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Post by hoodwink on Feb 14, 2020 21:20:59 GMT -5
Kujo sighed with relief as The Almira began to land. It had been an easy voyage, but the man clad in lavender was excited to get some fresh air. Despite the airships size and luxuries, the ship was still a ship, confining its pilot and passengers. Never one to enjoy any limitations on his coming and goings, Kujo was anxious to spread his legs and see something other than the walls of the ship. ”Wonder what it’ll be like…” It was a silent mumble, more to himself than his teammates. Never have set foot off his own world before, Kujo was finding himself excited despite his typical calm nature.
The Almira used a smaller clearing in a lush forest to land, shade covering the tall grass and vegetation as dappled sunlight betrayed the bright sun and clear sky. Once completely landed and the door opened, Kujo would step outside into the first sunlight he had felt in a while. Wait…was it really that long? It had felt like forever, despite the swift journey. Maybe it was just because he was tall and broad, but Kujo had begun to feel the claustrophobia in that ship. Taking a moment to bask in it at the foot of the ships ramp, Kujo finally opened his eyes to take in the new world around him.
Huh… It looked so... normal. A forest? Tall trees thick with green leaves loomed all across, hiding small trails overgrown with roots and vines. Scratching at the back of his head while shoving his other hand in his pocket, the man did his best to not feel disheartened. What was I expecting? Maybe worlds were just like cities—you’ve been to one, you’ve been to all. There were small differences sure, but at the end of the day it was all the same things. Turning to look around the clearing they had ‘parked’ in, Kujo glanced over to where (hopefully) Alice, M’Lyn and Jack would be entering from the ramp.
”Seems quiet.” For a moment, Kujo's eyes seemed to change, a vast galaxy revealed behind the lids. Using the power of his Akogare, Kujo scanned the clearing they were in, trying to see what his own eyes couldn't. All's clear.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 16, 2020 14:48:54 GMT -5
"Man~ that felt long...!"
Jack stretched a bit as he walked down the ramp, followed by M'Lyn. As usual, Alice remained behind, keeping the Almira in check. As soon as everyone stepped on land, the ship took off as silently as it landed, remaining out of view.
That would avoid some issues for sure.
While the unit's leader was trying to recover from the journey, M'Lyn seemed intrigued. She wasn't unfamiliar with the scenery, contrary to their previous destination, so the sight did shock her. It didn't have the same sense of familiarity as Gridania, though... Mostly due to how peaceful it was.
"It is quite silent, I agree..." M'Lyn found herself nodding along with Kujo, "For a fleeting moment, I thought this was a familiar landscape... Turns out I was mistaken." "Hmm?" Jack perked up, glancing towards the Miqo'te, "You're sayin' you thought this was your world?" "The lack of monsters confirmed my error, however." "Ehh... Here I thought we'd have it easy..." Jack sighed, pulling up his screen in the process, "Dammit, Elena... What the hell d'ya think we can get from a place like this...?"
M'Lyn glanced over towards Jack, who was troubled trying to figure out why they'd been sent there. Relaxing a bit, her gaze turned back to Kujo, wondering if he had an idea on why they were there. Sure, it didn't seem like they'd discover something that the Brigade could use for their own, but...
Maybe there was something else Elena wanted them to look onto? Still, so long as they remained there, nothing would be figured out.
"In any case... Where to next?" M'Lyn asked aloud, hoping to get the two boys' attention.
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Post by hoodwink on Feb 16, 2020 22:58:38 GMT -5
Oh…right. For some reason, Kujo had forgotten that Alice didn’t normally accompany the team on their missions—at least not on the ground. Maybe he had just gotten used to her presence, since she had actually left the ship on his own world. ”It is quite silent, I agree…” M’Lyn’s voice echoed faintly in the clearing, swallowed shortly after by the thick vegetation. As the Miqo’te and Jack came down the ramp, talking of her home world, Kujo couldn’t help but listen out of intrigue. ”The lack of monsters confirmed my error, however.”
Barking out a short laugh at M’Lyn’s comment, Kujo found himself smirking despite his usual stoic manner. That makes perfect sense. Though she had mentioned a bit about her home world here and there, there was still a lot Kujo didn’t know about his new teammates. The man was tactful enough to not ask outright questions—he’d gather the information slowly over time, letting it come out naturally. That was the best way to learn about people, in his opinion. ”Dammit, Elena…” Kujo found himself silently agreeing with Jack—there was hardly any information.
”In any case…where to next?” Looking forward as usual, M’Lyn cut to the point. ”Well, it’s obvious we won’t find anything here.” Beginning to walk to where the forest began, Kujo glanced over his shoulder before gesturing for the two to follow. ”There’s gotta be something on this world besides trees…” Surely Elena wouldn’t send them to collect lumber—right? Convinced there was something yet to be seen, Kujo emerged at the edge of the forest, using his Akogare to view deep into the wooded area. Everything’s so still…
Finally, the odd feeling that was settling in began to make sense. No animals? Not a squirrel, rabbit, deer, bird—nothing. Here they were, surrounded by a lush and verdant forest (seemingly for miles), yet not a single critter seemed to be stirring. Keeping his hands in his pockets and his guard up, Kujo stalked into the shaded forest, having seen a rough overgrown path snaking its way through unhindered. No wildlife and the trails seem to hardly be used… Already he was growing cynical. Is there anything here? Just as he was beginning to lose hope, Kujo’s galaxy eyes picked up on something stirring up ahead.
”…” Holding up a hand, halting his gate, Kujo turned to look over his shoulder at his teammates, hoping they’d get the hint to stop. His Akogare’s vision allowed him to see far off in the distance, so the other two may not have noticed. A faint light began to radiate around Kujo as he stood in the shaded forest, his speed more than tripled as he became a blur among the green and dark. !!! Standing with his hands in his pockets, as though he hadn’t just raced through yards of forest in a second, Kujo’s face slid into an expression of surprise as the light around him faded.
