islandshore | 55

[Riku would not be the friend that he is if he let Sora off the hook for embarrassing attempts to get him a girlfriend. No, if Sora's gonna play that game, then it's only natural for Riku to follow suit, which is why he's addressing the network today.]

Hey, Johto. Kanto. Have I got some news for you.

[Riku grins wildly as he reaches behind his back and holds up a photo for all to see:]

See this guy? Dorky grin, messy hair, looks kind of like a goofball? Well, that's because he is, but that's not the point. No, the point is, he's feeling kind of down in the dumps. A bit lonely. Guy spends all his time glued to my hip, but deep down, he wants nothing more than to serenade someone special into the night, and--

[He has to stop himself because... man is he having trouble taking this seriously, but darn it. Sora needs a taste of his own medicine.

Right, after catching his breath, Riku continues.]

The point is, he's looking for a date. Or maybe a handful. Maybe even something longterm. Sora's a complete sap, making friends with everyone he meets, always wearing the same stupid smile, and, to be fair, he's probably the best friend a guy could ask for. But there is one little road bump: he actually believes in Santa Claus.

Which brings me to point two. See, I noticed a ton of people vouching for him, but I know there's gotta be at least some of you smart enough to admit Santa's made up. Even if you're not into bets, here's some incentive: speak up, and there's a chance you might get to see Sora belt out cheesy Christmas songs. Trust me, you'll get a good laugh.

[Well, Twilight suggested bringing it up. Whether or not it works remains to be seen.]

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I suppose it's good that you can support each other like that...

...

Wait, was that sarcasm?

Mostly. Honestly, I think this is the stupidest way to try and get someone a date, but Sora's not exactly a genius here.

You'd be surprised, I think some people would find it strangely endearing.

What would you consider a good way to get a date though?

...I don't know.

[He averts his eyes, voice suddenly lacking its prior firmness.]

I guess... just getting to know someone first, letting it happen naturally.

[In the books he read it always seemed to spark through a series of contrived coincidences. It was kind of like that in the real world too but without so much flowery language]

It's alright, a lot of these things just tend to happen anyway. So are you the type that likes to be friends with someone first then?

Well, I've never actually been on a date, but I figure it makes more sense that way.

[Riku rests a hand against his neck, still not making eye contact. Despite his usual confidence, romantic affairs leave him in a state of perpetual awkwardness.]

It's nothing to be embarrassed about, a lot of people your age have never been in a relationship before.

Ah! Sorry, you just sounded pretty young so I thought...

I'm gonna be nineteen in January.

[It's said flatly. Yes, contrary to his icon pictures, he's no longer the nimrod of a fifteen year old he used to be.]

I guess that's still pretty young, but sooner or later I won't even be a teen anymore. Not that I'm in a rush-- like I said, I'd rather take it one step at a time.

[He didn't mean to sound condescending about it, but by comparison Riku was still a baby to him]

That's a good stance to have, I think. You're still young and you have your whole life ahead of you, as cliche as that sounds.

Pff, I've heard worse.

[He waves one of his hands. Really, it's cool.]

Besides, who knows how much longer I'll even be here? I doubt I'll disappear tomorrow, but the fact that I've stuck around for years doesn't mean it'll last.

Hmm...

You know, I still can't wrap my head around the fact that some people have been here for so long. I know occasionally you'll get people posting memos about others that have disappeared, and I can only assume they've gone back to their own world but don't you worry you'll never go home?

I've... kinda got mixed feelings, to be honest.

[And it's ironic because he used to be so confident about taking all the time in the world to become the best, go on exciting adventures, and so on...

And now that he's hit the top, he's got fewer things to do. He's not like others, who can spend their days going with the flow.]

I mean, this world's a million times more exciting than the islands, but I know I've got an exciting future ahead of me. One where I get to see other worlds, maybe ones even more exciting than this one. It's just... I don't want to leave everything behind, either, and I definitely don't want to forget.

You shouldn't forget, if you can help it. Even the painful memories are important.

Sounds like you're quite the whirlwind of adventure though. Kids have so much energy these days, I really envy you. But if you can't control what worlds you go to and when I guess you'll just have to wait and see...

I have to say, the number of people that prefer this world to their home is rather surprising.

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