[video]

[10_20_15_5_50]

---right?

[If the tone is any indication, that one word wasn’t directed at anyone---it was the sort of mutter manuals muffle. What follows is livelier, as the young woman speaking seems hopeful.]

Right. I don’t want to be a bother, but I was wondering if there’s anyone available to give the ten-cent tour…. and if there’s anyone who would want to. Since ah, I’m not the only new arrival, and there’s sort of a lot to see, I figured I’d ask. If you’re new too, okay, awesome, we can explore together. If you’re not new and you want to show off your stomping grounds, I’ll ooh and ahh appreciatively. Promise. And I’ll owe you one.

Comments

[Video]

[thankyou4myheart]

Dangerous, yes. I'd stay away from it. Speculation is that it originates from a being called Unicron, which is . . . eh, well . . . "giant, ancient, space-robot Satan" is probably the best human-based analogy I've heard.

[Video]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Although her eyebrows do rise briefly at ‘Satan,’ Sam simply sits back, expression thoughtful, and considers this information a moment.]

[A long moment.]

[A moment more, and she lifts her hands.]

I’d love to say I’ve heard stranger. I can’t, cause I haven’t, but you know what?

[She offers Deckard a crooked little smile, shrugging.]

I could buy it, because all of this is weird enough all bets are off anyway.

[fractalize]

No no, it's alright. It's a display worth seeing, sure, but. Important things first.

[ Elsa nods, looking around rather bewildered. ]

I might be a while, I'm...well. I'm on the side of a mountain right now. It's a rather long walk.

[ Elsa won't lie; meeting someone else to scale is pretty amazing to her too. ]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Okay, so that's not what Sam was expecting to hear, but she can roll with it, so she does, offering Elsa a sympathetic smile.]

That would be a good chunk of ground to cover, but no worries; I'm not rushing. Take what time you need and just say 'hey,' when you're getting close, alright?

[fractalize]

Wonderful.

I'll...I'll be down in no time.

[ The video promptly cuts off, because yay meeting people, a thing she's not sure she's all that excited about still. But! Wanting to work on herself and her personal relationships, she's out the door before you can say 'freeze!' ]

[10_20_15_5_50]

[And Elsa is gone before Sam can say 'seeya,' but oh, well.]

[The good queen will find Sam, true to her word, waiting by the Warehouse gateway. As soon as she notices a person's approaching, the adept turns to wave; a puzzled expression flickers across her face in the first second she sees Elsa, but it's almost immediately eclipsed by a genuinely gleeful grin.]

Hello!

[fractalize]

Good afternoon! Hello.

[ Winded, but not down and out. Elsa doesn't even catch her puzzled expression. Instead, she brushes herself off, and offers a polite curtsy. ]

Sam. It's wonderful to meet you in person. Overwhelming, I bet.

[10_20_15_5_50]

Elsa.

[She'd started to offer her hand to shake, but the curtsy prompted a moment's pause---more a second's slowing, really, since Sam opts to follow up on her original intent and holds her hand out after all. Like her neck, it's covered in intricate inkwork: notes from the nails up, though her left hand is unmarked.]

It's... a relief, honestly. The robots have been perfectly nice people for the most part but going without someone to talk to on my own level, I could tell, was going to get lonely.

[knight_light]

[Wing gives her a smile.] I'm happy to be able to help.

[He follows after the fairy. Geez she's tiny and hard to keep track of. Thankfully he's doing rather well of doing so.]

[the_earth_laughs]

You're very welcome!

[Irja isn't trying to leave them, she knows she's tiny and Wing is big. She'll guide them theough the farm to where they need to go.]

Let's see. You should be able to gather your feather here. Now...which one will work... [she's studying the birds to find the one that fits Sam's needs. This may take a bit.]

[10_20_15_5_50]

If there ever comes a time I can return the favour... Well, you won't have to ask.

[With a little (or a lot of) luck, they'll see such a time soon. Since it could hinge on the collection of her ritual components, Sam turns her attention to Irja. No-one she knows has managed to find a mute rooster, so this is the first time the ritual won't require... pragmatic action to ensure the bird cannot crow.]

[Video]

[thankyou4myheart]

[He's silent for a moment. When he speaks, it's with the quiet weight of remembering the worst of nightmares.]

I can't prove it to you - I pray I'm never able to - but Unicron is real. A few of us have faced and fought him and his hordes. It's . . . not something I care to ever repeat. Or would wish on anyone else. If it's true that the Miasma comes from him somehow, nothing good can come from it.

