Heartfelt Adventure : Active Time Event Thread

[RhikoDemson]

{ ATE : Mourning Respite : 3 }
{ Louis : Train : Dining Car }

Louis smiled politely and laughed back, "Oh really? Horridly thoughtless you say? Well, I guess you might be. Came across like an airhead to me anyway."

Before Louis let the joke hang too long, he replied quickly with a whimsical wave, "Just kidding. Really though, you're actually quite nice to have around. I'm glad I joined you guys on this journey. Traveling with a group, especially with members as friendly as yourself, makes things much more enjoyable. Don't you agree?"  

[LavenderSakura]

{ATE: Mourning Respite: 4}
{Jenny : Dining Car}

There was a light smile playing on her face as she mulled over his words. She guessed that they were lucky to have the people they did, what if they had someone that was wretchedly unsociable- wait that sounded like her most of the time. Socializing tired her out, so what if she preferred the company of paper to people? But now that she thought about it, being with these people ... it wasn't so bad, at all.

She hardly recalled when Louis joined their group, she knew that he was a friend of Maggie's and that to her, the whole event seemed like a wind storm that blew in and settled into what it was presently, without her full understanding. What did Louis so back in Ivalice anyways? She was sure someone had asked him that before, he should sell chocolate milk. It would make the world a much happier place and when I go back home, I'll play Final Fantasy XII and Vaan will be drinking chocolate milk... of something."It does make things more enjoyable, now that I'm with everyone, I can't really imagine travelling with anyone else. Everyone here is a little silly, but warm-hearted and we all care for one another... it's nice."  

[RhikoDemson]

{ ATE : Mourning Respite : 5 }
{ Louis : Train : Dining Car }

"Silly?" Louis paused, looking down, "Silly isn't the word I'd use to describe you all."

Louis shook his head, "Well, I shouldn't judge, I've only seen a side of you... I don't think anyone should have to see. When I first got up this morning... forgive me if I'm wrong... but it felt as though there was a heavy conversation, though I'm sure I entered too late to catch any of it. Something about last night?" His eyes grew slightly empty, like he was feeling some semblance of regret. As far as she was concerned he would probably be referencing Rae, but the answer was deeper than that.

Louis, as he asked the question, was haunted by flashes of his own dreams, both the one shared with the other earthings, and his own, unique dream.  

[LavenderSakura]

{ATE: Mourning Respite: 6}
{Jenny : Dining Car}

Jenny adverted her gaze out the window as she spun her glass within her palms. Conversation? The one between her, Joe and Kyle? Was the atmosphere really that tense? She supposed it was, everyone's heartsong seemed on edge at least. Something last night? What was he referring to?

That's when it clicked. She has assumed Louis had experienced the dream as well, sometimes he seemed so much just like one of them... maybe it was the age. But it was impossible to have someone from Ivalice experience the same dream she had. So he must have been talking about Rae. The mere mention of the white mage's name in her own mind caused the flutist to sigh before responding. "No, the conversation this morning wasn't about Rae, but a dream we all seemed to have. It was rather eerie. I guess I wouldn't even classify it as a dream anymore."  

[RhikoDemson]

{ ATE : Mourning Respite : 5 }
{ Louis : Train : Dining Car }

A dream? Louis thought, the surprise hidden behind a hardened gaze, "What kind of dream? Or if what you say is true... more like a vision." Louis took another sip of his chocolate milk then looked up to Jenny for her answer.  

[Bard of Lore]

{ ATE : Late Night at the Rose : }
{ Kyle : Red Rose : Deck }

"I don't really know. I mean, I severely doubt that somebody knew of Sora's quest and made videogames of it. I mean, if you think about it, the times wouldn't match up at all. Even now they don't. It's been what, nine years since Sora's first adventure? I guess it's only been like, two years since he first started. So, what really happened? Is this possibly and alternate universe, in an alternate time stream?" He asked, curious of the others input. This world really just made no sense. And he wanted answers. "And if this is an alternate universe, maybe the Earth is still here, somewhere...or maybe we're on it. I mean, if you think about it, almost all of the Disney movies were based somewhere on Earth. This is basically a giant Earth, thrown together in a mix of time and space." He said, as the idea popped into his head.  

