cuddlery | IC Inbox [Deer Country]

[ She really didn't want to eat it.

In a way, mages of her world have rather comfy brains; they think and calculate like the brains of any other human, but submerged as they are in a constant flow of mana, they enjoy a unique clarity even when magical effects are pressed upon them. The rest of their bodies may still feel the effects of the magic, but at least the sanctity of the inner mind stays intact. This can make mages effective berserkers, monsters with the minds of intellectuals.

Today, however, Tanya is in hell.

She was on her way to Scorpia's place with a thank you gift, eager to maintain a friendly contact in this harsh world. Along the way, she was accosted (accosted!) by some creep of a deer trying to get a bit of her blood in exchange for a bit of his chocolate. Now, she does have a soft spot for chocolate, but getting it in such a shady way isn't funny in the slightest. Even as she raged and cursed the deer inside, her body rebelled and offered up a bit of blood. Then, as she continued to walk the rest of the way to Scorpia's residence in a dark fume, her body betrayed her a second time and thoughtlessly popped the chocolate into her mouth.

White chocolate. The taste was bittersweet despite its complete lack of bitterness. In truth, the richness and luxury of the taste was so wonderful that it nearly brought tears to her eyes. Frustration from another source, the awareness of how poorly she was living in Empire.

But. At least she gets to start a new chapter in her life. Yes -- a sudden a wave of optimism washes over her. A new life, a new community, and new friends. It isn't all of what she wanted, but the elements of potential are all here, and she fully intends to start with her good friend, maybe even future best friend, Scorpia.

She knocks politely on Scorpia's front door bearing a large bottle of wine a quarter of her size. A(n uncharacteristically) radiant smile is on her face, bright with anticipation. When the door does open, Tanya greets Scorpia with a voice and demeanor befitting her tender years. ]

Scorpia, hello! It's been too long! How have you been?

[Today was shaping up to be an uneventful day for Scorpia. She didn't have any performances lined up, so she was just planning to go out for a walk until she either found friends to hang out with or anyone who might have needed a hug. She wasn't expecting anyone at her door, though it was a pleasant surprise!

She's quick to answer the door, not wanting to leave any guests waiting. As she opens the door, she looks downwards at the young girl greeting her. What a sweet, nice kid who's visited her! But something feels strange... alien about this. Scorpia blinks, and then it hits her. This isn't just some random girl, this is-]

Tanya? Tanya!

[Of course it's Tanya! She just seems a little, different than Scorpia remembers. She just looks a little confused as she grins while greeting her.]

Hey there girl! It is great to see you again. Oh me, I - I've been fine. Just keeping on keeping on, you know? [She's trying her best to power through with Catra gone.] And how about you! I need to know how you've been settling in, tell me everything. ...Oh, but don't keep standing there. Come on it, make yourself at home!

[She gestures Tanya to enter! It's a pretty ordinary-looking home, with the living room right by the door. Some chairs and a couch, and a few small paintings of cats, sea life and rainbows decorating the walls.]

[ Seeing Scorpia and her significant centimeters causes a burst of affection to shoot up in her. And an invitation inside? Perfect. A small but crucial step toward best friendship. ]

Don't mind if I do. Oh, and this is for you — a token of appreciation for the kindness you showed me before.

[ As she comes in, she turns and offers the oversized bottle of wine up to Scorpia. ]

The supplier seemed to think very highly of it, so I hope it lives up to his word.

For me? Oh, you shouldn't have! [She takes the bottle in her claws with an appreciative smile. It seems like a pretty extravagant gift to her! She only occasionally drinks, but she can still see the appeal of this and looks forward to trying it out.]

That is so nice of you. Thank you so much, Tanya. Now have a seat, relax! Let's talk about everything!

[ The wine is probably as extravagant as extravagant can get, seeing as how it came directly from a god of wine... but alas, children and alcohol don't (or shouldn't) mix. ]

Yes, let's.

[ She ventures into the living room, noting the decor as she goes. Cats, sea life, and rainbows... Scorpia really does have a soft interior. In any case, Tanya hops onto the couch, her feet dangling as she sits. ]

Shortly after we met the last time, I ended up returning to the sea. I've only been back for a little while, but I've been managing alright. It's been easier than expected to find items to barter along the shore, and businesses have been paying decently for services rendered.

[ Not quite enough for her to feel secure, but enough to get by. At the very least, her quality of life is already better than it was on the front lines. ]

[Scorpia stands nearby, taking a moment to undo the cork with her pincer. It's early, but she might as well try a glass to honor the gift.]

Oh! You went back to the sea. [She remarks with surprise.] Sorry, I didn't realize. I was meaning to catch up with you sometime! But I'm glad to hear that you've been doing well. It sounds like you've got the hang of the whole bartering thing!

[She does almost pour Tanya a glass too before she remembers... oh yeah, child. She meekly smiles.]

Can I... get you something else to drink? Water? Juice?

