[open] throw away the key and then

[oathkeeper]

Who: Sora + You!
When: The month of Aguril
Where: Where these threads happen!
What: A catch-all for the month of August including closed threads inside. As well as near the end of the month Sora runs into some bad characters on the street and happens to get kidnapped by some desperate Dorchacht smugglers and possibly sold to the underground markets still trying to deal in the shady “monster part” trading business there. More info can be found here.
Warnings: kidnapping, violence, blood, tba

[A: first, we're goin' to set some bait]

[It’s a normal day in Aguril and the city is bustling with life as usual. One puca boy is making his way up the road with a paper bag of various fruits and vegetables in his arms and is heading back home to get them into the icebox. The summer heat doesn’t do much to Sora even with his body now covered in patches of soft brunette-coloured fur. But the heat might do something to his newly purchased greens and treats, so he wants to get them home soon. A rabbit has to have snacks!

He’s not quite paying attention to his surroundings enough and doesn’t notice a pair of cloaked figures just down the road amongst a grove of trees. There is a small clatter of wooden wheels against the pavement and Sora stops for a moment to look up at the cloudy sky.

That is when his vision suddenly blurs, and pain erupts against the side of his head as he's clubbed with a wooden bat. It happens so quickly that Sora falls like a sack of bricks. His shopping scatters on the ground and the two cloaked figures throw a black sheet over him and scoop him up. They start quickly retreating to the back alley where a wooden cart is waiting...

Perhaps you're nearby and happen to hear the clatter or odd noise. Maybe you see the whole thing happen. They are clearly amateurs. But they are amateurs who are now stuffing Sora's knocked out body into a wooden cage on a cart. Perhaps you attempt to rescue him but at this point of time they will get away. But that doesn’t mean you can’t rough them up a bit if you so choose!]

[B: inside a nasty trap and wait]

[People who are bonded to Sora will notice the sudden dullness in their bond with him first. There will be a strange static-like feeling that only gets worse when they try to reach across the bond to him. It is like he's inside the city still but there's something that is muting his monster signature and his location on the magical bond. If anyone tries to contact Sora through alternative means such as their devices no responses will be given. Which is strange because he always answers his messages!

Although there might be some ways to try to find out where Sora is. Witches who know how to tap onto Divination might be able to scry where he might be heading. Or better yet maybe a witch can start some sort of magical conversation with his sleepy mind.

Somewhere along the way Sora wakes weakly in his wooden caged cart and finds himself travelling ... somewhere?? He can feel the temperature drop several degrees so it feels like they might be leaving the city. Because of that Sora tries his hardest to gather enough strength (did they drug him or something??) to create a small little red butterfly with his Illusion magic. Who knows... Maybe it'll be able to communicate with someone. It should be able to write messages or even make a noise or two but it won’t last long!]

[C: when he comes a-sniffing we will]

[If you managed to follow the smugglers into the wilde and towards their den, you’ll find that they haven't left the place unguarded. The den is nestled up in a rocky alcove that is covered in cold heaps of snow and old broken tree branches.

Just outside of the den is a large feral looking hyena creature that isn't happy to see you. Long sharp fangs protrude from its lips and four spider-like eyes stare at you with clear angry intent. It growls at a higher octave than expected and takes a step forward.

You’ll have to deal with this first if you want to get into the den.]

[D: snap the trap and close the gate]

[Inside the cavernous den itself is the dank smell of odd leathers and rotting spices that hang in the air like it is all growing much too old. There are torches lining the cavern walls but it leaves the den dim and hard to navigate. Walking the narrow path that have been dug in is uneven on the feet.

Depending on how one explores the den it all comes to one central spot at the back. There are collections of jars, boxes and crates filled with who knows what. Some jars seem to shimmer with old dragon scales, rusted old weapons line the walls and various liquid and powdery substances sit murky in vials scattered about. ]

"Just get it over with already, bastard!"

[A voice rings out angrily from the other room. If followed, Sora can be found held down against his will across a large wooden table. He struggles weakly but the man holding him has a painful grip and a large meat cleaver held high in his other.]

S-Stop!

[Sora tries to struggle. But he can’t move well. They must have put something in his system to make him feel weak. The other man across the room reaches out and yanks Sora's long rabbit ears with one hand and slaps them against the wooden table with Sora wincing painfully.]

