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actoratheart Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 9:10 pm
Prison of the Worlds
Riku felt a little guilty at Greed's comment. He was trying to help, it wasn't fair to snap like that... "Sorry, it's just that that kinda hurt." He smiled a little at Greed, trying to make amends. If he was gonna be stuck here for a while, it was only going to make things worse if he was at odds with his cellmate, right?
He took the small contraption in his hands, cool metal meeting his fingertips. "What is this?" he asked as he booted it up.
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Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 12:32 pm
Prison of the Worlds
Greed eyed Riku over suspiciously before looking away and sighing dramatically. “I suppose I can forgive you considering your current situation.” The fluffy-haired Heartless turned back to the boy with a grin filled to the grim with humor. “You just need to lighten up like I said. Enjoy whatcha got until you can get more, right?
“And that…” The ex-Septsinian pointed to the device in Riku’s hands. “… Well…” He paused for a moment, thinking the question over again. “Actually, I just don’t know, at least not to the fullest extent. It is what we use to use the messaging system that you and all your friends love so very much. Each of the Septsinian had them, they just forgot to ask for mine.”
The Heartless punctuated his final statement with an even larger, toothy grin.
“By the way, when you’re done, I think I’d like to use that too.”
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actoratheart Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 1:35 am
Prison of the Worlds
Riku found himself smiling, still on a high from his conversation with Sora. "Feel like screwing with someone?" he asked, mind still with a brown-haired boy with an adorable blush. He was concerned for Seifer, but hoped it would work out without Kairi getting burned again. No need to have her more hurt than she already was. He was frustrated by Seifer's insistence that death was better, but...
"Your heart is my sky," he said under his breath as he walked over to Greed and surrendered the device. "Thanks, Greed. Thanks a lot." He smiled and moved away slightly, lowering himself gingerly to sit on the floor. He was really glad he'd had the chance to get on the network again and at least try to explain what had happened- and apologize. "Hey, Greed, you wouldn't have a knife on you by chance, right?" He wasn't hoping for anything, but it would make the idea he was having a little bit less painful.
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Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:37 pm
Prison of the Worlds
The journal closed with a click. The fans stopped whizzing and the small device cooled down. Greed waved a hand and darkness consumed it once again. He was finished what he needed to do. A grin of self-satisfaction was plastered all over his face. The fact that he got to speak to some others certainly helped his mood. That and his actions were in complete rebellion of Caesar. Oh he felt so good right now. Or at least as good as one could feel without a heart.
"Hey, Greed, you wouldn't have a knife on you by chance, right?"
The once-Number Three’s eyes widened in surprise. Now that he thought about it, his sword, Deception, was left in Radiant Garden. “No, it’s not with me. Why do you need something like that anyway?”
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actoratheart Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 6:48 pm
Prison of the Worlds
Slightly disappointed, but not surprised, Riku gave a noncommital shrug. "Nothin' important."
He settled back against the wall, unzipping his black shirt almost halfway before dragging one finger against the undone zipper, biting his lip and steeling himself against it. Pain intentionally caused like this was vastly different from pain in battle. In combat, the thrill of adrenaline dulled the pain until you could deal with it in detail, once your full attention was off staying alive and defeating your opponent. When he was intentionally cutting his finger with the zipper of his shirt, it wasn't like that. He felt at every movement the sharp teeth against his skin, and he shut his eyes until he felt a light trickle of blood, and exhaled in relief.
"Just this." He shifted his shirt aside and drew a small shape over where his heart should have been with his own blood, waiting a moment to let it dry even as he held the small cut closed until it stopped bleeding.
"So now you can't say you don't have a heart anymore... You have mine for the time being."
Riku smiled, then laughed, letting his shirt slip more closed again, the small red heart still visible somewhat. Ignoring Greed's presence as he was wrapped in his own world, he said aloud, his voice soft and gentle with emotion, "I won't forget, Sora. You'll be here with me just like I'm with you. I won't forget ever again."
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Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:46 pm
Prison of the Worlds
What the hell was wrong with this kid? Greed watched, obviously surprised, as Riku dug his zipper into his finger and drew a heart over his breast. The Heartless only goggled in curiosity before sighing and leaning back against the wall. If he was stuck in this cell with this kid for all eternity then he might as well get used to the charades of his.
