towerofanimus

Entry tags:

008

Characters: Terra(?) and open
Setting: Dormitory Floor Three Hallways, then Floor Three
Format: Action to start off, but I'll match
Summary: It's not the first time Riku finds himself having a size that is not his own. Needless to said he is not amused. Or well... more like panicked. ~~I accidentally a Meteor spell~~. After that... time to figure out just what in the Light's name is going on.
Warnings: total panic, magical mishaps and slight property destruction. Other warnings will follow as needed. Also, tags will come from

powerforfriends!

[A - Room 03-04/Dormitory Floor Three Hallways]

[Over all, ever since coming back Riku has mostly woken up on a positive not - sure fighting the shadows had been exhausting, but over all? All of it is better than wandering the destroyed remains of the worlds by himself.

This day really isn't all too different at least not at the beginning. He rolls off the bed and straightens, eyes barely open...

...He is too tall.

...He is too tall.

...He is right at the height of-

Blood drains from his face within seconds, eyes widening as he stumbles over his feet, trying to move-

Nononononononono, this just can't be-

He won't remember how he had gotten out into the hallway all of sudden. Or the feeling of magic building up and up and up until-

There's a loud crash and a flash of light when the Meteor spell collides with the ground, the rock cracking and scattering all over the floor and Terra!ku is just standing right in the middle of the hallway and making a pretty dumb face.

...What exactly happened just now?]

[B - Floor 03]

[Later that day (once he has calmed down and realized that he's not quite trapped in the body he thought he was), Terra!ku can be found in the library, sitting at one of the terminals, frowning at the screen.

Well... at least from the looks of the Network, he and Terra (and whoever else he might have so far) aren't the only ones in this situation. That at least made it easy to figure out the one responsible for this mess.

Thanks a lot, Jason.

He sighs as he leans back in his seat, eyes closing as he reaches up to massage his temples. (He can feel a headache forming, flickers of memories pushing to the front of his mind, just what-)

...Next on the list; just how to reverse this again?!

Because yeah. Riku, for his part, definitely prefers being himself. ~~No offense, Terra.~~]

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[Riku, you're not the only one that did their fair share of freaking out. Opening his eyes only to find himself looking through a curtain of silver had made him literally fall out of bed, tangled in sheets.

It had taken a good five minutes to calm down and untangle himself and realize that no, he hadn't reverted to Xemnas's coloring. Another minute to recognize that balance of Light and Dark--and the Darkness that was sealed away deep within, unable to come out.

It had taken another several minutes to get dressed and race up to the floor his room was on. If he was in Riku's body, then--

Room in sight, along with his body (... wow, he really needed a haircut). The panicked look could only mean that Riku was taking this much worse than he was.] Riku, calm down--

[He hadn't expected running almost headlong into a panicked casting of Meteor, though in hindsight, he really should have. Give him a few seconds to deal with the dust in the air. By coughing.

Not bad for a first cast...]

Edited 2012-09-17 23:14 (UTC)

[Riku still just. starring at the spot where the spell hit the floor-

What had just... had he?!-

He stretches his arm out to brace himself against the wall, shaking his head, and it's only then that he notices... the strands of hair that are falling into his vision are not mated gray. They are brown. He's not-

It takes another moment until he has his breath under control, shivering slightly... then he notes the cold... (he's still a tropical island-kid okay)... he should probably get dressed.

And only after that thought, he finally registers the other person in the hallway. Himself. Or well. Someone pretending to be him.

That wouldn't be the first time either. Another breath as he narrows his eyes at whoever is inhabiting his body. (Or possibly a copy of it.)]

Who are you?

[Does he sound suspicious and on the edge? You bet he does.]

[... okay. Being on the other end of that particular glare is actually unnerving. It's ... a very intense look. It's amazing how well Riku's pulling off 'unwittingly intimidating.'

No wonder he sometimes scared people.] It's Terra; could you turn the glare off? I'm just as confused as you are.

[Okay; deep breath. Stay calm.] We should move inside the room; no telling who might run into us out here.

