floor 5, room 5

[meanspirited]

lazuli

code

Comments

monday or something

[1145pm]

[ It's mid-morning. There comes a knock at the door—actually, it's pretty low down. Whoever's on the other side must've kicked the door. ]

Lazuli? Laz? Are you in? Can I come in?

[meanspirited]

[It seems pretty early for someone to be kicking his door, but he's not surprised someone would. When he hears Tatara, he debates just ignoring him, but...

He opens the door, dressed more casually than he usually is. (His hat is on top of a stack of books and not his head, for once.)]

What do you want?

[But he steps back, angling himself so Tatara can enter.]

[1145pm]

[ When he sees Lazuli, and without his hat at that, he beams. ] Morning!

[ He steps in, tray laden with drip coffee still brewing and two empty cups in his hands, and goes to set it down on the nearest surface. Is he allowed to put things there? Too bad! ]

Well? [ He turns to look at him, as chipper as ever. ] What do you think?

[meanspirited]

[He gets no respect around here.]

Don't spill coffee on anything.

[Said more out of habit than anything else.

He assumes Tatara's question is about their new "chosen", and the thought of them makes him grimace.]

I think we have our work cut out for us.

[1145pm]

[ He's right! omg they really are like brothers... ]

Yeah... Not everyone seems on board.

[ As the coffee finishes dripping, Tatara fills the two cups. ]

But some seem really enthusiastic! Did you talk to any of the new Central wizards? They're so cool.

[ Once full, he turns to hand Lazuli a cup. He knows you don't need it, but take it anyway. ]

[meanspirited]

It's not surprising, is it?

[Because who would just be okay with this?

He takes the cup, sipping on it. At least it's black coffee...]

I've only spoken with a couple of them so far. I don't know that "cool" is what I'd call them.

[it's a shame he doesn't know how to use the word "cringe"... sad...]

[1145pm]

[ True. Not everyone is as weirdly easygoing as Tatara is, and he forgives them for that. ]

Really? Who'd you talk to?

[ He picks a spot, any spot, and settles down with his coffee. Is he supposed to be sitting there? It doesn't matter. His room now. ]

The plant guy? Or the inquisitor lady? Or the mafia kid?

[meanspirited]

[He doesn't even know what the mafia is.]

The overgrown Aranara and the inquisitor - and the man in the suit.

[He asked absolutely none of them for their names, of course.]

The Aranara at least seems to have some idea of what magic is.

[Syrlya is decidedly not an Aranara, but it's the best he has for a plant-like species beyond dendro slimes and fungi...]

here's the problem: you can't escape him or me

[shadowkin]

[KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

Rise and shine and blow your house down, because that's just about how enthusiastic the knocking is. It's like cop knocking but Tatara has said that they are the cops or something so it's probably not that.

It will persist until Wanderer answers his door this fine day, not too long after the arrival, alas.]

[meanspirited]

[Opening the door... At least he wasn't sleeping so this knocking didn't wake him up.

He looks up at Cid, face blank.]

What do you want?

[shadowkin]

Oh, hey. You answered faster than I thought...

[He was wondering if teach was just going to ignore him the rest of the time...!

But since he's successfully lured him out, Cid pats his belt where his sword is properly slung; he's in double uniform again today, wizard coat slung still rather incongruously over his own school blazer.

His voice is cheerful and loud.]

Wasn't there like, something something about a spar? With you, anyway. [he is assuming that Tatara cannot spar, so they've really got their jobs cut out for them] Since I'm a guy who learns better hands-on, I decided to ditch the books and come get the knowledge beat into me. I'm looking forward to it.

[meanspirited]

[cid where is your volume control... please find it.]

Got it.

[So he wants to fight, huh? Well, in that case, let's get going. He slips out of his room, walking right past Cid and making his way out of the manor. He's never been too concerned with collateral, but when he's the one who'll likely end up being wheedled to fix it...

Best to just avoid it for now.]

Don't keep me waiting.

[He has zero qualms with beating up a child. If this his how he learns, who is he to turn him down anyways?]

