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Post by therunawaygirl on May 10, 2022 4:47:25 GMT -5
Still with a hint of pride in her expression, Sharih beamed a smile headed Henoke’s way, glad to see him on her side —for more than one reason, really. Tori had noticed, of course, but some doubts still remained in the girl’s heart, wondering if it was really just that easy. It’d make no sense, in her eyes, to leave an Illusion that large unattended —but both Sharih and Henoke seemed to disagree, based on their optimism.
Was there any point arguing, though?
As the silent factory opened itself to the travelers, Henoke proposed a solid enough question, but his logic was flawed. Tori, on her end, didn’t see it proper to answer, instead noticing how the Illusion was starting to grow faint —maybe close to a weaker point. As for Sharih, well… With her usual demeanor and giggle, she shook her head “no” for an answer.
“It’s not a bad tactic —but there’s really no need” she replied, “There’s no real reason to leave a few grunts behind simply due to how Spirits work in general —away from prying eyes. After all, we aren’t supposed to be here, in these worlds —though surely you knew that before I even answered~.”
A silent shing caught the woman off-guard, turning around to see Tori summoning her Keyblade. Sharih tilted her head, curious to know what the girl was up to, but instead of saying anything, Tori slashed in front of her. There was a faint wavering in the surrounding followed by a shattering noise, but it quickly faded —as quickly as Tori dismissed her Keyblade.
“No good…” “What were you trying to do, sweetie~?” “It’s just… It feels as if the Illusion’s weaker here, but… I can’t break it…” Tori confessed, “Maybe I’m missing the mark…?” “Nope —not my Tori~!” Sharih shouted with pride, much for the girl’s shock, “My little Tori would never be wrong~!” “Then what? We already know what the Illusion’s trying to change —so why can’t I break it?” “Well, it might just be that we’re missing something. Let’s see…”
Tori looked confused, even doubtful that they’d miss something. Sharih, on the other hand, seemed adamant in keeping on, deep in thought with a small pout as she hummed. Of course, the woman had to put her own effort to help out —she knew she couldn’t leave it all to Tori, or Henoke.
Still, what could they have missed to break the Illusion?
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Post by hoodwink on May 10, 2022 9:34:40 GMT -5
Henoke couldn’t help but deflate a bit as Sharih shook her head no. The giggling, though unintentional, only added a wound to the teen’s pride he felt he didn’t need. “It’s not a bad tactic—but there’s really no need!” The woman was quick to explain, though the finer nuances of Spirits and illusions continued to elude him.
Shing! Hearing the sudden sound, Henoke spun on his heels—his body quick to react to anything resembling a battle. By the time he’d pushed Sharih behind him and readied a battle stance, the boy was dumbstruck at Tori slashing at the air with her Keyblade. ”The hell’re ya doin’…?” With a sigh, the horned warrior shook his head and straightened up while shaking his head.
Was that really how illusions broke? He couldn’t remember. A lot had happened during all his adventures since the last time he’d been stuck inside one of these…
The nine-tailed girl seemed confused as well. Despite Sharih’s optimism and confidence, it was clear that Tori was somewhat at a loss. “We already know what the illusion’s trying to change—so why can’t I break it?” Shoving his hands into the pockets of his blue bomber jacket, Henoke groaned while kicking at the ground in clear impatience.
”Who knows?! At this rate, we should just go check out wherever they keep their power’r whatever…” As hot-headed and rowdy as usual, the fiendish teen was clearly over trying to use their critical thinking. ”I don’t really get all this ‘energy’ stuff…but it means they gotta keep it somewhere in here, yeah?” With a fiery blaze in his four eyes, the monsterous boy fixed a fiendish grin on his devilish face, glancing between the two girls.
”If the illusion’s here ‘ta mess with that, let’s just head there! Whoever’s behind it might be there!” Then they could just beat them up to break out!
His favorite kind of plan!
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 11, 2022 12:53:34 GMT -5
While Tori sulked into doubt, starting to grow frustrated with her own inability to solve things, Sharih perked up at Henoke’s proposal —finding it rather optimal despite the lack of initial thought. Tori eventually caught up to the idea, though having had her hopes dampened a little due to the failure recently, she wasn’t sure what else to do. Sharih, on the other hand, seemed up for it, smiling content at Henoke’s words.
“That sounds like a lovely idea~!” she cheered, “If we can’t figure out anything just searching around, then looking in places that might hold some significance can help us out big time~.” “You… Really think it’ll work…?” Tori seemed skeptical, sulking a little still. “But of course~! It is related to why the Illusion exists to begin with —so Henoke is perfectly thinking ahead when suggesting we go check where they store their energy~!” “Then… Where to?” “Hmm… I think I came across something like a storage room before…” Sharih mentioned aloud, “Since I came from that-a-way, I guess you two are moving forward, while I’m backtracking alongside you~.”
It seemed it was impossible to dampen the woman’s mood, no matter how hard the situation seemed to be. Tori, on the other hand, was still skeptical of the approach, but she didn’t have any other options to propose —so, going forward was the only solution available. This time, however, Sharih took the lead as she knew where to go, weaving herself through the hallways without a hitch, humming along a tune only she knew of, though making sure the two teens followed thoroughly.
Eventually, however, the group came across a dead-end —though Sharih seemed oblivious to the problem. Tori, on her end, was fed-up, immediately glaring at her with clear disappointment. There was, however, a door with a metallic frame, and a red light lit up —just like the one door Boo had showed the pair of monster-looking teens earlier. Still skeptical, yet willing to move forward, Tori grabbed the handle of the door, revealing what seemed to be a different area of the Factory. Sharih, not having seen this sort of happening before, seemed shocked at first, but quickly went her way to praise Tori’s actions.
