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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 22, 2020 15:17:08 GMT -5
Silence. The sounds of the waves seemed to echo louder in Tori's ears, as she came to a decision. If Henoke was willing to hear everything, no matter the cost... Then why refuse?
Taking a deep breath, Tori noticed how she'd been shaking, nervousness taking hold of her body. A cold sweat crossed by her forehead, but she ignored it. It wasn't the time to hesistate.
"...Well, it's because your memory's here" she explained, looking down, "All of it... Has been gathered here since who knows how long... Ever since the 'real' you fell..."
Knowing her words would either confuse or scare him, Tori took another deep breath. The waves seemed to try and soothe her, echoing ever so faintly against the sand they stood on.
There was no time like the present. She had to tell him then and there, no matter what came after.
"...You're a Replica" she said, bluntly, "A made-up doll. A puppet. One who holds memories of those who've fallen in order to, most of the time, take care of ill-reasoned tasks" she shook her head, "Someone, be it friend or foe -although I lean more towards the latter-, thought of creating you as means to achieve ill-meant goals, not caring about what may happen next. They grabbed whatever memories they could find of you and patched them up inside a made-up heart and body that could keep them together -hence, the reason why you're unable to recall most things on your own. It's because they're not within you to begin with."
Tori looked at him with concern, feeling sympathy for him, in a way. He never asked to be brought back -odds were that, given his real self's state, his memory would've remained there, watching time go by. It was a cruel way to bring one back, or at least, she thought so.
She couldn't help but pity him. At the thought, Tori's concern grew tighter inside her heart.
"That's why... If we remain here for a little longer, you'd be able to recall that which you've lost -because it's all being kept here. The fragments you're missing will link themselves back in order to become whole again as soon as they see the fragments you carry. They'll resonate with you far more easily than other memories."
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 22, 2020 17:04:18 GMT -5
”…Well, it’s because your memory’s here.” Henoke’s face was blank with confusion. ”Ever since the ‘real’ you fell…” He blinked, shaking his head. The real me? What did she mean? He was the real him. ”You’re a Replica. A made-up doll. A puppet.” Stinging in a way he hadn’t expected, Tori’s words only made Henoke’s fists clench as a scowl came across his face. Hearing someone ‘created’ him was only more upsetting. ”—hence, the reason why you’re unable to recall most things on your own. It’s because they’re not within you to begin with”
Henoke had contemplated a few possibilities—a family member or friend being dead that he had forgotten about, some old enemy with a grudge against him—never had he thought she’d say he was a ‘fake’. ”That’s why…if we remain here for a little longer, you’d be able to recall that which you’ve lost—“ He hadn’t noticed his fists shaking, a red hue beginning to come over his face as his scowl deepened. Tori’s voice became a white noise—mingling with the waves crashing against the shore. Thud! Thud! THUD! There was a thundering in his ears, his heart pounding.
”If this is a joke—“ There was a certain indignation that forced his temper, one he hadn’t anticipated. ”—it’s not funny!” It’s true, Tori had known about his ‘memory gaps’, but the teen found everything she was saying too incredulous to believe. He was dead? A fake? Some shadow of the real thing? Bullshit! Taking a step forward, Henoke slashed the air with a hand as he shook his head. ”No way! I’m me!” He had no reason to trust the words she was saying. Sure, she had helped him close the Keyhole back on Belle’s world, but how would she know all of this?!
"Fake. Made-up. Replica."
Words echoed in his mind as a sudden ringing caused him to flinch. The coming headache pierced his skull, feeling like someone had cracked it open. ”Don’t spout out bullshit!” Pointing at Tori, Henoke’s vision was growing slightly blurred as he realized his breathing was ragged. ”F*&$! Start making sense!”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 23, 2020 1:49:42 GMT -5
Of course he'd be in denial. Tori looked down, still with the same concerned look as before. Why wouldn't he deny it? And yet, Tori wish she could lie about it -she wished she could sugarcoat it. But if she had done that, Henoke would've noticed it immediately.
After all, Spirits are unable to lie.
"I wish everything I was telling you was a lie" she said, calmly, "I sincerely wish that the truth I'm telling you right now was a lie. But it's not" Tori looked at him once more, pained, "Had I lied about it, you would've noticed immediately, and you would've just kept demanding the truth. Of course, I never thought you'd accept it immediately..."
Raising one hand towards her chest, Tori tried to come up with an excuse. Anything, just to make herself clear. But his denial was clear -his face, red in hue, bitter at what he thought was a bad-taste joke, only made her worry. Of course he had no reason to believe her.
Why would he?
"...Please" she mumbled, "Just this once... Please listen to what I have to say..." her voice wavered, full of pain and worry, "Even though I consider it a cruel way to use people's memories like this because of what happens once they know the truth... I can't condemn you for it. You never asked to be brought back this way -you're not at fault. And... Even if you're a Replica... You're right -you're still you. Although you are defying the natural order of things -given the fact that the real you died-, you're keeping his memory alive -your memory" Tori smiled faintly, clear pain shown in her eyes, "There's no difference between you and any other living being... You still have a heart, a body and soul... You're still Henoke... Even if you're patched up in a made-up life... You're still alive. The only reason I told you what I did is because you wanted to know both the reason as for why your memory's gapped and how the memories gathered here would help you -that's all."
