Kairi: So, are you still whining from last week, seeing as how Shire is still more popular than you?
Angelo: That wasn't whining. Do you want whining? (In an annoying tone) This is whiiiiiiiinnniiiing!
Kairi: Did you...Did you just reference that? Ugh...Why did I get such a dork for an author? Why couldn't you be cool?
Angelo: Oh settle down, Princess. It's like I said in high school: so I'm not cool. I'm smart. My life is going to be awesome after this.
Kairi: And currently you have no girfriend, no job, tons of social and mental issues, and you totally flubbed your first year of college. So, how's that philosophy working for you now?
Angelo: ...Die in a fire...
Anyways, I know, I'm surprised too. Two chapters in consecutive weeks? I am as shocked as you. Especially considering I didn't have my computer for two and a half days this week. But, yeah, let's get to a few housekeeping things first.
Anyone miffed with the whole D&D thing, this is the last chapter in LSD where it will be featured in.
LSD will now be extending to a total of nine chapters, but don't get your hopes up. The ninth chapter will be uploaded alongside the eighth, and it will only be a little teaser of the next fic to come.
Once again, the contest is still going on, and will be lasting until LSD is completed. Remember, I give you the name of seven worlds, and if you can name the source of five of them, you get to ask me any one question about my fic series. Those worlds again are:
New Orleans
Dwarf Woodlands
Corinth
Grand Line
Karakura Town
Criticverse
Detroit
Again, join the Facebook group (link in my profile page). Also, the start of this chapter is a little racy, so viewer discretion is advised. Otherwise, enjoy!
An Unenviable Duty
"Time to wake up, lover boy..."
"Wha...?"
"Evening, sexy. You sleep well enough?"
Sora blinked rapidly, peering through the darkness of night. Last thing he remembered was falling asleep in his bed. Then a jolt of energy ran through his sleeping body, and a husky female voice began to drift through the night's air. His eyes eventually became adjusted to the dark, as he peered across the room to the door.
His mind nearly broke when he saw what he saw.
Kairi. Leaning against door frame, hips cocked, a lusty grin on her face. She was completely naked, save for a pair of stockings, and her shield and Keyblade out in the open. The shield was high up to cover her breasts, while Radiant Crown hung low, hilt and guard covering her privates.
"Took you long enough." She said with a half laugh. She was the husky voice in the darkness, it seemed. "I'm surprised you didn't jump out at me earlier, lazy bum..."
Sora struggled to form words at this sight, but only incoherent babble could pass his lips, so Kairi chose to take the initiative. She dismissed shield and sword and crossed the short distance between door and bed, taking light steps in her stocking-clad feet. The brunet did his best not too look at any incriminating, private area, but keep his eyes on Kairi at the same time. This proved impossible, as his face turned a brilliant shade of crimson.
With Kairi at the foot of the bed, Sora made a move to turn off it, but his suddenly nude girlfriend would have none of that. She hopped through the air, landing atop Sora, just above his hips, her hands stretching over, pinning his wrists down. He was sleeping atop his covers, wearing only a pair of boxer short, it was a hot and swampy night, after all.
"Hi there..." Sitting on him, Kairi leaned over top of the spiked haired Keyblader, long strands of red hair dangling before her, tickling at Sora's cheeks. A white hot light flashed in her eyes.
"K-Kairi..." Sora finally managed to form a word. At the sound of her name, Kairi lowered her body, pressing his and her body parts together, a fact Sora was acutely aware of. He squirmed under her. "W-what is this? What're you doing?"
A playful smile formed on the Princess's lips. "I'm not going to mince words with you, Sora. I want you." She leaned down even further, kissing his cheek lightly, before moving to his neck. "And I know you want me, too." Every few words she would leave a couple of feverish kisses along his neck. "I see the way you look at me, and the way you look at other guys when you look at me." This time, she followed the kisses with a few playful nips at Sora's collarbone. "And I don't give a damn what anyways says about us. Not my dad, not Dayne, not anyone." She sat straight up again, bringing her hands with her, slowly dragging neatly trimmed nails across his chest, ever so lightly. "Well, I do care what someone says: You." Kairi smiled again. A more typical smile of the sweet girl, but the heat was still there.
For a few seconds after, Sora's lips moved without words sounding from them, only more nonsensical spluttering. But he managed to say something. Eventually. "Kairi...Of course. Of course I want you." He said, voice full of genuine excitement. So much so, it made Kairi smile again. With his hands free, her reached up to gently cup her face. "I love you more than anything, and you are right. I can't stop looking at you. Thinking about you..."
"Really? Well, your parents are upstairs, can't hear a thing. Roxas and Namine are out at a play tonight. We have a few hours all to ourselves," she lowered her body down again, ear up against his mouth, "and I think I want to hear some of these things you think about. About me." She licked her lips, and Sora began. With bated breath, he whispered into his love's ear all the things that only he knew about. His most private thoughts and desires. To the subject of those desires, nonetheless.
When Sora finished, Kairi rose up again, this time shifting down his body, now resting on his knees. "Wow. You're a naughty little boy, aren't you?" She said with a tiny giggle escaping her lips. Sora blushed again, but she answered by placing a reassuring hand on his chest. "But then again, Your Queen here is a naughty girl, too. Now, what would you like to do next?"
Sora grinned a little nervously. "Uh...anything you'd like...My Queen..." Kairi answered with another playful smirk.
"Good answer." Both her index fingers travelled down again, hooking around the hem of his boxers. "What I want to do, is find out just how big your 'Keyblade' really is..."
Kairi woke with a start, launching upright in her bed.
Another one... She mentally bemoaned. Ever since they had defeated the Immortals and returned to Salm permanently, Kairi had been plagued (her words) by those types of dreams. That had been the most vivid of the lot, and the only one to rouse her in the middle of the night. The worst part was, her mind seemed to be playing with her body, as she woke with her skin flushed and hot, a heavy charge running through her body.
I wonder if I should do something about it? Instantly, she knew the thought was a bad idea. Namine had taken to sharing Kairi's queen bed with her, an idea Kairi fully agreed with. The blonde was sleeping next to her, and she certainly did not want her to wake and catch her doing...that. Still, her body protested, causing her to squirm irritably under the covers. Maybe...Maybe I can do it without getting caught? I won't be able to sleep like this, anyways.
Suddenly, and much to Kairi's surprise, a miniature angel and devil appeared, much like she was in an old cartoon, hovering about her shoulders. The two looked very much like her, too, which was probably the most disturbing thing.