“Ah, so that’s what they do~!” she said, giggling, “As expected of Tori~!” “Y’know, it makes me wonder how you happened to walk around the place…” Tori groaned with an uneasy smile, “Or… How you even ended up here to begin with…” “Don’t worry about those details, sweetie~” Sharih waved her hand nonchalantly, “Those are my issues to cover, after all~. Now, let’s see where this gets us…”
Without even waiting for the two, instead allowing her intrigue to take all of her attention, Sharih walked through the door without a single fear, with Tori following along after making sure Henoke would follow through as well. Once past the door, Sharih seemed just as carefree as before, her step now a little jumpy with, in her words, “good fortune” taking care of things.
Of course, that was only in her eyes —in Tori’s eyes, things were as bad as they could get, with what little information they’d manage to get.
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Post by hoodwink on May 13, 2022 9:25:03 GMT -5
“That sounds like a lovely idea~!” Though Henoke was beginning to grow accustomed to Sharih’s constant optimism, he was a little surprised at how quickly the woman got Tori to agree to the plan. While the bubbly Spirit began to lead the way through the Factory, the orange haired teen couldn’t help but wonder what kind of enemies they might run into.
Spirits were stronger than Heartless, after all.
Heh—perfect! Henoke couldn’t help but bristle in excited anticipation as the group began to make their way to the storage facility Sharih had mentioned. The optimistic woman led them to another mysterious door with a red light above it. It seemed doors were kind of a theme, on this world…
“Ah, so that’s what they do~!” Sharih’s praising of Tori opening the door ahead caused Henoke to bark out in laughter for a moment, shaking his head. Who see’s a door and doesn’t try to go through it? It was kind of funny to the simple-headed boy. He’d woken up in a castle with no memories and had still marched through doors out of instinct.
”So’s this the storage place?” Following the others into the next room, the fiendish teen hoped they were a step closer to either solving the mystery or finding the enemy behind all of this.
He was ready for whatever came next!
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 14, 2022 4:19:40 GMT -5
Distracted as she was leading the way nonchalantly, Sharih had managed to get ahead quite a bit, though still in view of the pair of monstrous-looking teens for them to follow along. Tori was, mentally, exhausted, trying to keep up with Sharih’s absurdly high optimism, while at the same time still conflicted of the fact that, so far, her insights had done little to help. Sure, she had the right idea in order to move forward, but they’d made little to no progress.
Soon enough, the group walked into an area full of metallic boxes, all holding yellow cylinders inside of them in bunches, while some of said cylinders laid useless on the ground on their own. Sharih didn’t seem to mind it, for whatever reason, but Tori was intrigued.
“Hmm…” the girl hummed as she looked upon one of the cylinders closer, “I wonder how this’s supposed to work… We saw a bunch of these when we first arrived, didn’t we?” Tori asked, looking at Henoke. “Any idea what they are?” Sharih asked, receiving the negative, “Hmmm… Sure looks like it’s in disarray now, doesn’t~?” “Say that again…”
Tori looked around closely. Sure enough, despite how things seemed to have some sort of order, for the most part it was quite disorderly, with yellow cans scattered about, some of the boxes seemingly broken into. But whether it was Spirits that had done so or Heartless begged to be seen.
A swirl of mist caught both Spirits’ attention, turning around to face the enemies that had now decided to join. For the most part, they seemed like a small enough group for the trio to tackle —just a few wolf-like Spirits tagging along falcon-like ones. Sharih sighed, seemingly disappointed by the enemies that had decided to show up, before spinning forward her polearm with a boring look.
“My~, isn’t this a bit pointless…?” she said with an uneasy smile, “Surely you know by now you can’t win~.” “I don’t think that’s their goal, though…” Tori readied herself, Keyblade in hand. “Ah, well —whatever their objective is, surely we can put a stop to it now~?”
Before receiving any sort of reply, Sharih jumped into the fray, her steps as elegant as they had been before, her polearm steady in its aim. Immediately, the group of Spirits caught notice of her and aiming to attack her first and foremost —leaving the more sneakier assault on Tori and Henoke’s side. Taking the chance, Tori flanked the Spirits with her Elegant Flurry, the combo of attacks able to defeat one Colorless Wolf.
The rest were still chasing after Sharih, though the woman seemed to have no issue weaving in between their sloppy attacks and countering with ease.
[BATTLE! 6 Colorless Wolves, 5 Thunder Falcons]
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Post by hoodwink on May 17, 2022 15:32:19 GMT -5
Soon, Henoke had the answer to his question just by looking around. The area the group had emerged in through the door was clearly a storage space—the walls lined with large metallic boxes, housing peculiar yellow canisters along every side. “I wonder how this’s supposed to work…” As Tori asked him about the canisters, the horned teen realized they had indeed seen them before, back in one of the first large rooms they had entered inside this factory.
Whatever they are, someone wanted in…or something…[/b] While the two girls occupied themselves with what may be inside the canisters, Henoke couldn’t help but notice how some metal boxes were clearly torn into. Some of the canisters littered the floor in disarray, clanging and clanking as they rolled across tile.
“My~ Isn’t this a bit pointless…?” Sharih’s comment broke the teen away from their lazy investigation. Spinning on their heels only to see Spirits, Henoke grinned cockily as his Keyblade appeared in his hands with a bursting light.
”There we go! I knew it!” Gripping his weapon tightly in a battle stance, the rowdy warrior seemed proud of himself. Seeing an equal amount of airborne and ground enemies, Henoke already had a devilish idea as Sharih leapt into the fray. ”I got yer six!” With a flare of excitement in his gaze, the orange haired teen rushed in towards the mob while Tori flanked the distracted enemies.
”Sharih—heads up!” Following behind the woman with his own speed, Henoke shouted out a warning to his new friend as he heaved his Keyblade into the air. ”Thundara!” Bolts of lightning began to crash and shower across the battlefield around them, aiming for both the Spirits nearing them on the ground and the air. That was hardly the end to his assault, continuing to run towards the mob with a fiendish grin across their face.
