007. (v2) [commentlog/open]

[snowtop]

[This is not a good day. Xanth wakes up and feels... different. Then he looks down and sees plating instead of skin, three fingers instead of five, and tentacles instead of a mouth.

Xanth has woken up as a Poleepkwa.

When he first sees himself he screams, but it comes out as more of a buzzing. Then he tries to talk, but all he can manage is stammered clicks. Whatever he is now, it couldn't talk the way humans could, and it was then that Xanth resolved to hide until this wore off. But he couldn't - e was hungry. So, he decided he would run out to the kitchen, stock up, and then run back.

But was then that he realized none of his clothes fit, and he was cold as hell.

Xanth is out and about. First, he makes a trip to the clothier's tower and grabs whatever will fit. (Unfortunately, no shoes are made to fit his new feet.) Then, he runs off to the kitchen to get breakfast and grab dinner so he won't have to come out again.

But no matter where he goes, this tall bug-alien's got an ugly, patchy, mismatched blanket wrapped around him like a cape.]

Comments

[heavyweaponsbot]

[All right. So he's human again. Hooray.]

[He's human, his hip hurts, and the clothing he'd gathered on the Elegante is conspicuously absent from his room.]

[Yeah, this'll be fun.]

[Ironhide is moving by virtue of sheer stubborn willpower. That, and a big, heavy stick he found lying in the hallway. Everyone's always mentioning some 'clothing tower' or whatever. So he might as well try to find it.]

[eventedthree]

[Finding clothes that fit this weird new body is hard. Clothes that fit a girl, that was okay, but this alien has such bizarre proportions.

He's halfway through a pile of clothes when someone walks into the tower. When Xanth looks up, he realizes it's someone he knows. He perks up, eyes widening a little, and straightens up. For one second, he's forgotten his new shape.

But when he calls Ironhide's name, all that comes out is a guttural clucking.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He goes straight for the first pair of pants he can find -- it's not the leather ones from the Elegante, or even the denim ones. They're loose, easy on, easy off. They won't hurt his hip any.]

[He's pulled them on before he hears the clucking noise. His head snaps around, and the best growl he can manage bubbles in his throat, seeing that... whatever it is.]

... What do you want?

WHOOPS "clucking" should have been "clicking"

[eventedthree]

[Xanth balks. Ironhide has never growled at him like that before, but right now, Xanth is not himself.

Doesn't stop it from hurting, though.

He shrinks down a little and looks away - as if he could fade into the crowd like he used to. He's a six-foot-tall bug monster now.

It's then he remembers that he has his journal. He grabs and starts writing in it - just a short "it's Xanth" - before he goes to tap Ironhide on the shoulder. This will work! Right?]

XANTH ARE YOU A CHICKEN TOO?

[heavyweaponsbot]

[This may be the first time Xanth can actually look his dadbot Ironhide in the eye. He may be human... but he's lost little in the way of size. He's still huge.]

[When the thing shrinks back, he snorts, and gives it a look.]

[... then it writes.]

[He looks at the book. Then at the thing. Then back.]

... Boy?

YES BOK BOK :(

[eventedthree]

[Xanth lowers the book and nods. He looks down again and ineffectually picks at the binding on his book, letting out a melancholy click as he does.

Not being able to speak is terrible.]

;o;

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He stares at him for a long, quiet moment, before clasping a hand on his shoulder.]

This never lasts. Remember that, from before.

[eventedthree]

[Xanth tries to bite his lip, but lacking both proper teeth and lips, all he can do is shift those facial tendrils.

These things don't last, not usually, and so Xanth nods again. He can deal with this; he can manage this body for a while.

(He just hopes it's not long.)

Changing mental tracks, Xanth glances down at Ironhide's bad hip. He blinks once, then points, and looks back to Ironhide's eyes with a tilted head.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[It takes him a second to puzzle that out, then shakes his head slowly.]

Still hurts. Stick thing helps, though.

[He tilts his head.]

How are you doing?

[willruleitall]

[Veronica is stumbling around the Keep, trying to get used to the large wings on her back. Reluctant to rip her own shirt to fit her wings, she heads over to the clothier's tower to find a shirt she can rip the back off of so she at least has something to wear.

She's on her way out when she runs into Xanth. She doesn't even bother to hide her staring.]

What the hell?

[eventedthree]

[Xanth clicks, alarmed, and pulls the blanket tighter around himself like a shield. Blinking, he draws his shoulders up and just tries to step out of her way.

