sweet dreams till sunbeams find you

[flirtations]

Who: Jae-ha and various
When: March 17-19
Where: Airy, and a job thread downtown
What: Assorted Airy threads (and a job thread)
Rating: Accidental drug use... tasteless cruising for chicks with Setsuna? Will add warnings to thread headers if necessary.


[ I will be writing different starters for people, so that we can have a unique scenario. If you'd like one, please respond with a blank toplevel and I'll surprise you with something. Or, feel free to leave me a random prompt, instead.

If you'd like to plot something please hit me up at baklava or PM! ]

Comments

[powerdriven]

[ Not that he necessarily has much to learn because of it, but it's interesting for him as well. Few people staying in the Hall seemed to have comparable experiences to his own in this way. Granted, he may simply be more amenable to comparing weapons technology than some other inconsistencies. ]

It's one of them. [ From the lackadaisical tone, he's probably not trying to sound arrogant. And in any case, it's just not quite as comfortable a fit as a blade. ]

They don't make them like this much back in my world. [ To explain, he lifts the gun, tapping the lock mechanism. ] There's no flint for this thing to strike.

[flirtations]

One of them? [ His eyebrows raise, but truthfully, he’s not that surprised, given what he’s seen of him on the battlefield. Even with their strength weirdly stunted by their Pawn status, Levi clearly knew what he was doing out there. ]

You truly are an frightening man. I’ve never seen anyone except for myself take so naturally to the skies, either. [ That sounds arrogant, and it is, but it’s the truth -- he’s the dragon that flies, and he’s never had company.

He nods, trying to understand. From what he remembers about explosives-- ] I see. Normally, that would cause some sort of reaction here [ he gestures to the barrel, touching it lightly. ] To propel the ammunition.

[powerdriven]

[ "Frightening"... well, it's not the first time he's heard something like that. But funny, how differently they might judge each other because of that as a first encounter. He might've gotten a glance or two Jae-ha's way, considering the proximity. ]

There's training for that. Rifle training is also mandatory for scouts. [ And he... is a scout, but that's a little misleading since he'd known his way around both before any official "training" ever took place. Whatever. ] What about you?

[ As for the gun, he looks briefly to the seller. ]

I haven't exactly tested it, but I'm sure that it still does. The mechanism must be hidden.

[flirtations]

Scouts? Is that your background, military? The king's army in my world could definitely use some pointers. [ Not that he particularly cares for them, in fact, it might be argued that by supporting Yona, he's directly against that force. He picks up a few bullets on display, there for demonstrative purposes, though they feel hollow. Just for decoration. ]

I'm Ryokuryuu, the Green Dragon. I was born to fly, and the immense strength on my right leg was a gift, too. Or a curse, depending on who you ask. Aside from that, I'm a self-taught man. Never had the opportunity for anything else. [ Not that he'd take it if it were ever presented; he's too much of a free spirit for anything like the military.

He raises his brow. ]

Ah, I was asking about the rifles that you're familiar with. I assume anything beyond our comprehension here must be driven by mana-type magic. [ It seems like a decent assumption to make. ]

Are you buying anything?

[powerdriven]

Little heavy-handed, huh? [ He can assume for himself, with a comment like that, that Jae-ha isn't a part of the king's army. But although the Survey Corps and the rest of the military might fall under the jurisdiction of the monarchy in their own way, it would be a gross exaggeration to call himself their supporter.

He'll also assume Green Dragon is some kind of name for his "gift." That is, not literal. But either way, he puts the rifle down, adjusting it back on its display, and goes on to relate. ]

We're not so different. I was never brought up to be military. I learned what I could to get by, just like everyone else.

[ Because like himself, very few that serve the military in his world as he knows it had been brought up that way. Like everyone else forced into those constricts, he'd just tried to survive.

But oh, as for the weapons here, he sees the misunderstanding. He looks through the couple of pistols set up there to look for their mechanism, as well. ]

I don't know. Something you're looking for?

[flirtations]

I just wasn't very impressed with what I saw, that's all. [ But it isn't like he doesn't respect the men who fight-- most of them are good men, and it just so happens that a lot of the time, they're fighting for a bad man's dream. ]

Oh? [ His eyes widen with interest, curious. ] But are your comrades from your world as strong as you are, then? Somehow, I doubt it. [ There unbridled admiration in his voice. If there's one thing he admires (aside from physical beauty), it's strength. Prior to ever making contact with his dragon brethren, Jae-ha had never come across anyone who could match him in a fight. But it's easy to see that Levi certainly fits that bill.

