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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 12, 2018 9:41:28 GMT -5
A loud thud echoed in one of Traverse Town's alleways. Boxes were scattered all around the place, as if someone had purposely made a mess with them. Within the mess that was made there, a girl was laying upside-down, dizzy. Her head was just a few inches away from touching the floor, and her feet were all the way up in the air. Had she not wore shorts under her skirt, her underwear would probably be in show for any passerby.
Mei shook her head, trying to get out of her dizziness. She tried to stand up, without noticing that she'd been laying upside down. As she tried to get her feet to the ground, Mei fell head first to the ground, accompanied with a few boxes that were below her. She hit her head, but nothing serious in the end. Soothin the back of her head, Mei looked around, still somewhat dizzy from the fall. Her vision, although blurry, was right in the money, for she immediately noticed she wasn't home, where she should've been.
"W-Where... Where am I...?" she asked aloud, slowly but surely standing up, "Why am I not home...?"
Mei looked around in worry, finding herself alone. Where was that place, and what was she doing there? Now fully standing up, she decided to take a few steps forward, to at least get a good view of the place.
She was not that far away from a waterway, and what seemed to be a hotel of sorts. Mei looked up, trying to see if there were people there, but not even a shadow was seen. This got her a bit worried, and even shaking a bit, but she kept on going forward. Seeing that she didn't have much of a choice, she got inside the hotel, to at least see if she could lay down and treat her head for a while.
"This place... Is empty..." Mei mentioned, as she entered the hotel, "Right...?"
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Post by Ziya on Sept 12, 2018 18:06:10 GMT -5
In one of the rooms of the hotel Mink lounged in bed listening to music on their headphones. Since that mess with the god Null and their parents they had been visiting this time every so often, enjoying the more peaceful worlds and generally just hanging out. Eventually they might see if their mom would train them some more, but that would be another whole explanation that they just didn't feel like right then.
Another thing they didn't feel like was messing with other people, hence the choice of location away from the First District. Sure there were some Heartless to deal with, but between their magic and Murgleis Astraeus they were no big deal. Compared to the things they had been fighting in their timeline they were harmless, in fact.
Their relaxation was interrupted by the sound of a door opening in the hall, something that shouldn't happen since the Heartless were too stupid to figure the knobs out. Bored anyhow they floated up off the bed and over to the door, cracking it open enough to slip through before seeing someone entering the hotel from the street. They were clearly nervous, but the way she asked if the place was empty gave Mink the perfect opportunity to float near the ceiling and answer them. "Yup, nobody's here all right." Vaguely they noticed that the person was injured, but they wanted to wait and see first.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 12, 2018 18:15:19 GMT -5
Mei looked around, and jumped startled at the voice of someone replying. A ghost? Or a person? Regardless of what it was, it was way to sudden. Mei had fallen down on her back as she jumped from the noise, and was shaking, like the scaredy cat she was.
"W-Who's there...?" she asked, her voice barely heard, "I-I'm not afraid of you...! Well, maybe..."
Her legs refused to move on their own, but Mei wasn't that aware of that. She was more aware of whoever or whatever was there with her. It was an unfamiliar voice, that much she knew. Had it been a voice she knew, maybe she wouldn't have been scared that much, but rather, just a tiny bit.
"S-So...? A-Are you coming out or not...?" she asked, trying to look strong, "I... I said it already, didn't I? I-I'm not scared!"
"Tori... Neku... Where is this...? I'm scared..." she thought to herself, "Where are you guys...?"
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Post by Ziya on Sept 12, 2018 20:48:06 GMT -5
Despite being amused by the person's reaction, Mink's face remained still as they watched the spectacle. Once the person fell over they sighed and floated down into view with their hands in front of them palms forward. "Chill out, sheesh. I though it was gonna be worth a laugh, not give you a heart attack."
They floated a bit closer as they draped the headphones around their neck, violet eyes keen yet bored. "And don't give me that 'I'm not scared' BS. I can see your aura and you were terrified. You've also got a head injury, so here," Green healing magic flowed from their fingers onto the person, fixing their head right up, "consider it an apology for the scare."
