diatuooc | Test Drive #2

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test drive

Test Drive #2

Test Drive #2

That Wand Is a Wonder!

You pulled down a book from a tall shelf in the Library of Starchime and promptly got hit in the head by a wand that was resting atop it. It looks innocuous, a cylinder of wood, but as soon as you pick it up, light streams out of the end. The barest motion is enough to make fantastic colors, and with a gesture you send light streaming across the library!

Light is all it does, right? Right?

Pranks for the Memories

Diatu Magicademy is a school -- one with different social groups, different Houses, different classes, different levels of experience... in short, pranks are inevitable. The latest one to make the rounds is the Sticky Glyph: step on a certain mathematical rune and the next person you touch sticks to you like glue. Casually brush against them, shake their hand, bump backwards into them -- however you did it, you have a new friend now, like it or not. The glyph wears off in about an hour -- do you wait it out, ask for help, or try to undo it yourself?

The Dueling Club

One of the more popular magical clubs, the Dueling Club is precisely as it sounds: wizards crossing spells, each trying to be the one to 'defeat' their opponent. How to do that varies by the sort of duel -- knocking your opponent off a platform, or getting them wet, or just good old rendering them unable to keep dueling. Less experienced students, like you, get the "water duel" treatment. Use your spells to get your opponent off of their stool in a small pool of water before they do the same to you! Losing means soggy shoes and a laugh at your expense; winning means pride, respect, and a chance for advancement into the club's informal ranks.

Chimera!

Transporting chimera is highly illegal without proper permits -- which is precisely why smugglers do it, and precisely why smugglers are valiantly struggling to extinguish their airship, while the beast responsible ambles down the gangplank and people flee like crazy. A small chimera, its shoulders are about shoulder height to a man. The goat head jabs at the cargo and building it passes, the lion head maintains a watchful forward guard, and the dragon head has taken the "burn it all, burn it all!" approach to greeting its new circumstances.

This is your chance to be a hero, and save the city of Anastara from certain doom at this beast's claws, heads, horns, and fiery breath. Or your chance to run like heck and hope it doesn't notice you.

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After he finally left the library, he might notice the figure in the ally across the way. Her back was to him as she peered down the road, but the hooded coat was unmistakable.

Nodding once to herself that the way was clear, and sticking to the shadows against the wall, she turned the corner, walking away from him. She had been so careful to check ahead... she hadn't even thought to see if someone was coming up from behind...

[Although the figure slips into shadows nearly as soon as he spots them (and he doesn't even manage to catch a glimpse of any identifying features), Sora can't shake the sight of them from his mind-- not when he recognizes that coat so well. A jolt goes through him (followed by some level of indignation, because how had they followed him here of all places) just at the sight of it; enough of a shock that he doesn't even stop to think about something as trivial as tact when he takes off sprinting down the street after them, brow furrowed. He can hardly find his voice at first, but in-between heavy breaths he finds the wherewithal to shout:]

Hey! Wait, stop!

Hearing the voice she glanced back. She didn't recognize him, didn't know who he was, of course. But she was getting so fed up of people here chasing her. She faced forward again, and no longer sneaking, she broke into a run. What was with this place that people actually noticed her here?

[Under any other circumstance it might've been a good idea to take a step back and reassess the situation, at least enough to realize that chasing after someone while shouting at them isn't much of a first impression-- but Sora doesn't have the time to stop and think about all that. He knows the Organization (both the old and the new one, that is); they're always trying to slip away before he can get any proper answers out of them. To that end, all he can do is pick up the pace, feet pounding as he gives chase.]

Seriously, I just want some answers...!

She was generally more agile than most people here. He, however, seemed to be faster than she was. She could hear him catching up. The streets had too many people. Maybe she'd make better time on open ground. She turned, breaking to run off of the paved areas. Onto the grass. Which would have been fine.... Except in snow. She still was not used to snow. And so, once again, her foot caught in a root almost as soon as she left the paved areas, and down she went.

Why? Why did this keep happening? "Just go away," she called back to him as she tried to pull her foot free.

[He nearly trips as he skids to a halt once they change course onto the grass, and it's much harder to keep up when he's all but wading through the snow-- luckily, he doesn't have to worry all too much about catching up, because in no time flat they're down on the ground. He slows down a few paces away, bending over only briefly to catch his breath before straightening up. He keeps his distance, though. Just in case.]

I will if you'll just tell me what you're doing here! I know you're part of the Organization. How'd you even get here?

"I don't know who you are or how you know about the Organization, but I'm not with them anymore! Just forget you saw me and leave me alone! Sombodies like you shouldn't be bothering with broken Nobodies like me! So just GO!"

