pullsheavendown | ♚ IC Contact for Sirens' Pull ♚

[He's stunned into silence by sheer surprise, and when he recovers himself a few moment later, the conclusion he comes to is entirely logical.]

You—why are you calling me on Axel's NV?

[And entirely wrong.]

What did you do to him?!

[Sora sits up.] Huh? Nothing! He's fine.

He's just letting me borrow his NV.

[A little more subdued.] It's me. Sora..

[He relaxes a little, but not completely. The voice sounds similar to Sora's, for sure, but Vanitas' tone is deeper and a little darker, maybe because of what he is.]

If he's fine then you won't mind giving him the NV so I can talk to him, 'Sora.'

Right. [A brief nod Roxas can't see. Axel and him sort of knew this was coming, so he doesn't hesitate to hand it off.]

He's right here.

[A soft murmur of voices in the background.]

[There's a shuffle and a crackling sort of sound as Axel takes the NV.]

Yo~ Roxas, how is this fine day treating you? [He doesn't really wait for a reply, leaning forward to fiddle with the tattered hems of his jeans.] Me I had my cat stolen by a rabbit, and when I went to get her back I ran into the strangest darn thing.

[There's a pause, and then the joking sort of tone leaves his voice.]

He's the real deal, Roxas; I made sure. I was pretty dubious at first, but I'm convinced now. I dunno how it happened, but somehow or another it seems there was a mixup in the coat room.

[Roxas is quiet for a long moment. This makes no kind of sense. How could this even happen? And he knows Vanitas, he knows Sora—wouldn't he be able to tell who is who?

Maybe not. Because he knows Axel too, and he knows that tone. It's the deadly serious one that his best friend uses whenever he's completely leveling with someone. It's not one he hears too often.

So that means...]

Put him back on.

[Axel is quiet as Roxas lets this information percolate--he knows the kid well enough to know exactly what's going on. Those gears are a-turning, and he smiles a bit when the kid asks him to hand the phone back to Sora.]

You got it.

[Pulling the phone away from his ear he hands it back to Sora.]

He's all yours, kiddo.

[Really, he's honestly glad he could help; poor Sora looks like he's had about the worst day ever, and Axel's pretty sure the kid's never done anything bad enough to deserve it.]

[Sora gets the phone back. It's much easier this time, having someone vouch for him. All the cards laid out on the table.]

... Hey.

Hey.

[This is still weird. He still sounds like Vanitas.]

I wanna ask you something.

Edited 2012-07-28 20:20 (UTC)

[Another test? He spares a glance at Axel and then returns his attention back to the NV. It's a good sign Roxas is still talking to him, at least.]

What is it?

A year ago, Sora and I were trapped for a while when Xehanort took over Terra's body, so we couldn't interfere.

What happened?

[Vanitas could potentially know the broad strokes, sure. He could know what sort of spell Xehanort had prepared. But he couldn't know that they argued, or that Roxas had nearly despaired, or how they'd found their way out. Only Sora would.]

It was in the mirror. A hallway that went on forever.

We walked for a long time, but never got anywhere. We even had a big fight. There was a lot of stuff we both needed to hear, I think.

[It's... been such a long time ago. But he can still recall some things in the most vivid clarity. Roxas' voice, The things they both said, the frustration he felt at the time. And the resolve he felt after.]

We figured out the weak spot and went after it as hard as we could. It worked.

It might've been rough at first. But I'm glad it was him I got stuck with. I wouldn't have gotten out if it weren't for him.

[Roxas let's out a long breath. It's all true, exactly as it happened, and that means it really is him, impossible as it should be. Part of him would have been more surprised if he got it wrong.]

Sora. It's really you? What happened?

[There's humor in his voice, even if it sounds tired. He's past feeling frustrated or surprised, having been through this with three friends already. Mostly, he feels relieved.]

It's a long story.

But the short of it-- if some old lady says they're gonna teach you a lesson, you'd better believe it.

Edited 2012-08-05 15:57 (UTC)

[He doesn't know what to say to that. Frankly, he's baffled. And old lady did what? Teach him a lesson about what? None of it makes any sense, so he focuses on one thing he does know for sure.]

I punched you.

I know.

[His tone is mildly flat, though far from serious or grudging. A quiet moment as he rubs his face a little.]

You were pretty angry all right.

Not at you. I thought...

[He shakes his head. He's not sure what he thought had been happening, aside from Vanitas trying to mess with his head again. He'd just been so...angry.]

I'm sorry.

[Sora has always been clearly expressive, and most of the time Roxas will be able to tell exactly what Sora is feeling from the tone, or the look on his face. Things are a little more difficult now that he can't see the other, can only hear him.]

You believe me now, right?

Yeah, I do.

[Unreservedly so, for all that he still can't wrap his mind around this happening at all, much less how it happened.]

Vanitas would never...

I do.

Then that's good enough for me.

[Silently, he nods to himself.]

All right.

So...what now?

Well... There's something I wanted to ask you too.

Me? What is it?

Was it true? The part about you... fighting Vanitas before?

[He's quiet for a moment.]

Yes. But—I told you about that ages ago, remember? We ran into each other and he was a jerk, so...

[But he'd left out a few critical details, hadn't he?]

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