[open] If I could store lightning in jars

[oathkeeper]

Who: Sora & OPEN
Where: The mysterious dark forest that appeared!
When: June 1
What: Bright "fireflies” have been luring gods and shinki alike deep into the forest. People are suddenly drawn to the little spots of light and can’t help but follow. There have been reports of screams and unhappy spirits and people never returning. All you know is that the sun doesn’t pierce the treetops and it’s dark.
Warnings: There's lots of creepy demons and stuff!!


[ A ]

[A sudden cold and heavy rain starts. Light and whimsical at first before it starts to pour down in thick sheets. Gray clouds blanket the sky and the sun is nearly blotted out. The atmosphere suddenly darkens and a chill is in the air.

Through the dark Sora notices some sparks of light somewhere near. They’re like candles flickering and dancing through the haze of the rain. A small smile pulls at his lips as he’s suddenly drawn to them like a moth to a flame. All he wants to do is reach out and touch one. They look like fairies.

You might notice Sora wandering through the rain, a blurry image of him slowly walking just out of your reach. Then he vanishes into the dark forest.]

[ B ]

[Perhaps it is you that got drawn into the bright dancing lights. Pulled into the woods as it makes your heart hammer. All you can focus on is the unseen force pulling your legs as you wander closer to the woods.

And suddenly everything is dark.

Sora manages to catch a glimpse of you before you vanish and he calls out.]

Hey!! Wait!! Don’t go in there!

[And promptly chases after you to stop you from falling deeper into darkness.]

[ C ]

[As soon as Sora enters the woods the rain stops. Or so it seems that way. He can still hear the thundering water in his ears but it sounds muted now. Like someone has put a blanket over the heavens and all he can hear is the thin thudding of the rain but no raindrops touch his face anymore.

He wanders through the woods as he looks up at the treetops to find that small beams of light do flicker through. Weakly, but they’re there. The gloom is still heavy.

His feet take him in a random direction until he spots a figure in the distance… Someone already lost here like him, or is that a tortured spirit...?]

[ wildcard! ]

[something else in mind?]

Comments

[young_oldman]

[Cold. She's so cold, her touch freezing to the skin. Lu Meng can't help but tighten his grip on her hand, as if that would somehow help warm her fingers.]

We can try retracing my steps. I came from that direction. [And he nods at said direction.]

[oathkeeper]

[She nods and keeps her hand in his. Her eyes look up longingly at Lu Meng as another hand goes out to touch his shoulder gingerly.]

"Let us go."

[Sora follows behind closely. He notices that her kimono is so long that the fabric drags on the ground.

Click. Click. Click.]

...?

[Her grip suddenly get tighter on Lu Meng. So tight that he won't be able to pull away. Then the clicking gets louder and louder and suddenly there are several arms comeing out from under her clothing.

They look like arachnid arms.]

Lu Meng!!

[Sora doesn't waste time. He attacks the arms and the girl turns her head to him, mouth now wide with spider mandibles.]

[young_oldman]

[The instant her grip turns to iron, Lu Meng whirls around sharply, his other hand slashing the air.]

Issen!

[The line cuts through the space between him and the spider girl, and there's a loud splurt and a screech as she falls back from the double attack, an oozing, bloody stump all that remains of her arm. Taking advantage of the situation, he summons a second borderline with a flick of his wrist and with a pushing motion, shoves it with enough force that the spider girl is slammed and pinned onto a tree.

Lu Meng shakes off the severed hand from his own, and breaking the bones in it with a harsh stomp.]

Are you alright, Sora? [His gaze is sharp on the hissing, writhing creature in front of them, but he's still got the other's wellbeing in mind.]

[oathkeeper]

[Sparks fly off Sora's keyblade as he attacks the demon, just in time to distract her enough for Lu Meng's borderlines to go off. He watches her slam into the tree and get pinned there, stilling gripping his keyblade and ready keep going if she has any other tricks up her sleeve.]

I'm good, thanks. Are you? That was quick thinking!

[She screeches in pain as her broken and bloody limbs twitch nearby. She howls at them, shouting obscenities and curses in their direction.]

We should finish this quick and get out of here.

[He wanted to believe that the demon really was a shinki. One they could of helped. To see her sad crying face change into this kind of makes Sora sad.]

[young_oldman]

She did not harm me.

[Now, what are they to do with her? She doesn't look like ayakashi, so perhaps they can kill her without rending?]

I can keep her pinned down. Finish her off, Sora.

[oathkeeper]

Right.

[Sora nods with conviction. If they didn't take her out she might still be able to come after them. Sora's really glad that Lu Meng was so ready to take action in all this.

He steps up to the demon. She tries to grab at him, her mandibles snapping. Sora lifts his keyblade and brings it down with a heavy strike.

With a howl she collapses, dead.

Just then the dim light coming from the treetops seem to flicker. A light catches Sora's peripheral to the east.]

Did you see that? It might be the way out.

[young_oldman]

Let's follow it. [But first...some final matters to attend to. Lu Meng's gaze falls back on their opponent; so she truly was a demon after all. To be on the safe side, Lu Meng slices off her legs. She's one creature they don't want following them out.

Only then does he follow Sora, keeping an eye out for any further demon attacks or any other cries for help. This one might have been a trap, but who knows. There might be a person genuinely lost in this forest.]

[oathkeeper]

[Sora winces slightly when Lu Meng does that deed. He's not too used to that sort of carnage. He's Disney afterall But he takes a quick breath in and continues on.

The trees seem quiet. Like there is not a single sound in them besides the sound of them walking. Almost like a still picture.]

Have you ever seen any demons like that before, Lu Meng?

[young_oldman]

[If Sora hadn't been around, Lu Meng would've gone for a good ol'decapitation. That would've been far more gory!

The silence is unsettling, especially after their tangling with the spider girl. Lu Meng likes it less and less, and is sure to keep his eyes and ears peeled for the slightest movement.] No. I've read of demons taking on such a form, but this is my first encounter with their ilk.

How of yourself? Your reactions were good when that demon tried to attack me. I take it that you're no stranger to a fight?

[oathkeeper]

[Awww man, Sora misses all the super cool things because he's Disney.

The silence has Sora on edge too. He feels tension in his shoulders. He'd really like to get out of here and go home.]

I've seen some stuff sort of like it. My world has creatures called Heartless that can take on some pretty crazy forms. And yeah, I've had my fair share of fighting, too.

[Probably more than the average fifteen year old boy should have, but details.]

[young_oldman]

We might have further need of your skills before we're out. Stay sharp.

[It almost feels like there's no end to this creepy forest. Just trees, trees and more trees.]

[oathkeeper]

[Hopefully they don't have to stay sharp.

At least the trees soon enough start thinning. The darkness seems to slowly lift and light starts coming through the treetops.]

... I think we're getting close to the edge!

[And... Sora's gonna start running towards the apparent exit.]

[young_oldman]

Wait! We should proceed with caution!!

[But unfortunately, he's gonna have to run after Sora anyway to keep up with the kid. He can only hope they truly reach the edge with no more troubles snapping at their heels.]

[oathkeeper]

Come on, we're almost there Lu Meng!!

[Sorry Lu Meng, Sora is hankering to get out of here. He's tired of how the place makes his skin crawl.

He runs ahead and towards the light and he feels as if his lungs might burst and then there's a flash of white.

Of bright sunlight.

His running slows to a stop and he finds himself in a grassy field with only the June sun above their heads.]

We made it!!

[young_oldman]

[Lu Meng slows down to a jog, a hand to block the rays as his eyes squint at the sudden sun. But as they finally break away from the wall of trees, he shares Sora's relief with a sigh of his own.]

We did. It's good that we got out, but please be careful. That could've been an ambush.

[oathkeeper]

Ahh, we would've been able to handle it! You and me make a great team! You kick some serious butt!

[And Sora then decides to collapse onto his back onto the grassy space and stretches out like a star.]

The sun feels so good...

[young_oldman]

[What was that? Sora wants some R&R? Well tough luck that his fighting companion here is Mr Serious Grump. Lu Meng crosses his arms, looking decidedly unimpressed.] Still, a little caution costs nothing but could help you avoid injuries. [His gaze travels back to the forest, a light frown forming on his lips.]

We don't know who we're dealing with there. There could have been other, more powerful enemies lurking within that forest.

[oathkeeper]

[Aww... scolded by Lu Meng. It somehow immediately settles Sora and he curls his fingers into the grass and pulls some blades out.]

Yeah I guess you're right... I still don't know or remember how I even got in there. One second I was looking at the sky the next...

[He lifts the pulled grass and lets the wind catch it.]

Thank you, Lu Meng. Really. I'm sorry I caused so much trouble for you. I'll be more careful and I'll try and find out more about what happened here. Maybe another god knows.

[young_oldman]

[Lu Meng relaxes a bit once he gets reassurance that Sora will adopt a bit more caution if/when he's investigating the forest again.]

It was no trouble at all. I was interested in exploring the forest as well, and it so happens our paths crossed.

If you decide to investigate the forest again, bring a companion with you, preferably your shinki. It will be safer to have someone keeping a lookout with you than to go on alone.

[oathkeeper]

[He might not be back for a while, especially when he knows how Roxas will react when he finds out. But still, Sora is always curious.

He nods and hauls himself to his feet to go home.]

You got it. If I find myself this way again I'll make sure I'm not alone.

See you later, Lu Meng. Tell your goddess I'm sorry for keeping you so long.

[And with that he heads off.]