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Post by hoodwink on Apr 25, 2019 15:21:22 GMT -5
Henoke sat in awe, blinking his vibrant gold brown eyes in amazement as he sat cross legged on a lush red carpet. The room was small but safe, a warm crackling fire resting in an ornate fireplace against the wall. Orange flickering light was all that was available to them, as the long purple curtains remained draped over the two tall windows, sealing the inhabitants from the outside world. ”Henoke?” The small voice cut through his thoughts as the teen jolted to attention, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, messing up the spiky orange hair on his head. Th-this is… Sitting more upright, Henoke nodded a bit, shaking his head as he smiled warily. ”Er...I’m listening…” He was not alone in the room, having been greeted by a very peculiar party indeed.
Before him were three individuals who resided on this world, filling up the small parlor room, empty other than minimal furniture. The room itself was square, lined with a lush red carpet with only a single chair accompanying the space, right near the stone fireplace. There were small bookshelves on the occasional corner of the Parlor, but other than that, it was empty, save a small wooden table near the chair. It was on this table that the voice had spoken, a small teacup with a large crack in it sat next to a large teapot. ”Mom, I don’t think he was listening at all!” The small teacup whined, its small face scrunching up in frustration, the nose being the handle of the cup.
That’s right, the locals of this world seemed to be animated objects. What kind of world is this?! The question thundered through the teen’s mind as he glared at the small cup, though only because it seemed despite being so young, Chip had seen right through him. Next to Chip was a beautiful ornate teapot, with floral designs marked with pink and purple. On the teapot was a face with concerned eyes, soft with a mothers warmth. This was Mrs. Potts, Chip's mother. With a sigh, Mrs. Potts shook her head...er...body? ”Now now, you two.” Her tone sounded as though she were chastising two school children, causing Henoke’s face to flush with embarrassment. ”Please, don’t get distracted, Henoke.” Her scolding turned to the small cup at her side. ”Chip, don’t yell at him, either!” The keyblade wielder had arrived on this world earlier that day, having entered the castle by mere chance, due to his inability to control his ‘Power of Waking’. Henoke had hardly had time to appreciate the foyer that made the entrance of the castle when the Heartless had emerged. The keyblade did only bring him to places in need, after all. ”Listen, kupo!” Another voice interrupted the conversation, coming from a Moogle that stood off in the corner by the door.
Barricaded by a small bookshelf, the entrance to the Parlor was sealed, the Moogle sitting on top of the shelving to ensure it stayed in place. After his brush in with the Heartless, Henoke had heard the Moogle shouting from the entrance, keeping the door slightly cracked open to shout out to him. Thanks to the locals around him, Henoke had gained refuge in the unknown world he had been thrust into. Waving one of his small arms, the merchant shook his head, the large red pom-pom atop of it bouncing in response. ”The point is, will you help us or not, kupo?” Perhaps it was the years of trading and bartering, but the Moogle had a blunt way of speaking. Henoke wasn’t sure if he enjoyed it or not, yet.
The locals of this world had explained to Henoke that this whole castle belonged to their Master, known as ‘The Beast’. Explaining how all inhabitants had once been human, transformed by a powerful witch’s curse, Henoke had come to understand just how it was he had been talking with dish-ware. Well... at least as well as anyone could cope with such oddities. It was all a lot to take in, truthfully. The teen had never come across anything like it. Magic powerful enough to transform a whole castle of people… Gulping a bit at the recollection, Henoke screwed up his face in a look of determination, jolting to his feet and raising a clenched fist to his chest with a nod at the Moogle. ”Of course!” Despite the oddities of this place and the inhabitants, Henoke felt the need to aid these people. Besides, it was what the keyblade had sent him for, anyway. Maybe the heart of this world is in trouble, too.
Apparently the Heartless had emerged a short time ago, causing an uproar throughout the castle. Mrs. Potts had claimed none of the servants had known why exactly the Heartless had emerged on their world once more, but their master had not liked it one bit. Deciding to take action himself, the Beast chased out what enemies he could from the castle. The Heartless had many in number, though. While the Beast had chased out the largest and most terrifying Heartless from the castle, many still lurked in the darkness remaining. ”Something must be causing the Heartless to pop up...I’ll figure it out!” Henoke’s voice was confident as he gave the trio before him a ‘thumbs up’.
”Don’t forget about the others, dear!” Mrs. Potts had a gentle tone, a sing-song voice that aided him in remembering the other issue pressing them at the moment. Due to the chaos and confusion of the Heartless attacks, many of the servants and residents of the castle had been separated. Mrs. Potts and Chip had just happened to be in the Parlor during the outbreak, aided by the Moogle who had set up shop in the castle for some time now. ”I’m not sure where they’ll be, but do be careful!” Henoke nodded as he motioned for the Moogle to remove the barricade from the door.
It was time he got moving.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 22, 2019 21:57:20 GMT -5
Tori looked around the place, not really getting much on where she was. The entrance was just as omnious as the inside, which wasn't exactly a welcoming sight. And she'd managed to just get back into action, her wounds finally healing up. Opening and closing her hand over and over again, she kept looking down as she made her way around the castle.
At the end of the entrance hall, Tori went up west, still not really sure why she was there. She was still trying to get the hang of her newly found powers, and even that wasn't exactly easy. Not to mention, controlling that part of her powers still made her frown. How would she be able to control it?
"Hmmmm..." Tori groaned loudly, "The more I think about it, the more complex it gets... Urgh, what did that Spirit say again...?" she asked no one, scratching the back of her head, "You'll figure it out on your own soon enough... What's that s'possed to mean?"
