Fall from Grace

[Marmadue]

"Ah, of course. It would be of no use to try to take care of needs that do not exist," Marmadue glanced over his shoulder as he opened the box and unloaded some items from it behind the counter. Couldn't force someone to eat if they didn't want to, right? Shaizen was an adult. Probably. He was quite certain that he was one by the standards of his species and was able to take care of his basic needs.

"People ah, tend to come and go. There are quiet days, but it is difficult to say when someone might be coming here. Do get settled wherever you would like. I hope you will be able to rest," the Yuke spoke as he walked over to a few of the used bedrolls to straighten them up and fold the blankets properly. It was better to get that out of the way before Shaizen went to sleep, lest he be bothered by it. He was going to have to get out of the man's way as soon as he could.

"I shall be heading upstairs, then. In case you ah, need me for something," he glanced over his shoulder as he once again picked up his box to bring whatever was still inside it to the storeroom at the back. It was where the stairs were, allowing him to head right into his bedroom after doing so. Before he managed to make it quite all the way, he did stop beside Shaizen.
"You clothes… Would you like me to take a look at them? It seems that they have ah, suffered some damage as well."

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would watch a little as Marmadue went about his business, wondering if his first day in this place was the same as his own. The man was certainly use to the town, and life within it. He wondered what this man's world was like, if it was anything like his own. How quickly did he adjust, and did he have anyone to help him like he was helping Shaizen? These were questions for another day, if they even got to know each other enough for Shaizen to ask. Another question was... what is with that box? He had noticed it since they first met, but thought best not to pry.

As he heard Marmadue, he would look down at his clothes and notice that he had forgotten their horrible state. One sleeve was almost completely gone, with the other hanging on by a mere few threads. A large portion of the front was cut open to reveal the scar where he had met that first Darkside. His jeans were torn to shreds, almost completely hopeless. At least his jacket was still in good condition... somehow. Apart from a few cuts in the fabric and a tear, it was still in good shape. His boots as well, though that was no surprise. They were made to last through the toughest situations.

"Um... I wouldn't mind it but uh... do you have anything I cold use while you look at them?"

What he was wearing was the only thing he had in terms of clothes. If Marmadue was to look at what he has, then he would need something else until they were in better condition. He would rather not run around not without anything to cover up with. While he was a fit man, he was too proud and had to good of manners to do such

[Marmadue]

"Ah. Yes," Marmadue hummed to Shaizen's rather important question. He supposed it wouldn't be all that nice to be walking about without clothes, especially where other people might be barging in at any moment. It would probably get quite cold as well, even with the blankets. Without further ado, the Yuke walked over to the door in the back, entering the storage room. While previously it had been filled with boxes and barrels that were empty, they had now actually gained things to store – even if it wasn't much.

The box was left on a crate while Marmadue turned to the baskets where he had stored clothes he had managed to come across. Well, ones he had managed to come across and actually get clean, of course. While nothing had initially been in very good shape, the ones that had suffered the least had been stitched back together, while the ones that were mostly just strips of cloth had been saved for later use. Digging through the clothes, he picked an assortment of clothing that would hopefully fit the man while keeping an eye out for any scrap pieces that were similar in color and texture to what Shaizen was currently wearing.

Walking back to the room, the Yuke came over to hand a pile of folded clothes to the man so he could pick something he could wear.
"They ah, aren't anything special, but hopefully they will do for now."

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would wait patiently as Marmadue would get him something to wear. As he waited, he would take his jacket off, folding it neatly and placing it on the bed with the back up. The emblem of the Phoenix Guard, two swords crossed over the wing of a Phoenix, was still in pristine condition stitched onto the back. This he was happy about. It would be hard for one who did know of his world and its guilds to recreate an emblem of the guild. 

