thememorywitch | IC Contact

[When she hears his voice, Naminé's face immediately lights up.]

Arden! I'm free today too! Do you have something in mind?

I was thinking of a picnic, actually.

[He figures he can tell her more about why later, when they're actually there.]

Somewhere near the Tree of Memories so there's enough grass, maybe.

Edited (better icon lol) 2018-03-14 00:43 (UTC)

That sounds really great; I'd love to go! Do you need me to bring anything?

Hmm... how about a drink you like?

[Juice, Soda, milkshakes, even wine, whatever she likes.]

See you there at noon.

That I can do! I'll see you soon!

[With that she cuts off the message to start to get ready. She feels lucky that she had just made some iced tea that they could share now. Naminé also changes into a cute dress before she heads out with the tea.

The girl is a little early when she arrives, but she was too excited to keep waiting. She just has to be patient now.]

[Arden has so many thoughts swirling around and weighing him down, and while alone his mind wanders through them causing a frown on his face.

But then he walks through a Corridor a little ways away from the Tree and sees Naminé that his shoulders relax. He smiles with his basket in one hand and completes the journey of a few more steps out to where she's standing.]

I hope you weren't waiting too long - and here I was the one who suggested this.

[Naminé grins as he appears, waving at him. She hurries over to meet him halfway.]

Not at all! I came early actually, so don't worry. I wanted to be here to meet you.

[She holds up the bottle of iced tea.]

I brought this too. I hope it's okay!

[ He stares at the iced tea, scrutinizing it. ]

I'm not even sure what it is, but I'll try it.

[ He asks because maybe it's chocolate milk watered down somehow. He's not really a tea-drinker but he's seen it in tea kettles when people eat the food they bought at Sweetie Pies sometimes.

Regardless, he finishes walking closer to the tree with her beside him and sets the basket down, retrieving the patterned blanket out of it. ]

I'm sorry I didn't think of doing this sooner. I really should have.

You've never had iced tea? I think you'll like it, but we can also get some water too.

[She follows after him and then helps Arden set up the blanket.]

That's okay! I'm really happy we can do this now.

I'm sure it'll be fine. I've had tea-flavored things before at Sweetie Pies.

[And though there's a wide variety, iced tea is on the sweeter side.]

It's not just that, Naminé, it's...

[He sets his things down and then takes one of her hands, rubbing the tops of her fingers gently.]

Two different times now - a year apart - there was this big event where someone tried to set people up on blind dates in the hopes they'd hit it off together.

[His free hand goes to his neck, rubbing at it.]

Obviously nothing worked out for me. And while I'm glad for that, it's this one weird kind of memory I wanted to have a better version of with you... that wasn't even from before.

[Naminé is blushing at this point with a smile on her face.]

Arden... that's so sweet. [She shifts her hand so their fingers lock together.] We can make lots of new memories together now.

[ Arden can be found at Sweetie Pies, doing some of the stocking up front beyond the counter a few minutes from the end of his shift, such that as Naminé approaches from outside he can even see her coming. Not that he minds her coming by, of course, it's just a surprise anyway. A pleasant one.

He turns to face her as she nears the front door. ]

[Eep! She didn't expect him to see her so quickly. Her face turns a little red as she waves at him through the window. The door's bell jingles as she opens it. She lets it close behind her and smiles at Arden.]

Hi... s-sorry for coming by without letting you know. Are you going to be done with work soon?

What are you talking about?

[ His expression gets much more positive - a grin and brighter cheeks too. ]

I'm always happy to see you - and I'm just wrapping up here anyway.

[ He turns to take off his smock and finish putting a few things away. ]

Did you want to go somewhere special?

[Her smile brightens a little at that, and she tucks a hair behind her ear.]

I-I'm happy too. I really wanted to see you...

[She takes a moment to think about it.]

Are you hungry? Maybe we could get something to eat.

[ It's always a funny thing, asking him of all people if he's hungry and wanting to get something to eat out and about, between his job that can involve snacking beyond actual taste-testing, and then his penchant for cooking back at the boys' house. All the same, it's Naminé, so he nods, not giving a second thought to her 'wanting to see him.' He'd hope she did think of him like that, after he'd been the one to offer a few times before. It's a comfortable sort of gradual process for them, he thinks. ]

Sure, I haven't gone out to eat in a long time.

[ The picnic as well didn't count, since he'd made all that. ]

We can just walk around until we find someplace.

