ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Nov 8, 2020 13:35:42 GMT -5
Mei's explanation made a lot of sense. If the people who put in the requests just got word that the mark was taken care of without proof, or talking to the hunters beforehand, it would be highly unprofessional. Plus, the extra info would be helpful. He returned Mei's smile and followed her.
After a bit, Yuto noticed what kind of building they were going to. The sounds of chocobos in the distance made it hard for the man to contain his excitement. Mei's renting one for him only made him more excited. The girl's comment barely registered as Yuto stared at the big yellow bird. "Uh-huh, ok, sounds good."
He climbed on, a little unsteadily at first. "So, how does one properly ride Big Bird here?" If he was gonna get one of his own, he'd need to know how to properly ride and care for chocobos. He shifted his weight slightly so he was more securely seated on his bird. "Also, where are we heading? I'm assuming the mark?" It would make sense, considering all the work they just went through to make sure that they could collect the bounty.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 8, 2020 17:41:23 GMT -5
Successfully catching Henoke off-guard, Neku continued his offensive, trying to push the rookie to his limits —the real ones. That’s when people wouldn’t hold back, and that was what Neku was after. If he could do that, while making sure Henoke followed the right mindset.
The teen’s attack was blocked and parried, although a faint smirk remained on Neku’s lips as he noticed Henoke taking things seriously now —the grin in his face had disappeared. That alone was a good sign —he was starting to take thing seriously. Tori had picked it up as well, humming in thought as she saw it.
It was enough for the time being. She nodded to herself, before whistling loudly for both of them to catch on.
“I think that’s enough for now, right?” she asked, smirking. “…” Neku glanced her way, before saving his sword back in his back, “Yeah —that’s enough.” “So? What’s the final verdict?” “…” Neku stretched a bit, glancing towards Tori before looking at Henoke, “You can adapt easily, which is surprising… You’re not half-bad, either —you got used to it while we fought, right?” he asked, “The only thing you’re missin’ is thinkin’ seriously. And not just in battle —there’s always times ya need to keep a cool head, y’know.” “That’s Henoke for you… You weren’t too different before, though, Neku…” “That’s all I can think of, though —ya need finesse, but that’s the least of my concerns” Neku shrugged, finally scoffing a bit, “It should be okay if you keep a cool head during a hunt —but that’s only if you even want him to tag along.” “…You mean you’re not joining?” Tori asked, curious, “That’s odd, coming from you…” “Imma help around and see what I can get —I ain’t feelin’ huntin’ right now.” “Even though you were so eager to join us before? …Did something happen?” “I just remembered I got rent to pay —that’s all.” “…Isn’t that the more reason to—? Ah…” Tori blinked, but drew an uneasy smile as she looked at her friend, “Right… He most likely got upset by this… That memory’s surfacing again…” “…Just stay safe, both of ya, got it?” “Got it. Take it easy for today —I’ll let Ashe know.”
With a wave, Neku headed back towards the tree house, leaving Tori and Henoke to their own devices. The girl sighed heavily, knowing what had caught Neku’s mind and didn’t allow him to push further. In a sense, she could see that he was relieved that Tori called it short —Neku would’ve probably been tougher on his remarks had she not done so.
Neku’s mind was a troublesome one —but not because of who he was, but rather because of who he used to be.
“Come on —let’s go downtown and see if there’s any scraps we can pick” Tori teased, “Neku’ll be fine on his own —he needs some time to cool off, is all.”
Mei giggled once Yuto climbed on, all the while the rode her own with ease. The cream-yellow Chocobo gave a loud and cheerful kweh, to which Yuto’s rental Chocobo replied just as cheerful. It wasn’t a competition of who was the most upbeat, but rather just to make sure they were both okay —something Mei had learnt to read long ago.
“Grab the ropes like this” Mei indicated, showing to Yuto how she was grabbing them —one hand firmly clasping the ropes and leaving a small lasso above the fisted hand, “It’ll allow you better mobility. The trick is on the knees! You don’t need your hands to keep yourself on top, but rather… Make sure your feet and knees are firm when your Chocobo picks up a pace —that way, you’ll stay up.”
As if to showcase, Mei ushered her Chocobo to move forward with a half-race, her grip firm and her form steady, before turning around back towards Yuto. His own Chocobo seemed eager, flapping its wings as Mei’s Chocobo took off, but remained steady.
It was rental for a reason —they were properly trained.
“We need to hear to the southern most part of the Western Shore, first” Mei explained, “From there, we need to go a bit deeper into the forest, but by then we won’t be needing the Chocobos. By the by, did Gourdy give you a whistle? …Ah… Wait…” the girl rummaged her pockets with uneasy, handing Yuto a silver whistle, “Sorry, I kept it… You’ll need this to call the Chocobo back, once we finish the hunt. It’s a whistle only this one will hear —so you’ll know it’s the same one.”
“Come on! We gotta get going!”
Mei looked at Yuto before taking off with her own Chocobo in a steady race. Yuto’s Chocobo, once ushered to move, would do the same —keeping a steady pace as it kept up with Mei. It wouldn’t take long for them to get where they wanted, while feeling the brisk sea breeze pass by them while the dashed through the shoreline.
The Western Shore itself wouldn’t look too much different to the other shorelines they had seen before, but the growls of creatures deeper inside would be much louder. Once reaching their destination, Mei dropped down off her Chocobo, petting it a bit before it took off on its own back to the stables —and Yuto’s rental would do the same, one he dismounted.
From there, it would be a walk —a short one, but one they would have to tread carefully through. Otherwise, there were plenty of creatures looking for a quick meal…
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 8, 2020 17:58:06 GMT -5
Henoke seemed to be enjoying himself, having begun to gotten more familiar with the new weapon. It was a powerful one, sharp and heavy and able to pummel foes into submission if used well. Tori’s sudden whistle caused the battle to pause as both boys glanced her way. ”I think that’s enough for now, right?” Still wearing his confidant grin, Henoke nodded in agreement as he sheathed his weapon, though his face was still vibrant and alive with energy. Did anything tire this guy out? ”That was pretty fun! Trainin’ wasn't so bad, I guess.” Seemingly in high spirits, the teen rested his hands behind his head. ”So? What’s the final verdict?”
Neku’s compliments seemed kind of backhanded, causing Henoke to scrunch his face up slightly. In the end though, he seemed to have gotten a passing grade, returning his previous broad grin to his face. ”That’s all I can think of, though—ya need finesse, but that’s the least of my concerns,” Finesse? Sure enough, that wasn’t an area of expertise for the hotheaded youth, who typically used brute strength and confidence in fights over anything else. Hearing how Neku wouldn’t be joining them, Henoke rose an eyebrow and tilted his head at the young merc in mild confusion. Huh? Tori seemed to think of something that made everything make sense, but Henoke was still lost.
As Neku headed out, Henoke waved a hand with a faint frown. What was up with him? He had seemed so into it, before. ”Come on—let’s go downtown and see if there’s any scraps we can pick.” Tori’s sudden suggestion broke him from his thoughts, though his confused expression remained as he scratched at the back of his head. ”Scraps…?” Weren’t they going to go fight monsters, now? Shrugging, the teen figured it would make sense when he got there. His adrenaline rush from the spar was still active, allowing him to remain curious and excited and distracted. Following Tori, the teen forgot all about Neku and their mysterious mood shift…
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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 Nov 9, 2020 14:17:57 GMT -5
Yuto followed Mei's instructions and did his best to be ready for when the Chocobo took off. Though the bird was trained, it was Yuto's first time on one. “We need to hear to the southern most part of the Western Shore, first. From there, we need to go a bit deeper into the forest, but by then we won’t be needing the Chocobos. By the by, did Gourdy give you a whistle?
He took the whistle. "No worries. I have it now." He gestured for Mei to lead. He could feel the Chocobo under him shifting around, assuming it wanted to take off. Mei went a bit of a ways ahead before Yuto realized that she never actually told him how to get the Chocobo to move. "Uuuummmmm...Let's go?" He shifted the rope he was holding, unsure that it would do anything. Thankfully the Chocobo took off after Mei when Yuto 'commanded'.
It took him a second to right himself as the bird took off. He silently thanked Mei's quick crash course as he probably would've fallen off without it. Catching up to Mei, Yuto enjoyed the familiarity of the shore. The growling of monsters in the distance made it apparent that, thought the shore looked nice, it wasn't safe.
Once he caught up to the girl and her bird, he would dismount and send the bird on its way. "Looks like fun." A small smirk played on the man's lips. Sure he learned to use his head more, but he couldn't ignore the call of a good time. Yuto unhooked his bat, just in case. "So, I'm guessing we'll know when we get there?"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 9, 2020 17:23:26 GMT -5
Tori laughed a bit as she led the way, looking back at Henoke and saw his confusion, although he seemed to quickly get over it. With a confident look, she held her head high, aimed towards the town but looking at Henoke by a glance.
“I meant trying to see what’s left from the morning” she explained, “By now, I’m pretty sure most Marks will be taken by someone else, but it never hurts to check, right?”
The walk towards downtown would be peaceful, the loud mirth of town audible from quite the distance. Cutting no time short, Tori pulled her hood up and headed straight for the nearest Bulletin Board. She looked at whatever bulletins were left hanging, trying to find a suitable Mark for a beginner —one the two of them could tackle.
It couldn’t be stronger than a Rank 3 —she made that her goal. Most of the time, though, those were the ones that would be more scarse, since they were a moderate challenge with decent pay. Any Rank below it would be too easy for someone with experience, and any above it was risky without the right information.
“…Ah, this one’ll do.”
Tori snatched one of the bulletin, finally finding a Mark suitable for the two to tackle —a hunt for a “Gil Snapper”. The petitioner was someone Tori knew, so finding them wouldn’t be tricky even in a busy town like that. She turned towards Henoke, gesturing for him to follow.
From the Bulleting Board, it would be a straight walk to one of the nearby shops.
“Ah… Tori.”
The girl stopped in her tracks, turning to where the voice came from —an adult male’s voice. Tori didn’t show any emotion, but if there was one thing she was showing was her unease, evident in her body language.
That wasn’t a good timing to see her dad, walking around the town trying to pick some job to do. “It’s… Been a while, hasn’t it?” her father asked, with an uneasy smile. “…I guess” Tori replied, “Have you been busy?” “Quite… I haven’t been able to take a break lately, but…” her father sighed, perking back up after noticing Henoke there, “Is… He a new member of your Guild?” “Sort of —he’s a temporary member. We were about to go confirm with a petitioner, so… I’m kind of busy right now.” “R-Right… Will you be coming by someday?” “…I’ll see.”
Tori sighed, turning towards Henoke, grabbing his wrist and taking him elsewhere, leaving her father behind, but didn’t chase after her —knowing it’d be a bad move. Their relation now broken, it seemed both had taken different paths…
Mei nodded, looking towards the forest in front of them —where the Mark lurked. The noises were faint, but Mei wasn’t afraid. If Yuto was around, then it’d be fine. She stepped forward, hoping Yuto would follow.
