animus_network | [video]

[She's... trying not to look awkward herself, and in her case she succeeds, although the smile she's kind of forcing is not as big as it could be. It's not that she's not happy to see him, really, it's just that she still doesn't know how much Ven has told him, or even whether or not he was effected by the experiments. She hasn't had the guts to visit their room again after the last time ended so badly ~~and she's still wrestling with the idea that maybe she shouldn't seek either of them or even anyone else out at all~~.]

Hello, Roxas.

[That's an appropriately innocuous way to start, right? It's accompanied with a slightly wider smile that she sort of means.]

Um-- [And there are kind of a few different things she could say first, but she goes with the easier question first,] No, I don't have a job. I don't think I've met anyone who did-- or at least, they didn't talk about them if they did have jobs. [She'll just see how he reacts from there before she ~~begins worrywarting why you do dese dangerous things Roxas~~ says anything else.]

Oh, hey Naminé~!

[Yeah, I don't think he was told anything.]

I was only wondering because I wanted to know if they got anything for doing it...not that I want anything. I just figured why not, I'm here enough, right?

[His smile faltered after a minute.]

Have you been okay? It feels like it's been forever since we've spoken.

[Her eyes widen slightly at his response, but she recovers quickly with the tiniest, most inaudible of sighs. She's not sure whether she should be relieved or not... but she kind of doesn't have a choice. Relieved it is. The smile is a bit more genuine after that point.]

Mm... that does make sense. It might be fun. [Or dangerous, knowing the tower.] I'm not sure you'd get anything nice if they did give you something for it, so maybe it's for the best if they don't. [But that sounds like it could almost be a joke; no use getting distracted by her own 'reward' from the other day, especially when she's still in the wake of her relief about him not immediately rejecting her.]

[Her smile follows his and is replaced by a curious look and a headtilt until he finishes saying what he wants to say. After that, she manages not to frown, but she does look a bit serious.]

It has been a long time. I've been... [How to phrase it? She doesn't want to complain, but she's not about to lie, either.] ... distracted. What about you? Did anything happen during the experiments?

I've already started cleaning up some of the mess in here. I'm not sure if being a librarian means tending both libraries, but I'm going to do my best.

[He snorted, leaning on his elbow. His fingers were actually tied with colored string again.] I might find clues they don't expect us to. I think the best thing we can do is not be phased by their nonsense, and to just ignore them if at all possible. I've had experience with bullies like that.

[Rox shifted, dropping his elbow and looking around, as if making sure nobody else was around.] Well, I remember being part of the group thing, but...then I woke up in my hometown. Everything was wrecked. When I woke up, I was back here and everyone was better. [He rifted around in his pockets, and pulled out the munny pouch.] I got this, so I guess it's a parting gift.

Good luck, Roxas. I'm sure you'll do fine. [He managed to do well enough in odd jobs to get what he needed for that trip with his friends, anyway, even if he never got to go. She understood why DiZ didn't allow him to, but she really wished it had been possible.] ... That does sound like a lot of work for one person, though.

[Her eyes automatically drift toward the colored strings, but she remains upright herself, posture as good ~~and uncomfortable-looking~~ as it so frequently is. She resists any automatic tendencies to say that she knows he has experience with bullies.] Maybe. There are a lot of things in the library. You managed to hide there, after all. [They never did discuss that she'd been there when his corpse had been discovered, but unfortunately that had slipped her mind since it was distracted by the memory that she'd told Kanaya that the library might be a good place to hide something. ...Well, if the troll did decide to hide it there, Naminé would just have to make sure it was okay to tell Roxas to leave it alone if he found it.]

[After watching Roxas look around for a moment, she glances over her shoulder as well. She isn't certain why they're doing that, but if there's something he doesn't want anyone to hear on his end than she should probably make sure no one hears it on hers. When she looks back at the screen her curiosity is obvious, but quickly replaced by a frown once he starts speaking.] Other people who have been sent back to their home worlds have said the same thing, but-- it seems strange that they would send you back during the experiments. What group were you in? [She hasn't heard of any groups that did that, but then again she doesn't hear EVERYTHING that goes on. She eyes the pouch for a moment, then adds,] The people who were in the experiments got... 'rewards'. [The way she says the word is odd.] ... But most of them weren't very nice. Is there anything different about it? [And by 'it' she means the pouch.]

It'll be fine! At least it's not dangerous, right? [And a laugh. Famous last words there, Rox.]

