Birds of A Feather

by MuffinChip

Summary:

As Player was about to take their first steps into the meadows, they get stopped by an overactive and frankly rather rude child. Upon hearing the quest that Shedletsky had entrusted to them, the kid pressured them to take him along, launching an epic adventure of catastrophic proportions and maybe finding more about themselves along the way.

If they resist the urge to kill the little #### first.

(A 1x1x1x1 Block Tales AU)

Chapter 1: Hello... 1x?

Notes:

Roughly Inspired from Oxymoronic by iiDeFuar as well as many other fics!
Go and check them out! I think their story is really interesting!

"G-go after them... please... His fate is in your hands... please... find him..." And just like that, Player was thrust into the world as the unlikely hero-heroine(?) wielding a wooden sword and a god#### ball. They nearly resist the urge to scream, first they were witness to a kidnapping that sent them into the past and now this?!

If the admins at Roblox HQ themselves couldn’t solve the issue, HOW COULD THEY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?! They wouldn’t be able to do #### that’s what. Unfortunately, they were also filled with misplaced selflessness and a thirst for adventure, so they agreed.

And honestly, who would decline?

Even though they were never asked in the first place...

So, off to the meadows they went carrying responsibility and not much else in their inventory, actually... Player shuffled around their nearly empty messenger bag, muttering under their breath when they realized just how under prepared they were. Just their luck, they forgot to stock up on supplies before they went. That would've been–

"HEYYYYY!!!"

They swore they heard a noise and slowly peeked behind them, only to get barrelled into by a kid barely as tall as their torso.

[–5 HP]

"Oowie..." They went sprawling on the grass and Player felt their soul slowly lift out from their body, feeling the pain in their abdomen.

Scratch saving the world, they don't think they'll last a day if absurd things like this keeps happening.

They had to slowly prop themselves up on their elbows because of a heavy weight on their body. And sure enough, there lying on their chest, was a child with snow white hair, matching cape and a green shirt. He was very contently using them as a pillow.

"Kid... What the hell." They stopped themselves from shoving the infant off of them. That's morally wrong, dude.

"[ ! ] Ah! You're Player, right? My dad told me about you!" He stopped to get up mid-conversation and outstretched a hand, a not-so-innocent smile on his face. Player followed suit, taking the hand although he couldn't pull them up much. "You HAVE to let me come with!!"

Huh????

"You can't say no! I can fight! I can do... other stuff as well!" Player nearly choked on their words, they needed to save the world and now they're being forced to do the worst thing ever, babysitting. 

The kid was nearly beaming with excitement or well, something like that. Little did they know about just how maliciously annoying he would be.

"No. Absolutely not." The child froze for a second before he started pulling out the waterworks, sniffling and eyes starting to get glossy. Oh god no, they did not need to deal with a crying child on their hands. "Who– who even are you, kid?"

"I'm 1x1x1x1..." Pft– Player fought against the urge to snicker and failed spectacularly. Suddenly, all the crocodile tears were gone and the kid was filled with the rage of a thousand suns. "WHATT?!"

"Wow, your dad sounds like he sucks, kid." Who would name their baby that? They tried to conjure up a picture of the guy, probably someone addicted to gamersupps. 

"You only say that cause you don't have a dad!"

They choked on their own spit, "####– Who taught you manners, HUH?"

"MY DAD DID!!" Surprise, surprise. It was the father in this kid's life. If they were being hired as a babysitter, it was common courtesy to at least let them know first... Now they knew who he got it from. ####, they already felt like an overworked worker.

Sweat dripped down from their temples, "[ᵕᴗ] Look, I can't just–" A loud stomping caught them off guard and they quickly turned around, hand already flying to their sword.

It was a helmet noob and a couple of winged ones as well, great...

"I GOT THIS!!" Before they could protest, the child pulled out a giant ####### sword the size of his ego. No wonder this kid was cocky, he had a weapon. What were his parents thinking?!

They stood frozen, mouth agape. He barely looked like he could hold the #### thing.

"You look really stupid right now." 1x —They could totally abbreviate it to that, right?— plainly stated before holding out his sword. "So? Are we gonna fight or not?!"

This will be a long day indeed.

---

Player heaved as they planted their feet and swiftly pulled the sword from the ground. They sighed inwardly, wondering how this kid even managed to get his weapon in the ground when the enemies were either taller than him or flying.

How the heck does someone deal with having children.

"C'mon, let's go already, SLOWPOKE." Their eye twitched at the voice coming from behind them. Just once, why can’t he be nice just this once? Because apparently, the little innocent kid thing was just an act, instead he was a little demon that wouldn't stop pestering them.

Suddenly, a light bulb lit up in their head as they stared at the black stained sword in their hands. Maybe they can mess with him a bit...

