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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 14, 2020 6:55:28 GMT -5
”Sounds like your old man needs to get booted off that throne—“ Marie was caught off-guard by Henoke’s comment, a genuine shock running across her face. She giggled as he began to apologize for his hasty approach, shaking her head calmly.
“You’re not the only one who thinks so” Marie replied, “Kosuke also thinks the same. And, given how my father has acted thus far… I can’t help but agree —he’s too far gone. And that’s why I decided to accept this challenge, rather than turning it down. Makes sense, doesn’t it?”
She smiled calmly, hoping to reassure him. It made sense, however, that Henoke felt the way he did —many people before him expressed the same sentiment, and Marie couldn’t ignore it. Therefore, she calmly waited for him to calm down.
”What’re Esper’s?” Henoke placed another question to satiate his curiosity, to which Marie couldn’t help but giggle at. Her hands calmly poised on her laps, she looked at the fire as she began to explain what they were, and why her father most likely wanted her to tame them.
“Espers are, for us Lunarians, the manifestation of nature” she began, “One who controls the Espers controls the very earth they tread upon. To each element corresponds a different Esper —from earth, to wind, to fire… All of them. However, they not only correlate with an element of nature, but also to a trait, or a value” Marie glanced back at Henoke, “Perhaps you know them by a different name? Maybe you know them as ‘gods’? That’s how Kosuke refers to them as —gods.”
“I can’t say why my father would want me to tame them… But I assume he has an ulterior motive behind it” she admitted, “He most likely would use me in order to prolong this war. However…” Marie smiled faintly, “I’m not really ‘taming’ them, per se… It’s more like gaining their blessing. They lend me their power, rather than me becoming their master. They’re beings meant to be treated with respect, after all —both Kosuke and I take care whenever we deal with them” she finished, “Kosuke in particular acts very nervously, knowing he’s in front of a god. It’s quite funny, looking it from an outside view” she said giggling.
Footsteps were heard approaching, causing Marie to raise her head with a hint of curiosity. Kosuke had returned back, an uneasy frown upon his face while he held the sheath of his blade firmly. He sighed, sitting down near the fireplace, causing Marie to tilt her head, wondering why he had returned. Didn’t he say he’d keep watch?
“…Surprisingly, there’re no scouts ‘round the area” he explained quickly, having seen her curious look, “Keeping watch would be fruitless.” “So, you’ll get some rest?” Marie teased, causing Kosuke to roll his eyes. “If I’m given the chance to, why wouldn’t I?” he replied. “Say… You didn’t see Tori, did you?” “I did, but she told me to leave her alone. It should be fine, since there’s no one around but us” Kosuke shrugged, “In any case… I’ll go on ahead and sleep. G’night.” “Fufufu…” Marie giggled, “Good night…”
Kosuke laid down, turning to his side before closing his eyes. Marie looked at him caringly, before turning towards Henoke.
“I’ll keep an eye out in case there’s danger lurking around” she told him, “So why don’t you go keep her company? I’m sure she’d appreciate it, even though she told Kosuke to leave her alone. Don’t worry —I’ll be fine. You take care if you leave, though.”
The fox perked up after listening to Marie, a bit shocked at her suggestion. Still, feeling what Tori was feeling at the time, the only thing it wanted to do was to go and reassure her. She looked at Henoke, somewhat eager, its tail waving back in forth showing her wish.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 14, 2020 13:37:08 GMT -5
”You’re not the only one who thinks so.” Hearing Kosuke felt a similar way to how Henoke did, the teen couldn’t help but sigh a bit with a faint smirk. Heh—guess we’re still similar, huh? It was reassuring, truthfully. ”Espers are, for us Lunarians, the manifestation of nature.” Blinking in mild confusion, he tilted his head, eager to hear more. Hearing how there were different Esper’s for each element and how all varied in regards to different traits, Henoke was curious about what they would look like and what powers they held. ”Perhaps you know them by a different name? Maybe you know them as ‘gods’?” Scratching at the back of his head, Henoke shrugged, deciding to simply nod along for Marie to keep talking. The ‘concept’ of gods didn’t escape him—it actually brought the nagging suspicion of familiarity—but it wasn’t like Henoke himself had any ideas of what ‘gods’ really were, or cared to.
He wasn’t typically concerned with much besides what was in front of him. The teen crinkled his brow in thought, silently agreeing with Marie, it did seem like her father’s motives were hidden beneath the surface, not what they appeared to be. He sounds kinda smarmy… The thought was unsettling, considering how nice and polite Marie was. How long did she put up with him like that? Was he always that way? ”I’m not really ‘taming’ them, per se…it’s more like gaining their blessing.” His eyes widened a bit as Marie explained that by doing so, the Esper’s seemed to lend her power. He wanted to meet an Esper of his own now, and gain its blessing. What kind of cool powers would he get?! Hearing how the meetings with the Esper’s typically tripped up Kosuke, the teen couldn’t help but smirk and snicker a bit with Marie at the thought. It was funny to imagine the Kosuke he knew being nervous or timid.
Almost as if on queue, Kosuke emerged back at the fire, taking a seat with a somewhat sour look. ”There’re no scouts ‘round the area.” Henoke wasn’t surprised to hear that, the steppe had looked deserted of any life when they had first arrived. ”You didn’t see Tori, did you?” Marie’s question brought a serious look to Henoke’s face as he waited to hear Kosuke’s answer. Though it seemed she was physically safe, the teen worried about her. She seemed pretty upset… This place must be hard for her. ”I’ll keep an eye out in case there’s danger…” Marie seemed to read his thoughts as he gave the princess a smile, nodding in appreciation. The white fox seemed to perk up as well, wagging its tail as it stared expectantly at Henoke. ”Yeah…thanks, Princess!” Waving a hand in departure, Henoke motioned for the fox to follow him as he headed in the direction Kosuke had come from.
After walking through the grass for some time, Henoke squinted his golden eyes as he made out the shape of a hunched figure nearby. ”Tori?” Glancing down at the white fox (assuming it followed), the teen pressed onward, walking over to where Tori sat hugging her knees. Sure enough, she seemed to be having a rough time, something that only brought a pained look to his face as he found a spot in the grass near her. ”Hey…” He brought his own knees up, resting his arms on them as he leaned forward and glanced at her with a worried expression. ”Shit’s been tough for us lately, huh?” Sometimes awkward with delicate situations, Henoke seemed to fumble his way with vague humor. Sighing a bit as he shook his head, he gazed off into the darkness above, where stars gave him something to focus on.
