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week eight: mingle

Week Eight
9 in Competition

As the sun rises on Monday morning, all participants will find themselves awakening with a sense of purpose. Regardless of where they slept the night before, they’ll find themselves compelled to return to the main meeting hall first thing in the morning.

Approaching the hall, however, they will find three large, swirling masses grey in color looming near the sakura tree. These swirls cannot be approached just yet, but seem to be locked and waiting for something more. Later in the day, if those in the village approach the third mass they will find themselves in a version of their home world. This world is completely void of people, but seems to be just as they last remember it. No darkness will be found in this world as well.

As the last member of the village enters the hall, they will find Lune and Sol at the head of the room. They don't speak immediately, but wait for all to settle.

Welcome to your week eight mingle! We have now hit endgame week.

In addition, ensure that all of your week seven private conversations were reported on the page. If you'll be taking anything from locations, please report that as well.

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[For a short moment, it almost seems like Roxas isn't going to respond. Xion's hand is on his and he stares at it briefly before he rotates his wrist to hold her hand. The ice cream is cold and it's kind of a mess mixed in with someone else's blood, but it's...fine, maybe. The job is done.

He should be proud that he's still doing something to help, isn't he?

"Don't tell me you're gonna give up now. You're still you. I thought you could use the reminder."

...he's not himself anymore. He knows that, at least, but he knows his job as a guide is to make sure to see this to an end. Axel's right, but what if he doesn't...want to...]

...I'm not ready yet. [He knows that it's what has to happen, and someone had asked him what he wanted to do. Be purified, be revived, go forward and live his life. But there's no Mikazuki and he wonders where he is, and the last amount of hope that he had to find another solution has evaporated and left the moment he delivered the first body of the week elsewhere.]

[ He doesn't want to force him. And that's unfair-- everyone has to do their part. It has to end soon. Axel knows that.

But... ]

We can't give you forever. [ He lifts up an arm to ruffle Roxas's hair, but it's a lot more gentle than he'd usually be. There's nothing he can do to comfort either of them for real, or himself. They have to do this. But... ] But we've still got some time.

[ He can't bring himself to care if it's true or not. He looks towards the sunset. ]

We shouldn't do it up here, anyway.

[ roxas's words hit xion like a punch to her stomach. she knows how he feels, understands that hesitation even if their friend isn't completely himself; she's been there just days before they all got sucked into this mess.

"well, the answer you come up with can't just be right for you. it has to be one that works best for everybody. you and your friends, and everyone else."

...

she nods when axel makes that comment. her voice quivers, even cracks a little, but she manages to mostly coherently ask: ]

Will you come with us? Maybe not... all the way back to the beach, but back down, in front of the station, at least?

[There's zero resistance to the hair ruffle but even when they both ask those questions and say those things, his grip on Xion's hand grows tighter. Mikazuki has warned them that they can't shy away from the truth, but why couldn't the truth be easier?

...he leans forward a little, looking down at the ground and seemingly considering it.]

The numbers have to go down. [Still focused on his mission, he can't even pretend that he and Mikazuki aren't a part of those numbers. Perhaps this wasn't the plan he had intended, but does it matter, as long as his last moments are with the people he's been fighting for this whole time? His voice is quiet and he doesn't move yet.]

...can we finish our ice cream first? [After that...then he'll get back to work.]

[ Finish the ice cream first... It's melted a little for all of them, hasn't it? The ice cream dripping down like a countdown to the end.

(But it's not the end. He has to believe that.)

He throws a look at Xion that he's not sure she'll see before nodding. ]

'Course, buddy. I didn't bring them up here for no reason, you know. [ He can't quite get the tone right, but it's fine. He was never gonna lighten the mood right now. ] We'll eat our ice cream, and then... We'll go.

[ Ah, and isn't that familiar, too? He never did figure out if any of it was real or not. It felt real, both times. Maybe that's all that matters. Those feelings they've shared... they've always been the most important thing to him. ]

[ she does indeed catch axel's glance, and returns it with a tiny nod of her own. letting one of her hands leave roxas's to bring her bar up to her lips, she takes the smallest of nibbles. bitter is never a taste she thought she'd associate with her favorite flavor, but...

for some reason, perhaps in order to desperately remind herself she's with her best friends, she attempts to put on a friendly, cheerful smile. ]

Since the two of you got the last rounds... that means... next time is on me, right...?