By then they were directly in front of the person, offering a hand partially hidden by the sleeve of the crimson hooded sweatshirt to help them up. "You can call me Mink. They/them pronouns, please."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 13, 2018 8:32:06 GMT -5
Mei looked at Mink, somewhat shocked. So, the one that was there inside was just a kid... For a kid, they sure were weird. And sassy. But Mei couldn't get herself to say that, and instead, now with her legs finally answering her call, stood back up, as Mink's magic helped her head feel a bit less swollen.
"T-Thanks..." Mei said, shyly, "I'm... Mei. Hanaki Mei. Nice to meet you, Mink..."
She looked at them, somewhat curious after hearing the non-binary pronouns petition. So... she was neither a boy or a girl? She never knew what the difference was, so she was a bit uneasy on how to approach them.
"So... Do you know... Where we are...? I think I'm lost..." Mei confessed, "And... Are you this place's... manager?"
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Post by Ziya on Sept 13, 2018 12:26:51 GMT -5
Mink put their hands back in their pockets as Mei got up, though they still retained their bored expression. Mei's full introduction tempted them to return the favor, but they really hated having to say their full name. It was so long! Besides, it would suck if she ended up recognizing part of it. Then they'd have to explain what was going on, and that would take forever.
They blinked as they recognized that Mei had asked them something, recognizing the words a second later. "You're new here huh? This is Traverse Town, home of all the people whose worlds blew up. Most of 'em anyway; some end up on Radiant Garden or random worlds." They looked around at the mention of a manager, specifically at the counter with the curtain drawn and the distinct lack of people. "If this place had a manager the Heartless probably got 'em a long time ago. Even my mom's never seen anyone but them here. C'mon," they turned and waved halfheartedly for Mei to follow, "let's get into the room before any of those asses show up."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 13, 2018 13:12:49 GMT -5
Mei fidgeted a bit, uneasy, as she followed Mink to a room. She kept wondering a few things, such as the reason as for why she was in Traverse Town, and where everyone else. However, when Mink mentioned that Heartless might've gotten them, she shuddered.
"So... They were..." Mei closed her eyes, shuddering, "I don't want to even think about that... I hope Tori and Neku are alright... But..." she looked at Mink, "Are you sure that... I'm here because... My world dissapeared?"
She got inside the room, and looked around, somewhat uneasy. The place was insanely unfamiliar to her, making her feel uncomfortable, especially around them, who seemed to be bored out of her. Maybe it was best if she left...
"Umm... Are you... Bored of me...? I can leave, y'know..."
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Post by Ziya on Sept 13, 2018 15:48:02 GMT -5
Mink floated back into the room and dropped back onto the bed, this time sitting up to keep looking at Mei as she followed them in. It was only after she had a mini freak out at the possibility of her world falling that Mink made the connection to something her mom had said in her timeline. "Tori and Neku huh? So you're from that time Mom mentioned then. Your world's fine, you probably just got sent here randomly."
They hadn't even realized that Mei was worried about them until she asked if they were bored of her, at which point they just sighed and decided to get the explanations over with. "You're fine, I'm like this all the time. My actual name's Elmindreda Kalenia Cray-Talec by the way; Mink's just easier to say. My mom's Lucia Talec, but I'd rather you not tell her I'm here. Technically I haven't been born yet, after all."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 13, 2018 16:27:41 GMT -5
Mei looked at Mink in awe, seeing that, rather than walking, they floated about. Taking their approach, Mei sat down on the bed as well, looking at Mink with some curiosity.
"Lucia...? So... One of the people Neku brought that day..." she chuckled, a bit more calm, "Small world, huh...? Tee hee..."
Seeing that they weren't bored of her, but rather just kept that expression 24/7, Mei calmed down even further, seeing that they weren't someone who'd leave her alone. She drew a faint smile, and eased herself a bit.
"Also... What do you mean from 'that time'? Are you... Some sort of time-traveler or something?" Mei asked, curious, "I'm not really meaning to ask out of convinience, but... I'm geniunly curious. So... Is it okay? For me to know, that is."
