onepassingnight | Flip the Chessboard

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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

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.]

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[That apprehensive tug in the back of his mind, that unsettled feeling never leaves. But there's so much relief that it's easily forgotten. Brushed aside. Instead, he focuses on Roxas. He leans left, and then right as he inspects Roxas for anything out of place. And when his inspection finishes, and he flashes Roxas a bright (albeit a little embarrassed) smile.]

Oh uh... It's nothing. I thought something might be a little off, but I guess I was just imagining things!

[Roxas tilts his head, stares at him for a moment.]

[There's something foreign in his gaze, almost predatory.]

[But then it's gone, and Roxas smiles. One of those simple quirks of his lips that shows a true contentment, the ones he doesn't give out often, if at all. He shakes his head at Sora, as if he's amused, and holds out a hand for his Other to take.]

C'mon. I want to ask you something.

Edited 2011-10-04 14:01 (UTC)

[Careful.]

[Sora stops. Huh?]

[He doesn't know who or what is saying it. It's hard to even tell if it's a voice, or if it's just in his imagination. Either way, there's something curious in Roxas' gaze. Something Sora's never seen before.]

[Roxas...?]

[But he shakes his head. That's just silly. It's him. He can tell the real Roxas from all the other ones that he's met in his dreams, and this one is definitely his. So he reminds himself to relax, and it's easy to sweep away his concerns when Roxas is smiling like that.]

[It's easy for Sora to take his hand.]

Sure. What is it?

[No letting go now Sora.]

[Not now, or ever. Not even when you want to. Roxas' grasp is light, gentle, but it could easily turn into a vice grip backed by muscles Roxas seemingly doesn't have. For now though, Roxas remains as Roxas, looking thoughtfully away, gently leading Sora into a walk down the street, towards the place with their dreams merged together.]

I wanted to ask you if we could...try something. This place is just a dream, right?

[Deep breath. Timing. Practice. Picture perfect.]

I- um.

[He bites his lower lip. Squeezes Sora's hand, looks nervous. Lowers his voice quietly, making this between them, setting a bubble between Roxas' conscious and their conversation.]

[Roxas doesn't need to know yet.]

I want to know what it's like when we're...just you.

I want to merge with you.

[His mouth goes dry. He can't believe what he's hearing.]

R-Roxas!

[He takes a step back, shaking his head a little. He searches Roxas' expression for any indication that he's joking, or yanking his chain. He's gotta be.]

What're you talking about!?

Haven't you ever wondered if maybe, we're missing out?

[Roxas looks back at him solidly; he's not joking. When Sora takes a step back, he tightens his grip on the other's hand, just short of actually being painful. A...plead to stay?]

What if we are? Here...well, we can just try it out, right? It's not permanent.

...Please, Sora? I just... [He sighs, turning away, looking defeated.] I just wanted to see.

Maybe but... I'm happy with the way things are ... Aren't you?

[Roxas doesn't talk about it all that much, but that fear has always been present ever since they met. The fear that one day he'll disappear. That if he goes back to Sora, he won't exist. And suddenly, he wants to see what it feels like? What's going on?]

And even if this place is just a dream. This place is us.

What if we can't separate again?

[Roxas looks small, almost hurt.]

If it's our dream world, we can do whatever we want, right?

[He looks down at their hands, linked together. So, so close... letting go, he lets that hand fall to his side. Like he's disappointed.]

Don't you trust me?

[He reaches out, takes that hand in his. Why does it feel like he's about to lose something. And why can't he shake that feeling that something's not right.]

I do! more than anybody!

Then why can't you trust me that this is going to be okay?

[He's already lost it. Lost it to Vanitas, hiding in Roxas skin. Lost it to the darkness, the very same matter in which Roxas screams, and begs and pleads and yells, for anything. For Vanitas to let Sora go, for Sora to Go. It's. Already. Done.]

[Roxas smiles slightly.]

[Squeezes his hand.]

It'll be okay. One time, and then we'll never do it again, okay?

[He can't say no. He wants to because saying no means he doesn't trust Roxas. But how could he know for sure. For all that he wonders what it would be like, one mistake could mean something permanent.]

