In you and I...

[attheclocktower]

Characters: Xion and everyone!
Setting: Room 1-01 > Dormitory Hallways > Floor 20
Format: Whatever you like!
Summary: Xion's Arrival, plus worrying, plus minor exploring, plus falling back on something familiar
Warnings: Nothing yet, will edit if necessary

[Not being able to move when she'd woken up had been a little scary, but not nearly as terrifying as the letters she'd found just after. The worlds, all of them, gone? They couldn't be... they couldn't! And yet, when she tried to open a darkness corridor to one of them, nothing happened.

She gets dressed from the clothes in her trunk, puts the hood of her black coat up, and after that, she heads out into the dormitory hallways, where she finds one of the network terminals. She may have been able to gain access to files she wasn't supposed to back in the World That Never Was, but it doesn't take much poking around on the device though to come to the conclusion that there's not much more information on what happened on the terminals here.

What was she going to do? What happened to Roxas and Axel, or even Riku? Was this somehow her fault?

At that point, she begins descending the stairs to the floors below, looking around briefly on each floor before continuing.

On floor 20, though, she stops. It's open to the air for the first time. It reminds her a little of the Clock Tower, though it was impossible to mistake the cold, overcast skies for warm, bright Twilight Town. Still, it's familiar, memories that are her own, and right now that familiarity is a comfort. She walks out to the edge and sits, legs hanging over as she stares out. Not that there's much to see.]

Comments

[lethechained]

Yes, he is. [Although Xion's apparent difficulty with that only adds to Naminé's curiosity. That's peculiar, that someone in the Organization wouldn't know all of the members.]

He's the only member still here. [A hesitation.] Besides Roxas. [She supposes, but she's not sure it's really appropriately to count him anymore.] ... And you. [Although for some reason, she's not sure she should count Xion, either.]

[attheclocktower]

[There's a brief flash of surprise, that Naminé knew... though maybe it shouldn't have been that much a surprise. She'd never said it, but... who else wore the coats, besides Riku? As for herself though... Her loyalty to the Organization was shaky at best, anymore. Especially given the help Riku had given her the last month or two, while she was trying to reach her decision...

She shifts uncomfortably.]

I'm not...

[Not what? She... she was still a member of the Organization. Even after being brought back by force, she'd still done the work assigned... partially because she had a feeling she was being watched, but mainly because they had things, things that bound her to them tighter than any chains: her friends.]

... sorry.

[Shaky, tangled-up loyalties aside, there is some relief here. If they were the only ones... no Saix, no Xigbar... no Xemnas. Small favors.]

[lethechained]

[That surpise elicits little change in Naminé's expression. She isn't one inclined to lie, or to withhold information unless she deems it necessary. While she otherwise might be more careful about such things, that feeling that Xion isn't an enemy just keeps growing.]

[She's not... a member of the Organization? It sounds right, but Naminé still straightens just a bit. After a brief pause, she shakes her head.]

It's alright. [And it does sound like she means it, because she does.]

[attheclocktower]

[Xion looks down, still unsure. She hadn't been sure of her place, anymore. Of where she belonged. And now she was here, and it just made everything so much more confusing.]

I don't know what I'm supposed to do now.

[Here, or about what had been happening back home... Maybe that's why she wants to find Roxas, and Riku too. If she could just talk to them, to her friends, then maybe she could figure things out.]

[lethechained]

['I don't know what I'm supposed to do now.']

[... It's strange, that they have that in common, too. That's precisely how Naminé-- well, not!felt when she arrived, and even now, she still wonders. She's found at least some purpose in trying to assist others, in looking after those in the tower, both familiar faces from her own world and faces she's come to recognize since coming to the tower.]

....

That's okay. You'll figure it out. It's... easy to feel lost, when things change so much. [But there's so much more to it than just being taken to the tower, and she knows that.]

[attheclocktower]

[Lost... lost is a good way to describe how she feels right now, and the acknowledgement of that makes the tension in her shoulders ease.]

Yeah...

[But like Naminé said... she could figure this out, she hoped. With Riku and Roxas there, at least...

She looks up, smile a little stronger this time.]

Thank you, Naminé.

[lethechained]

[Naminé finds herself smiling at just the sight of the other girl relaxing slightly, and when Xion looks up again, the blonde is already smiling back. As Naminé thinks it over, that feeling that Xion is someone she should help keeps growing, and that growth takes a leap at the expression of gratitude. She nods, smile still sincere.]

You're welcome, Xion.

[attheclocktower]

[She can't help but feel a little more confident. She was never the great optimist that Roxas was, but at least now she's got some hope, and an idea on how to move forward. She glances around towards the stairs.]

I should probably try to find my friends now. Do you know where they are?

[She's... sort of counting Riku in that.]

[lethechained]

[She pauses. She can't blame Xion for wanting to look for her friends, although Naminé would have liked a little more time to try to figure things out. Once again, that hint of protectiveness makes an appearance, but... truth be told, Xion's likely to find them anyway. Still, Naminé can't quite convince herself to tell Xion their room numbers just yet.]