”W-what the—?!” Curled up in the underbrush he had seen rustling was a small old man (by appearances, anyway). Sporting a thick grey beard and a green hat, the small man seemed unbothered and perfectly asleep, curled up in nothing but their well-worn and patched brown tunic and pants. Despite the man’s apparent age, their size was that of a child—a toddler at biggest. This was literally the last thing Kujo had expected. ”Tch—how’s he just sleeping like that?” There he was, just lying in the dirt, sheltered by an overgrown shrub, appearing perfectly content. Even homeless people in SanFransokyo would cover themselves with some form of blanket, or at least be shivering and malcontent. He’s…fine? Did he have a home?
Maybe he just lives out here… Not waiting for M’Lyn or Jack to catch up, Kujo prodded at the sleeping old man with his foot, hollering out: ”Oi—wake up, gramps!” Hopefully the old man could tell them about where they were. Despite Kujo’s nudge, the sleeping old man seemed to furrow their brow, shaking a hand half-heartedly as they turned over. The snores produced were evidence enough that his disruption had little effect. ”Tch! Don't gimme that, you stubborn old fart!” Raising his foot a bit higher—Kujo readied his aim.
His intent was to kick the old man much harder—though he wouldn’t use his Akogare, of course.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 18, 2020 10:45:18 GMT -5
Jack sighed, scratching the back of his head. At M'Lyn's question and Kujo's response, he just couldn't help but groan.
"You two got along better than expected, for sure" he thought to himself before raising his voice, "If you two want to go ahead, sure. I was 'bout to do that, anyways..." he said with a hint of annoyance. "Is this really a moment to be bitter, I wonder?" M'Lyn said, rolling her eyes a bit as she followed Kujo. "It's only 'cause you two act much more grown up than you look! Sheesh, that hard to actually try and be friendly for once? It ticks me off, really ---havin' you two aside Alice kicking my ass around..." M'Lyn smiled a bit troubled, but simply followed along, Jack not that further behind. As soon as Kujo became a blur of movement, it took a few seconds for them to realize what had happened. Without a second to lose, they both tried catching up to him, although they'd probably just be late to whatever he had in mind.
Hopefully, they managed to get there in time. For once, Jack didn't want to get in trouble. Without even stopping, he went straight towards Kujo, with hopes of stopping him before he did something stupid.
"Oh, no, you don't!"
With a yell, he threw himself in. From behind, Jack tried holding Kujo's arms still, wrapping his own from behind him and pulling back. M'Lyn simply stood there and watched, much to the leader's dismay. Where they really so nonchalant as to leave everything to him?!
"Oi, you can help out too, y'know!" Jack shouted, bitterly. "...Honestly, I'd rather not" M'Lyn shook her head, "Although violence won't get us anywhere... That goes for both of you children." "Who the hell you callin a kid, eh?!"
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Post by hoodwink on Feb 19, 2020 13:47:06 GMT -5
Just as Kujo was ready to seriously kick the old sleeping man awake, Jack and M’Lyn had emerged by the small brush thicket. ”Oh, no you don’t!” Jack’s sudden yell caught Kujo by surprise—causing him to halt his assault for a moment before sighing in annoyance. His timings always too perfect. Though Jacks efforts were good-natured, Kujo didn’t want to kick the old man badly enough to have to be restrained. Summoning his Akogare from behind, who would grab on to Jack’s hands in order to try and keep them from grabbing its host, Kujo lowered his raised foot and rested it back to the forest floor.
”Oi, you can help too, y’know!” M’Lyn stood off to the side, watching and offering her all-too sharpened quips, but nothing else in regards to support. Shoving his hands in his pockets and dismissing his Akogare, Kujo turned to both Jack and M’Lyn just as the miqo’te referred to the two young men as children. ”Who the hell you callin’ a kid, eh?!” The two shouted out in tandem, unwittingly proving the woman’s point to the core. ”So…loud...” The sudden voice caused Kujo to turn and look over his shoulder in surprise. The old man!! Sure enough, the old sleeping bearded man had turned over once more, pulling their green hat further down over their head—covering their eyes and ears while resuming a soft snore.
”Don’t just fall back asleep!” Kujo really was tempted to stomp on him a few times, now. Scowling down at the sleeping old man, Kujo crouched on his calves in order to get closer, looming over him with a menacing look. Instead of kicking him, Kujo continued to scowl and poke at him, jabbing his finger with a speed that betrayed his overall annoyance. ”Where the hell are we?!” A sudden darkness seemed to tinge the forest—a familiar sound rushing to Kujo’s ears. Whoosh.
Around them in the dark green, bright yellow eyes began to shine as a sickening presence hung in the air—bringing with it a stale scent. Heartless! Spinning on his heels, radiating with light as he summoned his Akogare to his side, Kujo began to see the enemies that were moving forward. Shadows sped across the grass, rising from the forest floor to surround the four hearts they sensed. Twang! Thud! An arrow wizzed through the air, missing the team narrowly as it lodged itself into a nearby trunk. Armored Archers lurked in the bushes and thickets, taking aim with an inhuman steadiness. Swish! Thwack! Clang! Armored Knights hacked through the greenery, charging in to support the smaller Shadows rushing forward.
”Tch—can’t I catch a break?” Figured. Is this what Elena had meant by a ‘situation’? Damned woman. She could’ve just told them what was going on. Despite his annoyances, Kujo found a smirk on his face as he readied himself in a battle stance, glancing over to Jack and M’Lyn. ”Well—looks like there were more than trees, after all.” Glancing over his shoulder, Kujo felt anger swell up in him as the old man continued to sleep beneath the bush—seemingly unbothered by the sudden Heartless presence.
This old guy! Was he just okay with dying?!
[[ENEMIES: 7 Shadows, 5 Armored Knights, 3 Armored Archers]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 19, 2020 14:35:23 GMT -5
Jack was caught off-guard by the sudden non-existant touch, shocked to find himself pinned helpless. M'Lyn tried drowning a laugh, at the sight and also the two boys' response, although that quickly was muffled away by the soft voice of the person Kujo had encountered. The further jabbing proved her point, though ---both Jack and Kujo weren't exactly pleased with the sittuation, nor exactly acting the way they should've.
