Kingdom Hearts : Heartfelt Adventure {Day 8 ; Invite Only}

[fractalJester]

[ Narration ]

Two hours have passed since the end of the battle. All those who had been in Atlantica had returned during that time, mentioning that Merlin had appeared to speak to Triton after finishing with Kashekim. Everyone had essentially settled down, waiting for instructions. Normally, they would have already taken off to somewhere new, but their "guide" gave them no direction. The magical list had not given the name of another person in need.

It was around high noon, with the sun directly above them, when Merlin appeared in the control pit of the Red Rose, speaking to Leon and whoever else was within with a happy gleam in his eyes. Without much explanation, he told them their next destination: Disney. The sooner they took off, the better. After assuring them that the Magic Train was already en route as well, he vanished again, leaving them to prepare for take off. Everyone got on board, except the Turks who had recently left anyway, and Jack who had gone off on his own, and within moments they took off.

The ship has been flying at high speeds for about half an hour, and there's still some time left before arrival.  

[phoenixianCrystallist]

{Bobbi .:. Red Rose .:. Bedroom}

Bobbi sat cross-legged at the head of the bed in the room she had claimed for herself. After a bit of rummaging in the closet, which consisted mainly of opening the door and looking on the shelf, Bobbi had discovered a lovely pair of rose-quartz eggs. At home she'd only had one to work with; two was perfect, and she held them now, one in each hand, as she meditated. She had herself in a calm, nearly trance-like state, taking all of the information and happenings of the last several days and trying to organize them in her thoughts. She hadn't meditated since the first or second day or so of this journey, and after all that had happened, she needed something to keep her thoughts straight. She'd rarely meditated at home, but then again, her life hadn't been exciting or stressful enough for regular meditation. She had also been kind of hoping to try to contact that dark entity in her head, the voice that had helped during the battle. She had a few suspicions about him, and wanted to ask a few questions. Not that she doubted the voice was helpful, oh no! Saving not only her life but the lives of her friends was more than enough to earn her trust. No, instead, Bobbi just wanted to get her questions answered.

The Archer didn't go seeking the voice, however. She simply sat in a semi-passive state, waiting to see if the voice answered the half-formed call as she put her thoughts in order. Before she began her meditation in earnest, she had tried her best to send a "hey, I'd like to chat if you're there, but if you don't want to I totally understand" kind of message to wherever in her mind or heart that voice resided, but she wasn't sure if she'd done it right, and was doubly unsure if the vague request had leaked over the charms or not.

Her fingers rotated the quartz eggs in her hands, the only movement anyone looking in would see besides her breathing. She had left the door slightly ajar, just in case anyone wanted to talk to her in person. As she meditated and waited, she thought of the parting moment with Daniel and Tseng.

Daniel's wish for meeting again on better terms was echoed by Bobbi's own sentiment, and as the two had left, she'd raised her hand in the Vulcan hand-sign from Star Trek, though what she'd said wasn't even remotely related.

"Zhai'helleva," Bobbi had said, grinning. She knew Daniel wouldn't understand the strange phrase, so she translated. "It means 'wind to thy wings.' I'm pretty sure I'm the only one who's ever read those books. Anyway, maybe next time I can grill you that peanut butter, bacon, and banana sandwich." The last was said with a wink, inviting Daniel to share in the joke.

{Demyx .:. Red Rose .:. Galley}

After he'd finished off the one sandwich he had been grudgingly allowed, and after the Turks had left, Demyx had headed to the Galley. Bobbi had mentioned the chef thing was cooking, and the Melodious Nocturne had decided to get some of that. He hadn't even bothered asking what the food was, he just helped himself, sat down, and started plowing right through his first helping. When he went back for seconds, he ate much more slowly, savoring the purely physical pleasure of well-cooked food.  

[Jeimuzu Kuro]

{James : Red Rose : Quarters}

{{Who Am I?}}

James' eyes slowly opened as he woke up from his rest, he had slept, though it didn't feel very restful, about the equivalent of one of his hour naps after a long freight shift.. He took a deep breath and immediately winced in pain. The ache in his chest a quick way to bring his focus back to his current problem. He quickly looked down at his chest where the burn scar of the Ultima seal was and his eyes widened in what could only be shock. When he had last seen the accumulation it was mainly centralized around the seal, reaching barely outside of the scar. Now though, the darkness had spread the "bruise" now almost completely black in color reached across most of the central area of his chest, what looked like dark tendrils reaching, licking outward from the center like flames licking a log.

He clutched at his chest in pain as he tried to steady his deep yet rapid breathing, Noelle had told him to wake Kyle up and get her help too for healing magic. He focused on his charm to send a mental message to Kyle and Noelle only, there was no need to potentially get everyone else in a panic.

