towerofanimus | A whole new world o/`

Entry tags:

A whole new world o/`

Name: Xemnas and ANYONE
Format: Prose, Actions. Whatever people are most comfortable with; beginning prose.
Setting:Room 2-10, then Travel Time to Floor 61.
Summary: Dude, Where's My Castle? Or, Xemnas Arrival.
Warnings: Possibly violence. Possibly not. Very brief nudity. Will update as things happen.
Notes: Limited number of locations to start with, because hugegame is huge.

Sleep paralysis is a new experience, and is waited out with measured patience. Not being able to move isn't particularly alarming, as it doesn't come with pain or disorientation. The room is unfamiliar. That.. is more troubling. Unusual outfit: check. Collar: check. The white didn't bother him overmuch, even though it wasn't as comfortable as the uniforms he'd painstakingly made. A search of the collar finds no fasteners, and pulling on it did no good so he doesn't waste his time trying to tear it free. Both notes are skimmed then set on the bed; the chances of a world that didn't exist being destroyed were slim. It was of no concern. What was ... was being somewhere he shouldn't be, and attempting to form a corridor of darkness to the castle failing outright.

Xemnas, being a fairly practical creature, comes to the conclusion that finding out where he is, is a reasonable good step.

If any of his new roommates are there, he politely disregards the presence of others in favor of standing, investigating the chest at the foot of the narrow bed and almost immediately stripping out of the white skin-tight outfit that had been provided him and replacing it with the black uniform of the Organization.

Sometimes free shows can't be helped.

--

It doesn't take long before he's satisfied with what he knows of the dormitory floors. People aren't his concern, and he doesn't bother to greet anyone he comes across. He'll query individuals later, once he has a solid map in his mind of where he is. He couldn't use a corridor to get somewhere he hadn't been before, after all. If he's stopped, well, that's different.

Then peaceful, patient elevator travel. There were only a certain number of floors it would stop at but he'd investigate each one eventually.

--

The elevator opening to a grassy plain is unexpected, as are the distant mountains. Did the elevator connect to entirely different worlds, a peculiar technological version of world-hopping? This is worth investigating a little more thoroughly, and in short order there is a dark shape moving through the waist-deep grass, almost but not quite curious. It seems like a peaceful place, and aside from plants, Xemnas could detect no other obvious signs of life in his immediate vicinity.

He doesn't notice the clouds at first. Or the mountains.

Because honestly, the holes in the ground are much more attention-grabbing, and difficult to spot.

He finds one the hard way. There's a yelp as the ground he expected to be underfoot in his next step simply isn't there, sending him tumbling into some til-now hidden pit. Falling to one's demise probably normally elicits more of a reaction than vague irritation that that was incredibly undignified, but killing a Nobody by dropping them from great heights doesn't usually work.

Especially when they can teleport. Xemnas relied on line of sight, but his reactions were quick enough that he's not falling for more than a moment before he flickers into being above the hole and just to one side, dropping a few feet back onto the grass with a thump. Frowning, the edges of the pit are carefully explored. He's.. going to be here a while.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Perhaps that's why Xemnas moves with slow precision. Nothing in his actions could be mistaken for hostile, for an attack. It was possible it would be seen thus anyway, but when no such counterattack comes, when all Terra does is lock up in place, any planning he'd begun to defend himself is let go of.]

"No?"

[Interesting again. The explanation, lacking in the exacting details Xemnas preferred in an explanation but enough to get the concept across, is also noteworthy but difficult to accept immediately. If possibilities were so easily grasped and united then there would be no need for time travel at all.

Possibilities, maybes were almost but not quite agitating. It was hard to plan around a maybe.]

"What rifts the boundaries between entire realities?"

[It doesn't hurt to ask. Only then does he step away, to poke through the grass again. The devouring pits weren't everywhere, and careful examination finds a good bit with nothing but grass there. The time is taken to flatten some of it down in a small but gradually widening circle. Motion helped him think.]

"And yet in spite of perhaps parallel realities, you recognized me upon arrival. What differs, from your time and space? If such a thing is true. How do you recognize what you should be? Without being, how would you recognize?"

[Idle musing that rapidly spirals into unspoken philosophical internal debate. Terra should by rights BE Xemnas. If he isn't, and someone else was, how could Xemnas so easily be recognized? More mysteries.]

No. [There's an edge to his tone when he emphasizes that answer. The chances of him willingly going along with Xehanort's plan are zero, and even the suggestion that he was here because of it was enough to get his temper slightly riled.

He waits until Xemnas finishes his not-so-internal musing, watching him pace. Once the Nobody is finished, he shrugs, and very purposefully begins to emulate his speaking patterns.] It is as I said - I am a possibility. The twists and turns of my own universe are small, but numerous; as curious as I am about how your universe works, I will refrain from asking.

