"Lady Niyambi has a point," Fieri said, her well trained voice ringing out so that she could be easily heard. "Since you say you've been in charge of the Elders for all this time, this can't be the first time you've encountered these problems with differing ideas and attitudes and class backgrounds. Why don't you just explain to everyone how you've dealt with it among yourselves. If it's something that people can accept, then won't that save a lot of time and arguments?"
Keme took advantage of his extensive knowledge of the ground and wriggled through a clump of roots into a small tunnel that would take him far across the field.
Unable to follow Keme, Alys yips at him and scrabbles at the hole for a moment. She quickly breaks off the pursuit, looking around for where Genosuke and Serrin have gotten to.
"We can find all the parts we need in the Mechanics classroom. As long as you sign out what you take so they can keep an accurate inventory, then it's alright. I can show you where everything is so you can do it yourself next time as long as it's something simple. And I think I need to pick up a few extra parts. If it's that easy to break the system, then the shielding is inadequate. Pretty sure I can fix it without too much trouble, but it will add some complexity to the system that might make it a little bit harder to fix in the future."
"It usually isn't, I don't think. If I had to guess, the crack happened the last time I made a Doppeldrek. Oozes usually aren't solid enough to harm the inside of the tank, but Doppeldreks mimic a solid form. It probably punched the crack in the side while it was copying me. If you can help improve it, I'm all ears. Literally, kind of, in a way. I can kinda see with sound. It's weird. Anyways. The mechanics lab, shall we?" He marks the serial number for the filter and sensors they needed on a note pad before stowing it, ready to follow.
Dave snorts "I quiver in fear for when you really get going then" once inside he let's out a low whistle as he walks around the store, folding his wings as tight as they would go, careful not to bump into anything. He does examine some of the gear more closely, looking aprasingly at a pair of enchanted gloves, before noticing that he was being introduced "a pleasure to make your aquantience, sir" he seemed amused at the complaints at enchanting the case "I was telling him similar things, an unenchanted interior seemed a waste of space, I was thinking of having it enchanted separately with some minor effect"
"Ah, that's certainly no trouble at all."
He opens the cabinet and takes out a row of watch faces already ticking in time."These are a specialty of mine. The same type of enchantment Tybalt has, immediately syncing to local planetary time and calendar the moment you set foot on it. Go ahead and pick out one you like."
The set contains five watch faces, one with reddish copper, one gold, one silver, one black, and one made of ironwood, presumably for Druid use.
Tybalt looks over Dave's shoulder at the set of them, none quite like the one he has made of softly colored purple metal.
"Well, I think I still technically can, but I'm kinda used to it. Grandma tends to really turn up the frightful presence when she's upset. So I don't really notice it that much anymore," she said, thoughtfully. "Well, if we have to wait, then how about we stop and get some refreshments. There's a cafe over there, and I can small the cinnamon rolls from here. And you can work out how to open that box while we're eating." she said, pointing out a small wagon with tables arranged around it that appeared to be run by gnomes.
"I don't think that aura is strong enough to touch you anyways. Decently powerful folks can ignore it."
He looks up from the box at the stand she mentioned.
"Sure, sounds good to me. Only if you don't mind paying for one more thing, though."
David examines each of them in turn, shifting his hand slightly to press on them with his claws, testing their durability, not wanting pure gold due to its softness, "what is the black one made of?"
Lenny very quickly provides a magically resizing glove when Dave goes to touch any of them.
"The black is a watchface of SerpentStone over mythril enchanted gears. Very fine, but hard to come by."
The watchface which seems blank at first lights up in a sliver of colored light on every second mark and two runic looking hands show the current time with a small icon of the sun and calendar date of the current planet when Dave picks it up and feels an interest in reading the time.
"SerpentStone really is amazing stuff. Better at producing illusions than some wizards I know, but only what you program it for, so this one works just like the others as far as a watch goes, just with a little more show. It's rainbows for the demo, but you can turn a cog inside to make it whatever color you want. When it's night, it'll tell you the moon phases too, but only for the three biggest moons on the planet."
