Lacking a purpose (Closed)

[herby]

Azure eyes scanned the glimmering sea; it had been such a long time without colour. Living in world of shadows has its disadvantages, there’s no colour, nothing but varying shades of black and grey. The sea rippled with the reflection of the shadow. “What is left of me now.” He mumbled, glancing along the beach the painful memories of when Sam left replayed over and over in his head. Falling to both knees he allowed the water to slowly creep up to him. It had been so long since anything had touched him.

The water crept up the sand, slowly getting closer and closer, he looked at it hopefully, to feel something for the first time in so long. Just as the water got close a shadow crept up, creating a small wall. After being hurt so much, Darkun had done a stupid thing, he didn’t want to be lost like that again, he knew that it had happened because he had let Sam get so close, so now, without thinking his mind wouldn’t allow anything to get close, taken to the extreme, nothing would be allowed to touch him. “I’ll never have contact again.” He mumbled as he watched the waves wash around him, the small wall of shadow holding back the water.

The sands shifted beneath his feet, the only places he ever visited now where beaches, maybe to remember… maybe in some kind of feeble desperate hope that Sam would be there, but he knew deep down, Sam was gone, and he wasn’t coming back. He had become so close to feeling, he was sure that he almost had a heart. Every mystery of his past had been unlocked side from one, the heart hilted dagger; he had ignored it for so long, he didn’t care anymore. For now he needed a purpose a reason to exist again, no one wanted him, no one needed him and he was just as alone as he was when it all began.

It was a constant struggle for Darkun, holding back the shadows inside, he constantly felt like they wanted to burst out of his skin and destroy everything, dragging all the people down into the shadows screaming. He was a threat, maybe he should be killed, but not even Darkun could kill himself. He thought everything would have gotten better after he defeated his inner demon Dawa, it hadn’t, if anything it had got far worse.

Looking up and down the coast, it appeared as if he was alone, but although he wouldn’t admit it he wanted company… no… he wanted Sam. Since the day that Sam left he had not sang, Darkun had an angel’s voice, as did all the people of his home world, they all lived in the tree of life and sang like birds. He sang the song that reminded him most of Sam.

“If you are near to the Dark I will tell you ‘bout the sun
You are here, no escape, from my visions of the world
You will cry all alone, but it does not mean a thing to me.”
Knowing the song I will sing, till the Darkness comes to sleep
Come to me, I will tell ‘bout the secret of the sun
It’s in you, not in me, but it does not mean a thing to you.
The sun is in your eyes, the sun is in your ears
I hope you see the sun, someday in the darkness
The sun is in your eyes, the sun is in your ears
But you can’t see the sun
Ever in the Darkness.”

His azure eyes blinked open, what was his purpose now.

[hoffman]

There was no time like vacation time. Sunshades, shorts, sandals and all: a green-haired boy walked about the beach wearing little more than that and a black, short-sleeved windbreaker that seemed rather big for him. Of course, were we not equipped with the foreknowledge that this was in fact a boy, we might instead say that it looked kind of like a girl. "Her" face was round, immasculine and edgeless, "her" eyes were sharp and curved like a hawk's. "Her" legs were soft, slightly muscled and supple; "her" hands were like two delicate flowers jutting out from lengthy, thin stems.

Of course, these flowers could strangle and kill. Those stems had muscle. The sixteen-something youth made sure not to overstate this. "That's right," he'd often think. "Keep making fun of me. I'll turn that face of yours into a slot machine."

Today, however, he needn't be so wound up, and he truly wasn't. X.M.R. told him to take a week off. If he refused, he probably wouldn't get another vacation break for another two years. They were harsh like that. Being in some kind of special military group generally means you don't have somebody to fill in for you at a moment's whim. Of the thousands of children that joined that program, he was the one who ended up with a job that kept him busy during peacetime procedures. Delightful. It wasn't that he didn't want to do it: oh, he desperately wanted to do it. To show everyone the man that he is. To show them that he's more than some girly boy. He can do better than that.

But... breaks. Breaks were necessary. This he believed to be true. Heading shoreside, Leiz Ryada's train of thought was completely derailed as he saw some blue-haired individual sitting at the precipice of the coast, singing something almost angelic in nature. If Leiz wasn't already atheist... he would have believed in a god right then and there.