"You shouldn't do it, Kairi. You're acting like nothing more than a horny teenager!" The Angel Kairi cried. She looked very much like Kairi, except with a halo above her head, feathery dove wings coming from her back, and a radiant aura encircling her. She was barefoot, and wearing a loose, flowing toga. All and all, she emanated peace and calm, though those were the farthest things from Kairi's mind.
"Um, hello? She is a horny teenage girl! Do it, girl! And if your sis wakes up, maybe you can get her to join in!" The devil countered. Again, the spirit (or whatever the hell it was, Kairi was stymied) was similar looking to Kairi, but much more sinister and seductive. The hair was a much darker shade of red, almost black at parts, her nails painted dark red as well, with a bit of black eyeshadow on. The devil was wearing a mini skirt, and what looked like a push-up bra, both made of red leather, with high-heeled gladiator sandals. Horns protruded from her forehead, a short tail from her tailbone, and bat wings from her shoulders.
Kairi was at a complete loss of words as to this turn of events. What the hell! Have I gotten so horny I've gone insane?
"You're not insane, Kairi." The Angel answered. Kairi could almost hear a harp being strung when she spoke. "We're just manifestations of your conscious; your morality. I represent virtues like your kindness, loyalty, and loving nature." She pronounced, sounding very proud.
"And I represent the fun stuff!" The Devil declared, sounding just as proud. "I'm your wickeder – and therefor, more fun – thoughts. Like your lust and wrath."
Wrath? Lust? Wait, I'm a Princess of Heart. I shouldn't have that stuff.
"Wrong!" Shouted the Devil Kairi, cocking her hips to the left. "You are right in saying you don't have any darkness, which you still don't have, so don't get your panties in a bunch. But we're something much more complex, anyways. Primal impulses that all humans, good or evil, have. And I'm here to stay, hot-stuff!" She cackled excitedly at that, causing Angel Kairi to sigh.
"I'm afraid she is right. Princess of Heart or no, she is something you just can't get rid of. But that is not the point! You shouldn't be doing...those things. Not now. Not with Namine right next to you." The Angel chided harshly, hovering in front of the real Kairi's nose. "What would she think if she woke up and found you..." She awkwardly trailed off, causing the Devil to scoff.
"Oh please! She lived with that Larxene chick, I bet she swings both ways." The Devil then fluttered over, hip-checking Angel Kairi away, looking Kairi directly in the eyes. It disturbed Kairi that the three of them shared eyes. "Besides, when was the last time you touched yourself, anyways?"
"I believe that was the night of her date at Lake Lindblum, with the Master of Destiny."
It took all of Kairi's mental strength not to shriek bloody murder at Miw's comment. Even then, it seemed the lack of focus caused her Angel and Devil selves to vanish. Miw! You perverted bastard! It took all of her physical strength to stay as still as possible as to not wake Namine. What did I tell you about spying on me and my thoughts!
"You said: 'If you do that one more time, the next time I enter my heart I will rip that stupid mask off your face and beat you half to death with it'. You are rather wrathful, by the way." Miw returned, utterly oblivious to the fact he had crossed a major boundary with his Wielder. "But, to be fair. I saw you pleasuring yourself before you made that rule."
That doesn't matter! She roared back at him. The tingling sensation throughout her body was still persistent, but her anger at her Keyblade Spirit was doing a good job at replacing it. New rule: Any other private matters you've seen of me, keep to yourself!
"As you wish, My Lady. Regardless, I agree with that demonic you. Why are you so hung up on your feelings of intimacy to the Master of Destiny?" The Spirit posited, as Kairi squirmed again. "You two are clearly deeply in love, and that is one of the grandest expressions of love two people can share."
Because... She tried to think of a reason as to why it was wrong. It was degrading? Dirty? Nothing but mere, cheap and physical gratification? All of those reasons just seemed stupid because it was Sora... Just, please, please Miw, try and act...normal. I'll try to not fly off the handle with you again. Let me get some sleep, okay?
"As you command, My Lady." He said, respectfully. "And don't worry about the yelling. It doesn't bother me much at all."
Okay... Kairi then tried to focus on something other than the events of the past minutes. Something to lull her to sleep. But, when a person stops focusing on themselves, they tend to notice others. And so, Kairi noticed that her sister sleeping next to her was not sleeping peacefully, but rather, thrashing around every so often, mumbling in her sleep.
"Namine?" Kairi said, putting a hand on her shoulders. Her skin was wet and clammy. "Namine?" She said louder, rocking her back and forth.
"No...no...please, no!" Like her sister, Namine woke up in a start, catapulting up, almost clonking Kairi in the head in the process. "Oh..." She muttered, realizing it was a dream, knees hugged up to her chest under the covers.
"A nightmare, Nam?" Kairi asked, unnecessarily. The flaxen-haired girl nodded quickly, keeping her eyes down. "What about?"
Very quietly, Namine said, "...C-castle Oblivion..."
"Oh..." Kairi may not have an encyclopedic knowledge on her twin's past, but she knew well enough it wasn't enjoyable, and also wasn't surprised she had these nightmares. "Do you want to talk about them?" Whenever she had a nightmare when she was younger, she always felt amazingly better after talking with Erica.
"I...I can't..." Namine breathed, heavily, each word seemingly a battle to pronounce. Kairi began to lightly stroke her twin's hair with her left hand, right arm over her shoulder.
"Namine..." An idea then came to her. "Hold up for a second, I'll be right back with something that'll make you feel better." Kairi kicked off the covers and shot out of bed, gently exiting her room. About five minutes later, she returned, holding a carton of ice cream in one hand, two spoons dug into it. "Here." She pushed the desert to her. "If you're my sister, eating a little ice cream and talking about it will make you feel like a million Munny. And I don't care how late it is or how pissed Erica will be at us for eating her ice cream, you need some help."
"Kai...I can't...y-you don't...mmf!" Namine was silenced when the redheaded Wielder of the Light scooped a spoon up and jammed it into Namine's mouth, chocolate ice cream and all. "This shouldn't really work..." She said, after removing the spoon.
"Well, it does." Kairi chirped, victoriously. "C'mon. I had...well, not a nightmare but... I'll tell you, if you tell me." She then took a spoonful for herself, holding the spoon in between pursed lips.
"Okay...well..." Namine took another bite of ice cream for courage. "I was just having a flashback nightmare, I guess is what you could call it. About my time at Castle Oblivion... With Marluxia and Larxene." She then paused, putting a finger on her chin. "I should really try and restore Sora's memories about that episode, shouldn't I?"
