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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A dull, throbbing pain was ever present, every muscle aching, every limb feeling heavy and prickly – all culminating into a single, painful point inside the head. Or perhaps, it was the epicenter from which all the pain radiated, it was hard to say. The ground felt cool, like a smooth, dust-covered stone that had been in the shadows for the better part of the day. Against his cheek, something even colder, metallic – his helmet, pressing against his cheek that was resting on the ground.
Marmadue wasn't entirely sure when he had came to. He could remember blacking out, but at some point he must have opened his eyes, just staring at what was in front of him without really registering what he was looking at. It was… Dark. He could remember the darkness, but he couldn't remember what felt like a stone path underneath his hands. No, there should have been grass underneath him. And what he saw, were those… Buildings? But he hadn't been in Shella when…
Slowly, the Yuke brought his arms in front of him, feebly supporting the top half of his body slightly off the ground as he looked around. It didn't look familiar at all. The buildings around him were much bigger than what he had ever seen, as the only place he had been to had been his own home village! The closest town he could think of that might have looked like this… Alfitaria? It was still so very far away, so he couldn't even understand how he might have gotten there!
And did everything looking rundown. There were cracks in both the pavement and the plaster of the buildings, the dead end of an alley where he had found himself littered with rubble and odd bags filled with… Trash, maybe? If his nose was anything to go by.
If this truly was Alfitaria, he couldn't say he was impressed. What had happened...?
Marmadue was dazed, his thoughts sluggish in his head. Still, he did his best to get up, forcing his shaking limbs to push him on his feet in the dimly lit nook. He couldn't rise very fast without the fear of losing his balance, causing him to take a while to get to his full height using the nearby wall as something to lean a hand on for extra support. "Nhhh," came a deep whimper, a reflexive reaction to the sharp pain that shot through his head. Slowly, he brought one of his hands to his head – or, well, his helmet, holding the side of it like it would do something.
(haha, just because you mentioned poking him with a stick xD)
The though of becoming stronger was on the forefront of Avari's thoughts these last couple of days. From trying to save those people when the clock tower crumbled, to fighting that big scary heartless at the mansion, she just didn't seem to have enough in her to make a difference; in her eyes anyways. Back at the clock tower, Jin not only had the strength to fight off the heartless, but he was able to organize everyone so they could help the refugees out of the rubble. She wanted to be stronger- like him. To be able to protect the people she cared about.
Through practice, Avari seemed to be getting the hang of her fire magic, but should she have invested in a more physical weapon? Fire was all she had right now, and she was well aware of how feeble it had been against the beast at the mansion. She walked along the alleyways, toying with a small stick she had picked up off the ground as she proceeded towards the small rundown apartment room she called home, and as she turned a corner, she noticed an odd figure sitting up at the other end of the alley. Her eyes widened as she was unable to recognize what kind of creature the being was- a heartless? It seemed a safe conclusion most of the time, around these parts, but the last time she assumed that, she nearly scorched Oswald, who apparently was not a heartless, as it turned out.
"Who's there?"
Her grip tightened on the stick in one hand, while her other hand was free to cast a fireball if need be. It didn't matter a great deal for Avari to stay hidden; if it was a heartless, this close to where a lot of refugees were gathered, she couldn't just leave it here to go find another victim. If this creature was a threat, she'd fight it here and now, though she was hesitant, now that strange new types of people seemed to be showing up in Twilight these days.
Marmadue shakily got on his feet, lightly swaying in place as he tried to find his balance. In the dim lighting, his silhouette must have looked odd: slightly humanoid, but still very much something that was clearly inhuman – and large! What he lacked in width he made up with his height alone, and in the right light, those huge hands of his might have looked like they ended in the sharpest of claws, made for ripping poor souls into shreds…
There was a voice – words. It took him a while to realize that, his head turning towards the source and the metallic helmet reflecting a sliver of the moonlight coming from above. The Yuke just stood there for a moment in silence, blinking as he tried to put his thoughts in order. Oh, this was a person he didn't know. It was… A person he had never seen before. No, a creature he hadn't seen before? Yes, the shape looked familiar, quite like the Clavats and Selkies he had managed to see occasionally when they made their way to Shella. But… This wasn't quite the same, this girl. Something seemed different.
