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

[eventedthree]

[Even the scuffed and scarred can get frostbite. Xanth holds up one finger, then hurries off to find Ironhide a coat of... well, of some kind.

He's gone some minutes, but when he comes back, he's got a few coats draped over one arm and two pairs of boots in hand. He sets them down on a table near Ironhide and then looks up at him expectantly.

Or, well. As expectantly as he can.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He eyes the clothing. He's never been particularly fond of them -- despite the fact his human form was always freezing, and the clothing did help.]

[The boots... he's going to need help with. And he does not want to ask for further help. He's already been helpless, and he hates it.]

That will work.

[A beat.]

Appreciate it.

[eventedthree]

[Xanth isn't leaving the tower any time soon. He gives Ironhide a thumbs up, as best he can with three fingers and no fists, and then backs off a little.

But he'll be keeping an eye out. If Ironhide looks like he needs help, well, Xanth will be there.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He... manages to get the boots on. Just barely. His brow is furrowed, and his jaw set with pain the entire while.]

[The jacket goes on more smoothly, and with less pain, but he looks accomplished, nonetheless.]

[eventedthree]

[Xanth sees Ironhide struggling with the boots. Is that because of his hip, or because the boots are the wrong size?

Fretting, Xanth picks at his fingers and his antennae wiggle back and forth. He looks from the boots, to Ironhide's face, to the coat, and back to his face.

Eventually, he gives a thumbs-up! Ironhide looks ready for any wintry weather coming his way.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[The gesture gets a raised eyebrow out of him. Until he snorts, and shakes his head.]

Hope this clears up soon. Not used to you being quiet like that.

[eventedthree]

[Xanth makes a sound sort of like a bark (he's laughing) and then looks down. Yeah, he's not used to being this quiet, either; normally every sentence is full of extra noise and vocal filler. But, when around people who don't notice or care, Xanth is fine with talking. It's certainly easier than writing...

He picks up the journal and writes in it some more.]

yeah me too

do yu need anything els ? dose everything fit ok

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He's having trouble reconciling this... thing... with the boy he knows so well. At least everyone seemed to think Ironhide's human form was fitting, in a way. This is nothing even remotely like Xanth.]

Worry too much about me, boy.

[eventedthree]

[Xanth draws his shoulders up and looks down, scratching at one cheek self-consciously. It's a distinctly Xanth-like motion, but it even feels off in this new body.

He scrawls out another message - this time, an apology.]

sory cant help it

[heavyweaponsbot]

[The gesture gets a light snort out of him. Yes, it looks like the boy. There's no denying it.]

[He waves off the apology.]

No reason to apologize, boy.

[eventedthree]

ok

i shud get back to looking for cloths

[Xanth hesitates, then adds,]

yu can stay if yu want but its not that interisting

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He looks around, and rolls a shoulder in a shrug.]

Need to take a break before I head back. Fine here.

[eventedthree]

[Xanth brightens at this. Instead of smiling, though, he twitches his antennae back and forth. The movement's not done on purpose, really, it just sort of happens/i>. So, he writes down one more thing:]

ok!

[And then, for good measure:]

:)

[And then he goes back to trying to clothe himself.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

... What is that?

[Xanth did you just emote. What does that mean.]

[eventedthree]

[Xanth, halfway into putting on a shirt, pauses.

And then he pulls it on entirely, and goes to reply.]

its a litle smily face

[heavyweaponsbot]

[Ironhide stares at it. His good eye narrows, and he stares at it some more.]

... I do not see it.

[eventedthree]

[Hmmmm.

Okay! Alright. Xanth can explain this. He makes a little arrow pointing to the two dots, and writes:]

thees are the eyes

[And then he makes an arrow pointing to the mouth.]

and this is the mowth

[Then, after a moment and a thoughtful twitch of his antennae, he finishes with:]

i gess there shud be a nose too but theres no room

[heavyweaponsbot]

[Ironhide looks down at the little drawing. Then at Xanth's descriptions.]

[And he laughs.]

[He laughs hard.]

[It's something he hasn't done in ages, and it... feels oddly good to do.]

[eventedthree]

[Xanth blinks a few times, surprised. He's never seen Ironhide laugh that hard - in fact, he's never seen Ironhide do much more than a chuckle.

Instead of worrying that Ironhide is laughing at him, Xanth feels proud that he could be so amusing. Gods know the old soldier needed it.

So he just looks fondly at Ironhide, his eyes not so wide, and his tendrils wiggle a little. It would have been a grin, but if he could grin, he wouldn't have needed the emotes anyway.]

[heavyweaponsbot]

[He laughs a while longer, before reaching out and patting the boy-turned-whatever on the arm.]

Good kid. Been a while since I did that.

[eventedthree]

[He very nearly writes that Ironhide should do it more often, but that feels... presumptuous, and so he doesn't. Xanth does, however, rather enthusiastically wiggle his antennae and scribble out something else:]

glad to help!! or something

[Yes. That needed not one, but two exclamation points.]