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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2014 11:12:56 GMT -5
Walking carefully through the First District of the world known as Traverse Town - although both of those names were unknown to her at that moment - was a young woman of around twenty, looking around at the place with a slightly apprehensive look in her grey eyes. It wasn't that Mimana actually had any reason to feel nervous or awkward... she was just that type of person, really. New places could be a bit intimidating to her. Despite that, though, she was determined to get out there and see as much of the worlds as she could; since she was the daughter of a Keyblade Master - and she wished to be one herself one day - she felt it was almost a duty. (Of course, the fact that the last world she was on ended up being the place where a girl was kidnapped trying to protect her friend from his Heartless might have had something to do with her current nervousness. There was something in Mimana's mind that felt awful about leaving Twilight Town when she was meant to be keeping watch for that Heartless returning, but she knew she had to continue her travels.)
Taking a deep, slightly shaky breath, Mimana closed her eyes and forced her racing mind to halt. It'll all be okay, don't worry... she silently told herself, opening her eyes and looking at the rather sleepy-looking town. Look, it's such a sweet little town! You'll love it, if you just calm down and rela--
"Hey, miss," came the cheerful voice of a local boy as he walked up beside the pink-haired girl, "that's a nice piece 'a armour on yer-- Huh?" The boy suddenly frowned and looked around as he realized that the girl had vanished in the time he'd been talking, no longer in front of the large door leading into the town. "Where'd she go?"
The answer to that question? Well, Mimana was currently hiding behind the accessory shop, having been so startled by the sudden appearance of another person that she'd just squeaked and run off at the first opportunity. Having just calmed her breathing, the young woman groaned a little to herself, grimacing and closing her eyes. Why couldn't I have just relaxed when I said so...?
A mighty Keyblade Master-in-training, Mimana did not make. But that was exactly why she couldn't give up; she had to move past all that and come out stronger at the end... though by this point, she would be glad to even come out of it a little less painfully shy.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2014 12:11:21 GMT -5
The library was as grand as it could ever be, the faint simmer of the sun cast upon the corners of the bastion, its insides stocked and piled high with a mountains worth of information. Tomes hidden among shelves, with every page-splattered world connected by title, alphabetized and ordered as they were meant to be. The building itself wasn’t all so impressive; made of simple blocks, with shelves that held these books were but wood, it was positively modest. But there was a sort of magic inside of a place like this, where stories melded, where characters and lives became more than what they could ever be alone. A nexus, perhaps, of splendorous information, and adventure...
Above this building, up the stairs and through a door, was another room. Every inch of wall space was covered by a bookcase of mahogany. Each bookcase had six shelves, going almost up to ceiling. Some bookshelves were stacked to the brim with hardback books: Science, math, history, and most anything else. Other shelves had two layers of paperback fiction and fantasy, with the back layer of books propped up on old tissue boxes or lengths of wood, so that one might could see the back layer of books above the books in front. And it still wasn’t enough. Not for Aerik. Books were overflowing onto the tables, and the sofas, and making little heaps under the windows.
In the corner of this lonely abode, the youth shoulders his cloak, a chain already wrapped around his ropey arm, and the club attached hidden up his sleeve. For two months, now, he had traveled around the town, into the outstretches of territory, hoping to find more pieces of those malleable blocks – Two months of constant movement, fighting monsters and seeking knowledge. It spoke to him in a way that made him smile, this sort of adventuring. Strapped by the his side of his hip, was the strange Book the subdued youth had learned to carry everywhere – For inside it was a strange and mysterious magic, an eldritch force he had found himself depending upon more and more. To the naked eye, it was hollowed out, but upon closer inspection, one could note the tome could hold most any item placed inside its page. It wasn’t every day someone could put a mass of books inside a book, yet he found himself doing that often. Just in case he needed information his mind wasn’t willing to give so easily.
Being prepared was everything, when it all came down to it.
With everything packed and ready, his yellow eyes shifted to the door. Traverse Town had been his home for as long as he could remember – Literally – and he sometimes felt guilty for his wanderlust. But there was something burning in his bones, a bonefire, a boon of the hearth, that urged him forward... Aerik Windward shivered softly, the many layers of clothes, not to mention cloak and scarf, was never quite enough to fully keep out the cold, though he did his best not to let this weakness show, walking through the streets of his home.
He had compiled a fair amount of these ‘gummi’ blocks, but he wasn’t even close to finished. He was afraid he might have to look elsewhere for help... But who else could know about these items, or where to get them?
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2014 12:56:53 GMT -5
It was all Mimana could do to suppress a sigh as she pushed herself off of the accessory shop's back wall, deciding to investigate this new world a little further. She had been away from her home for quite some time now, on her travels to learn and grow so that she could become a true master... and yet she still ran a mile at the sound of a kid's voice when they approached with an innocent question. She was an adult with the shyness of a child; how was that supposed to protect anyone?
The thought made her want to cry, but she refused to entertain that notion, walking on through the Second District. Even if she wasn't great with conversation, she refused to cry in public. My father would never cry like that, Mimana thought as she took a deep breath, before nodding. There's nothing to cry about anyhow... nothing that can't get better!
With that in mind, the young woman pushed aside the large door and continued on. She looked around at the brightly coloured signs above various establishments - a hotel to her left, some clothes and shoe stores to her right - and twisted her lips, wringing her hands together absentmindedly as she tried to think of what to do first. I should probably find somebody who lives here; ask them what the place is like, and what there is to do here. While a part of her really wanted to have a look in those shops, Mimana shook the thought from her head and walked on; shopping wasn't a part of her mission... and she was broke anyway.
