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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 11, 2020 14:54:45 GMT -5
Caught off-guard by Henoke’s tackle, Tori lost hold of her Keyblade, but her anger remained. Landing on top of him, she groaned, ignoring his words altogether, much for the fox’s dismay and worry. Even though the fox and Henoke had taken the front, Tori wasn’t about to let them take her spot.
“Move it!” she shouted, bitter, “This is something I have to settle!”
A few wounds —although more like cracks— began to litter her body, but she paid them no mind, as the grip on her Keyblade strengthened, fueled by a relentless fury. The fox glanced back, worried, its ears low, only knowing what Tori wanted to do.
Henoke’s Firaga spell hit cleanly, as the figure was starting to recover, yet it was able to block the Blitz attack with another barrier of darkness, pushing Henoke back. That’s when Tori dashed forward, her purple eyes flaring with anger as she readied her Keyblade mid-dash. The fox rushed towards her, tackling her out of course and forcing Tori to lay on her back with the fox on top of her, pinning her down while the figure recovered.
“You need to stop this!” it yelled, crying, “You won’t get anything done by fighting here, Tori! The only thing you’ll do is getting yourself killed!” “I—” Tori struggled at the fox, it standing over her, “Get off me!” “Not until you calm down! You really need to stop this!”
The figure looked at Tori, struggling to get the creature off of her, and turned around, disappearing in the same manner as before.
“Your fate has already been decided —you cannot change it” it warned, before disappearing, “A Spirit’s fate cannot be undone.”
Seeing it leave, Tori’s anger only grew stronger, struggling to get the fox off of her with even more strength, until she was able to do so. She pushed the fox away, throwing it against the wall in pure rage. The fox yelped in pain, the hit landing square on its back.
Then, something else happened. Tori yelled in pain at the same time the fox had yelped once its back hit the walls. Too much to bear, she lurched forward, trying to cope with the sudden aching in her body.
Laying on the floor, Tori only then realized the wounds in her arms, and even some on her face. Forgetting her anger and now focused on what truly happened, she tried to stand up, forcing herself a bit, to try and get by the fox’s side.
“I’m sorry… I…” she said, with clear worry, “I didn’t mean…” “Hehe…” the fox chuckled with unease, “You always packed a punch… Too bad you feel it whenever you hit me like that, though, huh?” “Fay, I’m sorry…”
Already by the fox’s side, with clear regret in her voice, Tori brought the fox to her embrace, shocking it a bit while the girl cried, apologizing. Instead of being angry or bitter, the fox snuggled her back, rubbing its head against her cheek.
“You were always quick to apologize” it said with a smile, “I’m fine, though, but you’re not… Take it easy, alright?”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 11, 2020 15:37:21 GMT -5
Tch—bastard! His anger flaring as his Keyblade rang off of another ark barrier, Henoke slid across the white floor, keeping his grip on his weapon tight. Seeing Tori out of the corner of his eye, Henoke shouted out in surprise as he watched the fox take a turn tackling her. ”You need to stop this!” Hearing the fox’s shout, Henoke sighed in mild relief as he turned back to the figure in black. Well…one problem solved… Preparing to charge forward once more, he nearly tripped coming to a halt as the figure began to dissolve into a weird black mist once more. ”Aw, what?!” Rushing forward and swinging, Henoke whiffed at the mist as his Keyblade clanged against the floor, having hit nothing but air.
A yelp of pain caught his attention, causing Henoke to spin on his heels as his eyes widened, seeing the fox crumpled against the wall. Tori seemed to shout out, too, collapsing onto the ground as he rushed back to the two of them. By the time he made it back, the two had seemed to make up, Tori cradling the fox as she cried out her apologies. Noticing the odd cracks that appeared on her arms and face, Henoke couldn’t help but shout out in surprise—it literally looked like she was cracking apart! ”What the hell?!” Kneeling down, Henoke’s Keyblade disappeared as he inspected the odd wounds. ”Shit—is she gonna be okay?” He looked expectantly at the fox, who seemed to know quite a bit—though maybe that shouldn’t have been surprising, seeing as how it could talk and everything.
He had no idea what had just been going on. Confused, Henoke couldn’t help but glance back over his shoulder at where the figure had once been. All black, huh? Was that one of the people who made him? What did they have to do with Tori’s imprisonment? Was it all connected somehow? His head was spinning with questions, though he shook them off as he waited to hear about Tori’s condition. That was what mattered most to him, right now.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 11, 2020 16:11:14 GMT -5
Tori focused her gaze back, keeping the fox close to her. As for the creature, it glanced over at Henoke past Tori’s shoulder (seeing that it was at the opposite end of him) with curiosity as he kneeled down besides Tori, asking about the cracks in her body.
”Shit—is she gonna be okay?” His comment was clearly full with worry, causing the fox to smile caringly. Nudging Tori to let go, it jumped from her arms back to the floor, seemingly much better than before, even though it just hit the wall with a lot of strength behind it. Sitting down, its tails fanning back to nine, it nodded.
“She’ll be fine if she follows 2 things” it nodded, “One, I stick around with her, and two, she stops being so reckless” it puffed its cheeks, looking at Tori with a reprimanding frown, “You can’t control your powers the way you used to before —that, added to the fact that we’re still in the Realm Between, pushed your body way past limits, and it causes those wounds to appear” it pointed at the cracks, Tori only looking down at them. “This, again…?” Tori’s mumble caused the fox to flinch. “Wait, you’ve already had these appear?!” “…Yeah” she nodded, looking down, “Although… Not the same situation, but… I did force myself too far…” she looked away. "Haa..." the fox sighed, “You’re really too reckless…”
The fox stood up, turning towards the corridor. The other side was a simple frame, a bright light shining through it, not allowing them to see what was past them. Looking at the pair before stepping forward, the fox led the way.
“In any case, we’ll be fine. The Darkness has already left us alone” it explained, “We can proceed without needing to worry about enemies for the time being… Odds are, though, that it’ll come to taunt you again” it looked at Tori, “Try keeping your cool by then, alright?” “…I’ll try” Tori nodded.
Glancing over at Henoke with a smile, Tori tried to stand up, but the exhaustion caught up to her, as she plopped back onto her knees. She clicked her tongue with a bit of pain, noting how all of the sudden her body was hurting all over. As if she’d been rammed by a stampede of Nightmares, or just carts. The fox sighed, sitting down while tilting its head.
“Or… We can stay here and wait for you to recover…” it mentioned, “If you’re that worn down… Hoo boy…”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 11, 2020 16:58:10 GMT -5
”She’ll be fine if she follows 2 things” Henoke listened eagerly, having stood back up as the fox began its short list. Smirking a bit at hearing the second ‘rule’, the teen eyed Tori with a humorous glance. It was nice to hear someone else being called reckless for a change. Resting his hands behind his head, Henoke felt his heart lighten after hearing their back-and-forth. As the fox stood back up, heading towards the corridor, Henoke paused, glancing back at Tori with worry. Is she really gonna be okay? Though the fox had reassurred them that the damage wasn’t permanent—they looked so severe…
”In any case, we’ll be fine. The Darkness has already left us alone.” The fox’s voice echoed off of the tall walls around them as Henoke walked over to offer Tori a hand. Seeing her try to stand on her own only quickened his pace, tsking as he watched her crumple back down to her knees. ”Tch—you idiot, you can’t even move now!” Though the words might have seemed harsh, the expression and tone Henoke wore while he delivered them betrayed his worry and concern. Sighing a bit as he scratched at the back of his head, he gave her an exasperated look.
Summoning his Keyblade, Henoke raised his weapon into the air as a green light surrounded it. The sound of faint bells chimed as flower blossoms bloomed above Tori, a green healing light washing over her as his Cura spell was cast. Dismissing his weapon in a ray of light, Henoke crouched down in front of her. ”That help at all?” It looked like just moving alone was hard for her, so he hoped that it at least helped somewhat. For a moment, he thought of carrying her—but that was a stupid idea if all of her hurt. Damn… The fox was right, they might just have to wait for her to recover. He was frustrated at the mysterious figure disappearing—having many questions about them that they would have to save for later.
Depending on if his Cura spell had any effect, they most likely wouldn’t want to move her anytime soon. If it did end up helping to a point where Tori could move, Henoke would offer to support her throughout the corridor.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 12, 2020 1:26:14 GMT -5
Looking down after she’d fallen, Tori frowned, until she felt the effects of healing magic around her. Henoke then crouched down near her, asking if the spell had helped at all. Although she didn’t want to worry him further, the spell had done little effect, allowing her to recover some of her lost energy, but far from healing the wounds on her body.
Still, it allowed her to at least be able to stand.
“It did —thanks” she nodded. “Y’know? It’s best if we wait a bit until you recover a little more” the fox sighed, “Going around like that might cause more to appear… And you probably know what a hassle they are to get rid of."
Tori sighed, looking away in embarrassment. Being berated that way by the fox, one would think they knew each other, but Tori didn’t remember ever seeing it before. The fox approached her, snuggling its head against her legs, causing Tori to tilt her head in curiosity.
Did she know it from before?
“Come on —you’re not going anywhere like that” the fox chuckled, and then looked at Henoke, “Same goes for you. It’ll be fine if we rest here, so don’t worry. Now, sit down!”
Playfully, the fox tackled Henoke to the floor, chuckling a bit as it snuggled its snout against his nose. Tori looked at it shocked at first, but smiled with amusement later, before sitting back down and taking deep breaths to try and calm down. Seeing her that way, the fox left Henoke to go towards her, rubbing its head against her arms with a mix of playfulness and caring. After a while, Tori got enough confidence to pet it, receiving a happy hum in return.
It seemed like the fox was more towards the idea of taking it slow, rather than rushing through as before, although mostly to do with Tori’s state.
The cracks didn’t seem like they’d disappear anytime soon, nor did the Cura spell help in hasting the healing process, but the fox didn’t seem worried.
So long as Tori followed its lead, they’d disappear.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 12, 2020 13:43:42 GMT -5
Sighing in relief a bit as the healing spell at least seemed to do something, Henoke crossed his arms. Hearing that Tori would need some time to recover didn’t surprise him, based on what they had said previously, though it did cause the teen to glance around the looming corridor they stood in. The white walls glaring back at him only brought a faint scowl. ”Now, sit down!” The fox’s sudden tackle caught him off guard, shouting out as he topped over beneath the beast as it pinned and snuggled him. ”Tch—you fur-ball!” The creature was far too fast, leaping off of him to aid Tori within the blink of an eye. Scratching at the back of his head with a bit of an immature pout on his face, Henoke was at least glad to see Tori taking it easy.
So it’s ‘cause she can’t control her powers fully, huh? It was kind of crazy, seeing something take that much of a toll on a person. Some of Henoke’s powers took a toll on his body as well, but hardly to the extent it seemed to impact Tori. Must be some power… His eyes fell to the ruined section of floor in the distance. ”So—what’s the deal with you?” Henoke decided if they were going to hang out and rest, he might as well ask some of his countless questions. Glancing at the fox, the teen sat with one leg raised, resting an arm on his knee while propping himself up with the other. The dynamic between Tori and the white fox seemed vaguely nostalgic for some reason… ”Where’d you come from? What’s your deal?” Though it was nice to have a guide through this labyrinth of a castle, Henoke couldn’t help but have lingering suspicions. "What were you doin' here?"
This place was a harsh reminder of how things weren’t always what they seemed.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 12, 2020 14:04:51 GMT -5
”So—what’s the deal with you?”
The fox perked up, tilting its head as Henoke asked the countless questions inside his head. Most of them had been asked by Tori herself, but amidst the rush of just leaving the illusion that was made through Henoke’s memories, the fox had blatantly ignored them.
Now, however, was a different time.
“My ‘deal’, as you so eloquently put it, is just helping you two out” it explained, “I’ve got no other reasons for it, really —I just want to help. Although ‘obligated’ would be a far better word to use here…” “Huh?” Tori tilted her head, curious, “Obligated?” “It’s ‘cause you’re here” the fox turned back towards Tori, “Although you could easily go through this place as you pleased, you’re unable to break past the illusions this world places as a challenge. Without that ability, you can’t progress further. Even if you’re aware of the illusions this place creates, it won’t help at all if you can’t find an exit out of them” it repeated.
The fox sighed, standing up, and making its way to fit right between Tori and Henoke, glancing at the two with its purple eyes, observing. It sat down calmly, its tails now one, waving it back and forth nonchalantly, as if it ignored Henoke’s suspicion over it.
“I’m surprised you haven’t realized what I am, though” it mentioned, glancing over at Henoke, “You’ve seen creatures like me before” it turned towards Tori, “You, as well —although most of the time its their Summoner taking their Familiar’s form.” “Wait, so you are someone’s Familiar?!” Tori asked, shocked, “Whose… Whose Familiar are you?!” “…” the fox looked sullen, its ears down, “You really don’t remember…” it sighed, “Then again, I can’t blame you for it —you detached yourself from them in order to defend yourself.” “Huh…?” “…I’m you” the fox nodded, “You already know my name, and you know what I am. Our thoughts, and therefore memories, are one” the fox deflated a bit, laying down, “If anything… The only reason I’m here is because you needed help. I managed to take form because, albeit in pieces, your power’s still within you. But… It’s not enough” it finished with a pout.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 12, 2020 14:22:17 GMT -5
”I’ve got no other reasons for it, really—I just want to help.” Henoke was mildly surprised at the answer, not expecting such a blatant act of goodwill. ”Although ‘obligated’ would be a far better word to use here…” Ah, there it was. Henoke grinned slightly, figuring it wouldn’t have been as simple as being selfless for the sake of it. Hearing the fox continue to explain that Tori wouldn’t be able to break out of this castle’s illusions without its help was a little worrying though. Tch—so if it hadn’t shown up we’d've been screwed? The thought hurt his pride a little. ”I’m surprised you haven’t realized what I am, though. You’ve seen creatures like me before.” Henoke blinked and tilted his head for a moment—he’d seen a nine-tailed fox before? ”Wait, so you are someone’s Familiar?!” Tori’s shocked question jolted Henoke’s memory.
Familiar…? He’d heard that word before...but when? As the fox seemed to slightly chastise Tori’s lack of memory, Henoke mulled over his thoughts for a moment, furrowing his brow as he tried to remember where he’d heard of or seen a ‘Familiar’ before. The fox admitted to being Tori’s Familiar, finally letting Henoke remember. Oh, yeah! Kosuke had a Familiar, too! He had forgotten because he just thought of the Necro as a dragon most of the time. ”Hm…so you’re like Necro, huh?” He mumbled a bit as his gaze seemed distant, heavy in thought. It seemed that they only appeared because Tori had needed help. No wonder I’ve never seen ‘em before. Up until now, their travels hadn’t required any assistance—they had been able to handle mostly everything on their own. Even back on Beast’s world. It would have spoken volumes to the threat this castle posed, though Henoke was never the type to think long on things like 'risk' or 'threats', having almost too much confidence in his own power.
Scratching at the back of his head, the teen eyed the fox without suspicion now, coming to terms with the fact it was an ally. ”Hm…so Tori still needs more power?” It sounded like the fox couldn’t be around all the time because of some limitation. Glancing at her wounds from a distance, Henoke’s face had a slightly serious look before he turned his eyes back to the fox. ”Wonder if somethin' in this place would help...?” Was power something they could just obtain? Did she have to train? There was a lot he didn’t understand, when it came to Spirits.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 12, 2020 15:04:25 GMT -5
Standing back up, the fox waved its tail eagerly, nodding as Henoke asked if it was the same as Necro. It seemed happy, finally making headway, but Tori was more than confused. She tilted her head, trying to wrap her head around the idea.
It’d make sense that she would also have a Familiar, being a Spirit and all. But that fox, being her Familiar? It seemed… Different. Felt, even, much more different than those she’d met before —or rather, the manifestation of said Familiars. Seeing Henoke knew of one already —that one being Kosuke’s— she pondered if he’d know better than her.
Although that was most likely wishful thinking. The thought caused her to sigh with amusement. The fox made its way towards Henoke, looking at him attentive. His questions caused it to chuckle, shaking her head faintly before replying.
“This place doesn’t hold anything that’d help Tori recover that power” it explained, “Even though we are in the Realm Between, Tori’s power has been stolen —stolen a long time ago. As such, recovering it would mean getting it back from the person who stole it, but considering who it is, it’s a tough route to take.”
“As such, instead of gathering her old power… She’ll have to make do with a new one” the fox turned towards Tori, who still remained confused, “While her abilities remain —given the type of Spirit she is, rather than being connected to her original power—, how strong she currently is has been heavily affected. And in order to gain strength, similar to the one you used to wield…” the fox went silent, hoping Tori would catch up. “…You mean I'd have to travel —to search for that power and make it mine” Tori finished, looking down. “Both the Realms of Light and Darkness hold those keys. Your power comes from the balance in between, after all” the fox continued, “However… It doesn’t seem like they’re keen on allowing you to create it from scratch, despite knowing the current situation…” “…” gripping her hands tight, Tori scowled, “They just want to send me back there…” “Exactly. They think they can handle the Spirits by themselves. But the longer they try, the more Rifts the Spirits gain access to, and the more power they can draw from the Realm Between. Locking you back at the Farther Shore would be useless, even if the Spirits wanted to destroy it. They’d destroy the worlds outside first, and then finish you off. With how little power you have right now, even if you went all-out, they’d overwhelm you and every other Loyal —a complete defeat.”
The fox looked sullen, walking back towards her and snuggling once more. The cracks on her body were still vivid, raw and recent. Any move from Tori caused them to sting, faintly but still there. The fox snuggling against them didn’t have the same effect, however, instead soothing them, but not closing them completely.
“Given the fact that they want you back so badly, they’ll force your current form to break” the fox said, calm, “Since you’re immortal, your heart and soul would return to the Shore —where they belong— and from there create a new body… But no one’s so sure if that’ll cause all of your memories to disappear…” “Huh? But…” Tori looked confused, “A Spirit’s memory is to themselves… Right? Why would I forget? Wouldn’t it all just… Come back?” “We can’t say” the fox shook its head, “Why do you think he protected you back then? When you were attacked?” Tori flinched at the fox’s question, “You may be immortal, but what’ll happen if your Emblem is struck?” the fox nudged at her gloved hand, “You may be the heart of the Shore, but no one can say what’ll happen to the current you if your Emblem —or worse, your entire being— is destroyed. That’s why we need to make sure you grow stronger —to ensure that your current self isn’t taken away by them, in order to put order to this whole ordeal. After that...” the fox shook its head, "Well... You have an idea or two on what to do... Right?"
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 12, 2020 16:29:00 GMT -5
”This place doesn’t hold anything that’d help Tori recover that power.” Henoke couldn’t help but sigh and slouch a bit, deflating from his hope being popped. Hearing how Tori’s original power was stolen only made the teen more frustrated at his friends circumstances. The following explanation of the situation was a steady downhill, ending with the fox even admitting that as things stood right now, she stood no chance. ”…You mean I’d have to travel—to search for that power and make it mine.” Henoke wasn’t really following as easily as Tori was, a blatantly confused look on his face as he watched the two. Find…power? What would that look like, for her? Such abstract concepts were way beyond him. Thankfully, Tori seemed to understand what the fox was saying—and that’s what was important.
He would just support her and go along for the ride. ”Given the fact that they want you back so badly, they’ll force your current form to break.” It was a foreboding thought, one that caused Henoke to scowl in anger as he thought of the mysterious cloaked figure. Who was that? Tori hadn’t seemed to know…but would her Familiar? His question would have to wait, as the fox explained the danger of Tori losing control or having her Emblem damaged. So they were plannin' all this from the start? That was the only conclusion he could come to, seeing as how they had been greeted by an enemy sooner rather than later. Scratching at the back of his head, Henoke felt his mood foul a bit. He wished things weren’t so complicated—why couldn’t the bad guys just show up to fight them fair and square? Remembering what the fox said, Henoke felt his pride flare as he thought.
Tch—we’ll beat ‘em! There was no way they’d lose!
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 12, 2020 16:56:08 GMT -5
Tilting its head at Henoke seeing him so silent all of the sudden, the fox turned back towards him. While Tori remained on the floor, sitting while recovering her energy back, the fox jumped over towards Henoke, this time to land on his shoulder. Its size, surprisingly, was much smaller than before, fitting perfectly comfortable on the boy’s shoulder, looking at him closely in the eyes.
“You are aware that I’m not talking about the Spirits, right?” it asked, “At least, when I’m talking about wanting Tori back at the Shore… If anything, Traitors want her outside, because it’s a much easier way to get rid of her.” “…” Tori looked serious, finally managing to step up, “You’re… Talking about both the Light and Darkness… Right?” “That figure we just saw was that —a manifestation of Darkness. It wasn’t anyone in particular.”
With that said, it jumped down, taking the size back to its usual self, much for Tori’s surprise. Could a Familiar control the way they looked? Shape-wise, it didn’t seem possible, but size… If it wanted, would the fox grow to a more intimidating form? Something inside Tori’s mind told her that is was possible, having already done it before.
But such a hazy thought was far from solid evidence.
“Looks like you can keep up” the fox mentioned, “Do they not hurt as much?” “Not really” Tori shook her head, “They’re less vivid now… But they still hurt a bit.” “Still, can you walk?” “I’ll be able to.” “Then, let’s keep up.”
The fox made its way forward, calm and collected, while Tori followed. It still stung, having gone too overboard, but with some time, they began to hurt a bit less. Having Henoke around was more than welcome, though, as it meant someone watching her back.
“…” she looked away, amused, “Thanks, Henoke…” she said, “For… Everything so far, I guess…” “You apologize and say thanks more often than moving, y’know…” the fox berated, to then sigh, “Then again… You always did.” “…How much do you know about me?” “Oh, quite a lot, trust me. Most things that happened back when you lived at the Shore, along the rest. Every little detail~” it added coyly.
Tori chuckled faintly, while following the fox towards the end of the hallway. Shining brightly at the end, the light seemed to call out to them, and given how confident the fox was, odds are they weren’t being lured into a trap.
Tori just wondered whether it led to yet another illusion, or just another white room… She begged for the latter.
But it wasn’t. As soon as they crossed the arch, a steppe appeared in front of them. Behind them, a bamboo thicket, while at the far distance, one could see a rural town. Tori looked shocked, almost as if she’d been there before, yet nothing in her memory accounted for that. The fox, on the other hand, looked worried, its ears once more down.
“…Where is this?” Tori asked, looking at it. “I didn’t think it’d use worlds of people that aren’t here with us…” the fox mentioned, “And yet… Here we are…” “Answer —where is this?” Tori insisted. “…” the fox looked back, still worried, “Kosuke’s world —the one he used to live in before he turned to the Shore. But… Why is this illusion around?”
“In any case” the fox shook its head, standing back up “We need to keep pushing forward. I can tell the door’s too far away, though… Follow me —it’s past that town, no doubt.”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 12, 2020 17:15:16 GMT -5
Jolting in surprise as the white fox seemingly shrunk while leaping onto his shoulder, Henoke blinked in confusion as he failed to understand what it was explaining. Uh… Shit, this stuff was way over his head. ”That figure we just saw was that—a manifestation of Darkness. It wasn’t anyone in particular.” Finally understanding, Henoke furrowed his brow while taking in the new information. So…it wasn’t the same people that made me? Though on one hand he was thankful that they weren’t connected—it also meant he once again had zero leads. As the fox jumped from his shoulder back to the floor, Henoke noticed Tori standing up, seemingly better off than before. ”Looks like you can keep up.” He pushed himself up to his feet, glad that Tori was recovering quickly.
Continuing down the corridor, the fox led the way as Henoke paused for a moment, making sure Tori was okay to walk on her own. ”Thanks, Henoke…” Surprised by her sudden gratitude, he found himself slightly red as he turned away, scratching at the back of his head. He didn’t feel like he was doing much, but was glad that whatever he was doing seemed to be helping. ”You apologize and say thanks more often than moving, y’know…” Hearing the fox’s jab, the teen couldn’t help but smirk a bit as he eyed it and Tori’s back-and-forth. They really did seem close. Just like Necro and Kosuke. Just like Chirithy. The memory brought a faint pain to his heart, though he hardly showed it as he moved forward, following Tori and the fox down the hallway.
The bright light archway at the end caused Henoke to lift a hand vaguely to shield his eyes. Stepping through with the others, the teen gapped at the bamboo thicket surrounding them. ”Where is this?” It seemed Henoke wasn’t the only one who didn’t know where they were. The fox gave a vague answer before Tori finally forced a more specific one from its muzzle. ”Kosuke’s world—“ Henoke showed his surprise, stepping forward as he looked around. ”Huh?!” How were they here?! For a moment, a bit of excitement prickled him—he would finally get to see the home of one of his friends. Sure, he had seen the hut at the Shore—but all of that had been kind of depressing. ”In any case, we need to keep pushing forward.”
Aiming for the small rural town in the distance, the trio began to walk through the bamboo thicket. Henoke was entranced by the vegetation, not having bamboo on his own home world. He had a vague sensation of familiarity with it though…but no memory to accompany that feeling. He thought of the illusions in this castle, making sure to remind himself this time that none of this was real. "I wonder if we'll run into anyone..." He mumbled the thought aloud as they walked. Would Kosuke's friends or family be around, like his had been on his own home world?
Or rather, the illusion of it.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 13, 2020 2:50:12 GMT -5
The fox didn’t reply at Henoke’s question, walking calmly to the steppe, out of the bamboo thicket. They were already at the end of it, the steppe in front deprived from trees or vegetation —somewhat dry. Tori was concerned, having been told where they were despite it being an illusion. And given the fox’s worry, she kept having a bad feeling of the whole situation.
It was fairly hot, considering they were in an illusion, but a faint breeze kept flowing through. It was silent, without even nature’s noises being heard —no birds, no creatures, nothing. An empty steppe.
The fox perked up after walking a bit, noticing 2 figures in front of them. Tori also did, but then seemed to shrunk, worried, after recognizing one of the figures. In front of them, not too far off, were 2 people —a man and a woman. The swordsman was more than recognizable; hence the reason Tori was worried. The woman was not, however, and she'd begun to look around with some curiosity, most likely related to whatever the pair was talking about. Her white-ish blonde hair almost radiated against the sunlight as she tilted with a curious look at the swordsman, seemingly teasing him. While the group approached them, the swordsman perked up, noticing them, and taking his stance with a bitter glare.
“Who are you?” he demanded. “Ah, Kosuke…” the woman pouted, soft-spoken. “…” Kosuke backed away with a sigh, “You’re not Lunarians, are you?” “They don’t seem to be. For me at least” the woman tilted her head towards them, “But… You don’t look Human, either… You’re really different from him.” “Wha—Hey, Marie!”
The woman approached the two, her hands cupped behind her back, and with a soft smile. Kosuke looked exasperated —worried, even — as Marie began to approach them. She perked up when she saw Tori’s cracks, a worried look in her eyes.
“You’re hurt…” she said, standing up properly, “Here, let me—” “I’m fine” Tori looked away, taking a step back. “But they won’t get any better if you just—” “I said I’m fine!”
Frowning, Marie looked at Tori, who refused for any sort of help. The fox, concerned, simply snuggled its cheeks against her legs, trying to ease her, but it didn’t really help —Tori was clearly upset. With a sigh, Kosuke let go of his sword and sheath, to turn towards the pair with a more than suspicious glance.
“So? Where were you two headed?” he asked
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 13, 2020 15:41:18 GMT -5
Emerging from the bamboo thicket, Henoke scanned the steppe, devoid of anything really. It’s empty. Come to think of it, hadn’t the last room been empty, too? He had gotten to see his family and Shiki…but in terms of the town itself, there had been no one. Empty streets accompanied by the sounds of bustling liveliness. Is it gonna be the same, here? As they walked, Henoke pondered the castle’s odd power once more before they made out the figures of two people in the distance. Immediately recognizing Kosuke, Henoke’s face shifted into one of delighted surprise, his heart skipping a beat as he nearly shouted out his friends name. Oh…wait. Would he remember him? It was just an illusion after all, right?
Upon seeing them, Kosuke immediately drew a stance, an unfriendly look in his eye. ”Who are you?” Sure enough, Henoke’s hunch had been correct, causing his earlier excitement to deflate as he slouched a bit in disappointment. ”Tch—just like I thought." A faint scowl appeared on his face as he grumbled quietly to himself. ”You’re not Lunarians, are you?” The question caused his scowl to shift into a puzzled expression as Henoke tilted his head at Kosuke. ”Huh?” He had never heard of that. As the woman, apparently named Marie, came over and noticed Tori’s wounds, Henoke watched with mild humor as his friend denied help. ”So? Where were you two headed?” Kosuke’s question caught the teen off-guard—wondering what these two were doing in the middle of a deserted steppe himself.
”Uh…” Glancing at Tori for a moment, Henoke stumbled to answer as he feigned being a stranger. ”We’re just kinda passin’ through.” Fumbling for a moment, the teen finally settled on an answer. ”The place we’re lookin’ for is far away. A castle.” Settling into the lie, Henoke figured that it’d pass for now. Scratching at the back of his head, he couldn't help but feel a little awkward, talking to Kosuke as though they weren't friends. ”Oh, yeah…I’m Henoke.” Looking between Kosuke and Marie, he gave a friendly smile, despite the weirdness of introducing himself to someone he already knew. ”This's Tori...” Glancing at Tori, Henoke paused, unsure of whether or not to use her real name. But if this Kosuke didn’t remember Henoke, would he remember Tori?
"How about you?" Gesturing at the emptiness around them, Henoke couldn't help but voice his curiosity. "I thought for sure this place was gonna be abandoned or somethin'."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 13, 2020 16:09:30 GMT -5
While Tori looked away, trying to get rid of her unease, the fox looked at Henoke as he came up with a somewhat adequate lie. While Marie looked with interest, Kosuke looked with suspicion, his brown eyes focused on Henoke as he pouted in thought.
“A… castle?” Kosuke asked, incredulous, “Maybe you’re headed the wrong way? I know this area particularly well, and I don’t know of any castles ‘round these parts” he sighed, crossing his arms, “Well, unless the Lunarias haven’t settled a capital near this place…” “I doubt they could, considering just how recent the attack was…” Marie mentioned, pondering, “Maybe a simple barricade?” “Tch —you’d know better.”
Marie sighed, giving up against Kosuke’s unease and unwilling to try and change his opinion about Henoke and Tori. Turning towards them without insistence, she smiled faintly, placing her hands behind her as she leaned towards the two.
“Sorry about him —he’s… A bit hard to deal with” she apologized. “Oi, what are you plottin’?!” Kosuke scowled. “Ehehe…” Marie giggled, standing back up properly, “I’m Marie, and he’s Kosuke. We were headed to that town after hearing that a Lunarian army had dealt an assault. The clan living there managed to retreat, but that means the town itself is deserted.” “And full of soldiers…” Kosuke looked away, rolling his eyes. “Mm” Marie nodded his way, before turning back towards the two, “It might be for the best to avoid it for the time being. However… If you’re headed past that village… Why not join us?” she suggested with a smile.
Kosuke visibly flinched, quick to scowl once more after listening to Marie’s suggestion. She simply smiled back, giggling much to his dismay. He gave up with a sigh, turning around and towards the village, seemingly ignoring whatever they discussed after. Marie looked at him with a mix of both scolding and unease, but could only do so much. Nudging for the two to follow, she led the way.
“Come on —the way’s better with company, isn’t it?” she asked cheerful. “…” Tori glanced down, before nodding faintly, “If you know the area, then it’s best if we stay with you for the time being. At least until we know we can pass by without trouble.” “Leave that to Kosuke! He knows the area!”
Tori and the fox followed, somewhat hesitantly. Given the fact that Kosuke was there —albeit it an illusion of the real one, and one that hadn’t met Tori yet—, she was clearly uneasy. The fox looked at her while tilting its head, concerned.
“You do know who Marie is, right? Do you remember that at least?” it asked. “…Yeah…” Tori nodded, faintly, “But she’s not the issue…” “Hmm?” Marie turned around, a curious expression in her face, “Something wrong?” “Ah…” Tori flinched, seeing her so close so suddenly, “N-No, nothing…” she averted her gaze. “Hmm… If you say so…”
It seemed the blonde woman was worried, her pale blue eyes hinting at her concern. Yet Tori was way too clammed up to try and help, and so Marie let it go. Kosuke waited for them a bit further ahead, turning faintly towards them.
“We’ll make camp a bit closer to the village” he told Marie, “We’ve travelled for too long now, without taking a break. It’s best if we rest in case we need to deal with scouts outside.” “Hmm…” Marie pouted, “I’m more than capable of fending them off!” “They won’t listen to you. And besides, didn’t you just master another Esper?” “That’s no excuse!” “It is!” Kosuke frowned, although his tone was concerned, “Don’t make me remind you of what happened after the third one.”
Marie puffed her cheeks, but Kosuke gave no signs of giving up either. He quickly turned around, closing his distance to a river near the village rather than the village itself. There seemed to be no “scouts”, as he’d put it, but he still remained wary. Being noon, the sun was starting to set down, an orange light filling the steppe before it slowly turned dark.
By the time night fell, Kosuke had managed to set up a fireplace with whatever scraps of wood he could gather, making use of his sword and a piece of stone to spark it alight. Marie sat near it, inviting the other two to sit down besides her, all with a calm smile.
Their personalities were far too opposite.
“…I’ll take first watch” Kosuke said after standing up, looking at Marie, “You should rest.” “You, too” Marie berated him, “Have you even slept after all this?” “…You don’t need to bother about it.”
With that, Kosuke made his way a bit further from the campsite, causing Marie to sigh. While Tori had sat down a few ways from her, yet still near the fireplace, the fox sat besides Tori, snuggling its cheeks against her arms in hopes of cheering her up, if only slightly.
“Sorry about him” Marie apologized with an authentic look, “He’s really not easy to deal with whenever someone doesn’t inspire trust to him… I hope you can forgive him.”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 13, 2020 17:44:08 GMT -5
It seemed that this illusion of Kosuke didn’t remember Tori at all. Her name didn’t raise any eyebrows…though it seemed his ‘castle’ half-truth had not avoided scrutiny. ”Sorry about him—he’s…a bit hard to deal with.” Henoke smirked a bit at the comment. Kosuke certainly seemed different from how he remembered him. Guess he had a reason to act that way here, then. He glanced around quickly, wondering where Necro was. The two were always together, weren’t they? ”I’m Marie, and he’s Kosuke.” Henoke nodded at the introductions, listening as the woman explained more of these ‘Lunarian’ people. Hearing of a town littered with soldiers, Henoke’s face soured. Tch—so there’s enemies here, too. Seemed Kosuke couldn’t catch a break, even in an illusion. ”If you’re headed past that village…why not join us?” Marie’s smile was completely different from Kosuke’s scowl, a contrast Henoke couldn’t help but appreciate with a light humor.
