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 Posted: Wed Nov 07, 2007 2:16 am
 (A private RP for Xanul and Yuffie. Only melodymh4 and Lady_Ourania may post. <3) It was a pretty normal day in the Mountain. Birds were chirping, the grass was green, the sky was blue...Everything seemed normal.
Well, not enough.
A black swirling portal appeared in the middle of the peaceful scene and the teen trudged out as it disappeared with a blink of the eye. Usually, he would have bounded, and there would be a cheery smile on his face as always.
A sigh escaped from his lips. He could pretend to be a happy over-energetic kitsu in front of his family; he didn't want them to worry after all. But inside, Xanul worried. About himself. About the full moon.
Ever since his monthly ailment had struck him and Ayako had explained what she had deducted, he was constantly in fear. He was afraid, afraid that Lune(That was what he called his Nobody side) would harm his family, harm his friends.
Ugh. Nobody would understand him.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:21 pm
 Yuffie had long ago decided that thieving solo, while entertaining in a flying by the seat of her pants kind of way, had its drawbacks. For instance, she could no longer drop down from a branch with a snide smirk and announce in tones of utmost import: "Okay, this thing you're experiencing right now? Yeah, it's a hold up; now gimme your valuables and make it snappy, 'cause surprise, genius! You're outnumbered!" She had come from a village of ninja where extra bodies had never been a problem, the only thing more important than being stealthy about stealing midnight snacks and making off with sacred artifacts to see which one bounced off a cliff-side more reliably being the idea of unity. She had always had something to fall back on - a friend, a relative, her own royal bloodline - and where that had once grated on the nerves of her independent streak, the proficient mugger found that she missed it to a degree.
That and the rain. If she had known she was going to end up high and dry on a mountaintop surrounded by brain dead animals attempting some chorale cacophony in the backdrop while the sky pulsed radiant blue, she would have tried to pilfer a rain cloud or two from home before she'd left.
The Kisaragi heir continued on her singular path, muttering about the merits of chasing down a chirpy bird just to lessen the factor of noise when she was met with an unusual visual. The portal appeared in a jagged arc of disturbed space, a paper-thin mass of black veined with purple that would have sent a creature possessing greater sense scurrying behind the nearest blockade of shrubbery for cover. The tomboyish mugger simply raised a raven brow, accustomed to the appearance of strange things stuck smack dab in the middle of uninteresting scenery. That and she had seen the trick pulled a couple of times before. Riku's main method of travel usually involved the old-fashioned effort of walking, but he had used the gateways more than once, and had subtly threatened on numerous occasions to toss her into one and seal it up for good.
The kitsusagi bounded forward without reservation, intent on greeting the mopey, silver-haired traveler using her customary method of welcome. It wasn't until she had worked up too much momentum to swerve out of the ramming head butt that Yuffie realized her mistake: dark, spiky hair and unconcealed amber eyes showing in pure defiance to her assumption. Not the one she had been expecting, not the leather-coated male who easily evaded her rambunctious salutations with alertness and preternatural speed.
Oh. Damn. She was going to crash right into him.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 8:30 pm
Xanul remembered what his mother had said when he was still a teen, and hyperactive to boot. 'Older means you should be more mature, Xanul.' She had warned, narrowing her turquoise eyes at him and emphasizing her point with a flick of her white ringed tails.
Well, now he was much, much older. Xanul hadn't realized that time had passed so quickly, that he was already an adult. That meant no pouncing on others, he would probably flatten them with his weight. Besides, he reserved the sociable side of him for family.
He really didn't want to hurt anyone, especially if Lune met them during the full moon. Xanul had been thinking, and when he voiced this, Ayako seemed surprised, but pleased as well, that her son was much more mature.
The kitsu was so lost in his thoughts that he almost didn't notice the other barreling right at him. 'Oh s**t.' Golden eyes blinked in confusion and before he knew what was happening, his reflexes took him out of his way.
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 9:12 pm
The thief's paws scrambled for a frantic second, claws digging into soil to halt her progress, knowing the restraining gesture would not slow her enough to successfully avoid giving him a rough bump in the ribs if not a genuine collision. She was saved from wondering which option reality would take when he leapt nimbly from her line of sight, a blur of color and a flash of silver before the path was clear and she was afforded time to decelerate. Her charcoal tails stirred dust as she used them to change her direction slightly, lithe muscle working overtime as she darted effortlessly up a nearby tree trunk, adrenaline and practice carrying her to a low-hanging branch before she stopped to take a sharp breath and think.
Whoa there. What the hell was that?
