004 {DELTA} dog dancing bird grammar night grass

[hazardgear]

Xion's first thought is, I don't know how to play a Heavy Blade... What if I get killed just looking for Targetlock?

Her second thought: Did he just pick keywords to make this thing stupidly long?

Third: Does it have to be so... so creepy?

The field seems to be grass, judging by the sound Axel's character makes when he walks and the random patches of green here and there, but for the most part, it was dark, as if it was blood-soaked. Xion blanches. Why would Axel be friends with someone who has a meeting place like this?

She doesn't know where she's supposed to be looking, or what Targetlock's character looks like. Xion swallows her fear and grips her controller tighter. Come on, Xion... Calm down. It's just a game. There isn't anything this guy can do to hurt you. You just need to find him and then he'll tell you what you want to know. Simple as that.

... Right?

Comments

[daegesege]

"Of course I am. I wouldn't have bothered with any of this if I wasn't." On her side of the screen, Xion scowls. "I have your stupid box lunch."

[ceilingwave]

"Must be really important, if you're using someone else's character and making a deal like this." He's not going to start wheedling with her yet, but there has to be a way to break the ice with her.

[daegesege]

"Do you want your dumb item or not?"

[ceilingwave]

"Now, now, if I say no it negates everything you've done for over a week. Temper, temper, poppet."

[daegesege]

... Was that a threat that he would say no? Xion bristles more.

"What more do you want from me?"

[ceilingwave]

"I like to get to know my clients. That way if something comes up that might be beneficial for them, I can keep them in mind. The tides of information come through me first and foremost. Do you really think things are as simple as they seem?"

[daegesege]

Xion draws back from her monitor. Her response comes a moment later.

"Somehow I doubt you're that important."

[ceilingwave]

"Depends who you're talking about. We're all important to someone, aren't we? How else would you be here if you weren't?"

[daegesege]

"Shut up."

Xion's hands ball into fists.

"Are we going to do this or am I just going to go sell this thing?"

[ceilingwave]

"And here I cut you a deal!" He laughs loudly. "Of course, if you want to sell it, it's no skin off my back." His character's arms go up to lace behind his head and he rocks on his heels. A custom action, maybe?

"What's your name, poppet?"

[daegesege]

Seriously? Seriously?

"I don't have any reason to tell you that. The deal was for me to bring you this item and for you to tell me about how to fix my brother's character!"

[ceilingwave]

"Yeah, and we have to do a trade. I'm getting something special for you. What's your name."

The amusement seems to have dropped out of his voice, his character standing stiff and at attention, as though preparing for battle.

1/2

[daegesege]

The fear that grips her at the change in his tone is familiar. The memory of the feel her back up against the wall, the burn of words, it's all so fresh, despite the fact that she's been homeschooled since the accident. It's all she can do to tighten her grip on her controller to keep her hands from shaking.

He can't hurt you. The thought that suddenly enters her head speaks with Lea's voice. There's a game between you and him.

But he can, responds another thought in her own voice. He can hurt with his words.

You don't owe him anything, comes Roxas' voice. You don't need him.

But I do. He knows something about this. I can feel it.

She's talking to herself in the voices of her dead friends. How...

... pathetic.

Xion folds her arms and lowers her forehead onto them.

2/2

[daegesege]

After several long, silent moments, a response finally comes.

"I can't tell you that. For all I know, you'll give that information to someone who wants to hurt me."

[ceilingwave]

"Who would want to hurt you? There are millions of players in this game. Outside of your friends and me, no one knows who you are."

He's done some homework, though. It's not hard to figure out who the others involved in the accident were...

"Kazue, right? Don't worry, poppet. I got your back."

1/idefk WOW XIGBAR ARE YOU TRYING TO BREAK HER

[daegesege]

He -- ?!

[daegesege]

She very nearly signs out, right there.

[daegesege]

She begins to shake harder.

[daegesege]

What is she going to do?

He knows. He knows. He knowsheknowsheknowsheknows how long has he how long was he intending to let her make an idiot out of herself what game is he playing is that all this is to him why is she

why can't

she doesn't

he could use this to hurt her

he could turn her in and then she'd never fix anything and Sora and she

it's

almost done here I think

[daegesege]

Suddenly, she realizes that she has thrown the controller onto the keyboard and pushed herself back from the desk. Her arms are curled, one around her head and one in front of her stomach, waiting for a blow to fall.

[daegesege]

She needs to breathe. She needs to breathe. She needs to

Sora is calling her name. Footsteps. He's coming. Oh

[daegesege]

Near half an hour passes.

d-done

[daegesege]

Axel's account comes off of idle.

This time, a voice answers Xigbar, instead of text. A small, tired, scratched voice.

"What do you want from me? Really."

[ceilingwave]

The sound of the control clattering tells him a lot. When she doesn't say or do anything for a while he idles himself, taking care of some other things instead. He takes a little while to talk to Xehanort, update him, let him know that he broke his latest toy (oops)... he goes and gets a drink and a bag of chips and sits down and watches TV while he waits.

He really wasn't expecting that sort of reaction.

When the idle flag goes off his monitor chirps and he switches back to the game. Hearing the voice of the girl in question is surprising... but all the fight seems to have gone out of her.

"A box lunch. What did you think I was after? We made a deal, and I intend to keep it. Maybe I just like being personal with clients of a special nature... and using the character of my former colleague does make you rather special."

Targetlock spreads his arms in a shrug.

"I'm ready to trade, if you are."

[daegesege]

Xion doesn't reply. She goes through the motions of the trade in silence.