(no subject)

[judicatus]

Noah Gabranth shared a photo. 5/27 near Recolle

Right, so. I've seen much and more about Retrospec sending out *weapons* through the post, but I think this might be a first. Whatever it is. If anyone else out there has some idea of exactly what this is -- aside from the obvious "it's a helmet," thank you, already got that one figured out -- then I'd be glad to hear it, because I haven't got a clue.

Comments

[mincingminuet]

Sounds good. Bring that helmet too, I wanna see

[By the time he's off and gets there, he'll find Penelope hanging out there, actually dressed in a tennis outfit because heck, she had the day off and she'd just gone to do some pickup games.

Once he arrives, she hops up from a bench and trots over, waving.]

Hey. You got off at a reasonable hour, I'm impressed.

i thought this went through last night aaauuugh

[judicatus]

Got off early, actually.

[ To give himself the time to detour home and grab the helmet, since she'd asked him to bring it. He'd already set aside the box and packaging for further investigation, so when he brings it to the tennis court, it's tucked carefully — very carefully — in an oversized duffel bag. A bit much, but he'd rather not risk all those points and edges tearing anything to shreds.

He slings the bag down from his shoulder, setting it at his feet as he nods to Penelope. ]

So. What sort of magic is it you wanted to show me? [ And what sort of attention is it going to attract, he wonders... ]

[mincingminuet]

Good.

[She wastes no time in reaching underneath her shirt and pulling out a necklace. At the end is a green crystal with a small red blotch in the center of it.]

This is called Auracite. I remember the name, and...it's where some of the magic I know comes from. I didn't tell you because it happened shortly before my crazy spear.

[Which is actually in her car but ssshh.]

Now. See this blob in the middle? It's...actually not a blob. It's something called a Yahri. And I can call it out.

[Which she will now do. Closing her eyes, she concentrates on the stone and poof! A flash of greenish light, muted by the hands obscuring the crystal and something appears between them. A small creature just a little bigger than a very large doll, with a sackcloth body and a tomato for a head. it takes one look at Gabranth, gives a hurried bow, and strikes a pose. Arms wide over it's head, legs spread. Like it's expecting a photo to be taken at any moment.]

Tadah...

[judicatus]

Yahri...?

[ And— Auracite? Neither of those words ring a single bell in Gabranth's head, but he scarcely has the time to be troubled over it before this... tomato creature suddenly appears before him. His eyes go wide and he takes a startled step backwards. ]

It's... a tomato?

[ Because, clearly, that's the most important part of whatever the hell is going on right now. ]

[mincingminuet]

[Something around Penelope's eyes tightens a little, but nothing that the dancing tomato can't fix. She stoops and scoops him up, letting the little heathen wave at the nice man.]

It's an Alraune. I remember the name. And I remember hunting one down, in that other life. But this one's different. It...pretty much does what I tell it to do.

[Like offer a sackcloth hand to shake.]

Harmless. Despite the teeth.

[judicatus]

[ When he looks between Penelo and the tomato creature, it's not without some unease. Alraune... Another word that's entirely unfamiliar to him, though he wonders if that won't change in the coming days. Because that's what he really needs to remember next. But, in any case... ]

Harmless, is it...

[ There's no sense in being rude, no matter how unsettled he is by this whole thing. So he shakes the creature's tiny sackcloth hand. ]

I'll take your word for it. [ He looks back to Penelo, eyebrow quirked. ] Don't suppose it has a name? Other than Alraune or Yarhi.

[mincingminuet]

[It's weird because the cloth is warm. Like the whole thing is alive, as strange as it sounds. Creatures like this are odd.]

I've just been calling it Al, or the Tomato Guy. It's...not really a pet so much as something I think is summoned for a purpose. I've been using him to help out around the house while my roommate is home for the summer.

[She leaves off the part where she's been using it to scout out the subway entrances. And to prank her friends. Because while she can't be in two places at once...]

He's kind of cute, don't you think? A little weird, but once you get used to him, he's not so bad.

[judicatus]

I'm no authority when it comes to matters of cute. You're better off asking someone else.

[ He's got a reputation to uphold, here. He folds his arms over his chest as he looks the thing over again, wondering about what kind and how much help it could possibly give. ]

At least you've got a useful sort of magic, it seems. Here I was worried you'd be shooting off fireballs or something of the like.

[mincingminuet]

You have eyes.

[She pouts, and the Alraune hops up onto the top of her head, settling in for a ride. Or something. He's just kind of doing his own thing until she sends him away.]

And why wouldn't fireballs be useful? You say this like I'm going to run around committing arson. I mean, I already have that spear. And I remember how to use it.

[judicatus]

[ Indeed he does, and he also has the good sense not to let himself get baited this time. This time. ]

What exactly is a fireball for if not committing arson? [ He's surprisingly adamant on this entirely hypothetical situation. Or...well, maybe it's not that surprising after all. ] Any other situation that would call for fire already has a good number of non-magical solutions for it.

[mincingminuet]

[Next time, Gabranth. Next Time...]

Defending yourself? I mean, I vaguely remember using that spear and magic to hunt down one of these tomato creatures. [Which makes the one currently perched on her head make a soft, disappointed chitter. Either way, she's not surprised by this.]

Plus, it would be useful, being a wizard. I don't think I'd have much call for it now, but that other world seems more dangerous. If...being stuffed in a sack by a lizard is any indication of safety.

[judicatus]

[ Gabranth thinks to mention that lighting people up with magic seems a bit like overkill, but then Penelope brings up "that other world," and he bites his tongue. ]

In that world... I imagine magic wouldn't just be useful, it seems outright necessary. [ His arms are still folded over his chest, and his brow knits as he tries to recall anything, anything at all about that world that he hasn't already seen... But, of course, his efforts are in vain. So he sighs. ] But I'm fairly certain you've seen far more of it than I have.

[mincingminuet]

That may be. I've certainly remembered lots of fights, and lots of dangerous places and people.

[And she knows that probably doesn't sit well with him. Being a cop, and a protector, and...quite a lot of other things.]

I've also seen people. Good people. Like...you'd expect to find in a story.

[judicatus]

Like a story...

[ That's certainly what he's thought of his visions so far: that it was purely the stuff of fiction, like something one might only see in a fantasy or sci-fi tale. But people — good people, no less... His memories have so far been entirely devoid of those.

He casts his gaze aside before Penelope can catch the doubt in his eyes, and shifts his weight from one leg to the other with the kind of awkwardness that isn't entirely befitting a man of his age. ]

I hope you're right. [ He hopes that world is better off than what his own memories would imply. ]

[mincingminuet]

[There's a hitch in his words that does draw her attention, and the alraune catches it too.  It's dancing stops and Penelope reaches up to tug the creature off her shoulders and into a hug like a doll.  Not that, beyond heartbeat and being ambulatory, it was all that different from one.]

I know I am.  It may be troubled, but I think I've seen enough to make that assertion.  Knights and Pirates and other such things, a kind old lizard, and a boy.  I...feel like he might be a prince. 

[judicatus]

A prince? [ That catches his attention more than the rest, and he looks back to Penelope with a quirked eyebrow. ] How fanciful. Perhaps you were a princess in that other world, to be keeping such company.

[ And also, he thinks, that might explain why she was a target for kidnapping in the first place. But he's going to keep that thought to himself for now. ]

[mincingminuet]

[Penelope snorts a laugh at that, her head shaking sharply.]

No, I doubt that. The other people in my visions treat me more like an apprentice or squire or something, and I definitely got a feeling from the one lizard who wasn't kidnapping me that he was taking care of me.

I'm probably an orphan there too.