ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Oct 1, 2020 9:16:31 GMT -5
”Yo!” Neku's voice caught Yuto's attention. 'Glad to see I was right about being early.' He smiled and waved off Neku's comment about picking them up. "No need. Portals and all that, ya'know?" Yuto gave a two-fingered wave to the 14-ish looking Luneth as Henoke introduced the two of them. "Pleasure."
The man got up and stretched as Neku told them that Vaan would be running a bit late. "No biggie, it happens." He tried to hide a laugh as Luneth and Neku went back and forth. He understood ticking people off just by existing, considering not everyone was a fan of how Yuto usually conducted himself. ”So—where’re we gonna go?” Henoke's question was a good one, the two of them just agreed to tag along without even really knowing what they were agreeing to. "Also, any idea when Vaan said he'd be here? Cause, if we need to kill time, I'm sure we could find something." As much as he wanted to wait for Vaan so they could get the night started, Yuto was pretty excited to see the rest of the village.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 1, 2020 12:35:12 GMT -5
Luneth nodded at the introductions, perking up after hearing Henoke introduce himself. He pouted, glancing towards the sky as he crossed his arms, seemingly deep in thought. Neku, noticing this, gave the silver-haired boy a quizzical look, not really sure why he’d reacted the way he did.
“Uhh… Luneth?” “Henoke, Henoke, Henoke…” Luneth mumbled the Keyblade Wielder’s name, “Where did I hear that name, again…?” “Huh?” “…Oh, right —from Verun!” Luneth shouted, nodding, “Now it makes sense!” the teen smirked as he looked towards Neku, willing to explain, “I was getting some stuff done by Verun’s shop, and he mentioned a custom made under the Guild’s name. He mentioned ‘Henoke’, but I didn’t know what that meant at the time. Now I do!” he snickered, looking towards Henoke, “You can probably go pick it up by tomorrow, since Verun’s most likely closed shop for now. He said he got it done!” “That was fast” Neku whistled, impressed, “I thought it’d take him a while… Guess he found somethin’ that sparked his creativy, or somethin’…”
Luneth chuckled a bit more, cheerful and upbeat by a job well-done. He seemed easy-going, overall, despite his role as “Stalker” in the Guild —yet that didn’t seem to be determined by his personality. Folding his hands behind his head, he smiled eager.
“Any idea when Vaan said he'd be here?” Neku perked up after hearing Yuto’s question, coming almost on queue with Henoke’s mention of the events for the evening. He frowned, his hands tucked away in his pant pockets, all the while Luneth looked his way with a curious look.
“Well… If we’re waitin’ for Vaan, we shouldn’t be goin’ too far —this is our rendezvous point, after all” Neku explained, “Hmm…” “There are a few places we could overlook, y’know” Luneth mentioned, “Like… The Stables, for example. Gourdy keeps it open 24/7, right?” “What? Ya wanna make ‘em pet a Chocobo?” Neku teased with a smirk. “Have they been there before?” Luneth asked, receiving a negative from Neku, “So? Why not? You don’t want them to mess with Hawk?” “That ain’t it, ya prick.” “Teehee~” Luneth snickered, glancing over towards Yuto and Henoke, “That’s an option. We were going to go through there” he pointed out at a street, somewhat past the tavern they had eaten in before, “’Cause we’re meeting with seniors from other Guilds. The plan was mostly just have a fun time, although I did wanna see if some Guilds would be willing to participate in an upcoming Raid.” “…In the end, you had somethin’ to take care of, eh…?” Neku sighed, “Well, the Stables are an option… I guess you’ve already been through the Market Place, so that ain’t gonna be cool… Hmm…” “There’s also the seasonal one, remember?” “Oh, yeah… That’s past the Stables, right?” “How about it?” Luneth asked, “We can’t go too far, since Vaan’ll most likely get upset if he thinks we ditched him. We could probably check the Stables and then the Seasonal Stores.”
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 1, 2020 15:13:43 GMT -5
”…Oh, right—from Verun!” Luneth’s sudden shout caused Henoke to jolt and take a step back, tilting his head in mild confusion as he raised a brow. Hearing how Verun had mentioned working on his custom order, the teen’s eyes immediately began to shimmer and sparkle in excitement as a grin began to creep its way along his face. ”He said he got it done!” Pumping a fist in the air, Henoke cheered at the news, his excitement mounting all over again. ”Oh, sweet!” Glancing over at Yuto, the teen crossed his arms with a wide grin and a devious look on his face. ”Hehe—you better be up for an early start, tomorrow, Yuto! I’m gonna head there first thing in the mornin’!” Thankfully, his friends question about when Vaan would be arriving would help get Henoke back on track.
He had almost gotten swept up and forgotten all about their night out! ”There are a few places we could overlook, y’know. Like…The Stables, for example.” Though Neku seemed to think it was a lame idea, Henoke found himself grinning at Luneth’s suggestion. He and Yuto both had been fascinated by the large birds upon arriving—and he did still really want to ride one, though that seemed to not be an easy task. I guess pettin’ one is better than nothing, though… It wasn’t a bad idea. Following Luneth’s pointing to the tavern, the teen nodded in eagerness at hearing the topic of a ‘Raid’. ”…In the end, you had somethin’ to take care of, eh…?” Neku’s comment brought a laugh out of Henoke, who understood Luneth’s approach.