Little did they know how much of a bad idea this was.

"Y'know what?" They turned around to face 1x who had a bit of a scowl on his face. 

"If you're gonna be like that," Pausing for dramatic effect, they adjusted the grip and grinned. "I'm gonna keep your sword, kid." 

"SAY WHATT??!!" They nonchalantly lifted the blade above their head and he did exactly as they expect him to, jumping and trying to grab his sword back. Despite his small size, Player found themselves having to twist and turn to avoid the determined assault for his sword. When that didn’t work, 1x tried a barrage of punches, jabs, and grabs to physically wrench them down. “GIVE IT BACK!!”

[–1 HP] [–1 HP] [–1 HP]–

They tutted, pushing him away slightly. “Nuh-uh. You gotta learn your lesson first.”

“And you’re stealing MY sword!” The hits grew slightly weaker as he realized that it was ineffective. “I could get you banned!” They raised an eyebrow at that, giving him a rather unimpressed look. "I'm being serious! I know THE Builderman, y'know?!"

"Sure you do, kid."

They extracted themselves from the attack and quickly slipped the other sword halfway into their bag. 1x fumed and tried raising their first again but was quickly shut down by Player. Ouch, they were low enough as it is, thank you. 

Wait a minute... If they have his sword and he can't just leave without it, then he's going to have to come with them... They bit their lip, finally realizing the hole they just dug themselves into.

And they decided to dig their grave while they're at it. They were not about to tell this smug kid that they ###### up and now have to give back the sword that they already took.

And so the game of chicken started.

"[...] So..." He followed along as they started moving, looking from the side with a devilish grin on his face. "Does this mean–"

"Not. A. Word."

And that's how Player found themselves in an unlikely adventure with 1x1x1x1, a kid who unbeknownst to them is actually Shedletsky's son. How long will it take for them to find out this crucial information? A while. How long will it take for them driven insane? Probably not that long.

Notes:

(Crappy digital art jumpscare–
Also, if anyone has any comments on the writing style please do give criticism, it's honestly been a struggle for me to convey the sort of vibes that Block Tales has..)

Click here for the art!

Chapter 2: Small Wings, Big Flights

Summary:

"Birds of a feather stick together!"

"DUDE." Once again, Player was interrupted this time by a semi-familiar blue penguin by the name of Terry. They spun around, being greeted by his adorably angry face. "Did you REALLY leave all this CRAP in my room???? What the heck is wrong with you bruh."

Since when did they leave anything back there?? They just woke up there after time travelling, god####it! 

They put their hands up, trying to appease him. "Hey now, I-"

"First you take my bed, now you're being a slob too???? Take this stupid thing back already." The strange card –which they've never seen before– was nearly thrust into their hands by his flippers, a grumble leaving his mouth? beak?? Wow, thanks for the confusion, Terry. "U know how CARDs work, right??"

“Who DOESN’T know how CARDs work?” 1x chose this exact time to pop in and state his unwarranted opinion. “You’ve gotta be an idiot to not know that.”

Terry grumbled, “[...] Who’s this punk?”

“I'm 1x1x1x1! And I’m coming with Player to get the SFOTH swords!” The kid said proudly, puffing out his chest slightly in a way that reminded them of birds puffing up when they get cold. It was kinda cute if it wasn’t embarrassing as all ####.

“I don’t care bruh. I'm keeping an eye on you as well.” The penguin then regarded Player. “If you have any questions, just ask him.”

Just as quickly as he came, Terry was gone, leaving them alone to contemplate their life choices. And especially more now that they have a kid following their every step.

"Who even is that anyway?" 1x whispered conspiratorially once he was out of earshot.

"Just... Someone I know. Don't worry bout it."

---

Player sliced through the next enemy and stepped back, surprised when they ran away faster than they expected. A soft object collided with the back of their head and bounced off rather harmlessly. They almost instinctively slashed at whatever was behind them until they noticed it was actually a burger. Tracing the path of the object, they managed to connect it to 1x's outstretched hand.

He had been standing off to the side the entire time, just generally being useless. They were really starting to consider giving him back his #### sword if it meant he would do something other than be a nuisance. But still, did the kid really try to toss it to them mid-fight?

That thing was probably soggier than a fictional square sponge who lived under the sea...

"What? I said I could do other things as well." He looked so proud of himself, picking up the foodstuff and giving it back to them. This kid...

They sighed but quickly took notice of their health and tore into the cheezburger.

[+5 HP]

Phew... much better. 

Now that they weren't actively worrying about their life, it was a quick job. A slash there, a ball throw here and a couple of near misses. They were starting to get into a nice rhythm, that was until there was another shout.

