[Open] July Catch-all

[shadowsthedawn]

Who: Riku and YOU
When: Throughout July
Where: Aefenglom, Dorchacht
What: Quests catch-all.
Warnings: N/A



a; Blink and Miss 'Em;

[By the time he reached seventeen Riku had traveled a multiverse, gone on countless adventures, and fought agents of darkness. With the help of his friends, of course. But even still, with a track record like that he's predisposed to certain notions about himself. Such as, that he's prepared and equip to deal with any situation.

Including herding and looking after two kittens who can vanish before his eyes in an instant. Despite the fact that he's never owned a cat, or any kind of pet before. It's something the most average of people can handle (minus the teleporting bit) so he should have it under control.

He couldn't be more wrong.

It will soon become a familiar sight to see the silver haired teenager running around the city in exasperation as he strives to follow the trail of his two foster kittens.]

Have you seen any kittens go by? The ones I'm looking for are white and brown.

[As for the mischievous kittens, they delight in their little games and are likely to appear in front of someone and curl around their legs for ear scratches, or follow after anyone in possession of food. You might even find them suddenly in your shop after closing or in your home, curling up on your favorite chair. Luckily, they possess collars with tags that read: If found, please return to...and the address of the Keyblade House.]

b; Doppelgangers

[One day in mid-July more chaos seems to surround Riku as he wanders around the city with his Keyblade strapped to his back. That wouldn't be so strange in and of itself if it wasn't for the fact that the teen begins to start trying to instigate a fight with whoever he thinks looks like they would be a strong opponent.]

Hey you! You look pretty tough. Think you'd stand a chance against me? [He says before striking some kind of tough guy pose with his weapon. Those who demure or try to walk away will find themselves being blocked by the teen as he continues to try and goad a fight.

Those that know Riku will probably find this behavior very strange and clue into the fact that something is going on.

Some may even, in fact, run into the 'real' Riku who is searching for his doppelganger and Keyblade.]

I know this sounds crazy, but if you see a clone of me walking around with a big sword, can you let me know? It's important.

c; Don't Make Waves

[Despite having been on his fair share of missions similar to this since his arrival in this world, Riku can never sleep easy knowing that danger lurks nearby. So most nights he stays up long after most have gone to sleep. The rumors surrounding the lake had made him anticipatory to get here and see it for himself, but in the light of day it had just been a lake. He doesn't sense anything magical about it. The water is clear and Cwyld-free as far as he can tell.

Maybe the rumors of disappearances is just rumors after all.

With these restless thoughts he goes a sits by the side of the lake, anyways feeling a sense of comfort and homeliness when he's by a body of water. Gathering some pebbles up in his hand, he begins to toss them into the water one by one.

There's nothing at first. And then something large and shadowy moves within the depths of the water and begins to rise.]

What in the world...

[A large, hard shell burst through the surface of the water and Riku scrambles back from the edge, reaching for his Keyblade in one hand, and summoning a ball of fire into the other.]

Comments

B

[spirialink]

Huh? Riku? [Normally, Kor would find this behavior from Riku a little strange. Riku didn't really seem like the type to just brazenly challenge people. ...But on the other hand, it's not like he knew Riku that well, maybe he's got a cocky side

And besides, Kor wasn't the type to turn down a fight.]

Well, if it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get!

[shadowsthedawn]

Tough words. Let's see if you're still so confident once I win!

['Riku' raises his Keyblade with one hand, his other hand raising in front of him, hovering under his blade. It's a familiar pose for anyone who has seen Riku fight with his Keyblade before.

However there is something strangely unsure and almost sloppy in his movements as he raises the Keyblade in an upward arc, aiming to slash Kor's midsection. There's a slowness to his movements that would allow for a more experienced fighter to easily dodge.]

[spirialink]

[Although Kor didn't have the most experience with Riku's moves, he was still a talented and experienced swordsman nonetheless. When the slash comes his way, he reads the movement and deftly dodges out of the way of the swing's arc.]

You sound pretty confident in something that's not gonna happen here!

[He draws his sword, a magic-infused blade manifesting in his right hand.]

