2019 CMO

[yeahtotally]

✿ Other characters available here. Inactive are special request for long time RP partners only.
✿ Canon/CRAU options are available for Roxas (Forest Covered, The Far Shore, Route 29, Recolle, Awash, Deerington, Asgard), Pidge Gunderson (The Far Shore, Deerington), Cloud (Aefenglom)
✿ Gen threads are A-Okay in here, it's not just for shipping!
✿ Smut can be posted here, BUT MUST BE ACCORDINGLY MARKED IN SUBJECT LINE
✿ Crit is welcome since some of these characters are being voice tested.
✿ Specific prompt you want to do? Hit me up at chromatus, discord chromatus#1363, pm this journal, or choose below!
✿ ACTION BRACKETS PREFERRED. Prose will take longer to reply to.

Fave Prompts
☀ Soulmates	☀ Modern AU	☀ Canon	☀ Canon AU
☀ Monster/Cryptids	☀ High Fantasy	☀ Pokemon	☀ Fairy Tale
☀ Other Series AU	☀ Other Ideas here!

Comments

[missingache]

[Looking finally at Xemnas, Roxas felt his heart sink. Pictures were something precious to him. They let him know something actually happened, and he didn't have to doubt himself and his memory. Losing memories again was a scary thought.

His heart didn't have to sink long before it leaped up again. Lips against skin left him shivering, a smile slowly appearing on his own.]

I'd like to commemorate this-[His eyes went wide. Why hadn't he thought of that before he thought of a camera? His free hand went to a pocket to pull out a device.]

This! It has a camera on it. Not as good a quality as a real one, but they're still pictures.

[Roxas held it up for Xemnas to see.] It's a gummiphone. I can call and text my friends with it, no matter what world I'm in. We could take a selfie right now with it.

Merry Christmas! :)

[totalistic]

(What better way to keep in touch with their memories than with the latest invention of Chip and Dale? Out of the fragmented preserved souvenirs, and stories built around them, Nobodies became what they'd always been -- more than soulless duplicates mimicking who they'd once been; individuals with aspirations and needs, with the same right to thrive as Somebodies did.

Seeing Roxas so excited to commemorate their first romantic moment stirred up something of genuine amusement.)

Your eagerness is quite infectious.

(Such a device aligned well with intellectual curiosity, as it allowed communication across different worlds. Its invention was certainly a revolutionary innovation -- a breakthrough from conventional phones. A cursory glance revealed that it'd been designed for easier use. All the better. As the Superior hitched his chair closer to Roxas', his free fingers closed with a loving grasp upon the other's shoulder. Gently, the older man tugged on it to nestle his head against his torso -- a needless gesture, but he was finding he desired more touch now.

More sensations, more connection, more open-heartedness. The interlock of fingers suggested as much.)

I'm ready now, Roxas.

Merry Christmas to you, too! :3

[missingache]

[Roxas shot a smile at Xemnas with that comment. Excitement would be an understatement when it came to being able to take a picture right at that very moment.

The camera mode is engaged and with a quick flick on the screen, their faces appeared on it instead of the restaurant wall. There was some temptation for a filter, but Xemnas could be introduced to those another time. Roxas already decided that this picture would not be one he would show to his friends with how flustered he looked despite the smile. They were closer than before, and Roxas was just marveling at how warm the other man was when he's prompted to take the picture.]

Okay. Then smile!

[A soft clicking noise could be heard over the din in the room as the image becomes preserved in the device. He tapped a little icon on the bottom to pull the picture back up for viewing. No need to move from his comfortable position just yet.]

Our first picture...

<3

[totalistic]

(Even as there was no outward mention of that claim, Xemnas would need proper introduction to the flurry of Gumni filters. Aimed at users who perceived them as social props, or social requirements, they'd need to come with guidelines unless Roxas was thorough in his explanations. The digitization was a tactical way of preservation and it became an ultimate need to preserve and conserve a record for future. Now, with the Gumniphone designed to provide wonderful memories to look back on, any lingering worries he might have about losing them were all but dispelled. With gentleness, Xemnas nudged his forehead down against Roxas', eyes swept closed in something akin to trust. Trust didn't come easily to him, but the boy was worth the effort.)

The first of many to come . . .

(Their romantic moment was immortilized with their first picture: Roxas' smiling visage nestled in the warmth of him, hot and flustered from the constant proximity, so petite yet so devastingly gorgeous. By contrast, Xemnas' imposing posture was that of uniformity and composure, the only sign of outward emotion being the loving grasp on Roxas' shoulder. The camera didn't so much as clink on the table when the Nobody set it down lightly, discretly gesturing for the waitress to put their orders down within their reach. Mushroom Terrine, Coffee and Roxas' food.)