"Hey, watch out-!" That somehow did the exact opposite of what was intended, since Player whipped their head around to face the source of the sound. The enemy took advantage of the distraction and gave them the worse headache of their life. "[ ! ]"

[–2 HP]

Ow. Despite their dizziness, they could make out the kid staring with a look in his eyes, completely judgmental. "idiot..."

"What. The. F-Hell?!" They rubbed their head, thankful that they didn't feel a bump there. Maybe if 1x got off his ### and actually started to do something... THEN he could judge them, y'know? "At least I'm doing something-" He turned his back on them, "Why you little..."

Deep breaths, Player. Don't throttle the annoying child just because they were being a little crap. 

They pointedly ignored any of his shenanigans until the last enemy dispersed, letting them have some breathing room. Which they used to put the kid into a well deserved head lock and giving him a noogie, grinding their knuckles on his head. It was worth it to see him try to break out.

"OW! HEY! QUIT–" 1x trashed around, accidentally catching his fist on their back. They decided to just give him a soft slap on the back for that and call it a day, breaking the head lock. It was high time they made their way out of the meadows anyway, this should be the last area–

Why did the kid have wings?

They blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out if they were just seeing things. No, it was real alright, poking out of his cape were some small wings with white feathers. And oh, was he angry about it.

"Stop staringg!!!" He pulled them back and seemingly shrunk, clawing at the feathers on his head, face completely red. It was pretty funny seeing him try and fail to hide them. Was he embarrassed? "I know they're not big yet- It's just- UGH!!"

Again, they failed to contain their laughter. "Pftt..."

"DON'T LAUGH!" 

"No- sorry. I'm just... Why are you embarrassed because of that?" Eh, was that the best thing to say? Maybe not. But they've also never met any winged Robloxians before. Actually... scratch that, did the enemies count?? 

It seemed like their question made 1x stop dead in his tracks and actually think. Then finally he settled with, "[...] They've just been like that for a while is all..." 

Player hummed in place of an answer. The shock must be getting to them, they don't even remember why they were angry in the first place. That was a dangerous ability, they should probably keep that one to themselves before 1x found out and used it to his advantage. 

---

Once Player found a healing pad, they quickly rearranged their items and sorted through their deck. These cards are getting to be much, how were they supposed to know which ones to equip? Luckily, 1x was there to help out, even though he insisted on using all attack cards because "they were so much better than the stupid defense ones". He also whined about his stolen sword again, as usual.

Finally, after some back and forth, they were ready. And... that's when someone managed to get in their way again.

"hold it right there, punk!" A man wearing a wrestling mask, jumped off from the high hills and straight onto their path. They would be impressed if it weren't for the fact they saw two very familiar faces- the ones who beat up Shedletsky. "so... this the dummy who gave you trouble, huh?"

Their mouth fell into a frown. Player? They were the ones giving them trouble? Okay, sure.

"WAHAHAHA!! You thought you could defeat US?" The red one laughed, all confident.

Followed quickly by his less sure companion, "Y-Yeah! You're in for it now! RED and BLUE, staying true!!"

"ˣsighˣ, anyways, looks like i'm taking you to pound town, kid." He cracked his knuckles and Player responded by pulling out their sword, before they noticed 1x trying to gain their attention. 

"What???" They whispered to him as discreetly as they could while the other kids finished their monologue. 1x pointed to his sword and they made a split second decision in finally handing the custody of it back, his eyes were practically glowing when he got it. They warned, "Just don't fight too roughly."

"Yes, sir ma'am." He saluted lazily.

...

One fight later and Player could admit that they regretted that decision. Well, at the very least it was an easy battle. The kids quickly ran away again, looney-toons style while Noobador just laid down in the dirt and all.

"That was..." 

"Fun?" 1x supplied, stretching out and doing quick tricks with his sword. His hair and feathers were all tousled up from the clash, sticking up in some parts.

"Exhausting..." They slumped against their sword, finding that the sky was already starting to turn dark. The clouds danced with red and orange patterns, mocking them from afar. Both of them looked like a mess. Where were they gonna find a place to sleep out here? 

Well, they saw a watermill house in the distance, maybe they could give them directions to the nearest place. Right, stay positive.  

The two of them made their way over to the man standing outside, talking to him proved a bit of a issue though since he wouldn't stop talking long enough for them to get a word in. Jabroingle, which they have to admit is an ### name, actually what's with these people and having weird names? This was starting to get ridiculous.

"My name's not that weird, right?" 1x whispered, hopefully not loud enough for the man to hear.

"...I even heard Roadtown got a ton of snow last night! Maybe you should head over a check it out?" Finally, something useful for once.

"Do you know how to get there?" They asked politely, trying to keep the conversation brief since it was still getting late.

"It would take ages to get there by foot... ...but I know a shortcut! If you go through the cave on your right, it's faster!" The cave in question was a rather dark, rather big part of the mountain. And they were supposed to get through there by nightfall.

