|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 10, 2020 12:35:22 GMT -5
”Unluckily for you, I ain’t the type to leave people behind!” Jack’s comment caused Kujo to roll his eyes as he stood outside the doorway, hands in his pockets. Why’d I know he was gonna say that? Sighing a bit as he listened to Jack’s proposal, Kujo was thankful for the idea of splitting up. ”Say, since Sleepy’s here safe and sound, couldn’t you show Kujo the way to those mines you spoke of?” Jolting with a daunted look, Kujo turned around in the doorway with a look of disbelief. ”Tch—don’t push the dead weight on me!” With M’Lyn discussing the possible mentoring opportunities, Kujo grumbled but silenced.
He’d have to put up with babysitting. If I don’t, Jack can't learn as easily… That'd mean Jack wouldn't get stronger, or more efficient with that bizarre weapon... Crossing his arms with a sigh, Kujo shook his head as he admitted a swift defeat from the miqo’te. A momentary burden to lessen one in the long term. He’d have to remind himself of that on the way to the mines. ”The place might be big, but we can easily regroup later.” The communication devices all of them wore on their ears were connected to the Almira, where Alice watched with keen eyes. ”Then…shall we?” The two other exited, Jack looking more eager than usual. Kujo stared with only mild contempt after the two, turning to look over his shoulder.
”Ha! Guess we should get goin’ too!” Happy waddled out of the cottage, chuckling along behind Kujo as the tall man groaned. ”Just don’t talk so much…” Pulling out a new looking pack of cigarettes, the man clad in lavender followed the short jovial man into the forest. ”Well…time to get this mission going! Leave the communications to me!” Alice’s voice chirped over Kujo’s headset.
Tch—some mission. Can’t I catch a break?
The forest sprawled out in many directions. If having seen, M’Lyn and Jack would notice Kujo heading in a different direction than where they had emerged from, led by Happy all too unenthusiastically. Soon after their exiting, the two would be alone in the clearing, countless foot-paths sprawling through tall grass and underbrush. To the left was a mostly overgrown path, trees so thick hardly any sunlight came through. Gnarled roots and throned branches snaked and snarled in wait. Up ahead in the middle was the area they had seen Kujo enter, a dirt road marked with countless boot tracks allowing an easy road to travel by foot.
To the right would be an only slightly overgrown path, tall grass and small weeds being the only obstacles. It seemed the three had taken none of these paths initially, having come through the thickets and overgrowth in the area around the clearing. Typical, of otherworldly travelers, really. SNOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! A gentle gust rustled through the trees around the clearing, a faint echo being heard from the far distance, out of sight.
It almost sounded like…thunder—though the bright blue sky above only showed a few harmless clouds, far too light to hold water. It seemed to come from deeper in the forest, to the right.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 11, 2020 4:26:49 GMT -5
Jack glanced a bit, seeing Kujo go on a different path alongside Happy, to then focus on the work he had in front of him. Knowing they hadn't come through any of those paths originally made him frown a bit. What were the odds of the search taking longer than necessary?
"...Ya can't hear anythin', can ya?" Jack asked M'Lyn, with a serious tone unbeffiting of his prior enthusiasm. "I'm trying" the Miqo'te replied shaking her head, "I doubt I will if we're too far off, though..." "Well... I guess we need to play bets now..."
Jack walked a bit forward, his arms crossed as he began to hum in thought. He was a bit excited, but he'd hardly admit it. Still, it was a 50/50 bet, so it made things easier.
"Alrighty then... Let's go this way"
Jack went ahead to pick the path farthest to the left, catching M'Lyn attention. For a second, she thought on picking the other path, but she said nothing about it.
Just a faitn question remained inside her head, although asking it would be rather pointless at that time.
"Lemme know if you hear anythin', got it?" Jack said, calmly, and then pressed against his com, "Same goes for you, sis -lemme know if you see anythin'."
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 11, 2020 12:52:43 GMT -5
”Ha ha! What did the diamond say to the coal?” Happy waddled along behind Kujo, unable to keep up with his long strides. Smoking a cigarette as they walked through the forest, guided by the home-made dirt road, Kujo grimaced as he listened to yet another rock joke. ”Ha! Ha ha! It asked: why so yielding? Ha ha! Get it?! Ha ha!” Slapping his rotund gut as he walked, Happy seemed very pleased with himself. What's the funny part…? Kujo said nothing, walking ahead silently through the forest. Happy hardly seemed discouraged, picking up his pace a bit to catch up with the man in lavender. ”Oh, oh! What did the onyx say to the tin?” Sighing as he shook his head, Kujo continued through the forest towards the mines.
Can’t I catch a break? He hoped they’d get there soon…hell, he’d even be okay with a surprise attack from the Heartless right about now.
Heading into the gnarled and overgrown path, the two would have to maneuver smartly through the raised roots of thick trees that seemed to steadily blacken as the shadows loomed ahead. Here the forest was still—not even a gentle breeze passing through the wide trees. Walking further in would expose that the ground would steadily seem to soften until rather than a forest floor stood a muddy and mucky marsh. Spots of land would poke out, most of the vegetation around the area other than the larges trees dying.
