Hey there! Did you know that yearly check-ups are the best preventative medicine you can give to your darling CYbuddy? Their health is of the utmost importance and from the Pomeranian to the Velociraptor, it's so very necessary to give your CYbuddy what he or she needs to be as happy and healthy as can be. After all, CYbuddies are the first and last defense in the war against loneliness, so you must do your best to protect the ones you have! You wouldn't want to be a friendless CYbuddy-less loser, would you? Through thick and thin, rain or shine, your CYbuddy will love you forever. And ever. And ever. Do not disappoint your CYbuddy.
You blink and suddenly find yourself in what looks like a doctor's waiting room, completely alone aside from the robot receptionist. Posters line the walls in various degrees of friendliness. Actually, is this the vet? It kind of looks like the vet. In fact, when you look down towards your lap, there will be a creature snoozing comfortably on you. Really, how did you not notice? The creature's collar names him Fluffy. (That's a dumb name, why did you name your pet Fluffy? Be more creative!) If you decide to call out to the receptionist, they will ignore you, but soon after you will hear clacking of sharp nails on the floor as someone -- or something -- comes out of the back room.
No worries, it's just the doctor.
 Greetings! My name is Thelonious T-Bone the Third and I will be Fluffy's doctor today. I will take good care of your dear Fluffy and be right back to you with him or her in a jiffy. You can, of course, completely trust me for I am the best in the business! No other Velociraptor can treat and heal pets as well as I, most certainly. But there is one tiny little thing, you see. My nurse is out sick today and my hands are too small and dangerous to work well without accidentally killing your poor pet. So, to make up for this, I will need you to be my nurse today. Do you think you can handle that?
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PHASE I [ 09 00 ] Welcome to ViViD's state of the art pet care simulator. It looks like everyone is ready and willing to get started -- maybe a little too eager to get started. There seems to have been a minor misunderstanding actually and Dr. T-Bone seems to think that... well, that you're the pet. Didn't he see Fluffy's collar? (Still, such a dumb name!)
If you don't think fast, you're likely to be shoved into a kennel or forced into getting really uncomfortable shots (to prevent rabies, you see; side effects include dizziness, nausea, sprouting animal ears for a few hours and the increased desire to bite people). At least you'll have company since it looks like this mistake is happening to everyone. Might as well get cozy and get to know the people stuck in the kennels next to you while you're here.
PHASE II [ 1200 ] It's time to actually be the nurse! And time to treat one of Dr. T-Bone's most prominent clients. You will be led to, well, a dinosaur -- a T-Rex to be exact. And you will be told that your job is to take care of its teeth.
That's right. Someone has to clean all of those teeth. And it looks like you're the lucky sap who got the job. Don't worry, the Tyrannosaurus Rex's name tag proclaims it to be vegan (and to go by the name of Sir Gadzooks) so it should be perfectly safe to reach into that gaping maw and start cleaning those teeth.
Alternatively, you could make your dental assistant do it; looks like you weren't the only one to get dragged into this farce. The question is, which one is handling the sharp pointy objects, and which one is sticking their hand into that mouth?
Also, it's not really a vegan dinosaur, that was a great big lie. And it's very, very hungry -- now might be a good time to run.
PHASE III [ 1300 ] Hope you weren't doing anything important (like sticking your hand into the mouth of a dinosaur), because someone is now throwing a blindfold over your eyes and hustling you right into the basement. A couple of twists and turns later, and you're being shoved into what appears to be an underground... peacock fighting ring? With a jaunty peacock headband on and none of your weapons on you, it seems as though you've been mistaken for a particularly ugly peacock and have been tossed into the ring.
Look out though. Those peacocks look mean. They'll go straight for the eyes if they get the chance, and will peck away merrily at your head. Of course, the walls aren't that high all things considered (they're peacocks), so it probably wouldn't be that hard to escape the ring.
(Or, if you manage to find your way down there yourself, you can always join in on the ludicrously outlandish betting pool. It might be a good way to get some cash -- if you bet on the right peacock.
Actually, is that Mr. T-Bone in the crowd too? Someone get the quack out of here!)
