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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 16, 2020 13:26:22 GMT -5
Tori sighed, somewhat giving up on following the current trail of thought. Far too complex even for her to understand, she decided to simply ignore it for the time being, and was keener on going deeper into the castle. However, Henoke’s questions became somewhat of a roadblock, since they picked her interest regardless.
“Well… How it does the things it does, I have no clue” Tori shook her head, looking at Henoke, “The longer I think about it, the harder it gets… So, honestly, I think it best to ignore that for the time being… But…” she pondered a bit more, thinking on the things it had shown, “Maybe… It’s showing us things that we’re closest to? Even if we’re not aware of it?” “It could be the case” the fox replied, “Luring you into oblivion with memories and sensations you’re fondest to. It’s not that farfetched of an idea, if you consider it.” “But then is someone making them?” Tori suggested, “Someone like a Spirit —who can control light and darkness to their content, luring people into lies and illusions.” “Nope” the fox gave the negative, “We are in the Realm Between, sure, but this world hasn’t always been like this. It’s like the Shore, in a sense —a shell of what it used to be. The reason behind it, though…” the for lowered its ears, “I wish I knew…”
Sighing yet again, Tori frowned. Once more, a wall —the longer they tried to resolve things, the tougher they seemed to become. She glanced over at the door at the end of the room, wondering much like Henoke where it’d lead them. The fox did the same, perking up a bit as it ran forward.
“This is it…” it mentioned, much for Tori’s confusion. It turned back, a serious and calm expression written on its face, “The reason you came here —remember? Or, one of them, at least…” “You mean…” Tori approached, curious, “This isn’t going to lure us into an illusion?” “Not this one, it won’t” the fox shook its head, “Guarantee. I can sense what’s ahead perfectly.” “Would’ve been useful before, y’know…” “It doesn’t work with the rooms that can conjure illusions, though! I would’ve done so then!”
Tori let go, a bit exasperated, as she opened the door. At the other end, unlike before, welcomed a dark room, lighted by the faint blue light of screens on one side. At the far end, a closed door, but not like the ones the castle had. It was more metallic-looking, much like the current room itself. Curiosity taking over her, Tori approached the source of light of the screens.
They seemed functionable, albeit very dusty. Following along, the fox stayed near her, looking up to her with a hint of curiosity. Tori looked at the screens, a more serious façade written on her face.
This was what she was after —information on who resides and for what purpose.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 16, 2020 13:47:49 GMT -5
”Maybe…it’s showing us thing that we’re closest to? Even if we’re not aware of it.” Though it was indeed a confusing topic, Henoke nodded along with Tori’s line of thinking, as it made the most sense to him. ”It could be the case…” Being reminded that it seemed the Castle’s main goal was ensnaring others, Henoke’s face soured a bit as he looked at the blaring white walls around them reproachingly. The idea of someone being behind this malicious intent was unsettling, though thankfully Fay seemed to dismiss the idea rather quickly. It seemed there were indeed some things that the Familiar couldn’t explain, which brought a small sigh to Henoke’s lips as he shook his head. ”Dang…so even you don’t know?” If neither Tori nor Fay could figure it out—Henoke had little to no hope that he himself would ever wrap his head around it.
”This is it…” Fay’s voice seemed foreboding as they neared the other ornate door opposite to them. ”You mean…this isn’t going to lure us into an illusion?” It was almost relieving, except that their main purposes for being here were hardly carefree. Smirking a bit at Tori and Fay’s quick back-and-forth, the teen seemed far less worried now that they weren’t going to be confronted by another memory. Following Tori through the door, the teen’s face showed his surprise at seeing a dark room lit up by multiple monitors. Another door loomed across the dark room, though this one appeared different from the usual ornate white doors that greeted them in the castle. ”What the…?” He hadn’t expected any of this. Glancing around the room as Tori neared the monitors, Henoke whistled quietly as he finally began to make his way over as well.
”What is all this?” Crossing his arms as he stood next to Tori, the teen narrowed his eyes in suspicion. Looking around the monitors, Henoke wondered what kind of contraption this was. Hm… Furrowing his brow, the teen tried to remember anything that would help him figure out what this room was for—though nothing came to mind.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 16, 2020 14:27:50 GMT -5
”What is all this?”
Focused as she was trying to get the computers to run, Tori turned back to look at Henoke, who wore a suspicious glare and his arms crossed. Smiling with unease, an idea crossed her.
She hadn’t seen anything the least modern back in his own memories. Perhaps he hadn’t come across technology before? At least, not to the level they were dealing with now.
“You’ve… never seen a computer before?” she asked. “Is this the time to ask about it, I wonder…?” Fay asked with exasperation. “I know, I know… Let’s get started.”
Tori began typing away, concentrated in finding whatever info could come in handy, or would lead her to something of importance. The fox propped itself upwards, its front paws over the keyboard as it looked standing up.
After a bit of searching, Tori flinched faintly, glaring at the screen in front of her. Knowing a bit on how to search for information and research thanks to her tutor, she had been searching key words and the like to find what she wanted first, and she’d gotten a hit. What came after, however, wasn’t what she’d expected.
Log XX/XX
Out of the two batches I've created, none have succeeded. No matter how much I try, the memories prove either too difficult for them to process, or they're far too important to strip the Replicas from self-will. Unfit to serve out current plans.
