http://vacationisalie.livejournal.com/ ([identity profile] vacationisalie.livejournal.com) wrote in [community profile] onepassingnight2011-10-04 08:12 pm

Flip the Chessboard

The closer you get to the light, the greater your shadow becomes.


[But perhaps in this case, it was different. Prosaic and memorable as those words may be, they don't hold true to this moment.]

The closer you get to the light, the slimmer the chance you'll survive.

Isn't that right, Roxas?

[A pause, and the boy laughs, cold and chilling, staring about the dream world once shared by two close individuals with extreme interest. Roxas screams in his mind, but it's oh so easy to simply block him out- he'd learned to do that years ago.]

[There was so much here, so much to ruin, so much to-- break.]

[So many people.]

[So little time.]

[Lips curl upwards into a cruel smile, and the illusion of Roxas simply lasts but a moment. Then it's gone, and a shadow stands in his wake. Solid, alive... and with a stark, chilling resemblance to Sora that Roxas has never held.]


Let's go have some fun.


[OOC: all replies will be made with the journal [livejournal.com profile] endinsentiment. The flip of the chessboard occurs in the opposite other being in play-- and Roxas falling under possession instead of Sora. Please be advised violence and character injury is liable to occur-- please let me know if character death is okay.]

[identity profile] curepotion.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 10:09 am (UTC)(link)
[ They're not tricks.

I keep living.

I keep in plain sight.

there are so many answers to that question, but Riku can't find one coming to his lips as he starts to back away just as calmly, keeping a calculated distance from Vanitas. his face seems perpetually stuck in a wince, a grit of teeth, clenched fingers. ]


You asked for specifics. I gave you specifics.

Don't ask for things you don't want.

[ gun gun gun gun gun gun where is a gun when he needs one-- ]

[identity profile] endinsentiment.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 10:42 am (UTC)(link)
Specifics.

[He hadn't expected Riku to know any. But of course-- this was the one Roxas was wary of. The one who knew too much, about past and presence and future--]

[The one who gave him that crack of fear in which to crawl into, until Roxas' body was his and his mind was long gone.]

[Vanitas' steps remain even, measured in pace and length. He's in no hurry to close the distance, after all. What could Riku really do? Run? Vanitas had plenty of ways to give chase that didn't involve moving his feet. Hide? Twilight Town was full of hidey holes and secret places-- and Roxas, Vanitas knew them all.]


Tell me something then.

Where's Roxas, Riku? [Yellow eyes watch his every move, soaking up the pain in his expression and posture.] Where is he?

[identity profile] curepotion.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 11:17 am (UTC)(link)
[ he can't stop focusing on his face. it's wrong.

it's so wrong, it's sickening, there's that innate feeling of being so horribly wrong that you can't even go back--he's not human, he can't be, there's too many things that ring wrong, those eyes, that drive to hurt, he didn't--

the question.

his pain subdues, and then as he thinks--

pain, that's a headache like he's never even thought of before.



R̴̖͙͇̻̪͍̗͚̼͚͖̩̜̥̤̯̤ͯͦ̍̿ͭ̀̓͋̓ͪ̑͛͆͋ͭ̆̏̚͠ ̶̀͐̂͑̇̉̇̏ͨ̎̀҉҉̖̹̮̟̤͕̗̺̩͉̲̞͎͕̺O͑ͫ͛͊͋̿̚͏̨͕̱̬̩̱̼͉̮͕̯̗̭̭̳̳ ̶̢̼̟͇͖̗͖͖͋̾͂͛́ͨ̀ͦͯ͘͢ͅͅͅX̴̸̞̩̪͍͔͓̪̩̘̤̱̩̝͔̹̙̰ͥ̇ͪͪ̓͊ͥ́͌̒͘͝ ̆̊ͬ̌͛͋ͤ͑ͦ̚̚҉҉̴̻͙̦̙͔͚̝̗̹̭̯̭͕̮͡ͅA̛̙͙̬̼̘̖ͦͬͫ͆ͤ͘͢ ͭ͐͌̽ͯ̒̒̐̒̆̍ͬ̿̽ͫ̓̈͠҉̩̬͓͖̘̱̩̤̯͔͖͍̤̞͔̯͔̲S̡̢̻̞͉̗͖̅̓̇͢͝͡ ͩ̌̂̍ͩ̂ͯ͏̖̮̺̤̺̪̺̣̞͔͘ ̢̦̬̰͖̱̠͕͙̞̲̆̈̾̂̄̋̚͜͢͝I̸̧͙̝̬̲̗̲̫͚̞̦̰̲͉͈̪̋̌̊͑ ̢̊̐̽̂̉̅͒ͧ͛̆̔̈ͦ̚͠͝҉̩̥̗̳͚͇̹̺̰̖͇̯̥͈͇̥̘̪ͅS̸̸̢͉̟̩̯̙ͫ͛̓̅̏ͭ̀̚͡