"Get the ears and then take off a foot. Have you heard how much a lucky’s rabbit foot can go for? Hurry up, the shipment has to go out tonight!"

[A rescue would be good! Anytime now!]

[E: wildcard]

[got something else? throw it down here!]

Comments

Closed to Kor Meteor, early Aguril

[oathkeeper]

[It is a long time coming but Sora has something very important to tell Kor. They have been bonded for some time now and for the most part, it has been swell but Sora can’t lie that he has been feeling fatigued lately. There is a stretch he feels inside of him and his mind sometimes wanders more often than usual. Not to mention Sora’s odd affliction with getting overly addicted to the smell and taste of magic which he can only blame on the fact that Sora has four bonds. So with one promise to his first bondmate ... It’s time to annul another.]

Kor? I really need to talk to you.

[Sora is here on Kor’s doorstep looking a bit like a lost puppy.]

[spirialink]

[Kor feels Sora at the door at his apartment even before he lets him know he's there. ...And he feels how Sora is feeling as well. He opens the door to greet him, but when he sees his face, he can hardly offer him a smile.]

Uhhh... What's up, Sora?

[He can't help but mirror that lost puppy expression, feeling every bit of whatever's running through Sora right now.]

Closed to Edelgard von Hresvelg, Quest #3 - Forget-Me-Nots

[oathkeeper]

[Helping with planting some flowers seems easy enough! Sora is more than willing to try and get these violet flowers put into the ground as quickly as they’re supposed to go. He has a fairly large collection of them ready to go and somehow, luckily, hasn’t scratched or pricked himself with them. Yet.]

Forget-Me-Nots are kind of a weird name for a flower, huh? I wonder why they’re called that.

[He says this to the other woman working nearby with a friendly smile on his face.]

[unyieldingmarch]

[Edelgard, covered head to toe in a shroud to keep out sunlight, and carrying an enchanted parasol isn't too bothered by the prospect of working outside right now. It's close to dusk anyway, as the heat of the day is dying away, so she's content to go with it.]

Perhaps they help with memory? Or perhaps they have some significant symbolic meaning?

Closed to Vanitas, early Aguril

[oathkeeper]

[Two bondmates are already out and about walking towards the market streets to get some very specific shopping done. It’s kind of amusing to Sora how simple something like shopping is but it’s something they’re doing together now. It’s so weird to think that their lives have changed that much just by living in this world that it’s a thing. Simple shopping. No more wars. No more gross old men trying to start them. Just shopping.]

Hey! Do you think we could get some ice cream today too?

[And days filled with ice cream.]

[darkcharge]

[ If you would have asked Vantias about this several months ago, he wouldn't have thought that he'd be doing mundane things like shopping and going out on these little excursions either. It just seems so normal. So domestic because no, there isn't the same sort of urgency here. No war. No Xehanort.

No need to try to get at Ventus. ]

Only after we get what we need done.

[ Sora has this really nasty habit of getting him side tracked! ]

B

[princessascended]

[It's immediate, of course. The second Sora vanishes from her mind, Kairi's response is utter horror. She snatches up her device and tries to text him.

Sora! Are you there?

No response. Okay. fine. She has other recourses. Snatching up her best mirror, she stares down into it and begins a Divination ritual. It's effortless. Those four months studying the art have made it all too easy for her to find out where he is, and where he's going.

Or rather, where he's being taken.

Oh no.

She bursts out of her room, panic in her eyes, screaming three words to the whole house.]

Sora's been kidnapped!

[oathkeeper]

[Meanwhile, Sora is barely conscious inside some sort of wooden cage. His mind his weak and he's swimming in some sort of foggy pain.

Her mirror might show glimpses of a paved road. Or an image of tall trees and rolling clouds. The paved road might be a clue that he's still somewhere in the city but perhaps Kairi should continue to try and scry for clues...

The bond continues to be so dull that it's barely there...]

[twilightskey]

[Roxas may not be as closely connected to Sora as he once was, but he still can't help the uncomfortable shift in his heart. It almost reminded him of the shift he felt when Sora had vanished on Destiny Islands, only different.]