Since she didn't have to rest and she couldn't go shopping - something she was more disappointed about than she liked to admit - it didn't take her long to make her way down the alley leading to the Third District; though she still didn't know that was its name, nor the name of the world itself. Maybe I should've spoken to one of the people in that first area... or, well, tried to, the young woman thought, stopping in front of the door to take a look around the place, having not noticed anyone else in the area yet.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 26, 2014 13:14:18 GMT -5
His gait was even and unobstructed by the weight of his mind, which was an impressive feat, considering just what went on inside his ruffled cranium. Even has he walked, thoughts processed through his head with surprising clarity, cloak billowing with an almost unending, constant flutter of wind. On his mind, was a single word. Curiosity. Upon that word, however, many others flow, mostly from out of the memory of pages. ‘The best thing for being sad,’ he remembered reading, ‘is to learn something. That's the only thing that never fails. You may grow old and trembling in your anatomies, you may lie awake at night listening to the disorder of your veins, you may miss your only love, and you may see the world about you devastated by evil lunatics, or know your honour trampled in the sewers of baser minds. There is only one thing for it then — to learn. Learn why the world wags and what wags it. That is the only thing which the mind can never exhaust, never alienate, never be tortured by, never fear or distrust, and never dream of regretting. Learning is the only thing for you. Look what a lot of things there are to learn.’
To that end, there were methods of thought. Methods of rationality. The first virtue is curiosity, of course. A burning itch to know, which was higher than a solemn vow to pursue truth. To feel this itch of curiosity requires ignorance, and a desire to relinquish ignorance. If, in ones heart, you believe you already know, or if in your heart you do not wish to know, then your questioning will be purposeless, and your skills without direction. Curiosity seeks to annihilate itself; there is no curiosity that does not want an answer. The glory of glorious mystery is to be solved, after which it ceases to be mystery. To be wary of those who speak of being open-minded, and note how they modestly confess their ignorance… There is a time to confess your ignorance and a time to relinquish your ignorance.
He paused, then, blinking – So lost in thought, it was almost as if he were moving the ground, instead of walking. Looking up, he notes a woman, a young adult. Something about her seemed off, be it by her baring, or the way she moved, so unlike his own, or the other people of the town. He shrugged, and almost walked off, before remembering the ramblings in his mind, and silently cursed himself. So lost in thought, he was, about curiosity, and here he was, about to shrug it off! With a soft sigh, the youth turns on his heels, approaching the woman with a mask of a smile. “Hello, there”, came his voice, light and airy, as if he were reading from a book in of itself. A habit made from his hobby of absorbing information. “Are you new in town? I don’t remember seeing you around...”
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 6:28:43 GMT -5
Mimana had been so caught up in looking about that she hadn't noticed the youth until he'd spoken to her. Hearing the greeting, she ever-so-slightly jumped a little, before turning her head to see who was approaching. It was a young-looking boy, a little bit shorter than herself and dressed in attire slightly strange to her... though, considering this world wasn't her own, that wasn't entirely surprising.
He was smiling, and his voice didn't sound malicious or off, so Mimana quickly wiped the 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' look from her face and returned the smile (albeit somewhat sheepishly.) "Hello," she bowed her head a little in response to his greeting, before listening to his question. The young woman was somewhat torn about how to respond; on the one hand, she had no reason nor intention to hide anything from the young one... on the other hand, she was well aware of the duty that otherworlders had; the duty to not let people from other worlds know that there were worlds outside their own. She figured she'd have to be careful about this one.
After a slight pause in which she considered her words carefully, Mimana finally cleared her throat. "U-um, yes, I am new here," she nodded, catching a look at the youth's eyes. They were an interesting colour, something between brown and yellow. "Do you live in this town? Because, if you do... I was wondering if you could tell me a little about it. I-I don't really know what there is to do around here," she said, voice quiet and timid as it ever was, before she laughed nervously and turned her gaze towards the ground. She was thankful that the boy was as young as he was; when it came to strangers, she found she had an easier time talking to younger people. On the whole, she felt like they didn't judge as much.
Once again pulling herself from her thoughts, Mimana pulled her attentions from the ground and looked to the young boy, hoping that he could tell her about what this little town held.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 7:15:29 GMT -5
Blinking lightly, the taciturn youth took an involuntary step back, even as she spoke, feeling a sort of... Discomfort about her. Not by her poise, or the words she said and how she said it, nor even by her own eldritch attire, but rather by something a little deeper. It was as if being in her very presence made all the extra bundles of cloth null and void – Like tendrils of cold, poking through the pours of his cloak, rolling upon his pale skin in an uncomfortable manner... Whoever this happened to be, decided the Traverse Town resident, the likelihood they were normal was slowly plummeting into the single-digit percentile.
“A-ah, right”, he uttered, catching himself in his imbalance early, forcing his smile back upon his face. Now that he was a reasonable distance, the cold had dissipated, or at least seemed to. He doubted strongly she had did that purposely, or if she had even put any conscious effort into the atmosphere of cold. No... Thinking deeper, he doubted it even happened at all. An aura of cold, perhaps? Internally shaking his head, Aerik would cross his arms, raising a single sharp eyebrow as a cunning smile etched across the corners of his lips. He looks her up and down, then, wondering if she were simply putting on a show of meekness, to better hide her coming surprise attack, or if she really was as misplaced as he thought. “I’m guessing you’re another off-worlder?”, he mused, hoping to catch her off guard. “They’re coming more and more frequently, now that the stars are blinking out.”
