Kingdom Hearts: Unwritten

[Saraibre Ryu]

Kaiden 'Ghost/Spectre'
Seeker, Undecided
Everlastia, Female Dorm, Kaiden's Old Room
ARPer's: @Sanctus

[All of Daisuke's part were written by Sanctus]

Kaiden only sighed. Sometimes it escaped her mind that she looked naturally intimidating when speaking in a straightforward fashion. She pushed her glasses back up on the bridge of her nose, putting her arms forward and holding either elbow in each of her hands. Time was not something she had as a necessity due to circumstances, but she needed answers and needed them quickly. The fact the stranger was honest about her being creepy she found interesting and yet redundant at the same time.

“Creepy? It can’t be that you did just state I was as of what I confirmed to be called around here…Though you wouldn’t be one if your heart really did stop.” She retorted, eyelids lowering a bit as if to say ‘really?’. “It’s a bit hypocritical to ask something that I’ve already given when you yourself seem incapable of it at this moment.”

The term ‘heart attack’ was a bit ironic in terms of those who associated themselves with Keyblades. Nevertheless, Kaiden needed to make this quick.

“Name, rank, and how did you get into this room?”

"Right... I did say you were a ghost. You got me. My name's Daisuke, though everyone calls me Die. D-I-E. I'm a mere apprentice. As for how I got into this room...? Well, I have a key and ordinarily you can just use one, kinda turn the nob, and doors open like that..." Die said, not wanting to rat out his friend Alabaster. "But what business do you have in Alabaster's room?"

Kaiden noted that this stranger was honest, and trying to be smart. Die? What kind of a nickname was that? Here she was being the one called Ghost and Spectre when this man seemed to just be asking for it. She wasn’t sure if the witty comment was something to be amused or annoyed by. She only raised an eye brow at him. Both became raised when she heard Alabaster’s name, and suddenly everything became much clearer. She brought a hand up to her nose again and furrowed her brow, sighing.

“Of course… Alabaster… This is not Alabaster’s room.” Kaiden claimed, removing her hand from her face. “This is my room. Is and was, I don’t use it often. Alabaster is not generous on details. I will suggest that you needed a place to store your literature?”

Kaiden knew which books were hers and which ones aren’t. Though memorizing every book you owned when most often they looked the same to others could have been considered an odd skill.

Die grabbed a clump of his hair with his left hand and started twisting it which constituted one of his thinking postures. Here he had gone out of his way to protect the moogle, but Alabaster had not so much as warned him that he might experience a sub-paranormal encounter. After he processed the irony briefly, he straightened his hair back up before it became knotted.

"Yeah... you know, I've been living in these small rooms for five years now. It can get a little crowded and I'm not very organized as it is. I really don't think I owe you an apology though, it's kind of Alabaster's fault," he said, grinning somewhat, as he began to tidy the fallen books. "I'll just ask, can I still keep my books here?"

Kaiden looked at Die for a moment and thought silently. She looked at the books and then at Die again. She concluded that his straight forwardness was not leaning on the annoying side of the spectrum. Alabaster was being his usual self and she would have a talk with him about it, after the meeting. She still had a bit of time left, and after scanning the rest of the room, she found nothing else was touched but the boy’s own belongings. She had ways of knowing there were to be snoops in her desks.

“It depends on what is done with the space granted, which I will need to rearrange in here. Either way, I will talk with Alabaster. You are to speak to me if you want entrance into this room from now on.” She told him. “After you’re finished Day, I’ll require you to make yourself absent as there are rules.”

After putting his books on the shelf Die turned back towards the thus far unnamed lady. He gave an informal bow of his head, his hands clasped together briefly, expressing his gratitude.

"I didn't actually catch your name. What should I call you?" Die asked.

Kaiden wasn't sure how to return his little bow, but acknowledged it regardless. As she was asked about what to be called, she turned and looked in her desk for the one object she came in here for: a small bracelet with a piece of clear quartz, polished and flawless wrapped in wire and tied together in soft cord. After making sure the magic was still fully functional within the object, she answered.

"You called me Ghost earlier. That seems to be a lingering name, so Ghost is fine. I do prefer Spectre a bit more, but either or will do." She calmly explained. "you best make yourself vacant before you run into any further unwanted consequences for your actions."

[Winter]

Kokoro Maimi and Kumori
Apprentices, Light
Everlastia, Keyblade Guild, Tree of Blessings
ARPers: @FedoraChar (?)

People were starting to leave the tree behind, Kokoro noted as other guild members drifted past herself and Kumori, who still hadn't let go of her. "...So your reaction earlier, Ku," she started, but was cut off as two things happened.

First, the shadow of a bird passed overhead.

Then Kumori jerked her to a halt as he promptly froze.

"Kumori?" Kokoro attempted to turn to look at him, but couldn't. His arms had become vices, holding her perfectly in place. "Kumori, Ku, talk to me," she insisted, "please, what's wrong?"

Unfortunately, Kumori couldn't hear her. Had Kokoro been able to see his face, she'd have known that immediately. Instead of his mind being focused on the outer world, it had turned inward, trying to contain the chaos that had completely exploded within. He didn't even know what had triggered it--he'd seen a flash of darkness as some kind of bird passed overhead, and then suddenly his mind was in shambles.

