grasshopper 1, video

[blitzcheer]

Hee-eyy, is there anyone on board who can whip up some small containers? With magic or--whatever? Is there anything around? I need to make this--

[ He holds up a filled glass bottle the size of about an energy drink. ...if with a fancier bottle to it. ]

Into about--three! They're megalixirs! They'll make people feel good as new out on missions, magic and all! Light! [ And a smile springs on his face, even if he doesn't know she can hear him. ] I got a bunch of them! --Oh yeah, and Bryn! Yuna! I got stuff for you too! Come meet me in the luggage car!

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[blitzcheer]

[ He folds his arms with a small bump as they come together, head slightly inclined and a hum between his lips. Honestly, it doesn't make sense, but he tries to think of what he knows: of Spira, of stories, but on that thought.

It's not a lightbulb, but he brings his head upright, cuts his hum. ]

Is it like...the land becomes affected by the essence they leave behind? So like, how that one place- [ he nods to the book ] -was still affected after the dragon attacked it? The area just changes.

[ Is he close. ]

[draconite]

Mm... something like that. It's more...

[ She looks frustrated with her own inability to get this across for a moment – but then her face lights up. ]

Oh– no, I understand now how to explain it. Tidus, if I were to ask you to think of the ocean... whether or not you were conscious of it, the idea of "water" would also be at the forefront of your mind. The concept of "water" is integral to the concept of an "ocean" – you may be able to think of water without picturing the ocean, but you can't imagine the ocean without also picturing water.

So I suppose what I'm saying is... in this explanation, the dragon becomes, to the world, what water is to the ocean. The very nature of its existence becomes something that cannot be removed from how you imagine the world.

[blitzcheer]

[ this on the inside but a little on the outside too. ]

... So... [ s...o.... ]

...if you thought about your world right now...



...you'd know every old and important dragon that ever lived?

[ ????????????????????????????????? ]

[draconite]

Well– no, but you see– the thing is– [ She continues in that vein for a moment before trailing off and looking kind of confused herself. It's kind of transparent in that moment that she doesn't really know what she's talking about either.

And then, with a cheery: ] Anyway! [ she just continues as if she had, in fact, successfully explained herself. ]

It's very rare for a dragon that old and powerful to die, but when they do... well, they often would rather their power and influence not vanish from the world with them.

[blitzcheer]

[ ??????????????????? ]

[blitzcheer]

Oh, yeah, sure! That makes sense.

[ yeah yeah yeah he's following yeah yeah yeah yeah ]

So then, pacts- [ because wait wasn't he asking about them- ] Does that have something to do with that?

[draconite]

Yes! A Pact is the way a dragon will pass that power onto someone – though it's not just power they pass on. You assume the mantle of their responsibilities and their influence and everything else that was theirs – in all ways but the physical, you more or less become them yourself.

It goes two ways, of course. It's not so much that they simply hand this power out to anyone worthy... but they give it to people who share their goals and their ideals. I suppose you could think of it as ensuring they leave behind no unfinished business?

[ Which was Very Much the case for Bryn. ]

[blitzcheer]

[ See, now this is much simpler! Tidus can actually follow this! ]

So you've got a big job waiting for you back home! [ That's what he's hearing. ] What's a dragon want you to go and do?

[ He's pretty interested. Dragons sure love to either work with people or murder them. ]

[draconite]

Hmmm.

[ Now that's an odd response. As is the up and down look she's giving Tidus – her expression is suddenly a little serious and she has a look as if she's sizing him up somehow. ]

Well... if I tell you, will you promise to keep it a secret? It's not as though I expect you to run and tell everyone you speak to, but with things like they are right now, it might upset some of the other passengers to hear me speak of it so casually.

[blitzcheer]

[ Wow, it took her this long to check him out?!

No, actually, he's not sure what the look is for, curious--even more so with what follows it, a bit of a blank look on his face. ]

Uh... sure. What is it?

[ His brain wants to make guesses, but what should he even guess...? ]

[draconite]

He asked me to kill a particular someone.

[ YOU KNOW

JUST DRAGON THINGS ]

[blitzcheer]

[ Tidus stares at Bryn. It's a stare that speaks what he doesn't, what his lips don't even mouth. It's an expression that speaks for his very soul when she reveals her mission, the brief look of astonishment giving away to a look that can only be described as:

Seriously, Bryn. ]

Why.

[ Just....sigh....why.... ]

[draconite]

[ A bit defensively: ] Don't look at me like that! It's for a good enough reason, I assure you!

[ bryn can have LITTLE a murder as a treat!!! ]

You see – the man I have to find is the man who killed Teacher. I still don't know why he did it... I simply returned one day and our home was in flames and Teacher was there among the ruins. He... was very badly injured.

[blitzcheer]

[ ugghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ]

Okay, [ okay, ] I guess I can get going after the guy that killed him. [ FINE. FINE.

But also, more importantly: ] Sorry about your teacher. So your pact... you still feel him, like this?

[ Having a presence of someone after their death = not that weird to Tidus, actually. ]

[draconite]

Yes. Mostly in here–

[ And she taps the side of her head to demonstrate. ]

Now that I have a part of him with me always, it almost feels as though I still have him looking out for me. When I'm not sure what to do or I start feeling lost, it's as though I can hear Teacher telling me what I should be doing next.

[blitzcheer]

Well that's nice. [ Huh. That's...sorta...cool...maybe? Let's just see it as a positive. ] I wonder if that's how it was for Yuna...

[ Oh, but they've gotten way distracted, haven't they? And Tidus remembers the book, tapping it. ]

Hey, I want to see the rest of this! How about I put the rest of the stuff I got away and meet you in another of the cars? The standard coach?

[ Then she'll get to flip through it herself first. ]

[draconite]

Yes! Perfect!

[ She hugs the book to her chest with one hand and cheerily punches the air with the other. She's all fired up!! ]

I'll find us somewhere comfortable to talk, never fear!

wrap for them sweet points?

[blitzcheer]

I'll be counting on you!

[ At the very least, he doesn't regret this purchase. All (murder) things aside, he likes seeing her happy. ...even if her joy has been dangerous to Inigo. But whatever, that. ]