2023-12-14: Four Hours
- Log: Four Hours
- Cast: Rena Lanford, Claude C. Kenny, Holly
- Where: Downtown Kattelox, Library
- OOC - IC Date: December 15, 2023/505 PC
- Summary: Claude and Rena have finished another Astronomy lesson, and Claude has the chance to tell Rena something important. Except, suddenly, there's a Holly! And Servbots. The time since our last workplace accident is...
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<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Thank you, for yet another lesson 'Professor Kenny!'" Rena beams at him, from their position on a bench in the downtown park. Dog-earring the Astronomy book they picked up for that lesson, she leaned back on the bench to stretch her legs subtly, "Kind of a shame I can't put them to use tonight, the island is too bright for any serious star-gazing."
However her gaze is still upon the mid-afternoon sky anyway, wisps of cloud lazily moving across the landscape of the island, as she tells him, "I know that things really are a mess around here with the Sorcery Globe appearing... and those 'Ten Wise Men' causing trouble but right now I'm mostly thinking about how we're gonna get to go up there soon."
Now looking sidelong at him again, she enthuses, "It's just like we talked about that day right? 'What lies beyond the sky?' And now - it's like we're going to see the answer ourselves. Not just, warping back and forth between Filgaia and Lunar but - actually going up there! To a Moon - our Moon!"
In that moment, she gives him a searching look, perhaps looking for solidarity in that enthusiasm, "Isn't it really exciting? That our investigation brought us here, to doing something like this!"
There is a picnic basket nearby, some of Rena's Egg Sandwiches and Salmon Omelettes within, and a thermos of tea, she didn't expect a lesson for FREE after all, the least she could do is offer him lunch!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
It makes Claude smile when Rena calls him Professor Kenny. Sometimes laugh, too. But he does his best with it--not because he thinks he's a big authority or anything, but because it's the closest thing he can give her to that hope of going to school, while they're on this quest.
"Yeah!" he says. "But you'll get the chance."
He looks up to what she's looking at, and nods along. "...It's true."
But he looks back to her when she looks back to him, and smiles. "That's right!" he agrees, and that searching look--well, he can give her enthusiasm. "I'm looking forward to seeing what's there," he says, even though he has his misgivings about proper space travel given what Ethius said...
"You know, Rena," he says, "It is amazing that we're getting to see it. And that makes me want to talk to you about something. You see..."
He has a sandwich. It's in his hand!
<Pose Tracker> Holly has posed.
Holly has been visiting a library that isn't her own. To the surprise of absolutely no one that might know the slightly odd flying fae. She might even be dragging a book through the air under her by a book strap and some of that everpresent ink doing most of the heavy lifting which.. at least partially explains why she's always covered in the stuff and how she did her job back when!
She slows down when she hears talk of a professor giving lessons though. She'd have stopped, but the book's swinging momentum makes that a bit awkward and the little outburst of creative language as the book slips from her magically enhanced grip and falls to the ground nearby with a thud probably doesn't help either. The two don't look like teacher and student. Or maybe then do. Wouldn't be the first scandal...
Either way she does land near the book and lifts it carefully, checking for any kind of damage or staining. Brushing some leaves away. she hooks a hand out and tries to act like she wasn't totally just eavesdropping.
She can't help herself though, "We had some astrological books in the-" she pauses, face scrunched up, "You went down, through the west wing's stairwell and onward. Pushing through past the lobby and some of the classrooms and then there was the big room-" she doesn't stop herself. She's actually kind of curious about the whole sea of stars thing, not that she knows more than the base provided from other people's investigations and all!
She does trail off. Having mostly been talking to herself. Or to anyone and everyone, hard to tell when she jumps back into the air and tries to hurry away somewhat embarrased. Now kind of mired as she's distracted and the book's not cooperating.
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
The bustle of the day has kept the traffic through the park steady. Every so often a tiny Servbot zooms on by, involved in the construction that will get them to Marduk. Rena's lack of technological knowledge is what prevented her from volunteering, however she is on standby for any 'workplace accidents'.
Elsewhere, there is a sign, demonstrating how often she's on call.
IT'S BEEN
4 HOURS(DAYS IS CROSSED OUT)
SINCE OUR LAST WORKPLACE ACCIDENT
They try very hard.