Sighing, she kept on going, surprised by the lack of people, despite the broad building and large rooms she just kept coming across. Also, no enemies by the looks of it. Then again, she had heard that Heartless supposedly feared her due to her immense potential, but, that was it. It was an enormous power, sure, but one she couldn't control. So wouldn't that make her a target? It didn't make any sense.
Tori took some time to sit down and take a breather. Despite just walking, she had travelled for a while now. She took a seat in the staircase leading somewhere, relaxing a bit. She perked back up as she heard a sound. A growl? Tori remained still, trying to find where the noise came from. But she couldn't locate it, no matter how much she looked around. Was it her immagination?
"Just what lies within these walls...?" she asked herself, "What is this world, anyways?"
As she remained on guard, she held her hand outwards, as if to reach onto something that wasn't there. A Keyblade.
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 23, 2019 10:41:33 GMT -5
Henoke stepped into the castle Foyer, his footsteps echoing loudly in the vast emptiness. "GrrrrrrrrrrrRAH!" Loud growling could be heard from outside the castle. Must be that ‘Beast’ guy, fighting ‘em off… The locals had filled him in during their first meeting. It seemed that the lord of this castle was a powerful guy, taking on the toughest Heartless in the courtyard. I’m glad he’s here. With the Beast fighting the most dangerous enemies outside, the locals of this world had had time to protect and prepare themselves for the Heartless outbreak. Stepping into the middle of the Foyer, the vibrant haired teen took a moment to gaze around the majesty that was the castle. Tall stone pillars towered above him in all directions, supporting the larger floors upstairs. Lush red carpet was draped down the middle, leading to a large staircase which led in two different directions. Was that someone sitting on the stairs?
Sure enough, sitting on the stairs was a young woman Henoke had never seen before. She had honey-brown hair and was dressed in casual, vibrant clothing. It seemed she was resting, as she was simply sitting on the stairs. For a moment, Henoke stopped, blinking at the sight before finally gathering a thought. It might be that ‘Belle’ lady! Seeing as how most servants of the castle were dish-ware so far, Henoke only assumed that the young woman sitting alone was her. ”Belle!” The teen grinned widely, beginning to rush over towards the staircase, waving an arm to show he was friendly. Phew, this might be easier than I thought! Chip and Mrs. Potts had told him that Belle’s room was further up the castle. With how huge the structure was, Henoke had been secretly nervous about getting lost. He had never been great with directions.
Reaching the base of the stair case, the teen grinned with joy at having accomplished such an important part of his quest already. Man, I’m getting really good at this! There was a brimming excitement in his gold-brown eyes as he rubbed the back of his head, disheveling the already messy spiky orange hair. ”Nice to meet’cha, Belle! I’m Henoke! Chip and Mrs. Potts sent me! They're holed up in the Parlor—” Suddenly, a surprised look came to his face as his eyes widened. Stiffening his posture a bit, the teen scratched his face as he glanced over his shoulder. ”Uh…have you just been sitting out here?” Wasn't the Foyer dangerous? Had he not just fought Heartless here on his arrival? Come to think of it...it is awfully quite out here... The teen pushed the thought out of his head, he had to focus on the task at hand!
”Well, I’m just glad you’re okay!” There was a genuine smile on Henoke’s face as he looked at her. ”I haven’t found the others yet, but don’t worry! I’ll keep looking!” It seemed he had an excitement about him. One of the people everyone on this world seemed to be worrying about was safe and sound! To think, she was just sitting out here the whole time! Sometimes it seemed things really did work out easily! The last world he had been to had been nothing like this...
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 23, 2019 14:33:35 GMT -5
Tori frowned, lumping a bit into her arms. That is, until someone shouted a name she wasn't really familiar with. Was he talking to her? She couldn't tell much... Tori groaned.
"Sorry, you lost?" she asked, a bit bluntly, "Who the hell are you talking about? Last time I checked, my name's Tori. Not Belle."
She then took a deep breath, and stood up, tucking her hands in her back pockets with a bit of sass, but she frowned at the boy. He didn't look that much older than her. Maybe a year or two? He wasn't that tall, either. A few inches more, but that was it. His outfit was, however, what triggered a red flag for her. He didn't look like he was from that world, at all.
"Haa... Just what did I get myself dragged into...?" Tori asked, groaning, while scratching the back of her head, "First, those wounds back at that jungle... Then that weird island... And now being confused by someone else... This ain't goin' well at all..."
Tori took a few steps upwards, stretching a bit. It was awfully quiet, true, aside that growl from before. Besides, the world itself seemed intriguing... What could lie within? If anything, she just wanted answers.
"If you're looking for someone, they're not here, I can tell you that much. Dunno who that person you're looking for is, either. Sorry, pal, but that's how it is."
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 25, 2019 10:46:20 GMT -5
”Who the hell are you talking about? Last time I checked, my name’s Tori. Not Belle.” Henoke visibly staggered forward, all of his burning ambition from before evaporated as the teen deflated a bit. He only hung his head for a moment, though. Damn…guess that woulda been too easy. Sometimes things didn’t work out so well, it seemed. Standing up straight, Henoke listened to Tori’s groaning, a bit of a frown forming on his face. It seemed this girl was in a bit of a predicament. She seemed around his own age, maybe younger? He was kinda bad with stuff like that. Scratching the back of his head, the teen realized how foolish he was for thinking this girl was of this world at all. Now that he got a closer look, she did stick out like a sore thumb. Just like him.
