towerofanimus | (no subject)

Characters: [OU] Master Xehanort and potential victims
Setting: Anywhere you are
Format: I'll match whatever. Action is fine, the old coot just wanted to WORDS for his first post.
Summary: Old man goes out to explore the tower and runs into everyone who never wanted to run into him ever. And maybe some people who did.
Warnings: It's Xehanort. Everything is fair game. KH cast I apologize in advance...

Pacing, pacing. Back and forth. Something had gone wrong, something that he - how laughable, that - hadn't planned for. A random, stray element, that .00001 chance of something coming up. Whatever it was, it had catastrophic effects. His fingers curled and uncurled as he ran through options, through possibilities.

No matter. He was still there. He would find another way. The X-Blade was simply one path to Kingdom Hearts, after all...

He turned on his heel, coat swishing and hands clasping behind his back in that practiced and comfortable way, heading out down the hall. Footsteps even, measured. Making a mental map. Memorizing every step, so that even if he couldn't see or hear he would still be able to find his way.

If this was where he was going to stay, he would make it service him. It was simply a matter of learning its secrets.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

'Passing curiosity.' Right. Like he'd believe it to be just that.

It meant that he might be having an advantage here though, which was... a strange thought to wrap his mind around, considering who he was (probably?) talking to. To say at least. He could leave it at this. He has (maybe?) confirmed the man's identity without giving away about himself or his own questions, but... curiosity and foreboding are equally strongly twisting in his gut - just who is this Xehanort and what is his relation to the one he knows about?

He can't leave these questions unanswered.

So maybe, if he gave up just a little of what he knew... just enough to maybe get some of his own questions answered. Yeah... it's another risk worth taking. Probably.

"...He is from Radiant Garden. To my knowledge at least."

Radiant Garden? Perhaps this was related to the apprentices. Was one of them using his name for some reason? Interesting. Though it still didn't really add up at all, due to conflicting scales of time. He hadn't been dealing with the apprentices for that long. They were all men of pride as well, and had little use for pseudonyms.

Perhaps it was simply something Braig had engineered, although that may have been giving him too much credit.

"A charming world, Radiant Garden. I did spend some time there, but I am hardly a young man."

He just nodded slightly; it's not like he could do much but agree - aside of what little he had seen of the world through Xehanort's memories, he only knew of it what had been left by the Darkness. Hollow Bastion.

There is not much else to be won from that answer, except...

"Some time... then I take, you have traveled to other worlds before?"

It's almost laughable. He's more than certain he's been to more worlds than almost anyone else ever has.

"Of course. The pursuit of knowledge can take one all over the universe. One simply needs enough time..."

Time that was taken away the moment before he checked his renewal. It wasn't fair, really... but no matter. He would find another way.

Yeah well, excuse him for asking. It's not like world travel is a usual thing... or it's not supposed to be anyways. Though considering his statement, Xehanort must have been traveling for a long time already... unlike the Xehanort he knew about. Judging from those memories he probably hadn't left Radiant Garden, at least not before it's destruction and his own transformation into a Heartless.

Another difference.

"You must have seen many worlds."

"I have." Again, a simple statement. It's not really any sort of secret. Keyblade Masters who didn't inherit their master's land typically did so. Of course, this young man wouldn't know such a thing. Still, no harm in sharing.

Maybe it is not a secret (even though Riku really has absolutely no way of knowing), but it's a terribly vague statement. Not exactly what Riku is looking for.

...Then again, he shouldn't be expecting anything more from someone with mysterious relations to 'Ansem'/Xehanort, he supposes.

Should he try asking more questions? See if he could find out more by revealing bits and pieces of his own knowledge? No... that would probably play right into his hands, wouldn't it?

Besides... he had already as good as confirmed what he absolutely needed to know... hanging around more is maybe just bordering risky a little too much. Especially when there are people that he needs to talk to about this new arrival.

So he nodded, then turned a little towards the exit.

"I should get back to my search again..."

"Very well then, Ansem... perhaps we'll speak again. I wish you luck with your search."

There's little doubt their paths will cross again. The names they so carelessly throw around and use are powerful in their own way... only time can tell.

Ah, but there was one last thing that was a bit pressing. "Another moment, if you would be so kind?"

He nodded again and was almost at the exit; his heart jumping slightly when Xehanort called after him. There was just a small moment of hesitation as he turned his head just slightly.

"...Of course. What is it?"

"Would you be willing to run this machine for me? I'd like to observe it in operation." He put a hand on a washer, grinning. What had the boy thought he would ask for?

Well what does he know; except that knowing (the other) Xehanort it might have been something terrible, okay?

Riku turned again, head tilting a little as he glanced at Xehanort.

"I suppose I would be, but-" He reached up, fingers running over the edge of his blindfold, "-I fear I just might be left guessing wrong again."

As Xehanort himself had pointed out before already.

"If that is all..."

Oh. How very clever of you, Riku. He smiled ruefully, he nodded and turned to leave himself.

"May you find the man you seek. If you can't... perhaps this one may still be of some use."

He nodded back - not trusting himself to lie now; he certainly does not plan to seek this man out, not if he can help it - then left the room and hurried away. He just... needed to get out of that man's presence, to get off that feeling of the stench of that darkness rolling over his skin.

He needed to talk to Naminé - to warn her and to figure out just what in the Light's name was going on here.