'Kyle! Noelle! Sorry to wake you if I am but I need your help now!' He stated mentally, doing his best to keep his thoughts from sounding too frantic. 'The darkness is spreading!' He included a mental image of what the darkness looked like now, Kyle hadn't seen it before he had rested but Noelle had, and she would be able to see the difference.  

[fractalJester]

[ Kyle : Red Rose : Personal Quarters ]

"Help... me..."

I want to, I'm trying--

"Bear witness as the shattered Light finally goes out!"

"We are the truth."

An ear-splitting roar beyond sanity, a face torn down the middle--

No, please, not again--

"Damn fractures!"

"We ripped, we tore!"

"Earth's final living shards! At last, the Light shall fade!"

What do you know--?!

"Didn't you accept the burden?"

"THEY WANT YOU DEAD, SO THEY'LL KEEP COMING."

"BECAUSE YOUR HEARTS CAN DESTROY THEM!"

WHY?! WHY IS ALL OF THIS--

"So much power--and their goal? Unraveling existence itself."

"You needed to be prepared to face the Darkness that even we fear."

"He was only capable of pulling forth a fraction of the Darkness."

No, I get that, that's not what--

Once again, as if from the stars, he watched Earth shine before being fractured, consumed by shadow--

"This is the way the world ends."

... but--

"Kyle! Noelle! Sorry to wake you if I am but I need your help now! The darkness is spreading!"

A blackened chest, exuding corruption--

James--? No, that's not--no, not now, not NOW--

And everything slipped away.

---

Kyle groaned as consciousness slowly, annoyingly, returned to him. Already, he could feel some of his dream slip away--so he got Ultima to hold onto it for him.

"Isn't this something for Riku to handle?" Kyle grumbled through the Charm to both Noelle and James, his tone frustrated even in thought. He didn't even move to get up, though he did make note of the faint rumbling of the Rose's engines--so they'd started off somewhere, it seemed. "Darkness hasn't exactly been my forte lately."  

[Enji_Chou]

[???: Paris: Beauvais Manor]

The pieces are moving, now that she’s come far enough, it’s time to make some allies, and create some more pawns.
I need a mind I can meet somewhere between with. I’m tired of this exhausting patriarchal set up- time for some…
‘girl talk.’

A flutter of soundless wings the specter invaded her private space without much attention it’s presence. But unlike the usual way it went about it’s business this ‘thing’ pointedly made its flight pattern cross paths the average gaze. Its unnatural color and luminescence would entrance the commoner, and warn the knowledgeable onlooker.


It wasn’t a mistake it was scene. She wanted to her to know she was watching- and would like to speak with her a moment if the lady of the house had a moment of time to spare. If not, she’d simply recede her offer and never ask again. Simply move onto the next possible hopeful.
The butterfly landed gently, wings slowly flapping like it was stretching from such a long journey.  

[Je suis a toi]

[ Noelle ~Shipwreck Cove ~ Red Rose: Sleeping Quarters]

After Noelle's long and more-unsettling-than-restful bath, she found a room to lock herself in. She didn't want to talk to anyone for a while--her agreement with Nick and his malicious summon Chaos needed time to sink in. As she flopped down onto her bed she took note of the changes to her dressphere, picking at the hems and buttons. Her clothes seemed a little more . . . disheveled; almost more intricate and tribal in a way. With a groan, she turned over onto her stomach and played with the small potted lily on her bedside table. It was a beautiful Casablanca lily--her favorite. She spent the remainder of her downtime like this, placidly moving the lily and its leaves. James' transmission over the charms caught her by surprise and she fumbled with the plant a bit before making sure it was steadily back in place. The agromancer pushed herself onto her knees as Kyle responded.

"Can't," Noelle replied shortly, "He's too out of practice for reliable Darkness manipulation. You, however, can use light to help purge James' body of the excess. Sorry. James, where are you? Just keep calm, I'll be there in a second."  

[fractalJester]

[ Kyle : Red Rose : Personal Quarters ]

Kyle frowned.

So, it's Louis all over again.

... Louis...

Sighing (which then turned into yawning), he sat up and stretched his sore body. He looked at the clock--it had been just over two hours. Lovely. That would explain why he was still exhausted.

"Better idea. Move to the Training Room near the ship's core. There should be some signs leading you," he explained, his voice dulled by his tiredness. "The training rooms have magic effects, and can damper connection for outside forces. Worked on the Charms, anyway. I'll be there in a few minutes."

First... some water.

With that, he stood, stretching the rest of his body with a groan before making his way to the nearby men's bathroom, looking for the sink.  