”But you’ll see the real him again soon.” There was a confidence in his voice as he said it, resounding with the confidence he felt in his heart. He wouldn't let them stay separated forever, not while he could do anything about it. Looking at her out of the corner of his eyes, Henoke couldn’t help but worry that his words wouldn’t help at all—he just found himself saying them. Maybe it was partially because he didn’t have any chance of seeing those the illusion had showed him before… ”In a way, it’s almost like a chance for you to get to re-meet him.” Henoke looked over at her, a brow raised as he tilted his head. ”’Cause you don’t remember everythin’, right? Maybe this’ll be somethin’ that jogs your memory?” He knew he was being hopeful, but he figured it wouldn’t do to only focus on the negatives and let her wallow in this—especially here in the illusion.
He glanced over towards the white fox, wondering if he had done more harm than good.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 14, 2020 14:12:32 GMT -5
Beaming with happiness, the fox stood up, its tail waging back and forth, eagerly following Henoke as he went to search for Tori. It didn’t take long, considering that the steppe was mostly an open field, without much obstructing the view. The fox made its route quick, dashing through the grass and not even stopping as they spotted Tori, sitting down with a sullen aura.
”Tori?” Henoke’s question, Tori perked up, turning to face him as he approached, but quickly turned back down and curled into a sitting ball. The fox made a few ways around her before settling down on the grass, allowing Tori to pet it with ease, while Henoke sat down near her.
She smiled faintly, thankful that they had decided to keep her company. A faint relief washed over her, knowing she wasn’t alone.
”In a way, it’s almost like a chance for you to get to re-meet him.” Listening to Henoke go on, Tori glanced back at him. While it was true that some parts were missing, due to her memory being lacking, most things she’d managed to remember were with Kosuke, back at the Shore. And even then, faint traces of knowledge were linked to it, allowing her to understand some things that, otherwise, she wouldn’t comprehend.
“I get why you say that, but…” Tori frowned a bit, “It’s tough… I can only guess it was the same for you, though, wasn’t it? Seeing people… You know you’ll never see again…” she mumbled, drawing her knees closer, “Even though you’ve met him, I… Can’t help but feel the way I do. I… legitimately thought I’d lost him forever…” “But he’s alive, searching for you” the fox mentioned, “Besides, you’ve known about all this for… How long now? His past, I mean. Kosuke's?” “…” Tori smiled faintly, petting the fox a bit more, “True… Because of what I’ve been able to remember…” “Then we can overcome this!” the fox snickered, cheerful, “We just gotta focus, and done! You'll be with him again, and this time, not even the Light or the Darkness will have a say in it!”
Tori nodded in thanks, keeping her hand over the fox’s head, while it glanced over at Henoke with a sly smirk, but not mischievous. It seemed thankful for his interaction, even if others would consider it rude or tactless. But Henoke was just being himself, and that was what mattered. “You were also somewhat disappointed, though, weren’t you, Henoke?” the fox asked, teasing, as it stood up, “’Cause you’ve met Kosuke, right? You weren’t expecting this attitude, were you?” as it asked, it walked closer towards him while snuggling him. “Fay… Knock it off…” Tori said, a bit absent-minded. She then sighed, seemingly ignoring what she’d just said, “Y’know, Henoke…” she looked towards the village, a faint smile remaining on her lips, “Heh… You’re softer than you look” she said with a hint of teasing, giggling, “But… I appreciate that. It means you care. Not just for me, but for everyone else you help out.”
Tori smiled his way, yet a few tears remained —old ones, ones she’d shed previously, without them knowing. The fox went back to her, using its snout to tease Tori a bit, causing the girl to chuckle. Rubbing the rest away herself, she glanced over at the fake night sky, looking at the many stars etched on it. How it seemed so real, she couldn’t tell, although her own Illusions could probably mimic things the same way. Maybe it wasn’t as impressive…
Humming a tune, the fox moved its head back and forth, its nine tails faintly shining due to the moonlight, cheerful. Having sat down between the two, it seemed happy to know that they were both strong in their own way, relieving the weight that meant losing one of them to the illusions, whether by being tricked or simply because of the emotional ties… Or maybe even both. “I guess… We should go back to the other two, right?” Tori suggested, but then looked at the fox, “Unless…” “Well, this is something that belong in Kosuke’s memories. As such, it’ll take that pace instead of ours” the fox replied, “Doesn’t matter if we go back or not —whatever memory pans next will indicate how time will go. In this case, when it’ll go from night to day. It won’t matter if we remain here or go back.” “Right…” Tori shrugged, “I’m… good with either.” “That’s not really a way to start a choice picking, y’know…”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 14, 2020 15:01:13 GMT -5
Hear Tori’s response, Henoke’s face fell a bit—knowing all too well the feeling she spoke about. This was different than that, though. ”But he’s alive, searching for you.” The white fox spoke up, taking the words out of Henoke’s mouth, which caused the teen to smile. ”You were also somewhat disappointed though, weren’t you, Henoke?” Narrowing his eyes a bit as the fox came over, Henoke turned his own head with an indignant look. ”Tch—maybe…” As the creature snuggled against him, he felt torn between wanting to reciprocate and wanting to swat it away. ”Fay…knock it off…” Tori’s comment caused him to blink, glancing down at the fox. Fay? Was that its name? ”Y’know, Henoke…you’re softer than you look.” Tori’s next comment immediately caused him to stagger—nearly falling over sideways as the girl teased him. ”What?!”
”But…I appreciate that.” Tori’s smile brought a red hint to his face, making him thankful for the darkness as he turned away, a sour look on his face. ”Alright—that’s enough outta you…” Scratching at the back of his head, the teen sighed as he gave her a narrow glare from the corner of his eyes. Truthfully he was grateful to see her in the mood to tease, seemingly cheering up from before—even if it was at his expense. ”I guess…we should go back to the other two, right?” Tori’s question brought Henoke’s gaze back to the white fox, Fay. Hearing their explanation, Tori seemed rather indecisive to it all, much to the fox’s chagrin. Henoke rested his hands behind his head as he looked between Tori and Fay.
