2018-10-14: The Mark(etability) of a Hero
- Log: The Mark(etability) of a Hero
- Cast: Carina Wynne, Xantia
- Where: Port Timney
- Date: October 14, 2018
- Summary: Carina and Xantia discuss hero business, and the very important aspect of merchandising.
==============================<* Port Timney *>=============================== Port Timney is the Kingdom of Adlehyde's premier port town. The city hugs the southern coast of the ranchlands and several trains terminate in Ardyne Grand Station at the northern part of the town. Cattle brought from the ranchlands tend to end up in the northern part of town, before their meat and hides are shipped as far as Krosse and Nortune. Timney has the look of an industrial city, without much of the simple style that Adlehyde's other cities are popular for. While it has few factories, it has many workshops and tanneries in the northern parts of town. Most of the people live in between the northern factories and southern docks, in apartment homes of varying quality. The markets are functional, meant to serve locals rather than sell the imports and exports making their way through the port. The docks, however, are something to behold: numerous large piers, fit for both wooden sailing ships and the newer ironclads, extend out onto the blue waters of the South Ignas Sea. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9KZlk_t4Ww
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
Over a year and a half ago, Port Timney was attacked by Hellions. It was a whole thing! But you wouldn't know that now, because Filgaia's people are nothing if not resilient.
And now the CaraKin is in town, in part to find a way to Elru, but also to sell wares with a smile! The sun is setting and most of the gang has already packed their stalls for the night, but Carina is still hanging around, leaning on her countertop and yawning loudly. She's gonna have to get all of her things back in EVENTUALLY, but that sounds like effort, so she doesn't want to do it right now. Maybe she could turn into Locus to make it easier? Hmm.
As usual, Carina's wares on display are a variety of armors, clothes and protective equipment. The wares are mostly Drifter-oriented, but that doesn't stop them from being stylish! At least in the jRPG sense of the term.
But that's not all! A corner of the booth is now dedicated to a display of metallic figurines representing... hold on... is that Locus? That's right! Locus merch is now a thing! Locus: The Short-Sleeved Shirt! Locus: The Fruit Pie! Locus: The Flamethrower!
Look, sometimes Shalune gets IDEAS. The kids love it, though.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
It may not be apparent now that Port Timney was once in such dire peril, but Xantia remembers, she was there. She remembers accidentally discharging electricity, back when she had no idea it was something she could do yet. But she doesn't just remember the bad times. She also remembers, say, all the food she's had in this town. Let's be fair, she probably remembers that most clearly of all.
But reliving some of her food memories from long ago is not why she came back to Port Timney. Hard to believe perhaps, especially since she has in fact been going around Ignas to do just that. She's been away from the entire planet for like half a year, can you blame her? You never appreciate things more than when you are suddenly forced to do without them.
In that respect, perhaps her aims are similar, as it's been a while since she's last met up with Carina. She has a number of excuses, some of which even good ones, but that doesn't keep her from feeling a little guilty about slacking on the hero business. Figuring that she'd find her heroic mentor figure with the Carakin, all she had to do was track that down, which is easy enough. Just follow the flyers. She helped pass some of those around herself, in fact!
As is often the case, Xantia doesn't approach so much as she's just... suddenly there. It wasn't intended, she just came running from a blind spot in relation to Carina's stall, then got promptly distracted from announcing her presence, just sort of peering over the... Locus souvenirs, is that what this is? She's quite clearly confused and surprised about what she's looking at.
Probably not half as surprised as Carina will be once she turns her head in that direction and sees Xantia just standing there all of a sudden. Which on Xantia's part will just prompt a smile and a "Hi!"
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
Once again, Carina is yawning loudly as Xantia approaches. A sunset after a long day will do that to you sometimes. Maybe a nap wouldn't be so bad, when you really stop and think about it...
But something wakes her right up as she turns her head-- Someone's there! A thief?! Should she grab the flamethrower??
"AAAH!" she lets out, instead, flailing her arms and losing her footing as she topples over backwards. There is a crashing sound, and a set of armor on display goes tumbling down along with some odds and ends.
