towerofanimus | Fear and hatred by association [Backdated to the 19th]

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Fear and hatred by association [Backdated to the 19th]

Characters: Xion and anyone she stumbles upon
Setting: Floor 2 briefly, then floor 3, Floor 25, & Floor 1
Format: Action to start but I'll follow you
Summary: Given what happened the last time she got a collar checkup, Xion is not thrilled about her next one. This leaves her in an irritable and jumpy mood for the rest of the day. Also she may be keeping an eye out for certain people, given what happened. ~~Castmates I'm looking at you~~
Warnings: Angst/self-blame, potential mentions of kidnapping and trauma, etc.

[ Floor 2 & 3 ]

[Xion doesn't hang out for long after her collar checkup is over, merely bidding farewell to Axel and heading upstairs to the library, where she finds a random book on some topic she's vaguely interested in, walks over to a chair and jams herself down in it, visibly tense and unhappy and frustrated.

It should be pretty clear that reading isn't helping whatever is bothering her, judging by the fact that here eyes aren't really moving around the page a lot. She also has a tendency to - every once in a while - shut the book, put it down, stand up, and walk back over to the shelves, where she pulls down another book seemingly at random.

It's pretty clear that - as much as she's trying - her mind is elsewhere, and not in a very happy location.]

[ Floor 25 ]

[She's horribly out of practice and she knows it. Between her arm being hurt, being asleep for so long, and all the other things the Tower's thrown her way, her movements feel so rusty... A part of her wonders if it wouldn't be better to do this on actual monsters, the way she used to fight Dusks back in the Hall of Empty Melodies in The World that Never Was. At the same time, it seems foolish to invite trouble in the Tower, and Floor 25 is one of the clearer, more open spaces that she knew about. Maybe there was somewhere on one of the new floors she could train better later.

But for now, she's on floor 25, Keyblade in hand, practicing a series of blocks and basic strikes. The movement helps burn off some of her frustration and unhappiness, and just overall there's a certain... feeling like she's missed this, strange as it may seem to her later. Plus if she ever runs into Vanitas again, she wants to be ready. She doesn't want to be taken by surprise, left for her friends to save and get in trouble for her sake. Maybe she should talk to Aqua about starting those lessons soon...]

[ Floor 1/Dining Area ]

[Grilled fish for dinner. She isn't quite as tired of it as she was getting of soup last month, but she still wishes there was more varieiy to the foods the kitchen provided sometimes. She picks at her plate halfheartedly, sitting in a corner of the dining area, occasionally glancing up and around to see if anybody else is nearby.]

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[Yu always was the type of student to throw himself into his studies, often losing himself in the pages until he was either called for or he sensed something was off. Today just happened to be one of those days as he entered the library. After all, he often frequents both of them, so it shouldn't really be much of a surprise that he arrives not too long after one of Xion's many trips to the shelves before sitting down again. Though with it having been a while since he'd seen her last and how she was behaving... something felt off.

Unsure if he should approach her at first, he decides to chance it. He couldn't help but want to after watching her simply stare at pages.] ...Hey.

[Xion jumps when she's addressed, her head jerking up. The tension eases a little once she sees who it is, though.

She puts her book down, a little more nervously. She was being pretty loud and noisy and restless for a library, wasn't she? She hasn't been in any ones - besides the one in the Tower - for most of her life, but they always seemed so quiet...]

Hey... Sorry if I was bothering you.

[The meadow was one of the places Sora preferred to go when he needed to wander around a little. It was a nice, open area, and usually he didn't have to worry too much about monsters there. Plus, it was a good place for running into people sometimes. Like now.

Sora spots Xion as he's stepping off the stairs - it's hard to miss her, really, since she's running around and swinging her Keyblade all over the place. Even though she may feel like her movements are off, Sora certainly doesn't notice. This is one of the first time's he's been able to just stand back and watch someone use the Keyblade...and actually, he's pretty impressed.

For now, he's just standing back and watching, trying to keep out of her way. He doesn't want to get in the way at all, and besides, he might learn something from this!]

Nah. I just got here. [He shakes his head, the hint of a warm smile playing in his eyes as he stood there, quietly regarding her. She wasn't being too noisy. On the contrary, it was her behavior that bothered him- but maybe that was because of a power that had been given him.

No, he was pretty sure that it was just him being concerned for a new friend/acquaintance. The smile politely crosses his lips, an attempt to reassure her that she had done nothing wrong - at least here.]

