The Key To Hearts (Take Two)

[Yoshimitsu]

OOC- Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT just join this RP. If you want in, PM me and I'll decide if you can join or not. If you do reply without my permission, I'm auto-banning you. End of. You've been warned.

BIC-

The universe was divided. It was split into a series of smaller worlds, each one completely unique and seperate from the others. One world may be inhabited with normal humans, while the next would be likely to have ghosts and the undead, and another world might be full of animals or completely devoid of life. No one knew why the universe was like this, just that it was and it always had been. Surrounding each world was a barrier of sorts - it was completely invisible, but no one could pass through it. However, the universe was not as it should be. For some reason, these barriers were cracking, and things were slipping through the gaps.

These things always seemed to come in two varieties.

The first ones were almost comical looking at times, and at others downright terrifying. The number of different species was unknown, and they seemed to adapt based on their current location. In a water-based planet, these things would adapt to be able to swim and survive underwater, while in a mostly air-based planet, they would have developed wings or some other means of flying. There were only two things that were consistent among these entities. The first was a desire. They attacked anything they saw that still had its 'heart', its essense, its very soul. The second was an emblem. On every one of these creatures, there was an emblem. A black and red heart, with a cross in the middle and a tail coming from it.

These were the Heartless.

However, the Heartless were not the only things that had appeared. These other entities were all silver. That was one of the most noticable things about them. They were silver. There was no adaptation for different environments, like the Heartless. They could survive anywhere. Another detail about them was their movement. The most common type of these creatures were flexible. Elastic. They could slip and stretch anywhere, and surround their prey without any need for others. They, too, seeked to attack people who had hearts, but they seemed to be fuelled more by jealousy and anger, anger at the things that still had their hearts. These creatures were the lifeless husks that were left behind when a person lost their heart. Their attachment to life kept them 'living', and they seemed to want to get a heart back, and carry on living.

These were the Nobodies.

However, despite the fact that these creatures shared a similar goal, they were not allies. On any world that had both types of creature occupying it, one would be more likely to find them fighting rather than seeking out hearts to steal. It was a mystery, why they worked like they did. But it was no concern of some people...

Shigai was sat in Traverse Town. Traverse Town was one of the many worlds out there, but it was the most special to some people. This was because Traverse Town was the world that people went to when they had nothing left. If a world was eaten by the darkness, which was happening alarmingly often, anyone who survived found themself in Traverse Town. No one was sure why people found themselves there. It was like the world just reached out and grabbed anyone who was about to lose their world, and dragged them to one of the few safe havens.

"Traverse Town," Shigai muttered to himself, reaching to his coffee and taking a sip. He was sat in the First District. This was the only safe district out of the three. The other two, for some reason, had Heartless in them. There were only a few people who knew why the First District was safe. Traverse Town was home to a powerful wizard, who had cast a few choice enchantments, and set up wards against Heartless and Nobodies around the First District. Shigai glanced over at one of the massive doors that lead to a different district, and could feel the strength of the enchantments.

"Well, whatever," he said, standing up. His attire was very out-of-place in the very subdued colours of Traverse Town. His hair was medium length, shorter at the back but with a long side-fringe, with silver streaks in it all over that seemed to glow. On his top half, he was wearing a silver button-up shirt that the sleeves had clearly been ripped from, though by what was unknown. On his legs, he wore black trousers made of a strange, flowing material, much like what dancers wore to emphasise their movements. These stretched down to his feet, where he wore heavy-looking black combat boots.

"Who would choose to come here?" Shigai muttered to himself. He threw down a couple of notes to pay for his coffee, then ascended the stairs leading to another large door, the entrance to the Second District.

 

[Satoren]

At this moment, a young girl was exiting a weapons emporium in the small world of Traverse Town. With a cheerful grin and the profound knowledge of something good happening, she skipped down the stone stairs towards the livelier half of the town's First District; For this is where shops and eateries congregated to offer treats to the town's ever growing population. As such, it was the one and only hotspot for mingling and generally having a good time, especially under such dangerous times as these.

They were dangerous times because the beings known as Heartless were beginning to move in a rather erratic motion. Their appearances proved to be more unreasonable than usual; appearing in large or small clusters, with an uneven balance of power. As far as some people cared to know, the Heartless were on the whole, mindless, and were driven solely by instinct, yet these past few sightings suggest a hand much more intelligent.

Despite the facts, the young girl kept a calm head and a confident amount of cheer. She was certain that she would be certainly enough to handle whatever the strange creatures would surprise them with. Still, as part of the Traverse Town Defense Committee, that job was not solely hers. And she would indeed require plenty of support to handle whatever surprises were in store for her.

Hence, passing a young man who was leaving the cafe, young Eisha sat down oat a table in front of the store. Having her order taken, she resigned herself to watching the crowds of people exploring the wares of the First District, hoping to find a familiar face. And as she did so, she could not help but think back to that lovely reason she entered the weapon emporium earlier today. Displayed elegantly behind the counter at the top shelf was the weapon of her dreams. The Artemis Bow was described as being a "streamlined firearm made of the finest wood harvested from an Enchanted Forest." And while Eisha was not quick to believe such a slogan, feeling the weapon in her hands was quite an enchanting experience.

Its finely polished limbs were sturdy and lightweight, and though seemingly solid, it was wonderfully flexible and elastic. The string was not too thick but not too thin either, and had a nice, soft touch to it. Eisha armed herself with it to get the feel og the marvelous weapon, and it was a comfortable fit. The only thing that stopped her from being forever together with the weapon of her dreams was, as always, a price tag she could not afford. At least for now.

