AUDIENCE FOR: Butt Strife

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[skyagain]

[ HE DOESN'T ACTUALLY NEED THIS MUCH BACKGROUND INFO TY BUT THIS IS VERY SORA

he blinks a little. he is also dumping meow wow on gemini's lap because he's tired of pets, but he expects to be jumped again immediately anyway. ]

I remember your silver-haired guy. And Roxas... [ he shakes his head a little. sort of, maybe, vaguely, but not enough that he knows immediately when asked. ] I don't think you said anything about what.

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[there's an oof because meow wow is fucking fat, but gemini is busy rearranging him before leaning back against the headboard. also look this is also just how their relationship went in redacted, they overshared and cloud wished they would stop talking.]

Roxas is my Nobody. It means he's half of who I am, because I lost my heart once. The monsters we fight are called Heartless. They're creatures born from the darkness in people's hearts, so when that darkness consumes them, they become Heartless. Nobodies are everything else that's left behind. Usually Nobodies remember everything about themselves when they were a whole person, but because I came back and regained my heart, Roxas didn't remember anything.

Anyway, if you destroy both a Heartless and also a Nobody of a person, they...revive. Into their original selves. And that's what happened to Xehanort. When we beat Ansem and Xemnas, he came back, and we had to find a way to prepare to stop him from what he wanted to do. It's why we had to take the Mark of Mastery exam, because...there were a few other wielders that had been lost years ago. We had to learn how to use this thing called the Power of Waking.

I think I told you that worlds can be totally destroyed by Heartless if they aren't stopped. That's what happened to our island. There were a ton of worlds out there that had been destroyed but then revived, but they were still in a deep sleep. Instead of being overrun with Heartless though, they were filled with Dream Eaters. Creatures like Meow Wow are called spirits. The evil ones are called Nightmares.

In order to pass the test, we had to go to a lot of worlds and unlock the keyholes so we could bring them back to the Realm of Light and awaken them again. It was meant for us to learn so we could figure out how to awaken the sleeping hearts of the other wielders that went missing.

[skyagain]

[

okay.

he is going to move past the roxas nobody stuff because he is completely list on that part, how the hell was that kid alive if he's half of sora's whatever, what does that even mean. he at least understands the concept of people becoming darkness and then whatever other half. sure. he is not sure how xemnas and ansem made a guy named xehanort, but it's still. two parts of one asshole made another and they still had to kill the asshole. that part is Fine.

the dream stuff is also fine. he just accepts all of that. ]

... So you took an exam to learn something to help you take down your silver-haired guy and the... Dream Eaters happened to be there and the nice ones helped you out. That it?

[ honestly them being some kind of dream spirit explains their appearance entirely cloud no longer has to question the catdog thing ]

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Right. Exactly that. [a nod! cloud understands.] We would find the elements and recipes needed to help create them, and once they were born they'd stick with us to help us fight and everything. Like I said, Meow Wow was my first and Komory Bat was Riku's.

[skyagain]

[ he would question the recipe stuff more but honestly it's all dream stuff so he has decided to go Sure, Why Not about it. he pokes meow wow's tummy again. ]

... You've gone through a lot of weird stuff. [ and hard stuff, but that part is-- gemini doesn't need the reminder. ] No wonder you roll with so much of it by now.

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[meow wow squeaks again, and gemini shrugs.]

I suppose so. [back to gemini mode for a bit...] It's...been kind of nonstop for the last couple of years. There hasn't really been a lot of time to not roll with everything.

[skyagain]

[ hm. he reaches over to grab sora's shoulder and squeeze it for a second before letting go, looking up at the ceiling ]

Yeah. I get that feeling. [ sort of. it's become more obvious that there are a lot of blanks over what happened in the past five years before he got to midgar, but he doesn't exactly have time to consider it now. or when he gets back, even; there's too much to do to stop and reflect on anything that might not matter. ] ... This is the last week for this place, but that probably won't give us any real break going back, huh?

