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Post by hoodwink on Jun 12, 2020 11:21:51 GMT -5
”Doesn’t look like either of us got it easy, that’s for sure…” Jack’s comment caused Kujo to smirk as he finished his cigarette, watching the smoke drift away into the dark sky. Our worlds are similar, huh? It was a little bit of a let down, compared to what M'Lyn's world sounded like—but he supposed that not all worlds could be drastically different. Not like here. Glancing around the dark forest around them, Kujo hadn’t remembered a time he’d seen so many stars and trees. Cricket chirping offered a faint background symphony to accompany the breeze that would roll through and rustle the leaves.
He wasn’t used to the absence of sounds—this world felt so isolated. ”Not used to socializing?” Though Jack’s question was rhetorical, Kujo grimaced with a tsk as he crossed his arms, glancing at the guy from the corner of his eye. ”Give me a break—people’re just more hassle than they're worth.” As Jack chuckled and Kujo sulked, it seemed the two had certainly come into a comfortable dynamic. ”There’s certainly traits we share […] I guess M’Lyn was right in that topic?” Glancing over to the woman sleeping in the grass, Kujo sighed with a humored exasperation. ”She’s too smart for her own good—her and Alice both.” Not that it was a bad thing. At least they don’t show off… Glancing at Jack, Kujo’s eyebrows raised a bit. ”So—she finally taught you magic, huh?” It had seemed they had used their time in the forests well. ”You’re a lot better with that weird sword, too.” His growth had been quick—in the short time Kujo had been separated from him, Jack had seemed to harness powerful Thunder magic as well as the oddity with the guns…
”Tch—though it seems like there's still a lot we gotta figure out with it.” It was always one thing after another. The weight of sleep was beginning to prickle Kujo’s shoulders, causing him to take another silent scan around the forest. It had been quiet and still—though that worried him. If the creature from before returned… His hand subconsciously rested on the pocket that held the battered and ripped purple hat the odd creature had worn. Something bothered him a bout it.
”You should get some rest.” Standing up, Kujo stretched a bit before sliding his hands in his pockets and turning to Jack. ”I’ll wake up M’Lyn for the next watch after I check the area a few more times.” If his memory was correct, Alice was still tracking the thing, too. Waving a hand in goodbye, Kujo began to walk away from the clearing and towards the dark forest. He had enjoyed his conversation with Jack...but if they kept sitting and talking all night he was sure to fall asleep. Alice 's gotta sleep sometime, too. They couldn't just rely on her surveillance alone.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 12, 2020 16:08:08 GMT -5
Jack nodded along, somewhat relieved things turned elsewhere. Something deep inside him didn't exactly want to talk about that part of his past, and seeing that Kujo wasn't really interested in it enough to pry further was a good enough sign to breathe.
Kujo's further talk about Jack's recent abilities flared the boy's pride ever so slightly, only to plumet down as he mentioned the many mysteries behind it. Pouting faintly, Jack glared at Kujo with a hint of his pride being hurt, thing he didn't really appreciate.
"Oh, sorry for now knowing about a weapon that I have no prior knowledge of, and a concept I thought impossible before all this!" he said, jokingly.
At the mention of rest, Jack looked at the night sky. For whatever reason, he didn't feel tired... Then again, he mostly never did. How long had he been like that, always wary enough to ignore his exhaustion and need to rest despite his unconscious pleading for it? It wasn't the first time someone told him to rest, when he didn't feel tired in the slightest. The memory of it brought him to chuckle faintly.
"I ain't tired, though..." Jack said with a smile, "You can go take a break first. I'll wake M'Lyn up if I feel tired, don't worry. Oh, and..."
Before he could finish, Kujo was already walking away, waving a hand without even looking back at him to reassure his comment prior. Jack frowned with some amusement, giving Kujo credit to just go to the beat of his own drum without anyone else being able to stop him. Still... Wasn't he just as tired?
"Hey" he called, standing back up and trying to catch up to him, "Honest here -you look like you could use a break more than me. I'll wake M'Lyn up to keep watch later, so just... Take it easy. I can manage guard duty. After all, didn't I suggest to start with it to begin with?" he reminded with a smirk.
"If there's other things bothering ya, though... Well... That's a different issue" Jack proceeded, scratching the back of his head and looking away, "So... Yeah -leave it to me, 'kay? I'm used to it, pretty sure more than you at this point."
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 19, 2020 15:47:13 GMT -5
Tch—he’s always keener than I give ‘im credit for… It wasn’t that Kujo underestimated Jack specifically, but more that he wasn’t used to putting much faith in others. ”Honest here—you look like you could use a break more than me.” Somehow, despite the battles from before, it seemed Jack had regained most of his spent energy. Unless he’s just pushing himself, too… In which case, Kujo could hardly lecture the guy—wasn’t he doing the same thing? ”Leave it to me, ‘kay? I’m used to it, pretty sure more than you at this point.”
Kujo was silent for a moment as he turned to look at Jack. ”Tch—Give me a break.” With a faint smirk on his face and a sigh, Kujo shoved his hands in his pockets before walking back towards the ruined cottage. ”I’ll leave it to you, then.” Clasping a hand on Jack’s shoulder as he walked by, Kujo decided it’d waste both of their energy to fight over who did guard duty first. If Jack really couldn’t sleep at the moment, it was pointless to try and get him to.
He was the same way. ”I’m a light sleeper—so just come get me when it’s my turn.” Walking passed the miqo’te lying in the grass, Kujo sat against one of the ruined walls of the cottage, draping his lavender jacket over his body as he closed his eyes, leaving the first watch duty to Jack.
The forest, though dark and mysterious, didn’t seem menacing at the moment. Though the absence of forest critters had been an oddity since the trio’s arrival, faint music from chirping insects could be heard in the breezy yet warm night, carried along the soft wind, slowly lulling Kujo to sleep.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 19, 2020 16:59:56 GMT -5
Jack chuckled at Kujo's words, somewhat relieved that he left guarding duty to him. There were a lot of things clouding his head at the time, some from recent events, and some others from times past -so many, that he was honestly tireless. Taking care of the first watch seemed to be the opportunity to slowly bid those thoughts goodbye, or at least, it was a chance Jack had to do so.
"Sure! Leave it to me!" Jack said with a grin.
He then watched Kujo head to the ruined cottage, and then looked at the path the Heartless had taken. He wasn't dumb enough to leave his comrades there, in what seemed to be a defenseless place, but there were a few things bothering him about it. Just what was that? If it was a Heartless, why'd it run away like that? Some pieces just didn't fall into line, and made Jack frown.
The sound of the night called out for him, a melody that he'd never heard of before. Sitting on top of a piece of rubble, Jack glanced about while listening to the tune. A soothing melody, one he found himself enjoying along with. Jack smiled calmly, slowly eating those thoughts back and sorting them each in their own corner. One more time, he looked at the night sky, the many stars in the sky shining over him.
"It's been a while since I've seen a sky this starry..." he mumbled to himself with a smile, "I forgot how nice it was... To just be in the outside and enjoy it..."
A faraway memory. It felt like ages since Jack saw himself back in the streets of Milennia, his home city. Holding Alice by the hand as they ran through the alleyways of a torn-down city, Jack had a different attitude altoghether. A sturdy one, unflinching and skeptical at everything around him, almost like Kujo in a way. A drive unlike any other was moving him forwards without the need to look back.
His will to protect his sister, at all costs.
Jack looked back as he remembered the thought. How long had he been absent? It felt like a while, as he noticed his sudden tireness. Yawning a bit, and somewhat calm after seeing the little thoughts that remained in his head, he stood up and walked over to M'Lyn, who was still sleeping soundly. Poking her cheeks a few times, Jack managed to wake her up without much trouble aside from a groan from the Miqo'te.
