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Post by hoodwink on Nov 18, 2020 13:15:09 GMT -5
Tori’s slap! caught him off-guard, blinking in surprise as his cheek went red and the sharp sting struck his face. ”Idiot! You can’t do that expecting me not to worry!” Visibly upset, and loud, her reaction caused him to frown thoughtfully for a moment. It’s not like we can’t just fix it with magic, though… Despite his own confidence in that, it was clear that Tori didn’t share the sentiment, clearly worked up from his recklessness. As she chanted her Curaga spell, a healing magic even greater than Henoke’s own, the teen straightened a bit as his wounds began to close and rejuvenation flooded his body. While Tori examined her handiwork to ensure his wounds were all set, Henoke sighed a bit, a somewhat sheepish look on his face. ”I had it under control…” Well, that was a lie if he ever heard one, not really noticing until he said it out loud. He hadn’t had it under control—though he had intended for his Quake spell to help him in trapping the shark, he hadn’t expected the whole freaking ship to crash down on him.
It really was old. ”Er—sorry…” Scratching at the back of his head and averting his gaze a bit, it seemed it finally dawned on him why his ‘strategy’ had stressed her out so badly. ”…Back on track.” Sighing in mild relief, the teen rested his hands behind his head, floating idly as he listened to Tori’s thoughts on finding Sebastian. ”Maybe Flounder could help us out a bit.” Hearing the friendly fish’s name caused Henoke to grin a bit, seemingly more carefree now that everything had passed. ”Oh, yeah! He had offered to show us around earlier…” At the time, they had been worried about being able to keep the local safe—but Henoke felt more confident in himself now. After the fight with the shark, normal Heartless were sure to be no big deal! With some sort of lead now, the teen seemed more upbeat, gesturing away from the Palace Grounds towards where they had came from the Gorge. ”C’mon! I think they said they’d be around here somewhere!” With that, the two would swim back the way they had originally came, Henoke faster now that his wounds were healed up.
It seemed he was starting to really get the hang of using that whale tail of his.
Despite becoming a stronger swimmer, Henoke was still bad with directions. Relying on Tori to lead the way to the hidden and quiet Grotto, coveted into a small alcove in a pocket hidden away from main view, the hotheaded teen would follow along, mesmerized by the scenery around them until they entered the small Grotto. Familiar shelves lined with knickknacks and chests would greet Tori, though it was all new to Henoke. ”Woah! Where’d all this stuff come from?!” Staring at some items that rang familiar, while others seemed ancient and foreign to him, the teen was quickly to swim up and begin inspecting the shelves as Doris and Flounder greeted them. ”Welcome back! How has it been going?” Always more mature and composed, the dolphin was polite and courteous while Flounder spun haphazardly through the water, eager to meet up with the gawking and inquisitive Henoke. ”Oh, oh, oh! Ariel collected all of this! She couldn’t take them all with her, so she left most of them here for me...I didn’t think anyone else would be interested in the ‘thingamabobs’!” Whatever the fish believed these rather mundane if not unique artifacts were, Henoke didn’t seem to bother correcting them. They were more curious about how all of this seemingly normal human stuff made it all the way to the bottom of the sea.
”Really, now, you two…you’re aware there’s still a crisis in these waters?” Rolling her eyes a bit as Henoke and Flounder began talking about different ways forks could have navigated waters on their own ship before falling overboard due to fighting an oversized kraken, Doris turned to Tori with a somewhat vaguely worried look. ”How are things outside? Is the Kingdom still doing alright?” It seemed despite herself, Doris was concerned. She attempted to keep it all composed and collected, but with the oddities happening lately, it would make sense for any fish to be somewhat shaken up!
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 18, 2020 16:53:06 GMT -5
Sighing with some relief, Tori took Henoke’s words to heart —his apology was clear, at the very least. Dwelling on it for now wouldn’t help, though, since they had things to do and mysteries to solve —all the while they slowly grew accustomed to having tails instead of legs. Tori didn’t see much of a difference, really, but perhaps Henoke would, once they left after accomplishing what they were there for…
”C’mon! I think they said they’d be around here somewhere!” Leading the way, the teen seemed to be back in high spirits —although when was he not? A faint smile took place in Tori’s expression as she saw him go, following along at a decent pace. Sure enough, little by little, Henoke’s swimming was improving.
“…Just don’t do something like that again, please?” she begged, glancing over towards him, “I know you were trying to help, but… It’s worrisome.”
Leaving that comment to settle, Tori followed quietly, as the two would head back to the Grotto where Doris and Flounder had said they’d be…
The many trinkets on the natural stone-made “shelves” and the chests were a nice way to greet the two —making a somewhat intriguing yet comfortable environment. It didn’t look like they were there before… Maybe someone set them up, after the Heartless left? It was a possibility, as Tori listened to Flounder’s explanation.
“Ariel collected all of this!” The memory Flounder was so fond of was so vivid, Tori couldn’t simply “look” away, instead giggling softly as the small fish and Henoke began to talk about the many trinkets in the room, which in reality were just common silverware or human-crafted tools. As the teen weaved a very exaggerated story, Tori was tempted to chime in a break the façade, but it was too cute to do that.
She wasn’t that mean with her teasing.
”How are things outside? Is the Kingdom still doing alright?” Doris brought her out of the thought, while Henoke and Flounder amused each other with stories about krakens and other ginormous sea-creatures. Looking at the dolphin calmly, Tori crossed her arms while she thought on how to give the info.
“More or less —we didn’t find Heartless this time, but we did encounter a shark… By a Sunken Ship, if I remember correctly” Tori explained, “Other than that… No. Neither of the guards seem to know where Sebastian could’ve gone, and one isn’t exactly looking forward to us finding them.”
Tori sighed, frowning a bit as she mulled in thought, silence taking over the conversation. There were a few things she wanted to learn, but would the dolphin in front of her know anything? It was worth the gamble, but losing time like that was bound to shoot them back later.
For now, she could allow it.
“Is there anything past that Sunken Ship, or no?” she asked, “Right now, I don’t think it’s proper to head back there, with the White Shark still roaming around…” Tori glanced over at Flounder, calmly, “Say, Flounder? You wouldn’t happen to know where Sebastian could’ve gone to, right? Any ideas?”
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 19, 2020 14:33:15 GMT -5
”More or less—“ As Tori elaborated on what they’d found during their recent searches, Flounder seemed to perk up at the mention of ‘shark’ and ‘Sunken Ship’. ”Woah! You guys went there?!” The little fish seemed torn between awe, fear and shock. ”It wasn’t a big deal~” Wearing a cocky smile, Henoke crossed his arms over his chest, grinning at Flounder as Tori continued. ”Neither of the guards seem to know where Sebastian could’ve gone…” Doris seemed only mildly relieved, a look of concern still showing behind the faint smile. ”Is there anything past that Sunken Ship, or no?” Henoke raised an eyebrow at the question, while Flounder swam forward enthusiastically towards Tori, spinning through the water. ”Oh! Oh! Oh! I know!” Doris grimaced a bit, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. ”Flounder, really. No one believes your tall tales.” As Tori asked about Sebastian’s whereabouts, Flounder’s enthusiasm faded a bit, his face falling into a frown as he shook his head. ”If I knew, I’d have gone after him already…” Henoke felt for the little guy. It seemed this ‘Sebastian’ was someone they considered a close friend. ”I do know what’s past the ship, though!” Recovering rather quickly, Flounder swam back up to Tori’s eye-level, eager to act as a guide.