The limb wobbled slightly beneath her weight while her metallic eyes darted to pinpoint the other's location, annoyance plain on her features as she sought out the shape she'd hurtled toward after a case of mistaken identity. She knew of very few kitsusagi who could move at such rapid speeds with so little warning, most of them in the Emo Club where Riku paid for membership and took lessons for maximum angsting effect. She snorted in a very unladylike manner when she finally sighted him, certain that his appearance alone would have excluded him from the Society of Very, Very Depressing. He wasn't dressed in dark dyed leather for starters, and coat colors like canary yellow and sky blue simply weren't acceptable on the off-chance they made someone smile. She noted the silver slash she'd glimpsed before was a chain encircling his neck, one end dangling to give the impression of a snapped noose. Maybe this one was some wanna-be working up his reputation as a badass. He certainly had a long way to go.
"Yeah, definitely not Riku." She drawled with a lazy grin, not the least bit apologetic for almost braining herself on him. "How'd you learn that portal trick though? Can just anyone do that, or is it something that has to be inherited like defying gravity genes?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 9:26 pm
Golden eyes blinked in apparent confusion as he watched a dark blur zoom past. She's not gonna crash, is she? He wondered anxiously, curling his tails around each other. If she did, it was his fault. But she shouldn't have been careening at him in the first place...
Xanul's eyes followed the other as she rushed up the tree. Whew. He breathed a sigh of relief, letting go a whoosh of air he didn't know he had been holding. "Um...hey." He started, padding towards the tree and squinting up to catch a proper glimpse of the kitsu. "Are you okay?" Sure, he was supposed to avoid others, but still! He couldn't help showing concern, even to a perfect stranger. He supposed he couldn't suppress his true emotions. He would have to try harder. But what's done was done, right?
"Riku?" He blinked in surprise. He was acquainted with the blindfolded kitsu, but all he knew was that Riku had the Organization powers, and coat, even though he wasn't one of them. It had never been thoroughly explained why, as he hadn't really asked. "The portal? Oh, it's just a Nobody thing."
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:02 pm
Pot metal grey eyes danced with amusement as they tracked his progress, observing the hard lines of muscle in his legs while he approached the tree she'd claimed. "Do I look not-okay?" She called back, not bothering to return the hesitant hello, figuring the rudeness from before had served well enough. "You better answer that carefully too, pal. Insult a ninja's incredible good looks and she'll drop a rock on your head." Supposing she would have enough time to leap down and collect one before hopping back up and letting it fly. That also assumed that he would stand still during the process, and he'd already shown his impressive ability when it came to dodging.
"Mmhmm. Riku." She purred down at him, shifting a little to send a shower of brown and gold leaves in his direction. "Platinum hair, neato leather jacket, ridiculous blindfold. Has the whole 'woe is me' thing going for him and the world would probably implode if he laughed. You'll know him if you meet him, trust me." The runaway princess snickered a little at the final set of words, a certain irony held therein as she considered the shiny chain around his neck a little more thoroughly. It wasn't ugly, she supposed, just a teeny bit morbid if taken to resemble a hangman's halter. Not nearly as interesting as materia, but it wasn't like she was stumbling across crystallized spheres of mako on a regular basis.
Yuffie leaned forward with interest when the portal was mentioned, canting her head to the side at the given answer. "Is that supposed to be a joke? Nobody, No One, Nothing?" She thought about it for a moment, shrugging a little when she decided the ambiguous response didn't bother her. "So is your name Nobody then?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 10:48 pm
Xanul winced, flipping part of his dark fringe out of his eyes with a paw. "I mean, I didn't mean to...but well, if I didn't, you would crash into me and all and..." Ugh, he was babbling. Again. He really needed to stop that bad habit. The son of Saix and Ayako tossed a hesitant grin up at the ninja. "I didn't mean to insult you. Really." He protested, his black tails giving a small flick at his words.
The kitsu blinked, tossing his head to get rid of the leaves, especially one annoying one that had landed on his nose and was starting to tickle. He gave his body a shake to make sure they were all gone and not stuck to his fur. "Oh, I know him." He assured her. "About as grumpy and quiet as Dad, really." Then again, Riku and Saix had their differences.
"No!" It wasn't a joke! It was who he was, who his siblings was. And Dad and Uncle Xigbar. "See, when a person loses his heart, he becomes a Heartless. His body and soul, which is left behind, becomes a Nobody." It was the best he could explain, he didn't really understand the concept himself. "My name's Xanul." He ventured after a pause. "You?"
