A Faded, Crumpled Note (Era)

[Era]

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E r a
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THE WANDERING LIGHT
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Entry .01
Everything's been a little weird lately. There's a glitch in my brain. I don't remember much past waking up in that mysterious town a few weeks ago. I've spent a long time thinking, and I've decided I don't want to remember. I'm happier not knowing who I used to be, because I'm happy with who I am now... and what if I find out something I don't like?



Entry .02
A stranger of good will handed me a beautiful Fire Lilly this evening. He said I looked a little distraught. What does he even mean? What expression was I wearing?

Well, whatever it was, it was close enough to how lost I've been feeling. I withdrew to think, alone on a bench in the middle of Traverse Town.

It was peaceful there. Or at least it was until this curious boy saved me from an odd Heartless attack. His name is Rook.

We exchanged a few sentences before he got the brave idea to fight Erax. Perhaps if we live through the battle at hand, I can learn more about him. My thoughts on the matter get deeper still, and I wonder if perhaps there was a greater purpose for our meeting?

I see something in him. A light? It encourages me to be bolder. Maybe that's why I was so afraid of losing him, even though we had only just met. That light. I need that light.

I knew that the fight with my Heartless was a terrible idea! But somehow, his charismatic personality made me hopeful. Oh, how wrong I was! Nightmare surfaced

What will happen now only luck, and time, will tell.



Entry .03
Well, the fight with Erax was everything I was afraid it would be. Nightmare surfaced. It wanted to destroy Rook, but somehow I was able to fight it off.

No, we were -- me and Rook together!

But, that only made Erax mad, and she hurt Rook. I came to his side. I thought he might die, and it scared me. Rook handed me the light... and I used it!

Erax left. We'd won. . . Or so we thought.

A scary Heartless man and his lackey came to torment us, too. And after uselessly pitting against them awhile, I joined in an agreement with the man. If he left Rook alone, he could take me in a peaceful exchange. Well mostly peaceful. He deserved that slap!



Entry .04
I managed to take a few minutes in the creepy Castle of Darkness. I'm afraid for what might become of me now, but terrified even more because I don't know if fate has laid its claim on Rook's life. I asked him to come back for me, but what if he can't? What if he's. . .

No! I mustn't think that! He's alive. He has to be! And I'll bet he's worried, with the way I just up and left. I'm worried, too. That dark-skinned freak glares at me like he knows something I don't. Like I'm some sort of prey, perhaps. A toy, a pawn. I fear for the worst.

Oh Rook, please come soon. . .



Entry .05
. . . He came back!

Rook actually came back! I was walled up in the Creep's Castle, in the middle of bargaining for as much as I could in exchange for me to work under him. And then, BAM! Something attacked the Castle. I went to investigate, and found Rook! He came back for me. . .

Just like I asked him to.

Our reunion was bittersweet. It was sweet because my inner being needed to see Rook -- to affirm that he was all right. The bitterness was in the fact that our reunion would be short-lived. That Heartless... Elaeus, was it? Had to be the party pooper and tried to assault Rook. After further (and quite hairy) negotiations with the Heartless, I got them to let Rook go back without injury. Rook reluctantly left, and I was left behind.

I'm afraid that something bad has happened to him. I know his Guard Light will protect him, so I should just be able to let this go. Should being the key word.

Is it wrong of me to be this worried?



Entry .06
The Heartless ringleader held a meeting a little while ago to discuss how I would be utilized in their evil plans. My bitterness toward him grew threefold that day when he talked about using me like I was nothing more than a piece of gum.

I suppose it was a backdoor slap in the face for running away from his ugly clutches earlier... But when staring at a face like that, who could blame me?

Anyway, Elaeus was the one who opened up a Dark Portal to Radiant Garden, where I was to hack into the security system and modify it so that the Heartless could launch an assault on the city.

I don't know squat about coding, but I didn't tell Mr. Creepy, because my life hangs on the thin thread of my ability to be utilized by him and his evil posse. So, I pretended to know what I was doing and, eventually, I got into the Computer at least.

