anemoi | (no subject)

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[Catherine's been wandering about all day, checking on various things. Showers. Faucets. Water fountains. Each time running a Geiger counter through the water stream, then watching expectantly... only to remain disappointed and wander off again.

Eventually, around noon, she stopped checking, opting instead to sit on a park bench across from a pond. She's just sitting there, staring at it with a bottle of Coke in her hand.]

...so that's it, huh. ...now what?

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[Now she stares at someone emerges from the depths of the pond, spluttering and shivering.]

Geez. So much for that.

[Believe it or not, she wasn't that surprised.]

Diving for treasure?

Huh?

...

Ahhhhh, you're right! I should've looked for those amoeba things while I was down there! Shoot.

[Okay, that got her attention.]

Wait, what? The hell were you doing in there, then?

Learning water magic, of course! Why else would I be going swimming?

I hope this doesn't extend to, say, fire magic.

I already know that.

[Fwoosh! And the spunky kid mage lobs a fireball into the pool.]

But I can't remember anything about water magic. I know I'm gonna remember Blizzard eventually since even the dumbest Black Mages know that, but someone said water magic should be a thing! I thought I'd just teach myself.

...hey. How good's your aim?

It's perfect.

[It is so not, but modesty is not one of Palom's many virtues.]

[About as perfect as my tagging speed?]

Up for a little target practice?

...I can hit anything you'd ever want me to hit. Just watch.

[She's going to load some fairly large rocks into the vacuum cleaner, and...]

PULL!

[There goes a rock hurtling over the pond!]

Pull? Pull wha -- Whoa!

[And Palom stares transfixed at the device for a few seconds before realizing...]

Wait, you want me to hit that? Uh.

[Fireballs all over the place! All of which miss horribly.]

....I wasn't ready!

[Trying not to laugh!]

What, should I find something larger?

No! Shoot another one!

[FWOOMPH. Off it goes!]

[Palom concentrates this time and as the rock goes arcing overhead, releases a single fireball.]

Hah!

[...And it only just clips the side of the rock before dissipating outwards, sending the rock very slightly off-course.]

...Shoot.

Hey now, second try's sill better than most!

...One more time! I know I can get it!... This is nothing!

What's it, Cat-Cat?

[Pointing to the pond now!]

What do you see?

I see a nice, crystal clear pond! It's really nice, though it'd be nicer if it had ducks or something. Too close to winter, I guess.

I see a forty year science project to pull off the same thing, and one that still doesn't even work.

Well, we ain't got the radiation problem you guys got. So I don't think there's much of a project to it. Say, does this mean you've never tasted clean water before?

Yeah, that's just it. We actually had a huge thing going, Project Purity. It was supposed to purge all the radiation from the water; we even got to take over an old world monument for it. And it's just... ah, shit, what am I doing, talking about this. Before I got here? Don't think I had clean water before.

Ah, I get it! You guys puts all this work into something, and now you gets it with no effort, and you feel like you been wasting your time, right? But that's okay! There's bounds to be other projects you can do to help folks out! Heck, maybe you'll find one that'll help folks get back home, and you cans use whatever infos you gots here and fix the water even faster back home! Who knows?

Wanna try it? It's really tasty!

Yeah! Yeah, that's exactly it. I mean... well, we've been around each other a while. You know how I am. I learned to survive in those ruins. I can't... civilization is just weird.

Guess I just need something to take my mind off things. Heard from a bunch of people that a job board went up?

Wait, clear water has a taste?

It's weird, but it's fun too! When things are easy, you can focus on nicer things!

Yep! We caught a goat for it! It was megas fun, and we even got anemoi for it!

Well, kinda. It tastes real good when you're thirsty!

Once I get out of survival mode, we'll see.

Heh, everything tastes good when you're thirsty.

It does! Wanna go get something to drink together?

[And here is Ruby, sans hat but a makeshift bandana to badly cover this obvious thing. (http://img806.imageshack.us/img806/1698/ruby019.jpg)]

What do you mean, what now?

Just... wondering where to go now.

[And she clearly doesn't mean it in a physical sense. It takes her a few seconds to process who's talking to her, fumbles around in her pocket before pulling out the original Pokeball, looking good as new.]

Here. Told you I could fix it.

This place has you that confused, huh?

[His eyes light up at the sight of the fixed Pokeball.]

Thanks a bunch! I really appreciate it. Did you manage to figure out something to make more of them?

I can sum up years of work with that. [Gesturing at the pond.] And it won't mean a damn thing to anyone else.

I've got pictures. Schematics. Diagrams. I'll work on getting a few tests together. Don't know how well they'll work.

Right here, probably not. But that doesn't mean that your knowledge won't come in handy. Who know?

At least that will give you something to do outside of those stupid job postings.

[At that he reaches for the hat that isn't there.]

I can repair things, but I'm pretty sure water purification isn't going to mean much.

[Now she's just stopped and examining you, taking a moment to take a drink.]

You never know.

[Now he's feeling self-conscious.]

What?

Lost your hat?

The stupid bird stole it. And then lost it.

And then gave you a nasty souvenir to boot.

Oh. That thing. No, it's an old scar. I had it when I arrived here. It's just embarrassing to have it be seen.

How old? That might still be fixable.

...er. Sorry. Dad was a doctor.

Dunno really. Haven't remembered how or when I got it. But it's healed enough that I probably got it when I was a little kid.

That's cool that you've remembered your dad. I hope I remember mine soon.

It's... not really, but it's mostly good.

...y'know, I'm just going to pretend you got it fighting a yao guai until you figure out otherwise.

What's a yao guai?

Uh... um... shit what did they call them in the old world... A bore? Big thing, looks pretty brown, sharp claws and teeth?

Oh, a boar! Dunno if it was that. But I'll let you know what it was when I do remember it.

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