"Rise and shine -your turn" the boy said cheekily. "Fine..." M'Lyn groaned a bit while rubbing her eyes, soon blinking fully awake, and even stretching, "...Huh -I suppose I did need to rest a bit..." "You've been asleep for a while now, though..." "..." M'Lyn glanced over at where Kujo was sleeping, "So, he went to bed first? That's surprising..." "I asked him to do that, actually -I suggested I take first watch. Being honest, I couldn't really get myself to sleep. Had one too many things in mind." "Well, now it looks as if you have none... Go rest a tad now. At the very least, you deserve it." "Heh..." Jack chuckled, "Good to know."
As Jack got himself comfortable with what was available, M'Lyn stood up and took a good look at her surroundings. Still, with the tunes of night surrounding them. Her ears twitching ever so often, he summoned a spear just in case, feeling safer with a weapon in hand for the duty to follow.
Asuming nothing would disturb them until dawn, M'Lyn glanced at the two boys sleeping, a grin of satisfaction rising on her lips. She first headed towards Kujo, knowing he'd be probably better rested than Jack, who was sleeping off not that far away. With the help of the spear's handle, M'Lyn playfully poked Kujo in the arm, without too much force, but just enough for it to be the least bit annoying -her actual aim.
"Hopefully you've rested well. We've got work to do, Kujo" she said with a hint of coyness.
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 23, 2020 11:36:22 GMT -5
Yanked from a dream immediately forgotten, Kujo’s eyes opened as M’Lyn’s spear woke him. Thankfully, he now had a much better control over his Akogare, which had once reacted without his choice regardless of friend or foe. ”Hopefully you’ve rested well. We’ve got work to do, Kujo.” The Miqo’te seemed to be in high spirits, a glinting humor in her eyes as the man smirked and swatted the spear-butt away. ”Heh—didn’t peg you for a morning person.” Jack seemed to be awake as well, much more refreshed than yesterday.
Dim orange light spilled above them—the sun still working on coming over the horizon. Kujo pulled his jacket back on as he stood up, scanning the area as he cracked his neck and stretched. Weird…it didn’t come back. He had expected some sort of disturbance—but it seemed as though the mysterious being that had attacked them hadn’t returned. The Cottage was still in ruins, the dwarves still sound asleep and recovering from the exhausting day prior.
At least—all but one. Heavy footsteps could be heard thundering around within the Cottage, soon finally emerging into the Living Room: still mostly visible from the outside due to the lack of wall. Grumpy stood, his face red and his fists clenched, entire body quaking in tantrum as their thick beard bristled. ”Grr...jerks! Why, I’ll show ‘em a thing or two!” Dressed in bright red and deep maroons, the dwarf tugged at their white beard and fixed their brown cap before storming out of the hole in the living room.
”Hey! What’re ya standing around for?!” Baffled at the strangers before him, Grumpy seemed to only grow more irritated as he crossed his arms and stamped his feet. ”Go away! Get lost! Scram!” Waving his arms around in the air, the dwarf gave each member of the Twilight Brigade a skeptical and less than hospitable look. Kujo had remained silent, watching the small bearded man rage with raised brows and a stoic glance.
This was the dwarf he hadn’t truly met—only saved while unconscious. 'Grumpy', as Happy had referred to him as, seemed to be a fitting name. Tsk! Ungrateful shit. Visibly annoyed, Kujo crossed his arms and sighed. ”Tch—I should’ve left you in the mines.” The comment caused Grumpy to have a moment of surprise before growing more red in the face, scrunching up their brow and giving Kujo a heavy ‘stink-eye’. ”No one asked ya ta save me! Or anyone! I’ll go save Dopey and Doc myself!” Kujo didn't bother retorting with the fact that, contrary to Grumpy's belief, Happy had specifically asked them to go save him. Seemingly having made up their mind, not bothering to introduce themselves or ask names, Grumpy began to storm off towards the woods.
It seemed Kujo and him were actually rather similar. A fact that the man in lavender remained completely oblivious to. Crossing his arms and watching the dwarf storm off, Kujo grit his teeth before glancing over at M’Lyn and Jack. ”There’s some work to do alright…” Grumbling in frustration, Kujo simply glared at Grumpy until the dwarf reached the edge of the clearing, standing before the dark and gnarled path littered with thorny roots and vines. Despite the coming morning light, that section of Forest remained heavily shadowed, not a crack of sunlight reaching its floor.
BLIIIIING! A radiant light burst forth as Kujo emerged in front of Grumpy, his arms crossed and his face as stoic and menacing as usual. ”So—you know where they are?” Emerald suspicion met bronze resistance. The two glared in silence for a moment. ”Take us there.” It seemed they were too similar to get along, though, as Grumpy immediately turned away, his own arms crossed as he turned up his nose. ”Ha! I ain’t gonna do nothin’ you say!” Pumping a hand on his chest proudly, Grumpy stamped a foot to the ground.
”I beat ta my own drum, buck-o!” Kujo sighed, clearly annoyed but running out of ideas. He was sure Jack and the dwarves wouldn’t approve of him using force against the annoying guy (M’Lyn, maybe, but only if he could be more convincing then Jack, a feat he doubted he could manage). Remaining as an obstacle to keep Grumpy from entering the Swampy Forest, Kujo glared down at the dwarf, the two ending sparks as they squared off. ”You idiot—if you want your friends saved—take us!”
He was losing his patience. Grumpy seemed to be in the same boat—as the dwarf began winding up his arm as though it were a windmill. ”Outta—my—WAY!” After winding up as he spoke, Grumpy dished out a heavy punch to Kujo’s knee. BLIIIING! A blinding light—immediately, the dwarf was ricocheted backwards into the clearing, landing on their backside with a loud THUMP! Kujo’s Akogare hadn’t considered Grumpy ‘friendly’, it seemed. With a look of annoyance, Kujo turned to Jack and M’Lyn, pointing over to Grumpy, who was sitting back up with a face as red as a tomato.
”One of you wanna talk some sense into ‘im?”
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 23, 2020 13:55:46 GMT -5
While M'Lyn chuckled, amused at Kujo's commentary, Jack slept soundly, oblivious to what was happening around him. Although only at first. The storming of Grumpy, loud as it was, did startle him awake, and M'Lyn was simply caught off-guard by the lack of hospitality. Groaning as he walked towards the duo, Jack took a quick glance at the dwarf throwing a fit of rage. Being Grumpy his name, he could only think of the reasons behind it.
Sure enough, they were justified.
”There’s some work to do alright…” "Heh... Say that again..." Jack smirked with a hint of unease, "And here I was hopin' we could chase after that Heartless... Guess we'll take a detour..."
The back-and-forth between Kujo and Grumpy did turn amusing, with Jack having to drown a laugh every now and then. It was like seeing someone arguing at their image in the mirror -the stuborness of both parties, plus their short fuse, was quite the spectacle. M'Lyn, on the other hand, rolling her eyes in clear dissapointment, could only withstand so much before she would interfiere.
For once, she saw a justification for hitting the guy. If Kujo had asked, she would've been for it, much for Jack's hope of trying to keep peace between them.
"Are we just going to watch and listen, as he babbles nothing worthy of meaning 'thanks'?" M'Lyn asked, glancing at Jack, who tried to keep his laughter down. "W-Well..." Jack grinned, still trying to remain serious, "Hold... Hold on, need ta calm down..." "Haa..."
M'Lyn's sigh of dissapointment only semented her position. Arms crossed, she walked towards the two as they neared the entrance to the Swamp, her ears twitching as she recalled something. If memory didn't fail, going deep inside would end in them being ambushed by a swarm of Heartless, a group far too large for them to tackle on their own. Thankful for Kujo acting as a block, M'Lyn managed to stay at a decent distance to make herself clear.
