[Text/Action] 002

[wishingalone]

[A: Text, to everyone]

I hope that everyone is recovering from the recent ordeal. It was worrisome, to say the very least. Nonetheless, it seems that some benefit may have been derived from it, at least.

Has anyone successfully done one of these new evolutions?

[B: Text, private to Kyouko]

[Yeah... here's why she did text. She doesn't trust herself to not get emotional talking to Kyouko about this.]

I saw it in my memories. Inside of that cave that the others went inside of. Not the real thing.

[C: Action, later, at Junes!]

[Mami promised that she would stop by Junes. She wants to go see it, besides; she could stand to buy a few things, especially a few things from home. But her friend boyfriend it's complicated really there's not a good word for him special cute buddy Yosuke works here. And that is more than enough reason to get her here.]

[You might find her browsing the aisles, looking over the various goods. Especially some of the clothing. Winter is coming, after all, and she means to be ready for it. But she's also looking for Yosuke, peering about all parts of the store.]

[And later, she's sitting down at a table in the cafe portion, sipping tea. Because of course she is!]

Comments

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

AUGH!

[ Rincewind lets out an undignified squeak. He reflexively turns towards the voice. His sleeve catches one of the keystone cans and brings the whole tower crashing down! He clenches his teeth and waits for the clatter of aluminum to come to a leisurely stop. ]

[ He risks a peek and spies a familiar face. ]

Oh, it's you. You could've warned me. [ He says, eyes downcast on the jumble of merchandise. ]

Can't see why I can't have a job. Even a magus has to make a livin'.

[wishingalone]

My apologies. I can attempt to help, perhaps?

[She doesn't move to right away, though, and looks down at the cans. Then, she looks up at Rincewind.]

Nothing stops you from working here, of course. Honest work is good. But I thought being a magus, ah, was a job.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

It is. Only, I think being a magus in Union is a lot like being poor. I don't get paid for being one and all I ever get is the evil eye.

[ He kind of, just, toes a few cans over. Finding the method ineffectual and with varying degrees of failure, he groans and stoops to pick up the bunch. ]

You can help if you want. Don't go thinking you'll be paid, though.

[wishingalone]

That's unfortunate. After recent events, I'm not surprised. But... it remains unfortunate.

[She kneels down and starts picking some of the cans up.] I don't require payment. Don't worry.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

Thanks.

[ He deposits his current load of aluminum goodies into a nearby box. He'll have to start from scratch Stacking things, he found, worked better when other things were neatly shuffled out of the way. He wipes his hands absentmindedly on his Junes apron. ]

Sorry about earlier. Er, with the Luggage. And stuff.

[wishingalone]

Mm. I take it that you handled it, then?

[Mami nods, while she starts stacking them, too. She's following his lead; she doesn't know how the displays go, really.]

It happens. It was... exciting, I suppose.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

I'm handling it right now.

[ Another can in its proper place. It wobbles precariously. ]

Look, I'm gonna be honest, right? So, seems my Luggage got into Junes and became a localized disaster. I couldn't pay up, so here I am. It's boring work, but that's fine by me. It's the whole 'owing someone' that I mind.

[ He watches Mami stack a few of the merchandise. It's nice of her to help. He wasn't expecting it. Rincewind goes to readjust the teetering can and it falls, splatting on the ground and bleeding out. He sighs. ]

Typical. That's my life, right there. In a nutshell.

[wishingalone]

Hmm. It's sensible, though. No one wants to feel they must do something for the sake others. It constrains us. But...

[She stands back a moment, to survey her work -- then winces at the can that falls over. She grimaces at it, then at Rincewind.]

Perhaps you should see that unfortunate chain of events in a different light: it led you here, to get what you want.`

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

[ He picks up the can. Turning it in his hands, he sniffs. Now he'd have to go find a rag to clean up. At least the makeshift tower was alright. Sans one can. ]

I don't think I follow.

[wishingalone]

You wanted a job, didn't you? And you like the work.

[She nods, while she looks down at the small mess on the floor. She doesn't have a towel, unfortunately.]

Perhaps that unfortunate event merely led you to this moment.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

You mean, standing in this department store, with a can gone terminal in my hands, talking to you?

[ He favors her with an incapacitating look of unknowable gloom. ]

I guess. If that's your idea of predestination. I think it's just someone, somewhere out there, having a laugh at my expense. It happens a lot.

[wishingalone]

I... mm.

You think there is a higher being, who exists solely to amuse themselves with your misfortune?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

Not just mine, but yeah. I guess I do. I think it's Fate. I like to imagine him as the kind of bugger who's really got it in for a lot of people.

[wishingalone]

Hmm. I suppose I can see that. But, is fate personified? Or simply an inexplicable force within the universe that couldn't care less?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

[ He shrugs. ] Can't know for sure. I don't think we'll ever know unless more gods keep popping up. When someone had told me that Union's gone and met some gods, I didn't believe them.

[wishingalone]

I wasn't so sure myself, at first. [Until that fire god nearly attacked Citadel. That answered that question for her.] ...But there's no doubting it now, is there?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

No, there isn't.

[ He drops the can he'd been holding into a plastic bag and starts to hunt for a rag. ]

So, you're not from Union as well?

[wishingalone]

No, I'm not. I come from Citadel.

[A beat, as she wonders; these more southernly cities don't always know about her people.]

Are you familiar with it?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

Don't think so. I mean, if you haven't heard of us, we, probably, haven't heard of you. Us being Sanctuary, if you haven't figured it. No offense. Er, not that I could blame you. We don't get out much. Magi could be synonymous with 'pasty old men easily affronted by nature'.

[wishingalone]

Mm. Quite. We're well to the north of you, too... [She nods her head.] We're mostly herders. Tribes that gather around the city of Citadel. It's built upon a tree.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

Gosh, on a tree? I don't know how you could manage with the heights. Aren't you afraid of falling?

[wishingalone]

Sir, I assure you. [wink~] I never fall.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

[ Rincewind doesn't know how to handle a young lady winking at him. It's a new experience. One, he's finding, to be moderately frightening. ]

Right. And Beedrills never blink. I think I'll stick to the ground, if it's all the same to you.

[wishingalone]

[She sighs.]

If you prefer! The ground is so overrated, though.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

It's only overrated so long as it stays where it belongs and isn't hard when you hit it.