If he was a local in the guild, nobody would probably ever be able to shut Henoke up about ‘Raids’ or ‘Hunts’ or ‘Monsters’. It was all so exciting, how could people not want to participate!? ”How about it?” Pulling Henoke from his fantasies, Luneth’s suggestions caused the teen to nod and give a ‘thumbs up’. ”Yeah, I’m down! Chocobos and seasonal stores it is!” Clearly in high spirits, the teen would follow Luneth and Neku’s lead, horsing around with Yuto as they walked to their next destination.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Oct 4, 2020 11:08:13 GMT -5
"...you better be up for an early start, tomorrow, Yuto!" The man laughed softly at Henoke's enthusiasm. "Define early." While he was joking, there was the chance that he would be completely late to Henoke getting his new weapon. He had to admit that he was interested in what the final product looked like.
“Well… If we’re waitin’ for Vaan, we shouldn’t be goin’ too far..." Neku had a point; if they left and Vaan showed up it would be confusing, to say the least. Luneth, on the other hand, had ideas on where they could go. The stables caught Yuto's interest since he wanted to ride one of the bird creatures. Unfortunately, Neku didn't seem to agree that it would be a good idea.
While Luneth and Neku were discussing stores and places to go, Yuto was stuck on the mention of a raid. He heard about them back home but never participated. Since he was so used to either fighting on his own or with one other person, the man had no idea how he would fit into a larger party. Sure he had some healing, but not enough to be a support role; he could do damage, but he wasn't sure if it was enough to fill any of those roles.
”How about it?” Luneth's question and Henoke's response both pulled Yuto back to reality. "Hm? Seasonal shops? Sure thing, sounds like a fun time!" Since everyone seemed to be in agreement of what to do Yuto gestured for Neku and Luneth to lead them. "Shall we?"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 5, 2020 3:59:02 GMT -5
Luneth cheered, happy to see his suggestions being taken —an enthusiasm Neku chuckled at. The teen led the way with a new jump in his step, making his first goal the Stables. The Moogle from earlier was still there, perking up as he noticed the group approaching. Neku took care of the issue, all the while Luneth looked to explain a few things to the two newcomers.
“So, you’ve seen the Chocobos before, right?” he asked rhetorically, “The yellow ones —the ones Gourdy always keeps as showcase” he added with a tease. “Kupo!” the Moggle yelled, “I heard that, kupo!” “Chill, Gourdy…” Neku smirked, “We ain’t gonna do much —just chekin’ around.” “Kupo-po! You’re safe because you have your own Chocobo here, kupo —those two aren’t!” “Ignore her —she gets touchy most of the time” Luneth sighed, “She cares about ‘em —both her own and the ones other people leave here. Only tip? Don’t overwhelm them —the birds, I mean. Gourdy can handle it.”
Luneth chuckled as he headed deeper inside, guiding the two while Neku played catching-up. Mostly yellow birds perked up as the group headed inside, the occasional brown or black being spotted. Neku knew where he wanted to go, while Luneth roamed rather aimless.
“Let’s see…” Luneth looked around, spotting a bucket with some green inside, “Ah, nice! She still leaves some around!”
The teen dashed towards it, picking a few green leaves to then hand over to Henoke and Yuto, while Neku had already found his finish line a bit further ahead. Luneth signaled for the two newcomers to follow, stepping over the fence dividing them from the birds, and moving the green leaf up and down softly, until a few birds notices —yet only one grabbed it. As the bird munched over it, Luneth brought his hand to pet it, a childish smile written in his expression.
“Just lure ‘em out like this” he said, glancing over towards the two, “They’re smart, y’know —won’t come to you if you just try to lure ‘em with your hand all empty. Some Gysahl should help though —that leaf I gave you?”
After finishing his explanation, Luneth glanced over to where Neku was. Sitting over the fence, he was besides a grey-ish black Chocobo, pleasantly munching over a Gysahl Green leaf as Neku petted it. Surely, his own Chocobo —nicknamed Hawk.
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 5, 2020 14:31:04 GMT -5
Henoke followed Luneth and Neku’s lead, walking with his hands behind his head as he glanced around at the bustling town. Night-life wasn’t something the teen was used to, especially lately. Most of his recent years had been spent around Heartless and war—not that those years were recent, by any means. Approaching the stables, Henoke eyed the Moogle keeping care of the birds housed within, causing a slightly surprised look to come on his face. ”Woah! So there’s Moogles here, too…” The familiarity was somewhat grounding. Despite the normalcy of the world they were on, it was all still different and new to the teen. ”So, you’ve seen the Chocobos before, right?” A grin came across Henoke’s face at Luneth’s question as he gave a nod.
There was something about the yellow birds he enjoyed. Lively and energetic, the Chocobos personalities only added to their vibrant feathers and intelligent gaze. ”Don’t overwhelm them—the birds, I mean. Gourdy can handle it.” Snickering at Luneth’s jab to the Moogle, Gourdy, Henoke gave a faint wave as they passed her by and continued on to where the birds were. Glancing around, the teen felt the urge to want to experience the wind on his face while gripping on to bright yellow feathers. ”They’re so cool…” Mumbling in mild awe as he walked next to Yuto, Henoke seemed steadily distracted by each new face that greeted them from behind their respective fences. ”Ah, nice!”
