tsunderebunny | Episode 1: The Day After is Always the Hardest to Handle [accidental audio/action]

Entry tags:

Episode 1: The Day After is Always the Hardest to Handle [accidental audio/action]

[That was some adrenaline rush.

Barnaby groaned when the distant rumble of thunder and the cold patter of raindrops on his bare skin pulled him back to consciousness. The muscles in his arms, shoulders, and back ached like he knew they would. The battle atop the Justice Tower had been long and vicious-- sleep was bliss after that beating, that rage-- He fisted a hand in the sand, and his thoughts ground to a halt.

Why was there sand?

Thunder rumbled once more, closer than it had been moments before. Barnaby abruptly sat up, his already electrified instincts snapping him into action in less than a heartbeat. He knew that there was no more reason for him to fight, but there were some habits that would never change. Not so quickly.

His momentary spark of irritation quickly gave way to confusion. Barnaby ran a hand through his sodden curls with sand covered fingers as his mind tried to register the sudden change in his surroundings. This wasn't his bed, his flat, or even anywhere in Sternbild.

Why was he at a beach?

The rain started to fall harder, prompting Barnaby stiffly pull himself up from the sand. He hadn't noticed the book that was lying on it's open pages nearby, just barely within reach of the receeding tide.]

...Honestly. [His voice was weary, exasperated.] They couldn't have bothered to put up a shelter?

[Later that day, after he's settled (after a fashion), Barnaby can be found in the shops around the plaza, gathering his few belongings and proper furnishings for his new flat, or holed up in a quiet corner of the library to peruse both his journal and any informational book that he could find. He just couldn't trust any of the evidence he had, not when it was so blatantly absurd.

It'd be wise to avoid mentioning any large, stuffed pink bunnies that he might be seen with that day. He couldn't just leave it in the shops for anyone to take!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh, is that the reason? [He'd read a bit about how the so-called magicians of other worlds practiced with rabbits for parlor tricks. He rises back up, smirking towards Barnaby.] I would have chalked that up their expandability or that they were less likely to rend the limbs apart of those who handle them as opposed to the larger animals used for elaborate tricks.

[He watched the stranger from above his glasses, face completely straight as he made his reply.]

There's more to it. Rabbits are inherently lucky, and every spring they bring children gifts of chocolate and plastic eggs filled with candy or small gifts.

Why wouldn't a magician want to use them?

[He shrugs and goes on matter-of-factly, before peering observantly back towards him.]

I believe that an allergy would be a convincing enough reason. Wouldn't you?

An allergy would be.

[He cupped his chin, thoughtfully.]

But the same could apply to larger creatures, and rabbits are much easier to take around. Besides, there are allergy medications incase it gets too bad.

You've certainly invested a lot of thought into this. [He says as if defeated, sticking his hands in his pockets.] Now are you intending to perform magic with this rabbit, or have you been building this all up for nothing?

[He raised an eyebrow at the stranger. Clearly their little game was over.]

You're the one who's been building it up. I just couldn't leave a gift that my friends spent alot of time picking out in there. It's disrespectful.

Of course. This is my fault entirely. But how could you know that this is a gift from your friends? It looks quite generic.

You'd have to know them to understand.

[He didn't care to explain the full significance of the bizarre pink bunny that his friends found him for his birthday, or about any of the details. If this 'Luceti' was truly in another world, he didn't necessarily want a certain nickname to find it's way in.]

The true gift is the time and the consideration that they put into finding it. I can't throw something like that away.

Of course that's something which you can't throw away - because it's only an abstract value. [He says with a knowing smirk.] Please, be my guest and attribute as much imaginary worth to this lifeless doll as you'd like. [It's not even a Tokunaga.]

[He's quite grateful that it's not a living plush, actually. :|

Barnaby returned that smile, just playing along at this point.]

It's easier to envision abstract values if it has a tangible anchor. This isn't much different, but I'm sure it would be harder to understand if you only know about toys that are possessed.

Possessed toys? Now you're only speaking of childish superstition. Toys that are augmented by fontech enhancements to serve as capable puppet defenders, on the other hand, are much more plausible and, more importantly, useful.

Fontech?

[That got his interest. It was the first thing he's heard so far that seemed like something that wasn't about the village. He was tired of the litany of details already.]

Yes. Fontech. [Jade says as he stands upright with his hands in his pockets. That's all the explanation you wanted, right?]

There's no such thing as Fontech in Sternbild. What is it?

Of course there isn't. [He's sure he's read of this Sternbild.] I wouldn't want to overstress the mind of someone so newly arrived. But, simply put, it is a fonic application of machinery. Of course you have no idea as to what fonons are.

[He probably has, if Pao-Lin has been in the village.]

I assume that fonons are somehow connected to sound and languages. If you know anything about phonetics, then you know it's a sensible conclusion. But how that applies to machinery...

It sounds interesting.

[Robotics. His parents were in the industry, and he would be himself if he had made a few choices differently.]

Your ability to dissect words is nothing short of impressive. [Said with full sarcasm.] It relates to sound and energy, but then I have very little patience to explain it all to someone who cannot actually utilize it.

Maybe some other time then. I'm just tired of hearing about being prisoners and periodic drafts.

Those are extraordinarily dull subjects. But you'll have better luck talking to others from my world if you want to know more regarding fonons. Several of them are exceedingly gullible.

And why would I ask for information from a gullible person? They can't know very much.

Gullibility doesn't directly transcend to a lack of knowledge. Surely a thinking man such as yourself can determine for yourself the quality of whatever they do know.

I can once I have a better understanding, but that would deny me the pleasure of a far more interesting conversation.

[It was the first thing he had found all day that didn't throw the world off balance, even if it was a conversation about not having a conversation.]

Are you implying that this conversation is giving you pleasure in some way? In that case, I must be falling short of my own intentions.

It's a practice in thinking. That is always something to enjoy.

Then you should have been looking for some kind of puzzle game in that item shop rather than that pink absurdity.

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]

[Action]