Concerning Heroes (Jason, Rook* Complete)

[Era]

The setting Sun painted hues of yellow and orange across a gentle, glittering oceanfront. Tall palm trees swayed in the warm evening breeze. The balcony of this outdoor Café was a year-round tourist attraction. An upbeat, relaxing diddy soothed into the atmosphere; likely emanating from the Café's calming audio system.

This hour was when things began to slow down for the day. A few customers still filtered through the doors, peppering the fancy white decor with a body here and there. A tourist or two still gawked at the breathtaking scenery, clicking a few pictures between bewildered gasps.

And of course, there was that typical, turbulent customer that everyone wished would just go away and leave the scene to those who could enjoy it. Today that customer was a young male dressed in a Tuxedo, probably the least-likely culprit to voluntarily cause a ruckus... Regardless, the conversation was loud enough that it was difficult to ignore.

"A friend told me the truth this morning, Joanna. We're done. You can forget the marriage!" He was on his cellphone, stirring up a heated conversation with his Financée. "How did you think you could deceive me, your Fiancée of all people?... Don't feed me that! I know the truth now!" The man shot up from his seat, obviously growing more irritated the longer the conversation dragged on. "No thanks to you! Or should I say Fred? What am I supposed to do now?" He sighed, rubbing his fingers through freshly-groomed brown hair in a flustered, yet helpless fashion. "Just forget it. It's over, Joanna! I know the truth now. I won't be caught in your lies any longer!" The silver phone slammed shut without time for further rebuttal, and the young groom-no-more strode away without another word.

[----------------~~~~*~~~~-------------------]

A few tables away, a stranger watched the scene unfold with grim satisfaction. A twisted grin tucked into the corner of his lips. In complete tranquility, the silver-haired humanoid took a sip of his tea, eyeing the sparkling Ocean. Taking in a deep breath of briny, Sea-side air, his smirk only widened, the depths of his foul contentment brooding a devilish air into the otherwise serene atmosphere. Humans are such simple-minded creatures. You feed them a lie, and automatically they assume that it is truth and begin to convince themselves that the truth itself is a lie. What a pitiful race... So easily deceived.

With another sip of his Rose Petal Tea, wine-colored eyes scanned for his next victim.

[Rook]

((Not even accepted yet, dear. >_>))

[Era]

((Doesn't matter. You will be. ^^ And I have to discipline myself to do it now, or it won't happen for awhile. So I figure I might as well do it now, so that I don't have to worry about forgetting to do it later.))

((Edit: By the way, I'm still working on this thing. It's being fleshed out to completion, so I'm taking my time.))

[Rook]

Upon the beach, the air became stale for but a moment, before rippling, deepening, and opening up into itself, resulting in the formation of a rare sight on this world: a dark doorway. In a world this light it stained the air, it's wisps lingering longer than usual before terminating and disappearing into the bright afternoon air.

One foot stepped from it warily, a hand pulling a ragtag cloak further over his head, protective of stepping out on his own and into the Destiny Islands sun. It was already thick in his lungs and mind, counteractive to all he had come to know. And it made breathing a task. A conscious effort. He had told Jason that this trip frightened him.

But he had to find her. His crystal ball had never led him astray before. Shown him how far he would go astray, perhaps. But it never led him there.

He looked back into the dark doorway, fully stepping out into the sand, "Don't leave me," came a shaken voice from under his cowl.

[Era]

An open ivory balcony was the Café's greatest feature. Its sturdy white pillars were decorated with colorless strands of ivy. But, ornamental as the choice decor was, the little restaurant's best selling point was definitely its location: the fancy semi-circle terrace looked over a favorably scenic beach front, complete with a palm tree here or there to perfect the picture, but not enough to drown out the view.

From his position on the Café's open, ivory balcony, the cynical humanoid watched a puff of inky shadow coil around a doorway along the beach front. Blood burgundy eyes shifted curiously from the port of darkness to the newcomer that emerged from it; empty and dark. One thing Rel could count on about this world was its ability to shuffle him an ever-amusing hand, for just when the silver-haired Firefox was growing bored, a new arrival had spawned.