Still, considering that they are Replicas based on old data —data from the ancient war, taken place ages ago—, perhaps newer memories might be easier. A figment of a memory that's more to our current time may prove easier to use, rather than old and inefficient memories.
I'll bring this up with ******** and see what he thinks of it. After all, he is the one who instigated the research. If I get a pass, then I'll try testing on the memories of that boy, the one currently making his way through the castle.
It could prove an amusing experiment, but I still need to learn more.
“Tori…” the for glanced over at her, worried.
Tori grit her teeth, her eyes turning a vivid shade of purple as she clenched her fists over the keyboard. The log itself proved a few things —such as the Replicas being created for an ulterior motive, but it still lacked a creator.
Who would go that far?
“Just how many did they plan on creating…?” she asked, bitter, “And for what? What reasons could they possibly—?!” “Maybe there’s something we’re missing?” the fox interrupted, “Not only that, but it seems it’s really old.” “Huh?” Tori turned towards the fox. “See how it mentions that ‘most of the Replicas were unsuccessful’?” the fox dropped down, sitting as its nine tails fanned out, “It means that, whoever created these, went through pretty much a line of failure before arriving to this conclusion. Making Replicas isn’t as easy as it seems. Not only that…” turning towards Henoke, it smiled, “But the fact that they point out the many failures, and yet he’s here with us, proves that they were far too hasty when creating them.” “…They wouldn’t have had enough time to fully test them” Tori concluded, calming down, “Even if they wanted to use them, it takes them far too long to actually process the memories, and move around.” “Which explains why he woke up, with no one near him —most likely, whoever used to use this place as a research facility was forced to leave. Why or how, we can’t say, but the fact remains. And so, they left behind their work, unknowing that it was indeed a success.”
Tori looked down, thoughtful. While what Fay pointed out was true, it still left some doubts unanswered. Deciding to search further, Tori turned to the computer once more, in search for that she wanted.
Answers.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 16, 2020 15:15:03 GMT -5
”You’ve…never seen a computer before?” Henoke’s face grew a little red as a scowl formed. Turning away for a moment, the teen seemed somewhat embarrassed and irritated at not knowing about something that seemed so common. ”Tch—what’s so great about it?” He had never seen anything like this before, though, so he couldn’t really deny it. Computer? He hadn’t the vaguest concept of what that was. Click! Click! Tap! Hearing Tori’s typing, the teen raised an eyebrow and turned back towards her, watching with restrained curiosity. ”What’re you doin’…?” As she moved her fingers, different screens flashed on the monitor, causing the light to blink or shift in the room, catching his attention. Weird… Was it some kind of magic? Seeing words displayed on the screen, Henoke walked a little closer, squinting his eyes a bit at the harshness of the light coming from the display.
The hell? Was this written by the people who made him? It definitely talked about Replicas, but most of it was stuff that only confused Henoke. What boy? Was there someone else running around the castle? Henoke hadn’t seen anyone but him, Tori and Fay inside. Well, other than the illusions—though that didn’t really seem to count. ”Just how many did they plan on creating…?” Tori’s sudden question jolted him from his thoughts, noticing the frustrated expression on her face. ”It seems it’s really old.” Furrowing his brow in thought, Henoke crossed his arms and looked away from the screen. Old, huh? When was he made, then? He woke up in this castle not too long ago, right? Er…how long’s it been? Without any real way of tracking the days, Henoke hardly had an idea of how ‘long’ ago he woke up—though it really couldn’t have been too long. Maybe only half a year or so at most.
By the time the teen had woken up here, the castle had already been empty—deserted. No one had been inside, at least that he had found. The people that made him were long gone. So…they just left me here? What, was he some sort of failed experiment, then? The idea only left a sour taste in his mouth and worsened his mood. ”Making Replicas isn’t as easy as it seems.” Fay’s words broke him from his thoughts, brightening his mood a bit at mentioning how despite the apparent failures, Henoke himself had pulled through. "Damn straight! Like I'd be a failed experiment!" He thumped his chest a bit as he puffed it up, returning to his usual cocky demeanor. Hearing Tori and Fay's explanation, it seemed whoever had created him indeed ran out of time. ”Which explains why he woke up, with no one near him—most likely, whoever used to use this place as a research facility was forced to leave.” Henoke found his eyes wandering back towards the bright screen, drinking in the words once more.
It didn’t mention who made him or why, but it was reassuring to know they were indeed on the right track. Henoke found himself glancing over at Tori, silently thankful once more for her presence. He would be lost about what to do on this contraption. Sighing a bit, the teen watched her as he leaned against the wall, deciding it was hopeless to even try and figure out exactly what she was doing on the ‘computer’ thing.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 16, 2020 15:32:41 GMT -5
Still typing away, Tori was far too focus on finding her own answers, that she’d forgotten about Henoke after he’d regained his demeanor back, knowing he was, in fact, a “success”. Noticing this, the fox turned towards the boy, leaning back against the wall with almost no clue as for what was happening. Still sitting down, it tilted its head as it spoke.
“You really don’t know what’s going on now, huh?” the fox sighed, amused, “Well… We could try and see if there’s anything you can do… Hmm…” “I was thinking on that, just now” Tori said, stopping her typing and turning towards them, “By the looks of things, you didn’t come through here, did you? This particular room isn’t familiar, right?” she asked, somewhat rhetorically, “But you do remember a few things from when you woke up… Right? Like… Where you were.”