"oh, nice, I'm strongly considering that one. I don't want soft metals like gold or silver, not unless something has been done to make them more durable, so serpent stone could work nicely"
"Well, they're clocks, not armor. The important part is how well the case would protect it. With small parts like these, all of 'em would take a hit about the same. I recommend you pick which one looks the best to you."
He sets the SerpentStone one on the case and puts the rest back into the rotating display, unless Dave stops him.
"You kids all love the light up stuff these days, eh?"
Tybalt has been checking out the other clockworks, poking a golem which mechanically looks at him and side steps an inch away, it's arms staying in the same position, polishing a clock. The cat shrugs and looks back to see if Dave has picked a face.
"sorry.... hmm the red one, what is it made of?"
"That's just regular copper."
"It usually isn't, I don't think. If I had to guess, the crack happened the last time I made a Doppeldrek. Oozes usually aren't solid enough to harm the inside of the tank, but Doppeldreks mimic a solid form. It probably punched the crack in the side while it was copying me. If you can help improve it, I'm all ears. Literally, kind of, in a way. I can kinda see with sound. It's weird. Anyways. The mechanics lab, shall we?" He marks the serial number for the filter and sensors they needed on a note pad before stowing it, ready to follow.
"Oh. That's kind of like me with smell. Some jerk hit me with concentrated peppermint oil as a prank once and it was awful. I couldn't smell anything but peppermint for days and I felt like I was half blind the whole time, like the world had just gone totally flat. I don't know how humans manage like that," he said, leading the way to the mechanics lab.
Once there, he pulled a log book out and made a note of his name and the date before he started opening drawers to pull out parts. "They always keep the log book on this shelf, and you just list your name, the date, and what parts you took. The drawers are all labeled, but their filing system can be a little hard to learn. There's a list taped to the wall to explain what the numbers on the drawers mean, so it's not too hard to figure out."
"I don't think that aura is strong enough to touch you anyways. Decently powerful folks can ignore it."He looks up from the box at the stand she mentioned.
1d20+2"Sure, sounds good to me. Only if you don't mind paying for one more thing, though."
"It's no big deal. Before I died, I didn't really go out much. Or really at all. This is my first time going shopping with a friend, so I'm just happy to get to experience something new," she said, smiling happily. "Pick out a table and I'll be right there with the food!"
She headed up to the counter, leaving Jasper to sort out the table. She ordered three dozen cinnamon rolls and a couple gallons of lemonade. That ought to do for a light snack, she supposed. The gnome taking the order seemed a little bit taken aback by how much food she was asking for, but just shrugged and started boxing it up once she paid for it all. Not his job to argue with crazy people.
Andromeda had the pile of boxes and the two jugs of lemonade somewhat precariously balanced as she turned around and looked for Jasper.
David frowns and nods, flipping a coin "I'll take the serpent stone then"
"Ah, well, between your nose and my... Not really ears, but it feels weird to say I hear with my body. Between us both, we've pretty much got everything covered. And geeze. I like mint, but definitely not that much. Also, I guess I don't need that mint shampoo any more..."
Kevin nods and trails off of his rambling as he signs the pad, taking out his own. He starts to help find part, referencing the sheet to his pad.
The two of them both go for the same drawer handle while he's distracted looking at the serial numbers. He quickly notices and pulls his hand back with a deep blush as he looks away. "S-sorry, I know th-that my hands feel weird... And the rest of me. It's weird. I'm weird."
"It's no big deal. Before I died, I didn't really go out much. Or really at all. This is my first time going shopping with a friend, so I'm just happy to get to experience something new," she said, smiling happily. "Pick out a table and I'll be right there with the food!"
She headed up to the counter, leaving Jasper to sort out the table. She ordered three dozen cinnamon rolls and a couple gallons of lemonade. That ought to do for a light snack, she supposed. The gnome taking the order seemed a little bit taken aback by how much food she was asking for, but just shrugged and started boxing it up once she paid for it all. Not his job to argue with crazy people.
Andromeda had the pile of boxes and the two jugs of lemonade somewhat precariously balanced as she turned around and looked for Jasper.
