not to make much noise, making his way in silence down the hallway was a great deal easier when your balance wasn't in doubt.

Outside, something about the darkness made his senses crawl, and firm lips pressed into a thinner line. Whatever was out there was not in /here/, however, so he set it aside for the moment. One hand firmly settled on the wall, Eraqus was mindful of where he stepped. This was not the castle he'd known for years, which meant it was not the Land of Departure, which meant.... Very little, given he had no notion as to what world they were stranded upon.

Three familiar presences were but a heartbeat away, and that alone assured him that this place - where ever it was - was safe enough; he'd wonder about the faintest touches of his own magic being present later.

So long as there weren't any direwolves snoozing in the hallways, he'd reach the living room in due time.

The Master might have been trying to keep quiet, but Terra was very much aware of his teacher's presence in the hallway. A stark and unyielding silence had enveloped the house over the late night and early morning hours, and in that void even the faintest of sounds reached him. The ticking of a nearby clock, his direwolf grumbling and snuffling around, those footsteps drawing closer...

Terra had made no effort to get back to sleep after the battle. He'd waited in his bedroom until he'd been sure his friends and Master were settled into their respective rooms before he'd headed back out to the den with his pet direwolf at his side.

At first, he'd tried watching the television with the volume off, but nothing had held his attention -- he kept thinking back to Roxas' call and the fight out in the Darkness. He had eventually given up on the TV distraction and had taken a seat near the door to the backyard. It was his preferred spot for practicing meditation.

But his attempts at sinking into a proper reflective state were halfhearted at best. He was just too restless and unsettled.

The one thing that bothered him the most was not knowing for certain what he was feeling... or what he was supposed to be feeling. He suspected he should have been relieved that the confrontation was over and that the Master was back with them, but there were too many other emotions in the way of that simple happiness. Too many doubts and fears.

Hearing his Master approaching the living room entrance, Terra stood up stiffly and turned to face him. Oro looked up from where he'd sprawled out on the couch but didn't follow his owner's lead right away.

The most quiet shuffles seemed to echo loudly ahead of him in the stillness. It made the pause in unsteady steps far louder than simple movement should have allowed as Eraqus emerged from the hallway proper. Progress was arrested across the threshold as the Master's back straightened, and he dropped his hand from the wall.

For a moment, grey eyes rested on the direwolf. A blink followed. Then a second. If the reality of the situation had been slow in setting in before, the beast occupying the couch now caused a brief ripple of uncertainty as to the state of his own mind (never mind the world at large).

And then his attention turned to the other figure in the room, standing so stiffly.

His heart lurched painfully, echoed only in a sharp intake of breath, the slight curl of his fingers as his own stance echoed Terra's.

Part of Eraqus wondered if he should have waited. For what, exactly, he could not have said, nor for how long - it already felt as if too much time had already passed since they'd last been in such a position, even with the night's beginning having been all too unpleasant a reflection of an ending neither had wanted.

His expression was still locked in solemn severity as he tried his best to keep emotions under a tight rein, in spite of the tiredness and disorientation, and the sight of his first apprentice.

The tick-tock-tick of the clock was the only sound within the silence.

Edited 2012-09-22 14:07 (UTC)

Terra kept still as the Master entered the room and paused just inside the doorway. He felt himself tense up as his gold eyes locked on the man who had been both an instructor and a father to him. He waited and he worried, his body braced in anticipation of whatever was to come. Maybe the Master would summon his Keyblade and lunge at him, maybe he would fall again, maybe he would turn back and walk away... All possibilities his heart insisted he needed to be ready for. All possibilities his heart knew he deserved.

Twice before the Master had been brought to Siren's Port. They had found him on the baseball field each time and had simply brought him home. But he had vanished almost as swiftly as he'd shown up. Terra was convinced his Master's disappearances were his fault: surely it was his darkness that had repelled the Master's light.

He'd sworn to himself if Eraqus was pulled back to the city again, he would do everything in his power to hide his eyes and his darkness, so that his friends might have more time with their teacher. It wasn't fair to them to have to lose him over and over and over again, in their own dimension and here, because of him.

But it hadn't worked out that way. His plans had been forgotten in the midst of battle. The color of his eyes and the shadows in his heart had been revealed too soon.

He dreaded what that meant for the Master's stay this time.

Terra's gaze drifted to the floor. The minutes passed sluggishly by, marked by that too-loud ticking somewhere behind him.

Oro was also watching Eraqus closely, but his expression was curious. He laid his head down over the couch armrest and whined softly.

Terra stirred at the sound. He couldn't just stand around any longer.