PHASE IV [ 1600 ] There's someone whispering.
It's a quiet, throaty whisper, and no matter where you are in the ViViD level, you can hear it. Sometimes, it's clearer than others. Sometimes, it can barely be heard at all. But it's always there, whispering, "Come closer. Come closer. Come closer."
If you should gather up your courage and follow those whispers, they will lead you to a... bird. Upon seeing you, the bird will begin to speak again in that throaty whisper, this time detailing the destruction of your world, down to the tiniest of details, such as the look on your best friend's face as they died, or the last words of your most important person. It's almost hypnotic, so much so that you can't pull away --
And just like that, the bird squawks, and it's over. What was that about? Hopefully nobody else heard all of that.
BONUS [ xxxx ] You go to speak with the vet, whether to complain about your treatment at the hands of the others, the fact that you had to play dino dentistry or to let him know that there's an illegal peacock fighting ring below his practice, and before you know it there's talk of "just to be safe" and "you never know what someone with an attitude like that will do" -- which, what? All of a sudden Dr. T-Bone and his receptionist are shoving you into a cone of shame. How embarrassing! And no matter what you do, it just won't come off.
In fact, if nothing else, it seems magnetically attracted to the walls and anyone else wearing one. If one of those poor fools happen to be within a ten foot radius of you, prepare yourselves for a massive collision. What a pain, right? It seems like the cones won't come off until you (and your magnetic partner) get out of this confounded level. If only you could find the exit (and Fluffy too -- where'd he get off to?)
[ Remember to apply proper warnings on threads with sensitive or inappropriate material and do let a mod know if your thread careens off into maiming or canoodling so we can lock the meme! ] |
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roxas • kingdom hearts
really, these are super important questions but first things first.]
What... what is this thing!? [he's clearly not happy with having been collared, and he also really isn't... waiting... to hear what the fair dino-doctor has to say about it. he kind of got strongarmed into it, despite the hazy state of having been told that fluffy was his pet and the one needing care. not roxas himself. this has been a really bad week for him, and it shows. he holds his hands out at his sides, and the start of two bright flashes of light flickers in them. someone needs to stop him before he whips out two oversized keys and beats a dinosaur with them relentlessly.]
( PHASE IV; )
still, he doesn't have any other leads to follow now. he listens to the bird, and he hears the names of familiar worlds, people, nobodies. and really, he almost keeps it together until he hears axel's name—for a brief moment, he falters before remembering what he'd told himself. nobody in the organization would miss him, and axel would probably just have lied to the very end anyway.]
What a joke. [roxas sneers at the bird, almost bitterly before he turns away.]
I never had a world to go back to, anyway. [so he's not buying it. even if he wants to do some things and take the steps to restore his life and his friends' to one where they could be happier and carefree, right now? he doesn't have any of that, and he left knowing it. he's a nobody, so how can any one place be his home? and if he doesn't have a heart, how can this take of a hold of him? there are no feelings to be had. or at least, that's what roxas tells himself as the bird disappears and he's left clenching his fists.
this is more frustrating than he could ever have imagined, somehow.]
( PHASE ???; )
phase iv
[ Illya managed to catch that last sentence, speaking up with a blank look in her expression. Not having a world to go back to— well, this small, petite little girl doesn't have anything like that anymore. ]
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I didn't think there was anybody else... who would have a situation like that. [he's sure it's still not quite like his, but not having a home is enough, right?]
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[he shrugs a little. he's accepted it already, he just didn't like being taunted over it.]
I don't get what that's all about, though. [the bird, and the explanation, he means.]
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iv.
... but that apathy changes to curiosity when she hears his words. words that, actually, she could've sworn she said so herself--when she first arrived here.
and it's weird because, while everyone's worlds were technically "gone"... she's never really heard anyone respond to it in that familiar way before. ]
Hey, you.
[ she says it before she realizes. she's usually not one to reach out before she's reached out to, and milla almost seems surprised that she's done so--but she couldn't really help it.
what is she supposed to say now? ]
... You're new, aren't you?
[ not quite a "it really is, isn't it? me too," but totally close enough. ]
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nobody at all.]
