You come home after a long day waiting around at the store. In your hands is a fresh copy of Kingdom Hearts Online, and you eagerly tear into it and the latest model of VR headwear. You get comfortable on your bed and log into the game, creating your avatar and selecting your starting world. Things go smoothly until you try to log out. Where's the logout button? An announcement appears before you, overtaking your menu screen as a hooded figure begins to speak. You are not allowed to leave this game until you manage to clear all of the worlds and save the Seven Princesses of Heart. Will you survive or succumb to the darkness within?
they'll make you believe they are the special ones
All right. Teryn flexed his hand, contemplating. So he couldn't log out then, huh? Stuck here in Twilight Town for the moment. He could live with that, although he was extremely conscious of the level hovering over his head. There was no way he was going to be able to keep his promise to his friends if he was going to be stuck with such a low level.
No. Don't think like that. Just settle in Sephiroth, same as you always do.
Sephiroth eased out a long, low breath, glancing around himself. Market Street. Okay. He could work with Market Street. A glance to his back confirmed that Swiftstreak was nestled there - a reassurance then, he didn't trust what people would do when they were desperate - before he began to explore, his step just as quiet and confident as it had been when he had been in a different world with a different face.
Yes. I can work with this.
Train station and items. He'd start there. Gathering supplies would be useful, begin to build a proper inventory, and then he would need to locate the other members of the guild who were in the town. Like it or not, they were all in this together, and it would be far easier to avoid molestation if they were in a group. He ought to be trustworthy enough to maintain that much among them at least in spite of whatever misgivings they still harbored towards him.
Mind made up, he started towards one direction, not quite sure where his destination was yet but figuring there was little harm in exploring the town to comprise a mental map. He may as well make himself of some use to the others when they came.
Perhaps starting out in the same town he had in the closed beta testing phase of development was not the best idea in the world. While there were definitely improvements to the town's structure and new features to explore, he was rather... What was the word? Bored? It wasn't quite the word he was looking for, but it was enough for now. He shouldn't have expected much for starting worlds to begin with, but maybe he was just a little bit biased because, well, this was his father's game. The vast majority of the players might not be pleased with their current situation--even he could say he was a little put off by such severe conditions placed upon thousands of lives--but at least he had accepted it relatively quickly. Or maybe he was just in denial right now. It was still just a game to him, and he would trust his father's decision.
[break][break]He still should have chosen a different world. Maybe Traverse Town; Vanitas went there, right? Hopefully he stayed out of trouble. Or maybe Destiny Islands. He couldn't even remember what kind of beginning plot went on there, but lounging on a beach sounded good enough.
[break][break]The blond pushed himself off of a ledge he had previously claimed as a perch, reaching his hands high above his head, clasping them together as he stretched. An unnecessary act, but it felt normal enough. The past few hours had been spent in the same spot, that ledge that probably was not meant to be a seat to begin with. Watching the players try to figure out what they were doing was entertaining enough. Some caught onto what they needed to do faster than others. Some took longer. Some had broken down, probably the younger players, though he had seen someone stressed about missing an exam. College student? Maybe.
[break][break]Dropping his hands back to his sides, he came to the conclusion that he needed to do something, anything, to keep himself busy. He probably would not have contact with Vanitas for a while, and he doubted that father dearest would appear before them anytime soon. A solid disguise would be needed beforehand.
[break][break]"Whatever; that doesn't matter right now." He shoved his hands into his pockets, stepping into the busy Market Street with the intent of climbing the hill towards the train station. Leveling should be a priority at the moment, but he had plenty of time to worry about that.
[break][break]ooc: have a mini-cloud? /shot sorry for the messy post. gotta get back into the roxas groove.
they'll make you believe they are the special ones
Sephiroth sighed when he saw the small girl crying in a doorway. It was hard on everyone, this change, and he took the few steps over, crouching down to her level. "Hey," he murmured, catching her attention. "It will be okay. Chin up." He offered her a smile, as gentle as he could manage. "Get your bearings first. The sooner we figure this out, the sooner we can go home, right?" When she nodded, he dipped his head. "Be brave where you can. Try where you can't. It will all be okay." She nodded, sniffling and wiping at her face before muttering a thanks and scurrying off.