"Well, you're back now. Brand new you, and you get to start making your own memories. Thanks for bringing me along for them." He smiles and pats her on the back as they split up, Jasper finding a table with a pleasant green umbrella with lights hanging off the inside. It's along the edge of the space so if they got a visit from the angry gentleman, he wouldn't be moving through and disturbing too many other customers. It was a punishment for him, not everyone else around, after all.
Once she's close enough for him to stand and help without losing the table, he takes some of the top boxes, making the stacks more manageable for the last few feet, setting them down at the table.
"Thanks, this stuff smells great."
The clockworker nods and does as he previously started to, bringing the watch over to a work booth.
"Now, if I could examine this robe of yours, I'll see what I can recommend as far as an enchantable case goes."
He flips down several of the extra lenses on his glasses, looking to Dave expectantly for the robe.
Meanwhile, Tybalt returns to the others, leaning over a case to watch the goings on with his usual intrigued smile.
Tyrrin stared down the captain until he shifted uncomfortably under her scrutiny. "Very well," she said haughtily. "Lead the way." She walked regally ahead, satisfied that she had reminded the captain of his place, outwardly confident at least that the others would follow.
One of the soldiers drifted near Ehos as they walked. Ehos recognized him as someone he had served with during his time in the military. "You certainly like to push the boundaries, don't you, sir," he muttered. Ehos surreptitiously held up his data pad. 'No fun being boring' The soldier had to stifle his laughter with a pretend cough, earning a glare from his commander.
They were led past the crowds that were just beginning to gather, all dressed in their holiday best. There were plenty of stares and more than a few double takes and a great deal of whispering when Jaiye was spotted, but the presence of the guards discouraged anyone from approaching close enough to start trouble. For now at least. They were led past the stage that looked to have been grown into shape rather than carved. Up close the banners and ribbons that decorated it were even more impressive, as were the displays of leaves and flowers and gourds arranged around the edge of the stage. They arrived at a structure that was curtained off with silk curtains in gold and orange and passed inside with the soldiers staying on guard outside. The pavilion contained several cushioned benches and a table of refreshments, but there was no one else inside. Presumably the High Seer was busy with preparations for the opening ceremony.
Fei quietly continues to take in his surroundings as they are escorted to the pavilion. The organic stage and its decorations were marvels of elven craftwork, making the trip worthwhile for their artistic value alone.
Given the responses he observed as they were brought in, the young monk takes the precaution of letting some of his nanosuit's nanites quietly float off from their more 'festive' configuration to be an extra set of eyes and ears outside and above the pavilion.
David gestures to his own clothing "can you examine them while I'm still wearing them?"
Lenny raises an eyebrow at that. "Not as effectively. And you'll need to remove it for the transfer ritual. Unless you wanna risk yer soul being trapped in a watch, that is. If the rest of your clothes are an illusion off it, I got a bathrobe in the back somewhere."
Tybalt sets his hand on Dave's shoulder. "Hey Shiny, it's ok. I promise you're safe here."
"Ah, well, between your nose and my... Not really ears, but it feels weird to say I hear with my body. Between us both, we've pretty much got everything covered. And geeze. I like mint, but definitely not that much. Also, I guess I don't need that mint shampoo any more..."
Kevin nods and trails off of his rambling as he signs the pad, taking out his own. He starts to help find part, referencing the sheet to his pad.
The two of them both go for the same drawer handle while he's distracted looking at the serial numbers. He quickly notices and pulls his hand back with a deep blush as he looks away. "S-sorry, I know th-that my hands feel weird... And the rest of me. It's weird. I'm weird."
"Whoa! Calm down, there! Unless you're acidic, which I think I would have noticed by now, you don't have to worry about it. I'm not gonna freak out. Okay, you're weird. Most kids are weird here. It doesn't mean you have to isolate yourself. Have kids been giving you a hard time about it?" he asked, concerned. He knew how quickly the bullying could get out of hand.
