[Open] No Dawn, No Day, I'm Always In This Twilight

[twilightskey]

Who: Roxas and YOU!
When: All throughout April
Where: Various
What: Catch-All for April: Cometflies, Quests, and a Feral Full Moon
Warnings: Warnings for possible violence in one of the prompts

A - A Falling Star Fell From Your Heart And Landed In My Eyes (April 3rd)
[Roxas hasn't really seen a meteor shower before, so when the sky lights up with the bright lights, he can't help but pause what he's doing and enjoy the view. It's peaceful to watch, and the smile on his face doesn't fade for a while.]

[Eventually, he notices the little cometflies around. He holds out a hand, chuckling as one of them lands on his finger. But his ears stand up straight when he notices his finger change to a soft blue colour. Trying not to dislodge the little bug, he turns to his nearest companion.]

Uh, is that normal?

B-1 - I Took The Stars From Our Eyes, And Then I Made A Map...
[Having taken quite a liking to the Coven's gardening lessons last month, Roxas readily signs up to help with Pile's Plantagorium. He's not a witch, so he's pretty useless in terms of the magical care of plants, but he does his best to make sure the plants are properly watered and cared for. Given the way his ears perk and his tail slowly wags while he works, he's clearly enjoying himself.]

[If you're in need of any help with taking care of any plants, Roxas is here to lend a hand or offer some pointers. And sometimes, if he's working one of the later shifts, he can be found sitting on one of the rooftop garden benches, watching the sun set calmly.]

B-2 - ...And Knew That Somehow I Could Find My Way Back
[Perhaps, however, you're one of the adventurous ones who've agreed to venture beyond the Wall and into the Wilde. If so, you might see Roxas on your own venture out into the wilderness beyond the city. He has his two Keyblades, Oathkeeper and Oblivion, strapped to his back as he explores in the wilderness. He's not a botanist by any stretch, but he's memorized a couple of the plants from the greenhouses the Coven. That, and sometimes he's just drawn to the scent of the various flowers he stumbles across.]

Hey... you think this is one we can take back with us?

[There's so many new scents out beyond the Wall... he tries to stay focused, but like a curious dog, he can't help exploring sometimes. And that may or may not prove problematic outside the city.]

C - But Then It Stopped, And I Was In The Darkness, So Darkness I Became (April 8)
[Roxas has been doing his best to deal with his transformations, but three months in this world has seen some worrying changes. The physical changes were easy to get used to, but the ones that caught Roxas the most off-guard were the instinctual ones. The ones that made him act in odd ways without thinking about it. Most were mostly embarrassing or non-consequential, but these instinctual urges made him worry, and talking with his friends about them did little to ease those worries. He tries to weather this information calmly, but deep down it scares him. What scares him the most is the thought of these instincts coming up unbidden, taking over and directing his actions entirely.]

[Perhaps it's these worries that put him on edge the day of the full moon. He's quieter than normal, and spends a lot of time in his room. When he's spotted around the house, he's distracted, often lost in thought. Just before supper, he goes on a walk, stating to any who ask that he wants to try and clear his mind.]

[His housemates will realize that Roxas doesn't come back that evening. And as the full moon rises in the sky, his transformations hit him harder than any month before.]

[With the moon full as it is, Roxas has shifted into a more animalistic form; still humanoid in shape, but with fur covering most of his body, his hands looking more like humanoid paws, his face replaced with a muzzle, and legs twisted into a digitigrade form. He looks less like a human and more like a humanoid Akita Inu, with brindled grey and white fur. And judging by the way he wanders aimlessly, sniffing at his surroundings and growling lowly, it looks like he's not fully in control of his body or mind right now.]

[If any try to approach him, he'll turn to them and bare his fangs, letting out a deep, gutteral growl. It will definitely look fierce, but the way his eyes grow wide, his ears angle back, how his tail tucks between his legs, and how his body shifts between retreating backwards and taking steps forward to snap at whoever's approached him? Those familiar with dog behaviours will realize that this isn't just aggression, but fear. This is a scared dog-monster, one who might not hesitate to snap at any perceived threat.]

D - Wildcard
[OoC: Got another prompt idea you'd like to do with Roxas? Let me know by sending me a PM or messaging me on plurk (pocketnoivern)!]

Comments

C

[spirialink]

[Kor was also out on a walk that night. Not because he needed to clear his head or anything like that, but just because... he wanted to enjoy the outside. It was a gorgeous night outside. The sky was clear, the stars were bright, and the full moon was beautiful.

...Someday, he'd learn that it probably isn't a wise idea to venture out on the full moon, even if it doesn't have any effect on him.

He comes across the animal-humanoid during his travels. Seeing animal-like humans in the town was hardly a surprise to Kor at this point, well aware that "monsters" made up a good sized portion of the population.