There, that wasn't so hard, was it? Teryn thought to himself for a moment. The hero, Sephiroth, a pinnacle of hope... I think I can do that.
He kept going, intending on continuing his search for a shop when he saw a familiar head of hair, a style he had seen a few times at the fringes of a fight in other games, something that punched the breath from his lungs. A part of him had hoped that perhaps the other would have been spared this fate bu-
Not helping. Focus.
"Cloud?" he called, the screenname of his friend's last character slipping from his lips as he stepped towards the familiar blond spikes. Realization only struck after the name had left his lips, the height and face significantly different for him to arrive at the falsity of his previous conviction. This wasn't his friend, and he lowered his hand from where he had reached forward, intending on touching the man he'd known before. "My apologies," he offered. "I thought you were someone I knew."
He hadn't been walking for long, his steps slow and his posture relaxed. It was more of a stroll, really, and he found himself shoving his hands into his pockets to keep them from dangling by his sides. It was apparent that he was far too comfortable in this situation. Players rushed to and fro, and their presence was almost suffocating. Yet, he refused to show his discomfort from the mere presence of other players. He had only just been observing them, after all. It was different trying to walk around with them than it was to just sit and watch from the sidelines. That was why he chose to take his time; rushing would only cause him to potentially run into others, have them strike up a conversation, and--
[break][break]"Cloud?"
[break][break]Normally, he wouldn't pay any heed to someone calling out another's name. It was only to be expected for players to call out to each other in the game; how else would they communicate? Well, there were the private messaging and whisper systems, but those might just be a little complicated to access right off the bat. No, what caused him to halt his steps was how the voice felt like it was being directed at him. Who was Cloud? Another player, perhaps, and none he knew. A frown etched on his face as he turned to find the source of the voice, quickly locating a man with long, white hair.
[break][break]The blond took a step back, his brow furrowing as he glanced suspiciously at the hand that was reaching for him before the other player seemed to realize their mistake. "There's no need to apologize,I guess. He kept that last bit to himself, trying to make his tone less abrasive. Getting called a name he had no connection to was not something he enjoyed; he hated it, actually. He had to remind himself that not everyone has found the friends they joined the game with. It wouldn't do himself any good to get mad at someone so early into the 'adventure'. He couldn't make enemies just yet, even if his temper flared. At least they did apologize, despite him saying it wasn't necessary only moments afterwards.
[break][break]"It's Roxas, though, not Cloud. For future reference." An introduction might as well be done. He hasn't found any familiar faces in Twilight Town, though he doubted he would to begin with, and he would rather not have anyone else mistaken him for someone he was not. Cloud? Part of him wanted to meet the person he had been mistaken for, but he also felt that he would only start drawing comparisons and try to fix anything that was too similar.
they'll make you believe they are the special ones
Now that he could get a better look at the face of the boy he had mistaken for Cloud, it was much easier to see how he wasn't like his friend. The hair was spikier than Brandan's preference, and the eyes were a deeper blue, more like the darker depths of the ocean than the brightness of a summer sky. The cheeks were also a little fatter, although he didn't know what Brandan would pick in this new game. For all he knew, the younger male would pick something entirely different to avoid him.
Sephiroth dipped his head instead, as graceful as he could manage when he was in the wrong. "Roxas. I will do my best to remember it," he promised softly. He turned a hand over, gesturing with it as he spoke. "I will still offer my apologies. It was unfair of me to project my desires to see my... friend upon you merely because your hair resembles his as last I saw it."
Good. It's been a while since I've done this. Glad to know I haven't fully lost the touch.
After a moment of deliberation, he decided it would be worth plowing ahead and asking, while he had the other's attention. "Might you be able to guide me to a shop where I can inquire for the inventory suitable for venturing beyond the borders? Or a common meeting place for the area. I would like to find somewhere to leave a note for my companions." Emerald eyes blinked as he offered his hand, the dark of the leather seeming somehow more poignant than a plain hand. "I am Sephiroth. It is nice to meet you, Roxas, even if it was not in a manner I would have wished to make your acquaintance."
