animus_network | first quake ☆ first text then video because tower's network is a troll

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first quake ☆ first text then video because tower's network is a troll

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[then, to the sound of furious typing, the video feed starts. for anyone who knows the Tower well enough, it looks like the terminal in use is in the third floor library. the one using is is a frustrated-looking young man, typing very fast without noticing that he's being recorded and getting more and more irritated, until--]

Oh.

[--he looks up, mildly surprised. he shifts uncomfortably, slightly embarrassed:]

Hello? [he clears his throat.] My name is Terra. Is anyone there? I came here from-- [he stares, mouth forming the next words, but his expression darkens and he clearly changes his mind, shaking his head.]

What is this place? [a pause.] Is this world dealing with monsters that you can't control? I can-- [--nope, he can't. Terra's jaw visibly clenches.]

I may be able to help. But... Please. I need answers. [whatever thoughts were distracting him finally catch up for a moment:] I shouldn't be here. This isn't possible.

[he shakes his head again, before fixing the feed with a firm stare:] Thank you for any help.

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[Yeah, that's definitely the library. She thinks she might see him too, on a terminal quite a ways away, though she should probably not just... walk over. Not yet at least.]

The monsters never go into our rooms at night, or the bathrooms. The best way we've found to stay safe at night is to stay in them. There's no other way to stay safe that I know of, unless you can fight or protect yourself some way. Some of the monsters are really tough though. [She thinks about the one that she and Sora and the other Riku had been fighting, three-on-one, that ended with Sora getting knocked out, and herself with a dislocated shoulder, before they'd given up and retreated.]

I'm in the Library too. I can be there in a little bit... if you want.

[well crap he doesn't have his Keyblade anymore]

...I see. [he nods distractedly] Has anyone figured out why those places are left alone? Special wards, or something?

[he can't place it, but there's something about the voice that Terra just...likes. so he smiles a bit.]

Okay. I'd like that.

I don't know. Maybe there's someone here that does but... I haven't been here long enough.

[Nearly two months soon... it was odd to think about.

Well, regardless, that wasn't the important thing right now.]

I'll be right over.

[And at that she'll shut off the feed and terminal and get up, heading the direction she was pretty sure she'd seen him in. If he's watching for her approach, she's not that hard to see - she's in her black coat after all, with the hood up. A little suspicious, maybe, but it was the easiest way to make sure she was seen as herself.]

[oh, he sees her, alright - still sitting in the terminal's chair, he frowns a bit. she's a strange mix of light and dark, one Terra hasn't quite encountered before. she doesn't feel...bad, though. so he stands up and waves a little in greeting, even smiling a bit.]

You know, I still don't know your name.

O-oh. Right.

[She'd forgotten to do that.]

It's Xion.

[She was slowly but surely getting used to the idea that a lot of the people in the Tower - not all, but a lot - really were... open and friendly. Back at the Organization, things hadn't been horrible (save for one or two particular members), but they hadn't exactly been friends, either. She returns the smile tentatively, then a bit more strongly.]

Xion. [he nods] Thanks for coming over.

So...what are these Heartless you mentioned?

[She pauses and... realizes she doesn't know a huge amount about the Heartless, really. The barest of basics, sure. But a majority of her knowledge related specifically to her job in the Organization: heart collection.]

I... don't really know where they come from. There are probably people here who know more than I do about that. I think... they try to steal hearts from people. [A few pictures flash in her mind's eye, making her grimace - Sora disintegrating as he fell through Kairi's arms, Kairi spreading her arms out to protect a small black form with yellow eyes...] If you lose your heart, I think you become a Heartless yourself.

[And here was going into the information she knew almost from the days of her creation. She's... a little hesitant about divulging it straight out, for some reason. Maybe because of some of her own reservations about the topics at hand. But... things were different here in the Tower, right? She hadn't seen any Emblem Heartless around here anyway, only Pureblood.]

Heartless can't just be defeated by normal weapons. They just come back somewhere else. But... if you defeat certain kinds of them with a special weapon called the Keyblade they release hearts... which can make Kingdom Hearts. At least that's what I've been told...

[And she has no idea how many pings she probably just hit.]

[oh my god ALL THE STARING.

and fridge horror.

and horror staring.

his brain's frozen, he has so many questions]

You mean...there's more than one way to get Kingdom Hearts...?

[The first thought that occurs to her is that that was not the reaction she was expecting. The second is that if he knows what Kingdom Hearts is, and its importance...

He's from the same universe as her.]

... I-I don't know. I guess so.

[There probably is, if he's asking about it. She's been uneasy about the Organization's motives for a while, ever since she found out about herself, probably even before that. And especially since she'd traveled with Riku. This isn't putting her in any more confidence about it.]

I don't think it'll work here.