”It’s the deeper, scary parts of the ocean! Ursula’s Lair is down there!” Upon hearing the name, Doris seemed rather agitated, puffing herself up as she swam over and ‘shooed’ Flounder away from the others. ”Hush, child! How many times have I told you—that name is ancient history! His Majesty dealt with her already!” Henoke raised an eyebrow, tilting his head a little at Doris’s reaction. ”Who’s this ‘Ursula’?” The dolphin grimaced, shooting Flounder an irritated look before sighing a bit, turning back to Tori and Henoke. ”She was a powerful witch—one who fought with His Majesty rather often…she used to be a plague to these waters for some time…until His Majesty, King Triton defeated her in open combat.” Though the story itself was interesting Henoke quite a bit, who wanted to hear more, the look on Doris’s face stopped even one tactless as he. ”What about Flotsam, and Jetsam?! They’re still around, somewhere!” Flounder cried out in protest, much to the dolphin’s chagrin, who merely rolled their eyes once more and turned to swim back to their small spot near the shell in the center of the Grotto. ”They were Ursula’s henchmen! They escaped the fight, I think!” Flounder’s face was scrunched up into one of determination.
”I’m sure they’re behind some of this weird stuff goin’ on!” It seemed the fish had come up with their own theories that Doris had disagreed with, who shook her head rather exasperatedly. ”His Majesty isn’t so careless, Flounder.” It seemed she was done arguing, though, lowering herself closer to the sea floor as she nestled in. ”I’ve no clue what happened to the Royal Advisor. I’d recommend avoiding the underpart of the waters…even with the witch gone—who knows what bizarre things might linger…” It seemed Doris was superstitious, as well. ”I can guide you! I don’t know where Sebastian might be, but I’m sure if we check out Ursula’s old lair, we’ll find some clues!” Henoke shrugged, not really caring whether or not the rumors of this ‘sea witch’ were true or not. If they were real, he’d simply beat them up. If they weren’t, hopefully they’d find some leads about Sebastian. ”How ‘bout it, Tori? Should we follow Flounder's lead?” Glancing at Flounder with a grin, the teen pointed out at the fish with a cocky expression on his face. ”But if you’re gonna guide us, ya gotta listen to us! We’re gonna be the one’s protectin’ ya, got it?” Flounder seemed excited, nodding his head up and down and eagerly waiting for Tori’s answer.
Doris seemed concerned, though she had already witnessed that the two strangers were more than capable on their own. ”Hm…” Despite her worries, she seemed to give in after a moment. ”Really, now. They're just rumors and children's tales...just please, do be careful…” Henoke gave her a reassuring broad smile, resting his hands behind his head as he turned to Tori. ”Hehe~ It’ll be fine—right, Tori?” He wanted to make sure Doris knew they were confidant in their abilities—there was no way he was going to let something happen to Flounder! Besides, it wasn't like they had any other leads, since no one seemed to know where this 'Sebastian' fellow had gone off to, after their exile.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 20, 2020 6:27:32 GMT -5
Seeing Flounder eagerly answering her questions, Tori found it easy listen when he spoke with such enthusiasm, although his concern was noticeable. The mention of “Ursula” ticked her interest, and Henoke took no time in asking who that was —much for Doris’ grimace. Apparently, the name was no good news…
“A… sea witch…?” Tori hummed in thought, her arms crossed.
It didn’t matter if the witch was gone —something was amiss. Were they related to this, one way or another? Did they have any relevance to the issue at hand, even if they were long since gone? Still, it wasn’t like Tori could figure it out as it was. Still thinking, it seemed like for the time being no clues about Sebastian would be known. Puffing her cheeks slightly, she hummed.
“This is bad…” she groaned as she thought, “At this point, Sebastian’s our only way to figure out what’s really going on…”
”How ‘bout it, Tori? Should we follow Flounder's lead?” Henoke immediately asked the question Tori needed —if they wanted to figure out what was going on, they needed a guide, and Flounder was perhaps the best one available. His display of worry, masked under a cocky grin, caused the girl to smile.
It helped to know she didn’t need to be the only level-headed one in the party.
“If we can focus, for once, it’ll be fine” she nodded, to then turned towards Flounder, “So… No running off on your own, got it? I understand you’re eager to get going, but you have to listen to what we say, so that we can keep you safe.”
With that all said and done, it seemed they were ready to go. Despite Doris’ worry being obvious, Tori was sure things would be okay —she wouldn’t let anything happen to their guide. Wanting to reassure them, Tori chuckled a bit as she swam closer towards the Dolphin, patting its head gently with a faint smile.
“We’ll be careful” she said, “I’ll make sure of that.”
Taking her distance a bit, she looked at Henoke and Flounder, her smile turning towards a confident one. With everything now taken care of, she crossed her arms while her pose was lax, calmly floating in the water.
“So, then… Where do we head from here?” she asked, “If we need to go back to where that White Shark is… We’ll have to be careful. If not, then… Lead the way, Flounder” she finished with a smile.
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 20, 2020 12:44:55 GMT -5
Flounder spun through the water gleefully as the two agreed to have him guide them. ”I’ll listen! Promise!” Of course he’d be excited, given the chance to find his friend Sebastian—even if it was a long shot. Henoke found himself grinning as he watched Flounder’s obvious excitement, his heart glad to be able to help friends reunite. ”Lead the way, Flounder.” Tori’s smile encouraged the fish, who waved a fin in goodbye to Doris before leading the two out of the Grotto and back into the Gorge. Other than the rock pillars hosting the occasional clamshell, it was still seemingly deserted. Henoke warily eyed the wide space, knowing how the Heartless appeared out of nowhere at the best of times. ”We’ll have to go back to the Sunken Ship…” Flounder’s face flashed with concern as the three swam through the Gorge, heading towards the Palace Grounds. ”I’ve been there with Ariel before…there’s a real scary guy that lives there…” Shivering at the memory, the yellow fish’s speed waned somewhat as they exited the Gorge, emerging on the outskirts of the Palace Grounds, where the two large rocks would naturally disguise the large crevice the two had exited earlier.
”Don’t worry ‘bout it, Flounder!” Henoke gave the fish a confidant smirk as he swam up to the crevice, seemingly carefree. ”We’ve already fought with ‘im a bit. He’s pretty worn out.” That, and now he wasn’t fueled up on weird dark energy. It’ll be easy! Part of him wanted to settle the score, too, pumping up the teen’s inner fire more as he swam through the crevice, entering the familiar wide tunnel decorated with overgrowth. Seemingly relieved by Henoke’s confidence, Flounder followed, regaining some of his ‘pep’ as he weaved through the rocks with ease, much smaller than either of the two. As the three would continue down the path, nearing the chasm that followed, the sound of loud bangs and roars would greet them. Immediately lowering and slowing his swimming speed, Flounder almost seemed to shrink in fear as his eyes widened at the sound. Noticing this, Henoke swam in front of the fish, glancing over his shoulder with a smile and ‘thumbs up’. ”Oi, don’t sweat it. We said we got your back!” Summoning his Keyblade in a ray of light, Henoke glanced at Tori, giving her a nod once she would arm herself.
He wasn’t sure what to expect. As the group swam towards the path exit, which would expose the large chasm below, Henoke would shout out in surprise at the battle ahead. ”Grrrrraaaooooorrrhhhh!” Roaring out with enough rage and force to shake the chasm, the Great White rammed against an Aquatank, sending the large Heartless hurling through the water and crashing against the cavern walls. What had once been the damaged Sunken Ship, now a pile of rubble, was in a chaotic array all over the area—almost as though it had been blasted or attacked to bits. The Great White was surrounded by countless underwater Heartless, already heavily wounded from the battle with Henoke and Tori prior. "They’re fightin’ it?!” Wide-eyed still, Henoke gawked as he watched a few Screwdriver’s spin forward, lancing at the shark with their jagged tridents. Despite the shark’s size, it was able to twist and turn around most of the attacks, returning one of its own with its powerful and sharp tail. They’re not together?! Was the shark a ‘local’, too? Flounder had said they were a ‘scary guy’—but hadn’t used the term ‘monster’ like he had with the Heartless. Is the shark…not bad, just scary? Blinking in mild confusion—it only took a moment for Henoke’s heart to override his mind.