Her ears suddenly twitched, swiftly turning back to face the Heartless as she summoned a pair of chakrams in hand. Jack was quick to respond as well, readying his fists for the battle, although M'Lyn comment later on really left him open.
"What of that weapon you had earlier?" M'Lyn asked, her tone hiding her apparent shock. "H-Hey, I told you already! I dunno how to use it!" Jack replied back, flustered, "'Sides, I can only do so much!" "Using it now would be for the better, though!"
Jack looked troubled, but sighed and gave in. Raising his hand forward, he reached onto the strange blade he'd found back at San Fransokyo. M'Lyn relaxed a bit, knowing that he had a weapon in hand that would help him if only a little.
Then, something happened. As soon as the sword materialized in his hands, the Heartless stopped, eyes quickly fixating onto Jack. He flinched, noticing that sudden change in the atmosphere, and smiling uneasy. It wasn't long before the Shadows and Armored Knights went after him, forcing him to take the defensive. M'Lyn threw his chakrams at the Archers in hopes of hitting, but even if they didn't, they'd simply dissapear as she quickly changed them for a pole, jumping in and trying to fend the Heartless' attack from Jack.
"Ah -M'Lyn?!" Jack shouted in shock. "I have no idea what that was, but... Are you okay?" M'Lyn asked, glancing back at him with a clear concern. "...Mm. I'm good." "..." M'Lyn looked at the Heartless, taking a battle stance once more, "You're seen me using a sword more than once... Can you try and imitate those movements?" "Not to a T, but... I can try... I have my stuff here, anyways" Jack replied, nodding vigorously, "I got my hands on another bomb, remember?" "There's no need for it now... Just try and move the way I do while sword-fighting, alright?" "Got it!" "And while you're at it... I guess I can teach you magic, since you and Alice were so eager to learn it the first time you saw it..." M'Lyn thought with a hint of exasperation.
At the very least, Jack's new abilities had picked her interest. And she truly wanted to see them develop for the better, not for the worse.
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Post by hoodwink on Feb 20, 2020 16:44:52 GMT -5
Grimacing as the Heartless began to close in, Kujo readied his fists in a proper boxer defensive stance. His Akogare mimicked his movements, hovering slightly above the ground beside him. More arrows fired from the Armored Archers, though Kujo hardly expended energy using his Akogare to punch them away. Once the Shadows and Armored Knights began to get within range, he prepared himself. W-what the—?! It was only a brief moment, but all of the Heartless seemed to pause. Not only that, their beady yellow eyes all seemed to turn to…
Jack?! Holding his new odd weapon, Jack sheepishly smiled at the many fixated Heartless before instantly being attacked. ”Damn it, Jack!” Just what did he do, to make all of the enemies target him of all people. Though reliable and skilled in his own right, Kujo definitely pegged himself and M’Lyn as the more ‘sturdy’ fighters in the group. Jack didn’t seem the type to be able to handle such a mass group focusing solely on him. Just as Kujo was about to spring into action to help his new comrade, M’Lyn was chucking Chakram and flinging poles within the blink-of-an-eye.
Heh—shouldn’t of bothered being worried. The miqo’te really was a soldier on another caliber. Though Kujo was gifted with his Akogare and physical strength, Jack gifted with his tech savviness and intellect, M’Lyn was on a different level when it came to finesse and technique. Able to wield weapons of all kinds, changing them within moments notices, the miqo’te truly showed herself as the hunter of monsters she was. For a moment, the man found himself gazing at the odd weapon in Jack’s hand. Is it Jack…or that thing? Shaking the thought out of his head, Kujo finally decided to focus on the battle at hand. The Archers…
Already wounded from M’Lyn’s assault, the Armored Archers were slowly managing to regroup, winding up their arrows to take aim at the three—well, specifically Jack. Rushing forward in a blur of speed, Kujo was quick to utilize the momentary distraction. Looping around the group of enemies, now mostly focused on Jack, Kujo’s Akogare roared as the man unleashed his DokiDoki ability. Bright shining hearts erupted forth from the guardian's chest, who had moved in front of its host to deliver the ranged attack. Barraging the group of wounded Archers, Kujo was able to deliver the finishing blow. The Shadows and Armored Knights still seemed drawn towards Jack, rushing forward with a frontal assault as claws and swords rushed forward. Looking over to where Jack and M'Lyn stood, Kujo's brows raised in curiosity as he saw the miqo'te instructing the young man, who stood gripping the odd-weapon like a sword, readying himself. Kujo couldn't lie, he was curious to see what the weapon, and its wielder, could do.
He's growing, too.
[[ENEMIES: 5 Shadows, 4 Armored Knights]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 23, 2020 5:20:03 GMT -5
Thanks to Kujo's assault on the Archers, Jack was left only to deal with the Shadows and Armored Knights alongside M'Lyn, who once again switched weapons from a pole to a heavy greatsword. As the Heartless charged forward, they each dodged a different direction, although the Shadows quickly took onto Jack's position more than M'Lyn's. And yet, Jack had seen this coming.
"If they're onto me, then we can bait them away... Heh!" he smirked, rolling to the side and quickly swinging the blade horizontally, "If I just need to imitate M'Lyn's movements, then this'll be a piece of cake! Especially with her backing me up!"
M'Lyn, catching the Armored Knights off-guard as they waited for an opportunity, used her Heavy Slam, first swinging her sword upwards and then slamming it with brute strength against the ground, hoping to both get their attention and also removing them from the fight altogether.
Jack, on his end, was fending the Shadows after realizing their own greed being their pure weakness. If they were so eager to go after him, then they wouldn't realize that he had not one, but two people backing him up, which could easily beat them up. Even then, he didn't want to just keep dodging and waiting for either Kujo or M'Lyn to end them for him.
He wanted to fight, as well.