Į̸̤͍̲͉̦͚͉̼̹̞͈̗̬̠͚͕̹̊̄ͤ͒̿́ͅ ̧̛̲̳̥̪̩̘̱̞͓̘͚̖̩̺͇̈͑ͥ̈́͆ͮͣ̋̓̆̃͛̑̎̈̽͞S̳̝̺̗̤̩͕̟͙̬̦͚̩̈ͧ̎ͣ̎ͦ̅ͩ͐́͊ͣ͒ͭ͒ͮ̎͠͡



--a... ]
Agh--

I don't know. [ he hisses, obviously not pleased on not knowing. ] Somewhere.

[identity profile] endinsentiment.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 01:50 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmph.

[He failed. The odd thing about it is the spark of joy that lights up in Vanitas' face because of it, like he wanted him to. Like he was expecting it, hoping for it.]

Looks like you can't see everything after all.

[A laugh, short, clipped-- satisfied.]

How many people haven't you saved, Riku? The one thing you're good at-- and even then you're flawed.

[Flawed. Useless. Breakable. It's not Sora; it's not even anyone Roxas is close to, a person the blond almost hates, revolves negative feelings around like a cloud, even then-]

[He's still toy material.]

[identity profile] curepotion.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Everyone's flawed. No one's perfect.

I can still see things you can't.

[ and that's powerful. knowledge is dangerous, powerful, and Riku's well aware of that. ]

[identity profile] endinsentiment.livejournal.com 2011-10-04 11:48 pm (UTC)(link)
For now.

[A quiet, amused tsk. For all his foresight, Riku doesn't seem very aware of the danger he's currently in.]

We'll see how long that lasts; wouldn't want you to have an unfair advantage, now would we?

[And his pace quickens, closing the space between them quickly. He doesn't need to summon Void Gear for this, not when the shadows around them are alive with the Unversed.]

Let's see if we can get on even footing.

[identity profile] curepotion.livejournal.com 2011-10-05 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ no, he isn't. but then, there isn't much his foresight is letting him see, especially for the future, so he can't figure out a thing. he can't see his own future and he can't see Vanitas', it's fractured and--