”If you’re looking for someone, they’re not here, I can tell you that much.” Henoke gave a small sigh but nodded, thankful for the honesty. ”Dunno who the person you’re looking for is, either. Sorry, pal, but that’s how it is.” Henoke crossed his arms, tilting his head a bit as he blinked at her. ”Hm, sorry for that, then. I’m looking for the lady of the castle, Belle. I’ve never met her though, so I dunno what she looks like.” His face had a slightly embarrassed look. ”I didn’t think there were normal people other than her here.” Chip and Mrs. Potts had both said that Belle was the only one in the castle not under the witch’s curse. While everyone else had been transformed into something else, the lady of the castle had arrived after such garish magic had been unleashed.
”Tori...right? You’re not from around here, are you?” Though it was rather obvious, Henoke always liked to confirm his suspicions. Shoving his hands into the pockets of his unzipped blue jacket, he rocked back and forth a bit on his heels. ”So, how’d you get here?” Admittedly, the teen was rather curious about how others traversed through worlds. His own method was haphazard at best, reliant solely on the weapon of his heart. He was also just curious about other worlds. That was half the fun of being a keybearer, after all. Sometimes it had its perks, despite the challenges that came with it.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 25, 2019 17:14:17 GMT -5
"Uhh... What?"
Tori had to shake her head a few times. Did she just hear him right? There... Weren't normal people? Then what lived there? The curiosity was just killing her. Not only was the growl around the castle calling to her, in a sense, but after seeing someone from another world there and explaining her all of that... It was perhaps too much to swallow all at once.
"So, how'd you get here?" Tori blinked a few times, shocked, as he asked her a question. How did she get there? Well, explaining it was possible, but maybe a bit too complex... Not to mention, she hadn't intended to arrive there.
"Umm... Well, I didn't intend to come here, but..." Tori admitted, looking away, "I... Guess I can work with it? I'm still trying to figure out what this place's about."
Tori folded her hands behind her head, pouting childishly and looking away from Henoke. It was odd... But she wanted to figure out what was going on. She glanced up to where the stairs led, wondering if, maybe, she could explore a bit. Using an excuse would be favorable, too...
"Say... Henoke, was it?" she asked a bit suddenly, "If you don't mind, can I lend you a hand? Looking for this Belle person, that is. I'd like to get the hang around this place, not to mention... I wanna know more about this world, in particular. Kinda odd that you mentioned that 'normal' people aren't a thing here" Tori smirked, "So? Mind if I jump in?"
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 25, 2019 21:51:30 GMT -5
For a moment, Tori seemed confused and rather stunned. Henoke blinked, taking a step forward and reaching a hand out before the girl regained herself. ”Umm…well, I didn’t intend to come here, but…” As the girl looked away, a grin emerged on Henoke’s face. Heh, we might be more alike than I thought~ Keeping his hands in his jacket pockets, the teen swayed lightly from the right to left while Tori continued. ”I…guess I can work with it? I’m still trying to figure out what this place’s about.” Nodding along to her words, Henoke found himself relating a lot with Tori. He himself had no control over where the Keyblade sent him. He was constantly being hurtled into new environments, left to figure it out as he went. ”Say…Henoke, was it? If you don’t mind, can I lend you a hand? Looking for this Belle person, that is. I’d like to get the hang of this place, not to mention…I wanna know more about this world in particular.”
It seemed that whatever it was that was going on on this world had piqued Tori’s interests. ”Kinda odd that you mentioned that ‘normal’ people aren’t a thing here…” Henoke jolted, taking a step back as he rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, looking down. Right. That comment wouldn’t make sense to a person who hadn’t met any locals yet. ”So? Mind if I jump in?” The request caused the teen to cross his arms in thought for a moment as he looked up towards the ceiling. Hm…I dunno…involving an outsider might be dangerous. Truthfully, without knowing much about this girl, Henoke wasn’t eager to plunge them into an adventure around a potentially Heartless ridden castle.
She is from another world, though! Typically, many outsiders not from the worlds Henoke visited seemed to know a thing or two about Heartless. Guess it wouldn’t hurt to find out… He made up his mind. If the girl was familiar with the threat, she could come. Otherwise, Henoke would lead her back to the Parlor. ”Well…y’see, there have been these monsters here lately. They’re black with yellow eyes…they’re pretty bad news.” He eyed Tori to see if he could correctly assess her reaction. Before the girl could answer, however, a familiar whoosh echoed throughout the large Foyer. Spinning on his heels, Henoke’s eyes widened as he shouted out a warning to Tori as Heartless began to emerge. It seemed the calling of the Keyblade had finally overrun their fear of Tori’s power. Right on cue, really.
Well, almost. Many Heartless hung back from the staircase, not passing a certain invisible line the two teenagers wouldn’t see. Henoke, standing at the base of the stairs and already being so close to them, wouldn’t notice this. Summoning his hefty steel grey Keyblade, the orange haired teen looked over his shoulder as he readied himself in a battle position. ”Run, Tori! These were the creatures I was talkin’ about!” Readying himself, Henoke rushed forward, prepared to defend the staircase until Tori had managed to escape. Glancing across the Foyer and over the Heartless, Henoke felt frustration boil his blood. They had blocked the way to the Parlor! ”Grrrrr….annoying bastards!” With that, Henoke propelled himself forward, slashing out at the nearest enemies.