He would look over as Marmadue would approach, taking the pile and sorting through it. While most of the clothes were worn or plain compared to the cities, they still looked rather comfortable, and he was grateful that they were offered to him for use. He chose out a shirt and pants that were plain and light tan, but looked like they would fit him, handing the rest back to Marmadue. He would then hide behind a bed sheet as he changed, taking off his normal clothes and exchanging them for the temporary ones

As he would step back out into view he would bow his head in thanks to Marmadue, afterwards handing over his clothes to Marmadue. Just as he had believed they would, the clothes fit rather well, and were comfortable too. He would then stretch a little before yawning

"Marmadue, I wish to thank you for all you have done. I appreciate it, the fact that you helped me when you didn't even know me. And giving me a place to rest for now, as well. I hope I can make it up to you someday. Until then, though, I must rest, if that is alright"

[Marmadue]

Marmadue let Shaizen look through the clothes in peace, taking the ones that he hadn't chosen to try out. As the man still had to actually change his clothes, the Yuke walked back to the storeroom to put back the rest of the clothes – and to actually give Shaizen some privacy. He certainly wouldn't appreciate it if someone was hovering around him when he was trying to get changed! Marmadue took his time, not even trying to rush it and in fact waiting for an extra while before he stepped back into the room with the man.

Shaizen was more or less finished by then, and the Yuke was there to retrieve his old clothes right away. As he thought, a closer inspection showed him even more rips and tears in the fabric. Well, he supposed he could do something about it – or at least try.
"Ah," Marmadue turned to look at the man as his thanks snapped him out of his examination of the clothes, soon starting to rub the back of his neck absentmindedly, ruffling the feathers. It wasn't the first time he had been thanked that day by Shaizen, perhaps it was getting a bit embarrassing…

"You are ah, welcome. But you do not have to worry about it too much. We ah, are all in this together," and it was people like the Yuke who would suffer the most had they been left alone, trying to survive by themselves in this world. It was difficult to take all the praise when helping others out was also a means of survival to himself.
"Please. Do try to rest. I will ah, head upstairs and try to be quiet. That is where you will find me if you need me for something," Marmadue nodded before he returned to the storage room, grabbing some usable cloth on the way before he started to make his way up the stairs. It was a good thing he had stocked up on some thread…



((Feel free to write up whatever you want happening during/after Shaizen's rest!))

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would wait until Marmadue had gone upstairs, looking around and choosing the bed in the corner farthest from the door. He would walk over to it, pulling the covers back and sitting down on the edge of the bed. Despite how old it looked and how worn it obviously was, the bed was much more comfortable than the cots he was use to. This made Shaizen happy, It meant he could sleep better and recover from his trip through the Darkness

As Shaizen would sit he would close his eyes and go over a list in his head, something Gil had taught him should he ever be in a situation where he knew almost nothing. Shaizen knew that he was in a strange world, taken there by the darkness. He knew that he was weaponless and without the only items he could claim anymore. He was unsure of why exactly he was brought here, or whether or not he could go back home, if there was still home to go back to. He knew that there was many supplies within this town, supplies which he could use. If he was going to stay in this town, he was going to get use to it, and learn to live how those within it live

Deciding he would worry about it more when he woke, he would lay down, pulling the covers up and quickly falling asleep. His sleep was mostly peaceful and deep at first, soon to be disturbed only by the Darkness leftover from his trip. Glimpses of the large, unknown Heartless would occasionally pop up in his dreams of Luniel. His dreams of the beautiful fields and forests of the Light land were disturbed by darkening skies and withering plant life. The Dark domain, eerie yet mesmerizing, would become lands of absolute destruction and death. The cities would crumble in his mind, one by one turning to dust as their memories would fade. The constructions and technological marvels made by the Tirealians were destroyed, not even their memory left in a world consumed by a powerful Darkness Shaizen didn't even know existed.

These images would wake Shaizen hours after he had fallen asleep, causing him to sit upright in the bed and look around in a panicky sweat. Needing some fresh air, he would quietly pull the covers off and get out of the bed. Making sure not to wake those who had entered while he slept, he would tiptoe across the floor and slip outside into the night. His mind didn't process the fact that it was still nigh time. Shaizen didn't even give it any thought as he would stand there and breath in the cool night air. He would stand there for a good long while, not knowing who all was in the house, or if the one person he now knew was even awake. In case Marmadue was indeed asleep, Shaizen decided to stay where he was, leaning against the house and looking up into the night sky

[Mikhail Rutherford]

[Shaizen said it was okay if I popped in. I hope you don't mind the intrusion!]