And the realization of that finally shook him out of the daze he had been experiencing, not only finding himself in a strange place he had never been to, but also confronted by a creature he hadn't seen before! One that kind of had the aura of hostility around her. And what was that in her hand? It certainly looked like a stick, but it very well might have been a weapon that was more dangerous! Marmadue recoiled, taking a step back and pulling his arms up to his chest, as if to try to protect himself. "A-A-Ah–!" He gasped, his voice starting out weak and hoarse before he managed to remember how to properly form words again.
Backing away further, the Yuke's back soon met a brick wall, the surprise of which coupled with everything else that had happened making him jump before he realized the wall wasn't going to stab him. Probably. It was, however, keeping him in place, unable to continue retreating. The awful realization that he had been cornered dawned up on him, the alley's only escape route blocked by the strange creature. "P-Please! Don't hurt me…!"
Avari reconsidered her actions as the strange creature recoiled and cowered at her presence. She hadn't ever heard of a talking heartless before, so perhaps this was some other sort of being, kinda like Oswald. And to think she was able to spook it so easily: Avari felt kinda bad. She took a few more steps towards it, closing the gap between them. She quirked an eyebrow, observing the small dysfunctional wings on its back, and the shiny helm it wore on its head, which hid its face entirely. It wasn't like anything Avari had seen before. Even the clothes it wore seemed really different. It was more than obvious it came from another world, no matter whether it appeared in Twilight Town recently or not. There was no way this being was a local.
"Where did you come from?" Was the first question that popped into her head, before even asking what its name was, or even what 'it' was. At this point Avari eliminated the possibility that it was a threat, and instead was only curious. And she was certain that, if left alone, this creature might scare whoever else happened across it, granted if they didn't see how timid he was acting now. It didn't seem like leaving him here would be the best thing to do, whatever the case.
She watched him closely, despite relaxing her guard. She really was curious about where such a being came from, or even what he was to begin with. As he cowered from his position, she lifted up her stick and prodded his shoulder, almost to confirm he was real and not some hallucination from being exhausted. Once she was sure he was real, she returned the stick to her side, knowing it was rude to poke him, and that it would likely only scare him more.
"I haven't seen anyone like you before..." She thought on it for a moment, before offering her free hand to him, both as an introduction, and to help him to his feet, "I'm Avari."
Marmadue could do nothing but wait, his breath bated as if even the slightest movement of his chest could trigger the stranger into attacking him – and he didn't want that! His entire body tensed up when the girl approached him, doing his best to scoot up even further. With the wall in the way, however, he just pressed his back against it harder than he had before. Of course, harder in this case seemed to cause the Yuke to inch upwards as he stretched even taller instead of cowering and sinking into himself, as if that would somehow help get him further away.
"A-Ah, uh," he stammered, not having expected a question – but he really should have. Even a potentially hostile creature might have wanted to know where someone came from, especially if he was somewhere he wasn't supposed to be! And Marmadue certainly wasn't looking for more trouble by not answering. "I… Shella. I come from Shella," the Yuke managed to calm his voice somewhat, though he was making the excpectation that this creature knew of his home village.
Because everyone did, honestly! Their world wasn't that big, and while Shella definitely was on the smaller side of villages, it was rather unique.
Though perhaps that answer wasn't a proper one, considering that the stick-like object in the girl's hand was extended in his direction, causing Marmadue to flinch and close his eyes as he expected a hit, only to feel a strange poking, prodding feeling on his shoulder. He drew in a sharp breath, audibly, as it hurt a bit and was rather, well, demeaning – but he didn't have the nerve to stop it or do anything about it.