"Well, you're back now. Brand new you, and you get to start making your own memories. Thanks for bringing me along for them." He smiles and pats her on the back as they split up, Jasper finding a table with a pleasant green umbrella with lights hanging off the inside. It's along the edge of the space so if they got a visit from the angry gentleman, he wouldn't be moving through and disturbing too many other customers. It was a punishment for him, not everyone else around, after all.Once she's close enough for him to stand and help without losing the table, he takes some of the top boxes, making the stacks more manageable for the last few feet, setting them down at the table.
"Thanks, this stuff smells great."
"Yeah, it really does." She opened one of the pile of boxes and practically inhaled the first warm cinnamon roll. "Mmmmmm. Tastes as good as it smells."
"Hey, thanks for earlier. Telling me about how you had trouble with your powers when they were new. It really helped me feel better. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who struggles with this stuff while everyone else just sort of gets it no trouble. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who messes up, you know?"
"How's it going with that puzzle box? You figure out the trick to open it yet?"
"... If we could do this in a back room that'd be nice..."
If this is allowed David takes off the robe and his skin first becomes scaled, then his fingers elongate into claws and his eyes become slitted. Next his wings turn to gold and a Web of golden lines show up on his skin which are filled in with diamond.
As Silinrul comes out of his trance, he blinks a few times, then stifles a laugh at seeing Asha upside down. "It would appear your best bet is to keep practicing to get your power under control. Are you able to do it at all on command, or has it always been an accident or a reflex?"
"There will be a whole feast later, but it's going to be a couple of hours before we get to that point," Tyrrin said, "so if anyone needs a snack before the ceremony starts, please help yourself now."
Not wishing to seem impolite due to his lack of 'dietary requirements', Fei nods to Tyrrin and goes to the refreshment table. He takes a small plate of local fruit to eat as he quietly reviews the data from his nanites.
The nanites show a bustle of activity around the pavilion, but for now, nothing out of place.
Not seeing anything out of the ordinary here, the young monk sends out another group to widen the area he can surveil, going both a bit higher and spreading out to cover more of the festival grounds.
"weird in what way?""She took me into my own mind. It was wierd in there."Nods. "I have a tutor as well. She told me I am 'psychic', and not cursed. I hope she is correct."
"Well, i mean, someone helped me control them. I think it's ephebe's parent. Bit k don't feel I've made any progress from there."
"... I say it's weird because I can't describe it."
"Huh... that is weird..."
"Whoa! Calm down, there! Unless you're acidic, which I think I would have noticed by now, you don't have to worry about it. I'm not gonna freak out. Okay, you're weird. Most kids are weird here. It doesn't mean you have to isolate yourself. Have kids been giving you a hard time about it?" he asked, concerned. He knew how quickly the bullying could get out of hand.
He sighs and looks down, his shoulders sagging. "I've always kinda been on the outside of the social circles around here, but that never really bother me before. But now I'm new and different, and kinda gross to some people. Most kids here are weird in a good way, like they're psychic or have some cool better ability. And I like the stuff I can do now, I can fly, and make animals and stuff, but I'm just... Tired of getting looked at like a freak. I could ignore it before when I was just the weird kid that made oozes, but I can't ignore it any more. Like, I literally can't. People think I don't notice the pointing and whispering to their friends when I have my back turned, but now I can sense everything around me. I can feel people making fun of me."
"Yeah, it really does." She opened one of the pile of boxes and practically inhaled the first warm cinnamon roll. "Mmmmmm. Tastes as good as it smells."
"Hey, thanks for earlier. Telling me about how you had trouble with your powers when they were new. It really helped me feel better. Sometimes it feels like I'm the only one who struggles with this stuff while everyone else just sort of gets it no trouble. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who messes up, you know?"
"How's it going with that puzzle box? You figure out the trick to open it yet?"
Jasper is turning the puzzle with three hands while the other slides into one of the pastel pink boxes and pops a roll into his mouth. Being large had its advantages.
"Oh, dude, of course. Learning powers is just like learning how to walk. It might take a while, but they're still part of you. Eventually you'll be able to do it without even thinking. I've never known anyone that can just *snap* automatically do whatever. I've granted like 6 wishes to become a sorcerer and only one of them didn't immediately set herself on fire."
