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Who: Adrasteius; perhaps you
When: 3/5 - 3/15
Where: Throughout Caissa
What: Working hard for the money; inciting the youth; picking pretty flowers
Rating: None
meet & greet; a
[ Sadly, Adrasteius is not the one with the arms. He does have a cascade of thick, lovely hair, though, and the children of this particular school cluster around him, petting him as though he's some kind of cat. But because they're nearly half his already meager height, and because they literally do not know any better, Adra doesn't feel his usual threatened agitation. He's not exactly enjoying himself, but he'll tolerate it. So long as their stubby fingers keep away from his ears. ]
--my people live in a city full of magic, just like yours. There are grand, cream and gold spires everywhere, decorated with enormous rubies that reflect so well it'll dazzle your eyes right out of your head if you look at them directly. Animated brooms sweep our streets, and the lanes of the city are dotted with huge, potted ferns that float. You can find anything you like in the central bazaar--not just armor and weapons, but food spiced with spells, rare books, and potions that'll turn you into things you can't even imagine. We cast magic with every breath. It's as much a part of our bodies as, say, our eyes.
[ He gestures to his own--glowing bright, pupils barely visible. ]
Or yours.
[ It's a rosy picture he's painting. Many things about Silvermoon are not so enchanting as he's describing. He doesn't mention the constructs that patrol the city, barking propaganda ('Happiness is mandatory, citizen.'). The guards who drag people from their beds to harass them on the street. The dens of demonic magic. The brainwashing, done out in the open, sanctioned by their absent prince. Adra's wise enough to know that such things are not for children's ears. So he smiles as he talks, genuine, but undercut with sorrow.
Not that he has time to dwell. The kids just keep piling on, fascinated by his unique physiology, and he might be starting to panic. ]
Not the ears, please!
meet & greet; b
[ Of course, he can't resist deviating from the script just a bit. When it comes time to talk about the pseudo-mana potion, Adra segues into it as best he knows how. ]
--now, not everything in my world is perfect. We do have some bad men running around, doing all kinds of bad things. And they get away with it! Can you imagine?
[ He taps his right earlobe. ]
Now, I hear you have a similar problem, children. Bad men trying to sell you a lie. You can't let them. You have to question everything put to you, okay? It doesn't matter if it's an adult, or what kind of title that adult claims to have. You have the right to think. You have the right to decide for yourself--and you should never bow to outside pressure. Not from a shady salesman, not from us 'heroes', not even your teachers. Understand?
[ A tiny chorus of 'yeahs!' comes in response. The supervising teacher might look a little worried. Maybe someone should step in and soften up the rhetoric? ]
herbing;
[ You'd best believe that Adrasteius spent some of his colle on gardening tools. Just a few things: a small hand spade, a little knife for cutting stems, as well as twine and burlap for carrying specimens. True, he lives in a cramped room with a bunch of other people and an obvious zero-lot line, but he's hoping he can claim a patch of earth for himself, someday. In the meantime, he's happy for the opportunity to familiarize himself with the local flora. He'd spent yesterday reading, observing, and making drawings; now, this morning, he's ready to go.
Back in Azeroth, Adrasteius collected herbs of every kind, and then milled them to make brilliant inks. Twilight purple, carmine, shimmering emerald. Colors infused with actual magic, pressed into the pages of handcrafted spellbooks.
Potions were a secondary concern, but in either case, he understands the importance of a properly handled plant. Gathering itself wasn't the problem. The problem is that Adrasteius remains hilariously frail of constitution, and he simply doesn't have the stamina to carry back what he's digging up.
He realizes this as he sits among a particular patch of herbs, his hair already damp with sweat from digging, his hands dark with soil. ]
Damn it. I'm going to have to start lifting things while standing in place like an idiot.
[ He paws at the soil, agitated. ]
Eating protein. Running.
[ Life is terrible. ]
When: 3/5 - 3/15
Where: Throughout Caissa
What: Working hard for the money; inciting the youth; picking pretty flowers
Rating: None
meet & greet; a
[ Sadly, Adrasteius is not the one with the arms. He does have a cascade of thick, lovely hair, though, and the children of this particular school cluster around him, petting him as though he's some kind of cat. But because they're nearly half his already meager height, and because they literally do not know any better, Adra doesn't feel his usual threatened agitation. He's not exactly enjoying himself, but he'll tolerate it. So long as their stubby fingers keep away from his ears. ]
--my people live in a city full of magic, just like yours. There are grand, cream and gold spires everywhere, decorated with enormous rubies that reflect so well it'll dazzle your eyes right out of your head if you look at them directly. Animated brooms sweep our streets, and the lanes of the city are dotted with huge, potted ferns that float. You can find anything you like in the central bazaar--not just armor and weapons, but food spiced with spells, rare books, and potions that'll turn you into things you can't even imagine. We cast magic with every breath. It's as much a part of our bodies as, say, our eyes.
[ He gestures to his own--glowing bright, pupils barely visible. ]
Or yours.
[ It's a rosy picture he's painting. Many things about Silvermoon are not so enchanting as he's describing. He doesn't mention the constructs that patrol the city, barking propaganda ('Happiness is mandatory, citizen.'). The guards who drag people from their beds to harass them on the street. The dens of demonic magic. The brainwashing, done out in the open, sanctioned by their absent prince. Adra's wise enough to know that such things are not for children's ears. So he smiles as he talks, genuine, but undercut with sorrow.
Not that he has time to dwell. The kids just keep piling on, fascinated by his unique physiology, and he might be starting to panic. ]
Not the ears, please!
meet & greet; b
[ Of course, he can't resist deviating from the script just a bit. When it comes time to talk about the pseudo-mana potion, Adra segues into it as best he knows how. ]
--now, not everything in my world is perfect. We do have some bad men running around, doing all kinds of bad things. And they get away with it! Can you imagine?
[ He taps his right earlobe. ]
Now, I hear you have a similar problem, children. Bad men trying to sell you a lie. You can't let them. You have to question everything put to you, okay? It doesn't matter if it's an adult, or what kind of title that adult claims to have. You have the right to think. You have the right to decide for yourself--and you should never bow to outside pressure. Not from a shady salesman, not from us 'heroes', not even your teachers. Understand?
[ A tiny chorus of 'yeahs!' comes in response. The supervising teacher might look a little worried. Maybe someone should step in and soften up the rhetoric? ]
herbing;
[ You'd best believe that Adrasteius spent some of his colle on gardening tools. Just a few things: a small hand spade, a little knife for cutting stems, as well as twine and burlap for carrying specimens. True, he lives in a cramped room with a bunch of other people and an obvious zero-lot line, but he's hoping he can claim a patch of earth for himself, someday. In the meantime, he's happy for the opportunity to familiarize himself with the local flora. He'd spent yesterday reading, observing, and making drawings; now, this morning, he's ready to go.
Back in Azeroth, Adrasteius collected herbs of every kind, and then milled them to make brilliant inks. Twilight purple, carmine, shimmering emerald. Colors infused with actual magic, pressed into the pages of handcrafted spellbooks.
Potions were a secondary concern, but in either case, he understands the importance of a properly handled plant. Gathering itself wasn't the problem. The problem is that Adrasteius remains hilariously frail of constitution, and he simply doesn't have the stamina to carry back what he's digging up.
He realizes this as he sits among a particular patch of herbs, his hair already damp with sweat from digging, his hands dark with soil. ]
Damn it. I'm going to have to start lifting things while standing in place like an idiot.
[ He paws at the soil, agitated. ]
Eating protein. Running.
[ Life is terrible. ]
no subject
He approaches, minding each step since he doesn't want to crush a plant. Once he's at a decent distance between them, he waits for the other Hero to explain why he called him over. ]
no subject
If you've got any more space on your biceps, would you mind giving me a hand?