[He doesn't get much time to ponder on this shift before his ears perk up suddenly at the yell from Kairi. And his stomach sinks with dread.]

Kidnapped??

D - feat. Mira

[darkcharge]

[ The moment the bond had been dulled, Vanitas had known something is wrong. After Sora had gotten on Van's case about purposefully doing it, there's no way that the Puca could have! ...Well Sora probably doesn't even know how anyway. The worst part is, of course, that the more he tries to tap into the bond to locate the other, the more resistance he's met with.

And Vanitas? Oh does he not handle it well. He's on edge all over again, moving about every inch of the city like an animal on the prowl. Violently making demands.

So when he does get a clue as to the whereabouts of his first Bondmate? Of course Vanitas is going to go. He's going to chase after those idiots who thought to have crossed him by taking that which is his. Vanitas himself is near seeing red, thinking of only how to make these people pay for anything that they might have done or haven't gotten to do just yet. His footfalls are heavy and loud on the cavefloor as he follows the voices up ahead.

They aren't going to get away with this. ]

surprise motherfuckers, they here to get the dumb bunny

[inlikethebrume]

[It's hard to see someone go through the same worry and pain she once did. Moreso because the one in question is her family and she would do anything to help him; he's important to her as well and so did the bunny boy who has gone missing. Flashes back to the Rathmores come to mind and Mira wastes no time grabbing her armor and going after her son.

Besides, two enraged sword using Witches are better than one.

Mira keeps to Vani's flank, being his backup so to speak as her hand does not leave Shadowbringer's handle and watches for any kind of ambush or enemies to come their way. They'll get Sora out of whatever hellhole this is...but Mira's not holding back on the ones who took him.]

d, sorry for my novel :)

[sparkstrikes]

[Lightning is in the middle of a job reluctantly handing out fliers outside of Karen's Patisserie when the strangest thing happens: a small, red butterfly flutters up just as she's about to shove another piece of paper at someone, smacking right into it and flapping the flier in her face instead, almost like that was completely intentional. It glides up to her nose, through her fringe, and then back down through the hair draped loosely over her shoulder before it flies away... only to come back and do it again as she watches.

And again. And again.

She swats it but misses, sending it teetering into the air, but it recovers quickly to repeat its pattern once more. At some point, it's as if it grabs onto her hair and tugs, like it's trying to pull her in another direction, away from where she's rooted to the ground.

That isn't the strangest part, of course, because as it flutters past her ear, she hears a small voice. "Sora! Sora!" it calls, but that's all it says, before it escapes. Her eyes narrow at that, watching as it pops in and out around the corner of the store. If anyone had told her before to "follow the red butterfly", she would have scoffed and shrugged them off as crazy, but... this one seems insistent, not leaving her alone until she decides to follow. So, that's what she does.

With her sword in her sheath, she leaves her post as the flier girl and chases it, picking up the pace as its movements become more erratic, while it leads her to the city gates, and then... outside. Her stomach sinks. Something didn't feel right before, but something sure as hell doesn't now. Its tiny voice continues to call out his name, again and again like a prayer when they arrive at the opening of a cavern. To spare the gritty details and not turn this into a full-page word document, Lightning makes quick work of the hyena at the entrance with her sword. The butterfly is nowhere to be found, but it's her gut that tells her where she needs to go—she rushes inside, not bothering to keep quiet, footsteps thundering against the rocky floors, until she hears voices.

Lightning pauses to listen, carefully lowering herself to peek into the room. What she discovers makes her stomach turn—the jars of scales, murky vials, and crates. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what this is. She can only barely make out Sora's messy hair hidden behind the larger man's back, while the other one grabs hold of his ears.

"Get the ears and then take off a foot."

She grits her teeth, pulls out her sword, and wastes no time at all in firing a warning shot with her gun and startling them before stepping unabashedly into the light, still wearing her frilly apron covered in happy-faced croissants. Somewhere in the distance, dramatic music swells in true Final Fantasy fashion.]

Sorry, but I'll be taking the whole package.

[wow so cool!!!!]