With three hands trying to tackle the box, the other is left doing his regular animated motions while he talks, including holding up 6 fingers on one hand.
"I'm starting to make progress. It makes a little click when I do something right. Well, I assume that means I did something right."
As Silinrul comes out of his trance, he blinks a few times, then stifles a laugh at seeing Asha upside down. "It would appear your best bet is to keep practicing to get your power under control. Are you able to do it at all on command, or has it always been an accident or a reflex?"
Asha flips right side up and stops to consider the question. "No, I've never done it on purpose. It was always just something that happened because I was startled or scared. If I start to calm down too soon then I get caught partway through things. That's when I end up in the infirmary."
"... If we could do this in a back room that'd be nice..."
If this is allowed David takes off the robe and his skin first becomes scaled, then his fingers elongate into claws and his eyes become slitted. Next his wings turn to gold and a Web of golden lines show up on his skin which are filled in with diamond.
The clocksmith nods and pulls out a remote, pushing a button that lowers blinds over the window and flips an antiquated looking "Out to Lunch" sign over the door.
"My workshop is in the back anyways. Follow me."Tybalt smiles and heads to the back, knowing the way as if he was at his own home.
When Dave removes the robe, Lenny takes it carefully and nods, now understanding the hesitation. "Ah, I can see why you'd want to stay out of the public eye, son. But, not to worry. We'll have this done in a jif."
He flips a red lense down over one eye of his glasses.
"Ah, this is very well made. Ey, Fuzzball, you've always been better with the fabric stuff. Point out the center on this magic pattern to me, would ya?"
Tybalt who had been trying and failing to suppress a smile at seeing Dave back in his regular form blinks his eyes, now glowing blue in magical analysis. He paces over to the work bench, partly thankful and partly disappointed to have a distraction. He searches the garment and points to a place on it near the upper middle.
"Ah, good, thank you. Now, I suppose you got things for a ritual handy? Go start laying it out, would ya? My back can't take laying all those candles out so well any more."
Tybalt nods an affirmative and goes over to the more empty part of the room, pulling a lever down to cause sections of the floor to mechanize and slowly turn into place, making up the right circles they would need before he starts laying things out.
Lenny waves Dave over as he sets the watch down inside an open sided box of gears and runes carved in brass with an operations panel on the front.
"What sort of style watch are you looking for? Your robe here is pretty heavily enchanted, so it can't be too thin, but you don't strike me as minimalist type, either."
He turns a knob and the watchface floats into the center of the box and with a low hum, a faint projection of a watch setting appears around it that changes as he turns a dial into varying styles from somewhat sleek to heavy and protective, almost like a bracer.
He sighs and looks down, his shoulders sagging. "I've always kinda been on the outside of the social circles around here, but that never really bother me before. But now I'm new and different, and kinda gross to some people. Most kids here are weird in a good way, like they're psychic or have some cool better ability. And I like the stuff I can do now, I can fly, and make animals and stuff, but I'm just... Tired of getting looked at like a freak. I could ignore it before when I was just the weird kid that made oozes, but I can't ignore it any more. Like, I literally can't. People think I don't notice the pointing and whispering to their friends when I have my back turned, but now I can sense everything around me. I can feel people making fun of me."
"Whoa! Calm down, there! Unless you're acidic, which I think I would have noticed by now, you don't have to worry about it. I'm not gonna freak out. Okay, you're weird. Most kids are weird here. It doesn't mean you have to isolate yourself. Have kids been giving you a hard time about it?" he asked, concerned. He knew how quickly the bullying could get out of hand.