In the bark, dark shadows nearly appeared as though menacing faces, snarling and laughing at the two travelers. Ahead was a small clearing, though not nearly as picturesque as the first. Appearing more like a swamp clearing rather than a forest, the area ahead became barred as a familiar presence loomed from above. As though the shadows grew darker and what little sunlight reaching through the trees swallowed— bright yellow eyes soon became the only light around. Heartless began to appear in all shapes and sizes, drawn to the openness of the two hearts barging in.
Two Mega-Shadows emerged from the floor of the forest-swamp, rushing forward with large claws as a Crescendo appeared from behind. Hopping on its rotund and bouncy figure, the Crescendo seemed to be readying to sound its large trumpet. Around the horn-blowing Heartless emerged more small-fry, two Soldiers clattered around before going on the offensive, rushing forward to flank the two travelers with the Mega-Shadows.
[[ENEMIES: 2 Mega-Shadows, 2 Soldiers, 1 Crescendo]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 11, 2020 16:05:35 GMT -5
"Why did you think this was the path to take, again?"
M'Lyn's exasperated comment caught Jack off-guard, but only for a second. He'd almost forgotten that the miqo'te was with him, given how silent she was sometimes. The shadow-filled forest didn't exactly seem welcoming at all, nor did it seem like a place some drawves would dive into. Still, something was telling him his hunch was right.
Why, exactly... He couldn't even tell himself.
"Well, uhh... I... Can't exactly say it for myself..." Jack admitted, "It's like... I know, but I can't seem to explain it with words..." "A hunch, perhaps?" the Miqo'te sighed, "Really, now... Whenever you take these kinds of decisions, it feels as if you've taken it all for granted..." "I'm serious, though -I'm sure this is the right path, but I can't seem to find the words to explain it! Honest!"
The sudden precense caught them off-guard, as the Heartless prowled to the attack. The Crescendo did startle them a bit, having never seen one before, but still, Heartless were Heartless and, therefore, a common enemy.
This time, Jack didn't have to be told twice in order to summon his blade again, while M'Lyn brandished a sword of her own. The Heartless were quick to catch Jack as their main target, leaving M'Lyn mostly to do her thing.
In the end, it had turned into a rather valuable strategy, so long as they happened to be near each other.
Jack caught onto both the Mega-Shadows (who did scare him only a bit due to their gigantic size) and the Soldiers trying to flank them, but he'd been prepared for it as soon as the weapon took form in his hands. Thankfull for the small warm-up that meant carrying Sleepy all the way to the cottage, Jack lunged forward after rolling to his left, quickly aiming to cut through the enemy lines with his Brandish ability. Ending at the opposite side, Jack staggered, albeit faintly. M'Lyn jumped in with her own show, swinging her sword gracefully before landing, to then unleash an Astral Fire spell on the Crescendo, sensing it to be the biggest thread.
For whatever reason.
"...!" M'Lyn's ears twitched, albeit for a moment "That was..." "M'Lyn, focus here, please?!" Jack's exasperated shout caught her out of her trance, "Whatever it is you picked up, can't we leave it for later?!" "R-Right!"
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 11, 2020 16:33:36 GMT -5
”Here we are, ha ha! Oh—looks like it’s changed a bit!” Happy and Kujo stood on the dirt path, now lined with rail tracks, leading towards a large cave-like structure at the base of a tall mountain surrounded by forest. Ahead were multiple carts, some lined with gems and other rocks or pickaxes and other tools, others empty and waiting for passengers or material alike. What had caught both off-guard was the entrance. Where a rocky cavern entrance had once stood, illuminated by lights and lanterns alike stringing the walls, now loomed a crumbled pile of rock and rubble. ”Tch—changed a bit?! The whole entrance’s caved in!”
Kujo scowled in rage as he looked down at the dwarf. F*#$%ng lunatic. Happy was steadily declining on his list of ‘people he was okay being around’. Shaking his head as he walked towards the ruined entrance, Kujo reached up to the comm device on his ear. ”Reached the mine—looks like the entrance is wrecked, though.” Glancing around the area, the tall man wondered what could have caused so much destruction. Normal Heartless couldn’t do something like this—could they? ”How goes it on your guys’ end?” The way here had been oddly peaceful… Maybe it was a cave-in, after all. It wasn’t uncommon in the mining industry. Cracking his knuckles, Kujo began to shimmer with a radiant light as he squared up in front of the ruined mine entrance.
”Sigh. I guess it’s time for work.”
Lunging and rolling across the battlefield, Jack’s Brandish ability allowed him to slice through the two rushing Mega-Shadows with his Keyblade. Both Heartless staggered back, one falling over completely as they took the heavy blow. It appeared despite the injury they were still alive, though. While M’Lyn cast her Astral Fire, dealing a destructive hit to the Crescendo and evaporating it into a dark vapor, the two Soldiers spun through the air directly for Jack. It seemed his odd weapon still attracted the Heartless.