He pulls back, picking up a smaller handgun and surveying the craftsmanship. These weapons were still too expensive for someone like him to consider, especially when he had no training in how to use them. Perhaps someday. But there is something he came to look for. ]

I was looking for a few set of throwing knives, since the mysterious forces that brought us here weren't courteous enough to let us keep our things.

[powerdriven]

[ That's the way of men enlisted to fight. The trick of convincing them all to share the same dream, whether in battle against titans or men, would rarely allow them to live to see it upheld. That's the thing about attaching worth to positions on the chain of command. In the end, they all bled the same blood. Some of them had just managed to survive a little while longer than the rest.

Like him. He's heard this kind of thing before, and neither gives Levi pride. While not much can be said for his high spirits at the beginning of this exchange, the reminder still manages to dampen his attitude. Pushes him to be a little pricklier. He turns his face, taking a disinterested walk around the corner of the stall.

Most of that doesn't really need an answer. Now he's stuck here anyway. In Enrpise. And he can't afford these things much better than Jae-ha can. The fascination is appropriately short-lived, so that he might step back and see what he has in mind for himself instead. ]

I don't get the sense they had quite as much prepared for us as they thought... [ The Hall, the weapons, the carriers... those things were great and all, but how about being amenable to what they really wanted? ] Is that how you normally fight?

[flirtations]

[ Jae-ha watches Levi turn away, and though he doesn't immediately follow, he does wonder what sort of thoughts course through this man's mind. He was difficult to read, given that he seemed to value a sense of privacy, so while he doesn't press any further, he can't not say anything either. Levi's strength may have caught his interest, but now, what might be construed as apparent disinterest, continues to fuel it. ]

Did I strike a nerve? Forgive me.

[ Now, he does follow, making sure to give Levi a respectable amount of space, keeping an eye out for any tools that might catch his eye. Blades of the kind he was looking for, thankfully, ran a lot less expensive than firearms. He may be lucky, in that regard. ]

The fact that they had anything prepared for us at all is disconcerting, for claiming not to know how to take us back. [ He picks up a set of five blades, engraved on each handle with a triad of tiny emerald and peal. Beautiful, but too precious to use and risk losing. Not practical enough. He looks back to him, smile slightly wider now. ] They're convenient, for when you're flying. Blades for long-ranged combat, and my leg for short-ranged.

[powerdriven]

[ How unfortunate that he'd managed to latch onto this tendency... But given that it's unknowing, his method of ignoring what irritates him to address seems the soundest option. Usually when people praised him, his only response to those he wasn't to offend had been of a similar ilk: allowing them to speak, giving no opinion of his own. Their sponsors and potential sponsors would feel satisfied just hearing their own words. But Jae-ha seems to wonder, and Levi silently notes that.

On the other side of the stall, there are more blades than firearms, and many that might be suitable for Jae-ha's needs. Some catch Levi's eye as well, as either interesting to run his eyes over the construction of, or given thoughts of how its qualities might specialize in a fight. He simply looks, keeping his hands to himself. ]

Didn't you hear? They received word from their gods that we would arrive. [ Or so people say. ] Only, they neglected to realize we'd be a bunch of misplaced mutts. Not angels created to serve Blanc.

[ That's an interesting way of using blades, by the way. ]

You must have a sharp eye.

[flirtations]

[ He stiffens visibly at that. That particular nugget of information he wasn't aware of, not worded like that, but it makes perfect sense, and he has no reason to doubt Levi. He grips the knife in his hand thoughtfully, testing it for a nice balance of size, weight, and ease of grip. He usually worked with more than one blade at once, after all, so this was particularly important. ]

You couldn't be more right about that. I hate with the idea of being created for anything but to serve little old me.

[ All of this just makes him think of his dragon destiny back home, and how it seems, no matter what world he finds himself in, there will always be something shackling him down to someone else's preconceived notion of his "purpose".

But he'll play nice, especially since Kija and Shin-Ah are here.

His eyes brighten at the compliment. ]

Sharp enough to learn how to use one of those firearms, do you think? [ He doesn't know Levi well enough to ask him for lessons just yet, but... ]

[powerdriven]

[ It's just something he's heard from Blanc civilians, though the meat of what he knows he had learned directly from Teddy himself. To the government's singular credit, they have been very open with their information... assuming they're all being told the truth.

Levi continues to stand by as Jae-ha browses the blades—although he glares with that statement, not necessarily with the vehemence of anger. Call it more a mix of questioning its basic premise and simultaneously grasping that it's important. ]

Oh, yeah? But you don't seem like the kind of guy who's only out for himself. [ Not if the way he acted at Palamede is any indication. ] So who's keeping you?

[ Besides Blanc, of course. He's not nearly so suspicious at the prospect of showing him a thing or two about firearms, but he has to satisfy his curiosity first. ]