T͂̍ͭ̓͢͞͏͓͎͓̞̼̮͎̝̞̣̺̱H̺̫̹̦̼̞̳̱̙͈̹̻̩̮ͮ̊͋͋̒͑̇̓́͟͠Ẹ̶̡̛̗̜̲͈͎̳̫̩̯ͬ͆̒̊ͤ͗ͥ̇̾̀͆͑͌ͤ̿ͅ ̢̛̽ͩ̈̃ͭ̂̎͑ͨ̀͏̠͓͚̠̝̘̘̞͔̝͈̤̟T̵̵͉̱̺̩̞̳̩͖̲̼̭̞̃̌͊͊̽ͨͣ̅͞ͅͅI̷̘͎̟͍̬͍̞̱͍̹͕ͮ̆͑̐͂̒̅̍͒̎ͩ̆̔̍̄̎ͤͫ́͝͞ͅͅM̱̞͓̮̔͛̊̓̌͗̉ͦ͐̀̀Ȩ̨̢̛̬̯̗̠̙̥̖͙͙̖̄̑̓̃ͯ̊̏̇̆̃͋͘ ̢̺̥͇̘̋̓ͤͮ̇͐̽ͩ͗́̓ͩ͘̕͜͡I̴͉̗̞̻̺̤̪͂̿͒̾̋͗̃S̷̛̬̣̙͓̝̭̯͖̩̞͇͍̟̻͂ͦͥ̄̃̀̚ͅͅ ̵̨̡̛̟͉̱͖̲͙̪͍̮̫͇̥͓̩̼͔̲ͣ͌͐̀̎̇̄̈́̓͋̽ͧ2͙̠̘̜ͬ̈́̎̌͂̐͘͞͞0͖̹̠͕̟͖̺̹͎͍̥̤̹͇͔̹̃ͣ̃ͪ̈́̒̈́ͤ̓ͥ͛̋̒̚͟͞͞ͅ:̶̵̧̣͍̜̝̄ͤͫ̋ͤ̈́͂̅͠͞1̢̧̡̖̘͈̠̰̟̱̤̩̖͉̫͇̭̫̻͍̖ͧ̎ͯ̍ͣ̊ͥ̽ͯ̿̓͋̅͋̒̅̎̀̚̚͢3̸̑͗ͧͣ̋̐͆̇̇̀̾͌̉ͪͫ̄͏̷͇̣͇̮̲̫̺̭̝͚̤̳̤͇̼͞
̷̸̢̬͉̳̟̭̮͇̘̜̊̓̓̑ͬ̅͟ͅͅ
̌ͯ́͆ͩ́͑͜͡҉̯̜̻͖̣͓̞̺͎̪͔̫̲̦͓̼͓ͅH̡̦̻͈̘̝̼̼̱̻̺̍ͬ͒͡ͅͅĖ͊̉͒҉̝̼̬̭̤͎̺̩͙̻̱̯̕͢͜ͅ ̶̡̮̙̫̠̯͇͋͒̅̕W̙̣̠̱̠͓͇̙̮̹̱ͫ̇̉̾ͪ̄ͯ́͜ͅI̾̅͒ͩ̂̈̆̈́́ͪ̑̀̄̓̍ͭͬͬ̽͏̛̯̥̤̠̱̣̣͍ͅ
̷̛̣̻̬͖̲̞̫̃̒̓ͤ̐̽̾̍͋̾̃̈ͦ̊͌ͭ̅̊͢
̨͔̭̜̱̫̼̹̫͍͚͐ͨ̍̒͆̇̌ͬ̓̄̓͑̄͆̌́ͅĻ̵̶͔͚̯͚̤̘̥̙̞̘̦̞̗̰͋̎̾̾̈́̀͆̑ͥͣͫ͢ͅͅL̖̯̤̲̤̘̥̤̳̹̇̈́̍̏ͯ͢͢͟
̴̲̘̖̯̯̱͕͔̟̝͉̲ͯ̒̓͌ͦͥ̂ͦͭ̆͑͡
͔̖̤͔̣͓̲͇͖̳̝̝͇̩̜̘͕̉̐͐̓ͧ̑ͤ͑ͤ͛̈͊̎́͐̀͞M̶̴̧̼͚̼͚͎̗̖̙͍̯̿̔̉ͭ̏̉͑ͥ̒͆̇̚͜͞ ̨͆̉͊͌̆ͯ͒͛ͦͭ̂̃͛ͪ͑ͤ̚҉̢̞̠̩̯̪̣̪̺̪͉͇͝͠A̴̶̯̳̺̱̣ͦ͊ͦ̒ͨͣ͐̕͡͝ͅ ̴̢͎̞͎̗̃́̅͆ͦͩ́
̴̠̻̘̣͓̮͎ͣ̄̎͊̈̌͛ͧͯ͐͞ͅͅ
̵̡̼͎͍̩͚̼͙̭͍͔ͮ̍̓ͭ̾̀́͋̌̐̌͛̃̐͌̚͟͡ͅI̴̢̡̱̮̩͍͚̤͚̹͉͇̝̩̖̼̘̦͔͙̅ͫ̔ͩͪ̒̅̌̋̋̾͗ͮͥ̏̌ ̷̳̟̜̙͙̥̻͈͓̦̦͚̟̤̠͚͙̒ͤ͌͑̓̅̄̿͝ͅ
̽ͫ̚͏̶̴̭̹̰̜̱͚͔͍̰̳͍̯͝
̸̧͔̜̟͚̺͔̦͚̥̱̘͈̹̲͓̲̣͙̏̏̆̕͢͠M̢̛͔̠̳͕͙͎̖̝̟͚̬̙̳̣̫̺͚ͭ̔̃̃̾͗̄͂ͩ̂̔́̚͞
̆͐͂́̑̒͂͒͆͑̊͡͠͏̟̣͕̯̬͓̤̖̺̤̖̜͈̠̙̙͠͝
̸̴̦͓̜̺̰͖̻̟̑͊ͧ͊̔ͮ͐̾̿̔̓͋͑̀͡͠Ẏ̯̟̩̼͎̟̮͍̱̞̥̺̥̝̠̭̾ͬ̽͟͠͝ ̨̲̥̺͈̬̝̉͑ͯ̑͊̆͂͌̈ͮ́͂̋͜Ò̶̹̩͍̠̩̲ͯ̐̒͐̇̇ͯͭ͛̃̀̾ͥ͗͒̀ ̤̳͚̗̬̻̘̳̈͛ͤͧ̏͗͒ͤ͑̑͝ͅȖ̸̢̩̥̭̱̭͇̌͛͆ͤ̅͝ ̷̪͙̫̦̗͈͚͎̣͔͍̱͕̤͕̣͆̈́ͤ͂ͩͩ̓̌̑̿̒̽́͢͠


damn it. blocking out his foresight is the best thing to do right now.

and that's when he notices him quickly closing the space.

s̊̆tͪ̇ụ̝̺̄ͅm̙̖̯̼̲͚̉b̍͆ͭ̇́̆l͕̠͙͍̰̯̎ͫ̓̓e̱͍͚̠̤,̘̪̳̼̱ͧ͂ͅ ̭̓̽s͍̩͎̝̻̭̼̓͒t̫͎̟̑ͨ̏̈́ͩ̓e͖͈̲̍p͎͇̠̣͓ ͉̰̘͚͕̲̫̃͐̓b͕͚͍̗̫̭̍̇̃͊̚̚a̺̬͎̭̻͎ͅc̜̘͍̲͂͋̚k̮̯̠̣̙͚ͧͯ͆͗̎,̲̫͖̟̠̺̑ͭͅ ͖̺̹̮̈́͊̀͛q̀ͪù̱͎̠̖̗̪i͇̳̼͚c̲̞͉̣k͇̳͕͚͚̠͚͊ͮͩ̎̓e͓̗̜̲̲n͖̳͐͐̂̓͛ͩ̿ ̮̫̜̺̰̝̫ͭ͗h̰͉̥̣̓̆̏͋̊̚ḯ̂͑s̑̈̂̄ ̗̣͕͉͓ͅf̖̄ó̲̜̘̣̺̺̋̔̇͑ͅȍ͈̞͓̣̠͇̅t̻̬̖̬͑͋ͤ̾̊̚s͉̺̖̫̹̅̀ͤͩͩ̎͒t̩͙̮̼̘ͨ͆͗e̬̗ͥ̇̆̊̓̽p̓ͅṡ͔̇ͧͯͫ̄̚ ̦͖̹ͮ̏̋a͚͇̱ͣ̍̉̑̂̚s̰̮͕̝̮ ̮͍͕̮͓̫̫͒̉̋͌̾ḣ̙͉̫̪̝̹͚ͥe̲̟̳͐ͭ̂ͪ ̼͕͕ͧͯ̎̍̌m̰͙̝̣͆̿͐͂̿ͅǒ̹͓̥̘̞̗̯̄͒v̯̜̣̑ͤͪͥ͒ͅé̦̯͇̲̏̔ͅs̲̓͐̓̆ͧ̆̒ ̟̑̇̿̉ͧ̓b̈̃a̓͑́͒͛͗c͐̊ͫ̄͂̚k̬̠̩̭̻͙ͬͅ,͓̲̻͔͚̻͕ͭ ̠̟̦̰̖̤̽͐́ͤ͋͛̚ď̉ͦ̊o͉̭̲n̪̓ͦ̏͌ͫ'̟̮̖̣͖̮ͅt͚͙̹̲̳͉̼ ̬̞̹͙̥̽̓ͯ͂̿̆ͣl̏̋͂̋́̀ͭe̊ṫ̻̫̠̬̰̬̤́ͨ ̬̪̹͔̖̯̏̆h͔̫ͥ͂ͭi̪̬͙ͨ́̓̂̑m̲̥͎̮̋͂ ̘̱̱̗̮̖ͯ͑̽t̜̝̰͕̄͌͐̉o͐͑ṷ̽͐ͤ͑ͧ̓̈cͣh̠̿ ͖̹̭̳͉y͉̺͉͎͋ͧͪ̿ͅȍ̯̜̍ͅu̱̼͖̝̠ͥ-͓̱͚-̙̱̹͕ ]


Don't think I--want to!

[identity profile] endinsentiment.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 09:57 am (UTC)(link)
Don't worry.

[Flood pour from the corners and alleyways, holding Riku still as Vanitas approaches. He eyes the other like some mildly interesting specimen, glancing down to his hand, flexing his fingers as the darkness comes to life on his palm.]

[Slowly, he reaches out, the calm tone of Vanitas' voice the only warning Riku will get before that hand is covering his eyes, darkness burning into all it touches.]


This is going to hurt you a lot more than it's going to hurt me.

[identity profile] curepotion.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 10:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ he tried to dream up a gun like he had in Zack's dream to no avail--and even if he had succeeded, the Floods were scrawling at his arms and keeping him still. he scowls at him as he approaches, until darkness flares in his hand. and suddenly, a spark of fear shows in his eyes, face growing slack. he twitches, he tries to force himself away, thrashing against the tight hold the monsters have on him.

it doesn't work and as darkness starts to flare and burn, Riku tries to hold his cries in his throat, gurgling down the yell into his chest the best he can, in a vain struggle. the pain is ultimately too much, and his will runs out; his voice grows hoarse and he knows the pain won't ebb.

he tries to breathe; it's still hard. ]

[identity profile] endinsentiment.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 09:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[Riku twists, and writhes-- screams. It's quite pathetic, how the darkness burns away his tears before they even get the chance to escape. He's seen what the darkness can do to a person's visage, thanks to Terra and Briag; this was no different.]

[When he takes his hand away, the darkness remains, dancing across burnt skin. The Unversed leave Riku to hold himself up, or to collapse on the ground at Vanitas' feet. Either way, the dark-- child, really, watches him with no compassion on his face.]


Feel better?

[identity profile] curepotion.livejournal.com 2011-10-09 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Riku's body falls forward, his arms catching himself at the exact moment before he hit the ground. his head is pounding, he feels dizzy, there's a whole round of vertigo pelting his body as he tries to adjust and he can't stop shaking.

but he stops his harsh breathing suddenly, and then a harsh laugh escapes his lips. ]


Yeah.

You made everything clearer.

[ not quite true; but with no background image, the timelines he sees are more vibrant and he can tell them apart with more ease. ]

Let's see who you really are.

[identity profile] endinsentiment.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
Oh?

[His eyes narrow, crouching down to grip Riku chin and roughly jerking it upwards.]

Well then, tell me. Tell me who I am right now.

[It doesn't matter what he does or doesn't know. Roxas' yelling gives insight into how close Riku really is to the end of his life.]

[ Don't-- leave him alo--]

[Fat chance.]
Edited 2011-10-10 00:12 (UTC)

[identity profile] curepotion.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 12:26 am (UTC)(link)
Vanitas. Half of Ventus.

Complete darkness.

[ the swarm of knowledge in his head is growing, and he finally brings up a shaky hand to thrust Vanitas' away. he'd be giving Vanitas a glare if he still had eyes, but the snarl on his face--the coy snarl on his face--certainly gives enough expression. ]

You've been alive for four years. But you died. In fear. In panic.

[identity profile] endinsentiment.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
[Vanitas bursts out laughing, wild and open. It doesn't give enough credit to how angry he actually is. Even Roxas goes silent at the feel, the very waves of fury rolling off Vanitas' heart.]

[Fear. Panic. Negative emotions, but nothing he ever wants to feel again. If Riku thinks he can just throw that into his face, he's dead. Wrong.]


You know, death is quite the experience. Want to try?

[He doesn't wait for a response, gripping Riku's shirt and throwing him to the side, down one of the dark alleyways covered in shadow. He's still expecting Sora's company-- it wouldn't do any good for him to see the body. Yet.]

I'll take that as a yes.

[identity profile] curepotion.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ his body aches, but he doesn't care. he knows what's coming; he can see it now. and as much as he's free to move--

he doesn't.

he's quite aware of what's going on.

and he's decided he doesn't quite care. ]


Why not. Hanging around a nutjob's getting boring.

[identity profile] endinsentiment.livejournal.com 2011-10-10 12:46 am (UTC)(link)
[What more is there to say? Vanitas summons Void Gear, stepping into the alleyway after Riku. He doesn't attempt to move away, or struggle-- for an eerie moment, Vanitas realizes Riku knows, and accepts what's coming to him.]

[...Pathetic.]

[Drawing the keyblade above his head, Vanitas wastes no time. As soon as it's up, he brings it down quickly.]


You can't hide from yourself, Riku.