Not... with them anymore? [He blinks, scratching at his cheek. He can't really think of any current Organization members he knows who'd just up and leave... and he doesn't really recognize their voice, either, though that's not saying much. He crosses his arms thoughtfully.]

But... you're a Nobody. [Were there Nobodies outside of the Organization? He suddenly isn't sure.] I'm confused. Just who exactly are you?

"Please, just forget you saw me and go! It all means nothing if anyone remembers me! And I'm not worth remembering. So please just... just leave me alone. Just leave me here."

Alone.

Well... [He trails off, linking his hands behind his head and rocking on his heels a little before finally plopping down to sit cross-legged in the snow right where he's at, still a few feet away. He leans back on his palms casually, or at least as casually as one can manage when they're wrist-deep in the snow.

It suddenly doesn't matter so much who they are. All Sora knows is he doesn't see why anybody should think of themselves like that.]

I can't remember you 'cause I've never met you before. [As far as he knows, anyhow.] So that's not something you have to worry about. How about just... meeting people? I'm sure you're worth meeting!

She twisted to glare at him from under her hood. "If anyone remembers me at all it is all pointless! So meeting people will only make it harder! I don't know how Naimné did her spell to make people forget me so just stop making this harder!"

Naminé?! [He straightens up with surprise at that.] You know Naminé? But how? I thought...

[He trails off. She's with Kairi now, isn't she? Unless this person met her earlier, same as Sora, but... well, he wouldn't really remember that, would he?]

When did you meet her? Did she mention me at all?

She struggled to get her foot free. "She's the one Riku made erase everyone's memories of me so that I could die the way I was supposed to," she snapped as her foot finally came out from under the rock. She really wished for a curagra spell about then. "And how would I know if she mentioned you when I don't even know who you are?" she snapped. She pulled herself up to her feet carefully, wincing slightly as she tried to put weight on that ankle.

"Since she isn't here I have to find some other way of making people forget I existed, so if you don't mind leaving me alone, I have a mission to complete!"

Toooooons to unpack there, kiddo. A black coat who has no clue who you are, Riku pushing Naminé into assisting this girl's suicide plan, and the strong implication that she is trying again...

[He jumps to his feet at that, nearly ready to shout just over hearing that she knows Riku, but as she continues he stills the urge, instead just watching as she climbs to her feet. He'd offer a hand up, but something tells him she wouldn't take the offer anyway, so he instead crosses his arms thoughtfully. A frown dominates his features, but his voice is cautiously confused more than directly upset.]

What do you mean, like you were supposed to? Nobody should have to die! And Riku... [He trails off, and then shakes his head.] Why would he have anything to do with something like that...?

[He only dwells on it for another second or so before pushing it all aside quite deliberately. There'll be time later to find answers to all of that, he'll make sure of it.]

Well, hey, you don't have to complete any missions here if you don't want to! Besides, I think you need to get your ankle looked at, right? I can help you find somebody to patch it up! [He grins, and though he still keeps his distance he sticks his hand out for a shake.] I'm Sora. Riku's one of my friends, and Naminé... uh, it's a long story. I know her, too, though!

She had been ready to reply, she had been, but when he said his name... she crumpled to the ground again. And not just because of her ankle. She stared up at him from under her hood.

"Sora? You're... you're Sora? You're the one I had to...." she shook her head, but mostly she just shook. She looked down at her hands balled into the snow. "It was all lies?" she whispered. "Just... I knew he was just one more person using me but... I thought I had to... Everything I put Roxas and Axel through... and it was all lies...?"

She was going to find Riku and she was going to kill him, or more realistically, he was going to kill her. Because even without a Keyblade, she was not going to stop until one of them ceased to exist. Not for the pain he caused her, but for the look on Axel's face every time he had to take her down and drag her home.

Whoa! [He lunges forward to catch her when she falls again, but pulls himself back at the last second and, after a moment of wavering, crouches down to be closer to eye level again. He holds his hands up placatingly, though he's not really sure how to help in any way that matters...]

Axel? Roxas? You know them, too? [He furrows his brow, thoroughly confused-- or at least more confused than he was before, which really isn't saying much given approximately none of this makes the slightest bit of sense.] But I don't think Lea's ever mentioned...

[He trails off with a shake of his head. The last thing she wants to hear is that she hasn't been spoken about by someone it sounds like she cares about. He abruptly changes tracks.]

Yeah, I'm Sora. But you don't have to do anything! Seriously! Whatever they told you... I mean, I guess it... might've been a lie? I... don't really know, sorry. I don't even know what's going on. But it doesn't matter here, right?