Swallowing his emotion and not allowing it to show through his face, Leiz could only watch the other male and wonder what he would do next. What made him so inexplicably fixated on this one drab individual of all possible things he could be focusing on right now? "Come on, Leiz. This is a vacation. You're relaxing, not sightseeing. Erp! Observing."

[herby]

The sun beat down on Darkun. The heat, sweltering as it was, he craved for some of the sea to quench his heat, but alas his shadows would not allow it. He rose, slowly, up to his feet, looking out to the very tip of the horizon out at sea, the shining sun sat happily in the middle of the sky, sending a blazing yellow color down the sea.

A small sudden gust of wind had Darkun's hat slowly topple off his head, what at first looked like short azure blue hair rolled down, and down, stopping at his waist, the fringe was short, but the rest was a sleek long sea of azure blue, the wind making the hair itself look like waves traveled through it.

Darkun's hair was something that he was told was beautiful once, he was told that just by looking at it, it made him smile, he was once upon a time told that the hair felt smooth, silky and warm. That was a long time ago, that person was gone, that person was Sam.

He blinked slightly, coming out of his gaze, he looked over to one side, there he saw a teenage boy, or maybe a girl, the features where quite girlish, but the stance taken was strong, masculine, the lack of breasts was the main indication that decided he was male.

The azure eyes, perfectly matching his hair, glanced out at the boy, for a moment they stood, watching each other it seemed, maybe they was both thinking hey, why is that guy staring or maybe it was something else. His voice croaking slightly, he spoke "H-hello?" the obvious nervousness and anxiety could be heard through his voice.

He thought about walking forwards, he thought about singing... he also thought about sinking back into his shadow and disappearing for another year. He was unsure what it was he was meant to do, his all ready lacking social skills had been almost destroyed after not seeing anyone for an entire year.

Maybe this was a start...

[hoffman]

Not the least bit interested in the scenery of the islands at this point, Leiz was almost entirely focused on the man and what his significance was to the world around him. Who was he? How did he get here? Of all his travels to the Destiny Islands, he hadn't seen an individual quite like this.

The green-haired boy leaned backward, raising an astute eyebrow behind the tinted veil of a sunshade lens. He hid his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker before leaning forward once more, using this silent moment to mull over what he perceived to be the male's traits. "Short. Or, rather, maybe 'bout my size. Pretty thin, so if he ended up advancing on me I could probably get him in a full nelson without trying. Though, his eyes are kinda unfocused... I doubt he's got the guts to fight. From the looks of it, I'd say I'm looking at a spineless wimp."

But -one- peculiar thing stood out above all else. No, not the male's bright blue hair - Leiz already had several opportunities to bask in that observation. No, rather, it was the strange shadow-like tendrils perking up around the male's perimeter and batting away the water that would have otherwise wet his feet and pants.

"Interesting," Leiz thought, so wrapped up and absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed the male's greeting mere seconds ago. He continued to wander aimlessly with his analyses and thoughts on the boy, practically finding himself adrift on a mental sea. Only by reminding himself to stay focused on the now did Leiz ultimately realize how detached he had been.

"Oh. Hello," he replied, training his violet eyes on the male's blues. Putting on a fake display of amiability, Leiz decided that hostility and caution were two virtues best left out of a conversation like this. "I'm Leiz. Never seen you around the islands before. You are..."

[herby]

His name... What was... People called him something once, what was it that they called him. "Darkun." The name was mumbled at first as if not too sure, this time he spoke up "Yes, my names Darkun. And you are Leiz?" he stared at the boy a bit longer, he looked down, staring at his shadow, before returning his gaze to the person. The boys eyes hid behind sunglasses and Darkun found himself wondering what the boys eyes color.

He walked forewords slowly, the small tendrils dispersed into a black ash like substance before disappearing into the wind. As he walked out of the reach of the waves, fully dry.

Have I been here before?... I cant remember "I like beaches, its the first time I've been out in quite a while, I don't usually... appear. It's nice to be here, beaches are so beautiful, don't you agree." He probably sounded like a bit of a fool, he wasn't used to speaking to people yet, he needed to work on his social skills again, it had been far too long.