['We need to figure out what the hell is going on here, and you need to calm down before you cast Quake.']

[Well, he used to pull it off blindfolded. And if it's making the other uncomfortable then that is just fine in his opinion.

Behind that glare, his thoughts are racing though - ...Terra? Well... He does have brown hair. But-

Okay. No trusting the guy in his body. Yet. But isolating them is probably a good idea (and if worse comes to worse, he can try pulling off... whatever once more.]

Fine.

[The door is still open from his headless attempt to get away, so he just nods at the other. If he wants to talk in the room then fine. He's not going to turn his back first though.]

[... really? That lack of trust is making his heart sink a little. So to speak.

Okay, sure, he understands the paranoia - if he didn't know it was Riku in his body, he wouldn't be sure he could trust whoever was in there, either - but... this is his apprentice. It actually stings a little.

He sighs, and walks into his room, brushing off some of the dust that the Meteor spell had left on his (Riku's?) clothes and making sure to head straight for his bed.

He'll wait until Riku closes the door behind them before he actually speaks up again.] If you don't buy it, then try calling my Keyblade. That should be enough proof.

[He hopes.]

Edited 2012-09-19 17:50 (UTC)

[Well... sorry, but he'd rather play it safe. :|

He follows the other, arms by his side, his eyes still narrowed as he considers this suggestion. Well... it's worth a try at least.

He exhales as his eyes slip closed out of habit, he can feel the familiar tingle of a Keyblade beneath his palm... not one, but two even. Another moment passes before he reaches for the one that seems more familiar, blinking down at a quite familiar looking shape.

...

Well... That confirms that he is in Terra's actual body, that this isn't some kind of sudden possession+body-change-thing.

In that case...]

Now you.

[Let's see if the other could call for Way to the Dawn.]

Fair enough. [It's a simple enough request; it's why he had made it in the first place.

He closes his eyes and reaches for the unmistakable feeling of a Keyblade while trying to steer clear of the ... the seal he can feel on a segment of Darkness that doesn't feel a thing like Riku's.

It doesn't take long before he finds it and he opens his eyes again, turns around to face himself (never getting used to that, he swears), and holds up his hand.

Way to the Dawn appears in his grip without hesitation, and unwittingly, he finds himself studying it.] Hmm... melee-focused. Looks like it's built more for speed...

[He is so tempted to give it a few test swings to check the balance.]

Edited 2012-09-19 20:41 (UTC)

[(Riku is very grateful that he steers clear of that; it took a lot to get it done in first place and he'd really rather not have to go over that again, thank you very much.)

He glances over Way to the Dawn, as beautiful as it's always been, and he finds himself longing for it, even though the blade he's currently holding feels very right in his hand. Riku dismisses the Keyblade in his hand and just sits back onto the bed next to him, one hand reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose.

Terra is stuck in his body. And he is stuck in Terra's.

...How did they end up there? And more important... how do they get this reversed again?

(If Terra wants to take those test swings, he is more than free to do so while Riku tries to figure out his thoughts.)]

[... well, since he's not being told otherwise, he's going to just take those test swings.

But judging by the expression he's wearing, he's also doing his own fair share of thinking. For this to have happened without either of them noticing until they woke up...

... either powerful magic, some form of science, or...the tower. No way of knowing for sure while they're still in his room; they'll actually have to get out and look--

He stops mid-swing, and dismisses the Keyblade in his grip and turning to face Riku (this was going to be so weird), a serious look on his face.

If how that Meteor had been cast was any indication...] Don't take this personally, but I need to teach you how to control the magic I can use before you cause an earthquake.

[Yeah. This is going to be very weird.]

[Maybe it's even a combination of magic and science. The tower is kind of weird like that after all.

He glances up when he hears the all to familiar ring of a Keyblade disappearing again, schooling his face into a somewhat neutral expression and succeeding with keeping out the remaining trace of panic for the most part.

This is going to be very weird indeed, but... Riku can't exactly deny that it is necessary. Given the rocks that are still left on the floor of the hallway.]

...Right.