[ Tanya watches hopefully as Scorpia almost pours some wine for her...... but alas, she's foiled not for the first time in her life. So even scorpion people have age restrictions when it comes to alcohol?? What a sadistic joke.

She manages not to react past her interested gaze, though. Best that she avoid seeming like a child alcoholic. No sane adult would want to touch that bundle of issues unless they were solidly employed by child care services. ]

Juice, if you don't mind.

[ At least she can pretend to be drinking something winelike... ]

Bartering still isn't my ideal form of exchange, but at least it's simple. Anyway, how have you been while I was gone? Busy?

[ It seems likely if Scorpia hasn't had the wherewithal to notice Tanya disappearing out of the blue. After all, this is warm and caring Scorpia, whose friendship Tanya is ready to secure at any cost. Any cost at all...... ]

[She might have been raised as a soldier, but she still has a sense of some things that should and shouldn't be for kids!]

Great! I'll get you some right away. [She moves while Tanya speaks, pouring her a cup of grape juice. That seems like a close enough to wine, right?]

Oh yeah, I've beeb keeping myself busy! Keeping my jobs going, making new friends, fighting monsters here and there, I shed my skin and was a kid again for a little while last month... Oh and I went to a big party at one point too! I sang and danced and did a number of talent performances, it was great!

[She rambles all of that while handing Tanya her cup, taking a seat and beginning to drink from her own. The cups are made of a particularly sturdy type of plastic, to keep them from being accidentally broken by Scorpia's pincers.]

[ She smiles wryly at the grape juice, then blinks at one of the details in Scorpia's breakdown. Becoming a kid again? How horrifying... and how nice it must be to be able to escape that nightmare. Scorpia being a social butterfly sounds just about right, though. It's good if she can keep up a productive lifestyle in a place like this. ]

You became a kid again? How did you feel about htat?

[Scorpia settles down in her seat, her smile seeming almost sad as she thinks back to that adventure.]

I - well, I felt pretty good! It was kinda refreshing just being a kid again. I couldn't clearly remember the rest of my life, or all of the worries and troubles that came with it... I was just a kid, going around and having fun. It was nice! And I guess now it makes me realize how grown up I am.

[ That certainly is a novel perspective. On Tanya's end, being a child is a constant nuisance (except for the matter of her having a smaller target area). Ignorance really is bliss...? ]

I'm a little surprised to hear you say that. I would have said that you already have a more carefree personality than most.

[Ignorance really was bliss in this case! Scorpia takes a sip of her wine.]

Thank you! I feel that way about me too. That's why I felt kinda surprised to that I felt like that. But I guess I'm just still like that even though I've grown up in a bunch of ways. [She shrugs her shoulders.] Go figure! Life's an unpredictable adventure.

[ Oof. Tanya can't relate at all to liking the feeling of being small again, but she can at least sense a wistful air around Scorpia that isn't particularly conducive to increasing their friendship levels. Time to change gears, then. Tanya takes a leisurely sip of her grape juice (it's pretty good) to buy herself a moment to think.

Hmm. Yes, maybe she's thought of a sort of solution? ]

If adulthood is an essential accumulation of experiences, then the feeling of youth is an exposure to unfamiliar experiences. Isn't that a fair approximation? So why don't we find you something new you might enjoy?

[It's surprising to see Tanta so enthusiastic! But it's a welcome and delightful one. Maybe she was just having a bad day when they first met!]

Hmmm, makes sense to me. I like the way you think, Tanya. New experiences can be so much fun. Let's, let's go for it! Let's think of something and do it together! Just... just have to figure out what!

[ Tanya doesn't have the best sense of what life-affirming experiences people like to have, but she does have a specific set of skills... ]

How do you feel about flight?

[She looks immediately intrigued by the thought!]

Iiii feel great about the idea! I always loved the idea of being able to just... zip around in the sky! [She chuckles.] I dream about flying all the time!

Perfect.

[ Look at that youthful excitement. On Scorpia, that is. On Tanya, it's uhhh some kind of excitement.

Jump cut to Scorpia getting strapped into a safety harness Tanya has expertly commandeered from some nice Trenchie. If it feels sudden, that's because it is. Tanya doesn't believe a bit in wasted time. ]

Alright. Make sure the fit feels secure.

[This sure escalated quickly! Scorpia fidgets just a little as the harness is secured, a sheepish smile on her face. And she tries to tug a little on the harness to test it.]

It, it feels nice and snug to me, Tanya! I think we might be, uh, good to go! [She has no idea what this will be like, but hey, it's a new experience with a friend at least?]

Excellent. Rejoice, Scorpia. This is a privilege few have enjoyed.

[ Thrill-seeking is addictive to some people. Tanya can't relate, but she at least understands the physiological reason behind it: that unique cocktail of dopamine, adrenaline, endorphins, and serotonin. She intends to make that chemical cocktail her friend so that Scorpia will be her friend. As Pavlov discovered, associations can be wired in all kinds of surprising ways. Yes, Tanya is a good, rational person who understands how civilized relationships are formed.

Parachutes don't seem to exist here since people can't go up very high with that perpetual horrorcloud looming in the sky, but Tanya deems that no problem. Aerial mages are trained to rescue their own in the event of incapacitation, so she doesn't anticipate any problems with managing a fully conscious, non-injured passenger. The passenger can't fly of her own volition, but that too is okay. Tanya is here to help. This will be comparable to a particularly intense trust fall.

She floats high enough to grip the back of Scorpia's harness. It's a simple matter to cast another formula to reduce gravity's hold on Scorpia and apply a strength formula to herself so that she can bear what weight remains in her small hands. She floats a little higher, which should be enough to divest Scorpia of the ground by a couple feet. ]

[Ooh a unique privelage! That makes it sound more exciting! Never mind that Scorpia is easily excited and easily pleased in general. And she's all about trust falls too, so she... is only slightly nervous about entrusting herself to this tiny new friend. Fueled by the spirit of adventure and friendship (and a cup pf wine), Scorpia feels ready for this!]

Consider me rejoicing! In fact, I was already rejoicing, and now I am re-rejoicing!

[She's very giddy as everything starts to go into motion. Once she feels the grip on her harness, she closes her eyes. And she feels her feet leave the ground.]

It... It's happening. It is happening! Lift-off! I am really, really up there right now. I feel like I can taste the sky!

[With her eyes still closed, it's easier to believe that she's just a bit higher up than she actually is.]

[ If this is Scorpia at 2 feet, then Tanya would love to take her up to 2000. Even that modest(?) amount would be too risky for her tastes, though. 500 should be more than enough for today. She increases their altitude at a steady clip, slow to her but perhaps a bit fast for a first-timer — enough to get a nice breeze in the ears. ]

Hold on to that enthusiasm. Beginners often make the mistake of fixating on how far the earth is below them when they should be focusing on what's in the sky around them.

[ Ah, but Scorpia will have a more difficult time shouting up to Tanya if she wants to reply. Tanya will take the blame for insufficient preparation in that regard. With her free hand, she fishes out her Omni and calls Scorpia. ]

The faster we go, the harder it will be to talk to each other. We'll use our Omnis as a communication line. Any questions so far?

[She opens her eyes and realizes how close she still is to the ground... with a sheepish chuckle.]

Oh wow, we really aren't high at all!

[She tries shouting that out before she notices Tanya using the Omni! So she quickly produces her own to talk back more easily.]

Hm, let's see. First question, this is amazing! If just being up this high is great, I can't imagine what it will be like to go up really high! This is so awesome, and you are awesome. And second question, can you do any tricks?

[Only one of those things may have actually been a question!]

[ Declarations of awesomeness noted... and this has been barely anything in terms of her capabilities as an aerial mage. Things are looking positive for their friendship status. ]

Tricks? I may be able to do one or two things of that description. Even better, I'd like to give you the opportunity to do some tricks of your own. But first, some safety tips. If I give you directions, follow them. Don't get nervous and start flailing, or it might get harder for me to catch you. Lastly, don't drop your Omni. Easy, right?

[ Easy!! So easy that she doesn't even wait for a confirmation. She tightens her grip on Scorpia's harness. ]

Brace yourself. We'll be taking off in 5... 4... 3... 2... 1!

[ She shoots them forward like a bullet! Within seconds, they're rocketing through the sky at a cool 100 mph. ]

Edited 2022-02-23 01:02 (UTC)

Oooh!

[Scorpia sounds very amused by the idea of doing tricks herself! She says that while she continues listening to her explanation. And she also idly takes some pictures with her Omni while this goes on! At the end of Tanya's speech, Scorpia's ready to chime in with an affirmative answer about being great at following orders and how she can't wait to get some from Tanya! But she never gets a chance to utter any of those words, or communicate any nervousness she may feel with the excitement, because before anything can happen, Tanya's counting down!

And it's a bit more than Scorpia expected. A lot more! She screams, mix of excitement and fear as she finds herself rocketing through the air! ...Her Omni does slip out of her pincer, but she manages to narrowly catch it with her tail!]

[ Now that's a trick in itself... but Tanya doesn't notice the unintentional juggling act, too busy keeping an eye on the cloudy sky above and relishing in the energized screaming of Scorpia herself. What an invigorating sound! Scorpia must be feeling so alive.

Tanya maintains speed, waiting patiently for Scorpia to acclimate to the feeling of flight. She also quietly applies some protective shielding and a mild thermal formula to Scorpia to help ease the physical demands of high speed air battery. With that, it should feel more like facing a brisk wind and less like a face-searing tornado. ]

I'm happy to hear you enjoying yourself so thoroughly! Let's move on to the next step: maintaining an aerodynamic profile. It's as easy as it sounds. Keep your head forward and your feet back in line. You can move your hands as needed, but keep your elbows tucked close to your body.

action; sometime in february, choco shenans

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