Something about that bird sang to his darker side, and it had reacted, attempting to claw its way to the surface to get closer to it. Kumori, on the other hand, was struggling to keep it at bay, a task that required his full concentration to remove every foothold it might be able to reach.

"Let. Me. OUT!" his darker half screamed within the confines of their shared mind. Kumori's entire body tensed so hard it trembled.

"...please, Ku, you're scaring me..." Kokoro's voice seemed to drift in like snatches of piano heard through a door across the hall.

"She'll be the first to go, I swear it," the voice hissed, however instead of making his control shatter, Kumori's resolve to keep the voice at bay strengthened. He couldn't let it out, couldn't let it hurt Kokoro.

But he also couldn't let Kokoro know what was going on.

[[Desolate Divine]]

Frago
Undecided Final Year Apprentice
Infirmary

"Geez some healer you are." I said, slightly annoyed, slightly relieved, "Telling patients you can't help them, especially when that is believable."

I dipped my finger in the solution and the ring soon dissolved away.

"As for not wearing metal to a fight him with, by that logic, lets just throw away my armour and keyblade, because if he wants to, he could bend them as well." I said as I rubbed my finger and shook my hand, trying to get some bloodflow, "So far nothing decent has come out of his metalbending."

[FedoraChar]

((Again, sorry for the delay, guys! ^^'))


Chase Owens
Dark, ex-Apprentice
Everlastia, Keyblade Guild, Tree of Blessings


He felt the darkness rise… and it was satisfying. So close to breaking out, so close, and yet… It was not time, yet. But perhaps, in the future…

Chase would very much like to see what would happen if that darkness was unleashed. For now, he was needed elsewhere. Turning direction, the crow flapped towards the Elder’s Tower.

He had been summoned.

_____


Celeste Piper
Light, Apprentice
Everlastia, Keyblade Guild, Healer’s Wing @Comatose


((OOC: Quick note, actually—I don’t think that Balt should actually be able to metal-bend keyblades (except for his own), because… I’m not actually sure what they’re made of xD))

The healer’s apprentice felt a sharp pang of anger at Frago’s response, irritated at the insult to her training. Somewhere in her mind, however, a part of her wondered why she was acting like this. It wasn’t as if Frago had done anything wrong—sure, he was arrogant and rude, but he was a patient just the same as anyone else who came into infirmary. As a healer, she was supposed to set aside differences and do her job. What was her problem?

Still, she wasn’t about to admit her faults. With a derisive snort, she said, “And here I thought you didn’t take anything seriously.”

Taking a deep breath, she said with forced civility (though still with a slight edge to her voice), “Balt can’t bend any keyblades other than his own, you know that…” Putting a cork back into the solution, she walked it back to her cabinet. “I’ve heard that there’s a world out there with a type of magic like metal-bending. The magicians there actually gain their powers from different types of metal—some allowing them to push and pull metal objects away or towards themselves. Because of that ability, the ordinary soldiers there avoid wearing any kind of metal, and fight with wooden canes instead of swords or guns.”

Turning back to Frago, she finished, “But that’s just what I heard. Now, about your shoul—”

The doors to the infirmary swung open with great force. Celeste glanced over to see a group of dark-clad Keyblade wielders storm down the aisle towards them, led by a man she quickly recognized as an Elder.

Stunned by their dramatic entrance, she remained frozen to the spot until the Elder reached her.

“E-elder Theron,” she finally stuttered out. “What…?”

The gray-haired man gave her a weary look. “How are they?”

She blinked. “Th-they?”

He sighed, but not impatiently. In a kinder tone, he asked, “Where is your Master?”

“He’s…” she started, glancing over her shoulder. The door to Siros’ study was open, and through it she could see a hustle of activity. But hadn’t the Master been…?

Following her gaze, Theron noticed the open door and headed towards it without another word, his group of soldiers following obediently. Celeste remained rooted in place, a sick feeling in her stomach. The Elders rarely had any reason to visit the Healer’s Wing. Not unless…

Frago forgotten, Celeste followed the Elder. Inside, she found her Master’s office completely rearranged. His desk and dummies had been shoved away to make room for a pair of cots. In one was a young man she did not recognize, terribly wounded and half-conscious. The other…

Her hand shot up to her mouth.

Embry.

_____


Rush Peterson
Light, Recruit
Everlastia, Courtyard @Winter

Rush walked dejectedly towards the Mess Hall, ignoring the sight of the Tree of Blessings the best he could. As he began putting distance between him and the other apprentices, a shadow passed over his head. A deep chill ran up his shoulders, and he looked up to see a crow flying overhead. Though apparently common in other worlds, the boy couldn’t help but think how strange they looked. Although something about this one…

He let his gaze drop, but as he did, he caught sight of the two students he had talked to earlier—and something was terribly wrong. The boy’s back was to him, but he could see the girl’s face… and she looked terrified.

An inner instinct kicked in, and Rush found himself racing back to the duo. He had no idea what he planned on doing; the girl had dismissed his earlier offer, and probably for good reason. Still, some part of him wouldn’t let him turn a blind eye to this. He had to something.

Reaching them, he could finally see the state of the boy—his body was tense, his eyes far away though fiercely concentrated. He held onto the girl tightly, so much that he had to be hurting her.

