voice; open to everyone

[billionboy]

OH, SHIT, CAESAR-- [ The voice sounds panicked since he is accesses the telepathy first to get obviously Caesar's attention before -- ] FUCK -- shit -- rocks! Ah! That hur-- ow! How long is -- goddamn hill! Ack! Ow-ow-ow-- shitfuckass!

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

...Oof.

[ Long pause, muffled. ] I tripped.

Comments

voice

[songbird_slayer]

Rocks can be terribly sneaky when you least expect them. Why, some can even turn into very large golems and have a bone to pick with you.

Not that such a thing would apply here.

...I think.

more voice and welcome to threadjack central ig

[girasole]

...you think.

[Look, as the guy who's spelunking across hills in search o' Okuyasu to drag his ass back to the huts he's gotta ask about this golem thing.]

[songbird_slayer]

Well, I don't know if this place can house a primal. Or if someone possesses the power to create golems.

Though I think if he encountered a golem or Titan we'd be hearing the aaAAAAAIGH WHAT IS THAT WHY DOES IT HAVE A FACE...

[girasole]

To be fair I've seen...

[There is a pause large enough to fit Ifrit through.] Well. Some of these powers. It's likely a matter of time before we have someone scream something like you said.

[songbird_slayer]

That's... oh dear. I suppose the problems are the same no matter what world you end up in. I think I'll keep my eyes peeled for something that feels like summoning magic.

Few things feel more helpless than conjuring an otherworldly creature and hoping it doesn't decide to thank you by smashing you into a paste. Unfortunately, it happens a little too often in my world.

[girasole]

That sounds...

[Verbs. Actually, no, he'll settle for a noun. Or even an adjective.] Difficult. A little too often?

[...

He's going to regret asking, and yet he has to ask.] Forgive me for asking, but...has it ever happened to you? [PLEASE SAY NO.]

[songbird_slayer]

[She sighed. You could almost sense the fingers massaging the temples.]

Such creatures in our world are called 'Primals', ever hungry for magic and hard up for mortals to subjugate. Even the ones that summon them.

I've been on my fair share of clean-up crews to send them back from whence they came.

[girasole]

My condolences. I can tell already that you deserve better than that.

[Said with sincerity. And not even terribly faked sincerity, because basically what he heard was, "Yeah, so, back home I work as a exterminator and I fumigate places, except I fumigate them with magic and the cockroaches are actually large and possibly from space." Some things are universal.

Shitty jobs are one of them. There's patterns to these things. You don't need to be from the same world to understand things like, well, plumbers, latrine cleaners, and, in this case, terrible extermination jobs.]

[songbird_slayer]

[There's a moment's quiet. A girl needs a moment to work out intent, especially when she's lived in a sea of false sincerity. Even with her moment, she's unsure. Who might this be...?]

Goodness, that's quite kind of you. But I do wonder what I'm deserved, all things considered.

[girasole]

[Conversations are like songs. They have rhythms.]

Something better. Besides that, I don't know. I don't know what your world is like. I don't even know your name.

[songbird_slayer]

Madhuri of Eorzea. You could say the primals are the least of anyone's problems. Imperial incursion, thousand-year wars with dragons, oh... you could write a book, I'll tell you that much.

[girasole]

Caesar, but I imagine you figured that out. You sound like this island would be a vacation to you.

[songbird_slayer]

At every note! Though I could do with less initial stomach upset.

At any rate, I promised Okuyasu a meal should we reach a source of more edibles, by the by. The same is extended to you, dear Caesar. I always make too much.

Consider it a cultural constant for a xaela woman to feed new comrades. Or maybe that's just my tribe.

voice

[billionboy]

You think... I really don't want to have a golem show up. What do you even do about something like that?

voice

[songbird_slayer]

Smack it until it stops moving, mostly. Some golems have a soulstone that you shatter to paralyze it temporarily.

Ah, but that's neither here nor there! Have you broken anything? Do you need someone to come find you? I can't heal per se, but I can try a little something.

voice

[billionboy]

A soulstone? Like a weak point that glows or some shit like that, yeah? [ Pardon his language. ]

What would you try? My friend Caesar is lookin' all over lots of mountains to come get me, but if ya can do somethin' when we would get back. That'd be real appreciated!

voice

[songbird_slayer]

Exactly! Charging most objects with energy enough to give life to a golem gives them a very disadvantageous glow.

Oh, I'm a bard. I thought I'd sing and perhaps help with the bruises, you poor thing. It might actually not work as well as I hope in this place but it doesn't stop me from trying and seeing if it does, though.

voice

[billionboy]

What color is it usually?

A bard, huh? [ Huh! ] That's something that you did back home? That's kind of cool. Besides, ya have a nice voice so ya probably sing real good, too, huh?

voice

[songbird_slayer]

The glow of earth aether is yellow. The heart of a golem looks as if veined in gold. Rather pretty once you get past one trying to punch your teeth out.

It is! If there's need of a song, a dance step or an arrow between the eyes, I'm happy to oblige. [She laughed.] I'd be a pretty sorry bard if I didn't have the voice for it! But it's always nice to hear things like that. Thank you.

Any sign of Caesar? I'm happy to keep you company until your friend finds you.

voice

[billionboy]

I'm not sure if I'd find it pretty... but yellow, huh? I'll keep that in mind.

[ Ha-ha. ] I'm already hurt enough... I don't need to be put out to pasture, though. [ A beat. ] Ah, you're welcome.

[ Nods. ] Not yet. I'd like the company. It's... it's nice to sit and think and be able to talk to someone so that it doesn't get ... well, uncomfortable [ Scary. ] while waiting. Thank you!

voice

[songbird_slayer]

It's a pleasure! My name is Madhuri.

Indulge my curiosity then, if you would: What did you do for a living before our dear hostess decided to borrow us for a while?

[billionboy]

I'm Okuyasu! Nice to meet you, again!

[ A living? ] I didn't have a living. That is... I was a high-school student. Though, I did win a lot of money! But, that was all put into savings so it isn't really anything that I used.

[songbird_slayer]

That'll be a nice little nest egg. You take good care of it! I myself have a bit of fortune back home, but I can't for the life of me work out what I want to do with it.

Dancing is quite profitable. As much as adventuring, really. Who knew?

[billionboy]

It is. It is. [ He nods a few times before paling. ] But actually I found out that these people took it. If I don't have it, I am gonna be in real trouble later.

[ But enough about that. ]

I suppose everyone likes to see something amazing and if you make that much money, ya must be real good. As for what to spend it on... If ya don't got bills and all that... How about on eating delicious Italian food for every meal?

[songbird_slayer]

[Weird. She keeps hearing that folks have had things taken from them before arriving here, but she doesn't recall anything on her end. She just wound up here. What did she pay, if anything...?]

Italian... hmm. That must be a kingdom in your world. What kind of food is it? I dabble in cooking as a hobby, and now you've set me off! I could talk about food for hours, you know!