ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Apr 6, 2019 18:27:57 GMT -5
The long-haired, semi blonde man stepped out of a swirling vortex and into an unfamiliar world full of screens and a large computer with a Moogle floating next to it. 'This is... new.' He looked around the world, taking in his surroundings. Computers were not an unfamiliar concept to him, however this many in such a small area was not something Yuto was expecting. The man looked around for a moment, taking in his surroundings before his eyes landed on a Moogle. A smile spread across the man's face 'They still exist? Score!' He was glad to see that some things from before his extended stay in the Realm of Darkness were still around.
The man approached the Moogle and handed it his Replikeyblade."Can you make this more fireproof?" The Moogle looked at the weapon for a moment and took it from the man with a nod and a promise of a quick return. As the Moogle wandered off with his new weapon, Yuto took a look at the screens. There were options for what appeared to be "games." There were arenas, races, and a few other things for people to do. 'What is this place? Some kind of competition world?' He turned his back and leaned on the keyboard. 'How much has everything changed so much?' The man understood that he was gone for almost two millennia, but still. There were some things that should've stayed at least stayed a little similar. Yuto stood there, lost in thought and reliving his old life in his head.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 7, 2019 22:24:25 GMT -5
The Vagabond currently had his hood up, his face shrouded in shadow as he hunched over one of the many computer modules that lined the outer rim of the 'Hub' space. The large sphere in the center of the room swirled silently, emitting a radiant light that illuminated the small spherical space. This world is too bright. The researcher thought bitterly as he fiddled with the keyboard. Multiple screens loomed around the walls, illuminating the room in screen light that blanketed the 'Hub'. When he had first arrived, the Vagabond had asked the Moogle about the area. Apparently this was a space used as an 'Arena' of sorts, for certain 'games' that were held. The thought caused the man to shudder.
I don't know about anymore games. He had been to a world once, a large Coliseum, where he had trained and fought with a certain cloaked swordsman. Not having felt a strong sense of positivity towards the idea, the Vagabond had instead focused on the vast array of computers on this world. His own lab had a large computer system, though it was ancient and broken. Finding solace in the fact that these computers actually worked, the Vagabond had begun to fervently search the database for any files related to the Heartless. Though the report he had found throughout his journeys assisted him, it was still incomplete, the pages scattered around who knew how many worlds. I can't rely on that work alone. It was nostalgic, navigating a database on a computer. Hm...which life was that? Having lost track of the time, the hooded man stretched, cracking his back as he reached his hands towards the sky. Yawning loudly, he stretched his arms over his chest before doing a few squats in place, "Ah, that'll get the blood moving!"
How long was I standing here? The computers were a vast array that covered the walls, none having any place to sit. It felt good to stretch his body after standing still for so long. That was when he noticed the presence of another person. There was another man in the 'Hub', a bit younger than himself by the looks of it. The man had long hair, dressed relatively normally. Watching as the younger man gave the Moogle on the other side of the room an odd key shaped weapon, the Vagabond crossed his arms a bit as he tapped his chin in thought. Why does that look familiar? He had known someone with a key shaped weapon before. Who was it, exactly? He couldn't remember. His memory had been more foggy than usual as of late.
The stranger walked over to another set of computers, leaning on the long wall keyboard that snaked around the room, allowing anyone to simply walk up to any monitor to use. He has that scent! The Vagabond's interest was piqued. The younger man had the faint stench of darkness lingering on him, something the Vagabond knew by smell after residing in that place for so long. Walking over towards the stranger, the researcher lowered the hood of his unbuttoned steel blue jacket to expose his face. His dull matte green eyes scanned the younger man before him for a moment, curiosity clear on his face as he smiled, flashing up a 'peace' sign with his hands.