Yeah...that was one of the first things I cleaned up. I still had a bit of a mess over in that corner... [Rox looked away, a bit embarrassed, but turned back.] I want to try reorganizing everything so people don't have what they want all spread out between two libraries, but...that's a lot of stairs, and a lot of books.

[Rox rubbed half his face, giving a sigh.] It...it was so strange. Everything was so quiet, and I couldn't find anyone. I almost considered going to this supposedly haunted mansion in town, but I didn't want to try my luck. [~~Smartest thing you ever did, Rox.~~] So this is my reward? It still has all the munny in it...but I can't imagine what I could spend it on. There's nothing to buy here. [He was...just going to leave out the sentimental value of the pouch.]

[Famous last words, indeed. She says nothing at first, totally silent for a moment before letting out her own, rather inadequate attempt at laughing along.] Right....

[Naminé watches his embarrassment with a little of her own, realizing only now that that was probably not the best thing to bring up. Her eyes drift downward briefly until he turns back, at which point her gaze snaps back up. She tilts her head slightly at his idea, clearly considering it.] That sounds like a good idea. [As long as the people who run the tower don't interfere, of course. They might have put things in two libraries for a reason.] ...As long as no one minds. But-- you're right, that would be a lot of work. [Hm.... Oh!] I could help, if you want.

[The mention of the mansion makes her tense ever so slightly, but it's nearly imperceptible. ~~Definitely a good thing, yes.~~] ... I'm sorry. [For a lot of things, really.] That... sounds like it was hard. [Ah, but perhaps it was better to focus on something else.] The rewards I've heard about weren't all practical. Maybe they had something else in mind.

Help? [A well-meaning smile, and Rox leaned on the console again, fingers resting on his forearms.] I'd appreciate it, but I don't think working you to the bone would really be fair.

Not really hard, just frustrating. [A groan, and he rubbed his forehead with as little shifting of his posture as possible.] I still don't believe the world destruction stuff. I never left Twilight Town, but I'm sure there's more out there- everything can't be gone. That's impossible.

[He perked, quirking his head to the side at the mention of the rewards again.] Huh. It was a good reward, I guess. I mean... [A pause.] I'm...I'm glad I have it.

[She blinks, raising her head slightly. Not fair? ...It's funny, to have someone care whether things are fair for her or not. She shakes her head.] It's not fair for you to have to do all of it by yourself, either. [Even if it is his job--] There are too many books for one person to move.

[Ah, it's true-- he's braver than her. Perhaps she might have had a hard time, but... he's different. As for the part about it being impossible...] ... You'd be surprised. [She admits it quietly, expression hard to read. It's so much easier for a world to be destroyed than people realize, and yet if the worlds are still there to be visited then it probably wasn't the Heartless' doing. However, she can't just leave it at that - she has to try to be encouraging.] But things like that can be faked. Besides, even if it wasn't, you're right - with so many worlds out there, it seems like there would still be at least a few of them that are okay. This one is.

[The edges of her mouth ease upward. He, at least, seems to have gotten something he's okay with, and she's pleased for his sake.] Then... congratulations. I'm happy for you.

I was actually gonna ask Ven to use his glider thing, but we'll need people to help hold the books on so they don't go flying off. If you really wanna help, we can all ride down the stairs like that! [It's hard to break his stride when Rox is actually in a good mood.]

I can't believe it. [Rox almost pressed his hand against his chest, but gave a short laugh and dropped his arms all together when he realized it. Too embarrassing.] I just...know, I guess. It's weird.

[He gave a more somber nod, a bit mixed between being pleased and serious.] I miss my friends, still. I guess that's not normal. To be honest, I guess I'm a little jealous of some of the people here...they have their friends and loved ones, even if only for a little while. [The pouch, presumably, was glanced down at, but it was off screen.] ...I don't.

[Oooooh boy. That sounds... kind of precarious, but definitely efficient. And, besides, it'd be fun, wouldn't it? Nothing to worry about, just careening around with a load of books. After all, it had kind of been thrilling last time, even if her stomach hadn't really agreed. ...Maybe they would go a little more slowly.] Sure...! That would work.

[She watches him quietly, curious about what he'd meant to do. She can guess; her hands curl more tightly together off-screen as she considers doing just that herself but decides against it. Her mouth threatens to turn downward but she holds it back. She's hesitant to ask, but she thinks she probably should, if only to attempt to accurately assess what it is he's going through - she knows it would make no sense, since both of them are Nobodies, and yet...] Your heart's telling you that they're wrong? [It's definitely a question with just a touch of suggestion, like she's offering the possible end of a sentence.]