"You too!" Rena tells him, "We'll all get to see it together." However, she can't help but think of it more as their thing, after that day in Salva? It was a conversation that stuck with her.
"I wonder what it'll be like, to walk on the moon?" She asks him, even as he indicates it is amazing, "I know right!" But there's another clause to that, and her face turns into something of a sort of cheerful uncertainty. "Well of course, whatever you'd like to talk about. You know you can tell me anything. And besides - right now it's about as private as it can-"
Which is when she spies Holly, "-get?"
Rena blinks, blinks, then looks down at Holly as she outlines directions, "Why hello there. I - huh!" Rena looks surprised enough to put a hand up near her mouth, "Are you a fairy? I - wow! My name is Rena Lanford, and this is Claude C. Kenny, what's your name?" And perhaps as an ice breaker, she raises a hand, as symbological runes appear, and an effigy of a fairy briefly appears, shining with light.
It is after all, a motif of her healing magic.
There is a distant yelling... it's getting closer... closer... REAL CLOSE-!
... a flying Servbot suddenly clocks Claude right in the head, before rolling ass over teakettle onto the bench, between both Claude and Rena. It looks dizzy, "Oh my gosh! Claude!" And indeed, she pats off the Servbot, "Are you alright?" Another symbological rune, and light shines over them both.
The Servbot blinks it's eyes, focusing in on Rena and... "Miss Rena... Miss Rena...!" It sounds excited, as it then asks, "Can I have a sandwich?"
A dotted line appears from its sightline of Claude's sandwich, to the picnic basket, "Oh um! Of course!" Soon after the SERVBOT is happily munching on a sandwich while seated between Claude and Rena with nary an explanation of what just happened.
Elsewhere, a sign is updated again...
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude doesn't notice Holly at first approaching. He's very focused on Rena--he wants to support her dream here, but he also has something important to tell her! So, "They tell me it has atmosphere, but..." A smile. "Okay, great. So--"
Holly!
"Oh, are you OK?" he asks Holly, since she drops her book and has some trouble. He doesn't even think about eavesdropping. Instead she starts talking about a library, and he tilts his head, trying to keep up with how fast she talks when--
CLONK
Claude tips over onto the floor with a big thud. His sandwich is safe, still gripped, but he is on the ground. When Rena heals him he gets over his dazed state, "Uh, c'mon, man, that was--"
...The Servbot wants a sandwich. Claude sighs, but isn't too mad. "Hungry work, huh...?"
He has missed the chance, it seems. "It sounds like you're talking about a library?" he says to the fairy.
<Pose Tracker> Holly has posed.
Holly looks at the little outline of a fairy, temporarily distracted from trying to extricate herself from a mistake of her own doing. She gives one last tug then makes an annoyed sound and lets it drop so she can recollect herself. Leaving the book and its strap just standing there!
Rena might want to hide that she has healing symbology or she'll never get rid of the fairy (Well. She could, but she'd definitely get a slew of questions for it.) Nevermind the other parts of it all!
The fact that someone else is excited and talky does help a little though and she lands on the spine of the book and looks up at the two abnormally large people, offering a cheery wave, "Holly. Just.. Holly." She never actually thought about the lack of a second name somehow. "Nice to meet you two!" Which does sound sincere and she'd been about to comment on something when the Servbot slams into Claude and gets the fairy to whince, one leg up, pulled away in the time honored tradition of physical reaction comedy.
"I think I should ask you that-" She replies to Claude, hopping into the air and drifting over to check for any.. bumps? She does cheerfully state, "I've remembered I can heal if you need it!" Which.. she can. Kinda.
"Yep. Different one. Visiting on an outreach program. We had a section dedicated to it. Big classroom and some stuff we observed at least. Might have been more, but so much of it was just-" she waggles her hand, "Weird that I don't remember exact details. Took it as myth."
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Atmosphere? Like is it moody- Oh right! You mean it like - air we can breathe."
Rena smiles, as she recalls the word from their lessons. It doesn't really come up in conversation often on Filgaia, the idea that the air they breathe is contained on the planet.
Rena gives Claude a look, "I'm sure the little guy didn't mean anything by it? Look at him." The Servbot looks up at Claude with wide eyes, munching on the sandwich, can they even digest the sandwich, or taste it? "He's harmless!"
