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 Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:49 pm
In which Xue and Ying venture out in search of answers, and meet Liwazo... again? (in progress)
Liwazo peeks into Setsushi's house, generally confused and pretty upset. She didn't know why she was suddenly so much taller, or even where she was exactly. The young Porcelain did the best she could to reign in her emotions, taking a deep breath.
She was still confused. gonk What happened? Where was everybody? She stayed at the door, smoothing out her green sleeves, too nervous to try to project to anyone or ask what was going on, so she simply stood there, almost as if she was waiting for someone to help.
"Do you know where we're going?"
... maybe? sweatdrop
Perhaps Xue isn't entirely sure where he's going. But after he has started growing- and not what he assumed was the normal type of growing, like he'd seen with DS's other wards- he felt that he had to find someone. Anyone.
"It would be nice to have a little bit more than 'maybe,' but I guess it's better than nothing." Ying crashes through a bush after the Porcelain, brushing leaves out of her hair. "But do we have to take the scenic route? Maybe you're wearing hand-me-downs, but I happen to like my clothes."
Xue looks down at the clothes he's borrowed, while his usual robes are being adjusted. Though he had been offered jeans and a t-shirt, he instead chose a slightly overlarge green bathrobe over pajamas with penguins printed on them. While the clothes are a bit bulkier than the ones he is used to, they still feel more natural than the other ones he was offered.
Before he can think too long on the subject of clothes, however, he spots someone just ahead, outside what appears to be some sort of house. Without even waiting to see who it is, he projects very loudly, Friend!
"Are you sure?" Ying asks, skeptical. She doesn't step forward, just in case Xue is wrong.
Of course Xue is sure! Whoever that person is, they must be a friend!
Liwazo whirls around, thinking that if someone is projecting that loudly that they could be nothing but friendly. Growing has fuddled her memory, but the sight of another Porcelain brushes away some of the cobwebs. And one so awkwardly dressed.
She giggles at Xue's outfit, her confusion forgotten for a moment. Friend?
Xue turns back to Ying pointedly, his expression clearly stating "I told you so." Then he runs forward, robe flapping around him as he does so.
Friendfriendfriendfriendfriend!
As he gets closer, he slows down for two reasons. First, because he doesn't want to bowl his new friend over. Not yet, anyway. And second, because something is telling him that this friend isn't new.
Confused, he peers at Liwazo. It has been a long time since Xue has sought out another Porcelain, but has Xue met this one before? confused
Liwazo watches Xue, hoping he'll slow down so she won't have to get tackled. He does, and she breathes a small sigh of relief. He looks familiar...but Li isn't sure. She's not sure of much of anything lately. Too much change for her young mind to handle.
Liwazo thinks she has met Xue before...but she doesn't know for sure. Friend anyway? Li tilts her head to the side, trying to remember Xue, but it's not working. It's frustrating.
Xue is not really sure either. sweatdrop It's just a feeling he has, but he has been wrong about such things before. It doesn't really matter though, as long as this one is willing to be his friend anyway.
To that end, he thrusts his hand out in front of him excitedly, copying the way DS meets new people. Xue is Xue! Who is this Porcelain, and what is she doing here, and will she maybe play with Xue later? He understands that this is maybe not the best time, so he would be willing to wait. See, isn't he patient?
Watching the pair, Ying can't help but put her palm to her forehead. She has a lot to teach Xue about the right way to treat a lady. The "haven't we met somewhere before?" line is so overused!
XUE HEARD THAT. stare
... Xue hasn't done anything wrong, has he?
Liwazo notices Ying, but turns her attention back to Xue. Ying seems familiar too, but Xue is Porcelain, and she hasn't seen another Porcelain in a very long time. She blinks at the hand held out and remembers vaguely how Lori would do that sometimes. Li slid her hand into his, grasping the other Porcelain's hand.
Um..but now what? Liwazo forgot what to do next. Uuuh...Liwazo is Liwazo. It's a little hard for her to keep up with his questions. Liwazo is...she doesn't really know what she is doing here. She was lonely, and then grew really big, and found her way here.
Liwazo would love to play though! She misses playing with other Porcelain! Miko and Serenity are nice, but Serenity is excited a lot and Miko is usually off with Lori. Xue didn't do anything wrong..that Liwazo knows about.
Holding Liwazo's hand firmly, Xue pumps his arm up and down energetically. It is nice to meet Liwazo! Of course, Xue thinks it is nice to meet just about everyone, but it is always nicest to meet whoever he is currently meeting.
Liwazo got big too? So it is not just Xue. He isn't sure whether that makes him feel better about it, but maybe if they both know someone else it is happening to, it would be better for both of them. Maybe it's all normal. Or maybe it's in their heads, and this is all one big dream!
Except that would almost make Xue sad, because then he wouldn't really be meeting Liwazo. sad
What would Liwazo like to play? Xue knows lots of games, so he thinks Liwazo should pick. He doesn't know either of those people... not that he remembers, anyway. And he is glad he didn't do anything wrong!
Ying feels a bit out of the loop- not that she isn't glad that Xue is making (yet more) friends, but she sort of wishes she brought along someone else to talk to. Or at least a magazine.
... to be continued!
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Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:12 am
In which Xue defeats the Lost-monster, finds a number of old Porcelain friends, and meets a very big Porcelain!
[link/snag from Aryn? not tonight x_x;]
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Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 2:36 am
In which Xue finds his first weapon, and Ying begins to come to terms.
Ying pushed a cart full of laundry through the too-small hallway of her home, stopping at each door to unload clean clothes in everyone's room. She was about to pass by Yeine's room, feeling the pang of loneliness she always felt, when she paused. The door was ajar. "Is someone in there?" she asked, hesitating. She wasn't sure she wanted to just walk in. Chances were, it would make her upset. But she had to see what it was.
Pushing the door just a little, she found Xue sitting in front of Yeine's computer terminal, tapping buttons on it with a look of excited perplexity. "What are you doing?" she asked, some bossiness creeping into her voice. "You're not supposed to be here."
Xue jumped when he heard Ying's voice, and sat on his hands. Er... Xue wasn't doing anything! In fact, Xue isn't even here! It's all Ying's imagination! 3nodding
If Ying were in a better mood, she might have laughed. Instead, she just folded her arms smugly. "You've tried that one on me before. Now, what are you really doing in here? We- we're not supposed to change this room." That way, hopefully, one day Yeine would come back and stay for good.
Xue wasn't moving anything, honest! He just wanted to look at something on her computer, but he doesn't really get how it works. He just knows that it's possible to find maps on it.
Sighing, Ying shoved Xue lightly. "Move over," she said, sitting next to him on the chair. "What did you want to look up?"
The place that Xue found all the Porcelain at. It was near the place where Xue and Ying went the first time, except a little further away. It sells noodles, and there's a biiiiiig Porcelain who's the noodle-man.
"Is that all?" Shrugging, Ying typed in a few words and within moments, had a printout of the general area. Pulling out one of Yeine's higlighters from her desk drawer, she began to outline a route. "You take the train here. Once you get off, you walk down this street until you see the flower shop. Turn left. Walk another couple of streets, until- oh, what's on that corner again? A cafe, I think it was. You should start seeing less buildings around here. From there, it's straight on this road until you find it. I think." Ying squinted at her map. It looked right to her, but then again, it also looked like a bunch of squiggles. Hopefully Xue would be able to read it.
Overjoyed, Xue took the map and held it over his head. Xue has a map! Take that, Lost-monster! scream
Covering her mouth to hide her smile, Ying faked a cough. "Lost-monster?"
Yes, the Lost-monster! Has Xue not told Ying about the Lost-monster yet! He must, in case anything bad ever happens to Ying!
Taking her by the arm, Xue put the map in his pocket before escorting her out of the room, projecting all sorts of things about the Lost-monster and its two closest allies, the Dark-monster and the Alone-monster.
As they left, Ying looked back at the room. If she didn't know better, she would think that Yeine was just out shopping, or at a class, rather than really gone. Maybe that was why her friend had suggested leaving most of her belongings, even though she knew she would be in a strange place for an undisclosed amount of time. Because she wanted to have something to come back for.