[Pie Thrower]

[ATE: Late Night at the Rose: ]
[John.:Red Rose:.Deck]

"Perhaps it's not a world at all..." John said butting in a little, "Just speaking my mind I guess, but really, this all could be the physical expression of a commonly shared thought of all of our minds. Well think about it. We all know what Kingdom Hearts is, at least the earthlings do, and we all are able to understand what is happening in comparing what happens in this universe to our own lives... perhaps, this is just some strange occurrence that happened that went past the physical boundaries of life, tapped into our minds, and somehow created an entire universe based on what our thoughts were..."  

[LavenderSakura]

{ATE: Mourning Respite: 8}
{Jenny : Dining Car}

Jenny instantly felt wary as Louis inquired about the dream. Everyone had shared the same dream, so there wasn't a need to explain it in details out loud... it was still just a dream. She felt that if it was spoken it words it would make it all the harder for her. But Louis only meant well, she was sure, and so she mustered up her courage.

"It was basically a dream of our home's destruction... Earth," she explained steadily, adding in last minute the name of the planet. Normally it was self-explanatory what Earth was but she was in the Kingdom Hearts Universe, she was sure no one had heard of their blue planet. It definitely shakes you up, to see your world destroyed in high definition IMAX. Everything just looked so vivid."  

[RhikoDemson]

{ ATE : Mourning Respite : 9 }
{ Louis : Train : Dining Car }

Tilting his head down, as if in thought, which was the case, but the type of thoughts his expression would portray were not the same as those running through his head, Did we have the same dream... not a dream... vision? Why?

Louis looked up at Jenny sighing, "I wish I could help you. Such a vision would definitely have me bothered for sure. I can't say I can relate... losing your home like that... but... I can sympathize none the less. If ever need someone to lend and ear. I'm at your service."

Louis looked up at a clock hanging at the end of the car, "So... where are we going again? You guys mentioned somewhere, I was kinda out of it so I didn't hear most of the conversation. It may be selfish, but do you mind filling me in?"  

[LavenderSakura]

{ATE: Mourning Respite: 10}
{Jenny : Dining Car}

She couldn't help but smile a little as she nodded, playing with the straw of her glasses, spinning it around and making a chocolate milk tornado in her cup. She realized that it wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be to speak of the dream aloud. Yes her breath seemed to hitch in her throat a couple of times but not noticeably. "Thanks Louis."

He was a nice guy, gentleman-y, she supposed. Jenny felt a small laugh escape her as she followed Louis' gaze towards the clock. They should be there soon, she absentmindedly thought. "Of course, our next destination is Port Royal and by affiliation, Atlantis and Atlantica, I pressume. Just expect a lot of water, some pirates, mermaids and evil East India Trading... people... dudes.  

[RhikoDemson]

{ ATE : Mourning Respite : 11 }
{ Louis : Train : Dining Car }

Port Royal? Great, I get to be around idiotic pirates. Well, at least there's the ocean. I've always been good in water. I'm a good swimmer, so luckily water won't be a problem. "Port... Royal? Atlantis? Atlantica? Allot of water? Have you been there before?" Louis unfailingly acted the fool, acting wasn't his absolute strong suit, but he was pretty good at pretending to be oblivious.  

[LavenderSakura]

{ATE: Mourning Respite: 12}
{Jenny : Dining Car}

Well, not physically no. But I've been to Atlantica through my TV, playing Kingdom Hearts. Lots of singing and dancing and colorful stuff. Back in my homeworld there's movies made about Port Royal and Atlantis, so we know ALL about it~ Hah. Yeah right. She couldn't say that. She'd personally get skewered. It would be like traveling into the future and saying hi to herself. It would shatter all logic, she'd start disintegrating into shiny, powdery stuff. Jenny almost shuddered.