”Let’s go!” Rushing into the fray after his spell, Henoke was a flurry of steel and excitement as he unleashed combos with his own strength!
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Post by therunawaygirl on May 29, 2022 17:14:57 GMT -5
Henoke’s eager warning wasn’t exactly needed, yet nevertheless the blonde woman appreciated the detail —evident by her smile. Working her way around the Spirits, it left ample room for many of them to be hit by the teen’s Thundara, stunning them in place while also receiving some damage —enough for some to fall under Henoke’s flurry of steel afterwards. Still keeping the pace, Sharih was a force to be reckoned with, just as she had been before.
Finishing her own dance, the woman had leapt up and back, seemingly taunting the enemies mesmerized by her actions, while leaving the flanking to the teens. Tori had made use of the opportunity, attacking the airborne enemies with her Fire Toss. 2 falcons fell to her attack, while the ones remaining had finally taken notice of the surprise attack. Similarly, those who had survived Henoke’s assault had taken notice of him, leaving Sharih behind. The woman, noticing this, only tilted her head with her eyes wide open, blinking in confusion, giggling a little as she sighed.
“My, that won’t do…” she muttered, “I’m the one putting a show here —so pay clo~se attention~!”
As if spinning a baton to a rhythm, Sharih readied to jump into the fray yet again. She quickly went to help Tori, much for the girl’s shock, staggering a little at the sight. On Henoke’s side, there was a bright orange flash striking at the Spirits targeting the boy, slowing its pace to reveal its form —that of an orange pheasant, its bright blue eyes similar to Sharih’s own, looking at the Spirits it had just attacked.
“Now, then —why don’t you look this way~?”
Sharih’s voice echoed throughout the hallways and rooms, her intention clear as she dove further in to attack —as did the orange pheasant, in unison with Sharih's special Spotlight. Almost as if using magic, once again the Spirits attacking targeted the pair, leaving Tori and Henoke out of their attention for the time being, with some Spirits apparently dazed and unable to truly move from their place.
“Come on, now —you sweeties are the ones who need to finish the fight, not me~!” Sharih teased. “…Like you have to ask!” Tori shouted, eager.
The girl took no time to seize the opportunity with her hands, using her Flash to close the distance to the mob of Spirits, while Sharih and the orange pheasant kept their attention. With that in mind, finishing the job seemed easy enough.
[BATTLE! 4 Colorless Wolves, 3 Thunder Falcons]
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 4, 2022 14:18:04 GMT -5
"I'm the one putting on a show here--" Just as soon as Henoke had grabbed the mob's attention, a darting orange blur began to assault the Spirits heading his way! What the...?! It took a moment for his four eyes to pinpoint the buzzing bird who delivered the assault. For a moment, the teen paused. It almost looked like it had he same blue eyes as...
Sharih's Spotlight caused Henoke to stagger in surprise--the woman's voice crashing against the walls of the factory in a thunderous echo. "You sweeties are the ones who need to finish the fight, not me~!" Shaking his head a bit as he recovered himself, the spiky haired teen was quick to leap back into action.
"You got it!" He hardly ever needed a reason to fight, after all. Using the pause Sharih created in the battlefield with her own powers, Henoke began to undo the bandages around his Keyblade with his fanged teeth as he ran. "I'll finish this quick!" Brimming with confidence as he yanked his weapon in two, the demonic warrior rushed at the mob with Tori.
Unleashing swift combos with his unbridled strength, the dual-wielding paladin would hurl one of his Keyblades towards the airborne enemies with his Reflect Raid. While the chaotic ranged attack kept them busy, he'd deliver punishing sword strikes against the grounded wolves with the remaining weapon in his hand!
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 12, 2022 12:56:49 GMT -5
As the woman in orange danced her march, the pair of Keyblade Wielders were quick to finish the job. Henoke’s dual-wield stance made things easier on his end, cleaving and slicing through enemies with ease, while Tori used her own expertise to exploit the Spirit’s weak points. Eventually, the sounds of battle dimmed and faded, leaving only silence behind. Once more, Sharih twisted and turned her polearm before dismissing it into mist, while Tori did a faint motion to dismiss her own Keyblade. Glancing quickly towards Henoke to check on him, the girl was quick to focus her attention elsewhere.
Instead of disappearing like the other Spirits, the orange pheasant remained in place, keeping itself in the air as its wings continued to flap in flight. Its blue eyes were directly staring at Sharih, though the woman herself seemed oblivious to the evident annoyance in its gaze. Tori, upon seeing that, only chuckled with unease.
It seemed no one was safe from the woman’s air-headedness.
“Would it kill you to stand in place for 5 minutes while you send me off somewhere?” the pheasant spoke, clearly unamused, “It wasn’t easy to find you here, with everything that’s going on.” “Aw~ Come on~” Sharih waved her hand dismissively, with a smile in her lips, “I couldn’t leave these two defenseless now, could I?” “These two?”
Swiftly, the bird turned towards the pair of teens —finding Tori waving awkwardly its way. Looking past her, it noticed Henoke, quickly tilting its head with curiosity. But whether it recognized the orange-demon teen or not, it was quick to turn back to the woman with the same glare as before.
In the meantime, Tori decided to have a look around one last time to the place, checking for any sort of note or something that would lead anything to where they should head to next. There was, after all, a clear sign of chaos, with some crates broken and some yellow cans scattered —but other than that, nothing else. Humming in thought, Tori had to wonder who had broken them, and why.
“Hmm…” the girl hummed in thought, closing her eyes and rocking her head back and forth, “…I feel like I need to draw back to what was happening at the beginning…” she mumbled to herself.
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 17, 2022 17:40:16 GMT -5
Smirking as the remaining Spirits fell to blades, Henoke dismissed his weapons after the battle finished. Puffing up his chest a bit, the monstrous teen reveled in the thrill left over from combat. Fighting really pumped him up! "Would it kill you to stand in place for five minutes while you send me off somewhere?" Jolting as the pheasant spoke, Henoke blinked in open surprise, clearly baffled. It talked!? It took him a moment to recover, though soon enough the boy figured it out.
