Victorian England and the opportunity to not only partake of proper tea, but to make use of the newly rediscovered civilization of Atlantis called to Zexion like few other worlds could. After the... incident in Hallow Bastion involving that parody of a woman in his Master's castle, he welcomed the opportunity for some quiet study. Perhaps I can find something useful amongst all these dusty scrolls and manuscripts. If any people are likely to know anything about what's going on, it would be the Atlanteans. Praises be for the English and their love of recording everything they encounter.
Silently settling himself at a well-worn table near one of the immense windows that took up almost the entire wall of the teahouse, Zexion sipped at his tea as he opened the first book on top of the pile he'd already built around himself. All of these windows must have cost a small fortune by this World's standards. I can't say that I mind feeling the warmth of sunlight after all that's happened. Taking a deep breath and releasing it, a small and rare smile curved his lips, the Schemer quickly losing himself to his beloved books.
After all, how often was it that he was able to escape the monotony of his Nobody life to explore the written word of a civilization long believed to be lost to the sands of time?
-- Edited by Zexion on Tuesday 21st of July 2009 02:44:35 PM
__________________
Together we shall walk the dusty paths until we reach our ends.
De Nam had just completed the monstrous kiddy block machine known as a Gummi Ship. The thing was a damn mockery to the real airships on his world, however, this was the only way to go between worlds. This trip was the maiden voyage of what he would like to deem, the S.S. F*ck-up. That was the only way to describe how it looked. The machine worked just fine.... once he got the hang of it that is. The blueprints did not exactly come with instructions.
He did find a world to land on after cruising for an indeterminate amount of time. This place was like an old world he read about in his history books in grade school. Everything was stuck in this refined antiquity. Now he needed to find out where he was and if anybody he knew had stumbled upon this world as well. Vincent had doubted the existence of his fellow Turks in other worlds. De Nam was determined to find them wrong. But first things first...
The nearest place he could decipher as a pub of information was the teahouse. He noticed a man in a black coat sitting amongst a pile of books. He knew people in black coats frequented the streets of Twilight Town. Maybe this man traveled worlds as well? He would certainly know something at least a bit useful for his travels. Still he was cautious and weary as his Turk training told him he should be.
He walked into the teahouse, sitting down near this strange man. He had ordered a small cup of his own tea through gesturing to the waitress. This world did not seem so scared of his presence. That would make his time here a lot easier at the least. For a while he was content on studying the stranger. That was how he operated. Know your target as best as you could before approaching.
When he felt his observations were satisfactory enough, he set his tea on the table, ignoring it for the moment. De Nam unlatched his board and scribbled a message on it before tapping the table to get Zexion's attention.
'You are not from around here, are you?' the board read.
The soft chiming of the bell above the door alerted Zexion to the entry of a new customer to the teahouse he had chosen to patronize while diving into his research. The man who entered was certainly interesting although his clothing was rather nondescript despite being just different enough from this World's fashions to stand out to the Nobody. Giving a purely mental shrug, Zexion returned to his research and tea, although he made certain to remain aware of the other man. One never could be too cautious, after all.
Having lost himself in the book he was currently reading about the accounts of some fellow named Milo, he lifted his eyes to meet curious grey that were gazing at him steadily. A repeat of the tapping brought his attention to the board held out in front of him. Brow furrowed slightly, he quickly read the message and looked up to study De Nam curiously.
"No, I don't suppose I am. But then, neither are you," he replied quietly, modulating his voice to carry only to De Nam. It wouldn't do to alert others to their conversation - preservation of Worlds and all that.
__________________
Together we shall walk the dusty paths until we reach our ends.
De Nam caught the hint quickly enough. He probably should have thought that speaking about other worlds was not kosher. Then again he did not know the rules. He would just have to learn them as he went along. The other spoke so softly that was what he would have to assume that the shorter man was getting across to him.
Now his mind was filled with questions. How did this man get here? Did he too have a Gummi Ship or was there another method he was not aware of? Everything since this all started was just one big question after another without any answers. He erased his board to write again while his mind raced with thoughts. He paused with his marker over the white surface. What could he say next? He could not simply ask the man about his fellow Turks. That would be rather rude especially when other questions should be raised.
'What are you doing here then?' He left the question non-specific in case someone were to look on and read as well. The other certainly had a lot of books on the table. Maybe that was the reason of the other's visit. But what precisely was written in said books? Sometimes he had to curse his ever inquiring mind.
Zexion nodded in approval, a small smile flickering over his face ever so briefly before disappearing once again. He thought it a bit strange that De Nam was relying on a board to relay his thoughts, but figured it was most likely due to the other man being somehow incapable of vocal speech. Not the strangest thing he had seen, not by far considering some of his more recent experiences.