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Post by Ziya on Sept 13, 2018 17:13:59 GMT -5
Mink sighed yet again as Mei asked the question they knew she would, voice still deadpan as they answered. "Yup, I'm from fifteen years in the future. Started out in a hellhole where the god they killed... I think it was a week or so ago?" They paused for a moment to thing before shrugging and continuing. "Whatever, doesn't matter. Anyhow that god killed them when I was 6 and Zane and I survived long enough to find a way back to help fix that. Now my time's better, but I still like coming here cause I can lounge around and no one cares."
To prove their point Mink yawned and blinked a few times before turning back to Mei. "So, what're you gonna do? I don't care if you rest up a bit figuring it out, but I don't know where your world is to make a Corridor to it. Could probably make one to my uncle's castle, but now's not a good time to go there. Everyone's probably still pissed off and sad from most of my aunts dying in the fight." That fact didn't bother Mink as much, simply because they had already been dead for them anyhow.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 13, 2018 19:41:13 GMT -5
Mei looked down once Mink explained everything, and then made her question. She fidgeted a bit, uneasy, seeing that going back home might be more trouble than its worth.
"I... I'm not sure..." she said, "I wish I could go back home... Everyone's probably worried sick about me... But..." Mei looked at Mink by a glance, "If you can't help me go back home, I guess there's not much I can do, anyways. I'm honestly not sure how I even got here to begin with..."
She sighed, looking back down. Even after knowing a bit about them, Mei still felt uneasy. She was like that, shy with people she wasn't acquainted to. Although Mink was Lucia's kid, that still wasn't enough to get rid of Mei's unease.
"Umm... If... If I'm staying here... Maybe I could start making myself at home... Right?" Mei asked after a while, "I'd... I'd hate to rely on someone to take care of me..."
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Post by Ziya on Sept 13, 2018 20:37:13 GMT -5
Mink took a long look at Mei, both at her aura and attire, before commenting again. "Can you fight? That's the best way to make it here. Always a bunch of Heartless that need killing, and the pay's decent just from what they drop." Their eyes narrowed as a though occurred to them. "Why the heck to they even have Munny to begin with? they're more likely to kill someone than buy anything." They thought about it for a moment before shrugging once again, already putting it out of their mind.
Mink could see, literally thanks to her aura, the anxiety Mei still had toward them. Sighing, they tried to use a more comforting tone for their next words. "Look, you don't need to be so nervous around me. I know I'm hard to read and real blunt, but I'm a decent person once ya get to know me. I'm just bad at socializing is all. If you need some help I can stick with you for a bit. I may be lazy, but I'm pretty handy in a fight."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 14, 2018 17:58:31 GMT -5
Mei raised her head at Mink's question, seeing that they were inquiring about her capability of fighting. She looked flustered, and fidgeted around a bit, trying to find a way to explain her capabilities.
"Umm... I can fight, but... I don't tend to fight alone. I'm too scared... Of fights in general... So more often than not, I stand on the back lines, and support the front liners... If you... Understand that..." she explained.
She drew a faint smile, seeing that Mink was really meaning to help, even suggesting to stick around with her for a while. After a while of thinking, Mei took a firm decision to keep Mink around for a while until she got the hang of things.
"If... If possible, Mink... Can we team up for a while? Until I get the hang of things around... Or... Well... Whenever you need to leave..." she asked, chuckling a bit.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 19:40:51 GMT -5
Mink nodded in understanding as Mei explained her fighting experience, then gave her a very small smile as she asked to team up a bit. That smile turned into a smirk as they responded. "Sounds good. Don't worry bout me needing to leave. I've got all the time I want."
"So," they hopped off the bed and actually stood instead of floating, hands in their pockets again, "what do ya want to do first? You can rest up here if you're still out of it, or we could grab a bite to eat and I could show ya around. Probably end up fighting something too, but most of the baddies here are all small fries."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 15, 2018 19:24:21 GMT -5
Mei wondered a while after they asked what to do next. She felt fine thanks to Mink's help, so resting wasn't really necessary. Looking around for a fight wasn't exactly a tempting option, either. But...
"How about... You show me around?" she asked, calmly, "I think it'd be nice to know where I can go shopping or the like..." she stood up, a bit more confident, "As for taking a bite... I'd much rather cook things myself. So... How about... I make us something to eat? I'll... I'll try to make something you might like."