So, that's her Familiar...? He kind've forgot about the rules of Spirits sometimes...especially since Tori's wasn't by her side like the others.
Scowling a bit as Sharih made the comment of him and Tori being 'defenseless', Henoke shook his head and crossed his arms before raising a brow at the pair. It seemed they didn't get along well at first glance--though surely the match-up had to suit them on some level, right? "Hmm..." It was then that the teen noticed his friend deep in thought, only causing him to sigh and shake his head in mild annoyance.
"Tch--nothin' big showed up..." His plan had backfired, simple as it was. Maybe if we just keep fightin', a boss'll show up...? Seeing what Tori was looking at, Henoke walked over towards the busted crates, leaning down on one knee to examine them. "Oi, can either o' ya figure out if whatever did this was a Spirit?" For all he knew, it could have even been done by a local, considering their monstrous appearance...
"If it was a Spirit, one o' ya could track it, right?" Glancing between the three, the devilish warrior began to grin. "If ya can track Spirits, we could figure out who the boss is!" He thought he remembered Kosuke doing something like that once, or was it Necro?
Glancing at the orange pheasant hovering by Sharih, the teen wondered if a bird could track as well as a dragon.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 6, 2022 10:42:14 GMT -5
While Tori continued her instrospection, tracing all the way back to when they had arrived, Sharih and her Familiar were quick to look at Henoke, with the teen fuming and rambling about. As per usual, the woman simply hid her giggled with one of her hands, trying to not come off as dismissive to Henoke, but she couldn’t help it when seeing how hard he was trying. The pheasant, on the other hand, was listening attentive to the teen’s suggestions. While in truth, it could go track the Spirits behind the recent activity, it wasn’t as if it hadn’t been doing that before meeting Henoke.
If anything, it was because it had been doing that, that the pheasant was somewhat annoyed —though Tori knew that, deep down, said frustration was also Sharih’s.
Familiars worked like that, after all —they shared the general emotions of those who they belonged to.
“I’m certain that this particular chaos was made by Spirits” the pheasant agreed, “But the one who instigated the move… I can’t tell —the ones that showed up just now were just making sure that no one discovered this. But for what reason and who ordered that…” “Aww, so no progress in that area, huh…?” Sharih said, somewhat deflated —yet there was still a smile in her expression, “Well, once again, we’re back to square one, aren’t we…?”
All the while Sharih was somewhat lamenting her position, with the pheasant glaring daggers her way, Tori was aiming to connect the dots between everything they had seen and experienced thus far. From meeting with Boo, who was technically not supposed to be where she was, to the explanation Sulley and Mike gave them upon meeting, to the appearance of both Heartless and Spirits within the same world —all seemed random, but surely there was a line of connections somewhere? One keyword that was standing out for Tori the most was “fear” —what the monsters were originally using to gather their energy, but eventually found out that “laughter” was a far stronger candidate. While Heartless were drawn towards it, making their appearance obvious in that world, what did the Spirits gain from fear? Was there a benefit to it to begin with?
Or…?
“…Hold on” Tori finally said, catching Sharih’s attention, “There’s one piece missing…” “Hmm? And what would that be~?” “I can get what Heartless gain from fear, but… Do you have any idea why Spirits could use something like that?” “Fear?” the pheasant asked, tilting its head, “Well… People who’re fearful or paranoic are easier to manipulate and draw inside an Illusion…” “No, not that. I’m talking about the fear we keep hearing about. Like… Scaring others, y’know?” “Huh? …No idea, then.” “…Would causing panic be a possible answer?”
As soon as Tori ushered her suggestion, both Sharih and the pheasant blinked in confusion, unsure as to what the girl was getting at. Tori, on the other hand, seemed confident in her proposal, little by little figuring things out. So long as she understood, it didn’t matter if the others did —they could still lend a hand in what she needed help for. The only piece that didn’t fit at all was Boo, however —yet the girl seemed like the mischievous type, if Mike’s account was of any indication. Outside of being directly involved, the small girl could’ve simply gotten caught in the scheme of someone else due to her own curiosity. And if that was the case, it’d make sense for Spirits to consider her an intruder, whereas the two monsters were targets. “If we can’t break past this Illusion, I think we should backtrack a bit” Tori proceeded, “Back to the entrance, to be specific. If Sulley and Mike are there, all the better —‘cause then I’m sure we’ll have this solved.” “Hmm… The more you talk, the less sense you’re making…” Sharih tilted her head a little, “For starters, how will you sweeties leave the Illusion? It’s not like it has an open door for anyone to come and go…” “That’s the norm, yeah —but this one’s different. Whoever did this Illusion did it with said flaw on purpose.” “Hmm? …I’m not sure I follow, sweetheart…”
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 6, 2022 12:33:07 GMT -5
Hearing Sharih and her Familiar's explanation, Henoke sighed and glanced around the factory once more. It seemed no matter what the group did, they kept coming up with dead ends. The paladin was growing restless, never having been that great at connecting the dots.
Usually, Henoke just followed the Heartless around. The Keyblade always handled the rest. Spirits were in a whole other league, though...
"Hold on..." Tori seemed to be one step closer to a conclusion, but still didn't get why the Spirits would be after a negative emotion like 'fear'. Similar to Sharih, the horned warrior was lost. Sure, Henoke was definitely not the sharpest tool in the shed...but he had figured it was the same reason as the Heartless.
Weren't Spirits drawn to emotion, too?
He couldn't really remember. He'd just gone with his own half-baked assumption. Shrugging a bit, the hard headed youth kept spit-balling, though his heart wasn't really into it anymore. "Maybe the Spirits'r after the laughs, then...?" To be honest, he wasn't sure what they'd do with those either...
"I think we should backtrack a bit." Henoke audibly groaned, deflating a bit as he kicked at the cement floor.