Take this!

[Time to test the waters here before he goes too hard. Having established some distance with his dodge, he swings the blade, sending a lightning-infused magic bolt in 'Riku's direction.]

[shadowsthedawn]

[He huffs when Kor dodges the blow, his expression pinching into something closely resembling a pout. Beginner's luck, clearly. He's the one who is going to have victory in the end.

But before he can come up with a return quip, Kor fires the magic bolt, causing 'Riku' to scramble backwards in a startled shuffle. However, he's not quick enough and the bolt manages to land a blow on the top of his shoulder.

He grunts under the pain, but otherwise remains on his feet, hoisting his keyblade in front of him.]

Fine. Maybe you're more of a challenge then I thought. But you're still not going to win.

[He charges in then, leading with his keyblade, and relying on his speed to get him close enough to land a blow before Kor ca defend himself.]

[spirialink]

[Kor couldn't defend himself against a strike like that, but if there's one thing Kor had going for him, it was speed and reflexes. He manages to dodge to the side, narrowing avoiding getting run through there, though the keyblade does graze his jacket, leaving a gash through it.]

Heh. That's more like it!

[Kor just smirks, pulling back his left fist.]

Meteor Strike!

[And then he throws that fist in 'Riku's direction as a well-aimed uppercut. There was nothing particularly fancy or special about it, aside from the force behind it. Was it an arte named after himself, or did he just think it sounded cool? A true mystery.]

b

[crowsfeat]

[ Most people, and generally more than that even, were well too put off by Eileen's gear and appearance. The aura that surrounded someone that looked like her, who kept to the shadows and rooftops, was a bit much for most people to handle. But she had, in her years as a Hunter of Hunters, come across a bold, possibly stupid, few who saw her whole gimmick and decided that was a good excuse to pick a fight.

But they were usually not teenage boys.

Eileen just... let out a long, suffering sigh, shaking her head. ]

I assure you, boy, you want no part in this.

[ She was starting to realize she ought to look into carrying around more non-lethal weapons, if this was going to become a more regular occurrence. ]

[shadowsthedawn]

[Doppelganger Riku comes off as completely unfazed by her appearance and dangerous demeanor. In fact, it's probably what had made him decide to confront her in the first place, despite all better sense telling him otherwise.

He's the best and strongest fighter in this city, after all. Maybe even in this entire world. It's only right that he keeps his skills honed. Being the amalgamation of his original's worst traits also means he's completely lacking in subtlety.]

There's no need to be scared. I'll go easy on you. How about that?

[crowsfeat]

[ A sigh, and she quickly draws her pistol, firing off a shot aimed at the weapon he was carrying, intending to knock it out of his hand.

Not that she got the impression that losing his weapon would discourage him THAT much, but it may at least force him to take her words a bit more seriously. ]

[shadowsthedawn]

[He's unprepared for her to bring a gun to a sword fight. The shot jerks his Keyblade from his hand so suddenly that it's on the ground before he realizes what has just happened.

A deep frown grows over his face as he looks at her in clear displeasure.]

Now that's just cheating!

A

[reluctantradiance]

[ They'd been easy to spot, and not because his heightened vision. Then again, it was hard to miss something pouncing on your tail. Yuma just counts himself lucky that the felines in question didn't pull out any of his feathers.

Picking up one of the furry little creatures wasn't easy - mostly due to Yuma not wanting to accidentally scratch him - but he'd managed, and luckily he was able to find an address to return him to. He opted to walk, rather than fly, given the nature of his cargo. And it was a good thing he did, because it wasn't long before he ran into Riku. ]

Huh? Oh, are these little guys yours?

[ He didn't manage to get them very far before they started going after his lunch bag. pls help. ]

[shadowsthedawn]

[Riku feels an immediate sense of relief when he turns and spots his kitties in the arms--wings?--of the harpy. He's been searching for them for the better part of the morning with little luck. He had underestimated how quickly they could get away from him despite only being able to teleport a short distance.]

Yeah, that's them. I recognize their collars. Thanks for catching them.