With another sip of his Tea, he studied the cloaked figure, mind quickly inquiring as to his traveler's worn drab: not only was it out of sync with the rest of the locals he'd analyzed here, it was also a ridiculous choice to wear to one of the warmest Worlds one could choose to visit. So then. . . Perhaps the Traveler carried with him a secret. Perhaps the eerie stranger was a wanted killer? A thief mayb---

A frilly white apron obstructed his view. "Excuse me sir, would you like a refill?" the sheer chipper demeanor that the Waitress commanded was enough to state that she wasn't capable of ill intentions. Annoying, perhaps, but definitely not a threat.

Those cold eyes stared emptily, almost enviously, at the warm, smiling face of the female who'd interrupted him. An irked sigh escaped his mouth, boredom wrought into both is voice and his expression. "Yes, that would be nice," he placed his decorative tea cup on the tabletop, casually shooing her away with his free hand. It wasn't that he particularly wanted the refill, as much as it was that he was uncomfortable with the light that was dripping from her presence.

The Orange-haired female just smiled, and she took a few steps toward the sudden interest she'd picked out, her attention diverting from the Customer, to the trees and ferns decorating the balcony's edge. With the calm hum of the waves at her back now, she soaked up the view of the Palm Trees swaying in the flowing breeze, the light from the Sun causing the shadows cast by the leaves to dance with gorgeous finesse. She allowed the magnificent view momentarily to take her breath away, and paused to enjoy the sheer beauty of the sight. And, strange as the idea was, the more she stayed here on this Island, working for the munny to continue her search, the more homey this place became...

She permitted herself only a short time to linger before scampering back to the kitchen to get that refill, completely oblivious to the fact that a familiar stranger had just dropped in for a visit.

[Jason Arilani]

[You know... It's always the email that seems to get me to post... I don't understand why...]

Jason would step through the portal of darkness onto the bright world. A world where the sun always seemed to shine so brightly. It was painful to look at at first due to the fact of having just traveled through the realm of darkness. But soon, his eyes adjusted to the blinding light, and he stood tall once more. He looked to Rook who had seemed permanently injured by the darkness. It seemed as though he was hurting from the light due to having been in the darkness for as long as he had. He heard the words come from Rook and nodded, placing an arm around his shoulder to try and show that he would not leave his side.

As he looked about the area, Jason curiously wondered what it was that had brought him here. Rook had stated that Era would be here on Destiny Islands. As to whether that was true or not, it remained a mystery. But perhaps he would be able to use some help. His Crystal Ball would be fetched from inside his trenchcoat as he focused his mind on the image of Era he retrieved. It showed a street, clearly having trouble finding her due to the aging she might have gone through during their separation. Either way, they had a place to start. He tried narrowing it down and it showed 3 buildings. A cafe, a hotel, and a convenience store.

"Rook... Those three buildings down the road... She is in one of them. But I cannot pinpoint which one. Let's head down there and decide which to investigate first." He said, showing that he would still not leave his side. They were friends through and through, and nothing would ever stop them from being as such.

[Rook]

((BREATH, thread, BREATH!))

Rook swallowed hard in fear, looking up and down the beachline. Huddling his arms close to his body and away from the threat of the brilliant light of Destiny Islands' sun. There was some comfort to be had in Jason's hand on his shoulder, but it did little to dissuade the sense of unease that he knew lurked just past his shaw. And beyond that, somewhere within this town, Era.

Memories came floating back to him, bit by bit, image by image. Kairi caught in a rainstorm, her boat beached on the play island. Rook had helped her back to the mainland and to her home, out of the rain. Meeting the fabled Sora and the King, who had requested their help in turning away Marluxia from his castle.

For an ignorant moment, Rook considered blaming the King for beginning his ill-ridden journey into the Darkness. For if it not for that day, Rook never would have been taken, manipulated. Pulled further away from the light he had found... but he knew deep down these were all his actions. Charging against the Nobody alone, accepting the King's request for aide. He'd no one to blame but himself. With a shake of his head and a sharp exhale, doubling for his attempt to rid his brain of such silly thoughts, he looked, cautiously, from under his hood.