”I say we keep followin’ ‘em.” Kosuke’s own memories were broken up, too. Since Henoke had gotten many of his back, he wanted to help his friend restore what little they could, too. If they stuck with this world's Kosuke and Marie, he was sure to learn more about his friends past, able to tell him about them later on. A devious look suddenly came across the teen’s face. ”That way when I see the real Kosuke again, I can tell 'im how much of a tool he was~” Motioning for Tori and Fay to follow along, Henoke started moving through the steppe back towards the camp sight.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 14, 2020 15:26:43 GMT -5
”I say we keep followin’ ‘em.”
Henoke’s words, followed by his own devious grin, caused both the fox and Tori to look at him, both with unease. His further comment only caused more confusion, particularly from Tori, while the fox didn’t seem to mind. Seeing him move along, though, rushed the mood a bit.
“What do you mean by that?” Tori asked, confused, “A… Tool? Is that how you see him?” “Maybe because of how he’s being bossed around by Marie?” the fox snickered. “Isn’t that because he likes her, though?” Tori asked back, looking at the fox. “Eh~, you remember that?” “What did you think I meant when I said that Marie wasn’t the reason I was upset…?”
The fox dashed forward while giggling, taking the lead and waiting for the two a bit further ahead, playfully, to which Tori could only sigh at. Able to follow them at a fairly decent pace, Tori hadn’t noticed that most of her wounds had seemingly disappeared, not stinging as much as before. They were stinging faintly while she’d gone for a walk, but she was so focused on other things, that she hadn’t noticed at all how the pain slowly went away. Most of the cracks on her arms had dissapeared, a few faintly making themselves clear, while the ones on her face, while less in number, were more apparent, yet neither stung as much as before.
The fox, however, did notice it, after taking its distance a bit.
“Hey, most of them are gone!” it said cheerful. “Huh?” Tori blinked, stopping in her tracks. “Those cracks. See? I told you —just stick around me, don’t do anything reckless, and they’ll go away on their own! Although it’s mostly because of your power simmering down…” “You… Really need to explain all of this later…” “I will. For now, we gotta keep going, remember? You came here for something, after all —Castle Oblivion, I mean. Not this illusion in particular” it finished hastily.
The way back to the campfire would prove peaceful, much like before, as there really seemed no life in the steppe other than themselves, and Marie and Kosuke. The fire had dimmed down, some ashes remaining alight. Marie had fallen asleep, curled up in a ball somewhat close to Kosuke, who seemed oblivious to whatever had happened around him after he’d gone to sleep. Tori smiled faintly, bringing one of her hands to her chest after watching them, focusing on keeping the fire alight for a little longer.
“Right…” she recalled with a smile, “He was fond so of her, every time he'd mention her to me… Never really forgetting her… And yet… He still chose to stay besides me… I might need to ask about it later, once I find him.” [/font]
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 14, 2020 15:37:49 GMT -5
Henoke couldn’t help but laugh at Tori and Fay’s confusion, shaking his head as he walked. ”That’s not really what I meant…” Fay’s attention brought Henoke back on track, noticing for the first time that most of Tori’s wounds were in fact healing. ”...?” How did that work? Was it really just because Fay was here? Coming back to the fire, which was more of a smoldering ember at this point, the three joined back up with the sleeping Marie and Kosuke. How long were we gone for? Telling time was weird, inside of this castle. By now, both were sound asleep, hardly paying any mind to the world around them. Only slightly let down, Henoke sighed a bit as he shoved his hands into his pockets, shrugging as he accepted the fact he’d just have to wait around for them. There was a clear disappointment on his face, as he had hoped to talk to Kosuke more. Seeing as how the real Kosuke couldn't remember his own past when Henoke met him, this was really a chance for the teen to learn more about his own friend, too.
I wonder how he ended up at the Shore...? Had it been a choice, or something more similar to Tori’s situation? Shaking the thought from his mind, Henoke glanced around the empty steppe, grimacing a bit as he looked to Fay. ”Oi, are we gonna be good, waitin’ around like this for 'em?” He hadn't expected them to both fall asleep so fast. Kicking at the grass a bit, the teen couldn’t help but remember what had happened once they had spent too much time in his own illusion. Will we get trapped here? Hadn’t that been what the fox had mentioned earlier? If one stayed too long in the illusion, they couldn’t leave, right?
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 14, 2020 15:52:32 GMT -5
Tori tilted her head, legitimately curious as for what Henoke had meant with his last comment, but the pace was too far gone for her to ask immediately. Focused instead on tossing a few pieces of wood to the fire in order to keep it alive, the girl decided to ask later.
”Oi, are we gonna be good, waitin’ around like this for 'em?” Henoke’s unease was clear, given what Fay had said earlier, when they'd first met. Yet the fox looked calmly, sitting down as its tails weaved into one, looking directly at him with its purple eyes.
“You won’t even notice whenever time changes” it replied, “Of course, if you focus too much on the passing of time, it might be difficult… Relax, already —I would’ve bailed you two out immediately had we been longer here. But believe it or not, it hasn’t been much, so we’re on the clear so far. If it comes to it, I’ll try to shatter the illusion, but I can’t make any guarantees.”
Tori winced, passing one hand on her forehead as the fire began to burn brightly again. As their only source of light in the empty steppe, it was more than welcome. Now with some time in her hands, a bit more upbeat due to the fact that she knew she wasn’t alone, plus the wounds having taken almost no time in disappearing, she looked at Henoke as she sat down, the fox running to her side.
“So, then —what’d you mean by that?” she asked, calmly, “I wanna know. It caught me off-guard, really, so… I wanna know, is all.”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 14, 2020 16:07:15 GMT -5
”Relax, already—I would’ve bailed you two out immediately had we been longer here.” Crossing his arms a bit with a begrudging sigh, Henoke nodded as Fay informed him that they were doing fine on time. Hearing that they would at least remain vigilant in warning them, the teen figured the matter was settled. As Tori found a seat, Henoke found himself gazing back up at the stars in the sky. Weird…thinkin’ none of these’re real… He was still getting used to remembering everything around him was just an imitation, nothing more. It was all so convincing. ”So, then—what’d you mean by that?” Tori’s question brought a raised brow her way as Henoke found his own spot near the now blazing fire.
