In a cataclysm known as the Nightfall, the worlds were almost completely destroyed by a harrowing surge of darkness.
In the shadows of the ensuing chaos a new group has taken shape. Led by an Aegyl named Kalos, the 11th Hour touts an esoteric knowledge of how to combat the darkness and restore the worlds. They might be the worlds’ best chance at survival; but nobody really knows enough about them to confirm or deny their claims.
On the brink of collapse, the universe holds its breath in anticipation. Of restoration? Of destruction? It is up to individuals like yourself to decide.
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There aren't enough praises in the world I'd like to give to wonderful coders for the Proboards community. The following have contributed to World Destiny in some way: W3 Schools for countless how-tos and countless of other souls who have helped get WD up to where it is.
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Merida's steps were small as she walked the streets, her eyes darting about to take in the surroundings. The hood of her traveling cloak was up, covering her fiery mane; she sought to be inconspicuous in this place she didn't know.
In her chest, her heart still jumped at the odd sound. She'd fainted at a very pivotal moment in her life, and Mor'du's deadly growls seemed to be lurking behind her at every moment. She half expected the demon bear to come lunging out at her from behind the unusual shops; had he followed her here to this strange place, a place so different from her home?
Sure, the roads and streets were paved with stone, which was a small slice of familiarity. But the market was strange - shops held up by what seemed to be wood and metal pipes, with signs that glowed vibrantly on their own, as though lit up internally by a thousand candles. And their wares were strange - little vials of quietly glowing liquids, outlandish weaponry that seemed too animated and cumbersome for a real battle, bracelets and pendants that were said to protect one from magic. Merida spent a little bit of time looking at those, wondering what sort of "magic" they meant, as she didn't see a cauldron or anything (and reading the signs that labelled some as "fire resistant" and whatnot did not clear anything up, as fire was hardly magic). But when the shopkeeper arched an eyebrow at her and asked irately if she was going to buy anything or just sit and stare, the princess moved on without a word, her voice all jammed in her throat.
For even if the shops were... well, normal, it was the inhabitants that spooked her the most.
A lot of the dialect she didn't understand. Strange, rich accents floated her way, and she found herself stopping to listen more than once, having heard nothing like it. High and low voices that over-pronounced every word, monotonous and dark tones, even the occasional squawking. That part was interesting enough, but the physical appearances of people were more disconcerting.
Some seemed all right, just normal people (though wearing clothing of most unusual shapes, cloths, and colors). But others were straight-up animals, walking on two legs as if they were human! She tried not to stare - as no one else was really paying them any mind - but found it hard to avert her eyes when one walked by her way. And even if they weren't animals, some people looked so weird that she wasn't quite sure what to think. There didn't seem to be a lot of... people (for lack of better term) milling about, however, so Merida did her best to not attract attention, even though it was pretty obvious that she was hopelessly lost, and the traveling cloak with its hood up made her a little bit more conspicuous than she'd like to admit.
The further she walked, the more she hoped it was all some sort of elaborate dream... but the less likely it seemed that she was actually dreaming.
And she had no idea - none at all - of where she was or what to do. It was worse than being lost in the woods and having momentarily forgotten the way home; at least she knew how the wild worked. She'd never seen this town in her life, she didn't know how she ended up here or what had happened to her family or why the earth back home had been completely breaking apart or how to get back or how she could even live in this environment with no money and no food and no shelter...
She stopped walking momentarily and stared up at the sky, mulling it all over. to her horror, she felt wetness begin to pool up in the corners of her pale eyes. Angrily she wiped it away, not giving into weakness like that. She was strong, she'd find a way to survive... even if it meant asking for help.
Post by Ellie who has 0% on Jul 15, 2012 19:54:38 GMT -4
With a hum in her head, there was an extra pep to her step, while talking long confident strides throughout Radiant Garden. The world itself seemed to run on a certain rhythm as she just walked through the crowd without having to bob, weave, or bump into anyone. Everyone was coming and going in the market strip at their leisure lively as ever, and all it took was a perky blonde to top it off.
"Hey!" Her voice rang, "how are ya doin' today?"
The blonde started small talk with a creature that looked like a floating stuffed teddy bear with a large bulbous red nose and an equally read poof pom pom sticking from an antenna from the center of its head,"...Aaah you know the usual, I swear it seems like I'm the only one on duty today....Mmm, that's a GOOD question, buuut knowing them they're either at Merlin's House, the Castle, or scouting on the outskirts....Nope haven't had any problems with them lately, which is kinda good, you know. This place needs a break, but hey might as well enjoy the peace while it lasts."
