First ★ [Voice/Action]

[limitless_land]

[What am I supposed to do now?

He doesn't know when his perpetual black faded into sleep, nor when he fell back on his bed--or when he got soaked for that matter. What he did know was that when he awakened... he was soaked, and could smell saltwater. Not to mention he was on the ground somewhere.] What...?

[Riku opens his eyes beneath the blindfold, regretting it a moment when the salt water began to make them sting. What he can subtly make out behind the cloth was that he was in a city of sorts, a few Hearts and shadow figures-meaning whole individuals-passing by... and was that a coral split into two? He shook his head, getting to his feet. Maybe it was time to get some answers, as well as dry off.

His hand immediately finds the SFC and after studying it along with drying off/out his blindfold and himself to the best of his ability if the towel over his head is anything to go by... he decides to make his presence known. The feed clicks.]

...Vatheon, huh. I don't suppose anyone would have any ideas as to why we are in the first place?

[Of course, the local who gave him a towel and a hair dryer for his blindfold had said nothing about why he was here. Rather, they changed the subject rather quickly. It irritated him, yes, but maybe someone else had the answers he desired.

Anyone wandering the plaza could quite well find him donning the black coat synonymous with the Organization and eyes hidden by a black blindfold to match, leaning against the wall of one of the many stores, examining the SFC and its functions as he gained his bearings.]

Comments

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[Joshua's always having fun. Hm...yes, no, maybe so?]

'Impostor.' My, you really are a shadow, aren't you?

[It'd be such a shame for present-Riku to find that he can't quite hurt him with fists alone.

Purple eyes lazily, yet calmly, regarded him. It was rather like a mathematician giving an easy equation a mildly interested glance before solving it with practiced ease. He shrugged.]

Frankly, it's an experiment. We know very little of Vatheon. Most fingers point to the coral, called the Lamufao, and a few point to other prominent figures here.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

Or just lurk within them more than society deems acceptable.

[Maybe. That's why he has Impulse and dark magic, but hey; he wasn't looking to harm him just yet. The feeling of being studied, though... he despised it.]

Hm... [He takes in that information, mulling it over. An experiment of sorts... more than likely pulling in many people from different worlds. But what was the purpose of the experiment, and was it limited to just worlds? He'd obviously been dealing with Nobodies far too much recently.]

I've noticed we're from different worlds... but are those pulled here limited to just places?

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

Depends on which society you look at, doesn't it?

[Josh hums at that.]

Different worlds and different times. It doesn't seem to discriminate on who comes here.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

Any with a moral spine, then.

[Storing that information away, then. Hm...]

... Great. [He can already think of one person who he doesn't want to come here. Ever.]

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

Even morals can be questionable, despite whatever good intentions they may have.

[So can Joshua.]

So far, it's mostly "hero-types" around here. Not much in the way of riffraff, though I suppose you could say that we do have some "sophisticated" villains.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

[A humorless chuckle.] Isn't that the truth...

[So much prejudice and death wishes; you don't even know.]

Oh really. And now that you've said that, it's only a matter of time before a psychotic one shows up.

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[It's okay, Joshua's amused enough for two people.] One could argue that it's the gospel truth.

[Psychotic math fetishist that tried to kill him, but at least he made the Game more interesting. The teen giggles.]

He's come and gone already. Oh, but you wouldn't remember that.

[Kinda a low blow, but damn it, Riku, you left suddenly and had left him a note with an apology on it. Yes, he's a little miffed by that, as grateful and happy-ish as he was about the teen being back.]

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

[Good for him, then. Though, that just earned an eye roll. Ugh, that was horrible. -- At least it was only one person and not a group of thirteen emotionless husks.]

... [He kicks himself off the wall he was leaning against, narrowing his eyes at the kid. Remember...? Yet another hint that someone at least like him, if not him, had been here before. To be honest, he was getting sick of this game.]

What do you mean by that.

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[He didn't regret it, at all.

Joshua stretched his arms, quite obviously not caring about Riku's reaction. He never cared if people liked playing his games, considering he would just go on playing them anyway.]

What, didn't I mention you were here before?

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

...

You neglected to mention that.

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

But how else would I have known you if you hadn't been here before? Unless you're more infamous than I gathered.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

I'm not saying it doesn't make sense. [Urge to strangle... repressed. He's still a bit disoriented thanks to all of this.]

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[It really is like Week 2 all over again!]

Though, perhaps, in a way it's a good thing you don't remember. [One word: Enjin.] The blindfold's a new addition, I must admit.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

[I FUCKING TOLD YOU.]

It's still going to end up driving me nuts. [Looking at Zira's last entry, he's still going to be the therapist, isn't he. :|a He hesitates a moment before pulling it up slightly to get a better look at Joshua. After giving him a once over, he nods faintly before letting the cloth slip back down over his eye. After all, a few dark whisps were already rolling off his shoulders.]

I don't know how I was then, but... there's a reason I wear it.

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[NOT LIKE IT'S A BAD THING, HE'S JUST GETTING SOME MAJOR DEJA VU.]

