destinystrings | backdated to the 11th

Entry tags:

backdated to the 11th

Who: The Strings KH Contingent
Where: Pisces Apartments, floor five common area
Summary: Roxas (and Terra) brought home a stray, is he responsible enough to feed and care for an amnesiac destined to bring the worlds to ruin?
Warnings: Spoilers maybe, but that's it

It was hard to stay unconscious when being jostled around, but all he really got from it were flashes of movement, scenes that didn't stay fixed in his mind long enough to really register where they were from. The sensation of being carried was strange, and he gripped on slightly at the odd feeling.

Where... where...

A big building loomed up out of nowhere. More movements, bumping. The feeling of upward motion... pressing down on him. Closed his eyes... voluntarily, at least. It was hard to keep them open.

Faces. Other people. Voices. Probably talking about him. Something soft, and he finally was still. Soft all around. He curled up slightly, attempting to burrow away in it, letting his mind ease.

Safety. Unconsciousness was all too quick. His body relaxed into the grip of slumber.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

It was awkward, the whole situation, especially if Aqua's and Terra's reactions were anything to go by. Not to mention Roxas running about the city unsupervised. Maybe - maybe she was being a little overprotective of her younger best friend... but when you compounded on the news of what happened to Lea before arriving here, she was very worried about her friends.

But regardless, there was now the issue of an unconscious silver-haired Terra lookalike unconscious in the living room of Floor 5. Xion could certainly sympathize with the whole lookalike concept.

Perhaps that's why she ran upstairs, grabbed one of the blankets off her bed and brought it down to spread over the unconscious stranger before settling down on a nearby couch, watching both him and anyone else nearby. She wouldn't mind the distraction from the awkward silence, if anybody wished to speak with her.

With his 'cargo' now safely placed on the couch and clearly not waking up any time soon, Terra takes a few steps back, trying to collect his own racing thoughts and figure out a way to explain without inciting panic or sounding crazy.

One or the other would be good, but both would be preferable.

He knows he owes Roxas an explanation; the kid had already brought how similar he and the unconscious man looked. What were the chances that no one else would notice?

He closes his eyes, lets out a quiet breath, and hangs his head. He can feel his own panic starting to rise, and that... won't be of any help here.

It was pretty much agreed that answers and a plan of action were needed before anyone (especially himself) did anything they would regret later.

Terra is the first to leave the living room; he couldn't think, and he felt like he was on the verge of losing his composure. Really, it was a miracle he hadn't already done so.

This explanation was going to bring up a number of bad memories - not only for himself, but likely for everyone involved. He just hoped he could get through it without actually stalling.

Maybe it was the shift in temperature but something brought him back, for a moment... shifting slightly as though attempting to burrow further into the blanket, face scrunching up before slacking as he blinked his eyes open. He stared up at the ceiling for a moment before registering the presence, then turning curiously, staring at her tiredly.

He made a quiet sound in acknowledgement, taking a second to gather his wits before actually speaking.

"... hello..?"

She'd noticed the change long before they arrived. Something had been... off about what was going on when she realized more newcomers had arrived. For a moment she couldn't quite put a finger on it, but then she realized it. This presence, it felt familiar. Too familiar. So she called Eudora forth, trying to see if she could sense it clearer through her Persona's eyes.

No amount of "what in the underworld-" would cover what her "eyes" could see.

There... were two. She could count to two on Terra, and something about the second sent chills down her spine. So when she realized that and the fact it seemed as though Roxas--when did he get here; with them, too?--and Terra coming with this presence, she began running down the stairs until she made it to the fifth floor.

"Terra? What's-"

SWEET MOTHER OF FAITH SPELLS WHY.

No, that's... really all she's got. Because she knows that look. That hair, that blend of heart far too well since she lived with half (actually two-thirds but SHE DOES NOT KNOW THIS YET) of that blend of hearts for most of her life. Oh crap.

"...Oh."

Yeah, she's just going to go over to the corner where the adult conversations are going to take place. Just sitting down over there, rather hard. DON'T MIND HER AND HER BRAIN BREAK.

The sound of the stranger moving, stirring, and ultimately speaking startled Xion. "Oh!"

She turned to look at him, sitting upright. She still didn't know what to think, who this person was, why they looked like Terra and so on, but they didn't seem that dangerous or threatening - if anything they seemed as confused as she.

"Hey. Um... Are you okay?" she asked, tilting her head a little.

Lea really didn't like elevators, and somehow the idea of using corridors for paltry reasons just felt like tempting fate anymore. And so he'd gotten into the habit of just taking the stairs. Sure, living on the eighth floor meant it was a little more legwork than he really liked to partake in, but... well it was good exercise or something, at least. Maybe he would finally deign to wear shorts this summer.

