|
Post by hoodwink on Feb 12, 2021 19:07:59 GMT -5
”Who do you think is the reason behind all this?” Tori’s question caused Henoke to furrow his brow in confusion, tilting his head a bit. ”Can you say for certain who the good guys and the bad guys are in this situation?” For a moment, the teen’s battle stance faltered as he seemed to take all of three seconds thinking it over. ”O'course! The Lost Boys were tryin’ to help me find you…and they’re tryin’ to protect the forest. They’re definitely the good guys!” Puffing up his chest a bit in confidence, the teen seemed convinced with his own logic. ”Since they said the pirates were bad guys, I trust ‘em. They’ve been lookin’ out for this place the whole time.” Though the Tribe Leader wasn’t visible to the teen, he heard the scoff as the shrouded man listened to the argument. Before Henoke could shout out a retort, asking what was so funny, Tori continued to press in with why she had come.
”Do you really think I’d go all this way, just to pick a fight with you?” Not only were her words reaching him, but her overall demeanor had changed, too. It looked like Tori was being honest, about not really wanting to fight. "Wait…you’re not here to stop me? Or pick up from the swamp?” Back to square one, Henoke was beyond confused. ”Then why’d ya get in the way earlier?!” Gesturing towards the mist, still shrouding the Tribe Leader, the teen still seemed indignant. ”If anyone’s a bad guy around here, it’s gotta be him! He tried to take us all prisoner, and he’s even usin’ the darkness!” It seemed in his own way, Henoke had been trying his hardest to help Neverland and the locals he’d met, too.
”Impudent boy. How many times must you mock me?” Having continued to recover themselves, the Tribe Leader spoke from the section of the mist that shrouded him from view, his tone harsh and cold. ”You dare paint me or my tribe as villains, after what you've done to our land?!” Staggering for a moment, the teen seemed to have been caught off-guard, reminded of the large section of forest that lay scorched and bare because of him. ”Tch—whatever! Ya can’t own a forest, stupid! It's your own fault for capturin' us to begin with.” Shouting at the mist in response, Henoke waved a fist—clearly not seeing eye to eye with the leader.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 12, 2021 19:20:43 GMT -5
Tori had waited a bit after asking her questions, receiving the answers rather quickly despite everything happening around. “The Lost Boys were tryin’ to help me find you…and they’re tryin’ to protect the forest. They’re definitely the good guys!” It seemed like the comment Skunk and Fox had tossed out earlier held true, with Henoke’s feelings resonating accordingly to what the Lost Boys thought of him, and how close they’d gotten in the short time. Of course, it also meant that whatever they said, the teen would believe them without question —which was the whole issue at hand.
His genuine reaction at her confession caused her to smirk, seemingly a little malicious, but it wouldn’t be easy for Henoke to notice. Still with the mist swiveling around them, keeping everything else away in what seemed to be pure white, the Keyblade Wielder was unable to point out his fury, although it wasn’t like the girl was oblivious to it all. And yet, there was something he was missing.
“He tried to take us all prisoner, and he’s even usin’ the darkness!” Tori raised her head, her seriousness remaining still, listening to the exchange that the two sides had started —the mist quickly rising to keep them separated, thickening its layers to shroud each other from view. While one side was a little more open into listening to the other, they were still at odds.
That would only drag more Heartless towards them.
“So, just because one uses darkness, they’re evil?” she asked, calmly, “All while knowing someone who sides with the dark, albeit without them wanting to? Then… I ask you this” Tori’s gaze strengthened, “Do you truly think light is always benevolent, and darkness, always malevolent? After all you’ve seen, experienced, and heard… Can you really stand by that claim?”
In a sense, being a Spirit had its perks, by the looks of things. Knowing the true nature of the forces ruling over each and every world, making part of everything that lived, Tori was more than aware of the issues light and darkness had at all times —their endless battle being the most evident. Of course, Henoke didn’t need to know all this prior, but it was a little odd after travelling with not one, but 2 Spirits —one of which explaining more or less the real nature of what surrounded them.
Then again, it was Henoke that she was talking to —someone who didn’t really bother to think things through.
“You’re travelling with a Spirit… And yet you truly have learnt nothing…” Tori sighed, feigning disappointment, “Even though you’ve been told multiple times of the real natures of both light and darkness, you still refuse to take it to heart…”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Feb 16, 2021 14:07:42 GMT -5
Tori’s mist began to separate the two quarreling, each side believing they were in the right (one perhaps more rightfully so than the other). ”So, just because one uses darkness, they’re evil?” The question caught him off-guard, causing Henoke to stagger a bit, interrupting his slashing at the mist and shouting at the Tribe Leader. ”Do you truly think light is always benevolent, and darkness always malevolent?” Irked at the complexity of her question, the teen scowled a bit while furrowing his brow. ”Tch—“ Of course, that wasn’t the case—he’d seen himself how those claiming to be righteous could cause much worse deeds than those siding with the darkness. Well, his original self had, anyway. ”That doesn’t change the fact that he’s a jerk!” Almost defiantly, Henoke puffed out his chest a bit, pointing at the mist shrouding the Tribe Leader from his vision, hoping his gesture was still in the man’s general direction. ”Light and dark are complicated, but I know a jerk when I see one!”
It seemed the man using darkness had only added to the teens assumptions, not formed them. ”You’re traveling with a Spirit…and yet you truly have learned nothing…” The lament only caused a look of indignation to appear across his face, faltering for a moment with a stagger before pointing back out at Tori accusingly. ”Oi, I’ve learned plenty! Fine, maybe him usin’ the darkness doesn’t make him guilty…but c’mon! That doesn’t change the fact he attacked the Lost Boys’n I and tried to lock us up.” It seemed the teen wanted nothing more then for his friend to see his side and help him beat an enemy who’d wronged not only him, but his newer friends as well. Clearly, there was a part of the story he was missing—not that Henoke particularly cared to hear that part.
”Those boys know where their territory ends.” This time, it was the Tribe Leader’s voice that penetrated the mist, reaching Henoke and causing him to whip his head around in a fruitless effort to find him. ”They chose to trespass into our land—our home. They knew of the consequences. I've given them more than their share of warnings.” It seemed the Tribe Leader was willing to explain, not that Henoke seemed eager to cooperate. ”Tch, I keep tellin’ ya, ya can’t own a forest! It’s a forest! We weren’t even near your actual home until your goons dragged us there.” Shaking a fist at the mist surrounding him, Henoke kept the Keyblade at his side, though his battle stance had long since been abandoned. ”They could’a just let us through, y’know?” Sighing with annoyance, the teen shook his head, clearly not understanding the Tribe Leader’s rigidity in these ‘rules’ he knew nothing about.
”Oh—and why were those boys cutting through my woods, again?” The cold tone sharpened from beyond the mist, the Tribe Leader clearly passionate in their role. ”To pester the Fairies and use their dust against me and my tribe.” They sounded closer than before, something that caused the hair on the back of Henoke’s neck to stand on end. "That's not true! They just wanna protect their home—since you’re spreading' a war!” Finally roaring out in indignation, the Tribe Leader’s silhouette appeared from the mist, dark and shrouded as they worked on closing the distance. ”SILENCE! You cannot speak on the happenings of this land, boy! YOU know nothing of why we fight!” Thankfully with Tori’s power, the Tribe Leader would hardly be able to find Henoke or her, though it seemed the teen had worked him up quite a bit.
Having recovered from their spat before, the Tribe Leader’s emotions began to awaken the darkness in his heart, allowing once more a familiar steaming aura to begin to surround the man. It seemed if a solution wasn’t found quickly, they’d have to resort to a battle yet again! But how would Henoke or the Tribe Leader understand the others position? They knew nothing about each other, after all.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 16, 2021 14:52:22 GMT -5
Unable to avoid a sigh, the girl listened closely, her eyes locked on Henoke as he began to give his own answers. She hadn’t expected much, anyways, knowing how the teen was —but some facts would’ve been appreciated. If anything, he seemed offended, though the reasons would be obvious if Tori wasn’t aiming towards something else.