“I’m not so sure about this, but… Do you mind checking past this door?” she nudged at the metallic door behind her, “While I cover the data here, you can go look and see if there are any more Replicas left here. If they left you behind, then we have a pretty high chance of finding others, right?” “You want him… To go check on that…?” the fox seemed uneasy. “It’s the only thing I can come up with, given the fact that he doesn’t seem to handle it well with technology…” Tori added with an uneasy amusement.
Fay sighed once more, standing up just to move a bit towards Tori, seemingly deciding to stick around with her for a bit. Although it was to be expected, since Tori was about to lose her better judgement after finding the first log. She was already working her way to find a few more, before calling it.
For the time being, Henoke could just go check on the other thing in her stead. Wouldn’t be too hard, right?
“The door’s unlocked, if you need to know” Tori mentioned, turning back towards the computer, “See the panel besides it? Just press the button and it’ll open.”
Past the door, a single corridor greeted. On the walls, with a distance even in between then, stood closed pods with glass so stained, one couldn’t see through at first glance. Two were open, while the rest didn’t indicate anything.
This was, most likely, the room where Henoke woke up. But even if it wasn’t, something would be off regardless. With two pods open, it would mean that there were other Replicas awake, right?
But then, where were they?
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 16, 2020 16:14:40 GMT -5
”This particular room isn’t familiar, right?” Tori’s comment caused Henoke glare towards Fay to disappear as he regained attention. Shrugging a little bit, the teen shook his head in response. It wasn’t familiar to him. ”But you do remember a few things from when you woke up…right?” Henoke’s brow furrowed a bit as he nodded—his memories right after awaking were hazy, but he certainly remembered the room he woke up in. Hearing how Tori wanted him to check the other room for possible Replicas, Henoke felt a jolt of surprise. ”Other ones?!” But he hadn’t seen anyone in here the first time, had he? ”You want him…to go check on that?” Fay seemed uneasy, though Henoke had already turned towards the door, an earnest look in his eyes. ”Are there really others…?” For some reason, there was an odd hopefulness to him in that thought. Other Replicas—artificial imitations, just like him. ”See that panel besides it? Just press the button and it’ll open.”
Nodding, Henoke pressed on the button in question, taking a step back a bit as the door opened on its own afterwards. Walking through the doorway, the teen didn’t hesitate or look back as made his way to the next room.
A long corridor stretched before him, multiple pods that rang true to his memory looming on each side. All but two were closed, with foggy glass that seemed to dense to peer through. !!! Grasping a hand to his forehead, Henoke was surged by a memory—one he had somewhat recalled but came back more vividly this time. This room… It wasn’t where he woke up—but looked very similar, nearly identical. The pods were the same, too. Finally registering that two were actually opened, Henoke walked towards them, his eyes wary with suspicion. ”If neither of these’re mine…?” Were there other Replicas inside at some point? Did they too awaken to this abandoned castle and left? Inspecting the open pods, Henoke’s face showed his distaste towards the contraption. How long was I canned up in this? It seemed spacious enough, but oddly empty on the inside. Shrugging, the teen disregarded the thought of how these things worked, knowing it’d be lost on him.
”Hm…wonder how long ago they woke up?” If he had missed others slumbering, maybe others had missed him as well. There was no telling if these pods had been opened before or after his awakening, at least not to his knowledge. Crossing his arms in thought, the teen gazed around the room, wondering if there as anything that stood out or could showcase some bit of information as to who constructed the odd devices or resided within them.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 16, 2020 16:37:19 GMT -5
Having found out her answers, Tori sighed, leaning back from the computer. It had taken its time, but there were no workarounds to go quicker. At the very least, her answers reached her, yet she wasn’t very pleased with the truth of it.
The Replicas’ goal now made clear to her, Tori frowned. Someone —be it a single individual or a group— aimed to create Replicas of Keyblade Wielders in order to obtain hearts that the Heartless released upon defeated by a Keyblade. However, a few of them had been “reserved” for those who could time-travel, effectively roaming free in the timelines —something she was supposed to avoid. Unable to hold her anger, she clicked her tongue
“Whoever did this will pay —be it by my hand or someone else’s” she thought to herself bitter.
Sighing with annoyance, Tori glanced over at the door, where Henoke had gone. Now with her information printed in her mind, she could focus on other things —seeing if there any Replicas left behind or roaming free.
The fox looked at Tori with unease, concerned even. Its ears lowered and its pose timid, Fay worried for Tori’s next action. Given her current anger, it was an unpredictable event, and perhaps even a chance for the Darkness to taunt her again…
“So, you found something?”
Tori asked Henoke as she walked towards the room, somewhat disturbed by the pods in it. She noticed the two pods that were open and empty with scrutiny, before glancing over at the one nearest to her, placing a hand on the stained, cloudy glass.
She could tell something was inside —broken memories, so fragmented and separate they couldn’t even make a coherent image of who they belonged to. Replicated, small fragments, ones Tori couldn’t help but pity. Because of a selfish motive, they’d been forced back together, unable to truly regain shape. Her other hand, resting besides her, summoned her Keyblade —the regular one— and broke through the glass.