Steeling his resolve, he breathed out shakily and moved forward. His steps were decisive at first but slowed as he neared the Master. When only a small gap was left between them, he came to a stop.

He blinked hard to try and clear his blurring vision. Only the briefest of glances up into the Master's eyes would be risked before his chin fell to his chest again. Closing his eyes tight, he lowered himself to his knees in one fluid motion. His hands were placed on the floor in front of him and he sank down into a low bow, his head pressed to the hardwood panels.

The nightmare was over. But what sort of reality had they been returned to?

His appearance had changed in small but significant ways, yet he still moved like Terra, held himself like the young man he raised in the Land of Departure. Whatever darkness and shadows he could sense - and his heart could not deny what was there - that was not all that remained or defined the keyblade wielder before him, inspite of the many hurts his heart had survived.

The meaning of golden eyes was not lost on Eraqus, the clearest sign of his own failure as Master to his Pupil, a reminder of what had been allowed to happen because he had not done enough to prevent it, to protect him as a Master should. A reminder made worse by the phantom flicker of pain that twinged beneath his shoulder blades, of the searing betrayal by one he had wanted so badly to believe in, who's actions underscored his own fracturing of precious trust between students and teacher with merciless mocking mimicry.

In spite of Eraqus' best efforts, he felt the weight of his regrets pulling at both heart and emotion, felt it add the years he had not lived as he stared back at Terra. The room could easily be cleared with but a few strides, yet the gulf between them seemed so much wider, and the silence was painfully loud, easily filling the living space and tap dancing across the nerves made raw from the tension.

Gaze flicked to the wolf at the intrusion of sound, the slight whine underscoring the mood present in the room, before the younger man took the initiative and began to move. Head lifting slightly, his back straightened, and Eraqus felt his breath catch as he waited.

It took him a moment to register what Terra was doing. Then all colour drained from the Master's face as the young man sank down into a bow. 'No..' His head shook slightly, though Eraqus said nothing, made mute by the swell of emotions that closed around his throat in a vice grip.

No.

Slowly, Eraqus sank to his knees and his hands extended towards Terra's shoulders, though for a moment, they hovered, fingers twitched in almost-retreat. Uncertainty prevailed, until the elder keywielder closed tired eyes and did his best to sooth his unsettled heart. That was the very least he could do, for the sake of his apprentice.

Assuming Eraqus even had the right to call himself his Master anymore.

The initial contact was gentle, before hands pressed very firmly against Terra's shoulders, urging Terra to rise out of a bow Eraqus did not in any way deserve. Press became a push, only if the unspoken request was met with resistance, and stopped only once Terra's obeisance had ended, grey eyes growing wet as he waited to meet the other's eyes.

Edited (tiny tweak) 2012-09-27 03:23 (UTC)

The rustling of fabric alerted Terra to his Master's movement. Keeping his eyes shut, he waited for judgement to be passed.

... Finding the Master's hands resting on his shoulders was about the last thing he'd been expecting to happen. Terra flinched and lifted himself up slightly at the touch, surprise and confusion causing his commitment to the bow to waver.

Yet his resolve returned swiftly when he realized what his Master was asking of him.

A single shake of his head was his response. For several long moments, he refused to move or be moved.

The Master had no way of knowing what all had happened... He didn't understand and how could Terra explain anything to him now?

Still, common sense dictated he couldn't stay flattened to the floor forever.

With some reluctance, Terra finally sat up.

He didn't dare look his teacher in the eye, though.

There was no judgement. How could there be? Eraqus knew nothing of what had transpired here, or elsewhere, beyond a sense of distance brought about by events beyond their control. At least, before tonight - and his own actions, in the Master's mind, far outweighed any wrong his student could think to be punished for.

It took far longer than he wished until Terra, finally, complied with his unspoken request. And with his face still downcast, eyes hidden, Eraqus was unable to tell if what he had seen hours ago had been a trick of the darkness and the night.

He did not think it was, though he had so wanted to hope.

"..It has been a very long time since we last saw one another," he said, voice still gravelly with disuse, though not as raw as he had feared. The sentance was phrased like a question, really, a desire for confirmation of something his heavy heart knew was a certainty - though exactly how long escaped him. Time had not exactly been very linear since..

His hands remained a light grasp fixed on Terra's shoulders. Not tightly, though who could say what sort of comfort (or discomfort) the gesture brought to the younger keyblade wielder. But Eraqus did not dare let go.

Terra didn't mind that his Master's hands hadn't left his shoulders: as long as they were there, he didn't have to decide whether he should stay put or stand and back away. It also helped allay his fear of the Master vanishing again, if only for the present moment. No one, as far as he knew, had ever disappeared right in front of someone else.