The fighting had to stop —that much was a priority. She couldn’t keep the mist for much longer, else her form would begin to shatter. But being the least of her priorities at the time, it seemed the girl wouldn’t mind a few cracks appearing here and there, enduring the pain for another’s sake. “Fine, maybe him usin’ the darkness doesn’t make him guilty…but c’mon!” As Henoke began to explain a story Tori was already aware of, it only made the Tribe Leader hidden within the mist to grow in anger —and with it, the darkness they kept using as power.
”Those boys know where their territory ends.” Tori had to agree, that if the Lost Boys were aware of things as they were, then surely they would’ve done more to avoid unnecessary trouble —so why bother? The argument allowed Tori some insight on the things she couldn’t know otherwise, but she already knew the entire story —having pried previously almost unconsciously into the memories surrounding her. She shuddered, the darkness growing stronger and stronger, threatening to draw even more Heartless towards them as the argument continued to rise. Gritting her teeth and clenching her fists, Tori had had enough.
“Listen to both of you, arguing like children!” she shouted, her eyes vivid purple with fury, “How stubbornly you shout, selfishly minding your own opinions without realizing the harm you’re causing around you!”
The mist swirled, waning as Tori’s own form began to falter. Eventually, the two sides that were fighting would be able to see each other again, but the girl would step up to break it at a moment’s notice —hardly bothered by the darkness so close to her. If anything, it annoyed her.
Being a being bound to protect the balance between light and darkness, Tori had a tendency to despite the scales tilted in a side’s favor.
“Your arguing only drives this world to shambles —neither of you have the privilege to claim to be in the right!” Tori declared, her expression one seeping with anger, “Not you —who has chosen to use darkness as means to defend only that which you selfishly chase after, ignoring everything around you— or you —who uses the Keyblade for your own gain, and not for others!” the girl glared at the two, “This ‘war’ you keep talking about does not exist —it’s only you tunnel-visioning on what you believe is right, deeming everything contrary as false!”
“Look around you! Is this what you wish to see?!” the girl asked, finally at wit’s end, “A world destroyed by fighting, with its people unable to realize what it is that’s wrong?! A world where one selfishly claims as one’s home, denying others to do the same?!”
The girl glared at Henoke and at the Tribe Leader, just as bitter to both of them. If they wanted to fight, so be it. Even if her form was to shatter then and there, she wasn’t going to allow that imbalance to stand, not while she could do something about it.
The pirates were relying on her —so were the Lost Boys, after making amends. Surely the Fairy hiding in her hood (she hadn’t forgotten about her, but she’d been so focused on trying to make both sides realize what was truly happening, that in a sense she couldn’t reassure her) also wanted to do what was necessary to restore Neverland to how it once was. Yet, despite all that, they still only knew one side of the story, missing the other side to make a complete picture.
Her gaze lingered longer on the Tribe Leader, her Keyblade still at the ready yet lowered at her side. Wanting to know what it was she was missing, the girl stepped forward towards him, firm and serious, wanting to know the answer for one thing the Tribe Leader themselves had mentioned.
“So, then? What do you fight for?” she asked, “Do you fight to protect those you cherish, or to subdue those you deem your enemies? What is it that drove you to using the darkness, as your source of power?”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Feb 17, 2021 21:44:09 GMT -5
”Listen to both of you, arguing like children!” Tori’s shout caused Henoke to stagger in surprise—while the Tribe Leader paused in their advance, the bear head turning to gaze at the girl with its hollowed eyes. ”Your arguing only drives this world to shambles—neither of you have the privilege to claim to be in the right!” As the spirit pointed out each in kind for their faults, the Tribe Leader seemed to pause, staring down at their open hand and the dark aura around it while Henoke flashed a look of indignation, glancing down at the Keyblade in his. ”Look around you! Is this what you wish to see?!” Her words caused a vague sense of guilt to thrum against the dull static of his irritation, causing the orange haired boy to grimace a bit while glancing around the forest, more revealed as the mist began to subside. ”Tch—o’course not…” With a frown and sigh, Henoke kicked at the forest floor, torn between his own frustration and conscience.
”So, then? What do you fight for?” Stepping forward and questioning the Tribe Leader, the large man’s aura slowly began to wane—it seemed they weren’t opposed to talking with the neutral third party that hadn’t ransacked his home. "What is it that drove you to using the darkness, as your source of power?” Hollow eyes stared back as the Tribe Leader contemplated the girl’s question, the bear head hiding the true gaze beneath. ”So…you call this ‘darkness’?” With a faint snort emitting from within the fur mask, the large man shook their head as the aura finally subsided completely. ”Fitting…” Henoke eyed the man warily, still holding a mild glare as he dismissed his Keyblade. It seemed the boy was also curious as to why the Tribe Leader was able to use the darkness.
”This is merely the power I sought to protect my tribe.” The comment caused Henoke to raise a brow, tilting his head a bit. He went lookin’ for it? Crossing his arms, the teen’s gaze was full of suspicion. ”Those demons were too powerful a foe in numbers for my warriors…” The man’s tone grew heavy, thick with grim. ”So…ya chose to use the darkness to protect your home?” Henoke frowned, his face still skeptical, though it was clear the boy was growing uncertain in his own sense of ‘right’ in all this. In a sense, the Tribe Leader had done what the Lost Boys were doing with the Fairy Dust. ”I know not the nature of this power…though I do know the origin.” The bear head lowered, its hollow eyes gazing towards the ground for a moment. ”That mirror…inside Skull Rock.” The teen blinked in surprise for a moment, wondering exactly what ‘mirror’ the Tribe Leader was talking about.
”Tch—this’s a pain…” Deflated a bit, Henoke grumbled, kicking at the forest floor yet again with his arms crossed. It was clear the key-bearer’s anger had begun to subside for the most part, though the confusion of both the inner emotions he felt as well as the nature of this world were growing to burden him. ”So—the hell’d that mirror do? And what’s this ‘Skull Rock’, huh?” Though his tone was gruff, Henoke wasn’t openly antagonizing the Tribe Leader anymore. The boys questions caused the man to gaze over at him in silent regard for a moment. ”It’s an artifact left behind from a time when pirates swarmed the seas around this land.” The mention of ‘pirates’ caused Henoke’s eyes to narrow a bit, flashing a look Tori’s way, though he said nothing. ”Once you look into its glass…another you appears.” The Tribe Leader stiffened a bit at the memory, their hands flexing out of reflex. ”I fought with this shadow…and after succeeding in vanquishing it…this power was mine.”
Henoke’s brow furrowed in thought for a moment. So…he ended up chasin’ after that mirror to get more power? All so he could protect his home? The one he’d burnt down…or at least, a good chunk of it. Grimacing at the memory, a new guilt began to gnaw on the teen’s conscience, threatening to be compartmentalized into frustration once more as he fought against the urge—reminded of his true purpose for being there. ”So…the mirror makes a ‘shadow’, huh?” Focusing on the information at hand, the teen struggled to imagine such a thing. Truthfully, he was picturing a meek Shadow Heartless, wondering how defeating one could get someone such strength. Having fought the Tribe Leader himself, Henoke knew the man’s power wasn’t anything to scoff at or underestimate. If the mirror gave him his powers…then…? Was it…a source? Did that matter? Wasn’t he looking for the Keyhole?
”Grr…none o’ this’s makin’ sense!” Grabbing at his spiky hair, the teen stomped a foot in impatience, finally pointing out at the Tribe Leader with a demanding tone. ”So—what’s the deal with this ‘war’?!” Tori had also mentioned it—that the war was hardly a real worry, but more of a fabricated consequence of the locals in Neverland. Surely there had to be something then, otherwise this guy was hardly the villain he’d been imagining. Stiffening with indignation, the Tribe Leader crossed their arms. ”Those damned lizards refused to aid us in reaching Skull Rock. Worried it would only upset balance further, they were willing to sacrifice my tribe for the slim chance of the demons not getting worse. They threatened to openly fight us if we attempted to reach it...” His fists gripped together for a moment, the bear face looking down towards the forest floor.
”I refused to sacrifice my family for their convenience. Hence why I have these powers now.” Finishing his explanation, the man bowed his head a bit to Tori, having said his piece. Sighing and shaking his head, the key-bearer eyed the Tribe Leader warily. "Well...ya might not be totally bad, I guess..." The Tribe Leader cut off his statement, pointing a finger out accusingly at the teen. ”Don’t think you’ve escaped judgement, boy! How do you plan on undoing the harm you’ve done to my people?” Staggering a bit at the reminder, Henoke muttered and grumbled, kicking at the forest floor before shoving their hands in their jacket pockets. ”Hm…” Furrowing his brow in thought, the teen jolted as an idea struck him. ”What if I get rid o’ these monsters for ya! Then, ya don’t even gotta worry about protectin’ yer clan?” Giving a rather carefree and confident grin, Henoke rocked on his heels a moment, seemingly pleased with his own idea. The Tribe Leader regarded it in silence, seemingly weighing if it was a worth-while enough task equal to absolving the teen's crime. "Hm...perhaps..." Resting his hands behind his head, Henoke still looked somewhat skeptical, glancing over at his friend for a moment with a raised brow. ”Well? What’d’ya think? That mirror sounds pretty fishy…right?”
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 18, 2021 11:18:21 GMT -5
Now fully back to normal, without mist surrounding her form, Tori looked at the Tribe Leader began to make his explanations —much needed at the time. It made sense that, much like everyone else, they had sought power in order to defend that which was precious to them, not looking to hurt others in the process, and yet despite that, the fact that there were open animosities in Neverland hardly worked in their favor —having brought those conflicts themselves.
”I know not the nature of this power…though I do know the origin.” The sudden revelation brought Tori to raise a brow in curiosity, listening attentive as the Tribe Leader explained how they’d obtained the powers over darkness. Wherever this “Skull Rock” was located at, it was certainly a possible hint to find the Keyhole of that world, and close it for good. The mention of a mirror that revealed another “you”, as they’d put it, only brought Tori to grimace.
She could already make an idea on what that was —and it annoyed her to no end.
“So… Whatever this mirror is, it’s crafting one’s own shadow, forcing them to fight against it…” Tori thought, “But then… Wouldn’t that mean that light is what prevails? So how come he’s using darkness instead?”
There were a few things making sense, but they had a destination to visit —one she’d bring up once she regrouped with Jake, Izzy and Cubby, back at the ship. Being aware of the sea charts of Neverland, the odds of them recognizing the place the Tribe Leader had mentioned was high.
Henoke seemed to struggle with the concept, frowning with clear confusion, followed by a shout of frustration. ”Those damned lizards refused to aid us in reaching Skull Rock. Worried it would only upset balance further, they were willing to sacrifice my tribe for the slim chance of the demons not getting worse. They threatened to openly fight us if we attempted to reach it...” The girl perked up, now finally knowing what it was that set the conflict aflame to begin with. Whether it was a misunderstanding or a warning, it was perhaps something meant to be revised for later.
In a sense, she was leaning towards the former, already knowing the crocodiles’ way of life. After all, she too had issues when they first met —so she understood the anger a little.
”What if I get rid o’ these monsters for ya! Then, ya don’t even gotta worry about protectin’ yer clan?” Tori nodded faintly, agreeing with Henoke’s bargain. Then again, that still didn’t save him from a scolding later from the girl, who knew exactly the trouble he’d caused. The Tribe Leader seemed to agree, meeting them at a middle point.
The more cooperation they got, the better.
“Then let’s do just that” Tori said, now calmer, “We’ll investigate what’s going on once and for all, to see what we can do in making those monsters go away. In the meantime, it’d be best if you returned to where you came from —and try to avoid overusing those powers you now hold” she warned, “The odds of those monsters being drawn towards you because of those powers is high. So, if you want to avoid them attacking you, maybe rely on your own strength, rather than an external one —I think that may help you much more.”
The girl sighed, relieved that the conflict was solved to a certain point. She glanced over her shoulder, looking at the hood in her vest, wondering if the Fairy was willing to come out now. With a deal in their hands plus an objective in mind, it was better off to move as soon as possible.
“You can come out now” she said, calm, “We need to get to where Jake is at. And for that, it’d be better if we flew there, since it's faster. So, mind sharing some with Henoke?”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Feb 18, 2021 13:33:00 GMT -5
Grinning with a devious glint in his eyes, Henoke was pleased to see he avoided the wrath of the Tribe Leader with his offer. It seemed once hearing the full story, the teen’s guilt had outweighed his anger after all. ”Then let’s do just that. We’ll investigate what’s going on once and for all,” Gazing between the two teens, the bear-masked man nodded as he listened to the warning of his powers being a ‘lure’ to the Heartless. ”…You two, just how do you know so much about these demons?” Henoke puffed up his chest a bit, thumping a fist against it with an indignant look. ”I’ve been tryin’ ta tell ya, we’re the good guys! We showed up to get rid of ‘em.” Flashing a cocky look, the teen flashed the tall man a ‘thumbs up’. ”Think o’ us as monster exterminators!” The overly simplified explanation caused the Tribe Leader to visibly deflate—rejected in their hopes of gaining the information they truly sought. Regardless, it seemed that the conflict as resolved for now—the Tribe Leader content with allowing Henoke to atone for his crimes by aiding Neverland as a whole as well as the tribe.
”You can come out now.” Raising a brow in confusion as Tori talked to her hood, Henoke scratched at his head. "Uh…Tori?” Was she feeling okay? Ting! Faint chimes and bell sounds rang out as the red-headed Fairy from before emerged from the folds of Tori’s hood. ”Woah!” Staggering in surprise as the small winged local buzzed about the girl, noticing the two others with a surprised look, Henoke gawked openly for a second. ”So, you do have the Fairies on your side.” The Tribe Leader’s tone betrayed a faint sense of approval—clearly the Fairies respect was something not lightly considered on this world. ”If you can fly, you’ll have no trouble reaching Skull Rock.” The Tribe Leader nodded and formed a sign with their hands Henoke didn’t recognize. ”I’ll wait for your success…” The hollow bear eyes turned to the orange haired teen. ”Though if you fail, boy—I’ll be your judge and executioner.” The threat lacked malice. It was clear that it was simple accountability, in regards to the leader of the tribes.
”Tch—I never fail at nothin’!” With an indignant look, Henoke crossed his arms and turned away from the man, who only scoffed and shook their head in response. With that, the Tribe Leader departed, leaving through the thickets of trees and overgrowth around the small clearing that had leveled out from the prior battle. Abiding by Tori’s request, the Fairy was quick to flutter and buzz around the two key-bearers, causing Henoke to stagger and shout out in surprise as dust and glitter cascaded down around him. ”Phoot! Ugh, it got in my mouth and everythin’…” Spitting out on the forest floor and trying to shake glitter from their spiky hair, it took the teen a moment before he realized his feet were slowly leaving the ground. ”W-woah!” With widening eyes the teen wobbled for a moment as his form began to levitate, rocking and swaying back and forth before finding his balance.
”This is—!” A look of recognition flashed across his face before a wide smile cracked open. ”I’m flyin’!” Shouting out in glee, the hot-headed teen rocked up off of the ground and soared above the tree-tops within seconds. "Woooooooooooohooo! This’s awesome!” It was way more freeing than when he'd been toted around by the large Neverbird. Spinning and halting high above the forest, Henoke took in the sight of Neverland sprawling out around him. In the distance were the high mountains, still towering despite his height in the air. Sprawling beyond the forest were sections of swamp, on the other end a sandy coast. Small islets poked out of the shining blue water further off—though a large section of scenery was cut off by the mountainside. ”Woah…” Hovering in the air for a moment, Henoke seemed to be awe-struck, simply taking it all in. ”Ack!” Distracted by the sights, the teen hadn’t been focused on his sense of balance whatsoever, quickly careening upside-down in the air with a shout, flailing their arms out as they toppled and turned.
”Urgh…okay…I think I got it now.” Shaking off the dizzy sensation, Henoke straightened himself and lowered back down towards where Tori was—ignoring the openly embarrassing moment with a slightly indignant look and red face. "So…if you’re with a Fairy…you know where the Lost Boys are, right?” His gaze was constantly wondering, a hand scratching at the back of his head. It seemed the boy was sheepish about something else, as well. Something he'd rather not say. Was it...perhaps the lesson he'd learned during this conflict? Did he learn one at all? Was he embarrassed about being wrong, unsure how to apologize?
Sure enough, it seemed he was willing to simply push it aside and press on, though it was unlikely Tori would allow such a selfish feat to go unchecked.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 18, 2021 17:16:14 GMT -5
”I’ve been tryin’ ta tell ya, we’re the good guys! We showed up to get rid of ‘em.”
The sudden bravado showcased by the teen earned him a glare and a half from Tori, unamused at the fact that he apparently refused to acknowledge his fault in the matter. The fact that he dismissed the Tribe Leader so casually while he was added was another thing that wasn’t appreciated, nor it should’ve been —the girl was seriously tempted to cuff him in the head already, with all the hassle Henoke had proven to be.
Why was she travelling with him, again?
Ignoring what came next —although scoffing at the Tribe Leader’s subtle threat—, Tori looked at the Fairy as she listened to her plea, spreading Fairy Dust on both Keyblade Wielders to allow them the ability of flight once more. Henoke immediately tried it out, after going past the first shock —much in a similar way to how Tori had reacted, but perhaps a bit more childishly. Still, she could only scoff at the sight, admitting to the fact that there were times where seeing him act that way brought an unexpected chuckle or two.
Still didn’t change much about the whole ordeal in Neverland, though —it didn’t matter how much the teen tried to avoid it, Tori was going to make sure he had it conscient until the journey ended.
As he asked his questions, Tori noticed how he was looking elsewhere, instead of looking at her directly. Smirking while crossing her arms, the girl simply glared, quick to return to a more serious demeanor as she approached a bit. Smack! Without wasting a second, she was quick to hit him upside the head, resting the clenched fist over her head as Tori looked at Henoke beratingly.
“Don’t try to squirm away from the fault —do that, I’m hitting you again, and harder” she warned, “We’re in quite the mess because of you, so do me a favor and try to think a bit next time?”
With a sigh, she removed the fist from the teen’s head, her arms crossed once more, yet never looking away from him, wanting to make extra sure he didn’t shrug the responsibilities and consequences his actions had brought alongside them. Sure, they had managed to settle on a deal with the Tribe Leader, but it didn’t change the fact that Henoke had messed up beforehand.
It was only after Tori stepped in that he’d notice —odds were that, had she not done so, the issue would’ve escalated far beyond anyone’s grasp.
“Now you see why I fought you, back then, or are you still that much of a thick-head to realize what’s really going on?” she asked, frowning, “We’re not moving from here until you realize what you did, and what you’re supposed to do now, Henoke —and that includes trying to fly away.”
She knew the trick, after all —Izzy had told her all the way back then, when she first experienced flying. The pirates had warned her that water was enough to remove the Fairy Dust off of someone —and given Tori’s magic affinities, she wouldn’t mind using them to ensure Henoke stood in place.
That, and the fact that he hated water to begin with, would surely be enough.
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Feb 21, 2021 13:35:36 GMT -5
THWACK! Striking like lightning and booming like thunder, Tori’s fist planted itself into Henoke’s head, his spiky hair doing little to cushion the blow. ”Ack!” Staggered by the sudden attack, the teen grimaced as he felt knuckles grind in further. ”Don’t try to squirm away from the fault—do that, I’m hitting you again, and harder.” His face reddened a bit as he glanced down, a faint tch as his tongue clicked the only retort. Though Henoke’s spirit was rather defiant, he truly couldn’t argue with her anymore—not after everything he’d done and come to realize. ”We’re in quite the mess because of you, so do me a favor and try to think a bit next time?” As the girl removed her fist, the boy straightened up, rubbing the sore spot with a look between remorse and sourness. Tch—I think about stuff… For a moment, the teen was reminded of his Chirithy, always chastising his decision making processes and often-times acting as a guide during his missions.
”Now you see why I fought you, back then, or are you still that much of a thick-head to realize what’s really going on?” Hearing how the girl was hardly about to let him fly off without a proper response, Henoke sighed, finally stopping to rub the spot on his head and shoving his hands in his pockets with a somewhat unsure expression and raised brow. ”Uh…o’course! Ya fought me ‘cause…uh…I thought the pirates were bad, and they weren’t?” It seemed he was at least trying to piece it together. ”And ‘cause I had messed up with the Tribe Leader…which…uh…did somethin’ to the Heartless?” He was losing steam fast—it was clear that at the end of the day the boy was more apt to leaping rather than looking. ”Tch—fine! I’m sorry, alright?!” Finally giving up, the boy threw up their arms before turning away. ”I shouldn’t’a listened to the Lost Boys so much—and I shouldn’t’a burned down that forest or fought with that jerk…at the end of the day, everyone here’s a victim, right?”
Glancing back over his shoulder at Tori, Henoke grumbled a bit, though his face betrayed his remorse. ”I guess…I did forget why we were here.” Sighing a bit, the teen glanced up towards the sky, a faint scowl forming as he furrowed his brow. ”Tch—I told Chirithy I wasn’t cut out for this stuff.” Kicking at the forest floor, Henoke thought of the Keyblade and all its responsibilities, as well as his own history with it—or rather, the ‘original’ him’s history. ”Y’know…I wasn’t excited at all when I first got the Keyblade. I thought it was a hassle…some chore someone was dumpin’ on me.” Turning back to face Tori, Henoke wore a new and serious expression, a fiery determination in his gaze. ”I don’t really care ‘bout ‘order’ or ‘balance’ or none o’ that stuff…but...I do wanna help people, not make their lives harder. I’m strong, so I gotta, right?” Flashing a faint grin, the boy seemed to recall words spoken to him in another life, though he couldn’t remember who it was.
”I won’t fight my friends anymore—or their friends. The next time we butt-heads, I’ll try and figure out why first.” Chuckling a bit, he gave her a ‘thumbs up’. It seemed though he wasn’t saying they wouldn’t clash again, it wouldn’t be in the same type of way as before. Or back then… He nearly lost his confidence at the recollection of the war—the friends he’d had to cross then, as well. Not again. He couldn’t afford to waste the new opportunity he’d gotten. He had a goal after all, right? To make that ‘Organization’ pay. He didn’t have time to waste fighting friends. The real question now was whether or not his apology and ‘realization’ was enough to appease Tori—or if he’d be eating yet another fist. At the end of the day though, Henoke couldn’t be mad either way.
He was in the wrong, after all. A fact that irked him relentlessly.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 21, 2021 16:44:00 GMT -5
Well, at least he was trying. The look in Tori’s face begged much to differ, but she was willing to listen out as Henoke began to recollect his fault —a much desired action. It was clear, however, that he was losing his better judgement quickly, apparently not used to using his head often. The term “overheating” was a more than fitting term to use there, as Tori smirked faintly, imagining steam leaving the teen’s ears as if the whole circuit was fried.
”Tch—fine! I’m sorry, alright?!” Now there was a proper apology. Henoke’s scowl following after brought a silent chuckle from the girl, but quickly perked up as the teen slouched and sighed, remembering so suddenly what his past life was like. Immediately concerned, Tori wondered if she’d driven Henoke to a pity party…
“Those memories, huh…?”
Hearing him tell how he felt upon receiving the Keyblade as a duty someone was dumping on his shoulders caused her to frown, yet his willingness to help everyone he could, instead of making their lives harder, was always shining through no matter the situation. It was a trait she envied, in the end —one she had to admit she admired. Sighing with a smirk still, she nodded calmly, acknowledging his words.
In the end, even if he didn’t voice it, the fact that his memories did it for him left no room for doubt.
Tori stepped forward a bit, to once more knock a fist over his head —but this one didn’t have any strength behind it. The calm smile she had written on her lips would say everything she wouldn’t —a calm, yet trusting smile, following with a giggle of sorts as she took it away.
“You’re more trouble than you’re worth, y’know that?” Tori asked, cocky, “Still… It’s one of the charms you’ve got. You probably know this already, but the Keyblade chose you for a reason —perhaps said reason lies behind one of the traits you have innately?”
Leaving the question in the air with a chuckle, the girl took a few steps ahead, standing in front of Henoke so that he wouldn’t advert his gaze elsewhere —despite the fact that he could easily do it. Still, while she had been angry at him, and still wanted for Henoke to make up for the mistakes he’d done —already having 1 in mind—, Tori had to admit that he’d done an effort to admit his faults.
Not that he’d let him slide easily with them, anyways.
“You’ll have to work your way to gaining the trust of those you’ve wronged —but I’m sure it won’t be an issue for you?” the girl asked, issuing a challenge, with a smirk, “We’ve got a lead and a reason, so let’s get going and get back to what we came here for.”
With that said, Tori turned towards the Fairy, nodding faintly with a smile as she waited for an approval. They’d left the issue besides in order to make up, but now that said act was done with, they had to return to what it was that they were there for —finding the Keyhole, and making the Heartless retreat from Neverland, to never return again.
And in order to figure that out, they needed to count on the pirates, as well as the Lost Boys.
“If Jake followed after what I told him, he should be back by Bucky” Tori informed, looking at the Fairy, “We’ll be heading there. Are you tagging along?”
After receiving the answer —regardless if the Fairy decided to join or not—, Tori would take off, not before telling Henoke to follow after her. She remembered where they’d left Bucky at, and now the only thing left was going back and making sure everyone was there waiting safely.
At the very least, she knew she could trust the pirate captain to ensure everyone’s safety, having established that solely because of his desire to grow stronger.
The girl looked around over the greens of Neverland, trying to spot the place where they’d left Bucky at. Finding it rather quickly, she flew that way, making sure Henoke followed. It was time they finished what they had started.
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Feb 24, 2021 15:03:27 GMT -5
Thump. The quiet fist plopped onto his spiky head, the lack of force causing him to blink in surprise for a moment. "You’re more trouble than you’re worth, y’know that?” Tori’s smile caught Henoke off-guard, though not as much as her following compliments. For a moment, the teen wondered if everything was really resolved or not. ”You’ll have to work your way to gaining the trust of those you’ve wrong—but I’m sure it won’t be an issue for you?” The girl’s smirk and challenge only brought forth a cocky grin from the boy as he nodded, clenching a fist in determination. ”O’course! We’re gonna send the Heartless packin’, and that’ll show everyone!” The Fairy chimed in delight, thankful for the resolution as she fluttered and spun through the air around them. ”If Jake followed after what I told him, he should be back by Bucky…” Not knowing the names of the crew, or the fact that their ship was sentient, Henoke merely blinked and tilted a head in confusion. ”Are you tagging along?”
The Fairy blinked in surprise for a moment, tapping a foot in the air while rubbing their chin in thought. Ding! Shaking their head ‘no’, the magical local fluttered around Tori and Henoke once more, refreshing more dust around them for their journey ahead. It seemed they weren’t willing to leave the forest, especially to where Tori and Henoke would be heading. Having heard where their destination was, the Fairy hardly seemed willing to stick around for long. Waving ‘good-bye’, the local flew off, disappearing between the trees in the forest around them as Tori urged Henoke into the sky. ”Alright! Let’s do this!” With a new excitement and zealous, the hot-headed teen launched into the air, a wide grin on their face as they soared into the open sky above.
”There ya are!” Yelling from the raised Pilot’s Deck on the ship, Jake waved with a broad grin after having been altered by Skully of Tori and Henoke’s approach. Soaring through the air and slowly lowering towards the ship they had spotted further out along the forest where the smaller streams connected with the larger river dividing sections of it. As the two would come to the ship deck to land, they’d be greeted by Cubby and Izzy first and foremost, who were eager and relieved to see Tori unharmed. ”Oh, I’m so glad you’re back! Everything went well…?” Izzy’s sparkling optimism paused as she leaned to look past Tori, giving an unsure look towards Henoke. ”Aww, coconuts…I hope it did!” Cubby glanced nervously around the ship before glancing between the two teens with an unsure look. Glancing up towards where the young captain stood behind the wheel, Henoke felt his face redden slightly as he scratched at the back of his head and glanced up towards the sky.
”Er…sorry, ‘bout before…” With a frustrated sigh, the boy slumped a bit but finally managed to look at each pirate in the face with a new determination. ”Tori explained everythin’ to me. So...” Jake smirked while crossing their arms, seemingly enjoying seeing the teen sweat in the pause. Izzy clapped her hands together quickly, perking back up with a bright smile. ”Oh, good! Let’s start fresh, then. I’m Izzy~” Blinking by the sudden bounce back of the pirate, Henoke staggered a bit as Cubby also came forward. ”I’m just glad no one’s fighting anymore! Nice to meet you, I’m Cubby.” A loud squawk broke from above as Skully swooped down, flapping their wings. ”Skully’s the name! You’re pretty strong, yeah? You gonna beat up those monsters now, instead of us?” The parrot’s ability to talk was outshone by its snarky jab, causing the hot-headed teen to flash an indignant look. ”Ha ha! Don’t worry, you’re good by us, now!” Jake grinned from above. ”I’m Jake, the Captain of this ship!” The ship itself quaked somewhat as Bucky’s voice rang out.
”And I’m the ship, Bucky! Don’t forget about me, guys!” While the pirates all chuckled and laughed, Henoke’s eyes widened more as he glanced down at the deck he stood on, immediately leaping back and raising a foot. ”Huh!? Yer boat talks?!” He was immediately reminded of his time in Belle’s Castle…though the largest local there had been the Wardrobe. He’d never seen something like a whole ship move around and talk. ”Yeah, we hear that a lot…” Giggling a bit at Henoke’s reaction, Izzy turned to Tori with a wide smile, resting her hands on her hips. ”So? Everything seemed to go well for you two. Good job, Tori!” Shouting out suddenly as he remembered, Henoke flashed a worried look around the ship, taking a step forward. ”Wait! Where’re the Lost Boys?!” Motioning for Henoke to lower his voice with her hands, Izzy shook her head with a faint smile. ”Don’t worry, they’re resting right now below deck. They’ve been through a lot, after all…” Sighing in relief, the teen allowed himself to disarm a bit.
”Well, we’ve got our dust and you’ve got yer friend.” Addressing Tori from the steering wheel, Jake tipped his captain’s hat a bit with a grin. ”Looks like you held up on your end of the deal, just like we did.” Cubby and Izzy gave each other looks before rolling their eyes with modest exasperation. It seemed the young captain was used to saving face. ”SQUAWK! So, what’s yer plan, now?” Skully squawked out the question as he flapped over to the railing of the deck, giving Henoke and Tori a quizzical look. ”We’re gonna get rid o’ the Hear—er, those monsters!” Henoke fumbled for a moment, though he saved the ‘World Order’ at the last second. ”I figured that’d be your next move.” The young captain gave a knowing nod, giving Tori a knowing wink. ”So, we wanna help!” Izzy and Cubby nodded in affirmation to their leader’s opinion, though Skully seemed to roll their eyes a bit, shaking their head. ”How’re we gonna help? I think they’ve got it covered…” Ignoring the parrot, Jake gave Tori an expectant look.
”We’re gonna help protect our home. You know that’ll be the case whether or not you let us tag along, right?” He flashed a confident smirk, a devious look in his eyes. It seemed at the end of the day, despite their pure hearts and good intentions, they were pirates still. They made their own rules.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 25, 2021 14:47:26 GMT -5
Tori smiled after spotting Bucky, seeing Jake wave so eagerly at their arrival. Since the Fairy had refused to tag along, there was no need to worry whatsoever, seemingly reassured at the fact that the local would be able to pass by the Heartless unnoticed, safely going back to where it came from. There were a few loose ends, but one at a time, they’d be able to solve them.
Closing distance to Bucky, Tori spun to land on her feet in a swift motion, the solid creak of wood beneath her feet a reassuring sensation. She blinked a bit after Izzy leaned forward, an unsure expression written on her and Cubby behind her, both glancing Henoke’s way. Thankfully, the teen was honest enough to admit his mistakes, causing a grin to rise from her lips.
“Good —I was gonna force it out of you otherwise, y’know” she teased, cocky.
A few laughs followed after with the introductions, as well as some reassurances —the main one being that the Lost Boys had listened to Jake, Izzy and Cubby, teaming up for the time being, despite the fact that they were currently resting below deck.
They would wake up eventually —in the meantime, there were some other things that could be discussed, in order to not waste time.
Jake had a point in saying that the pirates’ deal with Tori had ended, in a sense, with each side holding up to their ends. While one deal was cleared, it didn’t mean Tori wouldn’t ask for another favor, knowing they wouldn’t refuse this time, either. With Henoke assuring that they’d be dealing with the “monsters” only strengthening the pirates’ desire to help, Tori wasn’t going to turn away from that.
Instead, she could use that for their advantage tenfold.
“I’m more than aware of that” she pointed out, “Given that someone’s stubbornly trying to pick a fight anyways…” the jab was aimed at Jake with a smirk, although someone else could take it the wrong way, “Truthfully, there is something I wanted to ask…”
“We got a lead to where this whole problem’s originating from —a place known as Skull Rock. I’m sure we’re bound to find something there, if we dare. Problem is… Well, not so much of a problem, but rather a nuisance…” Tori frowned, her arms crossed, “We might need to negotiate with the crocodiles again for this, just in case… In fact…”
Slouching a bit with a pout, Tori thought her words a little. Now that she knew of what exactly had happened between Tribesmen and crocodiles, the odds of the latter stopping them despite having helped earlier was possible. Unsure on what would happen, it was better to keep everyone in the same page.
“Long story short, we figured out why Tribesmen and crocodiles are so hostile all of the sudden —the motive behind the war?” she asked, trying to remind them, “I consider it mostly a misunderstanding from both parties, but… Keeping it short —the Tribesmen apparently knew of something in Skull Rock, that the crocodiles were wary of. It got to the point that, if it meant keeping those monsters away, then the Tribesmen could serve as a front line, so to speak, but the crocodiles refused to do much more —all for the sake of balance.”
“You’ve already told me their story, so I don’t need to hear it again… But, if we want to head there, we need two things” Tori said, smirking, “First, coordinates. Henoke and I can go there alone, if required, but we don’t know where it is. And second, keeping the animosity down as much as possible. That, I’ll leave to your crew, as well as the Lost Boys —but let’s wait for them to recover before going into detail.”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 2, 2021 14:59:28 GMT -5
”I’m more than aware of that.” Tori’s jab at Jake caused the young captain to stagger with a sheepish look, causing his crew and Henoke to snicker and chortle at their expense. ”Truthfully, there is something I wanted to ask…” Sharing the information they’d gotten from the Tribe Leader, Tori’s mention of ‘Skull Rock’ caused Cubby to openly squeak and quake in fear, while Izzy’s face flashed worry. ”We might need to negotiate with the crocodiles again for this,” Jake hadn’t been phased by the location shared, a look of determination fixed on his face. ”Long story short, we figured out why Tribesmen and crocodiles are so hostile all of a sudden—“ Hearing the explanation around the war that had begun to brew in Neverland, the pirates gave a look of shock. Henoke merely watched with a look of vague confusion and boredom. He’d already heard all of this information, hardly understanding any of it. The teen just couldn’t fathom the idea of territories and wars when the Heartless were such an obvious threat.
”We need two things. First, coordinates […] second, keeping the animosity down as much as possible.” Hearing how the girl intended for Jake and his crew to handle smoothing things over between the clans of Neverland, the young captain gave Tori a shrewd look while crossing their arms. ”This sounds like an awfully fancy way o’ sayin’ you ain’t lettin’ us tag along.” In a sense, the boy was captain for a reason—he had at least that much perception, anyway. ”Well, she’s got a point…” Izzy still wore a look of worry, though she had nodded along and seemed to be in agreement with Tori’s idea. ”If the crocodiles don’t want people messing with whatever’s at Skull Rock, wouldn’t we be the best ones to make sure they don’t get upset at Tori and Henoke?” Cubby had openly sighed in relief at the idea of not having to go to Skull Rock himself. ”Y-yeah! Izzy and Tori’re right, Jake!”
”SQUAWK! Told ya, kiddo. This is a job that suits ya better than monster hunting, anyway!” Skully flapped their wings, nodding somewhat condescendingly as Jake’s face reddened in embarrassment. ”Tch—well, all of you could stay behind while the three of us went!” The young captain’s pride seemed to be wounded somewhat. ”But Jake, the crocodiles won’t listen to a bunch of pirates without a captain…” Bucky spoke up this time, sounding somewhat forlorn. ”Besides, we’re a team…we shouldn’t split up…” It seemed the boat’s feelings had been mildly hurt. ”Aw, coconuts, Jake…” Cubby shook their head, walking over to the railing while giving their captain a look of mild exasperation. ”Don’t worry, Bucky. He didn’t mean it like that…” Sighing in defeat, Jake threw his hands up in the air. ”Alright, alright! Yer right, yer right. A crew’s gotta stick together.” Kicking at the air, the young captain pulled the brim of their hat down, shadowing their face for a moment to allow them a moment of privacy and collection.
”Cubby—give her the map.” Finally recovering, Jake pushed the hat back up and flashed a confident look at his crew, resuming his proper role. ”You two can easily reach Skull Rock with the dust. You better be careful, though…even before those monsters showed up, that place was bad news.” Giving Henoke and Tori a serious look, the young captain glanced over at Cubby, who was rifling through their large knapsack before pulling out a large rolled up parchment with a cry of victory. ”Here it is!” Rushing over to where Tori stood, Cubby handed the spirit a detailed, hand-crafted map of Neverland. The parchment would show the entire island, from the mountains where the Neverbirds lived, to the forests where the Lost Boys pranked the Tribesmen. Dotted around the lively area were small islands—though far back behind where the mountains resided lurked a massive skull in the water. ”Skull Rock was where Hook had set up shop for some time. He and a bunch’a other no-good wannabe’s showed up and made that place a huge lair.” Jake’s face and tone showed all the disapproval that his heart felt.
”I dunno what you guys are lookin’ for there…but whatever it is, it can’t be anything good.” Despite the serious and glum mood of the crew, Henoke was prickling with excitement and anticipation, though he did his best to not appear too eager. This’s definitely the spot! I know it! He wasn’t sure why, but something in his heart told him that he and Tori would indeed find what they needed at this rumored place of past ne’er-do-well’s. ”Alright! We’ll leave the crocs to you guys. We’ll deal with Skull Rock!” Thumping a fist against his chest, Henoke flashed a cocky and confident grin at the crew while holding up a ‘thumbs up’. ”…Did you really listen to what he was saying?” Izzy flashed a doubtful and worried look at the orange haired teen, who seemed far too excited for such a foreboding and scary place to be their destination. Staggering with an indignant look, Henoke’s face reddened a bit as the others began to laugh and chuckle, shaking their heads. ”Don’t worry, Izzy. This guy’s pretty strong—even if he seems unreliable.” Jake delivered the reassurance with a devious smirk. ”Remember? I crossed swords with ‘im, so I know.” Giving Henoke a wink, the young captain chuckled while the teen recovered with an eye-roll and sigh.
Walking up to Tori, Jake gave a stern nod before holding up a fist. ”We’ll take care'a the locals, so don’t worry. You two go on ahead. Pirates're better at askin’ fer forgiveness than permission, anyways.” With a grin, the young captain seemed to have come to terms with the role he had to play—the responsibilities that came with leading a crew. In that sense, the young boy seemed to have matured somewhat. ”Good luck, you two!” Izzy still wore a look of mild worry, though her heart seemed much lighter than before—relieved, even. ”You can c-count on us…!” Cubby seemed nervous still, but mustered up all their courage in a salute. ”Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to take care of the Lost Boys, too.” Izzy flashed Henoke a knowing look, giving the teen a reassuring smile. ”Urk!” Feeling somewhat embarrassed, the key-bearer merely flashed an indignant look and crossed their arms. ”They’re all brats, anyway. Dump ‘em overboard, for all I care!”
It was obvious that he didn’t mean it. Almost comically so. ”C’mon! Let’s get movin’!” Quick to want to flee the scene now, Henoke turned to Tori. The teen seemed eager to leap into the air at any moment, though the dust had certainly worn off by now. Once they were set to fly, the two would be able to soar through the air high above Neverland, avoiding the forests, mountains and swamps with ease—guided by Cubby’s surprisingly thorough and detailed navigation skills.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 3, 2021 4:57:10 GMT -5
”This sounds like an awfully fancy way o’ sayin’ you ain’t lettin’ us tag along.”
Blinking in a bit of confusion, Tori only managed to draw an uneasy smile. She hadn’t meant for her words to come out in that way, but the rest of the crew seemed to agree with that sense. In the end, it was true that she wanted to keep them away from as much danger as possible, although all things considered she wouldn’t be able to keep them away from all of it.
Izzy and Cubby always seemed to be on her side, more than Jake’s —making it a rather comical thought to consider, given how long each side had been together with them. Wouldn’t it make sense for it to be the other way around? With them backing up Jake, and not Tori?
Then again, they were young…
In the end, the entire crew —including the ship— was for leaving the “monster hunting” to Henoke and Tori, causing Jake to begrudgingly agree, after a rather low blow full of emotion. A blow Tori couldn’t help but giggle at, trying her best to keep it low, less she dragged the pirate captain’s pride even further down.
Grabbing the map from Cubby, Tori nodded serious as Jake’s warning. It seemed that “Skull Rock” was in fact a place for trouble, evidenced by it being where Hook and other pirates (the bad kind, anyways) had set camp for a while before being chased away by Jake, his crew and whoever else she didn’t know much about. Glancing over at Henoke while gauging the dangers, the girl found herself looking with clear disappointment at his eagerness trying to hide beneath a façade of seriousness —obviously unable to. Izzy’s further question brought her to a sigh, shaking her head before giving her own answer.
“You’d be lucky if he even picked all of that up to start with…” she admitted, “Truthfully, I had a feeling he’d be like this…”
Jake’s chiming in brought her to smirk, feeling how her side had received more than enough support. It was true that, no matter how much of a hassle Henoke’s endeavors have proven to be, he was strong in his own right. It still didn’t make it better, though, but it was nice to know from before that he was ready to make amends.
In a sense, his personality matched a lot with pirates, in that regard —willing to ask for forgiveness if it came for it, albeit reluctantly.
With a map in hand, plus her basic knowledge about sea charts and the like, it didn’t take much to determine where to head towards next, with their destination clearly marked in the paper. Soaring high in the air while clutching the map closely to her, Tori tried to get ahead of Henoke in order to lead, having haved good-bye to the crew and promising to report once it was over. Now only with the hot-headed teen besides her, the girl couldn’t help but want to tease him a little bit.
“So, I take it you and the Lost Boys are at odds, too?” she asked, rhetorically, “And here I thought you’d have the time of your life around them… You’re too alike.”
Looking forward with a smug smile, Tori was wary of finding their location, spotting it rather easily. The rocky island, surrounded by water, was a comical stone skull with 3 openings —2 on the eyes and the other on the nose, as well as underneath where the teeth would be located. No green, or no boats —a good and bad sign.
The Spirit shuddered, uneasy. The thought of what lurked near didn’t appeal her in the slightest, despite the fact that it was partly her duty.
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 4, 2021 17:06:29 GMT -5
With the Fairy Dust, the two were able to fly through the air above the forests and rivers. Raising above the tree line, Henoke couldn’t help but grin with a childish excitement—never having felt so free physically. ”So, I take it you and the Lost Boys are at odds, too?” Tori’s question caught the teen by surprise as they leveled out in the air. Hearing her comment about him being similar to the young pranksters only caused Henoke to stagger in the air, waving a fist at her for a moment with an indignant look. ”Tch—yea, right. We’re nothin’ alike!” Chasing after Tori through the air as she led them across the large island that was Neverland, the boy refused to admit anything. Able to soar high over the obstacles below, the two would reach the water with ease, able to spot their destination in the distance once they rounded the mountains that backed Neverland and marked the Neverbirds territory.
Flying away from Neverland and towards Skull Rock, the massive cave-like structure would grow larger and larger as they neared. Able to make out the barren landscape surrounding it, a destitute excuse for an island, as well as the skull shape of the massive stone structure, dark clouds would hang high in the air above, threatening with crackling purple lightning that zapped and sparked sporadically. Darkness held a clear presence.
As the two flew near the island, preparing to lower and ready for landing, their presence wouldn’t go unnoticed. Whoosh! Still airborne, Henoke would shout out with an irritated look as the Heartless began to emerge, some stuck to the banks while others appeared and soared through the air to meet them. ”Bring it on!” Summoning his Keyblade, the hot-headed teen would prepare for battle, glaring at the coming Heartless that rushed to greet them. SkoooOoom! Cannon fire boomed as a Battleship Heartless blasted two powerful flaming dark projectiles towards the key-bearer’s! Swoosh! Air Pirates dove and lunged from all directions, their balled fists rushing to take advantage of the opening the other Heartless created. ”Woah!” Careening backwards after having lowered himself to avoid the cannon fire, Henoke narrowly avoided a swiping fist that came from below, rushing past him as the Air Pirate swooped for a second round.
”Grr…get outta here!” With an agitated look, the teen hurled his large Keyblade towards one of the Battleship’s, slamming into it with a loud BLING! as it ricocheted and arced towards another Heartless. While Henoke’s Reflect Raid created more havoc across the sky, the teen glanced towards the banks below. On the shore of Skull Rock, armed Pirate Heartless, Barrel Spiders and Shadows waited, eagerly watching with bright yellow eyes at the hearts being swarmed above.
[[ENEMIES [In the Sky]: 2 Battleships, 5 Air Pirates]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 4, 2021 17:20:15 GMT -5
Sure enough, her instincts were right. Immediately as they closed the distance, Heartless met them in a chaotic welcome, the airborne ones approaching while the rest remained eager on the floor of the island, eagerly waiting for one of them to drop down. Grabbing both Keyblade and sword firmly in each hand, Tori glared.
While she was annoyed at the fact that there were so many of them there, there was also some reassuring of their original idea for coming there.
“It’s got to be here!”
First, however, there was a battle she had to fight in. Wasting no time in following up Henoke’s Reflect Raid, Tori’s own Keyblade was thrown forward imbued in flamed, her Fire Toss aimed at one of the Battleships. Regardless of whether the attack landed or not, the blade would return to her side, as the girl glanced downwards to the chaotic ensemble on the banks below.
Rushing forward to follow up the attack, Tori stroke in a cross-slash to the airborne enemies close by, her eyes shifting purple just faintly —annoyed, wanting to end things properly before they got out of hands. They’d lost enough time already, and couldn’t afford a single second more.
If they were going to help, they had to be quick.
But where would the Keyhole be? Where could this mysterious mirror be held? Knowing practically nothing about the place they were in, and unable to check the map Cubby had handled over to see if there was anything written down, they were practically left on a blind run. Surprisingly, however, that fact bothered didn’t bother Tori as much as she thought it would.
If anything, it made things even more exciting —something she wouldn’t find herself admitting in a very long time.
“If I were a pirate looking to set a lair…” Tori thought, looking around amidst the battle, thinking, “Then I’d want a room with lots of space —somewhere I could keep as many things as I treasured safe… In a single spot. So… Where is that?”
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 4, 2021 17:39:29 GMT -5
Tori’s Fire Toss would connect with a charging Battleship, forcing it to recoil from the collision and halt in its coming attack. While the girl was quick to rush a duo of Air Pirates with her weapons, Henoke spun through the air, cleaving his large Keyblade with ease. CLANG! Slam! Bashing back a Battleship himself, the teen followed up their spinning attack with a powerful strike—one that caused the Keyblade to glow with power as his Blitz attack finished it off. ”Ain’t nothin’…” Wearing a cocky grin, Henoke was quick to rush the next Heartless. Below, the ground enemies watched with anticipation, blocking the entrance of Skull Rock, formed from the stone mouth of the skull-shaped structure sunk into the barren sand. Jagged Rocks peppered the shallow water near the island, giving Henoke a rather sudden idea as he battled with the winged Heartless. ”Hyut!” Slamming down both arms in a vertical blow, the strong teen managed to send an Air Pirate plummeting into said jagged rocks, acting as spikes as it was impaled and poofed! into dark vapor.
”Urk!” Taken surprise due to being distracted by his momentary success, Henoke was struck from behind by a charging Battleship. Careening through the air, the teen leveled themselves back out, shaking their head in minor disorientation. ”Urgh…huh?” Blinking in surprise, Henoke noticed he’d dipped a bit lower towards the rocks and shore—causing some of the waiting Heartless to finally lose their patience, sensing the Keyblade and heart so close. Leaping from the sand, Shadows swiped while trying to reach him, most failing or plummeting into the water and rocks. ”Tch—get off’a me!” A Pirate Heartless had managed to grab onto the teens leg, swinging their cutlass up and waving it in the air as they tried to get at them. Kicking at the clinging Heartless, Henoke shouted out as he noticed himself being weighed down, allowing other Heartless nearby to lunge and try to latch on. ”Damn it! You bastards!” Losing his patience, the teen hoisted his Keyblade into the air, using his Thundara spell as lightning magic lanced through the air around him.
Zap! Crack! Though successfully shaking off most of the surrounding Heartless, Henoke plopped and toppled into the sand—the disruption being enough to cause him to lose most of the effects of his dust. ”Fine! You want me down here? I’ll take ya on!” Glaring at the Heartless on the banks, Henoke rushed forward. Above, Tori would be left with the remaining airborne Heartless. While the Air Pirates attempted to lunge, pummel and grapple, the remaining Battleship would keep its distance, circling around her and readying shots from its cannons! BOOM!
[[ENEMIES — In the Sky: 1 Battleship, 3 Air Pirates On the Ground: 8 Shadows, 5 Pirates, 4 Barrel Spiders]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 5, 2021 5:38:51 GMT -5
Tori focused on the Air Pirates following after her attacks, her gaze fixated on the enemies in the air. Henoke took one of them out, leaving 3 more for the girl to take on, as well as the remaining Battleship. With so much going on, she didn’t even notice the teen besides her dragged down to the floor, only realizing a second too late.
The girl flinched, looking back at the battle Henoke was a part of —yet Tori had enemies of her own to deal with now. Still, it was Henoke we’re talking about, he could handle himself for a while. Knowing they were short on time, and truthfully wanting the issue over with, Tori was determined to finish the air battle before dropping down to help.
The first main enemy had to be the Battleship, able to attack at a distance to both Keyblade Wielders with little effort. Having somewhat mastered the flying aspects of battle, Tori found it easy to close her distance to the enemy, a bright blue flash of light wrapping itself around the arm that held her Forget-Me-Not. The maw of the dragon snapped wide open as the edge of the Keyblade aimed to strike downwards on the Battleship, Tori’s Recall strong and steady in its aim.
Hopefully, it’d be enough —but just to make sure, she followed the attack with a powerful Thundaja, the sparks of the spell indicating the area where it would land. If any enemy had gotten close to the impact, they'd be caught in the attack just as easily.
Stopping a bit mid-air to grab her breath back, the girl glanced over her shoulder at whatever remained —wanting to support the battle on ground to proceed as fast as they could.
The quicker they got over it, the better.
“This might be trickier than I thought…”
Could it be the mirror causing this much activity? There was something bothering her, for sure —but as for what it was exactly, Tori couldn’t pinpoint it.
Why was that?
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 5, 2021 23:43:36 GMT -5
Henoke grit his teeth as he slashed through a Shadow, his Keyblade easily powering through the weak enemy’s defenses. Skoooom! Shouting out in surprise as a Barrel Spider exploded once hurling itself towards him, the teen avoided harms way with a swift dodge roll, though the moment they came to their feet, they were met with a slashing cutlass! CLANG! Blocking and slashing forward with impressive strength, Henoke scowled at the Pirate Heartless that had come in to greet him—soon meeting its end to the boy’s agitation. ”Tch—there’s so damn many!” Kicking away a lunging Shadow, he once more was forced to leap from harms way as another Barrel Spider came forward. It seemed he'd just have to wade through the numbers.
Above, Tori seemed to be clearing out the enemies one by one—annihilating the remaining Battleship with her Recall and Thundaja, she also managed to stun some of the Air Pirates, causing them to plummet downwards and disappear in a cloud of vapor as they were impaled on the sharp rocks below. With only a lone Air Pirate remaining, who was heavily damaged from the prior lightning magic, the spirit would have an easy time of finishing off the air battle to join her teammate below.
BOOOOOM! Exploding in a cacophonous eruption, Henoke’s Firaga spell obliterated its targeted Barrel Spider, catching some of the other ground-based Heartless in the resulting chaos. ”Ha ha! Serves ya right!” Swinging a fist into the air, the orange-haired boy wore a broad grin as he resumed a sword battle with another Pirate Heartless, defending themselves from lunging Shadows all the while. For the most part, it seemed despite the numbers against him, Henoke was holding his own just fine.
[[ENEMIES— In the Sky: 1 Air Pirate On the Ground: 4 Shadows, 3 Pirates, 2 Barrel Spiders]]
Within the large skull-shaped cavern that formed Skull Rock, a brewing darkness continued to lurk and swell. Though the two teens outside had yet set foot within the place, they’d be able to see a faint glowing green—almost as if something within sensed their presence, or more specifically, what they carried with them…
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 6, 2021 11:07:24 GMT -5
Faltering a bit with just one enemy remaining, albeit already pretty weakened, Tori glanced over, feeling ill all of the sudden. Bringing one hand to her mouth as if to avoid gaging, the girl glared down, noticing how she was starting to run out of time when it came to flying —eventually she’d have to drop down.
Not that she was against it, though —she knew she had to drop down to help Henoke out.
Tossing a Ruinga spell to the remaining Air Pirate, Tori rushed down, dropping on the stone floor with a loud thud! while readying her next move. With water shifting behind her, she wasted no time in unleashing a powerful Flood. The wave would swiftly flow through the enemy ranks, looking to wash them away and opening a path.
She perked up, noticing a sickly green coming from up ahead, causing her already growing nausea to turn into an added anger. Clicking her tongue, she glanced over at Henoke, seemingly wanting to push forward rather than keep on fighting.
“The longer we keep goofing off, the harder it’ll get from there” she said, “C’mon —we can’t waste time!”
Tori rushed forward, following both instinct and glow. Sure enough, her hunch had been right —something was off. And the fact that the Heartless were so keenly focused on them only cemented her worries.
It seemed the situation in Neverland was worse than she’d expected before, unsure on how long the world would’ve lasted had the two Keyblade Wielder not showed up. Not that the thought was a pretty one, though —it was best to focus on what was going on at that moment.
Ignoring whatever Heartless dared cross her path, slashing any that got too close, Tori headed straight for the source of trouble, wanting to end the already growing problem before it escalated far beyond any of their grasp.
|
|