Should've called in sick today

[lockandkeyblade]

Who: Sora ( lockandkeyblade) and You!
When: July 18 through the week, Backdated for some threads
Where: various locations
Summary: Sora's been body-swapped with Vanitas! This may or may not end badly. Open to all, as well as to those who've plotted with me beforehand. Feel free to plot with me too, or contact me if you have questions!
Warnings: misunderstandings galore, possibly violence Sora getting punched in the face, cat stealing, and Xigbar in PJs

If Sora had known that an encounter with Vanitas and the old lady would end like this, he probably would have taken the long way home. Or even better, taken the day off. Now he's stuck in a body that is definitely not his (even if his face hasn't changed that much) and who even knows if Vanitas is going through the same. He needs to find his friends, or at least an NV to warn them. He needs to find Vanitas and the one who did this to them. 

But at the moment, he'll be wandering the streets as Vanitas, looking uncharacteristically frazzled compared to the usual. He's got to deal with the more pressing, immediate matter: the unsavory creatures that spawned around him the moment he woke up. Now they're wandering the street in broad daylight running amok.

Anyone walking in the streets today might find themselves accosted by a rather large Wild Bruiser. If they're much luckier, they might run into a more subdued Prize Pod, bobbing around harmlessly when smashed, it gives you cake! They might have things pilfered from them by the Archraven or the Floods.

Either way, whether you run into 'Vanitas' or any other of his Unversed creatures, good luck. Because he knows just as much about stopping them as you do.

Comments

[pullsheavendown]

[He looks a little embarrassed at that, though he doesn't deny it.]

I didn't go hunting him down. I promised everyone I wasn't going to do anything stupid after they took me that time, but after you told me what he said to you, I saw him on the street and...uh...I set his sandwich on fire.

[lockandkeyblade]

[He can't help it, he laughs. This body has a tendency to laugh in a different tone, but it's still essentially Sora's laugh. The image of Vanitas holding a sandwich that's burst into flame is too much.]

No way.

[pullsheavendown]

[Okay, that's a little odd to hear, but it makes Roxas smile, too.]

I couldn't think what else to do. He never saw it coming. He got really mad, though.

[lockandkeyblade]

Well yeah, you lit his sandwich on fire!

[His laughter tapers off just a little.] You're really crazy sometimes.

[pullsheavendown]

Gee, thanks.

[He ducks his head, a wider grin playing at his mouth.]

[lockandkeyblade]

Maybe next time--

[It's when Roxas looks away that it happens. He lets his words trail off into silence, like he's forgotten what he meant to say. Then, he shakes his head, like he's dismissing a stray thought.

When that clears, every part of him tenses up at once. His jaw sets and brows furrow as his gaze falls to the floor. Hands that were crossed over his chest remain there, but his fingers are closing into tight fists, uncurling, and then tightening again.]

[pullsheavendown]

There probably shouldn't be a next time. As satisfying as it was, beating Vanitas up didn't really help anything.

It's just—when he threatens you, or Xion, or Ven—I just lose it.

[It's a big admission. It's not the same as directly telling Sora he cares, or that they are friends. But it says a lot about about how much Sora can affect him, and that he's been able to for a long time.

It's only when he looks up hesitantly to gauge Sora's reaction that he notices how unsettled and distracted his Other looks.]

Are you okay?

[lockandkeyblade]

[It's an incredibly personal admission. Indirect, but personal. Later, he'll think back on it, maybe even reflect about how far the two of them have come.

For now? He's just going to brace himself a little, leaning forward just enough so he can rest his hands on partially bent knees. It's not so bad if he just keeps even, measured breaths and focuses his mind on something else.]

Gimme a sec.

[pullsheavendown]

What's wrong?

[Sora looks like he might barf, but Roxas doesn't think he's said anything to prompt that response. He hopes not.]

[lockandkeyblade]

It just--

[The worst of it passes fairly quickly, though the ache lingers. Probably just a lower level Unversed like a prize pod. And it's much better than the episodes he'd had earlier in the week when the Titans were helping him with the Unversed.]

It happens sometimes. Everything just hurts for a little while.

[He shakes his head, eyes shut and expression easing up. It's enough to feel almost a little embarrassed it happened in front of Roxas.] It's not a big deal.

[pullsheavendown]

What?!

[The words do nothing to quell his rising alarm. Being in Vanitas' body is bad enough for Sora, but he's subjected to random fits of pain, too? Two questions spring to mind immediately—what's causing it, and what can he do about it? It doesn't even occur to him that Sora might not want to go into that in his embarrassment. For Roxas, it's really simple.

Something hurts Sora, and he wants it so stop.]

Why? There's got to be a way to stop that.

[lockandkeyblade]

I don't know if there's a way, but it's not gonna be forever.

Just until I get my body back.

[He's going to keep staying like that for another few moments before he'll straighten, rolling his shoulders to loosen up. Roxas already sounds pretty worried.

He insists:] It's nothing.

[pullsheavendown]

[He doesn't look at all convinced, but if there's nothing Sora can do to stop it, maybe there's no way for Roxas to help either. He can drop it for now, at least.]

All right. You can't be stuck that way much longer.

[Right?]

[lockandkeyblade]

[He nods. One of those chairs are looking more appealing right now.] I'll find a way. Somehow...

[There's a slight pause.] It's the Unversed.

[pullsheavendown]

The Unversed...hurt you?

[It's backwards to even think about. The Unversed hurts other people; Vanitas hurts people. It shouldn't go the other way around.]

[lockandkeyblade]

Only when they get destroyed.

[He'll be turning his hands palms up, looking from one to the other.]

They come out whenever I'm angry, or really sad. And when I tell them to do things now, they listen. It's like they're me.

But when they disappear? That's when I feel it.

[pullsheavendown]

So when I saw you here before, I didn't just hurt you when I punched you.

[He's not sure what else he could have done. The Unversed needed to go—okay, maybe the prize pods were all right to have around, but not the others.]

I'm sorry.

Do you think...that happens to him, too?

[lockandkeyblade]

[Sora shakes his head.] Don't be. You've gotta do whatever you can to protect people, right?

[He turns away briefly, frowning.] There's no way he gets a free pass for all the bad stuff he's done.

But I wanted to know too. So I asked him if if it was always like this.

[pullsheavendown]

Did he actually answer?

[Normally he wouldn't trust anything Vanitas said, but about this...it might be different.]

[lockandkeyblade]

He said 'All the time.'

Guy doesn't sleep either. [He exhales audibly and shakes his head. That's one of the things he misses about his body. He might be a light sleeper (he always keeps the Teen Titan comm right beside his bed), but he'd always slept well.] I feel like some kinda zombie.

[pullsheavendown]

[Vanitas hurts all the time. Maybe Roxas should say "good," but for all that he despises the guy, he's not a sadist. There's nothing happy in someone's constant pain.

That doesn't mean he can spare a lot of sympathy either, though, and right now his is reserved for Sora.]

You're not the first guy to be one. Maybe you should try a Sleep spell or something.

[lockandkeyblade]

A Sleep spell? [Sora looks up at Roxas.] I didn't know if Vanitas had one.

You really think that'd work?

[pullsheavendown]

[He shrugs] Maybe. It's worth a try. You could ask someone else to do it if you can't cast one.

...you might wanna get to a bed before you do, though.

[lockandkeyblade]

If it really works, who needs a bed! It's not like Vanitas sleeps in one anyway.

I woke up the first day on Xigbar's couch.

[He's actually considering the couch Roxas is sitting on very intently.]

[pullsheavendown]

Seriously?

[That is a terrible way to wake up.]

What did he do?