The girl hadn't seen a Yuke before. That was what he got out of the girl's words when she spoke. How could that be? It was true that his kind was a bit… Reclusive and their numbers weren't great, but they still had to leave their village occasionally! But then again, perhaps that all checked out. Perhaps, far away, there was a fifth species that resembled the Clavats and the Selkies. So far away, no one had met them yet.
This couldn't be Alfitaria. Where exactly was he, then?
For a moment, he continued to stand there, deep in his thoughts and concerned. He watched the girl, his head nodding towards the outstretched hand as he shifted his gaze upon it, but it took a moment for him to stir and actually react. "Oh. Ah, likewise," Marmadue admitted, as he didn't honestly have any idea what he would call the creature in front of him. Well, other than… Avari, which was probably her name and not her species. Yes, yes, perhaps he looked frightening to someone who hadn't seen a Yuke before. Perhaps that had been why she was so on edge before. Such thoughts helped to calm him somewhat, but… But he still couldn't be entirely sure that he was safe.
Carefully, the Yuke brought his own hand closer to Avari's. He already towered over the girl, but his hand truly was massive against hers, completely swallowing it up as he wrapped his fingers around for a nervous handshake. The palm and each of those thick, striped fingers were soft with feathers, their outer surface rather cool from the chilly temperature, but quickly warmed up by their combined body heat. "I'm… Marmadue. And, ah, I really should be getting back home…"
She honestly hadn't been paying enough attention to notice how tall the creature was until now, as he towered over her and shook her hand. Her eyes widened as she looked up at him, not with fear, but most definitely curiosity. He called his home Shella, confirming her suspicions that he was another refuge. And considering he hadn't seen anyone like her before either, and mentioned returning home, she could also safely assume that this... Marmadue, was it? Had only just arrived in Twilight Town. She looked down at their hands when she helped him to his feet, and was surprised at how his seemed to be covered in feathers. She glanced back up at him in confusion, and then noticed that his neck appeared to have feathers as well, though what lied underneath his helmet was still a mystery.
She gave his hand a slight shake before pulling away and scratching the back of her head, "Home, huh?" She frowned, giving him a skeptical, albeit, concerned look, "What's the last thing you remember before waking up here, Marmadue?"
She was a little more hesitant this time to come right out and tell him that his home was likely gone like all the others. When Jin received the news, he didn't really believe her or that other guy, so she thought Marmadue would find the news difficult to swallow as well. It would help if he could remember what happened for himself, especially if he encountered the heartless during his world's destruction much like she did. It had been so long since Avari arrived here in Twilight Town, and back then there hadn't been anyone to explain things to her. There hadn't been any other refugees back then, no one that could relate to her. Now that more and more people showed in town everyday, she felt like she needed to help them understand better than she had.
"By any chance, do you remember seeing black monsters with yellow eyes?" She expected that he must have encountered them sometime before arriving here, it was the heartless's fault that everyone kept losing their homes, one by one. And perhaps, knowing this bit of information ahead of time will help Marmadue believe what she was about to tell him.
Marmadue pulled his hand back, letting it drop to his side and hang loosely. He just had to… Calm down. Mentioning Shella didn't seem to cause the girl to have sudden epiphanies, which did made sense considering everything else – after all, there was no Shella without Yukes! It would have been impossible to know one without knowing the other. But that wasn't a realization the Yuke wanted to come to, the dread creeping up his spine. If he didn't know how to get back home, and if Avari didn't know either…
How was he ever going to make it there?
"Ah, well," Marmadue tilted his head, the girl's question making him think. One of his hands rose up to his helmet, as if to stroke his chin – though as his chin was hidden, he could only rest his hand against the smooth, cool metal. What had happened? It was all a bit of a mystery, still hazy in his mind despite having happened just a moment ago – or so it felt. It was the mention of black monsters with yellow eyes that caused him to remember, his arms shooting up to his his side in what only looked like a startled position.
