[Plot] Cimmerian [Complete]

[dialgaism]

Asuka had been in the roof for a few moments after going through a strange door. It certainly didn't seem like she was anywhere near home with no apparent way to go back, she was stuck here, wherever here was. She could note that she was on some sort of town but was it controlled by the government? If so, they probably knew who she was. God, what was she supposed to do now?

She let her head dangle from the side of the roof as she thought on her next move. She wasn't even that recognizable. At the very least she could sneak out and try to find more information about her location. Probably on some other continent, panicking wouldn't due her any good. Although, that door was indeed strange, maybe an abnorm built some kind of teleport ability. Who knew.

In any case she got startled by a voice coming from the ground. She quickly turned around to see if she could make out who it was, she could tell there were people down there but she didn't know who they were. With that said, she just hoped she wouldn't have to fight. Worst case scenario she could run.

"H-Hello!" She responded "If you're government then screw you and go away! If you're not... sorry..."

[Lorena]

”Lorena.” The silver haired archer offered her name after Era had given hers. Era then mentioned she was simply a fighter; perhaps Lorena should have been more specific, like what weapons they used, what experience they had, etc. Lorena also noted the lack of confidence in Era’s voice as she suggested Lorena and Lea might be better suited to combat. With what little information she was given about Era, paired with the observation that the woman carried no weapons, Lorena had to assume she couldn’t be relied on too heavily in a fight. With Marmadue also being less combat capable, it seemed that responsibility would primarily weigh on both Lorena and Lea. Though if Marmadue had protective magics, as he began to mention, perhaps a central position in their formation could prove beneficial to him, where he could aid whichever group members needed it. He also had information to share about how Maxwell had previously searched for the same keyhole they were after, so he could help them narrow the search.

And he did just that, as Axel fished out a map for Marmadue to mark on. Lorena kept a sharp eye on their surroundings as the two of them sorted out where they were going to start their search first. She silently took note of Era gazing up at the sky rather than watching for heartless, but said nothing of it, as Lea spoke up about checking the sandlot, where something called Struggle Tournaments used to be held. She couldn’t say she had heard of such a tournament before, but assumed it involved fighting of some fashion. She also saw no reason to argue against the idea, she had no better one, so instead she offered her thoughts on their formation as they traveled there, in order to be the most effective against heartless ambushes.

”Sounds like a good place to start. I primarily use a bow, so I can bring up the rear and watch our backs, and still be able to attack at range if the heartless engage us from the front. Then perhaps Lea could take the lead, if you don’t mind, and Marmadue and Era can remain between us to provide support as needed?”

Lorena didn’t receive a response from the others before Era noticed a figure in the sandlot as they approached the clearing from an alley. Lorena’s eyebrows furrowed as Era approached the figure, and the archer raised her unstrung bow in case this stranger ended up being trouble. The being replied back to Era with an unsure hello in a female voice, followed by a comment about a government. Lorena raised an eyebrow at the girl, but hung back from the interaction to keep an eye out for heartless.

[Marmadue]

Marmadue looked at Lea, hoping to find the answers he was looking for – but alas, despite the man having one of those Keyblades, he didn't seem to know anything for sure. He was inspecting the map however, something Marmadue was happy to let him do – and as Lea's hands reached to grab the map, he allowed it to slide out of his own fingers. Even if the location of the keyhole remained a mystery, some sort of of a place they could start their search from had had come to the Keyblade wielder's mind. What luck, the fact that Lea seemed to be familiar with Twilight Town…

A plan. In the middle of all of this, having one to follow was quite reassuring. The Yuke nodded as Lorena started to work out a strategic formation, definitely feeling much safer between people who could protect him and taking his place in the middle as Lea started to lead them to their destination. Still, he couldn't say he was exactly feeling safe, the streets feeling eerily empty and silent aside from the occasional odd creak from the dilapidated buildings. Every shadow was enough to cause his chest to tighten and his feathers to stand.

And for a reason, it seemed.

With haste in her voice, Era pointed out a figure she had seen on the roof, something… Human-shaped. Marmadue's gaze shot in the direction he was pointed, his eyes scanning the shapes and shadows and his entire body tensed up, ready for action. Well, ready to run, more likely. Was it really…? It was so dark, it was a bit difficult for him to see…
"Ah, Miss Era," the Yuke's voice was cautious as the girl broke away from the rest of the team, approaching the very possible source of danger and greeting it. He didn't know if that was smart, attracting its attention to them…

Then again, with its vantage point, a Heartless probably would have already seen them a long time ago.