Crash! The glass shattering pierced the silence in the room, as a single, white humanoid figure dropped on the ground, helpless. The fox whimpered slightly, frightened, while Tori glared at it with her chin held high, an angry expression written on her entire figure. Her Keyblade now lowered, yet not dismissed, began to surround itself by mist, as Tori held her other hand forward. Faint, small wisps took shape, before she dismissed them.
“This is what you were made for —until they left” Tori said no one, although Henoke could interpret it as being directed to him, “Bound to them, to gather hearts for their selfish gains… I’ll make sure no one follows their tracks.” “Tori…” the fox said, worried. “Don’t try to stop me.”
Sighing, Tori headed for the next pod, ready to do the same thing as she’d done before. Her grip, so firm around her Keyblade, began to hurt, and even her free hand tensed up too fiercely.
She wasn’t stopping —not by herself. And the fox was far too afraid to act in order to stop Tori.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 17, 2020 15:01:49 GMT -5
”So, you found something?” Tori’s voice caused Henoke to turn, standing near the opened pods in confusion. Gesturing at the countless pods around them, he watched as she neared one with a glare. CRASH! Seeing her suddenly break open one of the pods, Henoke jolted back in surprise, not having expected the sudden vandalism. Thud! A lifeless figure dropped forward, thudding onto the white floor before the pod Tori had cracked open. What the—?! Taking a step closer as he inspected the form, Henoke felt a chill go down his spine. It looked like a human, but with no distinct features. ”The hell is that?!” Was it a person? Were they dead?! Calming himself a bit, the teen realized the thing really was lifeless—unmoving. As Tori continued, Henoke looked away from the empty vessel with a clear look of confusion on his face. ”Gather…hearts?” That was why he was brought back? Oh! The thing that happened after he defeated Heartless? The released heart that seemed to float away into the sky?
Chirithy had explained it to him long ago, but he couldn’t really remember the details at all. So…they brought me back to fight the Heartless? How did that help them? Furrowing his brow a bit, Henoke wasn’t given much more time to think as Tori seemed to wind up once more, preparing to strike down yet another pod. ”So…you’re just gonna break ‘em all?” The teen didn’t fully understand everything, but it seemed like whatever Tori had found out had made her really mad. Sighing a bit as he scratched the back of his head, Henoke found himself not really following her anger. It wasn’t that he cared about destroying stuff in an ancient castle—it was just that he didn’t really see how it was going to solve the problem. ”If they left this place, they probably already set up shop somewhere else.” He wasn’t sure how long ago they had left this castle, but if those who created him were still around, they most likely would have brought their research with them, wouldn’t they? If anything, wouldn't getting rid of the information be better than the odd machines?
Shrugging a bit, Henoke seemed to show he wouldn’t try to stop Tori from doing what she felt she needed to. He just didn’t get it, really. Glancing over his shoulder, a sudden thought struck him. Maybe they mentioned where they were goin’…? He wasn’t sure how to navigate the odd machine, but once Tori calmed down he’d bring it up. Crossing his arms as he leaned against one of the looming white walls, Henoke seemed to be surprisingly calm as he waited for Tori to get done whatever she needed to.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 17, 2020 15:32:43 GMT -5
Tori broke the second one, the same thing as the last one occurring —a lifeless husk dropped down to the floor, alongside shards of stained glass and mist. She wouldn’t allow it —not a single one could be left behind, not while she remained there.
She’d turn everything to ash if she so chose.
Henoke’s comments didn’t deter her, although him showing that he wouldn’t interfere relieved her of unconventional fighting. The fox, scared, remained back, its tails woven into one and tucked in between its back legs, cowering. Seeing that it alone couldn’t do much to stop Tori from destroying whatever remained, it stood back, watching.
The mist became thicker and thicker around Tori’s Keyblade, but never really going away, while the wisps that had formed with the little fragments of memories the Replicas held did. Having broken all the pods that held a Replica within them, Tori stopped in her tracks, her Keyblade absorbing the mist and taking its reverse, crystal shape.
“Even if they left, they have another use for these husks” Tori said, not looking back, “If one can time-travel, then they’ll anchor themselves to this particular point in time, and do whatever the hell they please. I’m not going to give them that chance —I’m ending it here.” “Y-You’re not…” the fox looked incredulous, “What exactly do you plan on doing, then? Break it all?” “It’s more than likely that, even if not the original owners, someone will come across this. And if not, then those who can time-travel will” Tori sentenced, her eyes vivid purple, “I’m not going to stand by and watch. This is the reason I exist, isn’t it? To keep the balance between light and darkness.” “That’s true, but…” “Then isn’t this the right thing to do? Avoiding people from overruling their deaths, and drive the worlds into further demise?” Tori glared at the fox, angry, “Tell me, then —what exactly do I need to do?!” the fox cowered, whimpering, stepping back and shivering. Tori sighed, “Thought as much…”
As the fox backed off more and more, Tori glared at the Replicas sprawled on the floor. Her reverse blade firm in her grip, she tore them one by one as they remained on the floor, swiftly and collected despite her actual anger. Now made rags and pieces of what they once were, the Replicas were no more, turned to trash along the glass shattered beneath them. Only then did Tori dismiss her Keyblade, looking at the floor before heading back to where the computers were, deciding to destroy that as well.
