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Post by hoodwink on Nov 18, 2020 0:03:14 GMT -5
Shouting out in victory as his combos delivered a finishing blow, Henoke held up his claymore above his head, pumping it into the air with a victorious cry. ”Hell yea! Check us out!” Puffing himself up a bit, the teenager was clearly feeling cocky and proud, sheathing his large sword as he watched the Gil Snapper ‘fade’ away. He would’ve thought it was weird, if he wasn’t so used to Heartless disappearing after they were defeated. It seemed Henoke wasn’t the type to linger on meaningless thoughts, anyway. ”Not bad.” Rolling his eyes a bit at Tori’s comments, the hotheaded teen seemed to not let it daunt his confidence. ”Tch—I always fight serious!” With an indignant look, Henoke crossed his arms and turned his head from Tori, seemingly over the topic. ”C’mon—call the Chocobo with the whistle Gourdy gave you.” Blinking in recognition, he scrambled through his jacket pockets before pulling out the instrument in question.
”Oh, right…” Blowing loudly into the whistle, the teen would shout out as the Chocobo’s arrived quickly after. They’re so fast! Helping Tori load up the fruits of their labor (thankfully, it seemed the Chocobo’s would be able to do most of the heavy lifting), Henoke would mount the yellow bird with an eager look on his face. ”Let’s get these shells back to town!” Excited to hand in his first Mark, the teen immediately wondered what other kinds of monsters existed beyond the bizarre turtle-like one they had just fought. Thinking of the ‘Raid’ Tori had mentioned, the bold youth was ambitious—hoping to fight more powerful monsters in order to jump through the Guild ranks (not that he even understood how the ranks worked, that was just his own assumption that he ran with). Following Tori’s lead on the Chocobo, Henoke would have a fiery spark in his eyes as they rode through the forest and made their way to town.
Watch out, Yuto! I’m gonna shoot past ya!
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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 18, 2020 1:15:29 GMT -5
He raised his eyebrows in surprise. Not surprised at the fact that Mei normally stayed in town, but more so that she actively chose to show him the ropes. She could've easily passed it off to Ashe, or Vaan, or really anyone else. "Well, I'm glad you had fun." He really had no idea what else to say.
Following Mei to the practitioner, he stared in amazement at the amount of money they made from the hunt. “So… What do you say we split it 50:50?” Yuto simply nodded, as he took his share. "So, um, after the gloves...Could you show me how to not hurt myself with my own magic?" It took him a second to gather himself and find the words, still being a bit shocked by how much money they made off of one monster. Before now, he was lucky to find a few hundred in the time it took them to do this. "I mean, if you have other things to do it's fine. You've done a lot for me already." If all else failed, the gloves were supposedly going to keep him from hurting himself.
"Aaanyway, what's next on the list? I'm sure there's a pretty full day ahead." He was desperate to change the subject, though he was fairly sure he failed.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 26, 2020 6:50:38 GMT -5
With a nod, Tori ushered Pearl to move back to town. Henoke’s Chocobo would do the same, although this time it was following the white Chocobo’s lead rather than listen to the rider —it didn’t matter, though. The way back in town would be a quick one, with the pair of birds carrying the shell fragments in the bags at their sides.
Once at the outside of town, Tori dismounted, but kept hold on the leash to guide Pearl through the town, indicating Henoke to do the same. Riding the Chocobos inside the town was rude, and dangerous —and knowing him, he was going to do that the second the opportunity showed up.
“Just don’t even think about it” she said, looking forward anywhere but at Henoke.
“Hey, you’re back!”
The petitioner stood up after seeing Tori and Henoke head to their stand, the bags in the Chocobos full to the top with shell fragments. Immediately, the petitioner headed to Henoke’s Chocobo to inspect the loot, with the bird remaining surprisingly calm.
It seemed like they were all too used to being approached in that manner.
“Hmm… Yep —looks great!” the girl nodded, “Thanks a bunch!” “You’re not gonna use all of it, are you…?” Tori asked, a bit uneasy. “Hmm? Oh… No, I don’t need all of it.” “…” “Umm… Something I’m missing?” “Aside the reward? Maybe telling us where we can fetch the rest of the shell?” “…Oh…”
Tori settled the issue with the petitioner by herself, handing part of the shell stash and receiving the reward for the completed Hunt. The stash of shells didn’t waver too much, but the girl was kind enough to give them a possible buyer.
In the end, there was little the Guild could do with a pile of Gil Snapper shells —it was better off to sell them elsewhere.
The money from the Hunt was a total of 3500 gil, all saved in a small pouch. The weight itself was slightly heavy, as evidenced by Tori tossing it slightly up in the air to then fall heftily in her palm. The Chocobo at the end of the least didn’t kweh at all, instead looking around with a somewhat lost gaze, yet not uneasy by any means.
“…Wanna split it 50/50?” Tori asked, glancing over at Henoke, “I still need to take a tax for the custom, but it won’t be too much —10% of your cut. So…” Tori looked up at the sky, making the calculations, “We would each get 1750 gil, but taking 10% off your cut… Leaves you at 1575. It’s not bad, if you ask me.”
“Besides, that’s just your cut from the Hunt reward —we can split the sells 50/50 too. I’ll still take 10% of that cut to pay the Guild, so don’t complain” she finished with a tease.
Their next location was the shop the Petitioner had suggested to sell the leftover shells —a pharmacy of sorts, with plenty of bottles with various liquids inside, as well as a few plants and herbs used for medicine. The seller was a man perhaps in his 50s or so, looking at a large list as the two approached. It didn’t take long before Tori began to ask how much the shards would sell individually for, as well as asking for the prince in bunches.