"I get that. I really do," he said quietly. "I'm maybe not the best person to give advice here. I'm not exactly high in the social hierarchy these days. I...when I came here I wanted to distance myself from my kind. I didn't want anything to do with them or how they do things. It's kind of a long story. I thought I could do it because I at least look human when I want to. It's not like I had to advertise the wolf part. But things didn't go the way I planned. I got caught in an enchantment....there's a fey witch here who dealt with her past trauma by taking over people around her and using them. I got stuck in the role of chief enforcer. Because I'm strong....no, because I'm the strongest," he said with a shrug. "I mastered all the fighting styles that lycans use. It's pretty rare. It...was what I had to do. For vengeance. Like I said, long story. By the time all of us were freed from the witch's control, the damage was done. I was the head lycan, whether I wanted to be or not. I did my best. I tried to keep some kind of control over the worst of it, to mitigate the damage. But then Ssrena's rebellion happened and....well, the whole group was broken up. The ringleaders of that were expelled, and the rest of us....well, I finally got my wish to be free of it. But I still had the reputation whether I'd earned it or not of being the head bully. I've been on the receiving end of a lot of retaliatory attacks since then, so I'm well aware of just how bad it can get. I'm still trying to figure things out. I don't have a lot of friends. But it's getting better. Slowly, but still. It's getting better. The looks don't last. They'll find something else to point and whisper about. You'll figure things out. And if it gets worse than pointing and whispering, tell me. I'm really good at being intimidating and I don't mind using that for my friends. Don't hide. Just keep walking around the way you are. Be proud of it. There's nothing wrong with you. And I know this is not how it feels from inside, but some of the pointing and whispering might not be negative. You never know. They might just think you look cool."
Jasper is turning the puzzle with three hands while the other slides into one of the pastel pink boxes and pops a roll into his mouth. Being large had its advantages.
"Oh, dude, of course. Learning powers is just like learning how to walk. It might take a while, but they're still part of you. Eventually you'll be able to do it without even thinking. I've never known anyone that can just *snap* automatically do whatever. I've granted like 6 wishes to become a sorcerer and only one of them didn't immediately set herself on fire."
With three hands trying to tackle the box, the other is left doing his regular animated motions while he talks, including holding up 6 fingers on one hand.
"I'm starting to make progress. It makes a little click when I do something right. Well, I assume that means I did something right."
"My overachieving family tends to catch on to things pretty quickly, so I guess I just forget that it's not normal," she said with a shrug. "Or I never knew it wasn't normal. We had kind of an isolated childhood. Last of our kind, feared and hunted, that sort of thing. It was just me and my two brothers. And Kronos messing with my head. The new one is at least nicer about it."
"Pretty sure that clicks are a good thing. Usually those kind of puzzles slide into place with one click, but there are a lot of clicks to get them unlatched. Not that this one couldn't be different," she said licking frosting off her fingers. She had worked her way through several boxes of cinnamon rolls by now, and stopped to take a swig of lemonade straight from the jug.
There seemed to be some sort of disturbance moving across the market. "What exactly did you do to that guy, Jasper? That seems like a lot of screaming and you said something about magical fear."
"I can understand the frustration. I was an only child, so I never really had expectations to live up to. Well, not as far as siblings go, at least. Nobility expectations are way ddifferent. But when I decided I didn't want those any more, I ended up enslaved and granting wishes. Guess we both kinda had our own prisons growing up, huh?"
Jasper has downed two or three of them and summoned a cup up to drink from. He has 3 corners undone by the time they notice the the wave of screaming.
"Survey said wished to be respected and feared, so he's got an aura of fear. Kinda had to fine tune the level a bit. Not enough for mass Hysteria, but too much for it to be any good to him. Strong enough minds can shake it off. It was either that or turn him into some kind of dangerous animal, and that just didn't feel curseish enough. He's a dick, and he kept innocent bees stuffed into a tube so he could shoot them at people."
He smirks and stows the box in one of his cargo pockets.
"We should probably go find him."
