application :: roxas :: saudade_rpg
PLAYER
NAME: Malathyne
PERSONAL LJ: strikeraids
EMAIL: when.all.your.dreams.come.true@gmail.com
MESSENGER(S): AIM (whitepoof), plurk (Malathyne), LJ PM (y)
TIMEZONE: CST
AGE (b. year): 21 (1990)
PLAYED CHARACTERS: n/a
LINK TO RESERVE: http://saudade-mods.livejournal.com/2159.html?thread=7791#t7791
CHARACTER
NAME(S): Roxas
AGE: Looks to be fourteen or fifteen; in actuality, is only a year old
FANDOM: Kingdom Hearts II
BACKGROUND HISTORY:
I chose to link a fan shrine as opposed to a wiki, because the information at the shrine is at a higher quality than what is found at the wiki. However, if you prefer, Roxas's wiki page is here.
Roxas-centric summary of Days | Day 358 | His Last Week
In the Kingdom Hearts universe, people are made of three parts, which can be simplified as thus: the body, the physical self; the heart, the emotions; and the soul, the animating life force. Every person has an amount of light and darkness within their hearts (with the exceptions of the Princesses of Heart, who have purely light hearts, and other beings in Birth by Sleep), and there are creatures made out of the darkness in people's hearts that were ironically misnamed Heartless. They operate on instinct, and they automatically seek to steal the hearts of other people. When a person with a strong heart loses it to the Heartless, there is a chance that their body and soul left behind will remain intact and become a Nobody, a being without emotion. If the person has an especially strong heart, they retain their human form, consciousness, and memories of being whole.
A group of thirteen of these human-like Nobodies bonded together to form Organization XIII. Their goal? To create a doorway to the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts, which would then give them their hearts back. In order to reach Kingdom Hearts, the Organization's leader, Xemnas, devised a plan: if they could defeat Heartless with the legendary weapon called the Keyblade, they would be able to capture the released hearts and create Kingdom Hearts that way. As such, the Organization began to make plans to manipulate the Keybearer of the time, Sora, going as far as to recruit his Nobody, Roxas, who could also wield the weapon.
Roxas started out as a blank slate -- he barely talked, had little evidence of personality, and followed whatever orders were issued -- which was perfect, as far as the Organization was concerned. Axel, Number VIII, was assigned to watch over Roxas and make sure he got adjusted properly. In a very short amount of time, the two of them became friends, and that was really what helped Roxas settle in and fall into step with the Organization, despite his endless questions. Another member was instated about two weeks into Roxas' time in the Organization, Xion. While there seemed to be some kind of strange connection between the newest members (taking form in the two of them staring at each other), very little was known about Xion, not even gender.
Just as Roxas got used to having ice cream with Axel on top of the clock tower in Twilight Town after every mission, the red-head was sent on a long-term mission with half of the Organization to Castle Oblivion. It was at this point that Roxas was assigned to look after Xion. Their first mission together was filled with awkward silence, though Xion helped Roxas fight Heartless with magic. At the end of their second mission, though, Xion spoke Roxas' name. On their third mission, the two of them discovered that Xion, like Roxas, could use the Keyblade. To celebrate discovering this common ground, Roxas bought Xion ice cream and brought her to the top of the clock tower, like Axel did for him, and they became friends.
After learning that an Organization member at Castle Oblivion had been eliminated, Roxas fell unconscious and slept for many days on end. Xion left seashells next to his pillow, one for every day he was asleep, and grew more comfortable in using the Keyblade and became a competent member of the Organization. When Roxas finally woke up again, he learned not only what Xion had done for him while he had been asleep, but also that the entire team at Castle Oblivion had been killed. He continued collecting hearts in a stupor until one day, he ran into Axel in Twilight Town. Finally, everything was back to normal, and then Axel and Xion could meet and become friends, too. The trio came together properly to help Xion relearn how to use the Keyblade, which refused to come to her after Roxas woke up, and the best friends wished they could have ice cream together forever.
What they didn't know, though, was that Xion wasn't a Nobody -- rather, she was a replica created by the Organization to absorb Sora's powers through Roxas. For several months, there was an ebb and flow of Sora's power between Roxas and Xion; when one was strong, the other was weak, and then it would reverse. However, things weren't going as expected. Xion wasn't just absorbing Sora's power; she was also absorbing the memories that Naminé, the Nobody of Kairi, had loosened under the command of the Organization during the Castle Oblivion fiasco. Naminé, newly under the guidance of a man who called himself DiZ and Sora's best friend Riku, was now trying to restore Sora's memory, but because of Xion, her progress in doing so had come to a full halt.
Eventually, first Axel then Xion discovered the truth about her being a replica. Xion began to act strangely, often running off and disappearing for extended periods of time and being stand-offish. Roxas, who was still in the dark, had no idea what was going on, and became upset about the situation, especially when the Organization sent Axel to collect Xion and the two battled. During all of his confusion, he was getting weaker and weaker, though he thought he was just under the weather. The Organization took note of this. Roxas was becoming less and less useful to their purposes, and Xion was suiting them more and more. Although they had not originally intended to destroy Roxas or Xion, the replica was absorbing too much of Roxas's power (as well as Sora's memories), making him almost useless to the Organization. It would be more optimal for Xion to completely absorb him and his powers and become a more perfect Sora Replica -- and then Sora could never wake up, and the Organization would have a Keybearer, theirs to manipulate, control, and reprogram.
However, Xion was planning on working against them. Having found out the truth, she meant to return to Sora and give his memories back to him. The Organization sent Axel to retrieve her, and he went willingly because he didn't want one of his best friends to disappear. After a battle, Axel won, but barely. He carried Xion back to the Organization's base, but passed out before he could report in. Xemnas, the Superior and mastermind of the Organization, took Xion and adjusted her programming. She now could change shape and become almost monstrous, similar to lesser Nobodies but still retaining her sense of self, and she could draw more power from Sora's memories to power it. Also, now she had a new directive: destroy and absorb Roxas.