The Heartless would engage in fighting Henoke, but not make a move towards the staircase. It seemed whether or not Tori fought or ran would be irrelevant. The Heartless wouldn’t go near her or her heart.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 26, 2019 11:01:36 GMT -5
Tori crossed her arms calmly as Henoke began explaining a thing or two about Heartless. Not that she wouldn't know, that is. Black, with yellow eyes? Yeah, that was a given. Tori hummed a bit in thought, wondering why Henoke was so concerned about them. Sure, they were a threat, but... Was it necessary to make them look more menacing than what they were?
"That so..." she mumbled, "Well..."
Before she could even say anything, she saw them in the shadows, melting with their own darkness. Tori groaned, irritated. They really had the worse timing. Heartless used to run amok regardless of their opponent... Or so it seemed. Tori perked up the moment she noticed they weren't going further beyond. They weren't going towards her. In the end... They still knew how capable she was of ending them in one hit, huh? Frowning, Tori tried to think on a way to hold back.
"Run, Tori! These were the creatures I was talkin’ about!" Henoke's voice caused Tori to click her tongue. It felt as if he was underestimating her... That wouldn't fly by. She quickly moved her hand forward, as a freezing mist began to circulate around the Heartless. As Tori raised her hand upwards, a large pillar of ice emerged from the ground, trapping some of the Heartless within it, to them shatter at Tori's hand gestures.
"Blizzaja!" she chanted as the ice broke into shards, crushing any Heartless inside it.
Tori then moved her hand downwards, a faint grey mist surrounding her hand before manifesting itself into her Keyblade. Glaring, she took a few steps forward with a calm and collected stance, readying herself for battle. She still had her broadsword, hanging from her belt and sheath, but Heartless wouldn't exactly mind it. The Keyblade was a different matter.
"...Don't underestimate me" she told loudly to no one, ready to fight, "I won't hold back, you hear?"
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 26, 2019 19:26:34 GMT -5
Slicing forward in a heavy two handed arc, Henoke’s strike hurled a nearby Shadow into one of the large Foyer pillars. It evaporated upon impact. Taking in the other enemies, the teen’s golden brown eyes were quick to scan the area. There were several odd fluttering Heartless, with wings that looked like bats and odd hooks for feet. The regular Shadows and Soldiers didn’t interest him. What did were the odd lance wielding Heartless. There were only a few of them, but the teen hadn’t seen these types of Heartless before. Standing up taller than the Soldiers or Shadows, the creatures had small flames on the top of their candle shaped heads. In their hands were thick and bizarrely angled lances. ”Blizzaja!” Tori’s voice echoed throughout the Foyer as a large pillar of ice emerged from the ground, destroying and freezing many Heartless.
Glancing at the girl he had just met, the teen’s eyes widened as a Keyblade appeared in her hand. ”W-woah! You have a Keyblade?!” He hadn’t expected that. Henoke hadn’t met a single Keyblade wielder since waking up in that bizarre castle. Excitement raced through him, causing his heart to race as his gaze stayed fixed on Tori. His expression was one of shock and excitement, a large grin on his face. ”…Don’t underestimate me.” The girl stepped down some of the stairs, causing the Heartless that weren’t trapped to halt for a moment, their yellow orb eyes fixated on the girl with the key. ”I won’t hold back, you hear?” It seemed the Heartless were debating whether or not to attack her as she got into a battle stance. Henoke gawked at the creatures, glancing between them and Tori for a moment. He had never seen anything like this before.
Grinning wildly, the teen gripped his Keyblade tightly in both hands in front of him, focusing on the battle once more. ”What a relief!” Seemed he wouldn't be involving innocent travelers after all! He certainly had some questions after this. He was sure the girl had her own, though. Was she brought here by the Power of Waking, too? Using the Heartless’ moment of pause as an opportunity, Henoke dashed forward away from the base of the stairs more towards the center of the Foyer. Heaving his large weapon into the air, there was a radiant golden light gathering around the steel blade as he gathered his strength. With all his might, the teen slammed down with his Keyblade, causing it to rupture into the castle floor with an explosion of golden light. The light rippled throughout the Foyer, rupturing parts of the floor to quake and raise violently as Henoke shouted out his spell.
”QUAKE!” The tremor knocked whatever Heartless weren’t frozen backwards, some either being stunned or evaporating completely. Even the Hook Bats seemed dazed, though they had avoided damage due to their flight, it seemed the light that had blasted forth from the floor had stunned them. A Lance Soldier weaved through the chaos, just as Henoke’s spell had ceased, it took its opening and lunged. As Henoke’s Keyblade clashed with the Lance Soldier’s weapon, the two were caught in a grip as they pushed each other back and forth for a moment.
The remaining Heartless were regaining themselves. It seemed they were finally ready to attack both Keyblade Wielders.
[[ENEMIES FROZEN: 5]] [[REMANING ENEMIES: 2 Lance Soldiers, 4 Hook Bats, 2 Soldiers, 3 Shadows]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 26, 2019 19:52:02 GMT -5
Tori scoffed silently. At least, the battle didn't seem boring. That thought made her smirk, as she hated battles that were boring enough to just end quickly. Seeing the frozen enemies still in place, Tori went to take them down first. Keyblade in hand, she swiftly moved through the enemies, attacking once to leave them mid-air, and then jumping afterwards. Throwing her Keyblade around her as she chanted a Ruinga spell, Tori made quick work of the frozen enemies, dissipating them in a puff of smoke after her Cross-up Magic trick finished, with the Ruinga bullets exploding around her.