Mikhail stepped out into the night, shutting the door close behind him. Twilight Town’s broken moon shone over Market Street, taking note of its barely persevering state. Despite having resided under Traverse Town’s eternal night sky for quite some time, the man had yet to fully grow accustomed to Twilight Town’s own take on the subject. It was strange to think this was the same place that had been known for its bright, warm sunsets mere months before.

“A shame,” the pyromancer thought. Still, dwelling on the past rarely did any good in his experience. What was done was done; the only way all of them could go was forward.

He had been fortunate enough to find a place to crash when he arrived a few weeks prior. It wasn’t anything particularly special: a single apartment room right at the southeastern edge of the street. The building’s overall conditions were less than ideal, but roof and shelter were the only things Mikhail required from it. After all, “beggars can’t be choosers” and there were certainly others with higher needs and maintenance levels than his own.

But now he had to earn his keep. Despite the air of solidarity roaming around this fragile community-by-necessity of theirs, food and water scarcely came free of charge. Mikhail found it humorous than even in dire times such as these, some still sought to make a profit out of people’s everyday necessities. Sadly, however, he couldn’t say he was surprised by this unfortunate turn of events. There were always those harboring ill intensions, taking “every man for himself” to heart.

The man could tell it was far too early to be up and about by Twilight Town standards; the few establishments that possessed appropriate materia to lighten up the area remained closed and in the dark. A wise move, considering the spike in Heartless activity during these so-called “after hours”. The streets were thus practically barren, not a soul besides his own to be found out in the cold…

Well, just another.

It took him a while to distinguish the aura residing at the opposite side of the area. It was bright, carrying a certain whiff of righteousness. One could venture further and say it was warm, but unlike Mikhail’s its source held no fire in its soul. A light in the darkness… how ironic and how fitting at the same time. Even so, the energy it emitted seemed to be in slight disarray. This was enough to pique the man’s interest, but his intuition wouldn’t be able to tell him more about this entity.

Regardless, Mikhail had a job to do. The Underground Tunnels and its undesirable occupants remained and he wasn’t planning to keep them waiting any more. Still, as his feet took him before the large humanoid resting against what the pyromancer took for a shelter, he felt a sharp urge to stop on his tracks. It was that feeling, the same he had once felt when scouting for potential Guardians back in the day. There was something about this one…

”Can’t sleep?” Mikhail asked, his head still covered by the grey hood of his jacket.

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would be lost in thought. The dream had shaken him quite a bit. While he had thought of the possibility of his world being destroyed almost constantly since he was told the theory of what happened to the worlds. While he didn't want to, he knew it was something he may have to accept should it be true. His life was changing very quickly and he would have to adapt to it. In less than a day, he had gone from a high ranking Guardsman to possibly the last of his people trapped in an unknown world. It was a lot to take in in such little time.

Shaizen would snap out of his thoughts as he heard someone speaking, looking around before spotting the person who had spoke. A man stood before him, having walked up undetected while Shaizen was lost in thought. The stranger was just a little taller than Shaizen was, causing him to keep his head tilted back only a little. The man looked different than most others in this town, and not just from his clothes. He seemed to walk with an air much more confident than that of the usual citizen. He also looked as though he could handle himself in situations where most would perish.

His mind worked a little as he tried to register the greeting, his mind still a little scrambled from the dream. Shaizen tried to decide how to answer the stranger. He was still trying to decide how much to trust those of the town. He knew most weren't very trustworthy, being desperate to survive. How bad could answering this question be though? And besides, this could help him in the long run. Even speaking with someone could open doors to help Shaizen survive in this world, should they prove to be trustworthy. 

"No... unfortunately I can not. Thought I might get some fresh air. What about you... um... what is your name?"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Mikhail could tell the stranger was rather wary of his intentions. The initial delay in his response, the brief pauses in his speech... they all made it clear as the light of day. Still, it was smart and probably the most natural reaction coming from one unaccustomed to their surroundings. It was obvious that this entity (who the pyromancer assumed to be male) hadn’t been living in Twilight Town for long. Maybe only a couple of days, if not less. Even so, he seemed capable enough to defend himself and survive at least for a while against the Heartless. That was more than what the former knight could say for most of Twilight Town’s populace.