Even Sora says it might have been a lie. Riku had been using the name of Roxas' Somebody to manipulate her. To get her to hurt her friends and kill herself. Her head came up, and even with the hood it was plain to see that she was furious. It was in every inch of her small form.

"You're right. What matters is Riku."

It was too late to help Roxas and Axel. They'd forgotten her already. This was Roxas' Somebody and he didn't know who she was, which proved that Naminé's spell worked.

Which meant there was nothing for her to go back to.

"I am going to find him, and then either I will end him, or he will finally get his wish. But this time it will be his Keyblade that kills me, not Roxas." She looked up at him. "I will not let him use you or hurt you like that again."

Uh... huh? [He tilts his head as she finally looks up, almost alarmed by the sudden shift in her tone-- and then definitely thoroughly alarmed as she keeps talking. He can't even begin to guess what Riku's done this time (Sora really thought he was done with having problems like this), nor can he begin to make it right when Riku's not here, but...

...but she sure seems convinced that she can find him, and maybe that means Sora could go, too. Either way...]

Hey, hey, hold on! [He waves his hands back and forth frantically.] Nobody has to end anybody! Riku... Riku makes some really bad choices sometimes, and it's not always his fault. I mean, it happens to everybody! I bet if I could just find him and talk to him we could work it all out without anybody getting stabbed with a Keyblade.

[He is so far out of his depth here.]

She pushed herself into a sitting position and shook her head. "I know you don't remember any of this, but he hurt you. I will not let him hurt you again."

Nobody has to end anybody, huh? So even now... Roxas wanted her to win. That... that was surprisingly good to know.

"I am glad you got your heart back, Roxas. And I hope you make many friends." She pushed to her feet, ignoring the pain in her ankle now.

Hurt me?

[Sora guesses Riku has sort of hurt him in the past, but that was technically Ansem, so it's not like Sora blames him... but, oh, that's not actually what she's talking about (which makes sense, because how would she even know about any of it?). His eyes widen with realization once he does get it, though.]

Wait! [He hops back up to a standing position, spreading his arms out as if that would seriously do anything to stop her from leaving if she decided to take off.]

I don't know how you know Roxas, but I'm not him. He's here-- [he places a hand over his chest] --inside my heart. But he's not me. He's his own person, and he always has been! He's still here, and maybe he is still hurting, but we can figure out how to help him without anybody else getting hurt, either. Even Riku. [His eyes widen a bit, as though he's just barely remembered-- and he sort of has, because he wasn't particularly thinking about what he was up to back home at the moment.] Actually, Riku's trying to help me find a body for him! He wants to help Roxas!

"You're Roxas' Somebody, aren't you?" Which makes you Roxas....

... Doesn't it?

She shook her head. "He told me my death would help Roxas too. That I had to die and Roxas had to return for Sora to wake up, but that it only would work if no one even remembered I existed. It seems like he is telling the same kind of lies now. Riku. Xemnas. Saïx. I am tired of their games, their lies, and watching them hurt my friends. I can't do anything about Saïx and Xemnas... but I stand a chance against Riku, if I can get my Keyblade to work. And even if I can't..." A deep breath. "I won't let him hurt you, ever again."

I mean... yeah, I guess I am, but... we're still different people. The two of us can exist at the same time, which means we can't be the same person, right?

[That's what everyone's been assuming, at least, and Sora believes it. He knows he's not Roxas, anyway, and he can only assume Roxas would feel the same way. Though it hurts his head to try and figure out what exactly she means by all of this, he knows one thing-- he doesn't want anyone to think they have to lose any part of themselves for him. It's not fair.]

And, look, I'm awake now! See? [He spins on a heel in a little circle.] And you're still here, and I bet anything that once we get Roxas out he can exist on his own without me, too. If it can happen here why can't it happen back where we came from?

[Saïx and Xemnas are another (complicated) topic altogether, and one he'll avoid while he can, but... well, maybe it's selfish, but he can't help but feel the need to defend Riku. Even if he's not here.]

We just need to talk to Riku. I promise we can work things out if we do! Really! I know you don't want me-- or, um, Roxas, getting hurt, but I don't want you getting hurt, either. Or Riku.

Them being different people and able to exist together made no sense to Xion... except that Riku had told her Roxas had to go back to Sora too. So clearly that was also a lie.

"Yes, I see you are awake. I see the proof that Riku lied. Even if you aren't Roxas, if he really is inside you... then destroying Riku is the only way to keep you both safe. You. Roxas. And Axel. I'm done being just another puppet, and I am done being used. I'm choosing. For once I am choosing, and I CHOOSE MY FRIENDS!" she threw her hood back, eyes flaring with fury and determination.

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Test Drive #2

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