"I won't forget, Sora. You'll be here with me just like I'm with you. I won't forget ever again."
“You mean the little Hotshot?” Greed asked before grinning mischievously. “I knew you two were more than just friends.”
His voice suddenly twisted in a mocking fashion. “Now are you just so ca-yoot!”
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actoratheart Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 2:17 am
Prison of the Worlds
Riku jumped a bit, brought out of his reverie by Greed's words. Had he really said that aloud? Oops.
"Hotshot-!" The words echoed awkardly in his mind. More than just friends. Oh, they were so past that point. But to hear it from someone else, a near-total stranger, in fact, made it embarrassing. Especially when his tone turned mocking and poking fun at him. He flushed a deep red.
"Yeah, so? Haven't you ever loved someone, Greed? Haven't you ever cared about so much you'd die for them, do anything for them even if it meant you had to actually hurt them, but you did it anyway? I don't care if I don't have my physical heart anymore, something's weird about me losing my heart here and I still have the emotions Xemnas claimed not to have. I still love him, end of story."
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 1:42 pm
Prison of the Worlds
Greed inspected Riku thoroughly before attempting to answer such a bizarre question. He shifted, finding a comfortable position, before responding.
“Listen, kid. I’ll spell this out plain and simple, okay? I am a Heartless. As you should know, I have no heart. With no heart I have no emotions. If I have no emotions, I cannot love which is the most powerful aspect of the heart. And quite frankly, I don’t know if I have ever loved before I became Greed. Unlike your little Organization friends, we Heartless don’t have memories of our previous lives. If you are really that curious, I suggest you go talk to Marluxia.”
Grumbling, Greed shifted again before continuing. “And whether you like it or not, you don’t have a heart. You’re as much of a Nobody as Xemnas was. My guess is that there has never been a Nobody or Heartless created with in Kingdom Hearts so that must’ve had some effect on your emotions.
“If you can feel and love, that means Xeryim can too.”
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actoratheart Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Oct 29, 2006 8:00 pm
Riku said nothing as Greed spoke, trying not to let the reminder of that empty sensation in his chest overwhelm him all over again. He leaned back against the wall of their cell, stretching out his legs and sighing, thinking over the Heartless’ words.
“Greed,” he said after a moment of quiet. “Do you think it would be possible to use that to our advantage? Could someone exploit the fact that Xeryim has real emotions? At least– if we told someone what you realized. Do you think it’s a useful thing to know? We know he can feel rage, apparently, at the least–” he rubbed his neck slightly, the bleeding now all but stopped where Xeryim’s chains had dug into his flesh. “Maybe there are other emotions someone could take advantage of– like sorrow, or remorse, or even love.”
He didn’t look at Greed, his eyes pinned on the opposite wall. “Any weapon’s a weapon to be used, if you ask me.”
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Posted: Mon Oct 30, 2006 7:04 pm
???
Within every person, soul, and being there was a core... there was a heart. The heart was naught but a mystery that even the wisest of men have yet to understand. It held the key to all the worlds and for each world, there too was a core and thus, a heart.
The heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts, was what tied each world and being together. It was the center and stability of all things. Thousands wished to harness its power, though only a handful of those aspirations were even close to being fulfilled. Intruders would burst into Kingdom Hearts, greedily taking a power that belonged to no one... save those whose very essence was Kingdom Hearts.
The center of all worlds.
The leader of this Kingdom that was lusted after by so many.
Vivax Inferous gazed steadily at the pale marble floor from a high, intricately carved seat. Atop the back of the seat was a silver heart adorned with a golden crown, identical to the one that rested delicately atop the King's head. The room was filled with utter silence leaving him to enjoy the company of his thoughts and no more.
He had managed to disband all assailants who dared to defy his rule through a power given to few. The power to fight and conquer. The power to lock and free.
The power of the Keyblade.
It was through the Keyblade that Vivax had saved Kingdom Hearts because, at that time, he had no power over his own kingdom. He had been stripped of all his powers and sealed away in the very center of Kingdom Hearts. And by whom? Six people who he could never forget. Six people who defied his will.