Tch--this's gettin' annoyin'... He hated sneaky enemies. It was so much easier when the main villain was some proud and violent type, making a grand entrance or some path of chaos easy to follow. He just wanted to beat them up and save the day, not solve riddles and find clues...
Thankfully, Sharih wasn't really following Tori either.
Both of them were at a loss as Tori suggested simply walking out of the illusion. Henoke certainly wasn't an expert on Spirits, half of the time forgetting all of the details, but he had been pretty sure that Illusions weren't so easy to break free of. "Whoever did this Illusion did it with said flaw on purpose."
Clearly confused and losing their patience, Henoke had no clue as to why a Spirit would do such a thing, but his restlessness was beginning to take over. "I don't really get it...but let's go! We ain't gonna figure nothin' out if we just stand around here, right?" If Tori believed it to be true, he might as well trust her. She was his friend after all, and after everything the two had gone through together, it was rather easy to relax and believe she had it covered.
That being said, the demonic looking teen paused for a moment, glancing around the factory while scratching at their thorny cheek. Er... Which way had they come from, again?
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 7, 2022 15:45:46 GMT -5
Though a bit discouraged by Henoke’s annoyance, Tori couldn’t help but muster a faint smile at his willingness to continue regardless —unlike Sharih, who was still trying to wrap her head around the girl’s suggestion. The pheasant wasn’t exactly on the same boat as the woman, though, seemingly content with the suggestion —yet it didn’t showcase it, instead seemingly blankly looking between Tori and Henoke with its bright light-blue eyes.
That being said, if they wanted to backtrack all the way to the entrance of the facilities, they had to get going —yet where had they come from? The place was akin a maze, with how many turns and doors connecting otherwise closed-off locations. As Sharih continued to rack her head around Tori’s suggestion, eventually settling on her gut feeling and trusting her, the pheasant soared closer to Tori, catching her attention, though the silence took its time to leave before the Familiar finally spoke.
“Well, if we want to go back to where you two arrived… Shouldn’t you be able to guide us?” it asked. “Well…” Tori looked away, sheepish, “That’s the thing —I can’t recall where we came from…” “That’s to be expected. Even Sharih and I don’t recall where we came from, too” the pheasant nodded, “But since you’re the one closest to figuring it out, you probably already know where to go from here.” “You’re… Expecting a bit too much from me there…” “I’m not wrong, am I?”
Tori initially groaned, somewhat perplexed at the pheasant’s sharp thoughts compared to Sharih’s air-headedness, yet she knew why that was, deciding in the end to not question it, and instead focus on what mattered. Turning around to where the hall returned, Tori seemed to glare a little bit, reacting to something. She raised her hand forward, her Keyblade showing up to her call —a sight that caught Sharih’s attention, yet the pheasant seemed pleased.
Eventually, it seemed the woman understood what the girl was trying to do. Gripping her blade firmly, Tori stood firm, before stabbing the air. Mist surged akin a violent tempest, causing her to glint her eyes in order to see, yet she maintained her posture. Maybe she couldn’t break the Illusion, but would it be possible to change it, if only slightly? To impose her view over someone else’s –was that possible for someone like her?
Maybe, but there was only one way to tell…
The mist broke with violence, turning everything around the team a pristine white and grey. Unable to really stand her ground anymore, Tori closed her eyes, feeling how she was being pushed backwards —but there would be no wall to stop her push. The same would apply to Sharih and Henoke —with them being pushed back by the mist towards a location unknown. By the time Tori managed to get her bearings together, her head was spinning. She found herself on the floor, and after bringing one hand to her forehead and try to level her senses, she looked around —finding herself back at the large hallway with the doors, where they first met Boo. Looking around, she’d notice Henoke was also there, yet Sharih was nowhere to be seen.
Where had she gone? And… How had they returned all the way back to the entrance?
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 7, 2022 17:12:53 GMT -5
Henoke staggered in blatant surprise as Tori admitted to not knowing the direction back towards the factory entrance. Sure, he was always bad with this sort of stuff, but wasn't she normally their saving grace?! "Sheesh...so we're lost?!" He really couldn't believe it.
Glancing around, the rowdy teen couldn't gather anything from the countless conveyer belts and doors snaking across the endless landscape. The place was truly a maze.
Grimacing as a vein pulsed on his forehead in irritation, Henoke noticed Tori looking around with a bizarre sense of focus. "Uh...you doin' okay?" Staggering back and yelling out in surprise as she stabbed the air, the paladin's yell only intensified while mist erupted and consumed them.
What the hell--?! Henoke had always been physically strong. The sudden force pushing him back was overwhelming, taking the teen off-guard.
Without being able to make sense of what was happening, he was falling.
Or was he flying?
It didn't feel like how it did in Neverland...
Spinning and lurched through the air, Henoke could only clamp his eyes shut as he fought off the dizziness, shouting into the vacuum as he was yanked through the factory--
[BREAK]
"Urgh..." Groaning, Henoke blinked his eyes as his vision finally stopped spinning. Sitting up, the boy shook his head before looking around, surprised to find himself sprawled on the concrete floor of the factory entrance.
Standing up suddenly, Henoke found Tori and Sharih not too far from him--though the moment he went to take a step the world spun once more.
Fighting off the nausea, the warrior was quick to see Tori rise first, pointing a finger at her with a look of indignation. "Oi, what the hell're you tryin' 'ta do!? What was that?!" Grumbling as he crossed his arms, Henoke glanced around the entryway once more.
At least we made it back, I guess... While trying to swallow his bitter feelings, the teen searched for any sign of the two local monsters they had met: Mike and Sully.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 5, 2022 12:45:46 GMT -5
Tori’s head continued to spin, her quick stand-up hardly helping her balance. Her vision sharpened quite quickly, but her head felt light, without managing to find its pace. Henoke’s accusation didn’t help, though it was to be expected —Tori herself hadn’t expected that little trick to end with such violence. The only thing she’d tried to do was impose her views over the one the Illusion placed, but maybe it wasn’t the right decision?