"While I'd love to recieve something akin to thanks for helping you and your friends, I don't believe this to be the proper time" M'Lyn said, serious and with a cold gaze, "Where you're headed now is a guaranteed death sentence -not a place where you'll find and save those left." "Ah...!" Jack looked at where they were talking, quick to catch up, "Nice catch, M'Lyn..." he said as he approached them. "If you insist on going there, then we'll follow you regardless, bringing you back despite you saying otherwise" M'Lyn continued, "Besides, surely you know better than to attack enemies you have no knowledge of, nor the means to defend yourself with? Of course, I can be wrong there, and you're more than welcome to prove otherwise, but until you do so, I'm more than opposed of leaving you to your own beat."
Jack hummed in thought while M'Lyn spat out her thoughts withour remorse. Annoyed as she was, the Miqo'te just wanted their work to flow like water, undisturbed by any obstacles in front of them. As for Jack, still deep in thought, tried to come up with something that could settle even grounds.
Otherwise, they might as well battle right then and there, even though that would most likely be the worst case scenario in that time.
"He's hella wary of us, that's a given..." he thought as he glanced over at the fallen dwarf, red as a tomato, "But, then again... Why? Didn't we help him out...? Although... He did say he never asked for help, nor than he appreciated it... Is it solely because we're unknown to him? "As far as it concerns me, right now, us three are the only answer to your current predicament. So can't you give us the benefit of the doubt?" M'Lyn growled, "Or are you that stuck-up your arse to notice such an obvious fact?" "He won't listen to that... Or, rather, us" Jack shook his head, looked between M'Lyn and Kujo, to then look at Grumpy, "I get it -we're strangers to you, so you're wary. But it's not much trouble to ask your friends for reassurance, right? The only thing we've done so far is help you out, without asking for much in return, other than some answers to certain questions. Surely, your friends there can answer for us, if you're that wary."
"But if that's not enough for you... We can settle on a deal" Jack grinned with determination, arms crossed, "You set the boundaries, and we'll follow, so long as we get to beat those shadows to the ground. After all... That's mostly our objective, currently."
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 24, 2020 15:03:08 GMT -5
”While I’d love to receive something akin to ‘thanks’ for helping you and your friends,” Kujo smirked as M’Lyn came to his aid, the cold gaze she gave Grumpy added to his mood quite a bit, too. Nice to not be on the receiving end of it, for once. The Miqo’te was certainly a formidable enemy—one this dwarf had never seen the likes of. ”If you insist on going there, then we’ll follow you regardless, bringing you back despite you saying otherwise” Grumpy brushed the dust off of himself as he stood back up, still glaring at Kujo every so often.
”As far as it concerns me, right now, us three are the only answer to your current predicament.” Despite being annoyed, M’Lyn had a way about her that allowed her to get her point across in a logical way despite the growls in between. ”Or are you that stuck up your are to notice such an obvious fact?” Oh. There it was. Kujo couldn’t help it—a small chuckle escaped him as he turned away, a faint grin beginning to grow.
”He won’t listen to that…or rather, us” Jack came in—slower than usual, though Kujo couldn’t blame him: he had been yanked out of his sleep by the dwarf’s rampaging. Unlike M’Lyn and Kujo, Jack’s approach was much calmer, more friendly and immediately would remind one who the ‘face’ of their little ‘party’ was. ”We can settle on a deal” Grumpy’s face immediately changed. Though he had been more cowed to M’Lyn, the dwarf’s looks and eyes had indicated little teamwork until now. A look of interest came over him as he stroked his beard, tugging on it every so often as he listened to Jack’s pitch.
Glancing over at Kujo and M’Lyn, then back to Jack, Grumpy crossed his arms and spit on the ground. ”Tsk—I don’t like it, but yer friend wit tha’ ears over there’s right.” Grumpy looked passed them all, into the dark woods, a look of irritation coming across his face. ”Those monsters’re tough. One on one they’re nothing…but tha numbers…” Clenching his fists at his sides, Grumpy gave Jack an honest look of determination—showcasing that perhaps there was more to the dwarf than a bad attitude and lack of social skills. Maybe they really were someone trying to protect their friends.
”Alright—I’ll make a deal wit’cha!” Grumbling a bit, Grumpy looked over his shoulder at the Cottage before turning back to the trio. ”I know Dopey and Doc’re in the Spooky Forest…” Kujo finally spoke up again, his eyes narrowing at the dwarf. ”How do you know where they are?” Grumpy hadn’t been awake at all after his rescue, meaning he shouldn’t have known about the other searches in the area turning up empty (well, not empty…just not the dwarves they were looking for now). They had put in the time and the work to discern where all the dwarves were through sheer hard work—how the hell did Grumpy find out?
Averting his gaze, Grumpy seemed to debate something internally as he stood silent. ”Oi, you made a deal with us, pal.” Kujo’s face had returned to a stoic and angry mask of distrust. Grumpy sighed, shaking his head before kicking at the grass. ”Yea, yea…well, just don’t tell tha others about this, will ya?” Grumpy gave the three a look with a raised brow, nodding his head towards the ruined Cottage. ”I’m sure ya noticed—most’a these knuckleheads don’t know how ta handle much.” The faint grin within the dwarf’s beard betrayed his true feelings about the other dwarves, despite his harsh words.
”Weird stuff had been goin’ on before tha monsters showed up. Ta be honest…I didn’t believe any of it myself.” Grumpy’s face showed that indeed, he still seemed to struggle with ‘believing’ the things he was thinking about. ”Shadows moving in the woods…voices at night-time…it’s called the ‘Spooky Woods’ for a reason, y’know?” Grumpy shook his head, waving a hand in agitation. ”Anyway…the guys were all scared, and for the most part just avoided those woods. Not Doc, though. That four-eyes always needs to know how things work.” A grimace had replaced the agitated expression on the dwarf’s face, a hand tugging at his beard absently.
”Doc started goin’ inta the Spooky Woods a lot. He made me promise not ta tell the others. We wanted to prove that there was nothin’ to be scared of, first.” For a moment, Grumpy’s voice almost sounded remorseful. ”Knowin’ him…he’s probably tryin’ ta figure out what’s goin’ on on his own, ta keep the others safe.” Kujo had a feeling in his gut, one that he had felt back when he first went to the Mines. ”Dopey always sneaks off ta follow him around…he’s a real quiet one. I’m sure that’s where they both are.” Crossing his arms, Kujo mulled over everything Grumpy had told him. ”Wait…how did Doc go into the Spooky Woods alone?” Kujo glanced over at M’Lyn and Jack. The two of them had reported an immense amount of Heartless in that area. How strong was this ‘Doc’?
Grumpy shook his head, seemingly knowing exactly what Kujo meant. ”Nah…those monster’s didn’t show up ‘till after all that started. Doc probably thinks it’s all connected—the guy’s hardly as smart as he likes to think he is.” Grumpy rolled his eyes a bit at his last comment. Still, something was nagging at Kujo…something he couldn’t place his finger on. ”So…I've told ya where they are, now for my part o' tha bargain.” Grumpy looked between the three with a smug look, placing his hands on his hips as he puffed out his chest. ”I wanna come with ya!” Kujo had seen that coming a mile away. Grumpy held up a fist, patting his biceps with (in Kujo’s opinion) too much confidence.
”Trust me! I clocked a few of ‘em pretty good when they first popped up!” Grumpy straightened up, a serious look coming over his bearded face as he straightened his brown cap. ”’Sides…I can’t let strangers save my friends—no matter how helpful ya are. That’s something someone’s gotta do themselves.” It seemed the dwarf had a pride larger than them—something Kujo found himself respecting despite his annoyance. Glancing over at Jack with a raised brow, Kujo wore a skeptical look.