He nods upward at the ever-night sky, a place where the sun only peaked out once every hour, and stared at the twinkling lights above. Ignoring his own questions, for now, he’d begin to speak in ‘lecture mode’, hoping to answer hers. “Right, right. Anywho, moving on. Well, welcome to Traverse Town – I hope you don’t bring shades, because it’s always night here, and only weirdo’s wear shades at night. This is a world that usually only appears, when someone is in need of shelter... It’s made up of, if my books are right, the collective remnants of worlds who’s heart have been stolen.” He smiles lightly, once more eyeing her for a reaction. Though she didn’t seem so forceful in her omission, she also wasn't willing to tell him where she came from at a drop of a hat, which was what most people did when they first came here. Wondering about their world, their loved ones, the safety of friends and otherwise. His ever-rational mind placed her in a bracket where she didn’t ask these things, like so many new-comers, and thus either didn’t have those things, or wasn't missing those things. Barring that, there was also the strange clothes she wore, though that was less inviting of any hypothesis; after all, a melting pot of people such as Traverse Town gave grace to many different styles. He wasn’t much different, despite fashion being far from his mind.
“Beyond that, this town is rather easy to walk through, so long as you know how to count. We have several districts. We’re currently in the third,” he chimed, nodding towards the massive doors that lead the first. “Back where you came, was district number one. It’s mostly full of shops, which is helpful, if you’re into that sort of thing. We’re also connected by a second district, up those stairs over there, that has a hotel for people who aren’t planning to stay here long, and also has its share of shops, though it’s more for the, ah, eccentric sort.” He smiles easily now, the chains wrapped around his arm unseen jangling as he shifts his weight. After some thought, he no longer saw her as a threat... Despite the strange, cold feeling he had before. As if she were water, and he were oil.
“Ah... The Coliseum is in the fourth, which also has the Plaza and post office, as well as other back streets. It’s where the Library is, and where I live. The fifth is the garden. Nothing more to say about it.” He shrugs, finishing his long-winded explanations on a shy note, dimming his eyes in deep thought.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 7:54:40 GMT -5
The young boy actually blinked and took a step away from her... Mimana frowned, just a little bit. By the look of things, he seemed rather nervous himself. Maybe he's like I am around new people? she wondered to herself, looking at him carefully. If he was actually nervous because of her, that was definitely a first; people didn't tend to be. And if they were at all uncomfortable of the strange woman with the pink hair and the armoured arm, all that tended to dissipate as soon as she started stammering and bumbling over her words.
However, the boy quickly began to speak again, and Mimana quickly blinked herself out of her musings, returning his rather forced-looking smile with the friendliest one she could muster. She wasn't a threat - quite the opposite, really, she wanted to be a hero someday - and so she really did want to do her best to put that across!
When he suddenly raised an eyebrow and gave a strange kind of smile, the young woman began to feel somewhat uncomfortable; even though the boy was younger than her, his expression unnerved her a bit. She folded her arms in a subconscious defensive manner and subtly shifted her feet, as if getting ready to run away, before he asked if she was 'another off-worlder.' "A-another one?" Mimana asked, frowning a little, her momentary discomfort replaced by curiosity. Seemingly, there were a lot of otherworlders coming lately; and seemingly, the stars were 'blinking out.' That strange comment made her frown deepen, but she didn't focus on it for very long. "W-well, yes, I am an off-worlder," she said, unfolding her arms and following the youth's gaze to the sky above. "My mother had told me before I started travelling that I wasn't supposed to tell anyone about the other worlds, but... well, since you know already, I guess that means it's okay," she mumbled, still looking at the sky, more just speaking to the air than speaking to the boy.
When he began to speak again, Mimana drew her eyes from the majesty of the endless night above, and listened intently. She found herself giggling at his comment about how 'only weirdos wore shades at night,' then quickly put a hand to her mouth, silently scolding herself for being rude. What the boy said after, though, quickly made her laughter stop... seemingly, this world was a shelter, and it was made up of the stolen hearts of worlds. Her eyes dropped a bit as she thought about the people she'd seen earlier, before she looked back to the boy. Are they all seeking shelter here? she thought. There was something about the idea that was rather sad; to think that so many people needed a shelter, a refuge. Somewhere in her thoughts, Mimana realized that the boy was smiling again, and so she quickly replaced her own smile. She wanted to ask more questions, but she didn't want to seem rude; she realized that people didn't usually like being bombarded with questions or useless information upon first meeting a person. That was why she usually only asked what she absolutely needed to know, and didn't usually talk about herself without provocation.
Finally, the boy explained about the layout of the town; all its five districts, and everything that was in them. While the young woman ruled out the shops as a potential place to go - after all, no munny - she found herself rather interested in this coliseum, and the library; the coliseum to test her skills, the library to arm herself with the knowledge a Keyblade Master should have. "I-I see," she nodded as the youth finished his explanation, thinking on what to do next. "I should probably go to this library and see if they have any books that could help me," she mumbled to herself, before her eyes went back to the boy and she smiled again. "T-thank you very much for answering my questions," she said, politely bowing to the young boy as a sign of respect. "While I'd like to ask you some more, I wouldn't want to keep you - since you looked like you were going somewhere and all - so I'll leave you alone... um, though, I should probably ask which way it is to the fourth district, if that's okay," Mimana added quietly, feeling embarrassed about taking up so much of the boy's time. While she wanted to ask more - about the town, about its residents, about the stars blinking out and about the boy himself - her nature prevented her from asking too much; she didn't want to annoy him or something.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 9:13:03 GMT -5
Raising his brow, which seemed to become more of a habit than he had intended, Aerik hums. “The library, huh?”, he muttered, still obviously lost in some sort of thought. However, after a surprisingly short amount of time, he nods, gesturing towards the first district door. “Alright, then. I think I’ll walk you there – It doesn’t matter where I go, at the moment, just that I keep walking and watching, and you’ll need my library card to check out anything, anyway.”, he chimed lightly. “We’ll need to take the back streets to get there, but its well worth the travel. The abominations haven’t been seen much in the city, strangely enough. Wondering what’s keeping them at bay... Keep your eyes peeled, and we’ll be fine.” He flashes a small grin, pale face seeming even paler by the moonlight above, as he maneuvers his way towards the two double doors.
