Evolution of Thought (Lenneth, Open)

It was a different kind of darkness than sleep, than unconsciousness could provide. It was timeless but eternal, devoid of anything but so full of emptiness that it was overwhelming. And yet, all at once this seemingly incommunicable state was withdrawn and conscious thought was given back to his form as he surged to life in the alien realm, his body stitching itself back together as darkness flecked to his body, attaching itself to it. He didn't even make a noise as he was reborn from the darkness, naked and alone as his hair dangled from his head, his sharp features surveying the sudden new surroundings.

His priorities were simple: leave this cursed realm, reclaim his armor from the spot he had deposited it, and regain control over his abilities. If this new form has caused his skills to shift, then he needed to ascertain to what degree. Afterwards he could continue with his new, albeit modified plans. He still had to kill Amadeo and Hikari... then the man that triggered Ukz's outburst. Lastly, he needed to corral Opehlia and her Heartless somehow. Without a way to ensure that she was no longer a threat, he would not be able to rest.

He hadn't been in the RoD for long, but in the time he had been here his aura had been taking root around him. The feeling of a peculiar distortion in time that was both above and below Hayden's capacity to notice fully what effect his own presence was now having. Yet, he sensed the disturbance and it perturbed him, and urged him to remain still. What manner of sensation was this? He huffed in derision at himself for not understand, his form cast in the odd light of the realm. His senses had adjusted to the noise around him.

He turned to face the lightly crashing waves against the sandy shore, with arcs and arches of dark material fanning out over the shore in shallows of the water. Hayden's ichor eyes eyes absorbed the dark shore in as he assessed it. His gaze registered nothing but a curiosity as he turned back around, and began to walk away from the shore, and walk aimlessly into the Realm of Darkness. He wanted to leave, but there was a sense of security here. It like home, as if he was familiar with this place. The security provoked his curiosity, and so he wandered further in, and would do so until he either found something of interest, or his previous mission and its urgency reasserted itself.

Hidden underneath the surface of the dark land somewhere in one of the many spaces of darkness a massive under cave lagoon modeled after the birthing grounds of beings known as  underwater sirens said to lure people with their seductive sounds,t he water covers most of the stone aside from the crest of black marble rock along the walls and coast and the throne chair, its around the depth of an average sea side with the bottom covered in rainbow coral. The water it self is enchanted to sparkle clean as bright as any jewel year round, if you look in close enough you can even see the faces of souls who’s earthly desires we've captured...I wouldn't advise looking at them too long since they can grab you and forces their endless lust on a physical body if your not careful. And there laying in the claim still waters rested the most beautiful being in the cosmos ,laying in his bare skin as the coolness touched the bare skin of medium dark olive skins sprawled out like a star fish tentacles, hands and feet moving across the stones in large spaces to ease them into a total state of relaxation. Len’s mind floated elsewhere as it came into a mediate state pondering the illusions of his memories into organized reports while channelling his powers to actively exercise them, wouldn’t want his powers to get out of hand. This was such a relaxing time and one that Lenneth really needed from all the stress he had been under for the past few months, here in his little get away nothing else really mattered and he could escaped into his own bliss.

And yet it was simplify not meant to be for today

As the surfed through the astral winds and waves around him a sudden peaking signature arose to his heartless sense, a overwhelming sensation that could not have been mistaken for anything else a keyblader. Not only that be a powerfully one at that something to fear within their own borders indeed. And still something else was different about this one, aside from radiating a frightening amount of substances this one felt…similar to Lenneth in some regard. He couldn’t quite understand it at least not this far away, quickly he rose to his feet and commanded the waters off his soft flesh and golden hair while walking out of the lagoon. Each step different pieces of his scantily clad fashion attire formed themselves over his flawless self, finishing the last small piece before the darkness whisked him away.  

Appearing soon after near the wondering seeker that walked through his lands Lenneth’s appearance would be made visible to the other in a matter of moments after leaving the sounds of the crushing time. Lenny for some reason didn’t feel the need to hide himself or take the required precautions he normally did when greeting such an unknown power, a sense of security? What the hell was that about, he didn’t trust it. They would meet eye to eye at a reasonable distance for one just appearing out thin air, laying his ocean baby blues on the naked man of moderate features and appeal the La Vaeas blinked for a moment to give pause. The man clearly was strong from the heart that emitted in the shell, the shell however was not unlike any other human he had encountered. No this sensation he felt at the very ends of his tentacles and toes reminded him of his unwanted sister if anything and still something different at the same time.