“In a sense, yeah” she agreed, “Yshmal said that the Mark tends to frequent this area, so we’ll encounter it eventually. I’ll share what we have, just in case you forgot…” Mei looked at Yuto, calmly, “This Mark’s a Coeurl —and a pretty big one. You need to watch our for its whiskers —Coeurls can use them kind of like whips, and they hurt. It might be best to be on melee range to avoid that.”
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 10, 2020 13:26:09 GMT -5
”I meant trying to see what’s left from the morning.” Henoke raised an eyebrow, walking with his hands behind his head. Hearing how Tori was talking about Marks for the Guild, the teen perked up. ”Oh man! We gotta move, then!” Rushing alongside her to the bulletin board, Henoke’s eyes shown with eagerness and excitement. ’Bout time! He was freakin’ stoked to go fight some monsters! Glancing at the many postings on the board, the teen had forgotten all about the Rank system, instead trying to find the most exciting sounding job. ”Ah, this one’ll do.” Curious about what Tori’d chosen, Henoke followed enthusiastically as they made their way to one of the many nearby shops.
”Ah…Tori.” The sudden voice caught him by surprise, glancing around with a confused look for a moment before landing on an unfamiliar older man. Tori seemed awkward at best, something that surprised Henoke a bit, who watched the two’s somewhat familiar yet short back-and-forth with clear confusion. ”Is…He a new member of your Guild?” The comment caused Henoke to smirk confidently, nodding as he thumped his chest. ”Sort of—he’s a temporary member.” Cutting the teen’s introduction off, Tori’s comment deflated him only a bit. ”Tch—I’ll still get to the top, though!” It didn’t matter if he was temporary or not! He was determined to leave his mark!
Rushing out of the interaction, Henoke shouted out in mild surprise as Tori suddenly dragged him off elsewhere. ”Oi, what’re ya doin'?” The teen didn’t fight her grip, following along begrudgingly and confusedly instead. ”Who was that guy?” She hadn’t bothered with any introductions—a first for her since she’d taken him to this world. Seeing as how in a sense, this was one of Tori’s homes, she knew countless locals here, having introduced Henoke and Yuto to many. Why had she acted to differently with that guy? ”Is he an enemy, or somethin’?” If he was, why hadn’t they just fought him? They'd already fought countless enemies of hers together, as well as the Heartless. Why would she be afraid of fighting some older dude?
Then again, it’d been a while since he’d been to a town like this…maybe things were done differently.
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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 Nov 10, 2020 16:54:04 GMT -5
He hefted the bat on his shoulder as Mei gave her description, wincing a bit at the mention of how the Mark used its whiskers. "I can definitely do melee." Being thankful that there was a way to avoid what sounded like the Mark's main form of attack.
Yuto followed Mei into the woods, being sure to stay on his guard as the distant sounds continued on. "I'm gonna guess that the Mark isn't the only thing we're gonna have to deal with today." He didn't mind, more fights meant more practice. He was also excited to see what he would be up against. As the sounds continued, the man felt he should try and know more about who he was traveling with. "So, you said that you were training to be a Red Mage. Is there any sort of magic you specialize in, or do you have a little bit of everything?"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 11, 2020 6:11:49 GMT -5
Tori took her time to reply, instead dragging Henoke closer to one of the shop’s back alley, not willing to have people eavesdropping about a topic like that. With the amount of people in the Plaza by that time, it was inevitable someone would listen if Tori spoke her mind then and there.
Luneth wasn’t the only Stalker looking for information —plenty of other Stalkers would be lurking at that hour, trying to grasp any information they deemed important.
“Sorry… I don’t want people to eavesdrop” she explained, looking away with her voice a bit serious. Taking a deep breath, Tori began to answer his question, “That was my dad —my adoptive one. You probably know by now that I don’t really have a real family —not by blood, at least.”
It was a bitter thought, but not a lie —she couldn’t lie about it, anyways. Even though she cared for him, and she knew the opposite was true, Tori found it hard to simply interact with her dad, after discovering so much about her own past —having finally remembered most if not all of it. Not only that, but there was something else that had happened not long ago…
But that would be a bit too much for the time being —what she said was enough.
“Nowadays, we’ve both taken our own paths, so it’s a bit tough to just find him out of nowhere…” Tori admitted, “…That’s not what we came here for, though” she drew a faint smirk, pulling herself back from the wall she was leaning against, and showing the bill she’d grabbed, “We’re here to start a hunt… So, let’s start looking for the petitioner.”
Tori was the first to step out back into the Plaza, quick to mettle into the crowd, but allowing Henoke to follow closely. She knew who the petitioner was and where —it was just a matter of arriving there.
Their little trip would take them to the Market Place, where it was far less crowded, but still people were walking around and going by their day. Tori approached a particular stand calmly, with the bill still in her hand as the person attending the stand looked up. It was a girl a bit younger than Tori herself, wearing a simple orange dress that contrasted against her light-blue hair and eyes.
“You’re here for the bill I posted?”
Mei nodded while she continued to tread deeper into the thick flora, alert in case a fight came up. Hearing Yuto so confidently was reassuring, saying enough to know that he would do fine —especially with her around.
Even if they hadn’t fought together before, Mei had that feeling.
"So, you said that you were training to be a Red Mage.” Mei nodded, listening attentive as Yuto asked what sort of magic she specialized in, almost bringing her to a pause. While she was a Red Mage trainee, Mei’s magic arsenal was usually focused more on the defensive and support magics rather than the offensive ones…
She looked sheepish as the thought crossed her…
“W-Well… I’m supposed to know a little bit of everything, but…” Mei looked away, “M-Most of what I know is… Support-oriented. So, like… Keeping others healthy or increasing their strengths. That isn’t saying I don’t know how to fight, though!”
