un: silhouette among silk spreads

[foxable]

[ A cheerful voice comes on over the network the night before they are set to leave. To some of you it may be familiar already, to others a mystery, but thankfully he is not going to leave you in the dark for long. ]

Alright, sounds like we're rolling out tomorrow! I haven't even met everyone yet so this is going to be interesting, but, uh, Hi! I'm Fox.

[ There's a long pause... ... ... Just long enough to make someone wonder where the fuck this guy went when suddenly there's a sound of a bunch of pieces of paper falling loose everywhere and him scrambling to pick them up: ]

Sorry! Sorry, uh, where was I? Right, I'm Fox, I'm - ah - a mage, I guess, is the best way to put it. Wizard always sounded stupid. Anyway, uh, so this is all a little new to me, haha - uh - not that it isn't new to you guys? From what I understand, pretty new for everyone. Even the um. People who have been here a little longer. Still not totally clear on all that but - right, sorry, not the point.

The point is! I do a lot of enchantment magic. I guess here they call it thralling? Anyway I'm from Canada and while I can't say I'm from the tundra exactly, Toronto still gets pretty fucking cold so warming spells on clothes is like, a must have, for at least six months of the year. It's kind of like - um - you know those little packets that you can rub together and they heat up? No? Handwarmers? I can't remember what they're called. Anyway - it's kind of like that. But in your clothes. So you're just always warm. Which is good, in the winter. Obviously. Um--

Uh--

God I know I had something more to say but uh--

I guess if there's anything else you think you'll need, let me know? I'm not charging anyone for spells, but you will have to bring components. So uh for warming spells incense is great, or like, a box of matches or something like that usually does the trick. In a pinch, tinder wood, but you need like a good couple handfuls of it and then a way to burn it. Anyway. You probably don't care? You don't care.





OH-- [ For a second it seemed like he was done, but he wasn't. sorry. ] -- one last thing. Um, magic? Other people's magic? Your magic? I'd really like to take a look at it. I'm real quick at picking stuff up and I'm happy to teach my own in exchange if you want? If that even works here. Still experimenting with that! So if you're up for experimenting that's good t--

[ He gets cut off by someone's screaming orgasm. ]

-oo... okay. Okay! Yeah, anyway, hit me up! Cheers!

Comments

[foxable]

Sure. This sort of enchantment is pretty basic, honestly - most people where I'm come from just go with tech because they can go out and buy it, you know? No study required. But I spend just about all my time learning magic. It's like anything else, yeah? The harder the work, the more you study, the better you get at it.

Anybody can learn magic, most people just don't try to. They call it 'talent' and then decide they don't have it, or whatever. [ He shrugs, then offers a small smile. ]

Can I, uh, ask you a weird favour? As my payment?

[somebadnews]

[ Five calls it an ability, because 'magic' sounds like what you'd call something that you didn't have a real name for. What he does is different though. A lot more math and logic involved that takes some of the mystic qualities out of it. That doesn't mean he isn't curious about something he's yet to understand.

He's still mulling that over when Fox says that he has a specific payment in mind. There's (admittedly stolen) coin in his pocket, having planned on paying him the old fashioned way, but it's regretfully his fault for not settling that part ahead of time. ]

What do you want?

[foxable]

[ Fox looks a little embarrassed for a moment, raising a hand to rub the back of his head as he looks away. ]

Ah... I don't know what happened between you guys, and I'm sure it's not my business, but... ah... Is there any chance you could just - be a little kinder to Mingyu? He's-- He's been through a lot. Lately. I don't even know half of it, and the parts I do know, I'm not even sure I want him to know that I know. Timey whimey bullshit. Um.

[ Another pause, still looking embarrassed and for a moment the cheerfulness fades and he just looks strangely... tired. ]

I just think, like... we're all stuck here together, right? And yeah, I know that we've got like - Lord Death Brigade on one hand with laser swords and stuff, and then actual dudes from Ancient China or whatever, and I know it's not, um - I know we're probably going to have to go through some shit. Worse shit. Zombies really seem like just the start of it, if you know what I mean? So, um, we're going to have to work together. Yeah? So even if you don't, um, even if you don't like him - could you pretend to get along? A little? I'm happy to do whatever enchantments you want, on an ongoing basis, if it means he can relax a bit.

[somebadnews]

[ That speech takes him by surprise. He scoffs, loudly, then shakes his head and looks up to the ceiling to reign in the sudden spike in his temper. He's been so tolerant. After what Mingyu did, he could have been completely justified in snapping his neck, and he didn't. Instead he went so far as to make a deal with him. ]

Have I been unkind? You think I should be a little nicer? [ It sounds more patronizing when he says it back, and pisses him off more. Not to mention the phrase 'timey whimey bullshit' no matter what he's referring to. ] I don't know what he told you, but I'm not the bad guy here. I didn't give him anything he didn't ask for. Now we have an agreement, and I've been playing nice. I plan on continuing that agreement as long as he keeps up his end. That's all you need to know.

[ He smiles at him then, tight and so restrained. ]

I don't want him to relax.

[foxable]

[ Fox winces a little, and scratches his head as he looks down at his shoes. God. What the fuck did Mingyu do? He pauses and wets his lips before he continues: ]

Like I said, I don't know what happened. And I'm definitely not calling you the bad guy - how could I, with no idea of what went on? I'm not saying this to be an ass. I just...

[ He trailed off, sighed, and looked away. ] ... Sorry. Yeah. It was a dumb ask. I'm just... worried, I guess. Everything is different, and I-- ... Yeah. Anyway. Sorry. I just want everyone to get along, but god knows I'm very aware of how impossible a request that is, sometimes.

[ He finally stands up, brushing non-existent dust off his clothes, mostly to give something for his supremely awkward hands to do. ]

Sorry. I won't ask about it again.

[somebadnews]

[ Five had no intention of going off like that, but he stumbled right into that one. Even as he's gotten to know more about Mingyu, enough to understand where he's coming from, he can't forget. He couldn't forget even before, and it makes him angrier that it was so easy for him to drudge all that shit up. There's no trust between them.

And... well, this isn't exactly what he was supposed to be doing when he asked to meet. In retrospect, he knows that how he treats Fox has an impact on the agreement he has with Mingyu, so he takes a deep breath as the other man fumbles for a recovery. If this gets back to him, the whole thing could blow up and he'd be back where he started. ]

We get along fine. [ He doesn't apologize, but he at least makes an attempt to dial it down. ] It doesn't matter. Now that you're here, I'm sure he's got his priorities in order.

[foxable]

Ah - yeah. I hope so.

[ Cue another long, awkward pause.

He clears his throat. ]

Yeah. [ Said with the sort of resignation that comes from doubt. Putting Mingyu's priorities back in order... probably was going to take a while. ]

Anyway, um, I'll - yeah. I'll get out of your hair. But if you need any more enchantments, um, you can hit me up, yeah?