Simultaneous to all of this, after Xion left to return to Sora, it was officially announced to the rest of the Organization (most of whom were in the dark just as much as Roxas) that Xion was a replica and had never been a true member of the Organization. She was just a tool, and now she'd run off and needed to be retrieved. The information hit Roxas hard. For all his (short) life, he'd been told he and Xion were just alike. Did that mean that he was a replica, too? Was he just a tool? He turned to Axel for answers. He demanded the truth, the full truth. Axel assured him that he wasn't a replica, but wouldn't answer the rest of his questions. Roxas asked how long Axel had known, why he hid things from him when they had been best friends -- he couldn't comprehend this, and when Axel continued to not answer, it settled in his mind as a betrayal. Axel had betrayed him, and now there was nothing left to hold him to the Organization -- so Roxas left. He would find Xion, and then they could find the truth together. Why did he have the Keyblade? Who was he? He was tired of not knowing.
But he didn't think things through. He didn't know where to turn for answers. He wasn't lucky like Xion; he didn't have any leads except that he was found in Twilight Town. In the end, Roxas settled down on top of the clock tower and tried to think, to wait for a sign, to... He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. And that's when Xion arrived on the tower. She handed him an ice cream, and they ate together in silence. What Roxas didn't know was that it would be the very last time they could eat ice cream together. Xion couldn't fight her new progamming, not entirely, and she couldn't stop herself from fighting him. She changed forms, saying that her true purpose was to make Roxas a part of her, and attacked him. What Xion could do, though, was hold herself back and taunt Roxas and encourage him to kill her. Roxas, shocked, reluctant, and confused, had no choice but to fight for his life... but there was no way he could win. Either he would die, or his best friend would die, and in the end... Xion was defeated. Just before she faded away in his arms, returning his and Sora's power to him, she asked him to release Kingdom Hearts and stop Xemnas.
Although he found himself struggling to cling to his memories of Xion, her request stuck in his mind. He charged back to the World That Never Was, this time with not one, but two Keyblades, one of which was Xion's. However, before he could reach the Castle, he was intercepted by Riku, who had been sent by DiZ to collect him. With her last remaining moments of awareness, Xion made Roxas throw her Keyblade to Riku, and through it, she begged him to stop Roxas. He couldn't stand up to Xemnas now; he would just be killed. However, Roxas overpowered Riku, and so he had no choice but to give into his darkness in order to defeat and capture the Nobody. After that point, all memory of Xion ceased to exist, for she had returned to Sora; the foundation of memories which everything Xion was built upon had been taken from her, and so her existence became a black hole and took with it all memories of her.
What awaited Roxas was a week in a fake life. In order to hide Roxas' presence from the Organization and bide time until Naminé could finish restoring Sora's memory, DiZ hid created a virtual Twilight Town and placed Roxas in it. For seven days, he believed he was a normal boy who had three best friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette, who were actually just digital copies of the real schoolchildren he encountered briefly in the real Twilight Town. At night, Roxas would dream of a boy in red named Sora and his adventures across the worlds with his friends. For DiZ and the Organization, it was a race against the clock. Axel managed to track down where Roxas was being kept, and now he was under the orders to retrieve him at the cost of his own existence. While Axel was hunting Roxas down, Naminé was taking her own course of action. She met with Roxas and told him what truth she could during their short encounters. It only confused him further, but he felt a strange kinship with her, and he also felt he could trust her, if only because she was making the effort to try to help him understand what was happening. Due to his run-ins with Axel, Roxas began to have more flashes of memory -- but this time, they were his own. He started to remember his almost-year with the Organization and his friendship with Axel, but by the time most of his memories returned, Axel had no choice but to bring him in by force.
After Roxas defeated Axel, he continued on his search to find out the truth, and it led him straight to Sora. Despite all appearances otherwise, this was not the end of Roxas. Although he merged with Sora, it was not complete. Roxas had not chosen to return to Sora; he hadn't accepted it yet. Near the end of Sora's journey, after Axel's death, Roxas pulled him into a battle within his heart. He wanted to decide for himself whether or not it was acceptable for him to be a part of Sora. He wanted to to get down to the bare bones basics of the truth: Who is Sora? But before he got a chance to find this out, he found himself standing on a stained glass platform...
PERSONALITY:
Roxas first gives off the impression of being too serious for a kid his age. Though he sees the world in simple terms (for Roxas, it's either this or that, with little to no middle ground), he still questions everything around him, from the motives of those around him to what something is. It's not so much that he's curious and excited to learn about the world around him; he just doesn't know because he hasn't been alive for very long. When he asks a question, he expects the truth: honesty is of the utmost importance to Roxas. He doesn't understand why someone would lie, and as such, he always tells it how he sees it, making him straightforward and, at times, blunt and even tactless. He also expects people to answer him outright; sarcasm and metaphors tend to go over his head, though he's getting better at identifying them, and he thusly tends to take them literally. He's not really a detail-oriented person, for though he may see the outline of the big picture, he has a tendency to miss subtle signs. That's not to say that he isn't good at making connections, though, it just takes him a while.
Roxas is an intensely internally-driven person. He can be said that he's introspective, but it's less that he examines his own thoughts and more that he just does a lot of thinking. He takes the things that he has learned and turns them over in his mind, reaching either questions that he cannot answer himself or answers that can be difficult to correct. He is independent in that he will come to his own conclusions and never take something someone tells him for granted; it isn't necessarily that he's a skeptic, just that he cannot stop from asking questions. Once he's made up his mind, there's no changing it, and he is not only stubborn, but action-driven. He will accomplish what he's set his mind to, come hell or high water. He is confident in his abilities, and this has led to arrogance during battle. Combine these things and you have a kid who is serious and persistent, never stopping until he is satisfied with the result.
The fundamental thing to remember when interacting with Roxas is to treat him the way you expect him to treat you. If you belittle him and his friends, he will rise up and fight back. He returns friendship with devotion and loyalty, and kindness with kindness, even going as far as to go out of his way to help someone he doesn't know very well just because they helped him out a few times. He expects the same as well, for his friends to treat him like friends and for his enemies to treat him as an enemy. When people act outside of these simple boundaries, he becomes confused and even upset, depending on the circumstances.
