songerein | [Closed] Absence makes the heart grow weary

Entry tags:

roxas,
sora

[Closed] Absence makes the heart grow weary

Who: Roxas and Close CR
Which: Closed Log for planned threads
Where: Around Town
What: Bleeding Heart shenanigans and the fallout therein
Warnings: General emotional instability due to Bleeding Heart infection. Will apply CWs as they appear

Valentine's Day was an unusual holiday, meant to spread love and joy and cheer. It's a celebration for loved ones and those who's hearts were connected, or at least that's what Roxas has come to believe. It's honestly a very nice celebration, and he can see the honesty and joy that is meant to be behind the festivities. But for Roxas, he can't help the pang of sorrow he feels at the same time. Because even though there are people here in Reverein that he knows, people that he cares for... he is still very much aware of the friends who are not here. Friends he hasn't seen in so long, even back in that other world. And despite trying to be positive about it, he misses them. It's just been so long since he's seen his Twilight Town friends, and he misses them dearly. Axel, Xion, Hayner, Pence, Olette, and even Saix... it's been so long since he's seen them. Almost two years, counting the time he spent in Aefenglom. What he wouldn't give to share this strange, dreamy world with those he misses...

Perhaps its that longing that lures the Bleeding Heart in, which settles into his chest without him even realizing it. But those longing feelings for his friends grow stronger, and more twisted as time passes. Roxas is familiar with anger, but the chest-clenching, seething rage he starts to feel -- at the lack of his friends by his side, at his inability to see them, at the very worlds that have pulled him into them -- becomes more and more potent within him, to the point where his very presence begins to cause nearby plants to wilt and singe with unlit embers. He retreats further into his own isolation, away from his friends in this world, away from the other treehouse dwellers, away from any who want to see what's gotten into the Nobody.

And then, eventually, he's just gone. His room empty, his window open, and a trail of singed plants leading into the forest the only evidence to him even being there.

[[OoC: If you would like to do a closed thread with Roxas here, feel free to PM me or send me a message on plurk (

pocketnoivern)!]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Valentine's day was still a new, almost novel concept to Kor. It was interesting, almost exciting even, that there was a holiday dedicated specifically to celebrating the love you hold for others. Though, if it was up to Kor, a holiday like that shouldn't exist, because everyday should be spent loving the people that matter to you.

But he doesn't make the rules, he just lives by them. If the day was about spreading love, then telling his friends how much he loves them was exactly what he was going to do. He'd been going around to his friends' various homes and dropping off cards for them. But when he stops at Roxas' place, something feels wrong to him. Being a Somatic meant he was especially sensitive to strong emotional disturbances, even ones that had long passed. And he felt something coming from Roxas' room.]

Roxas?

[Knock knock. There was no answer.]

Roxas, you in there?

[Again, no answer. So Kor invites himself inside, coming only to see that Roxas' room was empty, having been rather abruptly vacated by the boy through... the window? There was a trail of plants leading out of the window.]

Roxas?!

[Instantly, Kor's reminded of those times back in Aefenglom when a Monster would lose themselves to their instincts, becoming a feral beast. That couldn't be what's happening to Roxas, right? No, he was fully human again...

He heads over to the window and looks out. The trail seemed to lead out the window, and deeper into the woods? Would this lead him to wherever Roxas went? Only one way to find out...]

[Twisted plants and creeping vines, singed and blackened at their edges, leading out into the forest is the only clue Kor has that point to where Roxas has gone. And it does seem like a very intentional path, winding through the woods and along a well-worn walking trail. Though as Kor continues along, he'll find the path marred with more singed plants and scorched wood as he goes along, which grows more and more prominent as he continues. A tree scorched by what looks like a fireball. Another marred deep with a weapon's slashes. A still-burning pile of underbrush smouldering on the ground.]

[Eventually, it all leads to a small clearing, where a lone figure stands in the middle. It's clear that it's Roxas, but his back is facing the entrance to the clearing, and there are some slow wisps of black tendrils wafting from his skin like smoke. And in the dim light of the forest, the crimson light of his chest glows rather visibly.]

[Kor follows the path of singed plants. He wasn't sure if it was going to lead him to Roxas, but it was the only lead he had. And even if Roxas wasn't at the end, something had to have caused all this.

but to Kor's relief, at the end of the path, he comes across Roxas. Just... Standing there?]

Roxas! There you... are?

[Something seemed off about Roxas... Really off. He was hoping whatever was going on, he could talk through it, but...]

Roxas, what are you doing way out here?

[...He had a feeling he was going to have to go inside.]