As if he saw what Ying saw, Xue stopped lecturing on monsters and just patted her hand. It will be okay. Yei and Ying are best friends, so Yei will have to come back. And until she does, Lin and Ren and Vivi and Bob and Eri and Zvoni and Des and Xue will take care of Ying.
He would say the green ghost will take care of Ying too, but he doesn't want to assume. sweatdrop
"No, you're right," Ying replied bitterly. Savvy would probably take care of her permanently, if she thought she could get away with it. But then she softened, and squeezed Xue's hand. "You're right. Thank you."
Of course! Xue and Ying are friends, family! They have to take care of each other! 3nodding
And on that note, Xue launched back into his monster schmiel. Monsters are more powerful when they get a person alone... is Ying listening?
"Yes," she replied, closing the door to Yeine's room behind them.
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Posted: Thu Dec 04, 2008 9:06 pm
In which Xue finds a swarm of monsters who may not be monsters (in progress)
Shuuken sits on the second step of Setsushi's shop, a blade of grass poking from between her lips. Her eyes slip left and then right before she rises, a bokken clenched between her fingers. Around her, Shuuken can only see a land rife with injustice and the bent backs of the oppressed.
It's up to Shuuken to liberate them. Into the yard storms the little girl, a furious cry rising from her lips as she sends a few somewhat-deft and yet obviously-clumsy sword strokes through the air, felling an invisible opponent. Shuuken proceeds to spit the blade of grass from her lips in distaste twirling between her fingers and letting it rest against the inside of her belt.
Already after her victory, the princess surveys the landscape around her critically.
Justice has been done...
... but more must be delivered!
He was on his way from one place to another, as it would seem to be the norm, and Hisame idly whistled a tune as his legs carried him down the pathway. In his hands he held yet another book, probably the source of his unlucky fortune in terms of actually reaching his destinations of late, and he would glance up from the characters on the pages every now and again to make sure he wasn't headed for something that could injure him. Like a wall, or a bench.
Today was tutoring and then tonfa lessons, the weather getting a little too chilly to take in extra swimming like he wanted to, and he shivered slightly as he turned a page and turned a corner down a road that was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. He'd walked this path only once before, and he'd been lost that time as well, so it was not strange for him to look up and frown at his surroundings.
"...Where am I now?"
Xue skips happily down the road to the udon-ya, holding a canvas bag by the handles, and allowing it to occasionally bump against the ground. His robes are finally fixed, and he feels much better wearing them... yet close observers may notice the penguin-print pajama pants peeking out from underneath. After all, Xue thinks, it's a waste just to wear these things at home!
In his other hand, he is holding a map of the area, which he has asked his family to mark for him with the way to the noodle-man's house. This caused some confusion, but a bit of research (and a chat with a certain raptor) cleared things up. He is alone again, but amuses himself by swinging the bag wildly and wondering what udon tastes like.
The map works perfectly; Xue arrives at the shop without getting lost even once. But before he can celebrate, he spots new people: a not-Porcelain, and a Porcelain! What luck! Dropping the bag, Xue runs over to see what's going on- and more importantly, if these strangers will be his friends!
What the? A kid?
"Ah, pardon me. I seem to have wandered...off....again. Man."
Hisame sighed and closed his book with a snap, his gaze turning fully down at the child that stood before him. He wasn't surprised at her appearance, as he'd seen someone like this before (named Silver), but none the less he hadn't expected there to be a chance of one so young. But it only made sense - they couldn't just always be full grown.
"Would you happen to know the way to the local gym? I'm supposed to be there teaching a class in about half an hour, and I'm stuck out here."
A gym? The wanderer wishes to know where a gym is?! Shuuken laughs at him for such!
And indeed, a feeling of mirth rolls off of the Porcelain as her lips twist into amusement. Both displays quickly disappear, however, and are replaced by a stern look.
A gym, he says! Shuuken casts the man a look before shaking her head. Shuuken only knows of the position of one gym--and it trains one to become a man! Shuuken narrows her eyes, attempting to hold the man's gaze.
Does he think he is ready for such a place?!
Shuuken pauses, the stiff blade of grass relaxing between her lips when she spots the kid. It's not so much the kid that surprises her, but...
... Penguins?!
Xue stops short before he barrels into either of the people, and takes a moment to catch his breath. Oh, the Porcelain likes his penguins! He knew they were too good to just wear indoors. Pleased, he twirls around, letting his robes spin out and reveal another inch or two of pants.
Is the Porcelain a friend of the noodle-man? Xue has come to try this udon he was told about! But more important than that, always, is will this new Porcelain be Xue's friend?
And the not-Porcelain too, he adds, waving cheerily to the other stranger. Today is already a good day!
Shuuken stares at the penguins for a few moments-- she even crouches, grabs the boy's robes, and lifts them slightly to get a better look. After long moments of fascination, Shuuken's eyes move to meet the boy's.
Whuh? What was he saying? Shuuken's eyes suddenly narrow, a frown lining her features as her hand slaps lightly to grab the boy's shoulder. Was he never told not to speak with strangers?! Does he not know he is talking to the vicious, yet heroic, General of the Demon Brigade?! scream
Her eyes proceed to shift towards the martial artist, eyeing him curiously. He musn't talk to adult strangers, either! Why, for all they know, that man is the worst kind of devil! Of course, as she thinks that, she makes the message most available to the man.
. . . . This was odd. He could feel like something was being shouted at him, yet he couldn't hear anything at all coming from the child's mouth. From either of their mouths, actually.
"Um, are you mute? Both of you?"
He gently turned his head to look at either child, one of his eyebrows raising. They seemed to be communicating with one another just fine, as one had waved at them and then was slapped by the other for something that perhaps had been talking.
Now, he wasn't aware that Porcelains communicated via empathy, and it should be known that he was considered a little 'hard-headed', which would explain why he had no idea what was going on.
"Is there anyone around who can talk? All I get from you too is what you're acting out with your body, not much else, and it seems like you can't trust me and you're overly friendly."
Xue doesn't mind her taking a closer look. In fact, he's pleased that she likes them so much! However, when she begins to address him, he begins to shrink away. Xue knows he's not supposed to talk to the bad strangers, but he didn't think that these particular strangers were bad strangers. And if they aren't bad strangers, they are just friends that Xue hasn't met yet.
But if this Porcelain (who Xue is having a bit of difficulty identifying gender-wise) is the General of the Demon Brigade, does that mean... a monster!? eek
All at once, Xue takes five steps backwards. He doesn't want to run away from his first encounter with a real monster, but all the same, he'd rather not be within striking distance. He also regards the other stranger with unease, not projecting anything towards him. He knows of monsters who can look like humans (and apparently like Porcelain as well! Xue should have known!) but he thought there would be some way to tell.
Maybe bringing the map-weapon wasn't enough to prepare him after all. gonk
Shuuken's eyes widen as she glances around--huh? A mons--ooohhhh! Her confusion is replaced by a confident smirk, her hands settling on her hips. Yes, Shuuken is a monster of the battlefield! No man has ever been able to stand against her!
The kid has a right to be frightened! Shuuken gives the air a fierce uppercut before she pauses, glancing to the man. ... Is he serious? She snorts lightly, her arms folding once more.
"Is thi--this better?" asks the girl with her clumsy grasp of English, an eyebrow raising slightly.
As the three talk, Shuuken's name is called from the udon shop in the distance. She blinks and peers at it before a tanned figure in a baggy shirt and jeans appears at the steps.
The male pauses before glancing to the three of them and blinking. Instead of shouting, he raises a hand in greeting before beginning to move towards the group. Already, positive emotions are leaking from the Porcelain as the human makes his way towards them.
Hisame couldn't really help but snort a little at the reactions the two children were displaying before him, a little grin flickering over his lips at he watched two very clearly different personalities go into play. The little girl(?) appeared to be such a spitfire, while the other seemed to be confused yet getting some sort of message. Perhaps they communicated through some mixed language only, in which case -
"Yes, yes it is. Thank you very much, I was beginning to get a little confused."