”I’m gonna help it!” Gripping his Keyblade in both hands, the teen flashed a determined look as he glanced down at Flounder. ”Stay back here, Flounder. It’s gonna get messy down there…” Nodding, the fish lowered themselves into some of the overgrowth in the tunnel that had led to the chasm, peeking their head through the flowing leaves with worry and intrigue. Swimming out into the chasm, Henoke pumped his whale tail with all his might, able to propel himself forward at a decent speed—though it still left room for improvement. There were an array of Heartless throughout the chasm, most noticing the presence of the ‘Key’, shifting their attention mildly. Though a small opening, the Great White took the opportunity to lash out at the nearest Heartless, which had paused upon sensing Henoke’s Keyblade. Biting into a Sea Neon, crushing it between its powerful jaws and dissolving it instantly, the shark followed up its attack by lashing out at its tail, sending many nearby Heartless careening through the water head over heel. ”Take that!” Slashing down on a nearby Screwdriver that was sent flying from the shark’s attack, Henoke finished it off as he entered the fray. He kept a mild distance from the shark, unsure if it would lash out at him if he got too close. ”Tch—stupid fish…” Begrudgingly, Henoke aimed his large Keyblade at the ferocious local.
”Heal!” Casting his Cura spell on the shark, the Great White seemed to blink in surprise as its wounds and energy were restored. Giving a low growl and mild glare at the teen, the shark seemed placated to not devour the boy on the spot. Er…was that s'posed'ta be a thanks? Shrugging off the uneasiness, Henoke grinned as he focused on the one thing he knew how to do well—beat up some Heartless!
[[ENEMIES: 2 Aquatanks, 4 Screwdrivers, 3 Sea Neon’s, 2 Searching Ghost’s]] [[ALLIES: Great White Shark???]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 20, 2020 13:29:14 GMT -5
Flounder’s up and downs made Tori smile. While eager to help the two travelers in solving the world’s problems (albeit without the small fish’s knowledge in that regard), it seemed wary about the “scary guy” that lurked in the Sunken Ship. She already had an idea or two about who it was though, since both Henoke and Tori had met someone —or rather, something— there.
“It’ll be okay, Flounder —just leave the fights to us, okay?” she said, petting him gently to reassure him.
Arriving at the area where the Sunken Ship was now a mountain of rubble, Tori noticed Flounder shivering slightly, but Henoke was quick to reassure him. The sounds echoed as if there was a battle nearby, though… Whatever was happening further ahead would take an effort. Tori followed Henoke to battle, summoning her Keyblade as soon as she could, the grip firm after nodding back to his suggestion. She stopped slightly after seeing the Shark fight a mass of Heartless, fending itself with sharp fangs and deadly tackles. Then again, though… It was sort of obvious.
After all, the Shark wasn’t a Heartless —it had simply been under darkness’ influence.
”I’m gonna help it!” Tori nodded as Henoke charged forward, deciding to start the battle from a faint distance. She threw her Keyblade forward to support the teen’s push, with her Fire Toss circling through the many enemies in front of them. Regardless of the damage dealt, she wasn’t stopping there.
“You moron…”
Watching Henoke heal the Shark was a good and a bad thing —for the good part, it was nice to have another ally in battle, but the bad part was that, as soon as the battle was over, the Shark could easily attack them. Then again, if it came to it, she could just use an Illusion…
So maybe it wasn’t all that bad. At the very least it didn’t go for Henoke immediately…
Tori readied a spell as she swam closer towards the battlefield, sparks of electricity gathering in her palm before unleashing a powerful Thundaja spell onto one of the Aquatanks. There were way too many enemies, though… Just for measure, she quickly chanted Faith onto herself, before chanting an even stronger Blizzaja.
It was clear the wasn’t pulling any punches, this time.
“Let’s focus on the Heartless for now” she said, “And let’s pray that the Shark doesn’t come at us during or after this one…” Tori added with a sigh.
Her expression now determined, a faint red hue began to take shape around her, the grip in her Keyblade tighter than before. In the blink of an eye, Tori charged towards the Sea Neons under her Red Moon form, striking with ferocity at the overgrown jellyfish-like Heartless.
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 20, 2020 14:05:38 GMT -5
While Tori’s Fire Toss cleared the pathway for Henoke to secure his spot near the shark, the Heartless noticed the second Key’s coming. It seemed both Keys were working in distracting and dominating most of their attention. Cascading the battlefield with her Thundaja spell, the Aquatanks were stunned and severely damaged. Continuing with her Blizzaja spell to try and keep the pressure on, Tori’s magic was creating a lot of room for Henoke and the shark to attack up close. ”Let’s focus on the Heartless for now, and let’s pray that the Shark doesn’t come at us during or after this one…” Tori’s comments caused Henoke to sneer a bit as he slashed out at a Screwdriver that was attempting to lance him. ”Duh! Don’t worry ‘bout ‘im—looks like he hates the Heartless more than he wants to eat us!” Laughing a bit as he used his powerful tail to break through an opponent’s guard and slash down with his heavy weapon, the teen seemed to be enjoying themselves. The Great White was a ferocious opponent indeed—its speed and power in full effect now that it was restored of the worst of its previous wounds. Launching at the Heartless with a furious vigor, the local tore through water and enemy alike as it gnashed with its impressive jaws and terrifying teeth. Some Heartless had noticed Tori's position, though, as one of the Searching Ghost's emerged from a bizarre portal behind her, lashing out with its clawed hands while a nearby Screwdriver dived towards her at the same time, its jagged trident gleaming and flashing as it struck out!
The Aquatanks recovered, only to return with magic of their own as more lightning bolts zig-zagging and snapping! against the seafloor as they crackled through the water. ”Urgh—! Stupid things…” Gritting his teeth as part of the electric spell hit him, the teen bristled with the sudden jolt zapping through his form. Whoever had given the Heartless magic really sucked. Seeing how many enemies still floated and swam around them, Henoke decided to try and deal with the most annoying enemies first. ”Eat this!!” Spinning in place for a moment, the teen threw his Keyblade with all his might, using his Reflect Raid. The large steel grey Keyblade swung through the water, arcing to ricochet off of the cavernous seafloor as well as the enemies it hit. Once the weapon returned to him, Henoke’s grin broadened as he charged forward, pummeling one of the Aquatanks with a punishing combo, causing it to finally dissolve, its heart floating through the water. The fight was going well so far, with the Great White covering Henoke’s back, shredding through the enemy rank with ease.
[[ENEMIES: 1 Aquatank, 3 Screwdrivers, 1 Sea Neon, 1 Searching Ghost]] [[ALLIES: Great White Shark???]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 20, 2020 15:44:48 GMT -5
“Looks like he hates the Heartless more than he wants to eat us!”
Tori smirked back, although she couldn’t deny it. The Shark was ferocious against the Heartless, leaving none alone as it bit and trashed about. The girl perked up as one of the Searching Ghosts teleported behind her, while at the same time a Screwdriver charged her way. Clicking her tongue, she swiftly swam around, her current form allowing her to swiftly move while leaving a red after-image that would disappear as the Searching Ghosts claws missed their actual mark.
“Let your guard down.”
Now behind the Searching Ghost that teleported her way, Tori’s red aura gleamed brighter as she used her Lunatic Red Eyes ability onto it without holding back. Letting go after a bit, she quickly threw her Keyblade forward, her Crescent Echo going towards the Screwdriver to then inevitable being pulled back to her hand.
“These guys are getting annoying…” she groaned in thought.
