[ In a laboratory, reeking of rotting meat, Jekyll is slumped in a chair. Across from a wall of caged lab rats, he looks very much dead to a glance. The test rats and mice shrieking when ever people pass by the open door.
Despite (only technically) surviving the unfortunate business with certain people, the absence of Hyde is a bit of problem.
Slowly decomposing while alive is hardly comfortable, or at least Even imagines it would be uncomfortable if he could feel it over the pain from having not transformed in over a week and the painkillers.
As a result much of his skin has gone grey, black in some parts, cracking and oozing green in others.

It looks like it may be a bit difficult for him to do much of anything right now; there is help lurking about the lab, but you may have to find him first.]

[Anyone who happens to pass by or through the library may find one of the large bookcases pulled out of its proper place. Where there once was a wall, there now stands an wide, open passageway. The far side of this hallway opens into a room that, while spacious, does not compare to the size of the library itself. Much like the room it branches off of, this one is filled with shelves of books, one long table, a desk, and other such furniture. There's even the dusty pelt of a orange lion spread across the floor.

Master Xehanort is hunched over the table at the moment, flipping through the yellowed pages that make up the book laid out in front of him. He scans through its contents, chapter by chapter, until at last he folds the tome shut and sets it aside, into a pile of books stacked nearby.]

He came after me the other day.

[He says out loud as he skims the bookcases and selects another old, faded volume. It wouldn't be readily apparent to passersby who he's talking to unless they dared to venture in. Oh, but if they did, they'd be treated to the sight of another man, not quite as old as Xehanort, slumped in the corner of the room, head bowed, eyes open but glazed and unseeing. Eraqus doesn't stir as Xehanort goes on.]

I have reason to believe he would have destroyed me, had he the ability to at this point in time.

[Wherever she's been for the past year, the same decorator that hosted the ball last December is back, and once again with invitations. Written in gold ink on sheets of rolled parchment, each is tied with a red ribbon and will be appearing before every resident in the dressing room. The invitation extends to everyone, after all.]

The second annual Holiday Ball is to take place on Christmas Eve, and you are all invited. It will take place in the same grand ballroom as the last year, with a trail of candles appearing to lead your way. As with the last year, the preferred attire would be formal wear. Invite your friends, family, whoever you wish! Surely this year will be just as much of a success!

A follow-up also much the same as last time: no fighting!

~ Angelique

[ooc: Wow a second year. :O The post for the ball itself will be up on the 24th, and extend (ICly) until the next morning. Threadhopping's encouraged. Feel free to have your characters invite their friends and whatnot on this entry.]

[ Have a curious young woman, looking around. She seems a bit lost and very unsure of where she is. ]

Sora...? Are you here?

(OOC: D-don't kill me! Have a keyblade in human form. She knows all the keyblade weilders but is currently with Sora. )

[The hooded figure's found somewhere to sit, and he seems to be holding a strange pyramid-shaped object in one hand. What could it be? Well, given the it seems to be glowing slightly red at times, nothing good.]

I have yet to be told with any sense of certainty where we are, and I have no star charts with which to locate myself.

It seems that all I can do is wait and trust that the rest of the Organization is stuck somewhere in this place as well.

[All this winter madness is news to Roxas. He's never seen snow before, and the mistletoe weirds him out. Plus all the Christmas fussing and everything's baffled him.

Right now he's stepping through the hall with his diary, bits of snow in his hair. And hey, he's writing.]

Day 396: Strange Things

It's been 396 days now. I guess that makes me a year old? It's kind of strange to think about it. I've been in here for about a hundred days, but it really doesn't bother me. At first I wasn't what I'd do with all this free time, but a lot's happened. Now I don't think I want to go back.

Oh, and there's a lot of weird stuff going on. I saw this white stuff. It was wet like water, but it was cold! It reminds me of ice cream. I'm not sure what it is, but maybe Axel would know. I wonder where he's been lately...

Oh well. At least I know Xion's around, and that's something?

[Problem is, he's so distracted with this writing that he miiight just bump into people.]

[In a hallway (that some people might recognize as Roxas's 'family' hallway), there is a half-open door. And on the other side of that door is a certain young Riku, who was tying her hair into a pony tail in front of the mirror, before something made her stop.

After a moment, she reaches down and smooths her shirt out - somehow, she hadn't noticed the fact that she was starting to gain a little more of an adult figure.]

... huh.

[there is a Kairi, and she seems to be having a little trouble with this whole Princess thing. the reason for her irritability might be because there are forest animals following her down the hall, from birds and deer to a rabbit that seems to be limping.]

This is terribly inconvenient.

[Appearing in what could paradoxically be called a flash of darkness, a robed and hooded figure has arrived! The entity, however, seems less than pleased at its destination.]

This is not Korriban. It would seem that there are still difficulties in using the Corridors.

[An odd Saïx walking in today. The colour of his skin hardly being the only strange thing about him, despite his clothes being, admittedly, quite tattered and travel stained, he appears to be dressed it what was (at least at some point) a military uniform. And then there's the accent.]

Dis vas not vere dat vas supposed to go Hy tink...

[The 'detour' at the least has him a bit puzzled, checking the door he came through and finding a closet instead]

Dis hain't accordink to plan at all.

[ooc:translations available on request. Would anyone care to loan some personal restraint or self control type thing?]

[annnnnd cue a Selphie BURSTING through a door, slamming the thing open hard enough to put a dent in the wall. she looks about fifteen, slightly older than most KH/KH2 people will be used to seeing her at. of course, her expression of utter glee and excitement is quickly HORRIBLY CRUSHED when she sees that this is not Kairi's house. she's in a remade version of that yellow overall-dress with a duffel bag (with a moogle charm, don't forget about that) resting against one hip and a pair of oversized nunchaku in the opposite hand. someone's upgraded from the jumprope, looks like.]

Whaaaat? What's going on?

[Have a Sora in the kitchen trying to bake some cookies...]

Okay! They should be done by now! These are going to turn great!

[But he opens the oven door just to find crumbs and only one cookie left... With a bite bitten off.]

Alright, who stole the cookies from the cookie ja-- Er, oven!