PSA [Video]

[dork_of_keys]

[The video opens on a very serious looking Sora. He adjusts the camera a bit before sitting back from it a little. It's not quite clear where he is, though it seems to be outdoors somewhere. Maybe a picnic table somewhere?]

So, um... Hello. I'm Sora, for anyone I haven't met around Temple Town, and I've got something kind of important to talk about.

[He holds up what most would probably swear was a child's drawing, though it is at least clear what it's supposed to be... mostly. The image in question appears to be a Shadow.]

This... [He gives the picture a small shake for emphasis.] ...is a Heartless. This one is called a Shadow and this is probably the most common type of Heartless. They can be found pretty much anywhere Heartless are.

[He puts this first picture down and picks up another. It's another Heartless, only this one has a little bit of color to it besides its yellow eyes. It also has a distinctive emblem on it. It's a Soldier Heartless.]

There are a lot of different kinds of Heartless with different forms and abilities. Some fight with plain old fisticuffs like this one. [This picture also gets a shake for emphasis.] Others use magic and some are even skilled with weapons. All of them are dangerous.

[He pauses here, clearly thinking about something.]

Okay, there are a couple that aren't really dangerous. There are some mushroom shaped Heartless. Most of them are as dangerous as other Heartless, but the red and white ones and the blue and yellow ones just want to play games and they'll reward you for playing with them. There's also the Bulky Vendor, which looks like a capsule machine. It doesn't attack directly, but it will eventually self destruct. Still, if you can turn the crank before it self destructs, you'll get whatever it's carrying. I don't recommend it, though, unless you're really quick and even then, you're taking a risk.

[He puts the pictures away and looks into the camera, trying to look very serious. Sora being Sora, this is somehow cute, though his effort to look serious should be telling.]

Heartless are made from the darkness in people's hearts. Just about every heart has at least a little bit of darkness, so every heart could potentially make a Heartless. One way is for someone to give into their own darkness. The other way is for the Heartless to drag a heart into darkness. They will be actively trying to do this. Strong hearts or pure hearts attract them more. As for fighting them, magic and magic weapons are the most effective, but it's better to avoid them if you can. That's not... too easy, since they can go just about anywhere, but wards and charms can keep them out of a lot of places. Strong Light, the Light of the heart, can send them away too.

I just wanted to make sure everyone knew about them.

[After a thoughtful pause, he reaches up to turn the camera off, muttering something about 'nobodies' and hoping there aren't any of them lurking around as well...]

Comments

[mediocrespells]

Something from your world popped up? That happens sometimes. Not always quite so dangerous though.

Someone had some giant yellow birds follow along. Most people are kinda scared to go near them but, they're actually nice if you don't scare them.

[Voice]

[dork_of_keys]

Giant yellow birds...?

They make sound could be described like 'wark' or 'kweh'? maybe have a distinctive smell?

[mediocrespells]

Yeah.

Some tend to wander around near the farms if you want to see them.

[dork_of_keys]

I might have to look into that. They're called Chocobos and they're usually pretty friendly, though they do startle easy.

[mediocrespells]

I guess that explains why the guy that usually takes most of the monster hunting jobs ignores them.

[dork_of_keys]

Yeah.

So, it happens often that when people are brought here, something from their world might come too?

[mediocrespells]

Often enough to be noticed, at least.

[dork_of_keys]

Hmm... So that might be why the Heartless are here... Maybe. They can go where they want, usually.

[TEXT]

[silentcoast]

Nice pictures.

Also, you were a Heartless once. Do you remember that?

[Voice]

[dork_of_keys]

I was no--

[There's a pause here as he actually thinks about it.]

I was. I forgot, but I was. How could I forget something like that?

[silentcoast]

Don't ask me. I have no idea how your brain works half of the time.

I think you were a Shadow.

[dork_of_keys]

Hey, I'm being serious! How can anyone forget something like that?

Hmm. I was. Tch, if Kairi hadn't been there, Donald and.. Goofy probably wouldn't have realized it was me.

[silentcoast]

I'm being serious. I don't know. You're the one that managed to forget.

[dork_of_keys]

Yeah, about that. I seem to have managed to forget a lot more than that. Like, about a year's worth of stuff. Last thing I remember before waking up in some kind of pod in a beat up old mansion was spotting Pluto with a letter and following him hoping he could lead me to you and the King. I don't how I got to that pod from there. I forgot all the magic I'd learned too.

It's kind of unnerving...

[silentcoast]

I imagine it is.

But that's...

Something I'd rather talk about outside of an online bulletin board.

[dork_of_keys]

...

Where are you right now?

[silentcoast]

At the library. Not working, if you're going to ask.

[cleverkit.livejournal.com]

[Trying valiantly to hold back her giggles] Nice drawings, Sora. Very lifelike.

[dork_of_keys]

I never said I was an artist...

[cleverkit.livejournal.com]

Hee.

But seriously, any suggestions on how I can fight those things? I don't exactly have any magic I can use...

[dork_of_keys]

You're better off not fighting them at all if you can help it. Especially if you don't have magic or magic weapons. They can be fought by other means. Regular weapons and improvising, but dealing with them is risky even with the right stuff.

[cleverkit.livejournal.com]

I'm a big girl, Sora. I'm not going to hide from the monsters under my bed. Besides, I'm good at improvising.

[dork_of_keys]

These are not the monsters under the bed. They can kill you or make you into another one of them if you aren't careful.

[cleverkit.livejournal.com]

...Oh. [She's not freaked out at all, don't be silly. Whatever gave you that idea?]

I... I can still take care of myself in a fight. I've done it before.

[dork_of_keys]

[You are not fooling him. Not on this anyway. He isn't always that thick and besides, he knows how much the Heartless can freak out the uninitiated. He's been there.]

And I'm still going to suggest you avoid the Heartless if you have the choice.