diatuooc | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

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.

Test Drive #2

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