Peas in a Pod

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Aegis of the Torrent

"Twin Flow!"

The heartless obstructing the door vanished in inky clouds.

Merlin had a way of working magics more powerful than any of the Seraphim Mikleo had ever known back home. The old man himself lacked fire, or presence. Inside and out, he was ordinary. But utilizing powers that helped you find people from your own world was far from ordinary. Mikleo had been obsessed with studying as much as he could under Merlin's tutelage. Now he was obsessed with finding the person who supposedly arrived.

While the the spell was potent in pinpointing the exact world, Merlin said that was where the magic ended. The rest was up to the seeker. Mikleo didn't mind the extra legwork; it was nothing compared to spending six months in a world where all familiarity was gone. By the end of the day, he would find this person - whoever they were.

The four previous districts had been exhausted. This was the fifth. With a breath, Mikleo ran his palm over the heavy door, but didn't push it right away. The magnitude of nerves was crippling. A part of him wanted to know who it was he was looking for. But at the same time, another part didn't, because the ones he did know were probably all--

Mikleo sucked in a breath, squeezing his eyes shut.  "Get a hold of yourself." he hissed, and pushed his way through.

The first thing Mikleo saw was the last thing he was looking for. More heartless. Something was about this scenario was odd, though. The Shadows were unnaturally concentrated. Could they be attacking someone?

Mikleo didn't stand long enough for that question to answer itself.

@sorey

Reach out your hands Don't turn your back Don't walk away How in the world Can I wish for this? Never to be torn apart Close to you 'Til the last beat Of my heart

Sound was the first sensation that came back. Slowly, drifting in the realm between dreams and the waking world, he heard the faint sounds of voices in the distance. Of rain dripping into a puddle. Wind whispering through the air. Barely aware, the sounds drifted through the background, unnoticed. Nonsensical. They were like static- unrecognized and unfamiliar, a strange buzzing in his mind. Touch was the second sensation. The feeling of being firmly against some form of the ground began to slowly draw the young Shepard from the depths of his dreams. The ground was cold, and hard. Bumpy. The feel of his body parts came to him slowly, like they were asleep and waking up one at a time. A finger twitched, a nose scrunched up. Muscles, long unused, began to flow again. Smell was the next. The scent of a fresh rain. The familiarly grimy scent of a city, full of life and people. The rest of the senses began to return in tandem with scent. The world's sounds took on familiar cadence and tones, the earth underneath him and his own body connected, sending signals racing to his brain, taste, subtly flooded back into his mouth. Slowly, he opened eyes that had not stirred in many years, to see a beautifully bright and starry night sky twinkling overhead. Overhead lamps buzzed nearby, casting yellow shades across the dreary greys and browns of the town around him. Sorey blinked once, twice, slowly adjusting to the feel of his own body once more, before he slowly began to stir, his mind not yet having caught up with his body. "Mmm..." A yawn ripped it's way unbidden out of his throat. A hand raised to rub at  sleep heavy eyelids, cheeks lightly flushed. As yellow eyes lit up in the dark around him, a nearly forgotten and undesirable sensation made itself known- a crushing sensation in his chest, tearing away his breath. Eyes widening in shock, he gasped and his body sprang up into sitting position, arched over in shock at the sudden pain. The eyes moved closer and strange inky black beasts made themselves known, antennae twitching as bulbous eyes stared at the shocked Shepard. "Wha--" A hand desperately groped around on the ground, searching for something that wasn't there. The other, still clenched to his chest, felt an aching loneliness where familiar presences had once dwelled. The malevolence in the air was crushing, enough to make drawing each breath a struggle. For Sorey, who hadn't experienced any in an extremely long time, such a sudden and large amount was overwhelming. Muscles flared up stiffly as he staggered to his feet, swaying. A hand reached for his sword, which was still attached to his belt. The sensation was a comfort as the darkness pressed down from all sides around him. Eyes, wide and bewildered, stared out the horde in front of him in shock. As the first Heartless lunged at him, he reacted instinctively, muscle memory drawing his sword from it's sheath and slicing through the beast. It disappeared in a puff of smoke- and his sword clattered to the ground, body still yet unused to moving again, muscles weakened from many years of sleep so deep it was more akin to death. The Heartless pressed in closer, hungering.

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aegis of the torrent

Mikleo got his answer. Sorey got a suicidee who was ready to pick up the slack he couldn't.