It was that feeling that made Lenneth’s body go tense, his fluid motions still and his gaze look downward in almost a passive manner as he questioned over and over again why this was happening to him like that, it felt like all the work he had gone through, all the hell he endured for over a 100 years meant added up to little in the end. To see someone else like him standing similar to himself, how unique was Lenneth really? That thought pained him like a knife, digging into his ideals of perfection and doing whatever was needed to achieve it. Remaining silent Len excepted after a “who are you” statement he would leave this man to wonder elsewhere, put off by the monstrous beauty he saw like a stature. Lenneth had no other business with this stranger as his curiosity was quenching and this man would be of no use to Len or so it seemed at first.

Hayden's long walk came to a stop suddenly, as a humanoid man appeared in front of him. Hayden suddenly felt an unfamiliar barrage of sensations- some kind of draw to the man, one that he rejected outright and began to feel nauseous for denying actively. Previously a master of illusion, he was able to tell when his thoughts were being influenced by something outside, but yet he did not deny the man's handsome features. He instead pushed away from the overpowering sensation of attraction, aware that this was some foul magic at work to cloud his mind. It had to magical, as Heartless simply had no hormones. Perhaps that was Hayden's saving grace.

There was another sensation hidden inside the onslaught. It felt like a... tugging. That's the best way to describe what Hayden felt- a collar on his neck, and some invisible order to strike at a threat that he didn't recognize. The sensation was completely foreign to him, and he shoved away at it too, repressing his new and violent instincts. He never let his expression betray any of the sensations that came through his thoughts or body, instead his amber-colored eyes lay locked onto the figure before him, clad in dark and revealing dress.

Hayden almost scoffed, but withheld noise. Who was this man, dressed in such unproductive garment and roaming the realm of Darkness? Likely he was either a foolish man, or a dangerous one, and encountering him this deep into the realm meant Hayden could easily conclude that is was the latter of the two. His eyes narrowed. This was not a who. This must have been something like him. This must have been... a what. "Do you have a name?" His words came out without the mask changing his voice, and it flowed out like rushing water.

His name?... now that was a much more personal question about just how the charm lord was and actually unexpected from the norm of cold a straight and bold statement that people often familiarized themselves with stranger that weren’t female or looked as intimidating as Len did. He honestly couldn’t make out why his own thoughts pondered so heavily on this fact or how he could let such weakness affected him in front of another in plain sight either, the stranger was powerfully but hardly in a position of power in this greeting, naked didn’t really express dominance.   Len had to get it together and just be him for a while longer, just enough before getting to be himself alone and away from the eyes of others. Easing his body with a common gesture he picked up from humanity he took in a silent breath before slowly exhaling it out.

The stranger’s eyes never left Len’s appearance at least that was what his peripherals said to him and there was one thing that brought him comfort, the fact that man felt something anything that could be picked up on. The seeker’s body may not have telegraphed anything to say it but the man’s energies of desire certainly didn’t remain as stoic, so he wasn’t an emotional rock which was a lot harder to deal with in times of war.  Popping his left hip out and adjusting the fine locks of that golden man Lenny gained back some semblance of his confident pose. Thinking on it did they need to speak English? Hmm that may be best for this stranger home Len was still unsure if he was one of them at all. Again that sense of security nagged against Lenneth’s better judgement, paranoia driven or not when facing Life or death all the time.  

“I am Lenneth. And you…Heartless? Do you have a name yet?”

The man before him adjusted his pose, clearly going from uncertain to confident in but an instant. Clearly he was aware of something Hayden was not. Hayden himself was becoming more accustom to repressing the thoughts which he deduced by this point to be the effect of some kind of aura, or something similar at least. Hayden reaffirmed his previous goals to himself, and his purpose of vengeance burned harder in his chest than any other emotion ever could.

"Lenneth," Hayden experienced the name as he spoke it. Simple. Ancient. Powerful. "I do have a name," Hayden confirmed. "I have carried a name from my human existence. I am simply Hayden." He dispensed with the titles- no use for the introduction of the Foreteller of Blades in a place where such a title bore no true weight. He folded his arms, and let his perceptive eyes examine the entity before him. "And you... if you are as a I suspect, then you are the second Humanoid Heartless I have encountered."

The man relived his knowledge of other humanoid heatless in quite the open fashion and easing himself into a stern stance, folding his arms while examine Lenny further. He was trying to place a physical distance between them by curling his arms in while still facing the might ruler of darkness though what was it came the next questions. Len couldn’t make out just what sort of mannerisms he speech was but it seemed formalish if from a different world, to be expected. He at least wasn’t bragging about something or being too energetic either, no this fellow wanted to keep something away from little old Len.  

The next facts Lenny’s eyes dug as they caressed the tones of Hayden’s  body with building delight were simple enough, he was bare naked while walking fresh here, Lenny hadn’t felt the seeker’s presence till a little while ago and keyblader hearts rang the loudest of sounds to heartless, meaning he had only came to the dark realm recently. Maybe even just forming himself here in a manner of sorts, Len wondered who or how that might have happened but he had a decent guess who could challenge a warrior of this calibre raw strength.  