"Also have you heard of anything from Spira....Eeeh I understand you have to do what you gotta do; I haven't even found much time to check on other worlds either. Well have a nice day, and don't forget to try those overdrive mixtures. You can always pop by just in case," the conversation ended with a laugh and a wave before she was on her way. Her bright swirled emerald eyes had a giggle of their own with a gleam, while her lengthy ponytail bound hair swayed with each step she took.
She was one of the active members of the Radiant Garden Committee as well as the Gullwings, but no one here what that meant, nor would anyone know she just bid farewell to a member, who's off in the stars with a new partner. Although she waved everything off with a smile and knew that Yuna needed a break after all she had been through, it left a damp rain on her parade to know her cousin needed the company of a stranger to be rejuvenated. A while ago it seemed like she was pinning for Spira and gone towards a borderline depression; now she was anxious to leave her with some kid.
Hmph, I swear he just wanted to steal Yuney away from me...Then again, I can see why; he seemed kinda lonely himself to want to push her to tell me she was leaving...just for she can go run off with him, if it any other person, the Al Behd may have felt a twinge of bitterness, but all her heart can bear was sympathy. Plus she can always hunt them down when she wanted to, since worlds hardly bound her down. Speaking of companionship, she hardly had much outside of the Gullwings and the Committee.
For someone as talkative as she was, it was alarming how her circle was so small. Yes, she occasionally strike conversation with the fellow townspeople and what not, but it never expanded from elaborate hello's and small talk. It seems in her own way she'd became a hermit like Yuney; instead of yearning, she was busy with her gummiship amongst other things.
Walking on, she stopped once catching something peculiar. Okay maybe it wasn't that peculiar, but seeing a bundle of dark navy blue with readable green eyes that were whipping away tears wasn't a norm here. Speaking of norm, she doubt she'd ever seen this girl before; now she was thinking twice weather she'd knew everyone to make that judgement call; either way, she stood out like a swore thumb with her clothing and that quick hopeless expression on her face only concerned her.
Blonde brows knitted, while her eyes wandered, thinking up of what to do. When in doubt, keep it casual, "Heeey!"
"It's a beautiful day today in the gardens, so smile," she shrugged impishly with a smile.
Merida gave a start, and her pale blue eyes widened for a moment. Images of Mor'du crept, unabated, into her mind... but of course the demon bear couldn't speak, let alone in a recognizable language - and with a chipper girl's voice no less. A voice that was very obviously directed at her.
How did she know? Well, a single glance away from the sky and towards the streets offered the view of a young blond girl, probably only a few short years older than Merida - a girl that was walking directly towards her (perhaps "bouncing" was a more apt term, as her energy seemed quite high). It was obvious that the voice had come from the blond, slightly taller girl.
A smile crossed the girl's face as she neared Merida - a slightly mischievous smile. "It's a beautiful day in the gardens today, so smile," the girl continued (in an accent Merida didn't recognize, so she had to adjust her ears to understand a little bit).
Instantly, a flashback occurred in mind's eye - an image of her graceful mother with a tender look in her eye, clasping her daughter's shoulders and saying, "Remember to smile."
The thought almost brought on a new wave of tears, but Merida held them back. She lifted up her shoulders a bit and stood tall and proud - a posture she was familiar with. The girl's perkiness had irritated her momentarily as well - but that conceited moment passed.
Feeling as though familiarity was called for, Merida tugged back her hood (though without any dramatic flourish) causing her fiery locks to tumble back down to her waist. She pushed a particularly stubborn curl out of her face and offered up a (slightly reluctant) half-smile.
"Um, so this land is a gairden?" she asked in response, her brows knitting a bit in confusion, and her thick Scottish accent coming off strongly. Thank goodness her mother had taught her how to properly pronounce words, otherwise none but a true Scottish Highlands native could understand (and she might end up like poor Lord MacGuffin's son, whom no one understood). "Tha's a wee bi' strange, Ah dinnae see any gairdens."
She frantically searched her mind for something else to say - but she was never much for small talk or socializing. Placing the subtlety behind her, she added, "By th' way, wha' manner o' place is this, anyhow?"
Post by Ellie who has 0% on Jul 15, 2012 20:52:36 GMT -4
If her eyes can pop out of her skull, it would be bouncing along the cobblestone; she had suspicions that she was a foreigner, but her accent just topped the cake with all the icing it could handled. She'd almost squealed at how adorable it was, but Rikku pulled in the reigns knowing how maniacally creepy that would've been. Even her hair was so alluring in how fiery bouncy red and wild it was. She felt a light smile tugging at her lips; this girl truly was something else. Something totally different than what she had been running into lately. Oddily enough she was starting to like it.