”Well, Jack? I’m not babysittin’. You’re the one that wanted to make a deal—you’re the one that watches ‘im.” Though he respected Grumpy’s loyalty and determination, having to protect this guy a second time was too much for him. Kujo still thought it'd be easier to knock the dwarf out at this point and just go about their way.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 24, 2020 15:39:19 GMT -5
Jack listened closely as Grumpy settled on striking a deal, revealing rather priceless information. Knowing when the Heartless appeared would prove to be a significant advantage, and would allow them to settle on how strong they would be. Not only that, but since they were going together, as a team, he couldn't be bothered to worry about the many Shadows lurking deep within the Forest. With Kujo by their side, their power would increment by leaps and bounds.
"So I was right when I wanted to continue on..." Jack glanced over at the Forest's dark entrance as he thought, "I made the right choice, but we were stopped by the amount of Heartless in the area... Not to mention whatever it was that wanted to trap us..."
Following along, Jack got a little bit of the gist. Whoever "Doc" was, they thought they could figure out whatever mysteries lied in the shadows on their own. Being a spy of sorts with (in his eyes) plently of experience under his belt, Jack could ascertain that wasn't the smartest move to do. If anything, taking along some back-up was necessary when investigating. He glanced over at M'Lyn, grateful for her acompanying him during their last little trip.
With the info in hand, now they could surely---
”So… I've told ya where they are, now for my part o' tha bargain. I wanna come with ya!” "Ah, crap..." Jack frowned, "I should've seen this one coming..." "..." M'Lyn frowned, only worrying for the new party member's cooperation. He'd just thrown a fit -was he really reliable in battle?
As the Miqo'te sighed in dissapointment, Jack looked at his hand of cards inside his head. He'd settled on a deal, and he'd said that he would follow the boundaries so long as they were allowed to help clearing the Heartless. He had come up with the possiblity of Grumpy asking to join, given his attitude prior, but he didn't consider it that high. A clear misplay of Jack's part, although he'd hardly admit it.
He just had to work with it.
"You’re the one that wanted to make a deal—you’re the one that watches ‘im.” Kujo's comment only further semented Jack's defeat. "Tch..." Jack clicked his tongue in a mix of unease and playfulness, "Is there ever gonna be a time where you'll help me out...? ...Alright, fine ---I'll see what I can come up with" he glanced over at M'Lyn as he finished. "..." M'Lyn glanced back, not really showing signs of yielding, "Something the matter?" "I hope I can count on a little help from your part?" "Why would I?" M'Lyn's cold answer caught Jack off-guard, "I fail to see how bringing him along could prove useful. We only needed the information, but that was it. Sure, striking a deal with him was what cracked him open, but I still shall not abide to it. And even if he comes along, I'm not about to waste magic or change tactics due to someone I can only deem as an escort, rather than a team member." "H-Hey...!" "Besides, surely you can do something with that blade of yours, plus your trinkets?" "I'm not suited for defense, though! I hardly got anything to keep 'im alive!" "You were never really suited for battle, either..." M'Lyn said nonchalant. "You little---!"
Jack frowned, bitter. He hadn't expected M'Lyn to act like that! Tempted to grab her tail and pull it, Jack fought the temptation as best as he could. He sighed, focusing his eyesight elsewhere ---the Forest's entrance. Reaching for his com, Jack wanted to confirm something with Alice before they left.
"Hey, sis? One question." "Yeah?" "That Heartless from before... You've been able to keep track of it?" "I have, but I can't seem to find it right now... Why?" "I'd like it if you could keep an eye out in case you sense it. I wanna settle that as soon as we can." "I'll try to. Can't make many promises, though." "It'll be fine if you just stay alert, just sayin'."
Alice focused on her duty, while Jack returned to face M'Lyn, Kujo and Grumpy. Sighing a bit at the baby-sitting duty he was forced to take on, he scratched the back of his head.
"Let's get goin'. I'm damn sure the Heartless we encountered deep inside are still there... We should be able to handle it better now that there's 3 of us" he mentioned, nodding at Kujo, "We just gotta buy enough time to find Doc and Dopey... After that, we can bail. We don't need to extend the fight this time 'round ---just finding info about the Heartless and what we can do to make 'em go is enough."
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 25, 2020 2:26:20 GMT -5
Kujo silently nodded in approval as M’Lyn’s icy tone hit Jack hard. There was still the feeling he had—the one that was telling him they wouldn’t find Doc in the Spooky Woods—or anywhere. Even Grumpy said they went to the Mines together… Sent to find two dwarves, Grumpy had been the only one left. Heartless didn’t take prisoners, did they? He’d’ve had to escape Heartless. Was that possible for a dwarf? From what Kujo had seen of them all, the chance seemed less than slim in his eyes.
During M’Lyn’s analysis, Grumpy had only grown red in the face, remaining quiet as he turned away and crossed his arms a bit. It was clear he was making some effort to bite his tongue, however hard that may have been. ”I’m not suited for defense, though!” Kujo couldn’t help but smirk at Jack’s whining. ”You were never really suited for battle, either…” He couldn’t help it—a rough laugh (closer to a bark in sound, really) escaped the man in lavender, who turned and covered their mouth instinctively, coughing into their hand in order to recover.
Hearing the back-and-forth, Grumpy had turned back to the arguing duo, curious. The trio were certainly odd to the dwarf, who had never come across people like them in his life. ”Let’s get goin’.” Having recovered his usual stoic demeanor, Kujo nodded in agreement, Grumpy following suit, albeit with a couple of glares and stink-eyes towards M’Lyn and him. ”We just gotta buy enough time to find Doc and Dopey…” As the group readied themselves for departure, Kujo glanced down at Grumpy, his face serious and tone full of warning.
”If you’re comin’…get ready for what we might find…” Before the dwarf could retort, Kujo’s face grew darker as he turned away towards the forest. ”…or not find.” With that, the tall man led the way for the party into the Spooky Woods. The sun had just began to rise, early morning light warming their backs—soon to be a distant memory. Immediately upon entering the gnarled and thicketed path, the group would find the early light swallowed up, the thick leaves of towering gnarled trees surrounding them blotting out the sky completely.
Alice’s on watch for whatever that 'thing' was… Though that managed to keep one large worry away, the entire forest seemed like a threat. With the enhanced senses gifted to him by his dormant Akogare, Kujo felt a menacing energy throughout the air itself. It’s like its alive. Now that he recalled, M’Lyn had mentioned something to him about the forest reacting to her and Jack's presence. Grumpy followed along beside Kujo, trying to keep up hastily with the man’s long strides in order to maintain a sense of superiority. ”Oiiiii!!!!” The sudden shout caused Kujo to spin on his heels.
Grumpy was walking, cupping his hands to his mouth, shouting into the dark forest they went. ”Dopey! Four-Eyes! Where are ya?!” Smack! Kujo’s hand struck like lightning against the brown cap on Grumpy’s head, knocking it clean off as the dwarf jolted forward. ”Be quiet!” Surprised by the speed of the hit, Grumpy seemed bewildered as they tugged at their beard. Recovering themselves with a shake of their head, the dwarf fumed as the wisp of white atop his head flared. ”Why, I oughtta—!”
Jumping up and down in place, Grumpy was preparing to wind up another punch before remembering what had happened the last time he had done that. Huffing a bit, the dwarf conceded by grabbing and dusting off their hat before stomping ahead of Kujo down the pathway. Despite their size, Grumpy managed over the gnarled roots and thorned vines of the pathway fine. Glancing over his shoulder, Kujo was surprised to see the once small and far off dot of light that had marked the entrance to the Spooky Woods was no longer visible. Behind them was nothing but more sprawling looming gnarled trees and the overgrown path.
