(no subject)

[concasse]

Who: Lots of people. I'll unlazy myself when I figure out who tags this
What: Lesson of the Day: Being a Nobody is suffering.
When: All through April 9th.
Where: Specified in the comments.
Summary: Jixsan has already died, and funny enough, didn't mind it that first time. But the idea of disappearing now is the last straw.
Rating: A for angst. Ideas of death usually aren't cheerful. >>

Comments

House 14

[concasse]

[The morning of the ninth will be a strange and hopefully relieving one for most of Luceti’s inhabitants, now that memories have correctly rewritten themselves. The awkward week aside, all anyone should be worried about at the moment is finding their proper house.

Which is why the fact that Jixsan stumbles into the kitchen of House 14 to make himself and his “housemates” breakfast is a bit… concerning.]

[perplexme]

[Well, guess who's already in the kitchen with his notes spread out and that devil-cat on the table next to him. He briefly looks up to see Jixsan...no, Sanji now? Whoever. This whole day's going to be a giant mess, he can already tell, and though he's not sure why Roxas just knows that this is still something a bit concerning.]

You're still here, huh?

[concasse]

[Jixsan, unlike his Somebody, is definitely not a morning person. He treats Roxas with the universal grumble of a man who wants to burn the world so he can go back to sleep for a few hours.]

Should I not be? [Yaaawn.] Oi, what do you want for breakfast?

[perplexme]

Thought you would have gone home by now. [Though he blinks in surprise.] That an actual offer? You wouldn't know how to make eggs benedict would you?

Near Seventh Heaven (Lestrade and Rin)

[concasse]

[Jixsan is used to nasty wake-up calls. His entire “non-existence” has been made up of these, one right after another – from dying, to coming back to life with no heart, to losing the memories of his closest friend, to killing a person he once thought he could trust with his life, and later dying again with only his bloodlust satisfied. Luceti staying true-to-form shouldn’t bother him so much.

But it does. And hastily reading through the Malnosso’s entry for clues sets a grim cloud of blank understanding over his head: regardless of whether he exists in another Luceti, he doesn’t belong to the one here; meaning he’ll be relinquishing his spot to Sanji within a few days’ (or hours') time.

End of story.

Very wisely he burns his journal and discards it elsewhere, and in this state of numbness avoids all the people he can. He knows himself. He knows the differences between what his Somebody would do and what will happen if anyone crosses his path. He’s trying, damn it, to handle this realistically, and not give into emotions that don’t exist. If he stays grounded in his inability to feel...

So it really is an accident when he finds himself in the plaza, so dazed and lost in his own thoughts that his feet started taking him to Seventh Heaven. And upon realizing his mistake, makes hasty steps to leave.]

[consultsdetective]

[ It's been a very strange few days to witness from the vantage point of the unaffected.

Which is an understatement that Lestrade would use to try to be very tactful and look unperturbed with. The reality of the situation is more along the lines of "so this place is exactly as batshit as I was told to expect and it somehow still surprised me; when do I get back to London where I'm at least conditioned to expect things to be cracked?" Lestrade has not quite appreciated it, but he'll be damned if he takes up the position of shut-in just because he's surrounded by the impossible. There are people here, innocent people, good sorts of people, and he may not be the most useful sort to have around, but he'll be around on the off-chance that he can make himself useful.

Not to mention that the food is definitely worth the trip through Wonderland, which plays a certain role in strolling through the plaza today. Much less accidental, in this case. He would admit it.

And, well. Lestrade is not one to shy away from a familiar face, so have a friendly greeting. ]

I'd say it's a small world, but I expect you already have that figured out. [ ...nor is he one to play neutral when it feels like someone ought to be smiling, for god's sake. Have one of those as well. Or else. ] Sanji, isn't it?

[concasse]

[Jixsan is prepared, he thinks, for the worst of any greeting – and if he’s lucky, his unrepentant glare will send off the worst offenders before they have a chance to inquire about the state of his mood. This is technically for them anyway, to ensure they stay out of his firing range. A year ago and he would’ve lacked the necessary tact or care to remove himself from a village filled with fleshy targets.

But Lestrade comes up from behind, accosts him with friendliness; smiles at him. Maybe that’s what makes it worse. Jixsan can barely recall the man’s name, or where they’ve met, but is greeted like a friend all the same. It’s the type of welcome that he wishes desperately he could feel some type of gratitude for; the type that would come naturally for a person with a heart.