[ . . .

she hardly manages to finish the question before she starts to sob. ]

[Xion has always been the most emotional of the three of them (sort of.) That's no surprise, but he continues to hold her hand even as he takes another bite and watches ice cream melt and fall away from the tower. He still doesn't know how to comfort upset girls, and he still doesn't know how to make this better, but he's not letting go.]

...next time. [His own voice is starting to break a little, but he takes a breath and forces himself to look back to the sunset again. There's a promise of next time, no matter what.

It feels too soon that the last bit of ice cream disappears from his bar. He pauses, automatically looking at the stick before wordlessly handing it to Xion instead.

A winner stick. They can cash those in later.]

... [It's time, but he's not saying so. He still doesn't want to go even though he has to, but...] Even the bad stuff is worth it for the good memories we did have, and the ones we'll have later. [...it's more monotonous than his usual voice, but. It's an important reminder. He'll move when they're ready, but just one more good memory for the road.]

Yeah. Next time.

[ Axel looks away when Xion starts to sob, because he can't... If he starts crying now, he doesn't think he'll ever stop. He takes a bite of his ice cream and stays quiet until it's all gone-- both the ice cream and their time.

But Roxas is the first to speak up when that happens, and he has to clench his eyes shut when they water, letting out a short laugh. It's not funny at all, and yet... Both of them can't keep internalizing all the stupid, cheesy stuff he says. It's too unfair. ]

Right. Even the stuff that's bad... If I'm with you guys, I never want to forget it.

[ Never again.

He can't let either of them be the first to make that move, so he stands up and holds his hands out-- for both of them. ]

We'll go together.

[ it's a subtle change at first. when she finishes her ice cream, her hand is shaking; when roxas hands her the stick, it's extended to her whole body; when axel holds out his hands, she stands up.

"we'll always have the memories." "i never want to forget." "don't you remember?"

she knows those things aren't true. so how much of this is? with tears running down her cheeks unchecked, she screams at the two of them, ]

Stop! I can't take it anymore! None of this is okay—we can't keep ignoring the fact that we're all going to kill each other! I'm tired, I don't want to keep pretending—can't we just end it all now instead of trying to make ourselves feel better about something this awful?

[ ... it shouldn't be a surprise she's the one to let her emotions get the best of her. ]

Edited 2019-08-01 22:27 (UTC)

[There's no polite way to say that this isn't the first time he's killed a friend, or lost a friend. Not when he knows she doesn't know any of that yet. She screams and he doesn't even flinch, on his feet now. He's still holding her hand as she yells but he'll take Axel's too, as he thinks of the words to say.]

... [...or, you know, there are no words and there's a noise of surprise as his own tears start. The problem is she's not wrong? This is bad for everyone. This is what he wanted to avoid, but here they are now.]

It's going to be alright. There's something coming. Someone promised it would be okay in the end. But we can't stop now. [And somehow, he sits on those words for a little too long. "Can't we just end it all now?"

Almost on autopilot, he tries to tug them forward. If she wants this to end, then...it has to start with him. Even if he still doesn't want to, even if he's gripping too hard onto Axel's hand, too. Help.]

[ Of course Xion would be the one to just come right out and say it. Axel's never been too good at that part. He flinches and looks away a little, trying to think of something, anything...

But there's nothing he can say to make this right. It's not right. Nothing's been right this whole time. Maybe he shouldn't have let her come. He can't tell if it was more or less selfish to take her along anymore. Would it have been easier for her...

Roxas takes his hand and tugs them forward, and Axel goes, but-- ]

Xion... You're right. Maybe we are pretending. But I meant everything I said, today and before. You guys are the best thing that's ever happened to me. Nothing can ever change that.

I... I know! Axel, you and Roxas mean the world—mean everything to me... but...!