[Je suis a toi]

[Elleon ~ Paris ~ Beauvais Manor: Study]

The small blonde was sitting in her study at a mahogany writing desk, a quill in her left hand and parchment with her elegant cursive in front of her. Running a large estate wasn't an easy task--especially with the church needing donations left and right to oversee her extravagance--but she needed the mundane activities to balance out her active lifestyle. It was when she looked up to dip her quill in her inkwell that she took notice of the butterfly. Elleon paused only briefly, taking the small glowing creature into consideration. It was obvious that someone was seeking her council--though cautiously. Smart.

"If you're trying to get an audience with me all you had to do was knock at the front door." The Replica said passively, returning to her correspondance.  

[Enji_Chou]

[Kai: Paris: Beauvais Manor: Study]
The butterfly suddenly pulsed with a slight illumination before taking wing again and fluttering harmlessly towards the center of the study before Elleons desk. It danced in the air for a few more brief moments before suddenly – exploding into countless others. A sudden swarm of angry insect wings that clustered and frenzied until they blurred together into a haze of wisp shadows.

In their dissolve a figure emerged from the fog like some apparition. The figure took shape into what Elleon would recognize for the brief time they ever had a slight eye contact- Kyla’s replica the Dark Artificer.

Kai.


“ I’d much rather make one single teleportation… it’s more practical.” She replied, clarifying it was a Darkness corridor opened from wherever far off location she had been spirited from. A bit on the theatrical side- but hey... artists were like that.

Kai was strange, unlike her fellow replica’s she seemed almost not entirely there. Her being never seemed entirely solid at any given point in time. Instead she almost looked like she was adrift, ghostly in her stride. It was uncertain if the woman ever touched foot down on solid ground at all. Instead Kai just strode forward with a slight float in her step. Weightless. Second thing was her voice.

"Why bother coming if you're not welcome?"

Her voice was Kyla’s voice but It carried a slight echo in it as well. The combination of the two gave her some semblance to what people would describe a banshee. Surely at some point she’d start to wail something unholy to make the faint of heart lose their minds.

She approached Elleon till there was a good five or few more feet between her and the front of the other replica’s desk.


“Busy I see. A lady of the house doesn’t have much room for fun?”
She glanced around, eyes taking in the room with a nuance of true artistic critic of its decor and design. What she thought of the place was uncertain from her neutral expression.

“Somehow I doubt that. You never struck me as someone to simply idle by and play house. You’re too ambitious for that.”  

[Je suis a toi]

[Elleon ~ Paris ~ Beauvais Manor: Study]

Elleon smirked and placed her quill in its stand before closing the ink well and setting her correspondence aside, "You assume I'm not a gracious host, my dear. Everyone is welcome so long as they don't bring in skirmishes."

The Replica stood as Kai looked around and walked to an ornately carved cabinet in the corner of the room. The silk bathrobe she wore billowed softly behind her, caressing her form as she stopped. She couldn't help but smile at Kai's comment on her ambition. Realities aside, by appearances it would have seemed as if she had spent the morning lounging in her manor.

"You'd be correct then," Elleon said as she pulled a box of hair pins from the cabinet and pulled a cord on the wall just to the side that would ring a series of bells in the kitchen. "But ambition often earns you followers, and power earns you servants. I don't have to do everything myself, you see, and the extra free time gives me a chance to organize and . . . fraternize. I assume you're here for the latter."

Elleon returned to her desk and began pinning her hair up in a french twist, "Tea will be along shortly."  

[AldrickZearse]

[Joe: Red Rose: Joe's Room]

Perhaps it was because he was too focused on how much Daniel seemed to dislike him. Perhaps it was the horrifying visions he was having thanks to what happened with Ajora. Perhaps it was just cause he was a little too warm, but Joe rolled over in his sleep. As soon as they had taken off, he had trudged off to his room, flopping on the bed and closing his eyes and falling asleep.

And he wanted to keep sleeping. Well, his body did. His mind couldn't stand the nightmares....

[Az: Paris: Beauvais Manor; Study]

Shortly, indeed, it would seem. The steps echoed outside of the room, growing louder and louder till the door was opened without a knock. Of course, it was probably more obvious that it wasn't a maid with tea thanks to the fact that it was so loud, the sound of bare feet slapping against the floor.

Azrael walked into the room, wearing naught but his fur-lined vest and his pants. His skin was shining from the bath he had taken, a towel being rubbed against his hair and face and scruff.

"Ah, sorry, figured you'd want me clean before I handed over what I fou-oh. Forgive me." Azrael looked at the 'guest', taking a small bow. Small because he stopped midway. "Oh, wait, it's just you."