[oathkeeper]

[Luckily Sora has been practicing quite a lot with his illusion magic over the last few months. While he's still only able to make little shapes and creatures like the red butterfly he has been able to get them to start mimicking sounds and voices. So when the red butterfly tries to hint at Lightning the little peeps of 'Sora! Sora!' sound just like a girl he grew up with all his life. But even more so it's good that Sora's magic is able to hold out long enough for Lightning to catch on to his little trick.

When Lightning makes quick work of the creature outside and makes her way inside the den she'll find that Sora is barely conscious where he's being held down on the table. Sora's body hurts and he tries to move his hands and legs but no matter how much he tries to move or struggle he just feels numb.

The gunshot rings loud and both men snap their attention to her. The man with the cleaver doesn't seem to let go of Sora. And the other suddenly puts a hand up to Sora's face where sharp purple lightning starts to crackle dangerously near his nose.]

"Damn- Stay back! Another step and I'll blast his entire face off."

[They're witches...]

D

[lostinshadows]

[He had been suspicious when something just didn't feel right to him. When Vanitas ended up leaving at some point, too, Lavi just grew more suspicious.

He hasn't seen Sora lately.

That's not new. Sometimes there'd be days when they won't run into each other, but he's always been quick to pick up on the little things. Or rather, all it took was seeing some strangely odd men coming to this den. His ears perks a bit when he hears those voices, but what stands out to him most of all is hearing Sora's voice. He recognizes the tone; it was the same kind of voice Sora used on him when he tried to hurt him.

He's never dealt with hunters before.

But he also can't just leave Sora like this either.

Lavi mulls over his options. He...doesn't have much. Being a puca, he might become a target himself. On the other hand, the last thing either of them really need is a certain Witch coming in here all blazing--

Actually, that sounds like a good idea.

But first: Lavi picks up the closest rock he can find and throwing it at one of their heads.]

[oathkeeper]

[Meanwhile Sora is trying to stay awake. It's difficult as there's something making all his limbs feel heavy and numb. The man that is pinning him down has a strong grip and while Sora would usually never have an issue with fighting back he just can't get his body to move the way he wants it to. It's frustrating and Sora is nervous.

Oddly enough a rock seems to go flying and clacks against the back of he man's head. He winces and lifts his head which effectively makes him stop his action for now, meat cleaver hanging in the air...]

"What the damn hell was that? Go check it out..."

[The second man nods and lets go of Sora's ears to move towards the way the rock had come. Just like a stupid npc might in a stealth game. Lavi better be careful with his next move.]

A

[al_bhed]

[Rikku doesn't see the inciting incident, but she does hear a commotion and arrives in time to see an unconscious puca being shoved into a wooden cage by a couple of goonish-looking guys. That in and of itself is worrying enough--monster are people too!--but after a few moments' inspection she realizes that it's Sora they're trying to make off with.

Not only is this a bad thing in the abstract, it's personal. Sora was one of the first people to befriend her in this town--like hell is she going to let them get away with out a fight!]

Hey! Stop right there!

[oathkeeper]

[The two cloaked men do seem to pause when they hear someone's high-pitched voice shout at them. They glance at each other and scoff.]

"What do you want, rat?"

[The other man quickly drapes a brown sack over the puca's body to hide him.]

"Run along home to your mama."

d; + Kairi

[shadowsthedawn]

[The journey seems to take forever, even with Kairi's divination magic guiding their way. Riku can't help but focus on the lingering dullness where his Bond with Sora usually resonates, constantly keeping him alert to his friend's emotions. His presence.

His mind tries to go to the worst places but he forces those thoughts from his mind. Every once in awhile he attempts to send something encouraging across his Bond to Kairi, who he can feel is just as worried as he is.

A sense of anticipation builds when they finally reach the cavernous space and he holds out a hand for Kairi to take.]

The ground is uneven. Watch your step.

[And if he squeezes her hand just a little bit tighter than usual, it's not because he's worried that there are beings lurking in the tunnels looking to rip away his other best friend from him.]

[princessascended]

[Memories of what happened to Ven a few months ago keep cropping up in Kairi's mind. The fear and apprehension those thoughts fill her with ends up flowing over the bond no matter how hard she tries.

But Riku's there, so solid, so determined. She's so glad he's here with her. She sends her appreciation as hard as she can.

And reaches out for his hand without even thinking about it.]

Right. Don't worry, I won't fall.