[ And as he comes back near her, he moves to take one of her hands in his, then uses his free hand to push the front door open. Some reassurance - he does want to be close to her, without pushing too fast. It's his only fear with her these days, of self-sabotage this bond he wants to cherish. ]

[Naminé smiles at him with a nod, holding onto his hand. She follows after him and walks in step with him. It feels really nice to be out like this, and she gently swings their arms together. She wants to always be this carefree... but she can't shake the bad thoughts in the back of her mind. After sometime during the walk, the girl moves closer to him and holds his arm.]

...Did you talk to Sora recently?

[ He feels bad that she's nervous about that of all things. He did hope that either she or Sora would catch him up later, purely out of curiosity, but the whole aspect of Sora seeking his permission beforehand was still a little weird to him.

So he nods back at her, specifically looking over at her while they walk. ]

Yes. I know what he asked you to show him. I tried not to pry about it after he told me, since I figured it was between you two at that point.

[The girl nods up at him and then looks ahead. She does her best not to cling to hard.]

Yes. I wasn't really sure at first if I should, but I could at least show him and not have him remember. Sora had the right to know what happened in the castle. But ruthfully... I'm glad you didn't have to see it. It was more difficult than I thought it would be. I knew it would be sort of painful but... it was worse than I could've imagined.

[ That's... not at all what he expected. So he stops and looks down at her, hands at her shoulders. ]

Worse for you... or him? ... Or both?

[ He's trying not to pry, to not ask what exactly she showed him. Just figure out how to help her - or Sora - after reliving all of that. ]

...Me.

[Her voice is very soft as she says it. Between Larxene, the things that happened to Arden... and Marluxia... it was a lot. And some memories she didn't even intend for Sora to see slipped in. Things she'd like to forget but is not allowed to.]

I'm glad Sora can know the truth. I just... maybe I wasn't ready enough. But if I don't face it now, then when?

[ Relief isn't the right word for what he feels. He's only glad that he doesn't feel the urge to go talk to Sora right now, had it been the case that Sora had gotten more upset over what happened than Naminé had. He's also not glad that Naminé is upset, even now, but he's here and so at least...

He pulls her against his chest and holds her. There are days he's bitter and frustrated and seeing nightmares about that visage of Larxene telling him there was a whole other part of his life that had been overwritten. Then there are days like this where he almost wonders if forgetting left him better off in the end, despite his attempts to stop existing entirely. He can't know everything she went through but now it kind of feels like Sora may know more than he does. That's another bitter pill he tries to push away for now. His only consolation is knowing - now - that Sora wouldn't try to upset Naminé on purpose. ]

You've already faced way more than you should have had to, and survived it.

[ When he didn't, for one. ]

We said we were going to start fresh here, weren't we? You don't have to forget, but you don't have to remember it when you don't want to either. You could have told Sora no - I think he would have understood.

[ It's why he's not asking now, hot on the heels of things that upset her. ]

[She's sort of surprised when he stops walking but moves easily into his arms. This is a place she feels safe, and she doesn't hesitate to embrace him back.]

I know... I just...

[Naminé takes in a shaky breath, trying to fight back tears. She doesn't want to cry in front of him again. It makes him so sad. So she doesn't look up at him to be sure.]

My own memories were difficult enough. But the ones involving you... where I hurt you... I-It was so painful...

[ That gets her a tighter hug. It doesn't matter that they'd talked about it before. This is fresh again. He'd told Sora how much of a jerk he'd been, but he didn't say anything about how this might impact Naminé, because he wasn't sure what all she'd be willing to show him in the first place. He'd simply ended the conversation reassuring Sora that he couldn't give permission for something like this, that it had to be Naminé's choice, not his - even as someone in those memories, even as Naminé's boyfriend, he just couldn't.

So it doesn't matter that she had to stop him from killing Sora. She still hurt him. He knows that. He deserved it, but he still pushed her into that position. Plus the rest of the changes to his memories that she was forced to do that he didn't remember at all.

And that's why he's not sure what to do. So unsure that he leans down just enough to speak quietly near her ear. ]

And now you're remembering it all again. I was trying not to make you do that. I have to ask, Naminé... do you want to talk about it some more? Or get that food you wanted? Tell me what to do, and I'll do it. I just don't know what will make you feel better right now. I'm sorry.

[ He thinks a better boyfriend - a better boy, even, like Sora - would surely have been able to figure that out, without asking outright. ]

[Naminé tries really hard to hold it in... but she can't. Her tears spill over, and her embrace tightens around him. She doesn't want to, but it's involuntary at this point. She's been holding so much in, and she can't hold anymore. She's sorry to Arden that he has to see him like this, but at the same time, she knows he'll forgive her.

It takes her another minute to calm down enough to respond to him, pulling away slightly to take a deep breath.]

Let's talk... I-I want to talk...

[Because she might break if she holds any more in.]

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[Action] After Naminé shows Sora his Castle Oblivion memories

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