Then wound up having to break out of a virtual jail cell, in hopes I could find some way to hack the system. But, I was promptly locked out of the Computer program. At least, I think I was? And I was spat back out in Radiant Garden's Computer Room.

Elaeus sent a lackey to fetch me and bring me back to the Castle promptly thereafter, but I fell behind the earthen pooch, and made a break for it. The Darkness in the realm between realms was incredibly thick. I remember thinking I wouldn't make it... thinking I was going to die. But it's not in me to give up.

I fought my way home through the Corridors of Darkness, and surfaced in the shadows of the Third District of Traverse Town.

The dark-skinned freak and his henchmen haven't come for me yet, but I fear that another reunion with him and his posse of goons is looming on the horizon.



Entry .07
It's been three days since I escaped from the Heartless' clutches. I've been in Traverse Town all this time, recuperating. One of the Hotel employees has been kind enough to offer me a room for the duration of my time here.

I saved a Cricket from almost certain doom today. He had fallen into the poor graces of the kids in the Weapon Shop. I think I'll call him Billy.

Just after letting Billy go, I made friends with a guy named Shiro. I asked him if he'd seen Rook, but I had no luck. He did, however, pray for me to find him. Now, I know another reunion is destined to happen! In exchange for praying for me, I promised to help him. And, since he wanted a way off of that world, I told him about the Gummi Ship Vendor in town.

I haven't seen him since he went looking for a way off the World. I suppose he found one.



Entry .08
It wasn't long after my encounter with Shiro that I left the world in search of Rook. I wound up chasing an elusive memory in Radiant Garden - a brief flashback from a memory that I still don't fully understand. I was trying to figure it out when I ran into a stranger. I thought he was someone else: someone from my memories, -Hairi was her name, but it turns out he wasn't.

I did, however, make friends with him. Unfortunately, he hasn't seen Rook either.

He wanted to help me find my memories, but I haven't tried to take someone with me through the shadows before, and I'd hate for something to go wrong, so I had to resort to a way off the World that we could both take... And we set out to ask the locals about the closest Gummi Ship yard.

The rain had caused all the shops to close, except for a local bar.

It wasn't long before we had to help the bar with repairs (seems like trouble just shows up all around). After the repairs were finished, I took a stroll. The rain still hadn't let up.

Vapor joined me outside, and even taught me to manipulate Water. I'm not very good at it yet.[/i]



Entry .09
The next stop on my journey was Destiny Islands. Unfortunately, however, I am out of munny. A local Cafe has hired me, so after I earn some more, I can continue on my search.

Today I took a small vacation before work started. I went out to that little, relaxing Island off of the main hub, and I met a curious young boy called Hero. Our handshake told me that his Heart is confused, but he has a lot of good on the inside.

I also met a blue-furred person with a horn on his head. He stands like a human, but reminds me of a panther. It's kind of strange, but by looking at him, I get a distant, deja-vu sort of feeling. Could he be, in some vague way, connected to my old memories?



Entry .10
All this time not knowing what's going on with Rook is making my Heart feel sick. I miss him so much. I don't even know if it's healthy to miss someone as much as I miss him.

Yet, I feel my troubled emotions are justified. I fret because even in the brief times we've been together, he's been a magnet for the Darkness. Trouble follows him around like a rabid wolf, ready to lunge.

There was a point that I questioned his survival from the Dark Castle. My Heart really ached, and he came to mind quite often. You know that sixth sense that starts causing your Heart to hurt when someone you care for is in trouble? There's a dull sense deep down that I can only equate to that, and as much as I hate to face this fact, I know it has to do with Rook. And the worst part is that this distance leaves it a mystery.

Somewhere, the faintest glimmer in my Heart makes me want to feel that he's still alive, and deep down. But how can I be sure when no one has seen him? I want to believe he's alive.

But still, I doubt. What if he really has di died...

*A small circle of paper appears to have been damaged by water.*

...My heart has never been wrong before. Is it right for me to question it now?


Entry .11
All this time looking for him. And yet, he found me. This is the second time he has.

I don't know what to do with my Heart. It's breaking on the inside to know why, when I felt his Heart, it was empty. Dark. Void.