A dark mist soon took shape, causing Tori to turn back, her anger still fresh inside her. Just like before, the same dark figure stood up, yet she didn’t summon her Keyblade back in hand. Already knowing the dynamic, she chose to speak rather than give in.
She wouldn’t do it a second time —she knew herself better than that.
“You again?” Tori asked, her anger hidden beneath her calm and cold tone. “So, you chose to destroy all of this” the figure spoke, “Believing this to be your duty?” “Isn’t that the reason I exist? To protect the balance you two have?” Tori retorted back, “Then I’m doing my job —by destroying this, I’m keeping things how they should be.” “Again, we ask —is this truly your duty?” “If you think I’ll just go along what you say, think again. I’m done playing a pawn for you to manipulate —I’ve grown, and much stronger than what you think.” “Yet currently, you cannot face those equal or lower than you.” “So what? It’s not like you can do any better” Tori smirked, her arms crossed, “Even if you try, they’ll end you before you know it.” “In the end, you chose to go against your creators” the figure seemed to sigh in disappointment, “You choose, then, to take the side of those you vowed to fight?” “I’m not siding with them” Tori said, firm, “I’m taking care of them first, but after that, I’m going for you.” “You fail to see the point, then… As expected of someone who knows too much.”
Tori clicked her tongue, glaring back at the figure who seemed to give up. Yet still not summoning her Keyblade, and in fact keeping her stance firm against it, she wasn’t going to back off.
It was either the figure left, or she made it leave.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 17, 2020 17:49:32 GMT -5
Seeing Fay’s worried expression, Henoke wove a nonchalant hand at the Familiar as Tori continued to smash open the second pod. ”Don’t worry ‘bout it—let ‘er blow off some steam.” It’s not like they’d get in trouble by anyone, anyway. Continuing until she broke every single pod in the room, Henoke watched silently as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. ”Even if they left, they have another use for these husks.” Her comment caused his head to tilt as he raised an eyebrow. ”If one can time-travel, then they’ll anchor themselves to this particular point in time…” Henoke’s curious expression shifted into a furrowed brow and a faint frown that betrayed his confusion. Time travel? The hell was she going on about? Henoke was beyond lost now, sighing once more as he shook his head.
Tori and Fay’s argument didn’t clear anything up for him—other than the fact he now understood Tori didn’t want to risk someone using…whatever the hell these weird bodies were. As Tori finished destroying the odd husks, a sight Henoke found odd to watch, a dark mist soon had the teen’s attention. ”Oi, watch out!” It looked too familiar to be a coincidence. Pushing away from the wall he had been leaning against, Henoke summoned his own Keyblade as the same dark figure from before emerged from the mist. ”You again?” Henoke came to a stop, taking a battle stance near Tori as he kept the dark figure in his sights. ”So, you chose to destroy all of this,” Henoke’s grip tightened, tempted to simply attack while the odd being was talking. ”You fail to see the point, then…”
”Screw this!” He was tired of waiting around, Henoke was done with letting this weird entity casually talk shit. Rushing forward, the teen lunged with a heavy overhanded swing—aimed to slice the figure in half!
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 17, 2020 18:14:59 GMT -5
Tori flinched, watching Henoke charge forward to attack. The figure seemed disappointed once more, creating a dark wall to protect itself from the Keyblade, and pushing him back, as well as taking its distance from the attacker.
“This is none of your concern” the figure spoke, “You who understands not the works of light and darkness… Stay back, less you desire demise.” “…So, you’re saying that if I step up, you won’t do anything to me?” Tori asked, her reverse Keyblade taking shape in her hand as she stepped forward, “You’re saying that you cannot hurt me, at all?” “Your fate has already been set in stone —overturning it would prove futile” the figure replied, “Regardless of the outcome here, your fate is to return to the Farther Shore, and remain there for eternity.” “Like I’ll stay and watch back as the worlds are being slaughtered!” Tori shouted back, “Be it Heartless or Spirits, Nobodies or Dream Eaters, I’m not going to allow them to disappear once more! Whatever it takes, I will protect them.” “Tori!”
The fox flinched, perking up as a surge of mist gathered around Tori, but it didn’t burst out yet again. Coexisting with her anger was a new feeling, one that managed to keep her calm. Swinging her blade horizontally, the mist shot forward in a wave-like motion, only to dissipate against a black wall. Tori hadn’t taken another step, but her resolve was clear.
“You say my fate’s decided…” she said, “You say you’re the ones who created me, just to become a pawn for you to use, and to make sure to protect the balance between light and darkness… But in the end, you’re nothing more than hypocrites, watching by as people do as they please with the powers you hold —not moving a single finger while the worlds you so ‘caringly’ created are being picked up and destroyed, one by one.”
“So, if neither of you will take action… Then I will” Tori settled, “If you desire to leave the worlds to their ‘fate’, so be it —but I’ll fight back with every ounce of power I’ve got within me, just to make sure they remain safe from those who seek to destroy them.”
The mist around Tori —grey and somewhat glittery— surged forth, a mighty wind blowing through the corridor around them, aiming at the figure in black. It placed both arms in front of it in order to protect itself, remaining like that until the mist dissipated. The figure, seeing itself in a losing position, decided to retreat once more, but the fox didn’t allow it. Its nine tails fanning out behind it, it howled, the mist surrounding Tori taking strength once more, restricting the figure’s movements. Tori stepped forward, calm, as the figure seemed to shrunk in fear.