He felt eyes on him that he did not like, but that didn't stall him for very long. With a hand to his chest, he closed his eyes...

"We'll have a Jasmine Tea and..."

His cloaked arm straightened outwards, fingers at the end of it pointing, shaking, towards the cafe.

[Era]

The Firefox could only enjoy about eight minutes of Solace before the glass door to the kitchen swung open on its hinges again. A slightly-rounded gentleman with a blue name tag was holding it open, about ready to exit and give the terrace a once-over to ensure order, when something from inside caught his attention. His eyes widened with surprise. And sure enough, trotting under his arm like a deliriously joyous freight train, the incompetent waitress came happily cantering back into view. Everything about the girl resembled the contentment and purity of a small child, and the Restaurant's owner had all the expression to to prove it. Like a father contented in the well-intentioned efforts of his innocent daughter, his worry quickly transformed into a mild appreciation. "Please, Era, slow down a little," the words were a gentle guide, seasoned with the years of life experience the wrinkles on his forehead were beginning to show.

Refilling the cup of Rose Petal Tea with steaming hot, amber liquid, the girl smirked. From her perspective, her Boss definitely worried too much. "Aw.. All right, Mr. Akanahé!" and the answer was playfully childlike, completely content in its exhibition. The older, hawai'ian-looking man couldn't help but turn away with a mild shake of his head, a slight grin dawning across his face.

Era set the white tea pot on the table in case the silver-haired man had wanted more, and then trotted to an empty table, reminding herself that her Boss wanted her to /walk/ half way through. Once she'd arrived at her destination, the small female began collecting dirty dishes. There were a few spots of leftover food dirtying the newly-vacant table, and she made a mental note to come back and wash it clean once she'd gotten the dishes tidied up.

On her next trip to the kitchen (out of countless runs she'd make back and forth for the day), she found herself humming the upbeat, ambient music playing softly from the roof-mounted speakers: it seemed that even if she wasn't allowed to skip, jump, or do anything too wild, her happiness would somehow find a way to escape.

[Jason Arilani]

Jason watched as Rook outstretched his hand toward the cafe. He seemed convinced that she was in that direction, so that was where they would start. As they walked up to it, Jason looked into the Cafe and wondered if he would recognize someone, but he saw nothing yet. No one that seemed even remotely familiar. But he didn't know the person like Rook did, and he didn't spend too much time on Destiny Islands to begin with. But he didn't want to seem like a fighter, so he cast his staff away, letting it return to the nothingness for now.

His hand pushed open the door as a small bell chimed. A sign told them to pick a seat and a server would be with them shortly so he led Rook to a small booth, the one that provided the most shade so he might be able to remove his hood while in the Cafe. If he couldn't recognize Era, then maybe Era could see him first and come over to investigate. Then again... That was even if she was in this restaurant. For now, they would just have to wait, watch, and hope for the best. Jason looked to Rook to see what he might do here.

[Rook]

Rook followed his friend. Slowly, being sure to keep steps behind him. He was still scared of everything here. Everything beyond his own home, really. He was scared of being on this World again, and he was certainly scared of seeing Era... what could he say to her after all this time?

He stopped in the doorway of the cafe, looking up from under his hood at the bell as it chimed closed behind them. He winced slightly at the sound before his eyes drifted back towards the patrons already sitting amongst the tables and bar stools.

They stared at him.

They all wore such brightly colored clothing, the citizens of this world. Warm colors and short sleeves. Pastels and floral patterns. Rook's dark, dirty cloth-turned-cloak was the elephant in the room. He hung his head to avoid their eyes as they all went back about their conversations. He sensed no ill-will from them. Only curiosity and wariness at the odd-looking choice in apparel.

The redhead strode quietly past, but despite avoiding the watchful eyes of his "fellow" patrons, the only one he found himself seeking out was the man with the cold eyes. He wasn't put at ease by them.