Pulling his eyes away from the birds and seeing Luneth emerge with a bucket filled with green leaves, the teen gave a mild look of confusion as he grabbed onto the handful thrusted to him. Watching Luneth’s display of feeding and petting the birds, the realization of what was in Henoke’s hand dawned on him. ”Oh!” With an excited smirk on his face, the teen would follow Luneth’s lead, walking up to the nearest fence and waving around some of his own green leaves to call over the Chocobo. Once arriving, Henoke’s grin would broaden as he felt the birds beak pluck away at the green leaves he held out, reaching out with his other hands to pet at the vibrant feathers of the yellow Chocobo that had caught his eye.
”Gysahl, huh?” Hearing the name of the plant they were feeding the birds did little for Henoke—though he did wonder if he would be able to find some during any excursions he could take with the Guild. ”These birds’re awesome…” Somewhat mystified by the feathers beneath his hand and the eyes of the intelligent beast before him, Henoke seemed dazed. It wasn’t often he got to experience animals like these—as most of the worlds he visited were plagued by the Heartless. Devouring hearts wantonly, most wildlife tended to flee or be eaten once those demons ran rampant. Thankfully none of these darker thoughts plagued the teen, who beamed as though a young boy playing with a dog, petting the Chocobo and feeding it extra leaves with a somewhat immature spark in their eyes.
I definitely wanna ride one!
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Oct 7, 2020 18:50:08 GMT -5
Yuto took a deep breath of the early night air. It was nice to have a night where he didn't have to fight or run for his life. It had been a long while since the last time he could just enjoy himself, even longer since he enjoyed time with friends. 'This is nice.' A smile formed on his face as he looked up to the darkening sky.
When they got to the stables, Yuto smirked at Henoke's question. Sure, one being here wasn't expected. As far as Yuto knew though, there were Moogles all around different worlds. ”So, you’ve seen the Chocobos before, right?” The man nodded in response to Luneth's question. "Yeah, we walked by here. Didn't have time to stop in though."
He took note of Luneth's warning to not overwhelm the birds, giving a wave to the Moogle. Yuto followed the group to where the birds were, taking in the sight of all the birds rushing to greet them. ”They’re so cool…” He heard Henoke mutter to himself. 'He's not wrong.' The thought of riding one of those birds was enticing, to say the least.
”Ah, nice!” Yuto looked over to Luneth, wondering what he was excited about. As if to answer the question, the fourteen-year-old came over with a bunch of green leaves. He fed and bet the birds after giving some leaves to Yuto and Henoke. “Just lure ‘em out like this” He listened as Luneth explained how to get the chocobos to come over.
'Seems easy enough. Just like reading any other animal.' Yuto stuck his hand out, bobbing it up and down a bit and clicking his tongue, to try and get a Chocobo to come over. It wasn't long before one came right up to his hand and began to peck greedily at the leaves in his hand. It was an oxblood color, almost burgundy but a bit more brown. He reached up with his free hand to pet the bird. The softness of its feathers was a welcome surprise. 'Man, I bet Nox woulda loved this.'
He couldn't help but smile as the bird finished off the leaves and stood there, letting him continue to pet it. 'One of these is gonna be mine.'
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 8, 2020 3:22:23 GMT -5
Luneth glanced over at the pair, after having done the same thing he had, and chuckled. It never ceased to amuse him just how intrigued one person could be when they came across a Chocobo. The birds were tame, yet smart in their own way, but never losing their upbeat energy and cheerful kwehs. And knowing how badly they wanted to get on them and ride made it even more amusing.
“See?” Luneth glanced over towards Neku, “Told ya it’d be a good idea!” “Tch… Shut it.”
Childishly, Luneth snickered a bit more. Jumping down to the ground, he approached the two outsiders with a childish smirk, his hands behind his back. Mischief was all what he showed —something Neku couldn’t help but grimace at. What was he up to?
“So… You like ‘em, ri~ght?” Luneth asked, smirking, “Bet you wanna know which ones’re ours, huh?” “Oi, don’t latch me into whatever you’re up to” Neku scowled with some hidden amusement. “Oh, c’mon! Isn’t it fun to brag about?” “Tch…” “Hehe…” Luneth chuckled a bit more, before turning towards Henoke and Yuto, “The Chocobo besides Neku is Hawk —his own Chocobo. Pretty cool, huh?” “Show ‘em another’s —or maybe even yours? Just don't focus me here.” “Nah, mine isn’t too special.”
Luneth waltzed around, his hands in his pockets all the while teasing Neku with his attitude, although the latter wasn’t placing any attention on him, instead spending some time with his own bird. A bird he’d raised himself, and therefore formed a bond with —it wasn’t just something that happened by chance.
Raising a Chocobo meant work —but although very hard work, it was just as rewarding.
Hawk seemed to perk up, turning towards its left and letting out a loud cry, causing Neku to falter as he was forced to jump down. Luneth ran towards him, as the jet-black Chocobo flailed its wings at another Chocobo’s appearance. A pristine, blinding white Chocobo stepped forth, unique among the rest of colors —and apparently one Neku’s Chocobo either had rivalry with, or was simply friends with.