As he crested the stairs to the fifth floor, however, he was met with an unexpected pow-wow in the common area. He nearly collided with Terra by the stairs--"Ah!"--and caught himself on the railing, turning to see Aqua sort of hunkered down in the far corner. There was a figure on the sofa as well, and Lea felt a lance of unease snake through his gut at the sight of the silvery hair.

That wasn't Riku.

Something was fishy here.

"Am I late to the party?" he asked, giving Terra an unsettled, if curious, look.

"...Only a little bit," Aqua muttered under her breath as she tried to tease while her mind was reeling. It was him... It was him just before she fell into the darkness, Aqua was certain of it. If she was wrong, then it was likely that he wasn't from too long after she had--

She had left the worlds without any sort of defender, let darkness that had nearly taken her home between light and dark destroy so many worlds as she fought on the other side for her life... It was only Riku's words back in dreams that kept her from completely losing it both back then and now. She should probably get out of the corner soon, but just let her piece her brain back together a couple more moments. Somehow, there's a feeling that she'll have to scan him soon.

"Hello, Lea."

He was sure that this was a question he was going to get asked a lot... but it was something he just couldn't answer. He felt fine - exhausted, a soreness deep in his muscles, but still fine... but he was increasingly aware of a void where anything else should be, as though his mind was simply... blank.

That was beyond what she wanted to know, though, so he kept that to himself and went for the easier answer.

"I think so..." He shifted the blanket a bit. Coldness seemed to stand out in his mind for some reason, and the warmth of blanket helped to cut that thought. "... not sure."

Well, that didn't take long.

Terra looks up as soon as he feels Aqua enter the room, and his mood sinks further upon seeing her reaction. It didn't surprise him, really.

He looks back away, his expression as closed-off as he can manage it. But before long, he speaks up, figuring that someone at least owes her an explanation. "... Roxas found him collapsed in the road. I... helped bring him here."

He dares not ask whether the seal on the evenly merged heart is in place. Not yet.

"Woah--" Moving away from the stairwell now, if only to avoid any more near-collisions with people coming up the stairs. He blinks, relaxes a bit when he sees that it's just Lea, and takes a position on the wall next to the stairwell. "You haven't missed anything."

His gaze goes from Lea to Aqua briefly, concern entering his expression. He was having a hard enough keeping himself outwardly calm; Aqua looked like she was still trying to pull herself together. "...are you going to be okay?"

Lea clicked his tongue. "We've got to work on our party line," he said; "I hate to be late unless it's fashionable."

His gaze moved from Terra to Aqua and then back again before he leaned his hip against the railing and folded his arms. Yes, something was definitely fishy here. He didn't know either of them very well, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that something was seriously unnerving the both of them, and he had a feeling it had everything to do with the figure on the couch.

He lifted his chin a bit. "Who's the stray?" he asked, a tone in his voice that suggested he had half a crazy idea. He didn't know if either of them knew who Xemnas was, it hadn't come up. Nor did he know what could have possibly happened that would put him in a position to be visibly indisposed on a sofa, but he supposed stranger things had happened.

"Okay... you're not hurt or cold or anything?"

She wasn't sure how much she could help the cold if the blanket wasn't enough. Maybe she could go down to the ground floors and get a hot chocolate or something?

She shifted a little in her own seat, a little unsure how to proceed. Obviously the usual routine information about Hinoto-Ri would likely need to be answered, and questions asked - what did you remember last, what do you remember from your meeting Philemon - but those could wait until he actually seemed up to answering them.

"Well, since the guest of honor's still..." you know, unconscious. She glances over at Terra-Xehanort, inwardly tensing up as she nods. "I'll be fine; it's just a shock."

Why in the seven hells would they... want him here... Aqua sighs, moving to stand once again. There's quite a lot of mixed feelings, considering who he was. It was almost like rediscovering Castle Oblivion in Promenade all over again, having to tell Terra and Ven of its origins.

Her voice was just above a whisper when she admitted it: "Xehanort, though if mine and Eudora's senses aren't lying... he likely won't remember when he wakes up again."

"... don't think so..." There weren't any obvious injuries at least, for which he was grateful. "It's warm..."

It was almost strange, being at ease, with the sound of people talking in the background just quiet enough to not be made out. The couch felt almost too soft, like he was floating on the air... it was a nice feeling. He managed a small smile in gratitude.

"Sorry for being a bother..."

"... that's one way to put it." Terra looks away from Aqua, sighing and trying to suppress a shudder. He wasn't sure how much Lea knew about Xehanort and the connection to Xemnas, but if that tone of his had been anything to go buy, he already suspected it.

He wasn't really looking forward to explaining the connection to himself again -- the memories weren't as fresh now as they were in Promenade, but that didn't make the subject any less difficult to broach. At least the man's presence in his own possessed body might make it easier.

He almost misses Aqua's whisper, it's so quiet. But catch it he does, and he looks back at her, with a look on his face like he almost doesn't dare to hope he heard that right. "The lock's in place?"