He doesn't care what people think of him, whether they like or dislike him, but what he reacts strongly to is the way he is treated. He hates being underestimated and looked down upon. He's more than just some kid and he's not weak or stupid. It's not his fault he doesn't know something. He can quickly become defensive in situations where someone is being condescending to him. When he gets upset, he gets vocal, and whatever brain-mouth filter he has disappears, regardless of the consequences.
He has something of an inferiority complex; the suggestion that he (or any of his friends) is useless or less than anyone else will set him off, and he will not lie down and take it. He is a very firm believer in his own worth. He believes he has a right to exist, a right to know the truth, a right to be himself, a right to live -- he doesn't care what anyone else says or thinks. He may be a Nobody, but he knows what he goes through -- what he feels -- is real, and this has led to a lot of confusion about what's so great about a heart, anyway, and why they need them in the first place. If he ever loses this credo, he'll lose the foundation of who he is. Without it, he would be completely lost and melancholy with nothing else to believe in. He knows what he's capable of, but when it comes to who he is, he's not so sure. Like a lot of teenagers, he's still trying to figure out who he is, and in the end, he needs validation of those around him... especially from his friends.
His friends are the key to his happiness. In their company, he relaxes and becomes more lighthearted. He starts acting like a regular kid again, teasing and joking around and laughing with them about nothing. If he could, he would be with them forever, and if anything, that's all he really wants: to be with his friends, everyone happy... a normal life, one outside of fighting for something he doesn't know anything about and for people he, in reality, barely even knows. He's more likely to be something of a homebody, to look after the people he knows and cares about, than to go gallivanting around the universe for fun. In the end, his friends are also his ultimate weakness and downfall: they bring out the strongest 'emotions' in him because they're so close to the core of who he is. They are under his skin and in his blood, so when something goes wrong, to say it affects him deeply would be an understatement. Anyone he considers a friend can just rip him apart from the inside out. They are his true source of validation and safety; his friends are his home.
CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS:
AXEL:
Roxas' first friend. Axel is the one who explained (and taught) Roxas what friendship was. Whenever he had an important question and whenever things went wrong, he turned to Axel for answers and for help. He wasn't a parental or older sibling figure, per se, but Axel was the one who provided Roxas a foundation upon which he could become his own person. Although Roxas couldn't understand at the time, Axel did everything he could to look out for and protect him along the way, even if it meant lying to him; unfortunately, that was the dealbreaker for the young Nobody.
By the end of his time in the Organization, to Roxas, their friendship was over. However, now, it's... complicated. Roxas is still fully aware that Axel lied to and kept information from him (though he thinks it's just about the truth about himself, since he doesn't remember Xion), and while it still bothers him, he can also see past it now. He can see what Axel was trying to do for him, and then there's the fact that Axel had been trying so hard to get him back and then died so he (as Sora) could live... Well. Actions speak louder than words, and those have helped him understand that he does mean a lot to Axel, and also just how much Axel cares.
XION:
A girl indescribably precious to Roxas. Although he can't remember her, she played a crucial role in his development and year of life. Axel may have been his first friend, but Xion was the first one Roxas connected to on a personal level. She was like him, they all thought. A Nobody who couldn't remember her past, who could also use the Keyblade. They had a lot in common, and from there, they began to look out for each other. Roxas showed her the ropes of missions, introduced her to ice cream and to friendship. When he fell unconscious, Xion left seashells by his pillow every day, and in the end, she sacrificed herself so that he could live longer and hopefully come to terms with their shared fate of returning to Sora. Perhaps their relationship started out strong because Xion reflects Sora's memories of Kairi and Roxas is Sora's Nobody, but he loved her for who she was, not because of their connections to Sora and Kairi.
However, there are now great gaping holes in Roxas' memories where Xion used to and should be. Because his memories are shoddy anyway, he hasn't quite noticed it yet, but as they return, he'll notice that there are some pieces that just don't fit right. Some things just don't make sense, and it's like he's still missing something -- something important... He just can't remember for the life of him what it could possibly be.
HAYNER, PENCE, OLETTE:
Roxas' important friends. Even if for a short amount of time, they played an important role to him; Roxas' friends are always important to him, even if they're just digital. During those seven days, they were his steady ground. When things came to be too much, he would focus on them, on his memories of their friendship, and call out their names. Even if their friendship was just fabricated to appease him and keep him occupied, it was real to him.
NAMINÉ:
A strange girl with whom Roxas feels a kinship. She was the first person who was upfront and honest with him. She gave him the answers he needed, and while the truth wasn't easy for him to swallow, he was -- and is -- still extremely grateful for it. She was a light shining through the whirlwind of confusion that was his last week, and he's relieved that he's not alone in his situation. She's like him; she faces the same fate he does. At least this way, he'll have someone who'll be with him despite everything that has happened.
SORA:
Roxas' Other. He is someone he has been dreaming about since the beginning of his life. From day one, everything has always been about Sora. Sora needs to wake up, this is Sora's Keyblade, this is Sora's friend, always, always Sora. Despite all appearances otherwise, Roxas doesn't loathe Sora for it. He just wants to know why. Why Sora? Why is he so important? Why did the Keyblade choose him? Why are they connected? Why can Roxas use the same Keyblade? More than anything else, Roxas wants to meet Sora for himself so that he can find his own answers.
TIMELINE SUMMARY:
At this point in canon Roxas is taken from, he is driven. In true Roxas fashion, his focus has narrowed and he has one thing in mind. He is wholly determined to find the truth, and it is the strength of that determination that attracted the Darkness to take him.
POWERS
SAMPLE - THE AWAKENING:
All around him, there is darkness. He is standing on a platform that seems to be made of stained glass. It glows brightly as if there is a light buried somewhere deep within it. Though the design on the stained glass is different than he remembers, it isn't his first time here. He can feel it.
This place again?
Last time, it was blue, and then it was green, and then it was red, but the design on it was always the same. Sora. It showed him with the Keyblade in hand, sleeping, surrounded by pictures of his friends and home islands. This time, though... The stained glass glows like the sunset. He stares at the images depicted. In Sora's place, there's himself, eyes closed and sleeping, just like Sora, over the silhouette of Twilight Town's skyline. Instead of Sora's friends, there are pictures of his own enclosed in circles. Hayner, Pence, Olette... Naminé, and... Axel.
There are six circles, though, and one of them is broken. It looks like someone smashed it up; the glass is all fractured, the lines jagged and splintered. He can't make out who it's supposed to be. Those six circles are surrounding one in the middle, and, really, he isn't surprised who it is. Sora... It always comes down to you. His fists clench at his sides.
You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?
He looks up, but there's no source in sight. It came out of nowhere -- No... It came out of everywhere. It came from the platform, from the darkness, from the light, from inside himself.
Your journey isn't over yet. There's still something you must do.
In front of him, three familiar weapons appeared in a flash of shimmering light. As he turns his gaze over each one, the voice provides an explanation of what they each symbolize.
Hovering over the picture of Hayner is a sword. The blade is long and looks heavy. The hilt is blue and the handguard is yellow with a red-and-black mouse-eared emblem at the center. The power of the warrior. Relentless determination. A sword of victory and destruction.
Over Naminé, there is a staff. The haft is bright green, and at the end, there are blue spheres that make up the same symbol as the one on the sword's handguard. The power of the mystic. Innate wisdom. A staff of wonder and ruin.
Over Axel, there is a shield. It is black with a red border, and in the center, there is that same insignia of two circles perched on top of a third like ears. The power of the guardian. Strength to protect friends. A shield to repel all.
The one you keep will be your power, but in exchange, you must lose another. Choose well.
With options like these... He turns the options over in his mind.
When it comes to finding the truth, drive is the most important thing. He's learned this the hard way. Over and over again, everything that could possibly keep him from the truth threw itself in his path. Without determination, he won't get anywhere at all. The power of the warrior... so that I can cut down whatever's in my way. Sounds good to me.
The power of the guardian, though... That appeals to him, too. When it comes down to it, his friends are the most important people in his life. He wants to be strong enough to protect them. He wants to be able to keep away everything that would keep him from eating ice cream with them. He's not sure he could give up what the shield represents even if he wanted to.
Which leaves the power of the mystic. Wisdom... A staff of wonder and ruin. When he thinks about it, compared to the other two, he's benefited a lot less from wisdom than anything else. The shield, to him, has come to represent in his mind not just the ability to protect his friends, but his friends themselves. The sword is the symbol of everything he's ever wanted, everything he still wants, and it would help him reach it. So, when it comes down to it... There isn't really much of a choice at all.
As if it can read his thoughts, the voice speaks again.
You have chosen the power of the warrior. You've given up the power of the mystic. Is this the path you choose?
He nods. He has no second thoughts. He's made his decision, and once he's made up his mind, he sticks with it.
Your adventure begins in the dead of night. Your road won't be easy, but a shining star awaits your journey's end.
The light platform begins to dim in a strange, systematic way. First, the outside border turns dark, followed by the silhouette of Twilight Town. He started out standing near the edge of the platform, which is why he managed to get such a good look at the stained glass image, and now, something is telling him to run. Just as his feet leave the border, it disappears from under them, and then he has to make a mad dash to the group of circles before the rest of it vanishes, too. Just as he puts a foot out to stand on the broken circle, it becomes darkness.
Keep your light burning strong.
As the images of Hayner, Pence, and Olette disappear, he notices that his own feet are darkening, too -- the feet of his picture, that is. The darkness spreads slowly, eating up his shoes, his legs... He's not having any choice but to jump around until finally, the only circle left for him to stand on is Sora's. He watches as the picture of himself turns black.
And don't forget...
Without any warning, the last of the platform drops out from under him. With a shout, he falls and plunges headfirst into air-light water. The darkness rushes around him in currents and makes it difficult for him to keep his eyes open -- not that it matters, because he can't see anything anyway. There's no light... No light anywhere. Something heavy weighs down on his chest. He's all alone now. No friends, no Other, no mysterious voice. It's just him, falling, falling, into darkness...
There's a whisper coming from somewhere deep, deep inside him, from a place that he wasn't aware was even there.
Roxas, don't be sad.
That voice... it's so, so familiar, so nostalgic, and something new and bright swells in his chest in the same place the heavy thing had settled. You... Who are you?
Memories of you and me will always be together...
He reaches out a hand. He doesn't know who he's hoping will take it.
It's all coming back to me. The true...
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Canonically, Roxas has the ability to call and wield two Keyblades, one that is (... arguably) his and one that is Xion's. He was also capable of casting the basic elemental and healing spells during his time under the guidance of the Organization. Due to his time in the virtual Twilight Town, he forgot all of his skills, including how to call the Keyblade -- but over time, this came back to him, including the ability to dual-wield them. He didn't really get spells back under his belt, though, before he returns to Sora. The next time Roxas shows up, he exhibits a surprising mastery of the Keyblades and his innate element of light, which he previously only had limited use of. He uses his new skills to test Sora's own. The reason for the sudden Level in Badass isn't explained in canon, but it can be easily explained by how much time Roxas has spent within Sora, who also grew almost exponentially in Keybearing capability.
Due to the decisions he made during his Awakening, Roxas is of the OOC 'job class' Avenger. As such, when the Finder saves him and he comes to from his darkness-induced coma, Roxas will have Oathkeeper and Oblivion in his hands (or at least nearby) -- but the magical properties of the Keyblade, such as being able to change shape and un/lock anything, will be gone. They will be big, fancy swords that cannot be dismissed or summoned, but have to be carried around. When it comes to his innate element of light, that ability will be gone altogether. Roxas will have to depend entirely on his physical skills and learn new ones in order to fight to his highest potential. In addition, he will have access to the Organization's coat that can be hidden within a ring -- something that will catch him by surprise, but once he learns of its ability to shield him from the darkness, he won't be complaining.
NOTES/ASPIRATIONS
Roxas's most favorite thing in the whole wide world is eating ice cream with his friends. Specifically, sea salt ice cream. I don't think he's had any other flavor. If he has ice cream with someone, that means that they're a friend. It's a Big Deal to him, as goofy as it seems.
