7th Key Smash

[dork_of_keys]

[Well Sora looks... every bit as serious as when he told a certain bunch about Xehanort's true intentions for them. This message isn't private, however. Going by the background, he's moving through the backstreets in Traverse Town. Occasionally, Bruce can be seen zipping across the screen behind him, possibly on the look out while Sora's attention is on the communicator and where he's going.]

So... I found a photo of me and someone else from a time when I'm pretty sure no one was around to take any pictures. It didn't seem like too big of a deal at the time. Then I found out there were more, all of me and someone else, all at quiet times when we really should heard the shutter.

... One of them is even inside a dream.

I know about seven pictures so far: the one I found and six more. They're all of things that really happened. Mostly they're just of me talking to people, but two of the photos I know about are of battles.

I'm wondering if there are other ones that I don't know about. I'm not sure how much it changes anything to know about all of them or if it even changes anything, but it might help.

Comments

[raisethemoon]

We agree 'twould be for the best to know everything, and we expect that no one hath reason to hide information from thee.

[Luna looks particularly dour today; this photo thing is rubbing her entirely the wrong way.]

Whatever this is, we find interest in thee...disturbing. Keep thy Spirits close, if no one else.

[dork_of_keys]

Not having all the information has caused me some problems in the past...

[Sora's been in the best of moods lately either. To come from Xehanort trying to possess him and into a situation where the enemy, if there is one, is totally unknown...

He's also disturbed by the interest, especially after Xehanort's attempt on him. However, he can't help but smile at the mention of the Spirits.]

They've already decided they're staying close.

[Bruce squeaked an affirmative to that; being a jerk didn't keep him from caring about his person. The identity of the other Spirit currently with him is now made clear as Toxy throws in his two cents. Apparently Bruce and Toxy are getting along a bit better.]

[raisethemoon]

Very well. We shall keep our own ear to the winds.

[And definitely not be flying frequent patrols around your home, following you via strategically-placed cloudbanks, or anything of that nature. Nope.]

[letteropener]

These photographs. You say that one was of events that occurred in a dream. Were the others from your waking life?

[dork_of_keys]

Yeah. And all of them are things that have happened since arriving here.

[letteropener]

I'm sorry. By waking life, I meant, "prior to here, the realm of dreams". Though you answered the question I meant anyway!

[shadearchivist]

You can add another to your list, Sora; I found a photograph as well; it troubled me because it takes place in the apartment, when you and Namine were baking together. No one should have been able to get to the apartment without my or someone else noticing, much less been there without your being aware of their presence.

[dork_of_keys]

And really, even if we somehow didn't notice them, the Spirits should have.

This is really getting bizarre.

[Especially with the personal nature of some of the scenarios. Honestly, pictures in battle would make more sense is someone were gathering information, although it still didn't explain why the pictures were being found lying around.

Unless...]

You know what, after the crazy battle in the Post Office with all the pandas, we found some kind of ID card. Ziva recognized it as something from her world. Could... there be a connection?

[shadearchivist]

Quite bizarre.

[Ienzo supposes that Sora must be musing aloud; he can't be sure of anything more than anyone else is. It's a good question, though; what is the connection between the card, the mysterious message, and the dreams?]

It's very likely that it's connected. Don't forget the mysterious message and the dreams as well. Someone is trying to get a message through, and it seems that this part of the message focuses on you. I suppose it gets tiring for you, sometimes.

[earthshatter]

I have yet to see any, but I agree that it's worrisome.

[dork_of_keys]

So far, the one that bugs me most is the one in the dream.

[earthshatter]

As well it should, given the nature of dreams themselves.

[unrecovered]

What was in all of the pictures? You and what else?

[He's looking for a pattern here.]

[dork_of_keys]

Just me and people I've talked too. Me and Luna, me and Namine, me and Roxas, to name a few.

Two of them were of battles, but still had me in them. And they're all things that actually happened.

[Sora's looking for a pattern too. As he told Celestia, problem solving isn't his forte, but he's trying.]

[unrecovered]

Mind if I take a look?

[defrostedpride]

...There are more? I suppose there is a valuable lesson here about not assuming apparently-random occurrences to be pointless.

I found a picture of that...monkey creature trying to hit you, which is odd, since as far as I'm aware everyone present had other things on their minds than photography, and we could scarcely have missed someone with so many people in such close quarters. Or could we? Hmm...

[dork_of_keys]

... Yeah.

That makes nine now. You mean like a monkey with disembodied hands trying to kill us?

Wait a minute. Is there anyone else in the picture or is just me and the monkey?

[As far as Sora could recall, when the monkey was trying to clobber him, he had tried to lure that hand into attacking one of the other hands. The closest hand available for that had been fighting with Wash. Although, after that he'd gotten a little help from Tails.]

[defrostedpride]

No, the other monkey creature that tried to hit you. Obviously that one.

It seems to be trying to hit you and - Wash, I believe - with a tree. I must have missed that.

[4letters4ninja]

I have another of them. I found it while walking through Twilight Town a bit ago. It is of you and a redhead at the tea shop.

[dork_of_keys]

[Logically, Sora knows moping every time either Riku or Kairi is mentioned if going to make things worse. Still, there's a brief sad face with the description of the picture because honestly, he talked to Kairi whenever he could and sometimes that was at the tea shop.]

Kairi. And I'm pretty sure we would have noticed someone with a camera there. The tea shop isn't that big.

[4letters4ninja]

Kairi? Is that her name? [Ziva never met her, she wouldn't know.]

Look like around Christmas time. You are giving her a present of some kind.

[buymedumplings]

Oh wow, so you're finding MORE of those pictures.

[Bolin frowns in thought. This is starting to sound like one of those detective radio dramas he and Mako would listen to sometimes.]

So you're in all of the pictures. Who are the other people so far? I know you say it's people you've talked to but maybe they have something else in common?

[dork_of_keys]

Yeah.

[Sora's familiar with mystery stories too. They're some of his favorites, actually.]

All of them so far are people I've talked to in person.

[Private to Sora]

[hiptobe_eraqus]

So there are many more of them.

[He pulls out the photo of Sora and Roxas, and shows it on the screen.] Tell me. Who is this?

[Private to Sora]

[dork_of_keys]

... That picture there makes eleven...

[Ahahaa... Of course. Sora had told Ven about Roxas because he'd figured Ven might be a little weirded out if Roxas showed up here and because it had sort of been relevant to what they'd been discussing. It hadn't really occurred to him that people who knew Ven would also be a little freaked out.

Sora sighs. There's some more explaining to do.]

His name is Roxas and... the reason he looks like Ven is a bit complicated.