"Ah, how unfortunate! You have the smell of misfortune on you~" The man laughed at his own quip, scratching the back of his hair as he further disheveled the already messy mop of brown.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Apr 7, 2019 23:18:58 GMT -5
Yuto was still reminiscing about times gone by when the voice snapped him back to reality. "Ah, how unfortunate! You have the smell of misfortune on you~" He looked up to see a man with scraggly brown hair who was not much older than himself. "What're yo-" The man stopped mid-sentence, putting two and two together. Why would he say something like that if he didn't already know? Granted, that place left a certain stain on those it touched. He cracked a smile, glad to not be the only one. "Victims, aren't we all?" The question was rhetorical, of course, but he extended his hand to the stranger, his brown-gold eyes glinting with excitement.
If this stranger went through something similar, maybe he knew some things Yuto didn't. But there was one question that he needed to get out of the way. "So, how long?" The question had multiple meanings. Time was largely irrelevant in that realm, but the effects were still noticeable on return. Especially when one was gone for more than a few centuries. He wanted to compare notes. However, if this stranger could teach him, he would be one step closer to understanding and maybe even controlling the power that he was forced to rely on. Anything was better than what he was doing now, which was flying blind.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 8, 2019 12:16:49 GMT -5
"Victims, aren't we all?" The Vagabonds dull eyes blinked as they scanned over the stranger. For the most part, he seemed like a normal dude. The stench was there however, hanging in the air. The Vagabonds nose twitched a bit. "So, how long?" For a moment he scrunched up his face in thought, crossing his arms and tapping on his chin as his gaze drifted towards the ceiling. How...long? He laughed heartily, slapping the man on the shoulder as he hunched a bit holding his stomach. "Oh~ You're a team player for sure!" His mood was lightened, thankful for the face to face interaction. He had been on those computers for a while now.
The Vagabond shook his head a bit, straightening up and smiling at the man. "Too long, in my opinion." The vague answer wasn't meant to be enigmatic. Truthfully, the man's memories and reference to time were a nightmare. Pieced apart and foggy, the Vagabond had almost no concept of time left these days. There was a comfort in talking to someone else who could relate. He hadn't stumbled upon many who had been to that place and returned to be haunted by it. There was an important belief he felt he needed to get across to the guy first, though. Raising a finger, the Vagabond pointed at the man with a stern look on his face. "I hate people who pretend to be a victim, though!" The finger stayed pointed and raised, though his dull green eyes had now closed as his brow furrowed in thought. "Nobody is special. We aren't victims. Others have gone there as well. We returned. The victims are the ones that remained."
His eyes had fluttered open, his face looking confused and a bit surprised, almost as if he had forgotten where he was or what he was doing. The finger he had raised fell to his side as he looked around the room. Resting his hands behind his head, the vagrant rocked on his heels for a moment. "Oh!" The Vagabond snapped his fingers, taking a step forward in surprise as he exclaimed. "I forgot, people typically like introductions by this point!" The man cleared his throat, straightening his posture before clapping his hands together and bowing slightly.
"..." For a moment he was silent. "I'm...The Vagabond." He straightened from his bow, raising a thick eyebrow at the man. "Your name?"
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Apr 8, 2019 15:36:53 GMT -5
"Yuto. The name's Yuto. He took the Vagabond's bow as a sign of respect from his world and returned the gesture. "And while I agree that those others have it worse off, we didn't get out unscathed." He understood the fact that not everyone could make it out, he wasn't even sure how he did with his heart intact. The man straightened himself. "But I'd rather not argue semantics."
This was the first person that could even begin to understand what he went through. Yuto wanted to be sure to not piss him off, especially considering the amount of questions he had and what he could learn. "So, what brings you here? Can't imagine it was a day trip." A world like this wasn't exactly a "just a whim" type. The Vagabond was alone, so arena training maybe? It wasn't a bad idea. But what would he train against? Yuto didn't see any type of robots or anything to fight. The Moogle was also a valid option, but if there was one here, there was surely ones in other worlds. As if on cue, the man felt a tug at his flannel. He looked down to see the Moogle holding his newly modified practice keyblade. "Ah, great, thanks." He took the weapon and examined it. The wood was stained almost black. He turned to the Moogle. "Synthesis?" The Moogle gave a small nod. "Awesome, here you go." After paying for the work done to his weapon and returning it to his back, the man turned back to his conversational partner. "Sorry about that, Where were we?"
