001 // There's a storyline here somewhere [Open]

[twilightskey]

Characters: Roxas/The Little Mermaid and YOU
Campaign: Hollow Christmas Carol, Act 1
Format: I will match
Open
Summary: Exploring the Draft and Sub Quest things!

A: Tombstone Hunting
[Roxas knew that this was what he had agreed to do when he came here, and wasn't one who simply shied away from a difficult task. But as he hunted around the fog-filled forest, he couldn't help but want to be done with this place.]

Hey, did you find any new pieces yet?

[He's been doing his best to put up a tough front, but the way he kept warily looking around and gripped at his arms from time to time betrayed how nervous the creepy forest made him feel.]

B: Collecting Wooden Planks
[This seemed like a task that Roxas was more than capable of helping out with. Though the current was fast, a few pumps of his tail enabled him to fight against it and help whoever he was working with to fish out the necessary planks of wood that they needed. But while his idea to get into the river seemed smart at first, he was quickly seeing the problem with it.]

Ow!

[That last bite almost made him lose the piece he was holding onto, though he had to flick his tail to bat the skeletal fish that had bit him away.]

These things are a nuisance..!

C:
[The group may not have been in the Draft for terribly long, but after a few days of searching for pieces of the set they need, Roxas was quite painfully reminded of a particular "quality" of his essence. Late one afternoon, he will be forced to write a shaky scrawl of a message to anyone who might have their journals on them.]

Could someone come help me? I can't walk

Wildcard
[[OoC: If you have any other ideas or suggestions, hit me up and we can work something out!]]

Comments

[twilightskey]

[Roxas paused, thinking that over. If this was because of his essence, then maybe it was something to do with his 'fish half'. He gave a nod, before turning back to his journal.]

That might be a good idea. I've been avoiding it lately. Didn't want to get bitten by the fish.

[decryptic]

Oh, I see. I hadn't thought about that.

[ He stays out of the water as a general rule. Water doesn't hurt him, but he's pretty useless in it.

As they re-enter town, 9S looks for a clean spot to set his charge down on. ]

I'm gonna draw up some water for you. It might take me a moment to find a container big enough, but if you need anything, just holler for me via journal. Is that all right with you?

[twilightskey]

[First his Keyblade was stripped from him, and now this. He had agreed to come here and help, but it seemed like his essence was seriously out to get him or something.]

[He held onto his help's arm, letting out a soundless hiss as he was set down; no way to avoid it, but every step or nudge hurt tremendously. Once settled down, he looked up and nodded, offering a thumb's up. He couldn't talk, but he had his journal; it was better than nothing.]

[After a pause, he pulled out his journal once more.]

I'm Roxas

[decryptic]

[ 9S uses his handy dandy medallion to transcribe his voice to text while he dashes around. ]

The name's 9S. Unit Number 9, Type S for Scanner. I'm an android... if that means anything to you.

[twilightskey]

[An android? Roxas frowned, thinking for a moment before writing an answer.]

I don't know what an android is. Sorry

[He didn't have a whole lot of worldly knowledge, unfortunately. Computers he knew, but even with what he knew from his connection to Sora, things like robots and androids were foreign to him.]

[decryptic]

That's okay. It was a long shot anyway. So... Roxas, huh? What's your home like?

[ While he waits for a response, he finds an empty barrel in a shed and unceremoniously helps himself to it. It won't be stealing if he returns it afterward... ]

[twilightskey]

[Home...]

[Roxas didn't reply right away. In fact, if S9 were to notice, he may notice a small, black blot where his quill rested against the page. The concept of "home" brought about such a mix of emotions with it. Technically speaking, he didn't really have a "home" in the traditional sense. The Castle That Never Was had been where he lived, and Sora's heart was where he had originally come from. But if he had to think of what he would call home, well... that was easy.]

It's a place called Twilight Town. It's a bit of a sleepy town, and all the buildings are pretty cramped together, so there aren't many parks or anything. Not unless you go to one of the fancier districts. But there are a bunch of shops to check out, and you can usually find someone to have a Struggle match with in the Sandlot. And if you get a good view, the sunset is really nice to watch.

[decryptic]

That sounds like a nice place.

[ 9S can imagine it. Twilight Town doesn't sound too different from the kind of place he might see in an old picture, or what the shelled-out remnants of a human residential district might have been. But it also sounds like a warmer place than he ever knew.

9S grabs a net from the same shed, then rolls the barrel back toward Roxas. He decides that it'll be faster to fill it with water from the stream running through the village, killer skeleton fish be damned. ]

What's Struggle? I've never heard of it.

[twilightskey]

It is. One of the nicest places I've ever been to.

[He wasn't lying when he said it; he strongly believed there were few places nicer than the sunlit streets of Twilight Town. It was why talking about it left a bittersweet feeling in his gut, knowing that he couldn't go there of his own volition anymore.]

[But he tried not to focus too hard on that, instead turning to 9S's other question.]

It's a competition that's pretty popular there. You use foam swords to try and knock orbs that you're opponent's holding away from them, and the one with the most orbs when time runs out wins.

[decryptic]

[ Roxas might be able to spot 9S as comes back down the village's main path. He rolls the barrel over to the stream nearby and props it upright. With a bit of study followed by a few sharp kicks, he removes a hoop from the barrel and pries off its head. He wraps the net over the new opening to keep any unwanted fish out, tips the barrel into the water, and waits for it to fill up. In the meantime, he checks what Roxas has written and shakes his head. Humans are so strange. ]

That sounds kind of silly. You guys must have had a lot of free time, huh?

[twilightskey]

Haha, yeah.

[Twilight Town was a sleepy town, and had he never been made to realize what was going on, he would have agreed with 9S.]

[He did see the android making his way back down the village path, and he watched until 9S was out of sight. He then turned back to the journal.]

What's your home like?

[decryptic]

Not in great shape. We're always at war, so everything is in disrepair. It's pretty empty, too. This village almost makes me feel like I'm home again.

[ He plucks out a skeleton fish trying to chomp through the net and tosses it away. ]

It's mostly just us androids and Machines back there. I'm still trying to get used to living around humans.

[twilightskey]

Oh... I'm sorry to hear that.

[It didn't sound pleasant, and one look around the village gave Roxas an idea as to what 9S's hometown might look like. It was a little sad to consider.]

What are the machines like? Or other androids?

[decryptic]

It's all right.

[ He isn't particularly sad about how broken down the Earth he knows is. It's all he's ever known, so it just is what it is. ]

All of us androids are made in the image of mankind. We come in all shapes and sizes, just like humans do, and have all kinds of personality types. Our programming and physical specs make us different, but for the most part you'd have a hard time distinguishing an android from a human in a crowd.

Machines are... different. They were made by aliens with the sole purpose of taking over the planet, so they're stupid and simple. They're cobbled together with whatever parts are available, so you get ones stacked with ten torsos and whatnot. They can come in at half your height or as tall as a tower.

[ The barrel is nearly full, so with a lot of heaving and hoing, 9S manages to tip it back up and drag it out of the stream without losing too much water. Phew. ]

I'm coming back now. How're you holding up?

[twilightskey]

That sounds terrifying.

[He's seen some crazy-looking Heartless in his time, but he's never seen one that was ten torsos stacked together like 9S suggested.]

I'm doing okay, but I haven't moved. Nothing else has happened, so I guess that's a positive.

[decryptic]

[ spoilers they're actually kind of cute ]

Great. I'm coming to fetch you.

[ And soon enough, 9S jogs back over! He kneels next to Roxas, pausing this time to give him time to brace himself. ]

Ready?

[twilightskey]

[Roxas couldn't do more than wait, but it isn't long before 9S comes jogging up. He offered him a small smile and a wave, before looking at his legs and letting out a soundless sigh.]

[He nodded slowly, though he did brace himself just in case.]

[decryptic]

Then one, two, three... hup!

[ The hup is more a signal for Roxas than a sign of extertion on 9S's part... He makes the lift in one smooth motion. ]

Man, you guys are pretty light.

[ If Roxas looks like he'll live, then 9S will start marching off for where he left the barrel. ]

[twilightskey]

[Roxas was grateful for that hup, because it gave him a minute to brace himself. Fortunately no further pain came up, and he held onto 9S as the android carried him. He did somewhat frown at the light comment, and once they began walking he turned to his journal.]

You mean all humans, or just me?

[decryptic]

[ 9S peeks at Roxas's journal, lacking the hands to check his own. ]

Well... to be honest, you're the first one I've ever picked up. But I heard once that you humans were pretty concerned about your weight, so I assumed you'd be a little heftier.

[twilightskey]

Seriously?

[Despite the one-word response, he seemed more confused than offended. Now that 9S mentioned it, he did remember Olette and Pence teasing Hayner about all the ice cream he ate... He'd just never really considered it a serious issue. Then again, he wasn't exactly the best reference to go off of.]

[decryptic]

Am I wrong? I thought that if you ate too much and didn't use up enough energy, you'd build up your fat stores. So you had things like weight loss foods to help regulate all that.

[ And he has seen some rather round humans around the Index, so it makes sense to him that it would be a serious concern.

Anyway, here they are at the barrel. 9S turns and lifts Roxas up, the better to help him slip inside. ]

Well, here we are. Here goes nothing.

[twilightskey]

No, I guess not.

[Roxas tucked the journal away as they got to the barrel, taking a steadying breath. He nodded to 9s once he was lifted up, taking a breath to steady himself. Hopefully this would work...]

[At first nothing seemed to happen as the cool water soaked over him, but once he was almost completely lowered in, he gasped sharply as a sharp throb shot through his legs, and he gripped onto the lip of the barrel as be bore the brunt of it. He sank the rest of the way into the barrel, feeling the magic of his transformation course through his body painfully; normally it was a much more pleasant feeling. He hadn't changed out of his clothes for modesty's sake, but he felt his pants get ruined as his tail forced its way out of them.]

[From outside the barrel, all 9s would see is the churning of the water within, as well as a few bubbled and a cry muffled from the water. It takes a few minutes for Roxas to resurface, hands trembling and expression miserable.]

Ah... [He spoke slowly, trying out his voice, before clearing his throat and trying again.] H-Hey...

[decryptic]

[ 9S hovers anxiously at the edge of the barrel for much of this, not being very eager to have participated in the drowning of a human being. Roxas's cry is especially alarming, and 9S is close to dunking himself into the barrel to drag Roxas back out when the boy suddenly re-emerges.

9S lets out a sigh of relief and rocks back on his heels. ]

Yeesh. You know how to give a guy a scare...

[ He registers Roxas's voice and regards him again with hands on hips. ]

So? Did that fix everything?

[twilightskey]

Sorry.

[His voice was rough with disuse, making him almost sound like he had a sore throat. It certainly felt that way, and he rubbed at his throat with one of his hands. He hesitates before answering 9S's question, taking stock of himself in the barrel. He winces a bit as he swishes his tail, then looks back up at the android.]

I... think? My tail is throbbing, but it's not as painful as it was before.