walking in a winter wonderland. (MINGLE)

[mirroromirror]

Who: Everyone on the planet!
Broadcast: N/A
Action: Snow planet, it's a winter wonderland~
When: From when the planet is in reach until it's time to leave!

[ ooooh the weather outside is frightful

but the fire is soooo delightful

and since we've got places to goooo

let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! ]

[ ooc: link to planet info! ]

Comments

[limitstorm]

I was afraid no one knew how to cook in this fleet... [ SIGH. ]

[wilder]

Heh, take it no one on the Bloodsport can?

[limitstorm]

Besides me? Doesn't look like it.

[wilder]

Ouch. I know that one. You have my sympathies.

[They enter the small gallery, he points at one of the few chairs]

Sit.

[Then he walks over to start heating up water in the kitchen]

[limitstorm]

[ oh, uh.

riku feels a little awkward not being up and about and doing things but he does sit. his mind starts going back to the way kaneis was acting, but... he doesn't want to seem like he's deflecting from talking about axel to talk about him... ]

How much did you know about Axel, back when he was your friend's roommate?

[wilder]

[Well if you really want to be doing things I'm sure you could scrub out their microwave or something...or just sit]

Honestly? Not too much. He helped me out a couple times, and Sheena liked him well enough- but we were probably closer to casual acquaintances than friends.

[limitstorm]

[ if he could he would tbh ]

Mm. [ well, that's something at least. ] He's what you call a Nobody, where I come from. Right now.

[wilder]

[He frowns a little]

I'm...gonna assume that means something different than the regular meaning of that term.

[limitstorm]

[ a slow nod. ]

It means, someone without a heart. Not a real heart--emotions. Nobodies can't feel. [ a pause, and he looks away. ] ... kind of. They can grow their hearts back, too, but... it takes time. Right now, if his heart is starting to grow at all, it's not obvious.

[wilder]

Is that so...

[He considers this for a moment, slowly crossing his arms]

...If that's true, then he's gotta be the most expressive emotionless person I've ever met. And I've met a fair number.

[limitstorm]

[ he makes a noise, nodding his head. ]

That's what I thought, too. But they still remember their past lives, with their hearts--so they can remember what it's like to feel, or... at least, that's what they kept telling me.

[wilder]

[He turns to remove the kettle off the heat before it starts whistling. He pulls down two cups to pour the water into]

Whose the 'they' that kept telling you, exactly? The Nobodies?

[limitstorm]

Mmhm. [ he gives a short nod. ] Though, it wasn't just them--the guy I was working for did, too.

It's why I didn't really believe it. When I found out that they could grow their hearts back... when do they grow them back? And how?

I never found out, but I think I can tell--the Axel here, and now? I don't think his heart's been growing. If he's acting differently from what you remember... that probably means you knew him when his heart was growing back.

[wilder]

[Tea bags in the cups, he sets the cup of tea in front of Riku before taking his own, he snorts]

Wow, you didn't believe something because your boss said it? Talk about trust in authority figures.

[Though he can get it. He sure never trusted anything Yggdrasil said]

How and when a heart grows is easy enough...I mean, becoming a Nobody just takes the heart away- it doesn't continuously suppress it like a Cruxis Crystal does, right? [Nevermind he's never bothered to explain a Cruxis Crystal] I mean...assuming what they say is true about the whole no emotions thing.

[He's definitely questioning it a little. Axel just...he didn't act anything like the angels he's seen]

As for Axel...I dunno- are you sure he hasn't started growing one back? I mean, there is a difference between no heart and a just plain old asshole, you know.

[limitstorm]

[ riku shrugs. ]

I say he was my 'boss', but... [ he's not sure how to describe it. saying that he was a pawn seemed like he was handing off the blame, and he was solely the guilty party in so many things. he shakes his head. ] Nevermind--it's not important.

What's a Cruxis Crystal? You've never said anything about it before.

