voidtreckernet | horseshoe 22, voice

Nope! [ Tidus can give a confident confirmation about that. ] You'll be my first go! Hey, what's the worst that can happen?

[ Without a pause, there's a hiig! from below, Gibbs twirling and appearing with a blink and flash of light on top of Roland's head. Not seen by the president: arms held out and up, a body of confidence and belief of his own.

But Roland may sense it, even if he can't see it--and isn't that the very nature of hope? Being optimistic, having the belief of a better future. What can come out of risks, even in the darkest of times. Tidus grins at Roland, wiggling the fingers of his waiting hand. ]

Even Gibbers agrees! [ Heheh.

Let Tidus cast a spell on you, Rolo. ]

Sure, you can make sure everything's safe! You'd know better than me.

[ What does a guy from a futuristic city really know about having too many plugs in one socket?? ]

A hot plate for coffee, huh? The kettles in Zanarkand do that better than the ones here... I wonder if there's any in the kitchen I don't know about? [ Might be worth checking out. ]

Long as we have good lids and people remember to use them and take down whatever they dirty to the real kitchen, it shouldn't be too bad.

Oh yeah. [ A click of snapping fingers can be heard. ] Waste basket. For sure. Teabags and wrappers.

Yes, I remember, that did happen to Eva and Nita. I was worried they wouldn't ever come back, but they both did.

[ Tidus does remember right, Curufin's on the Council. ]

I somehow missed that, that Kaiba was giving out copies of the two documents. Maybe my roomies still have copies. I'll ask them, but it would be great if there were some in the library. I did hear the talk about assembling all the information about what's happened on the train since we've been on it. And before that, I did testify to the Council about going with Arataka Reigen and the Ministry inspectors to some little Ministry office in who knows what part of the Void, to file a complaint about being collected by the Voidtrecker Express without our permission. [ Wryly. ] I'm sure that didn't endear us to the train! But anyway, I should add my testimony to our doc collection, since Reigen's not here to do it. By the way, I don't remember anything about how we got to that dingy little office, nor do I remember being transported back to the luggage car. So, the Ministry must be using a technology similar to the train's.

[ Well-! ]

That's news to me. I didn't know anyone went to the ministry. [ Huh! ] What happened? Did they just ask questions? What about how to get in contact with them?

[ Roland isn't sure what sound comes out of him now; a mix of a half-hearted groan and an uncertain sigh. The higgledy on his head doesn't warrant much of his shock either, but between Gibbs encouraging Roland with waves of hope to his own higgledy residing inside him at the moment, Courage! he feels Bambosh express... ]

[ Roland looks apprehensively at Tidus, but ultimately has no better argument for denying him the experiment apart from worry something might go wrong. But there was Gibbs for that, huh? Sly little thing. The worst that could happen was he gets hurt!

He shakes his head. Slowly, he pushes the sleeve up from his bicep and reveals the gold band with glittering jewels studded across from it. Roland turns and extends that arm forward, palm facing Tidus, giving him access to the Arms. ]

...Count to three, got it? [ He's most CERTAINLY not looking away from this! If Roland has to barrel roll from getting blasted, he will!! ]

3-2-1.

[ That was the most low energy, hurried countdown to be granted.

But Tidus does it as requested, even keeps the eye-roll out of his voice, too intrigued to bother. He clamps his hands around the band and his eyes close, energy picking up around himself, the appearance of the floating, aurora-like lights fluttering that signal his magic. First from off Tidus's body, and then to his hands, where he focuses the spell.

And he holds it for a few seconds, hands squeezing around the ban. There's an energy to the spell, animated, bustling - for whatever Roland can tell when it's trapped in the state it is. But he soon releases it, arms moving back, and the familiar rings of gold circle the man, an ease of limbs and quicker, keener senses. A Haste spell, instead of anything deadlier.

Tidus takes a step back, looking, waiting. Gibbs jumping from Roland's head to Tidus's shoulder to wait on the verdict with him. ]

Well?

Yeah! And maybe hand towels and napkins? In case of a mess or so.

[He has a few ideas for later. But this is good for right now.]

Later once we got this sorted out we can slowly add to it. Don’t think a little dry erase board would be too bad either! Just stuff like remember to take dirty stuff to the kitchen or restock x thing when it gets low.

Oh! [This time it’s Galo snapping his fingers.] Maybe a notepad for requests or suggestions?

[ It's familiar certainly, the same spell that quickened his feet against troll after troll back in Irivar. A boost, something he's never had the privilege of casting even in the second world. Everyone else in the team capable of magic that could wreak the entire field, but Roland was always the physical front liner, not quite hitting the requirements for casting for one reason or another. Perhaps as the perfect counterbalance to his other, more spell-oriented half?

So you can forgive that spark of excitement that may or may not be hidden behind open eyes when he watches Tidus use the spell on his Arms Band. Not taking his eyes off of it, feeling a bit of its effects crawl up his muscles, as if he's now ready to take flight. At Tidus's prompt, Roland he nods and lets the spell - if at all - settle in. A few seconds, even Gibbs watching, then he extends his arm again, eyes closed, trying to access the same mindspace he would had this been a regular move of his.

...

...

...

Nothing happens. Roland opens his eyes, deflates somewhat. ]

Well, I guess I shouldn't have expected learning a spell to be that easy for me. Thanks for trying, Tidus.