Snap! ”OI!? WHAT THE—?!“ Within the blink of an eye, a large vine had snared up from the overgrowth, thorned and writhing as it lashed out at the ones in front—Grumpy and Kujo. Careening backwards with their arms flailing at their sides, the dwarf tumbled backwards just as Kujo had taken a step forward. BLING! With a flare of light, the vine was recoiled and snapped apart, sizzling as it skittered across the forest floor. ”Oh great...Here we go.” Already the group was growing surrounding by the encroaching forestry.
Dark shadows twisted between the trees as more thorned vines and roots erupted from the dirt and soil to snake forth and try to ensnare them. Kujo stood as calm as ever, hands in his pockets as he analyzed their situation. It’s just like she said… The forest was literally alive and trying to attack them. Kujo’s Akogare already shadowed him, levitating off of the air slightly as its galaxy eyes took in their ‘opponents’. ”Wakeru!!!” Within seconds, the dark forest path they stood in began to be beaten and pummeled by a torrent of punches. Blinding light had erupted around the Akogare’s and Kujo’s fists as the two worked in unison.
A smoldering crater was what the group now stood in, with no vegetation of any kind remaining within. Grumpy had fallen over due to the rumbling, but was okay (although hella flabbergasted). Though more vines and roots loomed around the crater, it seemed Kujo’s attack had provided the team with the breathing room to avoid an ambush.
[[ENEMIES: The Forest???]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 25, 2020 12:58:09 GMT -5
Ignoring Kujo's short laugh, Jack focused on the path before them. Entering the shadows as they left the light behind... Crossing an invisible threshold into the hoard of Shadows was certainly a tense thing to do. Jack frowned, wondering just what would happen next. He couldn't even remember a lot since, not long after encountering the Heartless, his memory was missing, the next one appearing at the Cottage, looking around with a lost gaze. He hummed in thought, troubled, wondering if the same thing would happen again...
Although, given what M'Lyn mentioned, that "part" of him seemed to be much stronger than his current one, both in strength and attitude.
"Wish I could remember what I do while I'm like that, though... Would help in a few things, alright..."
He perked back up as Grumpy yelled in hopes of locating his two friends, quickly shut down by Kujo as he hit the cap clean off the drawf's head. He smiled with unease, knowing just how lucky Grumpy was.
"Why do I feel like, had I not been here, you two would've done bloody murder...?" he mumbled with a hint of amusement. "Had he not been so rude, not really..." M'Lyn glared, her arms crossed across her chest, "If anything, only this one has been troublesome." "It ain't like you to admit that... And besides, you're barely any better than Kujo when it comes to this whole thing." "And? I hardly see it as a problem. So long as we get the information we're after, I won't say much. If something stands as an obstacle, I'll simply remove it. Simple enough logic, right?" "Sure, but who's to say you won't get your hands red...?"
Truthfully, Jack was scared. He was completely aware of M'Lyn and Kujo's strength, only wondering how far they'd use it. If it came to it, would they hurt someone by will? Simply because they were annoying, or an obstacle? He sighed at the thought.
Some people were a bit too hard to understand first-hand.
The snapping and thrashing of the vines caught his attention quick, as Jack later reached onto the blade. M'Lyn steadied her gaze, readying a staff to support the wielder and Kujo, hardly even paying attention to Grumpy anymore. That was Jack's duty.
The ground plummeted beneath them thanks to Kujo's Wakeru, leaving some room for respite. Thankful for the opportunity, Jack glanced around, noticing how the forest was playing its same trick once again. Smirking, he threw a Thunder III spell in front, the barrage of thunderbolts quickly crashing down onto anything that dared tresspass. M'Lyn readied her staff, chaneling a Stone spell and leaving it around her, to then throw it at the first enemy that wanted to engage.
"Let's see how well we fare this time..."
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 27, 2020 16:22:01 GMT -5
Though Jack and M’Lyn had warned Kujo of this place, never had the man really believed the forest would actually come alive—let alone try and attack him. Can't I catch a break? This world just continued to throw annoying obstacles after the other his way—many adorned with beards and rather short, but this one worse by far. If some pathetic plants is all we've got to worry about, we'll be fine. He was calm, collected as his teammates began to act. Snap! Skzzzzt! While Jack cleared a section of the forest floor above them with his spell, Kujo continued to analyze their surroundings. This feeling… It was the same sensation he felt with the Heartless—though none had arrived. For a moment, the man’s eyes closed—focusing through the galaxy eyes of his guardian, the Akogare.
That’s it! How had he not noticed before?! The gnarled roots and vines were beginning to regroup, snaking across the forest floor as they attempted to near the crater Kujo had formed earlier. Still a section remained clear from Jack’s earlier spell, a small spot of forest right in front of one of the many tall and looming gnarled trees. The bark of the trees in the Spooky Woods were jagged and indented, creating odd shapes and faces in the shadows. It was for this tree that Kujo leapt, shouting out to the others as he began his plan.
”Forget the roots! It's the trees!” There wasn’t time to explain. He hadn’t noticed it with his own eyes—the faint tendrils of darkness snaking around the thick and menacing trees. SLAM! Kujo’s Akogare swung an armored fist directly into the tree he stood before—a flare of light bursting forth as the fist shattered through bark and rot. Crrrrrrraaack! Splintered and shattered, the section of the tree that had been punched out revealed a mass of darkness within—two bright yellow eyes shining in the dark. ”Found you.”
Kujo growled at the exposed Possessor, grabbing it with his Akogare as the muscular guardian crushed the Heartless into vapor. They must've been lurking here for a while... It'd be the only explanation he could think of as to why none of them could sense the Heartless's appearance. They hadn't appeared, but been planted in the trees all along. Would Heartless really think that far ahead? He didn't have the time to think further into it, as more vines and roots began to immediately focus on him.
[[ENEMIES: 5 Hidden Possessors!]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 27, 2020 17:25:36 GMT -5
Seeing how his spell decimated the are in front of him, Jack held the blade with both hands, scanning with his eyes at any opening that would show. M'Lyn held the Stone spell near, not finding any particular targets to throw it at.
Until Kujo shared his discovery.
”Forget the roots! It's the trees!” "The... Trees?!"
Jack glanced over at one of them, ignoring Kujo's head-first approach towards one of the other trees. Were the trees really the issue...? He glanced back at Kujo, watching as he decimated the Heartless he found inside the trunk, with a hint of shock.
M'Lyn took no time to waste. The Stone spell honed onto the nearest tree with immense strength, aiming to split the tree open. Jack followed the pursuit, striking with the Keyblade's strength at another one. If Grumpy wanted to help, he'd most likely find himself useless, lying on the ground that had been leveled below him.
Given the previous interactions, that was going to happen sooner or later. The strength difference was simply one they couldn't compare.
M'LYn kept an eye on Kujo, noticing as the darkness the enemy spewed seeed to wrap around him. If things got tough, she could always use a Medica spell to heal the party, seeing as the two were more melee oriented.
"Hopefully, we can get through this time..." she thought, glaring at the enemies around them, "If we move on, we get to unravel even more secrets... And quite honestly, all this has bored me..."
Jack dashed to the nearest tree, noticing how it slightly emanated with darkness. Rolling a few times and jumping, with the ocational slashing against the roots, he aimed to close distance with the enemy. It didn't feel like he himself was doing it, though... Jack glanced at the Keyblade in his hand for a quick second before striking at the tree, aiming to open it and attack the Heartless within it.
"It's like its guiding me... But what for...?" Jack thought, with the hint of a frown.
It didn't feel wrong -the blade in his hand has a gentle way of guiding him, without any hint of maliciousness. But then, what was it guiding him through?