“…In the end, you’re unable to fake your true fear” Tori said, “The real reason you want to restrict me is because I’m stronger than you, isn’t it? And so you use this ordeal to lock me down with chains once more… Unfortunately for you, I’m not going to allow myself be bound anymore. …And yet, I don’t want to end you —I refuse to follow their steps.” “…You cannot mean…” “That’s right” Tori nodded, her gaze determined, “While I don’t plan on erasing you —given the fact that you are indeed the ones who created everything that lives—, I don’t plan on protecting you any longer, either. I’ll make my own path, even if it's at your expense. Therefore…” she turned back, towards the door, “You either take action in order to protect yourself, or search for another pawn to suit your needs.”
Tori walked back towards the door, the fox following as the mist was dismissed. The figure, cowed, didn’t take long in leaving, either, while Tori nudged for Henoke to follow.
“We’re done here” she said, “Let’s get going —we need to find the way out.” “You say that, but you’re gonna break the computer before that, right…?” the fox asked, uneasy. “…I’ll stick to my word —that’s the kind of person I am.”
Back at the room with the computer, Tori wasted no time. Using a Thundaja spell, the lightning bolts make quick work of the device, frying the circuits and breaking the screens until they became useless. Given the fact that there was only one door other than the corridor, they’d have to go through it before finding the exit.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 18, 2020 1:19:48 GMT -5
”Tch—this again?!” Henoke couldn’t help but shout out in frustration as he wash pushed back and deflected by yet another dark wall. ”You only know one move’r something?!” Gritting his teeth in frustration, the teen slashed out with his Keyblade at the barrier, deflected each time as his look of frustration grew. This asshole! He hated cowards who hid behind defenses instead of attacking head-on. Especially when they talked big. As Tori shouted out, surrounding an odd mist around herself, Henoke found himself pushed back by the wind as he raised his Keyblade up to defend himself. Skidding back across the floor, the teen blinked in surprise as Tori surged forth, overwhelming the dark figure as he shouted out and pumped a fist in the air. His look of victory faded as he heard Tori mention that she wasn’t going to finish the guy off.
”Oi, what?!” As Tori turned and began walking back towards him and the door, Henoke took a step forward as the figure disappeared in the black mist they had appeared from. ”Awww, man!” Furrowing his brow as Tori passed him, urging him to follow, Henoke couldn’t help but show his irritation at her letting the mysterious figure go. ”You had ‘im!! Argh!! Now what if he comes back and messes with us s'more?!” Dismissing his Keyblade, Henoke ruffled the back of his spiky hair in irritation, shoving his other hand in his pocket as he followed Tori begrudgingly. Having already entered the room before him, it seemed the girl had brought her destruction into the room with the monitors. Arriving through the doorway, Henoke shouted out once more in frustration as he rushed over to the fried computer, still sparking and jolting with electricity from her spell.
”Tori?! What the hell!?” Slamming a fist down on the ruined machinery, the teen spun around, seemingly losing his patience. ”How am I gonna find out where those bastards went now?!” His face was a little red as he took a step towards her, gesturing back at the ruined computer. ”That was my only chance of figurin’ somethin’ out!” It was true that he hadn’t known how to work the computer, but if she had told him she was going to blow the thing up he would have definitely mentioned digging through it some more. ”DAMN IT!” Spinning around, the teen kicked at the broken machine, only adding to the sparks and ruin as he dented it further with a loud CLANG!
What few broken screens worked merely flickered with a static and cracked display, most of the others dark and lifeless altogether. There was definitely no hope of him salvaging this thing—and no way did he know enough about machines to get any information off.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 18, 2020 4:05:53 GMT -5
”Tori?! What the hell!?”
Tori turned back towards Henoke, surprised by his anger. She hadn’t expected him to be that interested in the computer, or rather, the information safeguarded within it. But now being beyond useless, there was no way to retrieve said info.
Not that she hadn’t done it already. While not inside a stick or an external hard drive, Tori had gotten enough information out of the computer to share. But even then, it wouldn’t do much to quell Henoke’s anger.
“…Sorry” Tori sighed, turning fully towards him, “I might’ve broken things preemptively…” “Yeah —that’s something I agree with Henoke on…” the fox frowned. “But if you wanna figure out where the ones that created you went… We might have some answers. I did check most things thoroughly —most likely, I came across something that might indicate their current whereabouts.”
The flickering lights starting to fail until fading, the room would soon be a dark one. The fox reminded them of that fact, turning towards the door with somewhat of a rush. Understanding that, Tori headed there, not before looking at Henoke and telling him about it.
“I’ll explain whatever it is you want me to explain” she told him, “But let’s leave this room, first. It’ll be a hassle moving in the dark.”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 18, 2020 9:58:23 GMT -5
Fuming as he ground his foot against the dent, Tori’s apology brought him to a pause. ”I did check most things thoroughly—“ Hearing that she had at least done a good amount of snooping beforehand, Henoke sighed, lowering his foot from the broken computer and shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. ”Tch—fine…” Grumbling a bit, feeling a little embarrassed he hadn’t thought she might have done that before getting mad, the teen’s anger seemed to fully subside as she mentioned leaving the room—the flickering lights providing less and less light by the second. Following Fay and Tori out, he frowned a bit as he glanced over his shoulder at the large metallic door. ”Well, d’you at least figure out who they were?” Sighing once again, it seemed though his anger had waned he was in a somewhat sour mood.