She was quick to drop to the ground afterward, not losing her balance. She took a quick glance to find airborne targets -Hook Bats. Seeing that they hadn't been afected by her Blizzaja spell, she thought she could try and attack them, first. The others could be taken care of easily. Water began to rose behind her, at first as a faint flow, but it was quick to grow in size, and Tori rode the ever-growing wave with no problem whatsoever.
"Flood!" she shouted, as the wave crashed onto the Hook Bats at her command.
One could tell just what her strengths were after that show-off. Tori's prowess was magic. And she didn't hesitate to use as many spells as she had, in order to defeat her enemies quickly. Still focused on the knocked-down and wet Hook Bats, Tori dashed once more through them, aiming to end it quickly, to then leave the grounded opponents for last.
She still had one or two tricks up her sleeve... Although she didn't have one.
For a split second, her eyes glowed purple. After taking care of the Hook Bats, Tori chanted Faith onto herself, glaring at the nearby Heartless as her magical power rose a bit. It seemed she still had yet to let up. But she had warned them, hadn't she? She was not going to hold back, after all.
"...You dug your own grave, y'know" she smirked as she muttered, "...It's about time you give this form up... To stop your suffering..."
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 26, 2019 22:59:24 GMT -5
Henoke grit his teeth, shoving against the Lance Soldier with all his strength and weight as he finally flung the Heartless across the ruined Foyer. As more of the Heartless began to close in, the teen was a blur of orange as his Keyblade sliced through many Shadows and Soldiers alike. Though he held a grasp over certain Magic, the teen’s main strength was his own. As Tori cast her Flood spell, Henoke glanced over, watching as she began to dispatch the Hook Bats with more magic. Woah…she’s good! Though he had certain fundamental basics over magic, most of his strength seemed to just happen, he didn’t really know exactly how it worked. The way Henoke saw it, the Keyblade had chosen him for his heart. He was going to just follow that, and say screw the rest.
Small scrapes and cuts began to litter the wielders body, though each hit he took only fueled his spirit. Blinding golden light began to surround the hefty steel grey weapon as Henoke pushed off of a nearby pillar, leaping into the air above the enemies. Aiming his Keyblade with both hands while in the air, Henoke used his Ragnarok ability. Multiple streams of golden light shot forth from the Keyblade at a blinding speed, striking the remaining Heartless into oblivion. They swirled and rained down upon the group. He had used his surrounded position as an advantage. Landing with a slight stagger due to the ruined terrain, Henoke grinned at the victory.
Tori had continued her casting, devastating the Hook Bats as well as the remaining frozen foes. She truly was a formidable opponent, causing a burden Henoke hadn’t known was there to be lifted from his shoulders. He had been worried about involving someone not familiar with the Heartless. His Master and Chirithy had always chided him about the ‘World Order’. He had met some who were fighting the same fight he was…but it was always good to be cautious. Relieved at having found another Keyblade Wielder, Henoke was in high spirits. With the Heartless gone for the moment, his large Keyblade disappeared in a ray of light as he walked toward Tori. There were a lot of questions he had, though he knew he had his own questions to answer. "Sorry about earlier...you know, 'World Order' and all..." Henoke was careful across the ruined ground.
I wonder if they'll be mad about that... He shook the thought off as he reached her. "I didn't expect to run into another Wielder, though!" A small whistle escaped his lips as his eyebrows raised. His face was brimming with curiosity as he reached his hands behind his head. "This is crazy! I haven't met another wielder in—" How long had it been? He couldn't really remember. Shaking his head a little, Henoke recovered with a slight grin. "It's been a while." He was getting carried away. Scratching the back of his head, he looked up to the vast ceiling in thought for a moment. "So, you came here by accident, yeah?" His gaze fell back to her. For a moment there was a hint of a smirk on his face. "Must not be able to control the Power of Waking either yet, huh?" It was a modest jab. He was in the same boat himself. Truthfully, it felt good to be among the presence of another wielder. To think, there had once been so many filling the training grounds of his home world. It seemed like another life time ago.
"Sure, you can help me out." With a grin on his face, he pointed towards the staircase. "C'mon—I can fill you in while we walk."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 27, 2019 18:12:53 GMT -5
Tori dismissed her Keyblade, a bit disheartened about the rather short battle, and also the waste of her Faith spell, but she had nothing to say about it. Taking deep breaths, Tori looked at Henoke as he spoke at her, not really sure what to reply at first... Until she heard the words "Power of Waking". Those were very familiar words, indeed... But not one she was used to at all.
"Power of... Waking?" she asked, tilting her head, "I'm... Not sure what you're talking about..."
She scratched her head a bit with a frown, as she followed up the staircase of the West Wing, and looked around the dark hallways in search for any hint or clues as for what that place hid within the walls. The growl from earlier was definitely peeking her interest, and also the fact that people weren't people there.
"So, umm... What did you mean by 'not being normal people'?" she asked, "Is it... A world thing, or...? 'Cause, if you ask me... It doesn't look like this place would have non-human inhabitants... Especially with the whole... I dunno... Promptue-ness? I honestly don't know how to call it..." Tori sighed.
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 27, 2019 23:25:41 GMT -5
As the two teens began their trek up the vast carpeted stairs, loud growls continued to rumble from outside of the castle. It seemed the Beast was still diligently fighting. ”Power of…Waking?” Tori’s voice echoed in the vast emptiness, causing Henoke to glance over his shoulder at her. ”I’m…not sure what you’re talking about…” For a moment, the teen sighed, lowering his head a bit as he climbed. Damn…she doesn’t know about that? Maybe he wouldn't learn more about that power, after all. Maybe her training was different than mine. He hadn’t met many Wielders since his time away from home, after all. Maybe she was from a world that worked differently. Chirithy and the Geezer had certainly talked a lot about how Wielders could emerge on any world, so long as there was a powerful enough heart.