The Seraph wedged himself between Shepard and Heartless, a water spell already quick on his tongue. Instead of disappearing in black smoke like it always did, the creature disappeared in black smoke and also released a heart. More Heartless were evoked. Mikleo wasn't deterred.

"Sorey! Stay back."

He had his suspicions before on the heartless. The material that fueled them made him think of the Hellions back home - as much as he hated revisiting those memories. Hellions were people who became consumed by malevolence. Heartless - according to Merlin's studies - were people who became consumed by darkness. Within Hellions resided the humans. Within Heartless resided the hearts of humans. By design, the latter seemed more tragic to Mikleo.

Even with the uncanny similarities, Mikleo wanted to wait for definitive proof before lumping them together as a single driving force. Now he got that definitive proof; Sorey looked to be struggling with a weight in his chest, much like he always did back home.

The last Heartless exploded, the last heart released. Panting heavily in the setting silence, Mikleo turned to Sorey - the Shephard, Elysia's savior, and his best friend - and smiled faintly.

"Even in another world, you're hopeless without me."

@sorey

Reach out your hands Don't turn your back Don't walk away How in the world Can I wish for this? Never to be torn apart Close to you 'Til the last beat Of my heart

Something blurred into view in front of the heartless. Green eyes widened as the familiar blue fabric and silver hair swished before him, a voice he knew so well sharply commanding him to stay back. The inky black bodies swarmed, melding into one another, the ground, the shadows. Where one disappeared, another two took it's place. The feeling in the air grew thicker as more shadows appeared, drawn there by the shining hearts that had appeared so suddenly in the district. Sorey, naturally, reached for his sword. "Mikleo!" He near shouted, the name slightly slurred from a throat unused to speaking. Clearing it roughly, he wrapped his hand around the ceremonial blade's hilt. With the adrenaline of battle rushing through him, his body awoke rapidly, life flowing into muscles stiffened by sleeping. As a heartless leapt for his dear friend's back, the blade flashed through the air, light glinting off from the lamp lights. The Heartless was vanquished before it's claws could even touch a hair on Mikleo's head. He was rusty- he could feel the weight of the sword hanging in his hand, making his swings slowly and cumbered. Eyes swept the area around the two of them. With Mikleo making quick work of the shadows, Sorey had a chance to take a quick rest and take in his surroundings. His eyes widened- he could feel it deep inside of him that this was not Glenwood. Nor anywhere close to it. The feelings that had once flowed through him as he slept alongside Maotelus were gone. Not to mention how thick and heavy the malevolence was- he was already starting to get used to the feeling again, but it was still a constant presence. Not even defeating these... things lessened it. As the last of the Heartless disappeared, and Mikleo turned to face his friend, the silver haired seraphim would suddenly find himself encircled tightly by hugging arms. "Mikleo, I'm so glad to see you again!" Sorey breathed out, taking in the feel of the other's self, the realness. In dreams, he had watched the other Seraphim so many times, but they could never touch. Lucid dreaming under Maotelus' gentle wings as they worked together to purify the land, he had seen snippets and visions of the world outside of the real of dreams. How glad he was to be awake, here, alive- together with Mikleo for the first time in far too many years. Letting go, leaning back slightly, he grinned brightly, rubbing the back of his head. "Then it's a good thing I've got you." You remembered our promise. Sobering slightly, taking in the words of the other now, he glanced around the area, resting a hand on his sword's hilt. "I could... tell, that it wasn't Glenwood. But... do you know where it is?" Green eyes focused upon purple ones intently. Despite an earnest yearning to just spend time with his friend again, doing nothing more than familiarizing himself with him again, the sense of duty weighed heavier. Why and how had he woken up in someplace so alien and foreign?

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aegis of the torrent

Sorey hugged him like he hasn't seen him in centuries. It was inconveniencing to the lungs, but welcome to just about everything else that made up Mikleo. The smaller took the luxury of sagging against his friend and stayed there, quietly inhaling his scent. His eyes were feeling awfully sweaty. It must be the humidity.

The separation left Mikleo unreasonably dazed. "We're not in Glenwood anymore." he confirmed, and that was all he confirmed. Although Sorey looked about ready to faint, the need to be as proactive as possible wasn’t skipped by him, apparently. That was okay; Mikleo's need to rival that state was stronger. "As for where we are, I'll get to that later. Take a breather first, relax."