Also she could understand having a voice that stood out; that's was her years ago when she was primarily fluent in Al Behd. Even now she would slip in a few words or sentences in her native tongue. If anything this gave a comforting familiarity and freshness, "No, no, no this place is called Radiant Garden, and there are a few gardens out here; you just need to know where to find them."
She turned her back to her momentarily, "Juust right beyond the neighborhood, but not too far into the ravines. It's a pretty neat place, especially at the right moment."
When the world rained light it is a magical hour, "But I doubt you're up for site-seeing just yet. Seeing how you've...just arrived and all. I'm Rikku, you friendly neighborhood Gullwing and member of the this world's committee. I know...eeeh this whole thing can be quite a shock...."
She looked around taking in the world again; it was truly different from her own world. She could remember when she crash landed into this foreign place. The Gullwings were just as antsy. One moment they were flying the skies; they next they were being forced into the space and catapulted into a foreign world. Yet they couldn't stay fearful for long, since they were on a mission to find spheres and one pulled them straight her. The same would be for this girl as well; the worlds had many mysteries, so even she can't stay in the luxury of the comfort zone, but seeing how boldly she recovered, Rikku hardly foresee much problems in that department, "...new world and all, but it gets better."
"Radiant Gairden..." Merida tested out the name, liking the way it rolled off her Scottish tongue. What a funny name, too! An interesting name for a strange place. She wondered briefly if there were any Clans from around here, but gathered that it wasn't; it seemed sort of like a meeting place, perhaps. Maybe if she traveled for a couple of days - preferably by horseback, if she could find one - she'd reach her own lands again... That would be a relief.
"But I doubt you're up for site-seeing just yet. Seeing how you've...just arrived and all. I'm Rikku, you friendly neighborhood Gullwing and member of the this world's committee. I know...eeeh this whole thing can be quite a shock...."
Merida found herself having difficulty understanding what this "Rikku" was saying (another interesting name; she'd never heard the like of it before). What was a "Gullwing?" Also, what did "Rikku" mean by "world?" Was that just another way of saying "land?" Whatever it was, the implications were causing her heart to sink down to the pit of her stomach.
And then the word was there again. "...new world and all, but it gets better," Rikku finished off after a moment of silence. Merida wrinkled her nose in confusion.
"World? In... in wha' manner o' speakin'?" she asked hesitantly. "D'you mean tha'... tha' ma 'ome's a... a bi' fairther away than jus' a few days o' walkin'?"
Post by Ellie who has 0% on Jul 15, 2012 23:16:15 GMT -4
Oh boy, Rikku bit on her lip at what was asked of her. She had to pop this girl universal bubble, and she wondered if that would be the greatest thing to do standing in the middle of a public market, "Yeeaaaaaaah, come with me."
Turning on her toes, she looked around for the closest pub or something to sit down for this pep talk, "I never had to explain all of this to someone, and it's nothing itsy bitsy teenie weenie either."
Sweeping around an outdoor serving table of a pub, she swung a chair open for the nameless red head and plopped in the other. She leaned back in her seat propping up her elbow on the arms,"To answer your question, yes your home is way to far to walk, hike, or wiggle dance to. Actually what is the last thing you remember before coming here?"
Her eyes shifted once a shadow cast over them, the waiter; Rikku leaned over and whispered for water before encouraging the waiter to wiggle along with haste. She doubt the girl wanted an audience before telling the unknown destruction of her world. It was unfortunate that it had to come down to that, and of all things Rikku had to tell her, especially now that she asked and...had to know. She wondered if meeting new people from vanished worlds would desensitize her from it. Thus far it didn't, and the worst part, she couldn't even phantom the feeling. Sure she had to defend her world from Sin, which could've led to its impeccable doom. In that regards, she can feel the tension, anxiety, and fear of loosing it all and kiss goodbye everything she knew, but she never met the bitter end of loosing it all.
Merida swallowed, following slightly behind the girl - Rikku - as she led her away to a more secluded place. A quiet table among a few - mostly uninhabited - was set up outside another one of the peculiar little shops. She wasn't quite sure what this was for, and removed her traveling cloak to drape across the chair opposite Rikku, the one the blond had so kindly propped up for her - and then she saw a man taking placing food down at a table, the only other one with an inhabitant, and she thought: maybe this was a place for people to get food, but instead of saving it, they ate it immediately, like an instant market?
Her mind snapped back to the topic at hand, however, when she seated herself. It dawned on Merida that she hadn't yet shared her own name, though Rikku had been kind enough to do so a little earlier.
"To answer your question, yes your home is way to far to walk, hike, or wiggle dance to. Actually what is the last thing you remember before coming here?"