[Roxas has always had a temper, but it hasn't really had much of a reason to rear its ugly head as of late. Not since he's regrown his heart, reunited with his friends, and regained his own life again. But now he feels that familiar burn course through his veins, making his muscles tense and his whole body feel hot. When he turns to look at Kor, his blue eyes leer at the other boy with barely-contained irritation]

What do you want, Kor?

[He says it in a steady voice, but not the kind that is paired with calm or stability. No, it's the kind of steady, controlled voice that comes when one is trying his hardest to hold back whatever angry feelings he's feeling.]

[Oh, he doesn't like the sound of Roxas' voice. The sound of emotions barely being restrained by a false calm.]

You disappeared from the house, so I came looking for you. I have something I wanted to give you.

[Roxas gives Kor a sharp look, eyes narrowing at the brunette. Soon, he turns his back, physically showing his dismissal of Kor.]

Whatever it is, I'm not interested. Go back to the house.

You can come back with me.

[Kor takes a step forward towards Roxas.]

Come on, Roxas. Don't be like this, we're friends.

[He keeps his hand wound tight around the item he wanted to give Roxas.]

[Roxas scoffs, lifting his head up to the sky.]

Friends... is that what we are?

[He says it coldly, bitterly. At his sides, his hands clench into fists.]

My friends aren't here.

Of course we're friends! What else would we be?

[Kor comes closer still, trying his best to get a better look at Roxas. Something is definitely wrong with him, he's not acting like himself.

He decides to try and make a plea, appealing to the things Roxas is saying now. After all, he does understand the feelings behind what Roxas is saying now, even if he doesn't agree with how he's expressing them.]

I get it, Roxas... I miss my friends back home too, every single day. But it's not like the friends you're making here are replacing your old friends in your heart. There's enough room for everyone.

[Those words were most definitely meant to soothe Roxas, but all it does is make him grit his teeth, eyes narrowing even further.]

Do you really get it, Kor??

[He whirls around, glaring hard at Kor. More of that strange smoke is wafting from him, and his eyes seem to flicker between blue and red.]

You don't understand a thing about my friends! So don't give me that crap about replacing friends and having enough room in my heart for everyone! I'm not Sora!

[His voice steadily rises as he continues, until he's nearly shouting. He roughly slaps his glowing chest with one hand.]

My friends back home are more valuable than you could ever imagine! I'd still be a fragment of Sora's heart if it wasn't for our connection! If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't exist!

[My friends back home are more valuable than you could ever imagine!

Those words echo in Kor's ears. He absolutely understands what Roxas is feeling here.]

You're wrong, Roxas. I do understand.

[If it wasn't for them, I wouldn't exist!

With a full view of Roxas, he sees now exactly what's up with Roxas. That glowing red spot on Roxas' chest, calling out to Kor like a beacon... Yeah, whatever's going on here isn't natural. He can't talk him down here, which means it's time to take things up a notch.]

I understand that better than you could ever imagine.

[The idea of your existence being owed entirely to the people you call friends? Kor's case might not be as literal as Roxas', but... He owes everything he has right now to having good friends on his side

But with that said, it was time to intervene. Kor initiates a Spiria Link, transforming into a ball of light and flying straight into Roxas' chest.]

Wh--?!

[Roxas's eyes widen when that Spiria Link activates, anger briefly stuttered by a jolt of confusion. He tries to hold his arms up to block that ball of light, but it strikes his chest before he is able to.]

[Passing through his chest, into the glow of his heart, Kor will find himself diving deep, deep down into an endless darkness; down, down, down, falling forward as if he were diving into deep water. And then, at the very end of that darkness, will be a small light; a light that grows larger the closer he gets to it. When he gets closer, he will find it to be a large platform covered in stained glass, extending up from that infinite darkness. And illuminating the surface of the platform is a stained-glass image of Roxas, signifying who's heart Kor has entered.]

[But something doesn't seem right. The stained glass surface pulses with a strange, crimson glow, as if something were physically writhing beneath its surface. Even if Kor didn't have any experience with hearts of this nature at all, it's clear that something is amiss here.]

[This wasn't the first time Kor had seen a setting like this, having seen another platform just like this when he jumped in Ventus' dream. So there's one inside Roxas' heart, too... Is this how the hearts of people from Sora's world look, then? Large platforms with stained glass imagery of them...

Once he lands, he taps on the glass with his foot. It seemed sturdy enough. But he couldn't help but notice that weird presence that seems to be... brewing underneath it. Probably whatever's causing this change in Roxas...]

Hey! Whatever you are... Get out here and face me! You're hurting my friend, and you'll pay for that!

[The roiling crimson within the stained glass doesn't respond. Instead, it churns and twists almost mockingly, as if whatever's trapped inside is laughing silently at Kor. But no voice or sound comes from within.]