It was something she was more than accustomed to.
Splitting the money equally, Mei handed Yuto his part, saving her part in her own pouch. She nodded at his question, guiding him through to a shop where he could get what he was after. His sudden sheepishness caught her off-guard, stopping her in track as she turned back towards him.
"I mean, if you have other things to do it's fine. You've done a lot for me already." The statement didn’t feel right —it was almost forced. Mei didn’t mind helping him, whether it was getting the hang on things or in more mundane matters.
She had thought that was established already, so why was he trying to apologize for it?
“It’s fine, really” Mei replied, “I don’t mind helping you out with your magic. If anything, it may help me get a better grasp! So it’d be two birds for one stone!”
“Right now, though, we’ll get you those gloves. After that, we can head to the Training Grounds to help you with your magic. …Oh!” Mei perked up, suddenly realizing something, “Well, we can’t exactly practice with an empty stomach… We’ve been at this all morning, right? I’m pretty hungry myself, so…”
Finishing her phrase at a loose end, Mei giggled, stepping forward into the town, with her hands cupped behind her as she moved around the crowd. The people near didn’t bother at all, instead going on their day without much care, other than perhaps getting a job properly done. The girl headed close to a tavern, where there were a few tables free. Past that was another assortment of shops —accessory shops, where they could find what they were looking for. “Why don’t we take a break, first, and then grab that pair of gloves for you?” Mei suggested.
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 27, 2020 12:50:14 GMT -5
Arriving back in town, Henoke followed Tori eagerly as he guided his Chocobo with its reigns on foot. Maybe we can pick up another mission! They’d gotten that done pretty fast, he felt. Eager to rise through the ranks, Henoke’s one-track mind was focused on future hunts already. ”Hey, you’re back!” Waving at the petitioner with a smile, the teen gave a cocky and broad grin. ”Told ya it wouldn’t be a problem!” The girl seemed grateful for the ingredient—though it seemed they couldn’t use up the entirety of the parts. It made sense, it was a lot, after all. Tossing the hefty pouch of Gil into the air, Tori seemed satisfied with their payment as they bid the petitioner farewell, having gotten a lead on who would buy the remaining shells. ”Wanna split it 50/50?” Henoke wasn’t phased at hearing Tori taking out a percentage for his weapon—instead shrugging with a rather carefree expression as he rested his hands behind his head. ”Shouldn’t we just give all o’ my share to Verun?” With how awesome the claymore was, the teen had no issues with paying the man all of his earnings. ”I dunno how much the sword was, anyway…” Truthfully, the teen cared little for the monetary rewards of the hunts—he was much more thrilled to simply gain recognition within the Guild itself. For all he cared, all of his rewards could be kept by Verun and Tori, in exchange for everything they’d done for him.
Grimacing as Tori listed off a bunch of numbers and percentages at him (seriously, Henoke? It’s the same percentage and only two sums…), Henoke waved a hand with a clearly distracted look. Math bored him. ”Yeah, yeah! Let’s go sell these shells and find another Mark!” With a fiery gaze, the teen had an extra bound in his step as he and Tori went to the location the petitioner had set out for them. Seeing the older merchant, Henoke would wave and follow Tori’s lead as they worked on selling the remainder of the bits of shells. Once all was said and done, Henoke would remain revved up, glancing at Tori with a look of eager ambition and visible impatience. ”Alright! Easy! There’s gotta be another Mark we can take out before meeting up with everyone...” Yuto had gotten the jump on him already, because of his training. If he really wanted to stand out—it’d be better to take on a second Mark. Since Yuto had already taken on one by now, they were tied. Tying wasn’t something Henoke viewed as successful.
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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 30, 2020 12:08:20 GMT -5
“I don’t mind helping you out with your magic. If anything, it may help me get a better grasp!" He tilted his head. "A better grasp of how my magic works?" The question could wait, Mei's mention of food caused Yuto's stomach to audibly growl. "Yeah, food sounds good."
He followed Mei through the town, doing his best not to bump into anyone. It wasn't hard, as he noticed everyone going about their business as usual. It wasn't long before they got to a tavern. The empty tables were inviting. "Hey, food is on me this time. Just as a way of saying thanks." He felt odd not doing something in return for Mei's help, even if it was something small.
"Oh, hey, you said you wanted to get a grasp on my magic, right? Well, I can explain it some before we train if you want." He understood the basics of what he could do, he was the one casting after all. "Up to you. Either way, let's get a seat." He gestured for Mei to take the lead, he would follow close behind.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 1, 2020 15:15:59 GMT -5
”Shouldn’t we just give all o’ my share to Verun?” Tori stifled a laugh. Sure, she lost a bet and had to pay out of pocket for whatever Henoke wanted when it came to food, but didn’t he have other expenses planned anyways? Things such as armor or accessories —like a money pouch, for crying aloud, or even a Chocobo egg. Those things, although cheap, costed money. And Tori wasn’t lending any for those.
“…I think Luneth told me how much the sword was” Tori nodded, “22 grand or something? It was around that number, I think… So, you’re the kinda guy to just pay everything first, then have some to spare?” she asked with a tease, smirking.
The sales for the shells accumulated for quite the price —100.000 gil total. Splitting in half would give 50.000 each, which was a lot. Heck, enough to pay the whole sword back and maybe some more. Shocked by the price of each shell shard, Tori blinked as the salesman explained why they were so high on demand.
