week eight: mingle

[cyclists]

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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[doublebladed]

[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.]

[leaberator]

[ 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. ]

[blackcoats]

[ 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?

[doublebladed]

[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."]

[leaberator]

[ 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? ]

[blackcoats]

[ 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. ]

[doublebladed]

[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.]

[leaberator]

[ 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. ]

[blackcoats]

[ 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. ]

[leaberator]

[ 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. ]

[blackcoats]

[ she's silent as she chokes out the last of her sobs, but it's clear it's finally starting to peter out. she can't let herself be selfish... she's allowed to be, sometimes, but not now. not when so much is at stake.

they'll be together again soon. for sure. all she needs to do is play her part. ]

. . . R-right. [ she hiccups, then shakily holds her hand out to him. ] Help me up?

[leaberator]

... Yeah. Always.

[ He knows that's not how she meant it, but... whatever it might mean. He nods and takes his hand off her shoulder, grasping her hand and pulling her up instead. His grip might be a bit too tight, but it's the only way he won't start shaking. He doesn't let go quite yet. He makes sure to block her field of view, limited as it is. ]

I won't be long behind you guys. Okay?

[blackcoats]

[ axel. please. she can hardly see anything past his stick figure body as it is. with his help, she gets back onto her feet... and for a brief second, considers throwing her arms around him for one last hug, a final goodbye before they see each other again.

... but she knows how much of a toll this is already taking on him, and she doesn't want herself to be the reason he breaks. (at least, not while she's still here, alive and breathing.) so she keeps her arms where they are, by her sides, one hand still grasped in his. ]

Yeah. I know. [ somehow, she finds the strength to squeeze his hand back. ] . . . I'm ready.

[leaberator]

. . . Okay.

[ he has to let go of her hand for it, and so he gives it one last squeeze before he does. he takes a second to brace himself-- ]

I'll see you later.

[ He raises Oathkeeper and strikes her down, steady in a way he doesn't feel. ]

[blackcoats]

[ she's scared beyond belief when he lets go; she automatically reaches out as he pulls away, and has to actively restrain herself from taking a step toward him.

she's not sure if it's a good or a bad thing she didn't move, because that ensures his strike hits its mark dead on. despite knowing it was coming, her eye is wide in shock as she feels blood at the site of impact. immediately, her limited vision starts to blur thanks to the tears, blood, and quick decline of her body.

unlike what would have normally happened had she gone on to face roxas and have him strike her down, her body does not crystallize and fade away into particles of light. here, her body remains perfectly intact as she falls to the ground, her arm still stretched out even as she bleeds out. it's a scene that he probably won't ever be able to forget... but all things given, she looks pretty peaceful, at the end.

like its counterpart, oathkeeper fades away with her final breath.

xion is finally dead. ]