Rushing in and slicing and clawing at Jack, the Mega-Shadows were given time to recover, standing upright and preparing yet another attack. While one lunged forward through the air (albeit, clumsily), the other sank into the swamp-like ground, becoming a shadow as it raced directly for the key-bearer.
[[ENEMIES: 2 Mega-Shadows, 2 Soldiers]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 12, 2020 16:38:43 GMT -5
Smiling with a hint of pride, Jack managed to recover his footing after M'Lyn used her Medica spell, allowing him to push the offensive. He'd gotten hang of things rather quickly, knowing for sure the Heartless would target him, and only him, leaving M'Lyn a large window of opportunity. He raised his sword in order to hopefully block the Soldiers coming in for the attack, although M'Lyn had taken it as yet another opportunity to deal a critical hit on the enemy.
"Fall back!" she ordered, switching her blade for a myriad of daggers.
Hoping he'd managed to stall enough, Jack swung his sword, breaking his defensive stance and taking a few feet back, as M'Lyn threw the daggers akin to her Death Blossom technique onto the Soldiers. Jack glanced around, noticing the Mega-Shadows a bit too late, only barely running out of harm's way. He snapped his thinking into using a Physical Barrier onto himself, knowing M'Lyn would have little to no issue defending herself.
Although he would've liked to say that regarding himself, too.
"Reached the mine—looks like the entrance is wrecked, though” Kujo's comment came at a both great and bad timing. Jack lost himself for a bit, before snapping back into battle, shaking his head vigorously as he tried to snap back into action.
"How goes it on your guys’ end?” "I wish I could say it's been easy...!" Jack said with a nervous chuckle, "But M'Lyn's with me, so we're cool! Still... This weapon sure likes dragging unwanted attention around..." "Jack, parry!"
At M'Lyn's command, Jack raised his sword at the Mega-Shadow who'd vanished into the ground to sneak behind him, but the Miqo'te quickly channeled a Stone spell before continuing on her assault.
"I need to remind myself that he's still learning..." she thought with a frown, "Not only that... But teaching him magic might be something of urgency... He's sometimes too absent-minded..."
It was rather true, based on Jack's actions as Kujo talked through the com: he had lost himself, albeit for a moment, in a possibly dangerous time.
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 12, 2020 18:15:43 GMT -5
”I wish I could say it’s been easy…!” Jack’s voice crackled over the comm, causing Kujo to smirk faintly. Standing in the smoldering entrance once blocked, Kujo gazed into the large cavern now exposed, rock and rubble shot in every direction inside as though an explosion had hit it. Happy stood trembling with his ears covered, a sight Kujo couldn’t help but feel eased by. ”Ha—ha ha! Y-y-you sh-should really w-warn me n-next time! Ha ha!” Recovering himself, the small dwarf began to sort the rubble and dirt out of his beard from the debris. ”Still…this weapon’s sure like dragging unwanted attention around…” Jack sounded worried, something that Kujo figured only came with the territory.
He was working with a mysterious weapon, definitely. Reaching up to click on his comm, Kujo grumbled mildly as he walked over rubble and stone into the mine. ”Call it ‘Extreme Training’—it’ll get you more pumped. You better not die to some small-fry.” He meant it as reassurance, though with his demeanor it could easily be taken as lackadaisical. With M’Lyn by Jack’s side, Kujo couldn’t really muster up the energy to worry. He couldn’t imagine the miqo’te losing to anything. So long as she took on the scarier Heartless, Jack would be fine. ”Happy—stay out here.” The small dwarf had slowly edged his way to the cave entrance behind Kujo, leaning in hesitantly as he watched the tall man walked further in.
”Be careful!” The small voice echoed and bounced right off his broad shoulders.
Clang! Clink! The Soldier’s were showered in sharp rain as M’Lyn used her Death Blossom ability. Though it halted their forward charge, it didn’t do much damage, as the minor Heartless were well-armored. SMASH! A Mega-Shadow landed directly into Jack’s Physical Barrier, causing it to damage itself in the recoil as the defensive item shattered from use. Distracted by the comm and other large Heartless, the last Mega-Shadow took advantage of Jack’s newness to close combat.
CRUNCH! Without given any warning, the large Heartless was pummeled back into the earth by M’Lyn’s Stone spell, unable to reach Jack in time. Having successfully distracted the Soldier’s, M’Lyn would be met by two twisting Heartless lancing through the battlefield toward her! Unable to recover quickly, the large Mega-Shadow behind Jack was still on the ground, finally beginning to shake off the summoned stones, but too sluggish to attack. The other had recovered from Jack’s Physical Barrier, shaking its head as though to shake off the damage before zig-zagging its way towards him for a frontal assault!
Claws flashed as yellow eyes spun greedily.
[[ENEMIES: 2 Mega-Shadows (Moderately Damaged), 2 Soldiers (Minor Wounds)]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 14, 2020 5:43:19 GMT -5
"Damn, that was close...!"
Jack winced after having barely escaped death. The timing of it all was far from perfect, knowing that his distraction had almost costed them the battle. Still, Kujo's comment about him not dying to some small-fry did come up as condescending, and Jack couldn't help but yell back at him.
"Like I WOULD!" he shouted back, knowing Kujo could hear him through the comm.
He caught eye of the two Mega-Shadows coming his way, clearly wounded after the many attacks they'd recieved. Gripping the sword firmly, Jack didn't wait for them to come at him, but instead charged head-first. M'Lyn glanced at him with a hint of concern, but in the end, she didn't worry much about it.
Her matter of focus were the two Soldiers headed her way.
Still making use of her daggers, M'Lyn faced the two Soldiers head-first, using the many daggers she had to her advantage. Agile as she was, she had no difficulty parrying the attacks, albeit with a few scratches here and there, but nothing she couldn't handle. Quickly switching her daggers for a spear, she jumped in the air to then throw it as if it were a javelin, hoping to catch at least one of the Soldiers off-guard. If not, she still had some energy left to spare.
Swinging his sword while rolling, Jack tried to finisht the two Mega-Shadows on his own, quickly dashing towards them with that impressive speed of his.
Both members really just wanted to get the battle over with, really.
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 14, 2020 20:33:33 GMT -5
”Like I WOULD!” Jack’s comment over the comm caused Kujo to grin—no way would he lose, fired up like that. His feeling of satisfaction was short lived—walking into the cavern, Kujo felt an all-too familiar presence as he gazed around the dimly lit mine. Opening into a wide tunnel, leading into a large opening, the tall man saw a mass of Heartless gathering around something. Tch—probably someone. Summoning his Akogare to his side, Kujo sneered as he waded into battle, rushing the Heartless without too much concern for who the victim was.
He had a feeling he knew, anyway.
Pummeling the spinning Soldier’s with a barrage of daggers, M’Lyn was able to redirect the Heartless’ attack, causing both to plummet into the ground with a brutal snap! One poofed! into vapor immediately, the other twitching slightly as it lay in the ground. Finishing it off with her lancing abilities, the miqo’te dwindled the numbers within the blink of an eye.
Jack’s rolling attack would finish off the Mega-Shadow coming at him, the other finally regaining itself from M’Lyn’s Stone spell. Releasing a massive heart from the gigantic demon, the swamp-like forest would be illuminated for a moment, causing the last Heartless to recoil. Slinking back into the ground as a shadow, the Mega-Shadow made a hasty retreat, further into the swamp. Heading down the gnarled and overgrown path through the ground, the last Heartless seemed to be fleeing from the light.
As their fleeing foe vanished, a small voice would shakily call out, echoing in the darkness. ”W-wow! Y-y-you…b-beat them!” Stepping out from behind a hideous looking tree was yet another small bearded man. Wearing a large green cap that seemed to stand up on its own at the end, the thick white beard covered most of a yellow tunic. Matching was the dwarf’s yellow pants. He too wore brown shoes, identical to Happy and Sleepy’s. ”T—thanks. I w-was worried the—they’d find m-me…” Shuffling awkwardly with his feet, the small man twisted his beard in his hand before toeing at the ground nervously. The entire time he spoke, his eyes looked down and seemed to go everywhere except to Jack and M’Lyn’s. Suddenly the bearded man's face seemed to grow red before he hid his face in his hands, hiding back behind the tree. "..."
It seemed he had clammed up.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 15, 2020 15:06:45 GMT -5
Both Jack and M'Lyn took a deep breath, relieved after the last enemy decided to retreat after the others' demise. M'Lyn dismissed her weaponry, same as Jack with his blade, before her ears twitched once more, causing her to sharply turn around. Jack couldn't help but stretch a bit, causing his neck to crackle faintly before getting back into gear.
”W-wow! Y-y-you…b-beat them!” The comment caught the boy off-guard, while M'Lyn was already aware of the dwarf near them. It was their footsteps she'd heard beforehand... Albeit faintly, she'd managed to pick up the faint presence of someone besides them nearby.
Thankfully, it wasn't an enemy.
"I'm surprised you were right, for once..." M'Lyn said, sighing. "Heh... See? Lady Luck's on my side!" Jack smirked with pride, chuckling. "Let's hope that remains like that for now..."
Jack chuckled a bit more, before turning to the dwarf who'd hidden behind a tree. Curious, and yet faintly reminded of Alice, Jack approached nonchalantly, and squatted once he was near. All of it, with a smile.
"'Ey there" he greeted, calmly, "We ain't gonna hurt ya, bud -trust me. I mean... We took those things out for ya, right?" "..." M'Lyn simply glanced, her ears searching for any other sound that might indicate either friends or foes. "Say... You wouldn't happen to be friends with Happy or Sleepy, right? ...We're here on their stead. Although... Aren't there any more with ya?"
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 15, 2020 18:52:11 GMT -5
Can’t I catch a break?! Beyond pissed at himself, Kujo ran swiftly, his body covered in the radiant light of his Akogare. Sprinting through the mines, the eyesight of his guardian allowed him to see the Gargoyle up ahead. I underestimated them… He had been under the impression that Heartless were mindless beasts—creatures that acted on instinct. The moment they had started to lose the battle, two winged Heartless had snatched the dwarf he had been trying to save! Having only gotten one with his only ranged attack, Kujo had been forced to give chase on foot. Even with the speed of his Akogare, the man had to leap and dodge obstacles in the mine, whereas the Heartless was able to soar over it all. Tch—where’s it trying to take him? Flying through the rocky tunnels that snaked beneath ground, the Gargoyle’s seemed to be fleeing with purpose. It’s like it has a plan… Or orders.