I'll just leave the clean-up to Kairi, then. [Riku is everyone's family therapist, so long as he's post-Kingdom Hearts I. :D Joshua spies those whisps of shadow, and files it away in his mind.]

And that reason likely involves the darkness. [He tilts his head minutely.] You seem to be walking a finer line than when I last saw you.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

[WELL THEN ENJOY THE MAJOR DEJA VU. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF IT.]

... If I can face her like this. [Yeaaah, that fine line? It makes it incredibly hard for him to face his friends since it's still there. And... nailed it, Joshua. Right on the head. If he trusted you, he would have already said 'because it's not mine.']

More or less.

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[I WILL MAJORLY ENJOY IT. BUT IF RIKU EVER SAYS, "I feel so epic," TO ANYONE, JOSHUA WILL BE THERE TO LAUGH AT HIM FOREVER.]

She's rather missed you and Sora. Regardless, I'm sure she'll understand. [Just playing messenger. A shame, but it'll get back to that point, eventually. So, have a knowing look, Riku.]

You've chosen a hard path. I wonder, will you turn out to be a dark grey? Light? Or perhaps you'll go between them.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

[HE ISN'T DERP ENOUGH TO SAY THAT IN ANY WAY OTHER THAN DEADPAN SARCASM MODE. DEAL. WITH. IT.]

... [Low blow was low, man. It's not like he doesn't want to see her, but-]

I don't care, so long as it ends up with protecting my friends in the end.

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[THAT'D MAKE IT EVEN BETTER, NOT!NEKU. ♥]

...Whatever you do is your choice. However, she is hurting, been hurting ever since you and Sora left Vatheon. [Best to inform him of a bit of the situation now than later. Joshua giggles.]

At least that hasn't changed. Goodness, I believe I'll be experiencing major deja vu sticking with you.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

[-FOR THE LOVE OF SANTA CHRIST.]

Mm... [He pauses, hesitating. To let Kairi see this, to know how much he's suffering thanks to this blasted shadow... but to know she's hurting, too. It's would have been too much to handle if he would even remotely let himself feel that pain. There's yet another thing that hasn't changed since between him now and the future him: no matter how much he denies it, there's a part of him that longs to be with his friends no matter how separated they are.

Riku pulls it together, forcing himself to keep moving, anyway.] Your own fault if you do.

...I'll see her the first chance I get.

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[DEFINITELY TELLING DAINE ABOUT RIRI'S NEW NICKNAME.]

Now, now, it's both our faults, technically. We both reached out, and we both let the other in. [And perhaps that's the real reason he wants to "test" Riku's patience. Because he got so close, Joshua's maybe trying to push him away. He can't afford close relationships, platonic or otherwise. Either he will outlive them or they will outlive him. One or the other ends in pain, and if the relationship goes sour...well.

The question is...can he, after all the two have been through?

Who knows.]

Fair enough. Anything else you want to know?

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

[HOW MANY NICKNAMES IS HE GOING TO GET?!

For some reason, that strikes a chord in his heart; it's really faint, and annoying as hell, but it's there. He can tell because it stands out like the bonds between his friends against the shadow that's tried taking hold time and time again.]

Guess you have a point, there.

[Joshua, you should have known this by now about this particular idiot: once you're a friend with him, whether or not he remembers, it's for life. And in his world? Not even death ends those bonds since the power lingers because the heart never dies so long as a friend remembers them.]

Are there any particular limitations such as summoning or teleportation?

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

[A THOUSAND. ♥

He's still smirking at him, but it's a tiny bit genuine.]

I've been around the block a few times. You learn interesting things about people. Try taking a sociology class when you have free time.

[Well, then his friends will live for a very long time, if only he'd let them in. Besides, Joshua's in need of proof, proof that it's worth it to make lasting and close relationships with people. Being alone for almost a century and largely ignoring the loneliness he feels makes old habits truly die hard.]

Teleporting isn't an issue, it seems. You're just limited to Vatheon. Summoning, however...it depends. I would assume that, if you can summon something, it isn't going to be very big or powerful.

[limitless-land.livejournal.com]

[...WE MIGHT AS WELL SAY "HEY, YOU."]

Mm. I might eventually. [It would come in handy, especially for someone like him who just keeps on running into sociopaths. :|a And yes, Joshua. Stop making us want to quote Shiki, over here.]

I see... [He holds out his hand, Soul Eater appearing momentarily before vanishing again.] ... Well, that's helpful, at least.

[The only question remaining was if Vatheon would get a Heartless problem...]

[oh-neku-dear.livejournal.com]

["HEY, YOU. YEAH, YOU, WITH THE HAIR AND THE BLINDFOLD."]

It's interesting, to say the least, and goes well with psychology. [Sociopath Magnet Riku's on the loose. Psh, quote her all you want, it'll amuse him.]

Weapons you can summon are normally not a problem. Creatures, on the other hand, are an entirely different matter, I would assume. [He shrugs, and seeing Soul Eater is definitely something new. Last time he saw Riku, he had Way to the Dawn.]

That's new.