But seeing one seemingly struggling with something? Well, that was cause for concern for Kor. He was never one to let sleeping dogs lie, after all.]

Hey... Are you okay?

[twilightskey]

[The new voice makes Roxas's ears swivel, before he turns sharply in Kor's direction. Wide, wild eyes fix on him, and his hackles raise, fur bristling over his body.]

[Rather than a verbal response, the turnskin's lips peel back, baring his fangs as he lets out a deep, rumbling growl. His claws flex, and he looks ready to fight. Rather than lunging towards Kor, however, he takes a step back, body crouching somewhat.]

c

[oathkeeper]

[It's the night of the full moon and Sora is not exempt from the bristling feeling it gives most monsters. The difference here is that Sora noticed that Roxas had left the house and had been acting fairly strange. They might no longer be connected by their hearts but he's still quite sensitive to Roxas' moods and his off behavior worries him.

So despite the moonlight making Sora antsy and a little wound up he decides to go look for his former Nobody. He takes to the streets with rabbit ears twitching as he listens for anything that might be...]

Roxas...?

[Sora's yellow eyes blink with surprise when he sees him. Looking far more inhuman than he's ever seen the boy before. His nerves suddenly tense.]

Roxas! What's wrong!

[twilightskey]

[Roxas's ears swivel before he turns to face Sora. His eyes are wide, wild, and don't seem to recognize Sora.]

[He lets out a deep, guttural growl, snapping his jaws at Sora. He doesn't lunge forward though, instead taking a few steps back. A faint whine mingles with that growl, though he keeps his fangs bared and hackles raised.]

c;

[shadowsthedawn]

[While they hadn't been initially close, Riku has grown used to having Roxas around over the past couple of months. Even when Roxas was hoarding his things in his room, Riku has grown more exasperated with the other teen's behaviors than angry.

And he's grown used to his moods. While no where near as exuberant as Sora, Roxas isn't usually so quiet. As his gloomy mood continues even Riku begins to grow worried. And when he goes out and stays out so late, the worry grows. Once it becomes really late with no sign of Roxas returning, Riku sets out on his own to find him.

He wonders the streets around the house, hoping that maybe he would intercept the other boy on his way home. He's not sure how long he's been wandering when he catches sight of a moving form up ahead. As he moves closer the light of the moons reveal more of the creature to his sight; fur, claws, tail. But there's something familiar about the monster's coloring.

He takes a step closer, catching the attention of the dog-monster and, more importantly, seeing his eyes. Eyes he's grown familiar with over the past couple of months.]

Roxas...is that you?

[twilightskey]

[Those eyes that may be familiar to Riku turn to glare at Riku as he calls out, wide and wild-looking. His lips peel back and a deep growl rumbles in his throat. But though the growl may sound savage, his ears angle back instead of to the sides like when he's angry, and though he snaps at Riku, he's taking steps backwards rather than steps forward.]

[Those eyes of his don't seem to recognize Riku, but for as wild as they look, they also look like that of a frightened animal. A frightened animal who's not afraid to snap at a threat.]

[spirialink]

[Kor takes a step back when Roxas growls at him. He wasn't exactly itching to tangle with a monster in town.

That's when he noticed that something seemed familiar about the monster across from him. the styling of the fur, whatever remained of the clothing...]

...Roxas?

[oathkeeper]

[It's hard to tell why Roxas is acting like this. It makes his nerves flare and Sora immediately thinks that he should run. But he knows that's his rabbit nerves acting up. He freezes in place for a moment as he hears Roxas' growling.]

Roxas- Wait... Just take it easy, okay?

[It takes a very careful step forward, hand out.]

[twilightskey]

[The calling of his name causes him to perk his head, but rather than respond with recognition, his hackles raise higher and he bares his fangs even more. He snaps at Kor, but doesn't rush at him or try to lunge.]

[In fact, he's taking steps away from him, and a whine touches his growls. He looks as if he's preparing for Kor to strike him, or attack in some way.]

[twilightskey]

[When Sora takes a step forward, Roxas snaps at him, another snarl ripping from his throat. But the whine in his growl remains, and though he takes a step forward to snap at Sora, he retreats just as many steps back.]

[All of his muscles are taut, and his breath comes in panicked gasps. His eyes remain on Sora, but keep flicking around; to the alley's entrance, to the nearby shadows, to the rooftops. Like he expects a a threat to lunge at him.]

[oathkeeper]

[Sora inhales sharply when he hears the snap and snarl from Roxas' throat. His shoulders tense and his fingers ball into fists. Sora feels like he wants to run away from the carnivore. He should run. But ...]

Sora, it's me Sora! [He decides to be stubborn instead.] Remember what we said to each other, Roxas? We gotta help each other out...!

[But what should he do? Roxas look like he's being backed into a corner and will bolt any second.]

So don't run away from me!

[twilightskey]

[Sora's words do seem to make Roxas's ears flick, but they do little to cease his growling. In fact, he starts letting out a couple sharp, short barks at Sora, as if warning him to stay away.]

[He backs up, glancing back momentarily when he realizes he's hit the end of the alley; a literal wall blocking off his escape.]

[spirialink]

[That's a reaction he wasn't expecting. Why is Roxas growling at him?]

Whoa, whoa! Roxas, come on, it's me, Kor!

[Kor takes a wary step forward, just one.]

Don't you recognize me?

[twilightskey]

[There doesn't look to be any recognition in Roxas's eyes as Kor steps forward. He growls deeply, whole body tensing before he lets out a sharp bark, lunging forward to snap at Kor.]

[oathkeeper]

[He can't really help it. Sora's foot suddenly stamps hard on the ground the moment that Roxas snaps and barks at him. It's Sora's own version of a warning sound that if Roxas tries anything to hurt him Sora is going to retaliate. Strange new instincts make him jumpy and flighty at best but Sora will put up a fight if he needs to.

Those teeth... Sora can't stop staring at Roxas' sharper-looking teeth.]

Roxas! Stop it!

[There's a small growl in Sora's throat.]

Get a hold of yourself, dummy!

[twilightskey]

[The sharp stomp actually makes Roxas yelp in surprise, hastily stepping back a couple steps. The yelling and slight growl also make his ears lower further. Like Sora genuinely succeeded in scaring him.]

[However, Roxas's own growl increases, and he lunges forward with a bark at Sora, swiping with his claws.]

[oathkeeper]

[If Sora were further in his monster changes he might have been able to cast some sort of illusion spell to make this better. To even calm Roxas down! But that's not an option right now, unfortunately.

So, the bark and the lunge make Sora bolt backwards, his feet skidding across the ground as he dodges out of the way.]

You can't listen to a thing I'm saying, can you?

[What should he do? How can he get Roxas to listen and calm down?]

I'm not running away from you this time...

[twilightskey]

[Sora isn’t backing down... which makes Roxas more agitated. If the threat won’t go away, he has to make it.]

[He swipes at Sora again, jaws snapping as he lunges once more. If he can just make this thing go away..!]

[oathkeeper]

Ahh--!!

[Snapping jaws! Sora jumps clear out of the way but this time he manages to pivot off a wall (much like he would with flowmotion) and he jumps right at the feral turnskin! Landing on his back!]

Roxas!

[He's grabbing onto him in a grapple!]

I said I'm not running away!

[shadowsthedawn]

[The growl causes him to falter before he can take another step. His shoulders tense, the sense of possible danger triggering his instincts. One of his hands curls into a light fist despite there being no Keyblade there to grip.

But this is Roxas. And the more he watches him the more he begins to understand the silent signals of his fear. In this form he isn't so different from another canine, and Riku has seen the difference between a dog who is angry and a dog who is afraid.

If he could just get through to him...]

Roxas. It's me. Riku.

[He keeps his voice calm and slowly begins holding one hand out, low near his waist. But he doesn't try to get closer.]

[twilightskey]

[Roxas’s growl doesn’t let up, though his ear does flick at that calm voice Riku takes. There’s still no recognition in his gaze, and he turns it to Riku’s hand as he slowly begins to hold it out to him.]

[He lets out a warning bark, but doesn’t move to strike Riku.]

[twilightskey]

[When Sora leaps out of the way, Roxas turns to follow him, snapping his fangs. But with how quickly he turns midair, the raging turnskin doesn’t have much time to react before Sora lands square in his back.]

[Roxas’s shifted form may be larger than how he normally is, but Sora is still a decent weight. He lets out a yelp and falls flat to the ground, momentarily stunned. But once he regains his senses, that growling increases tenfold, and be barks out loud as he tries to get back on his feet.]

[shadowsthedawn]

[Okay, this isn't working. He wonders if moving closer will help any, but one part of him worries about the danger while the other worries that he'll scare Roxas off. The last thing he wants to do is chase the feral canine down the dark streets. Someone could get hurt.

After a pause, he slowly sinks into a crouch, putting him at about eye level with Roxas.]

You're really going to be stubborn about this, aren't you? Everyone is going to be worried if we don't go back.

[twilightskey]

[Kneeling down at least makes Roxas focus on Riku, and now that he's not looking up at him some of that growling does begin to break up. He leans forward a bit to sniff at Riku, but he keeps his fangs bared, his ears pinned back.]

[He moves to take a step forward, but hesitates, snorting.]

[shadowsthedawn]

[He barely restrains himself from rolling his eyes as Roxas begins sniffing his hand. He's not sure whether the feral canine will be more likely to recognize his scent in this form. It would make things easier if he did though.

When Roxas hesitates to move forward, Riku does it for him, shifting a step closer while remaining in a crouched position. He's nearly close enough to reach out and touch the tip of Roxas' nose.]