“Hey,” Without thinking, Rush jumped in and grabbed Kumori’s arm, ready to wrest it free from the girl. Immediately, an electric jolt through him—like what he had felt when he saw the Tree. His breath caught in throat, and he quickly released him.

What… what was that?

*******

Vanessa Garrick
Dark, Master
Everlastia, Dungeon Cell (Beneath the Elder’s Tower)
Affected RPers: Everyone, kinda xD


A vicious smile wormed its way onto her porcelain face, twisting its natural beauty into something both unnatural and enchanting. She had her back turned to the wall, away from the door that separated her from the rest of the Keyblade Guild. On either side, guards stood impassively by. All were Masters of notable rank, some that Vanessa had known years ago, but all did their best to ignore or avoid her attentions.

Vanessa knew, however, that they were greatly intimidated by her.

She happily kept this knowledge to herself as she tried to find a way to occupy herself. Quickly after that blasted Drysten had brought them back to Everlastia, the Elders saw fit to imprison the female Master in this dreary prison cell beneath their Tower. Here, she had remained, and would stay until some “emergency meeting” was called forth. Unwittingly, however, the Elders had sentenced her to an hour of complete boredom.

Truthfully, Vanessa was entirely capable of escaping. She wouldn’t even need to bat an eye to use her Dark powers to create a path out of these dingy accommodations. Yet she wasn’t quite done with her work here. Not yet. Besides, why would she miss out on an opportunity to say goodbye to her old teachers?

Heaving a sigh, Vanessa sat down on the miserably cold floor and folded her legs in front of her. Time probably would have gone by faster if she had some way to occupy herself while she waited. Too bad her guards weren’t interesting enough to talk to.

What was taking the blasted creature so long? He should know better than to keep her waiting, especially on an occasion like this. She hoped he wasn’t taking the time to grab a quick meal, as she knew plenty well it was lunchtime at the Guild. But then again… did that thing need to eat at all?

A flicker of movement out of the corner of her eye gave her pause. She turned in time to see a vermin crawl into her cell from a hole in the corner. Twitching its long whiskers, it looked up at her forlornly with beady eyes.

Vanessa couldn’t help but curl her lip in disgust. Did he have to come to her in that repulsive form? Though she admitted that Chase’s shape-shifting abilities were useful, she could never understand why he had chosen such a… distasteful appearance. Rats, as far as she was concerned, were the most vile creatures to ever grace the cosmos.

Well, at least he was finally here.

Fighting back the impulse to cringe, Vanessa turned to the guards and raised a hand. She grinned as she saw them tighten their hold on their precious Keyblades, but after she uttered one word—“Sleep”—their eyes glazed over and their weapons disappeared in a weak flash of light. With another wave of her hand, a barrier of writhing shadows blocked their side of the door, ensuring that no one would interfere with her private meeting.

When she turned back around, she wasn’t surprised to see that the rat had been replaced with a pale nineteen-year-old. A dark leather jacket decorated with silver studs and spikes hung over his thin frame, a complete fashion disaster in Vanessa’s humble opinion. If she had been in any other situation, she would have been loath to work with the boy, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

“About time you showed up, Mr. Owens,” the raven-haired woman patted her hands together as if shaking them of dust. “I was absolutely bored to tears down here.”

Chase dipped his head in acknowledgement, but said nothing in return. He waited patiently for the Master to continue, not looking particularly interested or disinterested for the reasons of his summoning. Vanessa frowned inwardly, wondering to herself if there was some way to unlock those lips which were usually sealed so tightly. The Keyblade could unlock many a great thing, but it seemed unfortunate that it could not unlock the secret to Chase’s speech.

“Well, let’s cut to the chase, then,” she cleared her throat, ignoring the pun she had unintentionally made. With another wave of her arm, darkness boiled up from the ground, solidifying to the point that Vanessa could sit on it like a queen on a throne of shadows. Crossing her legs one over the other, she continued, “You’re probably wondering how I got here—no, I take that back. You’re probably not, actually, but I’m going to tell you why anyway. I may or may not have been a little careless in the last world I visited, so when it became clear that I could not keep my cover any longer, I decided to perform an assortment of… experiments.”

Vanessa grinned impishly as she snapped her fingers. In an instant, her Keyblade appeared with the air around it cackling as if charged with electricity. Its blackened edges gleamed with a purple sheen, illuminated by the glowing sphere imbedded in the end of the blade. If Chase was surprised by its altered shape, he didn’t show it. However, he seemed to stare at it with curiosity—if the look could be taken for curiosity.

Vanessa waited to see if he would venture a question, but when she could no longer contain herself, she explained, “You are looking at a very rare Keyblade, Chase; one that needs special… requirements in order to create.”

She ran her finger down the shaft, towards the teeth that encased the sphere. It might have been her imagination, but she could faintly hear a muffled scream. A familiar scream—the very same one that she must have heard earlier that day. The raven-haired woman chuckled.

“I’ve decided to name it ‘Hope’s Destruction’, for now. It’s got a pleasant ring to it, wouldn’t you agree?” she held it out proudly, talking more to herself now than to Chase. “At any rate, this Keyblade gives me some unique powers which I think will be most useful for our cause… Though it seems that I will be unable to operate within the Guild anymore, given the circumstances of its forging.”

Chase cocked his head in an almost animal-like motion, though he still didn’t offer any questions.