[Ugh. Talking like this is leaving a bitter taste in his mouth. But still, he continues.] How could I not, when I very distinctly recall being you?

[The sharp edge to Terra's tone earns him a ghost of a smile. He might not feel it, might never again, but he knows anger when he hears it. Even dim anger, the embers of what could be stoked into a raging fire.

An interesting trigger. It will have to be remembered.

The pacing, it becomes apparent, isn't just for moving around. After a little bit of work he's got about an eight foot wide circle of grass neatly flattened down. Whereupon he neatly folds up long legs and sits down. From a distance all anyone would see is silver hair amidst the sea of grass, but close up, he has his flattened circle.

He could stand on principle. He chooses not to.

The way Terra's tone changes earns a glance upward, bemused.]

Oh no, ask away. I shouldn't like to turn away an inquisitive mind, so long as you'll abide question for question.

[He seems quite comfortable there in the grass. There's no invitation for Terra to join him, but he could if he chose to. No monarch stood when they didn't have to, in the presence of others.]

And yet you're not, for very obvious reasons. And I would never allow myself to be executed to chase the foolishness of all that came before. I wonder at these differences.

[In hindsight, he should've seen that coming. And really, while Terra isn't interested in an in-depth 'this is what is different in my universe' dialog, getting a few key details straightened out is a necessary thing, especially when it comes to figuring out their respective places in the timeline.

When Xemnas's motive for the 'pacing' becomes apparent, he almost smiles. How... strangely considerate of the Nobody. Even if there's no invitation, the very fact that he went through the effort to do such a thing and then sat is implication enough.] I think I can agree to those terms.

He carefully steps into the cleared area, being mindful to make sure he actually avoids any holes, and picks a spot to sit.

He might as well start with how he's, well. Himself.] It was patience and luck, really, that restored me to what I am.

[It's complicated, without background. But until he can give that...] What's the last important thing you remember, before you woke up here?

[Xemnas is interested in any and all relevant information he could possibly acquire. Some people hoard stuff, he hoards information. Still, he stays put. The sun was warm but not overly so, it didn't have eyes, and he was comfortable sitting in the grass. Only the clouds could easily see him here, he supposed. The urge to wave at them lingered.

Terra is watched as he likewise sits, but nothing's said. If it had or hadn't been an invitation he's not clarifying, but there certainly had been more than enough space for one. Or two or three for that matter. When an answer comes, as to how or why Terra looks like himself and not Xemnas, there's a sharp rise of silver brows.]

Very well done. You've managed to both answer the question and not answer anything at all. I'll be hard-pressed to match that.

[And there's every sign and sense that he's utterly serious. Then again, it's the Superior, he's not known for a sense of humor, or even exaggeration. And guilelessness seems intact as he leabs back a little, bemused at the counter-question.]

Not something I can attempt to obfuscate on purpose. Clarify 'important'. Important to who? Or what? One might consider Axel and Xion managing to nearly incinerate half the basement by 'accidentally' bumping Vexen's work to be important, but it's hardly long-term relevant.

[At the use of sarcasm, he can't help but snicker. That's twice now that he's heard it, and it's such an alien thing (based on his own memory, anyway) that it's just amusing.

However, even though he's smirking, very little humor actually reaches his eyes when he says this..] I learned from the best.

[Well. Interesting not-slip there, Xemnas. You still remember Xion. That's... interesting.] Important in a general sense. For example... Sora, and whatever his current state of consciousness - or lack thereof - might be.

[Because whether the Keybearer is awake or not, he is something to factor into plans, if only for ways to work around the kid - ugh, he needs to stop thinking like this.]

[It could be genuine not-admiration too. There really is no telling, though certainly Xemnas can't have anything like an actual sense of humor, that would go against the whole Nobody thing. As it is, the smirk gets little reaction; it's hard to tell if that was the goal or not.]

Ah, I see. You spent more time around Maleficent than I did. I don't know how you tolerated her presence, in which case. Her unsettling obsession with the princesses was more than I could tolerate for long.

[While it's true that Maleficent was amazing at not answering things directly, Terra absolutely didn't mean her. Xemnas seems oblivious, turning his attention briefly to a blue and green beetle studiously crawling up a squashed grass stem.]

The young keybearer. He's much too young for that sort of responsibility.

[It's said with a tone of voice that suggests he actually means it.. and is a little annoyed at whoever decided otherwise.]

I don't keep much track of him or his companions, truthfully. Last time I saw him in person he was being shown out of Oblivion Castle after causing quite a bit of trouble I had to work quite hard to fix. Thankfully he seems disinclined to cause problems on his own. He's dropped off our radar since, but if he's worthy of his weapon then he'll crop back up sooner or later.

[Namine has also disappeared, but that part goes unsaid.]

