Pure White. A world completely unstained by the darkness of the grander planet below, a lone child at the reigns and uttermost core, wandering around the single platform shortly before coming to a halt as a light illuminated part of the room. A figure appeared, revealed from the whiteness.
❝ O-oh. You were not someone I was expecting to see…❞The minor’s face triggers with concern and trivial embarrassment, creating a long pause before he could react. ❝ Should I supply you with something? Let you on your way?❞
Maybe it was a mistake, a miscalculation-yes, maybe that was the cause.
Maybe.
Something else implied that this meeting may of been fate itself at work.
Leather pressed at his eye again, rubbing at the weary spot that had probably darkened over the passing days of restless sleep. The untamed wild lands of that of Pulse was no place for a teenager from a floating, bustling continent, like him.
But in a sense, Hope felt that the experience really brought out the hunter in him- it sounded like a practical laugh as he was nowhere near of achieving it. The issue of his sleep deprived eyes had stopped abruptly to quire attention on the ever growing mark displayed over his wrist- noticing how the red became more visible, a grim reminder of the fate he was slowly slipping towards. To ponder on, Hope wasn’t feeling quite himself these days, possibly going through the burdensome path of loss and loathing: it could drive any human to change.
He really didn’t want to think of that now.
Or many other weighing thoughts for that matter.
Forced, visage pressed onto the strip of road ahead, peeled out for any monsters or other unwanted occupants: the lack of skill in these parts, especially alone was a huge disadvantage. His only weapon, a boomerang snapped with speed of unraveling itself, clearly active to any surprise. He took on his stance, arms and legs spread out- one with his boomerang shielded against his front, he managed to stutter out the words when a crack in the air was heard. He was clearly in a disarray. ❝ W-Who’s there. Show yourself!❞
Such anger coming from a little boy, it was difficult to find it intimidating, but he held no fear in working up an attack;
he could even feel the surge of magic pulsing in the tips of his fingers.
A soft hum kind of giggle escaped the Pulsian’s lips. He was right. They have been trough so much,and after that all,everything seemed possible. “You’re right about that. Anything is always possible,and everything can happen. We aren’t just…really able to understand that,since our life would have remained so usual,without this.”
Nodding slightly,she agreed with the boy. Vanile had gotten a chance to forget her guilty feelings,for a while. However,being on Pulse,it just seemed to bring them back to her. ”Yeah,and being around the people that you care about,and know that will be there for you,helps you forget all those bad thoughts.“
“Now that’s the spirit!" She giggled softly. ”We cannot stop here. Part of me,wants to. But,i know i have to do the right thing. I made a promise,after all.”
The nod tousles the young boy’s mane, dusting the particles of foreign dirt before taking an upright position- eyes fall into a cloudy gaze over the pits hidden by even more greenery. ❝Right. ❞ The simple word passes through with such calmness, it brings a tug to his lips at the very feeling.
Right before twisting his heel towards Vanille, passing a prying glance.
It kind of felt rude to ask, but the mentions she spoke of begged him to do so.❝ What promise did you make, exactly? ❞
Blinking was becoming a rather dangerous venture these days. It wasn’t all the time, but when he closed his eyes and the temperature changed; the smell, the sounds— it was a growing alarm that sat in a not quite right level, something that had Sora wondering at just what he had done to himself, back in Hollow Bastion.
Something bad. But how bad?
At least this time people seem to have been expecting him. The brunet gapes at the many high rises, at the metal beneath his feet and the shimmering blue ramps that dot the landscape. People around him murmurs and chatter on comments about his age (so small…) not going unnoticed as an official hurries their way. Welcome.
Hope probably doesn’t realise he doesn’t make any sense. The Academy means nothing to him but odd uniforms with splashes of yellow and a kind hand extended in greeting, but the brunet smiles back and carefully extends his hand in turn, giving the Director’s a quick shake. “Thanks! I’m Sora.”
A curious glance around; everyone’s relaxed, now that Hope’s here. He seems like a nice guy, so no wonder. “Are all these people part of your Academy, too?”
He nodded within mid-shake, the corners of his lips widening in gesture hopefully in comfort to the newest visitor. It was not likely to find time travelers, especially amongst a fast-paced metropolis as Academia- wishing the young boy wasn’t too intimidated by it all. That too didn’t seem likely either, as the boy- Sora poured out optimism.
But his sense of curiosity was nothing that caught the leader by surprise, instead mimicked the brunet’s movements and let out a small chuckle- a lighthearted one to be exact. ❝ No, not everyone. Most are just citizens- though the Academy has many needs provided to the cause of the people, you can recognize any of the workers here by uniform, such as this one. ❞ It’s here he pauses to gesture his own uniform- like many, donned in the familiar colors.
But in that time his actions halt, flickering his awareness upwards at the visitor.❝ I apologize, I should of taken into account that you’ve only arrived and begun to know of this era. Would it be put into consideration that you are not familiar with the government? ❞
He must of seemed a bit foolish, talking away like that- especially when he had just stepped into the world only a while ago- and worse, feeling as if he had just dumped all this information onto the poor kid, who knew if he even known of the facility; an question like that drew an answer too obvious by the way he expressed such a query.
Maybe Hope felt a bit too ecstatic over the whole situation.
A soft hum escaped her, pondering the question asked.
“Not really! It’s all been the same as usual,
though I did find a nice-lookin’ flower earlier if that counts!”