“I’m actually on my way to work… or well, “work”. No one’s actually paying me, but the Heartless aren’t going to clear themselves out on their own.” The man leaned against an abandoned shop’s wall, located right in front of his new acquaintance. He shifted his posture before continuing, attempting to find one comfortable enough to stand. “I’m Mikhail, Twilight Town resident. Not by choice which seems to be the norm. And you are?”

He waited for his reply as he instinctively glanced at the end of the street. Fortunately for them, Heartless rarely wandered into Market Street and its most immediate areas. Nonetheless, the former knight would rather seem slightly paranoid about it instead of being caught off guard by such denizens of darkness. Precautions were a necessity in those troubled times. Mikhail made a mental note to let the newcomer know about this, if he hadn’t already been filled in on that end.

“I’m guessing you’re new here? I haven’t really seen you around before.” Mikhail rarely took such a proactive role when speaking to others. However, his initial read on the man before him pretty much told him he’d have to if he intended to know more about him. The pyromancer faintly smiled to himself. Such techniques brought him back to… reminiscence be damned.

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would nod his head to the man briefly describe his "work", mentally acknowledging the fact that the Heartless were here as well and that people fought against them. While they were very rare on his world, they were still a problem. One would attack a person maybe once a month, only being successful every once in a while. He knew they lived in Darkness, attacking those of the Light whenever they could. Did the fact that they were here mean that they might have anything to do with him being here? Just another question to answer, it seemed. 

"My name is Shaizen, and yes, I am new here. I... only just got here. Not quite use to the place yet. Nor quite free from the... trip either it would seem. Does everyone have such horrid nightmares when they first arrive?"

While Shaizen wasn't very good at casual chat, his skill at such improved when he was speaking to other fighters and warriors. This man, obviously a warrior like him, was therefor a little easier to talk to. And while he had mixed feelings about the Heartless, not knowing fully what they are, he knew that they were creatures of Darkness. Anyone who fought against such was a potential ally, and Shaizen would like to be in the good side of every one here who could aid him. 

Seeing the man look around, he too would glance around at the empty streets. As he did, he realized how careless he was being before the Mikhail had showed up. A strange town full of strange people and possibly strange creatures he wouldn't know how to deal with. Not that he could. With his weapons broken as they are, it would be difficult to defend himself. Most would have some kind of weapon, even if it was just a broken pipe. 

"So then... Heartless are here as well, huh? Where I come from there are very few, but they are a threat whenever they do show. How bad is it here?"

[Mikhail Rutherford]

[Apologies for the delay!]

“I see,” he began, blue eyes briefly narrowing as they studied Shaizen’s face. He was obviously still processing everything that had transpired mere hours before. Mikhail remembered when he was forced to face a similar situation himself: to accept everything familiar was long gone and to adapt to a strange and vastly different culture on such short notice… it was no easy feat, certainly one easier said than done. Even then, this was ultimately a fight he had to tackle on his own. Once he was ready to face the truth and everything that entailed, of course.

“I get that. When my world was taken by the darkness I had a hard time wrapping my head around it. I also had dreams… those first three nights were the worst.” Mikhail let out a dry chuckle, attempting to shrug off a rather dusted memory but nonetheless still painful. Most of them came to terms with their new reality, yes, but it truly wasn’t something one could simply forget over the passage of time. “I can’t say everyone else has gone through the exact same process, but it’s always a tough spot to find yourself in. I… know it doesn’t really help much, but try to take it easy.”

Mikhail raised an eyebrow, noting Shaizen seemed to be familiar with the term “Heartless”. Surprising considering the vast array of names the species had earned throughout the worlds, but another could’ve easily introduced him to the title earlier that day.

Even so, it seemed as if Shaizen’s people had had limited experience fighting them. Those were usually the worst and most painful cases: to have an unknown enemy practically creep undetected until it was too late to stop them. At least Mikhail’s people, the Elonians, were given enough time to get to know these dark invaders. If only they’d focused their efforts on them instead of fruitless disputes…

“So you know them. It’s not as bad as in other worlds… I mean, this place is still standing. Even so, the Heartless are persistent in their advances. There have been some casualties in areas a bit farther from here. Hence why I prefer to dwindle their numbers before they decide to seriously push against us.”