With that social interaction done, they made their way towards the area where he pointed but not before dragging 1x along with them so that he doesn't get lost. And he had to make that hard as well.

"I don't want to go through thereee!"

"C'mon, it shouldn't be that bad." Right? ...Right?

Notes:

Bro, I finally finished demo 4 yesterday with my friend and T-T no words. But like I feel horrible for Calypso god. I am planning angst later but this is still the prologue so it may take a while.

Quick question, should I add ships in this or not, if so which ones?

Also I may retcon the way I draw 1x's wings later–

Click here for the art!

Chapter 3: Into The Storm

Summary:

"The cold winter is to be braved by warm hearts."

Player was at the end of their ropes.

"AAAAAAAAAA!!! THEY'RE AFTER ME! PLAYER HELPPP!!!" 1x was currently clinging onto one of the ladders within an inch of his life, all while a very angry swarm of ants was starting to crowd at the bottom. Player sighed, wondering if they should just leave the kid here.

It would be sooo.. easy.

And they definitely did not contemplate doing that multiple times and never followed up with it nooo... what are you talking about?

Hacking and slashing at the creepy crawlies proved to be much harder when they came at Player four at a time. They swore they blew a fuse at the third time this happened to them or maybe a blood vessels but who's keeping track? This cave was more confusing than the entire meadows.

Too many entrances and exits and...

[–1 HP]

####### ants.

"PLAYER!! DON'T JUST STAND THERE!!! HELP ME OUT!" Player gave him a stink eye before realizing just how bad of an idea that was when the other ants started biting them. They managed to dodge most of the blows, coming free with only a few minor itchy wounds.

"Would you help ME out already?!" Pulling out yet another card and watching it disintegrate in front of their eyes, they hoped their SP would hold out enough. A few seconds of hesitation followed before 1x kicked off the ladder, making a cloud of dirt get dispersed next to them when he landed. "Thanks, finally decided to be useful for once?"

1x scoffed, brandishing his sword in a way that felt more theatrical than practical. "I've BEEN useful!" 

"Hardly, kid. Hardly." Player rolled their eyes and continued to stab at the critters until all of them stopped moving or ran away. The adrenaline quickly wore off, highlighting the red bumps that were on their skin.

1x took off his slip-on for a second, checking for any stowaways before putting it back on and then jumping as if he was burned. "UGHH, I think they were in my shoes!"

"Y'know what?" This time Player actually had an idea, something born out of exhaustion or by how fed up they were with babysitting this kid, they weren't sure. But it was... something, probably frustration. "I'm tired of this ####. If you want to keep this up, you can just find someone else to follow."

His expression flashed with fearful eyes for a moment before being replaced with his usual smug look. They almost felt bad for a second, key word almost.

"Fine then!" He threw his head to the side and walked off to God knows where. They weren't actually expecting him to go through with it. That and maybe the little voice inside their head was screaming at them that this was a bad idea.

---

It did feel nice to explore around this time, much quieter. At the very least, Player could organize their mind and actually start to make their way around. They almost felt like the silence was off after a while without the kid even a quiet moment was hard to come by and now...

They were just alone with only their thoughts as company.

But of course, things couldn't be that easy and their first headache was quickly replaced with another one.

"Stupid tiny fins... do I have that card already?" Terry whirled around once he noticed Player, giving them a taste of his usual catchphrase. "[ ! ] I'LL KILL YOU!!!"

"It's just me, man..."

"Oh. Oh... I thought you were another ANT ARMY..." Without an apology or anything, he looked back towards the edge which they've noticed has a card on the other side. He muttered under his breath, "I HATE those things..."

Relatable but there were more pressing issues. "What're you doing?"

"..."what am i doing?" Bruh. See that card over there?" Unprompted, Terry started to rant about it and then proceed to push them to the edge when he noticed they have a ball that was "bouncy enough to get the card". Which first of all, it wasn't like it was sticky, how the heck would that work–

They stared at the card in their hands, proven wrong once again.

"Duuuude... I already had that oneeeee.... ..Multiple copies actually. Whatever man, you can keep it." The card was quickly shuffled into their deck, along with all the other ones in their bag. That was when Terry noticed something. "Hey.. Where's that little punk??" They looked around for a second as if there were anyone else other than the two in the vicinity and then looked back at him. "I meant the white one with the green shirt."

Oh. Now that they thought about it, admitting they left the kid in this cave was probably a not good idea.

"It's.. I might've left him by himself-" Player coughed it out as fast as they could but they could tell they messed up by the blue penguin's reaction.

"DUDE." He somehow looked angrier than before and they had the distinct impression that they were gonna die tonight. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!!"