Vanessa continued, practically talking to herself at this point, “I might have gotten away with it, were it not for that dratted pet of the Elders’. As soon as lunch is over, they’ll have me examined in court, but I don’t intend to stay much longer than the trial. But I’ll warn you now—I will be testing this weapon before I leave, and I expect it shall leave the Guild in chaos. You and the other Darklings might want to lie low for a while.”

“So you’re running away,” Chase finally spoke, his breathy voice catching Vanessa off guard. She blinked at him in surprise, though the young man remained oddly vacant.

She finally allowed herself a scoffing laugh. “Running away? What do you take me for? Of course I am not running away. I simply need time away to revise my tactics. Getting caught certainly put a stickler in our plans, but I still expect them to move forward. Which brings me to back to the reason I summoned you.”

Vanessa snapped her fingers again. Hope’s Destruction disappeared into thin air, replaced by something square and blocky wrapped in a silky-black material. With a sly smile, she snagged the item from the air and passed it to Chase. He stared at her a moment before accepting the package, but once he took it in his hands, he unraveled the silk.

“The Circle gave this to me as an assignment, but seeing as I will no longer be able to, would you be a dear and pass it along to Master Kain?”

Chase studied the object. It was a book, plain by any other standards, yet by the weight and thick binding he understood its nature. He was holding a World Book.

“The plan remains unchanged,” Vanessa told him. “Continue the work you are doing. Now you better get going, Mr. Owens. I can’t hold this spell for too long without drawing unwanted attention.”

His eyes flickered back to her, and he nodded. With a flurry of shadows, he skittered away in his rodent form, leaving a grinning Vanessa to her design.

[Winter]

Kokoro Maimi and Kumori
Apprentices, Light
Everlastia, Keyblade Guild, Courtyard
ARPers: @FedoraChar

"Hey," Kokoro heard someone start, and she turned her head in time to see the boy from earlier reach out to touch Kumori. She opened her mouth to warn the boy not to do so, but it was too late--as he came into contact with her partner, Kokoro saw the boy's face change a moment before he practically jerked away. Kokoro winced--this was the last thing she needed right now, it was the last thing Kumori needed right now.

"Don't touch him again," she said, and she hated how sharp the words came out, particularly since the boy didn't seem keen on touching Kumori again anyway, but she couldn't take the risk. Instead, she went for the last trick up her sleeves.

Usually, she didn't need to use it, Kumori had rarely become that far gone. Initially, she'd unknowingly discovered the trick some years back, when he'd had a particularly bad night sleeping. Upon coming to Masters Xin and Xaya, the two had been surprised she had managed it, but quickly seemed to become convinced it only made their decision to take on both of them worth it. Something about transfers and bonds, but that was almost every lesson Xin and Xaya taught them. They were to be opposite halves of a whole, reliant on each other because they were much stronger together than they could ever be apart.

Forcing herself to stop panicking, Kokoro let out a deep breath before trying to release the tension from her body. Kumori still held onto her silently, arms holding her in place. Wherever his mind had gone, it was clearly far away if he hadn't responded to her. She tried not to let this worry her. Instead, she focused on memories--old, good memories, memories made before everything in the world had gone wrong--and she focused on hope and kindness.

All Kumori knew was that one minute he was battling his inner demon, and the next it was hissing and withdrawing its hold over him. "One day, one day," it whispered as it went, "and she'll be the first to go."

But not today, Kumori thought in reply, returning his thoughts outward. He came back to himself with a jerk and a gasp, as though he had been holding his breath the entire time, and realized immediately he had trapped Kokoro in his arms. He let go and stepped away quickly, ducking his head and practically whimpering an apology. Of course, he quickly noticed two pairs of shoes in front of him instead of one.

They had had an audience.

He shifted closer to Kokoro again--he vaguely recognized the boy, possibly as the one that had run into he and Kokoro not to long before, but his memory of the meeting was fuzzy, except for the feel of the girl's hands on his jacket. "...I..." he started slowly, but Kokoro shook her head.

"Try not to wander so far away that I have to call you back," his partner told him softly, though there was no anger there, only worry. Kokoro may not have known what was going on entirely, he was too afraid to tell her, however she did know that sometimes his mind wandered in strange places, and those places were far from safe. Sometimes he came back as someone else if they weren't careful, and that someone else wasn't very nice.

"I always do. I don't know what happened that time... One minute I was just worried, and the next... I don't know." Kumori shook his head, biting his lip. He knew he couldn't lie to Kokoro, but it seemed Truth Seeker permitted not telling the entire truth, so long as what you said was the truth.

Glancing around, Kokoro noticed that people had gathered, and she took Kumori's arm before turning her attention to the boy. "You should probably come with us," she told him quietly before starting to tug Kumori towards the boy's dorm again.

Synna Bard (and Master Astrid Kain)
Dark, Apprentice
Everlastia, Keyblade Guild, Underground Training Space
ARPers: @FedoraChar (?)

Another snap rang through the dimness of the training space, and Synna fought back the urge to swear as more shadow constructs stepped into the ring. A glance up told her Master Astrid wasn't even looking at her now--they had been at this for days. Synna still didn't know what she was supposed to be accomplishing, other than mowing them down as quickly as possible.