He took a few steps forwards towards Leiz, but stopped suddenly, he didn't want to get too close, what would happen if he did. Would his shadows lunge out? Or would this person attack him. He didn't want to get into a fight, to prevent this he flinched back a step as if someone had made a sudden movement towards him. To anyone else, he probably looked quite frail and scared. However Darkun knew, it wasnt Leiz he was scared of, not yet anyway, it was himself... or more accuratly, his shadow.

"So... What are you doing here... Leiz?"

[Charme]

It had been far too long, yes?

Bubbles of thoughts formed as the white creature watched from the shadow. Its eyes, if they existed at all, were hidden beneath a black object, with two antennae twitching at odd intervals, but if it had eyes, it would have had them for Darkun. Its slim frame was sleek and aerodynamic, its hands covered in glove-like black belts. The Nobody insignia gleamed on its chest, buckled into place by dark strips of cloth. The creature crawled forward, sniffing at the air. It was Darkun. The Nobody? His scent was different somehow.

And where was Sam?

The creature ventured forward, the sand unmoving behind it. It held no scent, nor did it make a sound as it ventured upon the two travelers. Only when it was closer did it hold out its hands, and a wisp of smoke solidified into a pale flute. It played a few gentle notes, as if trying to enter the conversation (despite its lack of communication abilities), and waited for a response.

It had been too long, and the Namaless Nobody was eager to have a purpose once more.

[hoffman]

The one named Darkun made an advance towards the boy, stopping a few meters before him. Not spotting the shadows anymore, Leiz presumed that Darkun had lowered his defenses. Still, he made no attempt of his own to get closer to the blue-haired male, having this distinct feeling that it was too dangerous to approach.

Therefore, in light of what virtues needn't be displayed, Leiz simply tried to appear as if there was no need to get closer. He put on a fake smile, expending more effort in a bid to keep that friendly atmosphere going. Still, even though he had no intention of getting closer, conversing with Darkun happened to be on the top of his priority list. There wasn't much else to do and perhaps making an acquaintance or two wouldn't be such a bad idea after all.

"Don't usually... appear," Leiz mimicked within the confines of his thought space, finding that tidbit of information to be more intriguing than the rest. What did he mean by that? Darkun implied as if he was always in constant hiding, staying far away from the physical realm. "Yeah right, as if THAT'S possible. He's probably just saying that he doesn't like to get out much... unlike... me."

"No reason at all," Leiz replied. This time, his response wasn't an absolute lie. He actually had no reason to be on the Destiny Islands other than self-interest and relaxation. If he had an option to re-allocate service hours where he'd like, however, he might have not come at all. He might have decided to keep on working and take a vacation later during the year. "And you're just... sight-seeing... I guess?"

A more realistic grin plastered itself on his face right then and there, signifying the glee he felt that he decided to take the vacation after all. This time he could actually write about something in his adventure logs! Suddenly, the compressed, soft sound of a flute reached the youth's ears and he turned around in reflex, training his eyes on the source of the sound.

Leiz leered in an alarmed fashion although none could tell from behind the sunshades that he was wearing: the source was nothing more than a Dusk... playing the flute. He'd heard of these things in conversations with world residents before - they were a class of nobodies. Lacking hearts, they possessed no emotions, seeking thrills and dangerous experiences even though it was all for naught. They couldn't even live.

"Hey, Darkun. You familiar with this thing?"

[herby]

Darkun stared at the boy, he felt a presence of nothingness, that void of anything that appeared, that void that he was. It was approaching from one side and slightly behind. He was however content to listen first, he knew that it couldn't hurt him and if it tried to hurt the boy he would dispose of it.

"Why am I here... To remember, or maybe I'm here to forget..." Really he was questioning himself most of the time. He saw the delightful smile on the boys face. Had it been a year ago, Darkun might of picked up on the fake smile, he used to people watch so much, but after a year of nothing he had obviously dropped off in his abilities.

The Dusk, had come far enough, his head twirled around slightly and the Dusk was holding something in its hand, he couldn't quite make it out yet. Darkuns hand flipped out wards and Darkuns shadow grew a spike, it got about 2 inches from Darkuns own foot before a chord was let out of the flute... It was him. The spike disappeared. To a normal person the spike could of easily been missed, it was behind his foot, so it would of required someone that analyzed people constantly to of seen it, let alone figure out what it was.

