A Sense of Incompletion

((I'd have made a hyperlink instead but I couldn't figure out how >_<))

A man stared down at his feet as he crossed his arms and leaned up against a building. Taking note of the strange sense of emptiness that he felt inside. Why does he feel like this, and how could he get rid of this odd sensation? Two of many questions which flooded his mind. Same thing every day.. question after question to no end! He thought to himself, once more finding that he could come up with no answers. "Why can't I come up with anything.. Not even a single idea of an answer." He muttered as he raised a hand and ran it through his hair, stopping once it reached the back of his neck and once more letting it fall to his side.

The man then proceeded to look around him, taking note of the now typical dark appearance of this world he seemed to call home. All of these tall buildings that surrounded him, each towering like shadows above him. Then he noticed the massive castle in the distance. "I wonder if I could find my answers there.." he said under his breath before sighing, shaking his head as did so. The chances that he'd even be able to enter the castle were likely slim to none so why bother thinking about it? Once more he felt that he'd be stuck in this strange purgatory, no sense of.. anything really. "Gah... I just want it to end!"

"You think you have no purpose.. Yes? So many questions, and yet no answers. You just want this miserable, meaningless life to end.. Yes, that must be it. That is usually how it goes with the.. 'newborns'." Thoughts were projected into the nobodies' head, and yet there was no sound. "You wander this lifeless place in search of something you don't even know. Something you can't understand.." This voice added on, and in that moment a man clad in black robes would step out of the shadows. His face utterly concealed by his hood and his arms crossed behind his back.

"You deserve an explanation for having survived as long as you have without one." He nodded to himself as he would then turn, facing the opposite way from the castle. "Walk with me. I want to explain some things to you, and then we shall see how well you can survive on your own." The hooded man insisted as he started to walk, expecting Xiel to follow him.

Xiel went utterly silent at first, upon hearing the words within his head. Now he wondered if he was losing his mind up until he saw the man. "Wha-.. who are you?" He'd then say in an almost challenging tone as he'd begin to follow after the man, slowly at first though he'd soon begin to pick up speed in order to keep up. Normally he'd never consider following the strange hooded man, but the thought of an explanation was simply far too tempting. Hopefully it would prove to be worth it in the end.

The hooded man would lead Xiel into the entry way of an alley. He stood there with his arms crossed behind his back and did not speak until Xiel caught up to him. "You and I are of the same.. species, so to say. We are Nobodies. We are what is left behind after a person completely succumbs to the darkness and becomes a heartless." The hooded man explained all this just as shadows moved around underneath his and Xiel's feet, they would shoot passed the two and into the alley where they would rise up in the form of imp-like creatures. Three of them, to be specific.

"We forget who we are before and set out to make ourselves anew. Find a new heart, so that we may become whole once more. Thus far, our efforts have proven futile. But if we continue to slay heartless.. Maybe even a human or two.." The hooded man would vanish, and not a second later Xiel would be shoved forward into the alley. "It won't be all for nothing."

The man would wait to see how Xiel would react in response to this threat. The fight was.. somewhat optional. If he were to turn away and deny fighting, he would have to face something else. Something far more innocent than three random Shadows. Though if that were the path Xiel wished to take, than the hooded figure would certainly not stop him.

Of course, attacking the hooded man himself was an option..

Heartless 1, 2, and 3: 750 Potential - 250 Willpower

Xiel caught himself from stumbling as he was shoved before looking around at the small imps before him. "What are these things..." He muttered as he took a step backwards. "Heartless?" He then added under his breath before shaking his head. "This seems far too trivial for me to waste my time on." He said with a scoff before turning on his heel and starting to walk away. Finding hearts..? Becoming whole? More questions, and Xiel highly doubted killing a trio of shadows would help sate his curiosity. If anything he thought he'd simply get tired for nothing rather than gain anything from such an encounter, how could shadows even have a heart? Yet another question to add to the pot it seems.

As Xiel would turn to walk away, the hooded man would be standing some short distance away once again. This time holding what looked to be a young human girl by the shoulder. She seemed to be almost in a zombie-like trance. "It's one or the other, Xiel. Kill the heartless and show me your strength.." With this, the heartless would start to close in. "Or show me just how far you're willing to go to become whole once again." He then added as he gave the girl a shake.

"The answers you seek are within the heart. You do not have a heart. Does that not make sense?" The hooded man shoved the girl forward and crossed his arms behind his back once more. The girl simply stood there in a trance. Clearly under some sort of mental manipulation. "You're not even human, like I said. You are just.. say, a broken piece of one. Broken or not though, you have the potential to be something greater. Something immensely powerful that one could only ever dream of."

The heartless continued to close in.. however, their focus was not Xiel. "I suppose you're not one to put things to words, so instead I'll say it again: I want you to show me. Show me what it is you aim to do as you go about exploring other worlds and interacting with others. Are you going to slay those heartless to save the girl, join the heartless and steal the girl's heart for yourself.. or do you have something else in mind?"

"The answers you seek will come to you once you've given me mine."

Xiel sighed to himself before turning to face the Heartless and crossing his arms. "So it's the girl or the Heartless? Neither seems very promising.. besides, what have I got to prove to you?" He'd mutter in a challenging tone. "I've made it this long already.. And nothing's stopped me yet!" He then said as a strange looking sword formed in his right hand. "Unless you give me a very good reason to listen to anything you say, you won't be giving me orders!" He then exclaimed before suddenly surging towards the man and girl. However, based upon where he stood it seemed that the man was his target.

Target: Hooded Man
Skill(s) Used: Sliding Dash [88 Damage]

"Yes.. Good, this is exactly the response I was hoping for." The hooded man chuckled. Finally, someone who didn't blindly follow orders. It was a breath of fresh air, for sure. He spread his arms as if welcoming Xiel as the new Nobody would slide towards him, ready to strike.

~Starting Combat~


Cyxsur: 45,000 Potential - 70,000 Willpower

The girl vanished in a mess of particles, suggesting she had never truly existed to begin with. The hooded man reached down and wrapped his hands around the blade just before it could impale him. He seemed mostly unphased by the sharp metal digging through his gloves and into his skin. "You're weak, for sure.. But I like you. I like you a lot. You're a nice change of pace from the usual rabble- despite that, I'm going to have to put you back in your place. I'll make you hate me.. Make you want to surpass me. Bring that selfish desire out from within your heart and make you succumb to the darkness." The man stated flatly as he then shoved forward, pushing Xiel back a bit before lunging towards him and grabbing him by the face with one hand while his free hand rested on his shoulder. As a white glow emanated from the palm on Xiel's face, his group would tighten on his shoulder and Xiel would feel the very energy being sucked out of him.

After a moment, he would release Xiel and step back before vanishing once again.. most likely leaving Xiel unconcious.

Using Melee 5% for 2,250 non-lethal Damage.. (OOC: Your Willpower is your health Xiel, just in case you didn't know!)

"Damn you.." Xiel would growl under his breath as he fell to his knees. Ultimately though, he'd grin once more as his entire body wavered slightly. "Mark my words, I'll see to it personally that one day.. you'll regret that." he'd then add before giving off a weak chuckle. He'd then clench his jaw as he attempted to stand, managing to get one foot on the ground and begin rising before his legs finally gave out once more, leaving him to fall to the ground unconscious.

Distributed the gains. Congrats.

Addendum: I completely forgot to add your Munny gains. I am so sorry!

It should be good now, have fun!