“Second hmm?  You would be my third encounter in my existence. The other one of our siblings you met, were they either a young man baring two front horns or a little girl with a mask and chilling persona? Or neither?”

"The little girl," Hayden started, "only looks like a little girl. She destroyed Disney Town and gave me little choice but to die or lose my heart. She commands a Heartless world and all dark creatures on it. I have no encountered the young man." Hayden's arms stood crossed, his body language distant but not exactly guarded. He felt the man's eyes tracing over his form but felt nothing except that still lingering sense of nausea, which had only grown stronger since he had repressed those obviously false emotions. The correlation was obvious, and Hayden noted how devious this ability was.

"So, four of us then," Hayden remarked. "Are we all meant to be as omnicidal as 'sister dearest'," he the implications of family bonds with such a beast, while stating her true nature. "If so, I'll be taking my leave immediately. I've no desire for you to crush me with a planet, either."

So that world of light that had lost its greatest light and which feel into utter darkness was played in hand to Ophelia’s touch. A great victory for their kind and one amazing feat considering the number of strong hearted keybladers that were present when Lenneth was first there, it really was an impressive feat which admittedly Lenny didn’t think was overly possible given the circumstance. He would really need to visit her and offer some credibility despite his own feelings at a lost to his pride. It was one thing to lose after a century of blessings it was another thing to hand a victory over to the younger generations of their brood.  If there was any low point right then Lenny could consider himself there already, his pride had already been at a low with him still licking the wounds at the realm of light’s victory over the dark king now it seems to have moved on to lower points.

“Each heartless differs from the other in many ways, even members of the same species of heartless like shadows are individuals at their core. Each heart that formed us is unique so its up in the air what we are like."    

There was something else that Len felt a little off by this man, the way he  would try to flee Len’s side at the thought of him exerting strange sensation of intimidation without so much as a second guess to his own stretches to challenge such doubts. It almost mirrored Len’s mentality that shamefully day or at least he thought it did. Maybe empathy wasn’t so hard to grasp after all.  

“Do you fear me? I’m would be flattered though that’s the opposite reactions I usually get from people. It seems quite unusually for you want to leave in lieu of a possible threat I may present. You possess great potential and I doubt you were just born with it or grew up with no confidence in yourself to get where you are.”

Hayden listened intently, his expression unmoving as he replied to the man... the thing's question. They were not men here. Both of them were just creatures now. Smart creatures. Creatures born from humanity. Something lesser, but something so much greater in turn. Hayden spoke.

"I do not fear you." His voice was plain.

"Desperation might be the closest I've come to being afraid- urgency and worry blended into one, savage impulse. And my potential was cultivated. I am, even in this form, a warrior of might and magic. Right now, we have had a conversation. Ophelia made me feel desperate twice. What you see before you the result of the second time she did so." He looked into his hand, raising it in examination.

"It is my hand, but also not. I am me, but I am not. In a twisted way Ophelia is my mother," he commented. "And I have such drive to mete retribution upon her for what she has done. Not as a human. Not as a heartless. But I yearn for her destruction as a balance of concepts. There is the realm of light, and the realm of darkness. One does not need to overtake the other."

Now this was proving to be a fruitfully meeting indeed, the man spoke a great deal in knowledge but more importantly in goals and ideals that co-existing within Lenneth as well. The truth about each of the realms needed superiority was in fact a lie, a well-constructed lie that spread like wild fire within the realm of light and even poisoned many of their kind. The effect it had on the somebodies of the realm of light reached to the furthest world and smallest child, implanting a fear within them to the darkness to fight anything even closely relating to their fear, even connecting anything dark as evil. Which in turned lead to their own corruption away from the light and giving in to the other side of their heart, the darkness.  The heartless did not escape this poisonous naiveté either, the hearts of the fearfully humans became tastily and lead to addictions luring them away from their home, seeking out this hearts tainted with such festering darkness and producing more of it rather  than preferring to taking in the natural hearts that came to them in ROD once a person died. A looping cycle of destruction that had caused this war between light and dark to try and destroy the entirety of the other. And his sister truly did play the part of that wild fear spreading throughout the worlds the fear of this misguided viewpoint and drawing out the anger of their keys at the heartless species, a troubling thorn at his side, if he could take her out of the equation. But then again if he was able to do that what was to stop him from not doing the same to Lenny, a trouble flip side to consider.  For this to proceed with any help from Len he would need something more but offered not asked.

“A refreshing take on the whole metaphysical philosophy of our universe and something we have in common Hayden. I can assure that I am not like our sister though that is up for you to believe or not. If you seek her retribution I wish you good luck in that endeavour”