Whichever the case, they were now at the hall where they’d met Boo —yet there was no one in sight. “Urgh… That… Didn’t go as planned at all…” Tori mumbled, “Sorry about that…”
Finally, her head settled in. With a deep breath, Tori stood up, looking around only to finally realize the fact that no one was around. Not even Sharih or the orange-colored pheasant —it was dead quiet. Unlike their first entrance, where they had followed Boo and her mischief, this time anyone could hear a pin dropping on the floor. It wasn’t a pleasant silence, sending a slight chill down Tori’s spine. She was visibly tense, as if something was lurking nearby…
“…Where’d Sharih go?” she asked after a while, “Have you seen her?”
Whichever the answer, Tori gave a good look around one last time. It wasn’t like she’d placed much attention to detail the first time they’d been there, but something felt out of place. As if they weren’t exactly where they had meant to be. It felt out of place, for Tori at the very least. For Henoke, it would probably be the same as the first time.
Then again, that was considering his usual demeanor, which at times came as a blessing.
There was a sudden echoing of steps coming their way —a hard clack against the floor. Did Sharih wear such footwear? Tori didn’t recall that being the case, instead knowing the woman was more eager on loose clothes and light soles. The grip on Tori’s hand formed fists, her gaze finally locking into where the noise came from —with a silhouette not taking long to make itself present. The figure stopped, at first astounded, but there was a quick giggle that would be very familiar to the two monstrous looking teen…
“Well, would you look at that…? You’re the ones messing up our work, huh?” the voice sounded cocky, even amused, “I had the feeling you’d be here, but to think that is following you around…”
Allowing the moonlight to reveal their features, the figure stepped forward. Her silver hair almost sparkled against the light of night, yet her red eyes showcased the amusement of a fun hunt almost eagerly. Her outfit was just the same as when Henoke first met her —the purple sleeveless top, the overly fancy skirt with frills and the golden-bangled stockings, as well as the platform-high boots with little detail. The smirk on Kira’s face was an obvious one —one amused by someone setting a trap, and successfully catching her prey.
“Why does it not surprise me that you’re the one behind this…?” Tori scoffed, yet evidently bitter, “So what now? Is this where you back off again?” “Sorry, not happening” Kira shrugged, “I put a lot of work here, so no —I’m not letting you ruin it.” “Tch…” “Still, what are you doing with that following you around?” the silver-haired girl asked, catching Tori’s attention, “Don’t tell me you took pity on it…” “…What are you going on about now?” “Don’t play dumb —your little doll over there” Kira smirked, pointing at Henoke, “Are you having fun, toying with that around? “H-Huh?!” “Oh, I can just picture it… You probably gave it hope, a couple false promises, and you wrapped him around your finger to play puppeteer and toss it aside once you’re bored… I’m not surprised, knowing you.”
Tori staggered, taking a slight step back, evidently taking Kira’s words more to heart than she thought. They were a bribe, a trap —one meant to distract her. Yet why had it stung so deep? Seeing the face of hesitation written on the girl’s face, Kira giggled, though eventually burst into laughter. Glaring with her ruby-colored eyes at the pair, her smirk only widened.
“How pathetic! A master of puppets, unaware of one right besides her?! You have a lot of gall, after everything you’ve done, Tori —you’re worse than me, in that regard.” “…You’re wrong… I'm nothing like you...” “Oh, but am I? You can’t deny it —you’re wondering about it right now, aren’t you? And before you ask ‘who else?’, I know plenty of people who can say the same thing about you.”
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 5, 2022 15:28:06 GMT -5
"Where'd Sharih go?" After regaining herself, Tori noticed what Henoke hadn't. Jostled by their throwing around, the demonic looking boy whipped their head around, all four eyes blinking in surprise. He had thought she'd be with them, but sure enough the vibrant girl and her bird familiar were nowhere to be seen in the entryway of the factory.
Speaking of which, no one was there.
Sure, the factory had been quiet in the night, but they'd run into a few locals by now. Where'd everyone go...? Henoke's mind immediately jumped to the bizarre spirits they'd been dealing with. What if they were jumped, like us...?! Sully looked strong, but Mike and Boo seemed defenseless.
Click! Clack! Click! The sound of sharp footsteps echoed, causing the spiky haired teen to jolt to attention. "Well, would you look at that...?" A cold voice came from the shadows as a vaguely familiar face emerged. As Tori exchanged words, quick to remember Kira and what they'd done, Henoke was focused on the woman, trying to recall where he knew her...
Once the woman called him a 'doll', a scowl had formed on his face as memories came flooding back. Tch--Kira! The woman with a whipping tongue, one who had tormented him shortly after the realization of his origins. While Kira continued throwing out taunts and harsh words, Henoke glared as his fists clenched.
"Ya sure love to talk!" Fed up with the exchange, the boy let his anger take over. Words were meaningless with Kira. "But how's'about ya try backin' it up fer once!" Rushing forward as Tori finished exchanging words, clearly shaken by the taunts, Henoke summoned his hefty Keyblade as he charged.
"Shut up fer once, will ya?!" Leaping forward as he closed the distance, the bandaged grey weapon crackled and sparked to life with a raging golden energy. Unleashing his Blitz attack, the rowdy Paladin started a battle!
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 6, 2022 3:02:18 GMT -5
“Ever eager to fight, huh…?”
As Henoke charged forward, Kira sighed, unamused. Unlike Tori, he wasn’t as interesting of an enemy as the girl, so the thought of fighting him was boring, to say the least. Her ruby-red eyes glared, blocking with a slight expertise with her own Keyblade. Locked in the exchange, yet hardly putting any backbone behind it, the silver-haired girl seemed to groan, pushing Henoke aside without much effort needed. The heavy crystal Keyblade she held fell heavily against the floor, the floor slightly giving in as evidenced by the faint cracks on the concrete.