NAME: Malathyne
PERSONAL LJ: strikeraids
EMAIL: when.all.your.dreams.come.true@gmail.com
MESSENGER(S): AIM (whitepoof), plurk (Malathyne), LJ PM (y)
TIMEZONE: CST
AGE (b. year): 21 (1990)
PLAYED CHARACTERS: n/a
LINK TO RESERVE: http://saudade-mods.livejournal.com/2159.html?thread=7791#t7791
CHARACTER
NAME(S): Roxas
AGE: Looks to be fourteen or fifteen; in actuality, is only a year old
FANDOM: Kingdom Hearts II
BACKGROUND HISTORY:
I chose to link a fan shrine as opposed to a wiki, because the information at the shrine is at a higher quality than what is found at the wiki. However, if you prefer, Roxas's wiki page is here.
Roxas-centric summary of Days | Day 358 | His Last Week
In the Kingdom Hearts universe, people are made of three parts, which can be simplified as thus: the body, the physical self; the heart, the emotions; and the soul, the animating life force. Every person has an amount of light and darkness within their hearts (with the exceptions of the Princesses of Heart, who have purely light hearts, and other beings in Birth by Sleep), and there are creatures made out of the darkness in people's hearts that were ironically misnamed Heartless. They operate on instinct, and they automatically seek to steal the hearts of other people. When a person with a strong heart loses it to the Heartless, there is a chance that their body and soul left behind will remain intact and become a Nobody, a being without emotion. If the person has an especially strong heart, they retain their human form, consciousness, and memories of being whole.
A group of thirteen of these human-like Nobodies bonded together to form Organization XIII. Their goal? To create a doorway to the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts, which would then give them their hearts back. In order to reach Kingdom Hearts, the Organization's leader, Xemnas, devised a plan: if they could defeat Heartless with the legendary weapon called the Keyblade, they would be able to capture the released hearts and create Kingdom Hearts that way. As such, the Organization began to make plans to manipulate the Keybearer of the time, Sora, going as far as to recruit his Nobody, Roxas, who could also wield the weapon.
Roxas started out as a blank slate -- he barely talked, had little evidence of personality, and followed whatever orders were issued -- which was perfect, as far as the Organization was concerned. Axel, Number VIII, was assigned to watch over Roxas and make sure he got adjusted properly. In a very short amount of time, the two of them became friends, and that was really what helped Roxas settle in and fall into step with the Organization, despite his endless questions. Another member was instated about two weeks into Roxas' time in the Organization, Xion. While there seemed to be some kind of strange connection between the newest members (taking form in the two of them staring at each other), very little was known about Xion, not even gender.
Just as Roxas got used to having ice cream with Axel on top of the clock tower in Twilight Town after every mission, the red-head was sent on a long-term mission with half of the Organization to Castle Oblivion. It was at this point that Roxas was assigned to look after Xion. Their first mission together was filled with awkward silence, though Xion helped Roxas fight Heartless with magic. At the end of their second mission, though, Xion spoke Roxas' name. On their third mission, the two of them discovered that Xion, like Roxas, could use the Keyblade. To celebrate discovering this common ground, Roxas bought Xion ice cream and brought her to the top of the clock tower, like Axel did for him, and they became friends.
After learning that an Organization member at Castle Oblivion had been eliminated, Roxas fell unconscious and slept for many days on end. Xion left seashells next to his pillow, one for every day he was asleep, and grew more comfortable in using the Keyblade and became a competent member of the Organization. When Roxas finally woke up again, he learned not only what Xion had done for him while he had been asleep, but also that the entire team at Castle Oblivion had been killed. He continued collecting hearts in a stupor until one day, he ran into Axel in Twilight Town. Finally, everything was back to normal, and then Axel and Xion could meet and become friends, too. The trio came together properly to help Xion relearn how to use the Keyblade, which refused to come to her after Roxas woke up, and the best friends wished they could have ice cream together forever.
What they didn't know, though, was that Xion wasn't a Nobody -- rather, she was a replica created by the Organization to absorb Sora's powers through Roxas. For several months, there was an ebb and flow of Sora's power between Roxas and Xion; when one was strong, the other was weak, and then it would reverse. However, things weren't going as expected. Xion wasn't just absorbing Sora's power; she was also absorbing the memories that Naminé, the Nobody of Kairi, had loosened under the command of the Organization during the Castle Oblivion fiasco. Naminé, newly under the guidance of a man who called himself DiZ and Sora's best friend Riku, was now trying to restore Sora's memory, but because of Xion, her progress in doing so had come to a full halt.
Eventually, first Axel then Xion discovered the truth about her being a replica. Xion began to act strangely, often running off and disappearing for extended periods of time and being stand-offish. Roxas, who was still in the dark, had no idea what was going on, and became upset about the situation, especially when the Organization sent Axel to collect Xion and the two battled. During all of his confusion, he was getting weaker and weaker, though he thought he was just under the weather. The Organization took note of this. Roxas was becoming less and less useful to their purposes, and Xion was suiting them more and more. Although they had not originally intended to destroy Roxas or Xion, the replica was absorbing too much of Roxas's power (as well as Sora's memories), making him almost useless to the Organization. It would be more optimal for Xion to completely absorb him and his powers and become a more perfect Sora Replica -- and then Sora could never wake up, and the Organization would have a Keybearer, theirs to manipulate, control, and reprogram.
However, Xion was planning on working against them. Having found out the truth, she meant to return to Sora and give his memories back to him. The Organization sent Axel to retrieve her, and he went willingly because he didn't want one of his best friends to disappear. After a battle, Axel won, but barely. He carried Xion back to the Organization's base, but passed out before he could report in. Xemnas, the Superior and mastermind of the Organization, took Xion and adjusted her programming. She now could change shape and become almost monstrous, similar to lesser Nobodies but still retaining her sense of self, and she could draw more power from Sora's memories to power it. Also, now she had a new directive: destroy and absorb Roxas.