"No, but I've heard stories about them," The mage opted to say, keeping things simple.  

[RhikoDemson]

{ ATE : Mourning Respite : 13 }
{ Louis : Train : Dining Car }

[[Totally forgot to cue this back on the first post...

Cue: Multiple Touhou Arrange]]

"Ah, I see. Well, I hope everything holds up to these stories you've heard." Louis smiled, and took another drink of his milk after finishing his breakfast, "I hate to get onto a touchy subject... but do you mind telling me what your home was like? I'm curious is all... if it makes you feel bad... er... never mind I'm being rude."

Quickly trying to change subject Louis turned his attention to the food, "Um... do you think the weather will be nice when we arrive?" The truth was, even if he was acting, the subject made even him a bit uncomfortable. Touching something so sensitive, felt as though it was pressing on something it shouldn't within his own mind.  

[LavenderSakura]

{ATE: Mourning Respite: 14}
{Jenny : Dining Car}

"I'm not sure, but I'm half expecting gloomy skies... for some reason," Jenny hastily added the latter portion. She only thought overcast because of the way the movies portrayed Port Royal later on. She could be completely wrong though. But if the East India Tradind Company had ensnared the port city she figured the weather would correspond.

She answered his second question first, still unsure whether she should address the first question at all. He did steer away from it, but somehow she didn't mind. She was already thinking about her home, surely speaking aloud of it wouldn't make things worse. Jenny was feeling painfully nostalgic as it was. "Well, if you want to know, I don't mind telling you, I don't think," The flutist replied at last, resting her chin against her arm and gazing into her glass.  

[Je suis a toi]

{A Different Adventure}

Journal 1 (part 1)

"Come back, coward!"

Flash—

Into the portal, out of the portal. I kept running. She was right there in front of me, keeping the same pace; I was unable to catch up or fall behind. It was like she was taunting me, and I could feel it piercing through the hazy cloud of anguish and fury that enshrouded my mind. Tree branches and plants slapped at my body as I ran past them. I had hardly realized I was running through dense forest, jumping over fallen trees, skirting rocks, and that I could use agromancy to my advantage and catch her. This was all drowned out by my anger and drive towards catching my replica and killing her. I would have, too, there would have been no delay. But if I had done that, I wouldn't have found out a key piece of information that would have been the end of me if I destroyed her.

Something tripped me. No, more like jumped up and took hold of my leg. Unable to stop and keep my balance, I fell into plants, roots, and dried leaves, scrambling to get back up but was unable to. I only vaguely took notice of the fact that my replica had stopped; if I weren't so blinded by anger I would have known she was the reason for my inability to rise, for the briers quickly taking hold of me as I fought and screamed with hatred. I had just lost a friend, someone who, like James, I had quickly become attached to and almost felt dependent on. And in an instant she was taken. My mind recognized this fact, but my heart was still in a haze and was completely unaware of what had happened.

Elleon laughed, watching me writhe face down on the ground, bound to it by my own art. I screamed and fought harder against my binds in reply. Finally she kicked my side which subdued me long enough for her to get in a word.

"Oh, quit your crying!" She seethed with the same inflection my mother used. Mum said that all the time. Had I the breath in me to keep fighting I would have.

"I'll . . . kill you . . . I'll kill you . . ." I panted between deep, pained breaths. I had nothing else to say, I was so fixed on seeing her blood I could think of nothing else.

"Come on, you didn't like her all that much anyways." Elleon spat mockingly, "She was just a nuisance, getting in the way, getting kidnapped—twice! Now really, who's useless enough to go and do that?"

Unable to move myself, I tried to get a tree branch to reach out and hit her hard, but she stopped it before it could even get near her. My magical power was still no match to hers. I cried out again angrily, unable to do anything more.

"Stupid b***h, will you shut up long enough for me to think?! Lord, you act like I just killed your friend or something."