"It would be nice." Kairi was smiling; already Namine was looking and sounding better. Both sisters took a few more nibbles of their smuggled treat. "So, I mean, I know those two were bad, but...do you mind giving a little details?" Namine nodded slightly.
"Yeah... I was born in that Castle, and Marluxia was the first to find me. I don't know how he saw me: as a pet, or a plaything, or a tool... But, he was very interested in me, wanting to be around me as much as possible." She shuddered, and not from the cold of the ice cream. Taking a few more bites, she continued. "I hated him. Hated him. Until Sora arrived, I was just a toy for him. He would make me clean the castle, and serve him food...hover over me...t-touch me..." Another shudder and another bite, followed by a gentle hand on her shoulder from Kairi. "He was horrible. He would beat me, constantly. For no reason sometimes. And sometimes, he would use Larxene. Even Axel, at a time. To prove his loyalty... He said, 'Don't hit the face...I l-like her pretty'..."
Tears began to well up and quiver in crystalline blue eyes, as Namine lowered her head. Instantly, Kairi hugged her new twin, cradling her against her shoulder, patting her back. "Do you want to stop...?"
"N-no." Namine said. "It does feel good...Just don't tell anyone else about this. Especially Roxas. He'd go ballistic if he found this out..."
"I promise."
"Thank you, sis..." Namine pulled out of Kairi's shoulders, smiling despite reddening eyes. "Next...Larxene wasn't as horrible as you would expect. Compared to Marluxia, I mean... She mostly just taunted me. It stung at first, but I learned not care. She only rarely struck me. Four times at the most... I think she hated me, too, but she pitied me because of how Marluxia treated me." Namine shook her head, giving a small, bitter grin. "She was odd, now that I think on it. Some days she would be putting concealer on my black eyes or giving me food when I got that cold, and then the very next, she was screaming at me, calling me a tool, a bitch... Other things..." She took two big bites of ice cream after that.
"That's all behind you now, Namine..." Kairi said after a while, holding one of her sister's hands. "You're not a tool. You're not. You're my sister, now."
"Your sister..." The blonde replied in a mutter, lowering her head again.
Kairi was there to raise it back up. "And they aren't coming back. Marluxia and Larxene can't hurt you anymore. And if by some chance they do come back," she held her arm out, and her shield appeared. "They'll have to go through me! No one lays a hand on my sister." This caused the other girl to smile.
"My knight in shining armour." Namine kissed Kairi's free hand with a small giggle.
"I thought that was Roxas?"
"Yes. Him and you. And Sora." Mindful of the shield, Namine leaned in to hug her redheaded twin tightly. "I'm lucky to have all you. Not like before. I'm not alone here..."
"Not at all." She gently kissed the side of Namine's head, a teeny tiny part of her wondering if what her Devil self said about Namine was true...
After breaking the hug, Namine looked back at Kairi. "So...?"
"So, what?"
"Are you gonna tell me about your dream?"
"Oh. Right..." She was regretting that promise. Even thinking back on it made her blush so red she was almost luminescent. "Um...well. It was me. And Sora. And we were...in his room..."
Namine gasped in start. "You had a sex dream?"
Kairi cringed, having purposely avoided using that term. Why didn't I lie? Stupid Kairi... "Yes..." She eventually muttered out.
"Don't be so embarrassed, Kai. I wished I was having them more often...Better than what I do dream of... Anyways, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You love Sora, and...well. Wanna here something really bad me and Roxas did?"
Kairi's eyes bulged. "You didn't! Did you?"
"No, no, no. Not that. Man, you really are a dirty girl." Kairi's face turned a shade of red so intense Namine doubted it had a proper name. She buried her face into her pillow, as Namine laughed. "What I meant was, right before we became real, me and Roxas made a deal." Now it was Namine's turn to blush, though her's was more discreet and gracious. "Um...he wanted to see me n-naked...and I wanted to sketch him naked..."
"Nam!" Kairi rose out of her pillow, shocked by her sister's behaviour.
"What? Stop treating stuff like that as so wrong." She reprimanded, gently. "I mean, I'm not proud of that deal, but do I want it to happen? Yeah. Am I excited for when it happens and what happens during it? A bit, yes." She shrugged. "I think you might have some issues, sis."
Kairi shut her eyes, gnashing her teeth a bit. "I...You feeling better, now?" She phrased, trying to be as polite, kind, and gentle as she could be. When Namine nodded, she took back the ice cream, stepping off the bed again. "Okay, then. Goodnight Namine. Oh, and before we go back to sleep, I've been meaning to ask. What would you like for your birthday?"
"Um..." Namine thought on it for a moment. It had completely passed over her mind that she had a birthday now. August the eighteenth, only a little more than a week away. "...I wouldn't mind getting my ears pierced, to be honest."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Haven't you thought about doing it?"
"Not really." Kairi shrugged. "Just never appealed to me."
"Oh...well, what would you like?"
Sora, handcuffed to the bed. She shook her head. Cripes, she did have issues. "Y'know what? Surprise me."
Namine huffed. "That's not fair. I told you."
"Yeah, but you could have said the same." She stuck her tongue out playfully. "Sweet dreams."
"Yeah..." Namine said, falling back down onto the bed, nestling into the pillow. "Thanks, Kairi..."
After their character creation setting, Sora's Dungeons & Dragons group met for their first official game on Tuesday the seventh, gathering once again in Tycho's basement. Once again, Tycho sat at the head of the table (as he should, being DM), with Sora, Namine, and Dayne to his right, and Arc, Amelia, and Gabe to his left. The six players sat with their character sheets and a pencil in front of them, as well as a set of dice (their own, much to Tycho's relief), and their own choice of drink sitting on the floor at their feet. The Dungeon Master in question had several sheets of paper and dice set before him as well, but all of this was blocked from the view of the players by a large plastic screen – commonly referred to as a Dungeon Master's Screen – depicting a group of adventurers battling with an army of enemies, some which were easily identifiable, like a class Red Dragon and a Displacer Beast, which looked similar to a couerl fiend. Other, like the hyena headed Gnolls, and gigantic, floating, cycloptic heads that were the Beholders, were alien to most of the table.
"So what's the game plan tonight, Ty?" Sora asked, once the group had settled.
"Well, first I was thinking that we do a brief introduction." The bushy-haired gamer returned. "The six of you can introduce everyone to your characters, give us your name, a little bit of history, you know, basic stuff. And then I will give you some background on the world my campaign is taking place in, what you mission is, and we'll let the dice do the rest of the talking. But before that," he then reached down to his feet to gather something up, "I don't typically like to use models for standard encounters, only for special ones, but I still like my PCs to have them. I didn't have time to make any, so for you player tokens, we're going to improvise." Tycho then portioned out to the team six silver-coloured chess pieces, giving a unique one to each player. Dayne was given the king, Namine the queen, Gabe had the bishop, Amelia had the rook, Arc was given the knight, which left Sora with...
