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Post by hoodwink on Jan 21, 2021 13:13:57 GMT -5
Bzzzt! Snap! Crackling through the sky, Tori’s Thundaja spell exploded with a cacophonous roar—both large fish-like Heartless struck directly by the powerful spell. Singed and smoldering, each Jet Balloon spasmed for a moment before seemingly being locked in place—successfully harmed and stunned. ”Nice one!” Not having seen Tori’s display of magic earlier, Jake seemed impressed as he fought alongside her on the deck. ”Keep moving—if we let them stop us here, we won’t make it in time!” Cubby jolted to attention, giving Tori a quick and stiff salute before rushing over to the wheel, all the while shouting out nervously as Heartless ran rampant across the ship. It seemed unlike Jake and Izzy, the young pirate didn’t have any direct means of protection—playing a more practical role as Navigator in the group. ”No matter what, keep steering on the path you were looking at!” Glancing at Jake nervously, Cubby soon fixed their face up into a look of determination once their Captain gave the nod, signaling for them to conquer their fears for the time being. ”A-alright! C’mon, Bucky! We can d-do this!”
Continuing down the river, the Jet Balloons were nearly out of sight, still stunned and jolted from the prior spell. On deck, though Tori and Jake were fending off most of the enemies, some of the Heartless had tried making their way toward the bow of the ship, where Izzy stood with her flute at the ready, as well as towards the raised deck where Cubby steered! ”You cover Izzy! I got Cubby!” Quick with the decision, Jake lunged and speared through a Shadow with his sword before rushing across the deck and up the stairs to the raised platforms to fend off the Shadows and Missile Divers that had neared. The remainder of the Heartless were spread out among the deck towards the bow, though Izzy simply rolled her eyes before playing a sharp note from her flute. Tu—le—ru! Just as before, the magic of her spell caused the Heartless nearest to her to pause. One having been an Air Pirate actually managed to fall and crash into the deck mercilessly, unable to move its wings.
”Don’t worry about me! I’m alright!” With a cocky and devious look on her face, the pirate was quick to rush past the stunned enemies and rush towards one of the masts. Beginning to climb up with the ropes tangled around the large wooden beam, Izzy was apparently going to meet up with Skully atop the Crow’s Nest, to offer magic support. The remaining Heartless on deck were still around Tori, the Shadows lunging out with quick yet weak attacks while the Missile Divers leapt and bound with surprising agility. The remaining Air Pirate swooped and lunged from the air, though it seemed to begin paying more attention to the pirate currently scrambling up the main mast...
[[ENEMIES: 3 Missile Divers, 3 Shadows, 2 Air Pirates]]
"You idiot! What do we do now?!" Fox gave Henoke a look of fury as the teen glanced around the chaos that had erupted around them. Due to his rather brash nature, the teen hadn't stopped to think what casting a few Firaga and Thundara spells would manage to do in a forest full of flammable trees and other verdant overgrowth. All around them, tents, trees and bushes alike were alight with flames that had begun to spread during the battle. "Whatever! Let's go, while they're distracted!" Pushing onward, Henoke was grateful for the fact that most of the Tribesmen he hadn't already begun to defeat were now busy trying to evacuate their clan members, put out fires and salvage their belongings. Having used his Keyblade to undo the locks of the wooden cages the remaining Lost Boys had been held in, the troupe currently crouched and hid behind one of the few tents not currently set aflame in the encampment. "That's not the problem! What about the forest?!" Skunk gave Henoke an incredulous look, one that couldn't believe anyone would miss such an obvious reason for distress.
"It's not just Tribesmen that live here, y'know! The Neverbirds are spread out throughout the whole forest! Same with other locals!" Fox scowled and shook his head a bit, wracking his brain for an idea of some sort. "Tch—it'll be fine! Look, they're already puttin' most of 'em out!" Clearly refusing to own up to the responsibility or the gravity of the situation he'd created, the hotheaded teen crossed their arms and fumed a bit, as the other Lost Boys faces clearly showed their open doubt about such a conclusion. It was then that the group blinked in surprise as a large shadow fell around them, even the lights from the forest in the forest dimming as a chill swept through the air. "I see you." Two eyes—flashing between a violent hazel to yellow. It was just a second, but Henoke had seen the vision pervading his thoughts, hearing the voice that growled along with it. "You won't escape." It all happened within the blink of an eye. SKKKKKKKKST! "Woah!" Sparks flew as light burst and Henoke's large Keyblade narrowly connected with a massive spearhead that tore through the tent they were hiding behind. Metal clashed against metal as dark and light met—the spear covered in a lashing purple energy that threatened to reach out past the blocking Keyblade.
Ripping through the back of the tent was an insanely tall man with muscles that Henoke didn't believe could be possible on a human being. Glaring at the sudden enemy as they struggled against each other for a moment, the teen leapt backwards, breaking free from the struggle and readying himself in a battle stance. With an exposed and tattooed torso and the bear-head they wore, their lower half adorned in furs and leathers, they nearly looked like a monster themselves. The faint yet obviously present dark aura around them didn't help much, either. "There you are." Though Henoke couldn't see the man's face, he could hear the blood lust in the words. Feel the wickedness in the grin that was sure to be behind those bear teeth. "It's the Tribe Leader?!" The Lost Boys had all shouted out in terror at the sudden entrance, paling and cowering in fear as they finally realized who stood before them. Even Rabbit, the bravest of the boys, seemed to be washed with anxiety and terror.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 21, 2021 13:45:34 GMT -5
The swords were cutting through the enemies cleanly, dodging and parrying to then unleashing a powerful counterattack. With the previous Thundaja spell, both Jet Balloons were stunned, unable to continue tackling on the ship and allowing the team much needed balance in exchange. She smiled as Cubby took in courage, following her words as well as Jake’s simple yet confident nod.
Splitting the roles, Tori nodded as Jake headed to help Cubby out, while she an Izzy remained at the lower deck, faring pretty easily against the Heartless. With both girls’ power, it would be an easy enough fight —the thought causing the mist once more to flourish. Swiftly, she used Flash to finish the nearest Heartless she could find, before glancing over to the Air Pirate that had taken sights on Izzy.
“No you don’t!”
Snap! Shooting a Ruinga spell towards the swift Air Pirate, Tori quickly jumped up a bit, tossing the Keyblade around her with Cross-up Magic as follow-up to the Heartless around her. Dropping back on the deck, she looked up towards Izzy, who’d climbed up towards the Crow’s Nest to support the rest from a distance.
She’d just have to take the Heartless’ attention to avoid anyone from getting hurt. Not like that would be a problem to begin with.
“It’s been wanting to come out, anyways —I can’t hide it for much longer…”
Swirling mist spiraled around Tori’s feet, bursting forward with immense strength —her attir's colors changing to greys, and the Keyblade’s appearance taking a completely different one, its reverse grip much easier to handle as a blocking sword to counter with. Her eyes, once more a vivid purple, glared at the remaining Heartless with clear rebellion, a confident smirk showing slightly on her expression.
“Isn’t it me you’re after?!” she taunted, raising her chin high, “So come and get it!”
Before giving them any room for respite, Tori dashed forward, swift movements and precise attacks aiming to destroy the Shadows remaining, moving around in the blink of an eye. A sudden shudder crossed her after she finished her attack —the sudden presence of an overwhelming darkness swirling somewhere within the island.
Her gaze strengthening, as well as the grip in her swords, Tori looked at the island before turning back to the battle, her stance ready to block and counter whatever retaliation would come after her attacks.
“Don’t get cocky, Henoke —I have the feeling this ain’t gonna be easy if we tackle it each on their own…” she thought, eyes focused on the battle, “So… Stay safe. I’ll find you eventually.”
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 22, 2021 17:15:12 GMT -5
”No you don’t!” Blasting her magic out at the swooping Air Pirate, Tori’s follow up Cross-up Magic would help finish the job as another heart released into the air. ”Heh, thanks!” Giving the teen a somewhat sheepish look, Izzy made quick work of climbing the remainder of the mast to the Crow’s Nest, where Skully greeted her with a loud SQUAWK! Jake was fairing well on their end, too, fending off the Heartless on the raised deck while Cubby secured their route down the river. The burst of power on the main deck caused all eyes, human, bird and Heartless alike, to turn their attention to Tori. ”Isn’t it me you’re after?!” Though not necessarily true, with both the Keyblade as well the sudden display of power, the teen was successful in grabbing the attention she sought as the dark beings began to focus solely on her—even the ones on the raised deck turned and rushed to the main deck. Thankfully, only five enemies remained—an easy number for one as used to their nature as Tori.
With her stance ready, the girl would be met by all opposition. Both shadows rushed across the wood of the deck, formed into the floor as they zig-zagged with impressive speed. Swooping through the air, the Air Pirate soared and charged from above, heavy large fists ready to pummel the moment they came in range. Both Missile Diver’s rushed with agility as they flipped and aimed sharp spears that lanced out from the front, the Shadows emerged behind on the sides, swiping out with their talons as the group made one last assault effort!