"He'll be fineee..." Probably.

"You seriously messed up bruh." Terry yanked on their bandanna with his flipper, bringing them down to eye-level as he spoke. And then started dragging them along with him. "You're coming to find him with me."

"Wha- HEY!" They tried to jerk out of his grasp only to find it holding strong.

The entire reason why Player was doing this in the first place was because they didn't want to deal with him! If it means being a bit of a jerk, then so be it!

But... Well, they did kinda feel bad.

REALLY bad.

Hopefully 1x was okay.

---

The two of them ended up in a rather strange part of the cave, covered entirely by ice. It almost blinded them at first, finally seeing something light after what felt like hours in darkness. 

...And here Player was traversing a secret pathway in the thinnest part of the cave...

Just because Terry said he might've heard something and then ditched them completely afterwards to deal with their own mess. They're not getting paid enough for this, they're not getting paid AT ALL actually.

But still, it WAS a secret area... They would've never found this place without that. It should be no surprise that they loved to explore as much as the next adventurer.

"...It's kinda weird, huh?.." A sniffle reached their ear, something that put them on edge immediately. It was clear as day, echoing around the cave walls, that kid's voice. "I think dad was right.."

Player grew quiet, trying to hear more while shuffling forward. Who was he talking to?

"I'm not ready for this stuff." Their question was answered when 1x's form appeared in their sight, sitting down and resting his head on his knees. A few tears clung to his eyelashes, giving them the impression that he was crying and... talking to some red ants?

"There, there, little guy.." And the ants were actually talking back. They rubbed their eyes, making sure they were not, in fact, losing it.

He threw his head back, groaning. "This suckss..."

Player stared for a second longer before steeling themselves. Something made them feel uneasy, they did just sorta abandon him and now they're coming to fetch him back. Well, here goes nothing.

"Hey, 1x-"

"AAAAAA!!! WHAT WAS THAT?!" He jumped back, arms held defensively in front of him. Imagine his surprise when it was Player instead of an enemy. "What the- What are you doing here?!"

"I... I just wanted to-" They scratched the back of their head, not quite being able to force out the words. "...Sorry for leaving you alone."

There was a moment of expectant pause when 1x was still processing the words that came out of their mouth, eyes wide. If Player didn't feel like an ###hole earlier, they sure do now. It was something in the moment and they couldn't believe that they just–

"Haha- you better be!" The kid actually started laughing and suddenly they weren't sure where to put their hands. He rubbed at his eyes before getting up from his spot on the ground, embarrassment clinging to his features. "You're a jerk..!" His hand jabbed at their arm, probably as payback for what they did. "...And you STILL look like an idiot, by the way!"

"Yeah, yeah... Let's get out of here."

Player had a couple of things to say to that but in the end, they swallowed down the words and left it for later. A habit they would probably need to break soon.

---

"Snow..." A snowflake landed on their hand, breaths starting to come in visible little wisps. The little white specks seemingly appeared from the black void of the sky. 

It's really snowing.

"Oh, hey there! You look...new!" A stranger came closer to them, his expression wavering for a second when he got a look at them. They must've looked terrible. "And... dishevelled."

"What gave it away?" Player said, a laugh in their voice. They looked towards 1x, only to find him already half-asleep and using them as a crutch.

"Sorry! I just wanted to welcome you but... It is kinda late." He gave them a smile before gesturing for them to follow him which Player was ever grateful for. "I'll show you to Ye Olde Inn, the best and only inn in Roadtown! Oh, watch out for the ice though!"

They tugged the kid along, making sure he doesn't slip on the icy road. "...Hey, have you heard anything about the ~{[|S|W|O|R|D|]}~?"

"Hmm... I think I might've heard a couple of rumors. Ah, right! Like the one saying the snow clouds came out of BLACKROCK CASTLE, or that the ICE DAGGER was stolen! Crazy, right??" The Inn was now right in front of them, it was hard to miss with the big sign in front of it. However, Player had some unfinished business.

"Righttt... I'm actually here to deal with that." The man standing in front of them looked like his eyeballs were gonna pop out of his head.

"Seriously, dude??? That's wild... I'm glad you're on the case though!" A few extra directions to go talk to the Mayor later... And Player was finally free from this conversation.

The quiet snoring that 1x was making was the only noise that filled the lobby when they went in, Player was half sure that the entire town was probably asleep at this point. They still talked in a low voice, trying to not wake the sleeping kid. Eventually after a bit of hassle, they managed to get a key and settled into the room, putting 1x on the only bed. Which left them with a new problem, where the heck were they supposed to sleep?

They should've packed a sleeping bag or something...

That's minus one for preparation.

Whatever, they'll deal with the back problems and possible contamination later. 