Before Merida had time to think, the man she'd been observing a moment earlier visited their table. She watched him with slight suspicion until - after a whispered conversation - Rikku sent him away. Perhaps he would bring them food as well? She wasn't particularly hungry, though, so that would be a bit of a waste. Maybe she ought to mention that if the moment ever came up...
All these sidetracking thoughts were doing a great job of avoiding the issue at hand. In truth, Merida was feeling a lot of trepidation about the whole thing, and wanted to remain stubbornly convinced that it was all a dream. Something about the way Rikku talked about "explaining" this, about how far away her home was, and about how she'd brought them to a more private area made Merida wonder if she even wanted to know... if it might just make her feel more lost.
But Merida doesn't back down from things that scare her. So she sucked in a breath, steeled her resolve, and thought through what to say. Obviously the whole story wouldn't do - that would take too much time, and Rikku was pretty much a complete stranger anyways. Best just to mention when things really stopped making sense, instead of almost-sense.
"Ah remember... Mor'du - th' demon bear - advancin' on oos. Me in pairticular. 'e'd 'ad a fight comin' fer a while now, bu' these... these creatures were with 'im, wee shadow devils, an' then th' ground stairted shakin' an' breakin' oop an' splittin' apair', laike some great starm in th' eairth. Ah fell through one o' th' cracks an' then Ah woke oop... here."
Yes, there were a lot of holes, but that was what was important. No need to mention the curse or her family; the events she mentioned were what had happened right before she woke up, and that was all Rikku had asked for.
Post by Ellie who has 0% on Jul 16, 2012 17:12:19 GMT -4
Oy...why me?!
Her mind was on a rant, while the girl answered the easily answered question. It became a norm now that Rikku might as well came out and say it, but the Gullwing rather have confirmation before she goes all 'hey your world is gone into itty bitty pieces floating in space, while everyone in it is who knows where.' There was no need to scare her when it wasn't necessary, but now it became...somewhat inevitable. There were some details that made the blonde scrunch her brows; it took her a while to dissect some words through her thick accent, but a 'demon bear' clearly stood out.
What was this girl doing with a fiend?!
It would be simple-minded to think that manifested restless spirits would only haunt Spira, but it was a first to hear of it on another world. Also with such an odd dark ominous name that gave Rikku the heeby jeebies, it was even more alarming that a spirit so restless and evil had enough darkness to lure out enough heartless to feed and ravage her world whole. Hopefully that demonic bear had disappeared alongside her world. May whatever light that's left in the worlds glow brightly if that thing was still alive, prowling, and growling. True, Rikku wasn't one to openly say she feared the heartless, which she didn't, but she wasn't a fool to think there isn't ANY danger lurking around.
"Aye, well to say this simply...those shadow devils are called heartless. They are darkness...some even say evil that feeds on hearts. Now hearts are everywhere...in you...in me and even in the worlds. So from your story, it sounds like that bear, that...Mordu, was bad enough to attract them to your world, and they went straight towards the heart."
Inwardly, she groaned and lifted a foot to rest on her chair; arms hugged it close to her chest as she rested her chin on it, "Sorry to say this and there...really isn't an EASY way to say it, but your world...is gone, and when a world is destroyed...the people who survived like you...appear on other worlds. The Heartless...they are very greedy and blind creatures...little devils they are; they take hearts for power and to multiple themselves, so that won't be the last you seem them. Fortunately from your story, it sounded like it happened pretty fast...so I doubt known of your friends and family are lost to darkness...."
Her green swirled eyes flicked up towards the redhead to see how she was taking it. She pelted her with rocks of bad news, which made the mechanic feel a twinge of guilt, "but but it isn't over you know. This world...kinda went through the same too, but people managed to fight for it to bring it back to its old self. So all is not lost...kay."
The beginning of Rikku's monologue was a bit hard to decipher. The name she had given the shadow beings - "Heartless" - was enough to be confusing; did she mean the absence of the literal heart? Well, considering the heart was a well of emotion - emotions like love and trust (so what her mother had always taught her) - it wasn't hard to believe that the Heartless were drawn to Mor'du; the evil creature had not an ounce of humanity left in his body after all the years of being cursed.
And these Heartless... were after hearts? Merida supposed she could understand. Beings have such desires for what they don't have, such desires to change their fates, as it were... She herself had sought a way out of marriage, Mor'du a way to conquer kingdoms, and Heartless... a way to become whole again, perhaps? Maybe the creatures thought having a heart could complete them, and that was why they were constantly after them?
But maybe not... these creatures seemed instinctive, not thinking. So, then, why was it in their instinct to hunt hearts?