"Y-Yes! Yes, that's it!" He could almost see it now, even though he felt like he now wanted to forget it again despite only just regaining the memory. The startled surprise turned into despair, the Yuke's hands cupping the sides of his helmet as he shook his head. His breath quickened.
It was a horrible memory, full of fear and desperation. Nothing like he had ever experienced before. Somehow, this all had to be connected! "I really must get back as soon as I can! I–" Marmadue swallowed, not even sure if he could finish the sentence. Everyone he left behind, everyone who was in trouble… He knew there wasn't much he could do to help, but he had to make sure everyone was still fine! He just had to… "...I-I really don't have any time to waste!"
A frown formed on the girl's lips as she watched the question register in his mind, as Marmadue now remembered exactly what happened back in his world, before he wound up here. He was confused, and knew he had to return home to help his friends and family no doubt. She expected he would not take her news very well, but she had to tell him nonetheless. And she also couldn't imagine him being able to walk around town easily; others were likely to assume he was a heartless, just like she did. She had to help him adjust however she could.
"You can't go back. None of us can." She crossed her arms, "I'm sorry, but if those creatures- the heartless- attacked your world and you wound up here, then your home is gone. The same thing happened to me, along with a lot of other people in this city. No one's found a way to leave."
It was a lot for Marmadue to process, and maybe he wouldn't even believe it, like Jumin hadn't. She watched him closely, but it was really difficult to predict his reaction considering his face was concealed by that golden helm. He really did resemble some of the heartless she had seen, but he was different. Taller, certainly, but he wasn't dangerous, or at least, that's how she saw him after watching him cower at the sight of her. Hopefully the other townsfolk and refugees won't be too scared of him.
Marmadue was already prepared to leave, his gaze looking over and past the girl. Alright, he didn't have the faintest idea about where he should have gone, but he knew he had to go somewhere, do something. Anything! Someone had to know something, surely. If no one in this town did, he was just going to have to brave the miasma and the monsters and set out for himself. He was bound to bump into someone on the roads eventually! He took a step, towards the rest of the alleyway he assumed would get him out of there and… Somewhere.
But he didn't get far, stopped by Avari's words, his gaze returning to look at her face – or at least, the slit in his helmet had been directed towards the girl, his actual eyes hidden. Earlier, he had been confused. Beaten and battered, waking up in a strange place and meeting a new, strange creature. There were many reasons for it to take so long for him to actually realize what was being said, but this time that was not the issue. He had managed to shake off most of it.
Yet the Yuke still did not react immediately. He heard her, fine and clear. He understood. But what was being said was just so absurd, he didn't even know if it was the truth or a very poor joke to play on someone in his situation! Marmadue had hoped that it was a joke, certainly, even if that would have been extremely cruel. But Avari did not look like she was joking.
His fingers curled up into his palms, into loose fists. Suddenly, he felt a wave of cold wash over his body, his fingers feeling like they might have become frozen off. "G-Gon–" Marmadue couldn't even bring himself to repeat it, his tongue getting tangled and his voice getting stuck in his throat. As if he had suddenly gotten electrocuted, the Yuke took a step back, flinching in shock as he leaned back and raised one of his hands on his chest. He… Hadn't just imagined that, had he? He certainly didn't want to accept it, holding onto whatever shreds that remained that kept his worldview where it was. He couldn't let all that come crashing down!
He didn't even really understand!
"P-Please!" The Yuke finally managed to get a word out, though it was difficult to say if his tone was closer to begging her to say that it was just a joke, or if he was telling her to stop saying such ridiculous things. Honestly, he probably didn't know himself. "That's… I-I think I am going to need a bit more information than just… That!"
At the very least, he required a proper explanation!
Avari let out a short exhale as he demanded a more in depth explanation. It was better than outright refusing to believe her, but at the same time, there wasn't a whole lot of information she or anyone else could provide him. Still, if it helped him adjust to his new situation better, she could at least try.