Until he calls Sanji’s name.]

... No. [No returned grin, or nod of recognition. No throwaway wave. Jixsan turns and stares flatly at him, the depth of lacking emotion reflected in his eye.] I’m not Sanji. [Step.] You a friend of his? [Step.]

[Around them, the air begins to grow hot. Lestrade, answer carefully.]

[consultsdetective]

[ On occasion, a person finds themselves accosted by a silent inner alarm. Survival instinct. It says "tread carefully: something is Not Right." Not at all happy, quite possibly not very stable, and apparently not... Sanji. Note to self, start asking new faces if they've got twins wandering around (experiment? no, the big to-do just got over with, if he heard right. how many people can be born with eyebrows like this and when did it get this warm?).

How very... prowling.

He's always been the sort of man to trust his instincts, and it's served him well. Got a clever man off drugs and consulting for him, a hell of a lot of clever criminals put away, kept him from getting himself killed by the murderer of the week. Greg will see Jixsan's approach with a cocked head and a lift of the chin verging on defiant. Well, less verging on and more generally defiant, because he's not so sure he likes the tone that this meeting is taking, but leaning more towards confused. ]

I've met him. Didn't dislike him. [ And you are the spitting image of him, unsaid but implied enough. ]

City Outskirts? (Luke)

[concasse]

[Jixsan isn’t aware of where he portals to next – between the seething rage and his outstanding injuries, all other senses are too blunted to provide much use – and so he stumbles out with an arm curled tightly against his rib cage, leaning against the first tree he comes to for support as he pants for breath.

Breathe. Calm down. That shit was your own fault and you know it, is the cry he tries angling at himself, but it goes up in smoke with every pained throb in his head. That he attacked a civilian hardly registers, or that Rin had to force him back, or that he’s acting no better than a scared animal...

What does it matter? He’s going to die, anyway. You’re going to die. In a second, in a minute, in a few hours... Once the shift’s corrected, he’s gone. And everyone will be all the happier with their status quo restored.]

[fabrecation]

[It took Luke some time to track down everyone and apologize for his behavior. He's sure he hurt some people thanks to the way he acted - so blank, yet staying so stubbornly fixated on the fact that he was the same as always... He had done so with the members of the house he was "protecting" first before he moved out, heading to House 1 and talking to the people there, especially Ion, especially Natalia.

Now that he was done with that, Luke knew that Guy had to be next. Not only that, but he seriously needed sleep. After, what, an entire week without a wink of sleep? Sure, the effects of it weren't bothering him now that he's reverted back to his normal body, but he sure remembered staying awake that long. And he was eager to just sleep.

He decided to cut through the forest to save some time, and he certainly wasn't expecting Sanji leaning against the tree, injured and exhausted. The stab of panic and concern is definitely welcome after a whole week without emotions, and he moves forward with an arm out.]

Sanji? Hey, what happened, are you - ?

[concasse]

[Whatever the other says after that is lost in the sudden buzzing sensation that overtakes Jixsan’s mind, and his head stiffly ducks forward. He knows someone’s approached with the intent to help – it’s Luke. He must be normal again (lucky him). Don’t take this out on him; he’s dating Xion. He doesn’t know. It’s not his fault.

But all he hears is that fuckin name.

If Luke doesn’t move back fast enough, he’ll find a hand coiled around his throat, vice-like and growing tighter. And hotter. The air flickers between cool and searing, as warring as Jixsan’s dwindling logic.]

Yo Luke.

[fabrecation]

[It wasn't what he was expecting at all. So while he does have the sense to widen his eyes and bring his hands up in time to curl around Sanji's fingers, they're still around his throat, and he stops short and grits his teeth with effort to pull his hand off of him.

Honestly, his first thought is "What did I do now?" But that's quickly pushed aside, because this isn't right. Something's wrong. The air around them isn't right, the way he sounds isn't right, nothing is right about this.

Realization comes to Luke like a searing thought, and he tightens his grip on San... Jixsan's hand and pulls harder as a result.]

Jixsan...

House 6 (Chopper, Vivi, maybe other SH)

[concasse]

[Hey Chopper. B| Hope you’re in your room because suddenly there’s a black, swirling portal spitting out a familiar blond onto the bed. He’s injured, he’s half-unconscious… and he’s bleeding all over.