Ugh. Thinking about this too much made her head hurt. Merida herself was not a creature of thought either - she was a creature of emotions, and that had gotten her mother cursed and herself nearly killed. She wondered if there was magic involved, and if Heartless were perhaps evil versions of Wisps. She settled on that thought, as it was one that made some amount of sense to her.
But as Rikku continued to talk, she veered away from abstract ideas and into a topic that made Merida's stomach clench.
Her world... destroyed? Her family... what had become of them? Her home, her entire life... wiped out by these monsters. In her momentary despair, Merida clutched at her hair - her fingers twining into the tangles - and stared at her lap unseeingly. But the way Rikku worded it made her hope that, perhaps, her family had survived, as she had, and she would just have to find them.
Merida's grasp on what Rikku meant by "world" was no longer quite as tenuous. Thinking back to her lessons - and the memories caused a hollow pain in the pit of her stomach - she recalled Elinor explaining something she called astrology and that, if you looked at the sky on a clear night, you could see whole other worlds. So - if Merida was understanding correctly - she was on one of those other worlds this moment.
Ordinarily, she would've been excited and nervous at the same time, her curiosity ready to go into overdrive. But this was not a happy occasion or some sort of vacation, this was disastrous.
However. She had someone - or a lot of someones - to blame. The little Heartless devils took all this from her, them and Mor'du. Anger bubbled up in her previously empty gut, and her fingers removed themselves from her hair and clenched into fists. As long as there was someone to blame, there was something she could do about it. Her mother's curse was the witch's fault (or at least, it was, until Merida admitted to herself that it was probably her own selfishness) and the anger at the injustice drove Merida into action.
Little did she realize that anger and blame only opens up one's heart to the darkness...
"...How?" she asked of Rikku finally, lifting her eyes, a hardened resolve having come over the pale blue, her father's temper briefly emerging. "How do Ah ge' ma 'ome back? An' 'ow do Ah find ma family?"
Post by Ellie who has 0% on Jul 16, 2012 19:49:45 GMT -4
Aaaah, why do I feel like I lost her like a strand of hay in a needle stack....
Her face didn't look dumbstruck, but she could literally see the gears twitching and click in her mind to the point it looked kind of painful. The Al Behd swore she could see a vein at the corner of her eyes pulsating and flexing with the strain of trying to either cope or grasp what she just dumped on her.
Well at least she's not crying
Optimism was shot down as Merida grabbed a handful of her hair. The blonde physically winced, and her own hand twitched urging her to touch the other shoulder as if for...emotional support. But they were still strangers to one another; heck she didn't even know the flaming red's name. And from despair and panic, the girl clenched tightly into anger. Her knuckles were turning white, while all the blood swelled at her balled up fingers. The thief could feel the girl's finger nails digging into her flesh in frustration at the boiling anticipation. Rikku was at lost in what to do next, since the girl looked like a ticking Bomb, literally. Her hair was fiery red like one, and her anger was fueling her as well; she was just...uncertain how...large her explosion would be.
She could handle monster and fiends, but angry emotional teenagers was another story and chapter.
"How?"
The question snapped the concern off of Rikku's face as she hummed in confusion at the single world.
"How what?"
"How do Ah ge' ma 'ome back? An' 'ow do Ah find ma family?"
"Uuuh that isn't the most easiest of solution, one I don't even completely know. Well for one everything can be resolved by the key, and when I say key...I mean literally a key. There's a weapon called the keyblade, and the wielder of that should be able to fix and restore all of this. He did...if I recaaaall had done it before; it's...kinda his duty to do it again," Rikku was hesitant to name drop Sora. There were many worlds lost, and she wondered how fair was it for either party. There were people loosing home and family, while the load and responsibility was dropped on him. Running into him a year ago, Rikku was confident that he would shake a leg; he was that kind of someone to help regardless, "I know it's a big pill to swallow, but...everything would be fine. The main problem now is just...how did all of this happen all over again. The disappearing and fall of worlds happened before I heard, and there was motivation behind it. I'm not to sure what's up this time around though."
"As for your family, easy thing to say is to start searching. With that you'll need a gummiship; it's like an aircraft that can fly through space and to other worlds. That's like...the only MAIN safe way I know of to travel...that and if you can teleport like myself...you know just poof from one world to another."
A key would solve her problems, Rikku was saying? No, wait - a keyblade, a weapon... that appeared to have a specific wielder. Perhaps the wielder had made it himself, for Merida had never heard of such a blade before, and her father had been well-versed in weapons and taught her much about them.