Was that possible, though?
Eyeing the two from behind the tree, the dwarf yelped in surprise as Jack began to move towards him, hiding behind the tree fully once more. ”We ain’t gonna hurt ya, bud—trust me.” Warily, the small capped man peeked his head out once more from behind the gnarled refuge. ”Say…you wouldn’t happen to be friends with Happy or Sleepy, right?” At the mention of the two names, the dwarf’s face lit up and he found himself nodding despite his clamming up. ”We’re here in their stead, although…aren’t there any more with ya?” At the mention of this, the small dwarf took a moment, his eyes looking down at the ground nervously.
Shaking his head ‘no’ in response, the dwarf tucked himself back behind the tree. For a moment, he stayed there until finally emerging, both hands behind his back as he toed at the ground nervously. Pointing at himself but still averting eye-contact, the dwarf mumbled his words and stammered. “B—ba—Bashful…” Almost as though it were too much social interaction to bear, Bashful immediately hid his face in his slightly too-long tunic sleeves, pulling the long green cap further down over his brow.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 18, 2020 10:01:45 GMT -5
"Hmm... That so..."
Jack frowed a bit after hearing that Bashful had been on his own for now, but that didn't take his hopes down. Having found one was enough, and they could keep going. While one went to lead him to safety, the other could continue exploration with ease.
"In any case, nice to meet'cha" Jack replied calmly, "I'm Jack, and that one over there's M'Lyn. We were told to go find you guys ever since you didn't come back... So why don't we help you on the way home?" "Are you going alone?" "I can handle the way back and forth, now that I know it" Jack reassured the Miqo'te, "It might be inneficient, but it's what we have on deck. Besides, it's best to do that now that later. Who knows how active the Heartless'll be on the way in?" "I suppose so... Still, it's rather... Unapealling for an approach..."
Showing her unease, the Miqo'te's tail tensed up a bit as she crossed her arms in thought. Sure, Jack could go back and forth rather easily, given his agility. He could simply carry Bashful back to the cottage and make his way back to M'Lyn by purely scanning the area. And given M'Lyn's aptitudes in battle, she wouldn't have much of an issue to fend them off and stall for time.
That wasn't what bothered her, however.
"...There's still some time" M'Lyn dictated, shocking Jack. "Huh?" Jack blinked a few times, unsure on what to say. "Before you leave, I'd rather have you learn magic than go with only that weapon in hand. It's far too dangerous considering just how attracted the Heartless are to it." "O-Oh... I see..." Jack scratched the back of his head, "So, umm... What is it I need to do?"
While M'Lyn called Jack closer to her, leaving Bashful on his own (to also hopefully make his less uncomfortable about the sittuation), Alice was looking through the coms and info she'd been able to gather so far. In her end, knowing that M'Lyn and Jack could handle their own, she was keeping track of the Heartless Kujo was chasing after.
"That's really odd..." she mumbled, her voice going through the com to Kujo, "Something has to be making them act this way... It's not normal at all."
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 18, 2020 12:10:40 GMT -5
Damn it… He shouldn’t have lost his patience. Looking down at the unconscious dwarf, clad in a patched red tunic and a brown cap, Kujo sighed and crossed his arms. Well—at least his heart’s safe. The Gargoyle Heartless had led him deeper through the winding mine tunnels, dimly lit with old lanterns strewn across stone with string and line. Glittering gems poked out from all around at this point, casting countless shadows and rays of light in all directions. Luckily, though the dwarf hadn't woken up (due to the landing, of course), it seemed its heart hadn't been stolen. Don't Heartless normally do that without a doubt? Was it the type of Heartless they were dealing with here, or what his first hunch was?
With a red nose similar to Happy’s (though much larger) and a bushy white beard, the ‘sleeping’ dwarf stood out with the sour look on his brow. Hadn't someone mentioned a dwarf called 'Grumpy' earlier? ”Something has to be making them act this way…it’s not normal at all.” Alice reaffirmed his suspicions, causing the lavender clad man to look around the mine cautiously as he reached for his comm device. "This place definitely feels different from SanFran…” After having fought so many of the deranged demons on his own home world, Kujo found it hard to believe anyone or anything could control such creatures. Didn’t they always do as they pleased? Rampaging around worlds causing mayhem and destruction? ”What could make Heartless behave?” It was a curious idea indeed, though one that caused a bad taste in his mouth.
Could someone really control things like those monsters? Sighing as he eyed for the exit, Kujo wondered what else lurked deeper in the mine. Is he the only one? It seemed like such a big place for only one dwarf to go to. Hadn’t Happy mentioned someone else being here? Where’re they? The unconscious dwarf would be useless—Kujo didn’t have any sort of healing abilities or items to question the guy, after all. His Akogare was a purely self-absorbed power, a selfish one that seemed to only benefit him.
It was perfect for someone with such loner tendencies.
”J-Jack—an-and...M-M’Lyn…” Bashful nodded but avoided eye contact still as the two were introduced. ”Why don’t we help you on the way home?” The offer caused the dwarf to smile and nod, though for a second he seemed to hesitate. Fidgeting with the ground around him as though he were drawing with his feet, Bashful’s face grew a slight hint of red as he lowered his head. Before he could say much (especially with how long it took him to gather courage), the two were strategizing with each other, talking of things Bashful couldn’t understand.
Magic? For a moment, the dwarf’s eyes beamed. T-they can do magic?! Eager with anticipation, though still nervous to get close, Bashful watched with a curious thirst as the two began to work. His eyes flickered over towards the darkness in the swampy forest, further in where the shadows grew thick and the gnarled path became more harmful than helpful. Looking in the other direction, where Jack and M’Lyn came from, Bashful seemed torn before shaking his head.
He wanted to see magic, first.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 18, 2020 15:27:37 GMT -5
As M'Lyn instructed him how to stand, Jack seemed to struggle. Keeping up with her instructions was tough, especially when she was talking about the concept of magic, one he was barely aware of.
Then again, his curiosity was to blame for that, as well.
Instructing him on how exactly he was supposed to channel magic, Jack found himself in a bit of a pickle. According to the Miqo'te, magic was akin to life energy, taken a form depending on the user. She'd already told him of his affinity -electricity- but had no idea how exactly to channel it.
"Haa..." M'Lyn shook her head, "In the end... It's tough even for you, huh?" "H-Hey! I'm just starting!" Jack replied, flustered. "Then try shaping it" M'Lyn replied with exasperation, "Feel for the energy around you, and give it form." "Easy for you to say..."
Shaking his head, Jack looked forward to the water of the swamp with determination. Clenching his fists beforehand, he moved quickly forward, his hand in a fan motion with a lot of strength behind it.
Nothing.
BAM! A sudden thunderbolt spiked against the water's surface, shocking both Jack and M'Lyn. After a bit of silence, Jack smiled, and did the motion one last time. BAM! Another thunderbolt landed on the same space.
"Ha! Well, would ya look at that?!" Jack asked, proudly. "Don't get excited just yet" M'Lyn sighed, "Keep at it until you're tired. Got it?" "What for?" "To know how much you can cast. If you don't, who's to say you'll spam it until you can't keep up? Magic might be powerful, but not perfect. Casting it multiple times requires stamina. And not the kind you're used to." "Fine... Let's give it a go, then!"
Once. Twice. A third time... Jack kept summoning thunderbolts over the water's surface, until he began to grow exhausted. After a while, he fell, his back facing the ground, as he breathed heavily. Magic was tiring...
"That's impressive... You lasted longer than me for a first time, that's for sure..." M'Lyn said, shocked. "Ha... Really...?" Jack said in between gasps of air, "That's... shocking... Coming from... You..." "..." M'Lyn shook her head, "After this one, let's try seeing if you can cast multiple at once. Should be more effective given your movements." "Please... Lemme... take a freaking... break..."
Jack closed his eyes, exhausted and begging for air, leaving M'Lyn only to chuckle. His inexperience proved a rather fun spectacle, for sure. Still, he had potential, and that was what the Miqo'te was aiming for.
Alice, on the other hand, while impressed with her brother's improvements, was keen on lending Kujo a hand. Hearing his doubts did make her wonder whether the Heartless could plan or even act according to a plan, although they had suggested something to the sort back when they met Kujo to begin with.
"Hmm... Dunno" Alice shook her head as she answered Kujo, "They can be lured ... But I'm not sure if that's what you want to know. I'll be on the lookout, anyways, in case something pops up."
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 18, 2020 17:45:01 GMT -5
”They can be lured…but I’m not sure if that’s what you want to know.” If someone could control the Heartless, they'd essentially be able to take over a world, without the proper obstacles in the way. For some reason, he was thinking of a particular blonde bastard from his home world. He had mentioned having weird powers… At first, Kujo had wondered if it would be like his Akogare, but it had seemed his childhood acquaintance had dabbled in darker arts instead. Tch—not like someone like him could control demons like these. It did make the man wonder though, as he stalked through the mine with the unconscious dwarf over his shoulder.
Can’t I catch a break? Something was definitely going on on this world…but it didn’t seem apparent. It’d take some investigation, it seemed. Who’m I lookin’ for? He remembered Happy saying Grumpy was with someone, but he couldn’t remember who. Calling for a name was out of the question—he had nothing to go on.
Having hid behind a gnarled tree after the first BOOM! of Jack’s magic, Bashful watched with timid eyes as lightning struck against the water repeatedly. Surely those monsters would hear them for sure now, right?! In a silent panic, Bashful edged back from behind the tree, keeping his eyes on the water as he edged towards the forest thickets. T—they’re strong, though… Halting in his tracks, the dwarf looked from the dark forest to the two casters. He’d rather not be alone the next time those monsters showed up. Already spending time alone in the dark and terrifying forest, Bashful was ready to get out of there.
