(Untitled)

[purejustice]

[Well, Rock's been exploring- in as much as any exploring can possibly be done in a place like this. He's found a large complex of several rooms moulded into an indoor Zen garden, with raked sand and carefully arranged stones and plants. A river-like stream runs under a small bridge; it burbles tranquilly and dumps out into a pool full of koi and

Comments

[limitedvariable]

*X hears it before he sees it. Following the sound of running water, he steps into the garden. He looks around, surprised, and happy. He doesn't spot Rock from the entrance, though. He's too distracted by finding something living and growing in this place - something that isn't more empty halls and windowless rooms.

He steps into the garden, and stops near a small sakura tree near the entrance. He lifts his head to look up at the branches overhead.

It's not in bloom. But it reminds him of home, and Cain taking him to the Sakura Festival, and X dragging Zero along with.

He laughs out loud to himself. Zero had been finding sakura petals in his hair for days afterward.

He places his hand on the tree trunk.*

What are you doing now, Zero? Are you still safe?

...Does Cain know I'm missing?

[purejustice]

[Rock lifts a hand and waves in friendly greeting, should X look his way, but even from here the bioroid can see the Reploid looking deeply absorbed in thought. So he won't mind if X overlooks him. Reploids are awfully complicated.]

[limitedvariable]

*X spots the movement out of the corner of his eye. Blinking, he turns to see what it is. He looks surprised for a moment, then smiles a little and waves back. Leaving the tree, he walks over to the pond beside Rock.*

Hello, Rock. I didn't think anyone was in here.

*He smiles a little sheepishly.*

[purejustice]

[Having been startled into falling into the pool by one of his relatives, Rock is now wading around unhappily, red-faced. He's trying to get a poor baby koi trapped in his wet hair out, he has algae up his nose, Bubble is angry at him, Cut is laughing at him and, well, so much for peace and quiet. Wibble.]

H-hi, X...

[ustedesmisol]

*How Bubble got into the pond, he's not quite sure, but he's not about to complain. He couldn't possibly notice Rock with the "sun" shining down on him, the fish somehow swimming around him in the tiny pond that barely gives him enough room to sit in.*

[purejustice]

[Well, Rock certainly notices! After all, it's not very hard to miss a Robot Master wading around in the pool where there were just fish and plants a few minutes ago.

Rock leans forward, alert now and watching closely, but so long as Bubble doesn't do anything cruel, like tearing up plants or hurting the fish, then Rock will peacefully let him be. There's no need to start a needless conflict in such a nice place as long as everyone tries to get alonge.

You might want to look out for Heat throwing stones your way, though, Bubble. Hm. This could get kind of weird, Rock thinks.]

[ustedesmisol]

*One of the stones has indeed hit Bubble, and he's suddenly not a happy camper. He whips his head back and forth to look for the perpetrator, eventually deciding on Rock and giving him an angry glare.*

Decided throwing rocks would be more appropriate for your name, huh?

[purejustice]

W-wait! No, you've got it wrong, I didn't...

[And then Cut sneaks up on him while most of his attention is focused on Bubble, and the next thing poor Rock knows- blammo! He's on his face in the pool, getting algae bloom up his nose and a fish in his hair. He flails around for a few seconds while Cut laughs at him, then sits up all wet and unhappy looking, gasping in surprise.]

[flipmylid]

[Yeah not very long, really. A rock goes skipping by, bouncing across the surface of the water (probably a little too close to Bubble for his liking) several yards before plunking out of sight. The perpetrator is one lethargic and very KY Heat, for soon enough he's grown bored of skipping stones and has taken to simply tossing them noisily into the pond, unaware of the innocent koi fish he may or may not be upsetting. Does this fiend's cruelty know no bounds?]

[purejustice]

[Gasp! An evil-doer! For crimes against the place's feng shui, I will punish you in the name of the moon have to stop you!

Although, to be fair, Rock's reaction is just turning his gaze on Heat as he starts hearing the plonk plunk sploosh! noises from the falling stones that scatter the fish.]

Heat... Sorry, can you be more gentle? There are fish in that pond.

[flipmylid]

[Heat turns his head at the sound of his own name, arm poised to hurl another rock.]

Hah? Really? ...

[He innocently completes the throwing motion then sits there motionlessly, staring at Rock with an expectant look like "okay well I'm bored again thanks, now what?"]

[purejustice]

[What would otherwise be a rather straightforward lecture about being considerate to others is offset by the fact that Cut just startled Rock into falling into the pool. That should at least provide a few moments of entertainment, yes?

He's also dripping wet and being yelled at by Bubble.]

[rasberriesmetal]

[sneaks up behind him...slowly...quietly...right behind you nooooow-]

HI ROCK!

[purejustice]

WAAAH!

[You know, normally Rock's system would throw up proximity alerts on anyone trying to sneak up behind him- and they actually did, in fact- but Bubble started yelling at him and he was also distracted by Heat throwing stones and, y'know, he's only a robot after all, so it all ends up with Rock screeching in surprise and landing face-first in the pool.

sploosh.

A very wet Rock gasps up to surface, blinking in surprise, with a hapless baby koi flapping, caught in his wet hair. Whowhathowwhere?!]

[rasberriesmetal]

[sits on your old perch, laughing his ass off]

I give it 4 out of 10 bro! HAHAHA!

[purejustice]

[He wibbles, eyes closed, slowly brushing at his face after having set free the poor little fish. He can't really get mad but he can sure feel rotten.]

That was mean.

[megamerge]

[Aile knows that armor, but not that face. She approaches carefully, making sure not to disturb him.] Hey!

[purejustice]

[Rock would happily greet the stranger but for being startled into a pool moments before by Cut and having a fish in his hair flapping around!]