It says something about the power of the Internet that this was inspired by 358/2 Days, despite the fact that I have not played the game and have not even come within vicinity of the cartridge.
That said, there are absolutely no spoilers for Days below.
Riku's hair grows at a rate that doesn't surprise Naminé, thanks to the memories she stole from Sora. His negligence towards it is a little more unexpected, for a fighter; she wonders whether he just doesn't care about his appearance or if he hasn't been able to stop long enough to do something about it. Both possibilities seem sad, in their own ways.
As they grow closer, she starts to cut it for him; not back to its old length, but to one still short enough that it doesn't interfere with the way he fights. Riku grudgingly sits still for the first few times, and then more willingly after Naminé gets better at keeping the ends even and notices that he leans into her fingers when she's combing the tangles out. It starts to become a ritual--every time she sees him, it needs trimming again, and so becomes the first thing they do. Eventually DiZ doesn't even comment anymore.
If the thing between them were realer, Naminé thinks, she could tease him gently as she cuts about how fast it grows; but Sora had a lot of memories of fighting Sephiroth in his efforts to win the Platinum Match that she strung back together, and Naminé has a Nobody's sense of self-preservation. She can sense the danger in the subject--not to herself, because this is Riku and also because she is necessary to waking Sora, but maybe to him, because it's Riku.
So she keeps quiet as she trims, and enjoys the feel of his skin underneath her fingertips, and tries to pretend--just for a few moments, it's barely even stolen time, and she's still allowed to want if she's trying to repair the damage of previous desires, right?--tries to pretend that the reason why she knows not to tease is the reason why this thing between them is not quite real and can't last.
That said, there are absolutely no spoilers for Days below.
Riku's hair grows at a rate that doesn't surprise Naminé, thanks to the memories she stole from Sora. His negligence towards it is a little more unexpected, for a fighter; she wonders whether he just doesn't care about his appearance or if he hasn't been able to stop long enough to do something about it. Both possibilities seem sad, in their own ways.
As they grow closer, she starts to cut it for him; not back to its old length, but to one still short enough that it doesn't interfere with the way he fights. Riku grudgingly sits still for the first few times, and then more willingly after Naminé gets better at keeping the ends even and notices that he leans into her fingers when she's combing the tangles out. It starts to become a ritual--every time she sees him, it needs trimming again, and so becomes the first thing they do. Eventually DiZ doesn't even comment anymore.
If the thing between them were realer, Naminé thinks, she could tease him gently as she cuts about how fast it grows; but Sora had a lot of memories of fighting Sephiroth in his efforts to win the Platinum Match that she strung back together, and Naminé has a Nobody's sense of self-preservation. She can sense the danger in the subject--not to herself, because this is Riku and also because she is necessary to waking Sora, but maybe to him, because it's Riku.
So she keeps quiet as she trims, and enjoys the feel of his skin underneath her fingertips, and tries to pretend--just for a few moments, it's barely even stolen time, and she's still allowed to want if she's trying to repair the damage of previous desires, right?--tries to pretend that the reason why she knows not to tease is the reason why this thing between them is not quite real and can't last.
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half-accomplished?