sixthiterationlogs | Around you they were so confused a faulty man could have so much fun

Entry tags:

Around you they were so confused a faulty man could have so much fun

WHO: Kalen
WHERE: The Inn and around South Village
WHEN: After TT2
OPEN TO: OTA and some specific starters
WARNINGS: None anticiipated

For 7;

Since she did not seem to be the sort of person to like being inside, Kalen was privately hoping to find 7 while he was outside looking for different herbs. It would be awkward to talk to each other but he knew that it needed to happen, if only to let her know that he did not hold any of that whole business with attacking him against her.

For Sam;

Even after he was done with washing the dishes Kalen would linger for a little while by the fire. Mostly because he did not want to make the hike back to house number 59 when he would only have to come back. At least there was no one around when he was sitting in a comfortable chair watching the fire now.

For Aqua;

It was getting late and Kalen was still lingering at the Inn. True he did not much care for crowds but it was warm here. And the little house he had taken over on the edge of South Village would definitely not be. It was difficult to be part of a group by necessity and not want to be around them a lot of the time. He knew that after sunset it would get colder but with a sigh, he just kept looking into the fire. Maybe he could just sleep on a chair for tonight?

The Inn;

Since Kalen's got here he has been doing everything he can to learn where he is. Problem is that he can not do much to learn. Or just not do much period. In order to try to at least make himself useful, he has been staying after every mealtime washing out dishes. Another problem is he is not the most charming person ever. But he has been making the effort to try to be a bit more talkative, if not always very friendly.

Herb Hunting;

Now that it was warming up a little bit (Kalen had not been sure if it would) it was a bit easier to hunt for growing things. Granted it would need to get warmer before there would be anything to really find but it meant that he could be out without the elements trying to freeze him solid.

At the moment he is looking across any suitably 'wild' (or at least not changed by human habitation) area he sees. Wooded areas like little forests, grassy meadows, the banks of likely streams, even the area surrounding the hotsprings. Then making his meandering way toward what Beverly called the hospital. Without an apothecary to buy the things he needed at, Kalen had to find it himself. So he had taken to carrying a small utility knife and messenger bag with him strapped crosswise across his chest.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

7 generally did like being outside, in this weather not so much, but she also generally wasn't the kind of person to hallucinate perfect strangers as monster killer machines from her own world and reek righteous fury on them, either.

So for now, she's hiding. For all that she's the kind of person to run towards danger, she's never been one for awkward social situations and in those cases tends to run the other way. After the week she's had? As soon as she came to her senses she was out in the forest when she wasn't at home.

She's up a tree when she sees Kalen gathering herbs below. For a long moment, she considers just letting him pass without comment, but she's been her long enough - and has had enough experiences with compassionate, sympathetic people - that she feels the need to give in to forgiveness, and clears her throat before jumping down to land near him.

She's got her spear in hand, bola on her belt, and pushes her cave-wolf skull mask back. "Hey. I, uh ... wanted to say I'm sorry. For attacking you."

Edited 2019-03-17 03:02 (UTC)

It is instinct more than anything that makes Kalen whirl and grab for the pommel of a sword that is not there. Seeing that it is 7 isn't exactly comforting but it does help.

Kalen drops his hands and instead curls them around the strap of his bag.

"Well I would say it's all right but you hit hard."

He is still keeping well away from her since she does hit hard. Kalen does not smile or offer any gesture of the reassurance.

"I'm not going to hold the fact you were drugged against you."

7's still got a bad habit of going for intimidating over casual, since so much of her previous life had depended on it. His reaction is more than warranted. Slowly, she bends down to set her spear on the grass, and then un-tethers her bola and sets them down as well; hopefully clear indications that she doesn't intend him harm.

"I'm sorry about that. I had to fight a lot in my own world and it's all I know how to do, here. I can promise you, though, that I don't normally go around whacking people like that."

Kalen shrugged.

"The spear would make more sense if you did."

So would the mask if she had to hide her face. Actually, it made some sense if she did normally go around whacking people.

"Though you would have a lot more people pissed off at you so I already figured you didn't."

Kalen glanced up at the tree that 7 had jumped down from.

"Jumping out of trees is not the best way to start a conversation, though."

She crosses her arms and pulls in a deep breath, but by the set of her shoulders and the way her expression pulls in a frown, it's a far more unsure body language she's setting than intimidating, now.

Enough people know, now, there's no point in keeping it such a heavily guarded secret like she used to.

"I ... was not human, before I got here. Humans make me nervous, and it's taken a lot for me to adjust. Being - frightening, being stealthy, it's how I survived back home, and it's been a hard habit to shake here, especially when it still comes in handy fighting the creatures out here. I'm sorry if I startled you."

Kalen did not so much as bat an eyelash at her pronouncement of not being human. He did raise an eyebrow at the apology.

