rebells: shrug, confident, dismissal (causus belli)
Jay (the Unseen) ([personal profile] rebells) wrote in [community profile] spellbinders2017-08-26 04:44 pm

journey to the land of barriers

Who: Participants in BARRIER QUEST 2.0
Where: The outskirts of Aimintas, and the island above it
When: Day 50
Open/Closed: Semi-closed! Signups went here. Feel free to mingle in the first subheader, however!



[There's a small crowd gathering at the edge of the city today. You may have been asked here by Jay or someone else, or gotten a telepathic message--or maybe you just came out to see what all the fuss was about. Either way, if you listen in it soon becomes obvious that members of the coven are heading up to the island above to check it out, and maybe do something about that pesky barrier in the way, too.

There are a couple dragons among the crowd--although you may or may not be able to see one of them--and what looks like a small submarine. Jay is wandering among these, seemingly checking that everything is in order and everyone who's supposed to be there is.]
rootandbranch: (back to you.)

[personal profile] rootandbranch 2017-08-29 08:21 am (UTC)(link)
Why would you want to freeze food?

[Geir's eyes narrow as he considers Lenka's words again. the megal box was transported on top of his head by magic? by accident? that does beg a question.]

...and what do you mean, magic? Could you always do that, or did Qri give you the power to accidentally drop cold metal boxes on things?

[Geir's aware that he doesn't understand most of the technology he's seen since he arrived in Aimintas. he's sanguine about it, really; this is a new world, with new experiences, and it wasn't like he'd had a lot of previous exposure to human culture. the breadth of city-dwellers' inventiveness is something he's just as glad to be a witness to, and if he can't figure out what a contrivance is supposed to do, well, it's just as easy to ignore them.

even knowing he doesn't have the context, he still doesn't get the point of this power.]

That's just weird.
probablynoteren: (logic comes after e7 tbh)

[personal profile] probablynoteren 2017-08-29 08:51 am (UTC)(link)
To preserve it. We can't really eat that much at once.

[And sometimes just because it's meant to be frozen, but that can probably wait until the dragon encounters a real popsicle. Or ice cream.

Lenka scratches his head, a little wryly; he hasn't yet been asked quite that bluntly what the point of his power is, and the truth is he doesn't have a great answer for it. It's decent for emergency rations, but they haven't lacked too much for food so far -- and most of them seem used to doing without refrigeration anyway. As a weapon, it's... he's working on it.

He can at least clarify one thing, though.]

And Qri didn't give me the power to accidentally do it. I can do it on purpose. But... [he tilts his head towards the loudly crackling barrier, which is probably still under attack at this point] If I try to use it the normal way, it doesn't pass the barrier.

[And thusly: the random experimenting.]
rootandbranch: (you're here; and that means so much)

[personal profile] rootandbranch 2017-08-29 12:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[the dragon thoughtfully eats the stack of frozen pizzas. just... eats them. boxes and all.]

--Oh! Meat and bread and-- some kind of cheese?

[licks his muzzle, surprised and gratified]
probablynoteren: (why does he look 12 here)

[personal profile] probablynoteren 2017-08-29 07:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ah. Well, at least part of the clean-up here is handled. Lenka can't quite help the way the corner of his mouth twitches; the dragon is kind of easily distracted, huh?]

And tomato. And cardboard. [he settles in front of the rest of the fridge leftovers, cross-legged] It tastes better if you heat it.

[Maybe the dragon can breathe fire?? Actually, he isn't even sure if it's actually a dragon, the last talking one he met was somebody he knew. Lenka thinks for a moment, then reaches out a hand and summons another fridge -- this one settles tamely on the ground. Judging by the size of the hole and tunnel, that digging project's been going on for a while; no wonder food is leading this guy around by the nose.

He opens the fridge door and just starts moving things out of it. There's not a lot in this one... but there is a ham and some spaghetti. Do dragons eat pasta??]

... You're really a dragon?

[Might as well check.]
rootandbranch: (back to you.)

[personal profile] rootandbranch 2017-08-29 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[Geir looks back at himself as if to double check, grinning slightly; he makes his next pronouncement with a deep, teasing gravity.]

I'm going to go with "dragon," yeah.

[he leans forward amiably enough to nudge the new fridge with his nose and see how it rocks back and forth as he watches Lenka empty it out. he's not sure where the cold air in it is coming from, but it certainly seems to be some kind of magic, considering that the metal box appeared in front of him out of thin air. maybe that's how all "fridges" work.

in the meantime, the ham that Lenka pulls out has drawn his attention. it's not that he's hungry from the digging, exactly. he doesn't need to eat per se.

(he just really likes food...)]

Do all of those come with food in them?
probablynoteren: (logic comes after e7 tbh)

[personal profile] probablynoteren 2017-08-29 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[If Lenka hadn't been himself, he would have stuck out a tongue at the teasing or probably gotten a bit huffy; as it is he just shakes his head and shuffles a bit out of the way so that Geir's literal nosiness isn't in danger of tipping the fridge or its contents over onto him.

It's kind of weird to see a dragon grin. It's also kind of weird that he's not unfamiliar with dragons making facial expressions....]

There are people who can turn into dragons, you know. [still, he can't resist arguing his case; given that Mikleo's traveling with them at this point, he thinks it's a pretty good one!] And I don't know if it's the magic, but... not always.