"Although..." Tori looked away, her eyes watery, "I understand... If you hate me for it..."
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 23, 2020 10:53:28 GMT -5
”Replica. Replica. Replica.”
The ringing in his ears had turned into a steady white noise, lowering in volume but dominating the background. ”I wish everything I was telling you was a lie.” The look on Tori’s face only caused a mixture of contradicting emotions to flare through his heart. ”…Please, just this once…listen to what I have to say…” Despite his confusion and frustration, even Henoke found it hard to yell at someone that was speaking so quietly…and looked so sad. ”Even if you’re a Replica…you’re right—you’re still you.” Her words calmed the quelling chaos within his chest, if only a little. THUD! Thud! Thud. A little less ragged, his breathing returned to normal—though the hue of red still lingered on his conflicted expression.
”You still have a heart, a body and soul…You’r still Henoke…” His fists slowly unclenched, his vision growing less blurry as the white noise began to quiet. I’m still me. It was something he had been so sure of—but why did hearing her say it help so much? I’m…dead? Well, the ‘real’ him was dead. The…real…? Well, no, because he was real—really him—Tori had just said it herself. ”I understand…if you hate me for it…” The red had finally faded from his face, his vision returning to normal. Henoke had never seen Tori like this—truthfully it made a lot of his suspicions quelled—leaving him with a silence inside that threatened to choke him.
”Fake. Real. Dead. Alive.”
Staggering a little bit, Henoke’s hand raised back to his forehead, furrowing his brow and squinting his eyes and he refocused his balance. Thud. Thud. Thud. Though the thunder had quieted, he felt his pulse racing still. ”This’s…confusing.” The teen plopped himself down into the sand, finding standing too exhausting to continue. Sitting with his legs crossed and his arms on his knees, Henoke screwed his eyes shut and kept a hand to his head—trying to make sense of the din happening in his head. ”So…I died once.” It was a weird sensation to think about—being alive and dead at the same time.
He refused to view it any other way. As Tori had said: He was him—so it wasn’t a question of ‘real’ versus ‘fake’, but moreso like getting revived…kinda? Just with a new body...sort of? With a sudden sigh, Henoke sprawled out onto the grey sand, staring up at the sky as he let himself lie sprawled out. His golden eyes ignored the discolored sky and the odd ‘ghosts’ floating about—not really seeing anything. ”F*&$!” Pounding the sand with a fist suddenly, Henoke shot up to a sitting position again as he punched the dirt.
”THAT MEANS SOMEONE GOT ME?!” Seemingly frustrated once more, though this time about something totally different—Henoke jumped to his feet and put both hands to his shaking head. ”No way?! Was it the Heartless?!” He’d never lose to those dumb things! They could barely think! ”Urgh! It had to’ve been some stronger enemy…a lot stronger…” Obviously thinking pretty highly of himself—it seemed what Tori had said had not only allowed the teen space to process, but also return a bit to his ‘normal’ self. Crossing his arms and wearing a scowl, Henoke glanced over at Tori, realizing he had been so caught up in his own feelings he hadn’t made any time to help her with hers. Tch—damn it. He had just gotten mad at her. Is this what her and his Master had meant by ‘zero tact’?
”Sorry, Tori…” Seeming somewhat sheepish, Henoke turned away a bit, kicking at the grey sand distractedly. ”I don’t hate you…it’s just…kinda weird, y’know?” He didn’t really know how else to describe hearing about your own death that you remembered nothing about. "Thanks...for what you said earlier..." For the first time, Henoke felt kind of embarrassed, his face slightly red for a reason unfamiliar to him. Typically headstrong and confident, he had never really had a moment like this...relying on someone else's words and needing help even when he didn't realize it. Turning back towards her, the teen brought a grin to his face as he held out a hand. ”So? How ‘bout it? You still down to help me get my memories back?” There was a new fire lighting up in his eyes. I'll figure out how I died...and whoever axed me'll pay. Hopefully, by collecting his missing memories, it would only solidify his confidence in being him, as well as help him figure out who had brought him back and for what purpose. Whoever they are... They were gonna get theirs.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 23, 2020 11:09:14 GMT -5
Tori raised her head, startled, as Henoke shouted a profanity. His further rambling confused her, although it proved to me far more amusing than anything, seeing him complain about being taken down by someone else and debating on who it could've been.
Still, seeing him like that once more relieved a heavy burden Tori hadn't notice there at all. Chuckling slightly, Tori began to cry, but mostly out of relief.
"I'm... I'm glad you think that way..." she mentioned, whiping away her tears to face him head on, "I sincerely thought you'd react... differently... But I'm glad that's not the case."
Taking a deep breath in order to collect herself, Tori looked at Henoke as he held out his hand towards her. The caring smile returned to her lips, thankful for having made up her mind about the issue. Cupping her hands to her chest, she nodded faintly.
"If that's what you want... I won't stop you" she replied, "I'll do what I can to make sure you remember all that you've forgotten -that's a promise."
"Am I... Doing the right thing, then?" As she nudged Henoke to follow her to where the memories wouldn't gather -a place she knew would be far more peaceful and would make it easier for Henoke to remember-, Tori began to think inside her head about her intentions up until now, "Is this... Why I have these powers, then? To help those who've forgotten what they cherished the most... remember them?" She glanced over at Henoke with a smile.
"Because if that's the case... I'm glad I'm doing it..."
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 23, 2020 12:10:19 GMT -5
Surprised at the girls tears, Henoke’s grin slipped as he rubbed the back of his neck. ”I’m…I’m glad you think that way…” He hadn’t expected for it to be so hard on her. ”I’ll do what I can to make sure you remember all that you’ve forgotten—that’s a promise.” Henoke’s smile returned at that as he nodded, his heart feeling much better than it had before. Following Tori as she led the way to their ‘hidden’ spot, the teen couldn’t help but wonder how she had come to learn so much about what he was: A Replica. Has she met one before? It was still a weird thought—thinking of himself as a ‘doll'.
Tch—whatever! So long as I’m me, it doesn’t matter! Henoke could be a fish for all he cared, so long as he was him, it didn't matter in the slightest what form he had! He’d gather his lost memories and become ‘complete’! Then he’d be even more real than the ‘real’ thing! With old memories and new ones, he’d become a whole different and new Henoke—Henoke 2.0! Suddenly laughing a bit at his own thoughts, the teen shook his head and decided to ask Tori his questions as they walked.
”So—Tori…” He hoped it wouldn’t be another ‘tactless’ situation on his part…(he still didn’t fully understand what he was missing with that). ”You seem to know a lot about ‘Replicas’.” The word sounded worse to him aloud than it had in his mind, bringing an odd taste to his mouth. ”Have you met one before? How d’you know so much?” He had never heard of them before, ‘fake’ people crafted from the memories or hearts of ‘real’ ones. Though, maybe he had heard of it before—perhaps it was one of the many memories he was missing.
There was no way for him to know, yet.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 23, 2020 12:27:21 GMT -5
The steps over the sand seemed so echo far less loudly than before, something Tori couldn't help but appreciate. She glanced over at Henoke as he began to laugh suddenly, but she simply just smiled with the same care as before. Noting her feelings at the time, Tori looked forward then down, bringing one hand to her chest. Even though she couldn't place why she felt the way she did as she promised to help Henoke out with his memories, it felt warm. A warmth Tori couldn't help but try and keep close to her.
”So—Tori…” Henoke's voice reached to her once more, although she simply glanced over her shoulder to show her attention. ”Have you met one before? How d’you know so much?” His question wasn't tactless this time around, since Tori herself couldn't really pinpoint why she knew that much.
"I've only heard about them" she replied calmly, "Although... It does feel as if I should know a lot more than what I do... Can't really say the reason why. Regardless..." she tilted her head back, "What I know about them is all I can say, but it's enough for me to think the way I do. I do consider it cruel that people use others' memories for their selfish gain. But... There's not much I can do to avoid that from happening in the first place."
Tori looked forward after finishing her comments, noticing a hint or two that they were getting close. Rushing her step just a little bit, she arrived at a clearing, much like the one they were at before. This time, however, the shoreline cut off to make way for a cliff of sorts, and at the base were small huts established. The area around them had far less wisps around, which is what Tori was hoping for.
They wouldn't be disturbed there.
"Here we are" she replied, turning towards Henoke, although barely, "This is the place I was talking you about."
Her head turned back towards the huts. Much like the place itself, they seemed to be vacant, left alone for ages ago. As such, the once vivid colors of wooden walls and pathways was gone, replaced by a decaying structure barely holding on together. Once more, Tori couldn't help but feel as if the way the world was now wasn't how it really was.
But there was no way to ascertain her thoughts, really. In the end, they were merely just that. Choosing to instead focus on helping Henoke out, she looked around after taking a few steps forward.
"If we want you to recover what you've lost, we'll have to stay here for a little while" she explained, "If we stay in this area in particular, we won't have much trouble, since it's one of the few places those wisps don't seem to gather around. We'll be safe here" she reassured him.
Almost as if on queue, a faint wisp floated by, hovering in the air for a second before floating down, nearing Henoke. Tori hadn't seen it, focused instead on her current surroundings, searching for any sights that would indicate another's precense.
If there were homes there, then there should've been people -other Spirits she may have known.
But no one else was there, only the two of them, surrounded by people's memories.
