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

[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.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[Oh dear. Ven crouches down, tentatively placing a hand on his shoulder.]

But do you really wanna make it? If the χ-blade is that important, it should be because you want it, not just Master Xehanort. And even then, what good would it do?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

It will be the beginning of another Keyblade War. I...

[he makes a pained noise in his throat.]

Why did you help me?

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

[He frowns.]

I couldn't just leave you there. Even after everything you've done, I could tell you were in pain, and I wasn't about to walk away.

[A beat.]

Besides, all you've ever known is the χ-blade. Have you ever been happy, Vanitas?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

No.

[he doesn't have to think about it. he knows already that he is't capable of happiness. but then--]

But it has been... The thing I stole. Its weakness was the same as yours. It cared for its "friends," and that led to its demise.

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

I just don't understand. Why d'you consider friendship a weakness?

[Ven tucks away the Wayfinder, though he still remains close to Vanitas.]


Friends are people you can talk to when you're feeling down, they're someone to share a laugh with. Plus, they're my reason to fight. Having something you really care about gives you a different kind of strength. A strength that comes from the heart.

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

It's a distraction. Your focus should be on training and strengthening yourself, not on keeping friends. It's a waste of time.

[it sounds like vanitas wants to say something else, but whatever it is, it never comes out.]

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

Maybe if you had friends, you'd understand. You can spend years training to be the strongest, but if you have nobody to protect, then what good'll it do?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

It called them "friends." They're what destroyed it.

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

I don't understand, though. How'd it get destroyed?

[nihiloexnihilo.livejournal.com]

[vanitas crosses his arms.]

It thinks it chose to perish, but it's just being stupid. It was attacked.

[erasemefriend.livejournal.com]

Maybe that was its choice. It could've been protecting something and choose to take the bullet instead of its friends.

[In short, he can relate.]