Eraqus' statement, noticeably a question in disguise, was difficult for him to answer, though. It certainly felt like it had been a very long time since they had last seen one another. Part of him wanted to say yes for that reason alone. But it wasn't the truth.

"No, Master," he mumbled, "You were here last year."

Twice.

"You probably don't remember."

He wasn't sure why he had added the 'probably' -- it was obvious enough the Master didn't remember his previous stays, given everything he had said and done over the past few hours.

Terra swallowed hard against the knot caught in his throat.

"Most people can't remember their previous stays when they leave this world and come back again later," he added in a flimsy attempt at being helpful. He wasn't sure if there was even any point to telling his Master all this, at least not right this minute, but he didn't have it in him after the long night (and all the long years) to pick and choose his words or lie to his father-figure.

His fingers tightened involuntarily as Eraqus absorbed Terra's words, both the contents and the mumbled framing, even as the young man before him still refused to meet his gaze.

"Year..?"

His voice reflected the slight flinch in movement that had accompanied the sudden increase in grip, pained surprise unpleasantly choking further words for well over a minute. That could not be, surely. His most immediate memories - jumbled, disjointed and painfully stark in places though they were - protested that length vehemently.

But his heart knew there was no lie here. Not in Terra's words or voice, the weight that bowed his student's shoulders.

He *had* been here. And then he had been gone. Along with whatever memories had been made. The presence of his own magic woven within the House protections told him so, spells he knew for a fact he had never cast, could not have cast.

'Probably' indeed.

"The.. Strange darkness here. Does that play a part in it?" This loss of memory. It certainly had not helped him remember. The foulness beyond the walls lingered, as if recognising it were being referred to.

The mortification Eraqus felt seemed to drain him of what little colour he had recovered in his short rest. "A year," the words were repeated, almost under his breath. His heart keened as grey eyes lifted, staring past Terra to fix on the far wall a moment. "...How long have you been here?" Singular, plural. Before and after that singular year, that much was certain.

"It might," Terra answered. He wasn't sure if the Greeters had gotten a chance to speak with his Master when he first showed up on the baseball field. (He wasn't sure his Master would have listened even if they had tried to inform him of what was going on.) Turning his head away just slightly, he recited some of the basic facts of the city around them, "People from all different worlds are brought here by something called the Core. It's some sort of magic device. It's supposed to be the Core that decides when to send those people back to wherever they came from, too. But no one really knows for sure why a lot of people who end up being pulled here multiple times lose the memories they made here before. It could be the an effect of the Darkness."

He went on without pause, "I've been here for two years."

... Only to quickly return to the other subject, "This place is called Siren's Port. The Darkness outside only shows up at night. The world looks pretty normal during the day."

Greeters?

Were they to be mentioned, Terra would be met with a blank stare - assuming he'd take the time to meet his Master's eyes. The haze surrounding his arrival was slow to lift, and Eraqus was still not certain of the circumstances involving his arrival in this world. Perhaps he would not have listened to the Greeters under other circumstances, but unfortunately, the first person, rather than monster, that Eraqus had met in his confused wanderings had been Roxas.

(And we saw how that turned out...)

He listened now, however, his own head tilting slightly as Terra looks aside. The Master was not certain what to think, the description of this 'Siren's Port' sounding much like an unpleasant reversal of the fabled Traverse Town.

And so much of what was said had clearly been memorised to heart, spoken as though Terra had rehearsed and recited several times. And perhaps he had.

Two years.

"I see." A swell of remorse rose in his chest. How do you apologise for something beyond memory or understanding? Eraqus remembered none of it. Something else he owed apology for.

"And you -- all three of you -- are here." He was not certain if that was a blessing or a curse, even if the fact they were here brought him no small joy - that at least part of the disaster had been a reality--

His brows furrowed at once. "And that boy... Who, what was he?" If he was not Ventus (and he could not have been Ventus, because Ventus had also been there), or the χ-Blade incarnate..

His heart hardened. Was Xehanort here, too?

"We're all here," there was a small nod given as confirmation for what had been said by the Master, but no details on how that had come to be, or any of the many other matters related to their being in this world, were offered. Terra's eyes settled on his Master's hand for a moment as he considered shaking it off and getting up.

"The boy is a friend of ours. His name is Roxas. What he is..." Did he really have any business explaining it? If so, did he really want to delve into that mess right now, after a very long night and with so much else to cover?

"Well, it's a long story."

From behind him, Oro grunted his disapproval.

Who was the grunt intended for? Grey eyes flickered away briefly from Terra, lips pursed as he regarded the direwolf. A long story - and no doubt you happen to be one of them, eh?