”Ohhhhhh! Y'mean what I said earlier?” It had taken him a moment to know what she was asking about. Chuckling a bit as a faint smirk ran across his face, Henoke shook his head as he made himself comfortable. Sitting cross-legged, the teen leaned back and propped himself up with his arms. ”I meant I wanna tell ‘im how he was kind’ve a jerk, in the past.” There was a vaguely immature snicker escaping him, waving a hand nonchalantly. ”I doubt he’d believe me—but I think it’d be funny to tell ‘im, since he's a pretty friendly guy now.” Knowing the current Kosuke, the one he had met, Henoke could already imagine the indignant look in his head. The mental image made him chuckle more.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 14, 2020 16:30:14 GMT -5
Tori listened attentive as Henoke explained what he’d meant. Giggling along, she nodded. All things considered, Kosuke had acted a lot colder than how she remembered him, but she assumed it was mostly due to his circumstances at the time. “I guess he wouldn’t” Tori replied with a smile, “Being honest, I also recall him a lot more friendly than how he’s now. I wonder what he’d say if he knew we saw part of his memories like this?” “He’d definitely lose it” Fay agreed, nodding, “He’d be really surprised, and then he’d get flustered.” “Sounds like him, alright.”
As they talked, time seemed to shift, from night-time to day time in matter of almost a few minutes. Sure enough, what the fox said was true —so long as the memories kept panning through, time would shift according to how Kosuke remembered. With the sun rising from the horizon, things began to move once more.
Kosuke was the first one to wake up, sitting up while rubbing his eyes in order to wake up properly. He looked at the fireplace, now turned to complete ash, to then turn at the two, with a faint frown and a sigh. He searched with his gaze for Marie, flinching a bit after he found her so close to him. Scratching the back of his head exasperated, he stood up, looking at the other two.
“Mornin’… I guess…” he said, unease, before going back to a more serious demeanor, “You said you wanted to go past the village, right?” “Yeah” Tori nodded, a bit better from the small talk from before, “What of it?” “…” Kosuke looked back at the village, concerned, “It’s odd… If there are no scouts, you might just be able to cross it without trouble” he glanced at the two from over his shoulder, “Marie and I are headed to where a human clan is taking refuge… You’re sure you’re not headed there?” “We’re good —we know where we’re going” Tori insisted, standing up, “Although you’re more worried about us, by the looks of it…” “’Cause you’re not Human… At least, you don't look the part...” Kosuke frowned, holding one hand behind his neck to crack it slightly, “But you’re not Lunarian, either… Hmm…” he crossed his arms in thought, “Well… I can’t say what you can do in case you find Lunarians, but if you come across another clan… Tell 'em you’re friends with Ichinose Kosuke. They’ll welcome you in, so long as you don’t backstab 'em.” “I doubt we’ll need that, but thanks anyways.” “Haa…” Kosuke sighed, looking at Marie, “I bet she’ll be really upset if you guys leave without saying goodbye… You don’t mind waiting for her to wake up?” “Ah…” Tori flinched a bit, “No, not… Really…” she looked over at Henoke. “In any case, we’re headed past this village, anyways, so our paths don’t split here just yet.”
Tori nodded, acknowledging his words. Marie woke up a while after, but not by much. Scattering the ashes of the fireplace across the dirt, Kosuke made sure that no trace of a camp remained, in case they were to be followed, before leading the way.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 14, 2020 23:04:52 GMT -5
Hearing Tori’s initial comment, Henoke grinned and nodded, glad that she agreed. ”He’d definitely lose it.” The teen’s devious look only deepened at the thought. Seeing how fast the sun began to rise once more, Henoke blinked in surprise, squinting his eyes as the dawn emerged. ”Mornin’…I guess…” Kosuke seemed to rise first, quick to get back to business. Henoke found himself watching in good humor, especially after the trio’s inside joke. Watching him worry in his own way, it seemed Kosuke’s cold demeanor was certainly more of a necessary front than a deeper personality trait. Seems like he’s not too different, at heart. The realization was somehow relieving. ”I bet she’ll be really upset if you guys leave without saying goodbye…” Henoke looked over at the sleeping princess, wondering how her story panned out.
Hearing how their paths wouldn’t diverge quite yet, Henoke merely shrugged in agreement to waiting for Marie to wake, figuring that there was no reason to rush off if they were all headed the same way. As Kosuke led the way, Henoke walked with his hands behind his head, reflecting on how his friend’s life seemed to always revolve around a war happening. I know that feelin’… It was kind of a bummer, really, seeing how even in Kosuke’s past the guy wasn’t able to just live a carefree normal life. Guess we’ll just have to keep lookin’ ahead. There was no use brooding over the past. Shaking the thoughts off, Henoke glanced over at Marie as they walked, curious once more about the Esper’s.
”So—what Esper’re you lookin’ for now, Princess?” He figured there wouldn’t be any harm in making conversation while they walked, seeing as how nothing seemed to reside in the Steppe other than them. With how long it seemed to stretch for, the teen figured it would only be boring to let silence settle. ”What ones’ve you found already?” He couldn’t help but show his curiousness in his face, excited to hear more about powerful godlike entities that commanded the forces of nature themselves. If only this wasn’t all fake… He’d definitely want to go and try to find one for himself.
Not that he’d even know how to go about receiving a blessing.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 15, 2020 10:09:24 GMT -5
The walk would prove to be peaceful, silent even. Marie glanced over at Henoke as he nonchalantly asked about what Esper they were after, and how many she’d found so far. Smiling with unease, Marie giggled, somewhat uncomfortable after he’d called her “princess”, and not by her real name…
“You know… You can just call me by my first name…” Marie said with unease, “We’re comrades, right? Isn’t that how it’s supposed to go? We’re equals, in a sense.” “Can you even call him an equal?” Kosuke asked, jokingly. “Kosuke!” Marie puffed her cheeks back.
Kosuke snickered a bit, not looking their way as he was in front of them, but Marie made sure to ruffle his hair a bit as vengeance. All the while, Tori looked with curiosity, although mostly because she wanted to know just how far into their journey they’d gotten. In a sense, she was sharing Henoke's curiosity, albeit for different reasons.
Having teased Kosuke back, Marie sighed, looking at Tori and Henoke with a calmer expression, as if having taken her vengeance had cleared her anger. Cupping her hands to her lap, she began to explain.
“Well… We’ve met the Esper of Fire, the Esper of Water, the Esper of Healing and the Esper of Ice” she began, “I can’t say which one we’re going to visit next, but… The ones left are the Esper of the Storm, the Esper of Earth, the Esper of Light and the Esper of Darkness. Of course, there’s a few more, but most of the time… They don’t like it when other beings visit them, so it’s best to avoid them.” “So, even gods refuse a human’s visit?” Tori asked, crossing her arms, "Even if they want to workship them?" “Mostly because of what they hold control over” Kosuke replied, “I sincerely doubt the entities of life and death would willingly give someone their blessing, less either a Human or a Lunarian. Think about it.” “I can understand that much” Tori shook her head, “So, even if you wanted, you wouldn’t seek their aid at all.” “Exactly” Marie conceded, “It’s far too dangerous to ask every Esper for their blessing, not to mention how long it’d take. They tend to live secluded, in hidding.” “And yet…” Tori brought her hand to her chin, in though, “You’ll ask the powers over light and darkness… Right? Since you’ve mentioned them.” “Yes.” “Why?” “Well…” Marie looked away, troubled, “I’m… not so sure how much Henoke told you? I did explain him a bit of why I’m doing this…” “I’m filled in, so do keep going.” “Ah, alright. So… Where was I…?” “We’ll ask them for aid for two reasons” Kosuke chimed in, stopping in his tracks to look at them, “First of all, they’re the supreme deities —the reason this world exists, and therefore, holding control over them would mean being capable of changing this world’s fate” he explained the first reason, “The second one… Is to fool the old man off-guard.” “Ah, Kosuke…” Marie looked berating, “That’s not a nice way of saying it…” “…Catch him off-guard, huh?” Tori thought aloud, “So then, by claiming you have the blessings of both the Esper of Light and the Esper of Darkness, you plan on catching him off-guard, when in reality you only hold a fraction of that power… Am I right?” “Yes” Marie nodded. "Hmm...” Tori seemed to think. “Well, in the end that’s what happened, right?” the fox tilted its head, “They caught him off-guard with that half-bluff, and then beat the hell out of him.” “…It might work, if your father’s as conceited as you make him sound” Tori agreed, with a faint smile. “C-Conceited?!” Marie seemed flustered. “You’re not wrong there, by the looks of it” Kosuke nodded with a smirk, “His ambition knowns no bounds, too.” “H-Hey!” Marie seemed flustered. “You know that’s not directed to you, right? You’re obvious polar opposites.”
While Marie flailed her arms around, flustered, Kosuke petted her head with an amused smile, causing her to stop. She looked back at him, her cheeks completely red, and pushed him back still flustered, causing him to laugh aloud.
Tori couldn’t help but smile at the scene. Even in such a situation, there was always something to look at fondly. She nodded faintly —even if that Kosuke acted differently, he was the same inside.
That alone was enough to ease her.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 15, 2020 12:44:06 GMT -5
”You know…you can just call me by my first name.” He hadn’t expected someone of royalty to be so casual—silently relieved by Marie’s forwardness. Scratching at his cheek a bit, Henoke nodded as he reminded himself to start calling her by her name. ”Can you even call him an equal?” Henoke staggered at Kosuke’s jab, scowling as he raised a fist at the guy, about to retort before Marie delivered her swift vengeance. Smirking as he watched her ruffle Kosuke’s hair, Henoke’s momentary anger subsided as he merely rolled his eyes and rested his hands behind his head once more. Hearing from Marie about what Esper’s they had already met was fascinating, causing Henoke to listen with a slightly excited gaze. ”They don’t like it when other beings visit them, so it’s best to avoid them.” The teen was slightly surprised to hear that, sharing Tori’s sentiment. Wasn’t Marie simply trying to meet them to help the world? Why would they refuse her? ”Mostly because of what they hold control over.”
As Kosuke explained why the Esper may be wary of people coming to them, Henoke had to wonder how many others had succeeded in gaining blessings from these odd entities. It sounded much harder than he had initially thought. ”I’m…not sure how much Henoke told you? I did explain to him a bit of why I’m doing this…” The teen looked away sheepishly as he walked, seemingly interested in anything that wasn’t the two of them talking as he realized he hadn’t explained anything to Tori at all. Thankfully, it seemed Tori had some knowledge around the Esper’s already, bringing a faint sigh of relief to his lips. ”We’ll ask them for aid for two reasons.” Kosuke chimed in now, bringing up their plan for facing off against Marie’s father.
Watching Kosuke and Marie’s back-and-forth, Henoke’s face fell a bit. She’s gotta fight her own dad… Thinking of his own father, as well as the Keyblade War, the teen’s heart ached as he realized others had to face the same struggles he had—if not worse. Imagine if I had to fight him, too. It had already broken his heart to learn he had fought his own friends, let alone if he had had to fight his own parents. ”Tch—!” Shoving his hands into his pockets, Henoke had a mildly irritated look on his face, thinking of how Marie’s father could avoid this if he just listened to his own daughter. He felt slightly powerless—seeing as how this was an illusion, there was little he could do. It was frustrating. If only this was really their world… He wasn’t sure what he would do, but he knew he’d want to help.
Sighing a bit, the teen shook his head, glancing around the Steppe once more. Is fate really just so decided? Was there really no other way for Kosuke and Marie to win this, without fighting her dad head-on? He couldn’t agree with it in his heart, despite the odds stacked against it. Following the others, Henoke finally shook off his thoughts, returning to the conversation.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 15, 2020 14:49:19 GMT -5
While the exchange between Marie and Kosuke continued, a bit less agitated than before, and Tori simply smiling at the sight, the fox placed its attention to Henoke’s expression, titlintg its head as his expression turned to an irritated one. Was he wondering about the illusion, and what Kosuke had gone through? It sighed as it thought of that as being the reason for his annoyance.
“You’re overthinking it” the fox chimed in, looking at Henoke, “These are memories —things that have already happened, not things that’ll come to be. Aren’t you getting a bit too attached to something like this? They’ve already solved this whole thing —and you’d be surprised at how well it ended.”