[He won't find Riku arguing at least... though, if teaching him control is an option right at this minute is maybe still kind of questionable.]

[~~None taken, Riku.~~ ... well, at least they know they're not the only ones dealing with this.

Yeah, he's kind of hovering right there behind you, glaring at the screen. And feeling his own headache coming on (why is he seeing Twilight Town?)] Well, that answers a few questions.

[Jason, you son of a--~~bad Terra, no swearing while you still have a Disney contract~~

He's just going to cross his arms, close his eyes, and try to think. Keyword being try.]

[At least.

He glances over his shoulder when the other speaks up and straightens a bit (Excuse him, it's a.) kind of weird to have you standing there in his body, despite previous experiences, and b.) that much hovering makes him nervous. There are enough chairs around, Terra, help yourself to one. >.>).]

That leaves us with the most difficult ones still to be solved though.

[But at least it's a start.]

[But he likes standing, Riku.

He nods, a look of discontent fixed on his face. The difficult questions were the most obvious ones.

'How do we reverse this?'

'What's the catch?'

'How long before everyone starts to suffer?'

... crap. If they weren't they only ones, then--.] We should see if any of our friends were affected by this. After that...

[... well. After that, they'll figure something out. Hopefully.]

[Maybe, but you are making him edgy ~~and you know he is maybe kind of bad at magic control, right?~~ ~~Okay no~~.

Riku nods, with that permanent anonfilter active it's hard to tell who else is effected from the network alone...]

Right. Given the track record, I have no doubt that some of them are effected as well.

[Figuring out how to reverse this can come after that. One thing at a time.]

[Naminé's not quite sure, at first, what woke her up. Her eyes snap open, then blink quickly, searching the ceiling. After a moment, her eyelids sink again, staying low-lidded as she drowses, slowly working out her thoughts. It's not for a good few seconds and almost another trip to dreamland that she realizes it was a sound, and one that had to have been quite loud, at that. Her eyes open again, and she sits up suddenly, glancing around. Hm.]

[If she recalls correctly... that was from above, wasn't it? It doesn't take her long at all to pull some non-nightclothes on; regardless of what that was, it's cause for alarm, and-- well, she knows people on the higher floors, Riku included, and she's not about to let that pass without going to see if everyone's alright.]

[Which is why she'll be peeking around the corner and into that very same hallway not too long after the incident, visibly concerned and suspicious.]

[Riku is still standing there, frozen, just starring at the spot where the spell collided; he has no idea what had just happened... though he was maybe kind of starting to suspect that he was responsible for it.

He can hear the fast pace of his heartbeat, still panicked, fighting, fragmented... fragmented? This heart... it's not his or Ansem's... but whos-?!]

What's going on here?

[...?]

[Well, something seems to have gotten into Terra - either that, or he's just as concerned by this as she is. Except he seems to be looking at this differently. The girl hesitates, eyes trailing between the floor and him. ~~... Funny, that she should think at a time like this that there are ways in which he reminds her of Riku. She's not quite sure why, at first.~~ Still cautiously, she steps out into the hallway, one hand lingering on the wall she was peering past before.]

... I was hoping you would know.

[He straightens when he hears her voice, slowly turning, one hand pressing against the wall himself. Relieve washes visibly over him when he spots her - his shoulders falling, eyes brightening.]

...Naminé!

[It's only then that he really realizes what had been said, causing him to shake his head.]

I- I have no idea.

--....

[That look--]

[Why would Terra--? ... No... he wouldn't. The girl's expression grows even more perplexed. That feeling from before isn't going away. It's strange, but-- she knows Terra has no reason to look at her like that, not even in a situation like this. Her fingers curl inward. Something in the back of her mind is very insistantly trying to push its way to the forefront.]

Are you... feeling all right? [And she says no name, she realizes, because it feels wrong to call him Terra. Is she just being paranoid? She's spent enough time in the Tower and seen enough of what it's done, of its tricks to make one think one is talking to someone that they really are not--]

[He frowns confused; even though he isn't in his body, shouldn't she be able to feel-

Except... this isn't his heart either, is it? He shakes his head lightly, just how is this all...]