Ansem's apprentices led by Xehanort...
The studies on the Heartless, supervised by Ansem the Wise, did not go unnoticed in Kingdom Hearts. Vivax had spoken to a close friend of Ansem, King Mickey, and persuaded him to convince Ansem to stop such nonsense and discontinue his experiments. The six apprentices of Ansem, however, were far from pleased. They cast Ansem away and soon discovered Vivax's own presence in the disbanded experiments.
It was then they sought vengence.
Xehanort had spoken with his five followers, his five miscreants, and told them this: "We all have the power of the heart! Let us use it to our advantage! Our hearts are strong enough that we should still be able to control ourselves once we lose them and we can continue with our plans!"
They used the power of their hearts to seal Vivax away leaving the King of Kingdom Hearts helpless as the Nobodies and Heartless of these six men grew both more powerful and gathered other allies.
The Heartless soon appeared in Kingdom Hearts, many of which Vivax spoke to. None of these beings had any recollection of their previous life. All those memories remained with their Nobody counterparts. All save one: Xehanort's Heartless.
WIth these memories, he left the group and chose to take Kingdom Hearts for himself and by his own means through using the lesser Heartless and stealing the hearts of all other worlds. It was then Vivax used his remaining power to create the one thing that could stop this monster: The Keyblade.
But with the birth of the Keyblade was the birth of a dilemma: only the most powerful of hearts could wealed such a powerful weapon. It took years before Vivax had discovered a handful of worthy hearts. From these few he chose a young boy from Destiny Islands. He chose Sora.
While Sora kept Xehanort's Heartless at bay, the Nobodies of the six apprentices began gathering their own followers. Thus was the birth of Organization XIII. While the Organization XIII's power grew, Vivax chose to create a similar group: the Septsinian. He found the Heartless counterparts of the Nobodies Demyx, Zexion, Marluxia, Saix, Larxene, and Luxord and cast the others aside, finding them unable to handle a task of such magnitude as defending Kingdom Hearts.
Once Sora had defeated Xehanort's Heartless, the Organization XIII's power began to grow and take its own form with Xemnas as their leader. The saftey of Kingdom Hearts was once again threatened but again, it proved Vivax's choice in the Keyblade Bearer had been more than successful.
Sora and his friends' efforts were what slowly began to wear away the Organization XIII's power until they were such a small threat that even the Septsinian need not to be moblized.
Until Ansem the Wise appeared yet again.
With his technology, Ansem had destroyed the gateway to Kingdom Hearts and thus sent Kingdom Hearts into a convulsion. This convulsion, though damaging to the world itself, had set Vivax free once again.
It was then Vivax made his resolution: He would join the worlds together as they once were, many years ago, and rule each and every one through Kingdom Hearts. This way, the catstrophe of Ansem and his apprentices would not be repeated.
But then something very odd happened. Thirteen new hearts formed and were sent randomly amongst the worlds. Each of these hearts formed a new person, a person identical to the members of the Organization XIII.
This was naught but a mistake that Vivax would have to correct before he was able to fully initiate his plans. He had sent out the Septsinian to recapture the released hearts. This, however, proved to be a task too difficult for the Septsinian.
Luckily, another plan formed. He would not demolish these new hearts but instead use them to his advantage. Some in more ways than others. This new task was different and again, he felt the Septsinian would be able to handle it.
He was sorely mistaken.
His mistake proved to be grevious indeed. Two of the Septsinian were lost, though a more powerful asset was gained: Xeryim. But not all saw the Prince as an asset.
To Vivax's knowledge, some saw him as a threat. Slowly, the first of the Septsinian, Sloth, began to drift away. Both the traitorous acts of Greed and Vivax confiding in Xeryim instead had slow and harmful effects on Sloth's loyalty to the crown of Kingdom Hearts.
It was one of the many problems that were slowly arising.
Not only was Sloth becoming trifling, the Heartless that Vivax had pushed away were rumored have appeared, or so said Pride when he returned from the Pride Lands. Not only that, but Xeryim had become obsessed with the mistakenly created Heartless Aros.
There were too many wrenches being thrown into the gears of his plans... but of course there was more than his overall plan.