Player moved on auto-pilot, tossing their hat and bag on the ground to at least make it somewhat comfortable. If it wasn't so cold, they would've ditched their jacket too. But right now, all they needed was rest.

Notes:

I think it's time to say to y'all that player is an ✨unreliable narrator✨. So even if things feel insignificant to them maybe even glossed over, it might still be pretty important

Here's a life update from me ig : things might be delayed for a bit since I got hit with the my-jaw-is-fucked-up-itis and half my mouth feels like it's inflamed... Fun. Except eating sucks, brushing my teeth, and everything honestly. Also school is coming up from me and all

Click here for the art!

Chapter 4: Hot Cocoa for the Heart

Summary:

"It's good for the soul!"

Player tried to ignore how uncomfortable it was, they really did. But with just how cold and hard the floor was, it was a losing battle. They lamented over the fact they didn't bring a sleeping bag to sleep in. Once it was day out, they promised they were gonna try to get some gear fit for mountain trudging.

There was quiet shuffling near to their side before a whisper brought them out of their restless sleep. “Player… You awake?”

"Well, I am now." Not that they were getting much anyway. "What do you want, kid..?"

They opened their eyes a crack, seeing 1x's bundled up form on the bed. In the dim light, they could barely make out his eyes practically glowing with energy in the darkness, not that Player wanted to entertain him this time. With a toss over to the other side, they let him face their back.

They might've groaned at the fact that they were doing the exact same thing that 1x did earlier to them.

"HEY! C'mon, I'm being serious this time!" The sound of feet hitting the floor urged them enough to raise their head as 1x crouched down near their head, whisper-screaming into an ear. "Geez..! Don't ignore me! 'Cause I'm not gonna say this twice!"

After that bold declaration, the kid seemed to have lost his nerve. His hands fidgeted with the end of his cape, uncharacteristic nervousness on his face. It was somehow making the silence louder with each passing second. "...I wanna say sorry."  

Player nearly choked on their own saliva, eyes growing wide. This kid... was saying sorry?! How? What?

Did they accidentally bring back the wrong kid from that cave?! 

"DON'T LOOK AT ME LIKE THAT!! What's wrong with me saying sorry?!"

"Nothing, nothing..! I just think I need to check if the sun is coming from the east!" Player jokingly teased right after they propped themselves up from the ground. It was still a bit weird between them or maybe that was just in Player's head but it was reallyy awkward. "You sure you didn't hit your head?"

He pouted, wings batting at the air aggressively. "...Nevermind, you're still a jerk! I'm taking back my apology AND I still don't forgive you!"

In a quick flash, their mind recalled 1x sitting on the ice, face flushed and sniffling. They still felt the slightest bit of guilt. That kid... He was really annoying but also starting to grow on them, just a bit. After this, they should really find this kid's parents and give him back. And also ask for child support... or for emotional damages that could work as well.

"Yeah... Yeah. I know, squirt." Their hand reached up and patted the top of 1x's head which he immediately recoiled from, sticking his tongue out. 

"GROSS!!!" He shook his head as if that would get rid of their germs or something but stopped once he finally got his bearings back. "You're gross!"

They slowly wiped their eyes, chuckling at his reaction. The way his cheeks flushed as if he was caught with his hand half-way into the cookie jar. "...Let's get some hot chocolate, whaddya say?" 

"Fine... I guess. Since you're bad at apologizing." There's the snark, not that they weren't expecting it. 

They sighed and tried to deal with it as silently as they could. There wasn't anything they could do about it anyway, so down they both went to get some for them.

---

"Woah!! Oh, sorry darlin' I just wasn't expecting any faces so early" The lady at the Inn's cafeteria –Barley– was slightly spooked by their presence but quickly composed herself and gave them a warm smile. Player relaxed somewhat, thankful for her cheerful attitude. "What can I get for ya honey"

Pretending they didn't hear the part about being early, Player continued on their quest to get some hot chocolate. Their wallet was not particularly helpful by being practically empty.

"Uhh.. Could I get some hot cocoa? Just two for me and him." They jammed a thumb somewhere behind them.

"Aw aren't ya two sweet together" She smiled at them again before picking up two cups, "Your order's comin' right up, go and take a seat I'm sure ya need it"

A thanks was muttered and they made their way to the long tables, 1x trailing behind them. When they sat down next to them, Player immediately noticed a problem they couldn't before because of the darkness. The kid's hair looked like a ####### bird's nest with how messy it was. And they had the urge to fix it or just something.

There was no way they were letting him go around like THAT, even if it was technically their fault since they forgot to take off his hair tie before sleeping.

“Could you turn to your right?” 1x regarded them with a suspicious look and squinted his eyes. This kid… “I’m trying to fix your hair, not choke you when you’re not looking or something!”