She was smiling, now a bit more confident and sure of herself. In fact, she was looking forward to cook for both her and Mink, as it gave her an opportunity to felt at ease with a newly acquainted person. Besides, cooking had always been an important hobby for Mei herself, so giving away the chance to cook was not an option.
"I'm honest here. I really won't take 'no' for an answer..." she chuckled, "So... What do you say?"
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Post by Ziya on Sept 15, 2018 21:01:07 GMT -5
As Mei grew more confident Mink's tiny smile grew just a bit bigger. They always preferred it when people stood up for themselves, something they hadn't been sure she would be capable of just a few minutes ago. "That sounds great. My mom loves to cook too, and I'm not a picky eater."
As they neared the door Mink turned and looked over their shoulder at Mei, looking for something before speaking again. "You do have something to fight with on you, right? All the shops are in the First District, and you've already gotten lucky once. I doubt we're gonna get there without a fight."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 16, 2018 9:41:35 GMT -5
Mei smiled warmly after hearing Mink's reply, and stood behind them as they headed out. Once they made the question about fighting once more, Mei looked a bit confused. Hadn't she mentioned it before?
"I mean... I CAN fight. I just don't like to..." Mei replied, "If I have to, then I guess I'll fight, but... Most of the time, I'll just stay back... I will make up for it, though! I said it already, right? I'd rather support than fight head on..."
Outside, it was like a perpetual midnight. Lights were on, so it was easy to see where once had to go. Looking around, Mei caught onto a giant door, that looked as if it lead somewhere else. Although curious, she stood back, since, if Mink was right, Heartless would jump up at any given opportunity.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 16, 2018 12:54:06 GMT -5
Mink took a few steps away from the door, trying to sense if there were any Heartless nearby. They could sense something, but none seemed to have actually manifested yet so they looked back at Mei once more. "I was asking if you was a weapon, but I guess ti's fine either way."
They took another step, and three Shadows and a Soldier appeared. Sighing, Mink pulled their Murgleis Astraeus out, allowing the crystal to float above their left hand while pointing the rapier at the Heartless. "I knew it. They never can resist."
The Soldier immediately targeted them, either because it sensed they were the greatest threat or because they knew what Mink's other weapon was, but they simply turned to the side to dodge and slashed at it's back as it passed. The Shadows finally decided to approach as well, melting into the ground as they did.
Mink just sighed again and waited.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 16, 2018 13:07:07 GMT -5
Mei looked uneasy, but she knew she had her own rapier holding at a sheath behind her -thing she hadn't noticed up until now. For a second, she was relieved that she hadn't taken it off.
All that relief quickly dissapeared at Heartless appeared. She flinched, stepping back, even though they were just a few Heartless that posed no threat to them whatsoever. Mei instinctively grabbed onto her rapier's handle, eyes closed, and scared. Opening her eyes a bit, she noticed that Mink pulled their weapons and looked somewhat bored. They weren't scared, right? Much like Tori or Neku in a fight.
"M-Mink..." Mei muttered, a bit shaky, "C-Can you... Take 'em out...? I'l.. I'll support you...!" she shook her head, "But I really can't fight! I'm too scared!"
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Post by Ziya on Sept 16, 2018 18:06:19 GMT -5
Mink was very conflicted on Mei as the Heartless attempted to reach them. On one hand they hated cowards, but at the same time she had been nothing but upfront about it too. Mink decided it evened out before floating into the air to dodge the Shadows and the returning Soldier. "Sure, these are no sweat."
Ice magic pooled in their rapier while wind magic pooled in the floating crystal as Mink pointed both at the Heartless. "You need to chill. Duality Mage: Diamond Dust." The ice formed into five arm sized shards cloaked in wind before being launched at the creatures. On impact the shards killed the three Shadows outright, then they shattered into a super-chilled fog that flash froze the Soldier.
Completely unfazed Mink landed again and poked the Soldier with their rapier, making a clinking sound. "You wanna finish it?" They really didn't care, but it might be a decent way for Mei to get a little confidence.
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