"Well..." She closed her eyes for a moment, thinking, "I don't know much, apart from what I've seen with my own eyes, but I'll try. I came from a place called Radiant Garden, a different world than this one, just like your home Shella. The heartless attacked us without warning, as if they came from nowhere. They had us... they had me cornered, and I couldn't fight back."
She never ever told anyone what happened to her the night Radiant Garden was attacked. It wasn't like Avari was trying to hide anything from Marmadue when she skimmed over that part of the explanation, but it was difficult for her to talk about. She felt so powerless in those moments, when she could do nothing but throw herself between her brother and the heartless, and still it had not been enough to protect him. She had no idea where he was, or even if he was still... no, he had to be alive, no matter what else happened, she couldn't stand to acknowledge otherwise.
"I wound up here afterwords and no one in town seemed to know a thing about Radiant Garden, or the heartless. I think... I think I was one of the first to show up here from another world. As far as I know, anyways."
Avari crossed her arms again and glanced up towards the dark empty sky, "After awhile, more people started showing up unexpectedly around town, all sharing a similar story about strange black monsters attacking their home. It wasn't until later that we noticed the stars disappearing from the sky, until it got as bad as it is now, where there are hardly any stars left at all. I think the stars disappearing and the worlds being destroyed are connected, but I can't be sure. It's what a lot of us believe."
She glanced around the alleyway, knowing that Twilight Town could be next, and the cycle would repeat itself all over again. It was an uncomfortable thought, one she chose not to tell Marmadue, who seemed panicked enough already. "I'm sorry, but that's all I know," She looked back at him, "Whatever is happening, the heartless are the reason behind it."
Perhaps a part of him wanted there to be some kind of glaring contradiction that would have proved everything as a lie, just so he didn't have to believe any of what was being said. But… But even though the explanation was bare bones and basic – a fact Marmadue couldn't really hold out against Avari, as he himself was even more confused and knew even less despite having gone through the same – the story was very similar to his. That only made it more plausible, as there was no way for the girl to have known what had happened to him as she wasn't there, right?
"The… Stars?" Marmadue repeated, his gaze also directed above them. Not once had he actually glanced at the sky, and he certainly was in for a shock. Gone was the hazy barrier of miasma he almost had assumed to see there where the crystal's protecting power did not reach, like in his own world. What greeted him was the deepest, darkest abyss he had ever seen, a sky so dark it almost felt like he might have fallen right into it to never be seen again – if it hadn't been above him, of course. But now it felt more like an oppressing force looming above him, ready to swallow him whole. Indeed, there weren't many stars – it was difficult to make out the sky and the stars in his world sometimes, but he had been quite certain there should have been more. A lot more. Had any been disappearing there, too…?
And the… Moon. No longer was it a round, bright circle in the sky much like the sun, now looking more like it was broken. Shattered. That definitely didn't look normal to him!
A sharp gasp escaped the holes of his metallic helmet. The worlds… Really were being ruined in some way, weren't they? His home… It really could be gone, all of it, in an instant. But that wasn't what he was afraid of, no. There wasn't much of it he had seen, not much of it really mattered to him or held any importance. It never had been a safe haven, always filled with miasma and monsters throughout his entire life. Throughout the lives of the past generations that came long before him, too. Losing that, if it were to be replaced with something else that wasn't quite as miserable… That wasn't a very bad thing. But the people…
"N-No, I'm… I'm the one who should be sorry," the Yuke looked back, his gaze falling to the ground. He had all the right to be upset, surely, but… But Avari had been in the same situation herself. Unlike him however, she didn't have anyone who had gone through it herself, no one to explain what had happened. No one who understood. He shouldn't have quite lashed out like that. "Thank you," Marmadue continued, though his voice was quickly losing what little power it had behind it, becoming quieter and weaker, almost a whisper. The entire Yuke was starting to look like a deflated balloon the way his posture sunk further into itself, even making a tall creature like him feel small, his arms hanging limply.
