Chapter 7, Seek Refuge or End the Seek
cue It Began with a Letter, KH
"Finally! Thank God!" Java triumphantly sighed, standing just a few meters from the Traverse Town entry, "–back in this forsaken spit o' land, huh? Welp…Coffee, I have arrived!!"
Java stood amongst the hoopla of entering and exiting masses, the constant annoyance of repetitive sales pitches, and of course, the common bickering amongst grown men.
Ah...smells like a home– the young man inhaled deeply, soaking up every bit of the site. This was perfect preparation for the venture into the busy boredom within the town gates. Alas, a welcoming voice swiftly pierced the common fuss that seeped into Java's flesh, and marinated within his innards.
"Hey! Zombie Fiend! Long time huh," the voice protruded Java's trance, sourcing from the right side of the giant door. A good number of meters away from the doorway, another young man leaned collectedly upon the wall, casually waving two fingers to gain J's attention.
"Ah, a familiar face," Java addressed, and with equal coolness, nodded in response, nearing the neutral figure, "and one of the only faces that can call me a 'Zombie Fiend–' or something of that manner."
Java neared the sleekly clad young man, rolling up his right coat sleeve, and revealing a long black shirt sleeve. Slowly leaving the solace of the wall, the young man made his way towards the approaching Java. He too began to roll up the right raincoat sleeve, revealing a long black shirt sleeve also. Our calm figure wore near-opposite attire from Java: long jet-black raincoat with bright white slacks and ankle boots. His complexion was coffee-brown, and he jaded stringy maroon locks of hair that had been blackening at the ends. He wore a decent build, and was nearly as tall, and seemingly as old as Java. Large round-lens shades ably rested on the young man's smirking face, as he and Java met, forearms crossed, sleeve-to-sleeve.
"J Black...the man that just does not sleep," the young black-clad man lightly smiled, forearm crossed with his friend.
"Ah, Mercuito, my good man...the accomplice of my many vile deeds." Java replied with the usual satire. Both released their gesture, joyously shook hands, looked around at the presenting rabble, and chuckled at the convenience of their chance meeting and location.
"So," Java continued, "What brings you to the fronts of Transverse Town once again?"
"Memories–" Mercuito responded with a smirk of satire, "–just had a feeling that I needed to check up on the town, you know...the zoo that it has become, and all."
Java looked off into the adjacent outstretching lines of booths and sales counters that adorned and enclosed the town walls. He sighed and replied, "I guess–well I'm glad that you, at least, haven't joined the madness and reduced yourself to being one of the most annoying beings on the face of the earth..."
"What, salesmen?" Mercuito chuckled slightly and opened up his long coat, revealing the long black shirt and an array of potions and first aid items strapped within the insides of his coat, "Well–I still do services of healing–I just don't "advertise the talent" anymore, as you would assume...but I do still make quite the number of sales every now and then...let's just say that I'm always prepared to serve familiar customers. But I don't charge people that absolutely need Cura–"
"Yeah..." Java smirked unconvinced. Mercuito gave a light laugh aloud in response, placing his hands within the security of his coat pockets. He slowly looked up and gave the eternal night sky an empty gaze, "Well, at least I'm not running around town with you lying to people about being a traveling healer with the secrets of everlasting youth like we used to."
"Oh yeah, of course–one of your genius schemes that always get me near-arrested in the process–"
"Oh no," Mercuito averted his night-sky gaze, and jeeringly leered towards Java, "aside from you coming up with all the scams, the reason why you were put under house arrest for that scheme, and not "send to jail," as you like to dramatize, is because someone decided to bum a drink from some wino in the third district, right in front of the constable I might add."
"Mercuito–" Java called. Mercuito's leer turned into an attentive gaze. Java stared vacantly at Mercuito, who was now containing his temptation to chuckle at Java's morbid expression; J questioned with a stoic tone, "–you don't forget a damn thing, do you?"
Mercuito unleashed a luminous smile, "That's because there never was a dull moment with us." Both young men released a final light harmonic chuckle that trailed off into an ensuing silent moment which consisted of shiftless gazes towards the Traverse Town entry, into the come-and-go crowd of people.
After a slight hesitance, Java addressed, still staring towards the leaving crowd of folks, "So...how's the sales and funding going? It's been a good two years since I've seen you; when I left with that fuel carrier guy on his Invincible."
Mercuito averted his gaze from the calamity of people, and fixated his sight downward upon the concrete ground, "Well, sales have become a lot better than I first expected they would...my uncle and I have parted ways for the time being–traveling solo now since I bought and customized my own Gummi Ship. The Sable Sleek; had it for a year now…didn't bring it here though; getting some repairs to it."
Java replied in response of the Sable Sleek, "Ah–I bought a ship recently, after saving up enough from a few odd-jobs: Cuppa Joe, ivory-colored of course–" Java briefly flaunted his cloak, "–kinda slow, but reliable at the least."
A harmless laugh escaped underneath Mercuito's breath as he wittingly responded, "Wait, are you describing the ship, or yourself?"
A stoic response from Java as he inattentively looked up towards the empty sky: "So–I see your sense of humor has diminished–but hey, I'm glad your cure-and-item sales business is doing well."