"You should not apologize for that. If anything you should be keeping an eye on the new 'humans'."

She is certainly not the first person he has met who is not quite human. She is not even the first fighter.

"I'm just saying that suddenly jumping out of a tree is a bad way to start a conversation."

She narrows her eyes at him with the way he says humans, "Were you not human when you came here?"

Sighing, though, she looks up at the tree like she knows he's right but - there's something very comforting about having the upper hand. Even in a simple, harmless conversation, the need to dominate in the face of the unknown is a very strong urge. "Yeah ... you're probably right."

Aqua takes trips to the Inn during the day and sometimes even can be found there in the evenings. This is one of those days where she has been outside for most of it and has taken up a spot at one of the tables to warm up before she heads back to the house she's taken up residence in. Even though she disappeared for a few days, no one else had seemed to take over it in her absence. She wouldn't have blamed anyone if they had, though she's grateful to see that everything seems to still be there.

For now, though, she sighs and pushes herself to her feet, gazing at the door. "I guess it's time to brave the cold to get back to the house," she says, close enough and loud enough to be overheard, even if that isn't her intention. "It's so cold outside at night. Better to get back before nightfall."

Even if she does not mean to be overheard Kalen has. He snorts a bit in a derisive way.

"Do you always talk to yourself about what you are getting to do?"

Luckily, Aqua is used to some people who aren't the nicest, although the last person she dealt with who would have said anything like this was Vanitas and that doesn't sit well with her. She frowns, turning in the direction of the voice and eyeing him a little.

"Not always. But you also didn't have to respond like that," she points out calmly. At least she isn't Terra or things might get a little more tense.

True enough, he didn't. Technically didn't have to respond at all. Kalen grimaced a bit ruefully and sighed.

"I suppose not. Do you often do that? Talk about what you are doing before you do it? Is so you probably shouldn't."

Well, at least he seems to be recognizing the mistake. She can deal with that. The rest of his response brings a slight tilt of her head and a look of confusion.

"Why? I don't always, but I don't see any harm in it here." No evil villains to try to thwart her here, from what she's seen anyway.

Kalen didn't get why everyone seemed to be so trusting here. Or at least more trusting of each other than he ever could be. Raising an eyebrow he looked at Aqua.

"If you are seriously asking me that question then I don't see how I could explain. At least not in a way that you would understand."

Aqua is a little taken aback by his response. Something in the words reminds her of Terra, though her best friend had been less gruff at least. Shaking herself inwardly, she decides maybe this is one encounter that was doomed from the start.

"You could always try," she points out. "I know what darkness is and I know how it can sometimes drive people to do things that hurt others. But I haven't seen that here. I was just wondering if you'd noticed something I haven't."

"And what happens when there is only a little bit of darkness? Not enough to take over a person but enough to make them do things that cause damage only sometimes."

Kalen looked at Aqua very solemnly. This much he could speak on without any trace of sarcastic humor.

"You wouldn't see it but it would be there regardless."

Aqua pauses, her face clouding over for a moment as she thinks of Terra. He had only had a tiny bit of darkness at first, but Xehanort had prodded and prodded it, guiding Terra until the darkness almost overtook him.

"Darkness is darkness," she says firmly, but with a note of sadness to her tone. "You don't have to see it for it to be able to hurt people. Or for the people who have darkness inside them, even just a little, to hurt others with it."

Perhaps he isn't the most charming, but there is definitely someone who looks pleased when he comes into the kitchen, supporting himself on a crutch on one side as he tries to carry his bowl from lunch with the other. His smile brightens when he sees the man there in the kitchen, working on washing dishes. It was a task Reeve sometimes helped with himself, but standing that long was not something he was quite able of at the moment.

Still, he set his bowl down by Kalen and smiled.

"Well, my friend, how are you adjusting the the strangeness of the world here?"

Kalen looks up at the familiar voice. He doesn't answer the question, instead frowning as he saw Reeve's crutch.

"What happened to you?"

Oh dear, he offers a soft sort of smile. Yes, he can understand the concern.

"Ah, the recent adventure off into the wilderness to find supplies. I had the dubious pleasure of getting attacked by a Wendigo. We were able to kill it before I was made into a tasty snack. But recover is slow without magic, is it not? Thank you for your concern. Would you perhaps be willing to wash this for me?"

Practical as ever. With the thread to his life over, he has no issue moving on to the practicality of life at this moment. And at this moment it seems fruitless to worry about the pain of the leg. Sure, life is more complicated right now, but it is what it is.

Knowing nothing about Reeve's situation Kalen can only frown. Not yet looking up from Reeve's leg he still takes the bowl to wash.

"You seem pretty placid for a guy with one leg mauled. Didn't you and the person you were with get turned into something that could run away a lot easier?"

Or fight back. But that might only be Kalen that is that is that hostile.

Turned into something? Reeve frowns and shakes his head. No. That wasn't the case at all. Wasn't even possible.

"No, what? That doesn't make any sense."

Sure, Steph had gotten powers from the vending machine to turn into a bird, but that wasn't something else he could use to explain things.

"We fought a monstrous thing, I killed it with fire."

Kalen frowned right back and looked up at Reeve finally.

"You mean that you didn't get changed into anything whenever you and the person you were with touched?"

Funny enough it was Stephanie that turned into a bird actually. Sure he had talked to Reeve about the changeable effects of the devices attached to their wrist but this seemed to be different.

"No. I know my young friend Steph told me she dealt with such. Instead when I was in contact with my partner, my magic seemed to do more damage. A lot more damage."

Like a critical hit, but he doesn't know that the idea of it would make any sense to other people.

While Kalen was heading toward the hospital, someone else was on their way out, a tired looking man who was rubbing at one shoulder while heading down the stairs with a small packet that no doubt contained some form of dried herbs in it. When he saw Kalen he moved aside, nodding his greeting to the stranger. And, when Kalen seemed like he was heading into the building he gestured behind him.

The door of the hospital, which had been in the process of closing, was held open with a gust of wind that seemed to move in time and force with Nida's gesture. And he offers a brief smile to Kalen, as if to say 'you're welcome'.

Stopping to stand at complete ease a little way from the door, Kalen looked at the man with a chagrined smirk.

"Okay, I know that magic is impossible to use here. So that begs the question of how you did that."

What? Nida pauses to look at the man. He too moves to something like standing at ease. Military was clearly a thing that was going on here, and Nida took that in stride. After all, that made them somewhat alike.

"There's a place here, we call it the Bunker. In it is a vending machine that, when interacting with your wrist device, can provide you temporary doses of power. So, you're from a world with magic then? Not enough of us here. How did yours work?"

He doesn't know this is the guy that was confused over fire and candles on the network. Doesn't know how strange life without magic is for Kalen, worse than it could ever be for a SeeD.

Military training is something that gets imprinted on every part of you. It's subtle but others can see it if they have a similar experience. Kalen made a rueful snort.

"Hmph. Where I'm from magic powers pretty much everything. From heating to making food to creating the sorts of clothes that everyone can buy. All the way to the really elaborate hua that asha spellbinders wear. What is a 'vending machine'?"

"That's... definitely a deeper hole than Hyne has magically."

He relaxes a little as he considers the question of the vending machine. Strange. But hey, some people wouldn't understand. No doubt Bull wouldn't have when he arrived.

"A simple machine. Traditionally you put money in and get food or drink out. This one doesn't need money or give a physical item."

Kalen had heard the word 'Hyne' before. He gives Nida's explanation a sardonic if amused look.

"So...you get magic out of a machine."

The most complex machine Kalen has seen is his mother's music box. And even that was a rarity for the nobility. He shook his head.

"So where is this 'Bunker'?"

"Well I do these days but it's not how I'm used to it being very different from that. Still, if you want, I can show you there."

After all, he has the power to get the guy there safely. He heads down the stairs and gestures for the man to follow if he wants to. Just wants to get him to the edge of town to indicate how to get to the Bunker from there.

Foggy is hanging around more than usual, because his face is a livid bruise against his celtic pale skin and he's moving with the tenderness of someone who copped a walloping and isn't used to it.

He spends a lot of time in the main room, working on a small wood carving with some success. He gives a lopsided smile at the young man, carefully trying not to aggravate his bruising.

Since his usual seat was taken, Kalen sat in the chair beside Foggy. He stares for a moment, his eyes pointedly taking in the bruising.

"So who did you piss off?"

"Um... I got stung by the floating jelly things and there was some, um, hallucinations? And collection delusions? And someone felt the need to correct my face because he thought I was someone else."

Foggy gives a small, tight smile. "No one's fault. Just this stinking place."

Kalen stared at Foggy in silence for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"So you're saying you've got bruises on top of burns."

And they were apparently all on the same side. There is a cynical sort of humor in that and Kalen's laugh is short and quiet.

"Then I ask again; who have you pissed off?"

"I... don't have burns and I didn't piss anyone off?" Foggy is now just confused. "I do have bruises. But I'm not naming names from the whole mess, because we were all pretty out of it on floating jelly toxins."

Kalen shrugged, still smirking.

"You said 'jellies' so I thought of jellyfish. And I meant who did you piss off in the cosmic sense. "

"They were sort of like jellyfish. And cosmically... I'm a lawyer, that's probably incentive enough for the universe, honestly."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Around you they were so confused a faulty man could have so much fun

Forest

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Sorry for the delay, typing is still challenging

no worries!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

The Inn

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Post Herb Hunting

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

The Inn

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Sorry for the delay, typing is challenging

I understand, I'm currently in a wrist brace.