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 23, 2020 13:14:46 GMT -5
”I’ve only ever heard about them,” Henoke looked back up towards the sky as he listened to Tori’s explanation. It seemed that ‘Replicas’ were definitely enigmatic. How does someone even make a body? There was a lot Henoke didn’t understand as he glanced down, poking at his own arm absentmindedly, feeling the sensation of his jacket against his hand in a new light. Kina creepy… He didn’t want to linger on the thought. ”Here we are” Tori’s comment brought him out of his head—looking around and noticing their surroundings for the first time in a moment.
Shaded by a cliff, adorned by several seemingly abandoned huts at the base, this section of the beach seemed a little foreboding. ”This is the place I was talking to you about.” Looking around, Henoke couldn’t help but linger over the old huts, wondering who had once resided here. What a lonely place to live. No wonder they left. ”If we want you to recover what you’ve lost, we’ll have to stay here for a little while” Henoke nodded, turning back towards Tori with a smile as his excitement returned. As she began to explain how the area was like a ‘safe zone’, a wisp slowly began to float by.
Hovering down towards him, Henoke couldn’t help but be a bit distracted as he watched it. While Tori continued to look around the area, seemingly distracted herself, Henoke reached out and poked at the odd wisp. ”Hm…how do I tell which ones’re mine?” It was bizarre, a shape he really couldn’t make out despite its closeness. It made his eyes constantly seem out of focus, even though he was staring directly at it.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 23, 2020 13:27:26 GMT -5
”Hm…how do I tell which ones’re mine?”
Hearing Henoke's question brought Tori to yet another choice. As she turned towards him, she noticed the wisp that had floated towards him, at first with a hint of concern. But after seeing how the wisp reacted, while also amused by Henoke poking at it without a care in the world, Tori smiled caringly, and sighed.
It might not be too hard, if they were just going to search for him. It would've been harder had it been the other way around.
"They'll gather towards you, the same way that one did" she said caringly, "Or can't you tell?" she added with a chuckle.
"If your memory is here... Then it'll notice the fragments you have. With that, it'll start to look for you, until it can finally be complete again" she explained, and then pointed at the wisp, "That is just one of the many memories your 'real' self left behind here. If it's your memory, then it'll take notice of you faster than those you have no connection with. Such is the way memories link themselves together -if they have a strong sense of familiarity between them, they'll search for one another until they're together again."
Tori smiled as she walked towards him, the wisp hovering around Henoke seemingly undisturbed by his poking. It froze in place as Tori walked towards Henoke, but only for a second, as Tori held her hand forward, as if she was inviting the memory over to her side. The wisp obeyed, hovering faintly until it floated over Tori's gloved palm, and she smiled softly.
"Some might act the way this one did -waiting for you to reach it" she said, looking at the wisp with a smile, "Your memories will be patient, although not all of them will be as subtle as this one... Some might ram in as soon as you accept them, which can be a forceful way to remember... You might recall things you never knew about really suddenly, and that might confuse you -makes sense, right?" she looked at Henoke, "If it's not a memory that belongs to you, it won't even try to grab your attention. You still need to be wary, even if we're here. Got it?"
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 23, 2020 15:00:18 GMT -5
”They’ll gather towards you,” Henoke had stared at the wisp in front of him with a raised brow, listening to Tori as it only floated closer. ”Or can’t you tell?” He blinked a bit, tilting his head at the wisp in front of him. Am I…supposed to feel something? Hearing Tori’s explanation on how the memories seemed to work helped, also making Henoke feel relieved. ”If it’s your memory, then it’ll take notice of you faster than those you have no connection with.” So it seemed that the ones that were his would do most of the work for him. That’s a sweet deal. He couldn’t complain.
As Tori beckoned the wisp to her, Henoke watched in curiosity. ”Some might act the way this one did—waiting for you to reach it.” Hearing how others might be less ‘patient’ certainly did seem like something his memories would do—at least if they were anything like him. How much of a person does memory make up? Henoke had never contemplated it before, usually imagining the heart as most people’s make-up. ”You might recall things you never knew about really suddenly,” Henoke nodded at the warning, understanding what she meant. Much like earlier, there might be truths that were difficult or confusing to deal with.
”You still need to be wary, even if we’re here. Got it?” Grinning confidently, Henoke puffed out his chest a bit as he thumped it with a fist. ”Yeah, yeah! I’m excited now!” Reaching out towards the wisp in her hands—Henoke was feeling pumped up. ”Let’s do this! C’mere, you memory!” Grabbing onto the wisp, Henoke would shout out in surprise as it would float out of his hands and into his face—fogging his vision as everything began to fade to mist:
A bright beach spread out before him, a tall lighthouse in the background, isolated on a jutted out slab of pavement and rock. ”Alright, Operation Fun in the Sun is a go!” Someone shouted out behind him, causing him to turn around to see a group of other teenagers around his age. Who’re they? For some reason, their faces seemed familiar, though he couldn’t recall any names. ”Ha ha! Those Heartless never stood a chance, Kupo!” One boy, wearing a large Moogle-mask, seemed particularly excited. There were two boys, one with the Moogle mask and another with large and voluminous white hair, goggles strapped around their head.
