Let go.

ah, there’s a smile! guess that means his ice breaker ended up working out? sweet. “wait, so there are people other than ‘lette that like math? sheesh, it’s like you guys are an alien species.” he sighs as his hands settle on his hips, nodding as he takes in her description of whoever she was looking for. roxas…? “i think i’ve seen him ‘round before, but i haven’t seen him today need help?”

“obviously. you were just standing there looking like an actual zombie; yikes, it’s too much like me after i failed that math test. almost too much like looking in a mirror, you know?” it’s a joke, but it was a swing and a miss; he never said he was the resident comedian, so it was fine. “i was asking what you were doing? you’re just out here in that jacket, running around in circles like you’re looking for something. need help?”

“hellooo. earth to space case.” he waves his hand and even snaps to try to get her attention, lowering his hands to place upon his hips as he leans in (though not enough to break the personal bubble). “you shouldn’t just space out like that. you’re gonna hurt yourself, you know. i mean, that’d be kinda hardcore, but i doubt that’s what you want.”

@veilofmemory ‘s earning cool kid points!

      Xion. With that X and her Organization coat, her connection was obvious yet still a mystery. What was the Organization thinking, creating a Sora replica? Did they just want to use him, much like they are now? But that seemed like a waste of resources and time since they had Roxas in their ranks, didn’t they? Vanitas couldn’t recall details, just from what he heard in passing from others.

      Mm, well, whatever the reason, that was all in the past now. The Organization had Sora within their clutches, which allowed Vanitas to wake from his death-like state unfortunately. “Wake up?” He repeated. When did Sora fall asleep in the first place? Vanitas knew he missed out on a lot in his ten year coma, he never bothered to get a huge update. Besides, Sora never mentioned sleeping for an unknown amount of time…

      “When did he fall asleep?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. “Sora never said anything about that.” Unless she was referring to Xehanort shattering Sora’s heart, but Vanitas had a feeling it wasn’t that. Sora woke up on his own a few days after the fragment settled in. Did the brat forget about going to sleep? He wouldn’t put it past Sora, but why would he forget something like that? Vanitas would ignore it if it weren’t for the fact that it sounded like Sora would have slept forever. Was he concerned? Heck no, just curious. That’s all. Stakes weren’t that high for no reason.

       “Why were you so important to wake him up? Something t’do with his memories if you’re connected to them?”

{/As much as she wanted a new different one, that X gave her an identity. That coat gave her an identity. Xion didn’t have anything else. Her name. Her real name. No.i, the imaginary number. She didn’t like the sound of that, it made her sound fake, it made her sound like she wasn’t meant to exist. At least with the X in there, and the full name Xion, she had a chance to be someone. Even if it was someone people didn’t want her to be. She had a chance to do something right and save someone else.}

“Yes.”

{/It was all clear. The witch Naminé had taken apart his memories. Some had been stolen and used to make her. The longer Sora had been going through Castle Oblivion, the more they had been collecting to make her. In fact, the process began before he even got there. Xion didn’t know the details of that though, she couldn’t find how far back her archives went; there were so many of them. Though when he woke up, he had no recollection of the place. It was only natural. And if Vanitas was a new ‘prisoner’ of Sora’s...then he wouldn’t know about it. Or maybe, he was affected by the castle too from being laid dormant?}

“He was in this place called Castle Oblivion, and it was affecting his memories, stealing them. But it was actually the witch, Naminé. To make a long story short, all the memories they stole from Sora...to put them back, they had to put him to sleep to do it. And some of the memories they had stolen from them, found their way to me. So he couldn’t wake up without taking back what I had from him.”

{/The other reason she went back to Sora was more of a preference. She had literally been killing her best friend just by living, and she couldn’t do that to him. Not to someone so dear to her.}

      “…Clone, huh?” Vanitas muttered. He seemed to be running into replicas a lot lately. She didn’t seem too sure of what she was. Whoever made her must have screwed up royally to make a Sora replica a girl. But if she was a ‘clone of his memories’, Vanitas could understand why she had Kairi’s face. Sora held his memories of Kairi very close to his heart. Vanitas knew first hand how strong connections like that were, considering that’s what gave him Sora’s face.

       This clone piqued his interest. Vanitas would give her that.