The Shadows stirred again, felt but not seen. The vibe itself was more potent than before - probably because of Sorey's growing influence. With a frown, Mikleo amended himself accordingly.

"Or - you will, once I get you out of here. Come on."

With little room for protest, Mikleo yanked his friend by the hand and crossed the district. The Heartless didn't creep any closer, likely because of their crippled numbers. When those numbers replenished, however, they'd be on them moths to flames.

The first district’s doors peeked from around a corner. "It's been six months. Probably a lot longer." Mikleo spoke up. Walking a little ahead of Sorey meant his expression could be closely guarded. "I was beginning to lose any hopes of seeing anyone else here, let alone you. And given this kind of place, and the things that attacked us, I'm not sure how I feel about you being here at all."

His hand squeezed Sorey's.

"How are you feeling?"

@sorey

Reach out your hands Don't turn your back Don't walk away How in the world Can I wish for this? Never to be torn apart Close to you 'Til the last beat Of my heart

Mikleo confirmed that they were somewhere unknown- Sorey made to question the name of where they now found themselves, but the silver-haired seraphim read his mind and gently told him to relax first. Sorey smiled sheepishly and allowed himself to relax, coming down from the rush of battle adrenaline. His muscles promptly attempted to give out- he caught himself after a small stumble. Waking up so suddenly was rather hard on his body- if he had had the time to do it properly, it might have taken him all day before he was up and moving around like this. The exhilaration of seeing Mikleo again however gave him all the energy that he needed instead. As the shadows collected themselves, preparing for another attack after that sounding defeat, Sorey narrowed his eyes and glanced around the area. Not Hellions- he could feel the difference between the two of them. But the darkness inside of them seemed to come from the same place- finding it's origins in the human heart. His senses reacted according, telling him in no uncertain terms that this placed was soaked in malevolence. Or perhaps it just felt that way to the more sensitive Shepard who had been sleeping in a place of purity for an eon. Wrapping his hand around the others, a sweet smile spreading across his face, Sorey willingly allowed himself to be pulled along by Mikleo. Eyes watched the back of the other, soaking in the sight. Here, together. He barely even took in the scenery of the town around him that was draped in the shadows- far more interested in his dearest friend than the location for the moment. "Six months..." He exhaled softly. Mikleo had been here all alone for so long? "I'm sorry..." He replied faintly, feeling oddly responsible for what loneliness the other must have gone through. Memories of the others flashed through his mind- painfully at the thought of Rose, Sergei and Alisha. He had been asleep for so long that... "It's okay. With you watching my back, we can handle it." Taking a deep breath, taking comfort in the other's gentle squeeze, he squeezed back, trying to keep the sadness off of his face. "What were those things? They were... almost similar to Hellions, but not." Glancing back as they approached the exit of the district, he frowned slightly, catching sight of glowing yellow eyes in the distance. He paused briefly at Mikleo's question. "I'm... fine." He replied, somewhat hesitantly, before a loud yawn escaped. "Just... busy waking up!" Laughing lightly, he took a quick step forward to walk at Mikleo's side, looking over at the other with a grin.

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aegis of the torrent

"Heartless. The town's chalked full of them." The town was also chalked full of weirdos too, which was too bad for Sorey; He'd have felt right at home here if the circumstances were different.

Mikleo watched in idle interest as Sorey yawned his mouth into a huge cavern. Doofus. Joking at a time like this. As exasperated as Mikleo felt, he was also just as much relieved. Mikleo just hoped it would stay that way.

--

The diner seemed awfully busy, even for Traverse Town standards. It didn't help any; it just meant the tension could now be accompanied by equally tense topics.

"You felt it too, right? What drives them - it's just like malevolence."

The seraph folded his arms as he leaned back against the seat, expression heavy with thought. "I've been studying them to pass time, but I didn't come up with anything solid. No one really ever does. After seeing you, though, I did learn something about us. Malevolence and what they call the darkness here are connected. There's no other reason why you'd feel that crushing weight on your chest."

The conversation was getting grim. Mikleo supposed it couldn't be helped. The catch, however, was that whenever he ran on about these things, funny ideas tended to sprout out of Sorey's head.

Yeah, no.