Receiving the glass of iced tea with a hint of 100 Acre Wood Hunny and a lemon wedge, Eisha began to calculate how much work she would have to do to accumulate enough funds to purchase her beloved Artemis. The thought of earning loads of money and the sharp citrus taste of her tea made her giddy with delight.

 

[Kalseng]

Tal's strides were quiet and muted among the hustle and bustle of the city, his dark blue jeans grinding against itself, rustling gently. His black shoes were subtle, but had red accents on the sides and the top of the tongue, just to look more colorful. The black jacket on his torso was open, the coattails lapping at the back of his thighs. His under shirt was a red button-up, but it was only buttoned halfway, exposing his tanned chest. Over his chest was the heartless emblem, stretching from his collarbone down to his navel. Fortunately, kids his "age" were getting these tattoos more and more frequently as a show of rebellion, so the image on his chest was entirely acceptable to display.

Tal's yellow eyes were scanning the old, cobblestone roads in Traverse Town, the buildings' yellow glow casting faint shadows behind Tal and the other walking peoples of the town. His black hair was barely even ruffled by the slight breeze, sending the long tendrils of hair, running in a blocky pattern from his head down to his neck, lightly bouncing as he walked.

Soon the darker skinned heartless had reached the cafe he was supposed to meet Eisha at. He saw the girl sitting at her table, and Tal stood next to the chair across from her.

"Hello, Eisha," Tal said with his smoky voice, deep notes fluttering out from his throat and dispersing into the air around them. "How are you today?" Tal pulled back the small wooden chair, its legs grating harshly against the stone floor. As he sat down, the warm glow of the lantern in the middle of the table cast an eerie glow over his face and mouth, making his words even more mysterious and seemingly deep. "Did you take another trip to look at The Artemis?"

 

[Yoshimitsu]

It was evident, once Shigai stepped through the door, that the wards were effective only for the First District of Traverse Town. Quickly, the teenager ducked to the side of the door, concealed in a shadow. From where he was stood, he could see far too many Heartless for his liking. The theory of adaptation of Heartless seemed true enough as well - the only ones he could see were the Shadows, the small primitive ones with alarmingly sharp claws, and the Soldiers, the ones that were only a step above Shadows, clad in deep red and blue 'clothes', with very dangerous gloves. Shigai glanced to his side, making sure his path was clear.

"And the Nobodies haven't come because the odds are overwhelming. This place is the breeding grounds for these things," he muttered to himself as he crept through the Second District. He was here on duty, as always. A meeting. With someone who had some good research on the nature of Heartless, apparently. It wouldn't be the first time that Shigai had been sent on a mission like this. He had also been instructed to examine something in particular, hidden behind the fountain. However, that was secondary. Again, Shigai glanced around him, making sure nothing had seen him.

So far, he was doing a good job of hiding himself. None of the Heartless had sensed his presense and come hunting for a fresh heart. If he wasn't so concerned about keeping quiet, he might have laughed. Another corner, he stuck his head round and quickly darted round it, staying away from the main routes around the district. It was only a matter of time, he guessed, until the Heartless realised someone else was there, someone who was very un-Heartless-like. If he was lucky, he might be able to avoid that until after his meeting.

"This is getting silly now," he muttered, finding his route blocked by another nest of Shadows. He made to step away as quietly as possible, but his foot caught an empty bottle and kicked it, sending it rattling very audibly back down the path. The effect was immediate, and every Shadow eye was on Shigai. "Shit." No point waiting around - he turned and ran. He had to make it out of the Second District. There was no way he could fight this number of Heartless.

A shrill cry pierced the air, and Shigai swore again. It was the call he knew all too well, the call that alerted every single Heartless in the area to an intruder. If he wasn't fast enough, he'd have an army of Heartless on his tail, and no way out of it without revealing himself. He ran round another corner, and found his path barred. Surrounded. No way out.

"Oh, I hate this part," Shigai said, readying himself.

 

[Satoren]

Eisha disliked the cool, calm and completely smug demeanor that Shigai would sometimes place around her. However, he did not seem to want ot be rid of it anytime soon. But rather than admitting her annoyance to this aspect of his personality, she instead admitted that she did return to the weapon shop just to ogle at her potential new bow. "I'll admit it," she said calmly, though as she did she took a huge but subtle gulp of her tea. "That bow is just so beautiful. And I really want it. The other girls can buy pretty clothes and their useless accesories, but I want that weapon," she paused a bit, then reaffirmed her desire to possess it. "It's really, REALLY pretty, Tal."

Before her companion could turn the conversation to his favor, Eisha quickly changed the subject to something slightly more important than her pretty potential new weapon. "uhurm...So, were you able to do some recon last night? The Heartless have been moving in a weird way, they're a tad more coordinated than usual."

Eisha took out a small notebook from the pouch fastened around her waist. As she flipped through the pages, she placed it in front of Tal, addressing the text on its most recent entry. According to reports we gathered yesterday from the townsfolk, they've been spotted around the sewers, at the Gadget shop, and have become less active in the Third district," as she said this, she pointed to multiple portions of the written report, noting locations on a quickly drawn map on the same page.

"Also, there's one entry that may not be true, but definitely worth a look," Eisha told him as she turned the page over to its back. There, a short sentence had been scribbled with great haste, as though the account was not given to much thought on. "This account was made by some kids, so we can't say whether its a prank or not." She placed her finger on the print, showing what it had said.

Small Heartless spotted around the rooftops of First District.