Simultaneous to all of this, after Xion left to return to Sora, it was officially announced to the rest of the Organization (most of whom were in the dark just as much as Roxas) that Xion was a replica and had never been a true member of the Organization. She was just a tool, and now she'd run off and needed to be retrieved. The information hit Roxas hard. For all his (short) life, he'd been told he and Xion were just alike. Did that mean that he was a replica, too? Was he just a tool? He turned to Axel for answers. He demanded the truth, the full truth. Axel assured him that he wasn't a replica, but wouldn't answer the rest of his questions. Roxas asked how long Axel had known, why he hid things from him when they had been best friends -- he couldn't comprehend this, and when Axel continued to not answer, it settled in his mind as a betrayal. Axel had betrayed him, and now there was nothing left to hold him to the Organization -- so Roxas left. He would find Xion, and then they could find the truth together. Why did he have the Keyblade? Who was he? He was tired of not knowing.
But he didn't think things through. He didn't know where to turn for answers. He wasn't lucky like Xion; he didn't have any leads except that he was found in Twilight Town. In the end, Roxas settled down on top of the clock tower and tried to think, to wait for a sign, to... He didn't know what he was supposed to do now. And that's when Xion arrived on the tower. She handed him an ice cream, and they ate together in silence. What Roxas didn't know was that it would be the very last time they could eat ice cream together. Xion couldn't fight her new progamming, not entirely, and she couldn't stop herself from fighting him. She changed forms, saying that her true purpose was to make Roxas a part of her, and attacked him. What Xion could do, though, was hold herself back and taunt Roxas and encourage him to kill her. Roxas, shocked, reluctant, and confused, had no choice but to fight for his life... but there was no way he could win. Either he would die, or his best friend would die, and in the end... Xion was defeated. Just before she faded away in his arms, returning his and Sora's power to him, she asked him to release Kingdom Hearts and stop Xemnas.
Although he found himself struggling to cling to his memories of Xion, her request stuck in his mind. He charged back to the World That Never Was, this time with not one, but two Keyblades, one of which was Xion's. However, before he could reach the Castle, he was intercepted by Riku, who had been sent by DiZ to collect him. With her last remaining moments of awareness, Xion made Roxas throw her Keyblade to Riku, and through it, she begged him to stop Roxas. He couldn't stand up to Xemnas now; he would just be killed. However, Roxas overpowered Riku, and so he had no choice but to give into his darkness in order to defeat and capture the Nobody. After that point, all memory of Xion ceased to exist, for she had returned to Sora; the foundation of memories which everything Xion was built upon had been taken from her, and so her existence became a black hole and took with it all memories of her.
What awaited Roxas was a week in a fake life. In order to hide Roxas' presence from the Organization and bide time until Naminé could finish restoring Sora's memory, DiZ hid created a virtual Twilight Town and placed Roxas in it. For seven days, he believed he was a normal boy who had three best friends, Hayner, Pence, and Olette, who were actually just digital copies of the real schoolchildren he encountered briefly in the real Twilight Town. At night, Roxas would dream of a boy in red named Sora and his adventures across the worlds with his friends. For DiZ and the Organization, it was a race against the clock. Axel managed to track down where Roxas was being kept, and now he was under the orders to retrieve him at the cost of his own existence. While Axel was hunting Roxas down, Naminé was taking her own course of action. She met with Roxas and told him what truth she could during their short encounters. It only confused him further, but he felt a strange kinship with her, and he also felt he could trust her, if only because she was making the effort to try to help him understand what was happening. Due to his run-ins with Axel, Roxas began to have more flashes of memory -- but this time, they were his own. He started to remember his almost-year with the Organization and his friendship with Axel, but by the time most of his memories returned, Axel had no choice but to bring him in by force.
After Roxas defeated Axel, he continued on his search to find out the truth, and it led him straight to Sora. Despite all appearances otherwise, this was not the end of Roxas. Although he merged with Sora, it was not complete. Roxas had not chosen to return to Sora; he hadn't accepted it yet. Near the end of Sora's journey, after Axel's death, Roxas pulled him into a battle within his heart. He wanted to decide for himself whether or not it was acceptable for him to be a part of Sora. He wanted to to get down to the bare bones basics of the truth: Who is Sora? But before he got a chance to find this out, he found himself standing on a stained glass platform...
PERSONALITY:
Roxas first gives off the impression of being too serious for a kid his age. Though he sees the world in simple terms (for Roxas, it's either this or that, with little to no middle ground), he still questions everything around him, from the motives of those around him to what something is. It's not so much that he's curious and excited to learn about the world around him; he just doesn't know because he hasn't been alive for very long. When he asks a question, he expects the truth: honesty is of the utmost importance to Roxas. He doesn't understand why someone would lie, and as such, he always tells it how he sees it, making him straightforward and, at times, blunt and even tactless. He also expects people to answer him outright; sarcasm and metaphors tend to go over his head, though he's getting better at identifying them, and he thusly tends to take them literally. He's not really a detail-oriented person, for though he may see the outline of the big picture, he has a tendency to miss subtle signs. That's not to say that he isn't good at making connections, though, it just takes him a while.
Roxas is an intensely internally-driven person. He can be said that he's introspective, but it's less that he examines his own thoughts and more that he just does a lot of thinking. He takes the things that he has learned and turns them over in his mind, reaching either questions that he cannot answer himself or answers that can be difficult to correct. He is independent in that he will come to his own conclusions and never take something someone tells him for granted; it isn't necessarily that he's a skeptic, just that he cannot stop from asking questions. Once he's made up his mind, there's no changing it, and he is not only stubborn, but action-driven. He will accomplish what he's set his mind to, come hell or high water. He is confident in his abilities, and this has led to arrogance during battle. Combine these things and you have a kid who is serious and persistent, never stopping until he is satisfied with the result.
The fundamental thing to remember when interacting with Roxas is to treat him the way you expect him to treat you. If you belittle him and his friends, he will rise up and fight back. He returns friendship with devotion and loyalty, and kindness with kindness, even going as far as to go out of his way to help someone he doesn't know very well just because they helped him out a few times. He expects the same as well, for his friends to treat him like friends and for his enemies to treat him as an enemy. When people act outside of these simple boundaries, he becomes confused and even upset, depending on the circumstances.