[But a voice does speak up from behind Kor.]

...Kor?

[If Kor turns to look, he'll see that where he was once alone, Roxas is now standing there. But he's not wearing his usual attire; instead, he's wearing a long, black cloak, the hood up just enough to settle on his head with a bit of his hair sticking out. He's looking confused at the brown-haired boy, as if baffled to even see him.]

Roxas!

[Kor recognizes the voice at an instant, whirling around to face him. He greets the blond haired boy with a smile. He was happy to find Roxas acting a bit more normal inside here, even if this was Roxas' inner-self. No, maybe because it was Roxas' inner-self. Whatever's going on here hasn't penetrated his very core, at least.]

Are you okay? What's going on in here?

[Roxas doesn't answer, not right away. He still sort of peers curiously at Kor, puzzled by his appearance. When he does finally speak, it's not so much to answer his question as it is to ask his own.]

What are you doing here? How did you get here..?

Ah, I Spiria Linked with you! [Kor pats the red Soma attached to his arm.] I told you about that before, right?

[Surely he's mentioned his abilities in the past, right? Maybe? He's not sure.]

I'm here to help you, Roxas. There's something wrong in here. Something that shouldn't be here! Just look!

[He gestures to the platform they're on, this weird red glow beneath them...]

Oh..!

[Kor's told him before, but Roxas has never seen it before. But it looks like it's pretty similar to diving into someone's heart. Huh...]

[Roxas frowns, looking at his heart station, and the pulsing red glow. He nods slowly.]

You're right... there's something wrong with my heart. I feel... disconnected from it. Like I can't feel all of it; all I can feel is anger, and rage. I don't..!

[He's not able to say the rest of his thought, because his eyes widen as a sharp pulse echoes around them. From beneath his feet, a pulse of darkness spreads, before rising up to grab at him with shadowy tendrils. Roxas lets out a cry as he begins to sink into his heart station, looking to Kor.]

Kor!

[All Roxas can feel is anger and rage... It was a textbook case of impending Despir, or at least this world's version of it. Kor was all too familiar with situations like these; It was his job as a Somatic to fix them, after all.

His musings are broken when he hears Roxas cry out his name.]

--Roxas!!

[Without even a second thought, he runs forward, practically diving for Roxas, and attempting to grab his hand before he's pulled in completely.]

Ahh!

[Roxas grips on tight to Kor's hand, trying to pull him out of the pit of darkness he's seeping into. But thought the two do have strength behind their grips, Roxas still continues to sink.]

[From within the pit of darkness, a pair of eyes leer up at Kor. Whatever has a grip on Roxas clearly doesn't want to let go, doesn't want Kor interacting with Roxas. And if it drags Kyo in with him, so be it.]

[Kor keeps his grip on Roxas' hand tight, Though the malevolent force had no intention of letting go of Roxas, neither did Kor. But try as he might to fight against it, it was stronger, and so he slowly begins to sink into the darkness with Roxas,

But he came here to save Roxas from the darkness, not lose him to it, So even if he has to dive into the darkness to save him, he'll see it through.]

[Down Roxas goes, and since Kor refuses to hold on, down Kor goes too. Down, down, into the darkness that has infected Roxas's heart.]

[Since that darkness had been targeting Roxas, those tendrils swirl around Roxas's form, tying him and binding him in a cocoon of sorts as it pulls him down into the depths of his heart. But since Kor hadn't been intended as the target of that attack, he can see the cause of the encroaching darkness. A Bleeding Heart, which seems to delight in the sight of Roxas's inner self being bound and tucked away deep into the recesses of his heart.]

[As for Kor, though, once it looks up to see him, it hisses, ears angling low. An unwanted pest, it seems...]

[There it is. Whatever it is, it's got Roxas, and Kor wasn't about to let that stand.

Back on his feet, he draws his Soma, the golden-hued weapon radiating with emotional power.]

Whatever you are, let my friend go!

[He was burning with anger at the Bleeding Heart, for hurting his friend like this.]

[The Bleeding Heart lets out a little hiss, its tail swishing. So, this one wanted to play? Then so be it.]

[It spread its wings menacingly, before it dives at Kor with a hiss, slashing its claws at him, crackling red energy surrounds it as it tries to slice at the other boy.]

[Kor dodges and rolls out of the way, quickly bounding back to his feet. He'd fought more heart-eating monsters than he could care to count, he wasn't about to fall to whatever this one could do.]

Voltaic Roar!

[He swings his sword in a horizontal arc through the air in front of him, the path it followed crackling and roaring with electricity, arcs of lightning quickly lashing out at the Bleeding Heart.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Closed] Absence makes the heart grow weary

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject