Open; calm before storm

[iracorn]

Who: Ira and You
Which: Open Log!
Where: Outskirts of town, fishin' hole, Dreambucks
What: Ira finds an old arena to use as a training space and starts cleaning it up, takes a break, and then tries to ignore some nightmares.
Warnings: n/a, will update as necessary



[A - A Walk of Discovery; Outskirts of town]

[Ira has a lot on his mind.

It's not surprising really, considering how much he thinks about things, but it's getting to the point where he cannot find solace in books or in attempting to solve problems. Truthfully, he doesn't even know which problems to solve.

So instead, he walks.

No real destination in mind, if truth be told. If he goes too far out he can use a corridor to get back, or at least get closer. Just a chance to attempt to clear his mind. Get out of his head.

It's after a time that he comes across the ruins, and his curiosity grows. Though, as he gets closer, he finds it's not so much ruins as buildings that have been left derelict. They're old, musty, but Ira explores them anyway with interest, though his keyblade is never too far away. But eventually, he finds his way to a large, open space, where everything clicks. At one point, it was an arena. It's hard to say for what kind of sport but he can figure it out later. For now, Ira thinks he can use it.

It is a bit of a fixer upper, but no time like the present.

--

Until the bad weather sets in, Ira can be seen leaving town fairly early and returning late to clean the space up. He won't manage the whole space but there's a lot of snow to clear, training dummies to repair, etc. He usually comes back dirty and exhausted.]

[B - Training Time; The Arena]

[He has about a quarter of the space cleared on the field. Not much since there's still three quarters of rubble and detritus to move and make available but it's a start. Enough to create a space for sparing and a few training dummies. Enough for him to start having ideas for more.

But today, Ira is training as well. He needs to focus more on his own dreamotion, honing it and making it viable. Something he can actually use rather than a tentative last resort.

He's settled, for now, on making it an extension of what he knows. He can cast a fire spell but he wants to use the dreamotion to change it, to possibly give himself more control over it. And so what starts as one fireball spreads to two, then four, then slowly into a wave that is steadily melting some snow. Or possibly speeding towards someone coming in?]

[C - Respite; The Fishin' Hole]

[On perhaps the last good day before the weather turns, Ira takes a break. It's one of those days where you can sense the change coming, the dark clouds on the horizon and it would be best to get out and do something before you can't.

And so Ira has gone fishing.

It's not something he does often, but he's gone once or twice. Usually with Luxu or Gula, more to prove that they could than actually succeeding. But it seems to be a good way to relax.

Not that he expects to catch anything in this weather.

But he's found a spot to sit, the sun is shining, and he might be dozing off slightly as nothing is biting. Though someone might want to stop him before he falls in.]

[D - Nightmares; Dreambucks (Action and Network)]

[As the blizzard sets in, so do Ira's nightmares.

Certainly he is no stranger to them by now, but somehow they seem heavier, more constant. And in this weather it is hard to find activities to distract himself, or even just train until he pushes himself to exhaustion. Instead he dwells, and that just seems to bring further despair and darkness (the Master leaving, the Nightmare Chirithy, the distrust of his friends, the war).

Eventually, he braves the weather to Dreambucks, holing up in the cafe to be anywhere that isn't his treehouse. That can be somewhere with other people around, even if he doesn't necessarily talk to them. Just to be reminded that it's not just him in this world.

He's found a table near the back, and is there with a cup of strong tea. Eventually he takes his journal and is just idly doodling in it. No real specific sketch, just patterns mostly. A string of flowers, various diamond shapes, an attempt at a Unicorn at one point.]

Comments

B

[twilightskey]

[Roxas was curious about the cleared-out arena area and had come to check it out, but hadn't expected to see Ira here. He doesn't call out just yet, instead watching the older Keyblade Master work. He's never really had the opportunity to see a Master fighting before, unless he counted the battle between the Thirteen Darknesses and the Guardians of Light. So he sits on the sidelines, watching Ira manage with fireballs.]

[He keeps quiet for the most part, but a few awed gasps do escape him as he watches him divert and manipulate the fireballs.]

[iracorn]

[There's a small ripple as Ira reacts to the gasp, but even though he's now aware that he has an audience, he maintains control. He's used to working with distraction. He pushes the fireballs as far away from himself as he can, until he can feel his control start to wane and stops the spell.

Not bad for a first attempt at least. Taking a few moments to catch his breath, he looks over at Roxas and smiles.]

Roxas! I see you found this place.

[twilightskey]

[Not bad indeed. Roxas hasn't seen that kind of control over a spell before. So caught up with watching the spellwork, he's actually caught by surprise when he's spoken to.]

Ah--! Yeah, I did! I heard about it, and wanted to see for myself. I didn't know if anyone was going to be here, though.

[iracorn]

[Well, he's glad the news is being spread around regardless. Not that the place is really ready to be opened to the public.]

Just me right now, I believe. I haven't seen anyone else.

[It's usually just him.]

Not that there's a lot to see right now.

[twilightskey]

Well, I haven't seen anyone use fire like that before.

[The only pure-fire user he knew was Axel, and he was more of a spray-and-pray kind of fire-user, in Roxas's experience.]

How'd you get it to split into so many fireballs?

[iracorn]

Ah, that was more of an experiment than anything else, using dreamotion.

I was just curious what I could do with a simple Fire spell.

[And maybe he's thought about this stuff before, with all his studies. He knows there's a lot of options.]

[twilightskey]

That was using dreamotion magic?

[Roxas leans in, obviously curious.]

Wow... I didn't even think of using dreamotion magic with my regular magic like that. I wonder if I could do something like that...

[iracorn]

I only recently had the thought myself, which prompted the practice.

And I don't see why you couldn't? You can produce a fire spell, can't you?

[Most keyblade wielders can, Ira assumes. It's part of the package.]

[twilightskey]

Huh? Oh, yeah, I can cast fire magic.

[He pauses for a beat.]

Do you mind if I give it a try?

D

[hearthwarming]

[ Ori, herself, has visited for much the same reason. She could easily prepare her own cup of tea at home, but for once the warmth and coziness of her own abode is more of a reminder of her nightmares than a comfort against them. It reminds her of how easily she's settled into this world and how readily she's decided to run away from her responsibilities at home (or so she thinks).

Teleportation magic has made the trek over to Dreambucks a little less arduous, at least, but regardless she's sluggish and more subdued in her demeanor compared to the enthusiasm she had when they'd first met. After she's ordered her cup of tea and received it, she turns to find a place to sit for a while when she spots a familiar unicorn headdress and decides to join him. ]

Hello, Ira... Oh! Are you drawing?

[iracorn]

[Ira looks up for his journal, before smiling and attempting to sit up a little more at Ori's arrival.]

Ori, hello. And, well...no, not really.

Just doodling mostly.

[He tilts the journal slightly so that she can see.]

[hearthwarming]

[ There's really no need to sit up for her sake...! She does tilt her head when he shows her what he's been doodling, though. ]

Is there... a difference?

[ A doodle is still a drawing, she thinks. ]

Oh, is it okay if I sit with you?

[iracorn]

[As he thinks about it...it's not like he was putting in a lot of effort.]

I suppose not, thinking about it more.

And it's absolutely fine. I'm grateful for the company.

[Part of the point of being in the coffee shop after all.]

[hearthwarming]

[ She thinks it polite to ask, but in any case she's glad for his permission and sets her cup of tea down on the table so she can duly take her seat just across from where he sits. ]

Did you have trouble getting here? There's a lot of snow outside, after all...

[iracorn]

[He shakes his head.]

No, not really. I have another way of moving around for times like these.

[Though they are meant for slightly longer distances and travel between worlds. But sometimes you make do.]

[hearthwarming]

Oh... do you mean your Keyblade?

[ Ori could relate. Tree portals are an arduous act of conjuration, and should really only be used for long-distance traveling, but... sometimes, when you've had a couple of rough nights, you just don't want to walk through snow or even shift into an animal that makes such a trek easier. ]

[iracorn]

More or less. The keyblade allows me to create a corridor of light to travel through. Generally it was meant to go to different worlds, but it works in a pinch.

[And he can't exactly portal out of here.]

C

[spirialink]

[Kor received a new set of fishing gear for Christmas, and by god, he was determined to use it every chance he got while the weather still allowed. He knew the perfect spot to fish, but-- Oh, looks like somebody is already here? Well, surely he won't mind some company. Kor will just come on over and sit his stuff down.]

Nice day for some fishing, huh?

[That's when Kor looks over at him. He recognized the guy, kind of, having seen him in the company of his housemates before, knowing he's like them, another keyblade wielder. And he's... falling asleep?]

Haha, hey, mister! You better wake up or you'll be sleeping with the fishes soon!

[Kor, maybe don't word it that way...]

[iracorn]

[Having only been dozing, Ira snaps awake at the sound of another voice, shaking his head and sitting up quickly.]

Uh, yes...yes it is.

[He reaches up under his mask to rub at his eyes, trying to bring himself to a more wakeful state.]

My apologies, I must have dozed off...

[spirialink]

[Kor just laughs sheepishly at Ira. No harm, no foul.]

No need to apologize, especially not to me! I fall asleep outside all the time. Though, usually it's warmer than this when I do...

[Kor sets himself up, casting his own line into the water.]

How's the fishing? Got any bites yet?

[iracorn]

Nothing yet, but then, I haven't really been paying attention.

[Though, pulling his line in does reveal that whatever bait was on the end of the line has been eaten off. He goes to reset it.]

It's been a long time since I have dozed off like that.

[spirialink]

[Kor watches as Ira reels in his line, completely bereft of bait. oof, that's rough, buddy...]

Looks like the fish made off with a free meal on you.

[iracorn]

So it appears. My fault for not being as diligent as I could.

[But there's not much he can do about that, so he'll take the loss.]

They won't be so lucky next time.

[spirialink]

Yeah!

[Kor shifts himself around a little, reaching over to grab his bait box and holds it out for Ira.]

Wanna borrow some of my bait? I just got it so I've got loads to spare.

[iracorn]

Thank you, I'll do that. I suppose I was a little underprepared, all things considered.

[It was more to take advantage of the nice day before they have to hunker down.]