He doesn't care what people think of him, whether they like or dislike him, but what he reacts strongly to is the way he is treated. He hates being underestimated and looked down upon. He's more than just some kid and he's not weak or stupid. It's not his fault he doesn't know something. He can quickly become defensive in situations where someone is being condescending to him. When he gets upset, he gets vocal, and whatever brain-mouth filter he has disappears, regardless of the consequences.
He has something of an inferiority complex; the suggestion that he (or any of his friends) is useless or less than anyone else will set him off, and he will not lie down and take it. He is a very firm believer in his own worth. He believes he has a right to exist, a right to know the truth, a right to be himself, a right to live -- he doesn't care what anyone else says or thinks. He may be a Nobody, but he knows what he goes through -- what he feels -- is real, and this has led to a lot of confusion about what's so great about a heart, anyway, and why they need them in the first place. If he ever loses this credo, he'll lose the foundation of who he is. Without it, he would be completely lost and melancholy with nothing else to believe in. He knows what he's capable of, but when it comes to who he is, he's not so sure. Like a lot of teenagers, he's still trying to figure out who he is, and in the end, he needs validation of those around him... especially from his friends.
His friends are the key to his happiness. In their company, he relaxes and becomes more lighthearted. He starts acting like a regular kid again, teasing and joking around and laughing with them about nothing. If he could, he would be with them forever, and if anything, that's all he really wants: to be with his friends, everyone happy... a normal life, one outside of fighting for something he doesn't know anything about and for people he, in reality, barely even knows. He's more likely to be something of a homebody, to look after the people he knows and cares about, than to go gallivanting around the universe for fun. In the end, his friends are also his ultimate weakness and downfall: they bring out the strongest 'emotions' in him because they're so close to the core of who he is. They are under his skin and in his blood, so when something goes wrong, to say it affects him deeply would be an understatement. Anyone he considers a friend can just rip him apart from the inside out. They are his true source of validation and safety; his friends are his home.
CHARACTER RELATIONSHIPS:
AXEL:
Roxas' first friend. Axel is the one who explained (and taught) Roxas what friendship was. Whenever he had an important question and whenever things went wrong, he turned to Axel for answers and for help. He wasn't a parental or older sibling figure, per se, but Axel was the one who provided Roxas a foundation upon which he could become his own person. Although Roxas couldn't understand at the time, Axel did everything he could to look out for and protect him along the way, even if it meant lying to him; unfortunately, that was the dealbreaker for the young Nobody.
By the end of his time in the Organization, to Roxas, their friendship was over. However, now, it's... complicated. Roxas is still fully aware that Axel lied to and kept information from him (though he thinks it's just about the truth about himself, since he doesn't remember Xion), and while it still bothers him, he can also see past it now. He can see what Axel was trying to do for him, and then there's the fact that Axel had been trying so hard to get him back and then died so he (as Sora) could live... Well. Actions speak louder than words, and those have helped him understand that he does mean a lot to Axel, and also just how much Axel cares.
XION:
A girl indescribably precious to Roxas. Although he can't remember her, she played a crucial role in his development and year of life. Axel may have been his first friend, but Xion was the first one Roxas connected to on a personal level. She was like him, they all thought. A Nobody who couldn't remember her past, who could also use the Keyblade. They had a lot in common, and from there, they began to look out for each other. Roxas showed her the ropes of missions, introduced her to ice cream and to friendship. When he fell unconscious, Xion left seashells by his pillow every day, and in the end, she sacrificed herself so that he could live longer and hopefully come to terms with their shared fate of returning to Sora. Perhaps their relationship started out strong because Xion reflects Sora's memories of Kairi and Roxas is Sora's Nobody, but he loved her for who she was, not because of their connections to Sora and Kairi.
However, there are now great gaping holes in Roxas' memories where Xion used to and should be. Because his memories are shoddy anyway, he hasn't quite noticed it yet, but as they return, he'll notice that there are some pieces that just don't fit right. Some things just don't make sense, and it's like he's still missing something -- something important... He just can't remember for the life of him what it could possibly be.
HAYNER, PENCE, OLETTE:
Roxas' important friends. Even if for a short amount of time, they played an important role to him; Roxas' friends are always important to him, even if they're just digital. During those seven days, they were his steady ground. When things came to be too much, he would focus on them, on his memories of their friendship, and call out their names. Even if their friendship was just fabricated to appease him and keep him occupied, it was real to him.
NAMINÉ:
A strange girl with whom Roxas feels a kinship. She was the first person who was upfront and honest with him. She gave him the answers he needed, and while the truth wasn't easy for him to swallow, he was -- and is -- still extremely grateful for it. She was a light shining through the whirlwind of confusion that was his last week, and he's relieved that he's not alone in his situation. She's like him; she faces the same fate he does. At least this way, he'll have someone who'll be with him despite everything that has happened.
SORA:
Roxas' Other. He is someone he has been dreaming about since the beginning of his life. From day one, everything has always been about Sora. Sora needs to wake up, this is Sora's Keyblade, this is Sora's friend, always, always Sora. Despite all appearances otherwise, Roxas doesn't loathe Sora for it. He just wants to know why. Why Sora? Why is he so important? Why did the Keyblade choose him? Why are they connected? Why can Roxas use the same Keyblade? More than anything else, Roxas wants to meet Sora for himself so that he can find his own answers.
TIMELINE SUMMARY:
At this point in canon Roxas is taken from, he is driven. In true Roxas fashion, his focus has narrowed and he has one thing in mind. He is wholly determined to find the truth, and it is the strength of that determination that attracted the Darkness to take him.
POWERS
SAMPLE - THE AWAKENING:
All around him, there is darkness. He is standing on a platform that seems to be made of stained glass. It glows brightly as if there is a light buried somewhere deep within it. Though the design on the stained glass is different than he remembers, it isn't his first time here. He can feel it.
This place again?
Last time, it was blue, and then it was green, and then it was red, but the design on it was always the same. Sora. It showed him with the Keyblade in hand, sleeping, surrounded by pictures of his friends and home islands. This time, though... The stained glass glows like the sunset. He stares at the images depicted. In Sora's place, there's himself, eyes closed and sleeping, just like Sora, over the silhouette of Twilight Town's skyline. Instead of Sora's friends, there are pictures of his own enclosed in circles. Hayner, Pence, Olette... Naminé, and... Axel.