”Or the name of the place they made their new base at…or whatever…” It was still weird to him that anyone would choose this castle as a base of operations to begin with. This place sucks. Once they left, he definitely wouldn’t ever want to come back. The illusions were too vivid and the blaring white was annoying to deal with. Truthfully, it was most likely deeper seeded issues for why Henoke felt a blatant disdain for this particular castle, though the teen was nowhere near adept enough with his emotions to open that vault.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 18, 2020 11:52:34 GMT -5
Once back in the white room, Tori relaxed a bit, having been somewhat tense after their last encounter. The fox also seemed relieved, in a sense, as Tori hadn’t really gone “berserk” unlike the first time. Some progress done about it left Fay pleased. It kept going for a bit, stopping as it realized that Tori and Henoke had some things to share.
Listening to Henoke’s questions more attentive now that they were out of the dark (quite literally), Tori crossed her arms calmly as she began to recall what she’d managed to find.
“Well… To some, I have answers —to others, not so much” she replied, a troubled look in her eyes, “I have a name, yes, but exactly who they are, I have no clue. Not to mention… It’s not a person’s name —it’s more likely of a group of people. I do know, however, what they are —Nobodies.” “Don’t think she says that just because she considers them 'nobodies', though” the fox was quick to chime in. “Right” Tori nodded, “Allow me to explain, since I honestly doubt you know what I’m talking about right now…” she added with an uneasy smile, “When someone succumbs to their darkness, they become Heartless, right?” Tori began, calm and collected as usual, “However… When someone whose wills fiercely hangs onto life —someone who refuses to let go— falls to their darkness, whether they intend to or not… They leave behind a shell of who they were —a Nobody. A being with no heart, belonging neither to the light or the darkness. I can’t say why they would go as far as replicating other Keyblade Wielders just to obtain their hearts, since they can return back to who they were with a simple enough path…” “That’s not the issue right now, though” the fox growled, “We have a perpetrator, but no leads to where they are now. Nothing came up when we searched —not a single mention of a place they could’ve fled to.”
Humming in agreement, Tori silenced down. Nothing else seemed to be note-worthy, other than to know who they were after. Realizing she hadn’t mentioned a name, which was what Henoke had asked for, she shook her head.
“Right, I haven’t said the name I found…” she mentioned with unease, before recovering her pace, “The name I managed to find was ‘Organization XIII’. They’re most likely the ones who created you —no doubt. While I can’t say precisely which member amongst them did it, we already have a lead to go on with.”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 18, 2020 12:48:26 GMT -5
”Not to mention…it’s not a person’s name—it’s more likely a group of people.” Henoke tilted his head a bit as he listened, furrowing his brow. A group? Of Nobodies? Crossing his arms, the teen let Tori explain, hoping it would resolve his confusion. Learning about the nature of a ‘Nobody’, Henoke showed a vaguely surprised look. So…not everyone fully loses themselves? He didn’t know anything happened to people other than turning into a Heartless in that situation. ”I can’t say why they would go as far as replicating other Keyblade Wielders just to obtain hearts,” Other Wielders? Henoke showed interest at this comment. So that’s why they chose me? Because he had a Keyblade? ”We have a perpetrator, but no leads to where they are now.” Fay’s comment caused Henoke to scowl a bit as he glared at Tori for a moment.
It seemed there hadn’t been any mention of where this mysterious group went on the machine anyway, allowing him to release his anger and stop glaring. ”The name I managed to find was ‘Organization XIII’. They’re most likely the ones who created you—no doubt.” Henoke lifted a hand to his chin in thought, wracking his brain for any recollection of such a name. ”Never heard of ‘em.” Shaking his head a bit, the teen frowned, feeling a little defeated. Kicking at the white floor, Henoke scratched at the back of his head. ”Tch—damn it.” They had a name, but not much else to go on. Essentially, he was back to square one. Just hoppin’ from world to world ain’t gonna work… Even if it did, it’d take forever, considering the fact he still couldn’t control where he landed. Maybe by the time he found this organization’s new base, they would have left that one, too.
”Shit!” Visibly frustrated, Henoke gripped at his spiky hair as he stomped a foot on the ground with impatience. ”There’s gotta be someone who’s heard of ‘em…” Crossing his arms, Henoke couldn’t help but scowl at the thought. Most of the people he knew were gone. Furrowing his brow, the teen tried to recall the current friends he had made, after awakening here. No one’s ever mentioned that name before. It was a lost cause. ”Know a place where we could get some info on ‘em?” Seeing as how the girl had known about odd mechanisms he hadn’t heard of, Henoke figured she might have been to a world he had never been to. One with more resources that they could work with.
It was a surprisingly insightful idea for him.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 18, 2020 13:16:01 GMT -5
Back to square one it was, as Henoke not only admitted not hearing of “Organization XIII” before, but also the two of them being unable to lock in a location where they could be. His frustration visible, Tori couldn’t help but sigh.
It was, in the end, really hard to pin them down, not knowing where they were.
