Socially Acceptable?

[Frog]

It wasn't every day that Frog got to feel like he wasn't out of place among everyone else. Normally the human-turned-amphibian was treated to a horrible sense of isolation and separation from what should have been his fellow man. And yet here he was in this cheery, colourful world full of people not unlike himself. Animals that stood on two legs. That walked and talked. That acted as a civilized society. Why, for once he could actually go up to one of these people and just ask them about his quarry and he wouldn't have to try to side-step around his identity.

"Excuse me, sir?" the knight asked as he approached a street vendor and pulled back the makeshift hood he'd made of his cape. "I don't suppose you've seen anyone strange coming through town recently?"

"Woah. Not as strange as you, buddy. What's up with the frog costume?"

From humans he was used to such a reaction. Coming from a goat in an apron, that hurt. It seemed people across the worlds could just tell he wasn't 'normal' no matter where he might go. It made sense he supposed, since all these animal people did, if he thought about it, seem normal to him for no reason as well. If it weren't for his own condition Frog might not have even thought of it. How strange the rules of the universe his home world belonged to were.

Dejected the knight turned and walked down the clean sidewalk of the cartoon town. He didn't put his 'disguise' back up but even if others saw him as strange nobody seemed frightened. This was just a place where the unusual was acceptable, he assumed.

[prythian]

Someone wearing a red cloak walked down the street as well. He'd discovered that his battlesuit, the skin-tight black suit he wore at almost all times, was an oddity amongst oddities. Some people had even had the gall to call him 'indecent'. Ah, well. He was used to being a social outcast. Somehow, people could always tell that he was driven by a purpose that allowed nothing else but itself matter to him.

Now, though, the cloak obscured most of his bodysuit. The only except was his hands, which, like the rest of him besides his neck up, were covered in the thin deep-black material. These drew odd looks, especially the right hand, which had a type of tattoo crest on it. His black hair was messy and midlength, covering the tops of his piercing emerald-green eyes. He glanced around the area, finding it mildly amusing that this was one world where he was an oddity because he was human.

[Frog]

Frog continued on his way, looking around the streets and windows. Nobody seemed... out of routine, if that could even be applied to such a lively place. Nothing here felt like it was something that always happened, but at least nobody gave off any feelings of being out of sorts. Not any more than from his appearance, at least.

'What form could this power have taken?' he wondered to himself as he turned a corner. Somehow Glenn doubted that this rebirth of Janus Zeal's dark magic would look like one of these people.

But then he turned a corner and saw another cloaked fellow, this one much taller and much more human, walking towards him now. No reason to believe it was his mark of course, Frog would go crazy if eh suspected everyone he met as a potential Magus, but most possibly a fellow traveler of the worlds. From men such as these information could sometimes be gleaned, though the Sea of Stars was vast.

"I say good day, sir," Frog said loudly once he was suitably close enough to the fellow. "Might you be a fellow visitor to this kingdom?"

Maybe to another human he would blend in among the citizens of this town... but then again maybe not.

[prythian]

Prythian eyed the frog now standing before him, smiling. "I suppose you could say that..." He replied. Something struck him as familiar about the way the frog talked... Wait a minute. Of course. He thought to himself. A Knight. The Knights back home talked very similar to that. "I take from your speech that you are knighted, good sir." He replied, holding his hands together in a gesture of honor that, while only from his home world, was evident that it gave honor, based on his posture.

Some forms of speaking never truly went away, Prythian reflected. Even when he hadn't used them in a long time, he'd been taught them at a young age. "I come from another world, to be quite honest. It is evident that you do as well. You do not quite mesh with this world's inhabitants, if I may speak so freely."

[Frog]

At the stranger's gesture Glenn momentarily closed his eyes and bowed his head slightly before returning to looking up at the man. At his current height the knight barely reached the other man's upper torso.

"Tis true," he answered. "Though a shame to say that even in my own home a face such as this does not quite mesh either."

Glenn smiled and his cheeks seemed to vibrate as a soft croak sound seeped out of his closed mouth. This man seemed courteous enough.

"Have you traveled far to come here? I find this place to be one of the most peaceful lands I have ever set foot upon."

'Which makes me doubly glad that have found no trace of that evil magic here.'

[prythian]

"Much farther than others of my world travel, at the very least. My world is not amongst this cluster of worlds. It is actually very far out, almost unknown to world-travelers. For the most part, people are content there." Prythian said. "This world however is certainly peaceful. I've heard rumors that this is because of an item of great light that rejects those of darkness, and so those of darkness leave this world alone."