He was relieved to the point of a sigh when the little girl started to speak to him, and his little grin turned into a very friendly smile. If she could manage at least that much, then she could maybe tell him just where he was. He was about to speak again when he heard an actual voice calling someone's name, he didn't know which child, and he looked up to see a human man approaching.
Finally. Someone who can talk.
"Oh, hello there."
Ren has been napping on Setsushi's roof more frequently than he usually does, which is never. He slowly opened his eyes, awakened from the noise made by the people below. He sat up and stretched for a bit, before looking out at the edge. What the heck is happening down there? he asked himself. He carefully peered from the roof to see what was going on. Whatever was happening below was beginning to disappear. Ren just stood up and jumped down from the roof and landing perfectly on his feet.
Eyes wide, Xue nods rapidly. He won't challenge the Demon-monster. He doesn't want to fight... and even if he did, he doesn't really know how. He is sure that the Demon-monster would beat Xue, so she doesn't need to try! He just wants to know if the Demon-monster is a nice monster or a mean monster. Nice monsters still fight sometimes, but not all the time, while mean ones like to eat little Porcelain for lunch. Or do other mean things to them.
It doesn't occur to him that lecturing a monster on the nature of monsters would neither be necessary nor especially wise. Rather, he is fascinated to meet a real monster in person.
He eyes the newcomer with some suspicion. If he is a friend of the Demon-monster, he is probably a monster himself! A bigger, more powerful one! Xue is not sure whether to feel lucky or terrified.
Then, as yet another man jumps down from the roof, Xue falls over in surprise and puts his arms over his head. Pleasedon'teatXuehedoesn'ttasteasgoodascookiesandhewilltearthemapuphepromises! crying
And Shuuken's attention turns from the man and to the little Porcelain, her tongue poking from between her lips before licking them. She then pokes her tongue out farther before wiggling it from side-to-side.
Shuuken is so huuunnngggg-rrrrryyyy! She curls her fingers into claws as she stomps towards the Porcelain--and then he begins to shiver and appear on the verge of crying. She drops the facade, her eyes narrowing as she stands in front of the small Porcelain.
Shuuken is a good monster! Never would he allow harm to befall such a gentle, wonderful creature! Shuuken's eyes dart to the adults assembled, a deadly look crossing the small princess' face.
Right?! scream
Lynod pauses, glancing back to the appearing man before his eyes are pulled back to the greeting man and the children. He's more than a little confused as he nods his head, his eyes blinking profusely.
"Yes, yes, we would never--" says the man before pausing, his eyes darting to the other two adults before he leans in to the martial artist and whispers.
"What is going on?"
"I'm at a loss. I got lost and wandered in here, met her(?) and then him(?), and figured they were both mute since I couldn't understand them."
He turned his head towards the person who had jumped from the roof and gave a whistle of approval, also nodding his head in a polite greeting. This place was getting weirder and weirder by the moment, almost like he had stumbled into something from another world, but he was a bit too polite to really ask what was going on and a little too curious to simply try and backtrack to find the main road.
"My name's Hisame, by the way. Fujioka Hisame, but just Hisame is fine."
Ren stared at the child who who was trying to hide herself in the ground. What exactly is going on here? he asked himself, scratching his head slightly. He stood there and stared at the frightened child in front of him, not noticing that his knife that hug around his narrow waist was pretty visible. "Are you ok?" he asked as he slowly approached him. He knelt in front of her and lifted his chin slightly. His attention was focused on the small child that he really noticed the other people around them, but he was pretty aware of their presence.
Xue sniffs quietly, but nods. He is glad that the Demon-monster is a nice monster... but he has yet to be convinced about the rest of them. Since the first one hasn't done anything scary, Xue decided to assume he is nice. And the Demon-monster is clearly in charge of the second one. But the third one...
As the third one comes forward to grab him, Xue jerks away. Xue will not let himself get eaten! He may not know how to fight, but he is a monster expert, and he can't go like this! He scoots back, still on his hands and knees (and with his penguin pajamas now fully exposed), trying to reach the bag that he abandoned without taking his eyes off any of the monsters.
And Shuuken whips her bokken out, ready to clonk Rag soundly if he makes another move.Shuuken dares him to move forward again! He won't harm a hair on the kid's head! scream
The small human's face twists from a look of confusion to displeasure. "Shuuken," says Lynod softly, obviously not approving of the girl's behavior. Shuuken actually frowns before lowering the sword slightly.
The kid's scared and that guy kept coming! It wasn't Shuuken's fault--she had to protect him!
"But you didn't need violence," reminds Lynod sternly, "You did not understand his intentions whatsoever, did you?" He turns to smile apologetically to Rag. "I am very sorry about that--she is a very protective person."
Shuuken snorts slightly, obviously annoyed as Lynod's eyes shift to Hisame. The man's smile only grows and he extends a hand to Hisame. "My name is Lynn Nodess," says the man, "It is a pleasure to meet you."
"Pleasure to meet you, Lynn. It's actually a little cute to see a spitfire in action like this. I wonder if she's driven by the desire to protect one of her kind or just by a strong sense of justice and childish innocence?"
It took him a moment or two to realize the man had been speaking back and forth to the little girl without having actually said anything aloud, and for another second his brow curled as he tried to process what that meant. Were they really using ESP like he'd originally thought but blown off, or was there something he was missing?
"Are speaking with her through some kind of telepathy?"
He knew he was asking a dumb and very obvious question, but Hisame had no idea how this was occurring. He didn't know what a Porcelain was, or how they communicated, so in this case asking was his best bet.
Ren watched as the boy scrambled away. He felt a bit stunned and weirded out. ...right, he thought as he continued to stare at penguin clad youth. He stood up and dusted his pants. He continued to stare at the frightened youth with a confused expression.
His ear twitched a bit as he could hear light foot steps behind him. Leaving in the woods for several years taught to be more aware of his surroundings. He slowly grabbed hold of his knife, ready to block or parry any incoming attack.
"Shuuken!" the man behind him yelled. Ren looked behind him and saw a girl with a bokken in her hand. It was the same girl from the noodle shop he ate with Atlas last time. He continued to watch the two. it seems like the older man was her father or teacher or something. The man turned to him and apologized for the child's behavior.
"It was no problem," Ren assured him. He looked at the girl and gave her a friendly smile to assure her that he wasn't dangerous or anything. He continued to look at her and felt a strange familiarity about the girl. It reminded him of Hikari, the boy that Atlas took care of.
Another scoot backwards, and Xue's hands close over the bag. He clutches it to him tightly, then begins to rifle through it. A few miscellaneous items are tossed out randomly: a package of colored pens, a plastic cup, another canvas bag, a few white feathers tied on a red cord. He then triumphantly pulls out a green flashlight, and shines it on the group.
Reveal your true form, monsters! scream
He waits for a couple of seconds, then smacks his hand against the flashlight nervously. Why isn't it working? gonk
Lynod nods softly to Hisame, most amused at the man's wording. "Something like that," says Lynod before nodding slightly, "She has a strong sense of justice. And as for the way they speak, well--" Before he can finish, however, a beam of light hits him courtesy of Xue. The small man is left blinking as he stares at the child.
Shuuken blinks as well, obviously confused by the gesture. It takes her a few moments before she drops her bokken, her hands moving to claw at her throat before she hits the ground and twitches profusely. From the ground, Shuuken glares at the adults. She proceeds to send them a message that Xue isn't allowed to receive: If they don't try to make the kid feel safe--
And Lynod actually smiles moments before he falls to the ground and begins twitching alongside the small Porcelain girl. From his twitching, rolling position in the grass, the human gestures for the other two adults to join him.
So Hisame's first thoughts aren't 'okay, I'll roll as well' but more or less 'sonnuva, my eyes!', though he quickly smiles it off as childhood play and watches to see what was going to come next. When he notices that the other two are now...rolling...on the ground and he is being advised to do the same, he feels a small lump pile into his stomach as he sighs and removes the satchel that has been on his back.
It hits the ground with a clump, spilling out two large metal tonfa, and he quickly kicks them aside with his foot before he drops down in a very dramatic action of being slain. Or something.
"Now what?"
Ren got flashed by the green light, which made him more weirded out. What was that for? he asked himself as he turned towards the frightened boy. He stared at the frightened child who was holding his flashlight like his life depended on it.
He turned his attention back to the other two humans that were talking and noticed that they were rolling on the grass. He saw the older one, the one named Lynn, motioning him to join into the act. ...ok, He thought and joined in anyway. He dropped on the floor and started rolling about like Kobi would after his meal. He felt rather ridiculous but hey, everyone is doing it.
It... it worked! Well, sort of. Xue had thought that the light would make the monsters reveal what they really looked like... but he supposes that this is, in a way, better. Maybe he isn't ready to see what they look like yet. And now, no one would eat him.
Shutting the light off, Xue gets to his feet and jumps up and down a couple of times in triumph. Even though he was scared, he still managed to defeat four monsters, most of them bigger than him!
His victory dance only lasts a moment, however. Even though a couple of the monsters were scary, the Demon-monster was sort of nice. And hungry, she had said. Maybe they were all hungry, and that was why they were being scary. Well, he could fix that!
Quickly stuffing the rest of the things back into the bag, he rushes over to the group of (in Xue's eyes) hurt monsters and kneels next to the Demon-monster specifically. Again he reaches into the bag, and this time he pulls out a chocolate-chip cookie. He offers it to Shuuken, looking at the others as he does so. If they are all nice monsters, Xue would be happy to share. He is sorry if they are hurting. And he would rather make friends with monsters than hurt them, anyway. 3nodding
~To be continued (I hope!)
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:18 pm
Which is reserved until the above is completed.
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Posted: Thu Jan 01, 2009 9:21 pm
In which Xue accompanies ladies to a Christmas Masquerade.
http://www.gaiaonline.com/forum/breedable-changing-pets-roleplay/prp-sf-holiday-masquerade/t.45948373/
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Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2009 1:33 am
In which Flying Swords finds a job, a tour guide, and Xue
Flying Swords Tenryuu looks over her shoulder at an imposing building behind her. She was never that fond of schools, and now she finds herself employed at one. Her interview went well, fortunately. The 'head coach' was at first doubtful that a woman of her stature could 'hold her own on the court,' but was impressed by Tenryuu's stamina and dexterity. And, Tenryuu suspects, she was simply in the right place at the right time. The coach seemed desperate for assistants.
So now she carries a folded gray 'sweatsuit,' loose pants and a top made of a blend of materials that is furry on the inside, and that will certainly make her sweat during exercise. But the sweatshirt is emblazoned with the school's logo as well as the word STAFF in block letters, to mark Tenryuu as one of them. She is pleased with her success at securing a job that won't embarrass or bore her. Her only hope is that her mother is having similar luck.
As she walks to the school gates, she spots a boy sitting on the lawn. He is leaning against a winged, furred beast that is about the size of a large mount, with a book in his lap. This is an odd sight, since class is supposedly in session. But odder yet, this boy is Porcelain!
Curiosity gets the better of Tenryuu. Once she is close enough, she nods to the mount, bends over, and looks closely at the boy. When he does not seem to notice, she laughs softly. "Is your book so interesting?"
If Xue were indoors, he might have hit the ceiling. As it is, he jumps up and knocks into the mount, which then topples him forward. It is only through some creative twisting that he manages to avoid falling directly into Tenryuu, and instead sprawls on the grass.
The furred creature is similarly surprised, and tips this way and that before slouching next to Xue. "Please do not do that again," says a low, shaky voice. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
Now it is Tenryuu's turn to be shocked, and she lets her bottom drop to the ground with a thump. She knows now that Gaia is full of wonders, both magical and innovative, that she had never imagined. But coming face to face with a talking mount caught her quite off guard. She offers her sincerest apologies for startling them both. She did not mean to cause any harm.
"... yes, well." The beast does not seem to fully comprehend the sentiments, but is at least reassured that she will be more careful.
After a few moments on the grass, the Porcelain boy springs to his feet. Porcelain Porcelain Porcelain! Friend Friend Friend! He is wildly excited and not entirely coherent, but seems clearly surprised to find a Porcelain here. And an old one too! surprised
For a moment Tenryuu stiffens. Then she bursts into laughter. She is probably not much that older than he is, she suggests. And she is at least equally surprised to find a Porcelain child here. Is he a student at this school? She is pleased at the idea of possibly working with Porcelain children.
Amused as well, Xue shakes his head. He does not go to school. Des is here looking at schools for some of his brothers and sisters, but not all of them. Lin probably won't go to school, and Xue doesn't think he will either. Of course, it's possible that none of them will. Des has looked at schools before, and nothing has happened. sweatdrop
But but but that is not really important because now Xue has a new friend he wants to know about! And he is sorry he called her old. Xue is Xue, and his friend is Sirry, and he is very happy to meet new friend!
"Tenryuu. I am pleased to meet you, Xue and Sirry," Tenryuu says. She wonders why only some of Xue's family would go to school. Perhaps they are not all of the proper age, but he seems to be. She is also curious how such a large Porcelain family is established, since Xue's projections indicate a great number of siblings.
Xue is very happy to meet Ten! whee
Not at all bothered by Tenryuu's perhaps nosy questions, Xue cheerfully explains that his family is large and interesting. He is the only Porcelain in his family- except for Oneechan, who is not Xue's sister but some other weird relation through a dinosaur. It is very complicated, and Xue does not entirely understand. But not everyone in Xue's family is suited for school, as Des put it, which is why she's never sent them, and why Xue doubts she will send them now.
Did Ten go to school? Or does she go to school now? Is it fun? Xue has never been, except to look, and he is curious what it is like.
Xue will have to be careful that his nickname does not confuse her and her mother, Tenryuu warns. Or her aunt, she supposes, but as far as she knows her aunt is not here, and that is probably for the best.
The situation with Xue's family seems confusing indeed, and Tenryuu does not waste time trying to sort it out. Instead she nods; she has indeed been to school. She never found it that fun though. She enjoyed the learning and most of the classmates, but the setting did not always work for her. She supposes it will have to now, since she is to be working at this school.
Really? Oh, Xue wishes he could go to school now. He would like to have her as a teacher! But he is not very good at lessons, so Des has mostly stopped trying. He thinks she is disappointed in him. sad
But maybe not, because she always says that Xue is a big help in the kitchen and with the little ones. He is good at doing things, if not at thinking things.
For a moment, Tenryuu is angry. Why is a human dismissing him? He is definitely hyper and a bit scattered, but he seems intelligent enough. Then her expression softens again, and she pats Xue on the head lightly. As long as he is happy, she is sure that this Des will be happy too. And she is certain he is a big help.
And, of course, he doesn't need to attend school in order to see her. If Xue would like, he can come visit Tenryuu... when her family finds a place to live, anyway. sweatdrop
No house? Oh no! gonk Then Ten will just have to come stay with Xue until she finds a place! 3nodding
If Ten likes, he can take her to a yummy place he knows. There is a place that serves delicious noodles, and the cook is also a Porcelain, though he has mostly been out when Xue has visited.
Although the offer is wildly impractical, Tenryuu is touched and promises to call on Xue if she needs the help... though privately she hopes she is never quite that desperate.
She quickly recognizes the description of the udon-ya, and nods. So, Setsushi is not always home for his customers? Tenryuu will have to have a word with him about this.
Ten knows the giant noodle-man? surprised
In that case, Xue insists on meeting her there sometime. He thinks that she must be new on Gaia, or he would have met her before. He has lived here for some time, and has at least seen most of the Porcelain who were here before the new ones started coming. If Ten is new, Xue can show her around! Or better, he can show her around when Des gets back!
Tenryuu pauses, considers... and bursts into laughter. "Noodle-man!" she shrieks. "Giant noodle-man!" It is perfect! She will have to mention it to Setsushi sometime. It is an amusing description, in more ways than one. Her laughter peters out, and she catches her breath. Truly, Xue is a genius.
At this next generous offer, however, Tenryuu is uneasy. She does not want to divert this Des from her business, nor does she want to pull Xue away from her. Yes, she would like to know more about the area, but-
Then there is no time like the present, Xue insists firmly. Then he looks around, as if suspecting an eavesdropper. When he is satisfied, he confides that all there is to do at home is more school-searching, something that Xue is tired of. He suspects Des is tired as well, but she doesn't notice being tired until she falls over.
As he mentions this, a young woman with long blue hair approaches from behind. She pauses a few feet away, as Xue tells of the time she accidentally made lemon cake with soap, and frowns. "Xue, who are you telling all my faults to?" she asks. Her voice is cheerful enough, but there is exhaustion lingering beneath the surface.
Xue jumps again, this time landing on his feet, and runs to DS. Des Des Porcelain Porcelain! He quickly introduces his friend Ten to his Des. Ten, Des. Des, Ten. Xue would like to take Ten exploring!
More guarded with the arrival of Xue's guardian, Tenryuu bows. "I am pleased to meet you, Miss Des. I am Tenryuu." Though she would never turn down Xue's generosity, she insists that today is not the best day. Surely they have other things to do.
DS, garbed in her favorite kimono, bows in return. "I am equally pleased to meet you, Tenryuu-san. Please just call me DS- or Des, if you like." She looks at Xue and smiles widely. "A tour. What a wonderful idea. I could use a bit of a break. Unless you are busy, Tenryuu-san." They could postpone the outing to another time, of course. If that is the case, DS would like to give Tenryuu-san her contact information. Xue sometimes loses track of his friends, so it is fortunate that he makes new ones so easily.
Xue pouts slightly. Just because he makes new friends does not mean he likes to lose the old ones! Xue wants to be friends with everybody!
Tenryuu laughs and pats Xue on the head again. While she cannot guarantee he will be friends with everyone, she promises that he is off to a very good start. wink
She also nods deferentially to DS. While she is still not fully relaxed around the woman, she is at least content that she is not mistreating Xue. And she meekly admits that, so long as they are really not busy, she would enjoy accompanying them a while longer.
Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay! blaugh
Without waiting for another word, Xue grabs DS with one hand and Tenryuu with the other, and starts to drag them towards the gate. Now that they have decided, what are they waiting for? There is so much to see and show and tell!
DS allows herself to be dragged along. "Sirius, you can go home if you like. We probably won't be heading there for a while yet."
"Nonsense." Sirry, or Sirius, shakes his head. "I would be more comfortable staying with you." The creature, which Xue will later tell Tenryuu is called a Tala, and that they tend to several Talaye, stretches his wings and follows the crowd, mindful not to inadvertently block the road.
At first, Xue's steady touch makes Tenryuu uneasy. She does not like prolonged contact with others. But Xue is so innocent, so carefree, that it is actually somewhat refreshing. She relaxes again, and begins to enjoy herself.
A job, a new friend, and even a tour of her new home. Tenryuu never expected that one morning would bring such bounty... or how grateful she would be to have it.
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 10:36 pm
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Posted: Fri May 15, 2009 10:37 pm
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Posted: Sat May 16, 2009 12:15 am
In which Xue makes preparations
The leather satchel is empty, for once, its contents spread over the floor of the pantry. Although there is a light fixture installed in the small room, it is off, the only illumination coming from a large flashlight. Monster paraphernalia litters the floor, as well as the usually-empty bottom shelves of the pantry.
Sitting cross-legged in the dark, Xue looks at his supplies. It looks like enough, but he has to be sure. There will be no second chances.
With a determined expression, he begins to examine each individual piece. The book is the best place to start. It is a basic sketchbook, better than a cheap spiral-bound book but nothing special. A few pages are beginning to come loose, and some drawings were drawn on other papers and simply tucked in. It is extensive, with multiple pictures of most of the monsters Xue and Karan had created, and a few he had seen elsewhere. While the loose pages are a concern, there isn't much he can do about it, so he sighs and packs the notebook away.
Next comes the map. At first it was a basic printout of the area around his home. When that proved not to be enough, he'd added printouts from other areas, like near the train station and around the udon-ya. When DS noticed his growing collection, she bought a large map of the greater Gaia area, laminated and foldable, and marked it with important landmarks. It is one of his best weapons, and fortunately still in good condition, so Xue places it in the bag with the book.
There are a number of odds and ends that have to be looked over. A large shiny quartz crystal, since monsters often like shinies. A silver spoon, since some scarier monsters don't like silver. Xue has both a magnifying glass for examining traces of monsters close up and binoculars for looking for monsters far away. There is a bottle for water and a box for cookies and a homemade dreamcatcher, in case any of the monsters attack while he is sleeping. There is even a waiter's corkscrew, complete with a small, dull knife that folds out. Xue feels guilty about borrowing that, but he prefers the guilt to the fear that a really scary monster will find him, and he'll have nothing with which to defend himself.
Last, but certainly not least, he examines the flashlight itself. It's fairly hefty and quite bright, and instead of running on batteries, gets energy by turning a handle attached to it. Even though there's probably enough juice to last him a while, Xue cranks it absently, while eying the sheets of clear plastic he puts over the top to create different colored lights, and the rubber bands to secure it. Everything looks like its in order.
Except one thing, which Xue nearly forgot! Reaching into the space between two shelves, he pulls out a long-handled butterfly net. He'd only had the idea to use one a few days ago, and Des just bought it for him that afternoon. It's almost as tall as he is, with a strap so he can sling it over his shoulder, and a large net made of fine mesh. With this, he is confident he'll be able to catch something, anything.
He waves the net experimentally, accidentally snagging a jar of apricot jam and knocking it to the floor. SMASH goes the jar, and a sticky orange ooze begins to leak onto the tile floor.
... oops. sweatdrop
"What was that?" There is a fumbling in the kitchen, and DS opens the door and flips the light switch. "Xue? What are you doing in here?"
Noooooo Des can't see! Xue was fixing his hunting kit in private. He doesn't want anyone else to watch! gonk
"Hunting?" DS is briefly puzzled, but begins to understand when she spots the net in Xue's hand. "Oh of course, monster hunting. Have you found any yet?" she asks, highly amused. Xue never fails to make things more interesting, she has to admit.
Not yet. That is why Xue was checking his equipment. He doesn't know why he hasn't found anything yet. He has everything he can think of. He's even seen evidence of monsters, like the Lost Monster and the Dark Monster. But he hasn't been able to really find one yet. Why?
DS pursed her lips. Maybe, she suggests gently, he doesn't need to go out looking for them. Maybe he can find them right here in his mind-
No! That's not enough for Xue. He knows they exist, so he has to find them. He has to. At this point, he is almost pleading with Des. She won't stop him from finding them, will she?
Of course not. She just thought... but maybe it isn't time to say that. After all, she would not want to cramp such a vivid imagination. He will only be a child once (although, with what she has seen of Porcelain, there's no guarantee), and he should be able to enjoy it to the fullest. And if that means monster hunting, she wishes him good luck.
But... "Your container there looks rather empty," she comments innocently. "What normally goes in there?"
Cookies! Or muffins, or cupcakes, or whatever is handy. Since hunting for monsters makes Xue tired and hungry.
Des wouldn't happen to have anything he can fill the box with, would she? whee
"Maaaaaybe." DS peeks behind her into the kitchen. "I might have a fresh batch of chocolate chip muffins for a hungry adventurer." If, that is, said adventurer is willing to clean up the jam he spilled, provided she cleans up the glass first.
Des has herself a deal!
First, Xue will capture the jam. And next, for sure, a monster!
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 9:55 pm
In which Xue battles a different kind of monster
There is a tapping noise upstairs.
Xue's eyes snap open. He wasn't asleep yet, and the noise makes him even less drowsy. It's probably something simple, he reminds himself. Maybe Bob or Aunt Nai walking around, or something in the pipes, or-
The sound gets louder, and any lingering chance of Xue actually galling asleep disappears.
It isn't normally this bad. Usually Kar is there, and that helps Xue fall asleep. Maybe it's the sound of his breathing blocking all the other noises out, or his warmth, or just another presence in the room. Whatever the reason, now that Kar sick and quarantined in another room, Xue can't sleep.