"I get that. I really do," he said quietly. "I'm maybe not the best person to give advice here. I'm not exactly high in the social hierarchy these days. I...when I came here I wanted to distance myself from my kind. I didn't want anything to do with them or how they do things. It's kind of a long story. I thought I could do it because I at least look human when I want to. It's not like I had to advertise the wolf part. But things didn't go the way I planned. I got caught in an enchantment....there's a fey witch here who dealt with her past trauma by taking over people around her and using them. I got stuck in the role of chief enforcer. Because I'm strong....no, because I'm the strongest," he said with a shrug. "I mastered all the fighting styles that lycans use. It's pretty rare. It...was what I had to do. For vengeance. Like I said, long story. By the time all of us were freed from the witch's control, the damage was done. I was the head lycan, whether I wanted to be or not. I did my best. I tried to keep some kind of control over the worst of it, to mitigate the damage. But then Ssrena's rebellion happened and....well, the whole group was broken up. The ringleaders of that were expelled, and the rest of us....well, I finally got my wish to be free of it. But I still had the reputation whether I'd earned it or not of being the head bully. I've been on the receiving end of a lot of retaliatory attacks since then, so I'm well aware of just how bad it can get. I'm still trying to figure things out. I don't have a lot of friends. But it's getting better. Slowly, but still. It's getting better. The looks don't last. They'll find something else to point and whisper about. You'll figure things out. And if it gets worse than pointing and whispering, tell me. I'm really good at being intimidating and I don't mind using that for my friends. Don't hide. Just keep walking around the way you are. Be proud of it. There's nothing wrong with you. And I know this is not how it feels from inside, but some of the pointing and whispering might not be negative. You never know. They might just think you look cool."
Kevin smiles softly, still not completely sure of himself, but much better than he was before.
"Thanks Jeran. That means a lot. I've always thought you were pretty cool, especially during that mission. You always seemed to be so in control of the situation even though we were dealing with stuff way bigger than us. I appreciate that you could open up about stuff like that, and listen to my stuff too. And if anyone ever pranks you with anything, you can come to me and I can help you out too. Getting gum out of fur and peppermint out of your nose." He laughs a little and hesitantly offers his hand that he'd withdrawn earlier. "We can look out for each other, eh?"
"I can understand the frustration. I was an only child, so I never really had expectations to live up to. Well, not as far as siblings go, at least. Nobility expectations are way ddifferent. But when I decided I didn't want those any more, I ended up enslaved and granting wishes. Guess we both kinda had our own prisons growing up, huh?"
Jasper has downed two or three of them and summoned a cup up to drink from. He has 3 corners undone by the time they notice the the wave of screaming.
"Survey said wished to be respected and feared, so he's got an aura of fear. Kinda had to fine tune the level a bit. Not enough for mass Hysteria, but too much for it to be any good to him. Strong enough minds can shake it off. It was either that or turn him into some kind of dangerous animal, and that just didn't feel curseish enough. He's a dick, and he kept innocent bees stuffed into a tube so he could shoot them at people."
He smirks and stows the box in one of his cargo pockets.
"We should probably go find him."
"Okay," she said, gathering up the trash quickly and throwing away the pile of empty boxes on their way out.
The noise led them towards the center of the market where several vendors were trying to close up their shops in a hurry. They had to fight their way through crowds stampeding away to get there. The winged gnome guy was literally hanging on to a tall elf and shaking him while the elf was sobbing in terror unable to get away.He looked up as Jasper and Andromeda approached, his face flushed red with anger and embarrassment.
"You!" he shrieked. "What have you done to me?!"
"I think maybe you should let that guy go," An said, looking concerned for the elf who was so pale and limp, it looked like he might have actually passed out.
Kevin smiles softly, still not completely sure of himself, but much better than he was before.
"Thanks Jeran. That means a lot. I've always thought you were pretty cool, especially during that mission. You always seemed to be so in control of the situation even though we were dealing with stuff way bigger than us. I appreciate that you could open up about stuff like that, and listen to my stuff too. And if anyone ever pranks you with anything, you can come to me and I can help you out too. Getting gum out of fur and peppermint out of your nose." He laughs a little and hesitantly offers his hand that he'd withdrawn earlier. "We can look out for each other, eh?"
Jeran smiled and accepted the hand, giving it a firm handshake, no sign of disgust from touching Kevin's odd skin. "Yeah, that sounds good."
"And I'm only really good in a crisis," he said, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. "It's the everyday stuff that totally trips me up."
Ace, having never been to an elven festival like this before, is excited to take in all the sights, sounds, and tastes. When Ty suggests a snack, he helps himself to a decent sized plate, sampling a little of everything, or as close as possible.
Aside from that, he keeps an eye on Jaiye, making sure nobody tries to start any trouble with her.