I was just wondering if you mind if I join you.

[The moves she's doing really aren't that complicated. It's hard to do much without at least something to actually hit. ~~Never mind that she doesn't get most of Sora's moveset until she bossforms anyway~~. Still, to the utter beginner, it probably is a little helpful.

She doesn't have any gears to modify her Keyblade, so she's simply going through the motions of a basic three-strike combo - swinging her key downward over one shoulder, thrusting it along her side and forward, then spinning it around as a finishing strike. She does try some other types of swings and strikes, but that clearly feels the most natural to her. Her basic block meanwhile, involves her holding up her arm in front of her, angling her Keyblade in a downward angle in front of her body.

It's a little while until he realizes she has an audience. She spins around at one point, towards the stairs, and freezes when she sees someone there. Thankfully, the brown, spiky hair makes him pretty easily identifiable, and she drops out of her fighting stance.]

Sora?

[ Dolorosa would have been sharing much of her time these past weeks between the room she shares with Xion and the infirmary, after that spill she took down the stairs. She's been working her way back to her feet since, and insisted on walking herself to the cafeteria this evening.

She eases herself into a chair not far from Xion's, and greets her with a nod. ]

[Xehanort has learned that the meadow is a good place to meet people. It's relaxing and quiet and for the most part people appreciate that. It's disarming, which is useful in gaining the trust of others.

It also seems to be popular for those who wish to train. He can feel who it is even with her hood up, but he remains silent, simply watching her untrained movements. It's basic, but she'd said she had little by way of proper training. No doubt at some point she'd wind up with one of the lightbearers. He masked his frown well enough, but it was still irritating.

Probably better to make her aware of his presence now rather than have her feel his presence and become uncomfortable.]

Good day, young lady. Engaging in a bit of training?

[From behind her, tray set down next to her out of the blue and one of the chairs pulled out. Reno dropped down into the chair and folded his arms on the table, just giving her this kind of look before he spoke.]

Doing all right?

[It was pretty obvious he knew what had happened, though this was the first time Reno had seen her since the incident. Actually, if he thought about it, the last time he saw her was the friendship party.]

Oh...

[She turns to the pile of books in front of her, the ones she'd been trying fruitlessly to read before ultimately discarding. After a few moments' consideration, she pushes the books to the side, so he can sit across from her.]

Okay.

[Xion's noticed Dolorosa's absence, even if she has been preoccupied with a lot of things lately. She doesn't know the reason behind the absences, but... well, she has guesses, and regardless, seeing her roommate is a welcome distraction from her own thoughts.

Still, they haven't spoken too much before, so her own nod in reply is a little shy.] Hey.

[The sudden appearance of the tray and movement startles her out of her thoughts and makes her jump, though she eases a few moments later once she sees who it is.]

Reno!

[Her surprise fades into something a little brighter - s smile, small, but definately there. She is... happy to see him. The way she's happy to see Axel and Roxas. A friend.]

Not too bad, I guess.

[ That's one of the benefits of such a modest dress, it hides all manner of bandages and casts and wounds. Even bloodstains could blend with its color. But the difficult thing about Alternian culture is that no matter how much compassion she may have for the weak and infirm, allowing herself to even appear in such a manner was unacceptable.

It was her duty to be strong for others, and so she was aware of every limp and twitch involuntarily made, even as she cut her ham into neat little bites with a smile. ] You are enjoying your meal, I hope.

[He looked at her carefully, moving his head around to get a better look at her.]

Just checkin'. I had a talk with Axel.

[That was a hint, just to let her know and acknowledge it, though he was more tactful than just saying it out loud.]

[The Organization had never bothered too much with training - not her at least, though Roxas had told stories of some guy named Phil at Olympus Coliseum. So long as she was able to collect Hearts, what did it matter how refined her technique was? She'd undertaken most training herself, wanting to be useful to the Organization.

... but that was a long time ago.

Now she's doing it to protect herself, and those she cares about. She doesn't want them hurt or anything because of her ever again.

The voice from the stairs makes her turn - she'd just finished a combo, so extending the spin a little bit more wasn't that hard, so she was able to slide to a halt facing the stairs and see who it was who'd spoken, though the voice was familiar. She freezes upon catching sight of the arrival, though. Xehanort.

She lowers her Keyblade slowly, though she doesn't ease up on her stance. What should she do...?]

Yeah. [...] A little bit.