"Yes... I met it a long time ago. It's a bit different from the others. It's so much like me, it doesn't have a purpose anymore." Darkun glanced between the two, hoping that there wasn't going to be any friction sparking from this, he didn't want to have to drag one or both of them into the shadows... or did he even care enough to do that.

"Leiz this is nobody. It's like me, nothing, purposeless, void of everything that it might of once held dear to it." The question almost flew out of his mouth, as if it was verbal vomit, Darkun spoke out and asked the question, " What is it you hold dear?"

[Charme]

The Nobody wandered closer, dropping his flute from his nonexistant lips. It was an anomaly, how a blank body could still produce communication as the Nobodies did, but they were anomalies in themselves as well. The Nobody had tried on many occasions to replicate the sounds the humans made, but the flute could only do so much. Shift Sonata, as it was named, played music, however much anybody would attempt to make it speak. The silver being drew closer, barely taller than it had been when it had met Darkun the first time, and relaxed, looking between the two. It plucked at the sand with its sharp, yet aesthetically pleasing, claws.

As it drew closer, Darkun's reaction pleased it, and it hopped even closer, joining the group that towered over it by almost two feet. It sat in the sand as they spoke and tapped its fingers to an unheard beat.

[hoffman]

"Nobodies... of course," the green-haired boy replied, re-adjusting his sunshades before they fell from their seat on his nose's bridge. It was a little epiphany, but a satisfying one nonetheless: to know the dusk's reason for coming here removed a portion of his insecurities, freeing up his mind to wander and ponder about more immediate things. "The void you inhabit on these islands attracted more... nothings, I guess."

Leiz crossed his arms, looking between the two nobodies with an indifferent, unchanging expression, making sure not to overexert that smile of his. Some of that outward glee was still accompanied by some deception, meaning that he actually wasn't totally happy or content to be here. Part of this whole exchange had to do with his own business: writing the journal. Finding something exciting or worth reading to prove his own existence and self-worth, unlike these... nothings. The boy's actions were all part of a much larger game: utter selfishness.

Hearing Darkun speak only further drove his insatiable curiosity. Not usually sociable in general, Leiz didn't often seek out gatherings like this. Instead, however, he now desired a time for talking: not action, not relaxing, but something meaningful. Leiz could be a professional reporter, THAT'S how much he desired the story. He needed to log all pieces of the adventure... at least... that was what he intended on before he suddenly took a blow to the noggin with a question that nobody had the gall to ask until this very day.

"What is it you hold dear," Darkun asked. The question came out of the blue - Leiz hadn't even seen it coming. His will was being tested and he found himself somewhat exasperated at the thought of that very topic... as if he lacked the mental tools at the moment to actually comprehend what the nobody asked. Finding that no answers came to the surface, Leiz decided that his desires were ill-reflected on and that he actually hadn't held anything dear. At the very least, he didn't know what he held dear. He believed that a response along the lines of "nothing" would suffice. If he was wrong, he believed he didn't need to know what he held dear, anyway.

"...nothing. I don't hold anything close to me." Maybe he could get Darkun off of this train of thought and onto other things... ...the adventure. That's right, the adventure. Wild things and experiences that people didn't often get to see back on Belevadia. The more he found out about these two, the more he'd have to write down and the more he could get people to acknowledge how much he had done... how much he had seen.

Looking over at the dusk, Leiz quickly changed the topic. "So, is he trying to talk to us or something? Or is he always this silent?"

[herby]

The boy seemed... happy with himself to realise that they where both nobodies, for what reason was completely beyond him and he wasn't all that interested in the reason for his happiness. Happiness was a boring emotion, it was so overused, so constant, some people where allways happy whilst others where hardly ever, it seemed that being happy was in the end useless because it was allways hollowed by sadness.

"...nothing. I don't hold anything close to me." Darkun pondered the words over, didnt hold anything dear, then if it held nothing dear, nothing close, then this boy Leiz had no purpose either, He was also like a nobody, he just had the ability to feel and love... did that mean he just chose not to? What a waste.

"If you hold nothing dear... then I doubt you have a purpose to even exsist... your just like us." On the word us he gesutred towards the dusk that was down playing with the sand next to him.