Carina gets back up a moment later, wearing chestplate along with its matching helmet. She lifts the visor up to peer down. "Oh hey, Xantia, it's just you! It's been a hot second, hasn't it? Want a fruit pie? Only three gella each! Normally they're five, but you're my friend and I was gonna get rid of 'em anyway. Gotta keep 'em fresh and all."
Such unfair sales tactics! She knows Xantia wouldn't refuse such a mouthwatering offer. The pies are more like tarts, really, individually wrapped with a stamped 'LOCUS-APPROVED' icon, displaying a stylized Locus head giving a thumbs-up. They come in apple, cherry and blueberry, with flaky golden crust and real fruit filling!
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia just kind of blinks blankly when her greeting is met with... whatever that was. Figures that she was way more effective at surprising someone when she wasn't actually trying. Peering over the counter, she ventures, "Are you okay?" Only to have Carina immediately spring up, so that answers her question.
She only looks quizzically at the impromptu outfit change for a moment, because then food comes up in the form of fruit pies, and of course that's going to draw all of Xantia's interest. "Sure, I'll take three! One of each flavor!" Yes, in the short time she's been here, she's already noticed there was some form of food here and that it came in three distinct flavors. Who would expect anything less?
Freely spending some of her money for this purpose - because what better things are there to spend it on? - it's likely apparent that Xantia's money pouch is well-filled these days. Whatever she's been doing, it must pay pretty well.
While she fiddles with the wrapper of the first pie, she explains her presence: "Sorry for not dropping by more often. It's just, you know... stuff on Lunar got really busy, and then we were back here, and then I found a lead on my memories, and then I had to go talk to grandpa... But I still want to be a hero, really!" She grumbles a bit, this package is not cooperating. Super strength is useless when you can't use it without the risk of ruining the food altogether!
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
Carina takes a moment to take off the helmet and chestplate and place them back where they belong, while Xantia is struggling with the wrapper.
"Hey, no worries. I've been a lil' too busy to do much heroing myself. We're going to Elru soon so that'll probably be a rough time. It's probably okay to ease off a little 'til then." And there, now she's dressed normally again. The armor stuff just happened to fall on her according to slapstick rules, you see.
Only then does she notices the wrap battle Xantia is currently engaged in. "Hey, want me to handle it? You gotta take the bit here and pinch the other end..." She points to the wrapper and, if Xantia allows it, demonstrates. "...and pull. See?"
The matter is quickly handled, and soon Carina is helping herself to a pie of her own, this one cherry. "Matilda made those," she explains. "She says pies is the food of heroes, and no pie-eatin' people can ever be beaten. Or something like that. She's really smart. So we're on the right track!"
She takes a bite. Munch munch. You get a big delight in every bite, as they say! "You found a lead about your memories, though? That's cool! Find anything else yet? Maybe it's something I can help with, I mean if I'm not busy helpin' other people. Lots of helpin' going around lately." And if she's unavaialable, certainly a certain cat-eared nun will be happy to lend a hand in her stead.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Xantia is all to happy to accept assistance with this advanced wrapper technology. Things that most might consider simple are certainly not guaranteed to be so to her. She doesn't seem embarrassed about it though, she's just happy to be able to get at the food. "Oh, so that's how you do it! Thanks!" With that, she takes a bite out of her own cherry pie. ...There won't be too much time to savor the delights if she takes bites as big as that all the time. But that's just how Xantia tends to eat, should be nothing new.
Thankfully she has developed some manners over time and doesn't commonly talk with her mouth full anymore, clearing it before she responds. First, of course, on the taste. "Mmm! She's right, I feel more powerful already!" And thus the phrase 'Pie-cebo Effect' came into being.
Ironically, some of what Xantia's been so busy with probably counts as 'heroing'. It's just hard to see it that way when she isn't actively trying to be all hero-like. People calling her a hero now would just be being nice about it, she knows there's more to it than just doing the right thing!
She looks a little pensive upon being questioned if there's anything Carina can help with, before she shakes her head. "Probably not... unless you saw someone covered in blood wandering around the Aveh desert about two years ago. ...You didn't, right? Because that could have been me." You never know unless you ask.