”So, umm…what did you mean by ‘not being normal people’?” Tori’s question brought Henoke back to reality. The two had just reached the platform at the top of the first staircase. In front of them loomed a massive ornate door, on each side another carpeted staircase winding upwards in opposite directions. ”Is it…a world thing, or…? ‘Cause if you ask me…it doesn’t look like this place would have non-human inhabitants…” Henoke stiffened for a moment. He had forgotten about his earlier comment. Scratching the back of his head as Tori sighed, the teen scrunched his face up in a concentrated look, raising his gaze to the ceiling. ”Er…oh yeah.” He had some questions of his own. Seemed they would have to wait for now, though. Only fair, I guess...
”Apparently, there was this powerful witch that came to this castle long ago…” His tone was serious, his voice low, though it echoed through the castle. ”The Lord of this castle slighted her, something about her being ugly or something’…I don’t remember the details. Point is—in vengeance against the Lord of the castle, she cast a powerful spell over everyone in it: The Lord, the servants, everyone.” He paused, glancing around the massive castle around the two. ”The spell…well, it transformed everyone.” He looked back at Tori, jabbing a thumb in the direction of the entrance to the castle far across from them.
”Turns out, the Lord was transformed into some powerful Beast.” Shrugging for a moment, Henoke rested his hands on his hips before turning towards the left. ”Hm…Chip said something about one of the servants knowing where Belle would be…” Racking his brain, Henoke tried to remember the name Mrs. Potts had mentioned. ”Lincoln…Lupin…oh! Lumiere!” He had jumped upright once remembering, pointing towards the left staircase. ”He said he’d be somewhere towards the West of the castle!” Motioning for Tori to follow, Henoke continued his explanation. ”Basically, everyone in this world has been transformed ever since. Mrs. Potts mentioned something about the curse being reversible…but it didn’t really seem to have anything to do with what’s happening now…”
That’s right! He had a question he wanted to ask her! Spinning on his heels while on the west staircase, Henoke took a step back down towards Tori, a curious look in his eye. ”Oh—! Hey, I wanted to ask you something…” He paused, looking down for a moment before finding how to phrase it. ”Earlier…the Heartless seemed—they were actin’ funny.” Pointing at Tori, an eyebrow raised as he tilted his head. ”I’ve never seen Heartless not try and attack someone…just who are you?”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 28, 2019 11:58:21 GMT -5
Tori brought one of her hands up to her chin, listening intently at Henoke's remarks. The way he worded it, it wasn't a simple spell. It seemed way too complex to actually try and revert it.
"A curse, huh...?" she said aloud, "One strong enough to subdue anyone living here... That... Definitely sounds tricky..." Tori admitted with clear unease.
She simply followed him around, not really looking forward to meeting anyone there, if she had to be honest. Instead, her mind was more focused on the fact that the curse was indeed reversible, but Henoke didn't look as if he knew how to reverse it. Her mind going aimless in search for an answer, she was caught off-guard by Henoke's remark.
"Just who are you?" The voice made Tori stop in her tracks, lowering her guard a bit. The question itself made her uneasy, to the point she didn't know what to answer. What was she supposed to say then and there? Frowning, Tori looked away, not sure what to say or do.
"It's just like before..." she thought to herself, "Why is it so hard to explain something like that...?"
It took her quite some time before resolving to answer. Taking a deep breath, Tori raised her view to meet Henoke, firmly yet still with a conflicted hint behind that firmness. She was going to help him as long as both of them were there, so what was the point in hiding something that was so obvious to see?
"I... Urgh, how to put this into words...?" she sighed, "I know it's odd, and, being honest, I'm not too sure why that's the case now, but... I... Apparently have something -rather... I guess it's because of my power. It's like... They fear me, because they know what I'm capable of. ...You know how Heartless act by instinct, right? The moment they sense a threat, they attack. Same goes whenever they sense a prey. But... What happens if something that acts by instinct encounter something superior to it, a threat they can't fight, no matter what?" she stated, "Well... It's like... Im that threat to them..."
After explaining that, Tori had to look away, frowning. She wasn't expecting anything good out of that exchange, but...
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 29, 2019 10:59:38 GMT -5
Henoke stood on the stairs, his gaze eager and curious. Tori had halted, seeming conflicted with her own thoughts as she turned away. For a moment, the teen wondered just what was going through her head. Hm…she’s kinda like me…tossed around without really knowing what’s going on… He felt a pang of sympathy, though only for a moment. As Tori seemed to regain herself, Henoke made himself comfortable against the staircase banister, leaning against it while crossing his arms. Nodding along to show he was listening while Tori explained her stint, he couldn’t help but wonder exactly who this girl was. What world did she come from? How did she get this odd power of potential she spoke about? There were many questions running rampant through his mind.
Probably smart not to ask ‘em all, though. Despite his reputation, the teen was considerate, after all. Henoke didn’t want to pressure this girl, thrown into an odd world with no rhyme or reason, with his own questions that may cause her to have to reflect on more conflicting stuff. All of that seemed like a drag, to him. Smiling a bit, Henoke pushed himself off of the banister, taking a step down closer to Tori. ”Well, I’m glad you came along then~” It was a genuine remark, as he reached his hands behind his head and grinned a little sheepishly. ”If anything, that’ll make this whole thing a lot easier.” He still had questions for her, but frankly there was another pressing matter he had to attend to. Chips and Mrs. Potts hadn’t sent him out for nothing, after all. They needed results.