“Tch —not a perfect timin’ to show up, Pearl…” Neku teased. “In the end, though, it’s your fault, isn’t it?” You’re always issuing races with Tori when you have the chance…” Luneth teased the teen back. “It’s one of the few things I can win at —you bet Imma be challengin’ her as often as I can!” “That’s Pearl” Luneth turned to explain back at Henoke and Yuto, “Tori’s Chocobo. Pretty cool, huh? It’s a one-of-a-kind color, too —white’s really rare on Chocobos, y’know?”
While the group readied to explain things in case they asked, or simply leave for the next attraction, both Hawk and Pearl had seemingly gotten together, their wings spreading both black and white feathers, all the while their happy kwehs echoed along the rest of the flock.
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 8, 2020 12:26:23 GMT -5
Energetic kwehs kept Henoke’s grin wide and his eyes lit with an excited fire as he pet the Chocobo. ”Bet you wanna know which ones’re ours, huh?” It seemed Luneth was keen on bragging, seeing how much Yuto and Henoke were enjoying the intelligent animals. The fact caused a good-natured envy to spring out from the teen as he rolled his eyes and gave Luneth a smirk, crossing his arms but giving a nod to show he was willing to humor them. ”The Chocobo beside Neku is Hawk—“ It seemed though Luneth had been quick to brag, they were rather coy about showing off their own Chocobo, something that caused Henoke’s brow to raise slightly with a devious curiosity. Hawks cry caught the teen by surprise, who staggered at the sudden presence of the pristine white Chocobo.
”Woah!” It was like a ghost! The whiteness of the feathers seemed to almost radiate with a light of their own despite the nighttime around them. ”Tch—not a perfect time to show up, Pearl…” It seemed Hawk got excited with Pearl’s presence, flapping its wings as it stretched its legs and cried out. Unused to these birds, Henoke was unsure at first whether it was anger or excitement—though based on Luneth and Neku’s back-and-forth it seemed like the later. ”That’s Pearl, Tori’s Chocobo.” Blinking in surprise, Henoke took a step towards the unique bird with a clear look of surprise and awe. Hearing how rare their white feathers were only added to its mysticism and majesty.
”She had this the whole time?!” Groaning a bit as he smacked his forehead, the teen had a look of disbelief on his face. ”How did she not show this off instantly?!” If Henoke had a Chocobo like that—he didn’t think he’d ever walk again. Ghost and Henoke, the two demons of the night! The mischievous thought brought a devious grin to the teens face as he chuckled at his own fantasies, resting his hands behind his head. ”Man, these Chocobo are awesome. How’d’you get one?” Eager all over again, the teen gave Luneth and Neku an earnest look. ”Can I get one, too?!”
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Oct 9, 2020 23:42:49 GMT -5
Yuto laughed at Luneth and Neku's back and forth. Pulling himself away from the birds to join the group, the man was taken aback by the white Chocobo that ran up to Neku. ”That’s Pearl, Tori’s Chocobo.” The man was a bit miffed that Tori hadn't said anything about owning one of these birds. Granted, the two had only just met and other things took priority at the time.
Henoke's reaction definitely spoke for both of them, though. Having one of these birds would be bragging rights alone, but to have such a rare coloration? Yuto found it unbelievable that it didn't come up even once in conversation. 'I mean, Tori doesn't seem like that kind of person. I guess it makes sense.'
He couldn't help but share in Henoke's enthusiasm for wanting to own one. There was, however, the fact that they were going to the seasonal stores after this. The thought brought a sense of reality to Yuto. "We may not want to spend all our cash in one place. I mean, we were planning and hitting some stores. And there is what we do after we meet up with Vaan."
If luck held, the two would be on world for a bit. They would have time to get their own majestic birds at some point before they left, he would make sure of it.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 10, 2020 5:44:51 GMT -5
While the pair of Chocobos played along, Henoke’s eagerness at the sight was only a point of focus for both Luneth and Neku. He really wanted one of those birds —there was no doubt about that. His childish smile as he petted the first one was true and earnest.
If anything, he would most likely be able to bond with a bird of his own easily.
"We may not want to spend all our cash in one place.” Yuto’s comment followed soon after Henoke’s asking if he could have one. Neku pondered a bit, knowing a few things about getting Chocobos of their own. Getting a bird wasn’t the issue —one would just raise one from the egg, and they weren’t that expensive.
The work was solely on making the bird bond with you, more than the costs alongside it.
“Y’know it wouldn’t be too hard to get an egg for you two, right?” Neku asked rhetorically, “They’re rather cheap, considering how Chocobos are pretty high on demand. The problem doesn’t come from the cost, though —it comes from the work.” “Chocobos are scaredy creatures —one wrong move, and they’ll be runnin’ off” Luneth began to explain, “In order to ride one and make it so it stays besides you, you need to form a bond with it —and that’s the toughest part. Otherwise, if you encounter a monster while riding it, it’ll just bail out on you!” “Only exception are the rental Chocobos, but you want one for yourself” Neku pointed out with a smirk, “So… You’d have to raise one from zero.” “In any case, are we done here? I wanna take ‘em to the next place!”
Luneth’s eagerness was almost matching Henoke’s own, as he rushed everyone out of the stables and towards the seasonal stores. On the way out, the night was just as chilling as when they entered, but it had its charm. People were still walking around, some celebrating over booze and loud laughter. A charming scenery.