His brow furrowed at the man's words--or, rather, his manner of speech--and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly while following the hand the other player moved about in the air. This was... strange. For someone playing--living in--a video game, his speech was too well-versed, perhaps closer to a college professor than a student. He appear to be older, but it could just be his avatar. Maybe he was a writer? No, there was also something else, something he had read about once before... Ah, a roleplayer. That must be it. There was an article somewhere about roleplayers in the MMO world, or was it a forum post? He could not recall, and he had to blink himself out of his thoughts just to avert his eyes back to the other player's face.[break][break]
Hair, hair, of course it was the hair. He couldn't change that now, not that he wanted to in the first place. If it really began to bother him, he would simply acquire some sort of accessory that would hide his hair. His father put hats or hoods into the game, right? Roxas let out a slight sigh, and once more the hand became his main focus. Sephiroth. There was a brief moment of hesitation before he reached out, grasping the leather-bound hand extended towards him. "S'nice to meet you, too," his words came out softer and more of a mumble than he would have liked. A handshake, really? That was more formal of an introduction than he was expecting, and he almost felt embarrassed that he hadn't provided something more in kind. Almost. He got over it quickly.[break][break]
"There are a few shops in the area," retracting his hand, his voice was back to its original volume and clarity. Down to business without further delay, he pointed further up Market Street. "There are two Moogles in Twilight Town, one of which can be found in Station Heights just up there." Roxas turned on his heel, falling into 'tutorial mode'. At least he did not allow his voice to fall into dull, droning tone. He pointed down the street this time. "The other Moogle is stationed in the Tram Commons. There is also a separate accessory and armor shop," were those even functional? He could not recall if they were during beta testing. Ah, but, hangouts? His brow furrowed once more, and his pointing hand moved to comb through his hair in thought.[break][break]
"I don't know much about a 'common meeting place', but there is a Bulletin Board at Station Plaza. You might be able to post something up there, but no promises." Wait, he was supposed to guide, not point. Well, if he still needed a guide after being pointed elsewhere, then he could walk him there.
they'll make you believe they are the special ones
Sephiroth waited patiently, his hand stretched across the space between them. It was a different reality, this place, something that seemed almost like a bad dream from some of the creatures he had fought back at home, the nightmares he had once known, and if he felt that way, he felt it a fair enough assessment to consider that others might as well. So he held his judgement in reserve, forcing himself not to regard the hesitation as a rejection, and so it was that he was rewarded with a handshake and a mumble. A smile tugged at the edges of his lips, and he dipped his head in acknowledgement, the silver waterfall of hair thankfully kind enough to remain behind his shoulders in spite of the action.
The directions, however, were greatly appreciated, and the man sobered quickly, listening with the quiet intensity of a general being given an intelligence report. He turned his head with each point, cat green eyes flickering to follow the finger directing his attention, already mentally constructing where might be the best place to go. He had been given some potions to start, although not enough for if he encountered any genuine trouble, and he had a weapon already, but the idea of armor and accessories... it interested him, and he knew he would have to weigh out the benefits of such a purchase against the potential to connect with his friends any swifter. "Thank you," he offered, seeing the way that the blond's brow was furrowing in confusion. "That is already a great hel-"
His words cut off at the interruption, and he visibly reacted, the lines around his face tightening with trouble while he tilted his head the barest fraction to the side, considering the new information. No place to meet, but a chance to perhaps post a message... it would have to do. "Would you be kind enough to show me where?" he requested. "Given the situation, I think it will not take long for people to become desperate enough to prey on those they think are weak." Realizing the implications of what he had said, he hurried to continue. "Not that I believe you or any of my friends are weak, but rather, I would rather ensure the safety myself than entrust it blindly to the faith and goodwill of strangers."
The site is done! Maybe! We think we're done, so that's good enough. Advertising is starting up, the maintenance mode has be lifted, and we're now allowing the creation of characters! If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask. However, if you have a long list of questions, we suggest posting in the Questions & Suggestions board located within the Lounge. Please note that we might have forgotten something, so your input is very important!
Quests will begin within the next few weeks. We are allowing members to get situated, make characters, plot it up, and provide input before we begin the progression of the game.
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Disconnect, formerly known as Unveiled Hearts, is owned by Vayne. The default layout was made by Poptart for the use of Disconnect only. All characters, plots, graphics, posts, and tables belong to their rightful owners. The Kingdom Hearts franchise belongs to Disney and Square Enix, and the site's main plot is influenced by many series based on getting trapped inside a virtual massively multiplayer roleplaying game.