However much I learn about hearts, there is more to learn than meets the eye. They're extremely breakable, yet so resilient when joined with another of their kind. It seems that ours have . . . joined.

(Gently, with his head slightly canted to the side, Xemnas eased in closer to kiss him; softly, tenderly, yet his arousal was clear as glass. He deepened it, his tongue doing all the exploring, slipping into Roxas' mouth to taste and lick, turning the kiss into almost a devouring need to commit every inch of the Nobody' extremely slim and toned shape to memory and the way their lips felt against each other. Like they were living one true kind of love. The answer to all the torments of his heart.)

[missingache]

[Filters could be explained in time. Xion would likely be a better person to explain them since she had become more fond of them than Roxas, but Roxas had a few he liked. Which mainly included silly animal ears. Cat ears and whiskers could be cute or hilarious in his mind.

He felt a different kind of warmth when their foreheads rested together. All the heat of earlier was now much more gentle and comforting. There was temptation to reach up to touch Xemnas' hair, but Roxas would refrain for now. Even if his fingers twitched with the thought of how soft those locks could be. They felt silky against his cheeks where they brushed. Focusing on what was in front of him, the blond took in everything he could, wanting to memorize how Xemnas looked. As if at any moment this could be taken away.]

Joined?

[There would be more prompting for that. He wanted to ask more. It was just more than a bit hard to ask when he suddenly felt lips against his. At first, he froze for a few seconds till his brain decided that maybe instincts in this case should take over. The kiss he returned was unsure, even more so when the tongue slipped past his lips. He stopped caring about how sloppy and unrefined he might be compared to the older man. Pressing his tongue against Xemnas' curiously, his felt his stomach jolt, and the heat from earlier came back full blast.

This all felt perfect and nice. Roxas felt himself getting dizzier and dizzier as the kiss went on. It was at that time his brain kicked back on and he broke the kiss to take a gulp of air. He let out a soft noise and went a bit limp as he fought to catch his breath. How did people in movies do this for long periods of time without passing out? He just wanted to keep feeling nice, even if it meant fighting some unfamiliar urges since they were in public.]

S... Sorry... dizzy...

[totalistic]

(This was an earth-shattering kind of experience for Xemnas, to say the least, and the Superior was excited by the exquisite reactions he coaxed from his willing partner; by the tentative way Roxas' tongue followed the motion of his, equal parts unsure and erotic, no less purposeful if nothing else, the cloying touch it provided not quite enough. Never enough. Exhaling the softest sigh when Roxas broke away, he felt the world spin into a dizzying dive, and that was how he knew that sensory overload was catching up to them. Almost like gravity was pulling on them with its angry mitts despite Xemnas having no sense of height before the kissing. There was an unmistakable hint of amusement at the other boy's blatant dizziness, paired with a teasing smirk on his devilishly handsome face.

What with the thoughts that had occupied his mind off and on during the snowy afternoon, the close contact of the boy's sinfully young body close to his took his breath away and sent bold imaginings flashing through his eyes. It was with the utmost difficulty that he restrained a mad desire to crush Roxas to him and stifle his face with open kisses, even to the point of passing out.)

No harm's done. Legend has it that first kisses offer insight into the future of two hearts.

(Again, even amid this enjoyment and great kissing, Xemnas was forced to ask himself whether they were truly bonded for all eternity. Organization XIII was the turning point of Roxas' entire life. The World That Never Was was where his freshest, deepest traumas hailed from. At one point, they'd come to the surface and test their bond. Xemnas could tell that from personal observations. But with time, they'd add more memories -- better memories -- starting with that loving picture.

Out of nowhere, snapshots of memories came unbidden. There were pillars of crystalline cubes floating in the air, sky and more sky, an aqueous soil extending to infinity; Sora halting his run as he encountered the heart of the Superior.

"Keep believing and don't lose hope! He'll come for you!")

(Xemnas seemed a little troubled by it, but mostly by the inevitability of withholding that tidbit of information from Roxas. It wasn't beyond him to do such things, though, in his experience, the Superior usually did so to manipulate others to do his bidding. The Nobody's expression shifted minutely upon the flash of memory, barely perceptible to the untrained eye, yet real all the same. For all that, Xemnas bid him eat his plate with the gentlest squeeze on his shoulder.)

Let's take a bite, and then you can tell me what it tastes like.

[missingache]

[Insight? Roxas let that swirl around in his mind for a moment. If that was true, then the two of them would have a rather whirlwind future. Not that he minded that. It was better than being complacent, boring, nothing happening for days. If it was a nice mix of simplicity and heated days of wanting to do everything they could to be close, he could be very happy. Truly bonded or not, he would not trade any time with Xemnas even for the most precious things in any world.]

So you're going to leave me breathless and dizzy a lot. Got it.