"..It would seem there are a great many of those I'll have to hear about." And not just from Terra.

All three of them really were here. And this 'Roxas' - a friend..? The name rang no bells at all. "So he is not--" The Master's eyes closed and he bowed his head, shaking it slightly when an oddly shakey breath escaped him, interrupting whatever he'd intended to say. What sort of person had he become that he could not tell friend from foe?

A dull ache burned along his back. "It would seem I am doomed to repeating old mistakes.. Thank you, for stopping me." Though the words were thick with an emotion he could not place, he was, truly, unspeakably grateful (and no small part proud). His grip tightened a moment - his apprentice might have trouble brushing his hand aside at this rate. "You should never have been placed in such a position again.."

"I am sorry, Terra."

For what little that was worth.

A slight wince pulled at the corners of Terra's mouth and narrowed his eyes. Oh, the Master had no idea just how many long stories there were... or just how reluctant his oldest apprentice was to have to tell any of them.

"It's fine, Master."

That hand on his shoulder wasn't going anywhere, was it?

"I've repeated a few old mistakes, too."

Guiltily, he looked straight ahead again, this time glancing up far enough to search for his Master's gaze.

'It's fine, Master'.

It was Eraqus who's eyes remained closed now, and his lips pursed a moment before being dragged into a humourless smile. "No... No, it is not," sighed the older Keybearer. "In time, perhaps.." Time he had not ever expected to have again, beyond a shred of hope in the midst of gravest uncertainty, back...where ever it was that his heart was hidden.

A faint chuckle resounded in his chest. "..perhaps we can learn not to repeat them together?"

Straightening up, his greying forelock of charcoal hair swayed back and forth a moment, and Eraqus' eyes opened again, in time to see Terra's hesitant stare lift, and catch the guilty glint as it stole a look up at him.

His eyes widened slightly, as silvered grey met gold. Though there was no overt intake of breath, the Master's posture straightened and a very, very frank stare ensued. One that gave no notion as to what sort of judgement might be hidden within it.

Judgement that Terra no doubt expected. And, given the events of the night, perhaps...feared?

Edited (augh too soon + typo correction auuuugh) 2012-11-21 22:35 (UTC)

Though most of the ache had passed, Eraqus was in no hurry to rise, grey eyes distant as he considered the events and conversations of the morning.

Seated in the kitchen, the remnants of what had been a whirlwind breakfast by the House's other resident keyblade master before she'd fled out the door were regarded over tea.

The French Toast vs Bacon stand-off had been readily demolished by the previously present parties, save one, and even now, Oro sat next to the table, making a carefully considered play for attention and scraps.

But mostly scraps, or the bacon set to one side for late risers. Eraqus politely pretended not to notice the puppy eyes directed his way.

Eraqus wasn't about to share the strawberries with him either; the red favoured fruit currently sat in splendor at the center of the table, but the Master did not reach for them yet. He sat, sipped his tea, and waited, concealing any concerns behind his steadfast solemn expression.

Edited 2012-09-17 22:48 (UTC)

To say it have been an eventful night was an understatement and a half. And even though everyone had made it home more or less in tact, sleep wasn't something that was readily come by once everyone was back. Ven had indeed flopped down in his bed again, only because staying up and lingering about in worry wouldn't do anyone any good. Still, he lay there awake and staring at his ceiling until who knew what hour. But at some point he HAD fallen asleep.

And slept right through his alarm, apparently. Usually he got up to eat breakfast with the others and head to work, but not today. Ventus woke with a start, and once he had registered what time it was, it was inevitable he wasn't going to be going to work on time. He sent Riku a message letting him know; he was sure that his 'boss' would understand, given the excuse.

Ven left his room, still in his clothes from last night, and peeked into the hall. No one was there. After checking the upstairs bedrooms, it was apparent everyone had left or was downstairs, so he crept headed that way. Once on the bottom floor, he could smell the remnants of breakfast in the air, which set his stomach growling. But instead of rushing, Ven walked slowly for the kitchen, peering slowly around the doorway to see who was in there.

Even though he doesn't say anything just yet, it would be difficult not to notice that mop of unruly blonde hair.

An eventful night followed by a quiet morning, something which all can agree is a much preferred state of affairs. Though a quiet night AND morning would have been better still, beggars cannot be choosers.

Hands still cradling his cup, the Master's eyes are initially closed when Ventus sneaks a peek into the kitchen proper - though that growling stomach gave Ven's approach away long before he poked his head around the door! While his pose gives the appearance that he is unperturbed, truthfully Eraqus is using the moment to still his emotions.

