[He cuts himself off. This conversation is inevitable, has been since he let the truth slip to Sora without even being aware of it. But something niggles at him, feels wrong, and he takes a moment to figure out what.]
Axel's still there, isn't he?
[He trusts his best friend with just about anything. Would himself listen to anything Axel wanted to unburden himself of. But there are some things that should remain between a Nobody and his Other.]
[It's lost on him why he'd want to hide it from other people. Maybe before they'd come this far, he could understand. But right now he's just confused.]
[He hasn't actually thought about the Unversed much since he destroyed the ones around Kahve. Yeah, he knows where they come from, but it hadn't occurred to him that they could be that much of a problem for someone unused to them.
Yeah. Soon as I woke up, things were... really crazy. The more I felt, the crazier they got. And every time something bad happened, more of them showed up.
It's getting easier now that I'm settled at Axel's, but there's already too many of them running around. My friends told me they'd help.
[His only reservation:] I'll just have to deal with what happens when they disappear and get rid of them. All of them.
I won't be. I don't have to worry about getting all those Unversed on my own when I've got help.
[He stops at the question. Roxas won't hear a lengthy pause. It's just long enough to look down at his hand. To curl his fingers inward, then relax them again.]
The way I am now? [Stuck in someone else's body] It's nothing like I thought it would be.
[His voice reflects more certainty than he feels. How do they fix something like this when they don't even know how it was done? The 'old lady' Sora mentioned is a place to start, but it's still troubling. But he won't let that show when Sora needs to be confident.]
[Call]
So it's true then.
[Now this part is more for the other.]
It was because of what he did to me before, wasn't it?
[Call]
[He cuts himself off. This conversation is inevitable, has been since he let the truth slip to Sora without even being aware of it. But something niggles at him, feels wrong, and he takes a moment to figure out what.]
Axel's still there, isn't he?
[He trusts his best friend with just about anything. Would himself listen to anything Axel wanted to unburden himself of. But there are some things that should remain between a Nobody and his Other.]
[Call]
Yeah, he's here. Why?
Did you wanna talk to him?
[Call]
I just think this should stay between the two of us.
[Call]
[It's lost on him why he'd want to hide it from other people. Maybe before they'd come this far, he could understand. But right now he's just confused.]
[Call]
[Call]
[Call]
You wanna come over or something?
[Call]
[Normally, he'd jump at the chance to meet up with Roxas. The hesitance says something in itself.]
Maybe not for a while.
[Call]
[He doesn't want to leave it at this, but who is he to insist? He punched Sora, hurt him. Lied to him, if by omission.
He really, really hopes this whole incident doesn't undo a lot of the distance they've crossed together.]
Sure. Just...whenever, then.
[Call]
Wait.]
Roxas, I wanna go-- I want to talk -- but... it's the Unversed.
You saw what they did today at Kahve. They're out of control. If you weren't there, who knows what might've happened.
If I don't take care of this first, people are going to get hurt.
[Call]
[He hasn't actually thought about the Unversed much since he destroyed the ones around Kahve. Yeah, he knows where they come from, but it hadn't occurred to him that they could be that much of a problem for someone unused to them.
Suddenly, he feels pretty sheepish for assuming.]
What are you going to do?
[Call]
It's getting easier now that I'm settled at Axel's, but there's already too many of them running around. My friends told me they'd help.
[His only reservation:] I'll just have to deal with what happens when they disappear and get rid of them. All of them.
[Call]
[If he sounds skeptical, it's because he's skeptical. Sorry, bro.]
Wait—
What do you mean, what happens when they disappear?
[Call]
[He stops at the question. Roxas won't hear a lengthy pause. It's just long enough to look down at his hand. To curl his fingers inward, then relax them again.]
The way I am now? [Stuck in someone else's body] It's nothing like I thought it would be.
It's ... hard being Vanitas.
[Call]
[I'll help. He doesn't say it.
They've never called themselves friends, after all. Not yet. Even if now Roxas is thinking that he'd like to. But this isn't about him.]
You're not Vanitas. You're Sora. You're not the same as him.
[Call]
It's just worlds different when he hears it from someone else, someone he trusts. It's more true.
Firmly:] No- I'm not Vanitas, even if I'm in his body. And I won't become him either, even if he tries to convince you and me otherwise.
I mean... all I've got to do is find out how to switch back and I'll be me again, through and through. [The only hint of uncertainty:] Right?
[Call]
[His voice reflects more certainty than he feels. How do they fix something like this when they don't even know how it was done? The 'old lady' Sora mentioned is a place to start, but it's still troubling. But he won't let that show when Sora needs to be confident.]
We'll figure it out. It'll be no sweat.
[Call]
Then, maybe when all the Unversed are taken care of, and I'm me again...
We can have that talk.
[Call]
Just hang in there. And if you need more help, call me.
I'll be here.
[Call]
And thanks, Roxas.
[Call]
See you later, then.