Grr… The sudden growl of a monster caught Mei short —startled by how suddenly close it echoed. Carefully, she turned, her gaze determined as she looked further into the forest. It was faint, but the silhouette of a monster would be visible —a massive cat-like creature with long, whip-like whiskers by its sides.
It was their Mark for the day —the Feral Retriever.
“That’s it” Mei whispered, crouching, “That’s our Mark. Now we need to fell it… But our issue’s going to be approaching it. Coeurls are really sensitive with their hearing —if we just approach like this, it’s bound to notice, and that can be dangerous…”
The girl frowned, trying to think on something to do. Tori or Neku would have it easier, since they were the ones hunting most of the time —not Mei herself. Still, she wasn’t about to give up. Thinking a little would help in figuring out a strategy they could use in order to beat the Mark.
That’s when an idea struck. Turning towards Yuto, still moving softly in order to not cause a lot of noise, she smiled.
“One of us can try and lure it —I think I’d be better for that, since I can use ranged magic” she explained, “While I have its attention, you take it on. If we do that, it’s bound to be confused, and it won't be able to attack as often.”
The smile in Mei’s expression was a confident one, even if faint. She wasn’t a member of the Guild for nothing —she knew what she was doing.
She just wanted confirmation from Yuto’s part before heading off.
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 11, 2020 12:46:13 GMT -5
Once the two were out of earshot from passerby’s, Henoke furrowed his brow at Tori with a look of both confusion and mild worry. ”That was my dad—my adoptive one.” His expression changed to one of shock as his eyes widened. But…? Even if the two weren’t related by blood—that interaction had been a weird one for a ‘father/daughter’ dynamic, in Henoke’s opinion. ”Nowadays, we’ve both taken our own paths, so it’s a bit tough to just find him out of nowhere…” His face fell into a faint frown, but he nodded despite his mild confusion. So, somethin’ happened, huh? Crossing his arms, his mildly concerned look hadn’t fully faded. It was hard to see his friend dealing with something he wasn’t sure how to help with.
”We’re here to start a hunt…so, let’s start looking for the petitioner.” It seemed she wanted to focus on the Hunt, rather than talk more about her family problems. Henoke was torn—on the one hand, he wanted to investigate and see if he could help his friend—on the other hand, he really was excited to go slay monsters, and it seemed like Tori would prefer it anyway…
”Yeah! Let’s go!” The other hand won. Henoke cheered, his mood brightening a bit as he followed Tori back into the Plaza. Heading for the Market Place, Henoke stretched a bit as they walked, thankful for the sudden space the less crowded area offered. Following Tori to the stand, Henoke gave the person running it a broad smile as he rested his hands behind his head. ”Yo! Cool stand!” He wasn’t totally sure why they were at the stand—but he was feeling energetic and carefree. ”You’re here for the bill I posted?” Oh, that made way more sense. He hadn't expected their monster posting to be from a stand vendor. His friendly smile turned into a confidant grin as the teen thumped his chest with a fist, straightening a bit before giving the petitioner a ‘thumbs up’.
”Yeah, we are! Point us to those monsters, and we’ll take care of ‘em!” It seemed he hadn’t gotten the chance to really read the flyer Tori had pulled for them—but boy did he seem capable regardless!
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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 Nov 11, 2020 15:51:38 GMT -5
Yuto couldn't help but let out a good-natured laugh. "Hey, no worries. Aside from a single healing spell, I don't know any support magic." His statement may have come out wrong, but he meant it to sound supportive. Since he didn't have a keyblade, he had made it so that he could be useful in a fight other ways.
The sudden growl of the monster took them both by surprise. “That’s our Mark. Now we need to fell it…" He nodded, taking note of the description Mei gave. Taking a minute to try and come up with something, the girl beat him to the punch. He nodded, agreeing with Mei. An attack on two fronts would be difficult to deal with, especially with the target being so large.
"Worst case, I have some things that we could use to hopefully put the odds back in our favor. Just tell me what you need me to do." He turned his focus to the Mark, making sure they didn't lose track of it. "And don't worry to much about keeping me safe; I'm friends with Henoke, and if Tori's told you anything...well, he and I are a bit more durable than we let on."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 12, 2020 7:34:30 GMT -5
The girl smiled, amused by Henoke’s confidence, all the while she stood up. Tori didn’t say a word nor did she move, instead crossing her arms with the bill clutched in her hands. With people walking by, albeit at a much smaller pace than in the Plaza, she didn’t want to risk chances of someone swiping in and taking the deal for themselves.
Not to mention that Henoke’s sudden spike in enthusiasm was enough to bring her to a smirk, which she tried to hide by looking away.
“I’m glad —I really thought no one would pick it up” the girl said, “So, it was for the Gil Snapper… I’m looking to get my hands on its shell —it’s a one-of-a-kind ingredient for really strong medicines. Obviously, though, I can’t really fight it myself…” “You just need the shell?” Tori asked, calmly. “Well, yeah, but you’d be doing people a favor, anyways. I mean, the thing is massive —if it goes on a rampage, it’s bound to ruin a large part of important flora. Imagine if it even goes near the town, though —that’d be a catastrophe.” “…Where can we find it?” “That might be tricky” the girl frowned, “It goes around the forest, pretty much, but I last saw it by the south-eastern side.” “We might need to find Luneth and see what he knows…” Tori frowned in thought, “That’s a really open area…” “Actually…” the girl’s words caught Tori’s attention, “There was someone saying they’d seen the Mark a few days ago. Maybe you could ask them?” “…Who was it?” “Hmm… I don’t know their name, but…” the girl pointed back at the Plaza, “They were running errands, by the look of things. I don’t remember their face, but… They had this sort of gem in their attire —like… It was light-blue in color, really shiny. It was visible even from afar.” “Alright —we’ll take a look. Thanks for the info, though.”
With a smile and a wave, Tori headed out, although a bit reluctant of going back to the Plaza —uneasy to see him again. Still, it was necessary to do so, since they had work to do.
It didn’t take much to find the person in question —someone Tori didn’t know about, but the information they handed over was more than useful. Locating the exact position of the Mark, Tori knew exactly where to go, and how.
It was bound to hype Henoke, too —killing two birds with one stone.
Tori went straight to the Stables —an already more than known familiar place to everyone. Gourdy greeted them warmly, and so did the yellow birds behind her. Going to the south-eastern side of the island by foot would take ages, but only minutes with a Chocobo.
“Kupo! Are you going to join Mei and that other guy now, kupo?” “…Mei was here?” Tori asked. “Yeah! She and that other guy took Chocobos and headed out, kupo!” “…I see” the girl chuckled, shaking her head, “Nah —we’re going our own way. Speaking of…” she glanced over at Henoke, “We’re gonna need a rental.” “Roger that, kupo! Why don’t you get Pearl while you wait, kupo?” “Will do.”
Tori gestured for Henoke to follow her while Gourdy readied his Chocobo, walking into the stables and being greeted by the familiar kwehs. Taking no time at all, the girl headed straight to where her own Chocobo was —pristine white with silk-like feathers, Pearl kweh-ed eagerly as it saw its rider.
Perhaps it had been too long, since Tori had taken Pearl for a ride…
Mei looked at Yuto calmly, yet a faint smile remained. Hearing he was confident in his skills was enough —they’d do just fine. With that said, Mei nodded, standing up a bit to take her position.
“I’ll try to distract it” she explained, “You just need to hit it as hard as you can. It’ll most likely continue to switch its point of focus —that’ll make this much easier.”
The girl headed forward, leaving Yuto behind. Running near the Mark, Mei readied a Holy spell. The light gathered above the Feral Retriever, crashing down with brute strength and immediately catching the Mark’s attention. It took no time to stand up, its large paws trying to swipe at the Red Mage trainee who bothered it, but Mei had been ready.
Her rapier in hand, the girl was able to effortlessly dodge out of the way, making sure the Mark was solely onto her, ignoring as Yuto had a massive opportunity to attack and deal a large amount of damage. It would most likely go like that —back and forth with who was attacking and who was drawing aggro.
If they kept at it, the battle was good as theirs.
[Battle! Feral Retriever]
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 12, 2020 14:48:45 GMT -5
Henoke wore a broad grin and listened eagerly as the stand owner began to discuss their target—a creature called a ‘Gil Snapper’ (whatever that was). Apparently it was the shell that this girl was after, rather than the creature’s demise itself—something that Henoke found slightly confusing. How’d’ya use a shell for medicine? People couldn’t drink shells, or rub them on like a lotion, right? (Henoke really never was big on reading, or topics or areas that didn’t relate to physical exertion or reckless abandon) ”You’d be doing people a favor, anyways. I mean, the thing is massive—if it goes on a rampage, it’s bound to ruin a large part of important flora.” Henoke perked up a bit at this—both in excitement at hearing that their target was “massive”, as well as determination. It seemed that by fighting this ‘Gil Snapper’, they’d be able to not only help this girl, but the whole town! It was enough to get him fired up! Henoke had definitely planned on doing it regardless—but now he actually had more of a reason than ‘fun’.
Hearing how the rather large target was roaming around in the forests, Henoke wasn’t nearly as concerned as Tori about finding it—having no idea how massive the sprawling forests really were. In the teen’s mind, he figured they’d be able to spot it over miles away, if it really was as ‘massive’ as this girl was saying. Hearing how someone had spotted it, the teen’s confidence only strengthened as he gave the girl a nod. ”Don’t worry~ That thing’s as good as gone!” Waving as they departed, the teen followed Tori back to the Plaza, an extra pep in his step. After finding the person in question and finding out exactly where their ‘Mark’ was, the teen was an entire ball of energy on their way to the Stables.
”This’s gonna be so awesome!” He had to remember not to damage the shell, though. Hm…guess it’ll be like an added challenge? He was up for anything! Gawking once more at the Chocobo's as they arrived, Henoke blinked in surprise at hearing ‘Mei’s’ name mentioned by the Moogle that greeted them. ”She and that other guy took Chocobos and headed out, Kupo!” Wait, other guy? Oh yeah…wasn’t Mei with Yuto? Wait! Did that mean Yuto was already riding on a Chocobo on some epic quest in the forest already?! He had almost forgotten that his friend had gotten to get a jump-start on the Marks before he had! ”Aw man, we gotta get movin’!” Fired up with a competitive drive to not be outdone by his friend, Henoke grinned as Gourdy headed out to prepare his own Chocobo. ”Ha ha, Yuto, watch out!” Once he got into the forests—he’d show his worth as a ‘Hunter’! I’m gonna shoot up in those ranks, past everybody!
It seemed his original goal was still something close to his heart, as the teen busied himself with some stretches—unable to sit still with how excited they were, while they waited for their Chocobo.
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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 Nov 13, 2020 2:54:56 GMT -5
He watched as Mei got the Mark's attention. The monster focusing solely on her, giving him an opening. Yuto decided to wait until the creature had its back to him, then go for its legs. If he could knock it off balance, then the two of them might have a better chance at winning the fight.
After a minute or so, he found his opportunity. Hopping out of his hiding spot, the man went for the back of one of the creature's knees. Swinging his bat as hard as he could, he hoped that it would be hard enough to at least get the creature's attention. Whether it worked or not, He would follow up his attack with a Fire Raid aimed for the Mark's face.
After catching his bat, the man waved his arms. "OY! I'M OVER HERE!" He then ran off to the side of the monster, making sure to do his best to dodge Mark's attacks. For sure, he did his best to make a decent distraction
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 13, 2020 15:45:21 GMT -5
Tori laughed, cheerful, as the white Chocobo rubbed its beak against her hand —having missed the sensation for too long now. It took no time for Tori to set Pearl up, saddling her as well as making sure everything was in place, before taking her out of the Stables, where they would wait for Gourdy and the Chocobo for Henoke.
“Here you are, kupo!”
Gourdy took no time to bring the Chocobo out —yellow like the sun and eager to go. Handing the ropes to Henoke, the Moogle turned towards Tori as it expected the payment due —not that it would hurt Tori one bit, since it came from the Guild rather than her own pocket.
It was a necessary expense, really.
“Oh, right, kupo!” Gourdy perked up, handing Henoke a silver whistle, “Once you find your Mark, the Chocobos will be coming back here. Use the whistle to call it back, kupo!” “Thanks for everything, Gourdy” Tori said. “No problem, kupo! Safe hunting!”
The Moogle waved its stump of a hand covered in a long sleeve, while the two headed out with the Chocobos on the ropes —Tori made sure that Henoke didn’t get up until they were at the borders of the town. It wouldn’t do them any good getting in trouble because of haphazard riding.
Once outside the town, Tori jumped over Pearl, sitting comfortably over the white bird, looking at Henoke as he made his way up —it would be the easy part, anyways. Getting the hang on how one rode Chocobos would be the challenge, but a challenge the Keyblade Wielder would be willing to put up with.
“Hold the ropes like this” Tori showed him, “It’ll help with grip. And once you start riding, keep your knees firm —it’ll help you stay on the Chocobo.”
“Now, follow me!”
Ushering Pearl to move, Tori took off at a decent pace, allowing Henoke to keep up with her. Pearl was naturally fast, so she had to hold back a bit —knowing that not all the Chocobos were able to keep up with her, and only a selective few matching it. The breeze as she rode through the shoreline was pleasant, the sunshine warm and inviting.
A good day for a good hunt.
They would go past the Eastern Shore towards the Southern one —past the stones that seemed to create a wall dividing the two ends. Pearl flapped her wings as she crossed the stones piled up one another, keeping balance with precise finesse —and so would Henoke’s Chocobo, without the need for its inexperienced rider to do anything other than hang onto the ropes firmly.
The Southern Shore was not that different from the other ones they’d been to —an open area near the sea, but the growls and noises from the forest were very loud and noticeable. Tori grimaced, having heard a bit of the other monsters lurking nearby.
It would be bad if a big one decided to come out…
Thump. Thump. THUMP. Earthquake-like movements startled both Chocobos off their tracks, although Tori was able to hold firmly. The giant Gil Snapper was visible even from afar —its reddish shell brilliant against the sunshine. It didn’t have any sort of head, only a face noticeable in a part of its shell, and its massive stumps of legs were seemingly held together with chains.
“That’s it!” Tori shouted, “That’s the Mark!”
The girl was quick to dismount her Chocobo, holding onto her blade’s handle firmly, while Pearl dashed away. She waited on Henoke before charging forward and starting the battle.
[Battle! Gil Snapper]
With Mei on its sights, the Feral Retriever didn’t notice Yuto moving behind it, and so the attacks the man unleashed hit cleanly. First the strike to the knees, to which the Feral Retriever hissed and turned back to look at Yuto, only for the Fire Raid to hit it in its face.
"OY! I'M OVER HERE!" Yuto’s shout helped in his intentions —the Feral Retriever took no time in noticing the man, growling. Without wasting a second, the whip-like whiskers lashed forward as the Coeurl prowled towards him, leaving Mei alone —they were doing things accordingly.
“That’s it —let’s keep at it!” Mei shouted, cheery.
Rapier on hand, Mei dashed forward, the edge of the blade shimmering against the light. With the Coeurl now giving her its back, Mei had an opening window she wasn’t wasting. Jumping in the air, she thrusted forward to plunge the creature’s back with her Critical Strike —the edge of the blade stabbing the creature on a crucial point on its neck, causing it to hiss in pain.
The Feral Retriever was quick to try and toss Mei away, but the girl was quick enough to take the rapier out before being tossed haphazardly elsewhere, landing safely on the ground behind the Mark. The Coeurl had seemingly made Yuto it’s main target, though, not turning to where Mei had landed.
The battle was yet to be over —although the Mark was weak enough to land the finishing blow.
[Battle! Feral Retriever (critically wounded)]
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 13, 2020 19:27:31 GMT -5
”Here you are, Kupo!” Gourdy’s return with the Chocobo caused Henoke to perk up—his eyes brimming with eagerness as he watched the tall yellow bird stride towards him. ”Sweet!” Grinning like a child receiving a present on a holiday, the teen grabbed the silver whistle with one hand while patting his Chocobo with the other. Though he wanted nothing more than to jump on the bird immediately, Tori made sure he wasn’t too hasty, leading him through the town. ”Hold the ropes like this.” He seemed eager, though not distracted—it seemed the prospect of finally getting to ride a Chocobo was more than enough to keep his full attention. Getting onto his Chocobo, he gawked and gazed around for a moment, enjoying how high up he was. Already fairly tall, the teen was surprised to see the world from an even higher point while at rest. ”Now, follow me!” As Tori ushered Pearl forward, Henoke gripped the reigns with little purpose other than to balance, as his Chocobo seemed to be used to this already by itself.
They’re smart, huh? Looking down at the beast of burden with intrigue, Henoke realized he had never ridden on an animal before. It was fun! Feeling the wind pass through his hair and through his open jacket was refreshing, seeing the world going by at such a pace exhilarating. ”Ha ha! Man, I’d ride one o' these all the time!” Why wasn’t everyone always running around on a Chocobo?! Think how much of a the world one could see on the back of one of these awesome birds! Cheering his Chocobo on as it balanced along the stone wall as they crossed into the Southern Shore, Henoke seemed to be in high spirits—energized and ready. That Gil Snapper’s goin’ down! It was his first real hunt—there was no way he’d lose! Emerging into the open area near the sea, the teen bristled with anticipation as he heard bizarre and slightly menacing noises coming from the forests. Heh—‘bout time! Keeping one hand on the reigns of his Chocobo, Henoke’s other hand rested on the hilt of the sword on his back.
Thump. Thump. THUMP! Shaking the ground and jostling the Chocobos, the Gil Snapper emerged in the near distance—causing Henoke’s face to twist into an excited and broad grin. ”Alright!” Tori’s shouting only affirmed what he thought as Henoke leapt from his bird, unsheathing his claymore in one fluid motion as he landed on his feet and immediately began charging towards where their Mark was. ”Let’s do this!” He was ready! Thankfully the mounts had gotten them close, and the speed from which Henoke was propelled from his High Jump only caused him to laugh out in exhilaration. With Tori at his side as he rushed in, the teen bristled with confidence and a fiery determination. Once the two would near the large shelled beast, Henoke would leap from the ground with his High Jump once more, aiming to stab his claymore into the creature’s exposed legs or underside in order to get a grip higher up.
If it managed to work, the teen would hold on, allowing himself to be carried along with the Gil Snapper, before attempting to tug down with all his might to begin slicing into its weaker spots!
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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 Nov 14, 2020 4:56:12 GMT -5
Yuto was too focused on trying to avoid being whipped to hear Mei's cheer. He did manage to see her use her Critical Strike to try and take the attention back. Her rapier, hitting its mark perfectly, gave the girl the exact reaction she wanted. For a short time. He watched Mei dodge the Mark's attempt to throw her off. 'Huh, glad to see how skilled the people here are.' His admiration was cut short as the Coeurl attempted to whip him again.
Since his attention was elsewhere, he only just managed to get a block off in time. The force of the impact had involuntarily moved the man's arm out of the way, making an opening. Thinking quickly, Yuto aimed his free hand at the Mark. "Scorch!" A mid-sized ball of black fire, the mid-level of his Fire magic that was tinged with darkness, launched itself from the man's hand and square into the creature's face.
He watched as the mark reeled back and fell over, ash covering where the magic landed. Walking over, he waved at Mei. "Hey, I think it's down." He went to kneel down, but the second his hand touched his knee Yuto felt a sharp pain in his left hand. Looking at it, the man noticed some minor burns and a reddish tint to his hand. "Well, that's not good. Guess my body's not used to launching magic on its own. No biggie." With a shrug and use of his Cure spell, he turned to meet Mei. not sure of when she would have arrived, as he was a bit in his own head.
"Hey, dumb question. Got any shops that'd sell gloves this time 'a year? I found myself in sudden need."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 14, 2020 14:43:51 GMT -5
The grip on her handle was a firm one —the scowl of seriousness in her expression composed. Both teens had rushed forward, Tori remained on the ground while Henoke jumped up and ended at the opposite end of the beast, stabbing the claymore’s edge into one of the Gil Snapper’s legs. There would be a grumbling sound —a deep one, like a rumble— as the creature felt one of its legs being damaged, while Tori attacked another one, trying to topple it to the ground.
Immediately furious, the Gil Snapper raised itself on its lower legs, before slamming the ground with impressive strength —similar to an earthquake’s. In fact, small cracks on the ground would spike upwards, aimed towards Tori and Henoke! The girl was already aware of the attack, parrying the attack well enough to continue the offensive.
“Thundaja!”
Sparks of electricity gathered underneath the Gil Snapper, although the sluggish beast could dream of dodging the thundering spell that rained upon it. It seemed to take immense damage, but was still far from being defeated. It turned towards Tori, doing the same earthquake-like attack now fully aimed at her, but she could fend it off easily enough.
It seemed it had a bone to pick with the girl —leaving Henoke more than enough chances to deal massive damage.
The Feral Coeurl felled, Mei sheathed her sword back. She turned towards Yuto, a proud smile in her expression as she nodded. She noticed his bruises and wounds, concerned, but he was able to heal them back up. Still, they weren’t normal…
“Let’s go back before I can patch you up properly, okay? It’s the least I can do” she offered, “In any case, we need to claim the bounty, don’t we?”
She whistled loudly —a somewhat elegant whistle, but with a charming melody behind it. Loud kwehs echoed throughout, and before long, Mei’s Chocobo had come to her aid. Mounting the bird, she looked at Yuto.
“Call yours with the whistle I gave you!” she said, “It’ll make going back easier and faster!”
She chuckled, waiting for Yuto to call for his Chocobo, before taking off back to the town. Amidst the dash, Mei took her time to answer Yuto’s question previously, although she also took time to give him some much-needed advice when it came to magic.
Although strong on his own, it seemed that it took a toll on him —that wasn’t normal.
“There are gloves made for magic users, so you shouldn’t worry —although most of the time, it’s for really powerful spells” she mentioned, “Well… I guess your type of magic would count towards that side, anyways… But still —are you sure you don’t want to learn how to channel it without taking a physical toll on you?”
Leaving the question in the air for him to answer, the two would take no time to reach the town’s outskirts. From there, it would be dismounting the Chocobos, returning to the Stables and then head out to where the petitioner was, to claim the bounty and properly finish the transaction.
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 14, 2020 16:06:31 GMT -5
Feeling the quaking below, Henoke’s grin widened as he felt the large turtle-like beast slam against the ground, flinging the teen who clutched onto the sword in its leg around quite a bit. The raised earth from its slamming attack had caused some minor damage, but it was nothing that he was concerned with. ”Ha ha! This’s just as fun as I thought!” Tori’s Thundaja spell boomed and echoed throughout the forest, cascading down on the large beast as it turned to attack Tori specifically. Tch—It’d attack me if I could use magic… His ego only slightly wounded, the teen yanked his large sword free from the creature’s leg, performing another High Jump as he flipped and landed on the earth behind it. With Tori’s attacks distracting and annoying it, the beasts exposed legs were left wide open. ”Hehe~ Now’s my chance!” Readying his stance with a broad smirk, the teen gripped his Claymore and took a brief moment to focus.
Within the blink of an eye, Henoke emerged on the other side of the creature, a barely visible orange line being the only evidence of his path that faded as an after-image. Having aimed his Zantetsuken ability at the Gil Snapper’s exposed ankles, the teen hoped to make it topple over. ”Eat this!” He wasn’t done there, though! Rushing to follow up his powerful attack, Henoke would aim at the (hopefully) exposed underside of the creature, unleashing a raging series of fast and powerful attacks with an eager look on his face.
It seemed the teen was thrilled.
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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 Nov 14, 2020 17:30:57 GMT -5
Yuto flexed his hand, still wincing slightly. Mei's help was definitely welcome when they got back. "Yeah, sounds good to me. Let's head back." Per Mei's instruction, Yuto blew into the whistle. The sound didn't seem like much, but the rental Chocobo was there in a matter of seconds.
He climbed on and followed Mei back to town. “There are gloves made for magic users, so you shouldn’t worry...But still —are you sure you don’t want to learn how to channel it without taking a physical toll on you?” The thought was tempting. It would be nice to be able to use his magic without his bat freely. It would be beneficial to his style of fighting since he wouldn't have to worry about his own attacks hurting him.
"Honestly, I think I should probably go for both. Just to be safe, ya'know." Considering what happened when he fired a mid-level spell, he was understandably concerned about what could happen if he used his high-level ones. "Man, Nox'll kill me when she finds out how I burned myself." He wasn't speaking to anyone in particular, the statement was more a thought given a voice.
When they got back, Yuto would hand the whistle back to the Moogle before following Mei to the petitioner. As they were walking back, Yuto made sure not to lag behind. "So, you guys do stuff like this every day huh? Gotta be exciting!"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 16, 2020 14:22:05 GMT -5
Distracted as it was with Tori, the massive Gil Snapper didn’t notice the attack Henoke was charging. The girl was only mildly surprised as Henoke’s Zantetsuken hit cleanly, but a confident smirk quickly replaced her quick shock.
The creature did stagger, falling on its side and helpless to stand back up —exactly what the brash teenager wanted as he charged forward. The bottom was covered with the Gil Snapper’s shell, but it was much softer than the one on top of it —Henoke’s hits would deal enough damage to finish it off without Tori’s help.
Although the flesh seemed to slowly fade away, the shell remained —their prize for defeating the creature. It was odd, really —seeing how the creature seemed to fade into dust to then scatter in the air, only to leave a shell behind.
However, it’s the least traumatic of ways, so let’s leave it at that.
Tori headed towards the shell, as it slowly cracked in literal pieces —all uniform in shape, but some were more curved towards the inside, almost like a bowl. She picked a piece up to examine it, a proud expression written on her face as she turned towards Henoke.
“Not bad” she teased, “You’re still taking this a bit too much towards a game, though… I’m hoping you can realize that this isn’t a game by the time we tackle the Raid…”
There were plenty of pieces scattered in the sand —taking them back by hand would take forever, not to mention they could easily be ambushed. With a piece of the shell in one hand and the other resting on her chin, Tori was quick to whistle loudly. After doing so, she turned towards the teen.
“C’mon —call the Chocobo with the whistle Gourdy gave you” she indicated, “We’re not gonna be able to carry this without their help, y’know?”
Nodding in agreement, Mei smiled. The statement Yuto voiced out a bit later caused her to laugh a bit, as both rode their way back towards the town, their first stop being the Stables. Leaving the Chocobos with Gourdy first, they then would head towards the Plaza, where the petitioner would be waiting.
"So, you guys do stuff like this every day huh?” Mei nodded, looking back at Yuto calmly. The Plaza was slightly quieter, with less people roaming about and less noises in between talk. The mood had once more changed into a peaceful one, since people were most likely focused on their own sort of work.
“Yeah, although I usually stay around town” Mei admitted, “After all, I’m not very confident when it comes to hunting. Today was a special case, though, since someone had to show you how things work. Still, I enjoyed it!”
Claiming the bounty for the Mark would be easy —just reporting to the petitioner and receiving the payment. The total due was 4200 gil, which for Mei was a common amount. They hadn’t struggled too much, but it was still a Rank 3 Mark —not easy, but not too tough, either.
“So… What do you say we split it 50:50?” Mei suggested, “We both worked really hard, after all —we deserve equal credit! And besides, it’ll help you get those gloves you asked for” she finished giggling.
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