This is silly, he tells himself. He's a brave monster hunter, seeking out evil in all forms. He is not a wimp, or a scared little boy. Things like the dark and noisy pipes have no effect on him. Now, if it were a monster... well, the tapping would be louder, and the shadows would be thicker-
Like that, yes. And there are two spots there, glowing red like eyes. Just two? Maybe three, or four. Monsters don't need to have just two eyes. Yes, that's better. Of course, if it was really a monster, he'd hear it growling, creeping towards him, closer, closer...
Xue shuts his eyes. That's enough, he decides. He likes monsters, but he doesn't want to see them all the time. Especially scary ones that look like they want to eat him.
But when he opens his eyes, the monster is still there. It's grown a mouth with large fangs, and a long tail, but it's still the same monster. Now, however, it's closer. Closing his eyes again, Xue tries frantically to think of something else, anything else. The monster can't be a real one, can it?
When he opens them again, the monster is nearly at his bed, waving three clawed arms at him. He grabs his net from its spot next to the bed and waves it at the monster, but it has no effect whatsoever, terrifying Xue out of any further attempts In an flash he throws the net and his blankets at the monster and runs out the door, into the hallway for a brief moment, and ducks in next door.
A ghost of a girl looks up from tying all of Ying's jewelry together. Her eyes narrow slightly when she sees who it is. This particular subject isn't especially receptive to her scare tactics, and worse yet, has tried to study her recently. She simply can't have that.
Right now, though, he does look sort of scared. What's wrong? Cat got your tongue?
The thought of talking to another monster is not pleasant, and the ghost girl isn't very nice. But she's better than whatever's in his room, and he expresses this to her, along with showing her what the monster looks like.
Really? It looks to her like some sort of shadow creature. If it's really there, that would be something interesting! But you'd better not be wasting my time, she warns, floating through the wall into his room.
As she suspected, the room is devoid of monsters. A butterfly net is tangled with a blanket on the floor, and the fish in the aquarium seem somewhat agitated, but otherwise there's no sign of any monster encounter. Tsavorite tugs on a strand of her hair, annoyed. Why did she even bother looking?
Then, she glances at the blanket on the floor again, and her eyes crinkle deviously.
Xue shivers, looking around the room while he waits for the ghost girl. Ying is asleep, and he doesn't want to wake her up. There's a big knot of necklaces and bracelets in the middle of the floor, and a few articles of clothing left here and there, or hanging out of the open wardrobe. Xue doesn't usually go into his sisters' rooms without a good reason, so most of this is interesting for him. And better still, a good distraction.
Out of the corner of his eye, he can see something emerge from the wall. At first he is relieved, thinking that the ghost is back. But his relief turns to horror as he sees what looks like a sort of blob coming towards him, moaning in his head, reaching for his head-
exclaim eek burning_eyes gonk crying
Ying shrieks suddenly, bolting upright in her bed. The dream had started out well enough, but it was starting to turn bad the way most of her dreams did these days. The sudden feeling of fear at the end had secured it, though thankfully she woke up before it got too bad...
She blinks sleepily, noting the blob coming out of her wall. "Savvy? What are you doing?"
The monster is silent. It does, however, point to a tiny ball in the corner that is Xue, curled up and trying his best to hide behind Ying's desk.
"..." Ying stares at the ball, then at the monster, and then at Xue again. "What are you doing in here, Xue?"
Xue is too frightened to project clearly, so all Ying gets is a jumbled mess of HELP and STOP and MONSTER and DON'T LET IT EAT XUE and crying He does not stop shivering, and does not look to see if the monster is gone, since that didn't work well the last time he tried.
I didn't do anything. Tsavorite drops the blanket, though once she lets go, it droops, suspended in the wall. He was like this when I found him. Mostly. She's sure Ying won't buy it, but she almost doesn't care. Frankly, she's too thrilled to have finally pulled off a successful scare on the painfully chipper Porcelain.
More than anything, Ying would like to go back to sleep and pretend none of this happened. But knowing she can't, she sighs and gets out of bed. "Put that back where you found it," she tells Savvy, pointing to the blanket. In the meantime, she goes over to where Xue is crouched and puts her hands on his shoulders. "Shhh, it's okay. It was just Savvy, and she's not a monster. No matter how much she might act like one."
If Tsavorite had a tongue, she would stick it out at Ying. Instead she tosses her hair over her shoulder. Ying wants the blanket back where she found it? Fine. She shrugs, floating back through the wall into the other room and taking the blanket with her.
When Savvy is gone, Xue finally looks up, his eyes damp. He- he's not a little kid, he insists. He's not scared of everything! But the monster didn't go away, no matter what Xue tried, and he couldn't catch it, and NOTHING worked, and it was going to eat him, and it even followed him in here, and he was scared it was going to eat him and Ying and everybody and it would be all his fault!
Even though he hasn't been speaking, he pauses here to catch his breath. Then he squeezes Ying's arm. Is she angry with him?
"N-ooooo," Ying says hesitantly. After all, she scares half the household when she has a particularly nasty dream, so she can't blame him for doing the same once in a while. More importantly, "I'm just worried about you. Are you okay?"
Xue wipes his eyes with his sleeve and nods. He's okay, really. And he's sure he'll be fine no matter what. But... can he sleep with Ying?
Ying blushes, and she backs away quickly. "What? No!"
Why not? Rin slept with Ying when she was here, on the floor, and Ying didn't mind. Xue doesn't mind the floor, he just... doesn't want to be by himself right now. Or ever again...
"Oh." Well, that was different. She doesn't mind that, and honestly, wonders if it might be good for her as well. She did sleep better when Rinsei was staying with them. And even though she's never technically alone, Savvy is more of a hindrance than a help when it comes to getting a good night's sleep.
"Sure," she decides. "Go get your blanket and pillow. And don't blame me if you wake up with your hair tied to a bedpost."
Really? surprised
Xue throws his arms around Ying. THAAAANKS SHE IS THE BEST SISTER EVER! heart
Without waiting another moment, he runs back to his room to get his sleeping gear. Now, maybe, he can finally get some sleep.
Smirking a bit, Ying gets back into bed, pulling her covers up over her head. She doesn't want to talk, she mentions to him. Just sleep. Okay?
... okay?
Why are all of Xue's blankets tied to his net? confused
Ying nearly smacks her forehead in aggravation. "Dammit, Savvy."
So much for sleep? the shadow asks from within the wall.
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Ying replies, wrapping her blanket over her shoulders. Ying will sleep with Xue then, okay?
Okay! biggrin
Ying really is the best sister EVER. Well, and Lin. And Bob. But right now, definitely Ying!
"You're not so bad yourself." Ying drapes herself on Karan's mattress. "Good night, Xue."
Night, Ying. heart
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 10:13 pm
[Reserved, Xue/Meirou RP]
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Posted: Sat Jun 06, 2009 11:22 pm
In which Xue loses a battle
If not now, when? If not him, who?
Xue has asked himself these two questions, and come up with no answers that satisfy him. He has tried, and failed, but that is not an excuse to stop trying. If anything, it is reason to try all the harder. He must not just try, he must succeed!
Monster-hunting kit, check. Net, check. Blanket, check. Food, check.
In the early morning hours, as the sun rises, Xue sets out from his home. His mission is clear: he is not allowed to return until he has captured a monster.
The first place he decides to look is the beach, near his home. While it isn't exactly lush, there's a number of rocky outcroppings and sea caves to explore. Perhaps a sea monster is in one of them? Or maybe the vast dunes are hiding a sand monster of some kind. There's clearly a lot of potential.
While this part of the beach is popular, no one is there at such an early hour, save for the occasional jogger. This is the perfect atmosphere for hunting, and Xue has great fun searching the caves and picking up pretty shells and sliding down the dunes. But after a couple hours of searching, the crowds begin to show up, and he has nothing to show for his efforts, so he moves on.
Next he looks through the local park, which is quite large and overgrown in places. It's like a miniature forest, to him at least. He climbs small trees to look for tree monsters, and digs in the ground to look for signs of earth monsters. He even checks the small pond for pond monsters, but all he catches is a fish, which he sadly tosses back, having no way to take it home. Even though Des would probably like fish, he cannot see her until he does what he set out to do.