Ye-No- I- [Need to get to the point, for light's sake.] I'm Riku.

[She'd been trying hard not to intrude. Her time in the Tower had effected at least that change in her; she's more hesitant than ever to use her powers.]

[The information makes her straighten, brow knitting, although part of her is going 'Ah! So that was what that feeling was'.]

Riku?

[It's not disbelieving. She tilts her head at him, regarding him as if checking for signs. (It's funny, that she seems to know where to look.) She doesn't ask to check with her powers, because she doesn't need to, she realizes. Perhaps they've already done that work, or perhaps they didn't need to.]

[Even if she were to use them - given what Riku himself is sense, given the foreignness of the weapons hidden within his heart, given the memories that are slowly pushing up.

The lack of disbelieve is a good thing though, a good sign at least. He can't relax just yet, but. It's a start.]

Yeah... it's me.

[Of course, he realizes that the circumstances, his word alone doesn't exactly mean much.]

If you need proof, ask me. Ask me anything only I would know.

[... Yeah, it's him.]

[His word may not mean much by itself, no, but everything else that he is, that he still is even in another body and another heart-- that means a lot. All the same-- she pauses, eyes him another moment, then nods.]

All right, then.

[There are a lot of things she could ask. There are a lot of things that she knows of him that perhaps no one else does or should. Perhaps it's sad, what she chooses and the irony of it - but the thing is, she finds she doesn't need as much proof as she would if she didn't know so many of those things, if she didn't know him so well.]

... Who am I?

[And she isn't just talking about a name.]

[He's... not quite sure if he's expected this particular question or not - it's obvious that she's not just talking about her name of course but... he's never put it into words. Though... he supposes it's about time that he does anyways.]

....I could tell you what DiZ would say... but that's not 'who'. It's only what power you posses.

[And she is so much more than just that. So much more than just a which capable of disrupting memories or putting them back together.]

You are Naminé... my friend... and one of the strongest persons I've ever met.

[As strong as Sora, as strong as Kairi, even though in different ways.

He can't quite help smiling during that admission, maybe just a little bit uncertain of it and of himself, but nevertheless sincere.]

[As sad as it may be, he's really the only person in the Tower who truly knows who she is - or at least, what she can do and where she came from and so much of what that meant about her life. Except the beginning of that answer makes her blink at him, somewhere between surprised and touched. That mix of feelings only intensifies as he goes on. Eventually, a quiet smile eases onto her face, even if gets almost wry after that part about her being strong. The silence goes on a moment after he's finished, then, finally, she lets out a tiny, quiet laugh.]

... I guess you would say that, Riku. You always are too good to me.

[It's sad... and it's even worse that it's probably a good thing - that he is the only one knowing what she can do. She is more than that though, and he is sure than it's not just him who sees who she is regardless of them. The smile he returns is somewhere between quiet, relieved and hesitant - he is glad that she believes him, but... that opinion he can't share.]

You deserve it.

[There is no 'too good' for her.]

[It's something better left unsaid, but... there are other things she almost wishes she could tell, things about herself that she's conflicted about hiding. Whenever she tries to form new relationships, those things are always in the back (or front) of her mind, always causing her some amount of guilt. Except those things are probably better left unsaid, too, and she wonders sometimes how much not speaking of herself effects her relationships. It's a source of great comfort to her that at least he knows, at least he can know all those things and still accept her, and she will always, always be grateful to him for that.]

You'd say that, too.

[But she's smiling. She's also quick to get back to business.]

Now-- did this just happen?

[The 'suddenly being Terra' thing, because it definitely seems that way, considering his reaction.]

[He can't say if it's for the better or the worse that she keeps them unsaid; he has pretty much always known after all. She won't know until she tries though, and if she finds someone she trusts enough than surely it will be worth the risk to be open with them. ~~And well... if they turn away from her, then Riku will gladly go and have a word with them himself.~~

He shrugs lightly - he can't exactly help being himself... even in a body that isn't his.

