Welcome to Gaia! ::

Nalo hugged the big ball of mint-green feathers that was his friend. He saw Enyb leer at him and hoped it wasn't too cross with his poor choice of words. "I hope I didn't make you mad Enyb."He made a weak smile and wiped back some tears.

[Traverse Town :: First District]

Window followed his new acquaintance, trusting that he was not going to lead him into a trap of any sort. Although one must not judge a book by its cover, Window couldn't help but believe that Nalo was as amicable as he appeared to be. The man thanked his luck that the first person he met was--

Is that a giant, mint-green bird?

Of all the animals he knew, he loved birds the best; they knew better than anyone about the wind. Window found this 'chocobo' to be exponentially less odd than Nalo, especially since his home had a similar sort of bird--just smaller and a dark green color, so it could blend in with the foliage. Old habits kicking in, Window began to wonder how nature could have favored this species' particular coloring. "Why, hello there, Enyb," he cooed to the chocobo. Oh, how he wanted to touch him, but he wasn't sure if the bird was the property of Nalo and if it would be disrespectful to stroke Enyb's lovely feathers. Window turned his attention back to the Vierra. He took in Nalo's words with a mixture of offense, compassion, and guilt over getting offended during such a moment (Us 'scholarly types'?! Now who's the one judging? And I fully understand what he is trying to express. He shouldn't be the one assuming such things according to my species--). But then Nalo started to cry. Window was thrown off by such an intimate gesture when the two of them had only met a few minutes ago; clearly, the etiquette rules he was used to were not the same on this planet. He stood there, somewhat stiff and awkward, wondering if he should also break formality in order to comfort Nalo. Window blinked. The Vierra looked oddly beautiful in the soft lamplight, his silver hair catching the glow at just the right angles in order to create a slight halo effect. His tears only made the effect more tragic, like a weeping engal (a spirit who had ascended above the common malignant ghosts). Mentally, Window rocked back and forth between keeping a respectful distance or breaking an ingrained custom to reach out and console Nalo. The 'hume' sighed. Well, this was a new world, wasn't it?

Window hesitantly cleared his throat. "Err...this is how people on my planet comfort each other. I hope that this does not come off as an intimate gesture for you...and please keep in mind that this is a common practice where I come from." He gently reached out, holding Nalo's head in his hands, and brought their foreheads together. This came from the idea that, when the foreheads touched, some of the feelings of sadness passed from one person to the other so that one did not have to bear the whole heavy load alone. The empty space would be filled with comfort and sympathy given from the other person. It was a custom founded in wishful thinking, but weren't most traditions like that? Window hoped it helped. With their heads still together, he said, "It takes strength to go out on your own, away from the familiar, and to create an identity independent of what you know." Window laughed softly. I guess I should try to take a leaf out of my own book. But it still didn't take the sting away; the wound where his world had been ripped away was still too fresh. "And yes, it can be hard to stay rooted to a single place, but you know what? The importance is finding the beauty and joy wherever you are, regardless of what you are doing or who you are with. That is the most challenging experience of them all." He felt his eyes itch again. Maybe he was taking in some of Nalo's pain after all. Window released the Vierra, stepping back with a half smile. "And the wind is never a stranger; it is a constant friend, like a second soul." Which was rather appropriate that it would give you a hug Window thought, since only the closest friends and family would do such a thing--such full-body contact would allow more than a small stream of feeling pass between bodies, it was believed. "So, then: no attachments, and no judgments, eh? Well you should probably form a different idea about us 'scholarly types;' it is my job, if you can call it that, to understand and to observe without discrimination. Plus, I have done my share of odd jobs as well, though maybe not as odd as yours."

: - {άℓєχάηdѓά} - :

|My allegiance lies with no one, but I am no bounty hunter.|

: - {Traverse Town : Second District Cafe} - :

Alex raised an eyebrow at Elde drinking straight from the wine bottle. A part of her chuckled at how he might be drunk, while another just shook her head at him. She pulled herself off the wall she was leaning against and sat down next to him. Her eyes drifted to the glass of wine he'd poured, and was obviously not going to drink.

She wasn't a big drinker, but a good glass of wine now and again was alright. Alex gingerly picked up the glass, stem between her ring and middle finger of her right hand and sipped it. It was good wine. No wonder he was drinking straight from the bottle.

Her eyes darkened as Rufus spoke about the darkness in people's hearts. Wasn't that the truth... If there was anyone to talk about the darkness in their heart, it was her. She kept her face void of emotion, but her fingers still tightened on the wine glass.

"I'm not even going to be able to get close to the heart of a world... I'll just be a becon for every crawling shadow on that world..." she muttered to her wine glass before taking a long swing of it. And then what happened to her mother would happen to these people. She winced, one eye closing in pain, and she pressed a hand to her chest, right over her heart. The darkness festering there seemed to grow in intensity and her light wavered. J-just... not now... Gods, not now... Not with all these people here... Not in front of Elde... she thought, hoping that nothing bad would happen.

| I simply hunt Heartless, nothing more. If you need that, then I am your girl.|

"I am most certainly not pulling your leg. I too know magic. It's hard to master, but quite a few knowledgable people can wield magic. Why, I know a few things that the wood has taught me. Here's the one I know best. Let's see if I can..." Nalo focuses himself and smiled pleasantly as he channeled his energy. "Shell!"

Like a few hours ago, a green, magical barrier rose around Enyb, acting as a shield against many entry level magical attacks. "See? As for your planet...how could you not know about travelng between the planets? Everyone's seen the gummi shower...That happened years ago...Hmmm...If it's food you want, I guess we can go back to the hotel cafe. That's where a lot of other people who just arrived here are. There are humes, and I think some Ronso were there too! Enyb, on the other hand, is not mine. He is not my pet. He is my friend, and he's smarter that a lot of people I've come across. If you want to pet him, you have to ask him."