Tori perked up as the fox spoke to Henoke, turning towards them faintly before Kosuke and Marie ushered them from afar, rushing in order to catch them. The fox didn’t take long either, after having explained Henoke a thing or two.
As for Marie and Kosuke, they had already reached the outskirts of the village. Empty and left behind, a stale wind passing by, reminding the two of better times long past. Kosuke frowned, uneasy, while Marie leaned forward with a somewhat concerned look, as if she already knew what was crossing in her head.
“Kosuke?” she asked, softly. “…” Kosuke shook his head, “It’s alright —I’m okay.” “Well, just think about what Necro told us” Marie smiled caring, “Everyone managed to get out safely! That's why we're headed there, remember?” “…Heh” Kosuke ruffled Marie’s hair, much for her dismay, “I know.”
Marie pouted as she managed to free herself from Kosuke’s tease, although he only chuckled at the sight. He then looked at the two, his expression quickly changing to a more serious one as he spoke to them. Tori had her arms crossed, while the fox was close besides her.
“We’ll go around” he explained, “Going inside might mean getting ambushed. It’s best to avoid trouble.” “Right” Tori nodded, quickly. After a while, she approached with words, “So… This used to be full of people, right?” “Yeah… But they all fled when the Lunarians attacked” Kosuke sighed, “Thankfully, no one was harmed… But without putting up a fight, the place was quickly surrendered.” “And you’re headed to where they are now?” “That’s the plan.” “…I see…” “Come on —let’s keep moving.”
Kosuke led the way, followed by Marie. Tori and the fox followed suit, more towards the end of the group, as the girl looked down in thought. Having heard Necro’s name, Tori began to ask herself a few things —questions that the fox already knew the answer for.
“I guess this was around the time he arrived at the Shore for the first time” the fox said, catching Tori off-guard, “When you two properly met.” “So, he’d already awaken his power by this point?” “Yet he didn’t know how to use it…” the fox sighed, “Necro berated him quite harshly for it, since it would’ve helped earlier.” “I-I see…”
Followed around the village’s outskirts, Kosuke remained wary, while Marie looked around oblivious, humming along calmly. Perking up, the swordsman readied his sword, having heard unknown footsteps. His actions propped Tori to hover her hand over her sword’s handle, while the fox remained on guard.
“Intruders!” a voice shouted. “Tch... They noticed us” Kosuke groaned, before glancing over at Marie, “Stay out of it” he quickly turned towards Tori and Henoke, “You two —help me get rid of them!” “Right!” Tori nodded, unsheathing her sword. “Just don’t kill them…” he added with an uneasy smirk.
Tori replied by smirking back, her gaze fully concentrated on the small group of soldiers headed their way. Some of them wielded spears, while most held a sword and a shield in hands, all of them wearing a similar uniform. One of the lancers charged at Kosuke, but he simply dodged out of the way and knocked him cold with his sword’s sheath, yet without unsheathing the sword itself. Tori looked over at the rest, her sword ready to block and parry the attacks.
If all else failed, she’d summon her Keyblade to help her block easier. But not immediately, as she wanted a bit of a challenge herself.
“Even if they’re illusions, they’ll be as strong as Kosuke remembers them to be” she told herself in thought, “I can’t get careless.”
[Enemies! 12 Lunarian soldiers]
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 15, 2020 17:19:53 GMT -5
”You’re overthinking it.” Fay’s comment brought a mixed look to come across the teen’s face as he listened. It was true, he was overthinking it…but just because the issue had already passed didn’t mean that he felt great about it. Shrugging a bit, Henoke was at least glad to hear that it sounded like it ended well enough. He couldn’t help but glance after Marie again, wondering how she had felt having to confront her own father. As long as she’s fine, now… Deciding to let it go, Henoke followed the others to the outskirts of the village. It seemed deserted, just like the steppe, as a lonely wind passed through. As Marie and Kosuke talked, Henoke noticed that she had mentioned a familiar name. ”Necro…?” Glancing around, there was no sign of the dragon, or rather, Familiar.
”This used to be full of people, right?” Before he could ask about Necro, Tori inquired about the village. Hearing how all of the villagers had fled from battle, Henoke frowned as he glanced around the empty place. Tch—so they all just ran? He didn’t know if he could do that—leave his home behind and run from an enemy he’d rather face. ”Come on—let’s keep moving.” Leading them around rather than through, Kosuke still seemed to be on edge about an ambush, though Henoke was starting to doubt anyone else being around at this point. ”I guess this was around the time he arrived at the Shore for the first time.” Hearing Fay’s comment, the teen flashed a confused look as they explained. ”Then, where’s Necro?” He kept his voice low, not wanting Kosuke and Marie to overhear as he glanced down at the Familiar with a raised brow. Truthfully, he had hoped to see him, too.
Before his question could be answered, a sudden shout broke Henoke from his contemplation. ”Intruders!” Surprised, the teen took a battle stance while summoning his Keyblade into his grip. ”There ARE people here?!” He had seriously let his guard down. ”You two—help me get rid of them!” As Kosuke evaded a charge, Henoke rushed forward towards the oncoming group of soldiers. Using his Sliding Dash ability, the teen came head-first at the troupe before stabbing his large weapon into the ground, using his Quake spell once deeming himself far away enough from Tori and the others, hoping to make most of the soldiers lose their footing and be easy to take down.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 15, 2020 17:43:47 GMT -5
While Kosuke fended off a few soldiers by himself, and Tori took on some alongside Fay, Henoke’s Quake brought the rest down to earth, losing their footing almost immediately as they hadn’t expected a magic spell. Being close to the area, Tori jumped out of the way, looking at the enemies before going in for the attack. Using her sword more of a blocking tool, she knocked down 4 soldiers, leaving them to eat dust.
Kosuke, while fending his own wave, glanced over in shock at the sight, not expecting things like those to happen, at all. Having only heard of Lunarians being capable of magic, he hadn’t expected someone else to be versed in the arts.
“These guys can use magic, too?!” he thought, but quickly brought back to reality as a sword collided with his own’s sheath.
The fox bit and thrashed in hopes of leaving most soldiers off-guard, allowing Tori to run in and knock them out cold. However, seeing the opportunity left by Henoke, it quickly tackled one of them down, before glancing over at Henoke, having heard his shocked comment.