Then he nods and sighs, lips pressing together, because...]

Yeah... I have no idea how or why, but... I woke up and I was like this.

[Not himself.]

[She can't say for certain, either, which is part of what's so troubling about it. She used to be able to know things, to go to the very source and discover the answer to the questions she had. But now-- perhaps she still can, in some cases, and yet she finds herself reticent to. Such an intrusion, helpful though it might be, is... wrong, isn't it? People deserve to be able to trust that there isn't someone reaching into the deepest depths of their hearts in search of information. ~~He makes both a good bodyguard and a good not!heartguard.~~]

[Which is part of why it wasn't hard to confirm who he was.]

[Her own lips purse thoughtfully.]

The Tower's doing, no doubt. [Though it does concern her that he seems to have switched with Terra. She presses curled fingers lightly against her lips as she thinks.] I take it you haven't met anyone else with the same problem yet, though, have you? [Since this seems to be a pretty new development for him, after all.]

[And it's that kind of thinking - her awareness of her own power, her reluctance to use it - that is the cause of his trust in her. ~~He aims to please.~~

He supposes it wouldn't be.

He nods in response; what she says makes sense after all... he doubts there is anyone powerful enough aside of the admins, to switch his mind out without him noticing. Not even Xehanort.]

I agree.

[A headshake.]

Not yet. Though if it is the Tower, then that's only a matter of time.

[Even so, she's not quite able to trust herself, because even though she chooses to do the right thing, she knows that she's capable of doing the wrong one. Though the part of her that was selfish then has been burned away and crushed down by guilt into something so small and covered over by so many other things and so much strength, those critical failures so long ago left her ever vigilant and ever fearful that she might one day be weak again. ~~He's quite good at doing so, at least where she's concerned.]~~

Mm. In the mean time, maybe it would be best to try to find Terra, or your body. [Considering the situation,] Maybe both together.

Edited 2012-11-07 20:12 (UTC)

[Everyone is capable of doing the wrong thing though. And everyone had a selfish streak - Riku could definitely vouch for that - and it probably couldn't be helped some of the time. Was probably even healthy to some extend at least. There is the worth of experience though, and that is what makes it quite unlikely - in Riku's eyes - that there'd ever be a repeat of Castle Oblivion. ~~Good sheepdog?~~

He nods once more.]

Hopefully both.

[That would make resolving this bodyshuffle issue a little bit easier at least.]

[Maybe so, but very few of them do something that could ruin someone else's life, could ruin countless lives and even lead to the end of the universe. Few are capable of as much damage as Naminé is to not just one person but countless people, should she misuse the ability she's been given. She already has destroyed lives and taken parts of others, and that's something she can't quite forgive herself for. (The weight and worth of the experience are heavy, it's true; she's just always been her own blindspot.)]

Hopefully. It would make sense...!

[But that doesn't mean, of course, that the Tower did it that way, because since when did the administrators really care that much about what was reasonable?]

[He could continue that debate by arguing that she isn't the only one responsible for what happened, that the Organization is just as much (and really, actually even more) at fault as she is, but by now they have been at this point several times already, haven't they? Riku is certainly not going to change his mind, but if words aren't enough to show it, then actions will have to speak for him. Even if all he can offer in that regard is his unconditional trust into her. For now at least.]

It would. But it might be too optimistic to assume as much.

[Because indeed... the administrators find these kind of games amusing it seems, and their sense of humor is rather lacking. There's not much room for reason there.]

[It's true, they could go round and round for some time. Such an offer is already much more than she'd expect or believe she deserves, but there's at least one thing that's certain; she'll always appreciate his trust more than she's capable of expressing.]

Of course. We'll have to wait and see.

[Precisely - which is why she didn't put too much stock in the idea in the first place, but-- well, hope is hope. Belief is something else.]

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008

Room 3-04/Hallway outside room

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Floor 03

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[A]

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THIS POST WAS MUCH BETTER THE FIRST TIME before my internet crashed and killed it

/patpat

;; <333333

~<333333

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