The former knight looked past his acquaintance. He hadn’t had the chance to study the building that stood behind Shaizen. It was a two-story structure, apparently as damaged as most of the other houses and stores in the area. Still, there was something about the place… and now that he thought about it, Mikhail had seen someone point at the building and speak of a healer of some kind. If that were the case, at least the newcomer was in presumably capable hands.

“It’s good that you found a place to sleep. Most people end up in the shelter across the street the first couple of nights, but that usually gets a tad too crowded.”

[Shaizen Latross]

He would listen as Mikhail would explain what seemed to be a common thing for those who were already here. It relieved him, knowing he wouldn't have to live with the haunting nightmares for too long, so long as he was able to adjust. He knew it would take some time, maybe even more than he would like. He would deal with it, however, and pull through. To do so, he would need to make a few new friends and allies in this world. 

He would notice the odd reaction to his calling the creatures Heartless. Perhaps it was an uncommon name for the creatures, not used much around here. All he knew is that the Tirealians had always known them as Heartless. Discovered on his world by the Scribes, no one else really knew much about them, except for the fact that the Scribes study them whenever possible. The Scribes were actually rather secretive about their findings, not sharing much with the others unless asked about it. When asked, they would give only a limited amount of information, leaving others hanging and clueless about what was going on.

"Yes, I know them. They were rare on my world, but they were there. A guild on my world known as the Scribes studied them. They didn't give much information on them though, only giving us their names and that they were creatures of Darkness"

Shaizen would look back at the building before turning back to Mikhail, chuckling a little

"I believe this is that shelter, actually. There are many inside, all asleep as far as I know. Someone by the name of Marmadue helped me. I guessed I was passed out in the alley beside the building when he found me. Healed me as well. Guess I was pretty bad. Certainly felt like it"

As Shaizen spoke, he wondered if he should tell this man of his missing items. It could prove useful, especially since he was one who could go where others wouldn't want to. Like out into hoards of Heartless, where his bag very well might have gone. It wouldn't hurt, and he felt that Mikhail wouldn't steal it for himself. 

"Oh... by the way. Have you seen a bag? One with an emblem of two keys crossed over each other with a magic orb behind them? It is the only thing I am missing from what I remember. It has a few things I need in it" 

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Mikhail nodded as he listened, folding his arms across his chest. Though tragic, the fact that Shaizen was speaking in past tense meant he was probably already on the path to acceptance (at least on a subconscious level). That was fortunate, perhaps even advantageous for him. After all, so many others had struggled with denial for weeks, months… sometimes even years. Everyone had their own pace when healing and dealing with such matters, yes, but the darkness rarely waited for anyone nor anything.

“That’s right. The Heartless are creatures of the dark, born from the darkness found within a heart exposed to them. That often… complicates things. The more worlds they conquer and the more hearts they take, the stronger they become in both force and numbers.”

Though he could understand the motivation behind the secrecy of these “Scribes”, the former knight couldn’t help finding it slightly foolish. Of course, filtering information to avoid general panic was a smart move at times, but assuming they knew more about the Heartless than they were letting on… it could’ve saved lives. If its citizens had been properly instructed on how to defend themselves against the darkness, maybe Shaizen’s world would still be standing. It was frustrating for Mikhail to say the least.

“Ah, yes. I think I’ve heard the name before.” He hadn’t been acquainted with this Marmadue yet, but the healer seemed to be known by several other refugees in the area. That wasn’t too unexpected; after all, good deeds rarely went unnoticed and this individual was providing a much needed service to a, once again, fragile community-by-necessity. The pyromancer could only hope most didn’t seek to take advantage of such displays of kindness. “It’s a good thing he found you, then. Don’t get me wrong: most refugees aren’t vile nor unkind, but they rarely go out of their way to help like that.”

Mikhail furrowed his brow as he listened to the missing bag’s description. While it appeared to be distinctive enough to be noticed on the street, he couldn’t recall seeing anything like it… at least, not yet.

“Hmm… I don’t think I have, sorry. But if you had it with you when before it happened, it should be somewhere in this town. In theory.” With all of these people popping up at Twilight Town, it was easy for Mikhail to conclude this was becoming a new Traverse Town of some sort. As such, there was a chance a missing object could be on the other side of the area... assuming someone else hadn’t taken it first, of course.

