FRIENDS WANTED;

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[From door to door, Ventus travels the Dressing Room, planting posters along the walls.

These posters include a rather rough drawing, mostly scribbles, but it at least slightly resembles a Kairi...with yellow eyes. The poster reads:

FRIENDS WANTED:
This is Kairi. She doesn't have many friends here, and that's really gotta change. She's a great person who's a lot of fun, and I'm sure she'd love to meet new people!

Sometimes she wears Vanitas armor, but don't worry; she's not dangerous at all!

And yes, he will be putting these everywhere. When he can't reach places on foot, he'll simply use his Glider!]

Comments

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[it would be, and yet it isn't. ventus's proximity makes vanitas make an agonized noise which sounds strangely too high for his voice. void gear vanishes, and vanitas's hands grasp his skull harder.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[...Okay, even though this is Vanitas, seeing anyone in this much pain is heart wrenching.]

Hey... what's going on?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[it hurts. it hurts more than anything he'd ever-- he grits his teeth to try to stop another noise as best as he can, but it's hardly worth the energy.]

Ventus.

[now his hand is reaching out for ventus. what is he doing?]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

Vanitas...

[He knows he's going to regret this, but... he'll go ahead and take his hand. A little act of mercy, if nothing else.]

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[a beam of light rushes down from above, its entire length visible for several moments as it impales vanitas's chest. vanitas's hand relaxes in ventus's instantly, and his body goes limp a second later. although the light fades, vanitas remains motionless.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

What?!

[What just happened? That light...?

Quietly, he shakes Vanitas a few times. This just isn't right.]

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[vanitas doesn't respond. he's sleeping, or maybe he's dead. he's unconscious one way or the other. sorry for the brainbreak, ventus.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[He doesn't understand what's going on, but he can't just leave him like this. Still going against his better judgment, Ven scoops up Vanitas, turning towards one of the nearby rooms.

It's better than staying on the floor, at least.]

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[only you, ventus. only you. what would kairi say? vanitas's body keeps lax, but ventus may feel the masked boy's abdomen move as he breathes. so he's not dead after all.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[He knows Kairi might not approve of this, but he can't just ignore him. Ven may dislike Vanitas, but he's not cruel.

Eventually, he'll find an empty room and place Vanitas down on the bed. Heck, he'll even cover him with a blanket.

What then? Well... he'll wait just long enough to make sure he's okay. If he tries to fight, then he'll leave.]

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[ventus will be waiting a while before vanitas begins to move. an hour and a half later, the most vanitas has done is shifted his legs under the sheets. it takes another forty minutes for vanitas to turn his head so his helmet faces ventus. if it weren't for the fact that he tilts his head just enough to look down the length of his body and lift a hand to feel his chest, ventus probably wouldn't have realized he was awake again. he hasn't spoken.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[Well, he does notice that much. Though he's still a bit wary, he'll go ahead and break the silence.]

Hey, what happened back there?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[vanitas tries to sit up in bed but ends up having to hold his head when he gets dizzy.]

Where...?

[he's a little disoriented.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

You're still in the Dressing Room. I just couldn't leave you out there.

[He's expecting some heavy trolling any time now.]

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[dressing room. dressing room... now he remembers, but he cocks his head in a way that suggests he's uncertain of the memory.]

Out where?

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

In the hall. You tried to fight me and Kairi, but we beat you. After that, this light hit you in the chest.

I still don't know what happened.

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[the mention of kairi gets a bigger reaction out of him than anything else he says initially. everything's there, it's just all jumbled up.]

χ-blade... I couldn't...

[he stares down at his hands.]

And now...

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[He frowns.]

What're you gonna do?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[vanitas raises his head to stare at ventus. he doesn't answer the question but asks one of his own.]

Ventus... Who am I?

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[...Huh? Is that a trick question?]

You're Vanitas. ... My darkness.

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[that's not what he meant, and he takes a moment to try to fit the pieces together in his mind to understand what's happened.]

I stole something. Not from you, but from who you will be.

[when was the last time vanitas conversed with you like this, ventus? he's not exactly trying to provoke anybody.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

Who I will be?

[He blinks a few times and then scratches his head.]

You lost me.

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

I couldn't go on alone, but I couldn't...

[vanitas holds his head again.]

I took a piece of him.

[he moves his hand from his head to his chest, feeling his chest again.]

Now there's something...more...

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

A piece of him?

[Does he mean...?]

Did something happen to your heart?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

My heart...

[that's strange. hmm.]

Yes.