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 8, 2019 22:30:00 GMT -5
The man's dull eyes scanned over Yuto as the man introduced himself. At the mention of not wanting to argue over semantics, the Vagabond laughed as he scratched the back of his head. He couldn't agree more. "So, what brings you here? Can't imagine it was a day trip." The question caught the Vagabond by surprise. For a moment, he scratched at the back of his head, looking down at the floor and putting a hand on his hip in thought. "Er...well, I'm a researcher of sorts~" The man gestured towards the large computer monitors he had been working on previously, before their conversation. "Originally, I came here to find new test subjects." His dull matte eyes scanned the spherical room.
"To my surprise, I found this database instead." The researcher raised an eyebrow as he watched the small Moogle make its way over towards them. It tugged on Yuto's shirt, hoisting up the large key weapon from earlier, though it looked different from before. "Sorry about that. Where were we?" Yuto's voice was faint in the Vagabond's ears as his eyes stayed glued to the large key shaped weapon. What was it called...? He remembered, she had one, though he couldn't remember her name. Pointing at the odd weapon, the Vagabond cleared his throat a bit.
"Er...what is that, exactly?" The Vagabond himself didn't fight with any weapons, being completely unarmed. He had seen individuals fight with swords, guns, hammers and many other varieties of weapons. It was rare to see one shaped like a key. The man hoped that hearing the name of the weapon might jog his memory, allowing him to recall the name of the friend he couldn't remember.
Yuto certainly was a peculiar character. One who reeked of darkness and fought with a key. How odd. The Vagabond thought it all quite pleasant, smiling as he waited for Yuto's response.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Apr 9, 2019 0:09:01 GMT -5
'Researcher? Test subjects?' An odd choice of words for anyone to say, let alone someone playing for team dark. Before Yuto could ask what he meant, the Vagabond pointed to the weapon on his back. "Er...what is that, exactly?" The question caught him off guard. 'Has he been gone that long? Interesting.' The semi-blonde man took the weapon off of his back and presented it to the "researcher." He took the time to closely examine it himself. He hadn't really taken a close look since he picked it up on his last trip. The blackened wood was offset by a now shiny white metal handle and a grey hand grip. 'Guess the universe has a sense of humor.'
Yuto looked up from his weapon to see the Vagabond smiling in wait for a response. "Oh, uh, it's a practice Keyblade. I picked it up not too long ago and figured I'd have some improvements made." He offered the replikeyblade to the researcher to examine up close. "So, can we rewind to when you said you were a researcher looking for 'test subjects.' The man was definitely concerned about what that could mean. "I was wondering what you meant by that. People with our, um, talents could have a phrase like that mistaken for something completely different." Yuto was fairly certain that the Vagabond was innocent in what he said, but the man couldn't be too sure. He subconsciously rested a hand on his bat, ready if anything were to go pear-shaped as things are want to do around him.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 10, 2019 10:18:28 GMT -5
"It's a practice Keyblade." Yuto's answer allowed the Vagabond a moment of recollection. The word 'Keyblade' sounded familiar, reminding him of the tropical Jungle he had first heard of such a weapon on. He couldn't remember the details, just that it had belonged to one of his dear friends that he met on that world. What was her name...? He shook his head a bit, hoping to knock loose the half baked nostalgia. The Vagabond remembered her and the bizarre 'Keyblade' she had used, but hardly anything about her remained. Yuto's voice pulled him out of his thoughts.
"So, can we rewind to when you said you were a researcher looking for 'test subjects'?" The Vagabond raised an eyebrow and tilted his head a bit at Yuto, genuine confusion coming across his face. When did I talk about my research? The Vagabond's broken memory was affecting him as he furrowed his brow a bit, crossing his arms over his chest as Yuto continued. "I was wondering what you meant by that. People with our, um, talents could have a phrase like that mistaken for something completely different." To be honest, the Vagabond hardly understood what Yuto was getting at.