“Info, huh…?” Tori asked herself, a hand resting on her chin, “Nothing comes to mind, right now… Hmm…” “Radiant Garden, maybe?” the fox asked, causing Tori to flinch and look at it, “They have a laboratory there, and with any good laboratory, there’s a computer… Right?” “We could try there, but… The problem would be leaving this place, first” Tori replied uneasy, “Do you know the way?” “Not to a T, but… I can try leading us there.”
Tori nodded, as the fox went back to the door that had led them to the room to begin with. What they hadn’t noticed was the room’s width, as there was another door right besides the one they came through —the one holding within an illusion. Not waiting a second, the fox jumped through, while Tori opened to find a corridor once more.
The simple corridor led to a suit of stairs, finishing in a single double door. Seeing the fox’s calm demeanor, Tori didn’t have much to fear. The figure from before wouldn’t bother them, either, not when she’d made her stance so firm and clear.
For now, it was going to be silent, until they left for good.
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 18, 2020 13:34:19 GMT -5
”Radiant Garden, maybe?” Henoke blinked in confusion at Fay, never having heard that name before, either. It sounded like whatever this world was, it had a lab with another one of those ‘computers’. ”The problem would be leaving this place, first.” Nodding in agreement, Henoke glanced around the looming white walls. His powers alone couldn’t guarantee them voyage to this ‘Radiant Garden’, not with how little he could control it. Knowing the Keyblade, it would just spit them onto a world teeming with Heartless and more problems. ”I can try leading us there.” Thankful for Fay’s assurance, even though they didn’t seem super confident, Henoke rested his hands behind his head as he sighed, following along. Well, at least it’s somethin’… He tried to get himself more excited about going to a world he’d never heard of.
Passing through another ornate white door, a long corridor with a flight of stairs stretched ahead. Following the stairs with his eyes, the teen saw yet another looming white double-door above, wondering where that one would lead them. ”Wonder how long it’ll take…” This place was like a maze—only worse, since it showed illusions that threatened to trap one here for who knew how long. Forever? Following Tori and Fay, Henoke walked up the stairs, eyeing the door with a wary look.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Aug 18, 2020 15:36:08 GMT -5
”Wonder how long it’ll take…”
While Tori focused more on the path ahead, the fox turned towards Henoke as he voiced his thoughts. It was true —it felt long, just being there and experiencing illusions based on either their memories, or others. His wariness evident only amused Fay, drowning a chuckle as it shook its head.
“It has been long, huh?”[/b][/i] the fox mentioned, “It’s mostly due to how the illusions behave, though. Truth be told, you haven’t been here that long.” “Still doesn’t show us the way out, Fay” Tori said from ahead. “Wah— I-I know that!”
With a laugh, Tori turned towards the door. Nothing felt off, but then again, nothing had —not even the doors with the illusions within them. Still, as if she could tell what was at the other side, she went on ahead, not waiting for Henoke or Fay as she did so.
Something called for her… But she couldn’t explain it with words. Knowing it wasn’t the Darkness, she didn’t feel the need to be wary.
While it was yet another white room, it was very different from the ones prior. At the end of the room, opposite to the door, laid a throne, just as white as the walls around it. Having followed her, the fox rushed in with a perplexed look. Both Tori and Fay looked at the room mesmerized, wondering just what that room was.
“Someone… Was here before…” Tori mentioned, absent-minded. “Tori?” the fox tilted her head. “Ah —Sorry… I dunno what that was…”
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Post by hoodwink on Aug 18, 2020 16:39:30 GMT -5
”Truth be told, you haven’t been here that long.” Fay’s comment surprised Henoke, feeling like this whole voyage had taken more out of him than he had expected. As Tori opened the door, revealing the large Throne Room, the teen glanced around with a suspicious eye. ”Tch—thought you said a ‘king’ didn’t live here?” If there wasn’t a King or Queen of a castle, why would it have a throne? ”Someone…was here before…” Tori’s mumble was mostly lost due to its quietness, but her look told Henoke that she seemed to be vaguely remembering something. Tilting his head a bit at her as he crossed his arms, he couldn’t help but wonder when her memories would come back to her. Same with Kosuke… He wanted to help the two of them…but truthfully everything was growing more confusing and twisted than he thought it would.
Oh well. For now, he’d try not to stress on it too much. As Fay and Tori continued to gawk at the room, Henoke walked with a lackadaisical pace towards the looming white throne. ”A whole room just for some fancy chair, huh?” Eyeing the furniture with a devious look, the teen ran the remaining distance before plopping himself into the chair as though he owned the place. ”Urk…not as comfy as I thought it’d be...” Grimacing a bit as he sat in it, the teen tried a few various poses to get comfortable, finally settling on draping a leg over the arm as he leaned diagonally across the large seat. He figured if it had a whole room to itself it’d at least be somewhat decent—but it felt like any other normal chair, if not less comfortable than most.
Groaning a little bit, Henoke rested his chin on his hand on the arm of the throne, giving the room a sullen look. ”Is everythin’ in this castle a let down?” Finally getting back on track, he leaned backwards, scanning the room with lazy turns of his head. ”Hm…where do we go now?” There weren’t any doors he could see—just this big room with the chair. Glancing at Fay with a skeptical look, the teen raised an eyebrow. ”D’you lead us to the wrong place?”
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