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Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 11:27 pm
The coy smirk on her mouth flourished into a toothy grin when his sputtering run-on became apparent, the ends of her bandana tangling with one of her ears as she twisted her body around to observe him from upside down, her neck craned back while the branch creaked unhappily with strain. She could see why Bryna found the altered view so appealing, it really did give a new dimension to the entire experience of meeting new people. "Yeah, I got that part." She replied, doubting the awkward male could have wounded her ego even if he had made a serious effort. He just didn't seem the type who could deliver verbal slaps without breaking down and begging for forgiveness mere seconds afterward. "And don't worry, my astounding beauty has reduced many a man to burbling excuses. I'm totally used to it."
Yuffie carefully aimed a free paw at another patch of dead leaves, hitting it to snap stems and let them flutter down just as the male had managed to rid himself of the last lot of dead foliage. "Your dad is like Riku? You poor b*****d..." Not that her father wasn't substantially worse with all his demands and expectations, but at least he didn't brood about anything and everything given half a chance.
She startled a little at his exclamation, a quick jerk of movement that made her perch groan a clear threat to her person if she continued. The clarification that followed hardly straightened out the misunderstanding, the thief a little stuck on the idea of someone losing their heart. How would that happen? Did it fall out of their mouths when they were talking to a pretty girl or terrified for some other reason? Or did it take the direct route and just burst in a bloody bulge of muscle and meat from their chests?
For all she knew, maybe something just took it without asking. He was being terribly unspecific.
"So you're leftovers?" She questioned, puzzled and still in no mood to be tactful. "Nobody leftovers with a funny name and a pretty necklace. I'm Kisaragi Yuffie, Xanul, and I'm the best damn shinobi you'll ever meet."
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 12:04 am
The kitsu cast a worried glance up at her, ears pricking up at the creaking of the branch. If she continued putting strain on the branch, well, it wasn't going to be a pretty sight. He could catch her with magic, but his mind couldn't seem the find the right spell. It was still full of worries about his family's predicament. Xanul laughed, trying to bite back a grin. It wasn't that he was insulting her; he honestly thought she was quite pretty, but wasn't she going a bit too far? Still, it was amusing.
He uttered a shocked soft cry as another bunch of leaves hit him. He gave his body a full shake, but some leaves still lingered on his light fur. "He's alright sometimes, I guess. He just...doesn't like to talk much." He was talking about Saix of course. No matter what, the Nobody was still family, and he would still stand by him. "Andd..." He shot another stare up the tree. "Shouldn't you come down from there?" Leave it to Xanul to be worried about a complete stranger.
"Uhhh...you come from a past life right?" A lot of people he knew did, his father, his grandparents and such. "Some stuff that happens in past lives, like magic, can't really be explained. I'm not very sure myself." He didn't add that it was because Saix never bothered to explain it. Ah, yes the name. "See, the name is an anagram of your past name and an x. In Daddy and the Organization's case, that is. They're all Nobodies." He offered her a shy grin. "Yuffie. That's a nice name. Uh...what's a shinobi?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 4:33 pm
"Hey, buddy, that snickering I hear better be in agreement." She shot down with a mock grouchiness, tails wiggling a little as she used her back legs to scoot carefully forward, trying to accommodate her unsteady branch. "If it isn't, I'll make good on that whole rock bit. And don't think I won't!" It wasn't like he would have been the first sap to wake up groggy and confused with a knot on his head and missing all the things he'd kept on his person. She was a princess in a foreign land, after all, and it was only right to make herself feel welcome by pinching anything that caught her eye.
Yuffie giggled when his objection to the leafy cascade reached her ears, pleased as she watched his unsuccessful efforts to remove them. Laugh at her claims to beauty, would he? Well then the Nobody could just be buried beneath reds and golds until she felt like looking at him again. "Riku is always full of suck," She replied flippantly, finding the simple insult suited the wanderer well enough. His concerned question only caused the girl to wave her paw in a clear show of disdain. "Well, gee, I dunno; shouldn't you mind your own business?"
Mention of a past life immediately regained her drifting attention, curious gaze falling to him once more. Godo had often mentioned reincarnation and the like, but she somehow doubted that was what Xanul was referring to. "I come from this life, and the only other language I speak besides Wutainese is Making Sense, and you aren't talking either." She replied, not intentionally aiming to be mean though that was what she appeared to be leaning toward. "If you aren't sure, then just forget it. It's hard to explain something you really don't know yourself."