Neku tucked his hands on his pockets, looking with an accomplished smile as the sight before him, all the while Luneth looked just as eager as before, pointing at the direction they would take in order to continue their walk around town as they waited for Vaan.
“Let’s see… I know there’s spicy rice cakes we can eat before meeting…” Luneth mentioned, “I heard there’s a pretty good stand at the start of the street.” “Uhh… What?” “Spicy rice cakes?” Luneth repeated, “They’re pretty good.” “You’re inviting, right?” “1 plate is enough for four —and they’re real cheap!”
Luneth grinned, before running off ahead, while leaving the rest behind. Neku sighed, a bit taken aback by the teen’s sudden enthusiasm, although it didn’t take long before he followed. Waiting a bit on Yuto and Henoke, Neku looked around the warmly lit streets with festive lights, as plenty of food stands and entertainment attractions.
Almost like a festival.
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 10, 2020 10:46:33 GMT -5
”We may not want to spend all our cash in one place.” Yuto’s mention of dough only reminded Henoke of the fact that he was currently flat broke. ”Argh! Damn…” Gripping at his hair for a moment, the teen stomped a foot on the ground with a faint scowl. ”I forgot about that…” With a sigh, Henoke slumped a bit, a faint look of defeat flickering across his face. ”Y’know it wouldn’t be too hard to get an egg for you two, right?” Neku’s words brought a new hope to the teen—his face blinking in surprise before transition into an eager grin. Hearing how one had to work to form a bond with the birds didn’t deter Henoke one bit—if anything it fired him up more!
”You’d have to raise one from zero.” Sure, it might be hard work—but Henoke was definitely in the mindset that it would be more than worth it. Glancing at the Chocobos with the thought in his head, the teen wore a wide grin. I’ll raise one for sure! Confident as always, it seemed Neku and Luneth’s talk had gotten him in high spirits. ”In any case, are we done here?” Luneth was plenty eager himself, ushering them out of the stables in a hurry as Henoke wondered about finding an egg of his own during a hunt…Once he got his sword in the morning, it’d be time to search! Looking over at Yuto, the teen gave a wide grin as he raised a fist. "Once we raise Chocobos of our own, we're gonna race!" Their arrival upon the seasonal stores would cause the teen's distraction to end, finally returning to the events of the night rather than imagining his fantasies.
With a gentle breeze biting at his cheeks and the soft lights warming those out and about, Henoke found himself somewhat entranced at the energy of it all. ”Let’s see…I know there’s spicy rice cakes we can eat,” Luneth had gotten Henoke’s attention, who had been watching the lively seasonal stores beforehand with interest. Rushing off to secure the goods, the silver haired boy vanished amongst the crowd. Glancing around the three of them, Henoke couldn’t recall the last time he’d seen a place with so many people—especially at a later hour. It felt…electrifying, in a way.
”Yo, Neku, is it like this every night?” Henoke found himself asking Neku the question as he watched many pass by with their own small groups. ”It’s almost like everyone’s celebratin’…” He watched with a grin, wondering if the town was simply this cheerful at night all of the time.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Oct 11, 2020 2:17:54 GMT -5
”Y’know it wouldn’t be too hard to get an egg for you two, right?” The statement gave the man pause. If he knew, he wouldn't've said anything. The thought was interesting, however. 'Maybe i can bring one to Nox. She's always been good at caring for things.' He doubted it would hurt; she might even enjoy having a companion when Yuto wasn't there. Neku's comment about starting from scratch only reaffirmed his thoughts.
”In any case, are we done here?” It seemed like Luneth was eager to get to the other events that were planned, not that he could blame the kid. He followed the gang out of the stables and into the night air. "Once we raise Chocobos of our own, we're gonna race!" Yuto grinned just as wide as Henoke at the thought. "Loser pays for the winners next meal?" He was only partially joking. It wouldn't be as fun without an extra incentive to win. It seemed food was the topic on everyone's mind, as Luneth had mentioned spicy rice cakes. Knowing Henoke, the kid had his attention for the next few minutes.
”Yo, Neku, is it like this every night? It’s almost like everyone’s celebratin’…" Yuto looked around, only just noticing that they lost Luneth to the crowd. He shook his head and shrugged it off. Luneth seemed like he could take care of himself, and he knew where they were all supposed to meet up. "Henoke's got a point..." The more he looked around, the more it seemed that the seasonal shop was highly popular. "Is there a festival or something going on?"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 11, 2020 3:57:08 GMT -5
”Yo, Neku, is it like this every night?”
While he looked out at the festival with a smile, Neku turned towards Henoke and Yuto as the former drew his question. Yuto chiming in as he asked if there was a festival caused him to chuckle, shaking his head as he decided to walk around and leading the rest.
“Well, the seasonal stores don’t got much to do with festivals” Neku began, smirking, “But do I need to remind you what kinda place this world is? There’s a reason why people are upbeat most of the time. I wonder if you can figure it out?”
Neku chuckled a bit as he left the question in the air, although he planned on answering it sooner rather than later. Still, he wanted for the question to settle in while they walked through the many cheerfully colored stores and stands, the smell of tasty and savory food almost visible. The mirth of town was just as loud as before, with people cheering with laughter or quietly enjoying the climate.