"What I meant?" His left hand had lifted absentmindedly to his chin, a long pale finger poking out from the black fingerless glove tapping on his lips in thought. "I thought it was obvious..." He was mumbling now, almost grumbling to himself as he shook his head and turned around, lifting his hands up towards the large sphere in the center of the room. "Hearts! Wonderful things, powerful and virtuous, yet fickle and tainted!" His hands lowered to his sides, though his gaze remained on the large sphere of light, his dull green eyes showing no emotion, as always.
"I study Hearts." He had clasped his hands behind his back, spinning on his heels to look back at Yuto, his face grinning a bit. "What corrupts them? How far does that corruption go? Can they be saved?" The Vagabond had gotten closer to Yuto, poking a long finger into the man's chest as he prodded at him. "These are the questions I ask! These are what I search for meaning in! These answers are what shall bring the world salvation!" He had gotten a bit carried away. He didn't mean half of the stuff he was saying, but was simply caught up in the moment.
Taking a deep breath, the Vagabond seemed to compose himself as he took a step back from Yuto. Recreating the space that had been between them before he had poked at the man's chest, the Vagabond rocked on his heels, shoving his hands into the large pockets of his unbuttoned jacket. "Does that clear things up?" The vagrant smiled a bit, tilting his head as he asked his question.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Apr 10, 2019 15:43:32 GMT -5
'A way to cure hearts? Is that even possible?' The thought wasn't one that had ever entered Yuto's head. Granted, there were a lot of things that he didn't think of in the past. Where Heartless actually came from, what that place could do to a person, how to have full control of his new skills. These were all things that he never really thought possible. Yet here was this scholar of sorts claiming, no, declaring that he would find a way to cure a heart of its taint. The thought was both uplifting and unnerving.
"Does that clear things up?" The Vagabond's voice brought Yuto back to there conversation. "Somewhat, yeah." The man smiled at his own paranoia. "But if I'm being honest, I was afraid you were talking about the opposite. Using hearts for a darker purpose." The man returned the practice weapon to his back and approached the orb of light. It was oddly comforting, almost like he was looking into the heart of the world. "A question, if I may." There were a few he wanted to ask, but the man felt it best to not push the person he was talking to. "Have you done any studies into people like us? If so, what have you learned?" He didn't want to sound desperate, but the darkness never gave without taking. If it planned on taking more than it already did, Yuto wanted to be ready for it. Not only that, but he wanted to be able to use these skills against the darkness itself. He felt that it was only fair. The best way to survive was to use what you had to its fullest. "It's fine if you don't feel comfortable sharing, we are basically strangers after all." He realized that the question might have put the Vagabond on the spot. That was never a good thing, nor ever a comfortable situation for anyone. Yuto fiddled with his bat while he waited for a reply.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 10, 2019 16:13:20 GMT -5
The two stood side by side, staring at the large orb of light that rotated in the center of the 'Hub'. The Vagabond was curious about this 'Yuto' character, who seemed to have the taint of darkness upon them, too. "Somewhat, yeah." The other man's voice didn't sound too confident, causing the Vagabond to smirk a little bit as he chuckled. He's a curious one, too! Perhaps there were some other realms of possibility to explore on this world. "I was afraid you were talking about the opposite. Using hearts for a darker purpose." The thought caused the Vagabond to laugh loudly, resting a hand on Yuto's shoulder to steady himself as he hunched over. "A question, if I may." Yuto's voice caused his laughter to cease.
"Have you done any studies into people like us? If so, what have you learned?" It was a good question. A practical one. One that reeked of desperation and self preservation. The Vagabond felt a stir within him as he grinned a bit, turning his head to Yuto as he winked. "I haven't, as you're the first I've met." The vagrant pointed a finger at the man beside him, obvious curiosity brimming in his tone. "Other than myself, I have yet to meet another person who has escaped from that place." The Vagabond's dull eyes fell to the floor as he pondered aloud. "Unfortunately, with the current knowledge I have, I am unable to experiment on myself." Shoving his hands into his jacket pockets, the man turned and began to pace around the large orb.