How hard was it to just… Make them disappear? The thought lingered a bit as she swam about swiftly, her speed creating faint after images in her wake. With her gaze stern, Tori was obviously not holding back.
“So —which ones are left…?”
The remaining Aquatank would most likely be an issue, if left unchecked. With swift movements, Tori chanted Ruinga and aimed it that way, while still standing wary of the enemies and the Shark. Despite it being on their side for the time being, it still felt odd to trust it completely…
It was a shark, after all. And not just any shark, but a White Shark. Those were the most ravenous of sharks… Right? Was it really safe to trust it? For the time being, maybe, but later...
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 21, 2020 12:35:06 GMT -5
While Tori countered the Searching Ghost and Screwdriver’s assault, Henoke had his own hands full. While the Great White was busy chewing down on the last Sea Neon, destroying the Heartless completely, the teen had been left to fend off both other Screwdrivers as well as the Aquatank. ”C’mon!” Overpowering a Screwdriver in a brief struggle, the teen sent it flying with a vicious strike from his Keyblade, careening into the other as both Heartless launched away. WHAM! The Aquatank was quick to take the opening, ramming into Henoke as the fighter shouted out, spinning head over fins backwards as the world around him blurred. ”Urgh…” The force from the impact alone had dazed him, though thankfully Tori’s Ruinga spell would collide with it—finishing off the gigantic fish-like Heartless for good. Hardly having been docile after finishing off the Sea Neon, the Great White swam directly towards the two remaining Heartless, lashing out with powerful gnashing bites as they attempted to avoid its surprising speed. ”Oi! I say we split while it finishes up.” Using the moment of peace to swim over to Tori, the teen still had his Keyblade out, though his eyes flashed with his devious plan.
”Let’s grab Flounder!” So long as Tori didn’t try to stop him, Henoke swam up and away from the remainder of the battle—which mainly consisted of the two wounded Heartless trying to evade and fend off the shark’s wrath. Reaching the tunnel that Flounder had hid in, the teen coaxed the small fish out of their hiding place, tucking them under their free arm as they swam back into the chasm, hugging the wall as he eyed the remainder of the fight. One Screwdriver remained now, pitifully swimming as hard as it could to spin out of the shark’s straightforward assaults. It hardly had time to attack, with how quick the aggressive Great White was attacking. ”Which way, Flounder?” Keeping his eyes on the fight, Henoke swam at a slow and steady pace—not wanting to draw too much attention their way. ”Over there!” Pointing with a fin as they remained secured under the teen’s arm, Flounder gestured to the lower section of the chasm, mostly shrouded in shadows beyond the rubble of the ship. Nodding after making sure Tori was close by, Henoke swam across the chasm, noticing how it seemed the shark was about to finish the Screwdriver off.
Reaching the edge of the chasm, towards the bottom seafloor, Flounder wriggled free from Henoke’s grasp, swimming between some of the overgrowth and flora to reveal a small and dark tunnel. ”T-this way…” Despite the fish’s nervousness, one glance over at the roaring shark that was now devouring and destroying the last Heartless, Flounder was quick to swim through, leading the way. Making sure Tori went through alright, Henoke would take one last hard look at the shark, now alone in the chasm as it roared out victoriously. Crazy fish… He had never seen something quite like it. Shaking his head before swimming after Flounder, the teen noticed the odd sensation he felt lurking ahead…
The small tunnel opened into a darker and cramper pathway. Numerous geysers and stalactites hung down from the ceiling, a general din whispering throughout the cavern. ”…” Henoke found himself holding his breathe for a moment, glancing around warily before realizing the source of the whispering din. What had originally appeared to be dying flora were actually small-headed wispy creatures. Tethered to the cavern floor, they muttered with mouths too small to be comprehensible, their eyes blinking but unseeing as they stared everywhere yet vacantly. ”The hell…?” Henoke blinked and grimaced as he swam over them, glancing down with an unsure look. ”What’re these?” Flounder shook visibly, swimming much higher, weaving through stalactites on the cavern ceiling. ”O-old members of the k-k-kingdom…Ursula…t-turned them into her g-garden when T-T-Triton kicked her out…” Knowing exactly what he was swimming over, an indignant look came over Henoke’s face, growing a shade of red unseen in the darkness of the cavern.
”Tch—what?! That lousy witch!” Gripping a fist, the teen floated down near the odd whispering creatures—once proud citizens and fish of the kingdom of Atlantica. ”It’s just like that other witch we heard about…the one that turned Lumiere, Chip and all the others into furniture.” Were there any good witches? Before having gone to Belle’s Castle, Henoke had never once heard of magic with that kind of power. The power to transform and enchant others with curses beyond the salvation of a standard healing spell. Damn it! They’ve always got one up on us! His Keyblade didn’t seem to respond to the happenings around them, either—meaning there was little either of the two magic-users could manage for these once locals. ”S-she was defe-defeated…b-but none of them turned...back.” Flounder’s voice had fallen to a near whisper, his face grave and frown heavy. Pushing forward, the small fish shook himself out of the misery, pressing on ahead in order to lead the way. Noticing the local’s determination, Henoke felt himself get fired up—moreso knowing the cruelty of this ‘Ursula’ witch was still at hand. I wonder if that’ll disappear once we close the Keyhole! Swimming further into the darkness, the group would come upon a fork in the path—both tunnels equally dark and foreboding, identical to the one they traversed already.
”It’s this way.” Pointing with a blue fin to the left path, Flounder seemed somewhat hesitant as they stared at the dark path ahead. Raising an eyebrow, Henoke pointed to the right path. ”Then, what’s down there?” Glancing in the direction the teen pointed, Flounder brightened up faintly. ”Oh! It’s just a little Nook. I guess Ursula never found a use for it…it’s just empty.” He definitely hadn’t expected an answer like that. ”So…it’s safe, that way?” Flounder nodded, floating idly with a somewhat curious look. ”Well, then, it’s settled!” Henoke grinned broadly, pointing at Flounder while proclaiming: ”You’ll go there!” Backpedaling in surprise, the yellow and blue fish puffed up a bit, an indignant look on their face. ”But—you said I could come with you!” Frowning, the local glanced between Tori and Henoke with a somewhat hurt look. ”Oi, listen. If the witch’s lair is down there, we don’t need you, right? It’s just a tunnel. There aren’t any other forks, are there?”
For a moment, the teen wondered if Flounder would be mischievous enough to lie. ”No…there aren’t.” It seemed they were an honest fish, through and through. Grinning still, Henoke crossed his arms and nodded his head, gesturing towards the path to the Nook. ”See? So we don’t need a guide for this part. You should just go chill out over there. Who knows what’ll go down?” Despite his casual approach, there was a firmness in Henoke’s stance that betrayed his seriousness. He wasn’t about to let Flounder continue with them—especially after seeing what the witch was capable. ”Back me up here, Tori…” Glancing at his friend, he hoped she could help give Flounder an extra push. He seemed close to conceding…but there was still a defiant look on his face.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 21, 2020 13:35:54 GMT -5
With a more relaxed pose, yet still flourishing with power, Tori glanced at the remains of the fight. The very few Heartless that were still standing were met with incredible ferociousness, leaving Henoke and her a room for respite. Quick in action as usual, the teen went to grab Flounder while suggesting to leave while the chance was still available, to which Tori nodded.
Meeting with the shark after a fight like that would be a very bad situation.
Tori swam closer towards the two, staying near them while keeping as much distance as possible from the ongoing battle, dismissing the power as she did so to stand out less. With the little fish’s directions, it was bound to be okay.
“Hoping the shark just forgets about us…” Tori thought as she glanced back one last time.
This time, she could follow the rest easily —she hadn’t used as much energy as she had before, so it was okay. She noticed Flounder’s unease, only able to smile uneasily at the sight. Swimming a bit faster to stand besides them, she tried to reassure them.
“It’ll be okay” she said, “If it does come after us, we’ll take care of it.”
It was the truth, in the end —if the Shark still lurked by the time they returned, they would most likely be forced to fight it. Even if it was a local, it was still a shark. The only defense they could use was brute force, not diplomacy.
The pathway now in front of them, after a bit of swimming, was outright disturbing. Tori glanced around just as much as Henoke did, noticing the eerie atmosphere they were currently in. A witch’s lair… Well, it lived to the name, at least —and it made Tori shudder. ”What’re these?” Henoke’s words caught her off-guard as he asked what the strange “flora” on the sea bed was.
Her head was already aching, with a surmounting amount of memories coming from nowhere and imposing themselves just as subtly as the whispers around them. She brought herself to a stop, bringing her hand towards her forehead and groaned a bit.
Why was it so overwhelming all of the sudden? As Flounder explained what these sea plants were, though, things began to make sense.
“No wonder, then…” she mumbled, “There’s way too many…”
Thankfully they moved away, and with that, Tori’s migraine settled down. Still, she glanced back a bit after they swam part the tunnel, her heart aching a bit. It was similar to the curse back at Beast’s Castle, and Tori felt the same way if not a bit stronger about wanting to help them —but there was little she could do.
Her powers, weak as they were, couldn’t overrule a world’s power. She could only watch and hope. The fork up ahead brought them to a discussion, as Henoke asked Flounder to take shelter. The small fish seemed uneasy, wanting to stay with the for a bit. His expression said it all —he wanted to stay with them. But if a battle would come up… “So we don’t need a guide for this part.” Tori irked at the comment, frowning before smacking Henoke upside the head, her gaze unamused.
“One, that’s way too rude and direct…” she berated him, placing her hands in her hips. With a sigh, Tori looked about, knowing it was the safer option, before looking at Flounder, “…You’d better go somewhere that’s safe, and where you won’t get caught in the cross-fire, though —I agree with Henoke there. We can take it from here.”
With her expression calm —even caring— towards Flounder, Tori waited an answer. Still, it was clear that the small fish was determined to go with them —perhaps out of fear. In the end, it seemed that Flounder was scared of the place, knowing much more than the two and being unable to fend for himself. Bringing one hand to her chin, Tori thought a bit.
What would reassure him, if not being with them?
“…Actually, hold on…” an idea crossed her mind, glancing over at Henoke, “Say, how capable do you think you are currently, to take the frontline in a battle?” she asked, a calm smile in her face, “If I can cover you from a distance, then… Maybe Flounder doesn’t need to stray too far from us. We just need to conceal him, right?”
Mist gathered in Tori’s palm, gentle and soothing. She had an idea that wouldn’t drain her much —if she could focus on creating an Illusion, rather than making it immediately, then it wouldn’t be too tiresome for Tori.
“I can hide him in an Illusion” Tori said, calm, “Make it so he can see us, and we can see him, but no one else. I can trick those around us to completely ignore him. If being alone is what scares you… Then hiding you in plain sight, while you’re with us, should be enough to ease you, right?” she asked Flounder.
“Wouldn’t that be better?” she asked, “Don’t worry, by the way —if I take my time to make it, it won’t drain me as much. It won’t take a minute to do, either.”
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 21, 2020 14:41:55 GMT -5
”That’s way too rude and direct…” Henoke scowled at Tori’s smack, rubbing the back of his head while giving her a glare. Flounder snickered at the interaction, perking up somewhat. Hearing Tori affirm the teen’s idea caused him to seem somewhat less bitter. ”Aw…” Flounder lowered a bit, his face falling once more into a frown. It seemed he was uncomfortable with waiting around alone in this place—even in the ‘safer’ sections. ”Actually, hold on…” Tori’s sudden idea caused Henoke to raise a brow, while Flounder smiled and nodded along eagerly. Once the mist appeared, the fish seemed somewhat nervous at first, though the girl’s explanation soothed his anxiety. ”If being alone is what scares you…then hiding you in plain sight, while you’re with us, should be enough to ease you, right?” Nodding in agreement, Flounder spun in the water. ”Yeah! That’s way better!” Shrugging a bit, Henoke crossed his arms, his tail swishing in the water somewhat impatiently.
”Fine, whatever! Let’s just do it…” It seemed the teen agreed, deep down not wanting to just abandon the fish if they were afraid, either. After Tori would craft her illusion, securing the local’s safety, the three would continue down the dark left path ahead. The transformed beings littered the floor pathway as it opened up into a wider dark area steeped with darkness. Henoke’s hair prickled all over, the senses gifted to him by the Keyblade and familiarity keeping him wary. This pressure…! It was one that got his blood pumping, exciting as he swam forward, keeping his Keyblade in hand as they pressed on. ”Look what we…have here…” An echoed voice ruptured the dark silence, causing Henoke to immediately swim forward in front of the hidden Flounder and Tori as he readied a battle stance. It didn’t sound like one—but a combination of at least two voices, though they were so similar it was hard to tell. Perhaps it was just the spacious cavern they found themselves in, the echoes distorting it…?
”It seems…we have guests…” A low hiss followed the voice, adding to its already sinister and menacing aura. "Who’s there!?” Swimming forward more, Henoke whipped his head around, trying to see through the darkness. "Unwelcome guests…must be removed…from here…” Ignoring Henoke’s question completely, the voice echoed once more, a familiar whoosh! accompanying it as the Heartless emerged from the shadows. ”Tch—damn it!” Readying himself, Henoke recalled Tori’s comment from before. I’ll take the front, and she’ll back me up… Glancing over at her and giving a nod, Henoke swam forward, immediately trying to grab the Heartless’ attention by raising his Keyblade to summon his Thundara spell. Bzzzt! Crack! Lightning ruptured throughout the Dark Abyss, illuminating the wide space they were in briefly. A wide and open cave-like room, the ceiling domed and was littered with crags and craters, the floor consumed by thick purple overgrowth lined with darkness. The entire place had been steeped in it, by the looks of it. The struck Heartless indeed focused on the hotheaded boy with the key, currently pummeling the nearest enemy with a little too much enthusiasm.
Pressing forward after his spell, Henoke shouted out as the battle begun!
[[ENEMIES: 2 Darkballs, 3 Sea Neon’s, 3 Screwdrivers]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 21, 2020 16:18:07 GMT -5
”Yeah! That’s way better!”
Tori smiled, nodding as they came to an agreement. The mist in her palm flickered, playful wisps swirling before surrounding Flounder gently. It wouldn’t look like much at first, but Illusions like that were subtle to begin with —it was just concealing a single person, rather than a group or creating a “pocket world”.
“Stick around me, okay?” she told Flounder, “Only Henoke or I can interact with you while we do this, but even then, you’ll still see people outside of this Illusion. I know it’ll be tough, but just try to remind yourself that, aside us, no one else can see you. Otherwise it might break.”
With that done, she followed down the dark path, wary of the cursed beings in the lowest of the sea floor. Something lurked ahead —of that, there was no doubt. The now broken memories of the cursed people below only augmented the uneasy feeling Tori had running down her spine. Taking a deep breath, she tried her best to avoid looking at them, knowing it would only make things worse for her.
Hearing a hissing voice, Tori perked up, stopping cold in her tracks with a determined glare. While Henoke stood in front of them, Tori looked around, trying to spot where the noise came from. Yet the cave walls and the water around them, plus how eerie the voice echoed, made it tough to detect.
Where was it coming from?
"Unwelcome guests…must be removed…from here…” Following the voice, the familiar presence of darkness made itself known, with Heartless swarming from the shadows. Nodding back as Henoke took the front, Tori readied herself with her Keyblade at the ready, while also keeping Flounder close to her.
“Stay near me” she ushered, “Got it?”