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 28, 2020 14:53:02 GMT -5
Kujo smirked as Jack and M’Lyn made quick work on other trees in the Spooky Woods. His Akogare roared out as it shone with a brilliant light, causing many of the roots and vines to recoil from around the man in lavender. ”Tch—useless.” Stomping on a nearby root, Kujo was a blur of motion as he came upon another tree, repeating the similar method from earlier. With the eyes of his Akogare, it was no problem for him to see what lurked beneath the rotted and gnarled bark. Smash! More trees splintered as Jack and M’Lyn acted—a sight Grumpy had never seen before.
The dwarf was dumbstruck, sitting in the crater as he watched the prowess of those around him. These guys—!! They weren’t normal by any means! Set to not be outdone, the dwarf pushed himself up, cracking his knuckles as he began to make his way out of the crater. ”Alright, I’ll show ya what happens when ya mess with me!” Soon, much to Kujo’s surprise, the dwarf was actually in the fray, swinging and kicking at the roots and vines that tried to attack the others while they focused on the trees. Though not nearly as strong as the other three by any means, Grumpy seemed to be tough in his own right, able to hold his own as he distracted the enemy to leave the trees open for the others to attack.
He’d be overtaken in a second, without us. It wasn’t an insult, just a fact that Kujo had noticed. How did Doc manage to get through here, on his own? According to Grumpy, this ‘Doc’ was more of a brainiac than a brawler, by the sounds of it. Could someone really outthink their way from this? Well, I guess if he knew where the Heartless were…he could avoid them. He mulled it over as he moved on to the next tree—his Akogare a flurry of fists as it pummeled the forestry.
As the man rushed to his target, an item fell from his cropped jacket. It was the small and battered purple hat that they had acquired from the odd Heartless-like being they faced at the Cottage. Grumpy was currently kicking and punching at a tangle of roots and vines, which had finally decided he had been enough of a nuisance to try to ensnare. Noticing the item drop, Grumpy’s gaze shifted before his grip on the mass of vines and roots was released, his face one of shock.
That hat! Leaving himself wide open, Grumpy was quickly grabbed and whipped around by a nearby animated root, thrown back into the crater with a heavy THUD! and a shout of pain.
[[ENEMIES: 2 Hidden Possessors!]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jun 30, 2020 3:14:56 GMT -5
With Jack taking care of one of the Heartless, and M'Lyn having defeated another, the young wielder glanced around to locate the remaining enemies. Who would've thought it would've gone this smoothly with 1 more person? Still, the trace of darkness he could make out didn't lead to anywhere in specific, giving him no hints as for where the remaining Heartless were hiding. Keenly analyzing his surroundings, Jack frowned after not being able to locate the enemy. Not to mention, the amount of roots and vines thrashing about and trying to ensnare them was beggining to overwhelm them. Having nothing better to do, he focused on them to give M'Lyn and Kujo some breathing room.
M'Lyn, seeing that healing support wasn't needed, swapped her staff for a greatsword, although perhaps that switch was a bit too early... She tensed up after her ears twitched, turning to face Grumpy on the ground after being thrown by the roots into the small pit Kujo had created. With a bitter smile, she turned back to the battle at hand.
"You should've stayed put..." she mumbled, trying to not be overheard.
Her expression quickly changed as she charged forwards with the greatsword firmly within her grasp, swinging it horizontally to smash yet another tree in search for the enemy. Noticing how Jack had focused on the many roots and vines aiming to stop them, M'Lyn saw it fitting to just charge on and eliminate the remaining Heartless. Hoping to make a dent, M'Lyn put all of her strength in a single swing.
"This Miqo'te's fierce when she wants to..." Jack smirked with unease, glacing towards her to quickly look at the roots in front of him, "In the meantime... I guess I'm stuck with gardenin' duty..."
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Post by hoodwink on Jun 30, 2020 17:09:16 GMT -5
Kujo pressed onward, the path much easier with Jack clearing the way. CRACK! Splintering bark and erupting wood would yield under M’Lyn’s mighty sword, breaking into the tree-face as it slashed into the Possessor hidden within. Last one, then. Standing before the last tree in which he could see the Heartless, Kujo and his Akogare unleashed yet another brutal torrent of fast punches—snapping and breaking into the tree as they dug out the last remaining threat. With each Possessor down, the roots and vines had weakened, finally falling to the ground uselessly as the last Heartless was vanquished.
Grumpy was brushing himself off, standing in the crater below the others, dirt and light bruises littering him from the skirmish. None of it seemed to bother the dwarf, who was quick to begin scrambling back out of the crater, their face red and contorted. ”So they’ve been controlling the forest.” Kujo mumbled to himself as his Akogare disappeared in a burst of light, now that the combat had subsided. Gazing at the ruined trees around them, as well as the overgrowth littering the forest floor, the man couldn’t help but wonder what other secrets these ‘Spooky Woods’ held.
But why're they only here? Why not spread throughout the entirety of the forest? Are they guarding something? Did Heartless even do that? Having made his way out of the crater, Grumpy scrambled to a mess of vines and thorns, where he dug out the tattered and torn purple hat that had fallen from Kujo’s jacket pocket. For a moment, the dwarf seemed to scrutinize the item before finally fixing his squinted gaze on Kujo himself. ”Why do YOU—“ Already, the dwarf was beginning to move towards Kujo, his face gaining a deeper shade of red by the second.
”—have THIS?!” Holding up the purple cap, Grumpy’s beard seemed to bristle as he got closer to Kujo, his anger more than palpable. Kujo’s hand raised to his cropped jacket, where he looked down in sudden realization. ”Tch—damned inside pockets!” It seemed the fighting had been too much for the small pocket to secure it. As Grumpy finally had circled around the crater from before, coming up to Kujo, the tall man raised a brow at the dwarf. ”What’s the deal? You've seen this hat before?”
The man’s comment gave Grumpy pause, his angry look twisting into one of confusion before shaking his head, raising the purple hat again and waving it as he came within arms reach of Kujo. ”What?! This is Dopey’s hat! Why do YOU have DOPEY’S hat?!” Hopping up and down, the dwarf was shouting as he began to wind up one of his balled fists. ”Dopey’s hat…?“ It seemed Kujo’s confusion only worked to upset Grumpy more, who immediately whipped around to glare over at Jack and M’Lyn.
”What’s the big idea?!” Raising both of his fists, Grumpy was quick to move away from Kujo, position himself to keep all three within eyesight. ”You lot’re the ones behind taking my friends, aren’t ya!?” Roaring in anger as he accused them, Grumpy looked between the three, the difference between their strength all too present in his mind. Sweat trickled down the dwarf’s brow, though he wore a smug and confident smirk beneath his thick beard. It don’t matter how strong they are! I've gotta stop ‘em here!
Watching the dwarf, Kujo mulled over the new information. If that’s Dopey’s hat… Though the odd Heartless-like monster from the other night hadn’t been the strongest, Kujo was sure that the dwarves of this world would hardly be able to go toe-to-toe with the thing. Then...yeah. In the man’s opinion, the fate of this ‘Doc’ and ‘Dopey’ were all too grim for the inhabitants of this place. Sighing, Kujo crossed his arms before turning to look at Jack. ”I say this is as far as he goes...” Gesturing at Grumpy with a lazy hand, he was oblivious to the dwarf’s sudden charge after hearing his first sentence. ”I don’t think he can handle—”
”You’re not gettin’ me or my friends!” Roaring out, Grumpy lunged toward the nearest of the three—Jack!
[[ENEMIES: Grumpy!?!?]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 1, 2020 8:13:37 GMT -5
Jack dismissed the blade, no longer seeing the trail of darkness that indicated the Heartless' precense. Then again, when exactly did he began to see it? He had no clue. Regardless, what was before a dangerous place had been taken care of, giving the team a room to breathe.