[The white one has her front legs stretched out, pawing at his lunch bag. Riku sighs and reaches for her.] No, bad girl. That isn't yours.

[He shoots Yuma an apologetic glance.] They're attracted to anything that smells like food.

[reluctantradiance]

No problem. I'm glad I could help out.

[ Such adorable little troublemakers. Yuma tends to feel a little nervous around cats for some reason, but at least these were mischievous at best. ]

Well, I've got some fish I caught packed in there. I bet that's what they're after.

[ He isn't unwilling to share, of course. But that's no excuse for those little fluffballs to just help themselves, either. ]

[shadowsthedawn]

[Once the female kitten is in his arms she begins purring softly and rubbing her head under his chin. Despite his annoyance, Riku can't help but smile and chuckle at the obvious attempt to get back on his good side.]

Yeah, that's definitely it. They seem to like most kinds of food, but fish is their favorite. If they didn't hate water I would worry about them going for a swim.

I'm Riku, by the way.

C

[princessascended]

[Kairi had very specifically taken a mission with Riku when she'd decided to pick one up. Yes, they also were probably going to serve as very good ways to meet new people, but she wanted the comfort of having him nearby.

And hey, the extra steadiness of the bond didn't hurt, nor did the ability to know right away if the other was in danger.

Like right now.

Just as Riku's drawing his Keyblade, Kairi comes rushing up to support him, Oathkeeper bared, ready to lay into...

Whatever that is.]

I'll never get over how much they look like Heartless.

[She slides her fingers in a lightning-bolt pattern down the center of the Keyblade, causing it to start to give off sparks of electricity.]

Let's hope it's weak to one of these!

[shadowsthedawn]

[Despite his initial fears about Kairi joining him on a potentially dangerous quest, those are quickly swept away in the face of actual danger.

There's something comforting about having a bondmate so close, and feeling them near. As such, he's not surprised in the least when Kairi makes her sudden arrival.]

I would feel better if it was a Heartless we're dealing with.

[At least then they would know its weaknesses. But the best they can do for now is make the best guesses they can. Which is why Riku sends his fire ball up, aiming for the creatures' head.

But perhaps the ball is too small, because it only seems to irritate the creature that lets out a loud, deep groan.]

[princessascended]

Just think of it like a Heartless type we haven't encountered before!

[Even if Riku could probably write a book on various types of Heartless by now. A very detailed book.

Regardless, she follows up his fire to the face by darting forward and swinging her crackling keyblade at the creature's arm as it turns to glare at him. Or, at least she thinks that's what it's doing. She's not entirely sure where its eyes are.

It doesn't even seem to notice her, but when her Keyblade makes contact, it lets out another loud noise, this one sharper, and jerks its leg away with speed she didn't think it would have. She can't actually see if she did real damage or if that was just the equivalent of suddenly getting a really bad static shock, though.

And better not to stand around to find out. She backpedals quickly, trying to put distance between her and the creature before it punishes her for that hit.]

[shadowsthedawn]

[Riku shakes his head at her suggestion. Heartless or not, this thing is going to give them trouble, its size alone seeming to take up much of the width of the lake. And who knows how much of it might still be submerged below the water.

Perhaps that's where its hiding its vulnerable places. Still, he's not sure he's ready to test that theory by diving into the water. Not yet.

Instead, he uses the creature's focus on Kairi to his advantage by approaching it from a blind spot and leaping onto its shell. From his position he's able to see the bit of damage that Kairi's lightning had done to its arm. Not enough on its own, but if he attacks the same spot...

He brings his Keyblade down on the damaged skin of the creature's leg, the sharp edges piercing through enough to draw blood. The creature lets out another, louder roar as it rears back its body, attempting to buck Riku off.]

Whoa-

[Riku manages to get a grip on part of the shell with one hand, but its slick with lake water and his other hand is burdened with his Keyblade.]

A; rolls in late with kittens

[eluci]

[Fortunately for Riku (for now), Noctis has the white kitten he's searching for, after finding it curled up on one of the sofas at home. In addition to the white one, he also has a white and orange cat of his own that he's carrying around in hopes of finding the missing one to that pair.