But this mysterious fellow remained nameless, much to Merida's displeasure. He would've been a prime candidate to help her get back home. The way Rikku worded it, this person had a lot of weight on his shoulders; she was all too familiar with duty and what had to be done. Had she been too selfish - that was, before she had finally admitted that she was wrong - she would've asked - no, demanded to know the name of the wielder, and would've confronted him for help, as she had done with the witch.
But... Merida's brow creased as she thought. The term "duty" had thrown her off-guard. Maybe he no more wanted the burden than she had wanted to be a princess, and she understood that all too well. If that was the case, perhaps it would be best if she left him be (though she was still rather keen on meeting the wielder of such a strange weapon that sounded mighty powerful). Reaching this conclusion, she huffed out a long, irritated sigh. She hated doing nothing.
However, Rikku was saying something interesting now, something about the "fall of the worlds" and how it had happened before. Merida's interest perked up for a moment; apparently, there had been "motivation" last time, whatever that meant... Was somebody making the worlds disappear?
Merida suppressed a shiver at the idea of that kind of power... It was horrifying, really.
But a brighter statement came next. Rikku offered the option of search via - if she had heard correctly, which she wasn't sure - a "gummiship" or some such nonsense. Apparently teleportation was also available to some people, but Merida doubted she had magically gained the ability just because she had moved worlds. Everything about her felt basically the same.
With that, a half-formed plan began to spin around in her head.
"So, Ah think Ah've got it. Ah'll find me a... goomi ship" - the word tripped her tongue up, trying to find a way around her accent - "look fer ma family, an'... an'..."
She frowned, trailing off. What then? She couldn't restore her world on her own; it would seem she'd need the "Keyblade" to do that, and apparently there was a specific wielder for that already. She didn't know who he was and knew better than to ask. So... so...
"Oh!" the princess exclaimed suddenly, sitting bolt upright, and thinking aloud. "Ah could... Ah could... find ou' wha's been motivatin' this raight mess an' 'ave a go a' them!" Merida grinned to herself, unaware of the gravity of that statement. Of course, she realized that the Heartless were probably part of that motivation, but she had no idea how powerful they were, nor their controllers - whomever they may be. All she knew was that she finally had a plan of action, and her mouth and brain were moving a mile a minute.
"D'you whare Ah can find a goomi ship 'round here, Rikku?" she inquired of the blond. "Or wha' it even is?" Her eyes widened as a thought suddenly occurred to her. "Rikku, ye dinnae ma name, do ye? Ah'm - "
Merida hesitated for maybe half a second. She'd been about to say "Princess Merida," as was her customary greeting... but suddenly, here, nobody knew who she was, and that she was a Princess, and maybe... maybe she didn't have to tell anybody.
A sense of duty clawed at her stomach for a moment. Her world was gone, and that title was one of the few things she still had left. But she'd never been fond of it, and now she had the chance to hide it, to ignore it, to not be a princess.
The thought was too enticing to resist.
" - Merida," she finished confidently. "Merida o' Clan DunBroch."
Post by Ellie who has 0% on Jul 17, 2012 17:24:38 GMT -4
Rikku returned her skillful eyes on the girl; this was pretty much the first time Rikku even conversed with another so much, and it was the first she had to explain anything of this caliber to anyone. So she wasn't sure how to respond precisely. After the flare of distressing anger the redhead let out, Rikku been playing additional clips of possibilities of how the girl could react to all of this. It made her feel somewhat prepared to be resourceful and helpful if everything hits the fan and splatter all over the place.
She was actually relieved she didn't inquire more questions about the keyblade wielder, Sora. But it left a bitter taste in her mouth if she projected Sora in a good light. She met the kid...even tried to steal from him, and he had a kind heart, a big one too. Perhaps it was too big for his own good, but people like that reminded her of Yuna, so she couldn't help but to respect. Pssh once upon a time she tried to steal and protect Yuna from her own fate, a fate she changed. Although she had spent a so many months in Radiant Garden, Rikku didn't know the fate of the keyblade wielders; all she knew that a dark cloud seems to be around or follow them when one is needed.
She had been in similar positions so she could empathize on that note. Hopefully when the girl learned more she would understand the worlds predicament and sensitive scale that can tip so effortlessly with darkness' presence. Hopefully after all of this she would stand up and prepare herself. Rikku wouldn't blame if she wanted to take it slow; it was a lot to adjust to in a short amount of time. Yet the girl surprised her with the plan she'd already etched out. When her sentence faltered, blonde brows knitted up.
Was she biting off more than she could chew so soon?
"Oh! Ah could... Ah could... find ou' wha's been motivatin' this raight mess an' 'ave a go a' them!"