He spends the early afternoon in Barton Town, scouring the train station. It's the hub of the train system, and he's heard all sorts of stories about monsters in the tunnels. But there's nothing in the station itself, and when he tries to go into the tunnels, he's stopped by a man who takes him outside and buys him an ice cream cone.
Even though he's working, Xue thinks it's only polite to eat the ice cream (rocky road!) before continuing. It takes him a long time to convince a party to let him go with them, even though he doesn't have any rings, but he finally manages to find one that doesn't mind "escorting" him. There are lots of things that look like monsters there, but Xue has learned that they aren't really monsters but things come to life. And even if they were monsters, he has no chance of catching one before it's shot, sliced, and beamed at by one of the many groups out hunting the things called Animated.
When the rest of the group decides it's more fun to tip cows over than hunt monsters or Animated or whatever they're called, Xue heads off on his own towards Durem. He's never been this far from home by himself before, and it's getting late, which makes him nervous. If it was even remotely thinkable, he'd get on the next train back to Gambino. But he promised himself that he wasn't going back until he caught a monster, and he is going to stick to that promise, no matter what.
By the time he reaches the Reclamation Hub (or, as Xue calls it, the pipe-place), it's too dark to continue. The first cave Xue finds is already occupied by a sleeping bear, much to his surprise. After he decides that bears do not count as monsters, he manages to leave undetected and find another, unoccupied cave some distance away.
There is no campfire, since Xue did not think to bring matches and doesn't know how to build a fire anyway. Fortunately, the weather is warm, and he eats his dinner of muffins and cheese happily. Maybe a bit too happily, he notices too late, since there's only one muffin and a little bit of water left for the next day. He does have a little money on him, but not enough to buy a whole lot of food, so he'll have to find that monster soon.
The ground is hard, even with the blanket he brought and his head resting on his bag. There are lots of spooky noises outside, of the water in the pipes rushing and crickets chirping. But in spite of these distractions, Xue falls asleep almost as soon as he lays down, too exhausted to stay awake even involuntarily.
He awakes when the sun is already high in the sky, with a stabbing pain in his back and a ravenous appetite. He stretches until the pain dulls to a soft ache, and inhales the muffin. It isn't enough to sate him, but he decides that it will have to do. It does not take long for him to pack up his makeshift campsite and set out again, checking a few more caves before he leaves the area.
While Xue isn't familiar with the area, he remembers the way he came, so he sets out in the opposite direction, not really knowing what to expect. It remains rocky, which is not the best place to look for monsters in his opinion. Unless it's a rock monster, but there aren't many places for even them to hide.
After a while, the rock gives way to grass, and the grass is joined by trees. This setting gives Xue more confidence. Trees provide lots of cover, and there's lots of different things to eat, which he thinks will attract more different kinds of monsters. At this point he is too tired to look as thoroughly as he did yesterday, so he just keeps his eyes open and pokes rocks and trees and ground with his net slash walking stick. Nothing responds, other than an enormous spider that Xue quickly flings away. Bugs are cool, but not monsters... and not even cool when they're that big and scary.
Afternoon falls again, followed by early evening, and Xue begins to wonder if he will ever find his way out of the forest. Just as he is considering turning around, the grass begins to mix with sand. Before long, the trees and grass disappear completely, and he is on the beach again.
Xue is confused. Is this the beach at home? It doesn't look like it, but there aren't any other beaches he knows of. So either it is, or it's a beach he's never been to before. Walking along the edge of the forest confirms the latter, as he sees none of the landmarks he's used to at home, and many new ones. There is a sign, for example, but Xue cannot read what it says, and assumes it's just the name of the beach. And the forest itself, and how he can't see the ocean for a long ways out, and-
Is that a hole?
He approaches cautiously, thrusting the net/stick into the sandy ground with each step so he doesn't sink into the sand. It doesn't help much, but having the sense of stability makes him feel better, so he keeps up the measure until he gets closer to the hole.
Which is, in fact, a hole. In the ground! A really, really big hole. And, now that Xue is closer, he can see that the hole is not just in the ground but that the ground is a cliff. This realization startles him, but the cliff doesn't approach for several yards in front of him, and a ways on either side as well. He remains a few feet away from the hole, just in case, and prods it with the stick. A bit of sand shifts, but nothing else happens.
What could have made a hole like this? And, he wonders, how? Even a monster would probably have trouble with it, unless it had laser breath or was a bazillion feet tall or could move the earth with its mind. All of which are possible, considering that monsters can do anything, but the fact that such a potentially dangerous monster might be nearby wrecking up the place is rather disturbing. What could such a monster be like?
It probably has all three, he realizes with a shock. It probably has to move the earth with its mind to support its height of a bazillion feet, and it must use its laser breath to clear its path. If he found a monster like that, there's no way he could catch it. It probably wouldn't even eat him. It would just step on him, like a bug.
As Xue's mind runs off on this tangent, there is a loud noise like a shot from behind him. Startled, he jumps, but his feet slip on the sand and he falls on his face. This isn't too bad at first, until he realizes that he's sliding forward, into the hole- and a very deep hole it is.
He tries to grab onto something, but it's all sand and nothing sturdy. His stick quickly comes loose and slides down in front of him, while his unnatural position causes him to tumble head over heels, banging various parts of his body as he falls down the incline.
Just before he reaches the ground, he feels a sharp, intense pain in his left foot. It blocks out everything, even his fear at falling, for the few seconds he feels it. Then he lands, his whole body hitting the ground at once. His head feels fuzzy, and then fades into nothing.
He continues to feel nothing for quite some time.
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Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2009 1:13 am
In which Xue is rescued by heroines
Xue is falling... falling... falling...
It is dark, and he tumbles through an endless chasm, head over heels over head. The act of falling alone is enough to frighten him; even just falling off a chair is scary. Falling for this long, to a ground that will probably kill him, is much worse. He shuts his eyes, but since that's as pitch dark as having them open, he opens them again. Nothing he does helps relieve his fear.
It must be a monster, he decides. The Falling Monster. The most terrifying of any monster Xue knows. He's brushed against it before, but this is his first time meeting one so close. And this monster must be enormous... possibly the most biggest humongous monster in the whole world.
Suffice to say, this is not the caliber of monster he was looking for when he set out on his search. He just wanted a small monster to take home and study and maybe make friends with if it was a friendly monster, or try to defeat if it was a scary one. Against this monster, he didn't have the chance to do either. It defeated him with just one blow.
There's light up ahead. He struggles, trying desperately to go in the other direction. He isn't supposed to go towards the light. It's frightening, even more so than the Dark Monster, if not quite as intimidating as this gigantic Falling Monster. He pushes himself in the other direction, but none of his actions make the slightest bit of difference. With no trouble at all, the light overtakes him.
It's not so bad, actually. It hurts, but it's not to the point where Xue is actually upset over it. Now that he's in the light, it's the darkness that scares him. It threatens to return, looming over his head, but he manages to push it away and thrust himself into the brightest part of the light.
Xue stirs, his eyelids fluttering. His head hurts, but it's more grogginess than anything else. His arms and legs are sore, but no more so than if he'd tripped and fallen. Admittedly, he'd have to trip and fall a lot to get that many bumps and bruises, but individually, they're not hard to deal with.
As he tries to roll over, he jostles his ankle. Suddenly it feels like it's on fire, and the flames quickly spread to the rest of his body. Xue quickly stops moving, but it's no use. The pain only intensifies, until it's worse than anything he can remember, and far worse than he can stand.
Nusumu looks at Sneaky, to ask if she hears anything. Then, without warning, a sharp pain overwhelms her mind. She doubles over, completely unprepared and wondering what's going on. It takes her a moment to realize that the pain isn't hers, but being wildly broadcast from nearby. When she does, she hurriedly throws up a wall, effectively screening out the worst of it, and reaches for something to help her up.
Sneaky quickly offers a claw. Is Nusumu okay? she asks worriedly. Is something wrong? She felt something, but it didn't affect her as badly.