[[ENEMIES: 2 Missile Divers, 2 Shadows, 1 Air Pirate]]
Fire continued to spread as some trees snapped and fell, causing even the overgrowth on the grown to light in some areas. While many Tribesmen had evacuated the area, others remained attempting to tend to the growing flames with buckets of river water from the flow that cut between the encampment. Unfortunately, the speed of the fire far surpassed the speed in which they could supply the water. CLANG! SKKKKKSSST! Sparks flew off metal as Henoke blocked another lancing attack from the spear the Tribe Leader used—its spearhead surrounded in a powerful dark aura as the aura around the man continued to remain steady. ”Urk!!” Launched backwards and off their feet, the teen managed to land as they skid back on the forest floor. This guy’s tough! Having transformed his Keyblade into its Fighting Heart, the teen had taken the brunt of the attack with a block using both weapons, though he’d still been blasted back.
”Heh—not bad.” A defiant fire burned in his gaze as he flashed a confident smirk, the Tribe Leader stalked forward, calm. ”What is that weapon, boy?” Pointing with their free hand at the Keyblades he held, the man’s bear face gazed blankly, shrouding the true perception beneath. "Why does it resist me?" Reaching their free hand out as though to grasp something, the man's aura intensified as the Keyblades in Henoke's hands began to shimmer with a faint light. "Shut up! Ain’t we fightin’?” Having told the Lost Boys to flee, the teen was free to fight as he pleased as the forest around him continued to burn and fall to chaos. Rushing forward, Henoke shouted out with a look of excitement as he charged in for another assault…
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 22, 2021 17:49:11 GMT -5
Successfully dragging the attention of the Heartless all to herself, Tori smirked. Having readied herself, she met the Heartless’ full-on assault with perfect reflects. It was a small group, anyways —so taking care of them wouldn’t be too much. Taking a deep breath to focus, she retaliated the assault headed towards her.
Jumping up, while meeting with the Air Pirate diving with its fists at the ready with her broadsword in a block, Tori’s Keyblade shone with blinding light, mist surging around it as she readied the attack. The grip tight, she swung downwards, her Twilight’s Outburst cleaving through the enemies that were still on deck. While the attack would clash against the deck, Bucky wouldn’t feel a thing, given that the attack was comprised of pure light, and was not exactly a physical one… But the details could wait.
Once back on ground, Tori staggered a bit. While no cracks surfaced on her body, with the mist still vividly swirling around her like a gust of wind, she did falter in her step a little bit. It always happened, whenever she used that skill —but she’d wanted to make her point. The Heartless were getting out of hand, boldly attempting to steal others’ hearts no matter the cost. Even with such a large amount of power, they didn’t seem to care, so long as they achieved their objective. Alongside a heavy sigh, Tori saved her broadsword back to its sheath, but the crystal Keyblade remained in her hands, her purple eyes gazing forward with clear annoyance. Whatever it was that kept the Heartless around was no push-over —that was a given. But what it something, or someone? Once more, she couldn’t help but worry about Henoke, knowing the teen would lunge head-first if it came to a battle.
“…I swear, if you got yourself in trouble, I’m cuffing you so hard you won’t be able to forget it for a week…” she threatened, closing her eyes and sighing once more. She turned towards Jake and Cubby by the wheel, determination hidden behind her stern gaze. With her power still active around her, taking the shape of mist, she would be able to defend the ship by herself for a little longer, if the situation required it.
“How long ‘till we get there?” she asked, firmly.
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 23, 2021 13:37:44 GMT -5
Tori’s overwhelming counterattack succeeded in eradicating the remaining Heartless aboard ship, though the force of the attack actually caused Bucky to sway back and forth, rocked from the pressure as they shouted out in surprise. "Woah!” Izzy had watched from above, wide-eyed and awe struck as the enemies were all defeated in one fell swoop. Jake also seemed impressed, though he was quick to recover himself and check on Cubby, who had fallen over with the rocking of the ship. ”SQUAWK! Why didn’t ya do that earlier?!” Swooping down from the Crow’s Nest, Skully perched on the raised deck railing, gazing down at Tori with a look of surprise. ”She’s an ‘expert’, alright!” With a cocky grin, Jake had helped Cubby up and brushed them off, turning back to the teen with a tip of his captains hat. "Thanks. It was a lot easier to protect everyone with you here!” It seemed despite their position on the ship, the young captain was hardly opposed to accepting the facts and showing gratitude. ”How long ‘till we get there?”
The question caused Cubby to finally look away from their maps and navigation equipment at the wheel, flashing the teen a smile and salute. ”We should just be entering the swamps, by now!” Sure enough, on each side of the river, the group would be able to notice the subtle yet steady change in the environment as they continued on. Lush and thick trees slowly waned into skinny stretching ones that spaced out, some even emerging from the water itself. ”SQUAWK! I’ll keep an eye out for Crocs!” Swooping from the railing near the wheel back up to the Crow’s Nest, Skully perched and kept watchful eyes on the stretch ahead. ”I hope they’re friendly…” With a faint grimace and a sigh, Izzy leaned against the railing, watching the emerging swamp from the deck with clear worry. ”Aww, coconuts!” Cubby’s sudden lamenting was matched by Bucky and Skully’s shouts of surprise. ”SQUAWK! There’s…smoke! Coming from the forest!” It seemed the three of them had spotted what the others hadn’t at first, causing worried glances to pass along the ship.
”I’m worried, too…but we can’t stop yet!” Jake had only hesitated for a moment before fixing his face into one of stoney determination. Turning to Cubby, the young captain seemed able to be mature when it mattered most. ”Stay on course, Cubby. One problem at a time.” Nodding, though still somewhat pale with worry, the young pirate continued to steer ahead into the Swamp, while Skully grimaced and gazed at the building smoke far off in the distance—black with signs of burning. ”Wh-what do you t-t-think caused th-that…?” Despite continuing onward, Cubby seemed worried and nervous about the smoke that they’d been warned of. Crossing his arms, Jake scowled and shook his head. "Probably the fightin’ that’s been goin’ on…” It seemed the news that Marina had told them still left a sour taste on his tongue. ”Hopefully, us getting to the bottom of things should help…” Izzy pepped herself back up, patting her cheeks a bit before fixing a smile. ”If we do this, Neverland will be fun again!” Cubby seemed reassured, nodding and giving a smile as Jake walked away from the wheel and down the stairs to the main deck towards Tori.
”I heard what you said, earlier.” Crossing his arms and raising an eyebrow, the young captain scrutinized the teen for a moment with a perceptive gaze. ”You said those monsters were after you. Is that true?”
CLANG! CLANG! Sparks flew as Henoke’s blades flashed and exchanged blows, clashing against the spearhead as the Tribe Leader twirled and spun the weapon with a fierce grace and speed. ”Grr…” Seething and gritting his teeth, the hotheaded teen continued with a powerful flurry of blows, his frustration building as all of them failed to connect. ”You’re skilled—but this is where you fall.” Calm and collected, the leader’s voice never wavered, despite the exertion of the fighting. Leaping backwards as he dodged a coming jab, Henoke readied his battle stance, regaining his breath for a moment as he huffed and panted. ”Tch—yea right! I ain’t gonna lose ta the likes of you!” Pointing one of his blades in the direction of the Tribe Leader, the teen scowled and glared. ”You’re obviously the bad guy here! Just look at those powers!” The aura around the menacing man had only continued to grow as the fighting went on, only wavering to surround the spear for more powerful attacks at certain times.
For a moment, the man wearing a bear head paused, lowering his spear for a second. ”You come into my woods—burn my people’s homes.” Pointing the spear back towards him, the man’s voice hardly matched the rage and tension Henoke saw coursing along his body. ”You’re a demon, boy. A poison. I'll get rid of you here.” Blinking in surprise, the teen shouted out as the Tribe Leader’s aura fully left their body, surrounding the weapon in their hands with such power that the air itself seemed to shred and tear around it. WHOOSH!
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 23, 2021 14:38:38 GMT -5
”SQUAWK! Why didn’t ya do that earlier?!”
Having dismissed the mist now fully, following a hefty sigh, Tori perked up as Skully began to ask, perched at the raised deck’s railing and looking at her with clear surprise. The team’s praise and thanks were dismissed by an uneasy smile, given that Tori wasn’t really fond of too much attention.
She never was, as a matter of fact —oftentimes, she was easy to fluster.
Knowing that they were closing in was reassuring, but Tori still remained wary of the surroundings, knowing that Heartless could jump in attack at any given moment. The sudden squawk from the parrot caused the girl to look upwards, noting the smoke coming from the forest deeper within. A concerned look flashed in her expression, unsure on what it was that caused it, but most definitely not something pleasant. Jake mentioned that perhaps the fighting that was happening was most likely the cause, and Tori couldn’t help but agree of it being the most plausible option.
Still, the thought only helped to strengthen the team’s resolve in helping out, getting to the bottom of it to bring the fun times back to Neverland.
”You said those monsters were after you. Is that true?” Tori perked up out of thought, looking at Jake with at first a dumbstruck look, but quick to look sheepish while waving one of her hands. She hadn’t meant it like that, at all —but the misunderstanding was clear.