"Well, you know, I guess putting Traverse Town behind us was good for us. Yeah–leaving this small rock, and trying to support oneself in a respectable manner does its justice–" a slight silence ensued, then Mercuito addressed, "you know, a lot of people are generally concerned with the well-being of people that have lost their worlds and seek refuge–"
Java inadvertently interrupted, "–and I'm glad that you're out doing something about it besides trying to sell your merchandise in front of this sleaze meeting ground like everyone else."
"Well–I really wouldn't put it that way," Mercuito glanced, and corrected attentively, "I'm guessing a lot of people mean to make a living, and they figure Traverse Town is as best a place as any. I mean, this is where many people end up when people's homes are taken--" Mercuito broke off swiftly, and then added a soft yeah as the attentiveness of his gaze began to wander off.
The last part of Mercuito's speech lingered on, and Java gave a slight scowl of disgust, "Right—I'm glad you don't sugarcoat things Mercuito...end of the line for worlds—people make it here...but what I'm saying is: I'd rely on you to at least care about people like us before I'd rely on any of them–"
"–no one cared too much for us because everyone has their own problems, however petty they may seem, and seriously, even being one of the unfortunates, I can only help but so much with time and munny. As much as the next person may mourn over their own losses, I'm going to wear myself out trying to help everyone else, J. I want to go home myself...anyways, people will learn to help themselves. I guess the question is, how do you overcome your own personal "darkness" and the "darkness" of others as well."
Java couldn't help but to nod, "I agree…but at the very least, you are trying to support those that are less fortunate...I myself, rather tell them what you just told me whilst waltzing around Gummi Space blindly, and instigating fights with quote-unquote grown men...and encounter the occasional Heartless for the hell of it…and now that I mention it, nowadays, the sight of a Heartless is rare..."
"Yeah...very true. I haven't got into too much of that myself. One slip up with heartless, and you're one of them. Pssh…I'll definitely let the proper authorities handle that one, Mr. Freelancer. The officials do almost too good of a job on securing the Light Paths, and protecting neighboring worlds–" Mercuito surrendered a small sigh, "–and still–people rather read about commercial events, or tragedies in the newspaper than help someone in need; they either don't see the Darkness as a threat, or they blissfully don't know anything about it–"
Java let out a mocking scoff, "Ha—and it's kinda sad considering that this whole "travel system phenomena" is supposed to be about working together, and preventing worlds from falling, and only a handful of people at most, see this as a chance to end the threat of despair, you know? Rather than finding a place to dump refugees, I would expect people to want to prevent the making of them. Wishful thinking–of course."
Mercuito shot an astonished glance at the ranting, fidgety Java, and mockingly replied, "man…you really need some coffee…It's been a while since I've seen you this strung out…" Java and Mercuito fell into another small silence to discard the unease. Mercuito slipped his hands from his coat pockets, and slowly folded his arms across his chest while portraying a posture of light insecurity. He shrugged as he responded to Java's noticeable rave, "Well, that's why–we act on the behalf of ignorance, and maybe, just maybe our actions can educate some fools, eh– so–let's see, I think that we gotten so tied up in conversation that I have forgotten to ask of your activity as of late."
Java gave a light nod and shrug as he replied, "Oh, nothing; just recently emerging from a small rot-hole of a hotel in Rock Point…not as 'homey' as Traverse Town, but cheap nonetheless. Anyways, I heard from a former boss that a place in good ol' Traverse Town was starting to make a good cup of coffee, so I came running. How ironic is that? I'm just heading to the place that would always put me down for a little pick-me-up."
Mercuito unleashed another shrug, "Ah. That explains it, but lines for coffee, or anything, are probably long today; the entrance has been busy all day–but hey, the highlight of the day: some cute little bus chick tried to sneak a wallet from some rude aristocrat slob–she was caught red-handed, and still left without anyone lifting a finger. It was great. Everyone went on like nothing happened–"
Java released a grin that appeared somewhat maniacal, perhaps from his naturally weary expression. He comically replied, "Ah–good stuff. A cute woman that's after the munny of fat rich guys, people that are too lazy to stop crime even if the crime was against them–glad to see that Traverse Town hasn't changed much." Mercuito fought a smile, and shook his head in regretful agreement. Java and Mercuito's attention converted toward the arriving Charter, emerging from Gummi Space, and preparing to make port at the stop.
"That you?" Java asked, watching people flood the stop as the Charter slowed to a stop, "I figured that since you're just waiting here, and the 'Sable Sleek's' in shop–"
"Yep, right on the money, J–" Mercuito extended his hand towards Java, "Be easy, ok man?" He loosely added, "—and get some sleep!"
"Sleep?! Never–but being easy?" Java strongly grabbed and shook the hand of his friend, "of course; always. You–don't stress too much, and say 'hey' to Wervin for me."
Mercuito nodded and embraced the handshake, "Stress? Wow; do I ever?" He grinned as he replied, "I guess being level-headed is one thing that we'll always have in common."
"We have more than that in common." Java face curved a sincere heart-felt smile.
Mercuito's face grew sincere as well, "You're right, and that is why we do what we're doing, huh." Mercuito let go of Java's hand, and waved with two fingers as he began to back away. He briskly jogged towards the waiting Charter. Java watched morbidly as Mercuito barely stumbled aboard the departing ship.
Java mumbled, "I needed that...take care of yourself, man." Java scratched underneath his hood, and lazily made his way toward the busy entrance of Traverse Town.
fade It Began with a Letter