Two girls were also with them, one wearing a red bandanna while the other wore all pink. Everyone seemed dressed for the beach. ”C’mon, Henoke! I’ll race you!” Immediately, the boy with large hair began to run past him, and Henoke felt himself begin to move as he heard his own voice: ”You’re on! No way am I gonna lose!” He heard the laughter of the others in the background, some shouting to join in as their footsteps thundered over sand.
Are these...friends? He didn’t recognize anyone here—the only people he could really ever recall clearly were his Master and Chirithy, and even they were a little hazy sometimes. Running across the shoreline, the teen felt the warm sun on his back and a broad grin on his face as they reached the water. Immediately, the boy with large hair leapt in, though Henoke stopped short. ”Not gonna swim?” Turning to see the girl in a red bandanna, Henoke shook his head, crossing his arms.
”Tch—nah, swimming’s lame.” The other boy in the Moogle mask popped up out of nowhere. ”Ha! Yeah right, Kupo, I bet you just can’t swim!” Feeling a heat flush to his face, Henoke leapt at the boy as they began to wrestle on the sand. The others rolled their eyes or laughed—apparently used to the dynamic. The sounds started to dim, appearing more like faint echoes as Henoke felt himself lurching backwards. Everything began to fade into a mist around him—
Gasping in surprise, Henoke fell onto his backside, yanking free from the memory’s vision—though the little wisp was now nowhere in sight. Whipping his head around, the teen felt disoriented after having been so immersed in the past moment. Holding up a hand to his head, Henoke remembered where he was…and when. ”Who...were those people?” He didn’t recall any of their faces, or the beach itself. Mumbling to himself, the teen stood up, brushing the grey sand off of him as he remembered that he wasn’t alone.
Looking for Tori, Henoke seemed confused. ”Tch…I was hoping they’d show me memories in order…” It was kind of an outrageous expectation, but Henoke had always been a little lazy with more complex things. There was a pang of sadness in his heart—having felt the warmth of that moment only to return to the reality where their names were forgotten. I wonder who else I’m forgetting… It was a weird feeling—not remembering something but not even knowing it.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 23, 2020 15:46:47 GMT -5
Tori smiled cheerful as the wisp answered its owner's call. The wisp quickly dispered around Henoke, almost as if his own body absorbed it all. Seeing that, Tori glanced over at Henoke.
What seemed like a whole moment for him had been, in reality, just seconds. Even then, Tori had expected the outcome, already having seen the memory itself. His confusion was clear, but understandable. Tori sighed, turning faintly around with a smile.
The dynamic was already starting to appeal her. Almost as if she'd done it many times before. The familiarity of the sensation only drove her further, instead of holding her back.
"Odds are they won't come to you in a reasonable order" she replied, shaking her head, "Although... Guessing by how this particular one approached you... I'll be saying that it wasn't one you're more focused on. While it is a memory you cherish, it's not the one you wanted to see first, right?" she chuckled, "It'll be fine, though. Little by little, as you slowly link your memories together, things will start to make sense. And if not... Then that's why I'm here, right?"
She looked back at the abandonded huts, her expression back to a sullen one. Having been there twice before, Tori couldn't help but wonder what lurked inside, or who used to live there. Even though she knew the answer, the curiosity was too much to bear.
She wanted to explore them properly now.
"Oh, right..." Tori suddenly recalled, turning towards Henoke, "I should mention that this'll take its time..." she said with an apologetic smile, "It'll catch rhythm once more memories are back together, but... The start can be a little bit slow... As such, if you don't really want to sit down and wait for them to gather around you... Do you mind helping me out with something?"
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 23, 2020 17:36:44 GMT -5
”Odds are they won’t come to you in a reasonable order.” Henoke stood up, rubbing his head in a daze still. ”While it is a memory you cherish, it’s not the one you wanted to see first, right?” Henoke nodded in affirmation, looking around as he noticed that the wisp had vanished after showing him his memory. ”It’ll be fine though. Little by little, as you slowly link your memories together, things will start to make sense.” Resting his hands behind his head, Henoke’s face seemed to betray his doubt. I gotta make sense of these in random order? That was gonna be complicated.
”Oh, right…” Noticing Tori’s look towards the huts, Henoke had raised a brow in curiosity. Hearing that it might take some time to collect his memories only caused the teen to groan, impatient as always. ”Do you mind helping me out with something?” A smirk came over his face as he nodded, shoving his hands into his blue jacket pockets. ”Yeah! Anything beats waitin’ around!” Pointing at the abandoned huts, Henoke gave Tori a knowing look. ”I saw you eyein’ ‘em anyway~” Grinning, Henoke waited for Tori to explain exactly what it was she needed help with.