Despite what might be a grave topic, she manages to get distracted by the wrapper she's still holding onto. "Is this part of being a hero too? It's kind of like what happened at the Lacour tournament." There was a short-lived sale of replicas of Xantia's outfit going on at the time. Which means that this mysterious hero wearing her outfit doesn't necessarily have to be Xantia! Not that she's ever considered that, of course.
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
"Maybe we should draw arrows on it," Carina muses, regarding the wrappers. Well, a thing to think about another time.
"I know, right?? It could be a thing to eat to get some quick energy when we need to fight." Munch munch. "...Not me, I guess, 'cause there's no mouth on the Locus armor... but I thought I could also throw them at enemies to distract them! They've got so many uses!"
Someone covered in blood? "Hmmmmm..." Carina has to think on this for a moment, which must be a little worrying. Then, she holds a finger up with a bright expression: "...Nope! Haven't been in the Aveh desert much at all to begin with. I've spent almost all of my life in the Badlands. I'm glad you're not covered in blood now, though." She was pretty blood-splattered when they first run into one another, too, so it doesn't come as a big surprise.
"Hmmm, yes and no, I guess." She looks at the merch and scratches her head. "Not every hero advertises likes this, but I figured I'd get in on it, y'know? And if we were gonna sell little tin people, might as well remind them that there are heroes out there fightin' for them."
She holds up one of the action figures, demonstrating its punching-capable articulated arm.
"We could add you to some stuff, too! I wanted to ask first before making anything. Maybe we could add the Mystery Hero X peach flavor? Most of the CaraKin people didn't wanna." She announces this cheerfully. She is reminded of something then, however. "Oh, that's right! There was a place I wanted to show you sometime. Ever been to the circus? Well, get this, the Badlands has... a hero circus!!"
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
While Carina is talking, Xantia's pie disappears. Like magic! If eating a thing really quickly counts as magic. She immediately opens the wrapper of the second one now that she knows how, because of course she's going to eat them all at once. Blueberry is next, although she probably isn't paying any attention to the order she eats them in.
She frowns, then, urging strongly, "Don't throw food at bad guys!" Her demeanor softens immediately after. "I mean... it's such a waste, you know? Think about how much better it'd be if you can have all that tasty food to yourself right after you win!" This is a very important matter to carefully consider! Though she has to admit, "That must be tough, not being able to eat while in your hero outfit."
Xantia watches Carina carefully, always holding onto even the slightest glimmer of hope, deflating a little when the 'nope' finally comes. Oh well. At least she has pie. Another bite is taken, during which she gives Carina a quizzical look on the matter of not being covered in blood now. She missed that reference to how they met, clearly. That part was never much of an issue to her, anyway. "Oh well. I guess that would've been a pretty big coincidence."
She chuckles a bit at the action figure's demonstrated punching ability, though looks hesitant about getting involved in the advertising. "Is that really a good idea? I'm not much of a hero yet..." She pauses a moment before adding, "Actually, I kind of feel like... I'd rather have my real name, and how I normally look being advertised. That way, maybe somebody will recognize me." She smiles, though with somewhat of a forlorn look in her eyes. Going so long without anybody coming forward who knows something about her past... it's getting to her.
All the better for happy distractions like circuses! "A circus? I've never been to one of those... that I can remember. There's one specially for heroes? That sounds like fun!" It doesn't take very much at all to cheer her up, does it.
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
"Haha, that's a good point," Carina says, regarding wasting food, her head slightly tilted. She does still think there's a possible tactical advantage to distracting foes with these things, but she decides not to do it while Xantia is watching. Sometimes you need to be a RUTHLESS PRAGMATIST, at least when it comes to how you use your Locus Fruit Pies. They could be a useful tool in combat!
"It kind of is," she admits, sadly. "Sometimes Lunata brings lunch to dungeons, and I gotta make sure nobody who doesn't know ain't watching when I un-transform." What? "There was a whole thing with a pill, once, too." She taps her foot, impatiently recalling the incident. "One day, though... maybe I'll find the button that opens the mouth guard. This armor's really full o' mysteries."