“Aside for poaching and medical properties, they’re rather sturdy” the man explained, “I’ve been handling the prices for the rest of the smiths who come to purchase them.” “…Maybe I should’ve tried my luck with Verun, first…” Tori smirked with uneasy, but sighed and came up with something, “So, you don’t mind if I fetch a couple myself? I know I just sold them to you, but maybe I can grab a few pieces? I’ll pay them back.” “Oh, then… How many?” “…How many does it take to make a light shield?” “About 3 pieces or so. Is that how much you’ll take?” “Yeah, sure.”
Finishing the transaction whilst paying with the money from the sales —so, basically, just returning part of the sales money—, Tori waved goodbye while ushering Henoke back into the Plaza, her money pouch full already. Even though she was carrying her and Henoke’s part, it was still something to feel prideful about.
After all, they had made a good job as evidenced by the cash they netted.
“Well, this means you can pay it off in one go” Tori said, “I’ll go by Verun and give him these pieces —it’s been long due since any of us has used a shield, and I think I’ll have to get to it” the girl explained, “We’re all melee but barely any defensive capabilities —we’ll need a tank eventually, especially for the Raid. So… I think a light but sturdy shield should compliment well” she finished, nodding to herself. The Plaza was wide open, with a few people roaming about. The tavern was clear, and was Tori’s second target —after paying a visit to Verun. Henoke could chose to keep the cash for himself for now, or pay the sword all at once. After that, Tori wanted to grab a bite before continuing with another Mark —probably a tougher one.
It had been a while since she had a proper challenge, back in her home world.
“So? What are you going to do with the rest of the money?” she asked, glancing over at Henoke.
After asking, and a moment of silence —after receiving her reply—, Tori would head towards Verun’s shop. Or rather, she would’ve, had she not heard a bark out in the distance. Crash! Tackling against Henoke was a reddish-brown dog —if one could even call it that. Its snout was long, a bit like a bottleneck, and one of its ears was chipped. Its fangs were sharp and ready to bite, but Henoke only received playful licks after being tackled by the wolf-dog.
Much for Tori’s chagrin.
“Mizu —you can’t just go around like that…” she berated with a sigh, just a tad annoyed.
Giggling, Mei grabbed a table for the two. The waiter handed over the menus and allowed them some time to think and order —all while enjoying a pleasantly peaceful afternoon. She appreciated the fact that Yuto wanted to be a nice guy and pay lunch this time —not posing anything against it.
“Well, if you insist…” she teased, softly.
Looking through the menu and quickly deciding on what she wanted to eat for the day, as well as whatever side picked her fancy, Mei perked up at Yuto’s question. “Well, I can explain it some before we train if you want." The explanation would indeed be nice to know, as Mei had noticed that Yuto’s magic was not the normal kind —something like magic didn’t take that big of a toll on someone, no matter if they had a lot of experience or very little. “Actually, that would be nice to know” Mei agreed, leaving the menu on the table and folding her hands on her lap, hidden from sight, “It’s quite worrisome to see magic take that much of a physical toll on someone, so if there’s anything that could help figure out that little mystery, it would be most appreciated.”
The waiter returned after a while, ready to take the order. Mei ordered soba noodles with broth and a glass of water, while also a bit of shrimp tempura to share with Yuto —all of it with a smile. The waiter waited for Yuto’s order before leaving, always with top customer service.
“So, Yuto…” Mei asked, once things were settled down, “What’s your magic like? Can you explain it to me?”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 1, 2020 15:36:25 GMT -5
”I think Luneth told me how much the sword was…” Henoke shrugged, not really understanding what ‘grand’ meant—but he’d be willing to pay whatever amount Verun wanted, with how awesome his new sword had turned out to be! ”So, you’re the kinda guy to just pay everything first, then have some to spare?” The teen rested his hands behind his head as he shrugged once more. ”I dunno…why not, right?” Verun had worked hard for him—it wasn’t like he didn’t want to give the smith what was due. As they poached the shells for a currency unfamiliar to Henoke, the teen at least knew enough that the 50 ‘grand’ he was getting was more than the 22 ‘grand’ he owed Verun (even though he wasn’t the best at math, he at least knew that much lol). Hearing Tori mention wanting a shield made out of the shells, Henoke raised an eyebrow at her. A shield…? Never being one to prioritize defense, the hotheaded teen never saw much point in shields. If one of his arms was occupied with those things, he wouldn’t be able to swing his weapon as effectively. For him, it made more sense to grab the biggest weapon possible, in order to dish out the most damage as quick as you could! That, and it wasn't like any of the Keyblade Wielders where he was from used anything other than Keyblades...
”Well, this means you can pay it off in one go.” Grinning at Tori’s confirmation of what he had believe to be true, Henoke nodded. Hearing why she wanted a ‘shield’ replaced his carefree look with mild confusion. ”A…tank?” Tilting his head a bit, the teen raised an eyebrow. ”So? What are you going to do with the rest of the money?” Glancing up towards the sky, the teen hummed in quick paced thought that betrayed any real efforts of fore or hindsight. ”Eh, I’ll go pay Verun and then go look for more Marks, probably…” It was then that a barking pierced through the mostly vacant plaza, causing Henoke to blink in surprise before suddenly the teen felt like they had been hit by a Large Body! CRASH! Dizziness washed over him as he felt something wet on his cheek. ”Urgh…what the—“ After another lick, Henoke’s vision stopped going cross-eyed and the stars seemed to fade. ”A wolf?!” Flailing his arms for a moment, the teen immediately raised both hands up for a moment, pushing at the dog with a look between surprise and annoyance. "Mizu—you can’t just go around like that…” Hearing Tori’s comment, the teen paused for a second before finally pushing the large wolf-dog off of him, sitting on the plaza ground with a dazed and frustrated look.