Until he perked up slightly, looking at Avari. She hadn't seen anyone like him, so it was already useless to ask if she had maybe bumped into any other Yukes. But perhaps that just meant the others hadn't showed up yet, or that Avari just hadn't gone to where they had ended up! Perhaps she had even seen some other races from his world! Yes, of course! It wouldn't have really made sense for him of all people to be the only one who made it somehow! "There ah, there might be others, yes? From my world?" He was sounding more hopeful now than he had before, managing to muster the last bits of hope he still had left in him before submitting to the despair, "Perhaps you have seen Clavats? Selkies? They look like you, just… Different…"
Okay that wasn't a very great description…
"…A-Ah, maybe the Lilties? They're… Rather short and ah, child-like in appearance. Reddish to blonde hair, plant-like growths on their heads?" Marmadue even offered a helpful size guide by motioning with his hand where a Lilty's head might reach, indeed much, much shorter than the Yuke and even much shorter than Avari.
Avari awkwardly scratched the back of her neck as Marmadue became quite, presumably puzzling all this information together. It was difficult to say for sure, due to the helmet hiding his face. After a few moments he apologized, and also thanked her; to which she just shrugged and glanced off in a corner, self conscious enough now to not want to show how much the events bothered her. She saw herself as a pretty tough girl, she didn't want to give him a contradicting impression- she didn't realize that showing pain did not equate to weakness.
As he started listing out more and more questions, Avari glanced back at him, her face growing more blank and confused with each foreign word he mentioned. Was he talking about types of people? Likely species, she concluded as he gave some descriptions of these beings. She didn't want to discourage him, but... she hadn't seen or heard of anyone he had described.
"I don't think so... but it's possible people from your world could have wound up here, Twilight Town is a big place." Though she was certain anyone like Marmadue would stick out amongst the other refugees, she didn't want to dash out his hopes entirely. Besides, its not like Avari knew everyone in town, and there certainly could be some people hiding out if they wouldn't really fit in; much like Jin had said about the friends he was still searching for.
"It wouldn't hurt to look for your friends and family, but first, mayyyybe we should go see the refugees, and get them used to you. No offense, but someone might mistake you for a heartless, and that wouldn't be good." Avari thought especially because some of the refugees really packed a punch when they fought heartless. Like Jin, and that sword guy she saw at the clocktower. "And then after that I can show you around so you can get your bearings, its easy to get lost here, annnnd the heartless are known to go after the more isolated folks."
"O-Oh ah, right," Marmadue glanced down at his feet. Perhaps… He had gotten a bit too excited. Yes, he had just gotten here himself, so it didn't really make much sense for Avari to have met anyone else from his world just yet! And, like the girl had said, the town was large! He didn't know that himself of course, but he was just going to take her word for that – surely Avari knew what she was talking about, having been in this… Twilight Town place for much longer than him.
He did have to take another look at the dark night sky. Right now he wasn't really seeing the twilight part of the name…
Looking back at the girl, the Yuke tilted his head slightly as he listened. There was something else Avari had in mind before letting him go look for others, mainly… Letting others get used to him? He couldn't say he understood that – but hearing himself being compared to these heartless creatures that had gone around destroying worlds was quite the shock. Startled, he took a step back. "I-I assure you that I am no monster!" Marmadue clarified – he didn't even look anything like one of those shadowy, glowy-eyed creatures! This certainly was the first time anyone even had compared him to a monster. Everyone knew Yukes weren't monsters…
He did calm down quickly, pacified by having some sort of a plan he could follow rather than being abandoned all on his own in a strange new world with strange new people. A tour did sound rather wonderful right about now, the Yuke nodding in agreement. However, there was another thing that caught his attention. "Ah… You don't mean to say that… Those monsters are even here, in this city…?"