Her own pie is now done too, though with the speed Xantia is working through them, she soon won't be alone in pielessness. "Hmmm, that's fair! I think we can arrange that. Maybe not action figures, they're a little complicated for someone who doesn't wear armor, but we could sell the, like... Xantia twinkies? Iunno. Or maybe shirts with your face on 'em and 'HAVE YOU SEEN THIS GIRL'S MEMORIES?' would be more direct. We can workshop it!"
She's glad Xantia seems enthusiastic about the circus project, though. "Yep! They figured they'd have a gimmick to stand out from all the other circuses." There are really that many? "They're..." Carina opens her arms, spreading them out like a rainbow. "The Rainbow Rangers! I based a lot of my style as Locus on these guys. So if you wanna take notes, there's no better place. They're supposed to come to November City in not too long, hopefully."
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
A wise decision. Doing anything that even resembles wasting food in Xantia's presence is probably unwise, considering how strongly she feels about those matters. She can't possibly be pragmatic about that, because she doesn't know what that word means. All she knows is that there's only one thing you're supposed to do with food, and is she already eating the third pie?? She sure is, now clutching three empty wrappers in one hand while eating from the other. This isn't even very fast, by her reckoning.
"I hope you find it one day," is all she can say on the matter of the mouth guard. That sounds like a chore and a half, especially if you have to do the whole secret identity thing. She hadn't even thought of that. Big surprise, given how that's one part of being a hero she'd rather not participate in, for the reasons she just stated.
She thus looks surprised at the notion of merchandising being possible under her own identity, too. The rules of this stuff are so complicated! "Is that possible? That's... hm. Now that I think about it, I'm not sure what I would want that actually be like." Carina uses a term she doesn't know, so that just gets repeated in a questioning tone. "'Workshop it'?"
Even though Xantia has obviously never heard of the Rainbow Rangers before - or indeed any other of the circuses there supposedly are - Carina's enthusiasm is infectuous, prompting the reaction, "That sounds great! I'd love to go! Can you let me know when they're there?"
<Pose Tracker> Carina Wynne has posed.
Honestly, Carina doesn't know what 'pragmatic' means either.
"That's okay," she says, regarding merchandising, "you can come to us when you've got a good idea." She gives a thumbs-up. "Hm? Oh!! Yeah, it's an expression, it means like... work on the idea like it's a workshop. You hit it with a hammer 'til it's the right shape." Carina, that's not how... "I mean, a metaphor hammer," she adds, after remembering who she's talking to. But then, she's starting to confuse even herself! ".......You think and ask your friends about your ideas, and you ask 'em if they've got any."
There! Better.
"Sure, totally!" Carina nods energetically. "I'll make sure to tell you, and some other people too. It'll be fun! I know some people are already excited to go." She strikes a pose! Not quite like Locus', but one that seems to hold significance, judging by her beaming smile.
She relaxes, then stretches out, yawning yet again. It's getting dark. "Hmmmm. Really should close up shop now. Hey, mind lendin' me a hand carryin' all the stuff back to the caravan?" She already figures Xantia would be happy to help, but Carina decides to... sweeten the pot. "I can pay you in little pies!"
Oh, NOW it's on.
<Pose Tracker> Xantia has posed.
Predictably, Xantia doesn't look like she understands what Carina is going on about with 'workshop it' until she makes it very simple. She even reflexively looks over her shoulder, where she often carries a hammer, even if it isn't there right now. It's clear what she was thinking about. Good thing metaphor explanation happened, or this could have had DIRE and probably REALLY WEIRD consequences! As she is, by the end of it she can simply go, "Oh! I understand now."
Now the question is just whether she'll actually think to... do that. Time will tell.
In any event, now she has a new thing to look forward to! A thing that will probably color her views on what a circus is commonly like, which will probably end up being comically inaccurate!
However, she fails to spot what was apparently cause for striking a pose. Darn! She still has much to learn. Thus, she makes up for it when Carina asks her to help clean up, in exchange for free food even! That definitely deserves a pose, which is made better(?) by the fact that when she clenches her fist, the empty wrappers within make a very satisfying crunching noise. "Leave it to me! I'll have things cleaned up in no time!"
She will, too. Carina can slack off as much as she likes, Xantia will pick up any slack as required without complaints. No bother at all, she actually enjoys doing heavy lifting. Isn't it nice to have friends?