The last time he saw his blond student prior to the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, it had been a very very different parting. One he is less than proud of, and given his reactions to.. ..To the young man that wasn't Ventus but worse his face, Eraqus would not blame him if he chose to walk away rather than stay.

But part of him hopes, anyway. Tired grey eyes open, and the faintest lines of a smile form around the stern lines of his mouth. "Good morning, Ventus."

It would be a lie to say Ven wasn't at least somewhat nervous about this, and it probably showed in the way he momentarily hesitated around the door frame. Despite the fact that Eraqus had been here before, each time had been a totally different circumstance, which meant they were always starting over. They were always right back to their last moments together, and the feelings surrounding them. Those combined with the events of last night... it didn't give Ven the warmest of fuzzies.

But that small smile is so familiar, and the voice is so devoid of any ill intent that it offers some fraction ofcomfort. The boy steps fully into view, though he looks a bit timid about it. His eyes roam, first to the floor, then around the kitchen. He feels awkward about looking the man in the eye right now. "Good morning, Master."

There were so many questions he wanted to ask, and Ven really was concerned about how Eraqus was feeling now that he'd had a chance to rest... but he could be patient now. Everything would come to light, little by little.

Having to repeat the same reunions again and again cannot be easy on any heart, let alone ones that have been hurt as thoroughly as those of his students'. If Eraqus could remember being here previously, it'd certainly make life that little bit easier. He would never have attacked Roxas, for one.

But they cannot change what has passed, even if knowledge of it hangs in the silence like a knife.

The boy looks a little older, a little taller; filling out in muscle, but still no less bright of heart. And that hair never gets any less mussed, does it? Setting down his tea cup, the older keyblade wielder regards the youngest of his three apprentices thoughtfully as the other fails to meet his eyes. The fact he is nervous is entirely Eraqus' fault, and he knows it, and for a moment the older man is lost for words.

..He is so very glad you are here, and safe.

"Aqua saved you some breakfast." If nothing else, food is a safe, neutral starting point, and there is a nod to indicate the plate on the sideboard. "Would you like some tea?"

Yes, breakfast. That would certainly be a good place to start, especially knowing how well Aqua cooks. Ven takes the plate eagerly, and sets it down lightly on the table before grabbing the also provided utensils. At the question that follows, he gives a nod, "Ah, yes please." The politeness was unconscious, something he simply did in Eraqus' presence.

Ven goes to grab a teacup for himself from the cabinet, the idea dawning on him that Eraqus wouldn't know where they kept everything just yet. Tea wasn't something he drank often, but right now it was sounding kind of nice. And it wasn't completely awful like coffee.

He sets the cup down on the counter, but isn't actually sure what exactly to do next.

Coffee is something of a required taste. Also, excessive amounts of sugar helps. A lot. Also, milk. Or cream. Some like to add chocolate! ...Such is the suffering of those with a sweet tooth.

What Eraqus doesn't know yet, he has time to learn, and he makes mental note of what goes where as Ven collects cutlery and cups; the teapot is still on the side, a fairly fresh pot kept warm with the occasional touch of magic.

The boy does not move stiffly, but then, he certainly slept in a lot. Eraqus' memories seemed to grow blurry the more he tried to focus on the end of last night, and he had worried.. Focusing his gaze instead on the strawberries, one of which is carefully plucked free of the bowl, the Master says nothing more until the boy stops and more of that awkward stillness lies between them.

Time to break it. "Terra told me that you have all been here some time." More or less. "...I am glad you are well." He may not only be referring to last night, either.

There is still an ongoing battle between Ventus and Roxas over whether the former will ever try coffee. The answer is still no, even with copious amounts of sweet stuff added to it. Oh well.

Finally spotting the tea kettle, Ven picks it up carefully and pours himself a cup. It's true that a good night's rest gave him far better coordination and movement than if he had gotten up at his regular time. Oh well, it's fine since he won't spill something hot on himself. He begins to add his choice of milk and sugar when Eraqus addresses him again.

I am glad you are well. The blonde stops stirring his tea and looks down at the counter. For such a simple statement, it carries a lot of weight. Some of the tension in Ven's shoulders eases away, and when he glances back, his expression is more relaxed. "I've been here over a year and a half," he finally replies, once given time to count the months, "A lot's happened."

Coffee has its uses. This morning, however, both student and master can agree that tea is most certainly the superior beverage.

(We won't attempt to weigh them against hot chocolate, however. There's only one clear victor there.)

If Ventus trusts nothing else, he knows that his Master has always meant what he says. He has never lied to his students, after all (save perhaps through omission, and even then, never without reason or without the intent to elaborate more later).