      “Vanitas,” He answered simply. “Just another prisoner of Sora’s heart. He really ought to stop trapping people in there,” He huffed with a little grin. How many hearts had that little brat touched by now? How many ended up within his own? Too many. At least Vanitas was the only complete conscious presence, he still didn’t know where Ventus was. Just that he was safeguarding Sora’s light.

      “I gave you my name. What do I call you- Clone?”

“...”

{/Vanitas...no matter how hard she searched her memory bank, nothing came up. Sora didn’t know that name. Her memories from the islands didn’t recall anyone by that name either. No one in the Organization ever mentioned the name of Vanitas either. This was an entirely new face to her, an entirely new person to her. But for someone so new, he looked so familiar. Still, he wasn’t...bad. He didn’t seem bad. He didn’t outright attack her like Riku had first done. And he hasn’t forced her into doing anything like the organization.

All he’s asked her for, is her name.}

“Xion. I-- My...That’s the name they gave me. That’s my name. Not ‘Clone.’”

he says nothing in response; eyes on the ground to avoid looking at her, he gives a small wave of the arm to close the dark corridor. the replica just stands there in the empty room, not once visited since vexen died. he can vaguely hear the sound of her boots as she walks around. memories – or at least a few – coming to the forefront of his mind. this room makes him uncomfortable, especially with all he associates it, but he’s no wimp. no, he was fine – this was fine; he was curious about what she was looking for, so he’ll suck it up. 

sea blue eyes finally look up towards her from being prompted by her question, uneasiness bubbling up inside him from being asked about his memory. memory was a tricky subject, especially since he knows most of them – if not all – were fake. which were fake? which were real? even he couldn’t be sure of it, especially from his memory being written, unwritten, and written again like it’s just a white board for pleasure.

annoying: all of it is just so annoying and frustrating, even more so since he can’t get mad at the person responsible for putting in memories and moving them around whenever she saw fit. 

“i… i don’t know.” the words are soft, almost mumbled as he actually answers honestly. “i don’t know what my first memory is or where it came from, so i’m not the best person to ask for that.” at least she’s able to remember or at least knows where she came from. “can i… can i ask what exactly you remember? you don’t have to, i just–” would it be as messy as his or would it be more clear? half of him hopes it’s the former to quell the uneasiness that drapes over him, but he’s also curious about the latter. he didn’t even know there were more people… created here, so it leaves him to wonder.

“My memories?” {/She halts in her search for just a moment, before continuing to type, opening file after file. She’s been here once before and most of them are gone now. But that doesn’t stop her from looking for any trace of those glimpses she had gotten before. Still, she can’t leave Riku without an answer. He had been so kind as to show here where everything was, and give her answers albeit unfulfilling ones, they were answers. The uncanny uncertainty made her uncomfortable. Just who was he?}

“My memories...are sitting on the beach. With a girl with red hair and blue eyes.” {/She’s seen her so many times in her dreams. Bright red hair just a tad of a deeper shade than Axel’s. Bright blue eyes like Roxas. A light voice filled with a warmth that made her chest swell with happiness when she heard it. Her bright smile that could shine even through the darkest of days and make even the bleakest of situations seem hopeful. She was special. Someone close to Sora.

A pause. She glances over her shoulder at the Riku behind her. Should she tell him about him too? If he really was Riku, she was sure he’d know who she was talking about. There’d be no doubt about it.}

“And...you, Riku. The boy with silver hair and blue-green eyes. The best friend.” {/The strong one. The leader. The cool, calm, collected one who always knew what was going on and knew how and what to do in a tough situation. In her dreams, Xion envied him. It wasn’t a bad envy where she hated him, but rather that she wanted to be more like him. To be stronger and cooler like him. The rival.}

      She had some bite to her! Good, good, that would make this a bit more interesting. While the ones who cowered in fear were fun, the ones who resisted were all the more entertaining to break. 

      His lips curled upwards at her response, raising an eyebrow in a condescending manner. So she had no idea– how laughable! He would’ve loved to shatter her illusion, but obviously that wasn’t possible right now. Not without Kairi to prove it, and Vanitas couldn’t stand being around little Princess Purity. Instead he settled for simply looking down on her, shaking his head once.

      “You actually believe you have a face to call your own. I guess what they say is true- ignorance is bliss.” Fine, fine, if she wanted to live in the lie he wouldn’t stop her. She had nothing to do with him- maybe. She did mention Sora before. Vanitas still wasn’t sure what to make of her, or what she meant to meant to the Organization. He had a feeling he wouldn’t get those answers easily.