[That was said with a smile as he bid himself to finally sit up. It was a shame he couldn't just keep leaning against Xemnas like this. Though he had to consider eating, and with the heat in his stomach dying down, it was replaced with hunger.

Now he just had to figure out when the food showed up. When he had been so raptly paying attention to nothing but Xemnas? He'd make sure to leave a good tip for the waitress if she was embarrassed by what they were doing. Roxas saw a flash of something he couldn't place in the others eyes and mentally told himself he needed to become better at reading what Xemnas was feeling. If there was pain, he wanted to know how to ease it if it couldn't be fully gotten rid of. For now he would have to remain in the dark and go back to focusing on this moment. The future could wait.

Having ordered pumpkin velouté for himself, the blond pulled the bowl of the rather orange soup closer. Soup seemed like a good idea for a cold day.]

Have you ever had pumpkin? I had pumpkin pie a while ago, but I didn't know it could be soup, too. [Spoon in hand, he tried it, staying quiet for a moment.] It's creamy! And kind of sweet, but not too sweet. It has just enough salt in it. [What did the taste remind him of...] It's kind of like a warm day in fall. Does that make sense?

[totalistic]

(Anything was better than complacency. Under any other circumstances, it would have been charming -- appropriate, even.)

I had some once. It was fresh, velvety-smooth, full of flavour. Very autumnal, indeed.

(That was cliché, the earnest attempt at small talk from the Superior. Even so, the other Nobody might read genuine openness in his account of his experience with the most staple food in fall.)

Your depiction strikes me as accurate.

(Lightheartedness filled his tone, rarer a commodity among his kind than even the earnest joy with which he replied to the young Nobody. Food always brought him back to his days in Radiant Garden. When Ansem the Wise had taken him in, nursed him back to health in the basement of his castle, conducted experiments on his heart and the darkness within; probed his memories as one would a rotten tooth, and his soothing voice would shake off the worst of his fears until sleep took him in the laboratory.

It felt odd to remember it now. By way of apology, he amended his first moment of absent-mindedness with a soft-voiced compliment.)

(But he was certain, now, that their joining of hearts was just beginning. Because Roxas' voice carried such passion, what was scarred became soft once more, healed even. What he felt was better than a transitory satisfaction for the 'hungry ghost' soul. For all he really knew, what Roxas wanted and what Xemnas craved weren't two different animals altogether, but part of him wanted to take that further into the realm of physicality, where bodies and souls merged into one. He shivered from head to toe, breathing in, missing his touch. Had begun to crave it like an addict going through withdrawal.

Perish the thought.

With no more preamble than painstakingly digging his fork into the small end of a mushroom then raising it to his mouth, Xemnas carefully swallowed it down. He hadn't bothered to let his food cool down, his movements practised but lacking in spontaneity. Though he displayed some belated discomfort at the heat for about a minute before becoming accustomed to the hot temperature, however, his pleased smile remained. )

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

[missingache]

Really? [There's a fuzzy feeling in his chest to have Xemnas agree with him. Part of Roxas thought that describing it so simply would be considered childish. He'd heard adults wax on and on about things like bouquets of flavor, robustness, and all these other buzzwords.

Simple seemed better. Roxas would rather get his point across than sound like an idiot trying to show off to the women they're with. Xemnas sounded genuine compared to them. The words that the blond didn't know to use came from the others lips and sounded right.]

I'm glad. It tastes like autumn just like sea salt ice cream tastes like summer.

[Of course he'd find a way to tie his favorite treat into this conversation. There were few things from his Nobody days that he wanted to hold onto in his new life as well. Skateboarding (even if it was considered out of fashion), exploring everything, ice cream on the tower... They would always be a part of him even with the new experiences he was having.

Roxas noticed the discomfort as he tilted his head. Some cues even he could read, leaning towards Xemnas with measured concern on his face. There was a smile... Roxas wanted to be sure, though, just in case.]

Is it hot? You should probably blow on it before you take another bite. Burned tongues aren't very fun.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO U!!

[totalistic]

My gluttony has gotten the better of me. I will certainly heed your suggestion from now on.

(Simplicity held sway over ostentation, the thought predominating over the form. Back then his opinion on the matter would have greatly differed, if for no other reason than that having vaster knowledge set up fertile grounds for deceit. What need for deception when love wasn't conditional on anything; so long as his young soulmate retained the same interest in him, all would be well.

Hoping the next bite would satisfy him, Xemnas discreetly blew on a small portion of his food and gulped it down. Better, much better. The burning sensation trickled away, and with his food dwindling came the kind of elation that only delicious dishes could bring. After some time, the Nobody threw in.)

. . . Yet I cannot pinpoint how it is that sea salt icecream brings a taste of summer to the winter months. Care to demonstrate?

(It wouldn't take more shrewdness -- or advantageous timing -- for Roxas to share that treat with him. Years ago, the Superior wouldn't have been so approving of entitling him to such small favour. Unlike the blond, Xemnas seldom ended up mired in distractions -- except that the adult belatedly came to the epiphany of how hobbies built character, of how good it felt to have something in common with others. Even more so with the lithe blond. None but him would ever see how unpolished and awkward the silver-haired man was in the social department, but only Roxas would be privy to the details due to his personal meddling.

Emotionally recluse as Xemnas could be, the Superior found himself to be . . . quite demonstrative in his affection for the child -- unlike popular beliefs, the Nobody-turned-Somebody wasn't emotionally jaded, just in denial of his emotions. Still, he wasn't left with adequate time to adjust to that new way of life, and it showed. But it appeared not to have soured his enthusiasm to learn more about emotions from a Somebody's perspective.

One of his hands reached out to brush a thumb across the corner of his mouth -- the barest caress.)

[missingache]

[Watching intently, Roxas didn't go back to his own dish till he saw that the other had indeed listened to his advice. He nodded, more to himself, as he pulled away to go back to eating. Soup didn't cool fast so he himself made sure to blow on each spoonful till he felt the liquid getting chilled with time.]

We can get some ice cream after this. Even if it's winter.

[Winter held the advantage of not melting the frozen treat as fast as summer heat does. The blond did get teased for wanting to eat ice cream all year. He couldn't really help it. So far there hadn't been anything else as addicting as the salty sweetness that his favorite food was.

The caress made Roxas blink a few times. Without really thinking about it, he leaned into Xemnas' hand before it could be pulled away. Being touched so gently was really becoming one of his favorite forms of physical contact.]

You're a lot touchier than I thought you'd be.

[Said without any trace of negativity. Roxas had a warm and inviting smile on his face that he made sure was turned towards the other. There was some surprise that he felt along with a warmth that he hoped would never leave him when he was around Xemnas.] But I don't mind.

[totalistic]

(A thought, a glimmer of memory, struck him, cutting through the warmth that Roxas exuded: the fondness of Ansem the Wise for the treat, his former Master eating sticks of sea salt ice cream by the fountain in Radiant Garden. Despite the treat being available back then, Xemnas had never tasted it. With it being the favourite treat over summer vacation, no wonder that Axel, Roxas and Xion had taken a liking to it during their days in the Organization.

Prudishness was too unappealing to bother with, or eluded him out of habit, of being spoiled with Roxas' tolerance for physical contact. The boy leaned into the caress with a positivity which imparted trust to him, evidence of it being how he didn't mind Xemnas being touchier than he thought the Superior would be.

In a voice no more than a husky, suave whisper, which was too low even to be intended to carry through the din of chatter and clatter of silver against china, and therefore manifestly purposed for the establishment of his own conviction, the Superior confessed:)

Physical touch has emotional connotations that often far outweigh anything that can be expressed via speech. It is my preferred means of communicating --

(--unadultered love.)

-- Affection.

(Forthright displays of eagerness, of readily accepting to be touched and cared for, resonated with unspoken appreciation. There was a convulsive movement of the features on his face, which Xemnas took to be the beginning of a smile. He was encouraged. The rest of the afternoon went swimmingly. Their dinner finished, Xemnas used the money amassed from the Heartless they'd defeated earlier on to pay the bill and saunter off with the idea of treating Roxas to sea salt ice cream in mind. He stopped by a vendor (licensed by Scrooge Mcduck), bought two sticks of the icecream, then gave one to Roxas. With freezing temperature showing up, it wouldn't fall off the stick as fast as in summer. He took a lick, a quick one, and hummed in appreciation as he took an immediate liking to the treat. There was no denying it tasted like summer.)

How have you fared since the Keyblade War? Life has been kind to you, or so it seems.

[missingache]

[Roxas tried the treat so early as a Nobody, with no real awareness, that he probably couldn't say if he liked it right away or not. It was just something Axel gave him as a treat at the time. Now? He would never say no to it.

Affection... Roxas looked at Xemnas with a curious expression. What would be his own preferred means? The more his mind pondered about it, the more he figured he too would likely use touch to show he cared. It seemed far easier than words.]

I think you're right. [If the person in question liked being touched. Which this small blond does. He'd soak up all the affection shown to him and bask in it. Start returning it when he felt more confident about what he could do.

One step at a time. There was no real rush on what they had going now.

Frozen treat in hand, Roxas was enjoying their afternoon. Determined to one day to be the one to be able to treat Xemnas to things. If he got to go hunt Heartless again, it would be quick, and a lot more fun than working at the bistro. Taking what he could get for some extra earnings would be the way to go. At least for the foreseeable future. He took a bite as he hummed softly.]

It's been good. I got signed up for school. [There's a pause as he took another bite.] Sometimes, though, I want to ask if I can go train. Not for being a master. Just to do something. It's weird, but I get something like an itch, and I just want to fight.

[The battle against the Heartless earlier had done a good job scratching that itch for the time being.]

But I'm supposed to be a normal kid. We stopped the war, so I'm supposed to just enjoy the peace.

[totalistic]

I certainly call that good tidings.

(The eyes of Xemnas rested for a moment on Roxas and passed to the train, where it drifted past its admirers at the Market, itself a throwback to simpler times. In a voice unconsciously modulated to the peace of the scene, Xemnas whispered before he took a bite.)

Learn everything there is to know about realizing your potential to the fullest. Knowledge serves that purpose well in time of peace.

(His daily preoccupations only stayed the indomitable battle-lust for so long before circumstances demanded the hunt for Heartless to still the ache. Seeing him like schoolboy working shifts for extra earnings at the Bistro threw Xemnas off. Even upon reflection, he had seen no point in eschewing Heartless hunt for the temptation to settle for normalcy. A downside to having a heart came through the expectations of his new humanity, coercing him into doing things like working after hours -- including the occasional attendance of cumbersome social gatherings. To have Roxas treat him to new things would be delightful, even sought-after, but the Superior couldn't help but think of wasted potential if Roxas couldn't evolve past this Pinnochio phase.

Still, Roxas had always longed to be a normal kid, with a normal life, and normal friends.

Xemnas turned with a sigh, quickly followed by a look of worriment. It was very hard to master his controlling habits, especially when Roxas was on the foreground. Events had piled up on his sturdy nerves rather too fast even for their resilient strength. Finding silence unproductive, the Superior presently broke it. Not after slurping on the ice cream in his hand.)

Is that your wish and intention to be a normal child?

[missingache]

I know. I just had to learn a lot before I even got to school. At least I knew how to read and write!

[Something that made Roxas grateful. His vocabulary didn't hold him back, even if he spoke plainly and informally most of the time. Writing was a different matter. The reports he had to do during the Organization days gave him a good base for things like essays. It was the other subjects there had to be a lot of catch up on before the year had started. Roxas was grateful to have Olette and Pence around for that.

Remaining silent for some time, he first part of his answer was a shrug.]

That's what I always wanted. It's what I wished for. Now that I get to be normal? [How to say this...] ... I don't think I can ever really be normal. Not after all that. Not with the strength I have. Normal kids can't summon a Keyblade, use magic, travel to different worlds. Fight the occasionally Heartless that pops up here.

[An effort was made, of course, to try and be like everyone else.]

My wish and intentions are just to be me. Have a normal life here, but still get to do all the other stuff sometimes. And when I'm done with school, I'll think about what else I want to do. I'll be an adult then, right?

[totalistic]

It is true that the Organization provided a solid structure for continued intellectual enrichment.

(He'd been just on the verge of voicing a contrary opinion — the way Roxas was so casual about it, that shrug was carefully laconic for lack of a better term — before puzzlement cut him off. Xemnas was an overbearing superior; it was only natural for him to assert a role of ascendency considering that their previous relationship had teetered towards master and lackey.

Overlooking Roxas' lack of grandeur in favour of his appreciation for the mundane proved a daunting task for him, and the effort was nearly too much for his emotional disposition. Being too controlling, to the point of overbearingness, didn't always make it easier to enjoy his finer qualities. Beneath Roxas' moody exterior lurked an iron will which the boy had honed in adaptation to oppression and loss.

All the same, Roxas was still young. A child genius by all appearances. To him, it was an impossible dream to achieve a balance between schoolwork and Keyblade Duties. After all, Sora had taken on himself to protect those he cared about.)

Fair enough. Your self-awareness . . . will carve out a fruitful and happy debut to adulthood.

(At the sight of his face, his heart gave one painful thump and shrivelled up. He clasped his mouth shut, just an inch from taking another mouthful. Which he did, this time savouring the sweetness and saltiness. Though it belatedly registered to him, then, that he hadn't really thought up an excuse for holding Roxas' off-hand that wasn't holding the ice cream.)

I have yet to adapt to normalcy. The possibility of a normal life . . . seems anti-climatic for me.

[missingache]

I'm glad I learned things there. Learning from Sora's memories...

[Not going to go further with that thought. Sora hadn't enjoyed school, always one for adventure and spending time learning from the world, not a classroom. Roxas saw the benefit in that. It was something he preferred, too. Yet Twilight Town didn't work that way. School was a requirement.

It would be better if there were no uniforms involved. At least the Organization clothes provided some comfort compared to the slacks and button up shirts required by the school.]

I don't know anything about that, and I know it won't always be happy. But I won't be alone. [He didn't need an excuse to take Xemnas' hand. It was just done with a smile as blue eyes looked up at the other man.]

You don't have to adapt to it. Not fully. And I'll be right there with you. We can always take a vacation from normal if it gets too much.

[The traveling suggested earlier played a role in that. Roxas wouldn't be able to just sit around and be like everyone else for long periods of time. At the first suggestion of needing to get away, he'd be all for it.]

[totalistic]

Good for you, then. (In a context where formal education had little use or value, learning by going had immense benefits. Better not have any teachers holding him back; knowledge went beyond the bounds of traditional academics. The world outside was an enabling environment that paved the path for exploration and enrichment, after all.)

(School uniforms were initially adopted out of practicality and instrumental in maintaining safe learning. Far from practical to fight in and climb up mountains, though. Regardless, the Superior wouldn't mind . . . having Roxas dressed in his school uniform outside the classroom. For reasons. Absent-mindlessly the older man tightened his grip on Roxas' hand and resumed his purposeless promenade, meditating cheerlessly upon buried hopes. All of Roxas' efforts wouldn't end with futility; while he had yet to discover a way around Xemnas' relationships issues, his willingness to stand by his side saw more appreciation than the Superior did articulate. On finishing his ice cream, Xemnas carefully shove the stick inside the pocket.

Part of him wanted to collect a memento from each world they visited together.)

You have my thanks. Your idea of a vacation has piqued my curiosity.

(Best to spend the night in an anonymous place. If he managed to take up residence in Destiny Islands, the silver-haired man would decorate his place with all things Nobody and photos in which they appeared together in sentimental situations. There were enough munnies left to book a night's stay that had the Clock Tower view. No question was asked when he checked in; as long as they weren't trouble, the clerk wouldn't cause a stir. There would be opportunities for them to get away, just the two of them, and gaining back all of his memories to figure out the mechanisms of the heart was one of them. As he stepped in, the hotel room was small, clean, and odourless -- but the view outside was breathtaking. Without a care in the world, Xemnas took off the flannel shirt and placed it on the hanger. Upon bunching his knitwear up and holding it over his pecs, the Superior belatedly asked him:)

In the unlikely event your friends didn't come looking for you, would you want to stay with me?

( -- to discuss important matters. Like how to get into contact with Naminé without raising anyone's suspicions. Or just basking in intimacy with the blond.)

[missingache]

[If Xemnas asked, even if Roxas would be oblivious to the reason for the moment, he'd arrive dressed in his uniform. At least the winter uniforms are warm against the cooler weather. It wouldn't be too much of a hassle.

Roxas checked his own stick to see if he won. With satisfaction, he pocketed it instead of tossing it out. Winner sticks weren't the most common, and he's amassed a small collection. There was a small competition between Hayner and him about who could collect the most in a month. Silly, maybe. Yet it sparked enough of the competitive spirit he had a hard time not giving into.]

Just let me know when and where. There's a lot of places to go.

[With the worlds still connected for the time being at least the blond wouldn't have to do any unlocking and get in trouble. King Mickey hadn't yet ordered the worlds to be disconnected again. Likely due to Sora being missing, and those tasked to search for him needing an easy way to travel. Roxas would take advantage of it just because he wanted to see more than just Twilight Town all the time.

When inside the hotel, he hesitated about taking any layers off. He took out his gummiphone when asked to stay to see if there were any messages. A few had come up, mostly asking where Roxas was. He replied to each that he was busy, setting the phone to silent, before putting it down on the nearest horizontal surface.]

I can stay. I told them I was busy, and if they don't like it, oh well. I'll see them again tomorrow or something.

[With that done, he strips down to a black t-thirt, opting to keep his pants on since he was still somewhat chilled.] Where should I sit?

[totalistic]

(What could be wrong with having a competitive spirit?

So long as competition led to betterment, Xemnas didn't mind in the slightest. Whether the stick stuck inside the pocket of his flannel shirt was winning or not was left unanswered, though.)

I will.

(Roxas' somebody, whose trails had vanished like footprints on some desert shore, was still missing. Because he'd visited many worlds during his journey, the prudent thing to do was to follow his steps to gain clues to his current whereabouts. Still, Naminé had failed to trace Kairi's connection to Sora back to the Final World, which was unprecedented given the witch's ability. It was decided the worlds remained connected for easy travel and that Riku set off in search of him. Meanwhile, Kairi stayed to attain full mastery of the Keyblade until she was ready to embark on a journey to find Sora.)

(Off was the snug knitwear, followed by his socks and shoes. After putting his belongings away, Xemnas was in his slacks -- naked from the waist up, all sinewy muscles in a flawlessly proportioned body, a swath of long white hair curtaining his face. Golden eyes passed from the gummiphone to the young blond who had stripped down to a black shirt.

Their size disparity was stark: a petite yet extremely toned silhouette set against an ocean of brown.)

Here. (Xemnas led him by the hand to the bed where they sat down, the gummiphone laying forgotten on the table. He didn't know what had changed, but suddenly a sort of urgency had overtaken him. He could feel it practically locking up underneath his chorded collection of muscles. And he didn't understand why. The worst thing was that he couldn't shake it off. Mindlessly, Xemnas leaned closer, as if drawn by his warmth. His eyes flicked down to his the moment before his fingertips, chilled by the cold air, brushed along the side of his thigh, not asking approval as much as making sure he didn't reject him.) When arranging a meeting with Naminé, keep me informed of developments.

[missingache]

[The reply would generally be "not everything is a competition", but who listens to that.

Kairi and Riku at least had the choice to do that. Roxas felt like he was shoved right into the "normal" kid life. If asked, he would have gone to get Sora back. Maybe he needed to be the one to take charge of that want to do so. As much as he loved the friends he had, Sora not being here felt wrong, especially after how hard his Somebody worked to get him back.

That line of thinking was dismissed when Roxas noticed that Xemnas was undressing. It was unexpected. He found his mind blanking out as he felt like he couldn't tear his gaze away from that obviously way more chiseled build than he expected. Roxas doubted even Terra could compete with that, and Terra was one of the most well built people Roxas knew.

Mind snapping back to reality when his hand was taken, Roxas swallowed, finding his mouth rather dry. A chill, not of fear, but something closer to excitement crawled along his spine when they sat down. The blond didn't know how to react to the touch or the eyes on him except that he didn't want either to stray.

It took a moment before he realized he should reply with words.] I will! Wait...... how am I supposed to keep you informed? Where are you going to be staying?

tw: smutish?

[totalistic]

The Round Room, (Following that line of thinking, Xemnas realized that Ansem the Seeker of Darkness' passing had left a void within his heart -- one that he'd be filling with an overdose of research. As it turned out, such a moment was ill-fitted for that sort of lamentation.) In The World That Never Was.

(His hand settled more firmly on his thigh, infecting Roxas with the same excitement that set his nerves alight. The very kind that left him breathless -- thoughtless, unable to think but feel. There was an edge of desperation to his voice, to the gentle push of his hand under his shirt to placate him onto the bed, to the way his impossibly chiselled physique towered over an androgynous and short build, and to the way his hands kept skimming over every inch of available skin, demandingly so. As it turned out, the designation of superiority applied to more than just his title. The tableau they made was sinful: Xemnas laying atop him on a broad and restful couch full of fluffy pillows, comforting to tired limbs. As an alternative, a return to the wind-swept, snow-chilled Twilight Town side street. It had to keep going; Xemnas nerved his soggy muscles to the ordeal. Into such depths of arousal had the mind of the Superior lapsed.)

(He had an impressive throng of indulgent partners to try out his kinks with; a covert harem of sorts. No one suspected anything, save for Xigbar. Only he knew of Xemnas' regular search for suitable outlets for his lustful fixations. However, it belatedly occurred to him that Roxas had never been his go-to source for sexual relief. Not like he regarded him as fine china -- far from it even -- but any feelings he'd directed towards Roxas had simply been denied, filed away into the darkest recesses of his mind, simply censored by choice and by design.

It wasn't until now that Xemnas unleashed them.)

Exchanges will be verbal until I acquire your Gummi technology. Soon, very soon.

(He mouthed the words against his chin, then trailed them up to his lips, ghosting his over Roxas' in a sensuous way.

People too often chalked up his dullness to an underdeveloped range of emotions. Fortunately for him, his indulgent subordinates with benefits knew better. They had perfected methods of extracting the Superior's carnal passions. To some measure, so had Roxas, but in a far different sense. In contrast, none of them came to satisfy Xemnas' emotional needs because there were none to be filled back then. Such tenderness had eluded him, by choice and by design, and it had suited him well enough: only the pursuit of physical gratification had mattered to his one-track mind. Yet, after dying for the second time, he needed more. More connection, more affection. It seemed like, in every moment, that his unconscious and intuitive mission in life was to lend colour and light and cheer to colourless, dim, and forlorn folk wherever he bonded with them.)

Have you done this before?

(He selfishly hoped not, wishing nothing more for him to initiate Roxas to the pleasures of the flesh. Promiscuity was easier for Xemnas -- much easier than a journey of emotional discovery.

So long as the Key of Destiny embraced it, Xemnas saw no reason to stop.)

[missingache]

Oh. [So nowhere close. It did tug painfully at Roxas' chest that travel would be required to see Xemnas whenever they parted. To a place where he was hesitant to go with the last of his being in that place as a Nobody was literal pain. He couldn't dwell on that fight with Riku. Not right now. Even if he was rightly mad that he won that fight, and Riku cheated.] That makes sense. To go there.

[Fidgeting wouldn't be good right now. First, the hand on his thigh made it almost impossible to keep a coherent thought going. Second, the hand snaking under his shirt to push him down throws out any other attempt at wanting to even remain coherent. Even if Xemnas was somewhat chilled by the cold, Roxas didn't care, shivering under the touch.

A stray thought as Xemnas remained above him was how the other ever thought the blond was attractive. Roxas didn't think he was all that special, scrawny only due to how active he could be. It made him consider working out more. Even just to gain enough muscle to not be considered a string bean by societal standards. As strong as he was, it really didn't reflect in his appearance. Then again, if Xemnas preferred him like this, maybe the blond didn't really need to change anything.

Whimpering softly and wanting nothing more than lips against skin again, he shook his head.]

Not... with someone else.

[Even if exploration had not happened till he had this body. Back as a Nobody, there was nowhere near as much curiosity about what would be pleasurable until he became human.]

[totalistic]

Rest assured. It is only temporary.

(Places had a way of triggering mental images, emotions and physical reactions. Roxas' avoidance of The World That Never Was, however, was proven to be justified -- to have Riku stand in his way and emerge victorious of that epic battle was something to live down -- an unfair twist of fate. That being said, the Superior loathed returning where he'd died once, bested by Sora, Riku and Roxas, his Kingdom Hearts blown to pieces before completion. It was more of a hiding place for a Nobody on the run. The anonymity of a hotel couldn't come close enough, but it would do for the time being.)

All the more reason to take it slow. And savour everything.

(Packing a little more muscle on his frame wouldn't be unsightly, yet the Superior never compromised to the societal diktats of beauty. Even the smallest compliment so rarely passed the Nobody's lips, though he took steps to ensure Roxas felt his appreciation. To appear unattracted could demotivate one so eager to please: a risk not worth taking. That and Xemnas displayed a marked preference for shorter, slimmer and toned partners.

Shame and restraint died out of the atmosphere for him as he made quick work of Roxas' pants and underwear, which found themselves deposited along the side of the bed, utterly forsaken in the light of what was to come. Xemnas didn't bother undressing past the removal of his slacks; thanks to his alluring build, it was an optional effort, and perhaps the younger of the two would take pleasure in the soft fabrics rubbing against his skin during the act.)

Do you want me to stop?

(Hands ran up his sides, bunching further up his shirt to bare his torso. The look Xemnas shot him was rapt and dirty; his mouth moved from his lips to his nipples, tracing wet lines and nipping every now and again when the impulse struck. Every time his teeth scraped the tender flesh, the older man tongue-circled his nipple adoringly, tasting salt, sweet, afternoon meadows . . . it all combined to weave a tale of perfection and innocence in his senses. It took a bit longer to work his length out of the tight confines of his pants, but it was definitely worth it to feel the cool air down there. Keeping with his physique, it was impressive, a bit daunting, but the older man had a masterful command over his urges and wouldn't go inside without his permission.)

[missingache]

[There were more things that bothered Roxas about that world... but for Xemnas he might be willing to go there. Though some areas would be avoided like the plague.

A shiver ran down his spine. Savoring everything did sound good. All the new experiences happening might overload him in the long run, but it was fine. It was with someone he wanted to be like this with. Even if he felt very, very self-conscious with most of his clothing off. There was almost an urge to hide before he took a steadying breath.]

N-No. Just. Like you said, we can go slow.

[Scarlet. Roxas felt himself flush rather hotly under that look, so much so that he knew his face had to be scarlet. The blush had spread to his ears and neck that he could feel, though he wouldn't be surprised if he had a tint of red all over.

A hand flew to his mouth to muffle a moan as his other went right into Xemnas' hair. To bury into those tresses for some kind of hold that he hoped wouldn't be too rough. Having his skin so thoroughly teased, his nipples played with, was already becoming far more enjoyable than he thought it would be. Roxas bit down on his hand to keep himself even a little under control and to further stifle any noise. No matter how much his erection throbbed for relief, he didn't want to be seen as too childish by coming too soon. A sore hand could be dealt with later.

Which wasn't something he had to worry about long when he glanced down and saw... well, he would call it impressive. Stomach dropping so with how unexpected it was. The blond forgot about his needs for a moment as his mind raced at just how big everything on Xemnas seemed to be compared to how small he was. There was a surge of a strange kind of happiness that at this moment everything about Xemnas was a sight for him only. Even if Roxas had no idea how that size of an erection could fit anywhere in him. He would wait and see what would come next, stomach fluttering with nerves and excitement.]