“Remember already that these are Kosuke’s memories!” it growled, “Whatever he remembers happening now, we’ll see it too! If he recalls being ambushed, what the hell did you expect would happen?!” “Fay, focus!” Tori shouted, blocking a spear on her end. “Right, right!”
Fending off by herself, Tori had managed to bring down most of the ones that charged towards her and Henoke, thankful for his first move. One of the soldiers she thought she had knocked down was in fact still up, struggling to stand up but quickly using his flank to attack.
“I won’t allow it!”
Marie shouted, raising her hand and conjuring a wall of fire to protect Tori from the attack. Having heard the shout, Tori turned only to find herself at the other side of a flaming wall, the soldier who wanted to attack knocked back on the groun on its but. The battle seemed to halt, as the soldiers looked bewildered at Marie, surrounded by a fiery aura that made the faint silhouette of a beast. Her gaze focused, she gripped her hand into a fist, the aura around her changing from fire to water, as the river flowing behind her seemed to take the shape of a snake, and charge through the ones still standing. Kosuke sighed, lowering his guard and looking at his companion, who seemed unwilling to stop. The water snake quickly dispersed after having shoved the soldiers into one spot, and Marie walked forward, unflinching.
“Leave this village now” she said with a firm tone, “And never return here —ever again.” “W-Where…?! Who are you?!” one soldier asked. “…” Marie’s gaze grew firm, her hands tensing as the aura around her turned chilly, “It’s an order —leave to never return, and don’t even bother the Humans living here. Is that clear?” “Hey, Marie…” Kosuke looked worried, but unwilling to step forward and stop her. “Y-You’re… How are you able to control the Espers?!” the soldier begged for answers, “No one has ever—!” “Leave” Marie said in a deeper tone, her hand tensing further, “And if you return to the Imperial citadel, make sure the Emperor is aware of this —but don’t ever return!”
The soldiers wavered, shivering in fear as the chilling wind began to freeze them, They nodded hastily, and Marie released her grip, both her aura and the frost being dismissed, and allowing the soldiers to carry their unconscious comrades far away from the village. Once out of sight, Marie sighed, turning towards Kosuke and then the other two.
“You okay?” Kosuke asked, somewhat concerned. “I’m fine” Marie nodded, and then looked at Tori and Henoke, “Are you alright?” she asked with concern. “…I’m okay, though thanks for asking” Tori said, “So… Was that…?” “…” Marie looked away, embarassed, “I’m not very fond of fighting… But protecting others is a different matter.” “…” Tori smiled, “I see… Well, then, thanks for helping, Marie.”
Marie smiled, earnest, and Kosuke smiled back at it. It seemed that, for now, the village would be truly empty, until Kosuke and Marie told the rest about it. Surely, it would be filled to the brim with people, enjoying life as they saw fit.
Tori smiled caringly knowing this, since, in the end, it was the way Kosuke recalled it. She vaguely remembered, but Kosuke had told her about it, the first time they met at the Shore.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 16, 2020 4:09:24 GMT -5
”I won’t allow it!” Marie’s shout caused Henoke to spin on his heels, a surprised look coming to his face as the princess unleashed the power of the elements. ”Woah!” Shutting down the fight entirely, the teen watched as the soldiers were cowed and sent packing. Dismissing his Keyblade in a ray of light, Henoke stuck out a tongue and made a rude gesture after them. ”Tch—don’t start a fight ya can’t handle!” Grouping back up with the others, the teen had a cocky grin on his face as everyone seemed to be fine. ”I’m not very fond of fighting…but protecting others is a different matter.” Henoke pumped a fist in the air before resting his hands behind his head with a satisfied look on his face. ”You were awesome, Marie! That took you like, two seconds!” One of the soldiers had mentioned controlling the Espers…was this their power she had spoken of?
If so, it was truly something that Henoke yearned for himself—though he knew this was all simply an illusion, a construct of memories, being reminded by Fay earlier. Grinning, the teen glanced over at Kosuke. ”You were pretty good, too, Kosuke.” He had already fought beside the real Kosuke before, creating a warm nostalgia for him during the short skirmish. Feeling like nothing could go wrong with the current set-up they had, Henoke seemed carefree once more, sure that the rest of this floor would be a piece of cake for them.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 16, 2020 7:03:15 GMT -5
Sharing their complements to each other, Marie couldn’t help but blush. Flattered, really, showed by her uneasy smile and one hand on her cheek as she received praise. Tori kept smiling, quickly averting her gaze away in order to see if, by chance, Kosuke recalled a second wave after the first one.
So far, though, it was all clear.
On his end, the swordsman looked at Henoke, perplexed after receiving a compliment from his part. He looked away, pouting, to which both Marie and Tori couldn’t help but chuckle at. In the end, it seemed even his tough façade had its work-arounds.
“Tch —whatever…” he said, mumbling. “Don’t try to deny it” Marie teased, giggling, “You’re just as flattered.” “…” Kosuke sighed, resting one hand behind his head, while the other rested on his hip, glancing over at Henoke, “You’re really not Lunarian? I’ve never seen someone that’s not Lunarian using magic… Or are you something else?” “Hey, now” Marie berated, “I thought we were past that point?” “Don’t bother ‘bout what I ask” Kosuke replied back, pushing Marie away. He then looked at the two, “Whatever you are… You didn’t do half-bad, either. Guess you wouldn’t have had trouble if you were on your own —at least, if it came to fighting.”
While appreciating the chat, Tori looked at the village. Now completely devoid of life, it felt depressing. Yet knowing that, soon enough, people would live there again removed some of it away, placing it in a more neutral aura. The fox perked up after the skirmish, causing Tori to look at it with some curiosity.
“The door’s right there!” it said, turning back towards Tori, “We should leave this room before anything else happens… Unless…” the fox lowered its ears, “You… want to stay?” “…” Tori looked away in thought, but then shook her head, “We’ve been here long enough —let’s keep going.”
The fox nodded calmly, while Tori looked at Henoke for a second before turning towards Marie and Kosuke. Having already taken a few steps forwards, they waited for the two to follow.