[That just earned you an eye-roll, Xemnas.] She's polite enough, but anyone that can tolerate her in large doses is either insane or has the patience of a saint.

[... interesting sentiment, and given Terra's sigh, it's possible that they're actually in agreement on that.] ... yeah. Not even Ven's age, and he's stuck with picking up the mess we made.

[Why no other Keybearers had popped up to help Sora until near the end had been... baffling to him, as Xemnas. He knew the states of Aqua and Ven... but what about Yen Sid and Mickey? Why hadn't they stepped in until after Sora had woken up?

He makes a 'hmmm' noise and looks thoughtful. While not a definitive answer - the gap between Sora's 'disappearance' and his reawakening was rather substantial - it gave Terra something to work off of.] And how long has it been, since he dropped off your radar?

The mess Xehanort made. And something we all live with.

[The correction is immediate and quiet, but it's there. And there's no emotion attached to it whatsoever - but Xemnas did not associate himself with the failures and mistakes of who he was before, be it Terra or Xehanort.]

If the boy has a Master, his Master is doing a terrible job of it and should be properly chastised for their failures. If he turns up again, with luck he can be put to work. He wants to destroy Heartless, I want them destroyed, there's no reason at all we should be hostile to each other.

[He had one keybearer, he'd prefer two or three. Backups, and simple numbers, made the work both safer and swifter, which Xemnas approved of on both fronts. Question of how long draws a pause that speaks more of trying to remember and less of trying to come up with a deception. Eventually, there's the barest of shrugs.]

I don't recall. A few months, perhaps? Longer? Not more than a year, certainly, I don't lose that much track of time. And now a question of my own. How did you really slip the noose, self from another time and space? I don't want vague assertions, I want details.

[Point taken. But misplaced guilt is an interesting phenomena in those that have hearts, and it's something Terra has by the truck-load.

He'll nod, though, conceding that point, before sighing.] As far as I knew, Sora never had a proper Master. I don't even know who passed the Keyblade on to him, though I have my suspicions. That he has grown as strong as he has with no formal instruction is commendable.

[But the kid should've had a Master to begin with. Him and Riku both. That they hadn't was just one more thing to place on the list of the consequences of Xehanort's actions.

He nods slightly; with the confirmation that it hadn't been a year since Sora had 'been escorted out of Castle Oblivion', he has a very good idea of when Xemnas was pulled from in his timeline. Compared to Terra's own place in his...

He manages to keep himself from smirking. Somewhat.

How does he even begin to explain how he became himself again? It's so complicated, and the chain of events relying so heavily on chance...

A deep breath as he collects his thoughts. Simple should be best... he hopes.] If your timeline is anything like mine, it'll be about... six months later, maybe a little longer. I remember that in that span, those that remained among your number had gotten on Sora's bad side - threatening to turn his friends into powerful Heartless tends to do that for anyone as loyal as Ven. Because of that, he made it his mission to stop you. Having Kairi as a... 'guest' only helped give him further motivation.

[A pause, as he tries to recall the events from shortly before his revival and put them into an order that makes sense.] When Sora and the king's men arrived at the World that Never Was, he wasn't alone - Mickey and Riku had made their way in, separately from Sora, as well as... someone thought to be long since perished - Ansem the Wise.

[That had been... unexpected, to say the least.] Master Ansem had some sort of machine with him; a portable form of that laser in his labs that could convert matter into data.

[Though it doesn't need to be said...] When I found him, he was trying to convert the false Kingdom Hearts into data. As you might expect, the sheer amount of data along with the unpredictable nature of hearts was causing the machine to overload.

[He frowns, then shakes his head.] There was a bright light as the machine essentially detonated from overloading, and I blacked out. When I woke up again... Xehanort's darkness was gone, but my mind felt like it was shrouded in fog. I know I was in Yen Sid's tower, and he was apologizing for not figuring out sooner what had happened to me.

Unfortunate. He will never reach his full potential without a teacher.

[He wasn't certain of every detail of what it entailed to wield a keyblade, but he was certain of that much. Having someone who already knew every trick, that wouldn't rely on the accident of discovery.. assuming the discovery ever happened to begin with! Xemnas knew the boy had potential, but didn't think of him as a threat. One angry child, and one that had submitted and complied very quickly when handed the ultimatum of 'Kill mine, and I'll kill yours'.

But as Terra begins to outline a possible future that may or may not happen, Xemnas remains silent and almost completely motionless, seemingly content to just sit in the tall grass and listen. 'Simple' is admirable by way of speed but always leaves out details.

Details he'll want to know. Some is already useful; in at least one reality Ansem still lives, and actively works to destroy what Xemnas had forged. Tenacious bastard.

