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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Rook's eyes fell to the street. People with normal lives, in normal relationships, speaking normal conversations that didn't have anything to do about living along for a decade in a crag, or monsters born of shadow after their hearts. For a moment, he wanted to be like them, but he was far too used to the fighting anymore. Too used to what he knew as life to even fathom anything less for very long. He was a homeless boy with little more than a wounded heart and a penchant for fighting to fall back on. A normal life would forever elude him in favor of one of endless fights and protecting those he cared for.
He smiled and opened his mouth to reply, looking at her only to catch her gaze resting on the street. He followed it, his eyes landing on the couple beneath them, and watched, head tilted. Romance, to him, was a silly thing he had barely only read about in books. And in his mind's eye, it held no place for him. Not as he was.
Blinking, he looked to his salad bowl. To Skell. Back to his bowl. To his fork. Which he used to pince a small red round tomato, the prongs breaking just into it. Raising it towards his face, he contemplated doing what it looked like he was doing. Notions like "proper" and "etiquette" cropped into his mind. But it was Valentine's Day. And with a tiny, almost-guilty smile on his face, he held it up towards her mouth.
"Yeah... probably better stories to tell at a time like this. What about you, though? What's your story?"
Upon hearing his voice, her head turned back to him, away from the people down below. The first thing her eyes caught was the brilliant, red sheen on a cherry tomato, being held to her face, as though it were an offer. And... well, what else could it be?
Her cheeks pinked a little, not from the soup anymore. She was flattered by the gesture. She never thought she'd get caught up in all this lovey-dovey stuff, but there was a girlish bit of her that just loved to poke out whenever it had the chance. Skell's eyes moved to glance on Rook's lightly colored ones. Blue... or were they green? His red hair reflecting in them made it a bit hard to tell. And with a girlish smirk, she graciously took the red tomato in her lips, plucking it off the fork.
She laughed a little on the inside. This was just a bit funny to her. Covering her mouth with a hand, she proceeded on with the conversation, as though this were all casual to not make it awkward.
"Well... I'm from here. I don't really travel much at all, because of the nature of my interests. I like to study Nobodies, and I've found a lot to frequent here. They're nasty little guys when they want to be, so I doubt the train here would take me anywhere where there'd be more of them. And, so, I stay..."
Carefully ripping off a piece of bread, she dipped it in the tomato basil soup she had held in her hand and turned to Rook, leaning in slightly because she didn't have the extension he had with the fork, "Curious, that they're rumored not to feel. I'm trying to challenge that." And with a tilt of her head, she watched him as she let the tomato dipped piece tap his lips.
Rook couldn't help but blush a little as Skell reciprocated. He chuckled as he took the bread into his mouth, chewing it slowly, eyes closed. He swallowed a moment later, and turned back to her, "Nobodies? I know a couple... and if it helps, they don't feel anything. A couple have said they make up their own personalities, but they are all over the place... some are nicer. Others are-..."
He hesitated. Getting back into stories better not repeated here. "Others aren't as nice. But if you wanted to look for some, I could protect you." He took a fork of the chicken pasta and held it back up for her, watching with crystal blue eyes, a pinkened skin tone, and an innocent smile.
Skell listened intently as Rook explained what he knew of Nobodies, furrowing her brow a bit. He seemed so certain to know that they didn't feel anything as far as emotions went. How could he possibly know something like that? Her interest piqued, although still taking what he said with a grain of salt. He wasn't a Nobody as far as she knew...
"How can you be so sure of that? That they don't have feelings?" she warily eyed the bit of chicken pasta he had wrapped around his fork. His cute smile was enough to lighten her mood, but she was still skeptical. Slowly, she opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around the majority of the bit on the fork, pulling in with her tongue what little bit of noodle wouldn't go in initially.
And then she stuck her fork in the same plate he served her from, swirling her fork in the midst of it while piercing a piece of chicken, raising it to his lips again, "I can protect myself, you know... I don't just draw food. That'd be hardly helpful in most situations."
"Good... cause they're all dangerous." He leaned in slowly, starting to feel he may be putting a damper on the conversation. But it would be good for her to know. Studying Nobodies? Not the most intelligent of jobs, it was risky! But if it's what she did, he would help if he could, "Like I said. I know a couple. Even the good one, Jason, he'll tell you. They don't have actual feelings. They all want their hearts back, but they do different things in order to get them. Jason is a good Nobody... probably my best friend. He looks out for me sometimes, when things are rough." He wouldn't dare bring up the other types of Nobodies. Not unless asked first.
Studying the meat for a moment, he leaned in once again, taking it into his mouth. He chewed, and a moment later, his brow furrowed as his tastebuds rejoiced at their new delight. He looked towards her, putting a balled fist in front of his mouth, given he wasn't sure he wanted to swallow and be done with it yet, in an attempt to be proper, "...Chicken?"