Glancing over at Kujo, Jack once again recalled both the usefulness and relief another party member meant.
"Now that that's taken care of..." M'Lyn said, dismissing the greatsword with a sense of acomplishment, "We can dwelve deeper." "Yeah" Jack grinned, "We can finally see what the hell's happenin' here, right?!"
At first cheerful, Jack was quickly brought to alert after hearing Grumpy's demand. Turning towards him alongside M'Lyn, the pair looked at the scene unfolded. At the mention of "Dopey's hat", and Grumpy showing the hat that the creature from last night had dropped, Jack narrowed his gaze. His thoughts seemed to be correct, only opening new paths for him to take. But what did it all mean?
As Kujo called for Jack's attention, mentioning how that point was as far as Grumpy would go with them, Jack himself began to think similar lines. It seemed the drawf was no longer willing to cooperate, and that could be disastrous. Amidst thought, Jack caught Grumpy charging towards him, and flinched. Why was he the first target?!
"Oh, gimme a break!"
Jack slipped aside, lurking low and delivering a low kick in order to catch Grumpy and make him trip. M'Lyn was taken aback by the move, as she would've jumped out of the way to land behind him, and then grab him by the collar of his shirt.
In the end, though, it was simply a different reaction from a different person.
"What the hell did I do!?" Jack shouted, bitter, "Don't blame me for using tricks like those if you'll just charge at me, buddy!" "Us, the reason for your friends being missing?" M'Lyn frowned, her arms crossed, "Are you really that dumb? If we were, then why would we be fighting those Heartless, exactly? If anything, we would've lured you towards them, had our intentions been the ones you claim."
Jack groaned, looking at Grumpy as he stood up. If the dwarf wanted to continue his assault, he was welcome to do so. But the time for playing nice was long over -even Jack had his limits. Of course, he wouldn't resort to hitting the guy, but he would use tricks like making him trip or tricking him with his speed.
Still, despite the annoyance of it all, some of the information he'd spat out did come in useful.
"If that thing we encountered was one of them... Then there's 2 things worth looking into..." "I think we all agree that this is it for him with us" M'Lyn declared, catching Jack's attention, "For all I care, we can just tie him to a tree and let him wait for us to come pick him back up." "Oi, don't get too into it" Jack chuckled a bit, "We beat the Heartless, sure, but they can come back any time. As much as I'm with you with tyin' him up somewhere, I don't think leaving him here's a good idea. Might come back to bite us." "Do you suggest we leave him back at the Cottage, then?" "At least there, he'll have someone keepin' an eye for him. Besides, it's technically safer than in this forest. Since it's daytime and all. I'm still for tying him up somewhere, though!"
M'Lyn chuckled, amused by Jack's take on the matter. With her arsenal, finding a rope good enough to tie Grumpy would be no trouble at all, but she'd have to wait for the opportunity. If all else failed, couldn't Kujo catch him and let them do the rest of the job? She glanced over at him, waiting for his answer.
"In the meantime... There's 2 things worth looking into now..." Jack grinned, "If that thing we encountered is what we think it is... Then 1: how did he become that, and 2: is there a way to revert it. I say it's worth the shot, if we manage to locate it... Sis?" Jack reached towards his com, waiting for Alice's reply. "I've been at it for some time now, actually" she replied through the team's coms, "But I can't locate it at all... It may be too far for me to distinguish it... By the by... You really think...?" "If we find the answers for the two questions I proposed... Then we're a mile ahead from the Heartless. It's gonna give us the upper hand regardless of the outcome, no doubt."
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 3, 2020 7:51:47 GMT -5
Sprawled onto the forest floor with a thump!, Grumpy’s beard and mouth filled with dirt and prickles. Kujo had watched the charge silently, knowing the dwarf to be no real threat to any of them. ”Us, the reason for your friends missing?” M’Lyn shone light on the ignorant dwarf, who quickly felt embarrassed as they brushed themselves off and stood back up, their face still as red as a tomato. Crossing his arms with a hmph!, Grumpy mulled over the two’s words before they began to think of a plan.
”For all I care, we can just tie him up to a tree” Kujo found himself nodding along as M’Lyn spoke her piece. The two were really on the same wavelength, today. ”Oi, don’t get too into it.” Jack, always finding the humor in darker situations, seemed to be willing to part ways with the dwarf as well, despite being opposed to abandon them in the woods. ”Oi—!” Grumpy was about to retort, cut off by a fierce glance Kujo normally reserved for his enemies—or those pissing him off. (Wait, those are the same thing, right?)
Jack’s mention of Dopey being “transformed” into that thing they fought caught Kujo off-guard. He really had believed the dwarf to be dead. Somehow, that seemed better. ”I’ve been at it for some time now, actually, but I can’t locate it at all…” There was a sour taste in the back of his mouth. ”What’re ya talkin’ about?!” Finally shaking off the intimidation, Grumpy bounded up and down, confused and red-faced as he watched the three. ”Ya can’t take me back! I gotta save Doc! And Dopey!” Kujo’s face darkened as he glared at the dwarf, seemingly over saving them any pain.
”You’re dead weight here.” The comment caused Grumpy to puff up a bit more as they turned to Kujo. ”Get lost. You can’t help your friends the way you are now.” Shoving his hands into his pockets, Kujo turned his back on the dwarf, instead looking to Jack and M’Lyn. ”I say we leave ‘im to find his own way back. We’ve wasted enough time here.” Though he understood Jack's sentiment, if Grumpy had any sense of survivability, he wouldn't stand around in the forest. And if he had any sense, he wouldn't follow them. If neither of the two argued, Kujo would begin moving—to which Grumpy would glare but not make a move. With their fists clenched and shaking at their side, their beard and cap disheveled, the dwarf glared into Kujo’s back—mulling over what they had said.
Tch—! Why's he actin' like such a hot-shot?! Grumpy was overcome by a rage unfamiliar to him—the rage of not being able to save those he cared for. The dwarf was stupid when it came to him losing his mind over his anger—but he was smart enough to see the blatant difference in ability between them all. Not only did he stand no chance fighting them, he stood no chance fighting the enemies that threatened his world. Never before had the dwarf felt so powerless. For once, Grumpy’s bravado had been torn asunder, seemingly more fragile than they had imagined themselves to be. The dwarf made no move to follow. Shortly after the three would depart, they would silently make their way back to the Cottage.
I’ll get stronger…to protect all of them. A new determination was set in their heart.
The further in they went, the darker the Spooky Woods seemed to get. The silence was foreboding, though the three would be able to hear faint bubbling in the far distance. A stagnant smell wafted through the air at this point as well—smelling of rot and filth. After separating from Grumpy, the three (four, we can’t forget about Alice, of course) would finally find themselves alone. Kujo immediately felt a sense of ease—as unlike the locals of this world, his teammates were individuals with strength he could trust.
”Jack, you got any tech to shroud us from the Heartless?” Having made their way deeper into the Spooky Woods, Kujo glanced at Jack over his shoulder—believing that with all of the equipment he fiddled with, it didn’t hurt to ask. Snap! Another twig broke beneath Kujo’s ‘super cool’ name brand sneakers, much to his annoyance. The entire path was littered with rotting roots, vines and branches—the silence of the forest only aiding in giving away their position.
To be honest, Kujo felt like they were all sitting ducks.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 3, 2020 8:36:24 GMT -5
”I say we leave ‘im to find his own way back. We’ve wasted enough time here.”
Jack turned towards Kujo, noticing the annoyance in his tone without even thinking about it at all. It seemed to be a trait of his, really -he was always annoyed at something, but this time, Jack couldn't blame him. For once, the trio was on the same page, without anyone really against the idea of simply leaving Grumpy behind, whether it was tied up somewhere or free to roam. It was true, however, that the dwarf wasn't as dumb as he looked.