When Terra reaches Yen Sid and apologies, there are several things that stick and need to be asked about, some more important than others. Xemnas had no problem pushing the inquiry further. But there's a ... strange undercurrent to the question that comes, edged in something dangerous.]

Clarify what you mean by 'those that remained among my number'.

[It's not concern, he can't feel concern. Why this of all things? Xemnas should be well aware of what it meant. In Terra's timeline, as many others, Oblivion is a massacre.]

No... he won't. [Which is such a crime - the amount of potential that kid has is ridiculous.

He pauses, hearing that odd note in Xemnas's tone. It's... hard to pin down what that is, given that this is Xemnas he is speaking with.

... it's not quite 'protectiveness', though it's damn close. But it's enough of a hint that he should choose his words carefully.] In my timeline, those that were assigned to Castle Oblivion, aside from Axel, were destroyed. The report I received from him was elaborate enough when detailing Eleven and Twelve's traitorous plans, but was... frustratingly vague as to how three loyal members were eliminated.

[He lets some of his own frustration at that report into his tone, the barest hints of anger and grief sneaking in along with it. While as Xemnas, he had been incapable of true feeling, he'd 'felt' the loss of Lexeaus, Vexen, and Zexion rather keenly.

The nameless apprentice had considered Elaeus and Even the closet friends he had out of Ansem's six apprentices, and he'd been protective of the youngest apprentice. To lose them had... hurt.]

[Larxene and Marluxia. They worked well, just like Demyx, when cornered like a rat in a cage and constantly under observation. He'd never felt inclined to having them executed, though apparently Terra once felt differently.

Differently enough to assign someone else the job of handling the problem instead of doing it himself, and getting several more people killed in the process. To Xemnas, this is neglect and stupidity of an unforgiveable level. Had Terra been one of his, and this sort of ineptitude and the price of it come to light..]

Why didn't you interfere? Oblivion was not an execution sentence. The threat of the boy was effortlessly negated, and Axel will obey when given orders to not use lethal force. Why did you allow them to disappear?

[Allow. As if Terra should have been there right along, and thus must have chosen to step aside and do nothing.]

I can only assume some greater crisis had your attention at the time. ... Or I have grossly overestimated precisely how much we are alike.

[You see this tensing, and the looking away? Don't think he didn't consider it before - stepping in on his own, and dealing with the 'problem' himself. But at the time...] I had a facade to maintain. Xigbar was... much further down the path of being a proper vessel than the one I remember seeing here last. Because of that, he was suspicious of any behavior that indicated that my world's version of you was more like me. I... he felt it best to maintain appearances, and act as Xehanort would. It would've looked suspicious, if I had let not only traitors, but... 'useless tools' continue to exist.

[There is so much distaste for that line of thinking, and for having to let those events run their course, in his tone. Even though he isn't looking directly at Xemnas anymore, there is guilt showing itself in his expression.] The orders were to investigate, not eliminate. I can only make assumptions on what exactly occurred - again, his report on the deaths of Vexen, Lexeaus, and Zexion were frustratingly vague.

[He also had a sleeping Keyderp to keep an eye on.]

[Xemnas regards Terra levelly, unblinkingly. Certainly Terra had used that same steady gaze on others before, but being the subject of that unwavering focus is another matter entirely. Every word he says is being weighed, measured against standards that Terra should have known ... but given there seem to be differences between them, that standard may well be unknowable.]

Xigbar. You allowed them to die because of ... Xigbar. Not only did you allow them to die because of one individual, you let them get far enough to be considered 'traitors'.

[There's no wavering in tone.]

I am terribly disappointed.

[He isn't. He can't be. But there's plenty of implication, not only that concerns of Xigbar were laughable at best, but that there was something, anything at all he could have possibly done about the traitors in their midsts. As if none of it had been a problem for Xemnas.

After a long, long few seconds, the span of only a few heartbeats, he raises one gloved hand and makes a swift, sharp negating gesture. What's done is done.]

No matter. [It mattered, and very much, but he knew to bury anything like weakness.] Back to the rest. Who is 'Ven', and why would his loyalty matter? How did Xehanort's heart fail to claim its vessel again? Somehow 'I was caught in an explosion and woke up a different person' seems like it is missing some very important details.

Only one reason. You assume I was more than a voice in the back of your head. [Just nudging Xemnas had been difficult until he'd found the chamber. That, and the memories that had been brought to the surface, had given him the foothold he had so desperately needed.

His eyes narrow slightly, as the next round of questions is asked. That the other would ask about who Ven is would mean...] You never found the Chamber of Awakening.

[The look Xemnas turns on Terra is nothing short of disgusted. Nothing is said, but there's not even remotely a question of how he views what seems to be the latest excuse he's provided.

That not all of his questions are answered is noted too.]

Didn't we finish asking about me? Or do you mean 'you' as in your previous incarnation?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

A whole new world o/`

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject