abraxaslogs | [ CLOSED ]

[ Getting outta the big palace is beginning to feel like he's a kid being taken on a field trip, permission slips and escorts and all. But at least it gets them out, even if he doesn't know what the hell he's supposed to be doing with people's fruit and magic. He's never seen so many damn melons in his life that wasn't just stacked up in the back of a kitchen catering fruit salads.

Actually, he'd never even thought about where they grew. On, uh, big green vines. Apparently.

Anyway, Reno's just helping as an excuse to hang around without Thorne breathing down his neck, which means he ditches his duties first excuse he gets, shoving a bunch of discolored apples into someone else's hands with a Take care of this, will ya? like he's in charge. No one put him in charge, but no one's told him not to be, either.

Then he's catching up to a familiar white-haired silhouette, and a farmer who's all smiles back at the guy. Reno falls in beside Thancred without announcement or greeting. ] Well, he seems to like you, at least. What'd you do to his fruit?

Edited 2023-05-10 18:05 (UTC)

[ Reno doesn't make a habit of checking in on anyone unless they're part of his team, and they're elbow-deep in a mission together, but let's just say nearly getting your ass torn apart by a giant bear creates a bond of sorts.

What he's saying is, he's seen Kyle around the castle, so he knows the guy's in one piece, but Hilda's all the way on the other side of the planet and—look, he's not fussing about it or whatever. He's curious, that's all.

Either way, she's easy enough to spot in Nocwich. Pink hair a shining beacon in the moonlight. Reno sidles up next to her by the stalls with the slinking grace of a cat preparing to steal a forbidden piece of ham off the dinner table. ]

Doing a little post-mission shopping, are we?

Edited 2023-05-10 18:22 (UTC)

[ Thancred's here for a number of reasons, none of which have anything to do with the king and queen. He can understand why the people of Nott are chafing against this, all things considered, and has made it clear that he's here to help simply as one of the Summoned and not as a part of the crown.

He also kept a wide berth from the pomp and circumstances in the town square, just to be certain.

Some of the farmers have immediately turned him away, but he has found one man who's willing to accept his help, even if it's got nothing to do with the incantation. Who's going to say no to an extra pair of hands?

Thancred hears footsteps behind him even before Reno speaks, then turns toward him and nods in greeting, slightly surprised to see him here. Given how he'd been about the horses, he doesn't seem like the sort who'd want to get anywhere near a farm. ]

Ah, nothing to do with that, I'm afraid. Magicks are not exactly my forte. [ To say the least. ] I've agreed to clean the stables and then make a delivery of crops to a neighboring farm. [ He looks Reno up and down, slightly skeptical that he'll want anything to do with this. ] Interested?

Goddess!

[ Needless to say, she's been fully engrossed in the stall she's been looking at that she doesn't hear Reno's approach. Her eyes widen, her heart practically jumps into her throat and it takes all of her willpower not to throw the thing she's holding (a whetstone) right at whoever it is that's startled her.

Except the minute she realizes it's Reno the urge to punch him comes back and she follows through with one right to his arm. Not enough to actually hurt him mind you. Just a wimpy one. ]

Well I was before someone came up and snuck right up on me! You're really out here trying to make a girl faint, aren't you?

[ In other words: nice to see you too, I guess. ]

Edited 2023-05-11 09:25 (UTC)

[ Kahlil is familiar enough with the farmlands of Nott. He'd spent quite a bit of time out here late last summer, between trying to help put out the fires and working with the locals to remove dead livestock. He chooses to stay out here, far from the Town Square where the larger demonstrations are being held.

It's not hard to sense the chill coming off the locals where it concerns the castle.

Spellwork isn't what he specializes in, but after his lessons with Yennefer and just absorbing what he's been able to over the months here, these smaller incantations aren't much issue for him. The way the wording must be precise - it's little different from the songs and prayers drilled into him by the Payshmura. The only difference is that casting these in their presence would've gotten him sent to the Holy Road.

Sometimes he doesn't realize how far he's travelled.

At a particular farm he spots a familiar head of spikey red hair near a plot. A family watches the figure from a close distance, eyeing him suspiciously. Kahlil gives them a friendly nod as he approaches, then cocks his head at Reno. ]

How's it going?

[ Reno, meanwhile, is familiar with jack shit. This is the third time he's set foot in Nott, and he's never been on a farm in his life, never mind a city full of 'em. But he makes his way around with the air of someone who has the authority to be here—which he does—and maybe that's why the locals are giving him the stink eye.

Which is right about where he's at when Kyle shows up. Reno unrolls the scroll with the enchantment on it. Don't ask him what he's doing. He's just reading words out, he's no wizard.

He holds up a bunch of peaches that've turned flat as a pancake. ] You tell me.

[ Not great. Whatever. He doesn't see why flat peaches are a problem. They still taste the same. Probably juicy as hell. Can't these local boys just take the help and be grateful? ]

[ A laugh comes from beyond them as Natasha strolls towards them both from the direction of the town. She's dressed simply today, blending in to the best of her ability, but there's amusement in her expression as she takes in Reno's efforts. ]

Is that what fruit looks like where you come from? Huh, interesting.

[ Considering she's now getting the same suspicious glances as the other two, she's going to assume they don't appreciate the attempts of humor at the expense of their produce. Not that she can really blame them, she supposes. It's more interesting to note that Lucifer's observations had been more accurate than she'd realized. The atmosphere from the locals around here had definitely cooled in the time since her last visit. Which was worrisome, and definitely warranted some attention. ]

[ Thancred is right. This is the last damn place he wants to be. He'd rather be in a bar, drinking, or hell, even in an office where it doesn't smell like horse in every direction. He misses the espresso machine. He misses air conditioning.

Reno leans casually against a nearby fence pole. It creaks, and the farmer frowns at him. Sensitive, ain't they? ]

Not in the slightest. [ His nose wrinkles. Ugh. He can't exactly stick around for no reason, though. He's not at rank in Thorne to start toeing the line, so there's no point in chancing his ass like that. ] I'll carry the corn with ya, how about that? We're skippin' the scrubbing, though.

[ Those aren't the kind of messes he's here to clean. ]

[ Okay, in his defence, he wasn't here to scare the shit out of her. Not in his defence, Reno gives a snicker when he apparently does, 'cause he's a jackass.

She doesn't clock him right in the nose, so he figures they're good. ]

Please. You don't fool me, I've watched you chop up a bear.

[ Well. Kinda. Either way, she's not the fainting type. He sorted that one out pretty damn quick after their little adventure in the frosty beyond.

Man, is he glad to be anywhere but there. ]

[ Both eyebrows shoot up nearly to his hairline when Reno holds up the pancake-peaches. He gingerly takes one from the stack as Natasha approaches with more commentary, and he lets out a huff. ]

You two are like magnets. It must be a redhaired-thing.

[ He's still fixated on this.

With a grin he pulls out the written incantation from an inner pocket of his cloak. He doesn't have it memorized, but he says the words with the right pronunciation to fix the mistake - and as the last word leaves his lips the peach begins to inflate from its flattened shape, until it appears normal again. ]

[ Colour immediately rises to her cheeks. The cause of it is difficult to discern. Maybe it's the phantom cold from the mountains, irritation at his snicker, or the fact that she's embarrassed that he's mentioning that incident at all.

The merchant behind the stall raises an eyebrow and Hilda, spotting it from the corner of her eye huffs. Quickly, she puts the whetstone down, thanks the merchant before unceremoniously dragging Reno off in a random direction. When they're out of earshot she shoots him a glare and a hiss. ]

I didn't chop up a bear! You and Kyle were there doing most of the work. Too bad getting thrown against a tree didn't knock any of attitude out of you.

[ We swear some part of her is asking how he's been. ]

[ The smell of manure is omnipresent and impossible to adjust to, but Thancred seems to be taking that part of this in stride. Cleaning the stables does mean getting one's hands dirty in a sense that he isn't generally used to doing, but it's not as if it's outside his ability.

Still, Reno seems to be drawing the line there. When Thancred turns and asks if the supply delivery can take place first and then he'll return to clean the stables, the farmer nods with a brief warning that he'll need to be back well before sundown. ]

Of course. Now, what is it you need us to take?

[ There are a few sizable crates no doubt filled with crops and supplies, but the farmer doesn't expect them to carry them. Instead, he offers a small horse-drawn wagon with enough space in the back to store the crates, as well as a small rider's bench up by the horses that will accommodate two people.

Thancred turns back to Reno. ] Well, there we have it. We'll load these up and then I'll take the reins. [ Meaning he isn't requesting much help from Reno at all — just loading up a few boxes. Not too hard, right? ]

[ Hey, don't knock the flat peaches until you try them.

Reno glances over his shoulder as Natasha approaches. He flashes a grin at her, ignoring the increasing annoyance from the farmers. Magnets, huh? Yeah, probably. You work in the same HQ 24/7, you're bound to run into each other. ]

Maybe we're just too pretty to be kept apart.

[ Their last trip into the field was a hell of a lot more fun, but since Kyle's happy to pick up the slack, he's fine with that. Not his forte. He watches the peach spring back nice and round, before looking over at Natasha. ]

What about you? Any good with this magic shit?

[ The sly grin on his face widens. A touch of bemusement colors it. ] Y'know, I gotta say, I've never seen anyone eager to toss away credit due.

[ It's a compliment, okay? The bear-chopping. Not that he's gonna come outright and say it, but yeah. She did good. Which isn't a thought he gives a lot of folks, 'cause in his eyes, 99% of people are incompetent, and then there's the 1% he knows can handle themselves.

Sucks for Hilda, his attitude is pretty much attached to him with industrial strength pipe glue. He snorts. ]

Yeah, well, guess the snow makes for a pretty soft landing. [ He might've slapped that tree hard, but it's fine. Good ol' healing fixed him right up. ] You back in all that sand and dust on the other side?

[ He's also definitely not asking how she's been. ]

[ Reno exists in the dichotomy where he's sometimes toeing through blood and guts spilled after a mission gone sideways, and simultaneously has some invisible guy he doesn't much pay attention to scrub the toilets and mop the floors. Living in Thorne's castle is pretty much the same way, so the whole concept of household chores is just. Not his thing.

But yeah, yeah. He can do some loading, at least.

He sighs and picks up the first crate. ] You know, I used to have grunts taking care of this shit.

[ Starting from the bottom rung is annoying as hell. He didn't prove himself for all those years just to be punted into another planet and go from scratch. ]

[ Weird way to compliment someone, but then again, it's weird to say that you're worried about someone by asking them why their attitude hadn't been knocked out of them when they hit a tree.

She sniffs. ]

I just think it's also important to acknowledge that it was a team effort. There's no way I'd ever be able to take down a bear like that by myself.

[ She's slow their peace to a regular pace at this point but has yet to unfurl her arm from his. A laboured sigh flutters from her lips. ]

Unfortunately. Talk about going from one extreme to the other. [ Honestly Cadens isn't that bad all things considered. She'd take it over farm life. Her eyes flit up towards him, noticing curiously that his hair doesn't look quite as vibrant as it normally does. Maybe it's just a trick of the light. ] How's the court life treating you? Is it growing on you yet?

Edited 2023-05-19 10:37 (UTC)

[ Reno strolls along easily with her. Nocwich isn't as busy as Wall Market, nor as much of a twisted maze—not to mention all the other shit it doesn't have, either—but it's still a hell of a lot more interesting than the boring walls of the palace. It's like being trapped in Shinra's headquarters 24/7, except he's not even getting paid overtime and he doesn't have an espresso maker.

Or a beer fridge. Though there's free wine, so it's not complete ass. ]

Eh. [ Reno waves a dismissive hand. He's gonna ignore her look at his hair 'cause, yeah, he knows. He's workin' on it. A notable amount of black is beginning to appear around the roots. Apparently, you can't just step into a salon around these parts and get your hair done. How do these people survive? ] Not as many meetings with the top brass, so less of my time wasted on that shit. Place is boring as hell, though.

[ And yeah, yeah, some of that is 'cause he doesn't have the other Turks around. It's different, when he's got his partner there. Who can he bitch to now without Tseng or Rude? (Hilda, looks like.) ]

Actually, if that were the case, we'd probably be repelling each other. [ Natasha's comment is amused as she comes to a stop next to Kyle and watches as he fixes the fruit. ] The pretty, on the other hand...

[ She returns Reno's grin, bumping lightly into his shoulder as she crosses her arms over her chest and peers over at the incantation Kyle holds. ]

I'm still learning my way around it, so novice at best. Although the theory of it hasn't been too hard to master, at least. [ Slanting a sideways glance at Reno, her smile curves into more of a smirk. ] Don't worry. Maybe we can make Pancake Peaches the newest rage of the season.

[ The Free Cities at least lives up to its name in that regard. Being able to roam without being so obviously kept an eye on is enough for her. Maybe that makes her blissfully ignorant, but when hasn't that been her MO?

The black is real obvious against the red. She lets her gaze linger a little cheekily on it like she's trying to annoy him before pointing her eyes straight ahead to dodge any potential ire. Hilda pointedly turns him down a set of stalls that will eventually lead to a beauty section. ]

You seem like the type of guy who can make plenty of fun for himself though. Don't you have any hobbies? Apart from carrying around a giant metal pipe?