”Tch—what the hell, Tori?! This’s yours?!” Glowering at Mizu for a moment, Henoke sighed before standing back up and brushing himself off. ”Jeez…thing’s heavy…” Rubbing the back of his head (thankfully, that was probably the hardest part of the teen’s body, so there hadn’t been much damage involved with its collision on the cobblestone), the boy’s annoyed look would switch to a faint smirk as he glanced down at the dog. ”Why didn’t ya tell me you had a wolf!?” Kneeling down a bit, the teen would reach a hand out and pet Mizu on the head, somewhat roughly (due to his own rowdy nature), but friendly. "Aw man, we should bring them on a hunt, 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 Dec 1, 2020 16:44:24 GMT -5
Mei's concern was touching, truth be told he was a bit concerned about why his magic hurt him too. After ordering a bowl of shoyu ramen and his own glass of water, Yuto leaned forward and crossed his arms on the table.
"Well, I only really know the 'why' of my magic being the way it is; but that requires some context." He took a deep breath. He didn't like thinking about what happened to him, much less talking about it. "So, ya'know that portal thing I can do? Well, the reason that some of my magic is the way it is because of the same reason that I can do that. I was....well I was stuck in a dark place for a while. In order to survive it, I had to adapt." He uncrossed his arms and leaned back in his seat.
"So, that resulted in me taking on the power of darkness. Unfortunately, I don't fully know the extent of what I can and can't do." He raised his bandaged hand to accent his point. "To be completely honest, that was the first time I used my darker magic without my bat." He tapped his finger on the table while he thought. "I do know that these powers are fueled by emotion. They're also extremely dangerous in general. One wrong step and they can consume you." Yuto shuddered at the thought, remembering the trip he and the Vagabond took into his heart. He almost completely lost it there. Hell, he could feel it when he snapped at Tori.
"Anyway, I'm rambling. Is there anything specific you want to know? I'm a pretty open book, on most things."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 2, 2020 7:05:49 GMT -5
Sighing with amusement, Tori watched the interaction between Henoke and Mizu. The wolf received the pets happily, although threatening to jump back up and tackle Henoke back to the floor, eager as it was for some affection. The roughness behind his petting helped keep the wolf in check, unable to pass through.
“I never told you because it wasn’t a must” Tori said, her arms crossed, “Not only that, how could I know Mizu was around the town? She usually just stays at my old place…”
The mention went unnoticed at first, but after a while the girl perked up, hearing someone approaching them. Mizu turned around, barking loudly to meet the newcomer —Tori’s father. The man knelt down to pet the wolf a bit, before looking up towards the two teens —one of which was looking away with an uneasy smile.
“I… Should’ve seen that coming… So that’s why she’s here…” Tori mumbled. “Are you still going to ignore me, or…?” her father asked, an uneasy smile written in his expression. “That’s not it, and you know it.”
Her father shook his head, chuckling, only causing Tori to go mildly red —something Mizu seemed to notice, as it rushed straight towards the girl. Knowing the wolf’s prowess, Tori dodged out of the way and avoided being tackled, but a smirk remained as she laughed at the following attempts.
It seemed the wolf was the playful sort, rather than the predatory one.
“Knock it off —you’re not gonna catch me off-guard like you did Henoke, Mizu!” Tori laughed. “…So, you’re Henoke?” the man asked, looking at the orange-haired teen, “Nice to meet you —properly, that is. I’m Takahashi Hiroshi —but just Hiroshi’s fine.”
While Tori avoided Mizu’s attempts of tackling her, keeping both the money pouch and shell pieces close to her in order to not lose them, Hiroshi walked towards Henoke and offered him a helping hand in standing back up, even if he didn’t need it.
It was something one could consider being part of his nature —both as a father and a person.
“I guess you’re just back from hunting, huh?” the man asked, after he would help Henoke out, “Was it fun, for someone who’s from the outside?” he followed his question, cheeky.
Curious and with eyes wide open, Mei listened to Yuto’s explanation, silently. He noticed him uneasy before explaining the necessary context, but Yuto seemed capable enough to explain for his own sake, rather than Mei’s own.
After all, the one who needed help with magic was him —no one else.
“I was... Well I was stuck in a dark place for a while. In order to survive it, I had to adapt." The memory flourished as Yuto explained it, allowing Mei to understand exactly what he was talking about. Her face now a sullen one, one full of concern, never looked away, instead looking at Yuto directly as he narrated how he obtained the powers he currently had. He seemed unable to know what he could and couldn’t do, which was only more worrisome.
How long had he been like that?
“I see…” Mei hummed, finally looking down as she thought, “Well… If it’s just magic I can probably help, but… Regarding those powers you mentioned… Maybe Tori can lend you a hand” the girl nodded, a faint smile in her lips, “She knows a lot about light and darkness. Being honest, most of those explanations are lost on me to begin with, so… I don’t think I can help you with those powers. Still, I’m more than happy to lend you a hand!”
Pumping softly, Mei seemed determined to help, if only with just magic. Besides, he seemed to know quite a bit about how his powers worked —so they could work around that. She didn’t mind the rambling, feeling as if Yuto was keeping her out solely because he didn’t want to be a bother for anyone.
Giggling softly, she shook her head.
“You’re not rambling” she replied, “If anything, I’m happy you trust me enough to tell me! That doesn’t sound like something that would be easy to tell others… So I’m happy that you think I’m trustworthy enough to know that.”
The waiter returned with the meals, placing the dishes and asking if anything else was needed —receiving the negative from Mei. Wishing them to enjoy the meal, Mei clasped her hands and bowed faintly, appreciating the words.
“So, without further ado…” she smiled, looking at Yuto, “Shall we dig in?” she asked, showing the chopsticks ready in her hand.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 2, 2020 14:13:45 GMT -5
”I never told you because it wasn’t a must.” Henoke rolled his eyes at Tori’s explanation, still grinning goofily while petting and horsing around with Mizu. Once a new presence emerged, greeted by the wolf-dog’s bark, the teen blinked in surprise as a familiar figure came into the plaza. Oh, yeah. That’s her… Yeah, this was slightly awkward for him. Resting his hands behind his head, Henoke watched with a conflicted look at the father-daughter exchange. Having had brief explanation earlier, the teen wasn’t really sure what to do or say right at that second. Thankfully, Mizu’s quickness to pounce on Tori provided a helpful distraction, bringing a laugh from the teen as he grinned and watched them play. ”So, you’re Henoke?” Nodding, still grinning and chuckling from Mizu and Tori’s dynamic, it seemed the teen had recovered from his moment of awkwardness, returning once more to his usual carefree self. ”’Sup, Hiroshi! Yeah, I’m Henoke, nice ta meet’cha!” Hiroshi’s questions about the hunt immediately caused the teen to take a step forward, a fiery and eager look coming across his face as stars filled his eyes.
”Yeah! We were all BAM! and the monster was all ’stomp!’ but Tori and I were like HYAAAAH!” Pumping a fist into the air, enacting some sort of uppercut move that never even happened during the fight, it seemed Henoke was a ball of energy once more at the mention of hunts. ”It was hella fun! I’m gonna hunt all the monsters and become the top Hunter in the Guild!” With a broad smile, he announced his declaration, pumping a fist against his chest as he straightened up. Still enthusiastic and vibrant, the teen glanced at Tori’s dad with curiosity and eagerness. ”D’you hunt, too!? What kinda monster’s’ve ya fought?!” It seemed regardless of first impressions, Henoke didn’t hold himself back when it came to the things he was really passionate and excited about. (Sorry, Hiroshi.)
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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 Dec 2, 2020 15:50:28 GMT -5
“Well… If it’s just magic I can probably help, but… Regarding those powers you mentioned… Maybe Tori can lend you a hand” Yuto waved off the comment. "No need, I've got a teacher. Thanks though." He fidgeted nervously with his hands. It'd been so long since he had a one-on-one with someone in a situation like this. He wasn't sure what to do.
“You’re not rambling...” The statement took him by surprise. he felt he had tacked on a lot of useless information to what he was saying. the second part how what Mei said hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn't thought about it as a matter of trust, it was more a fact that he didn't like to bring it up. Nonetheless, Mei's statement caused a whistful smile to play on the man's lips. "Yeah, no problem." His voice came out a bit hoarse. He hoped that Mei didn't notice.
The waiter couldn't have come at a more perfect time. Agreeing with Mei that nothing else was needed, Yuto quickly set up his utensils. "Bon appetite." He started to eat. After a moment Yuto took a break from the food. "So, correct me if I'm wrong, but we didn't get a chance to talk much aside from the beach." He was curious to try and get to know the girl better before he started frying parts of his body during training. Figure now's a good a time as any to get to know more about each other."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 2, 2020 17:31:10 GMT -5
Henoke’s eagerness was a contagious one as he explained what he and Tori had been up to recently —bringing Hiroshi to openly laugh, heartily. While Tori continued to avoid Mizu’s showcase of affection, the man placed both hands on his hip after finishing his laugh, a pleased smile written in his expression.
“I’m glad to hear that” he nodded, “It’s tough for some to get used to the hunting system —even locals. I’m glad to hear Tori’s showing you around properly.” “Hey!”
Tori shouting back as her father spoke the tease was enough to bring another chuckle —all while the girl avoided the playful wolf at her feet. Even if their prior interaction had been awkward at best, it seemed Tori really did care for him, yet was somewhat unwilling to show it.
After so many things happening around her, though, it was somewhat clear to say the reasons why.
”D’you hunt, too!?” As Henoke asked Hiroshi what sort of monsters he’d fought, the man looked away with unease. Having heard the question, Tori stopped in her tracks, allowing Mizu to tackle her down after many tries.
“Tch —not the time…” the girl berated, trying to shove Mizu from licking her face —and with that, pulling her hood off. “…I’m not a Hunter anymore” Hiroshi shook his head at Henoke’s question, “I used to do it a lot, before, but… There were come complications that don’t allow me to hunt anymore…” “You’re cutting that short… But… I know why…” Tori looked at Hiroshi by a glance, all while trying to push Mizu away. “…I’m happy to see someone like you, though —someone so prideful in their battle skills” the man continued, “Not a lot of people have a drive like that —so don’t go losing it. If it’s something you’re passionate about, I don’t see why you shouldn’t chase after it.”
It seemed the man was willingly encouraging Henoke to chase after the short-lived goal he had in mind —to skyrocket through the ranks of the Guild and make a name for himself. While Tori grimaced at the thought with some amusement, Hiroshi seemed cheerful, finding someone with a drive too familiar to him.
“…If you don’t have anything to do for now, why don’t we eat something?” he suggested, “My treat. I’d like to know what you two have been up to.” “Ah…” Tori blinked with clear shock. “It’s been a while since we’ve caught up —don’t you think it’s due by now?”
Grabbing a few noodles from her bowl, Mei began to eat. The taste was marvelous after such an arduous hunt —a proper reward after a hard work, and even then, they had a lot more to go. It was always like that, having many different things to work on. After lunch, though, Mei was already looking forward to helping Yuto with his magic by the Training Grounds.
Who wouldn’t?
"So, correct me if I'm wrong, but we didn't get a chance to talk much aside from the beach." Wanting to continue their conversation towards a more cheerful topic, Mei looked up from her bowl. Grabbing a piece of tempura to bring to her mouth, the girl chewed softly as she thought on the question.
What did she want to know about Yuto? And what would he want to know about her? Truthfully, she wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was better to leave him to start?
“I wouldn’t mind” Mei shook her head, “Although I’m not so sure on what I want to know about you, that I would like to know —or if you’d like to talk about. Y’know, I’m not the kind of person who likes causing people trouble… So, I think it’s best if you begun?” she finished with an uneasy giggle.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 3, 2020 12:33:37 GMT -5
”I’m not a Hunter anymore.” As Hiroshi gave a vague explanation, Henoke raised an eyebrow and tilted his head a bit in mild confusion. Too young to understand the nuance of ‘complications’, the teen assumed that perhaps they had a bad hunting mishap, or something like that. ”I’m happy to see someone like you, though—“ Grinning at the encouragement, Henoke nodded and seemed pumped to hear someone take his goal seriously. ”I’ll never lose it!” Confidant in himself and his heart, the teen continued to beam and wear a goofy grin. ”If you don’t have anything to do for now, why don’t we eat something? My treat.” Despite Tori’s mild shock and initial resistance, Henoke shouted out and pumped a fist into the air. ”F'real?! Hell yeah!” It seemed he had gotten distracted from his earlier plan of searching for another Mark at the mention of food. Truthfully, the teen was typically too energetic and distracted to pay much attention to his body’s demands.
But after all of that battling and walking, surely a good meal would do the two some good!
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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 Dec 3, 2020 14:11:01 GMT -5
Mei seemed more than happy to change the subject, though he couldn't help but feel as if he put her on the spot. 'Where to start?' He had some questions, but nothing he could immediately pluck out of the air. He took a shrimp and thought for a moment.
"Well..." His bid for extra time didn't buy him enough. "Lets start with the basics, I guess. Tori said you knew each other for a while. I take that means you were born here, right?" He took a bite of his food. "Is hunting an everyday affair?"
The questions weren't much, but it felt like a slow start was the best approach. 'No need to hop into the big stuff off the bat.' Yuto tapped his chin, trying to see if he could find anything else to ask. "Oh! What made you want to study magic?" He was always interested to see why people chose the paths they did.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 3, 2020 15:39:42 GMT -5
Hiroshi smiled with some pride behind it, watching as Henoke eagerly stated how he wouldn’t lose his drive —his confidence overflowing. The man sighed, a smirk remaining on his lips as he turned around and guided the two teens by the town —all while followed by a playful, reddish wolf-dog.
“Come one, then —it’s not gonna be long before the shops are full with people” he joked.
Tori had managed to stand up after Mizu chased after Hiroshi, still with a lot of energy to spare —energy the man apparently knew how to handle, as the wolf barked loudly by his side. The sight was enough to bring Tori to a smile, but there wasn’t much more she could do.
It was bittersweet, in the end…
"Let’s start with the basics, I guess.” Chewing onto another piece of tempura, Mei listened attentive at Yuto’s questions, humming a bit as she thought of each one. It wasn’t a bad start, nor was it an uncomfortable one. The topics weren’t too touchy —some seemed to even have eager interest, as well, which brought Mei to a chuckle.
“I was born here, yeah” Mei nodded, a faint smile in her face, “My parents were pretty capable Hunters, and most of my siblings followed after that… So, for me at the very least, Hunting is an everyday thing —I guess I just… grew up with it. I’m pretty sure it’s similar for the rest, too —it’s how people survive, or at least help others survive.”
“Uhh…” Mei looked away at the last question, apparently a bit embarrassed, as evidenced by her cheeks slowly turning red, “It’s… a long story, actually…” taking a deep breath, Mei began to explain, “I was enrolled into the Hunter class —but I never wanted it. I was kinda… forced into becoming a Hunter, but I never liked it. I didn’t even want to enroll, but… It was one of the many things my parents forced me to do.”
“I kept with my studies and all, but I never really enjoyed it… Until I met the Guild” Mei finished, “Seeing Tori do all kinds of things, as well as Ashe and Penelo, and Vaan and Luneth… I just wanted to support them, in a sense, since I never liked fighting. That’s around the time they taught me about magic, and how I could use it to support. It was still part of the curriculum of the academy, but… I guess the Guild sparked my liking towards it.”
Finishing off with a smile, it seemed that Mei’s overall view of the events were not that depressing, despite the hardships she had to bear with. Going back to her own meal, she took a while before asking her own question —taking her time to think about it and make sure it wouldn’t turn to be a sore subject. She already knew that asking about his past would hurt, but maybe not all of it was bad…
There was bound to be a few bits that were pleasant to recall, right?
“I’m kind of curious myself… About what sort of people you hanged out with, before Henoke” she began to ask her own part, “Do you have any friends you keep in touch with, as of late? Or is Henoke the only one available?” she asked with a faintly uneasy smile.
Walking towards a nearby restaurant that was open and less crowded than the tavern back at the Plaza, the trio would find a familiar pair. Mizu barked aloud, still sticking around them, but this time minding her manners as she approached the table Mei and Yuto were sitting by —quick to catch the orange-haired girl’s attention.
“Mizu? What are you doing here?” the girl asked. “You guys ended up here, too?”
Raising her head to meet the voice, Mei was surprised to see Henoke, Tori and Hiroshi standing there. Tori smirked while Mizu snuggled against Mei’s chair before flopping down, almost as if asking for a belly rub, or perhaps a piece of the meal they were eating. It seemed she was mindful of the place and mood they were in.
“I take it things went well on your end, too” Tori said, walking towards them, “And now you’re eating lunch?” “Can’t fight with an empty stomach, right?” Mei asked back, cheerful. She looked at Hiroshi, calmly, “It’s nice to see you’re doing fine, Mr. Takahashi.” “Please, Hiroshi’s just fine…” the man waved his hand, seemingly sheepish, “Hanaki, was it?” “Yes —though my name is Mei” the girl looked back at Tori, “Were you going to eat here, too?” “That was the plan. Although he invited the meal” Tori replied, pointing at Hiroshi behind her, “I don’t think it’d be an issue to stick a few tables together, though, right? You guys can keep your bill.” “I wouldn’t have it any other way!” Mei giggled, “Yuto’s paying ours, after all.” “Oh, is he?”
While the banter continued, Hiroshi would move a table around, after asking a passing waiter, while leaving the chairs behind. He glanced over towards Henoke, a pleading look in his expression as he nudged towards the chairs with his head.
“Help me out, will ya, kid?” he asked.
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 3, 2020 16:06:58 GMT -5
Following Hiroshi and Mizu, Henoke seemed in high spirits, walking with his hands behind his head and wearing a goofy grin. Despite Tori’s earlier wariness around her dad, it seemed she was willing to be treated to a meal all the same. Wonder what happened between ‘em… So far, Hiroshi seemed like a nice enough guy. Arriving at the less crowded restaurant, the mingled scents of other meals was welcoming, the atmosphere light and mirthful despite how less packed it was. ”Yo!” Seeing Mizu bark and run over to a table where Mei and Yuto sat, Henoke waved a hand as they walked over, his smile wide. ”You guys ended up here, too?” It seemed that great minds thought alike, as Yuto and Mei were already in the middle of a relaxing meal. Hearing Tori mention connecting tables, the teen eagerly agreed, excited to be able to catch up with the others. ”Help me out, will ya, kid?” Hiroshi’s comment only brought a mild look of indignation to Henoke’s face, before he waved a hand with a devious smirk. ”Yeah, yeah. Don’t want ya to throw out your back, pops~”
Giving a lighthearted chuckle while delivering the jab, the teen made quick work of grabbing the extra chairs—his strength allowing him to grab all of them at once as he set them up at the now joined table. ”How’d the hunt go?!” Eager as ever, Henoke quickly leaned forward to ask Mei and Yuto all about their adventure. ”What’d you fight?! Was it huge?! Our monster was giant!”
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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 Dec 4, 2020 0:00:08 GMT -5
Yuto listened to Mei's story. He felt kinda bad for her being forced to do something she didn't want to. The happy note she ended on was positive thought. “I’m kind of curious myself… About what sort of people you hanged out with, before Henoke..” The questions gave him pause.
"I've met a decent number of people in the past month-ish. only a few I'd consider close friends." He looked into space thoughtfully. "There's my best friend, Nox, who I told you about. Kinda a 'light in the dark' as it were." He took another shrimp. "Then there's this summoner, Ombra. He's...eccentric, but not too bad. Took a minute to get used to him, but hey, it happens."
He thought for a second before finishing his thought. "Yeah, that's about all the 'close' friends I have other than Henoke." As the Teen's name was said, a loud bark caught his attention. "Is that a..tamed wolf!? So cool!" The sound of Tori's voice snapped him out of his awe. "Hey guys!"
He rubbed the back of his neck as Mei mentioned him footing the bill. "Yeah, just a way of saying thanks, ya'know?" He didn't mind, he'd've felt awkward if he didn't do somekind of 'thank you'.
Watching as Henoke set up the chairs, he started to feel glad about the sudden meet-up. As everyone sat down, Yuto realized that there was a man about twice his age that was with the other two. He had been so focused on the wolf that he only registered Henoke and Tori. "Oh, uh, hello there. I don't think we've met. I'm Yuto. I'd shake your hand, but.." He gestured to the food bowl in front of him, not wanting to risk spilling it.
”How’d the hunt go?!” Henoke's barrage of questions caused the man to laugh a little. "We~ll..." He raised his bandaged hand and wiggled his fingers. "Leave it to me to hurt myself when I probably coulda' avoided it." A stupid grin crossed his face as he lowered his hand. "But to answer the question, we fought a...was it a bird or something, Mei? What was it called again?" In all the excitement of the day, he had forgotten the most fun part so far.
"What about you guys, what did you end up fighting?"
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Post by therunawaygirl on Dec 4, 2020 13:32:36 GMT -5
The grown man clicked his tongue in good humor after the teen’s comment. Being honest, it didn’t sting as much, instead finding it appreciative by the following chuckle. Tori didn’t see it necessary to help, seeing that the two made a fine job themselves. In the end, she didn’t help at all, instead waiting for things to be set up before sitting down.
“You’re cheeky, aren’t you…?” Hiroshi grumbled under his breath, the comment aimed at Henoke as a retort.
Mei nodded and hummed once Yuto replied to her question, finding it nice to see how he had other friends on his side. A particular name sparked her curiosity, but perhaps it wasn’t a time to ask about it now. There was some sense of familiarity, but she couldn’t quite recall. Maybe for later.
“Ah, right… I’m Hiroshi” the man nodded, looking at Yuto once he'd sat down, “And it’s alright —I’m not someone who likes much formalities to begin with. So just call me by that name.”