“What can you tell me, about how you got here?”, he intoned, even as he opened the massive wooden territophs that blocked off the two territories. He thought about mentioning the gummi blocks he had started to collect, under hopes of obtaining information he didn’t currently have, but still wasn’t completely certain the girl was who she seemed to be. For all he knew, the blocks could be rather expensive as well, and he didn’t know how easily tempted-to-steal the pink haired girl might be, either. Among a lot of other issues and possible backlashes to telling, he also had a true-blue curiosity to whom she was. After all, off-worlders were always interesting. “You don’t look like much, but at the same time, you seem... I donno. You’re not a civilian, anyway”, he added with a dismissive flick of the wrist, just in case he was setting the wrong vibe.
“Ah. I’m Aerik, by the way. I’ve lived her for... A long time. So if you have anymore questions, they can be answered.” He paused, and smiles. “Trumps awkward silences, anyway.”
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 9:48:13 GMT -5
Mimana's eyes blinked rapidly at the boy's words and offer of assistance with his library card; she hadn't been expecting him to come along with her. That didn't mean she wasn't thankful, though; far from it. Given that she didn't have any idea where anything in this town was, a local walking with her would be a great help... and, if she managed to scrape up the nerve to speak much, it gave her somebody to talk to.
"Thank you very much," the young woman caught herself bowing again, following her newfound companion toward the large doors leading to the First District. Mimana had to admit, she was glad to hear that the - as the boy put it - 'abominations' weren't around in the city; she was assuming he was referring to the Heartless, given that they seemed to be on every world she'd gone to so far, though it could only be a good thing regardless of what he was referring to. Even though it was her duty, she was glad about not having to fight Heartless at this moment... particularly not after the last time.
As the boy opened the huge doors, he asked Mimana about how she got to this Traverse Town, then made a comment about how she didn't seem like a civilian despite not looking like much. "O-oh," the pink-haired woman blinked a bit in surprise, before smiling; she still wanted to make it clear that she wasn't a threat, although the boy didn't seem wary of her anymore. "Well, I got to this town because of this," she motioned to the heart-shaped pendant around her neck, holding the crystal charm out for the younger one to see. "You see, when I first told my mom that I wanted to go out and see the worlds, she enchanted it with magic that lets me, well, travel between worlds," she explained, nodding her head again. Her smile, which had looked just a tad nervous and uncomfortable up until now, looked a little more relaxed as she spoke; she cherished that necklace, and thinking of home and her parents always made her happier. She didn't particularly know how to react to the boy's second comment; she supposed she wasn't a civilian, being a Keyblade wielder and all, but she didn't know how to explain that or if it was a wise idea to... With those thoughts in mind, she decided to just leave it at that, and explain further when or if they got to it.
When the boy introduced himself as Aerik and offered to answer her questions, Mimana's eyes lit up a bit; after all, she did have a lot of questions she wanted answered. "Thank you, Aerik, I'll keep that in mind," she said, before looking as if she'd just realized something. "Oh! I almost forgot my manners there... my name's Mimana Naka," she reciprocated the introduction politely. "It's nice to meet you. A-and of course, since you've offered to answer my questions, I'd be glad to answer any of yours if you had any," she trailed off then. She highly doubted he'd have any questions about a girl like her, but it was the polite thing to say.
As they continued on towards this library, Mimana thought on what to ask Aerik first. Her instincts told her to keep away from personal information for the moment - after all, she didn't want to seem rude or strange by asking personal questions of a boy she'd only just met - but she found herself wondering about him. "So, um," she began, turning her head toward him again. "What about yourself? You mentioned having lived here for a long time, but..." She paused, as she considered her words. "Are you seeking shelter here too?"
Yep, far more personal than she had intended to get, and she turned her head away and cringed lightly at that fact. Mimana just hoped she hadn't touched on a nerve with that question...
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 10:16:35 GMT -5
His eye twitches at her last question, though was only a minute reaction. All in all, he did his best not to think about it – The cold, and how it bit at him, the monsters of nature, of frost and taking. And then the wind that defending him, championed him, saved his life in so many instances... Almost as if it read his emotions, the air itself would wrap around him softly, like a dancing ghost around a bonfire. “Ah.. In a way, I suppose. When I first came here, I didn’t know anything about myself, and still don’t know who I was before. But now, I’m kinda... Stuck, I guess, on this rock.” He smiles and shrugs, as if to imply it didn’t bother him. He continues to walk, for the moment in silence, before nodding to himself, having reflected about her story with the necklace. If she trusted him enough to tell him that, he should return the favor...
“Not for long, though! I have a plan.” With a gesture, he pulls out his book, the tome and inventory he keeps strapped to his hip at all times, before manuvering closer to her. He hesitated for a moment, mindful of that strange cold feeling, before heaving a relieved, silent sigh, as it entirely failed to come back around. Whatever it was, it didn’t seem to be constantly effected. “I found this a while ago, falling from the stars. I’m guessing it belonged to someone whose world went poof... It fell to here, though, and I was lucky enough to find it.” He smiles an honest grin, flipping through the pages that described Gummi’s, and their function, till he came upon the hollowed out portion of the book.