Motioning for Tori to follow him, Henoke turned and continued his way up the staircase. ”I mean...basically, you're like a good luck charm for keeping Heartless away.” The teen laughed aloud, speaking to Tori over his shoulder as he ascended the stairs. ”That'll help a lot with the search. Be on the lookout! I dunno what these servants are gonna look like, due to the curse and all…” Come to think of it, maybe he should have asked about that. All Mrs. Potts had said was that Lumiere was bright, and they would be able to see him no matter how dark it got in the castle. Reaching the top of the carpeted stairs, Henoke whistled aloud as he took in the space around him. The red carpet stretched onward, down a path lined with tall armored statues. At the end of the long and tall ornate hallway was a wall, the red carpet turning to the right, out of sight. Pointing ahead, Henoke turned over his shoulder as he walked to address Tori. ”They said he’d be somewhere in the West Wing, but I’ve never been here before.” Groaning a little, Henoke scratched the back of his head in thought, looking at the ground as he walked. Because of this, he didn’t notice the slight movements in the armored statues. Not all of them had acted, but some had stiffened upon the two intruders entrance. The ones that did tightened their grip, their posture quivering for just a moment. Only one sharp of eye could notice such a minuscule movement. As the orange haired Wielder took another step further into the hallway, the statues burst into life. Animated by shrouding darkness, which seeped form the crevices of the armor, the large stone statues had glowing yellow eyes that shimmered beneath their steel visors. As one lunged forward, attempting to swipe at Henoke with its large axe, his large and hefty steel grey Keyblade appeared in the youth’s hands. Deflecting the blow just before it collided, Henoke was launched backwards. Landing on his feet, though skidding against the carpet into the wall, the teen pushed himself upright and into a battle ready stance. Many statues began to rush towards them. ”Heartless! Tori, get ready!” Surrounded in a golden light, Henoke’s Keyblade glimmered as he hurled it through the air towards the onslaught of statues. Spinning in a circular arc, the giant Keyblade magically began to fly through the air, attacking and bouncing off of multiple enemies as Henoke used his Reflect Raid ability. Hitting one enemy and bouncing to the next, the Keyblade was quick to damage and stun many of the statues before flying back towards its Wielder, dutifully returning to his grip. Readying himself, Henoke charged forward, prepared to meet the statue’s with another attack as Tori readied herself. [[ENEMIES: 5 Possessed Armor Statues—3 stunned]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 30, 2019 19:24:58 GMT -5
Tori just listened, unsure if she was supposed to talk or not. Just listening... Not only that, but the topics at hand were... Uncomfortable. Frowning, Tori just tried to avoid eye contact completely.
"Why did I answer...?" she thought, disheartened.
Just being there was uncomfortable. If anything, she'd rather go solo in that kind of sittuation... But did she have a choice? In her eyes, not really. Finding an ally who knew at least a little more than er regarding the place she was in was useful, after all. Just like a Stalker... Tori stopped in her tracks, remembering that. Stalker... The same nickname she gave that person...
"I wonder... If he's found that which he's looking for..." Tori thought a bit, trying to find solace elsewhere.
”I mean...basically, you're like a good luck charm for keeping Heartless away.” Henoke's comment threw Tori in for a loop, especially after he laughed. Regardless of the intention behind it, it felt... Downgrading, in a sense. Was she just that? A "good-luck charm", to keep Heartless at bay? She stopped in her tracks, not really noticing what he'd do next. Just the comment alone left a bitter taste in her mouth...
"...Is that all...?" she mumbled, not really caring if he'd heard her.
Now without a focus in mind, Tori felt... Odd. As if she didn't belong there. Not even listening to Henoke anymore. What was the point? Frowning, Tori came to a stop. It didn't faze her anymore, but she just didn't want people to see her like that, or even less like a threat.
Her mind came to a clear stop the moment Heartless came around. A reckless hatred began to boil inside her, without any logical reason. She just wanted it all to stop that moment.
She wanted silence, for once.
"ENOUGH!"
A blast of mist grew quickly around her feet, to then just burst out violently. Tori's eyes flashed a vivid purple, enraged, as her Keyblade changed form completely -a crystal, reverse Keyblade. It was clear at first glance she hadn't used that one before.
Before taking even room for respite, Tori lunged forward. Surrounded by grey mist, and with power overflowing, she readied for her own attack. A brilliant light, like any other, surrounded Tori's Keyblade as she landed a heavy blow onto the stunned statues.
"Stop..." she groaned, bitterly, "STOP LOOKING DOWN ON ME, DAMMIT!"
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 30, 2019 21:43:56 GMT -5
”ENOUGH!” Tori’s voice shattered the noise of battle crowding the West Hall. Even the suits of armor seemed to freeze for a moment. Henoke whipped around on his heels, his whole body jerking in surprise at the sudden yell. As a violent gust of mist burst forth from the girl, Henoke brought up his Keyblade to defend himself as he was pushed across the hallway with many of the armored Heartless. Luckily the powerful weapon took the brunt of the force. Henoke sprawled onto the carpeted floor, sitting up as he took in what was happening. T-tori!? What was she doing? There was a new Keyblade in the girl’s hand that radiated with a powerful light as she lunged forward, destroying one of the statues completely with her attack. ”STOP LOOKING DOWN ON ME, DAMMIT!”