"I am here conducting research," he replied quietly. "I search for the answers to many questions that I hope some of the people here may have recorded during their vast history. Am I correct that you have come here for much the same reason?"
Tilting his head to the side slightly, he finally held his hand out to the other man. "I am Zexion."
He had finally decided that there was no harm in giving his name, he figured there were few outside of the Organization who would even know it were this man to mention it to someone. The chances of that happening were very slight when one took into consideration the fact that Zexion had rarely been sent on field missions and even then, he generally remained incognito. Something about this silent man struck him as somewhat of a kindred spirit.
__________________
Together we shall walk the dusty paths until we reach our ends.
De Nam remained silent as the other thought. It usually did not take those of any sort of higher intelligence to figure out he was mute. He was far used to the thoughtful in other's eyes as they came to that conclusion. That was fine so long as nobody apologized for something they weren't really sorry or did he care for them to be sorry for.
'I see. I am doing the same thing of sorts.' he wrote down. In truth, he was still trying to figure out what was going on. He knew a little of the heartless and how his world was destroyed in essence, but everything else? It was a mixture of bits and pieces from everywhere. The dwellers of Twilight Town weren't exactly the best group to extract information from.
He added a note at the bottom of his board, 'I am De Nam.' He then took the other's hand and shook it lightly. At the least he could learn more about the heartless and other worlds from this man. Now he was curious as to what exactly Zexion was researching in these old texts.
'What precisely are you looking to answer?' He wrote down. Even if Zexion was a mysterious man, De Nam was far used to that sort and felt at ease with it.
Zexion was quiet for a long time as he deliberated on his answer. Just how much should he reveal to De Nam? The other man was certainly not a Nobody, but he also did not carry the scent of one tainted overmuch with Darkness. At the same time, he also did not carry the bright scent Zexion had come to associate those claimed by Light. He was curious, this strange, mute young man. If nothing else, Zexion was curious as to how the other had arrived on this World - a Gummi ship, most likely given his observations.
"I want to know why," he said at last, for once speaking nothing but the truth. "There are... events that have happened that I seek to know why. Why things went the way they did, why certain people reacted as they did... why certain people were selected."
Closing the book he had been reading, Zexion set it aside to focus his entire attention on De Nam. "Sometimes, no matter how much you speculate, how carefully you study the situation, Fate takes control and plays merry hell with the most carefully wrought plans. Like so many who have been tossed upon the waves of fortune, I desire to know why," he continued, eyes bright with an almost feverish hunger for knowledge. Strange that he should speak so with a stranger, but it had been far too long since he had had an outside perspective. Not only that, but the indeterminate time spent in the Nothing after what he had thought was his death had left him yearning for contact with others when previously he had tended to keep to himself.
Perhaps this is but a side effect of that disastrous battle in Hallow Bastion. It is hard to gauge the mind's reaction to purely internal trauma, he thought to himself absently. He, out of any other member of the Organization should know how delicate the psyche was. Anyone would have gone a little bit mad left in that Nothing.
"I also pursue a way to right what has been made wrong," he concluded, distractedly pushing a strand of slate coloured hair back behind his ear, briefly revealing both of his eyes centered directly on De Nam.
((Sorry it took me so long to reply - the RP mojo just wasn't forthcoming!))
__________________
Together we shall walk the dusty paths until we reach our ends.
(I understand I think we are all being effected by it)
De Nam listened to Zexion with the quiet countenance he had been infamous for in the Turks. They both seemed to be searching for the answer to the same question, but maybe not the exact same details from what he could gather. Zexion was not about to let his past be imparted to a complete stranger. For this he did not fault the man.
De Nam in an unconscious move tightened his hold on the cup in front of him. It raised the question of why this happened to his world. At least now from his travels and time in Twilight Town he found the cause. But why would his world be selected out of so many? And why would he seemingly be the only one to survive out of the Turks? At least Zexion was a bright individual and maybe together they could get an answer to their questions.
De Nam's eyes widened slightly as the other revealed both eyes to him. The man was deathly serious about his search. He knew that now. Zexion was not going to be stopped in his quest for knowledge. Going on the line of thinking maybe there was a way that his world could be restored. The mere thought of such a feat almost gave the Turk a headache.
A small smirk escaped the mute man as he wrote down on his board, 'We seek the answers to the same basic question, but I am sure the details behind such are different. However you are expecting these books to hold another piece to the puzzle?' He inquired to the other on the situation. If Zexion thought something were to be found in these book, then he would help him. Maybe in the process he would find out more of his own world and its fate.