[ he's saying that idly, but he does wonder what the fuck going back means for sora for real still. ]

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[thanks dad. they also...look at the ceiling a little, petting meow wow's fur a little more firmly.]

Yup. Probably not. Your term's going to come to an end, and everybody who's in the lobby will check out and be free to go just like the contract says.

[it's a more clinical answer than how they were speaking before, but it's there.]

[skyagain]

Or something like that.

[ he's not entirely convinced the hotel won't corrupt the lobby with shadows as a cheat still, but also, he's not there to debate it. ]

... You holding up alright? Didn't jump on the candy as fast this time.

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[they nod because. like. they've both seen how the last days usually go in things. it's always worse before it's better.]

Haven't left my room today, so I haven't needed to...you know. [float. use their energy or magic.] But it'll be good to have for later. Thanks.

[they do not address the first part though because they're...not sure how to answer it, yet.]

[skyagain]

Mm. Glad I didn't ring the bell, then. [ which was partially that and partially everyone always meeting in the fucking lobby. wtf. he doesn't push them to answer just yet ] There's an extra room. D'you know?

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Yeah, I appreciate it. I don't...[hm. cloud's asking about the other room, and they pause.] The one at the end of the hall...? Or something else?

[skyagain]

Yeah. [ he shakes his head ] Just making sure this isn't one of those weird surprises for you guys, too.

[ but if sora knows then it's fine he figures they will learn its secrets sometimes*

*souji :unamused: ]

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I'm starting to think there isn't much that'll surprise me in this hotel anymore, Cloud. I haven't actually looked at the room yet. Have you?

[skyagain]

[ that gets a huff, because like. fair enough. but still. ]

Briefly. Looks like someone's hotel suite same as everyone else's.

[ it had some weird shit in it but he didn't go SNOOP. he only does that to sora ]

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Huh. [cloud what kind of a protag are you if you didn't snoop!!!] Weird. Maybe it doesn't matter that much. Another weird hotel glitch?

[skyagain]

[ he went in late he assumed all the good stuff was taken :/ ]

... Maybe. [ he doubts it's a glitch, but i put this before the souji junk so he will never tell sora ] Either way, there's enough stuff showing up for the last week already, I'm willing to bet it's not the end of surprises.

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It won't be. It's Monday. [they don't know what might possibly be coming, but again, there is zero doubt.] You just...have to be ready for those surprises and take them as they come. Deal with them and make sure other people are staying on track, too.

And we'll keep operations running for the week.

[skyagain]

Don't think I've got a lot of influence on people staying on track or not. [ he does not think that highly of his capacity to tell people to shut up. he let it slide earlier but... he looks at gemini ]

You gonna be good doing that one more week?

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[...]

I don't really have another choice, do I. [factually.] We're close to everything being over. It's one more week.

[...but.]

Anyway if you mean will I be good trying to influence people to stay on track, then no, because we aren't really meant to guide you. We have to keep doing our jobs.

[skyagain]

Wasn't talking about you doing that. [ he frowns ] ... And everyone seems selective in how they listen to you guys anyway.

[ which is unsurprising, since the same happened in the realm. but still. ]

... Guess you're right that there's not much of another option, though.

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[. . .]

I'm...[hm. there's another pause, and they kind of settle for petting meow wow's dumb fuzzy ears.] I don't know.

[about. what. anything. that's probably what it is.]

[skyagain]

[ he leans his elbows on his knees as he bends to look at sora more directly ]

... About what?

[ he sounds surprisingly patient when he asks ]

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[stop looking at them no. but they're petting meow wow and still. thinking.]

There's only a week left.

[surprisingly, repeating it probably doesn't offer much more clarity.]

One more week, and whoever's in the lobby will check out and that's it. Everything's over.

[skyagain]

... Right. [ he does know where gemini is heading after this, so after a pause where he just stares in concern; ] You're still going back to that place?