[Video]

[10_20_15_5_50]

I'm sorry. I don't mean to make light of hardships anyone has had, here. ...and I know there's some important stuff for which proof isn't all that easy to produce. I'm not ass enough to just expect it, but by 'I could buy it,' I mean space-robot Satan is plausible enough with all of the other weirdness I'll accept it.

[And so she offers Deckard an apologetic smile, and another, smaller shrug.]

[knight_light]

[Wing smiled, amused.] If I don't ask, how will you know I'm in need of a favor?

[the_earth_laughs]

[Hey, she's gonna try. But there are lots of roosters to search through...after a while she will indeed just have to get a feather from a dead rooster, but hey, she tried.]

It...didn't need to be a living rooster that couldn't crow...did it? [A small tangle of very thin vines have pushed up from the ground to offer the feather that's as tall as Irja is.]

[10_20_15_5_50]

You might have some situation where I could help and mention it without asking or intending to ask that I do---like just incidentally, in explaining what you've been up to. Or I might hear about an opportunity to help you out from some third party person. This may be a big place, but it seems like one where word could travel at 'small town' speed.

[Sam shrugs, smiling. People talk! And she's seen nothing which would suggest sharing scuttlebutt is a strictly human habit.]

Oh,

[Very carefully, Sam leans over a little, to take the feather. Still smiling, she shakes her head.]

Nah. Though there's a good-sized group of us who have successfully sent a message somewhere the way I want to, nobody's managed to track down a live rooster which couldn't crow. I think we've all given up on it... and probably should've said? Sorry. Thank you, though.

[knight_light]

This is entirely possible. Thank you, Sam.

[He watches as Same takes the delicate little thing from the vines. Other forms of life were quite fascinating.]

[the_earth_laughs]

[She looks relived.] Oh good. Then let's get you that horseshoe, shall we?

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Now it's Sam's turn to be amused! She snorts, settling back.]

Hey, I haven't even done anything, and intending to someday do something is just... being basically decent.

[She'll shrug before nodding to Irja.]

Please! If it's possible, I'd like a nice wide one.

[knight_light]

You're a good person, Sam. I'm glad to call you friend.

[the_earth_laughs]

Of course! That shouldn't be a problem.

[She'll take them to an on-site smithy for making various tools that might be needed and will go searching for a horseshoe]

Here, will this one work? [she'll point out a decently sized one.]

[10_20_15_5_50]

Well, I try, most of the time. And anyway, feeling's most definitely mutual. You've been so nice, and such a huge help.

[Wait.]

No pun intended. Honest.

[The smithy is interesting enough to prevent any purposeful punny business. The farm complex must be a marvel of self-sufficiency, since it seems to have absolutely everything. When Irja indicates a good-sized shoe, Sam nods.]

Yeah! And ah, not that I mean to be getting greedy, but could I have a little shoe, too, please?

[fractalize]

[ She's hesitant to even shake it; not because of the delicate looking markings, instead, because of her paranoia. She still carried it despite her journey so far out of Arendelle. Elsa looks confused more than anything; her hand hovering before shaking Sam's hand briskly. It's short and blunt, but could still pass off as an unfamiliar custom. ]

Well, luckily for you, there's plenty of us here to go around, if not just to help each other with the little things. Like tea.

[ Which is an image she'd never thought she'd have; a giant robot nearly crushing a teacup. ]

No one's given you any trouble so far, have they?

[10_20_15_5_50]

[Brief as the shake is, Sam beams. Elsa's curtsy may've stirred up some concern in reminding her 'standard etiquette' is up in the air---and at Everest's elevation---but it seems like she should be able to get by, banking on intention.]

Man, I'd be inviting you over for a cup if I weren't in the process of picking a semi-permanent place. Consider it pending; as soon as I've got a tea set, and a place to put it. Three PM's the traditional time, right?

[Sam's smile slips a little at the question and she shrugs, offering Elsa a non-committal noise.]

Not really. That Dirge bot is some kind of sketch, but I think I know what I need to to handle him.

[fractalize]

[ Thinking nothing of it her smile is infectious, as is her friendliness. ]

That sounds lovely. I may be looking for a place to call my own soon, given the...er. Circumstances. Perhaps a contest to see who can find one first; they'll serve it. I've never much cared for the 'traditional' time.

[ Matters, matters. ]

So he is. Oh?

[ That piques her interest, seeing as how her only reply was 'be nice or i'll turn you into a popsicle.' ]

How so?