Using the hand to help steady her, Nusumu stands. She is okay now, and points towards the crater. Whatever it was came from there, didn't it?
Sneaky thinks so. Should they take a look?
Does Sneaky even need to ask?
Nusumu darts forward, running for the hole in the ground. As she runs, she sends out a simple projection, of her presence and little more.
Xue stops clutching his ankle and looks up sharply. Someone is there? Yes, someone is there! And Xue is here and he's hurting and can whoever it is please make the ouch go away because it really really hurts please! crying
Nusumu and Sneaky exchange a glance as they pick up the pace. Nervously, Nusumu identifies herself. She and Sneaky are there looking for Xue, so she's glad they found him without too much fuss.
Oneechan? It's Oneechan? Really?
ONEECHAN AND THE DINOSAUR CAME TO RESCUE XUE!?
While the feeling of OMGYAY largely outshines the pain from his injuries, at least temporarily, Xue can't help but feel a bit upset as well. He was so set on being brave and bringing home a monster, and now he needs to be rescued. Some monster hunter he turned out to be. No monsters, and he's hurt to boot.
... ow. Ow. Owowowowowow. gonk
Finally reaching the rim of the crater, Nusumu looks inside. It's not too deep at this level, but it's deep enough to hide Xue, his clothes torn and filled with sand, sitting with his legs bent at awkward angles. Relieved that he's relatively unharmed, Nusumu slides into the hole.
What is Xue doing here?
Not listening, Xue throws his arms around Nusumu's legs as soon as she's within reach. He is so, so, SO glad to see Oneechan and Dinosaur and he knows that they'll help him and make the owies go away and and and...
And Xue's hungry. sweatdrop Does Oneechan have anything to eat?
Sighing, Nusumu reaches into Sneaky's bag and pulls out a buttermilk biscuit, which she hands to Xue. She's a bit startled that he trusts her so openly; they really don't know each other that well. But it's also kind of gratifying to know that someone appreciates her.
So, what on Gaia is Xue doing in a place like this?
Xue immediately starts scarfing down the muffin, having no qualms about projecting with his mouth full. And so he explains how he wanted to find a monster, so he came out on his own looking for one. He got sort of lost, but since he was looking for a monster and not a place, he's not sure it counts. And then he found this place, and heard a noise, and slipped on the sand and fell down. And that's all he remembers.
Which means that his mission was a failure, wasn't it?
Avoiding the question, Nusumu eyes Xue evenly. That was dangerous. He could have been hurt seriously, or taken away by a stranger, or worse! Why did he go off on his own?
Unable to look at Nusumu while she's scolding him, Xue hangs his head. He knows it was dangerous. That's exactly why he went by himself; so none of his friends would get hurt helping him. The mission was to bring back a monster- partly to study it, but also because he wanted to prove himself. He's capable of handling things and protecting people.
Except maybe he isn't. Maybe the only thing he can do is fall down and get hurt and make people worry about him.
Nusumu doesn't know what to say. On the one hand, she wants to make sure Xue realizes what a stupid thing he did, so he doesn't try it again. But he's already hurting so badly, both inside and outside, and she doesn't want to make him hurt worse.
Xue... does more than that, Nusumu states awkwardly. He makes his family happy. He's good at talking to people and helping them have fun. There's a time and a place for that skill, so sometimes people might not appreciate it, but it's a very good one to have.
Besides, Xue's still young. He has plenty of time to learn new things, and to figure out what he wants to do if the whole monster hunter plan doesn't work out.
Xue supposes he does. And that's part of the problem, but he doesn't elaborate on that subject. Instead he thanks Nusumu for her encouragement. It's a surprise that she's out here at all, and even more shocking that she's actually saying nice things about him. Does this mean that Oneechan doesn't hate Xue after all?
Nusumu never hated him. Xue needs to learn where and when to do his playing is all. As long as he stays out of Nusumu's way when she's busy, she has no reason to hate him.
... of course, she has no real reason to like him either, but maybe she does, just a bit. It took a lot of courage to do what he did, not just stupidity. And he's really not a bad kid.
... crying
Xue didn't know Oneechan cared. He was so scared that she would be angry with him, but if she isn't, Xue will do whatever she asks him to! He promises! He owes Oneechan even more now, since she's rescuing him, and he's determined to make her like him as much as he likes her.
Nusumu simultaneously blushes and raises her eyebrows. One of these days, she will have to tell Sneaky to tell that woman to explain things to Xue. If she didn't know better, she could have taken that statement seriously. She almost did, until she thought about the person saying it.
Before her thoughts get away with her and end up with a certain blue-robed Porcelain, Nusumu tries to help Xue to his feet. Can he stand? She should get him back home as soon as possible.
Although he's still hurting all over, Xue takes Nusumu's hand and tries to get up. One leg moves easily, but his other flares up in pain again and he collapses on the ground, clutching his ankle. It hurts so badly why is it hurting make it stop please! crying
As if it was her touch that caused the pain, Nusumu recoils. What can she do? If she can't move him... she'll have to go for help, she supposes.
Before she can even turn around, Xue's hand shoots out and grabs onto the edge of Nusumu's robes tightly, his entire arm trembling with effort. His face is even whiter than usual, and his eyes are wide with fear.
Oneechan is leaving him again?
No, Nusumu explains quickly. She is just going to get help. She and Sneaky can't carry Xue by himself. Once they find someone who can carry him safely, they'll bring the help back here to Xue. It's the only solution.
Xue doesn't care if it's the only solution. All he cares about is that Oneechan wants to leave him alone, and he absolutely cannot handle that. He's been pretty brave over the past two days, doing all sorts of things by himself. He's even been pretty good about his injuries. But if Oneechan leaves, he just knows he'll be too upset to manage anything else.
Sighing again, Nusumu looks over to Sneaky, who's been strangely quiet. Is everything okay? she asks, peering over the raptor's shoulder. What's Sneaky doing?
Sneaky tucks the device she's playing with, some small contraption with a number of buttons and lights, into her bag. Help is on the way, she confirms. She's alerted DS, who's on the way. All they have to do is wait.
Nusumu eyes the device suspiciously, but nods. Good. Then they don't have to leave Xue alone after all.
A wave of relief washes over Xue, as he realizes that his adventure is finally over. He's too hurt to continue, he's been found by people looking at him, and Des will be there soon. It's a comfort, but it's also another blow to Xue's pride. He wasn't trying to do anything really hard, and he was trying with all his might. Why couldn't he do it?
He's breaking his promise too, he sees. He promised not to go home until he'd caught a monster, but now he'll be forced to go without one. Unwilling to do this, Xue tries to get up again. Repeated efforts only yield more pain, but he doesn't give up yet.
At least, not until Nusumu puts her hands on his shoulders and forces him down. He should not be moving in his condition! Why is he so determined to catch a monster?
Because he promised himself he would! Even if it's just to himself, a promise is a promise. He is going to catch a monster before he goes home, by any means necessary.
It's a weird promise, Nusumu thinks. But it's clear that she has to do something; Xue continues to struggle in her grip, and she's afraid he'll make his injuries worse.
A brilliant idea occurs to Nusumu, and she grins slyly. Any monster will do, Xue said?
Any monster. As long as Xue is the one to catch it.
By any means necessary? Even if he couldn't take it home?
Well... Xue had wanted to take it home with him, but catching it is more important. He'd be willing to let it go, if he proved he could catch it in the first place.
In that case, Nusumu knows what to do. She takes Xue's net- miraculously unbroken, though the metal rim is dented- and hands it to him. Is he ready to catch a monster?
Does Oneechan really mean it? surprised Of course he's ready! He'll catch any monster he can!
~~~
And so, an hour later, the car arrives. Xue is thrilled to be reunited with Des, who is likewise thrilled to find Xue okay... and amused to see Sneaky, with a net over her head, looking indignant but pleased with herself.
Xue caught a monster! Finally! He did it! 3nodding
Sneaky roars, half with shame, half with amusement.
And Nusumu just smiles, relieved that the everything has worked out for the best, somehow.
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