His voice echoed and carried throughout the spherical room as he began to circle the large orb. "So far, I have conducted my research on the vast amount of corrupted hearts that litter the other worlds." He looked over his shoulder, a devilish smirk on his face. "You probably know them by the name of 'Heartless'." The vagrant laughed, holding a hand up to his forehead as he did so. "How ironic~" His research on the Heartless had started long ago, the information he had gathered vital and necessary to his overall goal. "I have been able to experiment with some world hearts...though they are much harder to come across." His tone betrayed a hint of disappointment.
Turning on his heels, the Vagabond eyed Yuto with a hint of excitement as he wondered aloud. "Though, I am open to it!" He began to walk back towards Yuto, tapping his chin in thought before stopping a few feet in front of him. "Most of what I have learned revolves around the balance hearts seek. Light and dark. Both must exist in perfect harmony, in order for neither to dominate the vessel." He was beginning to rant a bit, realizing it as he heard his own voice aloud. For a moment, the Vagabond trailed off, looking in the distance at nothing in particular. After a moment, he shook his head and looked back at Yuto with a smile.
"I work to take these corrupted hearts, from worlds or from Heartless, and attempt to regulate that balance." A slight frown formed on his face as he looked away. "Though...many of the experiments so far have ended with failure..." His gaze snapped back towards Yuto. "I've only had luck with the heart of worlds...I think the Heartless' lost heart relies too heavily on the darkness to sustain a form without it." His last experiment had brought him further. He had been so close to forcing the Heartless to relinquish its darkness, though it seemed the heart that had been corrupted couldn't remain stable during the process. I wonder...what a more powerful heart...could do? For a moment, his eyes lingered on Yuto.
"..." It seemed the Vagabond fell silent, lost in thought. This happened a lot, once he began to think about his research.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Apr 10, 2019 20:11:25 GMT -5
"I haven't, as you're the first I've met." The statement was disheartening, to say the least. He was hoping that someone who was at this for much longer than himself would have some answers. He watched as the Vagabond wandered around on his tirade of what his experiments entailed. The man worked on reverting Heartless. Yuto had to admit, the prospect was interesting. Hearts were something he could never hope to understand, but if he could keep people from losing their's or even return it after it was lost.
"Though, I am open to it!" Yuto tilted his head in confusion as the Vagabond talked about a heart's need for balance and failed experiments. "Open to what?" Yuto shifted his weight from foot to foot in uncertainty over the other man's statement. He didn't seem to be playing with a full deck, but Yuto doubted the man would harm him, it was just hard to fully understand what the Vagabond was talking about and what he intended. There was the chance that Vagabond was talking about using him as a test subject. He wasn't opposed to it, he just wanted to be sure that was what the other man was talking about.
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 11, 2019 12:14:57 GMT -5
"Open to what?" Yuto seemed to be confused at trying to stay on the Vagabond's level. The researcher's dull matte eyes scanned over the other man, almost as if he were searching for something. Poking a finger at Yuto's chest, the vagrant had a whimsical expression on his face. He rolled his eyes a little before exclaiming: "Discovering more about us, of course!" Suddenly, the Vagabond was beside Yuto with an arm snaked over his shoulders as he laughed. "I can't look at my own heart, but I could certainly examine yours~" His eyes remained as dull as ever, not a hint of light in them at all.
Still wearing a broad smile, the vagrant suddenly let go of Yuto, spinning before halting dramatically to raise his arms in the air. "It would be my best discovery yet!" He beamed at Yuto, excited at the endless possibilities. Perhaps I can learn more here, after all! Though the database had allowed him to gather information about the Heartless, it had hardly aided him in his research on how to revert a corrupted heart or restore an incomplete one. A thought broke though to him however, causing his smile to falter a bit as he tilted his head and scratched the back of it.
"Hm...we'd have to do it at my lab, though." He gazed at Yuto, a new determination firing within him as he grinned a bit. "You should finish whatever it was you came here for. I can help you, too~" He couldn't have Yuto become injured or in danger during whatever it was he had come to this world for, that would hinder his research. I'll guard him! The Vagabond straightened himself a bit, his broad posture causing him to loom in the small room.