"The pawn?" Sora moaned, as his piece was placed in his hand. "Why do I have to be the pawn?"
"It was the only piece left. I considered making you the knight, but it fits Arc's Rogue better." Tycho explained, though his tone suggested he wasn't one to bare through Sora's complaining. "He is much more mobile, and uses his mobility more, in theory at least. Besides, didn't you tell me you say your character was only nineteen in human years?" When he nodded, Tycho said, "There you go. You're the smallest, like the pawn."
"You know, Sora, some people consider the pawn to be just as valuable as any other piece," Amelia told him, though it fell on deaf ears, as the brunet complained again.
"But I made her six-foot-one! She can't be the pawn!"
"Wait... 'She'?" Arc repeated. "You made your character a girl." Sora nodded.
"Why?" Every other guy at the table asked.
"I dunno." He shrugged. "I mean, it's part of the game, I wanted to try something different. Why do you think I chose Ranger and chose flails as my melee weapons? At anytime I want I can whip out a huge sword and sling magic around like no ones business. What fun would it have been if I made a character similar to what I can do in real life?"
"Can't argue with that." Dayne said. He really couldn't, as he was playing a war general who acted as a major healer in battle, something he wasn't at all. Amelia and Arc were in the same boat, showing a strong initial talent in magic at the last two training sessions, and were playing purely physical character types. "Though, I still don't get why you're playing a female."
"Maybe he has issues..." Gabe brought up, taking a sip of his coke.
"I do not!" Sora snapped, getting a bit more flustered. "I'm perfectly happy being a guy." He then added, under his breath, "Though I have always wondered what it would be like to see how the other side lives."
"What was that?" Namine queried with a raised eyebrow.
"Nothing!"
Tycho clapped his hands, sharply. "Guys? A little focus. We can all make fun of Sora's gender dilemma after the game." After one final shout back from Sora, the group settled. "Dayne, please start by introducing your Warlord to the party."
"Gladly." Dayne said, placing his silver king down in front of him. "I am Aerion Blackblade, and I-"
Namine held her hands up, interrupting Dayne. "Wait, wait, wait. 'Aerion'? As in Aerion Brightflame from A Song of Ice and Fire?" The tall ex-Immortal smirked at that.
"I'm glad someone got the reference." He returned, though the others didn't seem to share the blonde's understanding of the allusion.
"'Song of' what?" Arc asked. "What are you two going on about?"
"They're a series of really good fantasy novels." Namine explained. Sora, Arc, and Gabe all turned to Tycho, knowing his expertise in this field.
"I tried to read them, but, the author has this weird habit when describing food that..." The DM shuddered for a moment, "That is to say they aren't well made books, but there are some off-putting elements in his tomes."
"But did you have to name your character after one of the most insane Targaryens in the series?" Amelia phrased, which got Dayne to smile again, seeing as how two people got his in-joke.
"Well, my first pick for a name was Maelys the Monstrous, and I thought we could name the party The Golden Company." He returned with a smirk. "But, don't worry, I won't drink a pot of wildfire thinking it will turn me into a dragon."
The remaining four people at the table just looked perplexed at the discussion, even Tycho, much to the surprise of Arc. "Look, Ty," he said, "If you're lost on this, imagine how the rest of us feel."
"Yeah...Well, Dayne, continue on, please."
"Right." The older man nodded. "Aerion was essentially born a stateless rogue, without nation or kingdom to call his own. He's spent about half his life learning how to be a warrior, and the other half learning how to be a leader. For the past twelve years or so, he's been wandering around from nation to nation, and mercenary band to mercenary band, plying and improving his craft, and hoping to make his dream a reality: finding a nation to serve for the end of his days."
Amelia placed her rook on the table next. "My Paladin is known as Driselle Lamont, though that is more a nom de guerre and not her birth name. She was born into a mid-level Drow noble house, the fourth child to be born. As a teenager, she took up to worshipping Eiliastraee because it was considered 'rebellious' and 'hip', like a Drow version of counter-culture, except she really only did it because it was cool."
"So, you're playing a poseur?" Gabe question.
"Former poseur." She corrected, before continuing. "Her worship to Eiliastraee changed when her two eldest sisters were chosen to be sacrificed to Lolth, the chief deity of the Drow pantheon, and her parents willingly gave them up without a fuss. Driselle took it upon herself to become a more fervent worshipper of Eiliastraee, eventually becoming a self-exile from the Drow community. Her main goal is to get as many Drow as she can to rebel against the typical Drow society, but she is happy encouraging feelings of self-determination, rebellion, and a desire for freedom anywhere she travels to."
"We're gonna clash on a few issues, aren't we?" Dayne asked, referring to their characters, and themselves.
"Why? What alignment are you?"
"Lawful Neutral." The alignment system was a way to determine a character's official stance and personal view on the world at large, with a character picking any combination of Good, Lawful, Neutral, Chaotic, and Evil; save for choosing opposing alignments combinations like Good and Evil and Lawful and Chaotic. Lawful Neutral characters like Aerion were just that, law-abiding citizens with a strong sense of justice who obeyed the law almost all the time, whether the law be malicious or beneficial.
"I'm Chaotic Neutral." Amelia explained. Chaotic Neutral characters tend to do as they please, acting with their own personal interests in mind, but never being overtly malicious or helpful to others. "So yeah, we might have some issues."
"You're the only Lawful person in the party, I think." Sora pointed out.
Dayne rolled his eyes. "Oh joy."
The alignment talk was halted when Arc spoke up. "As you all know, my Rogue goes by the handle Cydin Firehart. He isn't some champion of freedom or wandering army general though, he's a much more simple man. He was born impoverished, harassed by his race, but he was eventually taken in by a master thief were he learned his craft. He only cares for three things in life and they're the only things he hunts for: wealth, women, and a worthy opponent for his blade."
"How did I know you were going to make a character like that?" Amelia said with a sidelong glance. Arc just shrugged.
"I am a well known hopeless romantic."
"Emphasis on 'hopeless'."
If Arc was fazed by the comment, he didn't show it at all. "And it's not like my character only follows one vice. He does have two more focuses, all of them equal in Cydin's eyes."
Gabe brought his character to the forefront next. "Make way mortals, for Jim Darkmagic, of the New Hampshire Darkmagics."