Those other clicky noises he's making? He's trying for apologies, but it's just not coming out right.]

[willruleitall]

[Veronica peers at Xanth, trying to figure out what's up with him.]

You okay there?

[eventedthree]

[Xanth blinks. Of course he's not okay, he woke up an alien this winged woman couldn't know that. Hell, she might have woken up something different, too. Maybe she's not used to those wings or that face or even those arms.

So he just shrugs, gestures towards himself, and then shakes his head. If he can't verbalize, maybe he can gesture.]

[willruleitall]

[Veronica smirks at Xanth.]

I get it. Sucks to be you, kid. At least most everyone else can still speak normally.

[eventedthree]

[Xanth manages a scoffing sound and a sort of flat look. Yes, sucks to be him, indeed.

After a few moments of self-pity and irritation, Xanth points to Veronica's wings and tilts his head to the side curiously.]

[willruleitall]

[Veronica looks over her shoulder at the wings.]

Those are the only things that are new. The only downside is they mess with my balance.

[eventedthree]

[Xanth nods again. He gets that - it was hard to walk on these weirdo alien legs, at least for a while.

Gods, it's cold. Xanth can't pull the blanket any tighter around himself, but he looks toward the tower and then points over Veronica's shoulder to the door.]

[buildsthatwall]

[The Kid feels naked, partly because he is. His close don't fit him anymore so he's had to wrap himself in his blanket to keep himself covered. All that can be seen of him are two great big yellow eyes.

The other part is because he's no longer big enough or strong enough to carry his hammer. Sure he can still carry his pistols around with him, but it's not the same as having his old friend with him.

After sitting in his room for a bit he had to leave. That stink was overpowering him and he just couldn't take it anymore. Of course when he got outside and could still smell it there he realized that it was coming from him. Now he just needed to find a way to wash it off.]

[eventedthree]

[Moments after the Kid enters the room, before Xanth sees him, Xanth smells him. Which is weird, because Xanth's sense of smell still isn't any better than average.

Xanth wiggles his tendrils in and steals a glance at the Kid. He doesn't want to seem rude, but that is one intense odor, and that is one tiny... whatever it is. He'll probably have just as hard a time finding something to fit as Xanth is.

Xanth pulls a small shirt out of the pile and decides, well, the Kid might be able to make use of it. Xanth makes his way over to him and leans down to offer it, clicking a couple of times as he does.]

[buildsthatwall]

[The Kid stops dead when he sees...whatever that thing in front of him is. For a moment he considers drawing his pistol, but decides against it. Sure this guy looks weird, but that doesn't mean he's hostile or anything. Maybe he's just a great big bug person that likes clothing.

When he offers the Kid a shirt the Kid takes it and utters a thank you. Unfortunately it just comes out as more fast spoken gibberish that no one can understand. He sighs and then thinks for a moment. Finally he gives the bug thing a thumbs up. Hopefully it will understand that.]

[eventedthree]

[Xanth smiles, though it doesn't really look like a smile on his face, and returns the thumbs-up. That, he understands.

He returns to his piles of clothing now and keeps sorting. There has to be something in here that will work with a waist as tiny as his own - he'll tie up a skirt with a drawstring if he has to!]

[buildsthatwall]

[The shirt isn't exactly the reason he's here but he doesn't want to toss the shirt away and be rude so for now he just throws it over his shoulder. Hopefully there will be some kind of soap or at least something here to kill the odor. The problem is that he doesn't know the first place to start looking, but maybe the bug man does.

He speaks again to get the bug man's attention but again it's nothing but fast spoken gibberish. At least he doesn't have to understand the Kid for him to get the bug man's attention.]

[eventedthree]

[Xanth looks up at the... noise, and makes a questioning sound of his own. Clicks for gibberish - an even trade.

But what did the little guy want? Maybe he needed more help?

Tentatively, Xanth approaches him.]

[buildsthatwall]

[Oh good he's paying attention. Kid holds out a hand and points at his finger. Then he gets on his hands and knees and starts spelling something on the floor. If only he brought his journal with him.

S-O-A-P

He looks up at the bug man and then spells the letters out again to make sure he gets. Hopefully Buggy knows what Kid is spelling and doesn't use some strange bug alphabet.]

[eventedthree]

[Xanth does not use a strange bug alphabet, but the script he reads is quite different from... well, whatever language it is that the little guy is writing out. Xanth holds up one plated finger, then goes and grabs his own journal. Maybe the writing will translate properly?

He scribbles out one misspelled word:]

wat ?