It was a scenery that always helped stay motivated.
“…People here risk their lives daily” Neku began explaining, not looking at the two as he did so, “Not just Hunters or Mercs… Everyone. One never knows when a monster might attack you whenever you leave town, and you never know if you’ll end victorious against a Mark… Death’s always around the corner” Neku’s look softened a bit, “You never know when you’ll see people again…” he turned towards Henoke and Yuto with a smirk, “So ain’t it better to enjoy whatever time you have to its fullest? Spend time with the people close to you, and forget about those temporary issues… That’s why people are so merry here —to avoid the grimmer reminder of things. You end up just… Learning the small pleasantries life can hand over, and you end up learning how to make use of them to their fullest.”
Neku was sort of embarrassed, yet there wasn’t any signs of said embarrassment anywhere —he’d just said his piece. His view on life was a tough one, but one forced to remain as it was simply due to the life he’d lived through. Over time, he’d learnt to enjoy the smaller details all the while making sure he could live another day.
Much in the same way the others living there did.
Luneth came back eager, a bright smile on his face while he carried chopsticks and a box in his hands, rushing his way back to the trio. Inside the box were the spicy rice cakes —plenty of small rice cakes in the form of cylinders, of an orange-reddish color, alongside some vegetables to compliment both the flavor and the look of the dish.
“Ever had these before?” Luneth asked, cheerful, “They’re really good!” “I’ve got a feelin’ these two’ll like it, considering what we ate this mornin’…” Neku teased, grabbing chopsticks and opening them, “I’m kinda surprised they’re sellin’ these right now, though.” “Well, spices are pretty common now, aren’t they?”
Neku grabbed one himself, before Luneth moved the box towards Henoke and Yuto, offering them some. There were plenty to share, after all —a quick bite before the main attraction. The spice would be a mild one, but one full of flavor, complimenting the somewhat chewy texture rather well. It was a staple popular for said reasons, after all.
“There you are!”
Neku and Luneth both perked up as they heard a familiar voice rushing towards them —Vaan. In a sense, they weren’t too far from their rendezvous point, and so Vaan had spotted them with relative ease. The tanned teen looked at the box in Luneth’s hand with interest, swiping one without even grabbing chopsticks —a rude and impulsive gesture, one both Neku and Luneth couldn’t help but chuckle at.
“Why’re you here? I thought we agreed on meeting by the Fountain” Vaan pouted. “You’re the one who decided to show up late, y’know!” Luneth replied back, “What’d you do this time, huh?” “Don’t bother about it. More importantly… Are we going now?” “…Yeah” Neku nodded, glancing over at Henoke and Yuto, “We can come check the stores some other time. They won’t be movin’ in a while —people will, though.”
With that, the trio of locals led the way back towards the Fountain and through another street, all the while Luneth kept offering spicy rice cakes to whoever wanted. It wouldn’t take long before they would find themselves at a smaller park, just as crowded as the Fountain Plaza they were just in, although most people there would be people the group’s age —teens and young adults, all seemingly into their own business while enjoying the night time.
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 11, 2020 11:33:42 GMT -5
”There’s a reason why people are upbeat most of the time. I wonder if you can figure it out?” Neku’s vague answer (which wasn’t really an answer at all) caused Henoke’s brows to furrow as he tried to puzzle it out. ”Uh…” Scratching at the back of his head, the teen had a somewhat sheepish look on his face as he glanced around. Is it ‘cause they live by the beach? Looking over at Yuto, he shrugged, wondering if his friend had any clue. After a few moments, Neku seemed content with divulging the depth of his words. ”People here risk their lives daily.” Hearing how even those outside of the Guild had to live in the shadow of fear due to the hazardous monsters that roamed the island, Henoke’s face fell a bit.
So…it’s ‘cause they’re all afraid? Looking around, it was hard for the teen to imagine all of the people cheering and seemingly having fun living such stressful and paranoid lives. ”You never know when you’ll see people again…so ain’t it better to enjoy whatever time you have to its fullest?” The sentiment seemed positive, though everything else around it felt so heavy. Henoke wore a look of ambivalence, one between confusion and relief. Truthfully, the deeper meaning of it all was mostly lost on him. Why’s it sound cheery if the situation’s so bad? He just didn’t get it. Shrugging a bit as he crossed his arms, the teen gave Neku a genuine smile.
”Well, I’m glad everyone’s out here enjoyin’ themselves. It makes it a lot of fun!” It seemed even if certain complexities escaped him, the teen was rather carefree about it all regardless. Luneth’s emergence would cause Henoke’s grin to widen as he eyed the box in excitement. ”Ever had these before? They’re really good!” Hearing Neku’s comment brought a chuckle out of Henoke, who eagerly grabbed one of the red rice cakes with his fingers out of sheer impatience and excitement. Despite the unsanitary gesture, the teen had been careful enough to at least not touch the others. Shoving the snack into his mouth, Henoke hummed in enjoyment for a moment at the mild heat and complex flavors. Could be spicier…but it’s good! He would tease Yuto by acting like he was going to snatch the guy's own snack, seemingly enjoying himself quite a bit.