She was quite proud of her floral accomplishment, really.
It only took a few seconds into consideration, with the slight parting of lips, no words rose to respond- only for that moment. Supposedly with all the running around aside, time felt longer when suspended in serenity, or so he put it to terms.
Not everyone was like that.
Vanille was probably used to the experience than he could ever put into. Her carefree behavior loosened the tight binds in her shoulder muscles whist inching his way over. ❝Guess it really depends on the person, doesn’t it.❞ Green hues divert in those brief moments, beaming a little- until she mentions her attention towards her findings a memory clouds his gaze, filling it with childhood moments of the Sunleth- how he’d focus onto the flowers with his usable camera so that his mother could awe upon his own findings. But Hope forces the visions back, sending short silver flying with his rather demanding shake and concentrates onto the redhead.
❝ R-Really? Would you mind if youshow me the flower you found? ❞
⠀⠀⠀ Today it was thunderstorming viciously. It also just so happened to be early in the morning, just a couple of hours after midnight. Neku was out in the storm, making his way home. There was barely anybody on the streets for once.
⠀⠀⠀ He accidentally bumps into another person, grunting as doing so. Curious eyes glance upward. “Hey, you okay?”
It was very unfortunate that it poured down when he really, really didn’t need it to. ❝ My mom’s going to kill me… ❞ The teen mutters to himself taking a look over his soaked uniform, plus the bag that held papers and books that might of possibly been drenched along with it all. Anyone at his age would be suspected of going to a party.
But no.
Not Mr. Hope Estheim.
He had spent the time at a friends place studying…almost, until he noticed the time and hurried out the door. Not to mention that his parents- mainly consisting his mother would ground him of pulling a stunt like this. Abruptly a force brought him back to reality, staring another teenager maybe the same age as he. The boy in question didn’t seem so pleased about that.
Hope pulls an incompetent countenance and a constant shifting of his feet. ❝ Y-Yeah, I’m fine. Sorry about that, I should of looked where I was going. ❞ In conclusion, he emits a nervous laugh.
In the most recognizable building the leader worked at the center of it all, mindlessly tapping away at an astounding speed; it was only to that point of the call from one of the officers that he had dejected himself away from the screen. Apparently it was of some news of the active gate that had recently showed up, that someone had passed through. He had exited immediately before the young worker could try to finish. For some reason unknown, Hope had felt that something of the like would happen.
He wasn’t entirely sure, but he just…knew.
Many spectators looked on with confusion seeing their honorable director hurriedly walking down the linear walkways, the expectation of it all made his heart thrum fast, thoughts conjured of visions of recognizable faces.
But in all expected ways, there was always the unexpected.
Hope had arrived with slight dissatisfaction, with high hopes plummeted at the sight yet he couldn’t treat as if it was the case.❝ Welcome to Academia, I’m Hope Estheim; Director of the Academy. ❞ With a bright smile towards the stranger, he extends a gloved hand in greeting.
After a while gazing the beautiful view before them,she decided to sat down next to him. ”Oh,really?” Vanille asked,quite curious about what Hope was thinking about. ”What were you thinking?“ She questioned,turning her gaze to him,her lips wearing a soft smile.
“If you ask me,i believe that eventually,you would have wound up here. Were you with us or not." The Pulsian admitted,her gaze returning to the scenery. ”But,i am more glad that you got to see Pulse with us!" She spoke,her accent thick as ever,smiling brightly at him.
It wasn’t long until he cuts back to Vanille, whom had been talking with recognition. Continuing to stare even as she made a place beside the younger, shuffling hardly at all to set some space for the red head to sit. A small indication of surprise flashed in his features, soon replaced with an express of graciousness.❝ Maybe that’s possible, but then again with what we’ve been through anything can happen.❞ A minor pause comes to the young boy who smiles to himself of all his latest wild adventures when it felt only a few days ago he was just one of many of Cocoon’s simpletons.
❝ I was just taking it all in. Ever since the Purge, it’s been hard to stop and think about things- like what’s happened and being on Pulse. It’s kind of good to take a breather and forget about it all. ❞ True that the serene wildlife silenced his worries, he knew of that.
But…
❝ I know we can’t just stop yet, even if we’re l'cie, we’re still human.❞ Green drops to the marked arm held by it’s other beneath the fortunate coverage of his bright yellow band.
Who could of thought a simple mark could ignite such events.
Surprised at the sudden voice, Riku turned on his heels— Eyes meeting those of a very shy-looking boy. Normally, he’d just give them directions and send them on their way, but he went as far as to offer the other a grin. The kid seemed harmless, and Riku didn’t see any reason to be rude to him.
“Sure, sure. You’re on Destiny Islands, y’know—? There’s a pier that’away if you wanna take a boat home.”
Destiny Islands? It was nothing on Cocoon that he ever heard, but the brief nod came anyway, followed by an uneasy glance at the small wooden boats alined as mentioned- by the pier. Beyond that past the harsh glare of sunlight he could manage out a outline of a town.
Even though his surroundings came foreign to the teen he never expected Cocoon had a place like this.
He lets out a relieving sigh.❝ Gladly. I don’t think you would know of Palumpolum, or Bodhum by any chance, do you? ❞ Turning back to the other, noticing he was possibly quite as the same age as he from what he could analyze behind the brush of silvery bangs, raises up a brow.
Maybe a boat wouldn’t suit for how distant travel it might possibly be.
