[ Voice ]

[bulletspace]

Hey, just curiosity playing here. What has everyone been sleeping on?

[There is a dull hissing sound.]

I probably couldn't suffocate anyone with these pads.

Comments

[Voice]

[unlocked_hart]

Blankets, mostly.

[Voice]

[bulletspace]

Just blankets, huh? Sorry to hear that, I guess. Better than nothing?

[Voice]

[unlocked_hart]

Yep. It's not like we have beds or anything around here.

[Voice]

[bulletspace]

Yeah, true enough. Guess blankets are pretty fair by that standard then.

Who's this, by the way?

[Voice]

[unlocked_hart]

I'm Tifa. Who are you?

[Voice]

[bulletspace]

[It sounds strangely familiar... how unusual.]

Xigbar. Nice to meet you, Tifa.

You in some apartments, too?

[Voice]

[unlocked_hart]

The Madison Building.

What planet are you from, Xigbar?

[Voice]

[bulletspace]

Ah. I'm in Tower Apartments, myself.

[There is a slight pause.]

Well, I've been around the block to a couple of different worlds - all one universe, if you want to look at it that way. Before I died, I was in the World That Never Was. Can't say I belong to any one place.

You have just one planet you're from?

[Voice]

[unlocked_hart]

Yeah. Just one.

You've been to other worlds?

What other worlds? ...wait, you were dead?

[Voice]

[bulletspace]

Back where I'm from, all the worlds are connected. You can travel between them at will; most people use ships, but some people can use little tunnels through space and warp. Dark corridors or whatever you want to call them. Getting around that way is possible here, but pretty taxing.

That being dead thing, yeah; I gave up my heart and former life in the name of science some years ago. Does that count?

[Voice]

[unlocked_hart]

Wow...that sounds really amazing. Our planet hasn't even made it to outer space yet. Although there was a program to build rockets, but its funding got cut. [As was a regular bitchfest of Cid's.]

...why...why would you do that?

[Voice]

[bulletspace]

You're not missing much, unless you count talking animals all that interesting. There wasn't much else different between worlds - planets - whatever.

[He gives a dark chuckle at the last.]

Wanted to see what hearts could do. Experimentation went haywire and there were some intense consequences. That's all. [He really needed to stop bringing up the fact that he was dead. Too many distressed reactions.]

Anyways, your home world? Does it have a name?

[Voice]

[unlocked_hart]

Oh. [Tifa sounds a little disappointed.]

...really? That sounds...dangerous.

[Then she thinks about it for a minute.]

But...if they took your heart and you died...how are you...er...just never mind.

[Voice]

[bulletspace]

It was dangerous. Our previous employer told us to drop the heart experiment process, but we had a stubborn git convince us to continue with him behind the boss' back. Turned out well. He was a wiser old man than I was.

According to the research, humans are composed of darkness, a heart, will and reasoning, and light. If in the event that the darkness of a person overcomes their heart, they end up becoming a "heartless" creature, in effect destroying the identity of the person. For people that have stronger ambitions and willpower, they are able to retain some select memories and their body - essentially an empty shell. I fall into the latter category. Without a heart, I technically am not alive, and therefore don't exist; but hey, here I am.

None of it really makes sense, but figured I would mention it since I brought it up.

Might see if I can go scrounge around for something better than blankets for sleeping. Good talk, Tifa.

[Voice]

[unlocked_hart]

[Tifa...tries to digest all of this, but fails miserably. BUT!]

Um, okay. Talk to you later, Xigbar.