[ＸＩＶ] Xion

[ When Xion arrived back home from a grueling month-long mission, the first thing she did was not check her journal. She headed home. Home, where Luke is. He'd been there, which was wonderful.

He'd also filled her in on all that she'd missed, which wasn't so wonderful. ]

It's scary, sometimes... how much things change. I missed so much while I was gone. I'm so sorry, everyone. I'm home now.

Sometimes, I feel like I've been here such a long time... maybe because it has been a long time. It'll be three years in November... won't it? I don't remember anymore when I got here... I'm pretty sure it was November. It feels like so long ago. Like lifetimes have passed since then. I've grown up so much in this place... and so many people have come and gone. [ Kairi.

A beat. ]

I'm sorry. I shouldn't be rambling like this.

We're starting to get some New Feathers in, right? My name is Xion. I work at the clinic, I'm part of the S.O.S Brigade, and I'm head of the Kyoshi warriors. If you ever need help, you can come talk to me. I'll do anything I can.

Um... I guess I have one last thing I want to talk about. I've got a lot of points now from going on missions... what do you guys do with your points? Or what would you do, if you had them? I sort of know what I want, but I guess I'm looking for other ideas, too.

Thanks, everyone.

[ It's been just over a week since the storm and the infiltration, and the self-repair Shifts are finally kicking in. It's been a busy time, and Xion has been throwing most of her energy into helping fix what's been broken. But with things finally starting to calm down, and with lingering thoughts of the draft and a certain conviction on her mind, she settles down with her journal to make an announcement. ]

... for those of you who knew Suki, you knew she also headed the Kyoshi Warriors here in Luceti. Now that she's gone home... [ A deep breath. ] ... I'd like to see the group continue. So, if none of the existing members have any objections ... I'll be leading the Kyoshi Warriors from now on. For those who don't know me, my name is Xion.

[ It's a little more formal than she might normally speak. But this isn't really a casual thing, is it? She feels a certain pressure - both to live up to Suki's teachings, and what may well be Sokka's expectations. More than anything, she feels a need to do right by Suki's memory for Sokka's sake - and for the sake of all the other girls in the group. ]

The purpose of the Kyoshi Warriors ... was to teach people how to fight. Or a different way, if you already know. It's a group just for girls, right now. [ She pauses. It strikes her as strange, in a way, to separate out the genders. Deep down, she never saw the point. ] Considering things happen like the drafts... everyone should have a basic understanding of combat, if they want. Just to stay safe. You don't have to know anything about combat to be a part of it. We'll teach you. So if you want to join, come talk to me.

( Filtered to the existing members )

Anyway, guys, I think we should keep practicing every Sunday like we've always been. I know we missed about two weeks with the draft and Suki going home and everything... but we'll just have to make up for it!

Oh, and I guess, while I'm here... what do you all think about letting boys in?

[ It's not until Xion glances at a clock that she realizes something is amiss. She could have sworn, last time she checked, that was 1 AM. And now it's 10 PM? That's not possible. Did she miss something? She couldn't have fallen asleep and slept that long. The journal catches her exclamation of surprise, and her quiet question: ]

Wait, what day is it...?

[ She wanders out of her room, confused, going to knock first on Jixsan's door before she tries Roxas's.

And he's not in there.

In fact, the room is empty.

Instantly, her heart sinks -- he's gone? home? -- but then the bizarre time difference occurs to her. Is something going on? Is there an experiment? As hopeless as she suddenly feels, she has to find out. Pulling on a jacket against the nip of the air outside, she grabs her journal and darts out of the house. ]

Has anyone seen Jixsan? His room is empty! Please, please don't have gone home, I don't know if I could take you leaving, too...

[ She ends up in the village center, near the fountain, and late in the evening as it is, it's quiet here. For a moment or two she paces silently, clearly worried, unsure of where to go from here. Anyone out and about at this late hour want to help a distressed teen? ]

(ooc; forward-dated to event start, sorry! as a refresher, just in case, Jixsan = Sanji, concasse.)

[ It's been a long few days. Not nearly as long as it was for those on the draft -- a fact of which she is keenly aware -- but her heart feels so sore. Miyabi is dead, Kairi returned with a broken leg, Elicia reverted back to a little girl and left her that message that was so bittersweet... She feels a powerful need to find Nami and Sanji, to talk to both of them, but ... that ... maybe that should wait. Until she can look at them without crying... and comfort them, instead of being a burden. In the meantime, she needs to focus on something else -- actually put her energy into something useful.

An idea has been brewing in her mind for some time. And all of this mess -- all the pain and the fighting -- and Luke, coming to her just days before with a request -- has finally prompted her to act on it.

In her room there are quite a lot of books. They vary widely in subject, but there is one solid section dedicated entirely to medical texts, ranging wildly in their complexity. Teaching herself has been difficult; basic first aid is all well and good until you have to use it in an emergency situation, and anything beyond that...