With that said, Tori readied herself. Following the teen’s charge, she threw her Keyblade forward imbuing it with flames. Her Fire Toss circled through the enemies in front of her, moving a bit on her place while keeping Flounder close to her. While she was wary of the enemies in front, her eyes locked immediately on Henoke —the person she was now supporting in battle.
“Well…” she smirked a bit, “Not the first time I’ve had to fight at a distance… Just wish I had a bow…”
Following her previous attack, Tori chanted twice —first, a Faith spell for Henoke, and then throwing a Ruinga spell towards one of the Sea Neons, wanting to spread the attention of the enemies and not have them gather in one place.
The more confusion they could create, the better.
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 22, 2020 13:02:40 GMT -5
”Stay near me, got it?” Flounder nodded at Tori’s direction, visibly nervous at the arrival of the Heartless. As Henoke charged through the ranks, swinging his Keyblade in powerful swings that cut through the water, Tori’s Fire Toss would successfully knock back Heartless that had tried to swoop on his openings. Feeling the vigor from the Faith spell cast on him, Henoke wore a cocky grin as he guarded against a charging Darkball, returning with his Blitz attack as his Keyblade crackled and sparked with a golden light. ”Ha ha! This’s way easier!” It seemed when it came to fighting, the teen was a fast learner. Despite his swimming speed still not being amazing, his control and movements with his large whale-like tail was becoming second nature. Tori’s Ruinga spell would successfully begin luring the Sea Neon’s her way, while the Screwdriver’s spread out—two remaining near Henoke while the other swam her way.
Easily the fastest Heartless in the group, the armored Screwdrivers dove and lanced through the water, constantly forcing Henoke to swim around in order to avoid getting hit by their tridents while fighting off the remaining Darkball. The Sea Neon’s were slower, though they spun through the water, propelling themselves in a nonstop attack as they came straight for Tori! The lone Screwdriver swam from below, hoping to catch the girl unaware as it lanced upward with its tridents, timing its attack with the Sea Neon’s to try and flank her.
”Grr…back off!” Annoyed at the darting Heartless, now littered with light scratches and mild scrapes from the glances of the tridents, Henoke’s teeth grit in frustration as he gripped his Keyblade. The Screwdrivers were beyond pestering. Having to focus on also fending off the Darkball’s charging attacks and dangerous bites, the teen couldn’t focus as much on attacking as much as he’d like—having been forced on the defensive a bit. ”That’s it!” Visibly frustrated, Henoke undid the bandages around the base of his Keyblade as he swam to dodge yet another trident attack. Shhhink! Breaking the large weapon vertically in two, the teen ‘transformed’ his Steel Heart into Fighting Heart. Now much lighter, Henoke’s Keyblades flashed as he began to unleash swift combos in counterattack to the Heartless coming at him. Clang! Swish! Able to fend off both Screwdriver’s tridents now that he held a weapon in each hand, the teen wore a cocky smirk as a vein pulsed on his forehead. ”Ha ha! What now!?” His hits were faster, hitting harder with every succession—his annoyance clearly fueling his fire as he sliced through one of the Heartless, releasing the heart into the water as he pressed on!
[[ENEMIES: 1 Darkball, 2 Sea Neon’s, 2 Screwdrivers]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 22, 2020 13:45:28 GMT -5
The Keyblade now back in her hand, Tori glanced around, noticing the Sea Neon swimming her way, as well as one of the Screwdrivers. Well, one was welcome, the other wasn’t… Still, nothing she couldn’t do against it, already having an idea in mind as the Screwdriver swiftly closed the distance between them.
“Get back!” she shouted, glancing over at Flounder.
Hoping the small fish listened to her voice, Tori did the same, throwing her Keyblade around her with her Cross-up Magic, hoping to parry the Sea Neon’s assault. Grabbing the Keyblade back after hopefully being successful in the block, Tori swung it downwards to block the Screwdriver’s attack from below.
Even if Flounder was invisible to the rest, Tori didn’t want to overwhelm him —she knew a fight would be imminent if going further inside, be it with locals or Heartless. Wanting to keep him away from danger regardless of being inside of an Illusion, she made sure he’d keep some distance while the battle drew closer towards her.
“Back—off!”
Pushing back, Tori took the offensive, still not leaving too far from Flounder. With her Keyblade firm in her grip, she began to strike with finesse at the Screwdriver that had gotten too close with her Elegant Flurry. So long as the Heartless didn’t block or dodge any of the attacks, Tori would finish the attack with a powerful downstrike, before swimming backwards towards the small fish she was protecting.
“Are you doing okay?” she asked, glancing his way with a faint smile, “Don’t worry —this is easy!”
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 22, 2020 14:45:21 GMT -5
”Get back!” Quick to follow Tori’s direction, Flounder swam back to give the girl room to fight. Though he looked a bit shaken, it seemed he didn’t doubt the two’s capabilities, watching in slight wonder and awe as Tori parried the Sea Neon’s assault. Henoke stayed busy as well, his attacks much faster now that he had transformed his Keyblade as he swam between the Heartless and pummeled them with ferocity. Tori’s Elegant Flurry would work in finishing off the enemies in her direct area, swimming back to find Flounder blinking in astonishment. ”Are you doing okay? Don’t worry—this is easy!” The fish had never seen people so strong. ”Woah…you guys would even give the Vanguard a hard time!” Laughing as he spun in the water, the fish noticed Henoke finishing his end of the battle as well. Having narrowed the fight down to a single Darkball, the teen had a rather cocky sneer on his face as he swam to meet the Heartless’ charge head-on. ”C’mon! You’ve gotta try harder than that!” With a somewhat devious laugh, the hotheaded youth dove to the side at the last minute of the charge, avoiding a head-on collision as he sliced at the Heartless’ exposed sides with a cross-slash.
Whoosh! Evaporating into a dark mist, a single heart glowed in the darkness as it was released through the water. The fight was finally over. Glancing around the Abyss with wary eyes, Henoke took a moment before slamming! his Keyblades back into one, tying the bandages back around the blade so it composed a single heavy weapon once more. ”Who was that?” He had heard a voice…or voices…right before the Heartless appeared. He hadn’t imagined that. ”It’s Flotsam and Jetsam, I bet!” Keeping his Keyblade at hand, the teen swam back over to where Tori and Flounder were, a sour look on his face. ”They’re with the witch, yeah?” Giving Flounder a raised brow, the teen crossed his arms over his chest as he floated in front of the fish. ”Yup! They’re no good, that’s for sure!” Turning to gaze across the dark abyss they swam in, the teen gave a slightly puzzled look. ”Hm…but where do we go from here?” If there was an exit other than the way they came, it was way too dark to see it. They’d need some light…
”Oh, right…!” He had almost forgotten! Light was kind of the whole deal with the Keyblade, right? Gripping his weapon in front of him, the teen scrunched up his face into one of focus as his Keyblade began to glow with a faint light. Illuminating the area around them where they floated, the teen shouted out in success. ”Alright! It worked!” Grinning somewhat foolishly at the easy solution, Henoke held up his weapon as though it were a torch. ”Well, looks like we got s’more heads to crack~” If the witch’s henchmen were up ahead, the teen was sure they’d get some more answers about what was going on here. ”’Sides, looks like they’re controllin’ the Hear—er, the monsters, too.” He wasn’t sure if these unseen henchmen were the cause or just the immediate villains—but either way, he knew they needed to be dealt with! Swimming forward to illuminate more of the abyss around them, Henoke shouted out once he found a darker section of the dark wall—signaling a cave-like tunnel. ”Over here!”
Floating directly in front of the tunnel entrance, Henoke noticed how the purple overgrowth and flora had nearly camouflaged it in the darkness. It was perfect for a villain’s lair. Looking over to Tori and Flounder, the Wielder had a determined and somewhat excited expression on his face as he held the bright Keyblade up to illuminate the entrance. "How ‘bout it? You ready, Tori?” It seemed he was fired up and ready to tackle whatever these weird henchmen had planned!
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 22, 2020 15:21:37 GMT -5
“Phew…”
With the Keyblade now dismissed, after the battle was over, Tori looked around the Abyss, her tail swishing calmly beneath her. It was so natural by that point that she didn’t even need to focus on it, although she didn’t do it much to begin with. She smiled a bit, glancing over at Flounder as he mentioned how Henoke and her would give even the Vanguard a hard time.
She was honestly holding a lot back —going all-out would be a massacre, both for her as well as whatever enemy they encountered. Better save it for when it was actually needed.
”It’s Flotsam and Jetsam, I bet!” Hearing the names of the voices they heard previously brought Tori into deep thought, bringing one hand to her chin. As the witch’s minions, surely they had something to do with what was happening, but what that was remained a mystery still.
Would they have anything to do with what was going on, back at the Palace? Were they the ones behind people acting “off”, or was it someone else entirely? There were too many questions still to even grasp the situation properly —something that just annoyed her.
Suddenly, the room as brightly lit, bringing her out of thought. She noticed the glow in Henoke’s Keyblade, chuckling a bit as he apparently did it for the first time. Swimming towards him, she smiled as she neared the light at the weapon’s end.
“Here —pass it on” she said.
Regardless of the answer, Tori did her tricks justice —she was a Spirit, after all. A being capable of manipulating light and darkness however she pleased, whenever and wherever. The light in the blade was faint, but effective. Drawing from that light, Tori created a small orb, allowing Henoke to just use his Keyblade the way he knew best.
“Still, didn’t think you would even think on that…” she admitted, “I guess there is more to you than meets the eye, huh?” Tori added with tease.
Now with a “torch” in hand —since she didn’t exactly take Henoke’s toll completely—, Tori looked forward as he headed off first, finding a tunnel leading elsewhere. Tori’s body shuddered, but her expression was one with determination —knowing what lurked beneath, if only by nature. "How ‘bout it? You ready, Tori?” The teen’s cocky demeanor and eagerness was obvious, but already expected.
Hadn’t it been that way for a while now?
“Before that, though…” Tori glanced over at Flounder, “Now I’ll ask that you stay behind. If there really is someone lurking deeper inside… Then even if you’re invisible to them currently, I don’t want to overwhelm you —you’ll have to wait for us here.”
Even while asking that, Tori knew Flounder would be scared to stay alone. After all, his reaction after suggesting the Illusion said it all, but right now, bringing him along would only make things worse. Glancing over at the orb of light in her palm, Tori smiled, handing it over to the fish.
“Here —keep this with you” she said, “While you wait for us here, it’ll keep you company. You won’t be alone while you wait for us, and it’ll keep you safe —just like the Illusion I conjured earlier” Tori chuckled a bit, “Take good care of it, okay?”
Once Flounder (hopefully) accepted, Tori would turn back towards Henoke, swimming forward as she nodded his way, before looking deeper into the tunnel and going inside without hesitation. Even if the atmosphere inside was one that gave her chills, she wasn’t the type to back off —not when it meant there was either an adventure awaiting, or something that would help others solve the current problem.
“Come on —let’s go.”
Her gaze focused solely up front, Tori took solace in the sudden silence around them, as the darkness inside was broken by the Keyblade’s faint light. The only question remaining: what lurked deeper within?
She hoped to learn the answer, as she swam deeper and deeper inside…
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 22, 2020 16:33:55 GMT -5
”Before that, though…” As Tori paused, addressing Flounder directly about waiting behind, the fish’s face fell for a moment. It seemed he was more than nervous about being left behind in such a foreboding place. ”Here—keep this with you.” As the light orb made its way to Flounder, his face lit up with a smile, immediately comforted by the lack of darkness surrounding him. ”Take good care of it, okay?” Nodding enthusiastically, Flounder’s usual jovial demeanor had returned as he swam around the light with energy. ”Okay! Thanks, Tori! Good luck, you two!” Apparently reassured, the fish remained in the Dark Abyss as Tori and Henoke prepared to head down the dark tunnel. ”Come on—let’s go.” Grinning at his friends response, the teen nodded, swimming on ahead as they entered the darkness—guided only by the dim light emanating from the large Keyblade Henoke toted with him…
The tunnel was vacant, save for odd bubbling sounds coming from deep ahead. Eventually, a dim purple light could be seen, exposing a turn in the tunnel that cut off what was ahead from view. Eager and restless, Henoke pressed on, pushing through the water at a decent pace now that he had some handle over the odd tail he now had. ”It seems…you’re rather…persistent…” Familiar by now, the hissing voice echoed throughout the dark tunnel from beyond, where the purple light brightened. ”Shoulda done this the easy way!” Shouting out a response as he swam ahead, Henoke felt himself bristle and his grin widen in anticipation. It’s time! Turning to follow the path, the teen came to a halt suddenly, blinking in astonishment at the den that awaited them.
A large and round room formed within the sea cave, Ursula’s Lair was rather vacant, save for a large conch shell across the room and dusty unused vanity to the side. Other than that, the only thing (and most important) in the room was a large cauldron, currently broiling and frothing with a dark purple liquid, a green light emanating from deep within the bowl, illuminating the room in purple and green hues. ”Huh?” There wasn’t anyone in the room? ”Barging in…to our Mistress’s lair…uninvited and…unwelcome?” The cauldron began to bubble more, broiling over the brim as the bubbles cascaded out from it as though a geyser. Brightening with intensity, the contents broiled as though dark tendrils snaking over each other endlessly as the eerie light began to brighten. ”Such…insolence!” Bursting forth from the cauldron, a large twisting and writhing dark shape emerged—taking a moment for Henoke to recognize what it was truly as he readied himself in a battle stance.
The ‘mass’ was actually two—large and dark eels twisting and writhing together and around each other in the water, their eyes a bright purple of dark vapor—similar to the Great White’s when the two had first come across it. ”We have…obtained her power…we shall…continue her work…until she returns…!” Hissing ferociously, the two eels roared out, the content bubbling and writhing more as darkness began to pour out and devour the seafloor below the floating Wielders. ”The hell?! Are these things Flotsam and Jetsam?!” Henoke looked bewildered, having never seen eels before in his life. They’re like…snakes?! Having grown up in a forested mountainous area, the teen was much more familiar with serpents of that nature than what writhed before him. Purple faded from the cauldron as green light dominated, the darkness having concealed the floor and ceased its torrent for the time being. Green mist and smoke poured out, filling up the cavern as a green aura began to swirl around the twisting Flotsam and Jetsam, who were beginning to rush at the two!
”Ha, you idiot! That’s how I wanted it!” Grinning confidently, the size of the eels were hardly as intimidating as the Great White, even if they were larger than normal eels, infused with darkness. He had no doubt that in toe-to-toe combat, he’d come out on top—even in the water! Slashing out with his Keyblade to oppose the coming attack, Henoke shouted out in surprise as the weapon found one of the eels—only to be bounced off with a jolting bbbzzzzt! blast of green electricity. ”Argh?! T-the hell—?!” Talking through his gritting and jittering teeth as the voltage passed through him, the teen winced before glaring at the passing eels, who were now careening past him and up in the air, readying for another attack. ”Somethin’s up!” Shouting out to Tori as Henoke swam up to rush at the eels once more, the teen decided he’d figure out what was going on first-hand. ”It reflected my attack!”
[[ENEMIES: Flotsam & Jetsam]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 22, 2020 17:03:39 GMT -5
Now deep in the witch’s lair, Tori found the source of so much unease. Ignoring the hissing that came by, her eyes focused straight on the cauldron, seeping with an unwelcoming purple liquid that broiled with so many bubbles. Her expression now a grimace, she refused to step further in, wanting to just do her things at a distance —but she knew she couldn’t.
“So much for just breaking it and be done with it…” she thought with a sigh.
Her fists clenched as the cauldron created even more bubbles, the light growing even more gruesome by the second. As the large eels burst forth from the liquid within, Tori noticed the aura around him —way too similar to the one before with the Shark they came across before. ”We have…obtained her power…we shall…continue her work…until she returns…!” The thread seemed hollow in Tori’s ears, as she sighed and held her Keyblade firm, appearing in a flash of light as she called it forth.
“Yeah, right” she said, her tone serious, “And you think we’ll just let it slide?”
Tori perked up as both dashed towards them in attack, although the assault was blocked by Henoke’s Keyblade. ”Argh?! T-the hell—?!” Blinking in confusion, Tori tried to make sense on what just happened. Was that… A countermeasure? The attack seemed to hold no effect on the attackers, but it bothered her anyways.
That wasn’t normal.
“Dumbass —then don’t rush them!” Tori shouted at Henoke, as she saw him charge at them again, “Tch…”
Tossing a Ruinga spell their way, Tori swam towards the cauldron —sensing something that bothered her to the core. Mist gathered near her Keyblade, the shape hesitating towards the reverse crystal one, but remaining as her Forget-Me-Not. Even thought she was wary of the two eels near, she had a feeling something else was lurking in the background…
“If this is where they’re drawing their power, then… Cutting it off should help, right?” she thought, a faint smirk lurking in her expression.
Whoosh! Mist swirled forth around Tori, her Keyblade finally unleashing its true form, and the girl’s eyes shifting from blue to a vivid purple. Standing near the cauldron, she glared at the two witch’s pets with a hint of malice, the mist in her palm waiting for her order.
“…Let’s make this quick, shall we?”
Coiling around her weapon arm was a blue silhouette, resembling a more than familiar dragon. With her grip firm, Tori took no time to dash towards the two, not before leaving a whirlwind of mist near the cauldron, charging with her Blue Dragon Flash at the ready. She said no other word, not needing to —she knew what she needed already.
Asking the two pets for information was bound to be received with nothing —and Tori didn’t want to waste any more time.
The mist swirling near the cauldron didn’t hesitate —overpowering the liquid within, it burst with violence as Tori looked for her attack to strike and hit its mark. From there…
She would see her approach depending on the reaction.
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Post by hoodwink on Nov 23, 2020 0:56:43 GMT -5
”Dumbass—then don’t rush them!” Tori’s shout fell on deaf ears as Henoke cleared the distance between him and the two eels. Slashing out once more with a hefty swing of his large Keyblade, the teen grit their teeth as once again their attack was repelled, a volt of green electricity jolting through their body as his vision went static for a moment. Tch—damn! If his attacks wouldn’t work…what would?! Just as the thought crossed his mind, his vision returning as the volts passed through, Tori’s Ruinga spell connected, hitting Flotsam and Jetsam as they were knocked back a bit by the force. ”So…you have…magic as well…” Seemingly somewhere in between impressed and annoyed, the two eels spoke in unison, twirling and writhing between each other as the aura around them grew more bright. Does magic work?! Blinking in astonishment, Henoke paused for a moment at the realization. ”You’re not…the only ones…” Hissing out their words with venom, the two eels writhed as the darkness surrounding the seafloor began to glow.
Tori's mist would begin to swirl around the cauldron, only for the bright green hue emanating to increase and intensify as the darkness in the room seemed to pulse. Glowing brightly, the cauldron remained protected—the darkness and odd colored mist and smoke pouring openly from the top. Tori’s assault on the eels would prove futile—her Keyblade reflecting off of Flotsam and Jetsam's green aura, green electricity zapping out at the assailant similar to what had happened with Henoke. Dark spikes shot forth from the darkness below, threatening both Henoke and Tori as they plunged through the water and jutted upwards with a violent purple glow. At the same time, bright green bolts of lightning shot down from the cave ceiling, Flotsam and Jetsam glowing a faint green hue as they summoned magic of their own—casting a Dark Thundaga spell across the area. Shouting out in surprise, Henoke had little defense against the magical assault, despite having avoided the worst of the spikes. Raising his Keyblade to guard in a mostly pointless attempt at absorbing some of the damage, lightning bolts jolted throughout, causing the teen to bristle and jitter as they remained stunned for a moment, an angry look on their face.
”You’ve yet…to see what…we’re capable of.” With a throaty cackle, the two eels swirled together at a faster rate, the green mist and smoke from the cauldron transferring into a deep purple. Sure enough, the light within the broiling and frothing contents had shifted to match the smoke as well—what had once shone a sickly green now radiated a vibrant purple. Casting a darker glow among the room, the two eels’s own aura shifted from that of green to purple as well. "Tori! Your magic worked on ‘em!” Having recovered from the spell’s effect, Henoke was quick to take aim as he pointed his Keyblade at the witch’s henchmen, a cocky grin on his face. ”Burn!” Launching his Firaga spell, the teen readied himself to follow up with another magical attack—before the unthinkable happened. Sizzling through the water, the teen’s fireball skoooomed! into the two eels—only to bounce back his way! ”What the—?!” Backpedaling in the water with his tail, Henoke narrowly avoided getting his face burnt off with a backwards cartwheel.
”What the hell?! Magic just worked a second ago!” Clearly frustrated and confused, Henoke recovered his battle stance, glowering at Flotsam and Jetsam with a bitter expression. ”Screw this!” Losing his patience, the teen charged forward, clearly going back in for a physical assault once more. It seemed something had changed—as Henoke’s magic spell had no effect, despite Tori’s Ruinga working a moment earlier. Clearly too hotheaded to focus on the details, it seemed the teenager was going more off of his emotions in the moment more than any real strategy. If anyone was going to figure out the puzzle of this battle, it seemed it would have to be Tori—unless she wanted to rely on her friends own dumb luck.
[[ENEMIES: Flotsam & Jetsam]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Nov 23, 2020 13:09:11 GMT -5
As the hit connected, Tori grunted as she was pushed back, gritting her teeth while enduring the electricity that ran through her. That went as well as she’d expected, really —but she had expected something else from the cauldron seeping with darkness. The mist had gotten a reaction, sure, but not enough to ascertain what it was.
She wasn’t getting the information she wanted —that alone annoyed her. Why had she felt that the stronger force was coming from there?
Still, magic seemed to work —only for a bit. While her Ruinga had hit its mark, Henoke’s Firaga missed it completely, and was even reflected back. Taking her distance as she watched for a bit, Tori clicked her tongue.
What would work?!
“This is annoying…” she thought, bitter.
The mist swirling around her form seemed to condensate around her Keyblade, as Tori slowly lost the grip on her emotions. Something just caused her to snap —whether it was the battle in front or the dark menace bubbling within the cauldron, though, was up for debate.
Right now, she wanted to just break it and be done with it.
“…Wait…!”
She noticed the light in the cauldron changing hue —from sickly green to vibrant dark purple. Did that have anything to do with what was happening with their attacks? It was worth a short to experiment. Not wanting to lose her advantageous position, Tori’s Keyblade was thrown forward as she imbued it with fire magic. If her Fire Toss was reflected this time, then she was completely thrown off.
If the light had anything to do with what was happening with their attacks, then… When it was green, magic seemed to serve its use. Then, if it was now purple… Would the opposite take effect? If Henoke’s attacks connected this time, as well as her Fire Toss, then…
Maybe they had a shot.
“I just need to see if what I’m thinking is right… But I can’t shout it…” she thought, to then smirk, “I guess I can just tell him to follow my lead, as much as he’d hate that…”
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