Vivax had yet to make his own moves in this growing game.
Moves that were to be set in motion only momentarily.
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Posted: Sun Nov 05, 2006 2:17 pm
The Chamber of Seven
He sat, arms folded, legs crossed, back slouched. Shadows filled in the spaces on his features, making them look drawn in, older, angry. Sloth was not one who liked to brood, a commonality he still shared with his counterpart. The latest events, however, had put the former "number one" in a sour mood. Sure, he had realized that sitting in this chair and looking angry was rather childish of him, but he didn't care.
Vivax probably didn't care either.
After all, the Caesar was too preoccupied with his new pet, Xeryim, to give a flying ******** about Sloth or even Pride. Nothing of import was divulged to him anymore. That wasn't what really peeved him though. The real thing that made him pissed off was Xeryim himself. Riku's counterpart was a total a*****e and really, he hoped Sora would nail him a good one.
Before then, though, Sloth was more than ready to put the wheels in motion. He was second place now, and the fact actually worked more for him than against. After all, Vivax wasn't really keeping that great of an eye on his movements like he had before. That meant he could pull the ace he had hiding up his sleeve.
There had been 13, narrowed down to 7.
Sloth was pulling much owed favors from those exiled 6. Vivax had not seen much use for them, but number one could. They would be an underhanded sleight. He didn't have the best cards in the deck in his hand, but he knew how to play them. It was all in the wrist, all in the technique. To him, it didn't matter if you had three aces and he only had one-- once the right cards were pulled, a royal flush could beat three of a kind any day.
And now he was starting to sound like Gluttony.
Time to stop thinking along those lines. Cloth rustled as the heartless shifted, mind going over the details of what he was about to try. Win or lose. For this, there was no middle ground. He'd either succeed wonderfully or be killed. This fact didn't bother him in the least. Everything lay on the six pieces he had left on the board. His queen was in hiding, the knights gone. Pawn, rooks, bishops and king remain. Almost trapped, but not quite. That queen would have to be moved at a risk, and it was slim that he'd make it out without a checkmate. Still, he went on playing against the timer.
Sloth always did consider himself a gambling man.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2006 7:21 pm
Prison of the Worlds
Xeryim opened the portal, laughing as the facade of Namine’s dear love dripped away, leaving the silver-haired god-among-Heartless in his place. He gave her the briefest of glances, barely registering her open-mouthed shock and stuttered protests. He did not release her arms, dragging her down the corridor toward Riku and Greed’s cell. As he entered, the tendrils of the doorway knitting together behind him, he tossed Namine unceremoniously on the ground, and kicked the silvery journal from Riku’s hands, snatching it out of the air with his chain. Riku jumped to his feet, about to grab it back, but he stopped when Xeryim’s other hand pressed against his chest, holding him back.
“What the hell is this? Why are you using this?” He squinted at it, turning it over in his hands. “This is the Septsinian’s contraption. How could you have–” He paused, realizing the answer, turning icy blue-green eyes on Greed. “Interesting.” He held it up in one hand, staring directly into Riku’s eyes as he crushed it between his fingers, shards of metal and plastic falling like raindrops onto the floor by his boot. “No more communication with the outside,” he said cruelly, smirking as Riku’s face fell, his only method of reaching Sora and the others obliterated and now mere gravel on the ground.
Xeryim glanced once at Namine, bowing his head politely and smiling cruelly before viciously elbowing Riku in the stomach, shifting one foot forward to reach, and the boy dropped like a stone, clutching his gut with a groan of agony. Xeryim grabbed his hair, yanking backward, forcing Riku to look up at him. “Sora will never know how much damage I do to you now, will he. You can’t tell him all the nasty things I do to you like you did last time. I remember his fury when he found out I’d merely cut your skin a bit and kicked you once. Imagine how angry he would be if he knew what I’m going to do this time.”
He picked Riku up by the collar of his jacket, walking a couple paces back and throwing Riku like a rag doll against the outer wall. Riku’s body smashed against the barrier and he slid to the floor, coughing on the ground as he struggled to catch his breath. Without letting him do so, Xeryim walked up to him, standing over him, his shadow covering Riku’s upper body. He grabbed the shoulder of his shirt, dragging him and propping him against the wall. When he knew Riku wouldn’t fall, he took a small step back, holding his hand out at chest height, his palm facing the ground.