"Jason, huh...?" she pursed her lips. She'd have to meet this Jason before she came to any real conclusions. And then she'd have to study multiple Nobodies. It could be something that varied amongst them all, or it could be constant for each and every single one of them. What if they were told from the start that they can't feel, and they're just facing confirmation bias?
What would not even feeling feel like?
She was pulled out of her rabbit hole of Nobody musing when he questioned the food she put in his mouth. Her jaw dropped a little at his simple inquiry.
"It is chicken..." she didn't quite know how to follow up with that. She blushed a little at how privileged she seemed compared to him. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable. Turning to her bowl of soup, she decided to finish off the bit of baguette that was still in her hand and hiccuped, "Aah, well I'm full... do take your time, though."
Pulling out her paintbrush, she ran the bristles across the bowl she summoned, and watched as it twinkled away before their eyes.
"You sure..? You didn't eat much." Part of him wanted to stp to. It would have been proper to. But... chicken! He'd been living off of canned goods and stews for almost a decade now, this was the best date ever!
He folded his legs underneath him and watched as the sky didn't move, the sun in its orange shades hovering silently like a lightbulb that would never go out, and continued eating. Mostly the chicken. He didn't take his eyes off the daystar as she unsummoned her bowl, there was something about this moment he didn't want to let go. Maybe because it made him feel that inkling closer to normal. He swallowed, still looking out over the horizon.
"I don't know. I don't think so... Only a couple of people I can even remember in my life that have been around long enough to trust... Jason. Ren... Era, maybe? We protect each other... but I dunno, that's different. And I dunno if it's one of those kindsa things I get to find out about."
He finally broke his gaze from the evening sun and turned towards her, eyes sincere as the gentle breeze from below tossed his shaggy red hair about his head and face. "What about you?"
Skell laughed at his observation, tidying up the parts of their setting that hadn't been touched or were not being touched any longer. She drew up a pitcher of lemonade as he continued to enjoy his food, "Oh, trust me. I eat a lot. Mostly throughout the day. I have a confession, though... I ate a bit before I met you in case I didn't like the food or if it wasn't filling."
Listening intently, she drew up a picture in her head of the situation he was describing to her, as he paintbrush drew up a couple glasses. She absent-mindedly popped open the bottle and began pouring it into a glass. He sure seemed to know a lot of people. I guess that's what you get if you travel...
"Huh?" his return of her question caught her slightly off guard. Love? To her? Well... she loved her parents very much. And she had a couple friends that have stuck with her through school, but that wasn't the sort of love she was thinking about.
"Uhm, well... I have love in my life, that's for sure. But I haven't gotten that close to anyone to be on terms of like, dating, and what have you --" she then remembered they were on a blind date, " -- I guess that's what we're doing! Haha, how funny..." she handed him a glass as she filled her own.
He took it, taking a sip and smiling, "I always thought love was some kind of magical thing. That is applies itself to things you get close to and don't want to part with. Everyone should have love."
The smile softly wiped from his face, and he took back to starring off at the sunset. Everyone should have love in their lives. But aside from his three aforementioned friends, the only thing he had to love now was a tiny shanty in a rocky crag in the wastes of Radiant Garden. Rook would never let it be said that his life was a rich, full oyster.
"And... me neither. This is a first for me. The date, I mean... also the big dinner. And restaurant. But we're doing things, new things. So that's a good start, right?"
Skell perked up a bit more and more as Rook began to mention things he had never done before that he had been having the chance to do now with her. None of that was really new for her, except for the dating bit. But it made her happy that she was allowing someone else to experience new things. Well, if a date wasn't for trying new things with someone, then she'd be damned.
"It's a wonderful start... hey," she began, "Is there anything you've never done or seen that you'd really like to? Anything I could help you with? I mean, we have all of Twilight Town at our disposal -- and my sketchbook, too, possibly," she added with a laugh.
The redhead smiled, his face lighting up a touch. There was a lot of things he had always wanted to do. Things he just couldn't see happening in the Maw. Or in Radiant Garden et al. It was still trying to improve and build on itself. Things were often all work and little play, when he did dare to venture inside the city limits.
But there were also limitations to that. There were so many thing's he'd just never even heard of. Movie theaters and popcorn, rose-garden walks, getting ice cream together ad enjoying the evening as it slipped away. Rook was a caring, but highly naive boy. He just hadn't truly experienced life as it should have been.
He looked around at the people beneath them, trying to think of, or witness something that would give him an idea. After a long, pausing moment, he submitted, "Well... I don't know? What do people usually do?"
A broad question made broader by the fact that he didn't mean "on dates". He meant "in general".