"Hey." When Mikleo held the Shepherd's gaze, he began speaking, with quiet precision, "You may have been the Shephard in Glenwood, but taking out these things is beyond your duties. I know how you are, so don't get involved with the Heartless."

He was grasping for straws here, but heck it.

"Promise me Sorey."

@sorey

Reach out your hands Don't turn your back Don't walk away How in the world Can I wish for this? Never to be torn apart Close to you 'Til the last beat Of my heart

Mikleo took him to a dinner in the other district, which was full of people. Oddly enough, the presence of the darkness was far less here, kept to a low minimum compared to the other areas. Following after the silver-haired seraph, Sorey weaved through the crowds of people inside of the dinner. The quiet murmur of conversation filled the air, along with the clatter and clinking of glasses and plates. It wasn't just humans in here either- with some small amount of awe, Sorey saw what could doubtlessly only be entirely different races. Someone brushed past him who had the distinct face of a cat and a scythe-like tail kept wrapped up safely. The darkness was here- he could feel it all around him- but no where near as bad as before. "Yes." He replied, quietly, taking a seat and leaning on the table, expression rather solemn for once. "It feels like it comes from the same place as malevolence does- the heart..." His voice trailed off, as he wondered if his power of purification would still be able to help those affected by this darkness. Listening to Mikleo carefully, he frowned slightly. This darkness was everywhere and no one seemed to be able to know where it came from or how to combat it. A mysterious danger that threatened the safety of all of these innocent people. "Why did they attack us?" Was it simply instinct that drove them? Were they like hellions- could he help them? Mikleo must have read his mind because he fixed him with quite the look, purple matching green. He understood where Mikleo was coming from perfectly- he'd already sacrificed himself once in order to save the world. His world saving adventures were over, his days of being Glanwood's Shepard- but that didn't mean that he could just stop being who he was. If that meant raising his sword against these beings of darkness, so be it. "Mikleo, I..." He hesitated and looked away, before looking the other in the eye. "Being the Shepard wasn't just about saving Glenwood from the Lord of Calamity. It was about helping those in need- protecting people from the malevolence. I can't just stand idly by while people are getting hurt." Gently, he reached across the table to take Mikleo's hand, a serious but earnest expression on his face. "I can't promise you that, Mikleo. I'm sorry. But I will promise to be careful. I won't take any unnecessary risks." Offering a smile, he gave the other's hand a small squeeze. "I won't leave you alone again." He grinned slightly, trying to lessen the other's worry. "After all, we made a promise- we're going to explore all new ruins together."

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aegis of the torrent

Mikleo always thought that Sorey would be the death of him. Now Traverse Town was beginning to look like the setting stage for that.

He was hearing what Sorey was saying, but he didn't want to listen. Honestly all he wanted to do was to shove them both back to the lazy Elysean afternoons, the soft-serve ice-cream sittings and the book-reading skirmishes by candlelight. But that time was gone now, and the only vestige of its existance was the warmth of Sorey's hand. The touch made Mikleo feel disarm, on top of his crossness. The problem with Sorey was that he was every bit as stubborn as he was.

The Seraph shut his eyes in a pained way. "Dummy." he said, "There you go again, jumping into conclusions without even knowing anything." Then again, knowing everything had always been Mikleo's Job. The seraph smiled, though wry as the line was. "They were after you because you posed a risk. And when you pose a risk, they swarm, because that's what any scared creature will do."

"But you're right," he allowed, "being the shepherd wasn't just about saving Glenwood. It was about a dream we had. We worked toward that dream, Sorey, and willingly risked our necks to see it through. But there's no dream here - no promise that you'll even make a difference - and a lot of promises that you could lose more than you'll get."

He extracted his hand and stood up calmly as to not entice any spectators, though that ended up happening anyway. Crescents gnarled into the flesh of his palm as he spoke again, eyes obscured by his bangs.

"I'm sorry too, Sorey. Being careful isn't just something you do. And I'm not willing to let you lose your feathery behind over it. So no - I won't let you just do what you want." he finalized, and then he was walking. It was high time they left anyway. Maybe after a good night's sleep, Traverse Town's newest idiot would start thinking straight again.