      …Then again, did he really care enough to find out? Debatable. She was certainly fun to toy with.

      Releasing a sigh he shrugged his shoulders, rolling his eyes upwards. “If that’s what you want to think, I won’t stop you. It just seemed rather hypocritical of you. … Now how do you know Sora?”

{/Xion was threatened and abused on a daily basis by the Organization members. Namely those who wanted to rewrite her and make her more obedient. The threats of reducing her to a Dusk were daily for failed missions, more heard than the praises that were sung in success.

But that smile...that was just creepy beyond all belief and Xion felt herself recoiling a little at it. It was nothing like the Sora she had seen in her dreams. Nothing like the bright smile she saw on her best friend. It was when he questioned her connection to Sora that she became alert again. Trying to think of a way to properly explain this.}

“I think...I’m a clone of him. A clone of him, or a clone of his memories, I think.” {/It was never explained to her, and she doesn’t think she’ll ever get the full explanation either. So it’s going to be up to her to be able to go out and find out those answers.} “I don’t know, to be quite honest. But that’s what I’m looking for.” {/Wait a moment, how did he turn this on her? She was supposed to be the one questioning him.}

      …Well. This was off to a lovely start.

      She looked just like that Kairi girl Sora prattled on about. It was oddly amusing to Vanitas how she called him out on having Sora’s face while she wore someone else’s. What a little hypocrite. She also wore the Organization coat, but Vanitas couldn’t recall seeing her anywhere in the castle. Then again, it wasn’t like he or Sora spent time with the other vessels. Rather the opposite- the further away, the better.

       “It’s good you corrected yourself,” Vanitas began, canting his head as he looked her over. “Otherwise I might just eliminate you on the spot. No, I’m not Sora. Nice to see someone around here has half a brain.”

        Crossing his arms a scowl crossed his features. “I see no reason to tell you. In fact I could ask you the very same- You’ve got someone else’s face, too. Doesn’t seem right to call me out on it when you’re just like me.”

      Of course, his situation was a little different, since he was trapped inside Sora. Vanitas highly doubted this Kairi look-alike was stuck in someone else’s body. If she was sporting the Organization coat, they had to have something to do with it.

“Eliminate me?”

“A nice thought. You’d actually be doing me a favor,” {/She’s been threatened like that for ages now. Hearing it from some Sora look alike wasn’t going to frighten her any. What did frighten her, was how he mentioned that she looked like someone else. Xion didn’t think she looked like anyone else, she was her. And that was all.} 

“No. You can’t eliminate me. I won’t go down without a fight.”

{/A little knowledge for him, she felt it would be nice for him to know that he couldn’t just ‘eliminate’ her as he wanted to. Still, when he said she was just like him, a quick shake of her head ensued his statement. She wasn’t anything like him. She wasn’t touched by the darkness like he was. She wasn’t...a somebody like he was. And she had her own face. They were vastly different.}

“Sora--?”

{/This was a surprise. She was so happy to see him, so happy to see her original. She had so much to ask him, so much she wanted to tell him. But at the same time, she was afraid. What if he didn’t like her? What if--

Wait a moment. That wasn’t Sora. Her Sora didn’t have black hair...and golden eyes. He looked like he had been touched by Xemnas himself. Like Saïx. Like Xigbar. It was frightening. Cautiously, she takes a step back from him.}

…wait. what did she say? from here? she said she’s from here in this castle? there’s so many questions that come to mind ( like what the hell she meant by that; he’s never heard of anyone being from here ), but he lays it to rest for now. right now, he can’t help the bits and bits of curiosity that knot itself inside of him.

“his lab…?” oh, he knows that place oh too well. he rises and falls inside that lab, sometimes with memories intact or sometimes completely scrapped and thrown away. he can’t be sure what he’s bringing back with him when he leaves the lab and he wasn’t sure what he’d have with him to keep once he fell asleep.

stupid. so stupid.

“yeah, i know where it is.” he considers this whole situation before he sighs – a soft huff – as he spins on his heel to further into the castle. “here.” he waves his arm to open a portal of darkness, stepping into it and out to the lab: untouched, just the way he left it before his untimely demise. “so what’s the deal with what you said? you said you were born here? like…” he pauses for a second, speaking up as he turns his head to look at her. 