The Elders or any other Master would have had a fit if they had seen Astrid's personal training space. She claimed it had once been a storage space, however it had been cleared at her request because of her Apprentice's knack for fire magic. After all, no one wanted the forest burnt down in an accident, and she wanted a personal place to train. At least, that was what she told the Elders. As such, it sported stone walls and floors, as well as a single metal storm door set in the ceiling for entry and exit. When training, that door remained closed and locked. Master Astrid claimed she had spells set to alert her of someone's approach as well, but Synna wasn't entirely sure about the truth behind that one. The only thing in the room that appeared to suggest it was used for training was what appeared to be a large chalk circle. What it was actually made of, or supposed to do, she still didn't know.

The light in the room was provided by a few balls of electricity hovering near the ceiling, courtesy of Master Astrid. She had tried having Synna provide the light in the room, but the flames she produced had a tendency to go out while her thoughts were focused on fighting--there had even been a few occasions in which she had subconsciously tried to use them as weapons. Eventually the other woman had taken it upon herself to provide the room's lighting instead. As such, the space seemed to be filled with flickering and pulsing that Synna still hadn't entirely gotten used to. This fact was pushed to the side as one of the six constructs that had been summoned lunged for her.

Synna tightened her grip on Grimoire before lunging as well, meeting the creature with ease. She was tired from the last round, but refused to show it--she had to prove that Master Astrid hadn't made a mistake in choosing her as an Apprentice, that she could be the best.

She didn't even get a second blow before the construct she had been fighting and the five others disappeared. "What--" she started, but she was interrupted.

"Aero," the other woman whispered, and the circle on the floor disappeared as a strong wind tore through the room. Only when this was done did she provide an explanation. "Drill through fire magic, from basic Fira techniques to more complex Firaga techniques. Something tells me we are due a visitor soon, and it's nearing the end of lunch anyway. Our little friend who caused the the incident with the tree is going on trial."

So that was what that other Master had pulled Master Astrid aside to tell her earlier--they had been waiting by her training room door when they got there, but that was a small detail compared to what Master Astrid had just told her. Another dark wielder was going on trial--this was what happened when you got caught. Synna gave her a nod before starting up a battle with imaginary enemies, summoning up fire to defeat a good many of them.

This was just getting more and more interesting.

[[Desolate Divine]]

Baltiaire
Light Final Year Apprentice
Infirmary
Affected RPers: @FedoraChar

After finding myself bored in the mess hall, I decided to visit the infirmary and see how Celeste was doing, as well as to bask in my victory over Frago. I made my way to the infirmary and saw the usual. Sick and injured people. Over one end, I saw my brother sitting on one of the benches shirtless. The ring was gone, but his shoulder still was dislocated. Celeste was nowhere to be seen.

I walked over to Frago, who didn't look very pleased to see me. As I got closer, I saw what he was doing. He was trying to put his shoulder back into place, however every time he felt a bit of pain he would pull back. I walked over to him. The chance to justifiably put him into a little bit of pain was too rare to let slip by.

"Think quick." I said to him. Before he could respond, I grabbed his arm and pulled it back into place. I felt it click as Frago screamed.

"F***!" Frago screamed, before punching me with his now properly located arm.

"You're welcome." I replied, "Anyway, where is Celeste?"

"In the office." Frago replied shortly, "She went in there after she almost had me melt the ring off my finger."

I couldn't help but laugh. "Only you would think to melt a ring off your own finger."

Out of habit, I checked my watch. It was one of a kind from an inventor in Ba Sing Se. Instead of the time, it showed which day of the Lunar Cycle it was, making it perfect for tracking the date. I usually checked it frequently. However today was different. 23rd day of the second month of summer. Though my world didn't use the same dating system as here, the watch made it possible to track the date back home.

"Today is it." I said solemnly, "The day Mum and Dad died."

Frago suddenly turned silent. I knew that it would hit him hard. Him and Dad were especially close, both being Firebenders.

"Just thought you should know." I said quietly. Any cockiness I had from beating him was now gone.

"No, it's fine." Frago said, "When was the last time we visited them?"

"Hell, I can't even remember." I replied, "Now would be a good time to visit, if the world books weren't off limits. What the hell is even going on with the Tree of Blessings anyway?"

"I don't know. But I reckon we can get a World Book if we tried. Off limits just means that we can't go about it normally." Frago said, "Leave it to me."

Before I could say anything, Frago jumped up, grabbing his shirt, and walked towards the door.

"Don't do anything stupid." I said, knowing that he wouldn't listen. Truth be told, I was kind of hoping he would do something stupid. At least if he did, we could go visit. I knew that it was somewhat stupid of me to want to do it, but I couldn't help but feel bad at how long it had been since we visited their graves.

I sat on one of the chairs, as I waited for Celeste, trying to listen in to the commotion in the office.

[FedoraChar]

Rush Peterson
Light, Recruit
Everlastia, Courtyard @Winter



Rush was still trying to figure out what happened when the girl sharply reprimanded him. He flinched at her words, though felt more confused than ever. What had he done wrong? What was even going on between these two? Baffled as he was, he could only watch on in dumbfounded silence as the girl held on to the boy, taking a deep breath and concentrating hard on him.