[shadowkin]

[Look, if Wanderer pastes him across the mansion grounds somebody is going to need to mop him into a bucket later, okay? Maybe if somebody hears, they won't mistake him for fertilizer!

Cid hums to himself as they head out toward the grounds -- so their grumbly instructor has absolutely no plans of going slow or easy even though he's not actually taught them anything yet, huh? It's kind of nice, actually! He really does learn better when it comes to practice than theory.

Anywho, he'll trot along until they reach a nice open area or wherever it is Wanderer thinks is a good place for squashing upstarts.]

Wouldn't dream of it! But, ah, how exactly are we doing this? I'm more used to fighting with my sword, so I was thinking that, but how about you?

[meanspirited]

If you need to rely on a weapon, so be it.

[He'll need every handicap he can get, obviously.]

I have no use for such a thing, personally.

[He holds out his hand, a green gem in an elaborate setting appearing above it. It hovers in the air, the feather charm dangling from it almost touching his hand but it's still clearly suspended by a magical force.]

[shadowkin]

Well... Weapons are kind of our whole magical schtick, so I figured it would be good for-- [buying time before getting properly squashed as per his place in the story arc] --getting a good baseline in.

[The thing is... he's actually more in tune with hand-to-hand, if you get right down to it. But there's a certain aesthetic about the sword he can't deny, and therefore it's a big part of his repertoire. It's not so much about winning as it is about what is the coolest way to lose? and other such considerations.

And look at that? He's already learning things?? Cid examines the green gem and feather charm for a moment (nice to know his thoughts about Wanderer and jewelry are correct (are they)), before sliding into a stance of his own, sword raised perpendicularly next to his face at the ready. Since he's "Cid Kagenou", it's only right that he use the traditional Bushin style.]

So that's what a focus is. I assume destroying it just means you'll summon another one... what a pain.

[And he moves right into attacking, aiming to disrupt Wanderer's connection to the gem regardless; it's not a bad distraction no matter what. He's fast and precise enough, since he's trained, but it's not anything particularly special compared to your regular ol' swordfighter with a year or so of experience.]

weeeek 3

[lustro]

[ He’s not enthusiastic about the ball announcement, but that’s an embarrassing problem for future Ginger.

But he is excited to show their mentor these blue delphiniums. Knock-knock! ]

[meanspirited]

[Knocking?? At his door?? Every time it's going to surprise him because he's the opposite of a social butterfly.

Still, he doesn't just leave Ginger on read, opening the door to blink up at him.]

What do you want?

[lustro]

Blue - look!

[ He can leave Ginger on read, but not the flowers. Look at the flowers bundled in a thin kitchen towel; perceive the blue delphiniums. ]

[meanspirited]

[Blue?? Is that supposed to be him? He knows he said he doesn't care what people call him, and that's still true, but it's weird that multiple people can be so uncreative.]

...They're flowers. What about them?

[help him]

[lustro]

[ No one said that was going to be his permanent name, buddy. ]

They’re for you. What do you think? I’m learning how to take care of flowers.

[meanspirited]

For... me.

[huhcat]

Any reason for your interest in botany? Or for these flowers in particular?

[lustro]

I like them all, but in Heaven, they wilt so fast. Fresh flowers never last.

[ So seeing them is a treat. Being able to give them to people is also nice. He thinks of it as practice, for the future. ]

post ghost

[1145pm]

[ Later in the afternoon, when Tatara is positive no one is looking for him, he quietly makes his way up to the fifth floor and the end of the hall.

Maybe someone is listening, but the hallway is empty, and he doesn't hear anything. So he gives a soft knock on the door. ]

Lazuli?

recycling

[dadsandals]

[ Somehow, being on a job with Wanderer isn't as intimidating as he thought it'd be, despite the other being in a position of power. He's relaxed as they're given the rundown by the Eastern craftsmen. Seems simple enough, probably.

He looks at Wanderer with a grin. ]

I spoke to someone at the ball about automatons, actually, so this seems pretty fitting. You ready to get going?

during the event

[leewards]

[What is that tapping at the window? A little bird? One of the manor cats? No, it's the local abominable snowman, perched on the windowsill and waiting to be let in.]