“like me?”

“Yeah, his lab.”

{/While Xion has been tended to in the Castle That Never Was, her main memories and data were stored in Vexen’s lab. She knew it. Everyone knew it. That’s why they never sent her to Castle Oblivion. That’s at least the reason she thought they kept her from it. Riku, the real Riku, had planted a seed of doubt in her about the Organization. And it’s been growing day by day. Every meeting she’s had with him before and after. They’re hiding something from her and she wants to know what it is.

Her own comatose states are frightening enough when she can’t account for a lot of time that has lapsed, but when it happens to Roxas, and she can’t account for him, there’s something seriously wrong. There’s a need to know. A burning desire. A craving for it.

But it seems she’s finally going to get some answers!}

“Huh-- Oh! Thank you. You don’t know how grateful I am.” {/Quickly she steps behind him into the Corridor and out into the lab. Carefully she looks around and recalls everything. Where she was when she woke up. Where Vexen was. How he performed all these tests to make sure she could move and function properly. How he was a disappointed when she wouldn’t couldn’t speak.

Without wasting a further moment, she quickly moves over to the computer and turns it on. Carefully typing away and moving past barriers and everything that could prevent her from getting her information, she was literally hacking into the computer to find what she needed to find.}

riku…? she must be confusing him for the real riku – like everyone else. you’d think the people in those coats would know the deal with him, but everyone must not be in on it. 

huh, so it’s not just him forever lurking in the dark – as ironic as that sounds.

but this xion person was looking for vexen, huh? oh, she definitely didn’t know anything that went on inside these castle walls. funny, it’s almost too funny because he doesn’t know the details despite having a huge part – or that’s what he wants to stubbornly think.

“might as well stop that now because vexen’s isn’t anymore.” he’s heard the whispers from the other members before they disappeared as well. “good riddance too. what could you possibly want with him anyway?”

{/Like her best friend, she’s been kept ignorant on everything that went on in Castle Oblivion. All Xion knew was that she was from here. That Vexen was the first person she could remember, and that he was one of the keys to it. But...Riku was telling her that he isn’t anymore? 

Her face fell. It’s not like he left her incapable of taking care of herself. She just needed to know where to go and she could figure out what to do from there.}

“He’s the first person I remember. The first memory I have. I wanted to know more about this place, because I know I came from here. But...what good is me telling you going to do? You said he’s gone.”

{/Maybe he could be of use to her though. Sparking back up with inspiration, she took one careful step towards him.}

@veilofmemory

“Xion!” That’s the only warning the nobody would get as the large rodent raced at full speed towards the girl. Once he’s within range, he leaps off the ground with his arms spread and tackles her with the force of a train. Excitement courses through the Raichu’s veins, practically spilling out of him as short bursts of electricity jump off his frame due to the sheer amount of joy he felt as the pair tumbled to the floor with a heavy thud.

Thor practically crushed her underneath his weight, his long wiry tail was whipping about uncontrollably behind him. A small part of him vaguely notes that he should probably ease up a bit as he attacks her face with licks and kisses, but he’s just too happy to care right now. Xion was back.

“Thor?!” {/How long has it been since she’s seen her favorite little electric mouse? Too long. But before she even has a chance to actually greet him properly, he’s running at her with the same speed that Mikan used to do and he actually tackled her. Now, normally Xion would be perfectly fine. Heartless, Mikan, sometimes the Dusks. She’s used to being tackled! But an electric tackle? The hairs on her head began to stand up from the bouts of electricity coming from the joyful rodent’s cheeks.}

@veilofmemory

“you got one of those jackets.” his eyes narrow, distrust swimming in his eyes. “i don’t know who you are though.” he does know there are others; there’s more than his creator and the others who were in the castle, but he can’t help the feeling of hostility that washes over him.

liars. they’re all liars.

                    “who are you? what do you want?”

“...R-Riku?”

{/How strange. She hasn’t seen him in so long but he’s...different. Does he not remember her? Was he going to attack her again? Caution takes hold of the small Nobody as she takes a careful step back from him. She’s heard horror stories about Castle Oblivion. How it can change people. But she had to find that computer. It’s holding information that she needs, and she knows it’s in a lab here somewhere. And who knows where the lab is? Vexen.

She didn’t have time for small talk. But there was a feeling if Nobodies could feel that she wasn’t going to get by unless she answered him.}