Taking a short leap backwards, Jack looked at the remaining enemies, the Shadows close to him to almost a fault. Still, small fry he could handle, just like before. Helping himself with the blade, Jack swung a kick horizontally, hoping to fend them off, before sliding towards the Shadows a bit recklessly, and swinging the same way he'd seen M'Lyn do.
"I should be able to get them tired enough for either of them to either finish the job or just let me do it..." he thought, his head focused solely on the game, "I wonder though... What the hell is M'Lyn expecting to get from this...?"
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Post by hoodwink on Feb 27, 2020 1:24:53 GMT -5
Kujo grinned as he watched M’Lyn’s Heavy Slam shook the ground, it’s sheer power decimating two Armored Knights that had come rushing in. Always good with 'tools'. For a moment, Kujo wondered if all miqo’te were like her—fierce and proficient with weapons. The other Armored Knights that had followed in on the rush had been thrown off their feet, taking heavy damage from the devastating attack as they hurled towards the ground, forced to recover. Observing his allies and enemies, Kujo found his intrigue growing as he watched Jack. It’s like they’re drawn to him... Jack was a hyper motion on the battlefield—dodging and weaving in all directions as though dancing with the Heartless. Sure enough, many of the unattended Shadows had begun to converge amongst the young man holding the odd weapon. Click! Whoosh! Kujo stood frozen. ”What the—?” After slashing at a Shadow after kicking it, Jack had defeated his first enemy in the fight—but the Heatless didn’t just disappear...
Instead, where the demon had dissolved, was a brilliant and shining heart beginning to rise in the air. Disappearing nearly as fast as it came, Kujo blinked in a stupefied awe. Was he seeing things? What was that? Whatever the odd weapon Jack had acquired was—it definitely wasn’t a normal weapon. First the Heartless appeared drawn to him—next the weird light show after defeating one? ”It’s like they’re related...” Pondering the possibilities as he readied himself, the large man in lavender refocused his attention. The Heartless were practically ignoring him—focusing completely on Jack, and thus M’Lyn, as the two stood near each other. ”Giiiiirrroooo—“ Readying himself in a kicking stance, Kujo’s Akogare disappeared—a blinding light surrounding his form instead as the two combined their strength. ”CHIN!” A gust of wind—a lavender blur—a flashing light. Kujo stood next to Jack, hands in his pockets, as three of the nearest Shadows to them dissolved back into darkness.
Glancing at Jack from the side, Kujo kept his face stoic and menacing while facing the enemy. ”They’re drawn to you...” It was a warning, as well as an acknowledgement. Removing a hand from his pocket, the tall man pointed at the odd weapon in their hand.
”...Or that.”
[[ENEMIES: 2 Shadows, 2 Armored Knights]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 28, 2020 16:19:52 GMT -5
Jack hadn't picked up on anything other than him defeating one Heartless out of the bunch. Although feeling prideful, there were other moments to spend it cheering himself up. M'Lyn distanced herself a bit back, catching up onto Jack's intentions.
Baiting the Heartless like that seemed to help out then and there.
"Thanks for letting me know of something I already caught up onto!" Jack shouted, slighty bitter, "The hell do you think I was doing otherwise?!"
A bit exasperated, he made one more run-for-it, baiting the resting Heartless his way. With a smirk drawn in his lips, he ran towards M'Lyn, who was ready to attack as she saw the boy running her way. Switching her weapon for a long spear and charging forward with her Impulse Drive once Jack jumped out of the way to leave her an opening. Hoping to push back the group at a safe distance, M'Lyn continued her assault with spear in hand, and Jack a couple steps behind her.
"Now then..." Jack thought, looking at the group of Heartless, "It's just a matter of beatin' 'em up and asking stuff later... Alright!"
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Post by hoodwink on Feb 28, 2020 21:16:04 GMT -5
”Tch, smart-ass.” Growling at Jack’s comment, Kujo rolled his eyes before snorting and readying himself for the Heartless. Damned know-it-all. Just because he knew it didn’t mean he understood it—none of them did. As M’Lyn and Jack worked together in order to destroy another Armored Knight and Shadow in the process. Kujo made quick work of the remaining Shadow—evaporating it after a strong punch before glancing back to the bush. Tch—and that old guy’s useless! Sure enough, the small old man was still curled up beneath the brush, as though nothing remotely noteworthy was happening.
Can’t I catch a break? Already he was growing irritated with this world. Sizing up the remaining enemy, a single Armored Knight—Kujo slid his hands in his pockets as the light shimmering around him vanished, his powers fading for the moment. ”Oi—Jack, finish it off.” Already having sustained some damage in the fight, the remaining Heartless was readying its blade, its yellow eyes remaining on Jack as it began to rush forward. Though M'Lyn stood nearby, he hoped she wouldn't interfere. He believed it was better for Jack to get more accustomed to the weapon by finishing the enemies off, rather than just distracting them. That, and there was that curious event after he defeated one Heartless...
”It’ll be a good learning moment.” His face as stoic as ever as he stood calmly, Kujo turned before beginning to walk back towards the old man. ”I’ll get ‘im up…” Grumbling a bit as he made his way towards the sleeping old man beneath the bush, Kujo raised a hand to click on the small comm device in his ear. ”Yo, Alice—“ Finally reaching the bush, the man in lavender turned to glance back at the remaining enemy. He was curious as to how Jack would defeat it. He didn’t doubt the man’s capabilities—just wanted to give him more chances to get used to the weapon.
”D’you catch that? With the Shadow?” Knowing her, Alice was surveilling their progress—viewing everything from the Almira. Would she have noticed the odd heart shaped light that had flickered out? Had she ever seen anything like it before? They never did that before... It was far from the groups first coup de grace, but it was only with that odd-shaped weapon that the odd light appeared afterwards.