“Come one —we’re not too far” Kosuke announced. “…We split paths here” Tori replied, calm yet firm, “Where we’re headed is that way” she pointed out. “…” Kosuke frowned, “So, you just wanted to take out the battalion to pass through?” “Not exactly, but fending them off did help.” “If you say so…” he sighed, “Before you leave, though…” “Hmm?” “I want to make sure on somethin’.”
Tori perked up, while Kosuke walked towards the two. Particularly, he went towards Tori, who looked with confusion. Marie, as well, was quite confused, tilting her head with a childish curiosity, much like before shown. The fox raised its ears, standing in a somewhat aggressive pose, just in case something unwanted happen.
“You’re sure we’ve never met before?” Kosuke asked, firmly. “…” Tori closed her eyes, looking down, before shaking her head, “No… But we may.” “Huh?” “We may meet again properly, later on” Tori said, smiling a bit, “For now… Don’t you have things to do?” “…Heh” Kosuke smirked, “Same as you.” “Then… Until we meet again.”
While Kosuke waved once their way, heading back towards Marie, Tori turned back towards Henoke, nudging for him to follow as she made her way after the fox, which led the way. Through the empty village, the sounds became less and less, until only their own footsteps remained. The door they were searching for was almost at the end of it, in between a few abandoned clay buildings. The fox jumped through, and Tori opened, only to be greeted by yet another white room.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 16, 2020 7:22:54 GMT -5
”Tch—whatever.” Henoke’s grin only broadened at Kosuke’s facade. ”You’re really not Lunarian?” The teen gave the swordsman a perplexed look, tilting his head a bit. Thankfully, Marie was quick to swoop in, averting the topic and forcing Kosuke back on track. ”The door’s right there!” Fay’s voice caused Henoke to look around, though he couldn’t see the door himself. ”We split paths here.” Though Tori’s reply was a little brusk, he couldn’t help but nod in agreement. If they had found the door, they should leave now sooner than later. Glancing at Tori, Henoke couldn’t help but show a moment of concern.
”We may meet again properly, later on.” Sighing in relief, it seemed he had worried for nothing as he rested his hands behind his head. Henoke smiled at the exchange, more determined to make sure Tori was able to find the real Kosuke again. Waving goodbye to Marie and Kosuke, the teen followed Tori and Fay through the empty village. Kinda creepy… It was empty save for the sound of their footsteps. Coming to the ornate white door, which stood in contrast to the humble village around it, the trio went through the door to see the blaring white walls of the castle once more. ”They could at least decorate…” Grumbling a bit as he walked through the familiar space, Henoke couldn’t help but eye the identical area with contempt.
”Hey—so how come we wound up in one of Kosuke’s memories?” Turning towards Fay, he crossed his arms as he furrowed his brow in thought. This castle made less and less sense to him the further in they went. ”He didn’t even seem to know Tori yet, either…” Just like the first illusion they had been shown, the Castle seemed to be showing them memories outside of their own recollection. It’s almost like it’s tryin’ to tell us somethin’…? Was he just thinking too much about it? How could a castle have a mind of its own, anyway—that wouldn’t make sense.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 16, 2020 9:51:26 GMT -5
”They could at least decorate…”
Henoke’s comment caused Tori to chuckle, although she couldn’t disagree. The staleness of the castle, as they returned once more to its white walls and floor, was lacking. Even the smaller details camouflaged themselves due to the whiteness, making them obsolete. In the end, it didn’t matter if they were at the beginning of the castle or at its deeper rooms.
It all looked the same.
The fox perked up and looked at Henoke while he asked a few things himself. It made sense, however, given that, up until that point, the two rooms that made illusions were based on memories from either Tori or Henoke, but not from someone else. It hummed a bit in thought, trying to come up with a proper answer.
”He didn’t even seem to know Tori yet, either…” “Well, duh” the fox said, berating, “Sure, he had his Focus, and he’d already awaken to his power by that time. But not only had he never used it prior, Tori couldn’t have seen him. Remember? She wasn’t allowed out of the Shore.” “But…” Tori looked down, her arms crossed, “He did ask if we’d met somewhere…” “When you went ‘for a walk’?” “Yeah —he found me while he was on the lookout, and asked if we’d met before. He also asked about you… Y’know —being a Familiar, and all.” “Why didn't I see that one coming…?” the fox sighed, as it sat down, “But, back on track… It’s unlikely Tori and Kosuke had met by the time we saw them” it explained to Henoke, “At least, properly. Maybe through a dream, or through an Illusion, but nothing proper. Maybe Necro had told him about Tori, but the fact of the matter is: they hadn’t met.” “But we did meet a little after that, right? He made his way to the Shore… Somehow.” “Yeah, and that’s when you two properly met. Of course, he hadn’t achieved his Focus yet, so he returned to his world and finished it. After that, you took him out before Light and Darkness could get a chance to finish him off —just like with many others before him. What he did after was up to him.”
Tori nodded, humming along in thought. Although she had an idea or two as for what the fox meant, it was still confusing.
She wouldn’t blame Henoke if he was also confused, given the fact that some things didn’t make much sense, anyways.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 16, 2020 13:02:45 GMT -5
”Remember? She wasn’t allowed out of the Shore.” Henoke’s face showed mild confusion at Fay’s answer—unsure as to how or why the castle chose to show a memory Tori wasn’t even present for. Listening to Tori and Fay discuss the oddities of the memories timeline, Henoke merely sighed with a slight frown. It was all pretty confusing for him, not being one to normally have to think about some complexities. ”But how’s this place work?” He wasn’t sure if the Familiar would have any specific answers, but he figured to ask anyway. ”It showed an illusion of somethin’ I didn’t even remember…then it showed us one of Kosuke’s memories, not even our own…” At this point, the teen had raised a finger to his chin in thought as the furrow in his brow only deepened. It was almost as though the castle were filling in gaps for them. But that couldn't be the case, could it? Not unless the castle itself had its own motives...but it was a building.
”Is it tryin’ to show us specific stuff?” Or was it all just random? Truthfully, perhaps he should have been asking how the castle seemed to produce these illusionary memories, but the teen didn’t think to ask that question. It seemed he was more focused on the more straightforward and practical questions that directly affected him and Tori, rather than fully seeking a deeper understanding of the castle itself. He eyed the door across the room warily. What else is it gonna show us…? Knowing not all of his memories were as carefree as the first one this place had shown, Henoke found a nagging worry in his heart creeping up.
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