Both are clambering around in a basket that Noctis is trying his best not to swing around too much, lest he hurt the cats. Fortunately, they seem okay with it, rolling with the swings and mostly distracted by attacking the end of his tail, which he's purposely shut the basket loosely around.]

White? With a collar?

[shadowsthedawn]

[He's been searching for the kittens for some time now with no luck, and he can't help but start to feel discouraged. At this point he's stopping anyone he sees in the hopes that either of them have been seen by someone.

He's expecting to hear another negative response which is why Noctis' question draw a surprised reaction from him.]

Y-yes! Have you seen her?

[eluci]

I think so...

[He reaches into the basket; Riku's kitten immediately pounces on his hand with all of her tiny teeth and claws so he just pulls his hand out like that, with the cat curled around it.]

Must you? [He's very clearly addressing the cat, but doesn't sound too mad.] That hurts, y'know. [And then, to Riku:]

This her?

[shadowsthedawn]

[He watches as Noctis brings his hand out of the basket with one very familiar white kitty clinging to it with teeth and claws. He sighs, one hand running down his face.]

Yeah, that's her alright. Sorry about that.

[Riku reaches out to dislodge her from his hand. As he does so he directs some comments at the kitten.]

Bad girl. What did I say about biting?

C. sorry I'm so late to this!

[gynvael]

[ Somehow, it's not surprising to see others look into the lake. For the most part, Geralt simply stays out of their way so long as they stay out of his, keeping to himself.

He knows what's in the lake. Or rather, he knows what it looks like after his own attempt to prod at the water with bait. It's big and ugly and he's been taking his time watching this fucking monster of a water snail, trying to decide the best way to get rid of it beyond wildly stabbing it. Which is an option, obviously. He just prefers not to dive in headlong unprepared.

So when the pebble bounces into the water, Geralt perks up. Sure enough, it rises out of the water. At night -- only at night, it seems. He steps forward out of the shadows. It's possible to see the unnatural shine of his eyes under the moonlight. ]

Don't get it too mad.

no worries!

[shadowsthedawn]

[Heart pounding hard from the surprise of the emerging creature, Riku nearly jumps out of his skin when an unfamiliar figure appears out of the shadows. He has to stop himself from throwing his fireball on instinct, and he's glad for his restraint once he gets a good look at the man.

He's seen him around the lake before, but only in glimpses. Still, he believes that they're here for the same reason.]

Do you know what this thing is?

[He turns his gaze back to the lake where the creature seems content to stay half submerged under the water for now. Almost like its waiting for something.]

[gynvael]

[ His sword lingers by his side, gripped loosely in his right hand. The beast doesn't appear to have any visible eyes, but he can certainly feel it looking at them. A bit hungrily, he'd say. ]

No. [ His reply is simple and honest. ] Seems it can't leave the water, though.

[ Which mean the only people getting eaten are the ones who go for an unfortunate dip in the water after dark or who take a boat to the lake. Frankly, he's tempted to report back and tell the city to put a sign up closing the lake and get folks to fish elsewhere. But he knows how well people tend to listen to signs that say not to stray close to danger.

He eyes the young man for a second, sizing him up. Young, but hardly too young to pick up a sword. He considers the fireball he'd seen in his hand. Fire's not ideal considering the creature is submerged in water. Lightning, on the other hand. ]

What other spells do you know?

[shadowsthedawn]

[Riku isn't sure whether to feel relieved by that news or not. On one hand, if they avoid the water than the creature can't attack them. But on the other hand it makes attacking the creature all the more tricky. Long range battle isn't exactly a specialty of his, but he can adapt.]

At least we don't have to worry about it running or attacking the others.

[He had been briefly worried about the camp and how if this thing got past them how many would be hurt from the unexpected attack. One less thing to focus on.

When it comes to spells he's dabbled in many different types, but he knows that the man is asking specifically about the types of spells that can deal damage. Recognizing the weaknesses of fire in this instance he douses the fireball in his hand.]

I've practiced spells for all of the elements. Fire is the one I'm strongest with, but somehow I don't think it'll be much help in this case. [Same with water.]