For some reason, an old cigar box is sitting on a bench in the Museum. It's tied shut with a dark red and slightly wrinkled ribbon, with a piece of folded paper tucked into it. The side facing up reads "Vanitas".
Inside the box, something is taped to the inside so that its chain doesn't get all tangled up.
It's a dark chain, long enough to hang from a belt or even around one's neck, though worn that way it would mean its single adornment would rest just below the dip of one's collarbone. Its pendant is five black metal petals linked to each other by a single blackened metal ring, together forming a roughly uniform five-pointed star. Securing the center of the star are two criss-crossing coils of silver wire, a bright x against the black.
The pieces might look familiar, considering the stuff he's been working on lately.
Written inside the folded up bit of paper are the words: "I don't know if protective charms really work, but I wanted you to have this. Something that's only yours. -Riku"
[ How could he ever have expected something like this? He's a snoop to begin with, so he might have opened it anyway, but his name on it makes him pause.
Vanitas picks it up, opens it to look inside— and immediately drops it on the ground. The package clatters, the charm bouncing out with a soft tinkle and lays there, unassuming, the silver sigil winking up at him in the light of his lantern.
After a moment, he crouches down to grab the note, holding it in both hands as he reads it. ]
A charm, huh.
[ Next to him, a Flood creeps over, reaching out to pick the charm up. Something only yours. His throat closes up and he takes it from the Unversed, turning it over in his hands. The reason he dropped it, it looks just like... ]
[ Bravado is the only way he knows to react, when he's been wrestling with a thread of uncertainty - that his gift would insult instead of bolster, or worse, go completely without notice.
They say giving a gift is its own reward.
Obviously, they weren't the type to think twice about it to begin with. ]
Maybe you don't need it. But it's yours. Nothing exactly like this exists. Here or any other world. Guess it's kinda like you, Vanitas. Unique.
[ He remembers seeing something held in Master Aqua's hand like it was something special, a personal treasure that glimmered with magic. At the time, he thought it looked too pretty, too perfect to be anything like the more rustic, handmade versions that were traditionally made on the islands.
Given how close Master Aqua was to the other two Keyblade Wielders, Ventus and Terra, it doesn't seem to surprising now to realize they might have had similar tokens, too. ]
[ Riku exhales, a puff that could be a laugh, if it wasn't also venting off the pressure of nerves. That was admitting... something. It could have been received poorly.
It could have changed things for the worse. This doesn't read like that. ]
This isn't a bribe. I didn't make that to get you to do anything for me. People give gifts because it feels good to give it. They care about whether someone likes what they were given. If it makes them happy.
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Inside the box, something is taped to the inside so that its chain doesn't get all tangled up.
It's a dark chain, long enough to hang from a belt or even around one's neck, though worn that way it would mean its single adornment would rest just below the dip of one's collarbone. Its pendant is five black metal petals linked to each other by a single blackened metal ring, together forming a roughly uniform five-pointed star. Securing the center of the star are two criss-crossing coils of silver wire, a bright x against the black.
The pieces might look familiar, considering the stuff he's been working on lately.
Written inside the folded up bit of paper are the words:
"I don't know if protective charms really work, but I wanted you to have this. Something that's only yours.
-Riku"
1/2
Vanitas picks it up, opens it to look inside— and immediately drops it on the ground. The package clatters, the charm bouncing out with a soft tinkle and lays there, unassuming, the silver sigil winking up at him in the light of his lantern.
After a moment, he crouches down to grab the note, holding it in both hands as he reads it. ]
A charm, huh.
[ Next to him, a Flood creeps over, reaching out to pick the charm up. Something only yours. His throat closes up and he takes it from the Unversed, turning it over in his hands. The reason he dropped it, it looks just like... ]
So stupid.
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[ Bravado is the only way he knows to react, when he's been wrestling with a thread of uncertainty - that his gift would insult instead of bolster, or worse, go completely without notice.
They say giving a gift is its own reward.
Obviously, they weren't the type to think twice about it to begin with. ]
Maybe you don't need it. But it's yours. Nothing exactly like this exists. Here or any other world.
Guess it's kinda like you, Vanitas. Unique.
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I've seen this shape before.
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Fine. Though...
Where else did you see this? Did Sora show you the one Kairi made for him?
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Ventus has one of these.
1/2
Given how close Master Aqua was to the other two Keyblade Wielders, Ventus and Terra, it doesn't seem to surprising now to realize they might have had similar tokens, too. ]
I see.
2/2
[ Riku this is NOT a competition. ]
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That cockiness is going to get you in trouble.
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Hey. Seriously, Ventus has nothing to do with this.
I guess
I just wanted you to have proof.
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That people care about you.
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Any other time, he might have crassly blown this off. ]
You soft hearted fool.
[ But that seems... telling. So quickly: ]
I'm not giving you anything back.
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It could have changed things for the worse. This doesn't read like that. ]
That's not the point of a present, you dope.
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Nothing is freely given.
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People give gifts because it feels good to give it.
They care about whether someone likes what they were given. If it makes them happy.
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I'll take your word for it.
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You shouldn't feel obligated to accept anything you don't want or like.
I won't hold it against you.
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