001

[seasidememories]

So...I can talk to other people this way, right?

[The video feed shakes up and down as Cambot nods.]

Really? Great!

...Wait, there are other people around, aren't there? Because crash landing in a space station ghost town wouldn't surprise me one bit.

Comments

Action is fine.

[thirteenth_brat]

[Well that's... mildly amusing. Everyone's Cambot is different and it looks like Kairi's gotten a hyper one.]

Hi. Yeah, that's me.

[And in person now, Kairi ought to be able to see that he's baking and at the moment just putting what looks like a tray of muffins in the oven. He asks his Cambot for a little privacy and the little robot obediently finds something else to occupy it.]

[seasidememories]

Oh, right. Shoo, you.

[The hyper Cambot chases after the other. ...Kairi has never seen a boy who bakes before but wisely decides not to inquire too much.]

So... You and Sora?

[thirteenth_brat]

[Roxas watches the Cambots race off before he starts to explain.]

Well, it starts with the Heartless, actually. And a few other things that it might not be my place to say, but we'll just stay with the basics.

[He fidgets a little. It has a bit to do with her as well, but he's pretty sure that she's smart enough to fit the pieces together so he's not going to state that outright. ]

It goes to when Sora spent some time as a Heartless. Sometimes, when someone with a really strong heart loses their heart, another creature is created too. It's called a Nobody.

[seasidememories]

...Oh. I see...

[Sure enough, she catches on.]

So when Sora woke me up, you were born?

I had no idea...

"Nobody." That's a terrible thing to call yourself.

[thirteenth_brat]

Pretty much. It's a little bit more complicated than that, but in nutshell, that's my connection to Sora.

[He sighs. Hell, his name even comes from Sora.]

I think 'Nobody' might refer to completely lacking a heart, since no heart basically basically means not connecting with friends. I don't know who decided on the term, though.

[seasidememories]

...You don't have a heart.

[It's something she should have picked up on. But lately she's found that prodding into the contents of another person's heart is pretty rude.]

I'm sorry, Roxas.

...No, to heck with that. The heart isn't so cut and paste. Even if you came from Sora's heart, I'm positive you can make your own.

[thirteenth_brat]

Technically, no.

[He's not even sure whether he has a heart right now or not, given that he was pulled to this place -after- he had merged back into Sora, but he's not quite sure how to explain that part without it sounding crazy. And then there's the reason he looks and sounds like Ven instead of Sora, but that'll come out. Eventually.]

Don't be. Things happen and, honestly, I had no memories off having a heart, so I had no idea what the difference was.

...I don't know about that.

[seasidememories]

Hm...I don't know. But...

I know my friends are my heart. And I know it's the same for them. I feel like...if something devastating happened to my heart, something irreversible, I'd have a backup. With Sora and Riku.

Have you ever had friends like that, Roxas?

[thirteenth_brat]

I...

[Well, now he has to think about that. Yeah, he does... or did? Does? It's complicated, but ultimately, the answer is an affirmative, even if it's a little bittersweet. Does it count if at least one of those friends is dead? At least as far as he knows.]

Yeah. I guess I never really thought about that.

[seasidememories]

Well, I don't blame you. It sounds like you've lived a really confusing life. Young...but confusing.

[thirteenth_brat]

I guess you could say that.

[And there's the timer. That'll be some muffins coming out of the oven and onto a rack to cool. In the mean time, he'll try to answer some more questions.]

Was there anything else you wanted to know?

[He realizes as he finishes asking the question that it allows a pretty broad variety of topics... He'll try to answer anyway, though.]

[seasidememories]

[Kairi lapses into very brief silence. She thinks quickly. If Roxas is Sora's "Nobody"... Then what are Ventus and Vanitas? And wait a minute--Namine and Xion! Kairi doesn't remember ever being a Heartless!]

Okay. I have to ask.

...Whose birthday is it, Betty Crocker?

[That...is not what she was originally going to ask. But a boy baking muffins? Come on! That's funny!]

[thirteenth_brat]

[For that quiet moment, he thinks she's going to ask something serious. Clearly, he's wrong. The question is so out of left field he has to laugh though.]

It's no one's birthday that I know of. I just felt like it.

[That and he's bored, but that part doesn't need to be known.]

[seasidememories]

[She can't help a small laugh of her own.]

Is that so?

Well. You really are different from Sora. I'm glad I got to meet you.

[thirteenth_brat]

Yes, that's so.

Same here. Although, this is actually kind of the second time I've met you. Time is weird in this place.