“Remember this?” he asked, closing his eyes as he summoned Hope Destroyed, a dark light glowing around him, darkness rolling off him in waves. His chain waved in an unseen wind, slowly straightening out parallel to the floor, solidifying into the handle of his black keyblade.
Riku paled, scared. “Wh...what are you doing with that?”
Xeryim held it level with his head, point trained on Riku’s face. “I’m going to–” His eyes flicked downward, momentarily caught by a flash of dull maroon against the black of Riku’s mock-turtleneck shirt. He narrowed his eyes, reaching forward to pull the zipper down and figure out what it was he had seen. He pushed the cloth away with two fingers, seeing the heart drawn in blood on his Other’s chest. Two tracks, in fact, of two different individuals’ blood. He wasn’t quite sure how to explain it, but he felt anger building inside him at the sight of this pitiful replacement for Riku’s lost heart. Replacing his own presence in Riku’s life by substituting a pathetic drawn heart for him.
He raised Hope Destroyed, the handle and his hand nearly touching his ear, one hand braced against Riku’s other shoulder.
“Wh-what are you going to–”
Xeryim’s hand shot forward, plunging the point of the keyblade deep into the center of Riku’s “heart.” Riku cried out, pinned to the wall by the blade sticking out of his chest, but wanting so badly to slump to the floor and cradle his bleeding body. After an agonizingly long moment, Xeryim stepped away, viciously yanking the blade from Riku’s chest, watching scornfully as he slid to the floor, sobbing brokenly.
Xeryim said nothing, looking one final time at Namine before leaving the cell.
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Posted: Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:04 pm
Prison of the Worlds
Greed certainly was not a man of luck. Despite what had previously happened with the whole 'throw into prison thing', life wasn't that bad because hey, he had company right? And with the laptop, he could still communicate with the outside world.
But then again there was damn luck of his.
With the kindness of his nonexistent heart, Greed was willing to occasionally lend the laptop to Riku. If anything, it was entertaining to see what he and his little lover would do. Apparently, his and others' actions upset the dear Heartless Prince. In fact, Xeryim was so angry that he seemed to pay them a little visit. During this visit he also seemed to feel that he need to bring another guest: a young girl with blond hair and dressed in pure white. The girl associated with Organization XIII. Namine.
Roughly, Xeryim threw Namine to the ground and immediately turned to Riku, destroying both Greed's journal and Riku's body afterward. When all was said and done, the Prince left the three of them in the cell.
Silence swept over the trio for several minutes. Finally, Greed spoke up. "b*****d, isn't he?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:37 pm
Namine sat there, quiet and pulled her knees up to her chest, bowing her head as her only response to the question posed her. She was shaken. What had just happened? Who was that boy and why did he bring her here? Where was Roxas?
She looked up discreetly and lanced to her two cell companions, her insides feeling cold. "Riku..." she began. "Are you... alright?" Her voice was soft again. Soft in the way she used to think she spoke. Soft, and hesitant.
Of course he wasn't alright. But asking was all she could do.
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actoratheart Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Nov 27, 2006 1:00 am
Prison of the Worlds
For a long moment, Riku lay on the floor, weeping dry tears as he bent around his bruised stomach and bleeding chest. He barely registered Greed's comment as he shuddered against the ground. He shifted around just enough to let several fingers lock around the icy cool of Sora's necklace, trying harder than he'd ever tried to do anything to draw some kind of comfort from it. It didn't ease the ache in his gut or the dull throbbing of his still-bleeding chest wound, but it helped his mind relax just enough to be able to think more rationally about what was going on.
"Namine," he sighed, carefully moving only his head to look up at her. As he spoke his voice shook and stumbled with the effort it took to stifle the sheer physical pain welling up in him. "What are you doing here? Is Roxas okay?" After a moment he registered the rest of her remark. "You shouldn't be thinking about me, Namine. You should be more wary of what it is the King wants of you... there's no telling what he's had you brought here to do."
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