The naming thing seemed fairly silly to her, but then a lot of what the Nobody had said to her hardly qualified as rational. She was about to comment on it when he complimented her name, a tactic that shut her up fairly quickly, instead resulting in a faint smile for his benefit. The surprisingly benign expression quickly turned to disbelief at the query, her head tilting enough to make her neck pop. "Seriously?" She replied flatly, the idea of someone not knowing so basic a title beyond her. But in all fairness, she hadn't known what a Nobody was either: still didn't, really. "Shinobi... it's like a master of wicked stealth techniques with rule-the-world skills and just... awesomeness." The pickpocket's brow furrowed, feeling her halting recital flop when it came to explaining just how utterly magnificent her people were, which meant she couldn't convey her own brilliance properly. Darn. "Look, it's not something you can put into words real well. It's like..."
What was it like? It was everything she loved, everything she aspired toward. It had been her goal since she was a child tripping over her kimono, listening to the women of the village cluck and whisper behind their decorative fans about "wasn't it a shame," and "not at all like her mother." It was disappointment early on and determination later, hurt childhood feelings coupled with prickly resolve to be like the woman who had given birth to her but died before leaving a solid impression. It was not wanting to be pitied, not wanting to be treated like some kind of victim. It was certain, resounding, and possessing of a thereness that was nearly tangible.
"It's like the color orange," She said finally, simply and a little proudly at having finally recovered her answer, no matter how obscure it presented to the male.
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Posted: Sun Nov 18, 2007 10:40 pm
"Oh, I wouldn't dare to disagree." The male shot back, chortling. He sat down, tails swishing as he continued to watch her with a wary glance. He quirked an eyebrow with a grin. "Ahhh, I think I remember a spell to do with blasting rocks apart." And that he did. He doubted that she would make her threat, but then again, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Xanul gave his whole body a little shake again, and a few leaves floated to the ground. He didn't answer her comment about Riku, well, he didn't know the other well enough to defend him. Or to know whether the insult was true. "Well, I wouldn't want to be responsible if you fall down and break your bones or something." He shrugged. He would most probably feel guilty about it, well, if it happened.
He hesitated. "I mean, Mother said Grandpa came from a past life. Meaning, he wasn't always like this." He gestured to himself. "He was a two-legger, or human, they said."
"Ahhh." It was probably hard for her to explain what a shinobi was, like he didn't really know how to explain what a Nobody really was. He did find the concept rather confusing, especially about the part where they lost their heart. "The color orange?" He blinked. That was...a pretty interesting way to describe something.
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Posted: Sat Nov 24, 2007 11:20 pm
"You better not." Yuffie advised gravely, a grin still threatening at the edges of her muzzle while she considered the other's laughter with one lazily closed eye. "Spell?" She puzzled over that, examining him closely for a heartbeat before replying with caustic cheerfulness. "Like some lame-o magician's trick or something? Come on, X-boy, you hardly look the type, and I can't be charmed that easily. You're gonna have to do more than smoke and mirror bullshit to impress a classy gal like myself." She might have winked just to trip him up even further, but was quite disappointed to realize that she'd had her other eye closed the entire time to display her sophisticated security in dangerous perches. Ah, well. Not everything could work out the way she envisioned. Just most things.
"Responsible?" She repeated, letting the grin blossom without reserve at that gem of a conversation starter. "What are you supposed to be? My dad? You're about thirty pounds too light and you don't have that pulsing vein in your head that makes it look like your cranium's about to explode... then again. Hey, say something like... 'Yuffie, you are a disgrace. Start acting seriously or no shuriken for you.'" Her voice had taken on a distinctly husky, mocking tone, silver eyes glittering with amusement.
The idea of walking on two legs was somehow both intriguing and appalling, her storm-grey gaze turning immediately to her feet so that she could wiggle her clawed toes in thought. "Human, huh?" She murmured, secretly wondering if Xanul had been huffing something semi-toxic when she wasn't looking. Kitsusagi were kitsusagi. They weren't anything else. Right?
"Yeah. Orange." She turned her stare back on him, expression defiant to counter the doubt she saw painted on his face. "It's a good analogy, one of the best. I could have been a philosopher, you know. I just chose kick-a** ninja skills instead." If he didn't get it, she wasn't about to clarify, mostly due to the fact that she really couldn't, but also because it would have killed the innate mystery.
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Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:10 am
"I won't, really." He promised with a flick of his ear. "Hey!" He sat up, a little miffed. This was his family's tradition she was insulting! "It isn't lame." He waved his willow wand up at her, the end pointing at her. He had spent a lot of time studying all forms of magic; actually his mother forced him to. "It's very useful, in fact. Incendio!" He pointed the wand at a tuft of grass, which immediately caught fire. Before it could spread however, Xanul directed another spell at the flames. "Aguamenti!" The jet of water drenched the previous spell in a short moment.
