Wandering Dragonman [With Emi, from FM]

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"If I think you are a freak, it's not because of the Heartless," she replied, with a meaningful look. But then, she rubbed her forehead with her palm and grimaced. Childhood memories are so often distorted.... and wrong.

"I think... it was called Radiant Garden. Then again, like I said, it's been ten years. I was just a kid. The trauma apparently affected my memories, says this counselor I went to for a few months back in Twilight Town."

[Administrator]

Arc raised an eyebrow. "Oh, this is a glad day after all. I thought today would be all bad but, instead, there is promise of good." He leaned backward and laughed. Turning back to face Emi, Arc continued. "I have met someone who finally will speak their mind of what they think of my appearance.

"Most of them lie about what they think, but I am glad you are different. Tell me, what do you really think of it?"

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Emi shrugged. He didn't know her so well. She did usually have enough compassion for the unfortunately ugly to lie to them about it. But since she didn't want to betray newfound trust, and because she thought Arc was... polite enough to be not offended for inviting the words, she told him the truth.

"Well, you're definitely one of the weirdest things I've seen since I've started travelling. Used to humans and moogles, that's about it," Emi started. "I'd say you are just about the scariest though."

She turned and tried to offer a comforting smile, but it just turned into a lopsided grimace. Never been good at comfort, which is why she lied in the first place.

[Administrator]

Arc laughed again. "I have never had anyone call me scary before. That is interesting." He wore a fierce grin on his face, a look which just seemed fierce the the girl unused to the drake. "I was scared of you humans when I first saw you."

Arc spoke truth. Humankind at one point had scared him. They were so violent, and so disruptive, and it was their fault that his world was gone. But this one was different...violent and disruptive, but in a good way somehow. It was an oxymoron he wanted to study.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Emi sat up and drummed her fingers on the road. This road seemed to stretch on forever both ways. She wondered where it lead... she hoped home, maybe? She wondered when it would end, when she could stop fighting Heartless. She chuckled at the metaphor in that thought.

"Well, now what? Where are you headed?"

[Administrator]

"Anywhere," came the reply. Arc wasn't one to stay in the same place for very long. "I'm searching for any survivors of my race." That was the truth, and Emi didn't appear to have ever seen any of his kind before, so it was useless to stay there and chat with her like that. A waste of his time, but yet...

He enjoyed having a conversation with someone. Especially someone who wouldn't run from him or try to sacrifice him to their god and/or gods. "Where are you headed to?"

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Nowhere, anywhere, everywhere...I started off looking for my home world, but I guess it ended up just me... travelling. Taking the scenic route, you know what I mean? Maybe I'll get home eventually, maybe I'll die on down the road. Who knows?"

This sort of general apathy and/or pessimism was normal for Emi. She didn't try to hide it.

"I guess I'm just looking for home. Maybe not Radiant Garden but..."

[Administrator]

She is like me then. Searching for her home. Arc thought, standing back up and brushing himself off. He offered a hand politely, inviting her to take it. "We are alike in that then, and should you wish to travel with me, I could help you find your home."

It was a sincere gesture. Arc was the kind of guy who would help anyone he met if they were kind enough to him in response to his kindness. And Emi had been, she was very straightforward, but she was nice, in her own way. His first impressions of her had made him laugh. And now she...

More Heartless appeared. "I would assume now is not the time for chatter." It was only five soldiers, so it wouldn't be that hard to face. "They seem to be slowing down."

[Oathkeeper Emi]

Emi fumed. More... Heartless.
She didn't bother to answer his question, only sprinted into battle. She chose a target, and hit it rapidly, sending it into the air. Suddenly, she missed her drum set. The impacts sounded sort of like a drum roll. She watched the Soldier flail comically about in mid air for a second, turned and fought off another that had come to bother her. The Heartless she'd launched into the air began to fall back down and Emi pulled back her arm. She smacked the Soldier like a baseball with both of her kali sticks. The creature exploded on impact.

[Action Recap: Emi used "Drumroll, Please!" 2 uses left this round]

[Administrator]

Arc charged after her, his lumbering gait bringing him to her in no time. He closed his eyes and called to him his Dragoons. "Do not be alarmed, Emi," he said to her quietly as the two Nobodies appeared. "They are my allies."

Lance and Ranseur swirled onto the battlefield, their lances in their hands. "Strike swiftly, my friends." The Nobodies gave no reply, but Arc hadn't expected one. They did not often give a reply, nor did he ask for one. They disappeared as they utilized their technique, Jump.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"HOLY--"

Emi stopped battling for a moment, just to watch the new creatures come to Arc's command. She swatted at an incoming Soldier, missed and then proceeded to chase it down. She kept looking over her shoulder thought, at the things Arc called his "allies" and his "friends".

She just wondered what the heck they were. Were they Heartless too? Or were they something else? Is it possible that she would ever be back in a normal city with normal humans and normals dogs that walked on four feet and didn't wear clothes or talk for crissake.

[Administrator]

Arc heard her response, however involuntary it was. He almost laughed again. "I bet you think these are Heartless, don't you?" he asked, laughing and shaking his head. "No, these are Nobodies, much different. They've been my traveling companions for the last twenty years."

Calling his katanas, Arc ran up to a Soldier while the Dragoons appeared, falling from the sky and destroying one of the remaining Soldiers. Arc slashed it into the air, using his massive form to knock it slightly up so he could slam it back down. A pink heart floated up from the dust.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

The Nobody dropped down in front of Emi and took out the Soldier she was chasing just as she brought back her arm to strike. She wilted. "Aw, crap. I wanted that one."

That was all of the Soldiers. Emi turned to Arc.
"Tell your skinny white buddies to lay off my kills," she growled, pointing a finger. She abruptly changed the conversation. Her sudden annoyance with Arc had reminded her of something.

"If we are going to travel together, you should know some things about me... I get angry very easily. I can't control it. And you or someone, or something, else will probably get hurt. I don't do well around people. They annoy me. You may not WANT to travel with me after a while..."

Just then, a small white butterfly floated by. Emi stopped and stared, a dreamy far-away look on her face.

[Administrator]

Arc looked at her in a different light. Not a bad one...but definitely different. "I'm not so good around people either. Your anger is understandable. The passionate hate and fiery rage that some have had towards me for my form are not. There is a major difference."

He nodded and grinned. "Duly noted." Turning to face his Nobody companions, Arc said, "I would stay away from her if I were you." Again, no reply, but they, after a fer moments, began to lean on their lances. They were waiting for a chance to fight something again.

While they had time, Arc summoned his Creepers. There was eight of them, and hopefully enough so that if there was another Heartless attack, they could fight it off.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

The butterfly floated away and Emi came out of her reverie. How embarrassing. She blushed. She'd only caught part of what Arc had said, but got a general vibe of understanding from the words, so she simply nodded and watched as he summoned the Creepers.

Waiting for another Heartless attack, she supposed.
"So you really meant it. You want to travel together. I'm beginning to see a few problems though...I really want to make it back to Radiant Garden. Are we just going to travel together until there's a fork in the road or what?"