Day 51: Sun Room [Second Shift]

[perfectrecord]

[From here]

Of course. Yet another of his suggestions unheeded. The instant that von Karma entered the Sun Room, he nearly tripped over one of those blasted cats that tried to knead its head against his leg. Since the nurse's watchful eye was upon him, he nudged his foot against the furry nuisance to move it aside so that he could make his way

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[bitpartgod]

[from here]

Nice and clean in record-breaking time, Kibitoshin made his way to the Sun Room to dry off a little more- it was a miracle his nurse had let him keep a towel to put around his shoulders, given the trouble he'd caused her. He did feel a little guilty about it, but, well, wasn't that an occupational hazard when you worked in a hospital with exceptionally clumsy people? Unsurprisingly, the room was almost completely empty when he entered. Most everyone else was probably still washing or in the arts and crafts room, he guessed. Ah, well. He'd just have to find some way to occupy himself before someone else came along that he could talk to, maybe by reading the bulletin board or

[itneverwas]

[From here]With his silver hair still damp from the recent shower, Xemnas entered the sun room with the intention to look over the bulletin board. Among the sea of irrelevant messages was the potential to hide something of importance, as many patients chose this means to communicate to one another despite everyone being able to read it. Without posting anything written by his own hand, his orange eyes gazed over the messages, filtering away those that were not important to him. Some of the patients spoke of languages and errors in communication, while others spoke of clubs. Eventually, he located a message regarding the so-called 'Arts&Crafts' club, signed by... the Keyblade's Chosen? Ah, so the Bearer of the Keyblade was also imprisoned in these four walls? Remarkable. Reading further along the message, he noticed the added message signed by Riku

[bitpartgod]

It looked like, Kibitoshin spied from the sofa, someone was heading over to von Karma already. It wasn't anyone he recognised and they looked as though they'd probably be tough enough to handle him, but even so he couldn't help but feel a little wring of guilt. No one deserved to face that man all by themselves. Maybe he should have done the good, noble thing and gone over when he'd had the chance, if only to save some other poor unsuspecting person from the fires of overly-critical, steely-eyed hell personifi-

"Ahh-!" Kibitoshin nearly hit the floor. Wh-who'd just spoken!? Who'd said that?! He whipped around, terrified that, somehow, Mr. von Karma would be standing behind him, and saw- Xemnas. The man from the restaurant at Doyleton

[itneverwas]

Kibitoshin had been so fixated upon the man he was hiding for, he had utterly failed to notice all else that occurred around him. A common mistake for a resident of the light, to be so consumed by fear, by emotion, to forget the existence of all else

[bitpartgod]

Kibitoshin was, admittedly, only barely listening to whatever it was Xemnas had to say in response. But it wasn't his fault, really! He couldn't help it that, for every attempt he made to refocus his attention on the man's face, he found himself wondering if that twitch in the corner of his vision was Mr. von Karma looking over at him or, worse still, getting up and heading over.

"Ah... I guess so." He swallowed anxiously and dropped his stare back again. Xemnas had taken the opportunity to sit down next to him on the sofa (which was, the benefit of hindsight allowed, not the best choice for a makeshift fault), and he shuffled up a little more so that he wouldn't end up squashed down on one side. Unnerving though the other man was, it was probably good to have someone who was so calm and reasonable around to be a positive influence. Even if he did still feel like he had to be on his best behaviour. "It's just that Mr. von Karma always criticises me whenever he gets the- ah

[itneverwas]

It was remarkable, how there were those that still retained their very existence cared about the approval (or, disapproval in this case) of a man unlikely to provide it. Those who had a heart chased after illusions- even some of the nonexistent chased after illusions of emotions they no longer possessed. Was it a creature's nature to do so? To chase after things that did not possibly exist?

Though, the case of this man...perhaps it was mere insecurity. Those who lacked in confidence often needed confirmation, approval. Approval, to perhaps be allowed to exist.

"Even among those who retain an existence, there are those who are incapable of liking."

[bitpartgod]

"You can say that again," Kibitoshin answered flatly, sinking down the sofa cushion wearing a look of utter despair. "I just don't understand how I manage to run into them so often. I mean, I'm only so many thousands of years old. There can't be that many of them, can there?"

Admittedly, Mr. von Karma's bad moods were hardly on par with someone like Majin Buu, but... but the principle still stood, right? Was he really just that unlucky?

After a moment he glanced back across to Xemnas, shifting awkwardly in his seat. "You know," he started hesitantly, "I... still don't understand what you mean about not existing." Asking after it was always going to be a path frought with intellectual perils as far as he was concerned, but there was only so much nodding and smiling he could do before he confused himself.

[itneverwas]

"There are many that are about to be consumed by darkness," Xemnas commented. Though, the other man's answer had raised the Nobody's interest. Thousands of years old, hmm? Kibitoshin was hardly the first resident of the light that had lived for such a long time without aging, something many of those retaining their essence would chase after due to mere fear of death.

For a hollow shell, there was not even such a thing as death. No corpse, no proof of existence. After all, how could a nonexistent man hope to leave proof of something that never was?

The Superior did not answer the question right away, as if he was pondering something. But eventually, he spoke: "I am but a hollow shell," a pause, "A hollow shell cannot truly exist, as there is no existence to be contained within."

He glanced back at the other patient, as if the answer had completely answered the question. Unfortunately, Xemnas was not a man of straight answers. "But it is of no importance. What about you? You've mentioned you are several thousands of years old."

[bitpartgod]

And that was equally true. Kibitoshin couldn't even begin to think of the number of people he'd met who'd succumbed to evil; people seemed to warp so easily, sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if his own involvement was ever going to be worth it, or if it was even doing anything at all. So why was it he kept going, anyway