[Not with him here to keep her steady. And not while Sora is waiting for them.]

Closer to Elliot Craig

[oathkeeper]

[Sora was in a bit of trouble at the end of the month. Having been kidnapped by a few amateur smugglers in an attempt to sell his monster parts off to the remains of the Dorchacht underground market wasn't really his idea of fun. And when he was finally rescued by his friends and bondmates there was just one last thing that Sora couldn’t seem to recover from. The numbness in his limbs and body from whatever it was the smugglers did to him to keep him docile is still in his system. And no one is really sure how to get rid of it.

Since none of his housemates or bondmates are really that versed in healing magic Sora decides to reach out to one that he knows. Elliot Craig! And hopefully, he has some sort of insight on what they can do. He starts with a short message to Elliot or in this case maybe one of his housemates' types for him.]

elliot? It’s sora, i need to ask you for a favour. i’m kind of sick?

okay, really sick. I can’t move my limbs very well. do you know any magic that can stop numbness?

[fiddlestick]

[Lucky for Sora, while Elliot wasn't aware of the kidnapping, he was pretty quick to respond to messages]

Numbness?

I think I might know something, depending on what is it. Where are you at? I'll come take a look.

D

[apocryphas]

[ Upon being urged to go through with dismembering Sora, the man holds him down firmly again, and winds up his meat cleaver. What comes next is the sound of something heavy hitting the wooden table along with some blood splatter. It turns out it's not the cleaver, but the man's dismembered head that bounces off the table. Behind him, a blood-stained Mordred who happens to be a in a foul mood after all the things she had to fight through to get here.

"What the hell?! How did-- where are the guards?!"

The two men nearest to her were obviously not expecting anyone to intrude, or at least make it this deep into their lair, and immediately begin casting an explosive spell. Mordred, having already faced some of these men before, anticipates this and picks up the beheaded man's cleaver and hurls it into the face of the other attacker. Just as the cleaver downs the smuggler, his fire spell goes off and accidentally hits his partner, making him blow up in the process, too.

"Monster!! I'll kill you!"

The last remaining smuggler, still seizing his chance, loads his crossbow and fires it at Mordred. This, too, is something she has faced against before, long before she came into this world. Swiftly she catches the arrow aimed for her heart, then carelessly tosses it to the side as she takes measured steps towards her attacker.

"N-No, stop...! I, I yield, I--"

Backed against the wall, he panics and struggles to load the next shot into his crossbow, terrified of the bloodstained girl that's approaching him. Mordred, however, doesn't seem interested in negotiations and simply drives her sword into his heart by the time she reaches him. When she pulls it out, he falls to the ground, leaving just her and Sora alone in the cavern.

She knows he's been drugged, so when she walks back to the table, she just grabs him by his foot (sorry...) and begins to drag him out of the place. Hopefully he'll be too dizzy to notice any of the carnage around him?? ]

[oathkeeper]

[It all happens so fast and Sora's body is just too weak and numb to do anything but flop over like an old ragdoll as blood and body parts seem to fly everywhere. Sora watches with some horror on his face as the blond girl basically makes minced meat of the entire situation. One part of him is relieved to be rescued because he wants to get the heck out of here with all his limbs attached while the other (the disney part) is absolutely mortified.]

Hey-!

[Before Sora can even verbalize anything of significant importance there is a hand on his foot and he's being dragged across the cavern floor like a sack of potatoes! The expression on his face when he gets dragged right past that pile of bloody corpses and the one dismembered head. He's going to be having nightmares about this for a long, long time.]

Ack! Eegghhh!

[Sora flops around as he pulled and just stares up at her.]

You're crazy!

[Sora, be grateful?!]

D! (with a hint of B&C)

[thevanguard]

[ While he hadn't seen the capture at the beginning of this misadventure, he'd seen... a red butterfly. It's so familiar, so like what Totsuka had used to send all of them that for a moment, Yata thinks he's seeing a ghost. Or... being led by one? Dropping everything, because the sight of a red butterfly flitting in agitation is enough that he would follow it anywhere and he takes off after it like his life depends on it.

Or maybe someone else's does.