"Let me know, either way." He was eager to hear the man's response.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Apr 11, 2019 14:43:24 GMT -5
"Discovering more about us, of course!" That much should've been obvious. It was what they were talking about. Yuto's eyes held a glimmer of excitement at the thought of finding out more about what he could do, how to control it. He had a hard time trying not to smile as the Vagabond talked about looking at his heart and making discoveries. "Hm...we'd have to do it at my lab, though. You should finish whatever it was you came here for. I can help you, too~"
So, the man had a lab of his own and wasn't just a wandering soul. That was good to know. 'Must be nice to have a place to rest your head.' The thought caught him by surprise. He had a home that was being rebuilt. Sure it wouldn't be the same, but he was technically young enough to live an entire lifetime with new people and a place to go to after a long journey. He had to hold out hope that he could figure everything out by the time he returned.
Yuto noticed that the Vagabond was staring at him. "Oh, sorry. I did everything I came here to do already." All he wanted to do when he got to this world was to upgrade his replikeyblade. Now that that was done, he had no other plans on what to do. This was the best possible direction he could go right now. "Lead on, whenever you're ready."
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 12, 2019 0:52:27 GMT -5
A stir of excitement coursed through him as the Vagabond smiled broadly at Yuto's response. "Oh, sorry. I did everything I came here to do already. Lead on, whenever you're ready." Leaping forward with a shout of glee, the vagrant grabbed Yuto's hands in his. "Oh~ Wonderful!" He wasn't sure how long he had spent on that database system, but it had been long enough for his liking. He preferred more hands on research. He had never had a background in science, or in experimenting on things. That was all stuff he learned after that place.
Desperate and hopeless, the man had arrived back to the Realm of Light with a newfound darkness in him. It was his own drive and personal goals that pushed him to the path of a researcher. "Let's get going, then!" He let go of Yuto's hands, his steps light with excitement as he walked away from the large orb towards one of the spherical room walls. Aiming his left gloved hand out in front of him, the Vagabond used his right hand to pull up the steel blue hood of his jacket as a large portal of darkness emerged.
Still in place, the swarming tendrils of darkness beckoned a portal that would take the two to where the Vagabond had established his lab. "You'll love Radiant Garden. It really is a beautiful world." Pride swelled in his chest. It had taken him quite some time to remember the name when he had first gotten back from that odd castle. Where was that place, again? With that, the hooded man beckoned for Yuto to follow as he walked into the darkness, abandoning this world to its own devices once more.
He tended to come and go, like that.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Apr 12, 2019 1:29:45 GMT -5
"You'll love Radiant Garden. It really is a beautiful world." The name had caught Yuto by surprise. 'You mean it's still around?' He shouldn't have been too surprised, his friend was able to seal its heart. It was also almost two millennia after the fact, so the surprise was warranted. He followed the Vagabond through his portal in a bit of a daze. It was so long since he was there, he never thought to travel back considering what happened to his own world. He figured that if his fell to ruin, so did the others he knew.
"So, how long have you been in Radiant Garden?" The thought of getting to know this Vagabond just now crossing his mind. He barely knew the man and was now following him to a lab in a world he hadn't been to in multiple lifetimes. That being said, this man could be taking him to any world and call it Radiant Garden and Yuto would believe him. He didn't think that was the case though. Something about their shared experience made the Vagabond appear more trustworthy than most people the man met.
He was also excited to see the man's lab. Admittedly Yuto was never much of a computer person, or an academic for that matter, so it would be an interesting experience. 'I wonder what kind of lab has the technology to deal with hearts.' The prospect was mind-boggling. How long was this field of study an actual field of study? He was too curious to turn back now. They also happened to be approaching the end of the Vagabond's dark corridor, so turning back was beyond pointless.
(Continued in Radiant Garden.)
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Post by hoodwink on Apr 12, 2019 11:26:22 GMT -5
[[Thread is currently continuing on the 'Radiant Garden' world]]
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