The faces from the memory before were still in his mind. I’ll remember you all soon… It was a hope, but also a promise. He refused to give up this early in the game.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 24, 2020 1:17:17 GMT -5
Chuckling at his knowing look, Tori nodded. Looking at Henoke and taking a deep breath, she relaxed a bit as she heard him willing to help her out a bit.
"I've already told you that I've been here twice already, right?" she asked rhethorically, "I've been meaning to have a better understanding of this place, but... I've never had the time. Now, though... I guess I'm using you as the excuse, but... I was thinking that, maybe, I could explore this place properly" she looked towards the huts once more, a hint of unknown nostalgia shown in her eyes, "This part in particular has always interested me... I've wanted to know for the longest time who used to live here. So... Do you mind helping me check the huts out?" she asked while chuckling faintly with unease.
The huts were 6 in total, all connected by an outer pathway. They all looked the same, decaying as time went on. They were all rather small -most likely just a simple room with a roof over it. Taking a step over the pathway, surprised to see it stand under her weight (even though she wasn't that heavy), Tori looked at each hut's door with concern.
"I'm not going to be interrupting anything... Am I?" she thought with unease, "I'd hate to invade someone's privacy..."
Wait, hadn't she done that already before, but in a different way? Wasn't peeking into a person's memory the same as invading someone's privacy? The thought caused her to notice her hypocresy, and chuckled.
"Yeah... I'm overthinking it..."
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 24, 2020 7:19:35 GMT -5
Henoke nodded as he listened to Tori explain exploring the huts. His eyes were drawn once more to the ghostly looking homes, shaded by the cliff and seemingly abandoned. ”Sure.” Henoke himself was curious as to who had lived in such a bizarre place. I wonder where they are, now… He was thinking back to the memory the ‘ghost’ had shown him, the four other teenagers he had seen. It was weird—the memory filled him with ambivalence, something he wasn’t accustomed to by any means. ”Let’s go!” Eager to take his mind off of things, Henoke rushed off across the grey sand, heading for the huts. Reaching the space before them, the teen rested his hands behind his head, waiting for Tori with an eager grin.
"What one d'ya wanna check out first?"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 24, 2020 8:16:08 GMT -5
Tori flinched, scoffing faintly with a smile at Henoke's suggestion. Crossing her arms in thought, she debated a bit.
Which one would be better? Splitting up or sticking together? The place itself was safe, given the fact that memories would avoid the area, so maybe she shouldn't really worry about Henoke being tainted, knowing his memory would find its way to him from the start. She nodded to herself before looking at Henoke.
"If you don't mind... Can we split?" she suggested, "It would make things easier, really... There's 6 in total, so..." Tori looked at the farthest one, "While I cover the ones further away... Can you cover these ones? We mind find stuff easier that way... Although I'm honestly against the idea..." Tori looked away with unease, "Even though I've never seen others here before... Invading someone's privacy isn't exactly something I'm fond of..."
She chuckled, nervous, but looked back at Henoke as he made up his mind. Being more for the idea of splitting up, Tori glanced over at the huts they were closer to.
The front of the huts, although decayed and rotting away, didn't exactly leave any holes to peek through, so one couldn't really guess what remained inside. The one in the middle -from the first three, where they were closer to- had its door somewhat open, as if it invited one to go inside.
The rest didn't seem too inviting, but Tori wasn't going to let that stop her.
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 24, 2020 8:42:58 GMT -5
”If you don’t mind…can we split?” Henoke had actually been contemplating the same idea—as upon closer inspection, the huts weren’t big. It’d be easy enough to search one alone—maybe even a little easier. Nodding as he agreed, Henoke listened to what ones Tori would explore and what ones he would. ”Although I’m honestly against the idea…” Tori seemed unsure. ”Invading someone’s privacy isn’t exactly something I’m fond of…” Henoke shrugged a bit, eyeing the dilapidated buildings with a doubtful gaze. ”I mean, I don’t think they’re around to mind.” Maybe it wasn’t the best outlook, but the way Henoke saw it was that whoever had once lived here was definitely not returning by the looks of it. If that were the case, anything inside was free-game in his opinion.
It might not of been the most righteous thing for a chosen wielder of the Keyblade to say. Luckily, Henoke was never one who had really cared about how he should be, just how he was. Walking up to one of the closest huts, the one in the middle with the slightly ajar door, the teen waved a hand in momentary farewell to Tori, hollering over his shoulder: "I'll let ya know if I find anything good!" Henoke seemed hardly bothered by this ‘breaking privacy’ as Tori did, strolling into the hut and opening the door as if it were his own home. He couldn’t help but rush in—excited to see what was inside.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 24, 2020 8:59:51 GMT -5
Tori laughed a bit, seeing just how eager Henoke was to rumage around without really caring about righteousness. Although he did point out a very valid fact, she still couldn't help but feel uneasy about entering someone else's home without their conscent.
Still, no one was there. So was there really a risk in all of it? It might've just been her idea, really.
"Alright -same here" she said as she turned towards the farthest hut, "I'll let you know if I find anything good."