“I don't wanna! It looks fine.” Player stared at him, completely dead-pan. The urge to actually choke him was there. Did he also lose his sight or something in that cave?

"Get over here already."

Thankfully, he listened this time, sitting sideways on the bench. Player sure as #### didn't bring a hair brush but dang if they're not going to try to fix this. Their hands worked slowly, combing out the mess and debris that somehow made it into his hair. Although, remembering all the cave hijinks that they got into, it made a little bit of sense.

"Don't move!" They tried to tug their hair into a ponytail, only to lose their grip when he squirmed.

"But it hurtss! OW!" He batted their hand away, "You're pulling out my hair!!"

"I'm not trying to but YOU just keep-!" Their "productive conversation" was interrupted by Barley setting down the cups of hot chocolate, 1x mumbled a begrudging thanks after she ruffled his hair a bit.

"Ya need help over here" She questioned, smoothing down some of the hair strands that were astray. They wanted to say no, that they were doing just fine here on their own but truth be told, they were just tired and needed this to be done already. So, they swallowed down their pride and nodded their head silently. "Seems like you're havin' trouble"

This time 1x stayed still, although out of pettiness or just plain embarrassment, they didn't know. Barley made quick work of his hair despite having no tools to work with, putting it in the simple hair-do that they were trying to make. Meanwhile, Player stared openly or took sips out of their mug, still half-awake now that the exhaustion was kicking in. They were drained to the bone. Surely, it would be okay if they got some sleep after this...

"Aaand done"

1x felt around for a bit before sighing, "...It's not half bad, I guess. Thanks, miss." But she didn't miss the way 1x beamed.

"Oh I didn't do much Ya should thank them for getting those tangles out yer hair" Barley turned, surprise coloring her face when it was to a very fast asleep Player. The way they were sleeping almost made 1x think they were still awake. "Oop must've fallen asleep"

1x coughed, wings flapping ever so slightly. "Thankss... Player..."

Notes:

Yayaa I'm back! I'm still getting my ass kicked by school but finally got this chapter out!!

Here's some extra sketches as well since I finally decided to fix 1x's design (+Shedletsky) Y'know as a treat

Click here for the art!

Chapter 5: Day in Roadtown

Summary:

"Hero-ing 101, keep track of your supplies... and stray children?"

"Oh there's somethin here" Barley picked up a stray feather but not just any feather. This one wasn't white like the ones that 1x had, it was a nice ombre from brown to light cream. He flushed, immediately recognizing the object and patting down his hair. Only for his embarrassment to go nuclear when it wasn't there.

Wait, what the f-

"That's– J-just give it here!" 1x held out his hand, demanding tone in his voice despite the hesitation.

How did it even fall out?

The woman laughed before putting the delicate thing in his hand and he wasted no time in placing it where it belongs. The feather was moved to stick out of his ponytail. After shaking his head a few times, 1x deemed it satisfactory.

Now, to wait until Player woke up. 

"This is gonna take so longg..."

---

After a much needed nap, Player finally felt full of energy and ready to continue their adventure. It turned out that when they weren't busy with their own thoughts, they noticed certain things that didn't seem important at first.

Like how much it hurt to exist currently.

Very sloowly, they managed to drag themselves off of the table. ####, the hits they took yesterday were catching up to them.

"Hoho, it's been a bit since I last saw you in Roadtown, kiddo!" The sound managed to catch their attention to an old graying man with a rather impressive beard sitting next to 1x in the corner of the room. It immediately set off alarms in Player's head. Please don't tell them they were going to have to deal with him getting kidnapped...

"Don't call me that, I'm not a kid anymore!" Was the stranger danger in the room with them right now? Why was he talking to this guy?! And what the hell is up with his beard?!

"Ah, everyone's young at heart..! Even I'm still bustlin' with energy for adventure!" The stranger put a hand to his chest, seemingly caught up in his own words. Player very subtly –that is to say not subtly at all– got closer to them to try and hear the conversation. "Your dad would agree!"

"Uncle said I'm not supposed to listen to anything dad said..." The man let out a deep rumbling chuckle before Player crept behind him.

"*Ahem*" 

"[ ! ] WHuzzu?!" He jolted in his seat, nearly tumbling into the table that the two were speaking around. "Oh! My goodness, you almost made me give ya a good smack 'cross the face!" 

"Uh.. sorry... Sir." Player awkwardly shifted in their spot. 

The room was quiet for a second as the old man squinted at their face as if it was a puzzle that was severely bent out of shape and unrecognizable. 1x barely gave them a glance before turning around, dragging his chair in a deliberately loud way and making the darn thing scrape the floor. Thankfully, after a few more moments of staring and chair screeching, it was like a metaphorically lightbulb turned on in his head.