”Come on—the way’s better with company, isn’t it?” Tori seemed willing enough to join along, as well as the white fox. Figuring if the creature didn’t mention anything against it, Henoke shrugged in agreement. It couldn’t be the wrong move if that white demon (he was thinking of it’s surprisingly powerful tackle) didn’t bring up any complaints. Following the others, Henoke took up the rear, resting his hands behind his head as he walked with an uncertain expression. If this is his home…and he doesn’t remember Tori… Was this the past? Like, far in the past? Henoke still didn’t understand why they were here, or how the castle seemed to work. Hearing Kosuke and Marie’s argument over setting up camp, the teen was yanked from his thoughts as he looked on with a confused expression.
During the preparations of camp, Henoke glanced over towards Tori and the white fox. Neither seemed too worried about spending more time here, so the teen quietly resided himself. Truthfully he was wary of resting, having already taken a short respite earlier—but much like Tori said, the illusions knew the area, whereas neither of them did. Watching Kosuke walk off to take first watch as the campfire blazed, Henoke found a seat near Tori and Marie. ”Sorry about him.” The apology only brought a faint smirk to his face as he waved a hand nonchalantly. ”Don’t worry ‘bout it. We’re outsiders—it makes sense.” Though Kosuke’s attitude normally wouldn’t be one Henoke enjoyed—having the history he had with him as a friend made it easy to ignore the behavior.
It did make him curious as to what this ‘world’ was like, though. ”He’s lucky to have you coverin’ for him, though.” He couldn’t help but toss the playful tease out there, finding too much humor in a distrustful and sour Kosuke. Leaning back and glancing up towards the sky, Henoke nearly forgot that the world around him was false. It was all so convincing. Trying to keep the thought in mind, the teen glanced over back to Marie with a curious expression. ”How'd you wind up travelin' together?” Though Henoke cherished Kosuke as a friend, the current Kosuke being displayed to him was a stark difference from Marie. It didn’t seem like the two would get along at all—mainly due to a particular individuals attitude.
He was curious how or why they would be a team, with such different personalities.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 13, 2020 18:03:00 GMT -5
Happy to see that Henoke didn’t mind Kosuke’s attitude, given the fact that they were strangers to him, Marie beamed with a smile, glad to see that it didn’t prove much of an issue. Tori remained mostly quiet, looking at the flames feasting on the dry wood, crackling every now and then with a snap. The fox kept close to her, and Tori couldn’t help but pet it in search for reassurance, already upset as she was.
It was hard, seeing Kosuke’s past with an illusion of him there, yet in a time when they hadn’t even properly met. The thought caused her to sigh.
Meanwhile, Marie listened attentive to Henoke’s comments, perking up as he asked how she and Kosuke ended up travelling together. Bringing one hand to her cheek, she couldn’t help but draw an uneasy smile, reminiscing of when they’d met.
“I got in trouble trying to enter a Lunarian citadel” Marie explained, “The soldiers didn’t believe me when I told them I was the Crown Princess, and so they shunned me. Had it not been for Kosuke, I doubt I’d be here… After that, we began to travel together because we have a much too similar goal —stop this senseless war” she lowered her hands to her lap, “As I am now, I can’t speak much against the moves of the army… And so I’m powerless. The only reason Kosuke is helping me out is to ensure that this war stops —that’s all.” “You’re… a princess?” Tori asked, slowly coming out of her shell. “…That is correct” Marie nodded, “The Crown Princess of the Lunarian Empire. Although…” she looked away, embarrassed, “I… Unfortunately have no means to ascertain that claim… Hence why, whenever I claim this, most people shun me. Lunarians don’t take kindly to lies or tricks —we’re very transparent in that sense.”
Marie beamed yet another smile, already intrigued by their conversation. Tori backed off a bit, resuming to petting the fox, trying to focus her attention elsewhere, where it wouldn’t stung. Noticing her gestures, Marie tilted her head slightly, concerned.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked, calmly. “…” Tori nodded. Before Marie could ask anything else, Tori stood up, “I’ll… Sorry, but I’ll be going for a walk. …I’ll make sure to stay away from that village, I promise.”
Marie tried to stop her, to no avail. Even the fox remained seated, looking at Tori with a concerned look, same as Marie. Yet neither wanted to bother her, as she made her way from the fireplace. The fox then looked at Henoke, shaking its head.
It was better to leave Tori alone for a bit.
“Hmm…” Marie raised one of her hands to her chin, “She’s bothered by something… Isn’t she…” she sighed, looking at Henoke, “Sorry, I know it’s not my business to intrude in personal affairs, but… Is she always like this?”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 13, 2020 18:17:40 GMT -5
”A princess?!” Henoke had jolted to his feet for a moment, completely surprised by the sudden truth being exposed. Tori seemed surprised as well, though she remained seated. Scratching at the back of his head, Henoke seemed to flash a worried look as he gawked at Marie. Shit—a real princess?! He wasn’t used to dealing with royalty—immediately feeling a sense of pressure at the back of his mind. Resting a hand on his hip with a sigh at the woman’s nonchalantness about it all, Henoke merely shook his head before Marie’s question caused him to glance over at Tori. She did look troubled, for obvious reason of course. ”Sorry, but I’ll be going for a walk.” Tori’s sudden excusing of herself caught Henoke off guard as she began to walk off. Though he took a step to go after her, seeing the white fox’s shaking head brought him to a stop, a slight frown falling to his face.