David blinks "um... what types of watches are there?"
"Huh... that is weird..."
"Agreed. Gyna'ka did not show me my mind, she had me meditate on...fish. Although, in hindsight, I don't know that I'd want to see my mindscape either."
Finding their way blocked by people, and An's previous record of allowing him to assist her over things, he offers a hand with a simple "hold on," before air jumping them both over the crowd to the empty patch.
The oddest thing about the blind panic is that once anyone reaches 20 feet away from the gnome, they start to think and aren't really sure of what exactly they were scared of, causing an odd wave to move over the crowd from a full sprint to a slow jog and leaving almost a perfect circle clear around the gnome.
Jasper snaps, granting the elf freedom of movement and forcing the gnome off of him.
As the paniced elf sprints away, Jasper groans and puts one of his hands to his face.
"You're 'respected and feared,'" he says, mimicking his voice in a way only a shape shifter could. "Not really what you wanted, huh?"
"heh, strong."
Kevin blushes and looks back to the drawers they were pulling things from, taking the filter this had started over out.
"Yeah, that's pretty much me too, minus the being good in a crisis part." He laughs a little, stacking the parts he was holding.
"Speaking of, uh, every day stuff, do you maybe wanna get lunch after we get the tank fixed up?"
After Serrin had gotten back her book, she was planning on not playing with the foxes.
But then she saw Alys frustrated and confused at Keme disappearing down the hole, so she decided to mess with her.
She crafts a very life-like looking illusion of the former champion of Hope, which she has bound away from Alys, taunting her to chase him.
"Well, let's start with material. Mythrill will let it run smoothest. Do you want it tinted black to match the face or another color? Naturally it's about the color of white gold."
Once Dave gives a color, Lenny adjusts the knob to the same.
"Any kind of accents? Could be Floral, filigree, hard lines like those techno what's it the planet hoppers like?"
He flips a handle and scrolls through different designs until Dave stops him on one.
"And now the overall build. Could be larger and protective, a smaller one with a chain strap. I'm afraid the straps have to be metal to fit the runes, however."
Third verse same as the first, he adjusts the knobs to reflect Dave's choice.
"There we are. How's that look?"
"Red would be a nice contrast to the black.. hmm a red scaled pattern for an accent would be nice.... larger would be better, I have big arms and I get banged up a lot, heck something akin to a buckler Wouldn't be out of place" prior to the transfer the robe was a customized robe of arcane heritage, that has a custom illusion/transmutation effect to disguise his nature. And a few other minor enchantments to help control his power
Ace, having never been to an elven festival like this before, is excited to take in all the sights, sounds, and tastes. When Ty suggests a snack, he helps himself to a decent sized plate, sampling a little of everything, or as close as possible.
Aside from that, he keeps an eye on Jaiye, making sure nobody tries to start any trouble with her.
Jaiye nibbles on a little bit of food, but she doesn't have much of an appetite, on high alert the whole time. Also terrified of spilling anything on her dress. Ehos stays close to her, keeping an arm around her and making it as clear as possible that she's here with him.
About fifteen minutes after they all arrived, an attractive young pair of elves, one male and one female enter the pavilion. They are dressed in matching livery.
"Greetings, Lady Tyrrin and Lord Ehos. Greetings, honored guests," they say in unison, bowing to the group. "I am Lira," the girl said, "and I am Liren," the boy finished. "We have been assigned to be your guides for this evening's entertainment, since Lady Tyrrin and Lord Ehos will have to join their mother for the ceremony itself. If there is anything at all that we can help you with, or any questions that we can answer, we are happy to be of assistance."
"heh, strong."
Kevin blushes and looks back to the drawers they were pulling things from, taking the filter this had started over out.
"Yeah, that's pretty much me too, minus the being good in a crisis part." He laughs a little, stacking the parts he was holding.
"Speaking of, uh, every day stuff, do you maybe wanna get lunch after we get the tank fixed up?"
"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea," he said cheerfully, gathering the last few parts he needed. "Cafeteria or do you want to head into town? There's a really good seafood place there. But I understand if you'd rather stay here."