"Ah, right.. Your name was Player, wasn't it? The name's Monty, the mayor of Roadtown!" So, this was the dude that Player had to visit? He looked like he was a foot into the grave-! "I heard you were needin' one of those ADVENTURER'S I.D.s."

Okay, maybe he was more credible than they thought.

"Yeah, Shedletsky sent me." Player said before 1x cut them off, nearly slapping them in the face.

"Hey, no fair! You forgot about me!" 

"Yeah yeah, whatever makes you happy..." Annoyingly, he stuck his tongue out again. But just at the right place so he doesn't get seen by the other man.

"Ah, to be young again... You know... I was an adventurer too! Of course then, I had'ta go breakin' my leg that one time... Even broke mah funny bone on th' way down!" A deep chuckle rumbled from the man's chest, quiet the opposite from Player's blank gaze and 1x's snort. Dad jokes were rather universal, it seems.

They still thought that it was #### though.

"Ah, I shouldn't talk 'bout that no more, my wife would scold me for scarin' the newbies." Monty righted himself on his chair before taking a good look at them both. "But the BLACKROCK MOUNTAINS are no laughing matter... You're goin' to need better gear to brave those heights, that's for sure!"

"I could lend you some of my old winter gear." That wasn't as helpful as Player was expecting, they were much more concerned about the kid- "Got some smaller ones for the lil' one too! They used to be Jim's..."

The mayor seemed to pause at that as if he had remembered something important, his smile became more tight-lipped. "...Actually, I'll make you a deal, kiddo."

Oh?

"I'm listening." They were not in fact, listening. Despite being the one who had to accept, Player wasn't actually paying much attention. It was easier to tune it out. The mayor had continued to talk about this Jim guy, something about him being missing. 

"Bruh." 1x was slightly more helpful, whispering just loud enough to wake up the man.

"WHuzzu?!" Mayor Monty finally regained his sense, slowly stroking his beard. "Oh... This old nut dozed off again, huh? That's just what happens nowadays, heheh! Anyhoo, where was I, young chap?"

"Uh..." 1x looked towards the ceiling, trying to recall. "Jim went missing or something after he went to BLACKROCK MOUNTAIN?"

"Right, Jim.. I'm worried 'bout him, he's not the type to put himself in harm's way.... So, here's my offer, I give you an ADVENTURER'S I.D and you check on him?"

"Really?" It was that easy?

"Really! On my honor!" Monty patted his chest like there was a badge of honor there. ####, now that they were looking, he had... he was a rather fit old man, even they didn't have that kind of muscle. Did he lift..?

Ack, don't get distracted!

...The offer was tempting. 1x spoke first, "Yeah! We can find him, no worries!"

"Hey! Where the #### did that 'we' come from?!"

---

And that's how Player got stuck buying supplies in a rather uncomfortable coat. It was surprisingly warm and snug, with how fit Mayor Monty was they were expecting him to be a lot bigger than they were. 1x also fit in the smaller clothes provided, granted it was baggy and made him look like a penguin.

This time, they left specific instructions for 1x. 

"Don't go into any weird places and I'll let you explore around the town."

Easy, right?

Apparently not because right now, he was no where to be found. Just when Player was ready to go as well.

"Frick, don't be dead- don't be dead- don't be dead-" Player muttered as they looked through every nook and cranny in the place. You would think that for a kid who loved screaming, running, and picking fights, 1x would be a whole lot easier to find.

"HEY! GET OUT OF THE WAYYY!" That's-!

Player managed to grab him by the hood this time, holding him up like a wet cat. "Where the #### have you-"

Surprisingly, what interrupted them this time was a penguin waddling closer and squawking at... 1x? He scrambled upwards to get away from the bird, yanking at their hair for grip which HURT-

[-1 HP]

"OW! WHY ARE YOU-!?" 

"The stupid bird wants to kill me!" His wings pressed closer to his body as if he was threatened by this very fluffy looking penguin. "SCREW OFF!"

Player gaped, "Wha- It's an animal!"

"He tried to swing his sword on me!" The penguin huffed. It was pure luck that they somehow understood this bird and that they weren't opposed to letting kids taste the consequences of their actions. 

When it was all said and done, 1x definitely learned his lesson this time...

Notes:

Click here for the art!

Player accidentally admiring Mayor Monty's body lifting skills was not in my drafts but y'know what I'll go with it- Also wow, thanks a lot for 2k hits! And apologies for the very inconsistent upload schedule! I'm still working on that... (I've also updated the last chapter since I didn't like the characterization last time-)

!Quick PSA!
If you come from my Tumblr, you already know what's happening but there's been some major protests happening where I live, things will slow down quite a bit. I'll continue to update but for now my Tumblr will be used for spreading awareness and ao3 will be used to post my other things.

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of Muffin's Loosely Connected Universe