"Do you always have to refer to yourself by your full name?" Dayne asked.
"Or in the third-person?" Sora followed.
"Yes!" Gabe shouted, dramatically. "Jim demands respect. Jim was once a humble street magician, but he found his gift for magic was so great, that he chose to forge a pact with a being from beyond the stars! Now Jim travels the world, searching for more power and knowledge, with the dream of rising from the streets to become something great! Jim is also True Neutral! Jim does not believe in such puny mortal concepts like 'good' and 'justice'."
"Please don't talk like that for the majority of the game." Tycho replied after a moment, very deadpan. "Only when talking in character."
"And when I announce my attacks." Gabe said.
"Fine." The DM sighed. "Namine, your turn."
"Okay." Following Dayne and Amelia, Namine placed her queen piece on the table. "My character's name is Meera Illoryn. Half-Elf, but raised almost exclusively by humans for her youth. She was born into a group of travelling performers, learning how to sing, play instruments, tumble and trick, act and dance. After reaching adulthood, she sought out her lineage, leading her to, not her elven father, but his sister, Meera's aunt. She was the one who instructed in the arcane arts, and Meera chose to mix her heritage, her human performing skills, and her elven magical skills, to become the adventurer she is today. She doesn't have much of a goal nowadays, wandering around from place to place, plying her craft, but she does want to become one of the most renowned Bards in the world, if she can."
And, finally, Sora came up to expound upon his Ranger. "Alright, so I'm playing the Elven Ranger, Seras Elera, and -"
"Hold up." Dayne said. "Your name is Sora Alleris, and you're playing Seras Elera?" He looked at his fellow Keyblade Wielder with a mix of suspicion and oddness.
"What? Names are hard." Sora returned.
"Or maybe that'll be his name after the operation," snickered Arc, causing the rest of the table to laugh.
"I don't want to be a girl!" Sora said again. "I just had trouble coming up with a name, that's all. Now can I get on with my intro?"
"Go ahead, Sara-chan," Namine said with a teasing smile. "And don't worry, I'm pretty sure Kairi and I have some clothes to spare."
Everyone laughed again, as Sora fumed, his face turning the colour of a pomegranate. When it finally died down, he continued, trying to not to be annoyed the teasing. "Okay, so Seras is more or less a trauma victim. When she was younger, her family was slaughtered by a group of cannibal halflings – don't laugh, they exist! She kind of suffered from a breakdown, seeing her family killed in front of her, and ran off to live in the woods. So, she's sheltered and naive of society, with a bit of a created personality to hide her scars, though she does have a deep-seated hatred of halflings."
"Hatred of halflings, there's a new one." Dayne muttered. "So, Ty, we ready to get this show on the road then?"
"We certainly are." The brunet DM declared, standing up from his spot and grabbing what would serve as there game board: A large dry-erase board with a grid of squares clearly defined by a grid. Whenever Tycho needed to specifically define the area the group was in, with tree for a forest, or make a hallway, or even denote things like traps, hazards, water, and cliffs, he could simply mark it out with a dry-erase marker, only to erase it when there was no longer a need for it.
For the remainder of the Tuesday evening, as well as the following Thursday and Saturday, the group engaged with their game session, slowly advancing through the story Tycho had set. After clearing out a group of kobolds who were hiding in a gold mine, the party of Seras, Meera, Cydin, Driselle, Aerion, and Jim were invited with an audience of Duke Raul Esgard. It seemed the continent the party currently occupied, Shandera, was on the brink of war. The Queen of the neighbouring country of Leichster was planning to marry of her step-daughter, the Crown Princess of Leichster, to the heir to the nation of Espira in the south. With an alliance like that, Shandera would be doomed, and the rulers of Shandera had entrusted the Duke to get the Princess out of the country before she could be wed. The party was even told that killing her would be an option, if a last resort.
And so, the party made their way to the capitol of Leichster, travelling in an airship, under the guise that they were a theatre group, wanting to put an a show for her majesty. While Driselle, Jim, and Aerion distracted the audience, Seras, Meera, and Cydin sought out the Princess, who was actually very willing to be kidnapped. Unfortunately, a few bad rolls on behalf of Sora and Namine, and the fact that they didn't know the patrol schedules of the guards, meant they were soon found out. While hauling ass back to the airship, taking off and trying to get away as fast as they could, the airship was struck by cannon fire, spun out, and crashed, ending the Thursday night session, where they picked up again on Saturday the eleventh.
"Okay, let's try and do a status check, people," Dayne said, as Aerion. He then switched from being the character to being the player, asking Tycho, "Are we all here?"
"All of you, Princess included, are present." Tycho answered.
"Are we hurt?" Namine asked, as herself. Part of the game was managing what you the player knew and what your character knew, as well as balancing doing things in character, and discussing with the DM and other players.
Tycho picked up a handful of dice and rolled them behind his screen. "Everyone takes eight damage, and loses one Healing Surge." The players all made adjustments on their character sheets. Healing Surges were part of the healing mechanic of 4e, representing your character's stores and reserves of energy in times of duress and extremes. Everyone had limited Surges, all of which were at a fixed value, and most healing in the game required characters to spend Surges. When they ran out, things became a lot more dangerous in combat, as every bit of damage brought them closer to death.
"You said we had a cart and two donkeys aboard the ship. What happened to them?" Amelia asked, addressing the DM.
Tycho rolled again. "The cart is in alright condition, but one of your donkeys died."
"Well, looks like our course is clear," Dayne began, now in character again. "Load up what we can in the cart, strap it to one of the donkeys, and get out of here." He took the word "Leader" to heart when playing Aerion.
"Um...problem, Aerion," Namine as Meera retorted. "We don't know where we are." She then turned to Tycho. "Could you describe our surroundings?"
"You find yourselves in a clearing of a thickly wooded forest." Tycho informed the party. "Right now, the canopy above you is thin, moon and starlight shining through. You estimate not an hour has passed since the crash. But elsewhere, you can see the canopy is much thicker, with very little light coming through."
"We'll need to light torches then." Amelia as Driselle declared. "Well, some of use need them." Elves, Tieflings, and half-elves could see perfectly fine with only a small amount of light; Drow could see perfectly well in pitch darkness. Humans and Dragonborn weren't so lucky, however.
"We also don't know if they will be enough room for the cart to manoeuvre through the trees." Namine pointed out.
"Point taken, but we gotta try, regardless." Arc as Cydin said. "We may have some gear that might be useful still in the ship, and using the cart will be easier for the Princess." When Namine gave him a look, he continued. "We should take it initially, and if we find a spot we can't pass with the cart, we carry what we can, and either make the Princess walk, or have her ride the donkey."