Oh yeah she totally was; still the brightness of her spirit couldn't stop Rikku from chuckling at her new found enthusiasm. If everything can go this girl's way, she would be packing on a gummiship right not asking about whereabouts of her family, hunting blindly for heartless, and who knows else. Despite how light-hearted Rikku could be, she knew when to not overdo it, and it would purely be irresponsible of her to just send the girl on her way. She was new here to everything; an hour ago, this girl, well Merida now, knew nothing about heartless, multiple worlds, the hearts of all that lives and the danger that chases them. Hell she haven't even met the Nobodies yet or knew anything of the previous advances on hearts that stimulated the heartless.
Yuna was already with one kid; Rikku hardly knew what Novi was about or how much fighting background a chronicler had. Perhaps fate broadened her duties to be a guardian again. Yes, she was here for Radiant Garden too, but...she couldn't just not look after the other in some shape or form...knowing she's...alone.
"Alright alright Merida, you gotta goody goody gumdrop plan right there. As for a gummiship, it's a vehicle to ride on. Instead of traveling on the ground, you can fly it through the sky and even outside of worlds. It's called gummi for the stuff its made of...they're kinda flexible and squishy, which I guess makes them pliable to make different ships. Also from what I learn, the gummiblocks they are made of comes from the worlds itself."
Rikku really wasn't a book worm, so her research was limited from the stuff she found raiding in Cid's stuff, "Fortunately enough your talking to a mechanic. I own one myself, The Falcon, but she got pretty busted up the first time I came here, and she's in the shop for repairs. I can take her for a test drive, but I doubt she's efficient enough to travel from world to world to world without some check-ups. Plus those beasties in space don't play nice either...."
A lightbulb went off in her head; hers lips bundled up to the right side of her face as she hummed to herself and looked at Merida...skeptically, "MMmmmmhmmmmmm....mmhmmm.....mmmmhm."
"How about this," a finger tapped on her slim pinks lips thinking twice of what she's about to offer, "...you stick with me, and I'll teach you all I know about the heartless. If you're going to explore the worlds...might as well know what's out there right? If Falcon's all right, I can take you for a spin, and we can collect gummiblocks; if we get enough...I can make a ship for you, but you gotta learn how to fly, because there's nooo waaay I'm having a chickadee go behind the wheel and not know a thing or two alright. Don't need another piece of artsy crashin' to the ground, kay?"
"So you think you can handle that Merida of Clan DunBrock?"
As the conversation took a more technical turn, Merida struggled to retain the information. In truth, she was never very good with studying, or vague knowledge; when her mother had been trying to teach her, the only way she'd retained legends and histories and open-ended literature was Elinor beating the morals into her skull. Even the witch's riddle to heal the curse Merida had found frustrating, as her mind was much better suited to dealing with quick, factual answers about things she understood... like weapons and the outdoors. How something was made was something equally hard for her to hold onto, so she listened doubly hard in an attempt to understand the place she'd ended up in.
However, the thing that stuck out the most was when Rikku had mentioned flying. In her mind, she'd pictured the gummi ship as a sort of colorful boat made for sea travel... but then she realized that that was silly. If the connection she had made with worlds before was right - worlds existed up with the stars - then of course she'd need to fly.
It was an impossible prospect... and impossibly thrilling. She pictured said boats sailing up into the air, and wondered if that were possible at all. A bit of the amazement showed on her face, as her mouth became a little slack and her eyes sparkled a bit. "Flyin'..."
Apparently Rikku had a ship of sorts that was under repairs? And "beasties in space"... were there creatures that attacked ships in space? That was a scary thought. Though, perhaps, it was a bit obvious; if things can get you on the ground, why not in the air? Why not even in the sea, for that matter?
"How about this ...you stick with me, and I'll teach you all I know about the heartless."
So. Rikku was offering up a partnership of sorts. Immediately, Merida's spirits began to dwindle. To be honest, she didn't play nice with others; neither a leader nor a follower, she was an independent, a free spirit, and did not want to be held down by a partner.
But she fidgeted for a moment, her brow creased as the wheels in her head turned. She really didn't think she could survive in a place like this on her own. She had no idea what to expect of anything or anyone, or what she would be up against... Really, it would be beyond reckless to try and continue alone, especially with the barest knowledge of worlds and travel. Merida was rash, but she was not an idiot - far from it.
So, once more, she swallowed her pride.
"Aye," she responded agreeably - though with slight reluctance. "Ah s'pose tha's 'ow it will 'ave t' be, now." She flashed Rikku her customary impish half-smile; despite her disinclination to work with others, Merida genuinely liked Rikku. She felt they were similar people, maybe, though perhaps Rikku was gentler - like the wind - and Merida was more passionate - like the fire.
Maybe this partnership wouldn't be so bad, after all.