[Traverse Town :: First District]

Window jumped back with incredulous surprise when Nalo raised the green 'shell' around the chocobo. He weakly pointed his finger at it, looking like he was about to say something but unable to find the words. "You...you cannot be serious! This sort of wonder only happens in plays and books!" He walked around the shell, examining it. Window reached out a hand to touch the impossible thing, and a small bolt of green energy crossed the inch gap to shock his hand. The man quickly pulled his frazzled appendage back, cradling it to his chest. He looked down at it to see if anything was damaged, but all he saw was his hand...fuzzing in and out of focus and becoming slightly transparent again. Oh, no, not again... Window shook his hand and rechecked it, but nothing seemed amiss. Was he hallucinating things?

Looking back to Nalo with an additional sense of fascination and curiosity, Window defended his home. "Yes, we saw the shower, and many pieces of sky material fell to our planet's surface, but despite tentative research nothing came of it and the material was deemed useless. It was also another reason for us to see the sky as a dangerous place, for many buildings and homes were destroyed by the shower. You say these sky pieces are 'gummies'? And they are used to travel from one world to another?" He shook his head. "Although, I would first believe there is interstellar travel before I would entertain the idea that magic was possible." Window grew slightly depressed. How many more preconceived ideas of his were going to be shot down before the hour was through? He wasn't sure if he would want to be around even more people if it meant slipping farther and farther away from the life he was used to. Window felt like he was slowly losing his grip on reality, and he was not ready to fall like he had before arriving on this planet. The darkness, the endlessness...

Don't think about it. Food. Food is unchanging. It's real. Hang onto that. "We do not have to go there if it is out of your way. I do not want to hamper you on your own journey, wherever you may be going. If you need to continue on your business, you can. Please do not go through the trouble to make yourself my tour guide." Of course, this slipped out before Window could catch himself making the usual gestures of politeness, and he secretly hoped Nalo would stay with him for awhile longer. Nalo was a kind spirit, but if nothing else Window desperately needed something, anything familiar to hold on to. Still, if the Vierra wanted to leave, Window was not going to stop him, and he certainly did not want to inconvenience him.

Window turned to Enyb and bowed. "And I do apologize to you for assuming that you were Nalo's property. May I have the pleasure of asking you directly, then, to pet you?"


Window may have not known about magic, but magic knew a little about him. If he had cared to notice, the slight shock of the shell was not the only time his 'body' had blurred. While he had grown melancholy thinking about his disappearing foundation of knowledge of the working world, his feet began to disappear at the heels. It had snapped back into place after he changed his thoughts to food. The worst episode had happened when Window first realized he had lost all that he was. No one would have noticed this instance, since Nalo's pants had hidden the sudden transparency of Window's legs, and by the same token no one would have noticed the extra glow as he described his home. There was much Window had to learn, not only about the worlds but about himself...

"Well, ma boi, when you've been around magic for as many decades as I have, you tend to get a sixth sense about it," he explained with a twitch of his beard, still focusing on the water. "This poison isn't natural- someone magically created it and filled our water supply with it. To get rid of it, you'd use the same spell you'd get use to heal someone with the same poison- Esuna. You know that, don'tcha lad?"

"Due to the large scale, though, it's going to require a good lot of concentration and energy, so just follow my lead," he explained, lifting his wand to shoulder level before saying the spell name - Esuna- aloud, but not as if to announce it; rather, he spoke it almost as if he were whispering, keeping his eyes closed as he focused on this wands flitting back and forth. A purifying dust slowly drifted out of the wand, entering into the water before vanishing. The spell would take quite some time, but hopefully not as long due to the aid of another...

[ Ϩ Ѳ Ʀ ¥ Ʉ ϑ Ʉ ]

{Ignorance is bliss... until reality throws a Heartless siege at you.}

[Traverse Town : Second District Cafe]

Soryuju listened to Rufus' words, and withheld a sigh. The Darkness in everyone's hearts... he had assumed as such, but never had any proof. If others were also guessing the same thing, then it must be true. However, as the man continued to speak, Soryuju just... didn't feel right. Whether it was the locale, or the man behind the desk, he simply didn't enjoy the vibes.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in field research," Soryuju replied with a light shrug, turning lightly and giving a light wave over his shoulder as if to make it that much more nonchalant. "I don't speak for the others, of course, but I'm simply not your man. Au revoir."

With those words, Soryuju walked back into the main part of the Café, where he saw the few people that were still around at his table (Souzourou, Orielle, Suzuran, Kuumaru). "Sorry about that. What've I missed?"

Solaris

Sorry...

...I'll be taking my leave now.

{Traverse Town : Second District : Underground Sewer}

Listening to Merlin, he began to wonder how old the man was. It was incredible that he could tell so easily. When he continued on with how the poison was magic in origin. Thinking back, he wondered if it was the man that he had tried to attack. The one who made the giant cube that his Aero spell couldn't damage. Maybe he had done something to the water? Well, that was something to be pondered another day. Especially since the man mentioned a spell he knew.

Grateful to be of some help, the boy nodded eagerly. "Yes sir. My father taught me that spell...before..." Thinking back on the memories of Crinosis nearly brought a tear to his eye, but he shook his head and watched Merlin begin.

Almost immediately he could feel the workings of magic in the air. It was incredible. Noticing what Merlin was doing, he held his staff out over the water, closing his eyes as he began to focus his magic.

"Esuna." He said softly, focusing his magic towards the end of his staff. As he molded the magic, he thought of how it was a magic for helping others and he added those feelings to the magic. Shortly after the dust started flowing from Merlin's wand did it start flowing downwards from the orb at the top of Sol's staff, drifting into the water before disappearing.