If he had any even the slightest of insincts, even, he'd turn back to the Cottage.
"Welp, I had a feeling this'd end this way..." Jack mumbled, folding his hands behind his head, "It's always the aggresive ones..." "You do realize how hipocrytical you sound right about now, do you?" M'Lyn, looking forward. "Come on -you two are not that aggresive." "Why, how flattering of you..."
M'Lyn's comment was also tinted with annoyance, something Jack was hardly surprised about. He glanced back as he watched Grumpy take his leave, hopefully undisturbed, back to the Cottage.
Him leaving also meant they could talk about a few things while they were at it. At that thought, Jack grinned.
The path ahead was darker still, and honestly disturbing not only because of it. Jack grimaced at the smell, not really used to the smell of something rotting at all. It wasn't even like how sewers smelled... M'Lyn didn't fair any better, already grimacing at the ambiance around her. Thankfully, though, aside the smell and eerieness, it seemed like they were on the clear for now.
”Jack, you got any tech to shroud us from the Heartless?” Kujo's question threw Jack out of his line of thought, as he quickly turned towards him. "Well... No, not really..." Jack smirked with unease, losing his grip as he lowered his hands, "It'd be hella handy, but it ain't something we can make easily... I'd love to look it up, though -who knows? Maybe I'll be able to craft somethin' like that in the future." "Would that even be possible?" M'Lyn asked, tilting her head, "The Heartless aren't adversed to something like a flashlight or a torch..." "It could be made, though. We'd just need a little more info on what drives 'em away. But..." Jack chuckled, placing both hands on his hips, "That ain't what I'm curious about right now..."
He took a few steps forward, the sole of his boots crunching at the many twigs below his weight. While it was a bold move to just roam around carefree like that, Jack had a feeling it wouldn't be dangerous at first. Instead, he wanted to focus on other things while they could, before the heat of battle would inevitabily drive his thoughts elsewhere.
"We can prolly assume one thing, based on both what we've seen and heard" Jack said, his gaze calm and collected, "We're missing two dwarves: Doc and Dopey. While we've had an idea or two about Doc's whereabouts -such as the mines, where you were told you'd find him, Kujo-, Dopey's the one we haven't heard of much about. And, after what Grumpy said after seeing the hat we got in your pockets... Then we can assume that whatever attacked the Cottage while we focused on helping Sneezy has to be one of them, particularly Dopey. Knowing this... Would fighting it really be the answer?" "If we knew of some way to bring him back to how he used to be, then perhaps not" M'Lyn theorized, "But we don't have such a method. Would it really be okay to just let it roam around, while it's a danger for everything around it?" "I'm aware" Jack nodded, "I still don't wanna engage first-hand, though. I wanna give it time, to see if it is something we can reverse. Who knows? Maybe that blade I've been wieldin' can do somethin' about it!"
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Post by hoodwink on Jul 4, 2020 8:44:41 GMT -5
”Well…no, not really…” Even if it was a newer invention, Kujo had asked assuming it to be in vain—it’s not like Jack would hide something that handy until a moment like now. ”Would that even be possible?” It was a good question—though not one the three wanted to ponder in a dreary and ‘spooky’ forest. Thankfully Jack pulled the team back on track rather quickly. ”We’re missing two dwarves: Doc and Dopey.” Kujo crossed his arms in thought—curious indeed about whether or not the dwarves were alive still. ”After what Grumpy said after seeing the hat we got in your pocket…” It was still hard for Kujo to believe—though not because he doubted it. I guess things like that happen on worlds like this, too. Not everything was as great as it appeared on the surface.
”Knowing this…would fighting it really be the answer?” It was an important question—Kujo was in mind with the others in thinking that it was only a matter of time before they’d encounter the possibly turned dwarf again. ”Who knows? Maybe that blade I’ve been wielding can do somethin’ about it!” Kujo immediately thought of that night, back in his home world, SanFransokyo. A blinding light—the faint ‘click’ before the Heartless had been dispelled. They hadn’t returned since then—at least to the groups knowledge (and they had pretty reliable sources).
”…“ Mulling it over, Kujo landed on a decision. Jack’s sword did do weirder stuff before. ”Alright, Jack—if we run into it, we can try something with that weird sword of yours…” There was a serious look on his face. ”…but if that doesn’t work, I think M’Lyn’s right.” At the end of the day, Kujo knew how he felt about the idea of turning into a Heartless. If anything, it would be a mercy to the dwarf formerly known as ‘Dopey’. Give me a break. It seemed their line of work had its own filth to it. Thinking about the dwarves they’d met so far, he knew that none would be up for the task.
”You don’t gotta be okay with it—“ At the end of the day, there was something Kujo saw in Jack that he knew they didn’t share—a certain ‘light’—making him unsure how he’d feel about such a finality. ”—but if we can’t turn ‘im back, I think it’s the only choice we’ve got.” He wouldn’t push that job onto Jack, of course. Truthfully, Kujo believed himself or M’Lyn to be more suitable for such a cold mercy. Light doesn’t always shine bright. Sometimes it was dim, or a lustered reflection. Just because something was the ‘right’ choice, didn’t make it the ‘good’ choice.
Taking a few steps closer to Jack, Kujo offered out a fist, a determined look in his eyes. ”So, you ready?” Hopefully Jack would understand what Kujo meant—beyond the surface of moving deeper into the woods.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Jul 9, 2020 12:48:55 GMT -5
Jack listened to Kujo's opinion, knowing full well their intentions if things were to go awry. Still, it wasn't a card he had overlooked -Jack was fully aware of that being a possibility. Maybe the dwarf known as Dopey was already long gone, with no means of saving. Despite that being a possible outcome, Jack didn't think it was the case.
Nevertheless, he was ready to assume responsability if it was.
"I am" Jack nodded with a calm expression, meeting Kujo's fist with his own, "It's good to know you guys'll do the icky stuff... I ain't cut for it..." "That's quite the unusual comment, coming from you..." M'Lyn mentioned, "Even if they became Heartless, you still pity them?" "I guess I'm hoping towards there being a posiblity to help 'im, rather than fightin' him" Jack shrugged, "Besides, this blade of mine sure likes doing weird stuff... So I can't say for certain what it can and cannot do. But surely you remember San Fransokyo?" "Ah... Right..." M'Lyn acknowledged, "Ever since you and Kujo fought that massive Heartless, they stopped appearing... You said you saw a 'keyhole' shaper light after the battle, right?" "I gotta wonded what that's about, too... Maybe this world has a similar thing? If so, we could save 'em a lotta trouble." "..." M'Lyn frowned in thought.
Jack tilted his head as he saw the Miqo'te lower her gaze in thought. What was she thinking about? On a way to possibly revert the dwarf back to its prior state? Would she even know about it, or how to execute it? He couldn't help but let his curiosity get the better of him, and asked her straight-on.
"M'Lyn?" "I'm wondering... Would doing the same thing as you did in San Fransokyo help revert someone to before they became Heartless?" "Why do ya ask?" Jack pondered, "They could be related." "What if not? What would happen then?" M'Lyn inquired, her gaze serious and cold, "If the Heartless left immediately after what happened, wouldn't it go with them if it doesn't go back to a prior state?" "Hrmm..." Jack groaned, "Well, that could happen... But, in the end, we're working hypotheticals here -nothing concrete. We lose nothing by trying things out!" "At least you're able to focus on that much... Very well then."
Jack looked at M'Lyn with a hint of curiosity, wondering just what her mind was going through. The many inquiries she had proved to him that the Miqo'te was onto something, but was facing a mental roadblock.
It was true, however, that they were working with something they had no means of predicting the outcome of. And that did bother Jack quite a bit.
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