Meeting of the Minds

[breakfastmetaphors]

Who: Everyone who chooses to participate
Where: Breakneck Cay
When: December 5th
What: A summit to get down to business and get this situation sorted out, L-Elf-style
Warnings: Possible violence?
Style: Any
Status: Open

Upon arriving on Breakneck Cay, if you can navigate the shoals safely and find safe mooring, you'll notice that the beach is more or less abandoned unless you count the countless shipwrecks an snarled piles of debris strewn across the shore. If you approach the jungle, you'll notice a makeshift sign pointing towards a path leading into the trees. There's a lengthy note tacked to it with a detailed map, an exhaustive list of rules and etiquette for participating in a military summit, and probably more if anyone actually got past the part with the map.

The meeting is to be held in a strangely silent clearing. Upon arriving, you'll find L-Elf sitting on the huge stone in the center, fast asleep. It's immediately obvious that this is not a social occasion or it at least wasn't planned by someone with any idea how to make guests feel comfortable. There's nowhere to sit except on the ground and definitely no refreshments. It might be a good idea to send someone back to the ship to pick something up if you want to make it through this thing.

Comments

[heartismyown]

[He's completely taken aback. No one has ever run from him. He stops in his tracks.

Roxas swings Oblivion up onto his shoulders, watching him run around. Laughter bubbles up from inside him.]

[fierybluebird]

[Marco runs all the way to the edge of the shore before he even turns around to see how close on his tail Roxas is, only to find the girl back at the start laughing.]

[He glares huffily and squawks grumpily in phoenix, flailing his wings some more and then slumps into the sand.]

[No respect, yoi. He never gets any respect.]

[heartismyown]

Xifer!

[He has to whistle and talk through giggles.]

Come here, I won't attack you!

[fierybluebird]

[Hesitates, but gets back up and walks over, before tilting his head to the side and giving a low whistle.]

Promise, Roxas?

[heartismyown]

I promise!

[Roxas doesn't understand bird speak, but he can guess at the hesitation.]

What scared you anyway? Is it my keyblades?

[fierybluebird]

[Shakes his head no.]

[He just didn't know what it would do!]

[WHAT IF IT SPLASHED HIM!?!?!]

[NO BATHS!]

[Oh wait, that's a yes.]

[He hesitates again and cocks his head to the side, chattering aimlessly.]

I wasn't scared, but I'm cautious yoi!

[And nudges one with his beak carefully.]

[heartismyown]

Guess you never looked at them. Nothing weird about them except the key thing.

[Roxas holds them out to him, lowering Oblivion.]

You can look at them all you want. [Roxas doesn't know any water magic.]

[fierybluebird]

[Pokes them warily again with his beak as though expecting it to burst into sparkles, or flowers, or crabs, or lightning or whatever.]

[Poooooke.]

[Then just stares expectantly at Roxas for more explanation.]

Then why do they look different! And you made them disappear before! That's weird, yoi!

[heartismyown]

[Roxas isn't sure what Marco is chattering about.]

These are keyblades. They open all locks, or seem to. And uh, they're Sora's I think. They're sharp. I'm not sure why I have two, but I fight with them together and apart. I just summon them and they come out.

[fierybluebird]

[Sits carefully and flumps his tail.]

[He's heard this before, but not about the different types.]

[And where he'd once thought the light magic was just focused through them, now he's just unsure.]

What else?

[heartismyown]

Hmmm. Well...look.

[He vanishes them and summons them back. Oathkeeper appears in the light and Oblivion in the darkness.]

They work like swords mostly. I can't let you hold them. Only keyblade wielders can. Uh, oh and they work with the keychain on the back.

[He turns Oathkeeper around.] The star one I mean. The watch I got from Lea.

[fierybluebird]

[Blinks more and tentatively pokes it with his wing, expecting it to go away again, and splays his tail out warily.]

That's weird, yoi.

[Poke poke peck.]

[heartismyown]

[It isn't going to go away like that, not without Roxas' direction. His keyblades could use a cleaning, now that he's looking at them.]