Still Claude gets another 'Condition Cure' and his dazed status fades before long. Still it's very easy NOT to think it's healing magic, I mean healing Symbology? That's silly! Even as the Servbot nods at him, "We had to short our lunch break today. Miss Bonne's orders."
With that taken care of, Rena cheerfully greets Holly, "Likewise! It's very nice to meet you Miss Holly." She says respectfully, even as she waves off her request for healing, "Oh no, don't worry about it! Claude's fine! I've seen him take way worse hits to the head than that one and just walk it off."
There's not even a sense of deceit, like she's not actively hiding her magic. She simply really is implying that Claude can take worse head injuries than that without serious damage!
(Yet she still healed him anyway? Party healer instincts to keep the party topped off!)
"Oh! An outreach program!" Rena sounds astounded, "Is it from a University Library? I've heard about Linga having programs like that..." And she has given serious thought about going to the university one day? So...
"Wow- I-?" Rena stops, then starts again like she's confused, "What kind of place was this 'classroom' like that you'd take a gap in memories as it being some place out of 'myth'?"
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"All right, Miss Holly." Claude is willing to go with that, too. He doesn't call attention to Rena's healing powers because--well, because he's used to them by now. But as for the Servbot, "That's no good," he says of shorting lunch. "...But ahahah. Yeah, that's true... I guess I've got a pretty hard head." He says it good-naturedly, though. "Don't worry about it, little guy."
Then back to Holly, "I'm fine, I'm fine. I appreciate knowing that, though!" Remembered. Does this fairy have memory issues? Between that and the other...
"That's cool. I know there's a school around here--Sielje?--that has a big astronomy program. That's not the library you're talking about, is it?"
Weird...
<Pose Tracker> Holly has posed.
Holly tilts her head one way, then the other at the mention that Claude's taken far worse shots to the head without a problem. There's a slow look between Rena and Claude, then back again. "That can't be healthy if it's true."
There's a look of skepticism there as she turns her head towards Claude, now floating at head level at least ot make it easier for the two of them. She raises her hand like she's tempted to do a sight test. Then realizes he's so big compared to her it wouldn't really accomplish much. And it's a bit rude. That hand drops and she awkwardly laughs.
Besides, he laughs it off.
She probably does have memory issues. In a way. "Further north. A lot further. And you know, hidden. Used to be hidden. Big flaming thing ruined that though." She says that earnestly enough, she's also probably not messing with them! Intentionally.
Back to Rena she adds, "More the uh-" she rolls her hands, trying to get her thoughts going in a way, "I didn't believe what I was reading so I just assumed it was in the same vein as some of the other stuff we have there on stories."
(New BB Message (12/89) posted to 'Daily Armengard' by Sheriff Star: Armengard Daily (Dec. 14))
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
The Servbot reaches out to shake one of Claude's hands as he tells him not to worry about it, "You're a good guy!" He tells him.
Rena gives Holly a look of confusion, at that look of skepticism, "Well it's not like we don't take care of his injuries when something bad happens."
She looks at Claude as if to ask 'Do you know why she's being so intense about this?' then back to Holly.
"So, some book did this to you?" She gives her a look of concern, yet a look towards Claude, "From a place way up North."
There's a thoughtful look, as Rena mulls over the matter, then says to Claude, "You know maybe after we get back, we should visit Sielje." She suggests to him, "It'd be great to just spend a few days looking through the library, and sorting through what kind of things I'd need to know for admissions testing."
Rena's still not sure after all she wants to attend, but it's nice to think about it, to have options! Plus, she does enjoy learning.
The Servbot meanwhile takes it upon himself to help himself to a Salmon Omelette, he finished off that Egg Sandwich rather quickly didn't he?
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"Haha," Claude says. "Since it's often in combat, it isn't! But we take care of it when it happens. I'm not missing important brain cells or anything."
He appreciates not being hit in the head, anyway. He shrugs at Rena about the question,a nd then looks to Holly. "So it used to be hidden, but it's not now? That's interesting," he says. "Maybe we should check it out sometime. A hidden library could have some really useful information."
Rena's idea, "That's a great plan. Let's do it. I hear it's half a dimension over, so that's kind of cool, right?"