[ ... the difference between roxas and axel's reactions is sobering, a little; it at least reminds xion that they need to stay focused now more than ever.

she doesn't look up at them, doesn't try to split her single eye's view between the two of them. she just closes it, breathes, and squeezes roxas's hand. ]

... okay. Let's go. Together. The three of us. Before it's too late.

[Marching to his own death is a very strange feeling. Knowing he won't really know what happens to his friends after this is even scarier, but at the same time, he has a sense of the chain of events to follow.

It doesn't mean he isn't scared though, but...there's nothing they can do. This is how things have to be, and as long as they don't let go it'll be fine. He takes the lead, holding both of their hands as they begin the long, silent climb down from the clock tower.

He wants to ask what they plan to do to him, but at the same time he doesn't. Instead, he walks and blinks to clear his vision as they finally reach the bottom of the stairs and enter the station. He continues on, exiting the station hand in hand with his friends and eventually stopping in the center of the main platform outside.]

...you'll come find me, right? [After it's over. Don't leave him for too long, please.]

[ It already feels too late. The entire walk down, he tries to think of the right words to say. There's no such thing, of course. It's what they have to do. It's what he has to do. Once they're there...

...

Ah, he volunteered for it, but why is it that he can't get away from these icky jobs? ]

'Course. You know we'll be the first ones you see when it's all over. Who else would it be?

[ he takes a breath and lets go of Roxas's hand long enough to take a step back. They brought weapons but ... none of them feel quite right. His hand flexes at his side. ]

It... it's a promise.

[ her sobs are quieter now, her voice catching in her throat and preventing her from saying anything more. unlike axel, she's reluctant to let roxas's hand out of her grasp, as if she can hold onto this moment as long as she doesn't let go.

she might need a little push or nudge from either of them. ]

[He doesn't want to let go. He'd hold on forever if he could, but with a promise and when Axel steps away, he pauses before he squeezes her hand again and pulls away on his own. "It's alright." His own tears have stopped for now, but his expression is both something broken and defiant as usual as he forces himself to step back and give them space from himself.]

A promise. [There's a short nod...and he looks at his hands. The two of them brought weapons, but...this isn't what they've trained for.]

...I've been practicing a little more. [He doesn't elaborate what that means though. Instead, there's another breath, eyes closing for a minute before two bursts of light surround his hands, and two weapons appear. They aren't his, and he knows that, but the replicas are the same size.

...he lingers, holding the familiar weight in his hands before slowly rotating them to hold onto the blades themselves, presenting the hilts to his friends.

It's time.]

[ Axel looks a little shocked when he sees the light following the weapons. After everything, somehow, it's the sight of this-- of Roxas's keyblades-- that finally breaks him. Maybe it's a combination of everything, Xion's quiet sobs in the background, but the tears fall from his eyes unbidden. Unwarranted, even, he'd almost say.

He ignores them, not even bothering to wipe them away, holding out his arm to grasp the white one-- he's never asked Roxas their names. It doesn't feel quite right, not the way his own Keyblade does (and even that's not always... anyway.), yet it feels familiar somehow, too. ]

... You've outdone yourself now. Ha, these look a lot better.

[ he looks at Xion. They said they'd do it together. His grip on the handle tightens. ]

[ it takes her a couple of moments to remember how to move her limbs after roxas summons the keyblades, staring a little dumbly at the hilt of the one closer to her before closing her hand around the handle. like axel, it's strange at first to wield someone else's keyblade—but, ah, was hers even hers to begin with?

... in any case, it's more familiar to hold than the stick she'd arrived with, the swords she'd used as substitutes when she realized she couldn't summon the kingdom key. she lets the keyblade fall to her side, then reaches out for axel's free hand with her own before turning her attention back to roxas.

hold it together, she reminds herself. almost there. ]

We... we'll see you soon, okay?

[Maybe it's somewhat inappropriate to look a little proud of himself when Axel says that, but...ha, indeed. He's grown and he's figured out how to make things work. Still, seeing both of them in tears isn't easy, and neither is knowing that he still doesn't really want to go. But it's what they have to do...there's another nod.

Together. He won't run, and they can end this. They can go home together after this, if everything works.]

Yeah. [Even with return of his own tears, there's a small smile.] I'll be waiting.

