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]

[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.

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[Hmm... But is it really that simple?]

So how do you feel?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

Torn. I knew I was only a half before, but that division wasn't in my heart. Now... I don't know what it is.

[ventus won't be able to see it, but vanitas is frowning.]

The darkness is still there. I can feel it, but there's something else too. I don't know if it's light, but I remember things now. I remember two different lives and I'm not sure which one I'm supposed to live now.

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

You could always take things slow. Do what feels right...

[He places a hand to his chest.]

In your heart.

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[vanitas is tempted to attack ventus. for a moment, it feels right, but there's this new part of him that is dead-set against it. the urge passes, and vanitas decides it's best that he not tell ventus what his heart is telling him.]

You sound like Riku.

[for the first time, vanitas experiences what it's like to miss someone. he does not like it.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

Riku?

[A beat. That's...odd.]

But how do you know Riku?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

He's Sora's best friend. Kairi, too.

[vanitas has this annoying feeling. an itch making him want to apologize, but he's stubbornly repressing it.]

Is she okay?

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[...Ah. He nods.]

She's okay! I've been doing my best to keep her happy, but sometimes I wish she wasn't so hard on herself.

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[he's trying to act uninterested while this other part of him obnoxiously begs for more information.]

Keep her safe.

[pause.]

Do you know who Roxas is?

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[He nods.]

I don't know much about him, but I've seen him before.

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

Do you know about his connection to you?

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[Another nod.]

Well, sorta...

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[ventus nods a lot.]

What do you know?

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[Well, it's a sign of affirmation!]

Just that he's got a part of me inside him. My heart...

[Or a fragment, at any rate. It's been a while, and he can't recall every detail.]

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[vanitas watches ventus thoughtfully.]

I wonder how many times can one person be broken and rebuilt...

[he's pushing himself off of the bed to stand now that he's feeling steadier. that void gear appears in hand may or may not be alarming, but all vanitas does is look it over in his hand.]

You remind me of him. He... saved me too.

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

He did?

[This is... extremely confusing. It's true that Void Gear is intimidating, but for now he'll try not to let it bother him.]

D'you mean you, or...?

[Or Sora? He's tempted to say it, but he'll hold back for now.]

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[he lifts his head to look at him again.]

I meant the new part. No one ever saved me. No one until you, Ventus.

[he holds void gear out towards ventus, and it transforms into oathkeeper.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

So it is Sora!

[Man, that just... makes things even weirder. The sudden change in his Keyblade makes it even worse.]

So, what do you want to do now? Are you still after the χ-blade?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

Sora...

[vanitas stares down at the keychain.]

I have to become stronger.

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

Stronger? But for what?

[He pulls out his Wayfinder.]

Sometimes, to become strong, you've gotta have a reason to fight.

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

Master's orders are to forge the χ-blade.

[his grip tightens on his keyblade.]

This is why I was created.

[something happens. vanitas's body goes rigid, and he falls to his knees, clutching his head in his hands.]