[He rummages a little through the relics of fridge past; pauses, and then pushes the false teeth out of the pile with his (gloved) fingertips. Jeez.]

Like that. You can't eat that.
rootandbranch: (oh no.)

[personal profile] rootandbranch 2017-08-29 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Sure, there are shape-changers around. But aren't they dragons when they're turned into dragons?

[oh no. philosophy. Geir lets up on being nosy about the fridge to be nosy about the fake teeth instead, obligingly, but no sooner has he sniffed them than he's recoiled a couple of inches. what even!]

I could eat that. I don't want to, though. Why are they like human teeth?!

[he does snake his head forward surreptitiously to snag the ham in his very real teeth, though. it's not actually surreptitious. he's friggin' enormous. he hesitates for a bare second while it sinks in that there is absolutely no way Lenka won't know he took it before just going with momentum and swallowing it in one gulp.]
probablynoteren: gg (there's like 2 smile icons)

[personal profile] probablynoteren 2017-08-30 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
I think they're whatever they were first. If you turn into a human and back, you'd still be a dragon.

[On Lenka's end, it's not so much philosophy as common sense -- if you started identifying people by whatever magic or some other force turned them into, you'd lose track of identities pretty quick. He'd have had to start calling Mikleo Breadstick at some point and, wait, no, bad example.

He does give a quiet chuckle when Geir tries to use the fuss over the teeth to cover his bid for the ham, though; there's really no need to be so sneaky about it, since Lenka summoned it for him, anyway. Anything that isn't eaten just vanishes eventually.]

It's okay. The ham's for you. [then he nods towards the false teeth] And it's not healthy to eat those. They're for replacing human teeth when they fall out.
rootandbranch: (and people are singing; how 'bout that!)

someone should absolutely call Mikleo "Breadstick"

[personal profile] rootandbranch 2017-08-30 12:31 am (UTC)(link)
[decisively, making up his mind how to receive that information with swift acuity:]

That's crazy. Humans are so weird.

[Geir eats the rest of the food and licks his chops again, pleased. he turns a terrifying, beaming grin of gratitude at Lenka, teeth all showing, not too far above eye level with him due to how he's still sitting in a hole.]

Thanks! What's your name?
probablynoteren: (smth's rotten in the state of crapsack)

the sparkliest breadstick in all the land

[personal profile] probablynoteren 2017-08-30 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
[Ah. Lenka stiffens reflexively at the teeth everywhere and way too near to his person -- teeth of that size at that proximity has never been good news for him, nor anyone he knew -- but then he takes a deep breath and forces himself to stay in place. It's a good thing that he has relatively positive associations with dragons.

He even manages a small smile back, because humans are weird, even more so here than anywhere else. And the more he uses his magic, the more he's starting to think the same! He has no idea where the fridges come from, but still, it's a thought.]

It's Lenka. Utsugi Lenka. What are you called?
rootandbranch: (tomorrow it can worry 'bout itself.)

[personal profile] rootandbranch 2017-08-30 06:59 am (UTC)(link)
[Geir notes the fear, and his grin goes a little sharper... but because Lenka visibly gets himself back together, he doesn't comment on it.

his reaction to humans being afraid of him has been kind of interesting in and of itself; it's happened a few times now, and he's still not sure how he feels about it. part of him doesn't like it, and part of him does. could it be that it hurts his feelings, or that it brings out his predatory side, or both, or neither? does he want people to be afraid of him, or doesn't he? it's impossible to work out without a kind of introspection Geir doesn't want to pursue right now, so he doesn't bother. if he ever did, he wouldn't be able to deny that his first, deepest instinct when people are afraid of him is to be more dangerous.

none of that is consciously in his mind as he replies; it's more a reaction in his mood than a decision he makes, after all. but Lenka might be able to feel the slight shift in his posture and expression, whether or not Lenka himself is conscious of what he's seeing either.]

It's Geir. Thanks for the pork.
Edited 2017-08-30 07:01 (UTC)
probablynoteren: (logic comes after e7 tbh)

[personal profile] probablynoteren 2017-08-30 11:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's probably a good thing on both ends that Lenka is tucking away his fight or flight instinct in favor of cooperation -- it's more fight than flight, which wouldn't have gotten them anywhere good anyway, and it's more important to keep the group working together when they're floating in enemy territory and a good ocean's length away from backup.

Of course, on a visceral level he's aware that any of the dragons present (whether they're real or not) could probably crush him with a toe claw or flatten him with a sneeze, never mind focused attack. Every once in a while he'll be reminded of that fact -- but the low-key wariness in his posture is also a natural part of how he moves in many situations. He's used to walking hand-in-maw with something that could swallow him whole, after all.

That, and worst comes to worst he has food as a distraction. It's a helpful thing to tell himself out here.

Moving carefully, since he's surrounded by a refrigerator, a dragon, and food underfoot, Lenka stands and dusts himself off a little. Nods at Geir.]

It's good to meet you, Geir. [they've been traveling together, but now they're traveling companions for real] If you're still hungry during the mission, I can summon more.
rootandbranch: (strength enough for me.)

[personal profile] rootandbranch 2017-08-30 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[Geir softens a bit, the expression in his eyes warming again. it's a kind offer.]

Thanks, Lenka. I might take you up on that.

[he scoops up the rest of the food in his claw and takes it back down with him into the hole, ending the conversation; it can be a quick snack before he tries one last time to break through the barrier from below.]