Grunts?

[ Subordinates, perhaps? It is true that the Scions of the Seventh Dawn as an organization has far more than the core members, those who will at times take on the simpler, more mundane jobs. Then again, Himeka herself is also just as likely to return someone's goats who've escaped from their enclosure or to collect some rare material for a crafter.

In other words, Thancred's nonetheless used to this sort of work by proxy.

He heaves one of the crates up into his arms and then slides it onto the bed of the wagon. ]

If I recall, you said you were part of an investigative unit. [ Public security or the like. ] Are you rather highly ranked, then?

[ And therefore considers himself above all this? ]

What brought you out here, in that case? [ It's been difficult to pinpoint what precisely motivates Reno. Oftentimes he seems to be acting purely out of boredom or vague curiosity. He's not the easiest person to pin down for that reason. ]

[ He can't argue. They both are very nice to look at. They don't exactly make bad company either. ]

I think you'll need a pretty good pitch to convince them...

[ Those farmers over there, glaring. He gently places the peach back in the crate and grabs another flattened one, offering it to Reno first with a raised eyebrow. ]

Look, all you have to do is pronounce it in the right order.

[ A glance at Natasha. ]

Or do you want to give it a go first?

[ Someone decide. Either way, they should get this done with before the farmers start getting even more irritated. ]

[ First of all, it isn't giant. It's a regular-sized rod. Second of all, it's not his fault it isn't as technologically advanced as the one Shinra provided him with. Maybe he can put in a request for upgrades soon to that little man. Vikky? Whatever Hilda called him. ]

You try finding a hobby in that place. What d'you want me to do, garden? The last garden I saw were some pathetic little flowers growin' out of the floorboards of a church.

[ And yeah, the flowers are real pretty. Even he can see that. There's still only so much time he can waste looking at them. Plus? They make him sneeze and his eyes water, which is apparently a thing that happens when you live in a city full of concrete and steel your whole damn life.

Gardens aside, there are horses—which he's also never seen before until this Planet—a shitload of books, and a bunch of fiddly potions and ingredients that almost puts Hojo's lab to shame. ]

[ Only the smallest pause passes as Reno thinks about is answer. Does he actually give a shit about who knows his resume? It's not like the stuff Shinra does matters on this planet.

But he finds he doesn't really wanna get into it right now after the last mission they ran. ]

Somethin' like that. [ He slides the crate onto the rickety wagon after Thancred. As for why he's here? He shrugs. ]

Thought I'd see more of this town. Locals obviously ain't happy with how things are running up top.

[ Same old story, but now that there's no one for him to be loyal to around these parts, the only side he's on is himself. And he wants to make sure his ass survives whatever's coming. Because, look—if he wasn't on Shinra's payroll all these years, he sure as hell wouldn't trust them, either, and even then, the only thing he trusts is that they need him. Which isn't the kind of security he's got in Thorne. So he gets the suspicion. ]

[ Wouldn't you rather have a giant rod versus a regular sized rod? Actually, you know what, never mind. If Reno did want an upgraded rod, Viktor probably could do it - and Hilda would put in a good word for him. If Reno wasn't too mean to her that is. ]

Well excuse me, it's not like I live there. How am I supposed to know what there is to do?

[ Not like she's a consummate hobby picker-uper or anything. Then again, it sounds like she has more options than he does. Or he's really just that bad at finding new things to do that don't involve snarking at people. ]

If gardening is out, there has to be something else. The magic there is different than the Free Cities, right? You could pick that up as a hobby. Or, I don't know. Reading? Horse riding? Embroidery?

[ At some point, Reno's expecting Kyle's gonna grow tired of their shit and abandon them to the moody bastards on their farms, but for now, Thorne's local delivery boy seems willing to stick around. He'll take it.

Mostly 'cause Reno doesn't do any work he doesn't need to do.

He makes a sweeping gesture at Natasha. ] Ladies first.

[ He sidles up to the next patch of what looks like unripe cherries dangling from a series of thick trees. We need 'em red and ripe, says the guy chewing around his toothpick, and Reno waves him off with all the assurance of a man who definitely did not flatten a bunch of peaches just five minutes ago. ]

Don't worry, old man, we got it.

[ CLOSED ]

thancred.

hilda.

no subject

no subject

questicles

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject