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Post by therunawaygirl on Apr 30, 2022 15:29:56 GMT -5
Having their attack dodged a second time, the Heraldic Mane seemed beyond enraged, letting out another roar while it stood up strong. Still, using the opening the water spell had left beforehand, Henoke was heading straight to another attack to the stunned Herculean Bears —their chests open for the direct combo, and it didn’t take much before they dissipated in mist. With two of the more powerful Spirits taken care of, the battle would probably be much more of a breeze.
The lone Thunder Falcon continued to dive in for the attack, this time its wings surrounded by lightning as it attempted to strike at the Keyblade Wielder. However, it was stalled by a bubble of water trapping it inside, the electricity spreading through the water that trapped it, before it exploded with violence, defeating the Spirit within it.
The jumping noise stopped, and immediately, someone dropped from the air onto the floor with a mild thud —rather close to where Henoke was at. There was a mild misty aura around their form, causing the Spirits around them to stagger and seem a little drowsy, yet they were quick to target the lion-like Spirit, pummeling them down with their polearm.
The person was a grown woman, with bright blonde hair contrasting her almond-colored skin tone. Their clothes were brightly orange colored, accented by a red coat and pink scarf. The polearm they wielded was blue-ish in color, with wave accents throughout the body and ends. Though they seemed to be on Henoke’s side, the aura around them was rather bewitching, should the teen stand too close to them —as if inviting anyone nearby them to nap the fight away. It seemed the Spirits were captivated by the aura, clearly unable to charge in attack.
The lion-like Spirit was unable to resist the aura around them, receiving the hits of the woman’s polearm without offering any resistance, eventually shattering in mist. That’s when, by jumping out of the way, they landed right in front of Henoke, landing with grace only selected few would be capable of —the mist now a bit too close for comfort.
“…Oh!” the woman blinked, before drawing a coy smile, “Aren’t you a tough one~? Good job, hanging on until now~!”
[BATTLE! Targeting Henoke: 1 Thunder Falcon] [Targeting Tori: 1 Colorless Wolf, 3 Misaguji Snakes, 1 Thunder Falcon] [Other: 2 Colorless Wolves, 3 Thunder Falcons]
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Post by hoodwink on May 1, 2022 13:20:11 GMT -5
Thankfully the teen’s strength was enough—slicing through the large bear-like Spirits and dissolving them to mist. ”That’ll teach ya!” Smirking in confidence, Henoke had pumped themselves up a little too much with the victory, hardly noticing the remaining Thunder Falcon swooping towards him until too late!
Bloop! Blurb! Having flinched into a hasty guard, the warrior paused in confusion as the flying enemy was suddenly trapped—suspended in a bubble as it electrocuted itself. Huh?! Once again confused by the foreign water attack, Henoke staggered in visible surprise as a mysterious woman fell down to the battlefield. Within the blink of an eye, the warmly clad woman made quick work of the lion-like enemy using a curious pole-arm.
“Aren’t you a tough one~” Landing in front of the horned warrior, the woman emitted an odd aura that caused him to sway and shake his head—fighting off a mild drowsiness. Her sing-song teasing tone hardly helped… ”Huh? You ain’t a monster…!” It was then Henoke realized it, this mysterious girl wasn’t disguised like he and Tori were—despite this worlds setting. Was she like the little girl, Boo, and from the doors leading into the ‘human world’?
Bzzzt! Snap! There was hardly time for idle chatter, as another Thunder Falcon soared through the battlefield. ”Tch—what’s up with all these spirits?!” He hadn’t had to deal with a cluster this large in his other travels. Not that it mattered. Tightening his grip on his Keyblade, Henoke pressed on as he leapt into the sky using his High Jump, stabbing and battering the fluttering specter!
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 1, 2022 14:29:51 GMT -5
The woman giggled, her coy smile still in place as Henoke staggered at her presence —not really noticing that she was the reason behind it, with her aura causing a mild drowsiness around her. Instead, they seemed more amused by the teen’s reckless abandon and frustration at the number of Spirits around them, giggling further as she turned back to the battle. Her polearm at the ready, the woman seemed ready to continue on fighting.
Henoke’s strike would finish of the remaining Thunder Falcon as the blade reached the bird’s left wing —where the Emblem was clearly visible. The woman turned to focus the Spirits that had followed her from somewhere, the leftovers of a previous battle. Still with her coy smile written on her lips, water shifted behind her at her command, before the wave crashing down over the wayward Spirits —her Flood quickly washing the enemies away. The ones that had managed to survive the fall were quickly decimated by the steps and movements of her polearm as she gracefully made her way around the battlefield as if a dance floor, with their Dancehall Daze finishing off any remaining strays.
Though their battle had ended, Tori’s end was still somewhat stacked —not that Henoke could notice, as he and the strange woman would notice, since they were a bit too far from that action.
Dismissing her polearm as if it were a Keyblade, as also finally dismissing the drowsy aura around them, the woman was quick to turn towards the horned teen, a cheeky smile in her expression as she approached him. There was something about her expression that spoke aloof, or mayhap there was some teasing intent behind it?
“My, who would’ve thought someone like you was around here~?” she asked, giggling, “Had I known someone as cute and cool-looking as you had wandered into the Illusion and was fighting Spirits, maybe I should’ve come here sooner~?”
On Tori’s end, with her form now dismissed as it could no longer hold its ground, she was still locked in a fight with the remaining Spirits. Having used all of her strength to take care of those who were already weakened by her previous attack, the furry girl was now looking on how to defeat the pair of snake-like Spirits that lingered. She conjured an icy mist, looking to separate them and catch them off-guard with her Blizzaja —her plan successful as the pair of snakes dodged the attack in separate directions. One of them was met with the girl’s flaming Keyblade its way, defeated by her Fire Toss, leaving just a stray left.
With an effort to close the distance and strike the weak spot of the Spirits, Tori had won her fight, only to then realize that she wasn’t where she’d started off. Looking around, Tori realized Henoke was also nowhere nearby, and that the noise she’d picked off earlier had stopped. “…Where’d I end up at…?” she mumbled to herself with an awkward smile, before walking around, “Guess… I’ll go look for Henoke…”
But still, where could he have gone? Surely he was back where they’d split, right?
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Post by hoodwink on May 1, 2022 16:03:07 GMT -5
The remaining Thunder Falcon vanished in a burst of mist, shredded apart by Henoke’s hefty Keyblade. Landing back on the ground, the muscular teen spun on their heels, readying themselves for the remaining battle ahead. She’s strong! Instead, he was stunned to see the woman finishing off all remaining Spirits with more powerful spells and the spinning of her baton.
“My, who would’ve thought someone like you was around here~?” Her giggle threw him off, her next comments causing Henoke’s face to flush vaguely despite the scaly flesh and warm hue this world had disguised him in. Though the teen’s pride enjoyed the ‘cool-looking’ remark, something about being called ‘cute’ caused him to frown in disapproval. He wasn’t cute—he was tough!
”You say some strange stuff…” Shaking his head, Henoke dismissed his Keyblade in a ray of light, scratching at the back of his head in mild confusion. ”Who are you, anyway?” She had come in and helped him with the fight, so he didn’t think she was a villain…still, where had she come from? ”Ah—wait!” It was only then that Henoke noticed Tori was nowhere in sight. Did she bust outta the illusion…? Wait, did she leave him in it?! Was he still in it?!
For a moment, the teens head spun, though the fabricated heart within him landed on anger.
”Argh! I can’t believe it! Where’d she go?!” Whipping his head around, Henoke couldn’t see Tori anywhere. Finally, the teen sighed, slouching a bit before scratching at the back of his head. ”Looks like I lost my friend…” He’d been so caught up in the battle, he hadn’t noticed their separation. Henoke wasn’t very observant, after all.
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 2, 2022 7:11:36 GMT -5
Before the woman could reply on who she was, Henoke seemed to realize that he and the strange woman were alone —with Tori gone out of sight. Of course, the woman didn’t know who this friend of the teen was, looking with one hand on her cheek as she awaited an explanation, but he seemed down by the fact that he’d lost sight of his friend so easily. Drawing a smile with a slight hint of pity, the woman was moved by Henoke’s worry —quick to point it out to him without any sort of tact.
“Aww, you’re worried about your friend?” she asked with a smile, “That’s adorable… Whoever this friend of yours is sure is lucky to have you around, worrying for them~”
There was a faint giggle following her comment, though she quickly finished it as she continued to look at Henoke with a smile. It was now quiet, without any Spirits to bother them or fight them head on —knowing this, the woman seemed willing to lend the teen a hand, thinking on it as a “reward” for being so tough in fighting the Spirits to begin with.
Surely something like that would go a long way?
“Then why don’t we go look for them~?” the woman suggested, “I’m sure they couldn’t have gone too far —so let’s go look around for them while we still can~”
Curious as usual, Tori had begun to wander around a little, trying to spot Henoke again while also trying to discern what was off about the place. In accordance with how she usually acted, the girl was trying to determine what it was the Illusion was trying to hide, though nothing gave it away. She knew she couldn’t give up just yet, with how little she had discovered so far.
Where could’ve Henoke gone? Or, rather, where had she gone? Tori hadn’t expected to move so much in the last battle, or end up somewhere completely separate from who was her travelling companion. She could tell that they were both still inside the Illusion —she knew that much.
It would only take a little more effort wandering around, tracing her own steps, back to the beginning of the place where the battle started.
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Post by hoodwink on May 2, 2022 12:11:57 GMT -5
“Aww, you’re worried about your friend? That’s adorable…” There she was, making those weird comments that flustered and embarrassed him. Wasn’t it normal to worry about friends? Crossing his arms over his chest, Henoke sighed and shook his head—trying to shake of the red on his cheeks. “Then why don’t we go look for them~?” This time, the muscular teen visibly staggered, taking a step back in surprise.
”F’real!? You’d help me?!” He hadn’t expected that. Despite the mysterious woman saying some weird stuff, her overall demeanor and willingness to help was reassuring. As well as the fact that Henoke had seen her in battle—there was no denying the fact that she was strong, too. ”But…I ain’t really sure where to start…” Glancing around the area, it was clear that the teen was completely lost within the massive factory.
In the past, Tori or another Spirit like Kosuke had guided him through illusions. Would some random woman be able to help him navigate his way through the bizarre world?
”Why not, though! Two heads’re better than one!” Hardly one to be discouraged, Henoke bounced back rather quick. Wearing his usual cocky broad grin while pumping a fist, the horned warrior gave the woman a nod before remembering he hadn’t even introduced himself! ”Oh, yeah—I’m Henoke. Who’re you?”
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 2, 2022 13:19:45 GMT -5
Seeing the teen’s embarrassment caused the woman to giggle further, amused by his reaction. Something about that teasing was amusing to her, but by no means did she aim to insult him with it. ”But…I ain’t really sure where to start…” Seeing how insecure he was, on where to start, brought a tilt of the head full of curiosity, though the teen was quick to jump back up, accepting her help fully. Such a gesture was, in her eyes, adorable, as evidenced by her giggling once again.
“That’s the spirit —I’m sure we’ll find your friend in no time~!” the woman seemed pleased, “I’m sure they haven’t gone too far, either. It’ll be a piece of cake!”
The woman seemed eager to get going, though she blinked a little after Henoke introduced himself. A moment of silence followed, though it was quickly followed by a faint laugh, covered by the woman’s hand as she realized where her manners were at. In truth, she was also curious about Henoke himself —but it would be a bit rude to ask things out of nowhere, when she hadn’t even told him her name, no?
“Call me Sharih” the woman introduced with a smile, “And it’s a pleasure to meet you, Henoke. Hmm…” Sharih seemed to go on her own, “Henoke… Now that’s quite a nice name, isn’t it?”
Sharih continued to smile, as if such an expression was permanent in her face, before moving forward, though not without before indicating Henoke to follow. Her step was somewhat playful and jumpy, seemingly happy for no reason. At one point, however, she glanced over her shoulder with a coy expression, placing a finger on her lips with teasing intent.
“Though… I’m dying to see how you really look…” she mentioned, “I bet you’re even more adorable in actual person~!”
Wandering around paid off, as Tori got a quick grasp of her surroundings. There were more conveyor belts on the ground, and strange machines offline nearby them —the smell of smoke coming off from somewhere nearby, followed by red blinking lights surrounding her. Of course, this wasn’t where they’d come from, but it helped to know what lied ahead. Still no sighting on the sound she’d picked up earlier, though her guess was that it came from around there.
First, she had to go find Henoke —then they could explore what lied ahead.
The girl turned around, picking up her pace mildly, yet a clear urgency behind her dash, looking back and forth in search for her friend. It took a little of time, though she eventually spotted an orange figure at a distance, with the noticeable horns and spikes over his face and legs —a sigh of relief leaving her chest as she finally spotted him. Calming her pace a little as she approached them, Tori focused solely on Henoke, not realizing he wasn’t alone.
“There you are” she said, relieved, “Are you doing okay? That last fight sure picked up difficulty…” “Tori~! Long time no see~!”
Tori blinked, finally realizing the person Henoke was tagging along with. She stood with her mouth agape at the sight, though Sharih could only giggle mildly at her expression. It took a while to regain her composure, but at that point, maybe things would clear themselves on their own, rather than with explanations.
“Sharih… What are you doing here?” “I would love to ask you the same~” Sharih replied, “As well as how you ended up travelling with this boy. I want all the details~”
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Post by hoodwink on May 2, 2022 14:31:58 GMT -5
“Call me Sharih.” Sharih continued with her weird compliments, causing the teen to scratch at the back of his head with a look between uncertainty and nonchalance. “I’m dying to see how you really look…” Raising an eyebrow, Henoke finally decided to simply shake his head and shrug before chuckling a bit.
”You say some weird stuff, y’know?” Putting it aside, the strong-headed Wielder decided to lean into the fact that Sharih was a definite ally despite their unique personality…
Following the woman, Henoke couldn’t help but wonder what her deal was. Where had she come from? If it was the human world, were they all just used to monsters…?
[BREAK]
“There you are.” Seeing Tori round a corner, Henoke shouted out in excitement before waving and running towards his friend. Her immediate concern for his well-being should have been reassuring, though the proud teen took it as an insult, staggering mid-run.
”Tch—o’course I’m okay! Ya think a few Spirits can stop me?!” Though he had his pride wounded, Henoke was happy to see her.
“Sharih…what are you doing here?” Tori’s sudden question to his new friend cause him to do a comical double-take between the two. Based on Sharih’s response, it seemed the two had some sort of history…
”Wait…you two know each other?!” What were the chances of that?! This was a random world he and Tori had gotten thrown into…so how was one of her friends doing here?
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 3, 2022 2:35:34 GMT -5
”Wait…you two know each other?!”
Though Tori shared some of Henoke’s shock for different reasons, Sharih seemed oblivious to it, instead giggling in approval. She walked around to meet with Tori, standing behind her and placing both of her hands over the girl’s shoulders —finally breaking the stance of bewilderment she had when first seeing the blonde woman. Though Tori turned around to look at her, wondering what it was she was up to, Sharih seemed to have other intentions.
“Of course I know her~!” Sharih said with a smile, “I’ve known Tori ever since she was a small and adorable little thing~!” “Ah —Sharih!” though mild, Tori had a visible blush in her cheeks, “Cut it out!” “Aww… But it’s true though~! You were just the cutest back then —though that isn’t saying you’ve lost your charm now~!”
Having enough of her antics, Tori pushed Sharih away with clear embarrassment, though the woman couldn’t help but laugh at it. If Henoke had been flustered by the woman’s comments before, then Tori was on another level —with Sharih knowing her far more than the horned teen. Not only that, but Tori had more important things to worry about, questions to ask and things to solve.
She couldn’t waste time with Sharih’s teasing.
“So? Are you gonna tell us what you’re doing here or not?” Tori asked, pouting a little. “Aww… Alright, alright —guess I have to explain…” still with a smile, though this time smaller, Sharih sighed and shrugged, “I was just investigating why the Spirits are around here… I wasn’t expecting an Illusion like this, though…” “What do you mean?” “Well… It is quite a big one… And Spirits are quite common, too, which is rare…” Sharih began to mention, “Though it’s unfortunate I haven’t found anything else~”
Sharih was quick to finish her part of the talk, looking away with an aloof expression, though Tori was even more confused. With how things had been going on, the girl had expected to solve at least one issue quickly enough —but it seemed that would be unlikely. How long would it take for them to at least figure out something?
While Tori struggled to consider what was going on, Sharih took her own initiative —swapping her aloof expression to a coy one in matter of seconds, looking at Henoke and walking a few steps towards him. Resting one of her hands over her cheek, she began her assault.
“So? How do you two happen to know each other~?” she asked, cheekily, “I want to hear all about it~.”
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Post by hoodwink on May 3, 2022 11:05:33 GMT -5
“Of course I know her~!” Sharih was as energetic as ever, admitting to having known Tori since they were a little girl. Henoke remembered vaguely the information he’d learned about his friend while visiting the Shore (though they were hazy on minute details). Tori had indeed spent time as a child around the others on her home world. Snickering at his friends clear embarrassment, Henoke relaxed his hands behind his head with a wide grin—happy to have a carefree moment.
It was nice to see Tori teased, at least.
“So? Are you gonna tell us what you’re doing here, or not?” Quick to get the spotlight away from herself, the furry teen pushed Sharih away and tried to get back on track. It seemed that Tori’s friend was investigating the Spirits roaming this world—though that didn’t explain to Henoke why she had escaped the bizarre disguise this world had set for them…
“So? How do you two happen to know each other~?” Sharih seemed more interested in their friendship than going into any more explanations herself. With a humored sigh, Henoke crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head with a faint smirk.
”We met inside a castle. I thought she was a princess…” Rolling his four eyes a bit, the horned teen scoffed before giving Tori a teasing grin. ”Not that I was right—o’course.” Chuckling at his own jab, Henoke gave Sharih a friendly smile. ”But we’ve been tight ever since! So…any friend o’ Tori’s a friend o’ mine!”
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 3, 2022 13:34:00 GMT -5
Having left Sharih to her own devices, Tori hardly paid much attention to what followed after the blonde woman explained her situation. Though, of course, she blinked in shock after hearing what Henoke had answered when Sharih asked how the pair knew each other —immediately turning around with her face bewildered. Sharih also seemed intrigued, though there was a pleased smile in her expression as she nodded along.
“I thought she was a princess…” The comment alone was enough to cause Tori to blush, realizing exactly what Sharih was going to mention next —yet she was a bit too late to stop the woman in question from mouthing her words aloud.
“You moron —don’t tell her that!” Tori hissed through her teeth. “Aww, what’s wrong with that~?” Sharih replied giggling, “To think —someone sees Tori like a princess… Ah, how quickly they grow…” “That’s not what’s happened and you know it!” “Then? What gave you the idea she was a princess?” Sharih asked, leaning forward towards Henoke, “Was it her looks? Her presence? Her attitude? Please —tell me what you see so special about her~!”
It would be clear to anyone, no matter how dull or thick-headed they were, that Sharih was ecstatic from the news, moving her behind almost too eagerly as she waited her answers, her eyes shining with attention as they looked directly at the horned teen. Tori could only groan in response, looking away with clear embarrassment as she was unable to clear the air when it came to what sort of relation she had with Henoke.
It could’ve been anything else, really —just not what Sharih was expecting. Or hoped for, either.
“Hmm…” Sharih seemed to observe Henoke a bit too close for his comfort, obliterating the concept of “personal space”, “You are strong —clearly capable of defeating even Spirits… Your height seems just right, too… And those eyes are to die for~!” she added with a giggle, “You’re adorable, too —worrying about Tori like that~. That shows you genuinely care for those special to you. Hmm… Alright —it’s settled!” “No, it’s not!”
Tori found her way out of her fluster, quick to push Sharih away from Henoke and herself —yet the blush in her cheeks, even though mild, still remained. Sharih was somewhat caught off-guard, but her pout that followed clearly showcased that she was at a loss. Yet she offered no retort, waiting to see what exactly was it that she’d missed, for Tori to be clearly so bewildered and embarrassed for.
Wasn’t it better to fess up?
“Can you spend 5 seconds without trying to pair me up with someone for once?!” Tori asked, a faint growl hidden beneath her tone, “There’s clearly a much more important thing to figure out now —whatever you wanna do can wait!” “Huh?” Sharih tilted her head, confused, “Now, now… Isn’t it better to admit that you’re Henoke’s special someone, Tori? Poor thing will be devastated if he hears you saying that now…” “That. Is. Not. The case here!” Tori shouted, “Henoke’s just a friend —that’s it! Besides, at the beginning of this whole thing, neither of us liked the other in any way —we were at each others’ throats, for crying out loud! So stop making all of this so awkward!” “Hmm… Sometimes, I do think you’re no fun, sweetie…” “It does not have to be fun at all times, okay?!”
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Post by hoodwink on May 6, 2022 11:33:24 GMT -5
“You moron—don’t tell her that!” Tori’s shout caused Henoke to stagger in surprise before fixing a scowl of annoyance onto his face. He just answered the question, why was she insulting him?!
“What gave you the idea she was a princess?” Sharih seemed beyond interested, leaning in towards the horned teen slightly too close for comfort. Scratching at the back of his head, Henoke wore a look of clueless annoyance and mild confusion as he took a comforting step back from the energetic woman.
”Nothin’, really…she was just the only girl who wasn’t furniture in that place—so I just kinda figured she was the princess I was tryin’ ‘ta rescue…” Perhaps his bluntly honest answers would bore her, but that was how Henoke was sometimes.
“You are strong—“ Within moments, Sharih had closed the gap between them at an alarming rate. Before the devilish teen could fully react, he was being complimented in a way that made him feel like he was under a magnifying glass… “Alright—it’s settled!” The woman’s comment caused Henoke to pause, raising an eyebrow in confusion before Tori rushed in—pushing the woman away with a reddened face. What’d she settle on…?
Whatever it was, his friend clearly wasn’t a fan.
Sighing a bit as he watched the two girls bicker, the spiky haired warrior crossed his arms while wearing a faint smirk. At least they get along well. He’d run into many people from Tori’s past, at this point. While some were close friends, like Kosuke and Sharih—other’s were far less friendly or kind. ”A’ight, a’ight—quit yer shoutin’…” Still wearing a faint smirk, it was clear Henoke was enjoying some of the two’s dynamic.
He was used to being the target of Tori’s annoyance, mainly.
It was somewhat refreshing to see her be the target of some teasing, while also yelling at someone else for a change.
”Since we’re stuck here together anyway, how’s ‘bout we help each other out?” Giving Sharih a broad smile, Henoke glanced between her and Tori for a moment. ”We’re tryin’ ‘ta help some kid we met here—yer tryin’ to figure out why the Spirits’re actin’ up…seem’s like a win-win, ‘ta me!” Resting his hands on his hips, rowdy paladin seemed ready for the adventure ahead.
They still had to find Boo’s door, after all!
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 6, 2022 14:07:14 GMT -5
At first, Sharih was a bit let-down, with Tori trying to push her away and drive the conversation elsewhere, Henoke’s answers were obviously sparking interest in her, taken out of context as he explained that he thought Tori was the princess he was “trying to save”. Still with her eyes set on pairing the two teens, she let it slide for a little bit —making sure Tori wouldn’t hear the end of it.
”Since we’re stuck here together anyway, how’s ‘bout we help each other out?” With the suggestion on the table, Sharih was more than willing to comply —having the chance to continue with her antics while also learning a little more about the person she was currently setting her eyes on, for someone else’s sake. Tori sighed, giving up completely on trying to change Sharih’s position, instead wanting to focus on what was going on. They were still on their own, with no one nearby to explain anything else they didn’t know. Sharih knew some of the details, but with her current fixation on Henoke, getting her to spill the beans promised to be a hard task.
Especially with Henoke being her target. The chances of him asking what they needed to know was slim to none.
“I’d be more than happy to join you two~!” Sharih said happily, “How could I pass the opportunity to spend time with Tori and someone so special to her~?” “This is going downhill fast…” Tori thought, glaring with unease at the other two, before taking a break and trying to get some information, “Then what have you been doing, up until now?” “Oh, me? Just running around, defeating Spirits and trying to see where I could have the better spot to break the Illusion —no biggie~.” “The fact that you’re so nonchalant about it is what worries me, y’know…” “Well, what can you do? There’s hardly anything I know of the real world's rules —I’m sure you’re on the same side as me~?” “…Wait —you… Don’t know the real world’s rules?” “No, I don’t, since I’ve been roaming around for the most part.”
Sharih seemed unfazed by her comments, but Tori was having none of it. It was a small piece of the puzzle in comparison to what else they were missing, but it could be a vital piece. Maybe it’d help if they explained what they knew to her, to figure out what was out of place —what was being hidden by the Illusion. Nodding to herself, the furry girl decided to do that.
Not that Sharih would stay there, waiting for her to ask.
“Say —who’s this kid you’re trying to help~?” she asked Henoke, still almost glued to him, “I’d like to meet them~. Are they around~?” “…Can we… Focus on what we need to do now, please..?” Tori sighed, realizing it would be a harder task than she’d thought, “We really need to catch-up here…”
Sharih seemingly ignored her, instead waiting on Henoke to answer her inquiries. Sure enough, it seemed the woman was more than intrigued about the teen over what really mattered.
Such was her nature.
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Post by hoodwink on May 7, 2022 10:15:13 GMT -5
“I’d be more than happy to join you two~!” Sharih’s excitement mixing with her odd words only made Henoke chuckle while scratching at his horned face. Heh…let’s hope that wasn’t a mistake… Even if he came to regret the invitation, the warrior decided that seeing the look on Tori’s face made it all worthwhile.
“What have you been doing, up until now?” Hearing Sharih explain her procedure and thought process around hunting the Spirits, Henoke found himself nodding along in agreement. Even if Tori disagreed, the simple-headed teen couldn’t help but feel like he’d do the same thing, if he were in Sharih’s shoes.
“Say—who’s this kid you’re trying to help~?” Henoke jolted in surprise as the woman suddenly snaked up to his side. Why’s she always so close?! Though he found Sharih friendly enough to get along with, her lack of personal boundaries was still unnerving to him. Both of them seemed to ignore Tori’s protesting, as Henoke didn’t see any harm in filling the other Spirit in. They’d be traveling together now, after all.
”Heh—she’s a little trouble maker, that’s fer sure.” Henoke’s grin only matched his tone—though why did he sound weirdly proud about the fact? It wasn’t like he could take credit for how the little girl was. ”She’s just some kid who likes tryin’ ‘ta scare folks and play pranks!” He gave a hearty laugh, clearly enjoying the potential Boo had for a rowdy trouble maker. After all, this was the boy who’d gotten along with all those mischievous kids in Neverland…one way or another.
”I guess this world’s connected’r somethin’…to another world. This one’s got monsters, while the other’s got normal people, like you.” Despite the fact that Henoke was clearly unsure about the details, the warrior was still able to give a subpar description. ”Boo’s from the other world. She’s just’a normal lookin’ kid.” Scratching at the back of his spiky orange hair, the teen flashed a look of uncertainty. ”I don’t really get it all…but it’s all o’ the doors that lead to that other world!”
Recovering himself rather quickly, Henoke gave Sharih a ‘thumbs up’ while grinning widely in confidence. ”So—we promised the monsters who’re Boo’s friends that we’d find her door, so they could help her get back home! You can meet her if you stick wit’ us!” He gave the woman a reassuring smile.
He wanted to help Boo, as well as help Tori’s friend.
If they could find Boo’s door while also solving the issue with the Spirits, everyone would win! He was fired up now!
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 7, 2022 13:30:03 GMT -5
Sharih seemed pleased, hearing Henoke talk about Boo and what they’d been up to for the most part, with his pride seemingly overflowing and his laughter filling her ears in a pleasant matter —though perhaps that was her own knack of finding anything pleasant on anyone. Still, the whole story was interesting, though a specific detail caught Sharih’s attention, as well as Tori’s own.
“This one’s got monsters, while the other’s got normal people, like you.” Sharih placed one of her hands on her cheek, seemingly pitying the horned teen about his mistake, looking at Henoke with her blue eyes and a soft smile. Knowing exactly what Sharih was about to say, Tori decided to leave it to her to settle, while she drew one more piece of the puzzle closer to the full picture, having a feeling that, maybe, they were closer than they realized to the solution of a problem. “By… ‘people like me’, I assume you’re putting yourself in the picture, as well~?” Sharih giggled a little, “I already mentioned it, sweetie —I’d love to see your real form. I’m more than aware this current appearance you have —though adorable in its own right— is not your real one.”
The woman with blonde hair and vibrant clothing continued to stay near the horned teen, giggling softly as she continued to look over him, at this point exceedingly amused by his reactions and stories, but while the pair continued to ignore Tori for the time being, the furry girl was slowly piecing it together in her head. There were a few minute details she was missing, but Sharih most definitely had them.
And if not, despite her aloof personality, the woman was still a Spirit —she still understood the true natures of the worlds around them, and the way they worked.
“Y’know, though?” Tori voiced out, finally piecing her thoughts together, “I’m not so sure about this whole ‘other world’ thing.” “Oh? You, too?” Sharih seemed to find the fact obvious, “Oh, dear… Don’t tell me you’ve lost your touch, Tori~.” “Yeah, right… But how come you knew?” “Well… The way you described it didn’t seem to spark any sort of… How to put it… Spark?” the woman looked to the ceiling, “That, or simply the fact that a world that would know about others outside of it would be more capable of tackling some of its issues.” “Anything else we’re missing…?” “Hmm… Not sure.”
Once again, Sharih seemed to go on her own line of thought, looking at the ceiling with a finger placed on her chin, seemingly deep in thought. Tori didn’t wait for her, though, wanting to trace further into the few pieces they had, recalling the rules they did know about the world, aside the doors’ logic.
“There’s also something else that bothers me —the whole ‘laughing’ and ‘scare’ thing” Tori mentioned, looking at Henoke, “Not sure how much you picked up, but… They mentioned how laughing isn’t working for them anymore, to get energy —when before, it was even stronger.” “Oh~? Now there’s a discrepancy…” Sharih giggled, coy, “If that’s one of this world’s rules, then it suddenly not being in place definitely raises a few red flags~.” “You think we’re onto something, then?” “Well, I wouldn’t doubt your judgement for a second, now would I~? Besides, we are clearly on the same page, as well —a good omen as any would have it~!”
Clasping her hands gently, Sharih beamed a smile of praise towards Tori, though the girl could only smile with unease at the over-the-top blessing. It seemed the woman was looking for the good points and ignoring any sort of problem that may come alongside it.
Perhaps that excited optimism would work in their advantage, though…
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Post by hoodwink on May 7, 2022 20:24:09 GMT -5
“By…’people like me’, I assume you’re putting yourself in the picture as well~?” Henoke paused, not really realizing he’d done so. Why had he done that? It wasn’t like he was a monster, or a local. He was a Replica—a fake, but then again, weren’t Sharih and Tori Spirits? Though still originals, the teen decided to try and be more mindful of his words. He didn’t want his own feelings to affect the other two…
The woman’s following comments caused Henoke to chuckle awkwardly, not entirely sure how to respond as he attempted to shuffle slightly away from her. She had a…’unique’ personality that the straight-forward and hard-headed teen wasn’t used to dealing with. “I’m not so sure about this whole ‘other world’ thing.” Tori’s comment brought the devilish youth to a pause, turning to raise a brow at his friend in open confusion.
”Whaddya mean?” Hadn’t Sulley and Mike already talked to them about how the doors led to the human world? Wasn’t that where Boo came from? Sharih seemed to agree with Tori, though the idea only confused Henoke further. Where’d Boo come from, then…?[/b] And where did all these doors go to? Scratching at the back of his head, the warrior couldn’t help but feel lost in the conversation between the two.
He hadn’t really thought about it that much.
Henoke was the type who had simply taken the world’s locals at their word.
He was both trusting and naive, in that sense.
“There’s also something that bothers me—“ Tori’s sudden idea caught him by surprise. He didn’t really understand things like energy or how the monsters on this world harnessed it through scares and laughter.
”So what…?” Tilting his head, it was clear the horned boy was clueless. What did this worlds energy source have to do with anything? ”Grr…all we gotta do is find Boo’s door, yeah?!” It was clear Henoke was getting confused, and as a byproduct—frustrated. Stamping a foot on the ground, the spiky haired teen clenched a fist and seemed to pipe steam from their flared nostrils.
It was clear he was more focused on aiding those they’d met along their travels rather than the bizarre events unfolding around them.
He didn’t really understand things like illusions and energy, anyway!
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 8, 2022 6:58:22 GMT -5
Tori blinked at first, though quickly drew an unease smile as Henoke seemed to flare up in frustration, unable to follow through his her complex line of thought —though it wasn’t as complex as the horned teen made it seem. Watching as a witness, Sharih covered her mouth gently, giggling in amusement at Henoke’s flare-up. In the meantime, Tori sighed, shrugging a little with a teasing intent at the teen that was her partner —though unwilling to leave him in the dark for much longer, anyways.
“You don’t have to give it too many look-arounds, y’know” she explained, “It’s not as complex as you make it seem.” “My, that spice is adorable —though it might come back to bite you, dear~” Sharih tossed her comment, still giggling. “Ignoring that tip… Let’s try to settle things straight —might help clear up a few pieces. Heck, maybe even help us break out of the Illusion.”
Shooing Sharih away as the woman continued to giggle, Tori tried to settle Henoke down in his temper —though perhaps the shrug from beforehand wouldn’t help. Still wanting for him to piece some of the clues together by himself, the furry girl tried to digest most of the information in hopes to ease it on him.
Though how that would work was debatable.
“Let’s try to focus not on the door we’re looking for, but rather try to figure out how to break the Illusion, first” Tori began, “With what Sulley and Mike told us about how their world usually operates —mainly in obtaining energy—, I think we have something to grasp on. Specifically, the fact that, all of the sudden, one of their tried and successful methods is not working anymore.” “You’re mentioning that because it’s one of this world’s rules, aren’t you~?” Sharih asked coyly. “It’s because it’s one of the world’s rules that’s concerned me —something so natural shouldn’t stop working to suddenly if it remains in the same setting and place. So…” the furry girl turned towards Sharih, “What I’m wondering is if that is something an Illusion can change… And I think you’re the better one suited to answer —given I don’t remember those details too well.” “Aww —you’re counting on little old me~? How flattering…” the woman seemed to blush, but not out of embarrassment —rather, there was a certain pride on being asked for help, “Well… In theory, it is possible —though not easy. And if it is the case here, then it certainly sparks attention.” “Huh?” “I mentioned it before, sweetie —how this Illusion encompasses more than normal. That sort of power isn’t normal —if anything, I’d say you’re the only one even able to do something like this.”
Tori looked at Sharih, her confidence now turned into skepticism as the woman seemed aloof at what she’d said. As for Sharih, she blinked in confusion after noticing the girl was looking at her, tilting her head and wondering if she’d said something she wasn’t supposed to —or perhaps mentioned something she thought obvious for Tori.
In either case, it wasn’t like the woman thought less about it. If anything, she was confident Tori was able to handle it.
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Post by hoodwink on May 8, 2022 16:13:45 GMT -5
“It’s not as complex as you make it seem.” Tori’s comment only caused Henoke to further steam. She was the one making it complicated, not him! Sharih’s further teasing only caused the horn teen to cross his arms and look away, fuming. Tori’s further suggesting on focusing on things outside of the door only made his head spin more. Wasn’t that the point of their current travel?! Why would they ignore searching for Boo’s door?!
The furry nine-tailed girl explained how the current ‘rule’ of the world, being its energy, may be in flux due to the illusion they found themselves trapped in. Tch—this’s stupid… Henoke couldn’t really wrap his head around how something like an illusion could alter a world’s rules. Weren’t illusions fake? How could they affect the ‘World Order’?
“In theory, it is possible—though not easy.” Sharih seemed to confirm Tori’s hunch, though, only causing Henoke to question everything he understood about worlds and their rules. Urgh…the hell? His head was spinning. Sharih explained how though possible, it would be hard to accomplish such a feat unless a Spirit had powers equal to Tori’s. The sudden suggestion caused the teen to pause, tapping at his horned chin in frustrated concentration.
”Well…who’s as powerful as Tori…?” Glancing between the two Spirits, Henoke found himself dumbstruck. ”I know she ain’t recover her powers yet…but if only someone as strong’s her could do this…” Suddenly, the warrior recalled something his friend had told him. How there were Spirits out there with bad intentions, and a lot of power. ”What other Spirits could change a world?!”
It sounded incredulous.
Beyond hard to believe.
World’s didn’t just change like nothing. That’s why his Master and Chirithy had always stressed the boundaries of ‘world order’. If someone was powerful enough to change them…Spirit or not, it was far from good news! ”Y’all gotta know somethin’, yeah?” Clenching his hands into fists, it seemed Henoke was finally beginning to understand the gravity of the situation they found themselves in—even if he didn’t understand all of the logistics behind it.
A fire flared in the teen’s altered four eyes.
He wouldn’t let Boo’s home be the playground for some villain!
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 9, 2022 10:04:08 GMT -5
Tori’s skepticism slowly turned into worry, seeing how Sharih wasn’t exactly giving away any sort of explanation. As Henoke began to question it for himself, quickly flaring up at the mere idea, the woman simply waved her hand nonchalantly, the smile in her lips plastered in her expression as she shrugged the worry off without any sort of effort. Such nonchalant approach hardly eased Tori’s nerves, however —if anything, it exacerbated them.
How much would Sharih push that attitude of hers despite what they were tackling?
“Well… I can think of two specific individuals” Sharih admitted, “But it’s nothing to worry about~! Just because this Illusion is in place doesn’t mean they’re still around~! Besides, Tori’s here —she’ll take care of it, no problem~!” “You say that, but… Whoever these two people you’re thinking of are, they’re nothing but bad news…” Tori chimed in with her concern. “Oh, please~. You’re worrying yourself over nothing!” the woman brushed it aside, “Just watch —this will be a piece of cake for you, sweetie~!”
Sharih puffed her chest with pride, her hands both at her hips as she stood without any sort of hesitation at her statement —though Tori was visibly concerned. Still, there was nothing much to do other than break the Illusion and bail, yet looking around served of no point to finding where to start. How big was the Illusion? What areas did it trap within it? Those details, though perhaps small, were necessary.
With a sigh, she gave up on trying to think it through, instead pushing forward as she decided to investigate the area a little further. Noticing this, Sharih perked up, though gave a faint smile as she resigned and follow, not before making sure Henoke was close behind. Her aloof attitude was still intact, moving calmly as they backtracked to where she’d been, expectant for Tori to find something she hadn’t noticed.
But that wasn’t the furry girl’s objective.
As she continued to walk forward, Tori clenched her fists a little, with many thoughts coursing her head. She couldn’t exactly figure out who would create an Illusion like the one they were currently in and for what purpose —but the other thing bothering her was the pressure Sharih was putting onto her. Despite knowing she barely remembered, it seemed the woman held high hopes for Tori, yet it wasn’t helping her cope with what had to be done.
Things were, at the end of the day, easier said than done.
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Post by hoodwink on May 9, 2022 14:37:41 GMT -5
“Well…I can think of two specific individuals.” Sharih was quick to admit knowing something, though the nonchalant woman waved the worries away swiftly. Crossing his arms over his chest, Henoke gave the woman a doubtful look as she mentioned the perpetrators most likely not being in the area. Tori’s strong…but she’s still just one person. Thinking to himself, the warrior couldn’t help but have some doubts.
Whatever! It ain’t like she’s alone! Him and Sharih were both here. Whoever was behind the illusion had better have high-tailed it out of here! They’d beat ‘em down if they showed their faces! Sharih seemed to agree with him, believing Tori would have no trouble with the issue. ”Heh—that’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout!” Flashing a confident grin, the horned warrior seemed to puff up similar to Sharih.
They were set!
Seeing Tori begin to walk ahead of them, followed by her friend, Henoke tagged along while gaping at the large factory around them. The place was massive. If they were going to find their way out of the illusion, it could take awhile. As they walked, the groups footsteps echoed in the looming silence. There didn’t seem to be anyone around—whether it be Monsters, Spirits or Humans.
”Yo!” Suddenly, Henoke paused, looking around before shouting out to his two allies. ”If someone made this illusion—wouldn’t they leave Spirits to guard the exit?” The simple minded teen figured they wouldn’t make something that could trap them with an easy out. ”Maybe the more Spirits we find, the closer we get to the way out?” That was normally how he managed to find his way through the majority of his travels.
Heartless typically gathered en masse when a World’s Heart was near.
Perhaps Spirits were similar? Just with a different objective?
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