Kira glared at the boy, chin held high and with her eyes showing disdain, yet hardly pushing a retaliation. Whether she was willing to fight or not was not exactly clear, based on her body language —but she still had something to do in that world.
“Is that your whole purpose? To just… Fight? Fight even when there’s no meaning behind it?” she asked, “Or did she put you up to it?”
While her focus remained Tori first and foremost, Kira didn’t seem to pass the opportunity to taunt Henoke in a similar fashion, ignoring his request to “shut up”. Red eyes met the opposing golden glare, seemingly unimpressed by the spectacle she was witnessing.
There was no way Henoke was fighting for Tori’s sake, right? It seemed impossible.
“So? What’s your deal?” Kira asked, a slight pout in her expression as she did so, “First, you tag along that insufferable pain in the ass, and now you’re here with Tori. Are you that naïve?” she sighed, “You’re nothing more than a tool —though you’d like to think you’re not, huh? In the end, you’re just doing her bidding, nothing else. You don’t even know if what she’s told you is the truth!” “…Shut it! I haven’t lied to anyone!” Tori shouted, managing to find a way out of her nerves, “I don’t know what you’re going on about, but you’re wrong!” “Okay, and? Can you say for sure I’m wrong? You don’t even remember what you were like, do you?” Kira retorted back, before looking at Henoke, “And you don’t even know if what you so-called ‘remembered’ is real or just a fabrication of hers. For all you know, you might just be another pawn in another one’s game.”
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 6, 2022 7:35:47 GMT -5
CLANG! Henoke's Blitz erupted uselessly against Kira's odd crystal Keyblade. Despite the tools appearance, it was far from fragile. "Grrr...!" Growling as he grit his teeth, the warrior tried with all his might to break the guard, shouting out in frustration and mild surprise as instead he was pushed back. Damn it!
He knew Kira was powerful, but they'd been to a few worlds since their last run in. Though Henoke had continued to train hard and put in his all, it hadn't closed the gap between them. "Is that your whole purpose? To just...fight?" More annoyed than deterred, Kira finally fixed her attention on him. "So? What's your deal?" The sudden question caught the teen off guard.
"You're nothing more than a tool -- though you'd like to think you're not, huh?" For once, Henoke didn't rise to the bait. His anger didn't flare or find its way into the otherwise unclouded and bright heart within. "For all you know, you might just be another pawn..." Straightening up out of his battle stance, Henoke did something he'd never truly done before in a battle. Not like this.
"Pffft...ha! Ha ha ha!" Bursting out in laughter, the spiky haired teen doubled over for a moment, shaking his head. "Damn, yer stupid, lady! Tryna rattle me, huh? Well it ain't gonna work!" Straightening up and flashing a wide grin showing his fanged teeth, Henoke pointed his Keyblade towards Kira with a mischievous gleam in his eyes. "Well, I guess you were kinda right: I do love to fight. Heartless, you, the rest'a the creeps comin' after Tori..."
Finally, the boy's nonchalance died down as a faint spark began to crackle as though lightning around both him and his weapon. "As fer bien' a tool..." Henoke's grin widened into a wicked smile, filled with excitement and malice. "I only see ONE tool here, and it's YOU!" It didn't matter that Kira was stronger. It didn't matter that indeed, the tiniest part of his mind could in fact listen to the accusations and warnings she told.
Henoke's heart was blind to things like doubt or suspicion towards his friends. The Paladin may not trust everyone, but those he did, he'd never lose faith in. He wasn't just fighting for Tori, now, but for himself. To prove his heart was right. That his friend was right. "I'ma teach ya a thing'r two 'bout friends, since ya clearly don't got any..." Charging forward once again, the crackling energy continued to flare and snap, though it was clear that Henoke's anger was still at bay.
Using his Sliding Dash, the devilish teen aimed his Keyblade at Kira while he closed the gap. Ssssssssk...BOOM! Casting his Raging Heart shotlock, the energy around his Keyblade exploded forth as countless small heart-shaped light projectiles raced forward. Henoke chased after his own ranged attack, as it directed itself towards the woman. As he and his shotlock closed the gap with blinding speed, the teen shouted out as he slashed out with a furious and swift combo, swinging the large Keyblade as though it weighed nothing.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Oct 6, 2022 8:33:23 GMT -5
For a moment, the battle seemed to break on a stalemate, with Henoke seemingly considering Kira’s words. The girl with silver hair seemed dubious, however, based on the boy’s posture, her red eyes looking with some annoyance. Tori was also baffled, wondering in her head why was it that the fight had simple… Stopped.
"Pffft...ha! Ha ha ha!" Henoke’s sudden burst to laughter caught everyone off-guard, though Kira was quick to return to her glare. It seemed her aim hadn’t been true, and instead missed the original objective. Hardly relaxing her pose, she kept examining the Replica with disdain, hearing his words without much interest. "I'ma teach ya a thing'r two 'bout friends, since ya clearly don't got any..." Kira blinked at first, but drew a sly smirk as she noticed Henoke approaching once again to attack. Hardly bothered by it, despite some of the projectiles landing their mark, the girl was hardly affected. Having dismissed her own weapon, she effortlessly dodged back, jumping at times and weaving her movements at others, not rattled in the slightest by Henoke putting up an effort.
“’Friends’, huh? That’s what drives you?” she asked, making sure her voice was loud and audible, “And you’re sure Tori’s your… ‘friend’? I wouldn’t be so sure, if I were you…”
Finally making a decent bit of distance, Kira’s gaze locked straight with Henoke’s noticing the hint of rebellion behind his golden eyes. There was a faint hint of darkness beginning to surround her, but it was subtle still, as if the girl was able to keep it at bay. After a small moment of contemplation, she smirked.
There was still one last card she could use —it didn’t matter if it broke Henoke, Tori, or both. All she was up to now was create a gap between them.