Sitting across from Jason, he slid into the booth, but refrained from removing his cover, though his raised chin towards his Nobody friend was show enough that he felt less pressure here in the shade.

"I don't see her... I could have sworn I felt something here..."

[Era]

The dark brown eyes of a slightly rounded, middle-aged islander peeked around the corner of the thin walkway before his head crooned in the opposite direction, toward the further recesses of the kitchen. "Hey, we have more customers!" the man strode into the back of the restaurant, tightening his black apron as he vanished from sight.

Some indecipherable words were exchanged somewhere in the back, almost inaudible from where the new guests had chosen their seating. Another day. More customers. More money. And another inch toward victory: this was the life of the simple-minded, orange-maned female. Somehow, despite the fact she was still rather poor and unbelievably worried about the friend she'd lost touch with, she remained sickeningly positive. After going through the guff she'd been through, she couldn't afford any more negativity.

A calm hum weaved into the atmosphere, its air bringing a sullen peace to the Café. A pair of frost-blue eyes scanning the room a second later. Let's see. . . The man with the glasses and his young daughter had been here for awhile, nigh an hour to be correct. The young motorcycle tough guy only just received his Paopu Sunday... Ah! Two new faces! Or actually, make that one new face. Those bright eyes identified a gray-haired fellow, about her age, sitting across from what was presumed to be his friend: a cloaked fellow. The feeling she got from the eerie person, hidden beneath his blanket, was strange.

But, customers were customers, and it wasn't her job to get in their personal lives: just to serve them what they ordered. Contentment carried her seemingly featherlight frame toward the brand new customers. She had known her share of regulars to this Café, but noted that she had never seen the faces of these fellows on the Island before. "Hello. Have you had a chance to look at the menu?" The menus were laminated and placed beneath a glass plate that acted as a fancy tabletop, so she had presumed they had come to a decision, since neither one seemed to be analyzing the items listed.

As she pulled out her trusty notebook and a pen from the pocket of her apron, the female's heart fluttered, bringing about a dull wave of pain, and a painful sensation of... something else she couldn't put her finger on: was it hope? Despair? Pain? Happiness?

Gaining control of the bizarre occurrence, she blinked a few times, pushing it to the back of her mind. She had to do her best for her job, and would have to think on such a happening some time later. Hopefully her face hadn't betrayed her control in some awkward way during that little episode. A second later, and her eyes naturally diverted to the boy with the unveiled face - that of the gray-haired boy. They said eyes were the window to a person's Soul, and hers were filled with Light.

With a politely quiet demeanor, she waited for his answer.

[Rook]

For a long moment, there was a silence. No answer came from Jason, and from underneath his cowl he could only assume the spotlight was now on him. The redhead recognized her voice from the moment she took a breath to even speak. It almost hurt his ears, the light that carried with her voice. He leaned away slightly, suddenly feeling butterflies in his stomach.

If Rook had had a childhood proper, he assumed that this is what he would have felt first talking to a girl he'd been interested in. His eyes studied her feet from under his shroud, blinking, before speaking. He'd have thought it meak and timid before saying it, but perhaps Era was more to him than he had ever contemplated.

"Just water for me, thanks..."

[Era]

The vivacious girl started jotting notes onto her trusty notepad as she awaited the coming order:

---------------------------------
             NOTES:
--------------------------------

Table #3:
Silver Hair -









--------------------------------[/size]

Lively frost-blue eyes flicked from the paper, to Jason, then back to her notes. Her patience escaped via the guise of her pen tapping gently on the paper; which, for a brief moment, was the only sound to be heard from their table. Only silence ensued from the silver haired male for the next couple seconds, which probably meant he needed more time to decide. She would take down the other order and come back to him.

Writing another reminder for herself just below the first, Era's posture shifted in the eerie boy's direction - a silent indicator that it was his turn to place an order:

---------------------------------
             NOTES:
---------------------------------

Table #3:
Silver Hair -
Mysterious Bo








---------------------------------[/size]

She hadn't finished scribbling out the note before the boy began to speak.