[The hint does its job - she can't think of any other reason why Reno would bring up talking with Axel to her. Xion's shoulders slump a little bit and the smile fades. In some ways it's a relief - she doesn't have to act like everything's okay. On the other hand, maybe if she'd been able to act enough, she'd have started to believe it.]

You heard what happened, huh?

Mmhmm.

[Bringing her down wasn't what he was going for. Bumping his fist into her shoulder lightly, he smiles.]

Hey, none of that. I wouldn'ta brought it up except I think you should know I'm gonna be watching out for you from now on.

[He raises his hand to stall any protest.]

Whether ya want it or not. But that wasn't really what I want to talk to ya about. How would you like some self defense training?

[He hangs back, not wanting to make her uncomfortable by approaching so soon. Perhaps if she relaxes more. For now, he's merely curious.]

Pardon me, I did not mean to interrupt. Please, continue if you wish.

[He guestures casually for her to proceed.]

It's all right. I'm not sure fish is my favorite anyway.

[Not that she's familiar with all the different kinds of fish. Maybe it's just this particular kind... Or it could be the effect of the same general meals being offered. Maybe if she learned to cook she could try to make some of it differently...]

It's not bad though.

[Not terrible, not great. About normal food in the Tower if you don't go to the restaurant and you don't know how to cook yourself.]

[Good thing he stalled off her protest, because she'd opened her mouth to do just that. She can defend herself, and she doesn't want them potentially putting themselves in danger just for her again...!

But the offer cuts her off, and she shuts her mouth to consider.]

I can fight some... I'm not sure if you've ever seen it. But... okay.

[Something tells her self-defense training might be a little different from fighting with a Keyblade. And it can't hurt...]

Fighting's never a finished game.

[That was the nature of fighting; there were as many styles as there were people who could fight.]

You never know, there might be a few tricks that'll come in handy.

[Growing a bit more serious, he pokes her on the nose.]

And don't be afraid to rely on other people.

[The pile of books was disconcerting as well, though he doesn't say it just yet as he places his own book, notebook and pen down on the table as well with a nod of thanks. However, he doesn't seem as interested in what looks like he'd been compiling as he should be when he sits down.

No, he's merely tapping the pen lightly on the desk surface. Something is wrong, and Izanagi is confirming his instincts. After a few moments' silence, you begin to feel as though now is to say something, but...]

[> Create small talk.]
[> Ask her straight out.]
[> Say it's because you haven't seen her lately.]

I haven't seen you for a while... Is everything alright? [Concern echoes in his eyes. What happened, girl. :c]

Edited (GDI I DID NOT PRESS THE SUBMIT BUTTON, DW.) 2012-04-24 11:24 (UTC)

[ Dolorosa herself isn't a bad cook, if the awareness that the option is offered ever reaches her. But provided meals or compelled preparation is what she expects from captivity, so she's never thought more on it yet. ]

It could be said to lack character. A naked entree with little in the way of garnish or other accompaniment can be a rather disappointing prospect, if one is accustomed to more.

But I suppose our circumstances do not tend to allow for such luxuries. [ She coaxes one of her little cubes onto the form and chews it discreetly. ]

[Well... that sort of dove to the heart of the matter anyway, as innocent as that question was.

She hesitates before she answers, which... is probably a big indicator that no, everything isn't all right. But... she isn't ready to just... spit out what happened. Yu was nice, but she still doesn't know him that well yet. How was she supposed to explain sleeping for two weeks straight - especially since she had no clue herself? And she didn't even want to think about the kidnapping.]

It's... a long story.

[It wasn't like he knew what the answer would entail, though he had hoped it was nothing too serious. That reaction, the silence... it was telling enough to know he needed to back off in that regard, though he couldn't leave when someone he knew was so obviously hurting because of something he couldn't see.

So Yu nods; he'll slow down and go at her pace, instead ripping out a blank page of his notebook and folding it repeatedly into different shapes.]

I won't pry. [fold, fold.] I see you as a friend, so when you are ready, I won't mind listening.

[...aw, he made a paper crane for you.]

[Shion was stacking books in the library when he saw Xion, he hadn't seen her in a long while and had heard about her collapsing at the party. He had been worried and as he approached he could see she didn't look very happy.]

Hello Xion.

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Fear and hatred by association [Backdated to the 19th]

Floor 3

Floor 3

[Floor 25]

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[Floor 25] /reaches for

Dining Hall

floor 25 oh ho ho

Dining Area!

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:D

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