[Despite her best efforts, her expression steadily becomes more and more somber itself. His friends--.... Simultaneously, she wishes that she could and hates the idea of telling him the truth, that those friends, the way he knows them, are not real, that the only 'real' friends he'd ever had weren't really all that real, either. He asked for ignorance and she continues to oblige him, and at once she feels both guilty and relieved. She tries to hide it, but it's there, lurking in the edges of her expression. She wishes there was something she could do, but anything she might have been able to do would be a lie; fake friends, no matter which way it went - illusions of friends or the illusion of friendship. She knows there's no substitute, and even if there was she would not have been an acceptable one (no matter how much she wished she could be a good enough friend to make him feel at least a little better).] ...I know. [It's soft an full of regret, but when she speaks again she has better control over the tone of her voice - even still it leaks through, just a bit.] It's-- hard, being away from the people you care about, and who care about you. [Not that she'd really had much experience with that, but she could only imagine how horrible it would be if she'd actually been able to have such close relationships. ~~Funny how it was easier to accept that he might have a connection with people like that than it was to think that she might, regardless of their shared Nobody status.~~] I don't think anyone would blame you. And... I know that it probably won't be enough, but... there are good people here. You can-- make friends here, too.

Okay! [Rox halflaughed, making an awkward face.] Ven loaned his glider to one of the surgery victims last I knew, so I'll have to ask him if he got it back.

...yeah. [His voice dropped an octave, and he seemed dodgy around the subject, but-] I know it sounds ridiculous. Hayner made fun of me for being so sentimental before, and not letting go of the past very well. But...I don't want to embrace this future. [A deep sigh.] This probably all sounds silly, but... [How does emotional conveyance without being dweeby??????]

I'm glad you and Ven are here, especially. You guys are my friends. [Said without an ounce of hesitance.] I just...I wish we weren't here. I wish I could show you guys the beach, and the trains, and the sunset at the clocktower. I think you'd like Olette and Pence, too. Hayner...well, he takes some getting used to. [It was a sad smile that followed, but one all the same.]

He did? [Maybe that had something to do with why Ven and Aqua were both using different Keyblades. Despite Roxas' awkward face, she smiled just a little.] ...That does sound like something he'd do.

[Her expression is a bit serious once he confirms what she thought, and Naminé leans ever so slightly closer to the camera without realizing it; his dodginess makes her feel dodgy, too. It probably doesn't help that most of their meetings before coming to the tower had been... well, fairly covert on her end. She shakes her head in response to his assertions about the ridiculousness of what he's saying. ~~Don't worry Roxas, everyone in Kingdom Hearts is dweeby about ~feelings~.~~] It's not silly at all. [Strange, yes, considering the circumstances, but somehow she couldn't find it in her to discount what he's feeling. There are those memories of feelings for Nobodies, or in his case, dreams.] I... know what you mean. The people back home [It's so strange to say that word, and it's obvious by the tiny pause after she says it, but she continues on nonetheless.] ...are too important to give up on. Until there's proof that no one can deny that the worlds really are gone, there will always be hope. There's nothing wrong with--... ['holding on to it.' Oh. Well, that's a weird thing for her to say, considering how she'd felt during the experiments, and the logic that had made sense and even continued to make sense, in a way.] ...wanting to hold on to that. And if your heart tells you that the worlds are still there, then that's what your heart tells you. [Even if 'heart' was definitely an odd thing to say in the context.]

[Both the statement and lack of hesitance make her look at him with slightly wide eyes, then quickly glance away to compose herself before looking back and smiling faintly, listening to him continue. Her smile, too, was a bit sad around the edges.] I'm glad you and Ven are here, too. [In her case, it's more hesitant, but it's obvious that she means it.] Or-- that I got to meet the both of you. And... I think so, too. [Or knows so, rather. That sad smile, though, made her want to say something else.] But-- Roxas, just because we can't do those things doesn't mean we can't do other things here. It... is a pretty big tower.

Yeah, I can't give up on them. [It was a simple smile, as he said that.] They're too important to me. You guys, too. You have lives- everyone here has lives they want to get back to. I can only hope the people that have disappeared got to go back home.

[Roxas fussed with his strings again, a bit bashful.] Well, I don't want to rope you guys in to things- I think I might be a bit bad luck, with all I've gotten involved with here. [Dead twice, you know.] But- we should make the most of things, I guess you're right. But what can we do?