@sorey

Reach out your hands Don't turn your back Don't walk away How in the world Can I wish for this? Never to be torn apart Close to you 'Til the last beat Of my heart

Sorey gave a faint smile at the proclamation of his intelligence. He knew Mikleo wouldn't agree. He understood why too, they'd already lost so much that to lose anymore would be unbearable. "If people are getting hurt, then I can't just sit back and do nothing." He insisted softly, matching the other's smile. The two of them knew each other well enough that agreeing to disagree was probably the only way that this was going to end. If he was being honest, Mikleo's stance was much more rational and probably the saner of the two- but he knew his own heart well enough that if something happened, he'd act without a second thought to try to help. It was just the way that he was. "If I pose a risk, you can be assured that it's not for nothing." He responded, feeling the weight of his sword by his side. "It's not like I'm going to off trying to defeat every last one of those creatures- Even I know better than that." Already he could tell that there was seemingly no end to those creatures- he'd seen with his own eyes the way that they seemed to regenerate endlessly, appearing to draw life from the very shadows that they were made out of. With how dark this town was, they had more than enough fuel to overwhelm everything. The question was why they didn't- and why they'd momentarily backed off after Mikleo defeated enough of them. Sentience, or something else? He sighed faintly- the other did bring up good points. "You're right." He admitted, faintly, watching the other. "We gave up everything. But it's not about making a difference here- I'm sure there are plenty of heroes around who can do that." A faint half-quirked grin. "I'm not planning on making anymore heroic sacrifices anytime soon." That was one time use only, handle with care. As Mikleo rose to his feet, Sorey did too, biting his lip at upsetting the other. "Then we can talk about this later." Standing back up, he followed after the other out the door, before taking a quick step forward and hugging onto Mikleo's back. "But for now, let's forget about that. I just woke up you know." He grinned slightly, raising one hand to give the seraph a tickle. "I've missed you..." His smile faded slightly. "More than you can know. Let's celebrate instead of moping around!" He had so many things that he wanted to talk to the other about, it could take all night. Far better than their first proper conversation being an argument.

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aegis of the torrent

Sorey's denial of crazy heroism seemed just like the thing he wanted to hear, and while it was a statement that yet called for action, it still made the seraph more than a little relieved. Sure, maybe he was being oversensitive, about the whole thing, but when did he ever not when it came to Sorey?

"Much later," insisted Mikleo.

Getting caught from behind was unexpected, but not entirely surprising, given Sorey's laboradorian tendencies. Mikleo wasn't proud of the sound he made at the sudden tickle-fight, and his usually authoritative voice reverted to laugh-turn mutters of we're in public, you philistine. Everything was moving into Sorey-quality light-heartedness -- but then Sorey had to go and say something like that. Mikleo stopped laughing for a second.

If Sorey missed him enough to want to pass up a petty argument, Mikleo believed him. Of course, he unquestionably missed Sorey too; the birdbrain was family. The only family he had left.

Effectively quietened, the seraph turned into the embrace and studied his friend, wondering when he'd started looking at Sorey in a way that transcended the simple-minded ruin-fanatic from Elysia. Although still flamboyant as ever, this Sorey had eyes that measured beyond age; the kind that monitored the passage of time, knowing and accepting. The kind that not just any ancient seraphim could come to possess. No, this Sorey was definitely different. Mikleo wanted to get to know him all over again.

"Fine," Mikleo relented. "Let's celebrate," he said, and leaned up to kiss him. It was just a touch, and then it was gone, replaced by Mikleo's cool hand around Sorey's warm one.

"Where I'm staying isn't far now. We should get going before you pass out."

@sorey

Reach out your hands Don't turn your back Don't walk away How in the world Can I wish for this? Never to be torn apart Close to you 'Til the last beat Of my heart