"You DID, YOU TOOK HER FROM US! YOU TOOK HER. You took her!"

"I took her heart, stupid -%&*#^@ -$%&*, there's a difference. She'll be gone if I let her heart go to the darkness. But that won't happen until I've had my fun."

I laid there fuming, too angry to comprehend what she was saying. Very few times had I ever felt myself as angry as this. It never felt good. All was silent except for my deep breathing and the sounds of the forest around us. Elleon let there be a long pause as she was contemplating, looking down at me in disgust. Both of us were abominations, one to the other, and destruction of the other was the ultimate goal. Torture was easy for her, though, giving me my largest obstacle. I had nothing to do but be a hero, which was nothing compared to the pain I could be caused. Fear is what plagued me the greatest, fear of pain and losing people and numerous other things. So what was being a hero worth? I had already asked that question in Agrabah and gotten myself enslaved to the lord of the Underworld and nearly killed. But I could do it all again. All this meant was that I had a choice to make. Right there, right then, what was it going to be? Hero or not? I didn't know what would be more difficult. Straying from the path would mean less rules and in correlation less fear, but a heavy, heavy conscience. And being the hero would mean one thing, something that would surely be my own swift demise.

I couldn't kill my replica.

This conclusion was confusing to me, but it only seemed fitting. It was the most difficult thing I could possibly do. Completely irrational and totally stupid, but it was the only thing I could do to preserve my own sense of good and relative purity. In essence I was going to be testing myself, which was useless in the face of death, but then again, nobody ever truly lived in fear of death.

So that was it. In the two minutes I had been lying there I had made up my mind. I would find out if the decision was a mistake later, but for now I was set.

"I've made up my mind." Elleon finally announced, breaking the silence between us. "Care to hear?"

I didn't respond.

"I'll let you have her heart back. You can be their knight in shining armor and bring their pathetic friend back to them."

I glanced up at her without turning my head. She knew I could see that she was full of it.

With a devilish smile she continued, ". . . If . . . you can take it from me. I will test you and beat your a** into the ground until you beg me to stop. And then I'll kill you and let your little friend's heart go. You won't only have died, but you will have failed everyone and anyone . . . and I will relish in that moment. You can be sure of that."

As she was turning to slink away I finally spoke.

"You're so full of dramatic s**t, you know that?" I growled, my voice shaking with ire. I could tell she was caught off guard because she stopped suddenly and turned to look at me.

"Why don't you just kill me now? You have me on the ground, cornered, powerless, and you're just going to walk away? What kind of dumbshit villain are you?"

Briers whipped up around my neck and mouth, silencing me in a painful way. I could feel the thick thorns tearing through my skin like it had no resistance. I hated to do it, but I shook in pain and winced, granting her the satisfaction I knew she was after. She swooped down and grabbed me by the hair, pulling me painfully close to her so she could snarl in my ear. What she said still makes me shudder, how cold it was . . . how true it was. I can hardly write it. I don't want to. But as she was finishing her monologue she allowed me understanding of how truly sick she was . . . and I was.

"Haven't you ever wondered why those people do those things? What you hear on the news, the state of the victims' bodies, or lack-there-of—that's all real in it's disgusting beauty. But why? How could anyone do something so magnificently horrific to a child, or a friend, or a loved one? That's how they get their kicks. This is how I get mine."

Elleon let go and stood back up, stepping into a portal. Before I could even blink she was gone. I felt disgusting. How could such horrible things come from her lips and, by default, the dark parts of my heart? It was horrible, truly horrible, and it made me even more angry. I gave another enraged scream that was muffled by the briers and fought to get my binds off of me. The pain of ripping the briers from my body was hardly noticeable in my outrage. I tore away my restraints until I was free, standing, and bloodied. But Elleon was long gone and my rage had nowhere to go. So it left and was quickly replaced by depression and sorrow. The energy my anger had fueled me with had gone and I fell. I wanted to do nothing but lay on the ground and cry. So I did. I cried myself senseless until I finally fell asleep.