[ He gestures to his own herb collection, which--although not tremendous--is significant. Too much for Adra to carry, certainly. ]
In return, I'll give you half of what I've collected.
no subject
Setsuna regards the elf with a small nod, letting him know that he doesn't mind at all. He assumes he's being asked to carry all of that, so he steps forward to collect the other Hero's belongings. He balances everything among two arms. ]
It is... fine. You do not have to repay me.
[ It's just lifting; to Setsuna, he doesn't feel like he did anything to warrant payment. ]
no subject
But instead he is--bereft. Dependent.
He scowls as he stands up, though it's not at Setsuna. ]
Correct. You are not coercing me in any way. But it's fair for shared labor to earn shared reward, and I'm big on fair. So that's how it's going to be, right?
[ His tone does not suggest he's willing to entertain an argument on the matter. ]
no subject
Hearing the next statement however, Setsuna reconsiders. If the elf is thinking of his sake, then he couldn't help but start feeling the same. Though for now, he nods. They have a job to finish, so they can at least take care of this first. ]
I can carry more... If you would like to take the longer walk, I would not mind collecting more with you.
[ If they're splitting, they might as well collect more on the way. ]
no subject
Sure, if you've got the time. The closest location is in a park about ... a quarter of a mile from here. I have that much left in me.
[ He presumes his new strong friend can handle it just fine, and as they start walking, he glances over, his appraising eye now firmly fixed on this generous colleague. ]
How about a name? Mine's Adrasteius.
no subject
When the other introduces himself, Setsuna's icy eyes move back to look at him properly. ]
... Setsuna F. Seiei.
no subject
[ It doesn't sound quite right on his tongue--consonants too long, too drawn out--but he does his best. He pages through his sketches as they walk. If this kid isn't going to talk, Adra will do it for him. ]
Well, Setsuna [ slightly better ], we're looking for this guy in particular.
[ He holds up a drawing of a flowering shrub; the flowers are small and plentiful, with buttery gold petals that look silky, even in Adra's quick rendering. ]
I forget the name, but apparently it has healing properties. Stagnates infection when prepared in a poultice. That sort of thing.
no subject
Setsuna nods in acknowledgement one more time, then those lighted eyes are shortly relifted to face Adra's. ]
You... truly cannot remember?
no subject
No, I ...
[ He frowns, squinting at the paper. ]
No. I forgot to write it down after I finished sketching. Damn. Well--at least we know what it looks like. Oh, and it smells like honeysuckle, apparently, so that's a bonus.
no subject
He perks up again at hearing an unfamiliar term, back to that earlier curiosity. ]
What is a honeysuckle?
no subject
Eh? You've never heard of it? It's a shrub that produces bright little flowers, like a skirt turned inside out ... here.
[ He flips over one of his parchments and sketches out the honeysuckle flowers quickly--it's a good rendering, if hurried. ]
It grew all over the woods where I grew up. The flowers are full of sweet nectar--my brother and I used to grab great handfuls of the stuff and then just lie down and drink.
no subject
Honeysuckle... It reassembles a thin bell.
[ It's cute. But he can see why it's called a honeysuckle, it's very interesting to him. He truly is thankful for the trivia, so he nods a little respectfully. ]
... Thank you.
[ Even though Setsuna loves flowers so much, he doesn't have many chances to actually see them. At most, he sees them within laboratories, within the pages of books, or through a computer monitor. ]
no subject
You can keep it, if you want.
no subject
I will take care of it...
no subject
[ He grins, making a dismissive gesture. Meanwhile, they've finally reached their destination--the flowering shrub they're meant to harvest. As Adra leans to run exploratory fingers over the golden petals, his already bright eyes light up. ]
Oh, I remember now. This one's called a Sundrop.
[ He takes a small knife out of the pouch at his waist. ]
Time to collect.