It spoke back. A voice he had not expected, much more unsure, very… Young. Marmadue straightened his neck, not looking as ready to bolt as he had a moment ago. Yes, that was right, that was another part of their mission. They were supposed to look for more survivors, and it seemed that they had indeed found someone else – even if the comment about the government and the girl's apparent dislike for it made the Yuke glance around at the rest of the group. Was that a very good sign? Was this person they met a threat after all…? He cleared his throat.
"Ah, well, in our current situation, I ah, would question the existence of any governmental bodies amongst us, miss…?"

[Era]

She wasn't inept to the dangers of breaking formation, or not paying attention necessarily, although she certainly looked like she was doing both. Era's mode of processing had just been different. During the time her memories allowed her, Era had learned to perceive danger in other ways: like when there was a little something eerie in the shadows. When she was in the Corridors of Darkness and she couldn't see, she had to rely on her senses in other ways: and the power of her heart to guide her. And perhaps now there was a bit of an over-confidence in her non-visual abilities. And even should those senses have failed her, there was always a team to fall back on. They would get through it, of that she was sure.

With that bit of comfort, Era felt secure enough to have stepped forward to greet the new individual now.

From the greeting returned to them, Era had deduced that whatever world this new survivor hailed from, the Government wasn't in favorable standing with the common folk. Marmadue took his turn at an answer, and he was right. "I'm afraid there's not much left in the way of Government right now," well, outside of the Moogles that was. But could such cute little creatures really be considered Government? "One of the things we were sent to do is look for other survivors who might be out here, and from what I gather, you fall into that category. Our camp can provide community and shelter..." she couldn't even promise safety, because the reality was, none of them were safe. "...Beyond that, we don't have anything to offer. But if you want to come along, you've got to promise you'll be trustworthy." Era had a couple ideas in mind, questions to ask and such.

[Axel]

A sound somewhere between irked and surprised slipped out from his chest as Era quickly headed toward a possible threat. It had come out of left field, first of all, and didn't seem like the brightest move to him. But soon enough, she was having a dialogue with the stranger, and with a sigh, he gently shook his head, placing a hand on his hip.

Lea considered it lucky that the figure seemed relatively friendly. They were out here to search for survivors, but what should they do next? If they took her back, it would be a decent backtrack that cut into the time they were out here exploring. And it didn't seem wise to split up. Well... he wasn't completely comfortable with toting strangers behind him, although admittedly most of these faces with him he really didn't know much better, besides maybe occasionally seeing their faces in passing.

One of the fingers resting on his hip began tapping idly as he thought.

[dialgaism]

Asuka kept her and eyesight to the group in case they decided to get their weapons out and, god forbid, start shooting at her. Either way the first one spoke, although he had... a weird... mask? In all honesty she didn't know what the hell that was but they sounded trustworthy yet... could she really risk her head getting blown off? She didn't answer, not wanting to give any type of information in case they were who she feared they were. That was until the girl started to speak, although she sounded like a normal citizen it didn't last for long... she talked weird. Survivors? Camp? Her being trustworthy? That sounded a lot like a rebel group which would get her in even more trouble if she decided to go with them.

But weighing her options, she didn't really have a choice. She was in a strange land without knowing how to get around, she needed help and even though they didn't seem like the government folk... it never failed to be trustworthy. "Allright." Asuka sighed in defeat. "I'm coming down... just please don't shoot me." She started making her way down, making sure to make it look as flimsy as possible. If she was going to defend herself her chanches would be better if they underestimated her.

She clearly wasn't that all, it seemed as though she was but a teenager, a small teenager at that. With a smile on her face she waved. "Hi! Name's Asuka, anyone wanna tell me where the hell I am?"