In time, the boy seemed to snap out of whatever spell had seized him. Seeming to realize what he was doing, the boy released the girl and took a step backwards. The two muttered an exchange Rush didn’t really follow, though the girl spoke gently—not at all scared or angry.

To Rush’s surprise, the girl turned back to him and said, “You should probably come with us.”

He blinked a few times before realizing that others had been looking on. Lunch was coming to a conclusion, and many students were wandering into the courtyard while their Masters gathered for the trial. Feeling a bit embaressed (and still a heck of a lot confused), he obediently followed after—not really knowing what else to do. Still, walking awkwardly beside the duo, he felt as if he should say something. Problem was, he didn’t know whether he should apologize or what.

Eventually, he stuttered out, “I… I thought he was…”

He couldn’t quite bring himself to finish: I thought he was going to hurt you.




Chase Owens
Dark, ex-Apprentice
Everlastia, Underground @Winter

It pleased Chase to remain in rodent form. Not only was it convenient for slipping into the secret passages of the Guild’s underground, it made him nearly invisible. Most would overlook his inconsequential size; others wouldn’t think to give a vermin a passing glance. None would think that a rat would be watching and listening to everything he did.

It was in this small form that the shadows welcomed him most.

Granted, there were a few small spells that even a rat couldn’t slip past—and Master Kain had a few of these up and around her secret training facility. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to knock.

Slipping into the room the way only vermin would know, Chase fell from the ceiling onto the floor, landing as a man. The shadowy fallout from his transformation billowed out from his body like a cloud of smoke, snuffing out Synna’s last fire spell.

Chase straightened, looking across the room at Master Kain without saying a word.



Celeste Piper
Light, Apprentice
Everlastia, Infirmary @Comatose


Embry. Celeste couldn’t believe it. Here was one of her friends—one of the first she had ever met in the guild. Despite being younger, the dark-haired girl was a capable Keyblader, being skilled in magic with a profound sensitivity to light and darkness. Celeste hadn’t seen much of her since she became apprenticed to Master Siros, though they had a brief conversation just the other day. Embry had been chosen for a keyhole quest, and she was supposed to be exploring a new world with her Master, Vanessa, and a fledgling Master.

She had been happy—excited, even.

“What… what happened?” Celeste stuttered out.

The others in Siros’ office finally took note of her, glancing up with startled expressions. Siros, however, looked irritated.

“Celeste,” he growled with forced patience. “Leave this office immediately.”

She shook her head, “No, I—”

“You’re too close to this situation, Celeste. You have a history of letting your emotions interfere with your work. I will not have you in here. Leave, now.”

“But she’s my friend!” Celeste raised her voice. “I can—”

“Celeste Piper,” a soft voice interrupted her. She turned to see the gray face of Elder Theron staring at her solemnly. “You should listen to your Master. This is a matter that concerns the Council.”

Celeste was shaking now, her horror completely replaced by anger. “She’s my friend,” she reaffirmed, tone flat. “I have a right to know what happened to her.”

“You are an Apprentice,” Siros scowled right back at her, “and if you do not listen to your Master’s orders, you will be subject to disciplinary measures.”

The healer’s apprentice opened her mouth, but a hand on her shoulder cut her off. She looked up to see one of the black-cloaks holding her firmly. Though he said nothing, the look in his eyes told her that he would intervene, if he had to. Celeste wrested herself from his grip, but stayed in place, giving the inpatients another glance. Looking over the young man’s injuries, she finally noticed the tell-tale signs: his wounds were caused by dark magic.

“You are dismissed for the rest of the day,” said Siros.

She shot a glare in her Master’s direction. Turning on her heels, she made to leave, though the black-cloak had one last word with her:

“Tell no one what you saw here,” his deep voice echoed out from beneath his hood.

Celeste shook him off again, her sharp-as-knives glare never faltering. Slamming the door behind her, she stormed out of the office into the quiet infirmary. Halfway down the aisle, she stopped—and let out a scream of frustration, hardly realizing that someone else was still there.

[Winter]

Kokoro Maimi and Kumori
Apprentices, Light
Everlastia, Keyblade Guild, Courtyard
ARPers: @FedoraChar

“I… I thought he was…” Kokoro heard the boy speak up, and Kumori stiffened. Clearly the boy was embarrassed, however he didn't need to say everything. His earlier actions and tone now made it clear.

"I would never," Kumori started quietly, but the words were surprisingly resolute, "hurt Kokoro." In the back of his head, his other half chuckled.

"But I would," he flinched at the mental words, and Kokoro shot him a look of concern.

"I'm sure it looked questionable," Kokoro replied, looking back at Rush, "but Kumori..." The girl stopped, shaking her head before looking back to her partner. "We all have our demons. Kumori's like to torment him more than most, but we're old friends. I'm used to it, and I know he wouldn't hurt me." The boy stumbled but caught himself before he could fall. Kokoro shot him another look, but Kumori gave her a shy smile.

"You always were better with words than I was," he answered. Kokoro laughed in reply before looking to Rush again.

"We're not...normal. We won't claim to be, and we're not trained to be. We're just...we're a team, two halves of the same whole. We trust each other, and that trust has never been misplaced," she said, flashing a brilliant smile.