"And actually, there is a charm that will make the caster in control of your will." He grinned up at her, as though he was flirting, but winked. "Not that I would do that. My mom would kill me though." Yes, he was more of the mommy's boy.
"Heyyy. I'm a guy." Xanul shot back. "There's the chivalrous thing and what not. Besides, I'd feel really guilty. I mean, it's kinda my fault that you got up there? Not that I know why you tried to headbutt me of course." Black tails swished, sweeping off some leaves off his back. He snorted, shaking his head. "That guy must really care for you. I almost wish my dad would be as caring." He heaved a sigh, golden eyes mirroring sadness for a while. He did wish that Saix would show his children more concern.
"It's true." He shrugged. "You could ask my dad or grandparents. I suggest the latter though." He bit back a grin as she turned her stare on him. No use arguing over an analogy, even if he didn't understand it.
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Posted: Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:31 pm
His subdued yowl of protest caused a slightly condescending smirk to scrawl across her features, pleased that she could get a rise out of him with so little effort. "I think it's the definition of lame. No, really, pick up a dictionary sometime. It's listed and everything." She canted her head when he produced a piece of polished wood from seemingly nowhere, wondering at its presence and passingly annoyed that he was aiming its pointy business-end in her direction. What was he planning on doing? Tossing it at her for making fun of him and hoping it knocked her from her perch?
She kept to where she was, coolly eyeing his gestures right up until the moment the blades of grass were devoured by hungry tongues of orange flame. The ninja did not jump, no noise beyond Xanul's cry in some foreign language and the sudden, merry crackling of flames to disturb her balance, and neither enough to succeed. She crept forward, staring skeptically at the tiny fire and its subsequent extinction before drawing the accusing grey of her gaze back to the magician in question. "It's gotta be a trick." The thief mumbled, mulling for a moment before a more compelling alternative nearly made her leap down from her branch and physically shake the male until the secret spilled out of him. "Or elemental materia. You aren't hiding something from me, are you Xanny?" Though she was certain she'd never heard of any variety of the concentrated stuff that could allow the user control of another's consciousness. The wink was just the icing on the cake, and she felt her ego deflate even as her curiosity piqued.
The Kisaragi heir dropped down from her perch at the mention of chivalry, rolling her eyes a little even as she began to circle the Nobody, trying to catch some sight, some whiff of the mako-borne magic she sought. "Because I thought you were Riku. We've been over this already, pay attention." Her tone was light in spite of its patronizing content, amusement clear as she drew closer to him. "It's not so much that he cares as it is that he doesn't want me to embarrass him. You're better off than you think on the whole being ignored thing. But hey, I'd gladly swap you. Just say the word and it's done."
"Did someone maybe drop you on your head when you were a kit?" She questioned with concern that was only somewhat mocking, pausing in her scrutiny to sit down in front of him, mildly puzzled that she could find no hint of materia on his person. "And yeah, right, I'm totally going to go ask your grumpy pops or your ancient relatives if they once walked on two legs." Although, on second thought, that would be an excellent distraction tactic while she busily removed anything of value that they might have on them. At least she was getting something out of this discussion other than confusion-induced headaches.
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Posted: Sat Dec 22, 2007 10:06 pm
"I know where to get a dictionary." He shot back, a little annoyed that she thought magic could be lame, of all things. So maybe Swax thought the same...but she was his sister. And he was convinced she would find an use for her magic. "My grandfather has a huge library." Not that he would really go back and find a dictionary of course.
"It's magic." He protested, trying to find a way to make her believe it was true. "Xanny." He snorted and a laugh spilled out from the corners of his mouth. "Even my mom doesn't call me that." On further thought, no one he knew called him that. Kitsumi came close, but still. He struggled with his thoughts for a moment and after a slight pause, "Well. It's like the portals, you know.
He frowned. "And why were you trying to head butt Riku?" He said pointedly. He may have met the other only once, but he knew enough to realise that Riku wouldn't tolerate anything stupid did to him, including head butts. "Well, it's a form of caring." He muttered slightly, kicking at the burnt patch of grass with a paw. "And even if I was advanced enough to transfigure you into my guise and vice versa, my mother would know in a heartbeat."
"Did not." He objected, a small scowl appearing on his face. His mother wasn't that careless, really. "Andddd grandpa and grandma aren't ancient." He frowned. "Doesn't mean they're grandparents means they're old. Although..." He paused, then smirked slightly at the thought. " I'd like to see how dad reacts to being a grandfather...if it does happen."
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