Speaking to the dusk in what to most sounded like normal english, but was infact the way that nobodies could communicate to eachother. "Have you found the anwser yet? Is there a reason for us? He looked up from the nobody just in time to grab Leiz's next quetion.

"So, is he trying to talk to us or something? Or is he always this silent?" Darkun stared at Leiz for a few moments, only now realising that the glasses had fallen down slightly he glared into the tips of violet rounded eyes. What a mesmerising shade they were.

" Of course it speaks, you just dont listen. For people like you who can't listen to it, it plays music, soft meoldies and tunes with its flute. It says far more than any words could ever."

[Charme]

The creature stood up, dusted itself off, and in a flash, the flute morphed. A large instrument, at first mistaken for a giant hammer, solidified out of the silver Nothingness. The cello strummed ominously as the Nobody sat lazily on its edge, how eye-level with its counterparts. The creature looked between the two. They were talking oddly; the tones in their voices was stranger than two normal conversationalists. The creature had a feeling they weren't exactly friends.

It looked into the eyes of Leiz, its lack of gaze not in the slightest intimidating. The sun beat down upon them and the Nobody twitched. It dropped back, grabbed ahold of the cello, and began to pluck the strings, its feet pressing the lower notes while its fingers played the top. The ominous tones of the deep bass resounded around them, echoing in the drab heat of Destiny Islands...

And the skies darkened. Clouds ushered in from the oceans, distilling the heat that rained down upon them, and the Nobody relaxed, enjoying the cool ocean breeze.

Too hot; intense. Cool down.

The words were audible to any Nobody, and perhaps even a magician would be able to hear it in his music.

[hoffman]

Leiz heaved his shoulders in a gesture similar to a shrug, not actually finding the nobody's words to be penetrating or thought-provoking - if anything, he felt kind of insulted. He idly kicked at the sand while he watched the dusk play cello, partially taking notice to the cluster of clouds that were rolling in.

"Like them? Really?" he thought, pushing back his sunshades and rolling his violet eyes. It was insulting to be compared to someone without a heart. Just because he lacked passion, he had to be thrown into that insufferable outgroup that was purposeless?

The green-haired boy popped the collar of his black windbreaker to shield against the incoming ocean breeze and had by this point ceased his grinning. With no actual joy to drive that expression, he could either pretend that he was cheerful - which he most certainly wasn't - or show his displeasure. He picked the third alternative, which was to recede his lips into indifference. "Maybe I don't have anything dear, but I have a purpose. Goals aren't always driven by passion. Sometimes you just act because of indignation."

He leered neutrally at the dusk and the human nobody, awaiting a response. This conversation was on now. If passion could perhaps be discerned in the boy, it was at this very moment: to get to the heart of "purposelessness". Something he would have to make heads or tails of in order to make a worthwhile journal entry.

[herby]

Darkun turned his gaze to the nobody at his side. "Yes, it is quite hot isn't it, lovely rain, how... convenient." He smirked at the nobody, remembering that after such a comment it is what one does, faking emotion was so easy.

"Maybe I don't have anything dear, but I have a purpose. Goals aren't always driven by passion. Sometimes you just act because of indignation" Darkun pondered the words, at first trying to understand them, replaying them over and over in his head. " Then what is your purpose, I have often wondered, if i, a thing that shouldn't really be here, had a purpose, or could I create one...

His azure eyes turned out to the sea, glaring out into the sun that was being concealed by the dark clouds, he wondered if his shadows would allow the rain, or if they would take even that feeling from him. He was unaware of why he even came here now, so up in the conversation that had started between the three of them, it interested him, for the first time in over a year, Darkun was interested.

" Leiz... would you like to travel with me? I'll show you something, something that not many have seen or done before." he watched the teens face for any sign of interested or looks of fear, he doubted someone like this would show fear even if he did feel it.

He glanced back at the nobody, "And of course you can come, your always welcome to travel the shadows with me" He placed a hand toward both of their shadows, the small shadowy tendrils began to leak up their legs, at this point they could easily be shaken off, all it would taken would be to move from the spot.

The feeling to anyone that could indeed feel would of been a cold one, like ice was creeping up them, it would of felt wrong, bad but for the nobodies who knew no better, it would of just been another thing happening.

[Charme]

(skip NN here, nothing much to do but watch)