New? [after a moment, he asks back. his face goes through a variety of expressions; it starts with surprise from the approach, to a bit baffled by her question, and then the contemplation that follows it. really, it seems like a strange thing to just walk up and ask a total stranger. but hey, what does he know? apparently, nothing, if the organization could help it.] Yeah... yeah, I guess I am. Whatever that even means around here.
[obviously, he really doesn't even get it, but those walls are pretty high up and he's not sure he even wants to ask for the full story. would knowing that get him any closer to where he needs to be? probably not.]
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[ ... mmph. her lips press together for a moment, then, as she hits herself mentally for asking the wrong thing. new, sure, like that was the thing she cared about--that does absolutely nothing for her curiosity, which is still smacking her in the face.
but she might as well explain. dully: ]
It means you're newly dragged into this joke, which'll make more sense when find your way out of this place. I guess.
[ no, that was a terrible explanation. but trying to lay down the groundwork for this place when it hardly made sense to her seemed like a waste of time, especially when she had little interest in it.
she hardly even remembers how her own arrival went, everything muddled in a big heaping pile of "crappy cerealia things", aside from a few gems. ]
Did they give you that presentation yet?
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[it's already been something of a blur to him; considering the state he was in before he got knocked out by riku, maybe it's even understandable that being a bit blinded by fatigue and anger has somewhat clouded his view and ability. it's a far cry from his first seven days, where he could barely remember a thing beyond his name, but no less... he doesn't really get anything that's happening right now, and it shows in his expression.]
None of this makes any sense... [and, well, he's about to get kind of right off the topic as he has the realization of who he thinks is probably behind this. there's only one person that was there before—his head whips around, and roxas sucks in a breath through grit teeth.] If you're hiding somewhere, show yourself! Don't think I'm gonna forget!
[somewhere in the back of his head, and maybe in his heart, he knows that it's not riku. and he knows that even if it was, he could have used a corridor of darkness to dump his body and take off. but still, he feels the need to say it. he's got a serious case of the salty mads about that situation. it's kind of rude to milla, which isn't really his intent, he's just overwhelmed right now.]
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phase i
Ah... Am I too late?
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This thing messed with you too?
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Almost. But I left to look for the keys to get the others out of here.
But it looks like you have things under control.
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regardless, his hands drop to his sides; the threat is vanquished for now, so he lets the light take his keyblades for now, leaving him empty-handed.] It was either that or get shoved in some kind of a cage.
[he reaches for his neck, which is still collared. not okay.]
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iv!
But he had run into that bird earlier, so even though he doesn't make it in time to catch its words this round, Roxas's reaction is telling enough. After a brief pause, he speaks up, taking a step closer.]
—I think it might just be saying the same thing to everyone it finds, anyway.
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it's pretty easy for him to automatically take a bristling, defensive stance at the sound of another's voice—he's feeling combative as it is, and he's just not really used to people speaking to him at random anyway. not strangers, at least. but oz's words are enough for him to ease, if only slightly, enough for his expression to shift to something more inquisitive.]
What do you mean? [it's pretty obvious what he means, but roxas asks anyway, in case there's some explanation, or some other way of shedding light on it. his tone is still wary, even as it questions; he's not trusting anyone so easily.]
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That said, Oz's body language is kept within the "I'm not here to start a fight" sort of range, because he definitely noticed that defensive stance and he knows it's equally important to defuse things whenever those appear.]
Well, it said something like that to me. [First of all, which had still been upsetting even though Oz is at least marginally prepared for that kind of thing. What a rude shit bird.]
But— did you see the presentation?
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People keep asking that. I don't remember. [there's a lot about this situation that is really hazy for him. perhaps it's because he was knocked unconscious pretty heavily back in the world that never was, but a lot of things just felt foggy until he was sitting there with fluffy on his lap way, way earlier. and clearly, this bothers roxas a lot, because people keep talking about this presentation and it doesn't ring much of a bell to him.
granted, everything about this situation bothers him, because he's just in a bad mood. but that's neither here nor there, right?]
