[open!] you're only everything I ever dreamed

[oathkeeper]

Who: The Kingdom Hearts cast + You!
Which: Open Log!
Where: The collection of treehouses that the cast has made! And other areas!
What: An open log for residents and adjacent CR to come and go. Top levels inside!
Warnings: tba!


[Now that the residents of Songerein are settling in it seems that a group of uncanny key kids (and a few others) have come together to make a nice little collection of connecting treehouses. The houses are dreamed up and put together with a patchwork of wooden bridges and boards and spruced up with fairy lights that glow and hang from the rafters. The treehouses are high in the canopies of thick trees and the balcony sections are open and breezy for any visitors to come to walk up the steps and see.

Down below the treehouses on the ground seems to be a rather flourishing garden of sunflowers. Where they come from or how they sprouted is still unclear. But it is joined with a rather chubby-looking chicken that pecks at the ground occasionally. Along with the grazing chicken, there seems to be a whoosh of dragonfly wings as a large dragonfly has taken to the treehouse as a home too. And what is this? It seems they might have a small collection of blue birds that won't leave the house alone. What other creatures are out and about?

Dreammotion energy seems to be strong around the treehouses. As the trees house a collection of boys with vivid and wild imaginations. Sometimes lights will flicker brighter or plants will bloom with various strange flowers. And the smell of baking chocolate and cookies is always in the air.]

Comments

[iracorn]

Gladly. I can't say I'm much help in the kitchen, but I can at least be called on to help with a test.

Though, I suppose that means finishing the harvest first.

[And there are a lot of trees.]

[starshower]

Yeah. Before that raccoon comes back with all its friends.

[Famous... last words...?

Tifa moves along to the next tree, peering up and giving it a small nudge to make sure there's nothing hiding in the leaves before she reaches on her tiptoes to pluck the nearest apple from it, all while taking a bite of the one she's helped herself to.

And things seem to be going well for a little while—they can pick their apples in peace, with Tifa occasionally showing off the larger ones she's found, when there's a shuffling in the bushes nearby. At first, she chalks it up to the wind picking up and thinks nothing of it, but then it happens again.]

... You hear that?

[iracorn]

[It's relaxing. Getting into the rhythm of picking apples, occasionally eating one, organizing the baskets. Given that Ira has mostly had a life of study and focus, this taste of a different path is nice.

But when he hears the shuffling, his guard is up. And his hand tingles with the reminder that his keyblade is close at hand.]

I do. There's something in the bushes.

[starshower]

[The rustling doesn't just come from behind her, but beside them both as well. No, more like they're surrounded by the noise, as if this one particular tree has enticed every possible woodland creature living nearby.]

Think the raccoon's back?

[And just like that, one of them pops out from the bushes, its twitching nose emerging first before it stumbles out onto the grass where they stand, and it stares at them through its beady black eyes...

Tifa squints back...

And for a moment, it's as if the entire world has frozen over into this one image of two people having a staring contest with a raccoon.]

[iracorn]

It would appear so...

[Ira says, breaking the silence.

Though there is something significant about the moment, he feels. That the raccoon cannot just be ignored.

And he's correct, as the rustling in the bushes continues and a few more emerge from the undergrowth.]

[starshower]

[Followed by a few more, and then some more, until they and the tree are completely surrounded.

Tifa presses her lips together, only releasing them with a heavy, tired sigh.]

Don't suppose you've got any magic that can take care of them?

[Because she sure doesn't!]

[iracorn]

I have a few ideas.

[There's a flash and Ira's keyblade appears in his hand. He raises it in front of him.]

Wind!

[A wall of wind appears around them, almost like a barrier between them and the raccoon.]

It will hold them off for a bit, but we'll need another way to protect the apples.

[starshower]

[Well, count this as something she hadn't expected she would ever need to do—fending off a group of raccoons from destroying an apple tree.

The wind helps, but Tifa looks around for something—anything—that they might use as a shield.]

I don't have any magic that'll help with that...Only thing I've got is... healing magic.

[Which she doesn't think will be very effective...!?]

[iracorn]

[It'll probably be effective against potential scratches and bites.]

What about some of these empty buckets. We could use them as shields...

I haven't really experimented with the dreamotion abilities admittedly.

[He tends to stick with his own abilities.]

I don't know if we want to hurt them or just drive them off.

[starshower]

[Neither has Tifa, which makes them quite possibly the worst combo for fending off these raccoons, but she was always pretty good at improvising. And apparently, so is he.]

I'd rather just scare them off if we can help it, and I don't think making ourselves bigger than them to do it is gonna help.

[There's a rattling of the ground under their feet while Tifa tests their limits, but it seems that not even a small earthquake is enough to fend them off, so running at them and trying to scare them definitely won't.]

I wonder... [Her thought is momentarily interrupted when one of the raccoons practically hisses at them]. Think you could keep them distracted somehow?

[iracorn]

Likely not, at this point.

[Certainly not when they're in a crowd this big. Though really, hissing? That kind of attitude is not warrented.]

But I can do what I can to draw their attention. How long do you need?

[starshower]

Not long. Long enough that I can try and get this working.

[She points at the materia in her glove, shining and red in the sun.

Besides chasing them away with brooms, she can think of one thing scarier than that, and she plans to use it... If it works...]

Haven't tried using it yet, so maybe put some distance between us. Just in case.

[iracorn]

[Ira looks at the gem with some curiosity, but he will have to ask about it later.]

I can do that. Call out when you're ready.

[And he moves up, strengthening his wind barrier once again and holding his stance for any that might try to get through.]

[starshower]

[This feels like a lot for a bunch of raccoons, but these are... otherworldly raccoons. Who knows what they're capable of besides being more persistent than a regular one...? Nothing they do seems to scare them off, and when they'd scared off the first one, it had just gone and got more of its friends.

If they're going to protect the tree, then they're going to protect the tree!

With Ira at the ready, Tifa runs off, far enough that the blast of the summon won't do anything to burn the trees, but not too far that he won't be able to see it when it happens. It takes only seconds for Ifrit to appear, landing on the ground with a massive quake, the ground shaking under his feet as he rushes at the raccoons that all hiss at him...

To no avail, of course.]

[iracorn]

[Ira feels the ground quake, amazed to see the summon appear. And he's surprised to see the Raccoons seeming to stand their ground, especially since he's a little intimidated by the creature.

But He is quickly able to join in, using his own fire to try and drive the raccoons back.]

[starshower]

[Rather than try to build something to protect the tree, she figures this is the easier method, and at least Ifrit can control the flames in a way that she couldn't, and won't burn down the entirety of the orchard in the process of trying to save it.

Tifa runs up to Ira's side and watches as he tries to fend them off, and while it works for some, there are others that fight back, leaping at the summon's legs ankles to bite them.]

You can't be serious.

[And at that, all Ifrit has to say about the matter is flinging said raccoon from its ankle and into the trees, roaring loud in frustration... Ah. Well, that works...]

[iracorn]

They're very determined, if nothing else. I'd be impressed if they weren't our current enemy.

[It's almost comical in a way. Certainly the raccoons seem less dangerous than Heartless.]

[starshower]

[All she wanted to do was pick some apples from the orchard, and enjoy them later, either fresh or baked into an apple pie. She didn't come here to fight off some rabid pests! But it is what it is, and they'll have to make do.]

The entire reason we're here.

[She can't help but laugh at Ira's comment, in spite of their current situation, and meanwhile, Ifrit is swinging his hand at the other raccoons, trying to scare them off. To anyone else, this might look a little ridiculous—a giant summon trying to frighten rodents away, while the two of them stand around and watch... but really, what else can they do?

Well, for one, Tifa picks up the ladder and starts poking at another one with it, and it hisses and runs off, but there's another coming straight for Ira, so he'd better watch out—!]

[iracorn]

[Ira does notice the one coming for him, turning quickly to blast the animal with another force of wind.]

Would it be worth trying to escape with some of the apples? I don't know how we're doing with just defending them.

[starshower]

Maybe...!?

[She doesn't even know anymore. If they leave with the apples, they'll just come back for more when no one is here to guard them, so...]

I think we might be better off luring these guys away, if we can. Offer up some noble sacrifices...

[She picks up an apple from the ground and lifts it to show him, implying that yes, she means the apples.]

[iracorn]

I think we can afford to part with a bucket or two. The edge of the orchard also isn't too far from here.

[It's decent sized, but not impossibly large. He'll pick up a bucket.]

After you.

[starshower]

[Ifrit growls down at Tifa, clearly frustrated about being called to fight off a bunch of small rodents tinier than his feet, and in a flash of fire, he leaves once she's given him a nod of approval. Apologies, she'll make it up to you later.

For now, they're going to need to work together to lure the raccoons away. So, she takes a couple apples for herself in her hands before scooping up the basket into her other arm.]

Let's try leading them back to the farm, and then we can go from there. Hopefully they'll be scared off by more people.

[Doubtful, but it's better than pushing them further into the orchard!]

[iracorn]

Here's hoping.

[Though, maybe there's also something at the farm that they can continue to use to draw them away. Or possibly trap them. It's hard to say if the raccoons are more interested in the apples or getting revenge now.

But he picks up his own basket to follow, grabbing an apple to throw at the creatures to get their attention.]

[starshower]

[Okay, well that certainly got their attention. That's a start, but while only some stop to fight over the apple on the ground, most are still hissing at them, and so Tifa holds out an apple instead, waving it around, careful not to let the less shy ones get too close before she withdraws it.]

Let's see if they can follow.

[And she throws the apple behind her, as far as her arm can while keeping herself facing them, but not far enough that they won't be able to see it on the ground. Several rush past their feet to that one, and she sighs, relieved, and looks over to Ira.]

Okay, I think we got this. Just keep tossing them, and be careful not to run out.

[iracorn]

This basket is rather full, so I think we'll at least be able to make it. However, we'll have to figure something else out after that.

[Though hopefully, it's enough. He tosses out a few more before offering the basket to Tifa.]