The male frowned at Kai, looking her up and down. "Am I interrupting, El?" He gave his 'landlord' an amused look. As if to say even if he was, he wasn't planning on leaving. After all, he had business of his own...plus he liked to sometimes bother Elleon. Not antagonistically. But...he couldn't explain it, something about bugging her just made him smile, but didn't want to push it into pissing her off...though the latter bit might have just been self-preservation at work.  

[Enji_Chou]

[Kai: Paris: Beauvais Manor: Study]


" Understandable, I recede my assumption then."

The artist noted how Elleon was dressed, the flow of her bathrobe. She noticed the scent in the air, soap and perfume- she must have just caught the young woman having cleansed herself.

As Elleon spoke of her personal successes with her carefully concealed ambitions Kai turned back to her, taking in her visage again. she was the spitting image of Noelle but with much more poise and subtle sharpness. So...she was dabbling about behind the scenes. Clever, and prudent. Never let your allies or enemies see what you have in your left hand. This was the perfect guise, to live in comfort while your exploits work themselves to fruition.
" Impressive. Very impressive. You do not disappoint Elleon."

Her mouth actually seemed to soften at the notion of- tea.
" Thank you." Dark did not mean you could not be polight.

Speaking of polight.

When Azreal righted himself and commented, Kai turned

slightly toward shim, enough for a single eye to glance back at see the outline of his figure behind her.
"- I see you're looking. Clean." she replied. " I've come here to..err.. fraternize with my kin." reiterating Elleons statement.

She turned the final mid step to actually face Azreal returning the assessing look to his person. Indeed, he was clean, and whole- unlike some people.

 

[Je suis a toi]

[Elleon ~ Paris ~ Beauvais Manor: Study]

The blonde smirked as Azrael came in, ready to make a quip about the fact that he'd bathed but not wishing to start bantering. After finishing her hair, she sat back and shrugged, "Whether or not you're interrupting is entirely up to our guest. If she wishes a private audience she may have it, same for you if you'd like to operate under our agreement in secrecy."

Elleon looked to Kai expectantly, waiting for her terms. Before she could respond, however, a soft knock came at the door. She beckoned the maidservant, Chevalle, with their tea tray to come in before directing him to provide a chair for Kai on the other side of her desk. She invited the pictomancer to sit as Chevalle poured their tea.

"Care for any, Az? Either of you hungry?"  

[AldrickZearse]

[Azrael: Paris: Beauvais Manor; Study]

Azrael smriked. Clean, was he? Well, that was obvious.. "Won't even know I'm here." And then he smirked a little wider as Chevalle entered. It gave him something to leer at, after all, but at least something also came with him.

"Mm, sure. I wouldn't mind. Food wouldn't be bad, either. Kinda starved, really." Az took his tea, shifting himself off to the side, quite out of the way, leaning against a wall and sipping at his tea. And then quietly watched the going-ons. And smirking. Lots of smirks.  

[Jeimuzu Kuro]

{James : Red Rose : Quarters -> En Route to Training Room}

'I'm in my room, I'll meet you on the way to the training room I guess,' he replied to Noelle and Kyle. His thoughts still containing a hint of a panic which he was trying to get rid of.

He sat up and focused on calming his breathing, slowing it down to calm himself down. His normal method for this was to take slow, deep breaths. However, in this scenario taking too deep of breaths caused that sharp ache in his chest. So he had to settle for more normal breaths. When he felt like had himself back under control he got out of his bed, his dress sphere materializing his normal attire, the top few buttons of his shirt undone to keep pressure off of the mark. He hoped he didn't run into anyone else in the hallway because he would have one hell of a time explaining the black mass on his chest.

He stepped out into the hallway and immediately began searching for the signs that Kyle mentioned would be able to lead him to training room. Thinking on their reactions, Kyle's in particular he felt a bit bad for the dragoon. He knew the dragoon had needed rest, and this was more than likely the last thing he had wanted. He continued to make his way closer to the core of the ship, following the signs and anticipating he would run into Noelle somewhere along the path. He was taking it slow, well slower than normal, though for most it was still a pretty fast walk, doing his best to keep his breathing calm. He noticed the slightest sensation of moving, and heard the rumbling of the engines, they were heading somewhere.

'I really hope this is the end of my problems with the darkness for awhile,' James thought to himself as he made his way along the corridors. 'Noticing these signs when I first boarded definitely would have made finding my way around here much easier.

He couldn't help but narrow his eyes almost as if glaring at the air as he heard what could have only been the bestial chuckle in the back of his mind from Fenrir. He finally came to a halt in front of a large hatched door that he could only assume was the training room and turned to look down the corridor he had come looking for Kyle and Noelle, not sure whether to go in or to wait for them.

'I'm outside,' he stated to Noelle and Kyle a slight hint of relief in his thoughts as he knew soon this would end.