[Marmadue]

Marmadue's gaze shifted between Era and the silhouette as he listened to her explain the situation. That seemed to do the trick, causing the stranger to start her rather worrisome descent down the ruins of a building. And indeed, now that she had gotten closer, she looked to be a rather young and small girl, the Yuke easily towering over her. The newcomer introduced herself as Asuka – and of course, had some further questions. Now that was familiar. Marmadue's posture shifted slightly, absentmindedly scratching the feathers on top of his hand. She must have been a very recent arrival, and what a bad timing it had been for her…

"…Ah, Twilight Town. That would be what this settlement is called," he started – might as well start from the question she asked, the one that was the easiest to answer. His back straightened once more as he directed his attention towards Asuka, his helmet tilting slightly with the motion of his head.
"Or, ah, what is left of it. I am afraid it has fallen into quite the disarray, but it is our only refuge. Admittedly its streets are now more vacant that usual, for there is the issue of a rampaging, ah, beast," Marmadue continued, though his voice did trail off at the end. Should they be worrying the girl with something like this? She already was worried for her safety! But at the same time, she deserved to know, did she not? Perhaps the heavier topics could be saved for later, however.

"What are we to do?" The Yuke glanced at his teammates, addressing them rather than Asuka,
"It is, ah, dangerous out in the open. The shelter would provide protection for her, but to bring her there is, ah, complicated," there was conflict with his words and voice. They should have brought her back, but they did not have the time. To split up their already small group would put both halves into danger, if they ran into any trouble. They had to continue looking to be able to cover all the ground they could as fast as they could, and together they'd have better chances of fighting off anything that attacked. But to involve Asuka in something so dangerous…

[Era]

As Marmadue explained things, she rolled her weight back onto her heels, listening. The way he spoke of the empty streets and the dragon caused the corners of her mouth to crack a grin. He had an interesting way of laying out the situation, and the slight social awkwardness seemed a little endearing.

In a couple seconds Marmadue was looking to his team mates for help on what they should do. Perhaps it was a good time to give her two cents. “If you ask me, she should just come with us. We’re not exactly at liberty for time. Besides, if the Big Bad does show, we could use the extra manpower.”

Her attention turned to Asuka. “We have a small camp. Everybody pitches in.” Counting those that went out to Castle Oblivion, they might have had fifteen ready fighters, and some of the town’s locals. There wasn’t a great beacon of hope, but as long as there was a spark, it was worth pursuing.

“I’m Era,” she gestured from herself to the others in the scouting party. “We’re some of the survivors.” For as long as she’d been alive, the universe had never been in such a ramshackle condition. Still, as long as there was a ghost of a chance, she would cling to that. It might not have been much, but Era had hope that things would change. Because they would change it.

She took a few steps back, tossing Asuka the canteen of water from her backpack. “Welcome to the apocalypse.” With that she returned to her relative position in the formation. It was now up to the tall redhead to do what he need to do.

[Axel]

As the new girl was joining the fold, Lea didn’t really get the sense she was going to be anything suspicious so he got back to business. A few easy paces on those long legs of his and he stood at the center of the Sand Lot, his back to the team.

He was using his energy to focus on the Keyhole: trying to pinpoint it, perhaps looking for an echo? Some sense that it was around? He was quiet for a few moments, listening for any sort of indication his heart might give him. Wherever it was, he also trusted his Keyblade would come to him, ready to work together with him to do what needed to be done.

A slight wind picked up, gusting through the streets, through his hair: it was a physical indication of the resounding sense of emptiness he felt within. There was… nothing.

He stood still for a second, contemplating what this meant: contemplating if he was right on his conclusion. He had a hunch he was. When he was ready, he spoke to the others with confidence. “Wherever the Keyhole is,” Clearing his throat, he turned to face the team. “It’s not here. But we’re not out of options yet. Come with me, I’ve got another spot to check.” He would lead them to a less-than-glorious route. It was the sewer that led to the forest just outside the Old Mansion. It was the only way to and from the forest, as over the years the shortcut through the wall had been repaired. He couldn’t really place it, but he felt that there was something to this next one. Maybe history weighed into the whole heart-of-the-world equation.

[dialgaism]

Asuka listened to the man speak.So, this place was called twilight town. Interesting name for a settlement. That being said she didn't necessarily like the next comment... what's left of it? What did she get thrown into? A WAR? Fighting wasn't something she particularly liked to do and simply hoped she wouldn't have to do it.