He looked over at Shaizen once again, briefly studying his form. The man appeared to be armed and as such would be able to…

“No,” Mikhail told himself, dismissing that line of thought. “You’ve led others into battle before. Don’t forget what happened to them.”

“I could keep an eye out for it,” Mikhail offered, putting his hands in his pockets. It seemed like the best course of action. Otherwise, if Shaizen did need the bag’s contents, he was bound to go look for it himself. “I mean, I was already heading out to the tunnels. Maybe your bag ended up somewhere around that area.”

[Shaizen Latross]

Shaizen would let this new information of the Heartless sink in, realizing why Luniel had fallen to these creatures when very few were seen. While the world of Luniel was a beautiful place which hung between Light and Darkness, the Tirealians themselves were full of anger and hatred towards each other. The five cities all had a deep mistrust of each other, and he knew that such could lead to Darkness being born within the heart. Perhaps this was indeed the reason his world had fallen to the Darkness

"Yes, he certainly is a skilled healer. I owe him, that is for sure. I might not have survived here for long with the wounds I had. As for the bag, I would be grateful if you helped look for it. I would go out myself but..."

He would pull out his swords and unsheathe them, showing Mikhail there condition. The two blades, perfect opposites of each other, were broken on the edges and cracked in many places. Dents and small bends in the metals would take the sharp edge away, replacing it with smooth curves instead. Lunar, the sword made of Lunar Steel, had a mist of Light flowing off of it, the swirling designs now flickering weakly. Eclipse, the blade of Darkened Steel, was sparking violently with Darkness, the emblems along the blade looking as though they were filled with demonic energy

"These are my swords, made by my own hand. They are made of metals from my world. I am unaware if any exists outside of my world but... this is the main reason I need my bag. I have some of the very metal within it, and need it to repair my blades. Can't really fight Heartless and other creatures of Darkness without them, can I?"

He would keep the blades out as he looked at Mikhail, waiting for his response. While he could fight with any other weapon, these blades were a part of him, forged by his own hand. Fighting with some other weapon would just feel wrong, and dishonor the blades themselves. While he knew that there was that chance he might have to part with them for some other weapon, he didn't want to unless he was absolutely sure that there was no other way to defend himself

[Mikhail Rutherford]

Mikhail leaned over, leaving the comfort of the building against his back. These weapons… they were definitely something else. In all his years of travel outside his own world he hadn’t come across anything like them. Despite the damaged condition the swords were in right then, the pyromancer couldn’t help admiring Shaizen’s handiwork. The designs seemed to be well thought, the blades’ forms elegant yet sharp enough to be useful in a fight. The execution was also admirable; their creator definitely had some skill as a blacksmith.

For some reason, be it the materials used or the magic involved in their crafting, the weapons additionally seemed to have an energy of their own… an aura. One could say the blades appeared to be “bleeding out”, their respective elements gradually abandoning the source. Mikhail couldn’t tell if this was part of the swords’ normal state, but even by magical living sword standards… it looked odd.

“I’m guessing the local blacksmiths don’t have the materials you need, nor does the synthesis shop.” It made sense. While it was possible that similar metals existed in other worlds, they certainly wouldn’t be easy to get. Besides, Twilight Town’s material stock was quite short under the current circumstances. It was hard to even get a regular weapon augment those days.

“Well, don’t worry. I’ll keep my eyes open and bring back your bag if I end up bumping into it.” Mikhail offered the man a curt nod, abandoning his relaxed posture before starting to walk away from the spot. He knew he'd made the right call. There was no need to risk any more lives by dragging them out in the open. The former knight didn’t doubt his new acquaintance could handle himself, but still… it was an unnecessary risk to take.

Even then, there was something about that light…

He would soon come to a stop, letting out a sigh. Mikhail shut his eyes close. He could tell he was going to regret this later.

“Although I do have an extra sword on me right now… which I can lend to you if you want to come along,” he offered, glancing back at Shaizen. The pyromancer had to admit it would be nice to have someone watch his back again on the battlefield… as much as he dreaded working with others as of late. “Just make sure to follow my lead. We may not be facing an invasion yet but it’s far from a walk in the park.”