Deciding to return to the shelter of the gnarled tree, the small dwarf slumped against the menacing forestry, bunkering down until the others were finished. To think—magic brought fear with it now that those things were here. Fear of being discovered, eaten or whatever the devils did. Shivering with fear at his own thoughts, Bashful hesitantly shuffled back into the clearing where Jack and M’Lyn practiced and taught, waiting patiently and jumping with every summon of thunder.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 19, 2020 15:48:44 GMT -5
While Jack took his sweet time recovering, M'Lyn kept on alert. She'd hardly paid any attention to Bashful hiding once again from them, although that wouldn't surprise her, either, given his attitude before. Now a bit more calm, and her tail swawing back and forth as to prove that, she was a bit more alert on possible ambushes from the Heartless.
One could never be too careful.
Once he recovered his breath, Jack forced himself to sit up. Glancing around, he noticed Bashful, who seemed frightened at something... Could it have been the lightningbolts Jack had been shooting? With a sheepish smile, Jack scratched the back of his head while looking at the drawf.
"Oh... Should've known you'd be scared of that... Sorry, bud" he apologized, "Being honest, though... Was the first time I ever did something like that. Prolly couldn't hold back because of it..." "...True" M'Lyn sighed, glancing over at the pair, "When you just get started, magic can be rather strong -perhaps too much." "In any case..." Jack stood up, finally regaining his energy, and still looking at Bashful, "Let's get goin', okay? I know the way, so just follow me and everythin' will be just peachy!" he added with pride.
Still smiling, Jack looked at Bashful with a calm expression. It was almost clear that the dwarf was frightened, but surely he wouldn't refuse help? Besides, Jack had no intentions of leaving Bashful behind to fend for himself, or drag him into danger for that matter. Since M'Lyn would be staying behind, going back and forth proved no difficulty whatsoever.
"You be safe out there, got it?" Jack told M'Lyn, who simply shook her head with annoyance, "I know you're more than capable, but never helps being cautious, y'know?" "I'm more than aware... Just hurry it up, will you?" "Right!"
With that, Jack picked up Bashful and laid him on his back, like a piggy-ride, before running full throttle back to the cottage. His visor on, he could see the path clear before him. And knowing the drawf would've been startled, he chuckled a bit before reassuring him.
"It's better if I carry ya, okay? Makes things quicker. Don't wanna leave her out alone for too long, y'know?"
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 20, 2020 15:34:12 GMT -5
Timid at first, Bashful was slow to remove himself from the shelter of the gnarled tree. Due to Jack’s friendly demeanor and good will, the shy dwarf slowly edged his way back into the clearing where the two stood talking about splitting up. Nodding along to Jack’s prompts as he was lifted from the ground, Bashful seemed nervous but remained quiet. The long cap he wore was just a bit more pulled down over his brow than usual, but other than that he seemed composed. With Jack’s reassurance, Bashful nodded as he was carried away from M’Lyn and towards the cottage, bouncing with Jack’s strides along the way. Soon it was just the miqo'te standing in the swampy clearing.
It wouldn’t be long after Jack’s departure the group would hear Kujo’s voice, crackling over the comm as static erupted the background. ”Only—got *zzzzzzt* was he alone? *Ksssshhhhh!* Looking—geezer now *zzzzzzzssscchhhh* name?” It seemed wherever he was would prove difficult for clear communication. Just how far in the mine had he gone?
[[OOC: Can edit if Alice and Jack's tech wouldn't get messed up by ground depth or anything like that.]]
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 21, 2020 15:10:08 GMT -5
While Jack was busy carrying Bashful back to the cottage and M'Lyn wary of her surroundings as she explored, Alice frowned at the sight before her. The deeper Kujo went inside, the harder it was to keep track of him. In a little longer, it'd be almost imposible to help him.
"This isn't good..." she mumbled, bitterly.
She didn't expect things to go this badly. Whatever it was that kept the Heartless active was becoming an issue. But, with the inability to tell Kujo to hurry up, she'd be facing a dead end.
"Hey, guys?" she reached for Jack and M'Lyn's coms, "How long until you can go lend Kujo a hand?" "Why do you ask, sis?" Jack answered quickly, curious, "'Sides, ain't he strong on his own? Why'd he need our help?" "Seems like the mine's deeper than we thought... In a little longer, I'll barely be able to reach him." "Crud..." "Try to help him out as much as possible, Alice" M'Lyn said, "Even if he doesn't hear you, he can still see through his visor, correct?" "Barely... It's only whatever ---Oh! I got'cha!" "See, sis? Ain't too hard to help 'im out!"
Jack chuckled a bit, focused on his way to the cottage. Already knowing the way meant he'd be quick about it, leave Bashful there, and then run back and help M'Lyn. He'd been already planning on how to move forward and cutting their path. But it'd mean that he couldn't go back and forth every time they found another dwarf. Not to mention they didn't know how many were left.