[[ENEMIES: 1 Armored Knight (rushing Jack)]]
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Post by therunawaygirl on Feb 29, 2020 14:48:37 GMT -5
Clicking his tongue with a bit of defiance, Jack feigned his attention to Kujo's comment, focusing solely on the remaining Heartless. Having the Armored Knight being tossed back after M'Lyn's Impulse Drive, plus the further confusion, made things easy. In a blur of movement -albeit not as fast as maybe Kujo or M'Lyn-, Jack found himself parrying the rush from the Armored Knight with M'Lyn instructing him mid-battle. Sliding to the side after deflecting the attack, Jack swung horizontally once more, ending the battle for good.
Glancing over at M'Lyn with a bit of questioning behind the gaze, Jack dismissed the blade just as easily as he'd summoned it. M'Lyn kept watching for a bit before resigning, and focusing on other matters for the time being.
Jack, however, was eager. One could easily tell just how happy he was at that moment. Stretching a little with a smile, he couldn't help but give himself a pep talk.
"Having a weapon for battle sure comes in handy, huh?" he asked no one, cheerful, "That felt pretty awesome, really!" "Although you could use some practice while you're at it..." M'Lyn sighed. "Hey! Lemme enjoy this moment, ok?!"
Letting out a huff of amusement, M'Lyn smirked faintly, before asking Jack his hand. Confused, the boy did as told, just as Alice chimed in through Kujo's com.
"Not quite, but I did notice it" Alice replied, "Jack defeating the last one did help, though. At least I managed to catch a bit of recording through his com, although it didn't react at all... Despite being one of the most sensible ones, I'm surprised it didn't pick that up, out of all things it could've... And speaking of... I'm shocked to see that it also didn't pick up the sword he's been wielding lately. I had to turn it on manually." "...Electricity, huh? Hmm... Fitting, really..." M'Lyn mumbled, letting go of Jack's hand. "So... What'd you mean by 'affinity', hmm?" Jack asked back, crossing his arms. "Magic affinity. It's easier to start with whatever affinity the person has, before going onto more difficult spells..." "Wait, does that mean you'll finally be teaching us?! Alright!" "For the time being, just you. It'd prove useful in the battle. I'll see whenever I can teach Alice later..." "Hrmm..." Alice grumbled, this time through everyone's com. "Sorry 'bout that, sis..." Jack said, with a mix of apology and pride, to then turn back to the old man Kujo was more concerned about, "For now... Guess we need to move onwards and try to figure out what's this world about..."
Turning towards Kujo, who was already trying to prone the old man awake, Jack wondered about the battle. It wasn't that he hadn't noticed -someone like him wouldn't miss a subtle detail like that, after all the years of training and scouting. Still, in his eyes, the battle was first, and then whatever was that later. Now, with due time, they could wonder about it without worries.
"That wasn't normal at all... First, them suddenly targetting me, and whenever I defeated them that strage light popped up to then dissapear..." he glanced over at his hand, curious, "What's that sword about...? And why do I have it, but not everyone else? Hmm... There's way more to this that just what we know... But who could answer it for us? We can't expect to unlock every tiny secret on our own..."
"This is kinda like Kujo's Akogare... Unless we find someone on the same boat, we ain't getting much out of it..." Jack frowned, "Gotta wonder if this is the reason why Elena sent us here... She's sharp like that..."
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Post by hoodwink on Mar 1, 2020 1:18:45 GMT -5
Kujo felt himself smirk a bit as he looked away. Despite himself, there was a sense of pride in watching a friend grow and rejoice. Spending a long time alone, Kujo had almost forgotten what it felt like to have comrades. Alice’s voice came through on the comm, causing Kujo to focus on the task at he resumed his usual stoic composure. ”Not quite, but I did notice it.” Of course—Alice had noticed what the computers couldn’t pick up. Not that I'm surprised. She had always had a good eye for observation. Not that he had known her very long. In his opinion, the fact he could feel so sure about that fact within such a short time was a testament to itself.
”And speaking of…I’m shocked to see that it also didn’t pick up the sword he’s been wielding lately. I had to turn it on manually.” The last bit caused the man to pause as he knelt down beside the old bearded man, still fast asleep and unbothered. Hm…so it's not traceable through normal means. Someone has to know about it first? That meant their ability to gather more information was beginning to limit. ”I wonder if there’re records of it, somewhere—maybe even on this world…but would Elena know about that kinda info?” Was there a chance the woman knew about their situation without them having mentioned it? Prodding at the old man with his finger, Kujo was hardly surprised at the small man's simple turning away, waving a sleepy hand as they continued to snore. Tch, this is gettin' us nowhere. Nothin' wakes this geezer up! Repressing the rage to kick the bearded man as hard as he could, the tall man grit his teeth as he looked away. Out of sight, out of mind, after all.
Sighing a bit as he straightened himself, Kujo kept a hand on his comm device, in order not to shout across the clearing towards M’Lyn and Jack. ”Well—whatever the case, this old guy ain’t wakin’ up. I say we just keep going—not like he’ll be much help anyway.” It may have seemed cold, but Kujo didn’t really care about some old man who wouldn’t wake up even during a Heartless attack. They needed answers—whatever information the small man had was probably useless.
Or was he just getting impatient?
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Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 2, 2020 11:42:59 GMT -5
Alice hummed, not troubled, but rather conflicted. Kujo's question did have an answer, but the flow of the conversation had already shifted onto what was happening then and there. All things considered, though, it was something she could bring up while they had a room for breaks.
Right now, the priority was getting to know their surroundings.
Hearing Kujo's opinion on the matter made Jack sigh. Sure, maybe he was dead weight at that point in time, but there were certain things to note about it. If there were people there, then there must be some sort of village or livehood in which that person came from. Such info was worth risking a bit for.
"You're forgettin' one thing, pal" the boy said, smirking, "2, for that matter. 1, this person knows the surroundings. Sure, them not wakin' up proves an issue, but... 2, where there's people, then there's bound some place they live in. We may not be too far from it, either..." "It's unfortunate we don't have a clear vision of where we are now, though..." M'Lyn mentioned aloud, looking at their surroundings, "Without a map, we might as well go on a wild goose chase." "Still, we ain't gettin' much if we just stick around here, do we? We'll never get a map if we don't explore, y'know." "True..." M'Ly sighed, "Mind you: I'm not doing you any favors." "Guh... That easy to read...?" "Quite..." "And Imma take a guess and say you won't carry 'im, either, eh...?" Jack sighed, groaning a bit, "Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiine... I'll do it..."
Jack walked towards the sleeping man, thankful for its small size compared to the rest. In a sense, he was the one who asked for it, so he had little room to complain. It just wasn't in his nature to leave someone out in the open if he could help it. Besides, he had a feeling that keepin his around would prove more useful than not.
"I just hope we ain't gonna be fightin' too soon..."
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Post by hoodwink on Mar 3, 2020 1:09:09 GMT -5
Still wondering about the odd 'light-show' that had happened after the Heartless' destruction, Kujo was forced back into reality as the others began to cross the clearing. Hearing Jack’s points, Kujo rolled his eyes slightly before crossing his arms, shaking his head. Tch—I know there’re other people somewhere, but there’s no point in taking this geezer along…he won’t give us directions. Why was Jack so stubborn about making the old guy seem important? He always seemed to become more obstinate about the smaller things, in Kujo's opinion. He looked down at the sleeping man with more contempt than before. ”Mind you: I’m not doing you any favors.”
A devious smirk came across Kujo’s lips. ”Heh—me either.” Keeping both of his hands in his pockets, the tall man turned away, making his point of offering no aid. ”Fiiiiiiiiine…I’ll do it…” Taking the responsibility, Jack lifted the old small man, creating a humorous sight. Stifling a chuckle, Kujo got back to the task at hand, pointing down the path ahead of them. ”Well—I doubt this guy’d travel far. Bet you the village or town or whatever is down this path.” Kujo’s eyes had changed after blinking, the usual emerald fire replaced with a vast galaxy of stars as they pierced ahead in the distance.
”Tch—though not close enough for me t’see…” For some reason, the forest seemed oddly dark, despite the fact the sun above was high in the clear sky. It’s like the rays don’t reach the floor… The distance he could see was far but limited in time. Kujo felt a fiery irritation as his normal gaze returned to him, the normal emerald eyes returning with a defiant look. ”Well—it’s probably like how my world was.” That’d mean more Heartless. Glancing at Jack, Kujo couldn't help but wonder about his odd-weapon and its apparent connection to the beasts. Would it keep drawing their attention to Jack? Or did it only work when they were fighting? There was so much they didn't know. The group that attacked us wasn’t large, though… Compared to other numbers and types they had seen, they had only dealt with some small fry so far.
I wonder what’s really in this forest… Hoping M’Lyn and Jack would follow, Kujo began to head down the shaded forest path, slightly overgrown but beginning to clear up more and more. That’s a good sign… Almost to confirm his hunch, there were faint yet still recent footprints, small and scattered among the dirt and leaves. Glancing over his shoulder, Kujo looked to Jack and M’Lyn, wondering if they had had any success with the old man. Mildly distracted, Kujo’s eyes lifted up towards the canopy of leaves above him. Sure enough, the sunlight did peer through the cracks—but somehow seemed to lose some of its shine.
Am I seein’ things?
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Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 3, 2020 15:18:38 GMT -5
Without asking anything, Jack and M'Lyn followed Kujo's leadership. After all, no one had a proper idea on where to go next, so following one's intuition seemed like a good idea on paper.
Jack had picked up the old man on his back, thankful for his small size that allowed the boy to carry him easily. The weight wasn't too heavy, either, but it did limit his movements to a certain degree. Dashing a couple times and walking on others, he began to try and test just how much of his physical abilities had been limited in case Heartless decided to jump into action.
"He still hasn't woken up with all your moving around? That's impressive..." M'Lyn said, shocked, "I'd thought he would seeing you rung around like that..." "Meh, don't need that right now" Jack replied, his screen displaying in front of his eyes as he ran about a bit, "'Sides, I can actually use this as a bit of training... Been lackin' in that anyways..." "What, exactly, was your training again...?" "Build stamina? So... Running, basically." "Haa... No wonder, then..." "That aside..." Jack drew a cheeky smile, "When're you teaching me magic, hmm? I'm ready to get goin', y'know." "Once we got time. Can't you restrain yourself for a bit?" "Ah!"
Through the coms, Alice's voice seemed to have caught onto something. Still walking, Jack waited for his sister's comment, wondering just what had picked her interest.
"I can see something up ahead... Can't tell exactly what it is -whether it's a building or a person-, but regardless, doesn't seem hostile. I guess this means you guys have a bit of a break area!" "That's good 'n' all, but doesn't help us much when it comes to know the place any better... Still... I guess we can leave the ole geezer there, right?" "What that your idea from the beggining...?" "Not really, but..." "You're incorrigible..."
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Post by hoodwink on Mar 3, 2020 21:31:27 GMT -5
It seemed that the small old man hadn’t stirred much to being carried, despite the jostling around. Kujo’s brows raised slightly at this, though he was quick to continue on through the forest path. Despite the overall dimness he had noticed, the walk was rather uneventful. Staying vigilant to look out for Heartless, Kujo was mildly surprised to see none of the shadows in the forest stir. Guess we’re getting further from it… While M’Lyn and Jack spoke of magic and the old man, he began to notice the path clearing more and more, as the trees became less clustered and the brush more maintained.
”I can see something up ahead…Can’t tell exactly what it is—“ Alice’s navigation only cemented the team’s ideas—they were finally close to something other than trees and Heartless. ”—doesn’t seem hostile. I guess this means you guys have a bit of a break area!” It was relaxing, not having to use his Akogare to scout out everything. Though having trained with the power for some time, it was easier to control outside of himself—making certain abilities such as the ‘eyesight’ more taxing. ”I guess we can leave the ole geezer there, right?” Without looking back at him, Kujo nodded along with Jack in agreement. ”You’re incorrigible…” Alice’s comment only made him grin as he continued down the forest trail.