With that, she was off, while Henoke remained around the first three, having already entered the one with the open door.
Inside, Henoke would find a simple room, without much else. A single bed, a desk and a chair. On the walls hung what seemed to be pictures, safeguarded by frames of wood and glass. While the faces of people remained there, one would most likely be familiar to Henoke -his long, dark-brown hair, covering half his face for no apparent reason; his slightly dark skin and brown eyes, full of life.
There would be hardly any doubts about it -it was Kosuke's home.
On the same pictures, a small girl with honey-brown hair and purple eyes frequented alongside him, always with a smile. There were others, as well -sometimes sparing between them, some others hanging by the shoreline, which looked far more vivid than what Henoke had seen -the sand was of a golden tone, and the wild-life was green and vivid. The sea was also a welcoming turquoise, unlike the faded blueish-grey he'd seen.
Almost as if it was a completely different world.
On top of the desk remained a single, leather-covered diary, with a quill besides it. Nothing was strapping the book together, almost inviting someone to take a peek. At the same time, a wisp formed near it, hesitating near the book before slowly making its way towards Henoke, waiting for him to reach it, much in the same fashion as the last one.
...Want... to help...? A voice seemed to echo, although most likely, Henoke wouldn't be able to tell where the voice came from, unlikely for the wisp to be talking.
But it would feel as if someone wanted him to reach out for the diary.
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 24, 2020 9:23:41 GMT -5
Pushing his way past the old door, Henoke scrunched up his nose as the heavy scent of dust reached him. ”Tch—hella abandoned…” It seems what he had told Tori had rang true, if someone lived here, it didn’t seem like they were returning any time soon. Glancing around the hut, Henoke noticed how plain it all seemed, finding himself a little disappointed as he stared at the normal bed and desk. Hm…
His gaze shifted to the walls, lined with framed memories that he had hardly glanced at yet. Scanning the pictures, Henoke’s eyes went wide with surprise as he found a face he recognized. ”Kosuke!” Yanking the picture he was staring at off of the wall with little regard, a wide grin had come across the teens face. Heh—it’s been a while since I’ve seen him…I wonder how he’s doing? Wait a second! He was getting distracted! ”What’s a picture of Kosuke doing here?!” It had taken him a moment to connect the shock-factor. Was this place—?! No way! This couldn’t be, could it?!
Shifting to look at the countless other pictures, Henoke would notice the difference between the beach he and Tori had walked across and the one in the photos. It looks…normal, in these. So it hadn’t always been the way it was, with grey sand and a grayer ocean? What had happened to the world they were on, then, to make it so decayed and empty? ”Who’s this?” The teen noticed that in many of the photos, there was a small girl beside him, with purple eyes that struck him as too familiar. ”It almost looks like…” No way, though, Tori hadn’t recalled anyone named Kosuke…he had even asked her when they first met at some point in the castle after remembering her name.
He was looking for her… Pained by the sadness he and Kosuke shared, looking for someone they cared for, Henoke couldn’t help but wonder. Want…to…help? A voice caused Henoke to jolt and spin on his heels, shoving the picture he held of Kosuke and a small girl into his pocket. ”Who’s there?!” He didn't know those things could talk?! Sighing in relief as the teen saw a faint wisp hovering by the desk, Henoke noticed the small leather-covered book for the first time. ”Huh?” Walking over to the desk and the wisp, the teen looked down, raising an eyebrow.
She said I’d get a feeling… Tilting his head at the wisp, Henoke got an odd feeling from within. If it wasn’t a memory that belonged to him, did it belong to someone he knew? It felt like a familiar energy…whatever that meant. He wasn’t sure if the wisp belonged to him or not, but it seemed to be hovering near the diary for a reason. ”Is this a clue?” Unsure, Henoke reached out and picked the book up, trying to make sure it didn’t fall apart with its ragged state. Sighing a bit, he gave the wisp an exasperated expression. ”You’re worse than the old man…tryin’ to make me read a book.”
Smiling faintly at the thought of his Master, Henoke opened the book—curious to see what he’d find within.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 24, 2020 9:48:13 GMT -5
The wisp simply wavered a bit, remaining by Henoke's side as he opened the book with curiosity. It didn't want to return just yet, apparently knowing something that his owner didn't.
While Henoke flips through the pages -somewhat yellow due to the passing of time, yet surprisingly not brittle to the touch-, he'd find words, written down with ink that hadn't faded yet. At the corner of each entry, there would be a day, starting from the number 14. It seemed that whoever wrote the diary hadn't begun writing until a few weeks of either arriving there or obtaining it, but it hardly seemed to matter. The dates were scattered, not cohesive, but in order regardless. From 14 it would go to 15, then 28... A few pages further, 56...
Scattered dates without a noticeable care about the proper passing of time.