[Pause.] I mean...what would you want to do?

[Her return smile falters only briefly, when he mentions them being important to him, too, and especially the part about having lives to get back to. It was true for Ven, but for her... all that waited was a return to her Other. That was what waited for him as well. For so long she'd thought of that as a good thing, as becoming whole - but his reaction when she'd tried to explain to him, back in Twilight Town, that he was a Nobody and what that meant, had left her with a lingering unease. The fact that she'd been ripped away from their section of the universe right as she was about to return to her Somebody had done nothing to comfort her. She still believed it was the right thing to do, for both of them and for the sake of Sora and Kairi, and yet... the longer she lived her own life, the longer she was (comparatively) free, the more she wished that she might have - what? Her own self? But that was what rejoining Kairi was supposed to be. She wished it could be easier on Roxas, too, that he might have the chance to live his own life as he wished. There's no time for musings, though, so she's quick to grasp her smile once more and shove it back into place.] ... Yes. And they have people they miss, too, I'm sure. I-- hope so too.

[His fussing attracts her gaze, which then follows his arms up to his expression, curious. Once he starts speaking again, though, her expression relaxes again. It softens a bit in sympathy when he suggests that he might be bad luck, then in a smile at the last bit. ~~Unlucky number thirteen?~~ It's true that he's been quite unfortunate in a lot of ways, but,] I'm not afraid of bad luck. [It's not like she's particularly lucky herself.] Mm... there are... plenty of things I know I haven't done here yet. Like-- there are probably some good books in the library that neither of us have read, and... there's always that floor with all of the video games and other things. And-- oh! I still need to teach you to draw, don't I? But... really, I'm okay with anything. What do you want to do, Roxas?

Hand-print room?

[Nina frowns; she hasn't heard about anything like that. Nothing she has heard about the tower makes her inclined to think it's anything good, though.]

Categorizing the tower to the best of our ability would be helpful. But we should try not to put too many people needlessly in danger.

[She closes her eyes, then sighs as if remembering something.]

Oh. I have a job. I was just recently assigned to be a culinary assistant.

[Rox ruffled the back of his hair, giving another awkward chuckle.] Ah, it's...I don't know what floor, I sort of get them mixed up. But there's a bunch of weird floors here, and I don't know how far anyone else has explored- so it's better than sitting and waiting for more surgeries or experiments.

[And a sigh.]

Trust me, I'm hoping people won't be risky. That's why I'm offering to do it. I've died twice here, so I think the shock of that is wearing off a bit.

...oh, just recently? Are you new on top of that? [Pause.] We...really should try to test that theory about influx periods of people appearing and disappearing...

Yes. I'm new. I've been here a few days. My name is Nina Fortner.

[She's trying to process everything he's saying. It's a lot to take in. A lot to even consider, to try to wrap her mind around.]

You're the second person to tell me you've died and come back... I understand why you'd be shocked. [To say the least. There's a haunted tone when she says that. It's just so much to take in.]

People appear and disappear in influxes? [She frowns. She had suspected as much, but the confirmation is nice even if it makes everything she's been told all the stranger, all the harder to understand.] But where do they disappear to? And have... have you ever...?

[She takes a breath. She doesn't mean to fumble like this in front of him, but it's all just so strange. Taking her thoughts in order takes her some time.]

Edited 2011-11-16 23:33 (UTC)

My name's Roxas! I've...I'm not sure how long I've been here, to be honest. At least a couple months, but it's... [Sigh.] You sort of give up on keeping track after a while.

[Maybe bringing up the 'dying' thing was a bad idea. He tried to ignore the comment, and push forward.] People seem to appear in small groups every so often. The disappearances aren't like that, but...sometimes, a large chunk of people just never come back. I know some of the people who've been here longer said that they've spoken to some of the people who controlled this tower, but I've never seen them since I've been here.

I did recently wake up in my hometown, but everything was destroyed. I...don't know why that happened. Nothing gets explained to us. We've had to figure out our own answers to everything.

mi-. I do not have a job myself, nor do I know of any rumors regarding this place... I did not know that there were any rumors to begin with, really.

Are you new, too?

Well, there's a bunch of floors that are pretty weird. I don't think any of them have really been mapped out or anything, but I may be wrong. I heard something about a guide being written by other people in the tower, but- I haven't seen it anywhere.

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