[wilder]

[Just say it Riku: DiZ was an asshole. You can say it]

I haven't? [Of course you haven't]

It's a type of Exsphere- a sort of gem like thing that when you wear it, it can enhance your natural abilities. But if you don't wear a keycrest with it, it'll slowly suck the lifeforce out of you until you die.

Cruxis Crystals? They're much more powerful than the average Exsphere. They give you a lot more power, but...if you don't have a good keycrest on you- it'll turn you into a soulless, emotionless husk.

[limitstorm]

[ riku's eyebrows arch sharply at this new information, a knuckle pressed to his lips. ]

So instead of it happening all at once... [ he lets that trail off. instead of a heart being ripped out, it's slowly drained? that's kind of alarming. ]

I don't think you could stop a growing heart, but... I wouldn't know. But I know, the difference, I've... I've known him for a little while, now. [ it felt weird to say that. he shakes his head again. ]

Not face-to-face. Like I said, we were on opposite sides, so we kept an eye on each other, and...

[ ... okay, no, it's bothering him. ]

Who can get a Cruxis Crystal? Just anyone?

[wilder]

...Well, I guess you'd know better than me what he was like. I knew Lea, but we weren't really that close. More like a friend of a friend sorta deal.

[Even if he wonders if it's so much of a growth of a heart as a change in heart...eh, schematics.]

[And yeah, he's not surprised it bothers him. He shakes his head]

Nah. Not just anyone. Too rare for that. Among humans, only a Chosen One has a Cruxis Crystal. It's sort of like a proof of identity.

Among others...well, Cruxis had more, but from what I heard they got taken out. [Thank the goddess for that]

[limitstorm]

[ oh. that's a relief--he exhales. ]

So it's kind of like the Keyblade... [ kind of. either way, he shrugs his shoulders. ] As far as I know, he changed when Roxas was around. He's from before then, so... I guess that was what changed.

Do you or Lloyd have one? One of the crystals, I mean.

[wilder]

Sure. Though for your sake, I hope there's a lot more differences than similarities. [Cruxis Crystals suuuck. And he frowns. The name sounds...very vaguely familiar, like maybe it was someone in the Initiative too. But. Never one he spoke to personally] Roxas, huh? A friend of his, I take it?

We...both do, apparently. [He frowns a little] How he got one though, I'm still not clear on.

[limitstorm]

[ he briefly nods. ] One of his best... [ riku grimaces suddenly, pressing a hand against his head like a sudden ache came on. with a shaky breath, he blinks, and shakes his head. ] His best friend, I mean.

[ ow, that hurt. he takes a sip of his tea, trying to shake it off. ]

But... both of you have a--keystone, you said?

[wilder]

[He raises an eyebrow to that] You...okay? It can't be that hard to think of Axel making friends.

[Yep, definitely concerned here, enough that he sounds distracted as he answers the next part, his eyes on Riku]

Keycrest, yeah. We're fine.

[limitstorm]

[ riku frowns. ]

I'm fine. [ he shakes his head, holding his forehead with a hand. ] It's not that weird--Lea's friends with me and Sora. Maybe it's because of the cold.

[ kaneis is concerned, but riku just shrugs it off. it can't be anything important. why would it be, it's just a headache. ... it's a little worrying that he feels like he's missed something, but... it's probably nothing. ]

Good to hear. [ he relaxes a little--and then blinks, his brows furrowing. ] Wait, you said... only Chosen Ones...

[wilder]

Cold, right... [He's not sure if cold causes head pain, but alright...] Well, drink some tea. Warm yourself up.

[Annnd there's a beat when Riku points that out. He had gotten so caught up with the Nobody talk, it had honestly slipped his mind NOT to say that]

Oh. [another beat] Did I?

[limitstorm]

[ riku gives him a patient stare, raising an eyebrow slowly. ]

Yeah. You did. What were you guys chosen for?