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but the Hellspawn has a good point" Dayne said dryly. Both Dayne and Arc had taken the enmity between Dragonborn and Tiefling to heart, rarely referring to each other by their character's names, instead using barbs like "Hellspawn" and "Lizard Breath".
"Well, first we need to see where we are exactly." Namine brought up again. "We don't want to be running blindly deeper into Leichster territory." She turned to Tycho again. "What Skill would we use to discern our location?"
"In a forest? Nature."
Skills were learned talents all character possessed, and were usually used in non-combat situations for various reasons. A character is Trained in multiple Skills, depending on their class, which gave them a sizable bonus whenever they made a Skill check. The Skills in 4e were Arcana (ones knowledge of magic), Acrobatics (ones agility, balance, and deftness), Athletics (used for climbing, jumping, and swimming), Bluff (used to lie and deceive), Diplomacy (used to persuade and convince, as well as make hostile enemies more friendly), Dungeoneering (which was foraging skills, monster lore, and navigation skills related to caves and the underground), Endurance (the stamina of the physical body, for resisting extreme weather and disease, holding ones breath, and going for time without food and drink), Heal (knowledge of injuries and how to treat them), History (knowledge of a region and chronology, pertaining to things like war, legends, and leaders), Insight (discerning intent and body language), Intimidate (influencing others through threats and hostile acts), Nature (navigation through the wilderness, recognizing natural hazards, flora, fauna, and foraging in the wild), Perception (the ability to notice clues, secret doors, find traps, follow tracks, and notice others with your eyes and ears), Religion (ones knowledge of gods, religious traditions and ceremonies, and other divine paraphernalia), Stealth (the ability to move undetected and quietly), Streetwise (your mastery at collecting gossip in towns), and Thievery (your ability to disarm traps, pick locks, and pick pockets).
"You're time to shine then, Pineapple Head." Dayne said to Sora. Seras had by far the best Nature in the party, rolling at a +9.
"Let's see what we got." Sora said, picking up his d20, which were always used for Skill checks. The dice clattered across the table, coming up with fifteen. "That's twenty-four total, then."
"Seeing the forest you're in, and knowing you were at the capitol not too long ago, Seras, you determine you have crashed in the Boundary Forest on the Angol Isthmus, to the north of Leichster, and the continent of Duran as a whole." Tycho explained to the group.
Dayne spoke again, acting as Aerion once more. "Okay. We know the Angola continent is neutral to Shandera, and has tepid relations with Leichster and Espira at best. I suggest we head north and find refuge there."
"And what would we do in Angola, Aerion?" Gabe as Jim Darkmagic (of the New Hampshire Darkmagics) brought up.
"Hide out, charter a ship, try and contact the Duke. Fact is, we can go south or north. If we go south, we're as good as dead. North we have a chance to complete this mission, even if it is as mall chance."
"I agree with Aerion." Namine said.
"I don't, but old Lizard Lips is right." Arc spoke up. "Our best chance is to break north."
"Then it's settled." Sora as Seras said, nodding. "Make another Nature check to find north, Ty?" He asked the DM. He nodded, and Sora rolled the d20 again. "Woo! Natural twenty." Any roll on the d20 that came up as an unmodified twenty was known as a "Critical Success", meaning you automatically passed the test with flying colours (and tended to get some excellent bonuses). Conversely, if you rolled an unmodified one on a d20, it was a Critical Failure, and you automatically failed the check in question.
Tycho nodded at the group. "You confidently point the party towards true north. Next, you all explain your plan to the Princess and load up the cart and the one donkey." Tycho made some more rolls. "Around half your supplies were destroyed, but you still have five bundles of ropes, three lengths of chain, a climbing kit, two ladders, two Minor Potions of Healing, and various props used for the theatre masquerade."
"Load up all the essentials," Amelia as Driselle said, speaking for the party. "And take whatever props we have left over. Specifically the costumes, I saw plenty of silk in there, and we can sell them for gold and silver, if need be."
With their plan set in motion, the group made their way through the Boundary Forest, Seras making the occasional Nature check in order to find proper paths for the cart and keep them on course. After one minor encounter with a pack of wolves, Tycho gave the group a short break as he set up for the next encounter.
"So, I just realized something guys," Arc said, as Tycho was busying drawing the map, and searching for various tokens in his massive collection.
"And what's that?" Amelia asked.
"Next Saturday is Kairi's birthday."
"Oh, so it is the same on this world as the Garden," Dayne noted.
"It's mine, too, Arc." Namine pointed out. "I mean, we are twins after all."
"Looks like no session next Saturday." Sora shrugged. "Can't really do one without Amelia and Namine."
"Just those two?" Dayne queried. "What? No boys allowed at her parties?" He phrased it as a joke.
"Yes." Sora replied, totally serious. "Ever since she was eight and started having sleepovers for her birthday. Her dad is very much against letting boys in his house overnight." Dayne snorted, muttering "Ass" under his breath.
"And yet you still get her a present every year." Gabe pointed out.
Sora crossed his arms. "She's my friend." He said, very defensively. He had been getting teased about his relationship with Kairi since they were kids, and had practically developed a reflex.
"Well, now she's your girlfriend." Arc told him, sidling up to him. "And it's her first birthday you've been a couple. AND it's her sweet sixteenth. You gotta pull out the stops for this one, buddy." Sora's cerulean eyes widened with shock.
"I hadn't thought about that one..." He muttered, eyes darting around in panic. "Oh crap. I don't know what to get her! I gotta get her something big! Something glorious!" He then moved across the room, latching himself to Namine. "What do I do, Nam! What do I do!"
"Letting go of me would be a nice start." Namine shot back, as Sora began to shake her violently. "And I'm sure you'll find a present within the week."
"No I won't. This is the most perfect girl in the universe! I have to get her something marvellous! Spectacular!"
"You're her boyfriend." Argued Amelia. "I'm sure she'll love any old thing you get her."
"Don't waste your breath, Amelia," Dayne replied. "We keep trying to tell him that, but nothing will pound that fact into his brain." He then looked over and saw that Sora was threatening to shake and rattle Namine's eyes out of her socket. He went over pried the two apart, holding Sora in a bit of a choke hold, forearm around his neck. "Settle down, kiddo. Listen, I got the day off tomorrow, and I have to get something for the girls, too. So let's check with Roxas and Silver to see where they sit on the presents thing, and we'll go shopping. Now, calm down, let's get back to the game, and if your panicky nature screws us on this, I swear, I will ram my axe up where the sun don't shine on Seras."