It was very strange indeed, this book. Despite it being hollowed out, it was apparent that, if he kept moving the page, the emptied out mark disappeared! It was as if that page, and only that page, was empty... Black, as well, as if holding an infinite amount of space and shadow. “This is my, ah, bag of holding, I guess you can say. It holds everything I have, as well as the gummi’s I’ve collected. And my books. Lots and lots of books...” He flashes his smile again, before placing it back to his hip. They were perhaps halfway there, now. “It’s my ticket out of here. I feel... Like I have a destiny elsewhere. Something bigger to do, than just sit on this planet, and read.”
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Post by Deleted on Nov 27, 2014 10:56:15 GMT -5
He didn't know anything about himself? Mimana wondered, letting herself look back at Aerik as he spoke. Something unusual was going on; there was something almost like an aura surrounding the boy, like the air had swirled itself around him in an embrace... or a shield. Mimana didn't focus on that for long though; with one of her parents being a mage, she knew a bit about magic, and so she just imagined it was some kind of spell. Her mind was more on what Aerik had said; she couldn't help but feel sorry for him after hearing that. It must have been terrible, to lose all your memories and then be trapped in an unfamiliar land. She couldn't even imagine it.
Suddenly, the boy said that he 'had a plan,' and produced something that Mimana had been silently wondering about for a while; the large book that he kept on his hip. She noted that he seemed to hesitate a little when he moved closer to her, but he seemed to move past it fast enough; the young woman smiled a little at that, taking it as a sign that her attempts to illustrate her non-threatening nature were succeeding.
As she looked at the book, Mimana found herself very quickly becoming amazed by it. A mysterious book that fell from the heavens... "Wow," she murmured under her breath, grey eyes scanning briefly over the pages as Aerik flipped through them. She didn't catch much, and she didn't understand what little of it she did see - she was unfamiliar with gummis and what they were, though she was sure that she'd heard of a 'gummi ship' somewhere or other - but it was all very interesting to her.
And then, the book got even more interesting; Aerik showed that it had a hollowed-out section, that just seemed to go on forever and was apparently big enough to hold 'lots and lots of books'! Mimana was almost disappointed when he put it away, but she pushed past it. "That book is amazing!" she said genuinely, eyes slightly wide in amazement as she looked at him; well, more at the book than anything. She loved seeing new and unusual things like this; and that book was certainly unusual. "I've never seen anything like that before." She didn't go on about it for very long, though; her mind caught up with what the boy said, about feeling like he had a destiny somewhere - 'something bigger to do' - and that struck a bit of a chord. "I-I understand what you mean, you know. About feeling like you have a destiny out there on one of those other worlds." As she continued walking, her eyes wandered up to the stars above them as she thought. "Where I come from, my father was known as a hero. He was very special to me, and a lot of people... but then he disappeared." She looked back to Aerik, with an oddly determined look in her eyes. "Ever since then, I've been going around the worlds looking for him, and trying to better myself; so I can be a Keyblade Master like him someday. And I think my destiny's waiting somewhere out there, too!"
The smile that had found its way onto Mimana's face during her little speech suddenly disappeared, and her eyes went a little wide as she realized just how much she'd babbled on about in that short space of time, to a stranger who didn't ask. Awkwardly, she turned her head away and stared at her feet, clasping her hands behind her back as she cleared her throat. "A-and, that's enough stuff about me that you didn't ask to hear," she laughed a little bit, embarrassed. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean to talk so much. A-all I was trying to say was that I understand what you mean, and I hope you find what you're looking for someday." With that, she returned to being quiet and looking around the town as they went on their way.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2014 9:13:36 GMT -5
Aerik chuckled good-naturedly, raising a brow at her words, though with an air of comfort in spite of it. “Relax”, he chimed. “I know what you mean. And I think I know somewhat of what you’re going through, in a manner of speaking... So you’re out adventuring, looking for your long lost father? I’ve read stories about people in similar situations, and, well...” He eyes her pendent, heart shaped and familiar as any trinket, curious about how it worked, exactly. “Maybe I could help? All the many people I’ve read about, all the worlds I’ve visited from the pages of books are all in my head, their experiences my own – That might come in handy. If your dandy device can teleport more than one person, that is! If not, then we’re going to have to keep scavenging around this world for gummies.”
He stretches, and sighs softly, even as they continued walking. “... Such a strange life I’ve lead. Contemporary, yet not without its highlights. I’m smart, you know, smarter than most adults...” His eyes sharpened in a manner that was almost bitter. “Children aren’t meant to be too much smarter than their guardians. Or too much saner, maybe – My caretaker, the librarian, could probably outsmart me, if he was, you know, actually –trying-, instead of using his ‘adult intelligence’ mainly to come up with new reasons not to change his mind about what he wants to argue about.” He shakes his head. “I’m... Isolated. I’ve been isolated my whole life.”
After a few paces of quiet, he chuckles. “Which is likely why I want to get out so much...” His yellowish eyes trail across her face, giving her a serious look. “You know, one of my books once said that people form close friendships by knowing private things about each other, and the reason why most people don’t make close friends, is because they’re too embarrassed to share anything really important.” Putting the back of his head in his hands in lazy comfort, he cracked a smile. “At this rate, I think we’re going to be besty’s in no time”, he joked, pressing on in the trail.