Asuka did make a face when the Big Bad was mentioned, so there was some type of battle going on at the moment and she was stuck right in the middle of it. Although she did have to clarify. "I don't do the whole... fighting thing. Not if I can help it... and I would like to know about this camp." She spoke scratching the back of her head. I don't mean to offend anyone but I would rather fend for myself if your camp consists of a monarchy which turns it's newest members to basically do slave labor and hide it as "pitching in"." She didn't want to beat around the bush, she had heard of that kind of thing before based on history books and genuinely bad people doing bad things out of the "General Good" which turned into slavery and ended with a revolution.

Apocalypse... yeah, no. People here were weird, first you had some weird helmet neck dude that didn't seem that crazy but his demeanor was strange. The girl talked weird, as if being formal was the only thing she knew. Having said that she moved forward and grabbed the red haired man's arm, at the very least she could be cute and make her seem as a scared little girl. She in some ways... she was. "They are weird..." She spoke not really wanting to move.

[Marmadue]

Marmadue looked down. Deep down, he knew that Era was right about them not having the time to split up and bring Asuka to the camp. But it just felt so… Cruel. His gaze glanced towards the young girl – surely she was confused and lost about all this. To ask all of this from her, right now… It didn't feel right. But they were out of options. The Yuke's shoulders slumped for a moment, but asking the girl to fight was going a bit too far!
"Ah, that's–" Was the only thing he managed to get out of his mouth before Asuka herself mentioned that she didn't fight. Yes. Of course not. The rest of their group might have been ready to fight, perhaps having trained their entire lives for something like it… But Marmadue knew what it was like to be someone who couldn't. He wouldn't be here if he wasn't able to provide some other kind of support.

"...Ah, I do not believe you need to be concerned about a, ah, monarchy, either, young miss. All we are is a miscellaneous collection of refugees doing what we can to survive. Any aid one can provide is appreciated, but we ah, could not force anyone to act against their wishes. You are a newcomer. Most of us understand the position you are in, so please, do not feel like you are coerced. If it is time you need, take it," the Yuke did his best to try to calm the girl down. She seemed to be very suspicious of them, and the world in general. He couldn't blame her. Everything was strange, but at least she seemed to gravitate towards Lea, of all people…

"But time is something the rest of us lack at the moment. I wish nothing more than to be able to escort you to the shelter, but we should not split our formation. That would, ah, make us unable to protect ourselves to the best of our ability, which is why for the safety of us all, it would be better for you to join our group for the time being, miss Asuka," he continued, hoping that she would understand the situation. They might have been strange in her eyes, but they were better than the Heartless!
"That is how we ah, might be able to provide you with knowledge you might wish to gain about your predicament."

They had to keep moving. They had to keep searching.

Marmadue had no other option than to follow the rest of the group. He had high hopes for Lea's intuition, clearly having perked up as he watched the man try to search for this mysterious keyhole. Alas, it seemed it was not so easy, and their search was going to go on for longer…

[Lorena]

While the group were discussing how Asuka should come with them, because they couldn’t risk the loss in time while they escorted her back to the sanctuary. Unfortunately they had to prioritize finding the keyhole, as there wouldn’t be a safe haven left if the heartless found the keyhole before them. Asuka herself seemed to flip from being untrusting to them to being polite, which was quite confusing indeed.

Lea meanwhile wanted to check the next area for the keyhole, and Lorena was more than happy to have their attention turned back towards that half of their mission. He led the group towards a sewer, and though she would trust his intuition about this, she knew they would have to be wary entering a dark area such as this. There was no telling how many heartless would await them down there.

Asuka also informed the group that she was not a fighter, which still left Lorena and Lea as the only seemingly capable fighters. Lorena had no idea what to make of the girl, as she spouted off some comment about their camp being the equivalent of a monarchy, and comparing supporting one another to slave labor. Asuka seemed very strange indeed, especially as she immediately gravitated towards Lea’s arm while calling the rest of the group weird.

”Marmadue’s right, we have to keep moving, and you’re best bet is going to be joining us while we finish our mission, the whole town is at risk if we abandon our search. Of course if you really are so distrusting towards us, you are more than welcome to brave the wasteland on your own, Asuka. I wouldn’t say it's the wisest decision, of course, but we are not forcing you to do anything.” She fixed a calm gaze on Asuka, pausing to hear her decision.

[Era]

It was fascinating to her how their camp could be compared to anything short of doing good for each other, but Era wasn't going to get nit-picky. Maybe Asuka had been through some dark times in her life that had colored the lenses through which she looked, and expressed herself to the world.