What?! Blinking a bit at the sight, Henoke didn’t move from his sitting position. His Keyblade remained clutched in his right hand, though was uselessly on the ground beside him. He tilted his head a bit. ”What’re you talking about?!” Though he hadn’t moved, his face had scrunched up into a frustrated look. He had no idea what this girl was going on about. Had he said something? Leaping to his feet, the teen took a step forward towards her. ”Listen…I—“ One of the nearby armored statues had finely regained itself. Lunging forward with its huge axe, the teen barely had time to react as he saw the blur of motion to his left. Stumbling backwards, the collision from the axe on the hard castle floor rang like thunder. CLANG! The giant sharp blade cut through the red carpet, sinking into the hard floor beneath and sticking there.
Holy shit! How strong was that thing?! It pierced the floor?! That was just ridiculous! What kind of Heartless were these?! Orange light began to crackle and spark around the dark steel Keyblade in Henoke’s hands. As the teen heaved the large weapon, the golden light consumed the blade as he slashed out at the statue. CRASH! The suit of armor was sent hurling across the West Hall from Henoke’s Blitz ability. Its large axe remained stuck in the castle floor. Dented and cracked, the large statue struggled to stand. It seemed to be incapacitated at the moment. The orange light crackling around Henoke’s Keyblade faded as he readied himself in a battle position.
”Don’t take things so personally! This isn’t the time for that!”
[[ENEMIES REMAINING: 3 Possessed Armor’s, 1 Incapacitated/Unarmed]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 2, 2019 16:11:03 GMT -5
Ignoring any other sound aside her own breathing, Tori kept on relentlessly. With one statue gone, the other four were soon gonners, as well. Keyblade in hand, she rushed to the nearest statue with just as much relentless force as before, starting a combo with swiftness. Her Ellegant Flurry, combined with her previous "power-up", was a forced to be reckoned with, soon ending with the statue. She glared back, not paying much attention to Henoke's predicament, and instead showed much more interest in the two remaining statues.
"...You're done for..." she mumbled with a groan.
Firmly, Tori's grip tightened as she rushed forward once more. She was a blur of colorless motion, the only read color showd being her hair and eyes.
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 2, 2019 19:39:33 GMT -5
As Tori continued her relentless attacks, destroying yet another statue, Henoke sighed a bit. It seemed like he wasn’t getting to her. Shaking his head, the teen decided to focus on the remaining enemies. The large suits of armor were lumbering towards the two, large axes in hand as they readied themselves for an attack. Leaping to the right and rolling across the red carpeted hallway, Henoke narrowly dodged a heavy attack from one of the large suits of armor. Blood seeped from a wound on his thigh, it seemed he hadn't dodged it completely. CLANG! Sinking into the hard castle floor, the large axe cleaved and hacked at anything in its path. Tori rushed the other remaining armor, the last one still stunned and slumped against the wall. The large warrior deflected the young woman’s attack, defending itself in a guard before counter attacking. Heaving the heavy weapon into a wide arc, the large suit of armor intended to slice the small girl in two. It followed the attack with a rush, its entire ‘body’ radiating in dark energy as it charged forward in an attempt to trample her.
Henoke was pummeling the statue that had come toe-to-toe with him, leaping over the armor’s weapon stuck in the ground in order to deliver a series of powerful swings with his large Keyblade. Staggering backwards, the large Armor finally released its weapon from the ground, aiming to lash out at the orange haired youth with all its might. Leaping over the blow completely, Henoke’s Keyblade shimmered in a radiant golden light. Using his Zantetsuken ability, the teen became a streak of orange across the battlefield. Appearing behind the large suit of armor, Henoke crouched in a battle stance, his large steel grey Keyblade beside him as the radiant light faded. For a moment, the large statue took a single step back. BANG! CLANG! The armor collapsed to the floor, the darkness within vanishing as another heart was released.
Just as the slumped over suit of armor began to straighten itself, gripping its large axe in both hands, Henoke’s large Keyblade hurled through the air. Using his Strike Raid ability, Henoke finished off the damaged and stunned enemy. All the remained was the large suit of armor attacking Tori, which continued it’s charge with a powerful slash. It was relentless in its fury.
[[ENEMIES REMAINING: 1 Possessed Armor]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 2, 2019 20:17:21 GMT -5
Tori flinched after her attack was parried, and tried blocking. Must to her dismay, that didn't end so well for her, as she was still wounded despite raising her Keyblade to block the counterattack. She staggered, a somewhat superficial slash at the start of her arm, the one she wielded the Keyblade with. Clicking her tongue, Tori knew she'd been a bit too hasty in that approach.
"Dammit, I got careless..." she thought to herself, bitterly.
She was stubborn, she admitted it. However, Tori was not done yet, still feeling the need to release all of that anger and brute strength buried deep within her. It might've been a hasty hatred, but, in Tori's eyes, it was the last drop to fill the glass.
Grip firm, Tori made use of her other arm to chant a spell, Ruinga, by shaping her hand akin to a gun. 3 light bullets then shot towards the statue, but only meant as a distraction, as the explosion they set off was fairly blinding. With that chance in hand, she rushed once more, her wounded arm somewhat limp due to the injury.
A blue light, with the shape of a dragon, began to coil around said arm, as Tori rushed towards the enemy. Raising her Keyblade upwards, Tori was determined to end it all then and there.
"Please... Lend me your strength..."
The light then covered the Keyblade whole, still in the shape of a dragon, as Tori landed a downstrike straight onto the statue's head.
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