"And Happy ain't gonna be there for now, is he...?" the boy thought to himself, frowing and letting out a sigh, "Might try and chance it, but I ain't countin' on it..."
|
|
|
Post by hoodwink on Mar 21, 2020 20:39:08 GMT -5
”Huh?” Wincing with irritation at the static in his ear, Kujo removed his finger from the comm device. Whenever he tried to talk now it frizzed out on him—the other’s voices only being clips and scratches. Must be too far in… He had reached a large and gem-filled room, lined with carts and mining equipment. It had felt like at least an hour since he had walked into the dark caverns. He hadn't expected the small men to be able to build such a large mine. Holding the unconscious dwarf over his shoulder, Kujo was quickly growing annoyed and ‘over’ the whole deal. ”Oi—wake up. I can’t find your pal anywhere.” Jostling the unconscious man on his shoulder, Kujo grit his teeth in defiance as he realized it wasn’t working. ”Are all of you locals dead f*&%ing weight?!” The hair on his neck stood on end, a familiar prick running across his skin.
Whoosh.
Jack’s way to the cottage would be relatively peaceful, other than having to carry a small man on his back the whole way. BOOM! Echoing sounds of thunder clapped in the distance, far beyond sight in the thick and wide forest. If Jack looked above, he'd find no clouds hanging in the waning blue sky. Luckily it seemed that the Heartless they had defeated weren’t returning, for now. Arriving in the small clearing, the cottage stood alone and vacant. No smoke rose from the chimney anymore—it seemed Happy had been thoughtful enough to not leave such hazardous things unattended. Inside the rooms would be dim, the only lighting coming from the afternoon sun. Clocks in the room would signal ‘3pm’, so long as any could read analog. Dusk was only a few hours away.
Bashful would be silent in their thanks once at the cottage, bowing and tipping their hat in service. Half-stumbling to the fireplace (his legs were still a little wobbly from the ride), the dwarf began to collect logs and pile them into place. Though his back was turned to Jack, Bashful’s brow was furrowed deep and his shoulders stiff. After a moment of silent inner turmoil, the dwarf turned around, ignoring the ready to light logs. ”Doc—“ For a moment, the dwarf’s eyes continued to search the floor before glancing towards the cottage door. ”—I w-went after him...” Turning away from Jack, Bashful began to set work to the logs, grabbing a box of matches from the shelf of the small fireplace.
”But t-t-those things showed up…I l-lost track of h-him.” Having successfully lit the fire, Bashful stood staring at the gentle starting flames as he wrung his hands together. ”I—I don’t k-know if h-he’s still t-there…” Finding one of the countless easy chairs in the large living space, Bashful climbed into one and sighed heavily, removing their cap to cover their eyes as they lay back. It seemed the dwarf was exhausted and needed to recoup from the terror of before. Not everyone was cut out for fighting Heartless, after all. Upon Jack's exit of the cottage into the clearing, a faint echo clapped again. BOOM! It came from the far right, opposite to where the path M'Lyn and him had taken lay.
In the clearing, M’Lyn would be alone. Despite the dark shadows and ghastly faces appearing on the gnarled trees, nothing seemed around to disturb her. Deeper into the forest, a gnarled and thorny path stretched into dark unknown. Despite the lack of animals, odd crawling and scratching sounds echoed faintly throughout the shadowed leaves, gnarled trees swaying with no breeze. Far far ahead, nearly out of sight towards the blocked horizon, was the faintest hue of green. It flickered, as though candlelight. BOOM! The sound of thunder, though no rain fell...not surprising, considering most of the swampy forest in this part was canopied by thick blankets of twisting branches and thorns.
It came off far in the distance, away from the faint green light, somewhere far past the cottage.
|
|
|
Post by therunawaygirl on Mar 26, 2020 11:03:27 GMT -5
Leaving Bashful back, safe and sound, Jack began to make his way back to M'Lyn. He'd heard what Bashful'd said, but it wasn't as if he could bother asking. For now, he just wanted to get over with it and find the rest, before going in to help Kujo.
There were so many things to do, yet so little time for them.
"Not to mention that thunder-esque sound... If it wasn't me, then... Who? Or what?" he thought bitterly as he ran his way towards M'Lyn.
Thankfully, with his visor on and his mind solely focusing on finding the Miqo'te in order to regroup, his run throughout the path back there was hopefully a breeze. Even if it wasn't, he didn't aim to attack whatever enemy decided to show up, knowing he was faster than them for starters.
That much confidence was giving him an extra speed boost, so to speak.
M'Lyn, on the other hand, stood alert after the thunder, glaring every now and then at her surroundings. Her ears twitching back and forth, hoping to catch the source of the sound, but nothing came to mind. She'd decided to be on stand by until Jack arrived, or told otherwise.
She wasn't as reckless as one would think her to be, although she was eager to find out what it was about.
"M'Lyn, you still there, right?" Jack's voice throughout the comm startled her, "Did you hear that? That thunder sound..." "I did" M'Lyn nodded as she replied, "I'm sure 'twas not you, correct?" "Like I'd use it randomly!" "Hurry your pace. The longer we dwindle out here, the worse it'll get." "Trust me, I know. I've got a bad feelin' 'bout this..."
|
|