It felt like it might have been when he brought Xehanort here, but his own senses regarding Light and Dark were never as keen as hers. He couldn't be sure.

Xion shook her head. "Don't worry about it. It... sounds like you had a rough time when you got here."

That was the only thing she could figure, with him being unconscious as he was and needing help home. The other alternative was that he'd had a rough time back home, which was... entirely possible.

"You did just get here, right?"

"Oh... I..." His face scrunched up a little in deep concentration, but there was nothing there but a black and empty void that almost smacked him in the face. His expression fell slightly, eyes flicking down to examine the edge of the blanket. "I don't know. I don't remember anything... the first thing I can remember was standing on that... street."

Riku doesn't know anything about any awkward situations; he's got no idea about the most recent arrival even, really... not until he climbs up the stairs towards his apartment and feels a somehow very familiar scent wash over him, one that has him freeze in place for a second, before he jerks himself out of his stupor and runs towards the source; lips pressing together-

He doesn't really care about any damage he causes to the door he is pushing open none gently - he has no time to care about that, how could he when that scent is-

Aaaaaaaaand then he stops in his tracks when he spots-

"...Xion?"

Edited 2012-12-02 22:03 (UTC)

It's about then that Riku slipped in, tense and maybe just a bit bewildered just what had just happened... or rather who he had just encountered.

...It's admittedly not quite the person he had thought he'd find upon catching that scent. The fact that he looked like (was) a color-swapped Terra (and the resemblance to certain other people), doesn't really help either.

It's really, really just unsettling.

He glances around the other members of this discussion round(?), frowning as he tries to find words... once, twice... then finally speaking up.

"That guy... that's... Xehanort, isn't it?"

He really, really wants to be wrong on this, but... well, given his/their luck-stats it doesn't seem all too likely.

Aqua nodded, initially at Terra's inquiry, but then she looked to Riku. So he could still use the darkness to sense what she could with light? It made sense, yet at the same time--

No. Right now she had to concentrate on the situation at hand; he obviously had control of himself and was sane. That was all that mattered.

"It is, and he is." How did they even begin to explain it? "Though if I had to guess, the seal is still new..."

Meaning it was still strong. Nothing could break it with ease unless they pushed it hard.

"I could scan again, if you want to be doubly sure."

Their luck stats; they suck.

The seal was still new.

For a few seconds, he feels... almost numb, hearing that. But relief starts to take the place of the numbness, making him feel almost lighter.

The seal was in place, and it was new. There was almost no chance of the fallen Keyblade Master breaking through and making life miserable for everyone. He can't help but relax and sigh from the relief. "No, you don't have to; your senses were always better than mine."

If the seal was in place, then that meant that the 'Xehanort' on the couch should be a blank slate. No memories, no disposition towards Light or Darkness. The scale could tip in either direction, depending on who was around to help him. Which meant...

... ... don't go there yet, Terra. With his, Aqua's, and Riku's combined luck stats, anything was possible. "... do you think we can keep him from going down the path he does back home?"

If there's anything he hates more than the idea of Xehanort going unchecked, it's Xehanort using his body to carry out his plans.

Riku glances in between them, eyes narrowing in confusion... he must have missed something in the conversation he had just joined... or was missing some vital piece of information, because really...

"...What seal?"

"...Eudora."

She meant it as no offense, but with so much being said like this, she didn't want to give Xehanort the chance to hear it should he begin to stir. Which is why, one by one, she linked with their minds as the water nymph placed her hands over Aqua's ears.

"Sorry this is a little--weird to some of us, but I don't want him to hear in case he wakes up."

It was hard enough to say in the first place.

"Before I fell into the Realm of Darkness, I had to fight Xehanort in Radiant Garden. It was an attempt to help Terra regain control." Even though it inevitably failed, and she still regrets not being able to do more to help him to this very day. "Terra only regained it long enough to help me fight him off with the light of the bond we share and to place a lock on his heart."

Eudora's head turns to Terra. Right. Keep to business, don't let the pain show... They all probably know what it's like, already.

"As for keeping him from walking the same path... I'm not sure. It would depend on more than just us, and there's the possibility of him going home for any length of time."

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 1 of 3

backdated to the 11th

After initial hubbub, handwaving a couple things, if it's not all right, lemme know, open

INITIAL HUBBUB GOES HERE -- Open

Brainbreak discussion goes here - Terra, Aqua, Lea, and Riku(?)

let's get this party started

(1/2) Bro, what did I tell you about bringing stray pu-

(2/2) ASJDLKASDJFLAFKJGLHJF;

Awwww yeaaaaaahhhh /o/

no subject

no subject

no subject

VERY ELOQUENTLY PUT, SIS

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Sometimes later, idek, I hope this is okay? orz (Also sorry, for the late)

/sliiiiiiides in here, if that's alright?

/it is totes okay

no subject

no subject

no subject