In shorter time than he’d thought, the forest began to clear out. In its place soon stood a small cottage styled home, adorned by a shingled roof and barn-styled doors. In a made clearing, revealed by the few stumps remaining, the wide home stood alone amongst a large stack of logs and mushrooms growing along the tree-line. ”There’s smoke—“ Rising from a stone chimney, black smoke poured out, betraying someone’s presence. ”Wonder if it’s 'is home…” Mumbling the thought out loud, Kujo kept his eyes running across the area. Well—Alice said it wasn’t hostile… Walking out of the forest and into the small clearing, the tall man in lavender made his way to the home, wondering who else they’d happen to meet on this world. Waiting for M’Lyn and Jack to catch up with him once reaching the front door, Kujo would knock on the door twice before lowering his hand, waiting to hear or see a response.
”Oh!” Clank! CRASH! Phwoosh! A bombardment of clashing dishwater clattered from inside, loud enough to be heard. Glancing to his left, Kujo noticed the small double-windows adorning what he presumed to be a kitchen—as that’s where the sound had seemed to stem from. ”Were they cooking?” He didn’t smell any food… ”Ha ha ha! I made such a mess!” A fit of laughter and giggling seemed to trickle out from the cottage before Kujo heard footfalls thudding their way to the wooden front door before it was yanked open with a small creak. ”Hello? Is that you, Doc?!” Yet another small white-haired bearded man opened the door to the cottage, though this one seemed larger than the other in weight, a rotund figure fitted into blue overalls and a red long-sleeve shirt. An orange cap fitted on the small man’s head, with his large pink nose looking back up at them, the stranger greeted everyone with wide eyes and an astonished look.
”Oh! Visitors! Hoo hoo!” Bounding up and down out of joy, the rose-cheeked man seemed to look between the three before being baffled once more. ”Oh—but I don’t know you!” It was then the man noticed the sleeping man of similar appearance on Jack's back. "Ha ha! Oh my! You've found Sleepy!" Slapping his knee in glee before holding his gut with a small laugh, the stranger smiled widely at them all—a new trust forming in his eyes that instant. "I'm Happy! Nice to meet ya! Thanks for finding my friend, ha ha!" A look of curiosity mixed with relief as 'Happy' looked up at them all, tipping his cap in greeting. "Did you come from the woods? Oh—wait, I'm forgetting something..." Shaking his head a bit, Happy seemed to laugh before 'bonking' himself on the head, smiling once more before looking between the three expectantly. "Who're you?" Kujo was still recovering. Can't I catch a break? What was this? The world of weird small bearded old guys and Heartless?
"The name's Kujo—these're..." Gesturing towards Jack and M'Lyn, the man faltered for a moment before looking to them. He had nearly forgotten about 'World Order'.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 4, 2020 14:12:43 GMT -5
The small clearing helped Jack relax a bit. Seeing that there was nothing more than a house -of sorts- did help, if only a bit. Knowing that there was a safe place in the middle of nowhere had both its pros and cons, though. M'Lyn headed forward, somewhat taking the iniciative alongside Kujo when it came to checking the place. Her ears twitched a bit, trying to see if there were any other sounds worth picking up. The suden crash did startle her, as well as Jack, although the man on his back didn't seem to move an inch despite the loud noise in front of them.
"Ha ha! Oh my! You've found Sleepy!" The comment caused Jack to perk up. Sleepy, huh? A fitting name, but it helped to establish a couple things: 1, the man they'd been carrying didn't turn up to be a total stranger, and 2: they'd found someone else who seemed to know the place, and also seemed willing to talk.
"Who're you?" "The name's Kujo—these're..." "I'm Jack, and this gal over there's M'Lyn!" Jack replied with a sheepish smile, walking towards them, "You asked where we came from, right? Well... We happened to be travellin', and sorta lost our way into this forest... If that's a bother, then... I'm sorry." "Good thing we have you around..." M'Lyn sighed, relieved. "By the by..." Jack nudged to Sleepy, "This guy over here won't wake up no matter what. He always like this? Nappin' about regardless of whatever happens?" he asked Happy, with a mix of concern and curiosity, "We came across some bad guys, but this man here just wouldn't budge an eye. You can kinda tell, but I carried him all the way here, and he's yet to even open his eyes."
While waiting for a reply, Jack let Sleepy on the floor as carefully as he could, before stretching a bit and glancing over at Kujo. Good thing he held back, as it showed his awareness to the sittuation. Smirking, he waited on Happy's reply.
"If he's that aware, then we're good... Just leave the talkin' to me, and we're golden!" he thought to himself, chuckling a bit. "What, exactly, is so funny all of the sudden?" M'Lyn asked, perking up. "Oh, nothing~!"
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Post by hoodwink on Mar 10, 2020 1:16:00 GMT -5
”I’m Jack, and this gal over there’s M’Lyn!” Jack was swift at maneuvering the conversation. Without giving anything about their origin away, the tech-savvy man came up with an adequate lie that seemed to pass under Happy’s notice. Bobbing his head and beaming as he ushered the three indoors, the small bearded man listened intently to Jack’s description as Sleepy was placed down on the hard-wood floor. The home was spacious, a wide kitchen sprawling on their left (a sink full of suds and dishes, many clattered on the floor) and a living area to their right—accompanied by a crackling fireplace and seven lounge chairs. Kujo could see other shadows indicating hallways and rooms further off into the home.
”Ah—Sleepy has been dozin' off more than usual, that’s true.” Kujo noticed the rotund man’s smile falter as he looked to his sleeping friend. Walking over and grabbing the other small bearded man by the feet, Happy began to drag Sleepy towards the living room, where the multitude of lounge chairs awaited. With a large wooden table crafted from a stump in the center, the whole room seemed spacious and large with the waving flickering shadows sent from the fire. ”Ha ha! Not that it makes much difference—he was always sleepin’ to begin with.” Chuckling at his own joke, Happy placed Sleepy in a lounge chair mid-range from the fireplace, to ensure his friends sound rest.