Post by Ellie who has 0% on Jul 17, 2012 21:58:24 GMT -4
"Yeah I know this is a lot to drink in...in one day, but think of it this way...you're totally not alone in that departsy. This world amongst others gets lots of newblets from other vanished worlds. But hey the more you know your enemies, the stronger your offense can be, and the more people that are aware...the sooner all of this can get nipped in the bud," Rikku shrugged finally at lost with words, since all the other problems that she could solve...were resolved, while the rest are just pending. With the small silence upon them the waiter to the advantage to scurry in and push two glasses of water on the table. "Since that's all solve, I won't hover ya noooot after you get run about the world. Sure it's not home; it's definitely nothing like mines, but while you're here might as well get acquainted with the place: know where to go, where not to go, where it's better to linger and relax, and where to just book it and run."
Leaning back, a leg swung over to rest on the other, while the blonde grabbed the filled glass for a swig, "If you want time to yourself, I getcha, but let me show you were to find me first. Don't need to get lost again so soon. Eeeh but if you do, I bet I can find you. I pretty much know this place like the back of my head...well the city and the ravines. I never went past the vale, and I wouldn't advice it either. Let's just say this city is safe and protected from the heartless and other baddies; step too far away aaand you might just see how ugly the worlds can get. Kay? Juust food for thought."
She was probably speaking to the choir at this point. It felt like she was talking to herself, because Rikku would be the first to slip away elsewhere. Even the little princess, who was here, couldn't keep herself within bounds. Even though she couldn't even follow request made by those higher on the Radiant Gardent Overseers totem pole, Rikku hardly hear of her whereabouts.
"So Merida...questions, comments, concerns, and requests before I either let you be or start the grand tour?"
While she waited for a reply, Rikku chugged down the rest of her water in one gulp, and with a clink, it rested on the table empty. In a second, it was swept away and replaced with another. The blonde's head whipped to watch the waiter sneak off, "Well aren't they snippy and swift with their service..."
The fact that they were more refugees here did not surprise Merida in the slightest; she'd observed enough of a colorful crowd today to come to the conclusion that she was not the only stranger. However, this begged the question: was this the main world people were dropped off at when their worlds died? Or were there other main places? Or was it quite random, and there were a lot of refugees on every world?
Merida was burning with questions - and not all of them pertaining to the status of worlds. Just little things, like why there was a man bringing around food - oh, speak of the devil! in the silence of their conversation, he'd seen fit to bring glasses of water over - and what sort of magic existed at the magic stuff and maybe where she could get new clothes (the skimpy look that Rikku was sporting was foreign and not altogether enticing, though Merida appreciated the openness of movement it probably afforded; dresses were fine, but if she could get into something more pliable...). Just thinking of all her inquiries made her head spin!
In the silence, she took a sip from the water - and promptly made a face. It was lacking all of the earthy tones from back home, and had a sort of unappealing metallic tang. However, she was thirsty... so in one mighty gulp she downed the rest of the glass. However funny-tasting it was, water was water, and it was rejuvenating. In fact, she couldn't remember the last time she'd had a drink... It must have been sometime before she'd ridden after the Clans on hurried horseback.
That all seemed so far away, but in reality it was only a few short hours ago that that all happened...
Rikku was speaking again, so Merida tuned in her ears. Apparently the blond was not going to hover around the redhead, once the tour was over. That was appreciated; Merida operated better on her own anyways, and she might have the chance to discover things for herself rather than being "taught" them in a lackluster manner. Not that she minded Rikku's explanations, no, she was quite grateful for the clarity they brought; but they offered none of the thrill of finding things out for oneself.
Once again, Rikku mentioned the "baddies," like the Heartless. Never before had Merida been in a situation where there was the potential to have overwhelming majorities of enemies present; it felt like Rikku was warning her about a war front. (Which, in a way, she was - but Merida couldn't know that. She couldn't possibly understand the gravity of the situation... not until she got to experience it for herself.)
Before Merida had a chance to respond, the man was back, refilling their glasses and then retreating just as silently. The redhead watched him go with slight suspicion; anything that could sneak up on her she was wary of (she wasn't a very trusting person). However, she soon directed her attention back to Rikku, and only paused to throw her head back and chug down the newly replenished water.
She slammed the cup down back on the table with a satisfied sigh. With the back of her hand, she wiped the water and remaining spit off of her wet lips and offered Rikku a cocky half-grin. "No questions!" she said cheerfully. "Le's jus' get on with i'!" She squirmed in her seat with anticipation, her body desiring to get up and roam around. "Ah'm more restless than a wee bairn ou' on 'is own fer th' fairst time!"