Well. You just can't learn everything from a book. She knows that... has known for a long while she probably needed to do something like this. So when she opens up the journal, turning on the video function, she looks pensive.... but also quite serious. ]

Are there any doctors in the village who'd be willing to take on a student? I -- I know some magic methods of healing, but ... [ She shakes her head. ] I want to learn the real thing. I promise I'll work hard. Really hard. This means a lot to me.

[ A beat. ] And, if ... anyone in the village would like to learn some healing magic... [ She's already been teaching Haruhi, and now Luke. ] ... I'd like to help. I know some magic from my own world, plus I've got a lot of practice with Nala.

[ After that, a thought occurs to her. ]

( Draco | Locked 90% )

Can I ask you something?

( Private | Locked 100% )

It's still hard to believe so much has happened recently. It feels like things haven't stopped since that experiment. That's just Luceti, though. Things are always like this. But I'm still not sure what I want to do. Or what I should do.

It's raining today. There's something really peaceful about it. I wish I could go outside.

[ There's a pause, after that, where she just looks out the window at the driving rain and sets down her pen. Coming home soaked probably wouldn't be the best idea... and she couldn't bring her journal out there. And she has things she wants to address, today... a lot of things have been on her mind. So, with a sigh, she'll set up a few filters, switching to voice as she does so. First things first... ]

( Ginko | Locked 100% )

( Chouji and Miyabi | Locked 50% )

[ There's another pause, after this. A pause where she sets her journal down, and gently pulls up over her head the chain she wears around her neck. For a quiet moment, she contemplates the pretty ring dangling from it -- with its blue stone, and its volumes of meaning. She thinks of Sanji's words.

Gently she lowers it into one hand, letting the chain pool in her palm, then picks the journal back up to address the populace at large. ]

( Open To All )

... what does the word "forever" mean to you? ... and I'm not talking about the dictionary definition. [ With faint humor.

( cut for tl;dr introspection/not cut ICly )

( Replicas (?) | Locked 100% )

... I hope I made this filter right. Only ... only replicas, or clones, should be able to see this. I wanted to know ... how many of us were out there.

[ "Us." She keeps her voice admirably steady, considering how terrifying this is to voice. But maybe ... just maybe, something good will come of it. ]

(ooc; Hideous, long post is hideous and long. Regarding the last filter! I'll leave it up to mun discretion if your character will fit under the filter. Obviously those termed Replicas or clones in canon will be able to see it, but for those of you who otherwise aren't sure, feel free to ping me on AIM at spark memories or just shoot me a PM. ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE THREADJACKING IN THE REPLICAS FILTER BECAUSE WHY NOT. GO NUTS.

Also: will be working on my outstanding threads, I promise. >>! I just needed to get this up. also again, THIS IS BACKDATED SO HARD.)

[ ... this is going to be short and sweet. it tears at Xion's heart the tiniest bit to do this -- it always hurts, doing this -- but if there are others who don't yet know ... they're owed this, aren't they? ]

... in case anyone-- friends of his, I mean ... if you hadn't heard yet, Naoki was sent home.

... I wonder who's going to take care of the New Feather stations now.

[ GUESS WHERE SHE IS? That's right, That One Bridge next to house 14. After all, she associates this place with Naoki as much as anything. It hurts a little, but ... it seemed like the right place. ]

(ooc; yes I know on the heels of my last post but it needed to go up! however, tags tomorrow after work. also this will have been posted on the 19th to avoid MORE RAIN. so much rain.)

[ Today is a day ... for filters. ]

( Tsuzuki | Locked 100% )

Tsuzuki-- I'm sorry if this is really sudden, but I need to ask you a really, really big favor. That -- the letter I wrote! [ a little breathless. ] Could I please... I really need it. Is there any way I could come get it? As soon as possible?

[ breathe, Xion. There are other things. ]

( Filtered SEPARATELY to Sokka and Fenimore | Locked 100% )

Hey, how ... how are you?

( Ven | Locked 100% )

Ven, I ... I'm so sorry. Are you okay?

[ Xion actually made all those filters fairly early in the day before bolting out of the house. She couldn't stay there-- anywhere near Riku right now-- it's too much.

Not that she won't be ducking out of sight at any glimpse of red hair.

She needs that letter....

Feel free to find her about town, but she'll be pretty jumpy. ]

(ooc; sorry for the not-very-open post. next one'll be better, I promise. AND in case it wasn't clear, this is happening earlier in the day of the 21st -- the day prior to the draft announcement.)

[ Xion's always had this thing for dreaming. Although, back home, it was memories... memories and meanings she couldn't understand. Dreams of the ocean and the sound of waves, dreams of a boy in red...

Her dreams are so often memories. After all, what is she but memories? Just a doll, made to live off of the memories of a boy like some kind of parasite. But now she has memories all her own... so many of them. And she dreams about those, too.