Marmadue could feel his mouth becoming dry, his fingers cold. His world might have been covered in miasma and monsters, but at least the crystals kept all of that away. Before this all had happened, he had never had to worry about being attacked…
"Of course, I know you're not a monster. You don't seem scary enough to me, but the others may think differently, they've all been through a lot." She gave a curt nod and a smile, meaning no offense to Marmadue, but wanting to be completely honest all the same. The heartless seem to take on many shapes and sizes, much like people, so those especially afraid of the Heartless may jump to conclusions when they see Marmadue. After all, Avari herself nearly mistook him for one, and then she misjudged Oswald as well. At least this time she had the restraint not to sling a fireball the moment she saw Marmadue.
Avari nodded again as he questioned the presence of more heartless around here. "Yeah, they linger in the shadows, away from the bigger crowds. It's not safe to wander alone unless you can fight." She glanced around the abandoned buildings and wreckage, "It's actually because of them that Twilight Town looks like this. It used to be warm, sunny, and there weren't as many heartless around."
She looked at him again, realizing how disheartening this all must have sounded, "Oh, but don't worry so much! Some of the refugees that have come are really good fighters, and they've been helping to protect everyone! I'm sure we can all put our heads together and find a solution soon." She smiled and started walking passed him, "Come on, let's go meet the other refugees, okay? Then I'll show you the rest of the town." She then paused and turned to him.
"If anyone gives you trouble, I'll teach 'em a lesson, don't worry. Deal?" She grinned and extended her hand out to him to shake.
The idea that someone might have found a Yuke scary still sounded ridiculous – but perhaps that was as good of a proof as any that he really was in a whole new world. That was an idea that was really hard to wrap one's head around, and Marmadue really needed some time to get used to all of it. But that hardly was the biggest issue here. After his last harrowing encounter with those strange monsters he had barely managed to survive, he never wanted to repeat that! The Yuke swallowed nervously, his anxiety having gathered into a large ball in his throat.
To hear that those creatures, the Heartless, were around even now, in the shadows, in the secluded areas… Marmadue couldn't help but notice that that was exactly where they were, glancing around them. The broken shards of a moon offered some light, but not much. The tall buildings around them blocked much of it, creating large areas of shadows in all of the nooks and crannies. And other than Avari and himself… There was no one there.
He was already anxious to get out of there.
"They… Can truly do something like this?" His voice was wavering, shaky. Perhaps he didn't even need an answer to his question, as it was apparent to anyone who was looking. Well, apparently the Heartless destroyed worlds, and apparently his own had suffered the same fate, but… But that just felt so unreal still. Despite having been there himself, he hadn't seen it. He couldn't see the results of that, either. But this he could see. The ruins of a world – had the Heartless attempted to destroy this world as well? But… Failed?
The Yuke exhaled, his breath quiet but audible, and its uncertain and shaking quality certainly sounding like whatever was under that helmet of his wasn't exactly managing to put on his strongest face. According to the girl, it did sound like there was strength in numbers, if the creatures avoided large crowds – and unconsciously, Marmadue already took a few small steps closer to Avari, in case that would deter them. Yes, they really should be going, especially if there were people among them who could fight off those awful monsters. He gave Avari a nod, ready to follow as well–
And quickly stopping before he managed to walk right into the girl, what with her abrupt stop. Tilting his head downwards, he made eye contact with her. Well, at least he was looking her in the eyes, as she exactly couldn't do the same. Avari… Seemed like she was doing her best to try to keep his hopes high, yet she was so young… Well, alright, she looked young. He had no idea how old she was or how her species aged. Size and appearance said nothing of a creature's strength – a Lilty was a great example of that.
"Ah… Yes, I believe it would be ah, a good idea to look out for each other, yes," Marmadue took the offered hand again, his own once again swallowing the much smaller girl's hand due to the rather big size difference. There wasn't much he could do to protect anyone, but he didn't feel it was right to only take help and not give any in return! Especially if she truly was just a child. He was going to have to ask her later…
"…Mh. Do you… Happen to know what these 'Heartless' are? Where do they come from?"