The Rook I used to know... he feels... gone.

...What happened?

[Era]

Explanation of Era's Thread Timeline
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Entry .01: (Era's RP sample)


Entry .02 - Deeper Still, part 1: Era meets Rook in the Second District of Traverse Town. While Rook had saved her hide from a Heartless attack, she felt another presence within the shadows, and thus led Rook to the First District to hold a proper discussion over Tea.
Part 2: Sitting at the small outdoor Café, Rook and Era discuss the problem of Era's Heartless (whom, strangely, is present at the same time Era is still in existence). Inspired by Rook to face her own Darkness, the two set out to the Third District to see if they can put Erax to rest.


Entry .03 - Deeper Still, part 3: Era and Rook fight Era's Darkness (Erax) together. The battle leaves Rook deeply wounded and unconscious. On top of everything, Ansem appears in the wake of Erax's temporary defeat, and kidnaps the girl, who bargains with him for enough time to say goodbye. Era puts her necklace into Rook's hands, with enough time to say "come back for me".


Entry .04: (No corresponding thread.)


Entry .05 - Stay in Shadow: Having been brought to the Castle of the Abyss by Ansem, Era is privy to an unfurling meeting with the Heartless, which is interrupted by an attack of Light on the castle of Darkness.

It is none other than Rook who has come returned for her. But the Heartless quickly disassemble their precious meeting, agreeing that if Era plays nice, they'll escort Rook back to another world safely.


Entry .06 - Where Shadows Gather: Under Ansem's lead, the Heartless assemble to continue as planned. Ansem gives Era the mission of breaking into Radiant Garden's computer to disable the security system.

Part 2 - CRTL + ALT + SABOUTAGE: Era attempts to do as she is told, failing miserably in her attempt to break into Radiant Garden's system. She is quickly exported from Tron's world, and a lesser Heartless is sent to retrieve Era and escort her safely back to the Castle of the Abyss.

Part 3 - What Lies Beyond: In the Realm Between Realms, Era slips away from her Heartless bodyguard, dangerously choosing to fight the Darkness and make it back to any world she can.

Mustering the last of her strength, she utilizes a technique that Rook taught her, and just barely makes it out alive.


Entry .07: - The Cricket in Traverse Square: Newly freed from the clutch of the Darkness, Era begins to search for both Rook and her memories. She meets a stranger, and asks about her redheaded friend, but the stranger, Shiro claims he hasn't seen him.


Entry .08: - Alluring Illusions: Chasing a distant memory of her sister, Era meets a young man named Vapor. Having confessed that he doesn't know her sister, Era proceeds to question the boy about Rook. The answer is also a dud, but Vapor is willing to tag along with her and help in her search, and a storm begins to move in, pushing the two of them to find shelter.

Part 2 - Alluring Illusions: New faces to the Frosted Flame emerge, seeking shelter from the storm.

Era begins to look for people who might know about a Gummi Ship, and lo and behold, one crashes right into the side of the bar! Well, that one's out of commission, and now they have a very angry bartender on their hands. Doing what she does, the girl chooses to help repair the damage done, and make a few acquaintances, before leaving.


Part 3 - Learning to Dance with the Rain: With the storm still at it on the streets of Radiant Garden, Era does some brief soul-searching, finding solace for a quiet moment in her mind.

Vapor teaches Era the basics of Hydromancy.


Entry .09 - Keepsakes at Dusk: Having recently arrived on Destiny Islands with her travel-buddy Vapor, Era has landed a job at a local Café, making an effort after each work day at Dusk to toss another glass bottle into the Sea. The notes within are addressed to a specific recipient.

Part 2 - Vacation: Era heads to Play Island before work, and meets a confused young man, and a young cat-humanoid with a horn on his head.


Entry .10: (No corresponding thread.)
Entry .11 - Concerning Heroes: Working at her new job on Destiny Islands, Era intends to continue to stash away funds in order to continue along her journey in search of Rook. It's just another day on the job...

...Until a particular pair of young men walk in. Much to her amazement, for a second time, Rook has found -her-.