They aren't always good dreams. Sometimes they are dark and full of blood.

It's a shame she fell asleep with her journal on the covers -- because when she wakes up, shooting up into a sitting position with a shout, the journal of course falls open and records her cry.

Nothing can be seen -- after all, the room is dark. But the sound of her panting breaths come through -- the only sound, for a moment, until she gathers herself enough to sigh. ]

Come on, Xion, get it together.

[ And she'd been having an easier time getting to sleep, too, after all the help everyone had given her...

Somewhat reflexively, she'll scoop up her journal as she gets out of bed, temporarily cutting off the feed. However, it's only a few moments later that the journal is reopened -- still in darkness, only barely leavened by the moonlight drifting in through the window. However, there is a new sound.

Xion is ... singing.

Bits and pieces, at a slower tempo, of a song that someone once played for her. Of course, there are no words, but her voice is actually ... kind of sweet, and soft, floating and tumbling between the notes. It goes like this for a few quiet moments, with some other soft sounds in the background as she gets some water.

And when she turns around, she will realize the journal did not stay upright where she set it, and fell open. Again. Of course. SIGH. Oh well. She'll move over to the table and sit, lightly tapping on the page that's been recording her. ]

... is anyone even awake at this hour? And I guess... well, if you heard me ... what's your favorite song?

(ooc; actually, pretty tired! gonna hit the hay. tags tomorrow! oh, and I'd imagine this whole thing went down... somewhere around 4 AM. ps her voice, with bonus ironic lyrics.)

( Sokka | Locked 100% )

( Aqua | Locked 100% )

( Sanji | Locked 100% )

( Luke | Locked 100% )

[ Xion is out of the house today. Mostly because it's become almost impossible to stay there. She hasn't slept for more than a handful of hours since Vanitas attacked -- three days ago. She's so exhausted she can barely stay on her feet, but better awake and moving than a sitting target.

Who could sleep, knowing that at any minute someone stronger than you and your friends could break into your home and kill you whenever he wanted?

It's this question that drives her to address Luceti at large, once she's got herself settled on the railing of That One Bridge. Hey, it's like right next to her house and she wanted to sit on a bridge, so sue her. ]

( filtered AWAY from Vanitas and Saix | Locked 100% )

What would you do if you didn't feel safe in your own home anymore?


[ and this is to say nothing -- not a damn thing -- of how she feels about Roxas right now. He had no excuse -- what defense could you give? -- and Axel almost died -- for what? Why? Why had any of this happened? Does she blame Roxas, for extending the invitation, or Vanitas, for taking it? Even if she had something to say to him, she couldn't -- he hasn't been home in days.

It's a very numb Poppet that's sitting on that there railing, swinging her legs and staring at the water below. Please interrupt her thoughts -- for they are very grim ones. ]

[ Xion had walked into the clothing store in the village square as her normal self. Just a sixteen year old Poppet picking up some warmer clothes for winter, nothing new.

She darts back outside just a minute later, looking deeply bewildered and rather ... different. For one, she's suddenly three inches taller than she was a moment ago, and somehow her hair has grown to hang a good four inches past her shoulders. Not to mention she seems to have filled out that teenage body of hers. This is definitely a woman, one who seems to be in roughly her mid twenties.

Considering she was just in the clothing store, she's dressed rather impractically for the weather in loose, flowing black pants and a black camisole. It's an outfit more appropriate for working out in... and given the bow she has in her hands and the quiver of arrows on her back, it looks like that's what she was just doing.

An arrow is now nocked on that bow as she stares around in growing alarm, before her eyes narrow in thought and frustration. Down goes the bow, and the arrow goes back in its quiver.

Give her a moment or two, and she'll have darted back into the clothing store to grab a coat before heading to the fountain, bow once again over her chest, reading her journal as she goes.

When she speaks, her voice has changed a little, too -- it's only slightly lower, but somehow she just sounds older. ]

This isn't... this isn't the Luceti I was just in. Just a second ago it was summer, and I'd been... it doesn't matter.

[ this young woman is frowning rather severely at her journal, her mind obviously working a mile a minute as she thinks. ]

... is there something strange going on? Can anyone tell me when this is? What year is it? Something doesn't seem right.

[ there's a pause, now, and a little bit of anxiety as she proceeds. ] ... is everyone still--? ... dad? Axel, Roxas? ... Riku?

[ unconsciously, Xion raises a hand, pressing her fingers to her mouth in worry and in thought. The observant may notice that there seems to be a plain gold band around her ring finger. Surely that can't be a wedding ring? She'll drop her hand before you can get a closer look, though. ]

Please, tell me what's going on.

( ooc notes )

(edit; WHOOPS I just realized there's a bit of a time discrepancy in some threads, as to what time of the year it was when Xion was poofed back. :|a gonna just handwave it. sorry!)