He's led to a cave. Or a den carved into a rock's face. Whatever, it's crude and he needs to get in there because that's where the butterfly vanished to. Except there's a drooling growling ugly something in his way that has to be taken care of first. Which he does, although there's a yearning in that absence where his Aura shoud be that just rages to set the damned thing on fire and get this over with. he doesn't want to lose that butterfly.

Could Totsuka really be in there? Was he not alone here anymore? But... would that even be possible? Could this place bring people back from the dead?

Barging into the cave, Yata is scratched up and a little bloody, but the hyena is no longer an issue - at least for now. He arrives in time just to hear those cruel words and a panicked cry for help. He doesn't even stop to think, doesn't even hesitate to take in the room.

Yata might not have his fire Aura anymore, but he does still have a berserker-like rage and he launches himself forward at the captors with a furious roar, a flurry of kicks and blows executed with deadly precision, by someone who knows how to do the maximum amount of damage. ]

[oathkeeper]

[Sora's butterfly magic is the first thing he taught himself to make when he was first learning his illusion magic. He had his own reasons for making the shape of a red butterfly. It had reminded him of one of his bondmates in a way, somehow fragile and red and bright. That's why it was the easiest thing for Sora to make when he was weak and trying to send anything out to find help.

When the crash happens Sora is haphazardly knocked to the side as the rampaging faun crashes through. Sora yelps weakly and groans as he hits the ground hard but it does stop the cleaver from coming down on his ears.

The men clamour and yell at the intruder and start to fight back, cleaver swinging madly in Yata's direction!]

Is that...?

[It's the itchy guy he met before. How did he get here? None the less Sora needs to help. Somehow...! He grabs at one of the powder-filled jars that has fallen to the ground and chucks it at the man's head as hard as he can..]

B

[twilightskey]

[After figuring out that Sora had been kidnapped, Roxas couldn't stand still. It felt like an eternity for everyone to set plans in motion to find him, and to split up to search the city. Roxas had taken off almost as soon as he was able to go, a pressing urge within him to seek out Sora and make sure he was safe.]

[Roxas has always been defensive of his friends, but his new Turnskin instincts have put that feeling on overdrive. It was the same feeling he got when he had seen Ven's scars for the first time, and heard pieces of what had happened when Ven had been kidnapped; that gut-wrenching dread and deep desire to not only keep his friend safe, but to ensure that whoever had even dared to harm his friend had received what was owed to them.]

[And Sora was more than just a friend. This was his Somebody, after all.]

[Roxas can be found searching the city like everyone else, but it's clear he's on edge. He hasn't gone feral, but his fur is a lot longer and wilder than normal, bristled in his agitation, and he keeps flexing his claws as if expecting (or wanting) to tear into something. His eyes are sharp, his glare flicking around the dark alleys and along the trail he's following. Either follow along with him in his search, or get out of his way; he's in no mood to negotiate.]

[callmeven]

[at least catching up to roxas was easier than catching up to sora, but ven isn't very comforted by that right now.

thinking about what is happening right now to sora has ven feeling sick. was he taken by the same kind of people who had taken him? and if so, what were they doing-

ventus spots roxas up ahead and immediately hurries over to him.]

Roxas?

closed to Roxas & Ventus

[oathkeeper]

[Thanks to everyone's efforts Sora is soon returned home. It was a long and stressful time for a lot of them but it's because they all took part in trying to find him that they do manage to save Sora from a bunch of dirty thugs. And while Sora is still recovering from the whole ordeal and still has some strange residual dark magic in his system, he's just happy to be home.

Once he's able to head back without Vanitas getting too uppity with him for it, Sora finds himself back at the home he shares with Roxas, Ventus and the others.]

Ven? Roxas?

[He peeks his head into the main room with a warm but tired smile.]

I'm home...!

Order be Sora > Roxas > Ven?

[twilightskey]

[It was definitely a long and stressful time for all of them, and it's a relief when Sora returns home. Roxas's protective instincts had flared up for a while, wanting to make sure his other half was safe. Though he had growled when Vanitas had kept him for a while, he was able to keep calm enough knowing that Sora was with someone who would keep an eye on him and make sure he was healed.]

[When the front door opens Roxas's ears swivel, and he perks up at the familiar voice at the door. He's up and on his feet in an instance, and makes his way over to the door.]

Sora..!