Tori… He had been so caught up in the difference between the Kosuke here and the Kosuke he knew that he had hardly paused to make sure she had been handling everything well. Feeling slightly inadequate, the teen sighed again as he took his seat once more, deciding it was best to leave her alone for now. ”She’s bothered by something…Isn’t she…” Seeing Marie’s inquisitive gaze, Henoke averted his eyes a bit as he scratched at his cheek. ”Yeah—but she’ll be alright. She’s just goin’ through some stuff.” Trying to play it off nonchalantly, Henoke leaned forward a bit and fixed Marie with a curious look. ”So—what’s it like? Bein’ a Princess, I mean.” He’d never met any princesses, at least, none that he could recall. Belle sort of counted, but not in the same way—she wasn’t necessarily a ‘princess’ yet.
It was interesting, seeing one outside of a palace with no luxuries in sight.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 13, 2020 18:43:59 GMT -5
Marie couldn’t help but hum worriedly as Henoke answered her question. Yet Tori had taken her leave elsewhere, to where no one could see her, meaning chasing after her to try and reassure her was out of the question. With a sigh, she tried to recompose herself, listening to Henoke’s more upbeat question.
”So—what’s it like? Bein’ a Princess, I mean.” Unable to hold her amusement, Marie giggled softly. Returning both hands to her lap, she looked at Henoke with her calm gaze, smiling faintly like before.
“It’s not that much interesting, really” she said with an apologetic look, “Well… At least my case isn’t…” Marie shook her head before proceeding, a sullener look written on her face, “While I am the Crown Princess —being the eldest amongst my siblings—… My father doesn’t want to acknowledge me. He thinks it better to hand the crown over to one of my younger brothers, but they’re far too young and impressionable… I fear that he may end up manipulating them into continuing this war, even if, currently, they do not want it” she explained, “And so… He issued me a challenge —to tame the Espers and become their master. If I could do that… Then he’d see me as Crown Princess. However… Given the fact that he still does not consider me his heir, he has denied me any way to ascertain my position… Hence, my current predicament. Although…” she raised her head, looking at Henoke with an uneasy smile, “Had it not been for that, I doubt I would’ve met Kosuke. Even if our first meeting wasn’t the best of impressions…”
Marie sighed, taking a deep breath after answering in such a prolonged manner. Amused by the conversation, she awaited Henoke’s reactions.
Tori sat down after walking for a bit, looking at the ground. She wrapped her arms around her legs, curling up into a ball, while holding back her tears. It stung…
Seeing him again, yet a mere reflection of who he was, added to the fact that he hadn’t met her by that point.
“…What are you doing here?”
A voice startled her, forcing Tori to look back in shock. Kosuke was there, a curious and rather bitter glare in his eyes. Tori looked away quickly, both flustered and upset. It’d make no sense to mention anything…
“…I just wanted some time for myself” she excused herself. “It’s not safe, though” Kosuke berated her, “You should go back to the others.” “…I’ll be fine.” “With those wounds? Like hell I’d believe that.”
Tori didn’t answer, causing Kosuke to sigh exasperated. He walked towards her, seeing that trying to convince her to return would be for nothing. Instead… Keeping her company for a bit would do, although he kept a considerable distance from her, still wary.
“Well… Since you won’t be leaving by your own volition, nor will I be able to convince you…” Kosuke gave up, before looking at her, “There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you.” “…Which is…?” Tori asked, looking back at him over her shoulder. “That fox that’s with you… That’s a Familiar, isn’t it?” Kosuke’s question got a reaction out of Tori, although she shouldn’t have been so surprised, “I’m right, aren’t I? That fox’s a Spirit’s Familiar, isn’t it?” “…” Tori looked away, “What of it?” “One of you’s a Spirit, too. Right? But… You’re neither Human or Lunarian…” Kosuke continued, “Not only that… But it feels as if we’ve met somewhere before. Tori, was it?”
Tori flinched, her eyes wide open, but not looking at Kosuke, as she’d turned away before. She gripped a bit tighter, feeling how she was slowly growing more and more upset —more and more sad. Tilting his head with actual curiosity, Kosuke approached her.
“Hey, you okay?” he asked. “Please leave” Tori begged, quick and to the point. “Huh?” “Please leave” she repeated, drawing her knees closer to her chest. “I’m not about to leave you here open for an ambush —even if I don’t really trust you” Kosuke explained, a bit bitter, “Besides, you still haven’t—” “Leave, please!”
Tori cried faintly, holding all of her frustration back. Kosuke flinched, but gave up quickly after, knowing he’d gone too far. With an exasperated sigh, he turned back to keep up his night watch, not before glancing over at Tori over his shoulder quickly.
Having been left alone, Tori began to cry. Sobbing a bit, silently, she let go of the pressure inside. It stung way too much for her to handle…
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 13, 2020 19:01:27 GMT -5
”While I am the Crown Princess—being the eldest amongst my siblings—my father doesn’t want to acknowledge me.” Henoke’s face fell a bit as he listened to Marie’s story. Hearing how a father could manipulate their own children to further their own gains was a sickening and angering concept. ”He issued me a challenge—to tame the Esper and become their master.” His brow furrowed at the mention of these ‘Esper’ beings again. Hearing that her father was so adamant on refusing her position, Marie seemed optimistic despite her circumstances, something the teen couldn’t help but to admire. Still…the idea of her own dad treating her like that rubbed him completely the wrong way.
”Sounds like your old man needs to get booted off that throne—“ He couldn’t help but show his irritation, though he realized that perhaps what he said would cause offense, given that it was her family. ”—er…sorry.” Looking away for a moment, Henoke’s face fell a bit as he thought of his own family—realizing how good he had it. ”What’re Esper’s?” Deciding to change the topic to something a little less aggravating, and surely conflicting for Marie to talk about, he figured he’d at least get some of his questions answers. ”Why’s he so obsessed with you tamin’ them to prove yourself?” He wasn’t really sure how taming something equated to good leadership—but then again, Henoke had never really been the leader of anything before.
At least, nothing on that kind of scale.
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