"Just water for me, thanks..."


She stopped breathing.


Euphoria fused with a tsunami of relief crashed over her at that second, freezing every fiber of her being in place. The pen fell, and the notepad slid out of hand; both items clattering to the floor with a scuffle.

Someone who had less childlike innocence would have needed more proof that it was him; more convincing that he, in fact, was the one she'd poured all of her time and efforts into reuniting with, but not Era. She knew right off the bat that this indeed was the person she'd chased to the ends of the worlds - the person she'd been searching for ever since she escaped Ansem's oppressive grasp. This was Rook.

And then, in the blink of an eye, she attached herself to him with an abrasive, euphoric hug. Contrary to her usual, well-composed demeanor, there was enough power behind her embrace to have knocked him over. With arms wrapped tightly around his chest, her neck leaned over his shoulder, touching his collarbone. She wasn't about to let him go.

Her breath had returned in the form of a softly-fluttering inhale; evidence enough of the wave of tears and emotion that had built up during their separation. Happiness overflowed in the form of wet streams down her olive cheeks. The warm liquid shed from her chin, dripping onto the back of Rook's cloak, and Era spoke with a voice that had softened into a shaky, blissful whisper:

"I knew you were alive."

[Jason Arilani]

Silence.... It said quite a bit about a person or about the situation at hand. From the moment she spoke to them and Jason had looked at her, he knew that she had been found. But it took longer for her to realize who it was that had spoken to her. As Jason sat there, he watched as Era had flung her arms around Rook, realizing the identity of her long lost friend. Things were starting to unfold before Jason as he watched the interaction between the two. Memories of his time long ago, back when he could feel emotions much like she was feeling right now. He felt a small pain in his chest, right at the empty area where his heart should be. He remembered his studies, his research, and remembered that this was what had happened before he was able to merge a heartless and a nobody together.

His mind flooded back to the time where he was last a human. His mind knew the goal that he needed to reach, and he could tell that his mind was telling him to cry in happiness of his friend's reunion with the one he was searching for, but without the heart to receive the signal to really feel the emotion, Jason was stuck, unable to cry as his mind willed. The emotions that Era was feeling toward Rook... The emotions that Rook had explained to Jason.... All of these were lost in the nobody as he watched on. All he could do was fake a smile, waiting for Era to say anything she might.

The nobody stood and grabbed the chair next to him, pressing it closer toward Rook and gesturing for Era to sit down in it. Perhaps talking to them, or allowing them to talk together would best be done while sitting. If she decided to take a seat, then Jason would look toward both of them and say "Seems this search of ours was quicker then initially thought. Your name is Era, correct? My name is Jason Arilani, and I am a friend of Rook's. If the two of you would like to talk in private, let me know, and I'll leave the two of you alone."[/color] He waited to see what would be said in return to him and if asked to leave for a moment, then Jason would stand and walk outside of the cafe, waiting for them to speak with each other.

[Rook]

((Apologies, work and school were beating me to death for a few weeks there. But I'm back! On with the show.))

Wincing, not at the impact of Era's embrace, but the close proximity to her, Rook raised both arms slowly, almost abashedly, and wrapped them around her shoulders, holding her close. He would never admit aloud to her how much it tinged his skin. But beyond that was a soft sigh of relief. He still didn't even know how long it had been since the last time they had laid eyes on one another, how long it had been since he had allied himself with the Organization, stormed the Castle of Abyss and almost encited a war in the World That Never Was over her.

"I knew you were alive."

He nodded, even smiled slightly. A rare sight these days. "Off and on," he said, more truth to it than his sarcastic delivery let on.

Jason spoke, but Rook was quick to shake his head. He flashed the Nobody the same look he did when he first spoke to him after they arrived on Destiny Islands. He held up a hand to stop Jason from leaving, and turned his head back towards Era, the hood of his cloak now only partially covering the right side of his face, "Era... this is Jason," he started, "He's the reason I made it this far to see you."