"Found Tori today. It looked as if she'd been crying alone for a while, but I couldn't tell. In any case, I found her. She freaked out when she saw me there, but I managed to reassure her and got her to stay with me. It was the only chance I had to tell her my part of the story. After that, Tori didn't know how to react and, being honest, it doesn't surprise me. She asked me multiple times if I was joking, and each time, I replied that I wasn't. She hugged me soon after, and sobbed for a while, but a smile was written on her face. I just reassured her, and gave her the support she needed. It took a while for her to calm back down, but I didn't mind it. After a bit, she suggested to go back to the Shore. There was no point remaining at the Boundary anymore, so I just followed along. Besides, the others didn't know where we were, so it'd help reassure them, too. I mean, they do worry about us. Tori said that, as long as I was there, the form she currently had felt okay. Once the others saw her, she felt even more comfortable. ...I'm starting to think Sharih's got some sort of fashion obsession... She kept imagining aloud how Tori would look with a different style, and actually messed around with the idea for a bit. Although, I'll admit that the ponytail Sharih came up with does suit Tori a lot... Tomorrow, I'll see what Tori wants to do. I will keep my word, after all."
The date of the entry read "112". Although it wouldn't mean much, given that nothing else really dated the entry other than the "day", it felt as if someone had written it long ago. The wisp hovered closely towards Henoke, almost touching his cheek.
He waited for its owner to reach out for it.
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 24, 2020 10:49:04 GMT -5
Henoke read through the diary entries, a light smile on his face at being able to ‘hear’ Kosuke, in a way. Heh—he’s always so serious about promises. Henoke took promises seriously, too, but that’s why he didn’t promise a lot of things. The smile soon faded as his suspicion grew, placing the book carefully back down on the deck with a sigh, crossing his arms and staring at the wisp, which was hovering super close to his face. ”Tch—I’m tryin’ to figure somethin’ out!” Annoyed at the distraction, Henoke waved a hand out, trying to swat the ‘ghost’ away.
That was when it rushed into his face—fogging his vision as the hut around him seemed to melt away…
Ahead of him was a large door, woven into the thick tree that loomed high above him, forming a canopy that stretched across the center of the forest. All around him were massive green leaves and bushes, thick dark brown trees and vibrant green towering. Henoke stood before it, mystified, looking up in awe. W-what is this place? Everything seemed so…big. Without any participation, Henoke was moved forward through the memory, seeing through the eyes of his past self. Walking forward, closer to the large tree, he noticed how small his hand was as he reached out towards the looming wooden door, engraved with beautiful gold etchings and a large heart at the top.
W-woah! What?! It was so small! Am I—?! There was a voice echoing throughout the forest—though maybe it was in his head. ”Come…open…” Pressing forward, Henoke’s hand pushed against the unyielding wood, finally applying both hands as he heard a grunt of effort escape him. ”Henoke!” A woman’s voice caused him to spin around, forgetting about his efforts. ”There you are! I told you not to wander out this far!” Just as he was able to make out her features, the woman scooped him up into her arms as he heard himself shout out in protest.
T-this… With long orange hair, the same color as his own, the woman looked down at him with bright green eyes and a smile that made him forget his purpose. ”Moooooom! Let me go!” Tiny fists pumped the air as his short legs kicked out from below. He craned around to look back at the wide tree—though the door was gone. ”Ha ha! You know you can’t beat me!” Suddenly, he was spun around and sitting atop the world—viewing it from a height that felt more familiar as the woman rested him on her shoulders.
”C’mon—let’s eat! Your dad’s been cookin' all mornin'.” Henoke heard himself shout out happily as they began to walk off. He glanced back over his shoulder at the tree once more—wondering where the door had gone…
Everything seemed to fade into mist as the memory vanished—
”Ah!” Falling over the chair as he scrambled backwards, Henoke fell to the hut floor with a THUMP! His heart was pounding as he scrambled to sit up. My… He hadn't been able to recall anything before he had been training with his Master. This whole time, he had been running around without knowing where he had even come from. Something wet hit his hand, making him look down—though his vision was suddenly blurry. A small drop sat on the back of his hand, causing the teen to look up at the ceiling of the hut. Is there…a leak? Tears fell across his face as he lifted his arm to his face, wiping his jacket sleeve across his eyes in a hurried state.
”Stupid thing! I don’t have time for this!” Coping with the conflicting emotions he felt with one he was more familiar with, anger, Henoke shot up to his feet with his fists clenched as he looked around the room for the wisp. It was nowhere to be found. ”Urgh…damn it!” Both hands flew to his head as he shook it, looking down at the floor with a scowl. ”I was thinkin' of somethin’ important, too!” Irritated and emotional, Henoke didn’t bother to fix the chair he knocked over as he looked over at the desk. ”…” Could it really be a coincidence? But how would she not remember? He tried to take his mind off of things by focusing on his earlier suspicion. His memories were messed up since he was...well, in his 'current state', as Tori had initially put it. Could someone else get their memories muddled, even if they weren't 'reconstructed', like he was?
For a moment, Henoke stood in the hut in silence, mulling over everything—both the information he gathered from Kosuke’s diary as well as his own memory.
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