Back at the game table, the group found themselves and their travel blocked by a platoon of soldiers from Leichster. Men-at-arms, some crossbowmen, a handful of knights, and some generic human rabble (Minion monsters, a special type that did set amount of damage, and only had 1 HP). After a few bits of banter between the party and their enemies, the combat began.
At the beginning of a battle in D&D, every participant rolled for Initiative; a d20 roll plus your Dexterity modifier and certain other bonuses. The higher the total number, the higher you were in the initiative list, and the people with the highest number went first.
"I'll start off first." Dayne said, grabbing his die. "And remember my Combat Leader feature. Everyone in ten squares – which is to say, everyone of us – gets a +2 on their Initiative check." Everyone nodded as Dayne took his roll, followed by the other five party members. "Twenty, hot damn!."
"Twenty-one," said Sora, smiling towards Dayne.
"I'm at six," Namine said.
"Five for me." Amelia replied
"Sixteen." Answered Arc.
And, finally, Gabe rolled. "I'm sitting at twelve."
"Okay, give me a second." Tycho then began to roll his d20 several times. "The Knight Captain has eleven, the Knights are at eight, the Crossbowmen go on twenty-two, the Men-at-arms are on seventeen, and the Human Rabble are all going with a two. Oh, and the Princess has a ten. Who wants to control the Princess for this one?" Namine raised her hand, having controlled her in the last combat. "Okay, so the order is the four Crossbowmen, Seras, Aerion, then the four Men-at-arms Cydin, Gabe, the Knight Captain, the Princess, the three Knights, then Meera, Driselle, and finally, the six Rabble. So the Crossbowmen go first" Tycho then began to move the tokens representing the Crossbowmen across the board, encircling the party in a half-circle. "And they are going to unleash their quarrels on Driselle, Cydin, Meera, and Aerion." Tycho rolled the d20 four times. "12, 16, 18, and 8 against AC."
Attack rolls were dictated by a d20 roll, adding and subtracting any modifiers you had for the rolls. Each attack would target one of four defences, Armour Class (or AC), Fortitude, Reflex, and Will, and if the total of the roll and the modifier at least equalled the defence, the attack did damage.
"Misses me by a long-shot." Informed Amelia, who had the most solid defences of the six. Of the four, only Meera and Cydin ended up getting hit.
"Okay," Tycho picked up another die, "Meera takes six and Cydin takes four. That's all for them. Seras, you're up."
Combat was dictated by three types of actions: Move, Minor, Standard. Each participant in a battle got one of each every turn, but could trade them around. A Standard action could become a Move, and a Move could become a Minor; certain effects also granted characters extra actions. Standard actions were generally attacks; Move actions dictated moving, whether it was moving your standard speed, or things like dropping/standing to/from a Prone position; Minor actions were very small things, like certain Skills like Insight or Nature, drawing or sheathing weapons, applying potions, or using certain healing abilities. Free actions were special actions like talking that didn't effect a character's action queue at all.
As for attacking, player characters could perform four types of attack actions, that all took a Standard action. Basic attacks were performed with weapons and just did damage, and had no effect beyond that. The three other types of attack were known as Attack Powers, unique to each class, and were dictated by their frequency of use. At-Will Powers could be used at anytime during their turn, and could be used every single turn. They tended to be no strong than a basic attack, but usually had one or two small effects applies to them. Encounter Powers were stronger than basic attacks or At-Wills, but could only be used once per encounter, which was around five minutes in-game (or fifty rounds of combat). Daily Powers were the strongest Power in their arsenal, only being usable once per in-game day, and were supremely powerful, with plenty of effects added on, and they tended to do something even on a miss.
Before Sora took his move, Dayne waved him down. "Make sure you stay close to me. I have a plan for my turn." He said, as he was surveying the battlefield. Noting that Seras, Cydin, and Driselle were close to him, as was the Knight Captain.
"You got it." He said. "I can draw and sheathe my weapons as a free action thanks to my Quick Draw feat, so I draw my Longbow as a free action, and as my Minor, I'm placing my Hunter's Quarry on the Knight Captain, who's closest to me." Rangers could declare one enemy as their Quarry at a time, declaring the closest enemy to them as the Quarry. Once per round, when the Quarry was struck by the Ranger, the player could choose to apply an extra damage die. "Then I'll use my Twin-Strike At-Will with my Longbow." He rolled the d20 twice. "18 and 22 against AC?"
"One hit." Tycho replied.
"Then he takes," Sora rolled the d10 for his Longbow, and then the d8 for his Quarry damage. "Twelve damage. And, I'll sheath my bow and draw my Flail and Scourge as a free action, to end my turn."
"Everyone make room for Aerion!" Dayne declared, moving his king two spaces up. "And I'm gonna show you how a master tactician works. I'm targeting the Knight Captain with my Daily Power, Lamb to the Slaughter!" He picked up the d20 as well, rolling it around in his hand in preparation. "This is against his Will, and if it hits, he's gonna be in a world of hurt... Nineteen!" Tycho confirmed it was a hit. "Okay then, I now get to pull him five squares," Dayne moved the Knight Captain token so it was adjacent with his king. "Then, up to three allies with five squares that have line of sight or can hear me can perform a charge attack as a free action. And it looks like Cydin, Seras, and Driselle all qualify for that."
"Oh, you son of a bitch!" Tycho swore, as Amelia, Arc, and Sora moved their pieces into position. The four chess pieces were clustered around the cardboard token like a cross.
"And because this is a charge, I can use my Ardent Strike power in place of a basic attack." Amelia picked up her d20 and rolled. "Nineteen versus AC?" Again, Tycho signalled it was a hit. "Then that's 1d10 plus my Charisma modifier damage." She rolled the proper dice. "Thirteen damage!"
"I'm up next, and like Amelia, I can use a Power in a charge in place of a basic attack." Arc picked up his d20 as he explained. "But the Power I can use is my Daily, Handspring Assault! Nineteen versus AC hits, so he takes... twenty-three more damage. And-"
"Oh jeez, what now?" Tycho lamented, as Dayne had engineered the downfall of his big creature for the encounter.
"Well, I'm flanking him with Aerion, so I get combat advantage, meaning I can use my Sneak Attack." He rolled 2d6 for the extra damage. "That's another eight."
"Well, I feel bad not being able to do any fancy stuff like that," Sora said. "But I guess I'll just hit him with my Flail." Sora managed to roll a successful twenty-three for his attack roll, and then inflicted another ten damage. Tycho looked on in dismay as the party had just gang-raped his baddie with one well placed move.