To isolate her prey.
“…Let’s say Tori does consider you a ‘friend’” Kira began, “Are you certain she’s not doing it out of pity? Of… Regret? Maybe she’s only close to you because of something she’s done to you before. Haven’t you ever thought on that?” “Stop…” Tori mustered an opposition, “Enough talking —get lost” she groaned, gritting her teeth. “I’m not done —we both know that” the silver-haired girl replied, smirking, “After all, you were there, weren’t you?” “Huh?” “A barren wasteland… And Keyblade Wielders taking the lives of their comrades —of their ‘friends’. You were there, yes?” “…!” “I think Ruby mentioned it… How you had to kill anyone who opposed you?”
Tori’s gaze shook, her body giving up completely —evident by her falling to her knees in broken retrospection. It didn’t matter if Kira had finished her thoughts or not —what she aimed to imply was obvious. With how little she knew of her true past, there was no way she could refute the possibilities, no matter how much she wanted to.
She couldn’t, not with what she knew —not yet.
“You’re just a doll, someone’s tool —that’s why you were made” Kira continued, looking at Henoke, “But you had to have died, no? Your ‘memory’ wouldn’t work otherwise. And it just so happens… That Tori was there when you died. You’re not that naïve —I can tell as much, and for that I’ll apologize. So, probably, you can’t dismiss the possibility, now can you?”
Getting to her crux, Kira’s smirk drew an uneasy sensation —enjoying how her words were causing doubt to grow in someone’s heart. Faith was a fickle thing, especially without solid proof. Knowing how to exploit it was enough, even if her original target didn’t bite. The other one would bite as easily.
“What if… Tori was the one to end you? Can you still call her a ‘friend’, even though she’d be the one who took your life?” Kira asked, “As far as I’m aware, ‘friends’ aren’t ones who kill each other… But here you are, alongside a ‘friend’ that could have just as easily been your demise.”
Finally, the darkness seemed to seep through, an aura quick to take form around Kira’s silhouette. Her ruby eyes only seemed to shine brighter within the darkness, her smirk evident as she aimed to set her stand firm. While on one hand, the heavy crystal Keyblade took form, the other hand seemed to manifest a wisp, much in the same manner as Tori beckoned those at the Shore —yet instead of the silver-ish grey those were, this was a pitch black flame, with hints of deep purple glistening every so often.
“You may not know now, but eventually you will” Kira stated, her voice firm, “It’s inevitable that you’ll remember everything, despite being a useless doll now. Tori allowed you to live, but don’t consider it a mercy —if anything, I’d say she’s willingly playing with your feelings. That’s the kind of person she truly is.”
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Post by hoodwink on Oct 6, 2022 12:27:44 GMT -5
Whoosh! CLANG! Henoke grit his teeth in frustration as his attacks with the Keyblade missed completely, skidding off the factory floor in the space Kira had been. Tch, how's she so quick?! Readying his battle stance, the fiery teen was preparing another assault before the woman began speaking once again.
"You're sure Tori's your...'friend'?" Pausing, Henoke scrunched up his monstrous face into one of confusion. What kinda dumb question is that...? Of course the two were friends! They'd been on adventures, fought monsters as well as each other, laughed and cried together...wasn't that all friendship was? It was then the teen noticed a faint aura beginning to hum around Kira -- dark as though the night itself was shrouding her. "Maybe she's only close to you because of something she's done to you before. Haven't you ever thought of that?"
While Tori gave a meek protest, clearly shaken up, Henoke tilted his head further in confusion. "Somethin' she's...done?" He couldn't think of anything like that. Sure, Tori and him had clashed on a few occasions, even fighting each other openly at some points...but the two always reconciled.
"A barren wasteland..." As Kira recounted the scene of the Keyblade War, Henoke's heart froze. Painful memories carefully held at bay were unleashed, one's that ached his chest. For a moment, the orange haired teen glanced down to the floor. Kira continued to rattle off a horrible theory that caused Tori to lose heart. Seeing her fall to her knees, Henoke jolted to attention, shouting out to her as he reached a hand in the distance between them.
"It just so happens...that Tori was there when you died." Everything seemed to freeze. Henoke's wide eyes narrowed as they landed on Kira once more. "What if...Tori was the one to end you?" The dark aura shrouding the woman intensified, the presence of darkness causing the air to grow heavy and thick with malice. "You may not know now, but eventually you will." Henoke's gaze turned into an icy glare.
"Shut up! I already know everything I need ta know!" As he spoke, his free hand began to unwrap the bandages around his Keyblade. "And what'd you know 'bout fightin' friends?! You ain't got none 'cept psychos!" His rage was bubbling, though the clear gold in his eyes showed he was hardly taken over by it. "You really don't get it, huh? Even if what yer sayin' was true, I'd forgive her! I was a huge jerk durin' that war...I don't got the right to blame her for nothin'!"
His weapon unbound, Henoke yanked his Keyblade apart with a clank! Two Keyblades now in hand, the rowdy teen matched Kira's dual wielding style. It was his true forte, after all. "Tori!" Keeping his four eyes on the enemy in front of him, the warrior shouted out, hoping to reach his friend. "Remember what we said at the shore?! I'm here, y'know!" Pushing off the concrete floor, Henoke sped across the battlefield with a new speed, as the once large and hefty weapon he wielded split in half.
"The war doesn't matter! Not anymore! What does is what we decided to do after it!" He wouldn't let Kira's attacks reach Tori, if she stayed on the ground. Lancing forward, the devilish boy hurled one of his weapons directly for Kira, using his Reflect Raid. The weapon wasn't aimed for them, but the concrete floor next to them. Ricocheting wildly in directions even Henoke himself wouldn't know, the attack opened his assault as he closed the distance.
Slashing out with both hands on the remaining Keyblade in his hands, the teen slashed out with wide arcs before lancing a stab as the ricocheting weapon spun from behind and above!
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