Sorry about that, bro]

[tanukipwnt]

[He was, actually. And it was otherwise a fairly quiet day of medicine making, too - until a yawning dark portal stretches open in the middle of the room and deposits a bleeding person into his care. Then it's a touch of professional urgency and a healthy dose of "business now, figure out what the hell is going on later", especially when the patient's identity is there in all its bleeding glory for Chopper to see.]

Sanji?!

[concasse]

[It's the name he's heard all shitty morning, meaning even in his injured state, Chopper's fashioned with a light, disgruntled glare as the Nobody attempts to roll himself into a sitting position. He manages as far as leaning some of his weight against his propped arms before quitting, panting thickly and allowing his head to drop.]

Jixsan, Chopper. [The name he plans on taking to his grave - which might be sooner rather than later, he notes. The lack of heart isn't stopping his body from bleeding like a stuck pig.] It's Jixsan.

[He knows he's not the one you want, but...

His head drops until it meets the bedding, and if he could, he'd be upset that he's soiling the doctor's space with his blood.]

[alabastajewel]

[Downstairs, the sound of Chopper's surprised shout faintly reaches Vivi's ears, though she hadn't been able to make out what he'd said. Not overly concerned yet, considering Chopper's sometimes skittish nature, she begins to climb the stairs.]

Tony-kun? Is everything all right?

Vash's Room

[concasse]

[Sup Vash. Don't mind the sudden intrusion into your room. Or the portal. Hopefully you're used to it, right?]

1/?

[goldenglasses]

[Oh man. These poor flowers. He can't believe he forgot about them for a whole week. He moves a watering can from pot to pot, thinking over how he couldn't wait to get to Good Spirit and drink last week aw-]

2/?

[goldenglasses]

[HOLY CRAP THERE'S A SANJI SUDDENLY IN HIS ROOM! WHY IS THERE A SANJI SUDDENLY IN HIS ROOM!?]

3/4

[goldenglasses]

[Vash reaches out and catches a potted daisy he bumped before it can crash to the floor.] S-Sanji!? Can't you knock first!?

4/4

[goldenglasses]

[Wait a second...]

Wait- did you just teleport in here? You can still teleport!? [Didn't ANI say there could be mistakes? Crap. This can't be good.]

[concasse]

[...]

Yep, still can. [His tone is light, and it'll fuckin stay that way regardless of how that reaction makes him... "feel".]

Sorry about that.

City Outskirts (Namine, Xion)

[concasse]

[Jixsan has had his fair share of goodbyes, but that doesn’t mean he’s any good at them. It’s actually a relief when he visits the last person and disappears soon after, portalling one last time to the edge of the village. In another few hours twilight will be upon them, but for now there’s only a lesser glow from the sun as it heads for the horizon.

He briefly wonders if he’ll get to see it: twilight, that is. His body reveals no hints of his “condition” – and thanks to Chopper’s expertise, he feels better, too. There’s no way of knowing when he'll Shift back into Sanji.

In that case, he decides he'd rather head into the forest and find a secluded area by himself. Close his eyes. That way he can say it was his choice not to watch the sun at all]

[eternalpromise]

[Naminé'd been keeping an eye out, after Xion had asked her to. And given all that had been going on, the posts she'd seen in passing on the journals. She'd gotten the general picture of what was going on. Or at least, what she suspected was the general picture.

Someone not from their... worlds, so to speak. That person thinking they were, due to an experiment... Playing with people's memories. There were too many uncomfortably familiar points being hit for her to not feel somewhat vested in what was going on, once she fully understood it - it was only her first experiment after all, and the people in her household had remained mostly unaffected.

She's walking out around town, thinking about things, when she spots the portal out of the corner of her eye and turns. So far as she knows, those particular kind of portals are something only a Nobody or someone used to working with darkness can use, which gives her another clue as to just how this experiment has affected... Jixsan.

Assuming this is him, though she strongly suspects it is.]

[concasse]

[Being a paranoid fellow, even at the end of his existence, it doesn't take long to realize someone's watching him. Perhaps in the morning this would've been met with vicious results, like it had for Lestrade. Now that the day is nearing its finale, however, Jixsan merely pauses and turns to regard this girl some distance away. And then his eyes narrow suspiciously and widen in surprise in the same second.

They don't look exactly the same, no. This one has blond hair, and something about the eyes strikes him as... different. But otherwise their resemblance is uncanny, and it means Jixsan doesn't walk away.

Just who are you?]