Though Eraqus was not looking at Ventus as the boy spoke, the older keybearer felt himself relax in turn once a reply is given -- it wasn't quite what he'd expected to hear, however. 'Over a year and a half' seemed simultaneously too long and much too short, and both eyebrows shot up in spite of his self control. "I would imagine so," he said after a moment. "I would like to hear more, if you'd be willing..?" He would understand, if Ven was not.

The container of strawberries was then carefully nudged over a bit; close enough for two to reach. A very generous offer from the Master, really!

Now that he had his drink, Ven finally takes a seat at the table. His cups clicks on the wood as he sits across from Eraqus, and he adjusts his chair to be closer to his plate. It was more comfortable now, the talking. His Master seemed genuinely interested in the life he was leading here in Siren's Port, and he was actually fairly willing to share.

"It's tough to even know where to start," he answers, eying the offered strawberries. He certainly couldn't say no to being offered one of those, so he picks up one of the red fruits and takes a bite. "When I arrived here the November before last, I wasn't even sure what I was supposed to do. Terra and Aqua were already here and helped me a lot to settle in, but I've done a lot for myself too. I've gotten jobs, made new friends... I even have a pet."

The bunny Ven can easily talk about, but he'll wait to inform the elder about his girlfriend. That might need a bit more of a lead up.

The Master's posture relaxed in turn, though the older man's back remained straight as ever. It meant a great deal, that Ventus was willing to share, and the loss of that earlier unease sets his own heart at rest.

The relief that his students have been there for one another in this strange new world flickered across his face briefly, before a nod of encouragement is offered. "The beginning is always good," Eraqus pointed out, mindful not to let lecture mode enter his voice. Both Terra and Aqua had been taught to give fuller reports, and this.. This wasn't a report, as such. He really did want to hear about his youngest student's new life. As such, the words were softened with a faint smile before another strawberry was consumed.

The Land of Departure was remote for a reason; given he appeared with Keyblade in hand with the older apprentices the night before meant that he was -- or should have been :| -- training regularly still. Nonetheless, that Ven has managed to find friends and work here is very good indeed! "What sort of work are you doing?"

Having met the direwolf, still sitting beside the table and looking very very innocent at both the humans, news of a pet rabbit is hardly going to raise an eyebrow (save surprised that the wolf hadn't tried to eat it yet). ..Waiting to tell the Master about the Girlfriend is probably a very very wise idea, though.

About a month's build up, maybe.

Now that he was actually talking, he found it easier to keep going. Picking up his fork and knife, Ven began to cut into his breakfast, making sure not to speak with his mouth full.

"Right now, I work at a theater. One of the people in charge needed an assistant to run errands and things like that." He was kind of proud of his position, and Riku was a pretty nice boss when it all came down to it. "I bought my rabbit with some of the money I made." Everything else went into food bills, the house payments, and date money with Xion.

"I can show him to you later.... if you want."

At least his students still remembered their table manners. No messy eaters in this house! While Ventus talked and ate, Eraqus settled for the slow but steady consumption of the strawberries, interrupted only by the occasional mouthful of tea.

A job at a theater would not have been his first guess for employment, but once Ventus had made mention of errands, there was a slight nod. He was, after all, the fastest and most nimble of the three.

"A rabbit?" Eyes unerringly turned towards the direwolf, one dark brow arching, before looking back to Ventus at the question that followed. As did a small smile, wider than the one offered earlier. "Of course. I would be happy to meet him."

Only then, because he would not be 'The Master' without asking about it, he raised his up for another sip of tea. And, as carefully polite as possible, "Have you been keeping up with your training as well?"

(This may or may not reflect well on Terra and Aqua later. :|)

Noticing the look at Oro, Ven smiled and waved a hand at the direwolf. "He behaves himself around Nibbles. Isn't that right?" The boy gave the canine a pointed look, and Oro stared innocently back. When no one was looking, Ven sometimes tossed him a scrap from the table... so he was on his good side. No rabbit eating in this house.

"All right, then I'll show you later. I do... have to go to work at some point. Riku knows I'm going to take a half day though." Since he sent the text at least.

The last question was met with a slight bit of trepidation. Of course Ven still wielded his keyblade and practiced when he got the chance. Though normal training had indeed fallen to the wayside on some occasions. Sparring and the like were not common affairs anymore, but they did happen. "For the most part," he answered, suddenly interested in his fork as he twirled it around on the table, "Not like back home. But I still train."

A twinkle of amusement entered the Master's eye as the older keybearer resisted the urge to shake his head at the exchange of looks between boy and beast. Perhaps wonders truly would not cease. "I'll look forward to it," Eraqus said, and meant it, a hint of approval colouring his words. It isn't quite the responsibility any of them planned for in their lives, but to see him take it seriously.