What she'd need to know... "Yeah! I'll go with you for sure. We can look at it together."
Then... Holly didn't believe the book? Claude still hasn't finished his sandwich.
"Sometimes books can be pretty fantastic, huh..."
<Pose Tracker> Holly has posed.
Holly huffs at the servebot questioning what she felt like was reasonable concern, but drops it. She doesn't really know what they are either and drops enough altitude to get a better, drifting look. Like she's studying a new thing. Because she is.
"I didn't say that! More-" she pauses. Then shrugs. "Lost it." With a laugh. "If you're fine you're fine."
"Wait book did what with the who?" She stops, realizing she'd missed something along the way. Or they'd crossed wires or- "I meant more the uh. Old stuff. Some of it is more guesswork and speculation. You end up with ideas like the moon being a painting against a flat sky or something and that just" she shakes her head nad huffs, "Most aren't that far gone. That was just the funniest one I've seen."
She takes a seat on her book as the two have kind of settled in again. "They can! Lot of neat stuff in them even if it's out there. And uh. If you are going to mine, I can help! I've left notes where I could of course.. that counts too." She might go off on a little tangent for a moment. Though as before she looks embarrassed eventually and trails off.
"There's a few I need to visit still! One of my friends says there's a library that makes people norma- uh. Yeah a lot of fantastical books out there though!"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"He's definitely not! Claude's a smart guy, and a great teacher."
Rena tells Holly, having a lot of faith in his Academic Chops, before looking Claude's way, "If we weren't about to head up to the Moon, I'd say let's go now! It'd probably have all sorts of secret information on the Sorcery Globe." At least, in theory it would! She hopes!
"Half a dimension over!?" Rena actually looks startled as she raises a hand up to her mouth, "That's incredible? How do we even get there then?"
There's more and more confusion at the way Holly regards the subject, as indeed it was Rena that commented- and she decides not to do more than confirm. "Well I mean - yeah? Claude's fine." She's still certainly a touch weirded out though.
But she decides it'd be rude to pry. "Um, Oh! I see!" As Holly's explanation comes forward, and as she suggests that- "Well maybe one day, like I said we're pretty committed right now. We're on a whole big investigation about the Sorcery Globe, and it just showed itself here in Kattelox."
She smiles politely, trying to say 'I'm sorry'. "We gotta see this out to the end first, and then figure out what we're doing after. It's caused so much devastation - that it's really important we take care of it before these people that call themselves the 'Ten Wise Men' do something horrible with it, like Odessa did."
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude smiles at Holly, though he's a little dubious about what's going on; he wants to be nice, though. And then, suddenly--Oh. "Ohhh," Claude says. "Old myths and all. I see, yeah."
But he beams at Rena, instead, as she says all that. "Thank you!" He says. "I'm glad you think so. I'm just... well, I've just had a little more school, is all."
It's not that special, for where he comes from. But, "They might! But we do have a lead already..." A nod, then. "There's a teleporter in the snowfields, is what I'm told. They supposedly keep it distant so that their magical experiments have less chance of hurting anything around them."
Holly's library though, "When we get a chance, that would be great." He has to agree though. THey have to see this out to the end, first.
"Are you helping with the project to get to Marduk, too?" he asks Holly.
<Pose Tracker> Holly has posed.
Holly might have been tracking too many things at once. Clearly. For example, she missed the half a dimension over comment. That does get a curious look from her too! "Wait what?" Her brain catching up finally. She then.. just shakes her head and tries to focus.
"I'm sure he is! It's why I slowed down, wanted to hear what a professor had to say on a subject. You always learn neat things ea-listening in." That brief moment of focus is doglegged by the mention of a sorcery sphere and it's revelation, "I was there! I hit one of the guys that called themselves wisemen in the face with an ink blot." Well she aimed his way anyway. "Yeah, right right. Definitely more important." That's earnest too. Knowledge only matters if there's people to use it and that works in more ways than one!
She does look a little more serious though. "Is it like the one in the Lost Woods?" She pauses and taps her finger against her chin, "Maybe not. I want to see!" She does briefly consider they may not want visitors and debates on a few things and-
"Marduk? Wait what project? I can probably help if you tell me what's needed!"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
"Urth must have a really great education system." Is Rena's response to Claude having a little more school. "You know I'm honestly still surprised, all the places we've been and I still haven't heard of more than just you being from there? Though I heard of this guy, named Tidus who was in kind of a similar situation. He came from a place that was real but also a dream?"
Rena gives Claude a startled look, as she puts her hand over her mouth, "Wait, could Urth be a dream too?"
Don't disappear Claude...!
"Oh! That's really responsible of them!" Rena finally says of Sielje, smiling at the thought, "After all the devastation we've seen along the way, it's nice to know that people respond to that by thinking of how they can make Filgaia safer."
As Holly says she hit one of them with an Ink Blot, "Well I'm glad you're okay after fighting them. From what I heard, they were very strong."
A tilt of her head, "The Lost Woods? Over in Aquvy? I hadn't heard of a teleporter out there...! Usually I just hear rumors of how people are never seen again if they wander in blindly..."
Claude does ask her, and Rena looks surprised again, "Oh can you? That'd be very helpful! They're trying to make a ship to get us all to the Moon. It's just we're in kind of a hurry, so there are a lot of safety concerns..."
The Servbot has meanwhile finished off his third sandwich, and second omelette... bliss.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"Oh, I'm not really a professor," Claude says with a good-natured smile. "I'm just helping Rena out some with school things. I'm glad if you can learn anything from me, though."
Urth's education system. "Oh, yeah," Claude says. "It does. In fact I..." Wait, what?
"No, no, it's not like that--"
He's not going to disappear!
Tidus...
"Uh, yeah though! Sielje seems like a good school." A pause. Holly fought them? "I'm going to need all the tips you can give me if you've fought one of them before."
But the Lost Woods--Well--before he can answer much of that...
A second Servbot appears. "Mister Claaaaaaaude," he says. "Miss Renaaaaa..."
Claude blinks, looking over, and then sees the Servbot going for his sandwich. "H-hey!" Claude says to the first one, and now the second one, "Miss Tron asked me to come get youuuuu...."
"Oh, yeah?" Claude asks, and then looks to Holly. "Well, sorry--I guess we've gotta get moving. But it was nice to meet you, Miss Holly. If you want to help after all, well... come by the rocket tonight!"
Claude stands up and starts to go.
<Pose Tracker> Holly has posed.
Holly tilts her head and asks, "Urth?" then frownds. Then puts her chin in her hands, looking down as she tries to think of what that might be. Can't be the element because that doesn't make any sense and-
Then Rena suggests a guy from a dream and she just gives up. They're clearly being earnest and that makes it worse because she can't tell if it's a joke or not and-.. She leans back and focuses elsewhere. "They were." She admits. "We caught the one I tried to tackle off guard and a few people still got knocked around."
Claude admitting he's not a professor does knock some wind out of Holly's sails though.
"The lost woods has one through it, kinda. There's also a fairy spring there! I was really excited to find out not all of us were gone." Which has her really excited sounding for a minute, "At least over here."
"I can uh, try? I can't recreate what they were doing which is worrying." Which is a rare admission from the somewhat headstrong fae. "Later though." She nods, looking to the servbot briefly. "What'cha learning?" She asks Rena as an aside, catching up on her own thoughts. "Might have ideas on how to help too!"
<Pose Tracker> Rena Lanford has posed.
Claude insists it's not like that, Rena smiles again because it means there's a CHANCE of visiting it one day if it's not a dream. Unless she falls asleep, and dreams herself there?
Look she doesn't know how you get into places that only exist in dreams.
"Ah - that's actually a big relief to me, for some reason." And as Holly says, "Whoa! A fairy spring? It must be really well hidden!"
As the Servbot comes up, "Oh of course-! There hasn't been another accident right?" Rena stands up, grabbing her picnic basket.
And gripping it with both hands, she bows to Holly, "Yes, it was very nice to meet you-! Ah! This and that mostly! It's subjects that he thinks I'd need for admissions."
Rena straightens out of the bow and is walking alongside Claude, when the pair of them - hear!
"The secrets of space are made by consideration! What is this thing dwelling under the tavern's teeth? I have found the magic called 'Baccarat.'"
"Ard! Ard... Ard ard! ARD!"
"I'm becoming a forest."
Rena takes Claude's arm at that moment, pulling him away, "Don't stare Claude. We'll only encourage them."