Synna Bard (and Master Astrid Kain)
Dark, Apprentice
Everlastia, Keyblade Guild, Underground Training Space
ARPers: @FedoraChar

Their visitor dropped from the ceiling without warning, and halfway between his point of entry and the floor, what Synna had thought was a rat morphed into the figure of a man. Shapeshifting? Synna hadn't seen shapeshifting magic in years, not since she'd been studying under Wizard Arthur in Ingary.

Whatever spell he had used produced a puff of smoke in its wake, and Synna allowed it to choke out the fire spell she had been in the middle of using. The new arrival didn't speak, instead he looked across the room at Master Astrid, who was now staring back at him.

"It would have killed you to have actually used the door, wouldn't it, Mr. Owens?" The question fell a bit flat, and there was an obvious note of annoyance in the woman's voice. Master Astrid prized professionalism above all else, Synna knew, and that was why they got along. It was also why Master Astrid got along with very few others.

Finally, she broke her glare to adjust the pair of wire frame glasses perched on her nose. "Regardless, you would not have come here without reason. I can take a guess at who sent you, but frankly, I'm more interested in why." Synna looked back and forth between the two warily. Master Astrid's displeased tone had faded to one of polite interest, but the Apprentice could tell she wasn't happy.

[[Desolate Divine]]

We PMed this conversation to spare you guys.

Baltiaire
Light Final Year Apprentice
Infirmary
Affected RPers: @FedoraChar

Celeste emerged from the office, but something was wrong. She wasn't herself. I watched as she let out a scream of frustration (really wish I could have said something else but it is too early for me to articulate), and stood up.

"What's up?" I asked her as I walked over, "And don't say nothing. Any idiot could tell that's not the case."

Celeste jumped at the unexpected voice, though she eased slightly when she saw its owner. "Balt?" She blinked in a moment of confusion. "What are you doing here?"

Then she remembered: Frago. She glanced around, but didn't see the other twin anywhere. Truthfully, she felt a little relieved that he had left. Finally answering Baltiaire's question, she grumbled, "Everything. Let's just get out of here."

Without waiting for his reply, she stormed out of the infirmary.

"I figured you could use some company, especially if dealing with Frago." I said, "Somewhat my fault you have to deal with him so figured I owe you that much."

Celeste walked out, so I jogged to catch up.

"So seriously, whats got you down?"

Right--their sparring match. Celeste wanted to congratulate him on his win, but her thoughts and her emotions were all over the place. The more distance she got between her and the Healer's Wing, the more the anger ebbed away--only to be replaced with worry and confusion. Only when they reached the doors to the Great Hall did she slow down. Blatantly ignoring the order the black-cloak had given her, she was ready to tell Baltiaire everything she had seen.

"Something happened," she said, keeping her voice low. "They brought two people into the Wing--and one's marked up with Dark magic. The other... The other is an old friend of mine, and she's... she was unconscious, and..." She shook her head, trying to regain some control of her emotions. As her thoughts turned to her Master, however, her anger made a reappearance.

"I don't know. No one would tell me what was going on. I wanted to help, but Siros told me to leave. And he's just so..." She let out another growl of frustration. "I hate it. I hate being here."

She took a minute to breath. Realizing she had been ranting, she tried to collect herself. "Sorry," she muttered. "I... have a lot on my plate right now."



(As a side note, I feel awful that Celeste is ranting about all this stuff but has no idea what day it is for these guys xD/Dx Also, also, no worries about what you said earlier--you can edit your parts as you like before posting this ^^)

"Dark Magic?" I said, "How did they get involved in that? I mean, isn't Dark Magic strictly controlled around here?"

Though I had been at the guild for a few years, there were still things I didn't quite understand. Knowing that your world is one of many, and is one of the least technologically advanced kinda makes a person feel small.

I looked at the watch again, and tried to dismiss the thought of my parents.

"Come on, lets find somewhere to sit down." I said, trying to take her mind off it. Without realizing I looked at the watch again.

Celeste nodded numbly, then let Baltiaire lead her. Having vented some of her frustrations, she finally took the time to think about the situation in the Healer's Wing--how would those two have gotten mixed up with Dark magic?

"Something... or someone attacked them," she hazarded a guess. "Not a Heartless--they don't cause burns, like what I saw. And... Elder Theron was there. The Elders hardly ever come to the Healer's Wing, unless it's urgent."

This is a matter that concerns the Council, he had said. Celeste frowned. Where was Vanessa in all this?

She glanced back at Baltiaire, and noticed him glancing at his watch. "Sorry, do you have someplace to be?"

I wanted to say something but didn't know what. Then Celeste asked if I had somewhere to be.

"It's nothing..." I said, before realising she would see through the lie, and pursue it until I broke. "It's just... It's the anniversary of my parents death."

"The anniversary of..." Celeste slammed her hand into her face. "Gads, I'm an idiot. Balt, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't be bothering you with this..."

"Don't be." I said, "They're gone. I did what had to be done. Moping about it isn't going to bring them back."

I paused, trying to think.

"I just wish I could visit them sometime." I said, "But the world books are off limits."

Celeste fell silent, not quiet knowing what to say. In a way, she had lost both of her parents--though not quite in the same way. She never cared for her mother; in her eyes, she had been a coward to leave her family. Her father, however... They had been close, especially since, for the longest time, it felt like it was him and her against the world. He was gone, but he wasn't dead (or so, Celeste firmly believed). Celeste knew she could never relate to what Balt and Frago had to go through.