A smile grew wider on Skell's lips, ideas rolling through her mind from the sheer generality of the question. Pulling out her paintbrush again, she ran it across the remains of what she had conjured up, save for the glass of lemonade still in Rook's hand. Her hand then took hold of his other, urging to pull him up as she brought herself up.
"Well, come on now!" she tugged, "We have quite a bit to do before it gets too late, then!" And she successfully got him up enough that she could skip off leading them off the roof they sat on.
Hopping down some pillared stairs and dashing through one alley way after another, this pace allowed for some added excitement. It was as though they were in a chase after some desired event. As she sped through, she took carefully to his question... What did people do? She realized a lot of socializing happened around food -- but they had just done that. And perhaps she could top the day off by treating him to some sea salt ice cream. But not now... they could enjoy something else for now.
She brought them to the Sandlot, and lo and behold a group had already congregated there. There was much cheering focused upon a small elevated stage, pretty much only wide enough for a handful of people to rest on. A well-dressed man stood, holding a microphone in one hand, and cupping a trophy in another.
"Welcome everyone to the annual Valentine's Day Knock-Off! We hope you've been as excited as us running the gig year in and year out -- it would really be nothing if it wasn't for you all! The game is simple, and you know how it goes! So get ready..."
Skell turned quickly to Rook and scrawled out something with her paintbrush. A pillow materialized in air, and she pushed it into his chest, beginning to draw up another.
"Get set...!"
She grabbed his wrist and pulled him deeper into the crowd.
"Go!" And a flurry of feathers flew into the air as festivities began. It was a pillow fight! And what a ferociously fun one at that! Skell turned around, grinning as she ducked one pillow and swung at someone's side. Only laughs were had in a fight like this. But as she turned about, she realized she had lost sight of Rook. She hoped he'd have fun...
With not a word, but one confused look, Rook followed her. From her tugging at his hand, all the way to the sandlot, he was right in step with her. And he could honestly say he didn't expect to see this.
"Welcome everyone to the annual Valentine's Day Knock-Off! We hope you've been as excited as us running the gig year in and year out -- it would really be nothing if it wasn't for you all! The game is simple, and you know how it goes! So get ready..."
Skell pushed a pillow to him. He took it in both arms, looking at it, then back at her with a raised eyebrow.
"Get set...!"
Oh. Oh! He grinned. It was a fight!
"Go!"
Rook rolled backwards, dropping to his back and kicking back up with his feet and to a crouched position. It was already chaos, goose-down flying everywhere. And he was now behind Skell, low and out of sight. He slowly rose... hoisting the pillow high... he aimed...
...Then, stopped. He dropped the pillow to his side, canted his head aside, and tapped her on the shoulder, canting his head to the side, presenting her with a free shot, a soft smile crossing his face.
She laughed as she saw a couple of men aim for the same guy, who readily ducked, ending with the two men on either side hitting each other square in the jaw. If only there was a monthly one of these fights -- no, a weekly one! It'd be perfect to relieve all the stress someone accumulated over the days, and, by the looks of some innocent couples on the side, a great way to meet new people.
She jumped a little as a tap was felt on her shoulder, quickly spinning around, pillow ready to swing, and then -- !
She stopped herself, rather shakily, too. It was Rook! With an awfully cute smile on his face, to boot. She tilted her head downward a bit, smirking back, and gave him a playful shove.
"Hey! No cheap shots!" she laughed, "I may be a lady, but that doesn't mean I don't have a few tricks up my sleeve!" And she squirreled past him, ducking beneath the arm of someone who had a strong swing aimed toward, well who knows who. She had disappeared into the crowd again, hoping to circle around and reencounter Rook, but this time on the unawares.
Rook grinned, bowing slightly at her before stepping backwards and fading into the crowd. Hide-and-seek it was, then. May as well join in the fray.
He turned about, and before him was a vast ocean of conflict. Pillows flew about, some being reared as weapons, others simply sailing through the air. He closed his eyes and took a breath. Best date ever? Quite possibly yes. He hoisted his bag up to wield, and swung. It connected with a man next to him, pelting him in the shoulder. Spinning him around, Rook spun the opposite direction, swinging upward and clocking the man under the chin in a second strike.
Stepping onward, he dropped the hold on his pillow and gripped it midway, using it to deflect another oncoming swing by batting it away. Ducking another, he turned towards the assailant and swung the pillow underarmed. It spun about under his right arm and up into his hand again, catching it and dropping it with a light tap on the person's head. Something to think about.
In moments, Rook was almost dancing through the crowd, the pillow Skell had conjured spinning about in his hands, and across his body as he pulled off feats of pillow-combat someone with a penchant for fighting against large groups of enemies and some minor training in swordplay would be expected to perform against an uncooperating and uncoheisive enemy force. The only blows he took were inadvertant grazes meant for other people as he slipped through the crowds, a wake of pillow-acosted competitors lined up behind him.