Well... Roxas does spend time in the library sometimes.

orz so late

[attheclocktower]

[Xion nods, a little to herself. Right... the library. ...she can't remember if she's ever actually been in one before, though knows what one is, certainly. She hadn't seen one so far, yet... At that thought, she pauses, and looks up a little sheepishly.]

That's... further down, right? I haven't looked around that much yet.

S-SOB it's okay ;;

[lethechained]

... Yes.

[Except there's something that Xion really needs to know before she runs off looking for Roxas, and Naminé's not quite sure how to tell her in a way that won't cause more harm than good.]

But, Xion, there's something that you need to know, before you go looking for him.

;w;

[attheclocktower]

[Xion pauses, a little confused by how serious Naminé sounded.]

What is it?

[There's an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach, that started when she'd woken up and only intensified once she'd read the letters. Being up here had eased it a little, and finding out Roxas and Riku were here had a lot, but now... was something wrong?]

;3;

[lethechained]

[Naminé's own unease is colored by guilt. She wishes there was a better way to explain everything, but she can't risk going into too much detail, both with Xion and Roxas. Roxas had asked to not be told, and telling Xion might indirectly break Naminé's agreement not to.]

The tower... draws people from lots of different times. Sometimes, they're not the way you remember them. He--...


... he probably won't remember you.

Mood whiplash in this thread... ;~;

[attheclocktower]

[That makes Xion freeze. He... he wouldn't remember her? Nothing... at all? The times they'd laughed and fought and gone on missions and eaten ice cream? How he'd helped her get her Keyblade back when she thought it'd been gone forever?

... just... gone?

It hurts. It hurts more than she'd ever have expected it too. Memories were what she was made of, and so many were Sora's. In some cases, it felt like her own memories were all she really had. Memories of her and her friends.

She heard what Naminé had said, about different times, but it's... hard. To figure out what all that might mean and imply, when she's struggling to understand how this happened.]

He won't?

[She'd wanted to stay with Roxas and Axel forever. But... Axel was right, wasn't he? Nothing lasted forever, least of all for them.]

;A; POOR BB

[lethechained]

[Naminé's no stranger to the feeling of being forgotten, but in her case, the first time it had happened, she was prepared. She had accepted that it was necessary. When she got to the tower and Roxas didn't entirely remember her, either, that... stung, it's true, but Xion-- Xion had no warning, no preparation. Her relationship with Roxas was... from what Naminé can figure out at this point, so much more important than anything Naminé had ever been able to experience herself, and she can only imagine what it must be like for the other girl to hear that.]

[Just the look on Xion's face is more than enough to cause a resonating sadness in Naminé - or as close as the blonde can get, anyway. Something in her aches, and earnestly she wishes that she never had to say such a thing. She also wishes she'd never have to say,]

No. He won't.

... I'm so sorry.

;~; We must find a way give her hugs /Gorse fails at subject lines |D

[attheclocktower]

[Given enough time and the right provocation, Xion would have been ready herself... But this was just too soon.

She doesn't know what to do now. Does she still want to find Roxas, knowing he probably won't recognize her? That... that she'll just look like another person he doesn't know, like any of the people they see on their missions to various worlds? It's so hard... he's still her friend. If she sees him, she's not going to be able to ignore him. She knows that much...

She shakes her head quietly]

Axel told us once we'd never be apart so long as we remembered each other. It seemed so silly at the time, but...

[It was funny how true that hokey speech felt right now, in the worst possible way. She feels... so alone now.]

YYYYYYYYY, all of the hugs ;A; /No she doesn't

[lethechained]

[Too soon, yes, but there's just no time to wait. Xion could find Roxas at any time, and she has to know before she does. Naminé exhales, very quietly, expression growing even more sympathetic at Xion's headshake.]

....

You still remember him. I know it's not the same, but....

[This is dangerous. She doesn't know what kinds of memories Xion's presence might trigger, what parts of Roxas will be awakened, but--... but somehow, telling Xion to stay away from him just isn't something Naminé can bring herself to do. She'll just have to keep an eye out, be ready to fix anything if it breaks.]

... You can find a way to still be together.

Why can't we hug these characters all the time... they need it. >>

[attheclocktower]

[It's easier to find out now, this way, than it would be to find out when she finally meets Roxas. It really is. It's just hart to recognize that right now, with the pain so fresh.

She smiles slightly. It's painful and bittersweet, but it's there.]

I hope so.

[They're all I have, goes unspoken]

They do. :C But if they actually got all the hugs they needed they would more stable and boring XD

[lethechained]

[Oh, Xion. It seems like Naminé can't stop finding more reasons to not!feel bad for her. Even with that not!feeling, Naminé has to smile, for Xion's sake, so she does.]

I... hope so, too. I wish you luck.