”There you are!” The sudden voice caused the teen to blink in surprise as he turned to see Vaan approaching. Having already met the boy before, Henoke gave a wave and a nod in familiarity. ”’Sup, Vaan?” Seeing the blonde’s pout made him smirk, rolling his eyes a bit as he shook his head. ”You’re the one who decided to show up late, y’know!” Henoke crossed his arms and nodded with a composed and serene expression, as though Luneth were a wise sage preaching nothing but truth. There was a devious glint in his eyes as he teased the other boy. ”We can come check the stores some other time.”
Henoke nodded, giving Neku a ‘thumbs up’. ”Yeah! Don’t sweat it. Right, Yuto?” Jabbing at his friend with his elbow, the teen seemed in high spirits, excited to continue their night out. Helping himself to the rice cakes offered as he followed the locals, Henoke was surprised to see that the park was just as lively as the plaza. ”Woah…” People really did like celebrating, here. He found himself appreciating the greenery, as it reminded him vaguely of his own home world, lush with forests and thicketed mountains. It was like a small-scale personal forest for everyone to enjoy.
With a vague look of awe, the teen would crane his head as they walked, intrigued by the crowd around them as he joked and teased with the others.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Oct 12, 2020 12:00:20 GMT -5
Yuto thought about Neku's question, catching Henoke's glance as he did. "Hmm..." A few reasons crossed his mind, but none were what Neku told them. ”People here risk their lives daily." It seemed obvious now that he said it. 'Enjoy the time you have because you don't know when you'll run out.' He could understand that, his world was similar in that aspect. People almost always went off on their own against droves of heartless. "Understandable, really. It's like you said, you don't know so enjoy it while it lasts."
“Ever had these before?” Yuto took chopsticks and poped one in his mouth, enjoying the medley of heat and flavor and smirking at Neku's comment. "Not wrong, considering I'm the one who made the spicy sauce for said lunch." Popping another rice cake into his mouth, he gestured to Luneth that he didn't wan't anymore at the moment. ”There you are!” The sudden voice caused Yuto to turn towards it's source. He waved as Vaan made his way over. Even though they only met yesterday, Yuto liked the guy.
“Why’re you here? I thought we agreed on meeting by the Fountain” The man was about to say that it was his idea to kill time while they waited, but Vaan didn't seem overly worried about it. ”We can come check the stores some other time.” Yuto shrugged in response to Henoke's jab, they were just there to kill time and he doubted the season would end anytime soon. You're right, they'll be here for a while."
He followed the native trio back the way they came. "So, what're we doing tonight? All we know is that it's a 'guys night'."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 12, 2020 16:21:23 GMT -5
The groups had already formed, once they would see closer —it was just people gathering there with little to no rhyme or reason. They each took their paths ignoring the rest, focused on catching up with close friends. Neku, Vaan and Luneth were looking around, although barely noticeable, looking for the other two people they had agreed to meet with.
"So, what're we doing tonight?” While Luneth particularly looked around, Neku perked up at Yuto’s question. It wasn’t a tricky question, really —the answer was an easy one. The teen around to meet with Yuto, given that Henoke knew a little bit of the details.
“We were mostly just hagin’ with peers and the like —y’know, catching up, spend some time, maybe get a few drinks… That kind of stuff” Neku said, “Luneth did have another reason for this, though —he wanted to see if people would be up for a Raid. We’d need people to actually get it goin’, y’know? Just our Guild won’t cut it.” “…Oh, he latched you onto it?” Vaan asked, his hands folded behind his head. “Well… It’s not like Luneth to keep quiet ‘bout stuff like that.” “True, true…” “He~y!”
Speaking of the devil, Luneth was further ahead, waving his hand eagerly in order to catch their attention. Besides him were two people about Neku and Henoke’s age. One of them was tall teen with slightly olive skin and black hair, wearing a simple white t-shirt and cargo pants, finishing off with hunting boots. The other one was slightly smaller, with honey-brown short hair, wearing a white vest over a black shirt, baggy beige pants and sneakers.
“Found the~m!” Luneth laughed. “Those two are the last people we agreed to meet with” Neku told Henoke and Yuto, “They’re just another Guild’s members, but Luneth thinks we might be able to team up with ‘em. Not to mention that Vaan and I know ‘em due to class.” “Name’s are Ryu and Koichi —pretty good friends of mine, actually” Vaan said, nonchalant, “They’re not from the Black Roses, though…” “Wait, you really forgot their Guild’s name…?”
It wouldn’t take long for them to end by their side, seeing how Neku and Vaan were talking as they walked along. Luneth was chatting them up a bit, but he stopped as the group approached. The two newcomers —Ryu and Koichi— looked their way, both rather calmly.
“So, should I introduce you two, or do you do it yourselves?” Luneth asked the two, cheeky. “I’ll do it” Ryu said, “Name’s Horikawa Ryu, and this pipsqueak here is Sengoku Koichi.” “Pleasure!” Koichi waved, “We’re members of the Howling Fangs —just a bunch of brash guys bashin’ about!”