“Well… Not in the way you’re thinking” she admitted, “If anything… They’re scared of me —but it’s only whenever I go all out” Tori looked down at her palms, “...Regardless, they don’t let that fear stop them, and instead only aggravates them further. They’re driven only by instinct, drawn towards the strongest light they can find near them —that being people’s hearts.”
Tori didn’t mince words anymore, knowing the group was capable of handling it decently. Besides, it wasn’t like she could keep hiding it, now that she’d said what she did.Regardless of the reaction they gave after her explanations, Tori was still gonna lend them a hand.
They had a deal, after all.
“Remember when I mentioned that it’s the fighting that’s causing them to be here?” she asked, trying to jog their memory, “They’re drawn towards people’s light in order to drag them deep into the darkness. That’s their only motive to exist” Tori pouted, crossing her arms, “But… You weren’t wrong when you said that, by ending the fight, they’ll go away. It’s true, after all —because by ending the fight, they won’t really have a goal to speak of.”
She sighed, as her mind went through what the “World Order” comprised of. It was just not meddling in the world’s affairs, and keeping the secret of other worlds to herself —that was it. Of course, revealing the Heartless’ true nature was also against the rules, but she wasn’t breaking that just yet —and if they were to ask, she’d simply refuse to give answer, unable to. However, she knew that they would be smart enough to keep the information to themselves.
After all, weren’t they technically outsiders to Neverland, as well?
Once finished, Tori glanced over towards the swap, wondering what awaited. The “crocodiles” didn’t sound too friendly at first glance, but given that she didn’t know them, it wasn’t like Tori could judge them prematurely.
There was a chance for one to be a nice crocodile… Right?
The overwhelming darkness the girl could feel was causing her to shudder, worried of what was going on at the other end of the battle. Was it really okay? Was Henoke okay? She could only hope so…
“…Just don’t get into unwinnable fights —you’re too stubborn to leave a fight, even when knowing you can’t win it…” she thought, pouting slightly.
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 23, 2021 19:05:04 GMT -5
”Well…not in the way you’re thinking.” Tori was quick to clear up the misconception, informing the young captain of the peculiar nature of the Heartless without breaching the rule about ‘World Order’. ”Remember when I mentioned that it’s the fighting that’s causing them to be here?” Nodding, Jake crossed his arms, listening attentively to the new information on their enemies while Cubby focused on Navigation and Izzy listened in with a puzzled look. ”You weren’t wrong when you said that by ending the fight, they’ll go away.” The sudden affirmation caused Izzy to perk up a bit, while Jake stroked his chin in thought. ”Hm…you really are an expert, huh?” Though he had a curious look on his face, he wasn’t able to ask his next question. Swoop! Flying down from the Crow’s Nest, Skully perched on the captain’s shoulder while trying to keep their voice low. ”We’re officially in Croc territory, Jake—SQUAWK!” If the loud squawk gave away their position, nothing chose to react. ”Alright, let’s keep our eyes peeled. I don’t think they’ll attack us outta nowhere, but after what Marina said, it doesn’t hurt to be careful.” Despite their age, Jake was certainly able to direct the pirates when needed. Nodding, the parrot gave a salute with its wing before flying back up to its perch.
Staying on route, Cubby seemed to be mildly sweating at the wheel, his eyes darting to the thicker swampy water that they now sailed through. For a time, the voyage was uneventful as the swamp expanded around them, the sounds of insects and Bucky cutting through the water the only ones to be heard. ”Y’know, it’s almost kinda…peaceful?” Glancing from where she leaned over the railing to the others, Izzy tilted her head a bit, giving a thoughtful look. "Wonder how serious those rumors were…” A streak of green swooped from the Crow’s Nest once more, Skully’s feathers bristled slightly as he glanced behind them. ”SQUAWK! Two started tailing us…we should shake ‘em off!” Jake shook his head, standing on the raised deck near Cubby once more. ”No—we’re here to talk, after all.” Just then, the ship slowed significantly as Bucky’s voice rang out from the bow. ”Oh! Don’t sneak up on me like that, please!”
Ahead of them was a large crocodile, sticking out from the water to expose half of its form as its massive maw stayed ready in wariness, an eyepatch shrouding one eye. ”Why have you come here?” Growling out in a guttural voice, the crocodile spoke directly to Bucky, who shook slightly and trembled due to their menacing appearance. The two other crocodiles were still behind the ship, mostly underwater, though their eyes and snouts had emerged. It seemed they were lurking low for now, waiting to see if their presence would be needed. ”Ahoy there, mate!” Rushing to the bow of the ship, Jake leaned over and waved his captain’s hat in greetings to the crocodile ahead. ”We heard there’d been some weird stuff goin’ on—we’re here to help!” With a friendly smile, the young captain propped a foot up onto the railing, leaning over to see better. Cubby remained by the wheel, visibly paled and sweating from nervous while muttering ”Aww, coconuts…” Izzy on the other hand seemed intrigued, though she remained on the Main Deck, rather than venturing to where Jake stood on the bow.
”We don’t need the help of any pirates.” Snorting out with clear distaste, the eyepatched crocodile scowled before gesturing towards the path they had come from. ”Leave the way you came. Be gone from our swamp.” With that, they turned to swim away, though Jake was hardly allowing it to end there. ”Wait! We were hopin’ to find a friend o’ ours here!” For a moment the croc paused, glancing back with a skeptical gaze. ”They can’t speak, ‘cause o’ a clock they ate’r somethin’…they always goes ‘tik-tok!’, ‘tik-tok!’ Ring any bells?” Despite it being brief, a look of recognition did pass over the crocodiles face. ”They helped us chase off that no good Hook!” Hearing the name ‘Hook’, the eyepatched crocodile hissed, baring its menacing maw as its eyes narrowed and hardened. ”HOOK?! The one who took my eye! Why would another pirate be the ones to chase him off?” It seemed this ‘Hook’ character certainly made it hard for pirates of any kind to be trusted in Neverland, these days.
”We’re not like him!” Izzy made her way up to the bow, a determined look on her face as she leaned over to peer at the crocodile ahead. ”We’re good pirates! Treasure hunters who love to explore and help people out!” Flashing her best friendly smile she had in her arsenal, the pirate hoped her plea would work. Shaking its head incredulously, the eyepatched croc seemed suspicious still. ”We protect our own. Leave this swamp!” It seemed they were unable to convince the crocodile so easily. The sun was beginning to show signs of setting, the light having dimmed somewhat as the sky showed the faintest hues of yellow on the horizon amongst the sea of blue. ”C’mon! I know if you just let us see them, they’d vouch for us!” Jake wore a look of agitation, though the shining in his eyes was determination—one set on aiding all in Neverland, even the crocodiles he argued with now. There was also a sense of urgency in his tone, knowing the approaching dusk was only a couple hours away. ”We just wanna know what’s been goin’ on in the swamps!”
Pausing, the crocodile turned to glance back at the ship, seemingly in thought. ”Do you have any proof of your victory over Hook?” The question seemed to catch Izzy and Jake off-guard, though Cubby immediately brightened at the wheel, shouting to be heard across the ship. ”We do! Remember, Jake?!” For a moment the young captain paused before a wide grin came over his face. ”Oh, yeah!” Rushing off, he darted across deck and into the captain’s quarters, sheltered by large ornate red doors beneath the raised deck that held the steering wheel. Within moments, he exited, rushing back across the ship with a large brimmed red hat adorned with a tattered and mostly destroyed white feather. It was cut and marked up from a prior battle, waved in the air triumphantly as Jake stood at the edge of the bow. ”If you knew Hook, then you know this is proof!” The other crocodiles from the back of the ship, swimming to float next to the eyepatched one as they both stared up at the trophy. ”…Follow us.” Without another word, all three turned and continued down the swamp.
”It worked!” Bucky’s voice chimed in with a happy shake as the ship began to move once more, steered along by Cubby, who now wore a relieved smile. ”Alright!” All that was left was to venture further into the swamp—though they'd only have so long until night was upon them. Deep in the distance, Tori would still be able to feel a dark presence...a force all too familiar, in her line of work.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 23, 2021 19:29:36 GMT -5
Simply managing an uneasy smile and chuckle, Tori glanced over at the captain as he ascertained her “expertise” —although she’d hardly call it that. He seemed curious, a look too familiar for the girl to recognize, but he was immediately caught off by Skully indicating their current location.
It was dark, partially due to the time of day, but in general the trees looked more towards the darker green color, and so did the water. This was definitely a scenery Tori hadn’t seen before, recalling much brighter tones of green from both her home world and the other worlds she’d been to before. There was a faint stench of mud all over, and she could spot lily pads every now and then, but far too small for them to act as platforms of sorts.
Shame —it would’ve been nice to experience that for a bit.
Tori perked up, noticing movement just after Izzy mentioned how peaceful it was. Before she knew it, a group of crocodiles was tailing Bucky with wary eyes, an expression Tori had seen coming a mile away. A neutral party in a setting of war, with two sides clashing against one another, was most definitely suspicious —but the group had no intentions other than help out, regardless of alliances. ”Why have you come here?” The girl blinked at first, hearing the low growl of the crocodile referring to them. While there were others with the crocodile with the eyepatch, they didn’t seem willing to talk, instead leaving diplomatic talk to the one that had spoken. With a smirk, Tori let go of her thoughts, knowing she was going in circles by now, with the bizarre events that had followed up until then.
“Why the hell am I surprised by a talking crocodile, of all things…?” she asked in thought, “I’m pretty sure stuff in other worlds is far weirder that this…”
She let Jake say his peace, not butting in regardless if she wanted. Truthfully, she felt that the captain would have a better shot, given that he knew the setting, whereas Tori didn’t really know better. The disagreements here and there were either obvious, or natural. The name “Hook” rung once more, a name Tori was rather intrigued by —yet she refused to pry into the others’ memories just to figure the meaning out. Instead, she had a feeling she knew what to ask once things were over, or whenever she had the time…
Managing to strike a deal of sorts with the eye-patched crocodile, after showing him proof that the pirates had in fact defeated Hook once before, the ship was guided further into the swamp —and with it, the presence of darkness grew even more ominous. Tori shuddered, but without the ability to explore by herself for the time being, she decided to hope that time was still in her favor, and not against her.
Instead, she decided to distract herself with other things that mattered —to her, at least.
“Looks like this ‘Hook’ guy didn’t give you guys room for a breather…” she mentioned, her arms crossed as she leant against the railing of the lower deck, “By the looks of things, they’ve been up to all sorts of trouble… It’s unlikely they started this, though, right?”
Maybe there was an instigator behind this “war” happening in Neverland —the chance was up there. Since they were with one of the factions, she could always ask them, too. The more information they had about the subject, the better it would be to make an accurate assessment.
Glancing over to the crocodiles guiding them, she began to wonder if her reasoning was correct, or if there was anything else lurking beneath it.
“So? If you don’t mind me asking… Why are you so wary of people entering your territory?” she looked curious, tilting her head a little, “I’d like to believe it hasn’t always been like this.”
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 23, 2021 22:30:21 GMT -5
Guided by the trio of crocodiles swimming through the murky swamp water, the somewhat ominous nature didn’t seem to deter Jake—though Bucky quaked here and there with nerves while Cubby continuously muttered to themselves with a worried expression. Izzy, on the other hand, seemed relieved. ”Who’d’ve thought that old hat would come in handy?” Giving the young captain a curious look, the girl narrowed her eyes. ”How’d you know where it was, anyway? Don’t tell me you’ve been keeping it this whole time as some treasure…” Chuckling with a somewhat sheepish look, Jake chose not to respond, instead rushing to return the trophy form whence it came. ”Looks like this ‘Hook’ guy didn’t give you room for a breather…” Tori’s comment caused Izzy to sigh a bit with a faint frown, nodding. ”It’s unlikely they started this, though, right?” It was a fair question, one the pirate easily had the answer to.
”Definitely not. We chased Hook out years ago. We’ve been gone for a while…but there’s no way he’s coming back.” Regardless of how the group had defeated this fabled villain or how they were so sure he couldn’t return, it seemed Izzy was confidant in what she said. ”So? If you don’t mind me asking…why are you so wary of people entering your territory?” The crocodiles didn’t seem to pay the teen any mind as they continued leading them along their voyage. Ignoring her completely, even the crocodile from before seemed to lapse into silence, choosing not to answer. ”To be honest, the crocodiles have always been territorial.” Izzy muttered so that the locals wouldn’t hear, standing near Tori to keep her voice lower. ”I’m sure this war that’s been brewing up isn’t helping…” Seemingly in dampened spirits due to the unfortunate circumstances they arrived to, the pirate slumped against the railings, sitting on the deck as they gazed up at the steadily waning sky, seemingly in thought. The river leading into the swamp continued to expand until eventually the group be able to see a vast body of swampy water in the near distance, littered with algae, lily pads, and various water plants that sprouted out from below.
Crocodiles peppered the water all over, even some of the muckier banks that extended out from the forest surrounding it. Coming to a halt, the crocodiles leading the ship paused, the one with the eyepatch turning to face them as it spoke. "Wait here. We will see what everyone decides.” Swimming away into the main swamp, the ship and crew were left alone for the moment. Having emerged back on deck from stowing away the hat, Jake walked up to where Tori and Izzy were, resting his hands on his hips. ”The crocodiles don’t have a unified leader. They talk with each other and come to a group decision about everything.” With a sigh, the young captain threw up his hands, clearly finding the process to be arduous. ”Sounds like they’re gonna see how they feel ‘bout lettin’ us in…” Skully flew to the boy’s shoulder, the look on his face somewhere between anxiety and suspicion. ”SQUAWK! And if they don’t, you think they’ll just let us go?!” Cubby came down from the main deck, no longer needing to steer now that Bucky had come to a quivering halt. ”W-what’d’ya mean, Skully?” The parrot squawked once more, shaking their head and giving the youngest of the group a look of exasperation. ”They’re crocodiles, Cubby! You saw all those teeth!” Their feathers bristled, it was clear Skully had their own ideas about the crocodiles, just like they had theirs about the pirates.
”Well, sounds like we’ll just have to wait and see.” Izzy stood up from her spot on the deck, flashing a confidant smile at the rest. ”Don’t worry! They saw the hat! I’m sure they’ll hear us out!” Pointing into the sky, Cubby shouted out in surprise. ”Woah! That’s a huge Neverbird!” Sure enough, far away in the distance, near where the smoke still lingered in the air with its thick black roils, the silhouette of a massive bird could faintly be made out among the slowly darkening sky. ”Ya think that’s the lord?!” Excitement coursed through the young pirate, who watched the sky with wide eyes. ”Nah. If it was the lord—you’d hear ‘im.” Jake chuckled, shaking his head while crossing his arms. ”I hear that bird is somethin’ else…”
”Oi! Lemme go!” Flailing his legs in the air, Henoke shouted out as the wind passed through his spiky hair and billowed his open jacket with the speed he traveled. ”You idiot! You’d fall!” Skunk slapped a hand to their forehead, perched atop the large Neverbird that held the aggravated teen in its massive talons. ”Hehe—you’re lucky we made it in time! You looked like you were in trouble, there!” Shouting over the gales passing over them, Rabbit had a cocky sneer on their face. He, Skunk and Fox had all come to Henoke’s aid in the forests, swooping in with the large Neverbird to pluck the haphazard teen from the fight, fire and chaos. ”What you’ve done to the forests is unforgivable, child.” The Neverbird spoke, though its beak didn’t move. It was adorned with bright colored feathers along the wings and tail, its eyes reproachful and glaring down at the boy in their talons as they flew.
”He did do it saving us, though…” Fox sighed, shaking his head, clearly conflicted. Skunk merely rolled their eyes while Rabbit laughed and seemed carefree. ”I gotta say, those were some crazy moves, though!” It seemed the braver and more battle prone of the group was eager to discuss what had happened. Quieted down by the wind and the jabs of the other boys, Rabbit grumbled while Henoke whipped his head around, glancing down at how high up they were. If he were on the ground, they’d most likely only appear as a speck. Despite the smoke below and the slowly darkening sky, the teen could see a vast amount of the world below him, sprawling out. He could see the forests below (still somewhat on fire), marshy looking swamps in the distance, as well as the sandy beaches that he had arrived on. Woah! I’m really flyin’! Seemingly distracted from being yanked out of a fight, Henoke slowly began to grin as he felt the air pass through him, the weightlessness of his body a new exhilaration.
”Ha ha! I’m flyin’! Tori’ll never believe this!” It seemed he was easily distracted, never having before such a fun ride. Blinking for a moment, his focus returned briefly. ”Wait…where’re we goin’?” Looking up towards the large bird that carried him as well as the few boys on his back, Henoke raised a brow. ”And where’s everyone else?” Grinning, the three boys glanced between each other while the Neverbird itself answered his question. ”With the Lord of Birds. That is where we are headed, fire child.”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 24, 2021 6:12:11 GMT -5
A moment of glee followed after getting a deal with the crocodiles now guiding them, with Jake sheepishly stashing the “trophy” away after Izzy commented on it —the reason for why the teen had kept the hat evident. Who wouldn’t keep a trophy of their victory?
Tori certainly knew the sensation, with a faint smile evident in her expression.
Izzy was the one answering her questions, informing that they’d chased Hook years ago, and the chances of him coming back were close to none. Regardless of it, the damage was done, clearly, but it was relieving to see that they had pride in helping getting rid of a nuisance.
”To be honest, the crocodiles have always been territorial.” Izzy’s whisper to not alert the crocodiles while also informing Tori came in handy, although the assumption that the war brewing increased their awryness was most likely true. Tori couldn’t see it any other way. The ship came suddenly to a stop, causing her to perk up and look at what was happening. The crocodiles told them to wait, while they swam up ahead —something that caused her to raise her brow in suspicion. Jake came in perfectly to explain the reasoning behind it, although it still wasn’t enough certainty to know what would happen next. ”They’re crocodiles, Cubby! You saw all those teeth!” Tori sighed, shaking her head at the parrot’s worry. If anything, the only thing that comment helped with was stressing the others out.
“Even so, it’s not like it’d be hard to run off” Tori replied back, “I know it wouldn’t help with the image and all that, but at times like these, do we really have another option?”
In any case, they were on the wait. And it was more likely that they would be allowed through rather than denied, given the proof they’d shown. Cubby’s sudden shout caused Tori to look up towards the sky, blinking in awe at the bird flying off at the distance. The young pirate’s excitement was a bit contagious, being honest, but the girl wouldn’t show it as eagerly.
”Nah. If it was the lord—you’d hear ‘im.” Jake chuckled, after Cubby asked if the bird flying off in the distance was the “lord” —most likely the leader of the Neverbirds. Tori had forgotten temporarily about them, since they hadn’t met any yet, but she recalled that the Neverbirds were one of the factions avoiding the fight, alongside the Mermaids. Still leaning against the railing of the lower deck with her arms crossed, Tori couldn’t help but wonder what else was going on, or what other creatures they’d meet along the way.
So far, it had been a ride —and it was still an ongoing one.
“…Oh, yeah” Tori suddenly realized, glancing at Jake, “Since we’re waiting for a bit… I noticed you wanted to ask something before, but you were caught-off. Wanna ask whatever’s crossin’ your mind now, or you’d rather wait a little longer?”
A teasing smirk remained in Tori’s lips as she finished, calm and collected in her posture. There was some time to clear answers, while nothing happened…
Right?
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 24, 2021 12:50:33 GMT -5
”Even so, it’s not like it’d be hard to run off.” The teen had a good point, considering that they were on a ship. Regardless of how fast the crocodiles were, surely they wouldn’t beat the magical talking ship that was Bucky, right? The ship seemed to think so, as it swelled up with pride at the comment, giving an enthusiastic ”Right!” to Tori’s reply. ”Oh, yeah. Since we’re waiting for a bit…” Jake crossed his arms and listened with a nod, raising a brow at her for a moment. They did seem to have the time. ”Well…it’s just that you know a lot about these monsters.” Gesturing to his crew, the young captain flashed a curious look. ”We’re young, sure—but we’ve been on tons of adventures since we last left Neverland. We’ve never seen those before, though.” It seemed he was finally getting to the real question he had in mind. ”I’ve also never seen anyone with powers like yours, either. Just who are you? Where’d you come from?” It seemed despite having traveled to other worlds, the young pirate crew had never come across the Heartless, or the Keyblade.
Izzy and Cubby had lapsed into silence, staring in curiosity with bated breath. Even Skully had paused, though they tried to appear as disinterested as possible.
Far beyond the swamp and thick forests sprawled below loomed tall lightly forested mountains that jutted into the waning sky. Night would soon fall upon Neverland—once a peaceful world, now the setting sun signaled a warning for the locals of this world. All knew what appeared in droves once the moon rose and the stars set in. High atop the mountains that framed the edge of the island were multiple nests ranging in size, peppered along the thinned out trees near the top, while others settled into the rocky face itself, too large to need protection. High in the clouds, it was the mainland of the Neverbirds—one of the only factions with pure freedom of territory, able to come and go throughout with ease. ”Ha ha! I can’t believe how excited you were!” Openly mocking the teen, Rabbit was doubled over in one of the larger nests on the mountaintop, nearly crying from laughing. ”’I’m flying! I’m flying!’” Snickering a bit himself, Fox raised an eyebrow. ”D’you forget what we’re lookin’ for, dingus?” Henoke fumed with a reddened face at the younger boys, his hands balled into fists.
”Shut up! I've never ridden on the back of a bird, before!” Stomping a foot and waving his fist, the teen was debating clocking all three of the boys that had accompanied the ‘rescue’. ”Settle down, all of you.” Craning their neck down to glare reproachfully at the rowdy boys in their nest, the large Neverbird that had flown them here gestured with a long wing across mountaintop. ”The rest of your band is with the Lord already. I must prepare with the others for nightfall.” With a powerful gust of wind that threatened to knock all the boys over, the large bird was gone, swooping over the mountaintops and back towards the forest far in the distance. Though the fires had slowly begun to settle down, smoke still lingered in the immediate air around the place. ”Alright, let’s get movin’.” Shivering a bit as the wind passed by, Fox was quick to march across the nest, climbing out of it to begin traversing across the mountaintop. Rabbit and Skunk were quick to follow, though Henoke lingered in the massive nest for a moment.
”It’s huge…” He’d only ever seen smaller birds or hawks at most—not that he actually knew them by name. Animals weren’t the teens forte, after all. He just lumped them all into the ‘bird’ category. Realizing he was getting distracted, Henoke shook his head and ran after the boys, curious about this ‘Lord’.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 24, 2021 15:47:59 GMT -5
The sudden pride swelling from the ship itself was amusing enough to cause Tori to giggle —not having expected her words to have that much impact. Still, it was nice to have high morale at the moment, rather than low, so for the time being, it was okay.
Jake seemed willing to entertain himself with asking what he’d been unable to ask before, immediately jumping on the chance. His explanation made sense, and so did his questions —although unfortunately not questions Tori could give simple answers to. There were a few things she’d have to keep to herself, before anything else happened.
Evident by her sigh alongside the amused smirk.
“So that’s where you wanted to head towards…” Tori said, a faint smirk in her lips, “Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot I can answer as things are now. Some things are things that I’d rather keep secret, but not because I don’t trust you. Rather… Let’s just say they’re things you’re better off not knowing.”
Tori’s smirk, while confident, didn’t aim to deceive —she knew what she could explain, and what she couldn’t. Obviously, the thing about the worlds outside Neverland was out of the question, and so where her own origins. Who she was would also be a hassle to explain, although she could give a few hints, but nothing more.
Still, what she could explain, she would. The pirates had been honest with her, so why not be honest with them back?
“Let’s see… While most things I’ll be keeping to myself, it doesn’t mean there aren’t things I can explain” she nodded, tapping her chin with one hand while the other helped for balance against the railing, “Hmm… You already said that you three aren’t from Neverland —same thing applies to me. Where I’m from exactly, however… Isn’t something I’ll share. I have my reasons for it, but it’s nothing related to you guys. In general, I don’t share that sort of info with people, regardless of who they are.”
“Then… Well, I’m not sure how I can explain these powers… Although mostly because even I don’t understand them fully…” Tori admitted, sheepish, finally relaxing a bit, “And then… About those monsters… I guess you never saw them, because by that time, there wasn’t a strong enough darkness luring them out of hiding. That’s mainly their prime condition to showing up —otherwise, they remain hidden. The reason why they’re up and running so openly… We’ve already discussed it.”
Tori’s gaze lowered for a bit, once more thinking her words carefully to clear. After all, a single lie could break her entire case, given the horrible liar she was. It was tougher than usual, sure, but she had to give it a shot anyways.
Who knows? Maybe it could help, more than hurt.
“...The reason why I know a lot about these monsters is because, where I’m from, they have also shown up. They spread out everywhere, so it’s not surprising they showed up in Neverland —to me, at the very least. But —and I’ll point this out as many times as necessary—, by solving the current issue, I’m sure we can drive them away. The same way I drove them away from where I’m from. Since it’s possible in one place, why not in another?” she asked rhetorically, yet with confidence in both pose and tone.
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 24, 2021 17:38:17 GMT -5
Hearing how Tori was going to keep her own secrets, Cubby and Izzy seemed to deflate, though only a little. Jake merely grimaced before giving a curt nod, understanding the fact that others may need their own discrepancies. ”Let’s see…” Beginning to explain a vague idea of how she had come to be so knowledgeable about the Heartless, Tori made sure to not breach the ‘World Order’ rule as she did so. The fact that she didn’t fully understand her own powers caused the young captain to where a mildly skeptical face, though he remained silent and listened attentively through the entire explanation. ”I see…so they appear in tons of different places where this ‘darkness’ is?” Despite the unfamiliarity, it seemed Jake was at least quick to grasp the fundamentals. ”At least they can be driven off!” Izzy was quick to return to her positive side, glad to hear Tori mention the solution was indeed what they were planning. ”Still…it’s sc-scary thinking of those monsters in other places…” Cubby seemed nervous and fearful, though that seemed to be their default mode at this point.
”SQUAWK! They’re comin’ back!” Skully was quick to spot the crocodiles return, though this time the one with the eye patch was alone. Rushing to the bow of the ship, Jake and Izzy craned over the railing eagerly, waiting to hear the response. ”Follow me.” Turning to swim back into the heart of the swamp, the crocodile seemed as talkative as ever. "Oh! Hooray, it worked!” Bucky cheered out, though Jake’s perceptiveness left him wary. ”So, you’ll tell us what’s goin’ on?” Without stopping or looking back, the crocodile answered with a foreboding: ”We’re to verify your acquaintance with our kind.” With a sigh, the young captain gave Izzy and Cubby a shrug before motioning for them to take positions. While Bucky began to move forward once more, the youngest pirate steered the wheel, Jake and Izzy remaining by the bow to get a better view of the swamp they were entering. The mucky banks were littered with crocodiles of all shapes and sizes, though many also swam around in the murky water lined with algae and lily pads. The thin trees and lean plant-life created a skeletal feel to the place—as though nature hadn’t finished its own creation before abandoning it.
”Here are the intruders.” Introducing the group in a rather unflattering light, the eye-patched crocodile spoke to the swamp as a whole. ”They claim to know our kin—come forward, Tick-Tock.” With an astonished look, Jake and Izzy leaned over the railing to get a better look while Cubby brought Bucky to a halt. Skully perched in the Crow’s Nest, trying to remain unobserved. Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! From the darker forested section of the swamp came a steady rhythm, the sound of a clock hand ticking forward. From the shadows emerged a rather large crocodile, who’s jagged teeth poked out from its long maw as though it were always smiling. It’s eyes held scrutiny, though upon swimming out into the main swamp and seeing the ship and crew aboard, a look of confusion emerged as they perked up out of the water for a better view. ”These pirates claim you aided them in getting rid of Hook.” The other crocodiles in the swamp perked up a bit, surprised as they glanced between each other and murmured. ”Wait, Tick-Tock fought Hook?” ”I thought that flying boy chased ‘im off?” ”No, no, it was definitely Tick-Tock! Those pirates are just tryin’ ta take credit!”
Snapping with their maws, the crocodiles less absorbed in the reactionary gossip were quick to get the others in line. It seemed everyone shared an equal sense of responsibility and duty within the swamp. ”They indeed hold Hook’s hat—though the validity of their claim is still questionable…” Swimming closer towards the ship, Tick-Tock gazed up to meet the two faces peering back at him from over the railing. ”Do you know them, Tick-Tock? Are they truly…’friendly’ pirates, as they claim?” All the others watched the ticking crocodile with suspense as they squinted up at Jake and Izzy. Cubby had made their way down to the main deck finally, though they mumbled to themselves while eyeing the other crocodiles nervously. ”Aww, coconuts. I hope he doesn’t remember the times he tried to eat us…” Jake grimaced a bit but shook his head, keeping his voice low. ”That was only the first few times when we met!” It seemed the relationship between them hadn’t always been positive, as well as now having had some time stretched between it. Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! The crocodile continued to stare for a moment before finally shaking its head ‘no’.
”I KNEW IT!” Roaring out and slapping its heavy tail against the water, the eye-patched crocodile glared at the ship and its crew. ”Liars! Scoundrels! We’ll eat you here!” Jake’s face showed his disbelief, while Cubby paled and quaked in fear (Bucky did, too, though he was smart enough to stay quiet). ”SQUAWK! I told ya so!” Flying down from the Crow’s Nest, Skully flapped their wings in mild panic while fluttering through the air. ”Time to skedaddle!” Izzy still remained by the railing, clenching it with a tight grasp as she gave a sad look down to the friend who couldn’t recognize them. ”Tick-Tock…no…” For a moment, the pirate looked like she might cry. ”Wait, Izzy!” Bucky’s voice rang out suddenly, startling some of the crocodiles who’d begun to swim towards them. ”Don’t you remember?! How we became friends with them in the first place?” For a moment, the girl seemed confused before shouting out in surprise. ”You’re right!” Grabbing the flute holstered on her belt, Izzy quickly brought the instrument to her lips and began to play a melody familiar to her and the rest of the pirate crew.
The sudden music confused most of the crocodiles, who paused and tilted their heads in the water. Tick-Tock however had frozen in place, nearly hypnotized by the notes being played while they swayed back and forth. Ending the song a bit prematurely, Izzy leaned back over the railing, waving the hand that held the flute. ”Remember, Tick-Tock?! It’s been awhile, but we’re friends, not food!” Beaming at the crocodile, the pirate waited to see if they would remember them and their music. Shaking the state of near hypnotism off, a look of recognition flashed across their face before they turned to the eyepatched crocodile and nodded their head. ”What?! Why would a stupid song matter?!” Smacking their tail against the water, the eyepatched crocodile roared out in anger at Tick-Tock, who merely growled and snapped back with their own maw. Suddenly the swamp was an explosion of arguing as crocodiles smacked the water, snapped their jaws and shouted their opinions. What was to be their fate?
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 25, 2021 9:08:57 GMT -5
It seemed her answers would suffice for now, quelling most of the uncertainties surrounding Tori, although some were bound to remain forever. Still, even if they had more to ask —which, they seemed to not have—, Skully squawked once more, signaling that the crocodiles were heading back, most likely to continue on. The growl hidden beneath the crocodile’s tone was still something that unsettled Tori, but there was so much she could do about it, instead sighing in compliance for the time being.
Why was it so tough just getting someone to cooperate with them? The title of “pirates” was seriously tarnished by now, wasn’t it?
”Here are the intruders.” Tori scowled, not liking the word “intruders” to refer the group as. They weren’t intruding… Although trespassing could be interpreted that way. Still, it wasn’t like they had a choice, right? With the Heartless running rampant, most pathways were closed off, paths the pirates didn’t want to take in order to avoid unwanted confrontation.
Not like that was going favorably either, though.
Tick-tock! Tick-tock! Tick-tock! The sudden echo of a clock was the last thing Tori expected to hear in a swamp, of all places, immediately brought out of thought to see a crocodile heading their way. Speechless, it seemed confused, looking at the ship and its crew from within the water, with a rather unsettling permanent smile. The sight of so many jagged teeth was enough to cause Tori to shudder.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that was a Mark…” she thought, uneasy. ”Aww, coconuts. I hope he doesn’t remember the times he tried to eat us…” Cubby’s comment almost brought Tori to a chuckle, although she managed to contain herself. Wanting to know more about the crew she’d made part of, the mention of their previous encounters with this particular crocodile was enough sight to be relieved by. If it followed, that was —but it didn’t seem to be the case, as the crocodile in question immediately denied knowing them. The snapping of the crocodile with an eyepatch was worrisome enough, but having all of the crocodiles against them was bound to bring trouble. Were they really at a loss here?
Tori gripped her fists a bit, troubled. While Izzy tried to have another shot, this time with the crocodile remembering the crew, it didn’t seem like the rest would follow —an immediate chaos surfacing the waters. Enough was enough.
“Give us a chance here!” she shouted without thinking, “We’re not here to fight, nor are we here to bother! We genuinely want to help out! He’s recognized us already, hasn’t he? So why not believe him?!” Tori looked incredulous.
She caught herself from saying any more, grimacing a bit after having snapped herself. It was a rare sight, seeing her so fired up by something —but she couldn’t help it. She felt it, after all. The recognition “Tick-Tock” had shown in both expression and memory, as well as the emotions the crew showed towards the crocodile in question. The bond was a genuine one —and Tori wasn’t one to see it tarnished too easily.
“Just give us a chance to explain ourselves —then you can judge us however you like” Tori said, a bit calmer, “But until that’s settled, let us talk. We really just need to pass —we’re not here to bother you at all. We’ll just pass through, and never show up again” she glanced over at Jake, “…Right?” she finished, almost in a pleading tone.
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 25, 2021 12:58:06 GMT -5
As chaos erupted throughout the swamp, Skully squawked and flapped around the ship, urging them to flee. Bucky shivered and quaked, too terrified to move as their eyes darted across the countless crocodiles surrounding the swamp midst argument. ”Tch—this isn’t what I was expectin’…” Jake faltered for a moment, taking a step back with a look between frustration and fear. ”He remembered, though…why won’t they all listen…?” Frowning, Izzy glanced down at her flute, wondering if she’d need to use her magic sooner rather than later. Cubby was already rushing back to the steering wheel on the raised deck towards the stern. ”Give us a chance here!” Tori’s voice rang out through the swamp, catching the pirates and crocodiles alike by surprise. ”We’re not here to fight, nor are we are to bother!” Though some squabbling persisted, as some crocodiles were in heated arguments, most had paused—the teen had gained their attention. It was now or never—with the sun setting as well as tensions rising, Tori would be able to feel a powerful force threatening to erupt amongst them all. Darkness thrived on negativity after all—and what was the swamp but a mass of paranoia, distrust and anger?
”Just give us a chance to explain ourselves—then you can judge us however you like.” Sighing a bit, Jake gave her a faint grin while adjusting his hat, eyeing the other crocodiles in the swamp. For the most part, the swamp had quieted down by the end of the teen’s plea, though some still eyed the ship and those aboard warily. ”She’s right.” Stepping up onto the large cannon placed at the front of the ship, the young captain removed their hat and gave a deep bow to the crocodiles in the swamp. ”We didn’t come here to bother or upset you. We were just tryin’ ta pass through…” Standing up straight and returning his hat once more, a wide grin emerged on his face as he shot a finger into the air. ”Until we heard that the swamp was in trouble!” It seemed Jake wasn’t willing to merely sail through, believing in Marina’s worries. ”Tick-Tock’s our friend—there’s no way we’ll just leave you all with your problems! If you’re his kin—then you’re ours, too!” Many of the crocodiles that had initially seemed wary had perked up towards the end of the young captain’s piece, most wearing looks of surprise.
It seemed whatever reputation pirates had with the crocodiles, none had offered to accept the entire swamp as family before. Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! Slapping their tail and nodding their head enthusiastically, Tick Tock seemed to approve with the sentiment as they eyed the rest of their kind. ”Isn’t that right, crew?!” Turning to glance at the others over his shoulder, Jake’s smile only broadened with confidence as Izzy, Cubby and even Bucky shouted out their affirmations. Skully sat on the Crow's Nest, merely giving the pirates all looks of exasperation. ”All of us…kin?” ”They definitely don’t seem like any pirates I’ve ever met…” ”Y’know, if Tick Tock trusts ‘em…” It seemed Tori and Jakes words were winning over most of the crowd as dusk settled in. ”It seems like your words have succeeded against many.” The crocodile wearing an eyepatch grimaced, though their eyes did appear somewhat less distrusting. Some of the older and larger crocodiles towards the banks of the swamps also looked on with mild skepticism still. Slap! Slap! Tick Tock slapped at the water with their tail, gesturing with their claws towards the now darkening sky and then to the ship. "Yeah! That’ll prove it!” ”Great idea, Tick Tock!” ”This’s why you gotta listen to the vets!”
It seemed the other crocodiles understood exactly what they meant…somehow. ”Fine.” Turning to the ship and the crew, the eyepatched crocodile glanced up towards the sky. ”Night is falling upon us. Prove your words. If you’re kin of ours, you’ll help us protect our home from what’s to come.” The words were foreboding, though at least it was less menacing than the threat of being eaten alive. ”Awww, coconuts! W-whats g-g-gonna show up?!” Cubby squeaked out in fear from the steering wheel, shivering in their shoes. Having walked along the bowsprit back to the bow, Jake flashed a confidant smirk at Tori and Izzy. ”Heh—probably those monsters, I bet. How ‘bout it, team? Nothin’ we can’t handle!” Skully merely shook their head reproachfully and squawked, though offered no real argument or rebuttal. Izzy beamed surprisingly bright for the situation. ”Of course! They’re all our friends now! You said it yourself!” The comment caused the young captain to scratch at their cheek and chuckle sheepishly, waving a hand. "Whatever…I just got caught up in the moment…” Regardless of if that was true or not, Jake seemed to press on.
”How about it, 'expert'? We’ll have to deal with ‘em one way or another at some point, right?”
"HUH?!" Henoke visibly staggered, a look of astonishment paling his face as his eyes bulged. "You're the Lord of Birds?!" Pointing at the insanely small, nearly hummingbird sized Neverbird ((Not that Henoke knows what a hummingbird specifically is. That's just for an outside perspectives sake of reference of course)) that perched on a self-made 'throne' (if one were willing to use the term loosely, anyway...it's just multiple normal nests stacked on top of each other) at the highest point of the mountain, the teen couldn't believe their eyes. "Henoke, you idiot!" Slapping a hand to their face, Skunk shook their head. "We told ya, he's per'ticul'er 'bout that!" Hissing into the teen's ear as he tried (and failed) to shove him into a bow, Fox flashed a nervous smile at the Lord of Birds and chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry, yer Majesty...he's new here." Rabbit shook their head, crossing their arms with a sigh while the Raccoon twins snickered. They had all told Henoke beforehand how to address the self proclaimed 'Lord'. "My, what a rude pheasant, who's asking for a favor! From ROYALTY, no less!?" Henoke raised an eyebrow and tilted a head. He wasn't sure what a 'pheasant' was. "I believe you mean 'peasant', my Lord." A normal sized Neverbird perched with a haughty air around it nearby in a wide and large nest far too big for it, tallying up different assortments of nuts, fruits and various other food sources. "Not 'pheasant'. Tsk-tsk! That fire is going to set us back quite a bit..." Henoke remained confused, not really knowing what a 'peasant' was, either.
"SILENCE, BARTOLOMEO!" Flapping their insanely small wings, the Lord of Birds puffed up its minuscule chest with dingy dull feathers as well as it could. "I know what words I meant to use! ALWAYS! If I call someone a pheasant, I mean to!" Shaking his head, the teen sighed. These birds were bizarre...
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 25, 2021 14:49:02 GMT -5
Seeing the grin in Jake’s face was enough to see he’d caught on —a sight that brought Tori to sigh in relief. The captain took it from there, earnestly explaining their reasonings, and their desire to help those who needed. Their words reached out loud and clear, stopping most of the arguments before they got feisty —before the darkness got out of hand.
In a sense, it was a major relief for Tori, but it would be for the others as well.
Chiming in with a loud “aye!” after hearing Jake’s question for backup, Tori smirked with confidence. With them around, there was nothing that would be too much of a problem —be it Heartless or discussions. A bright beacon of light, lighting the way for those who lost it. It felt like a fitting description for the crew she’s met.
“Yep —that’s the way it should be, always…”
Tick-Tock seemed to have an idea that could help them prove they were, in fact, the “good” pirates, with many other crocodiles in clear agreement. “If you’re kin of ours, you’ll help us protect our home from what’s to come.” The request came as a somewhat obvious one, but regardless, it was a good chance to prove them their worth. The Heartless were bound to show up, especially at night time, when fear was a common emotion for many lost in the dark of night.
”How about it, 'expert'?” Tori rolled her eyes, amused, raising her chin high with pride, a following scoff as she did so. Her arms crossed over her chest, she gave Jake a mild contemning glare, but the humor behind it would be obvious.
“The name’s Tori —not ‘expert’” she said, “Get that through that skull of yours, and then we can talk. Got it?”
Lowering her gaze, Tori’s smirk remained, as she shook her head faintly before turning towards the crocodiles —particularly the one with the eye-patch, since that one was still wary of their intentions. Even if the Heartless were defeated, such doubts were almost too good of a prey to miss —and Tori knew this. Pointing faintly at the crocodile in question (since pointing like that was an obvious sign of disrespect), she decided to share the little trivia before things got out of hand.
“While we’re agreeing to helping you protect your home, there’s one thing I’d like to point out” she said with a playful smirk, “And that’s the fact that doubting us even after we show we mean what we say is gonna make our work pointless. So” Tori offered her hand for a deal, “Let’s settle on a little something…”
“Whenever those things show up, I’d like you all to remain confident, rather than wary or afraid. I, at the very least, won’t stop you if you choose to fight alongside us, but I’d like it if you could trust us blindly now, and with proof later. It’ll make things easier on both ends.”
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 25, 2021 15:49:48 GMT -5
With everyone aboard in agreement, the young captain grinned confidently before cupping their mouth and shouting back out to the crocs. ”Aye! We’ll help protect yer home!” Unsheathing the cutlass on his waist, Jake flourished and raised the blade into the air while many of the crocodiles slapped their tails in the water in excitement. ”While we’re agreeing to help protect your home, there’s one thing I’d like to point out.” Tori’s added comments brought many mutters from the crowd while the eye-patched crocodile snorted and shook their head as night settled in. ”Don’t underestimate us. We’ll deal with them like any other intruder, as we have been.” Despite their gruff nature, it seemed the crocodile was claiming they’d all fight alongside each other. ”Don’t be mistaken. One wrong move, and all of you are my next meal. Including you, Tick Tock.” Despite the glower from Tick Tock the comment got them, the eye-patched crocodile seemed unbothered as they and other larger more scarred crocodiles began to converge in the swamp. WHOOSH! A powerful dark presence would rush the air, darkening the already darkened sky as a heavy feeling sunk into the swamp. ”SQUAWK! Here they come!” Skully’s voice cut like thunder as they swooped around the Crow’s Nest. ”I told ya we shoulda skedaddled!”
Heartless poured out from the shadows in the banks and soared through the night sky towards the swamp, a cluster of hearts and turmoil of emotions fueled their navigation. ”It’s time!” With a confidant smirk on his face, Jake held up his cutlass while shouting out orders to Cubby and Izzy. ”Cubby, move Bucky into a position to fire the cannon! Izzy, keep that flute handy—we might need your magic to stall ‘em!” Turning to Tori, the young captain had a look of determination bright in his eyes. ”Can you watch my back while I work the cannon? Izzy can stall ‘em, but it’s not like she can get rid of ‘em like you can, Tori.” It seemed Jake was aware of the gap in their powers, wanting to use the teen’s abilities to their fullest to cover what the rest of his crew lacked. ”Knowin’ you, you’ll be able to protect Bucky and the rest, fine!” Chaos erupted once more throughout the swamp as the Heartless descended and crocodiles dove and gnashed at the intruders. Despite the Heartless’ abilities, it seemed the Neverland locals were strong in their own right, as countless teeth, tails and claws greeted their assault.
”FOR THE SWAMPS!” All of the crocodiles roared out in vigor, even Tick Tock (though they couldn’t really roar, they just slapped their tail aggressively a lot), as they charged through water and swamp bank alike to meet the Heartless threat. A swarm of Air Pirates began to fly at the ship and its crew, while Missile Divers and Pirates emerged on the deck, either from the water or from the darkness itself. It was battle time!
[[ENEMIES ABOARD: 3 Air Pirates, 4 Missile Divers, 2 Pirates]] [[Protect the cannons!]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 25, 2021 16:13:03 GMT -5
Only able to smile with unease as she got a half-assed answer, Tori looked at the eye-patched crocodile turned away with a gruff tone, although there was some honesty behind the words it spoke —including the “meal” comment.
“Imma warn you —we taste pretty bad…” she joked, before pulling back and focusing on the task at hand.
The Heartless arrived soon after, lured by the darkness lurking in the locals’ hearts. She sighed, a bit letdown at the fact that the scrutiny wouldn’t stop anytime soon —so she had to work around it. Jake gave concise orders to follow as the threat grew near. With Tori’s order receiving a nod from her part, the girl smirked. It was nice to hear him call her by name —for once, thing he hadn’t done almost throughout the entire voyage thus far—, but also being confident.
Fitting traits for a leader.
“On it” she nodded, “I could probably lure them as far away as you’d need me to —but I’ll leave that option for another time.”
Even throughout it all, she found time to jab. Turning towards the Heartless, she unsheathed her sword while also calling for her Keyblade, jumping over the railing to take a slightly higher ground. With a smirk in her face, a red hue began to glow, wavy after-images following Tori’s outline. As soon as the enemies launched themselves towards the ship, she was out made a blur.
With her Red Moon form now active, Tori’s speed had increased tenfold —swiftly cutting through the enemies that dared cross her path. The Missile Drivers, Pirates and Air Pirates all would have their share of swift attacks aimed towards them, with the girl made a red blur of speed across the deck. The aim was for her to be the target, leaving the rest room to have their preparations complete.
“C’mon —that all you got?” she thought to herself, taunting.
She’d considered using some spells, but that would most likely not help with the focus of Jake and Cubby, readying the cannons to fire. If anything, it could be more of a hassle than anything —so instead, Tori kept it simple, with her sword and Keyblade lashing out with precise cuts, and keeping her magic to either support or attack enemies one by one.
It still promised to be an easy fight, though. For her, at least.
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Post by hoodwink on Jan 25, 2021 21:16:33 GMT -5
While the ship and its crew dealt with the Heartless that had made it aboard, the crocodiles dealt with the remaining enemies swarming the swamp. Countless Heartless had emerged from the darkness of many shapes and sizes, though the locals were hardly pushovers by any means. Standing their own, the crocodiles fought hard and valiantly as they protected their home and family. While Tori unleashed her Red Moon abilities, Jake was busy with the cannon that worked as Bucky’s front, just beneath the bowsprit. While Cubby spun the steering wheel of the ship, turning it to face the enemies they targeted, the young captain prepared the weapon with determination, Izzy aiding in handing them the necessary cannonballs. ”Fire in the hole!” A cacophonous BOOM! shattered through the swamp as a bright explosion lit the darkness for a moment—a powerful shot aimed at a group of nearby Jet Balloons and Missile Divers collecting. "Yeah!” As the Heartless dissolved form the power of the weaponry, the crocodiles in the swamp roared out victoriously as they continued to fight.
Tori’s insanely fast assault had successfully allowed the others to do their independent duties with ease, already having destroyed half of the Heartless aboard. More surrounded them in the water, though—the battle was far from over. A dark presence continued to grow, only more powerful now that it was night settling in on the world. BOOM! Another cannon blast rocked the ship back and forth, though Jake shouted out victoriously as another cluster of Heartless were destroyed. ”More come from the forest!” A crocodile shouted out from further off in the swamp as swarms of yellow eyes peppered the night. It seemed that the swamp was a target of the Heartless—though whether it was due to ulterior motives or the sheer amount of hearts present, was unknown. SLAM! Shouting out in pain, Bucky rocked and heaved to one side as Jet Balloons rammed them from the water, having blown through the crocodiles defenses. ”Woooooah!” Cubby had staggered due to the lurch, their arm yanking on the steering wheel in one direction as the other tried to keep a hold of the pack strapped around their arms. Veering off-course, Jake shouted out, barely having time to halt in his cannon-fire to avoid hitting any allies. ”Watch it, Cubby!”
Izzy rushed to the side of the ship, fearless of the Heartless already aboard as she readied her instrument. Tu—le—ru! Music soared through the air as it reached out to the Jet Balloons, causing them to be stunned, though only for a moment. ”Quick! Take out those ones first!” Having leapt from the cannon back onto the bow deck, Jake grit their teeth as they clanged! their sword against a Pirate Heartless’, trying to make their way towards the side of the ship where the Jet Balloons perched in the water below. ”Tch—Tori, take care o' 'em! I ain't gonna make it in time!” Succeeding in their struggle against the sword wielding Heartless, Jake pierced the Pirate and dissolved it back into dark vapor before continuing across deck. "I'll protect Izzy and Cubby 'till we can get back on course! Focus on keepin' Bucky safe!" It seemed the young captain was hellbent on protecting their crew and ship first and foremost. ”SQUAWK! There’s so many!” Skully croaked in distressed as they watched the swamps from above. Heartless and crocodiles were everywhere to be seen.
It was pure madness.
[[ENEMIES ABOARD: 1 Air Pirate, 2 Missile Divers, 1 Pirate]] [[Protect Bucky!]]
Henoke glanced over his shoulder, hearing the faintest echoes of what almost sounded like thunder. He wasn't able to focus on the sound for long, though, considering how loud the Lord of Birds continued to be. "So...IF I were to head your request...WHICH I MAY CERTAINLY NOT!" The tiny lord puffed up with its feathers at the last comment, giving the Lost Boys and Henoke a shrewd look. "I DEMAND compensation, you hear, boys?! BARTOLOMEO!" The other Neverbird still focused on assorting different acorns, nuts, fruits and other forestries within the large nest they perched in. They hardly seemed bothered by having their name shrieked nearly constantly, not even looking up as they spoke. "Yes, my l—?"
"TELL THEM HOW MUCH IT WILL COST THEM!" Without given the space to finish their question, Bartolomeo merely sighed as they continued to sort. "I'd say...about four months worths of stock." Nodding contentedly, the Lord of Birds shuffled in their 'throne' of nests, scratching at their beak in thought with a tiny feather. "Hm...hm...yes...SIX MONTHS OF STOCK INDEED!" Henoke furrowed a brow, taking a step forward and pointing out at the Neverbirds with a frustrated look. "Huh?! He just said four!" Motioning for the teen to quiet down, the Lost Boys had continued to simply nod and listen with somewhat bored looks. "The hells 'stock', anyway?" The teen's comment caused the Lord of Birds to begin guffawing rather loudly. Bartolomeo continued to work on assortments in the meantime. "Ha ha ha! You've never heard of CURRENCY, boy?! How BARBARIC! Absolutely horrendous! You're a heathen!" Truthfully, Henoke hardly understood half of the words leaving the dull beak of the dullard, though the birds tone caused him to grit his teeth as his face grew red. He knew the tone of someone mocking him. "Oi, you wanna get hurled off this mountain, shrimp?!" Bears face paled while the Raccoon twins gaped in mild awe and shock. Skunk groaned while shaking their head and slapping their forehead, meanwhile Fox tried to shrink out of sight on the mountaintop covered in rocky terrain and barren save for a few occasional thin trees. Rabbit chuckled, seemingly amused by the entire ordeal.
"SILENCE! You're requesting my service, remember? I'LL TAKE WHATEVER PRICE I PLEASE!" Henoke's face only grew more red until he began to stomp up towards the tiny bird, his fists balled up as he began to pull up one of the sleeves of his jacket, exposing the forearm clenched with muscle and rage. "You pickin' a fight?! We're just tryin' ta find the fairies and fly, ya jerk!" The Lost Boys shouted out, quick to rush and grab at the teen who had begun to stomp through the crunching rocks and short grass patches.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jan 26, 2021 4:38:20 GMT -5
With half of the enemies taken care of, Tori’s confidence skyrocketed —although it was bound to happen anyways. Her power swirling around her, increasing her damage output and speed, as well as the camaraderie with the pirates and the fierce will of the crocodiles were all they needed to make a front to the Heartless, yet it was still far from enough —evidenced by more enemies arriving to the encounter.
Slam! Tori lost her footing for a bit as Bucky was hit from the side by a Heartless, with Cubby losing hold of the wheel and the ship veering off-course. Recovering the balance quickly, she dashed towards the enemies lurking underwater, ones that the crocodiles were unable to get ahold of with their gigantic maws and sharp teeth. Jake didn’t have to tell her twice —Tori was getting them by any means possible.
"I'll protect Izzy and Cubby 'till we can get back on course!” The girl nodded in agreement as she jumped from the railing up to the air, not really fearing anything that may happen after. Her eyes quickly snapped towards the Heartless, sparks gathering around her hands and to the destination she conjured her Thundaja, looking to only attack the Heartless. Given that the thunderbolts would condense onto a single enemy, the odds of hitting an ally were non-existent.
In conjunction, she tossed her Keyblade imbued in flames, with her Fire Toss looking to defeat a different Heartless altogether. Regardless of the damage dealt, gravity would pull her down towards the murky swamps, but it wasn’t like she wasn’t aware of the fact.
She would just get up and going like usual —time waited for no one, especially in battle.
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