"Okay, so that's...sixty-six damage total in the two turns! For the love of Boccob!" Tycho swore again, removing the token from the map. "Aerion, you call out at the Captain, challenging him to battle. You besmirch his honour, causing him to charge into you. But, what he didn't expect, was a clever trap. Before he can attack you, Driselle charges forth, brandishing her broadsword and laying it into his shoulder. Then, Seras jumps out, crushing his helmet with a swing of her flail. Finally, Cydin comes leaping and tumbling through the air, finding a gap in the back of the knight's armour, and skewering him straight through with his rapier, felling him with the fatal blow."
The party whooped in victory, as Dayne leaned back in his chair, accepting high-fives from his teammates, grinning broadly. "I love it when a plan comes together."
"Five stores, and I still don't have a bloody idea what to get her. Either of them!" Sora moaned, as he, Riku, Roxas, Kalyn, and Dayne travelled down Rivedia Street, colloquially known as Salm's shopping centre.
"Just settle down, Sora, we'll find something." Roxas assured him. "Look, the rest of us don't have anything for either of them, and none of us are freaking out."
"I don't know what either of you two are talking about, I'm finished for the two of them." Kalyn said, lugging a bag with her. Kairi had called her up last night telling her she had been invited to the sleepover, something she had great reservations about. Being stuck in a house with Kairi and some of her friends for hours on end did not excite her at all.
"I'm still not sure about your choice of gift," Riku said.
"Why? This is what I would want for my birthday." Kalyn had found herself drawn to the scent of cinnamon and a high-class bakery, resulting in her buying two boxes of gourmet chocolates for each twin.
"When is your birthday, by chance?" Riku asked, as casual as possible.
Kalyn chewed her lip for a few seconds. "I think Ivalice and Salm use different calendars, so we're gonna have to do some math."
"The point Riku was trying to make though, is that girls don't usually buy each other boxes of chocolate for their birthday," Roxas pointed out to the foreigner. "Stuff like that usually falls under the category of 'lover's gifts'."
The Ivalician rolled her eyes. "Yes. Because I want to jump Red's bones so badly." She phrased sarcastically, before snorting. "She's even more uptight than you, Rox." She then turned to Sora. "Say, why didn't you get her any chocolate, if it's a lover's gift."
"'Cause you already got her some. Besides, I want to get her something really special." Sora explained, eyes peering down every which way, looking for the something in question.
"Why don't you bake her something?" Roxas asked, resulting in Sora shaking his head.
"Mom's making her a red velvet cake for next week. It's her favourite." The other four sighed. It was like pulling teeth.
Turning the conversation around, Dayne spoke to Roxas. "What about you? You've been like the opposite of Pineapple Head. What're you thinking about getting Namine?" The blond teen shrugged. "Well, what about art supplies?"
"No." He said back. "She went on a big binge the second day back. Pencils and pens and felts and all sorts of stuff. Besides, I want it to be a little bit romantic. I'm not going out of my mind like Sora here, but it would be nice if I could get something special." He then turned his head left. "Hey, why don't we head in there?" He pointed towards an electronics and gadget store.
"Really?" Dayne titled his head. "You went on about how you want your gift to be romantic, and then you point out an electronics store?"
"Hey, I still need to get a gift for Kairi, Sora needs to get one for Namine, and you two have to get your gifts. I imagine we can get something from there."
"Well, just hurry it up." Kalyn barked at them as they entered the store. "I don't want these to melt."
The five entered the store, taking a moment to browse around the various gadgetry, before Riku spoke up, "Hey, guys, I just remembered something. Tidus was talking the other day about he and the guys all pitched in and got Namine an iPod. Kairi doesn't have one, does she?"
"No." Sora answered. His eyes then opened in realization, as he went over to a certain section in the store.
"Well, how about you two and me," he motioned to Roxas and Dayne, "Split one between the three of us."
"Sounds like a good idea." Roxas agreed.
"I..." Dayne began, before stopping himself, as his memory flicked back to a month prior. "You two can go in on it together, I actually already have something for her. Something I bet she really wants to see."
Riku raised an eyebrow. "What is it? And when did you get it?" Roxas was handing the silver-haired teen his share of the munny for the music device.
"It's not for you to know, I can tell you that much," Dayne replied. "And I got it back on the Garden last month."
Before anyone could ask a follow up question, Sora called out to his brother. "Hey, Roxas? How does Namine feel about getting like photography and stuff?"
"Dunno." He walked over to where Sora was standing, seeing his twin was looking over the digital cameras. "But, it is a kind of art form, and I bet she would really appreciate having one." Sora nodded along.
"So how about me, Riku, Dayne split it? Sound good guys." Both older males responded affirmatively and Sora picked up a camera he thought was good and reasonably priced.
"And now we just have us lover boys." Roxas said, as Riku paid for the iPod, referring to himself and Sora, of course. He thought on it for a minute, before sighing aloud. "Man... I need a woman's advice."
"Um...hello?" Kalyn waved her arms, sounding a little insulted.
"I said a woman. Not a mood-swinging bitch."
Kalyn punched him in the shoulder. Hard. "I am a woman you uptight dolt! Now, can you cook?" Roxas shook his head, while rubbing his arm. "Can you sing? Play an instrument?" Again, he gave a no. "Then get her tickets to a show, you talentless lump!" She punched in the arm again, before turning around so suddenly, he almost clocked him in the head with her shopping bag.
"...That's actually a very good idea..." Roxas said in disbelief, still rubbing his arm. "Um...thanks, Kalyn." The Ivalician flipped him off. "Oh, how lovely. I'm beginning to see that charm Riku enjoys so much..." He muttered, low enough so that only he hit him.
"So you're getting her theatre tickets?" Sora asked. "Man, why didn't I think of that?" He bemoaned loudly, as Dayne finished paying for the camera.
Fed up with Sora's whining, Kalyn tromped over to him, with a rather mean look in her eyes. "You know, you can try and debate this without whining like a little child!" She then clutched on his crown pendant, yanking down and releasing it with such force that it bounced up and almost struck Sora in the forehead.
"Hey!" He snatched the free bouncing pendant with his bare hand. "Don't touch that, you hear!" He shouted down at her. "You don't touch my necklace!" Another bolt of realization seemed to have struck Sora, as he blinked in surprise. "Um...You guys can head home if you want. I know exactly what I'm going to get her. See you all around." Sora darted out the store and down the street, a smile on his face, remembering a certain incident from when they were seven-years-old.
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SirAngelo