["Ready when you are."]

Edited 2019-08-02 00:57 (UTC)

[ he's holding Roxas's keyblade in one hand and Xion's in the other, and he squeezes it at the same time as he braces himself. He tries to remember what it was like, the last time he tried to do this because he felt like he had no other choice. There's no comparing both moments, of course. Even if both times he hadn't wanted to... at least this time--

They'll meet again. He knows they will. That's the only reason he can smile back at him. ]

... See ya, Roxas.

[ His first lift of the keyblade is slow, to give Xion the head's up-- but as soon as he knows she'll strike with him, he brings it down in full force. And-- even if it's not the same, even if they're not quite right-- freeing someone from the darkness with a keyblade is a lot more appropriate, isn't it? ]

[ even though both roxas and axel can manage it, xion cannot find it in herself to even attempt a smile again. she can't, with the knowledge of what's about to happen to starkly clear both in her mind and before her eye.

with a shudder, she also lifts her arm in tandem with axel. as soon as it's in the air, though, she stops shaking, because it allows her to shift into a combat mindset and focus on their current objective... focus on their mission. maybe it's a good thing she never got her eye back after having adapted to the lack of depth perception so early on; she's not sure if she'd have been able to land the hit if it'd been restored.

with a strangled cry from its wielder, down oblivion goes, alongside its companion. ]

[Perhaps there's some magic in those keyblades after all, or maybe it's just the way the corruption itself reacts to an image of light. It's difficult to say, but he keeps his head bowed and his eyes shut, bracing himself for the impact he knows is coming.

Oblivion and Oathkeeper swing in sync, two blades landing critical hits on their target and there's a crackle of light, glitching a bit and bright as he crumples to the ground. It's hard to say if it's blood or darkness seeping from his broken form and with the last of his consciousness slips through his fingertips, he's satisfied in knowing that these keys were created perfectly. They were formed with this purpose in mind if nothing else. There's a tiny murmur they can only hear in the eerie silence, and then all is still.

Oblivion fades away from Xion's hand bit by bit, disappearing like a plume of smoke as it returns to the boy before them. Oathkeeper, however remains.

Roxas is dead. But Axel's job isn't done yet.]

[ Roxas's body lies on the ground, yet even as the keyblade fades from Xion's hand it stays in Axel's. It's as if they know what to do. He watches the body of his best friend on the ground for a while before Axel chokes out what might be a laugh or a sob, or both. ]

... Silly. Don't go saying stuff like that...

[ But Roxas can't hear him. Not right now. He turns to Xion. She might expect something else, but he rummages through his pocket and takes out his phone, tossing it at her.

It's already opened on that picture of the three of them he'd shown her before. ]

Xion. You ready?

[ it's quiet. he knows she is, but... he wants her to see it, one last time. That future that she hasn't gotten a taste of yet. ]

[ and just like that, he's gone. when oblivion dissipates and leaves her hand empty, her sobs return in full force, like something in her has been utterly destroyed; she falls onto her knees, on all fours. this isn't how it was supposed to go. it was supposed to be the other way around. it was supposed to—

. . .

"what if"s and "what about"s won't help them now.

even so, she doesn't respond to axel; she doesn't even catch the phone when he throws it to her, letting it fall onto the station floor. she knows he's trying to reassure her by showing the picture to her again, but... it isn't working. she can't envision that future in the photograph anymore, not with roxas's lifeless body before her own eye. ]

[ He doesn't care about the phone. He never has. So it falls to the ground, the picture facing upwards as Axel takes the one step that separates the two of them-- barely anything, really. He crouches to her prone form, a hand on her shoulder.

His other is still holding the keyblade. He can't break down now when she already has. If he takes even a second... If he looks backwards for even a moment...

He won't be able to go through with it again. ]

Chin up. [ it comes up more harsh than he means it to. ] We promised him, didn't we? Even if this is it-- even if everything we've done was nothing but a mistake... We're connected. We'll find each other again, no matter what.

But we have to see this through.

[ he doesn't want to strike her down when she's like this. he doesn't want to strike her down at all. ]

week eight: mingle

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