”Y’know, Grumpy said somethin’ bout some weird lookin’ pests earlier…out in the woods…” Looking between the three with a curious glance, Happy tilted his head before laughing a bit. ”Seems the buggers swarmed him on his way home from the mine! Ha ha!” Shaking his head and slapping his knee a bit, Happy waved a hand nonchalantly before motioning for the others to sit and rest by the fireplace. ”Don’t worry, though—Doc said he’d go investigate with ‘im—they’re over in the old mines now. Doc's the real problem solver. Ha ha!” It seemed that Happy had full faith in his friends handling the situation.
Grinding his teeth a bit in irritation, Kujo kept his hands in his pockets, walking over towards Happy. The difference in size was staggering. ”Then what the hell are you doing, Happy?” Something about this guy, just sitting around in a cozy cottage while Heartless were running around on his world—the annoying sleeping guy who did nothing…all of it was getting to him. Even if they thought they were weird pests and not deadly creatures of darkness...shouldn't friends help each other? Even with rodent problems? Unfazed by the menacing man towering over him, Happy laughed while holding his gut and slapping Kujo’s shin with the other. ”Ha! You’d get along with Grumpy perfectly!”
Looking down with a gaze that could only be described as murderous, Kujo took a deep breath as he summoned every ounce of his will power. Don’thithimdon’thithimdon’thithim… Closing his eyes and trying to remember breathing exercises, the tall man ignored the throbbing in his head. ”Doc told me to wait here while he and Grumpy went to the mine. He sent the others to find Sleepy!” Looking back to his sleeping friend, Happy laughed once more before shaking his head and gesturing towards the three. ”Not that he needed to! All of you helped us out a lot, thanks! Now, if only I could tell ‘em all they didn’t need to keep lookin’…”
Crossing his arms, Happy seemed to ponder the thought as his brow furrowed and his jovial face distorted into one of concentration. ”Oh well! Ha ha! They’ll get back when they’re back!” Seemingly content with that, Happy had his usual smile as he plopped himself into a lounge chair of his own, reclining back. ”Feel free to rest, helpful travelers! Doc can lead you through the woods when he gets back!” Following suit with Sleepy, Happy closed his eyes and sighed deeply before allowing himself sanctuary. For real?! Kujo couldn’t believe it. ”Tch—just how lax can ya be?” With an incredulous look, he finally shook his head and crossed his arms before turning to the others.
”Well—these guys’re useless…” Whoever ‘Grumpy’ was (apparently, a kindred soul), he had mentioned ‘pests’ at the mines—which was where him and this ‘Doc’ person were. ”To think, there’s five more crazy geezer’s out in these woods…” No wonder the Heartless were running rampant. These old bearded shorties did nothing! Cracking his neck, Kujo straightened himself before walking back towards the doorway of the cottage, looking over his shoulder at the other two with an irritated look. ”I’d rather go to the mines than search for three other lunatics.”
It seemed his vote was cast. If the others wanted to search for Happy’s friends—well, they could always just split up, right? He didn’t really have to go on a scavenger hunt for old bearded shorties—
—right???
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Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 10, 2020 10:53:15 GMT -5
While the pair listened closely to Happy's tale, Jack in particular was getting a much clearer picture of the sittuation at hand. Regardless of the reason behind Elena's intentions, it seemed that the sittuation there was somewhat similar to the one at San Fransokyo, but taken to a much lesser scale.
Not to mention...
"Jack?" M'Lyn's comment snapped him out of thought, "Were you about to doze off?" "...Eh?"
Sure enough, Jack was sitting on the floor, his body leaning forward a bit too much, as if she was about to fall asleep. Recollecting himself a bit, he was quick to stand up.
Perhaps a bit too quickly, hitting himself with the rather low ceiling of the home. The Miqo'te simply drowned a chuckle as Jack soothed his head with one hand, while resting the other on his hips.
”I’d rather go to the mines than search for three other lunatics.” Kujo's commentary hurried the pace a bit, although Jack had already seen that as a possiblity. So long as Kujo had the com with him, Alice could track his location anywhere, and same with both Jack and M'Lyn.
Keeping in touch wasn't hard once one had the tech and tools necessary.
"Unluckily for you, I ain't the type to leave people behind" Jack said a bit too proudly, "Still, I trust in you enough to say we can split up no issue. Only problem's gonna be the way there, though... Say" he looked at Happy, "Since Sleepy's here, safe and sound, couldn't you show Kujo the way to those mines you spoke of? M'Lyn and I can take it from here and search the others to bring 'em back. Those 'pests' you mentioned are far more than that... But we can take 'em on, no sweat!" "Haa... How chivalrious of you..." M'Lyn sighed, giving up, "...Since Kujo can handle his own ground, I guess I'll go with you. Not to mention..." M'Lyn glanced over at both Jack and Kujo, "Well... WE know what happened... I'm not so sure I can just leave you be with that possibility in mind. Not until you've matured a bit." "Oi, I ain't a toddler..." Jack replied, taking the comment a bit too close to heart, but then sighed, "Then again... I bet you'll be a better instructor on the long run..."
Gaining back his enthusiasm, Jack looked over at Kujo with a confident smirk. Splitting up it was -while Kujo went to those mines, Jack and M'Lyn would be on the lookout for more dwarves, and bring them back with Happy.
"The place might be big, but we can easily regroup later" Jack said, confident, "Alice's still keepin' track of our coms, so that's the least of our problems. Let's keep in touch until we regroup, and see what else we can get outta here. In particular... What's driving those things insane 'round here." "Then... Shall we?" "Yeah. Let's get to it!"
Grinning with pride and confidence, Jack slapped his fist before heading out with a new jump in his step, M'Lyn following suit without any concern for Kujo, knowing he'd be fine on his own.
"Well... Time to get this mission going!" Alice said through the coms, eager, "Leave the communications to me!"
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