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 13, 2020 9:42:05 GMT -5
Henoke snickered as Neku filled Yuto in on Luneth’s underlying goals of the evening. It seems all of them had been roped into a good time with subtle businesslike pretexts. Resting his hands behind his head with an amused look on his face, the teen felt absolutely carefree as they loitered in the park. ”He~y!” Luneth’s shout caused him to grin as he raised a hand in greeting to the familiar face and two new ones. ”Those two are the last people we agreed to meet with.” Nodding at Neku’s explanation, Henoke had figured as much—though the idea of Luneth roping in random friends he’d run into along the way didn’t sound out of reason for the boy, either.
”Name’s are Ryu and Koichi—pretty good friends of mine,” It seemed that even those from other guilds would interact and hang out, remaining on good terms both on and off the battlefield. It was a concept that reminded Henoke of a simpler time…one he wouldn’t worry himself with now. As the others came up, the teen grinned wide as Ryu and Koichi introduced themselves in turn. The Guild’s name, ‘Howling Fangs’, caught the fiery teen’s attention as his eyes glittered with slight mischief at the thought of ‘a bunch of brash guys bashing’ about’ phrase. ”'Howlin' Fangs', huh? Sounds awesome!” His grin broadened with a boasting confidence as he held up a thumb to his chest.
”Name’s Henoke. I’m new to the area, but I’ll be spikin’ up in the ranks in no time! Just watch!” Resting his hands behind his head once more as he thought of his new weapon, Henoke couldn’t help but feel more excitement. The ‘Howling Fangs’ sounded like a rad guild, one he’d love to see in action and take part in! There was certainly an enchanted glitter to the teen’s eyes as he turned and waited for Yuto to introduce himself. Hehe—I bet they’ll have tons of info’ on the monsters here! This was a perfect chance for him to not only learn more about the Guilds and their members, but of the different beasts that lurked beyond the safety of town.
After all, fighting mysterious monsters was something definitely up Henoke’s alley.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Oct 14, 2020 17:24:06 GMT -5
"A raid, huh? Sounds fun." He didn't mind being invited out for something like that. Drinks and camaraderie were always a great way to make friends for things like that. Besides, he wasn't about to pass up the chance to meet new people. He looked over to where Luneth was calling from, noting the two standing next to him. ”Those two are the last people we agreed to meet with.”
”Name’s are Ryu and Koichi—pretty good friends of mine,” Yuto nodded and smiled as Henoke commented on their guild's name. He held in a laugh as his friend introduced himself and declared how he would be a rising star. "Well, that's one way to make an introduction. Anyways, I'm Yuto. Pleasure's mine."
"So, Neku, you said you guys knew them from class? They training for front-line work like you, or?" He was genuinely interested, considering how life here was explained and how Neku wanted to branch into the mercenary world. "More importantly, where to first? Night's young and all, lets enjoy it!"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 21, 2020 4:27:03 GMT -5
The two Howling Fang members nodded pleased, already into the interaction. The night would go on rather peacefully, yet rowdy shouts, competitions and the like would often surface in the group —particularly between Neku, Vaan and Ryu. Talking about Raids, Guilds, Hunts and Marks, the two outsiders would be able to learn in rather great detail what it all meant, all while having a drink or two as well as staple foods (well, alcoholic ones to Yuto if he wanted, the rest not so much). Monsters were varied —Wolves, Bunnivs, Mindflyers, Nightmares, Malboros… All of the names would most likely be new for them, as well as the description of them —nightmarish monsters hell-bent on establishing their authority over the rest of the living beings in there. Survival of the fittest, in a sense —a world full of danger for those unable to fight. The “Raid” part would be somewhat tougher to describe —an immediate threat to the townspeople. Hearing what it was this time, according to Luneth, would settle things for the two Howling Fangs members, immediately agreeing to teaming up. Given that it was Koichi the Stalker of that Guild, it wouldn’t take much to settle a deal with their own Guild’s leader.
The Raid Luneth had wanted to settle with another Guild was a Rank VI Wolf, nicknamed “Fenrir”. It would be a while before the would tackle it, according to the Hunter’s Guild’s Stalker —about a week or so, in order to settle deals with either other Guilds for more manpower, or perhaps with other Salve-Makers and Smiths for resources. Raids were big, in more than one sense —the issuing Guild would be spending a lot in order to settle deals and get resources, but the reward would be just as big.
Once the evening was over, and everyone decided it was finally time to call it a day and rest, Luneth informed of one last thing to his group —that being Neku, Vaan, Henoke and Yuto. There would be a meeting first thing in the morning tomorrow by the Guild’s HQ, in order to settle the things for the week, as well as see which Marks were available to tackle. For the time being, each member would go their separate ways, in order to rest and recover the lost energies in order to work properly the next day.
[TIME SKIP]
As morning broke, Tori headed out to start the day. In the end, she hadn’t stayed at Mei’s place, but still had spent quite some time with her and Mayu, surprisingly tame despite her urge to continue the research. It was a refreshing experience, to say the least —one that allowed her to push on with the day ahead of her.
She was aware of the meeting, but not about the bargain with Verun already completed. Her idea was to grab Henoke and Yuto to go together for meeting and introduce them to Ashe and Penelo, the last two members they had yet to meet. If they had other plans, though, she wouldn’t be against them, but her mind was set in what she would do for herself.
“Are… They even here, though…?” she asked, looking at the door to their room, “I didn’t hear them coming back… Or maybe they came before me?”
Hesitating, she remained at a distance. Almost glaring towards the door, she waited a bit before making a move herself.
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