Ah. "No, I would not imagine it is much like back home here." Last night being an exception, he dearly hoped. One that would not be repeated. The fact that Ventus still considered Departure 'home' earned a small pang within his heart, one that Eraqus could not readily identify. Relief perhaps. Or guilt. Quite possibly both. Not quite enough of a distraction to read into the cutlery's new use as a diversion, however.

The offer, when made, surprised him only in how quiet it sounded when spoken aloud compared to the earlier, easier conversation. Grey eyes remained fixed on Ven, trying to gauge his reaction.

"Should you wish, perhaps, we might resume your training here..? ...Though I do not know that I still have the right to be called your Master." The reason why hung between them, unspoken.

There was a small smile in return from Ven. Sure, it was just a rabbit, but he was kind of proud of his pet regardless.

For a moment after, there was silence. If the younger knew what was going through his Master's mind at the time, he would have reassured him that Departure would forever be 'home' to him. Even now, little of his memories prior to Vanitas' creation had returned, which meant that world would forever be the place he knew best.

The movement of the fork stops at the offer of training, and Ven's eyes flick up to meet Eraqus' again. Surprise is apparent in his eyes, even though he tries to mask it. Ven expected regret from the man for his actions, but he hadn't even thought about this.

"You still... want to train me?" The question hidden underneath being 'You don't think I"m dangerous?'

Home is where the heart is. A very fitting phrase for Ventus, really, given past and future circumstances.

Who's surprise at the question is greater? It's rather hard to say, though Eraqus was likely the better of the two at hiding it. Hesitation still preceded his reply, however, likely due to partial misinterpretation on his part of the counter-question. He did not break eye contact with Ven.

Here you are, a little older, still yourself and no less bright of heart, and the Master wonders what other things he was wrong about, when all he had wanted was to keep you at the Land of Departure so you'd be safe. "This is not something you need decide now," he said, wan smile flickering, then disappearing. "But if you no longer wish to be trained, by me.."

(And that was assuming he wanted training at all - perhaps Ventus no longer dreamed of becoming a Master?)

"..Then I understand." And he would never hold it against him.

What he had done, had tried to do, and the potential consequences of his actions had Terra not arrived when he did...The remorse Eraqus felt went beyond simple guilt. Gravely serious as the Master took his duties, that he had raised his blade at all against one of his students was a blemish on his honour that a simple apology could not overcome alone.

His actions meant as much, if not more, than words. And Eraqus would not lie to him.

"..The choice is entirely yours to make, Ventus."

Edited 2012-10-05 02:56 (UTC)

There was a soft clink at Ven's fork dropped against the table, the blonde lifting his hands and waving them as if in surrender. "No, that's not what I meant-!" He pauses for a moment, his own memories of that incident flashing through his mind.

You must exist no more.

Regardless of the apology that had proceeded that statement, it had hurt more than one could imagine to be told that. But Ven had understood, knowing the threat he posed, and in that instant had had to come to terms with the notion that Eraqus could no longer keep him aline, much less as a student.

So to be asked this... it carried far more meaning than just simple training sessions.

"I don't need any time to decide. I... still want to be trained by you. More than anything. If you still want me as your student." His life may have been vastly different here, but his dream would never change.

The keyblade. His life so far. They deserved more respect than to be left behind.

The Master blinked.

Then his chair creaked as it was pushed back, allowing the Keyblade Master to stand to his full height. Eraqus used the moment to gather his bearings, an odd weight settling across his chest, resting against his heart, before he allowed himself a smile. Stepping around the edge of the kitchen table, his hand then reached over to rest against Ventus' shoulder. A gesture that was accompanied by a reassuring squeeze of fingers.

"I would be proud to accept you as my pupil."

He waited them, for several heart beats, before the Master chose to sink down to one knee; there was a very slight grimace as his body protested the kneeling move. The remaining aches and pains of the night before could not be helped, and it was a small price to pay, all told, for what he had decided to do.

Ventus had already learned to summon the keyblade by the time he'd been deposited on Eraqus' doorstep, a memory lost to a part of his life he could not -- perhaps would never -- truly remember. And although he wore the mark of mastery sigil, there had never been anything truly official beyond the agreement with Xehanort to adopt his peer's student to signify the start of his apprenticeship.

Here, and now, granted Eraqus an unlooked-for second chance to change that.

The kitchen wasn't as appropriately ceremonial as the throne room, but it would have to do.

Ven looks up as Eraqus stands, not sure whether he should rise as well. His question is answered, however, when the Master walks over and rests a hand on his shoulder, causing him to remain seated. He can't help the grin that spreads across his face at the man's statement, a few tears gathering in the corners of the younger's eyes, "Thank you..."