A waiter came by to hand over the card to the newcomers, and Tori made sure to explain they’d have a split bill from Mei and Yuto —seeing that they’d arrived later and would eat their own meals, not to mention that it was Hiroshi who invited the treat over. With that, the waiter left, leaving them some time to decide —although Tori and Henoke would probably have it easy.
They each had their go-to meals, after all —Hiroshi not so much.
“If you’re like this with me, I can’t imagine how you’re like with your own old man…” Hiroshi said with a smirk, glancing at the teen. “Knock it off” Tori replied, unamused, “That’s already embarrassing enough —because you’re dragging me into it.” “Heh… Sorry, sorry…” “So, what were you doing here?” Mei asked, curious, “It’s somewhat rare to see you around this time of day…” “I had somethings to take care of —nothing too serious” Hiroshi waved his hand nonchalantly, “I’m more curious to know what sort of thing you all have been up two with these two outsiders…” “All the while bringing Mizu along? Wasn’t she a bother?” Tori teased, while the wolf rubbed her head against the girl’s palm.
The waiter came back to take the orders of the remaining party —a bowl of katsu-don for Tori, alongside a glass of soda, and lamb chops with rice for Hiroshi alongside a pint. Once Henoke made his own decision (one Tori would most definitely tease him for), the waiter left.
”How’d the hunt go?!” Immediately jumping on a topic, Henoke was quick to act —asking Mei and Yuto about their own Mark. “What was it called again?" Yuto’s confusión only served to make Mei giggle —but not too much. After all, the question was a legitimate one, although perhaps a bit too unexpected.
“It was a Coeurl” Mei explained, “Apparently it was coming to the Training Grounds at night-time, which caused some trouble… So, we took it down for them.” “A Coeurl by the Training Grounds?” Tori asked, confused, “That’s odd… That would be near the Western Shore, right?” “Yeah —it was a few ways inside the Forest. Why’d you ask?” “It’s just… At any other point in time, it’d be normal, but… Right now? Not so much.” “I thought as much… Maybe it is because of Fenrir?” “Wait —you’ll be tackling it?” Hiroshi asked, blinking his eyes in confusion. “Yeah —we’re the Guild hosting this Raid” Tori glanced at her father, “Why?” “It’s just… It wasn’t long before the last Raid, so… Have you had issues getting people for it?” “…We have” Tori nodded with a sigh, “For now, it’s only us and the Howling Fangs —but if this Mark is as strong as they paint it to be, it might be troublesome with just two Guilds. We might lack manpower…” “Hmm…”
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Post by hoodwink on Dec 4, 2020 14:03:16 GMT -5
Despite the small restaurant being less busy than the tavern, once Henoke and the others joined, the combined table immediately was lively with action. With so much going on, the distracted teen didn’t happen to hear Hiroshi’s comment or Tori’s embarrassment. Responding to Yuto’s bandages with ”Oh, cool! I want some!”, the teen had reached across the table to try and grab at his friends wrist, eager to peak at the wound and brag about battle scars. Once the waiter had arrived, the teens eyes had sparkled with a familiar love as he ordered a pork bowl with extra pork and extra spice. ”We fought a…was it a bird or something, Mei?” The teen’s eyes widened for a moment as his head whipped around to the orange-haired girl, eager to hear what the monster was. ”It was a Coeurl!” Of course, the name meant nothing to Henoke, who raised a brow and tilted a head. A bird, huh? In the teen’s mind, he imagined a normal looking bird (like a songbird, or crow or something) but with monstrous teeth and a vicious glare. ”Heh—doesn’t sound that tough.” Teasing and jabbing at the two friends, Henoke was eager to launch into his own story.
”We fought a huge shell! It had legs the size of trees and was all ‘Stomp! Stomp! Roooooar!’ But we took it down like ‘shwoom!’ ‘Slice!’ ‘Hyuuuup!’” Similar to when he had explained the tale to Hiroshi, Henoke seemed too excited to explain with actual words, instead standing up from his chair to enact the scene with his odd sound effects. As Tori and Mei discussed the oddity around the Coeurl’s location, Henoke’s intrigue spiked at the mention of ‘Fenrir’. ”Oh, yeah!” That was the huge fight they were gonna do! Recalling the members of the ‘Howling Fangs’, the teen wore a broad grin, refusing to be daunted by Hiroshi and Tori’s worry around headcount. ”Don’t sweat it! Those Holwin’ Fang dudes were tough! With them and us, there’s no way we’ll lose!” It seemed failure wasn’t a word in Henoke’s vocabulary, thought process, or heart.
There was nothing but confidence radiated from the young man, especially after the success of their first Hunt!
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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 Dec 4, 2020 16:34:27 GMT -5
Yuto slipped his hurt hand under the table with an amused smile. "Nope, no touching." His hand was still a bit tender, and he didn't want to cause much of a scene. "Dude, that sounds cool. Perfect for a fighter like you."
Mei's response shifted the conversation back to more important matters. It seemed like things were more serious than anyone let on. Henoke didn't seem bothered though, his confidence was astounding. "I don't know man, last time I went into a major fight where I was outmatched...it didn't end well." He looked down at his ramen, remembering his first trip to Radiant Garden. "Anyway, I'm sure it'll be enough of a concern for more people to show up." Yuto's tone was a more serious one, he didn't feel that this was something to make light of.
Realizing how he probably looked and sounded, Yuto forced a smile. "But that's not for a few days, right? We got ti~me." He took another bite of his food. "So, you guys have any plans after lunch? Knowing Herculese over here, I'm guessing he'd wanna look for another mark." The man pointed to Henoke with his chopsticks. The teen liked a good challenge, and it seemed like there were Marks out there that would pose just that.
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