Either way, they did need to pick up this mission bit, as time was of the essence. There was nothing she could really do to add to the conversation, as the important pieces had all been said. She wouldn't beat a dead horse be reiterating too much. Asuka was free to do what she wanted, although it didn't really seem like a logical choice to be going it alone out here. After all, if Asuka had seen what the rest of them had, Post-Apocalypse was really the only thing that made sense. And the Heartless presence was still far too prevalent out here for anyone to feel safe going it alone.

The orange-haired female took a breath, looking up at the stars, then exhaled in a quiet sigh, and followed along behind the others.

Approaching the entrance of the Sewers, something definitely felt wrong about the place. Was it the dark taint that hung in the atmosphere from nearby Heartless? Or was she imagining it? Usually she could almost feel their presence, like a vague dampness on some level: but it was almost imperceptible at times, and quite easy to scare oneself into believing when sometimes there really was nothing there. Heck, this whole city was swarming with Heartless lately. Did she really believe she was feeling anything special? That anything was really lurking down here, ready to gank them, or was she just getting antsy over nothing?

A lingering gaze was cast into the shadowy areas: to a dumpster, over to a large black bag of trash, and then away again. Nothing immediately jumped out as being especially evil. In her mind Era scoffed at herself. It's nothing. Her Caribbean Frost gaze sharpened as it peered down what she could see of the mucky tunnel they'd be traveling through. She steeled herself with the idea that she had been jumping at shadows and working herself up over nothing.

[Axel]

Jade eyes blinked in surprise as Asuka gripped at his sleeve. It wasn't often that people he didn't know got so close. And she was calling the rest of them weird? His gaze went from Marmadue to Era then to Lorena. Nothing really peculiar about them stood out to him. Maybe wherever Asuka hailed from, they had a different social standard? He cracked a grin. "Wait 'til you see the Moogles!" If she thought the humanoids were weird, they had other survivors far more bizarre than these few.

It didn't seem like very long at all before they'd made it to the sewers. There was the usual occasional whif of ripe garbage, but the stench was nothing unbearable. Looking down the dark passage was slightly different than he'd remembered it. It sure seemed a whole lot more ominous at night.

A cold draft gusted past them, and in its wake, a stillness. He could hear the sound of the group's footsteps, and the quiet splash from a puddle of water beneath his boot. They'd been walking through the darkest part of their journey. What little light there was reflected off the surface of the thin pool of water stretched out before him. At the other end of the pool, a shadow quickly took shape, rising out of the puddle and forming into a tall, slender humanoid form. Electric blue stripes formed nerve-like patterns across the creature. It twitched with an uneasy tick. Several more pairs of golden eyes blinked from the darkness, their forms concealed within the darkness.

"We've got company!" he announced, ducking off to the side out of respect for the company he led. A gust of flames shot up around him, and a moment later, his Chakrams had materialized, dropping into place in his palms. He shot one forward toward the tall and slender shadodw before them, and held the other at his side in case he needed to send it elsewhere.

[dialgaism]

Asuka kept a pout as the people spoke. They kept talking about being in a group, about some sort of apocalypse and that it would be dangerous to be alone. He didn't exactly trust the group yet they didn't seem to be bad in anyway. Although that could be said about the government in some instances. Asuka did pout, hiding behind Axel "Do find it funny how y'all keep saying it;s my choice yet make it sound as if death is the only thing waiting for me if I go alone. Very convincing." She spoke with a sigh looking up at Axel. "Moogles?" She tilted her head "Is that some type of dog?"

Although she made quite a face when they entered the sewer. Why were they going to the sewers? Where they running from something? It didnt make much sense in the grand skim of things. "So, who exactly are you people? And why are you exploring a sewer? Some sort of princess down here?" She really did want to know because so far she saw her chances being better outside rather with this group and their sewer expeditions.

That is until they appeared. At first she was a bit thrown back by Axel's movements and amazed at how his weapons materialized. Afterwards concern showed, now she would definitely die. She was about to take out her own when shadowy figures appeared in front of them, they seemed beastly in nature. Pitch black in color with big glowing yellow eyes. Making a high pitch squeal she grabbed Axel's leg trying to find some comfort. "What the hell is that?"