[ Tidus clicks his tongue against the back of his teeth. ] Really? What's the difference? Pah, woulda been a good move to have.

[ He's biased for his speed moves though. ]

What if I tried teaching you? I mean, try - it took some work for me to get it, but I know the idea about it. It's just getting you to understand it too...?

[ Would it be difficult though? If Roland knows what magic is and believes in it, and uses some form of energy anyway, with his weaponry. It can't be totally hopeless. ]

[ Roland glances at Gibbs, who for some reason, is still in the mood to move around? And then back again at Tidus who proposes something unusual. If only because Roland's own skillsets were the responsibility of not just the Arms Band remembering moves, but Evermore's own scholars granting him extended power to perform them. He leans a hand against his hip. ]

I'm sure you'll welcome the challenge, pro. I certainly won't stop you from trying. [ Not to be a downer, but he is a realistic person. ] Just set your expectations. If Evermore's Spellworks sorcerers couldn't teach me the kind of magic you cast, I don't know what can.

[ Tidus isn't stubborn about everything, he knows he can be outmatched and this is certainly it, but at the same time- ]

Well, what's the problem? What was stopping you? How did you learn it?

[ He feels insistent, only since he figures that if he can get it, why can't Roland? The guy's a lot smarter and dedicated than himself. ]

I might try singing some of our stories to it. Our being whales, though I can probably manage other ones.

Knock yourself out. I'm not sure I'm big on the pleasantries approach myself.

But that's just me.

It depends a lot on what the train's motivation is, doesn't it? OR what people think its motivations are.

So, what do you think then? About its motivations.

I don't know, to be honest. I just think it's benign. Which doesn't mean it isn't hurting us by not explaining itself. Even if it can't, that doesn't change the fact it's doing harm. It just means someone needs to find a way to get it able to explain, and that someone is going to be us because no one else is here.

Mm. [ It's a non-committal sound, one way or another. Not disagreeing though. ]

That's why I'm trying this way. I can't do any special speaking magic, but we know the feedback post gets some response. So why not see what it's willing to cough up and isn't. Or how much it takes.

And it shows it's not just a few of us.

Right! What if we think everything's been tried and asked for except we haven't tested it for sure? And it turns out it hasn't.

When I went with Nita before to the stores, the train was listening through the feedback post as well as the wall. So I wanna get it to really listen!

...

[ He looks away in thought. Gibbs won't have the answers this time, and so Roland asks himself the same question. Was it for lack of trying in the second world? Never really bothering to try?

No, that's impossible too. Roland was at the Spellworks learning new moves for everyone - and the Arms Band only enhanced or awakened underlying potential and skill. ]

Hm. It might be because I'm from a world that doesn't have magic in the first place. [ A helpful suggestion; one rooted in logic? ] Or I'm just not cut out for spells. It's not unheard of, you know? There's a country in the second world that manufactured magic wands so that even non-magic folk could cast spells. It could be as simple as that.

[ It seems unfortunate, or confusing, that a guy that ca use some type of skill with his weaponry can't do magic. A reason or logic that Tidus couldn't understand even if he wanted to, but the mention of the wands light up his face. Like an answer being right there: ]

Can you get one? Why not use that then! [ Meanwhile, Gibbs hops down onto the floor, an understanding happening between them in supposed silence. Tidus rolls a shoulder, elbow bending in. ]

What's a wand look like?

[ Can you wear it?? ]

[ That's...not something Roland ever thought about. At the time, this information was only relevant because of the mission. ]

It's called a smartstick. It kind of looks like a metal rod that can extend and collapse at ease, with a gem at the tip. But I don't know about getting one. I'd have to swap out my pistol for it in a fight.

[ And he'd rather stake his life on the gun than the wand; the gun, he knows he's great at. The wand, well... ]

[ Pah! ] Just get five arms bands and wear them like rings. Easy! Why's something called an arms band so limited...

[ Don't mind his mumbling over here. But Tidus extends out his hand, and in an easy display, he forms a small geyser in an instant, more of a manhole letting rip than anything too large. Until Gibbers squeals and bumbles on over, jumping on in and letting it spring up higher, wider.

Water splashes the flooring as it dies down, leaving Gibbers split into a multiple of smaller water higgledies. Tidus thinking, humming- ] So if I make it blast forward..., [ and doing the same set-up, a clenched hand and then throwing it out, he forms more of a squirting cannon of water that the higgledies spring up into, and send it rushing on ahead like in the games car.

...well, somewhat, until the spell dispels and the higgledies splash against the floor, scattering around. ]

I can stick the notebook the train gave me in there. I don't really use it anyway. [ He's just not much of a notes-taking guy, despite some efforts (that lasted like ten minutes before he got bored). ]

I'll jot in it they should put any requests on the one Mami's got going in the standard coach, so they're not all over the place.

[ Hm! ] Hopefully they're not just telling other people to spend their points when they could be doing it themselves.

[ This potentially future suggestion-giver! ]

Yeah! I’ll add to it with mine over time. When we need shit.

So that’s as settled as it can be for now. [He is not the note taking sort but he knows a decent set up when he hears it.]

Unless you can think of anything else. I got nothing over here.

horseshoe 22, voice

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