SSmiling lightly as Mikleo agreed that they drop the topic, Sorey took in a deep, contented breath. It felt so good to be back with Mikleo- the one person he had wanted to see most when he woke up. Life was funny sometimes, wasn't it? Laughing alongside the other, he relished in the nostalgia of the action. Despite the strange looks that they were getting from others, he didn't care. Mikleo was back. He wondered when he had stopped viewing the other as his best friend from Elysia to the other half of himself. Did it matter? They were together again and he felt whole. That was all that mattered at this moment. As the other studied him, Sorey smiled softly, reaching for the other's hand, the other still firmly wrapped around the seraph's back, relishing the physical contact. He couldn't get enough of it. As the other reached up, lips pressing against his own, Sorey's eyes widened before they softened and a wide smile spread across his face, cheeks lighting up red. "Sounds good to me." He replied, intertwining his hand with Mikleo's, giving it a soft squeeze. Anywhere with Mikleo was just fine by him.   The next morning dawned as dark as the night before it. Sprawled across the bed in the spare room, entangled in blankets and pillows, the Shepard was rather reluctant to wake up properly. The excitement of the last night had worn him out, plus he was still recovering from his pact-coma. Lazing around comfortably in the bed, it was what fully passed for afternoon before he finally managed to wake up enough to stay awake. Yawning loudly, he sat up with a stretch, pillows and blankets falling off of him as he did so. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he blinked a few times before focusing and looking around the room. Spotting Mikleo sitting there, reading a book, he brightened up. "Good morning, Mikleo~" He sang out, in a good mood. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he blinked once more and realized something was off. The room was... dark. As dark as it had been when he'd gone to sleep the previous night before. How long had he slept!? "Uh, what time is it?" He asked with a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his head.

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aegis of the torrent

Mikleo had patience in his blood, and that was a romantic way of saying an awful lot with very little. In the days that Sorey would be out like a light, for any such reason, the seraph could think of nothing more remotely useful to do in the situation than sit down and bury his face in a book - and that was when he wasn’t wracked with tending with the brunet’s bedside. This case wasn’t any different, of course. Mikleo was simply sitting down and reading to pass the time. It wasn’t like he was worried, or anything.

He knew Sorey would have questions once he woke up, so whatever errands Merlin wanted from the Seraph that day were done before the nonexistent sun came up. With his schedule mostly in the clear, he had plenty of time to drill things into Sorey’s head...whether that would prove effective was a different matter entirely.

The clock seemed to finish measuring Mikleo’s patience when the other stirred.

“Someone took their time,” mused the seraph as he leafed a page. If you squint, you could see a small smile tugging on the corner of his lips. His eyes briefly flicked to the window as he added, “It’s well into the afternoon, despite contrary evidence. Traverse Town is renowned for its sunless days, among many other oddities.”

He set down the book on his lap, bookmarked and no longer necessary as the situation would show.

“I think more pressing question here is how hungry you are.”

--

Since he’d been staying here, Mikleo didn’t find eating as necessary as when he did back home. At least in Glenwood, it wasn’t just about indulging your palate. It was about who you indulged your palate with. However, there were some days where he'd find himself sneaking in a bite just to sate some uncalled-for bouts of nostalgia.

For now, Mikleo was satisfied with just watching the human dork eat (no matter how downright frightening that appetite of his was). During that time, Mikleo explained a good chunk of Traverse Town, how the society itself worked and what Mikleo himself was doing under Merlin’s tutelage - y’know, the old guy I introduced you to yesterday?

“I want you to get an occupation too.” It wasn’t even a request. Mikleo was every bit as serious as his cross-armed posture could represent. “Living here isn’t as bad as you'd think - putting aside the...Heartless problem.”

Except they’d been ‘putting aside’ that particular subject since yesterday. Mikleo would have had absolutely no problem putting blinders on Sorey for months - maybe years - of staying here, but keeping things from eachother didn't tend to work in friendships of their calibre. Besides - knowing Sorey, he’d try to go off looking for information by himself.

Sighing finally, the Seraph made sure to place his eyes at whatever resolutely wasn’t Sorey. “You know, when I first found my way here, I was confused. I didn’t know why, after -- what happened in Glenwood, I’d be cast to a place I knew nothing about. To be honest, I thought it was some kind of elaborate dream, or afterlife. I still think it is.” A weak laugh clawed its way out of his throat as he recalled a certain harbinger of death whom had visited him on the busy streets of Radiant Garden. “It's just, there wasn’t anything for me to do here, nothing to look forward to. No dream. So I decided to just look forward to living.”

Another sigh.

“But I’ve been thinking with what you said,” Mikleo added, choosing his words slowly. “and as much as I hate to admit it, you had a profound effect on the Heartless. Because yesterday, unlike any other day, they were not repelled. They were neutralized. That doesn’t just happen with anyone.”

Finally his eyes consulted Sorey with more than a little youthful transparency.

“What does that tell you, Sorey?”