And then Eraqus was kneeling in front of him, causing Ven to give a small sound of protest and worry at the look of pain on the man's face. But it seems like he's all right, and Ven doesn't try to stop him. He knows his Master wouldn't let something like this keep him down. Instead Ven rearranges his features back into into something more serious.

Though the look of expectation in his blue eyes certainly doesn't go away.

He's old, but he's not that old. (Just mostly.) (For Kingdom Hearts, anyway).

The pain passed as quickly as it arrived, though he might well have needed a hand to rise once he was done. For now, however, his hand released Ventus' shoulder, and blue eyes and grey maintained a steady gaze.

There was a flash of white light, rows of golden rectangles spinning counter to one another, before the Master Keeper solidified, formed in his outstretched right hand. Not held to one side, not in attack; held at the horizontal, as though in defense, or, rather, deference.

Right hand tightly clasping the hilt, Eraqus' left hand rose to support the shaft, resting beneath where the simple E-shaped teeth joined the blade.

"In your hand, take this Key."

Eraqus' expression remained solemn, even though his eyes gleamed slightly, and his words were spoken with all due seriousness. They both already know Ventus has proven worthy of the Keyblade. But that isn't what this is about.

In the back of his mind, Ven remembered Terra doing something similar to this for him. Holding out his toy keyblade and letting Ven take it, it had been symbolic of Ven slowly regaining his ability to fight. And to be alive.

Now, sitting in the kitchen at a breakfast table, it might seem like a completely silly way to perform an 'inheritance ceremony'... but to Ven is was still absolutely perfect. He gazed at Master Keeper presented in front of him, silently admiring the weapon for a moment. It was a blade and a power to aspire to, and Ven gave a small nod, both in acceptance and to himself. A small promise to to his very best, to fight for the dream he'd been given.

He reached out, wrapping his hand gently around the key.

In the warmth of the kitchen, late morning sunshine poured through the window, illuminating the exchange. There were few who bothered with such ceremonies. Yet, the Master continued speaking, voice kept even and lips careful not to curve into a smile as he watched his youngest apprentice consider the Master Keeper with all the consideration due such a vow.

"So long as you have the makings,
Then through this simple act of taking,
Its wielder you shall one day be."

When Ventus nodded, then reached for the Key, the blade itself seemed to grow warm in his hands, an almost furry sense of approval purring against palms with an energy that was bright within the mind's eye, before slipping away again leaving only black metal and eccentric shape. Or perhaps that was something only Eraqus sensed. The Keyblade - whatever blade it happened to be - still kept some of its own secrets.

It was a promise accepted, by both Keyblade and Keyblade Master. Whatever it might have been - it was not for Eraqus to ask, but one he would support the best he could. The sword disappeared in another bright spin of golden shapes, and Eraqus let his hands come to rest against his legs.

And allowed himself a slightly rueful smile. "Under other circumstances.. This would be where I welcome you home." He did not make motions to move, not yet (and he suspected he'd still be painfully stiff when he did); he waited instead for Ventus to say, or perhaps do something.

At the end of the poem, and when the Master's key had seemed to accept the boy, Ven felt a proud smile grace his face. The keyblade eventually disappeared as the ceremony ended, but the feeling of pride and the warmth in his chest didn't vanish for some time. He realized he had closed his eyes somewhere during the exchange, and when he finally opened them he saw Eraqus' smile.

"I am home." It didn't need to be the Land of Departure... as long as they were all together, Ven was right where he belonged. Part of him thought it best to keep the formality of the situation going, but it didn't happen.

Ven slid from his seat, pushing it back so there was room for him to kneel down on the ground in front of his Master. He may have only known this man for a few short years, nothing in comparison to Terra or Aqua, but in that time Eraqus had been more of a parent to Ventus than anyone in the his life. And now he puts his arms gently around the man's torso, pressing himself into a hug he'd been dying to give for ages.

"Thank you."

The Master inhaled sharply as Ventus then wrapped his arms about him, and for a moment Eraqus remained absolutely still. Simple acceptance, that happy smile and clear gratitude -- that would have been entirely enough for him, given the circumstances.

Slowly, his right arm gently wrapped around his youngest apprentice, encircling his shoulders and holding him close. Left hand came to rest atop his head; no ruffles, not like Terra or Aqua might have given, holding pride and a hint of protectiveness in the gesture.

Home. Where those most important within his heart were.

"No," he murmured, letting his eyes fall closed as he returned the hug. "Thank you, Ventus."

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002 @ The Morning After The Night Before

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