"My own world has no talisman, but there are those that protect us from darkness. Some of these are Knights like yourself. I will admit, I have never met one quite like you before." He studied Glenn for a moment. "My name, sir Knight, is Prythian Metrar. I am honored."

[Frog]

"I thank you for your hospitality, Prythian. You may call me Frog. In this land I bear no title."

The knight looked over to his right now at the street cafe across the road. He had collected some of the munny used in these worlds after his arrival by warp transport some time ago. His yellow eyes turned back to the human.

"To show my thanks might I treat you to a small distraction at the local eatery? If you are as well traveled as you say I may have a chance to quench some of my curiosity, your patience permitting."

[prythian]

"I would be glad to." Prythian said. "I would also like to hear about your world while we talk. After all, your world will doubtless be as interesting to me as the places I've been are to you." He smiled. "I could use the rest after all, I suppose." It's been... what, 2 weeks since I last relaxed? Prythian thought to himself. He didn't realize, actually, that it'd been over 2 months. Most of his time was spent training and fighting the Heartless.

[Frog]

After a quick trip across the street the two were soon seated at a small white table on the sidewalk.

"From what I understand your world and mine sound quite similar in situation," Glenn began again. "It has so far been untouched by any outside presence. One might say we have our own protective talisman for that."

'Though Lavos is certainly no benevolent guardian.'

"I myself have come here through unusual circumstances and I know every little about the ways of the worlds."

[prythian]

"Well, I suppose you are in the same situation I was in 15 years ago." The 25-year old replied. "The most important thing you need to know is to beware the Heartless. You most likely know this already, but the Heartless are hearts consumed by darkness, seeking to only make more of themselves. They can be slain, but I'm not entirely sure how permanent it is without a weapon of pure light." I hope you noted that I did not say to beware the darkness... Prythian added silently.

[Frog]

"I believe I may have encountered those of which you speak," Frog responded with a nod. "But my homeland has many monsters of far greater power than the small black creatures I saw. I am not yet worried for my safety."

The cursed human placed both hadns on the table, interlocking their gingers together to hold both of them inf front of his chest. Glenn wondered if he really was in exactly the same situation. For him he could return home at any time thanks to Lucca's remote warp reversal device. But before he could there was a job to do.

[prythian]

Prythian nodded. "I suppose most worlds vary, but typically there are two kinds of people. Those that travel, and those that don't. We travelers are almost always obvious, but sometimes they aren't. My own world had creatures, like yours, that do have power, but our protectors took very good care of our world."

He sat for a moment, thinking. "I suppose the greatest of my world's troubles always came from the humans there, actually. Greed, hatred, arrogance... these faults showed up in us humans moreso than other of the other races that dwell on my world."

[Frog]

"The weaknesses of the heart are apparent in all the ruling races of my world," Frog said simply. The war with the Fiends and the early humans' savage struggle for survival against the Reptiles had shown him that. "But now that I have become one who travels I must tell you it is because of a great danger to my home."

He stopped there, for the waiter had come to place their orders before them.

"Thank you good sir."

[prythian]

Prythian nodded in mute thanks to the waiter. "My world has nothing to blame such weaknesses on. Something about my world brings out the inner qualities of the people born there... both those of good and of evil. Therefore, we have both those of great light and great darkness. Light rules on Druthisrael. Sometimes..." He left the thought unfinished. Most people did not accept his theory that light should not rule over darkness.

"Perhaps you could tell me of this threat to your world?" He inquired of Frog. "If you know about it, then it is not too late to do something about it and stop the threat."

[Frog]

Taking a fairly large sip of from the fairly large glass of water he had been brought, Frog quenched his thirst before continuing.

"There was on my world a mage of unrivaled power. He could never achieve his dream, however, and so gave himself up into nothingness so that he might disappear from himself and the world," he explained. Frog's emotions were every difficult to read from his voice, and even more so thanks to his inexpressive amphibian face. The cursed man appeared to be both mournful and bitter at the same time. Whatever the reason, surely this mage was someone he personally knew quite well. "But I have been told that his power has been reborn somewhere out here among this vast Sea of Stars. We fear that such unguided power may not only cause great harm to others but may also some day lead dangers from here, such as your "Heartless", back to its place of origin. We face such great threats from within, I do not know if we could handle more from beyond."