[Not with the only Heartless here being all purebloods. Just... she feels like she should say something. He seemed... almost horrified, at the possibility.]

[Terra makes an odd noise, a scoff of disbelief]

I wouldn't want it to. Kingdom Hearts doesn't do anything but bring about trouble. Conflict. War.

[he rubs his forehead]

What did you mean by "lose your heart"? Lose it how? By falling to darkness, or...? More literally?

[She'd been trying - in her own way - to reassure, though it looks like she didn't do a good job. Still... her mouth tightens a little at the idea that Kingdom Hearts was a bad thing. She'd suspected but... if she was right what did it actually mean? What was the Organization planning?

... Something she'd need to worry about another time. She'd pointed it out herself, it was moot point here in the Tower. Onto his other questions]

I-I'm not sure. I think... they disappear, but I've never really seen it happen.

[Not... outright. At least. She's grappling a little with Sora's memories, a hand going to her forehead. She didn't see everything that happened, though the parts with Kairi are crystal clear. The actual mechanics of what happened though? Mostly beyond her. ... except the part about Nobodies.]

Okay.

[he swallows. she may not know much, but what she's said has scared him. but that's hardly her fault, so he pinches the bridge of his nose to collect himself before looking up again and smiling, part apologetic and part encouraging]

Sorry, it's just...I'd never heard of Heartless before. But you know about Keyblades?

[That threw her for a loop. Never heard about the Heartless...? They had been such a... well, a fact of her life ever since she was created. It never occured to her that there may have been or eventually be a time without them.

... well he's certainly not from her time.

She hesitates at first, at the question about Keyblades. Because yes, she knows very well. At least... about their existence and some of the basic capabilities. But... maybe it's a side effect of all that's gone on, but she's a little hesitant to just pull out her own for demonstration. Not until she knows it's... well, safe to do so.]

Yes. [...] How do you know about them?

[he's not smiling anymore.]

I was a wielder.

[he had quietly made the same conclusions as her about universe and time. he didn't feel the need to say it, Xion doesn't strike him as the dense type. but he shakes his head, because not knowing about the Heartless...the simple answer would be "after my time", but...it sounds like something that would have always had a presence, so does that mean...he never gets free...?]

I don't know what to make of it, though.

[Was.

That... that actually brings a familiar pang. She'd lost hers too, once. The circumstances were probably entirely different, but... it brought on a familiar pang. She'd been lucky to get hers back, with Roxas's help, but if she hadn't... She didn't want to think about that.

She's slightly confused by his next statement though.]

Make of what?

Sorry, thinking aloud...

[he shakes his head. it's not her problem; they only just met.]

What about you, Xion? Where do you fit into it all?

[And that question? Actually makes her stiffen a little. Because that... is a very huge, very complicated question. "It all" was such a huge thing anymore, what with Roxas - who is from her time - looking exactly like Ven - who clearly isn't, if his memories could be inside Sora's heart (and possibly some in her too). There used to be Keyblade Masters who could teach others like Aqua, but Xion had no clue how far forward or back that was. Then there was Sora, and Riku, and Kairi and fighting the Heartless. The Organization's questionable motives, and her even more questionable loyalty to them. Not to mention the nature of her own existence...

... she isn't sure she even can explain all that yet, let alone want to try to, yet]

I-I don't know. I'm still figuring a lot of it out.

[Which is perfectly true, on so many levels.

Still... a part of her doesn't feel content, leaving it at that, so she finally adds, very quietly]

I have a Keyblade, though.

[Terra just nods, and smiles kindly.]

That's okay. If I can help, I'd like to. In the meantime, can I see it?

[There's a slight pause as she considers, then... well if she's admitted she has it, there's no real reason not to...

She nods, and lifts her arm up, concentrating and tugging on that bit of power that was so familiar... A moment later, there's a flash of light, there's the Kingdom Key, in her hand.]

[Terra's eyebrows raise, clearly impressed. he looks carefully at every inch before taking in the whole picture of her holding it.]

Looks like a strong Key. Balanced. Looks like it could fit just about any combat style...

What's its name?

[A part of her is a little fascinated. Beyond equipping Gears and seeing their effects, she's never really seen much difference in Keyblades - both Roxas and Sora had same kind as she did. Terra meanwhile, seemed to know what he was talking about. Or maybe that was just the impression she was getting...

She... might be getting a tiny bit flustered. Maybe.]

Kingdom Key, I think...

[~~because none of this is borderline meta otherwise how would they know the names anyway~~]

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first quake ☆ first text then video because tower's network is a troll

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-> action;

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Oh boy, here we go.

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pretend her hood's up

oh I have been! c:

Yay usually I use hood-up icons when her hood is up but sometimes I need an expression I don't have

gotcha

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