The building that was his home in more ways than one was quiet spectacular, despite its simple design. Whatever items coated it, it practically shined in the ever-twilight of Traverse Town, as if a line of sunlight were shining on the corners. Beyond that, the bastion of books was spacious, and large, hinting at the vast numbers of books that reside inside. Indeed, Traverse Town was a place where those who have no home may find a place, and items were not much different. Many worlds worth of books lie within, untold knowledge seeping at the corners of the edges of the tomes.
He stood outside, and tapped his finger upon his chin. “Well, if we’re going out on an adventure, I suppose we’ll need items, yeah? We have a shop nearby, if you want to look at those before stepping in.”
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2014 9:07:53 GMT -5
Mimana felt herself relaxing a bit as Aerik spoke, letting her eyes wander back over to him. She was glad that he could articulate what it was that she was trying to do better than she herself could; it saved any more awkward, insufficient explanation on her end. When he mentioned helping, the young woman's eyes widened a bit in surprise; she most certainly hadn't expected anyone to offer her any assistance, and she found herself rather happy that someone would even offer such a thing. Although she wanted to snap up his offer, she found herself a bit worried; after all, the boy was young, and adventures sometimes came with danger. But on the other hand, he had a good head on his shoulders; and there was that odd magical thing he'd done with the air earlier, which made her reckon that he had more magical capability than she'd first thought. She quickly put her worry to bed, and smiled to Aerik. "You've no idea how very glad I'd be for the help, thank you," she said, doing her best not to go on and on about what an honour it was that someone actually wanted to lend her their help. "O-oh, and about the necklace... I'm pretty sure it can teleport more than just one person," she nodded to herself, thinking back to other times that she'd seen her mom's teleportation spells. "With the way my mother's magic works, I'm sure that it would work on myself and whoever I'm making contact with." Or at least, I really hope so, her mind added quietly as she turned away; she was positive that her explanation had been right, but she was always doubting herself. Even on the most obvious of things.
When her young companion began to speak again - of his strange life, his caretaker, and his isolation - with such bitterness in his voice, Mimana looked to him again with concerned eyes. For someone so young, it sounds as if he's seen so much, she thought sadly, just staying silent and taking in everything he had to say. If she'd been just that little bit bolder, she'd have considered offering him a hug. Aerik then went on to mention something he'd read in a book - about how people formed close friendships by knowing private things about each other, something which probably explained why Mimana couldn't remember ever having any close friends - and said that they'd be 'besty's' in no time, the young woman couldn't help but laugh a bit. "You know, I think you might just be right," she said, smiling again as they continued to walk. She was oddly happy at the idea of having a 'besty,' actually, after her life of only really spending time with her mom and the Unversed or the Heartless that she fought so often.
And then, they finally arrived at a large, impressive building, which Mimana took a moment to look up at. She looked back to Aerik, seeing that he had stopped outside the building, and deduced that this must have been the library. Wow... it looks big enough to have books about everything, she silently looked up at it again and marvelled, before Aerik made a very good point regarding items. Somehow, it hadn't dawned on Mimana that a quest - an adventure, a mission? She never could find the right word for it - like her own would actually require her to buy items, though now that she'd heard it said by another person, it seemed painfully obvious. Cringing a little at her own lack of foresight, Mimana absently touched her pendant as she thought. "Y-yeah, getting some items would probably be best thing to do," she nodded, slightly staring into space as she spoke. "After all, we might end up going far, and there are a lot of dangerous creatures further afield." She carefully looked at Aerik as she said that, having deliberately said it so the possibility of danger out there was in the younger one's mind. Although it would upset her if her companion thought better of joining her at this point, she did want to make sure that he wasn't going in unprepared. "O-oh," she suddenly said as if she'd just remembered something, "but, um, I should probably mention now... I don't have any, um, money." She looked to the ground, awkwardly wringing her hands together. She felt awful about having to let her companion pay for their items; and then there was the even more worrying thought that maybe he didn't have any money either. One step at a time, now, it isn't the end of the world, she silently told herself, eyes flickering to the nearby buildings as she did.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2014 9:52:20 GMT -5
He nods his head with a sigh, one of relief, as she mentions the pendents utilization could teleport more than one. Although he would much rather, for personal reasons, head up into the stars in a ship he made himself... Well, that would just have to wait, at least for the time being. His eyes scanned the horizon, taking in the gleam of the stars of post-twilight, mentally noting the distance it posed as the Next Great Adventure, before shaking his head roughly. “Ayah, no worries about that whole danger thing”, he chimed confidently, dipping his right hand out of his cloak for the first time. The high-pitched clinking of metal that could be heard as he walked reveled itself at last, as the chains around his person... And the club it was attached to. It would seem, despite his contemporaneous, he was well versed in the aspects of fighting, or at least the weapon at hand. It was a polished wood, thick, but not too large, attached to a dangling length of chain that reverberated with some power. The chain was all he had from before, the only item he held from before he had lost his memories so long ago – It was made of fine material that had served him rather well. The club, however, took him a long time to fasion, and with some training, he learned how to wield the two in a manner that could make an Amazon blush. Or at least, that was the goal.
“I mentioned before, you’ll remember, how Heartless don’t come in here much too often anymore. Do note that I still get plenty of training done on them outside; it’s dangerous, sure, but they only come out in ones on the better days. I don’t think it’d be best to go into detail, but, ah, well...” His eyes gleamed lightly, his smile proud, and with his strange eyes, almost sinister, despite his boyish looks. “... Anyway! No need to worry about all that, like I said! I just need a bit more experience, to become who I need to be, I think.” He offers her a chaste wink, before turning on his heel towards the shops. “Come on, then. Let’s buy us something nice!”
Though much less spectacular, the shops around the town weren’t to be overlooked. Just as the books came from all over the universe, so too did the items, lost treasures sold back to those with need of them. Thankfully, in correlation to both his petty job working the books across the town, as well as payment for assisting in keeping the heartless out of populated areas, he had enough munny to get by for both of them. He just waved his hand over the shops walls when the duo entered, explaining that she could get anything she wanted, and the chances were pretty good he could pay for it. “But”, he warned, “Try not to get too much stuff! After all, for all we know, there might be quality items just out there for the taking, and for free”, he mused, much to the shopkeeps chagrin.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2014 10:52:16 GMT -5
Mimana looked at Aerik with surprise as he showed her the source of that strange noise that seemed to follow him wherever he went; a wooden club, held by a chain. Oh, that's what the sound was, she thought in realization as she listened to her companion speak of the training he did on Heartless outside the city. "I... see," she nodded, her voice slightly tapering off at the end as she noticed the odd look in his eyes. Coupled with the smile, those gleaming eyes made an expression that seemed rather odd on a child's face. Then again, though, he isn't exactly a typical child, the young woman thought, again slightly concerned but not showing it. Rather, she merely swallowed her nerves down and smiled, following on as he went towards the shops, taking solace in the fact that at least her companion could fight if the need ever arose.
On the world she came from, shops weren't exactly plentiful; they were rather few and far between, and they didn't really have much more than the bare necessities. So when she went into the shop and saw all the things that she'd never seen before, Mimana's eyes lit up, and an eagerness to see everything that they were and all that they could do got up in her heart. Quickly, though, she banished the thought and shook her head; despite Aerik's saying that she could get anything she wanted - though she was to try not to get too much stuff - she was very aware of the fact that she wasn't paying for this herself and that she couldn't go overboard. "I'll keep that in mind," she smiled and nodded in response to his last comment, letting thoughts of all the 'quality items' to be found in future take over from thoughts of all the stuff in here. "I'll go and see what I can find, then! O-oh, and thanks for this, of course." After giving a little bow, Mimana began to wander around the shops to see what she could find.
Everything was greatly interesting to her; all the strange things in brightly-coloured bottles, all the mysterious things and things that claimed to be power-enhancers or to resist against elements. The young woman frequently reminded herself to keep a level head in the face of all these fascinating things; they might be very different to what you're used to, they may all say that they're very useful... but this isn't coming out of your own pocket! And those chains areexpensive, anyways.
Eventually, Mimana just rounded up what she thought would be useful on the first step of their journey; four Hi-Potions and eight Potions. She would have gotten more, but she was a little shocked by how much they cost; granted, she wasn't used to buying things, but it just seemed like so much!
This probably isn't going to be enough, though, she thought, taking a glance back at Aerik and thinking. It couldn't be said for certain, but this quest - mission, adventure, whatever it was - could possibly take them anywhere; and the Heartless were always going to lurk where they weren't wanted, not to mention a whole host of other potential threats. Mimana hadn't been to many worlds on her journey yet, and so she couldn't even begin to take a guess at what they may have had to face. And Heartless are always going to know where I am, anyway... she reminded herself with a growing feeling of dread, staring down at her right hand as if her keyblade were actually in it.
Still, though, these thoughts weren't going to get anyone anywhere. She had to stop worrying so much; this quest was something she had to do, danger or not, to find out what happened to her father so long ago and to become better than she was now... and now, to take her newfound companion out of the isolation that was all he'd ever known, to let him see some of the wonders he'd only ever read about. Besides, she was the elder of the duo. Mimana felt it was her job to be strong for her younger friend's sake, and that he shouldn't have to deal with her worries. The poor soul's had enough to deal with already without having to babysit me.
And so, with those thoughts thought, Mimana nodded her head as if to steel her resolve and picked up another armful of Hi-Potions, before heading back over to where Aerik was. "Say, um... Do you reckon this is enough healing items?" she asked, hoping she hadn't gone too far over the spending limit already. As she asked, she took another quick look around the shop; in a place like this, she felt somehow embarrassed about only coming back with potions, so she was hopeful of seeing something - anything - else.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 1, 2014 11:24:56 GMT -5
Raising a brow in a way that might be perceived as ‘annoyed’, if it weren’t so friendly, the youth shakes his head. “Gotta stop bowing to me like that”, he uttered. Although being shown respect was nothing he had in excess, as he had spoke of before, even he knew there were basic laws to formality and society, as well as politeness. With a huff, he puts on a brave smile, and attempts to put his heart into words in as kind a way he could. “Every time you bow to me in the future, I’m going to flick your forehead. My books say the negative reinforcement will eventually get you out of the habit, at least when it comes to me. Friends... Well, bowing is a sign of conceding respect, offering it to the person it’s directed at.” He shakes his head “And we’re friends... It’s not right for us to concede respect. We should both... Be equal in that, you know?”
He shrugs helplessly, before strolling around the shop as well. He eyed her as she gathered her items, noting how she didn’t seem too interested in the magical artifacts that might actually help them beyond healing, and shaking his head internally. Well, if she didn’t want to buy proper protect, then...
He plucked out two Protera Chain – They weren’t top of the line, but they were better then the lowest of the low, and just holding them made him feel like he could take a cannon to the stomach without exploding into itty bitty bits. After a few moments to think, however, he wondered if there was something else he should get... Two Protera Chain, and...
Aha.
One mysterious item and one camping set later, he had finished his part of the shopping. Although it was a lot, and his currency was nearly depleted by the end, he had to rationalize its worth. After all, munny was only as good as the items they could buy, and he believed it was exactly what they needed. He’d have liked to have bought a Blizzaga ring, but that was almost twice as much munny as what he had at the start; he already had a Blizzard Ring, for obvious reasons, but he hadn’t a need to buy a Blizzara Ring till now... But he had a choice to make. He could have either bought a Blizzara now, or buy a certain something else...
He hums playfully as he shoves the concealed item into his book, following the camping set shortly after, and handing her the shining metal Protera. For his own, he laced it around his neck, basking in the feeling of being guarded, and nodded to her own. “Alright! I think that’s about all we could buy, anyway. Ready to see the library?” He paused for a moment, curiosity realigning. “Oh, hey. Before we go, what was it you wanted to do here, again? The reason you came to this world...?”
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2014 11:10:02 GMT -5
(OOC: I'm sorry if this post is a little lame; I originally wrote a much better one, but then I lost it and I got disheartened and couldn't remember what I'd written. ^.^;; Hope this's okay~)
Mimana had felt relatively worried when she'd caught Aerik's expression after she'd bowed to him, but she'd rather quickly calmed down after he spoke; she did see where he was coming from... and she couldn't help but smile. I didn't expect to make a friend today, she thought fondly before Aerik went on his way around the shop. As she watched her companion - or new friend, rather - walk around and look at the unusual chains, she made a few mental notes; first of all, not to bow so much (she didn't reckon that getting flicked on the forehead so often would be a pleasant experience,) and second, to ask what all those things were. Where she'd come from, she hadn't had much experience with chains or rings or armour outside of just plain jewellery, so she found it rather confusing.
Silently, Mimana thought of exactly where they could go first in their adventure. She'd heard somewhere on her travels of a Coliseum; not the one that Aerik had mentioned on this world, but a famous place where true heroes went to train themselves. She wondered if they would take herself and Aerik in to train... after all, if they were going to go on a long quest, that had to be a great place to go.
Just as she was wracking her brains for more ideas on where to go, she heard the sound of someone humming and looked over to see it was Aerik, putting something into that strange book of his. I really must ask how that item works, she thought, still rather amazed by it. Quickly, though, she pulled herself from her thoughts as her friend handed her a metal chain. Mimana watched carefully as Aerik put his own around his neck, then mirrored the action with her own; she had no real experience with this particular kind of chain, and so she wasn't entirely aware of the usual way to wear it. "Thank you," she smiled a little and nodded her head - very careful not to bow again - before frowning a touch. She wondered what it did; after all, she didn't think it was just a fashion piece.
At the question, Mimana's frown vanished and she nodded. "Uh-huh," she chirped, excited to see this library and all it had. A slight feeling of excitement came over her as she realized that all the books in there could well give them ideas on where to go in their quest. Even though it had been a long time since she'd set out from home in hopes of finding her father and becoming a worthy fighter, her goals were only just now beginning to actually seem somewhat within reach, now that she was standing here with an intelligent companion who held a great deal of knowledge that she herself didn't. Just as she turned towards the door, another question came; about why she'd actually come to this world. "O-oh, right," she turned back to Aerik, clasping her hands in front of herself. "Well, I came to this world for the same reason I go to every world; I came in hopes of finding a lead about my father, or becoming stronger so that I could make him proud someday. Well, him and my mom," she added. Although she was talking to the boy more than she'd been able to at first, her voice was still soft and quiet as she spoke. "T-that's pretty much it. Nothing specific," she smiled sheepishly, as if she felt her answer was disappointing or unsatisfactory somehow.
Very quickly, her eyes wandered around the shop again; to the shopkeeper, to the unusual items, to the door and then back to the chain around her neck. "Oh," Mimana suddenly said, bringing a hand up to touch the metal chain, "I-I'd meant to thank you for the chain," she smiled. "It's very pretty... b-but, um, I'm assuming you didn't just get it for me because of that?" She didn't exactly know how to ask what the chain did, if anything, so she left the question open for the boy to answer. She also wanted to ask him what else he got, but she decided to leave that until later; she didn't like bombarding people with too many questions at once (though it was something that she found herself doing all too much, in fits of over-nervous talkativeness.)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 4, 2014 15:10:01 GMT -5
Itching his chin at her answer, the cloaked youth nods. “What does your father look like? What leads have you had so far, and any lucky breaks? How was he like before, and his reason for leaving? I’ve read my fair share of detective novels, and evidence is almost always needed for a man hunt! In fact, how many worlds –are- there, and which ones is he most likely on?”, he wondered. Beyond that, his eyes swiveled to her new chain. “Ah, as for that... I don’t know too much about magic, truth be told. I just know that it endows the wearer with increased durability!” With a flashed grin, he lifts his own, wrapped around his neck. “There are three sorts – The lowest would help you stave off the blunt of a punch, or slightly defend yourself against a sword, as if you had a lot of layers of clothes on. It’s super useful, but I decided to give ourselves something a little stronger.”
“Which is why I got us the second level! It creates a powerful durability around our skin from harm, which could even protect us against some pretty nasty stuff. I’m not sure of the limits, but it’s much stronger than the first one. If anything, it’ll help us plow through the thick of the proverbial fire, and that’s kinda what we need.” He hums in thought, and shrugs helplessly. “I would have gotten us the third, highest level one, but even I’m not that rich.”
He nods towards the library, and opens up the door. “Well, let’s go, then – I think we should read up a little bit, before we lift off, yeah?” His eyes were already peeled towards the Recent addition section of the library, curious to know if there was information from other worlds he hadn't quite absorbed, yet.
((Quick reply, I know. And, no worries about the wait!))
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