@sorey

Reach out your hands Don't turn your back Don't walk away How in the world Can I wish for this? Never to be torn apart Close to you 'Til the last beat Of my heart

Yawning, he smiled and gave a stretch, before getting up to his feet. "Indeed, but I sure needed that. I feel a lot better." He could tell that sleeping was something that he'd be doing a lot of in the next few days- his body still felt sluggish and heavy deep in it's core. Glancing out the window in surprise, he looked back at Mikleo. "It's constantly night?" He questioned, amazed. How did that even work? Actually, thinking about it, a lot of things about this place so far didn't make sense. Maybe it was better to just go along with it. The mention of food caught his attention far more than the question of the missing sun. "Yeah, starving!" He piped up eagerly, his stomach growling in tandem at the mention of food. Other stuff could wait until he got something into his stomach. He was really glad that Mikleo was here, for more than just the simple reason that he was his best friend. If it were not for all of the research he'd done on the town, and the knowledge that he'd gained, Sorey would have been utterly lost. He was counting his lucky stars for the other's over prepared nature. He really would be hopless without him, wouldn't he? Sorey grinned lightly at the thought. "What kind of jobs are there?" He asked, ignoring the mention of the Heartless until Mikleo decided to bring it up, despite his own yearning curiousity to learn more. As far as occupations went, he was fairly sure that he could find something- being a Shepard wasn't all that he was good at. In such a strange town like this, there must be dozens of options, right? Maybe he could even get a job at a library or something! If Mikleo hadn't already done so. As he began to speak about his experiences in this town, he sobered slightly, watching the other. "I can at least tell you it's not a dream." He replied, softly. "After everything we've gone through... is simply living such a bad thing?" He wondered, half to himself. Of course, part of him knew that things were never that simple for them, but... Trying to just relax for awhile wouldn't hurt. Especially for Mikleo, who he knew full well always stressed too much and concerned himself with everything like a mother hen. Sitting back as Mikleo shot his question at him, he frowned slightly. "Not repelled, but neutralized." He sighed, softly. "They... These Heartless. This darkness... feels just like malevolence." Perhaps things wouldn't be so simple after all.

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aegis of the torrent

Whether Sorey wanted an occupation or not, it was going to be pushed onto him. The reason?

After everything we've gone through... is simply living such a bad thing?

That was a very good one in itself, wasn't it? But Mikleo's reasoning was one of more serious convictions; It would distract Sorey and keep him out of danger. More importantly, it would put him close to the right influences so that he'd mingle humans just like him and catch up on the eighteen years spent living on an isolated mountain.

"Well," Mikleo had said to that. "I work as an apprentice bookkeeper in the library. Under Merlin's tutelage, I also study various magics and subjects to do with the current world." In plain english, that roughly translated as "Mikleo heaven". Seriously. Surrounded by books and[ learning? And now, he was to be surrounded by general Sorey-quality antics, which was the spark that made things better or intensely more worse. Mikleo was being incredibly useful with his time here in the outer worlds.

Incredibly useful.

Right?

He shoved the unwanted Heartless thoughts away. "Anyway, Merlin has a lot of errands which need running on a daily basis. I told him that you were more than capable of helping. It's entirely up to you, but I figured it's a good way to show your appreciation for staying at his place."

--

Malevolence? Darkness? The oldest joke in the book.

"Yeah," Mikleo smiled wryly to Sorey's observation. "You're not entirely wrong there. But more than that, it says something about why we're here. I didn't want to admit it earlier, but..."

But those floating hearts. Mikleo was beginning to feel sick.

"You may have figured out your purpose for being here six months earlier than I did."

Maybe it was too much for Mikleo to hope that it wasn't the case, that he wasn't thrown out here because he was needed here. Maybe it would have been better to keep ignoring that unruly call for duty and live the normal, peaceful live he was living up to this point...or maybe he'd keep lying to himself that stagnating and doing nothing was exactly what he wanted.

Should he just accept the leash fate seems to be walking him with? Should Sorey, the one who deserves peace more than anyone else? Which is funny, because with that peaceful and carefree expression of his, Sorey was probably not thinking of his life being tossed around by cosmic hands. He was just here and knew exactly what he needed to do without question.

Somewhere out there, a deity needs to see how wrong this is.

As he approached the pitch black window, Mikleo held his tongue against all that went in his head. Instead, he said, "Can you promise me this, at least? That you'll take your time. Really take your time here, thinking about what you want to do. No rules. No dogma. No duty. Just you."

@sorey