I've just... I've got a bad feeling about this. It doesn't feel right.

I don't know, Roxas...

I see how it is.

[Roxas calmly pulls himself from that hold, turning away, walking For a moment, just a moment-- it looks like Sora's about to watch him leave, again.]

[And then Vanitas laughs.]

Roxas will be alone forever, then.

[The sight of Roxas walking away, watching his back as he leaves; that's always been one of his nightmares. And he very nearly runs after him, until the eerie sound of derisive laughter reaches his ears. Roxas has never sounded like that. Ever. It brings a chill down his spine.]

What's going on?

[It's not him. Its his Roxas, but at the same time...]

Edited 2011-10-05 02:42 (UTC)

[Roxas turns, smiles. Wide and insane, dark and leering.]

[Stalking back to Sora as his form begins to change, writhing with darkness and shadows.]

You just wanted this the hard way.

[It doesn't even sound like Roxas anymore.]

But either way...

We'll merge either way.

[The boy who reaches him, takes hold of his shoulders, pushes him back into the wall-- that's not Roxas. It hardly even looks like him at all, yellow eyes gleaming, staring Sora down challengingly.]

[He does look like Sora, though. Frightfully, horrifyingly like Sora.]

C'mon, Sora. Your Other is waiting.

[A shake of his head, and a horrified step backwards as Roxas changes-- first that expression. And then his entire body just deteriorates into swirling darkness. When he finally emerges, Sora is looking into a mirror of himself, save for black and gold, tainted by the darkness.]

[And before he can even react, Vanitas surges forward, shoving Sora back against a wall. Vanitas is close, about as close as Sora ever wants to get. The panic rises up in one wave, his stomach twisting his heart skiping a beat; He's seen others that look like him before in dreams, but this is a whole world of chilling. He doesn't understand why he wants to 'merge' or how,' but it all just escalate until he teases, baits him about his other. And then Sora snaps.]

No! [It's an immediate reaction: He shuts his eyes and turns away just for a split second, the span of a terrified heartbeat, as he summons his keyblade and attempts to strike at his doppleganger with an underhanded swing.]

[Vanitas simply laughs at him and-- takes the hit. Stumbles into the blow slightly, all the while-- smiling. Always smiling.]

[That should be warning enough. There's still so much wrong with this, as wrong as the violent beating of Sora's heart. Vanitas can feel it, just like he had with Ventus. Just like he had with Roxas, right before it was all over.]

[And it's all over for Sora.]

Careful. You don't want to hurt Roxas, do you?

[He straightens, gesturing to his-- Roxas' body. Every reaction, every pound of Sora's heart; he's winning. Winning this round and every round before this, all the other dreamers just a teaser, practice for the main event.]

[Of course it would end with Sora. With Roxas crushed under his thumb, all he had to do was get his hands round that heart-- and everything was over.]

Roxas!?

[That doesn't make any sense. First he's talking to what feels like Roxas, and now he's looking at somebody who looks exactly like him. He's talking like... like Roxas is in there somewhere. And worse? He can feel it.]

[This whole situation just screams of poison of something tainted or stolen. The world around them shudders, wavers at the upset.]

[What the heck is going on!]

Where's Roxas!? What did you do!?

Edited 2011-10-05 03:39 (UTC)

[The dream shakes around them, and Vanitas simply smiles wider. That's it Sora, take your time. Get as upset as possible. Attack and try and hurt him. Give up and let him take you.]

[It makes no difference in the end, not when every road leads to exactly what he wants.]

Roxas is a part of me now, just like he wanted to be. Just like he wants you, too.

Can't you feel him? Calling to you...

[He leans in, as if he's sharing a desperate secret in the midst of a crowd.]

He wants you, Sora. To be with him.

[He looks horrified for a moment at those words. He doesn't know who this guy is, but he can feel the darkness rolling off of him in waves. He's the one who's tainting everything, took away his best friend. Anger flares in his heart, burning in his chest. Merging, he remembers. Is that what he did to Roxas?]

You're a liar...

Roxas never wanted to be a part of anybody! Especially not somebody like you-

Give him back!

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Flip the Chessboard

TONIGHT WE DINE IN HELL

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