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iv
[Gowther stands behind Roxas. His voice is emotionless as he speaks. His expression also doesn't betray any emotion. But to be honest, Gowther doesn't possess any feelings to begin with. He has no heart, he can't feel anything. And he does not understand emotion either.
That's why he is standing there, wondering why the boy in front of him clenches his fists. Is it anger? Why would he be angry if he never had a place to return to?
Gowther doesn't understand human emotion, but he wishes he would.]
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Why do people keep asking that? [he mutters to himself, quietly. it's a frustration meant for himself that just slips. is this how he was back when he first joined the organization? because... boy. this is tough to deal with.]
...I meant what I said. There's nothing else to mean by it.
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The images Gowther sees don't bring him answers though, only more questions. He sees the memory of two boys fighting, hears words that make no sense to him. Well, those can wait. He is interested in emotions more than anything else.]
Did you not wish to be with your friends again?
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What did you do!? [he snaps, teeth gritting. he's a little too single-minded and impulsive right now, and he doesn't know exactly what gowther did or why he's saying those particular words. but it cuts deep at a time when he's already got a lot of conflicting sentiments.
at the very least, he's not outright attacking, but he's more than ready to summon both of his keyblades at a moment's notice if he doesn't get a good answer. though really, right now, could any answer be good enough? probably not.]
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iv OF COURSE THIS WOULD MISFIRE. but prepare for the pain.
factor in all the animal nonsense today and aqua's definitely on guard as she searches for the origin of the voice. 'come closer'. well, she is so the voice better ready itself. if it's darkness, it's a darkness that will get destroyed. ...even if with this darkness comes freedom from the realm of darkness itself. being with actual people again feels so wonderful. no, just being in the presence of the sun, in the presence of light alone is a sensation so amazing.
it's a shame the voice and the circumstance ruins any chance at celebration. ah, that's the source: the bird. aqua's eyes narrow upon spotting it. how wrong it feels. wait, someone else is next to it. who-- her eyes widen and she can't hold back the gasp that comes. is... is it really...]
...Ven!
[and she's rushing over. please PLEASE don't let this be a trick.]
i'm always prepared (until i'm not and everything hurts)
even with all of his bitterness towards axel for what he'd done, it didn't stop him from wanting at least that much. it's hard to sink the sentiment of best friends, heart or no heart. so that's what he's off to do, fully prepared to open a corridor to try and leave... until it's not that aqua is just there, calling an unfamiliar name. now she's rushing over, forcing him to leave behind any traces of darkness that rise from the ground before she notices.]
Ven? [he responds with, and his tone isn't exactly welcoming. it's skeptical and confused, because he doesn't know why anyone would come up to him using that name. can't anyone just call him by his own damn name? is that really so hard for people?] I don't know who you're lookin' for, but that's not me.
aka always with kh. everything hurts always.
aqua's guard instantly shoots up. who is this boy? and why does he look identical to ven? is this another of xehanort's doings? ...but then why can she not sense any darkness as with his prior ploys? on the contrary, actually; this boy is light rather than darkness. some unease leaves at that realization, her shoulders visibly becoming less tense. this isn't to say her guard fully lowers, oh no. running into someone with one of her best friends' face makes that impossible.]
No, it's not, is it.
[a blunt statement, if one spoken with a serious, but curious tone. she pauses, once more taking in this boy's appearance to ascertain her eyes aren't playing tricks. no, it's not a trick. everything, from looks to light, resembles ven. why?]
Who are you?
kingdumb hurts, truly.
of course, there's no way of knowing who ven is, or what sort of resemblance roxas truly shares with him. but that's never mattered before, because the worst feeling is the one that dictates he's someone else entirely. even though he knows he's a nobody, that he lost his heart and was reborn as something that shouldn't exist... he is himself. how can he be someone else, let alone someone he doesn't remember ever existing?]
Me? Roxas... [he states it somewhat pensively, as if it's going to reveal some sort of great secret. he's always made it a habit to not give out his name, since doing work with the organization meant he wasn't supposed to reveal anything. what could that matter now though, right? unless someone shows up to bring him back suddenly.
he doesn't say anything else, but his surprise melts into a quiet curiosity, because everything about this situation gives him reason to be.]