Having not known about the temporary ban on World books, she innocently said, "We could get something arranged, couldn't we? Maybe your Master or..." she paused, knowing her Master would never support the idea. "...Or an instructor or someone could borrow it for us?"




((You could probably go ahead and post this if you'd like--Sabi's character might do something with this conversation ;) ))

[Saraibre Ryu]

Kaiden, AKA Ghost/Spectre
Seeker, ???
Keyblade Guild, Female Dorm -> Healer's Wing
ARPer's: None directly, though this indirectly affects @Comatose and @FedoraChar

Kaiden said nothing more to Die, she had work to do. While she left the stranger's book's be, she shuffled through her own and reorganized them, clearing space on her desk enough to find a compartment. In that compartment was a particular wrist cuff with a clear quartz gemstone in a silver setting. Snapping it onto her left arm, she adjusted her glasses on her face with her free hand before bringing her scarf around her mouth and just over the tip of her nose.

Kaiden inhaled, and exhaled. She heard nothing while the scarf was over her mouth. Luckily for her, she was able to have some specially made equipment, courtesy of Alabaster. Melding magic to physical objects was one of his many talents, and thankfully having Silence fused with her scarf just made her task all the much more easier. Now it was time for the gem sewn cuff to do its job.

Evanesce.

Kaiden was a rather skilled mage, and few had mastered the task of being able to cast spells without verbal audio. She was one of them, as it helped when your opponent didn't know what kind of magic was about to come at them, though most people didn't have the reaction time to properly counter; only to dodge or deflect. As Kaiden walked back towards the door, her body became transluscent, and began to fade away. As she met the door frame, and muttered one more thought of a Warp spell, her body's appearance had become one with the air. She was now completely invisible. While the Seeker knew this only hung more weight on her spiritual reputation, she didn't much care. Stealth was one of her forte's, as if people couldn't see her coming while she was visible, this would ensure absolute secrecy.

Her steps were ever more silent as she paced briskly towards the great hall, knowing her presence would be required by Theron and unknown to everyone else. Kaiden preferred this method of work above all others. Anyone who happened to pass or nearly bump into her would only feel a slight breeze or a soft touch of fabric. Kaiden would not admit to seeing how far she could get away with contact while unseen, and she was not in her right mind to do so in the future.

As the Seeker almost floated through crowds, she meandered slowly towards where a trial was about to be held. Normally she would arrive obnoxiously early and take note of everyone's seating habits before anything started, but something else caught her eye. Masters and Theron were walking towards the one place in the Guild she had least expected them to rush down to.

'The Healer's Wing...?'

Not needing to walk back to the Great Hall, as a quick warp spell would suffice for catch up, she briskly dashed to the Guild's medical facilities, a place she had seldom been. Kaiden walked past, seeing a couple of boys that had no doubt thought a bit too much of themselves, as well as a distraught looking healer. She listened to the group speak just outside the doors, sauntering just behind them. By the sounds of it, there were two admitted to the wing, and it had Theron and his people in a tiff about it. Whoever the girl's friend was, she was badly injured.


Kaiden processed the information; first the tree, and now this girl. Someone was trying to send a message, someone was boasting and she did not like it. Be it an ego or a warning, someone was trying to show off power, induce fear and panic. She wasn't sure on what level, but she would soon find out. Kaiden would have left immediately, if it wasn't for someone mentioning getting a book.

When it came to books, one could say Kaiden may have been a bit of an over protective parent when it came to them. If there was a tear, Kaiden would fix it, and bad luck would come upon the person who did it, so long as it was intentional. Mistreatment meant a regular habit of the sharpest paper cuts, and all graffiti and vandalism was greeted with a swift bit of karma. While she was around, no one would step, kick, damage, mistreat or use a book for anything other than what books were used for. Especially the world books of all things. If someone so much as sneezed on one, Kaiden would promptly educate them on lifting their arm up to cover their splay of germs.

However this time was different. Upon listening more, the intent was not a malicious one.

'A funeral anniversary? That's hardly a mischievous cause, but being caught without permission will render any reasoning of good will invalid. Still, it would be amusing to see them try.'

Kaiden would have to think more on it later, right now, she had other snooping to do.

Moving back towards the healers wing, the Seeker slipped through the sparsely open doors, making no noise and no commotion. She had a feeling she knew where the Elders had gone, and it was time to live up to her nickname. Upon reaching the door, she noticed it was closed, but not locked. Going through it normally would prompt attention she didn't need, but Kaiden merely scoffed in thought at the door.

She thought for a moment, and blinked.

Kaiden, now on the other side of the door, fitted herself into a corner, making sure to not even brush the side of an Elder's cloak, for the paranoia in stealthy action was at an all time high. Side stepping everyone silently, she looked between the biggest gap of Elders, peering at the two injured down below. Kaiden examined the one with the dark burns carefully, while comparing her to the other next to her.

There was a raw, severity to the damage. This wasn't just a message, this was a warning. This was a statement of power, and someone was eager to flaunt it off. Whoever it was, be them incredibly bold or incredibly stupid, with Kaiden leaning toward the latter, this was a very critical situation. There was something that was bothering Kaiden though, and she did not have the ability to ask that question before the trial.

'Does Theron have you properly detained...?'