My keyblades can also collect hearts.

[Probably their most important feature, actually.]

But I never took anyone's heart who wasn't a heartless. Like a person's. But I...guess I could.

[He knows how suddenly, remembering Sora took his own heart.]

[fierybluebird]

[..............................]

[Okay Maybe THAT was the sudden uneasy feeling.]

[Like losing his tattoos.]

[Yup.]

[Marco gives a low worried crooning note, and shies away from them, asking for further explanation.]

[heartismyown]

I wouldn't do that Xifer. I wouldn't. Never ever. It's just I...remembered Sora took his heart. He went like this...

[He spins the keyblade deftly and points it at his own chest.]

And through his heart. That's why I exist. Heartless steal hearts and when I kill then, I get them back.

But Le-some Nobodies had their hearts stolen. Someone else took their heart away. Sora is...the only exception I think.

[fierybluebird]

[Gently headbutts Roxas' chest affectionately.]

[He knew Roxas wouldn't on purpose, and since he said he hadn't taken it from people who usually had hearts, probably not accidentally either.]

[But Marco flicks his tail up and down, thinking harder. But is that from the keyblade itself? A key to the heart kind of thing?]

[But in that case too, Roxas might know more instinctively than either he or Lea realize about how to track, and find specific people in the universe, wherever they are.]

[Retaining memories... Roxas spoke of how the Nobodies couldn't remember themselves either, and Chandra said she needed to find a way to keep her memories separate. If they could combine them...]

[In any case, it's clear that Marco's thinking a lot.]

[heartismyown]

Yeah, so don't be scared of that. I wouldn't steal anyone's heart. Ever. Fighting though...

[He gives a cocky grin.]

Should be scared of that.

[He really is much better than he looks.]

[fierybluebird]

Please. I kicked my Pops in the head when I was younger, and more wild. I only fear what I don't understand, or know, yoi.

[Swooping headbutt again to knock Roxas back.]

[Take that!]

[heartismyown]

Oh! Are you done running away?

[He's grinning and thoroughly amused.]

Come on then!

[fierybluebird]

[FLUFFY HEADBUTTS!!!!]

[.....]

[IN THE FACE!!!!!]

[And just kind of hangs there.]

[Seriously, you have no idea how little damage he can do as a phoenix.]

[Monkeys can torture, yes. But for all that birds are descended from raptors, nature emphasized conservation of energy and movement over hunting.]

[Go figure.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas giggles a little and shakes his head at Marco.]

You know, you aren't a great fighter like this...and you're too fluffy and cute.

[The keyblades vanish and he hugs Marco to his chest instead, intending on carrying him for awhile.]

You should get Naesala to show you.

[fierybluebird]

[:O :O :O :O :O]

[HEY!]

[He's not cute!!!!]

[He will peck you just to show uncute he is, yoi!]

[Or just accept the hug and let you carry him around.]

[One of those.]

[Naesala can't teach him to fight. Naesala is a crow, yoi.]

[He is a phoenix.]

[Fire feathers vs. black feathers.]

[Similar, but not same.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas presumes it's the hug one and takes Marco over to a tree stump. He sits and settles him on his lap.]

You're still warm and soft. Better than my stuffed parrot.

Sorry I didn't bring any seeds for you but...oh! Here.

[Roxas pulls out some candies and unwrapped a cherry one, holding it out to Marco.]

[fierybluebird]

[:O CHERRY CANDY! :O]

[Om nom nom!]

[Marco chirps happily and fluffs up affectionately giving Roxas a giant fluffy snuggly nuzzle. Yes, sugar and food are the fastest way to his heart. So sad.]

[heartismyown]

[Roxas is pleased and he snuggles him tightly.]

You're really good at cuddling.

[Of course they are there for a reason.]

I'm not holding you up too much am I? Hey look too...

[He bends down so Marco can see the back of his neck.]

Still there. Lea changed his to something really nice. He doesn't want to share a tattoo with me anyway. I like what he did though, all fire...