There are six circles, though, and one of them is broken. It looks like someone smashed it up; the glass is all fractured, the lines jagged and splintered. He can't make out who it's supposed to be. Those six circles are surrounding one in the middle, and, really, he isn't surprised who it is. Sora... It always comes down to you. His fists clench at his sides.
You've been thinking a lot lately, haven't you?
He looks up, but there's no source in sight. It came out of nowhere -- No... It came out of everywhere. It came from the platform, from the darkness, from the light, from inside himself.
Your journey isn't over yet. There's still something you must do.
In front of him, three familiar weapons appeared in a flash of shimmering light. As he turns his gaze over each one, the voice provides an explanation of what they each symbolize.
Hovering over the picture of Hayner is a sword. The blade is long and looks heavy. The hilt is blue and the handguard is yellow with a red-and-black mouse-eared emblem at the center. The power of the warrior. Relentless determination. A sword of victory and destruction.
Over Naminé, there is a staff. The haft is bright green, and at the end, there are blue spheres that make up the same symbol as the one on the sword's handguard. The power of the mystic. Innate wisdom. A staff of wonder and ruin.
Over Axel, there is a shield. It is black with a red border, and in the center, there is that same insignia of two circles perched on top of a third like ears. The power of the guardian. Strength to protect friends. A shield to repel all.
The one you keep will be your power, but in exchange, you must lose another. Choose well.
With options like these... He turns the options over in his mind.
When it comes to finding the truth, drive is the most important thing. He's learned this the hard way. Over and over again, everything that could possibly keep him from the truth threw itself in his path. Without determination, he won't get anywhere at all. The power of the warrior... so that I can cut down whatever's in my way. Sounds good to me.
The power of the guardian, though... That appeals to him, too. When it comes down to it, his friends are the most important people in his life. He wants to be strong enough to protect them. He wants to be able to keep away everything that would keep him from eating ice cream with them. He's not sure he could give up what the shield represents even if he wanted to.
Which leaves the power of the mystic. Wisdom... A staff of wonder and ruin. When he thinks about it, compared to the other two, he's benefited a lot less from wisdom than anything else. The shield, to him, has come to represent in his mind not just the ability to protect his friends, but his friends themselves. The sword is the symbol of everything he's ever wanted, everything he still wants, and it would help him reach it. So, when it comes down to it... There isn't really much of a choice at all.
As if it can read his thoughts, the voice speaks again.
You have chosen the power of the warrior. You've given up the power of the mystic. Is this the path you choose?
He nods. He has no second thoughts. He's made his decision, and once he's made up his mind, he sticks with it.
Your adventure begins in the dead of night. Your road won't be easy, but a shining star awaits your journey's end.
The light platform begins to dim in a strange, systematic way. First, the outside border turns dark, followed by the silhouette of Twilight Town. He started out standing near the edge of the platform, which is why he managed to get such a good look at the stained glass image, and now, something is telling him to run. Just as his feet leave the border, it disappears from under them, and then he has to make a mad dash to the group of circles before the rest of it vanishes, too. Just as he puts a foot out to stand on the broken circle, it becomes darkness.
Keep your light burning strong.
As the images of Hayner, Pence, and Olette disappear, he notices that his own feet are darkening, too -- the feet of his picture, that is. The darkness spreads slowly, eating up his shoes, his legs... He's not having any choice but to jump around until finally, the only circle left for him to stand on is Sora's. He watches as the picture of himself turns black.
And don't forget...
Without any warning, the last of the platform drops out from under him. With a shout, he falls and plunges headfirst into air-light water. The darkness rushes around him in currents and makes it difficult for him to keep his eyes open -- not that it matters, because he can't see anything anyway. There's no light... No light anywhere. Something heavy weighs down on his chest. He's all alone now. No friends, no Other, no mysterious voice. It's just him, falling, falling, into darkness...
There's a whisper coming from somewhere deep, deep inside him, from a place that he wasn't aware was even there.
Roxas, don't be sad.
That voice... it's so, so familiar, so nostalgic, and something new and bright swells in his chest in the same place the heavy thing had settled. You... Who are you?
Memories of you and me will always be together...
He reaches out a hand. He doesn't know who he's hoping will take it.
It's all coming back to me. The true...
SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Canonically, Roxas has the ability to call and wield two Keyblades, one that is (... arguably) his and one that is Xion's. He was also capable of casting the basic elemental and healing spells during his time under the guidance of the Organization. Due to his time in the virtual Twilight Town, he forgot all of his skills, including how to call the Keyblade -- but over time, this came back to him, including the ability to dual-wield them. He didn't really get spells back under his belt, though, before he returns to Sora. The next time Roxas shows up, he exhibits a surprising mastery of the Keyblades and his innate element of light, which he previously only had limited use of. He uses his new skills to test Sora's own. The reason for the sudden Level in Badass isn't explained in canon, but it can be easily explained by how much time Roxas has spent within Sora, who also grew almost exponentially in Keybearing capability.
Due to the decisions he made during his Awakening, Roxas is of the OOC 'job class' Avenger. As such, when the Finder saves him and he comes to from his darkness-induced coma, Roxas will have Oathkeeper and Oblivion in his hands (or at least nearby) -- but the magical properties of the Keyblade, such as being able to change shape and un/lock anything, will be gone. They will be big, fancy swords that cannot be dismissed or summoned, but have to be carried around. When it comes to his innate element of light, that ability will be gone altogether. Roxas will have to depend entirely on his physical skills and learn new ones in order to fight to his highest potential. In addition, he will have access to the Organization's coat that can be hidden within a ring -- something that will catch him by surprise, but once he learns of its ability to shield him from the darkness, he won't be complaining.
NOTES/ASPIRATIONS
Roxas's most favorite thing in the whole wide world is eating ice cream with his friends. Specifically, sea salt ice cream. I don't think he's had any other flavor. If he has ice cream with someone, that means that they're a friend. It's a Big Deal to him, as goofy as it seems.