A new but probably familiar to some arrival

[youngnotstupid]

Well... This was interesting. Forte had been out exploring on her own in armor again, not that she could get very far with the wall blocking their home. Well, not usually.

But today was different. Today she'd found an opening. A gap. And she was planning to make the most of it. She'd missed the alternates, but there was no way of knowing if they were still around. Or if they're even around anymore. But the sign was familiar.

But she doesn't really have a question. Just curiosity and the urge to explore. Her Gospel was tagging along at her heels.

Comments

[youngnotstupid]

Forte freezes at the sight of that thing. Odd Nexus creatures showing up like that could be dangerous.

Gospel growls, baring her teeth.

[feathered_mages]

Kitty stops in her tracks and hisses back...

Which is enough to allow a short, winged fellow in a pointy hat to catch up. "Bad Kitty..," he says to the Displacer, scolding, and then looks up at Forte. "Sorry, I think she's just curious... but she really shouldn't run off like that."

Kitty paces a bit, watching.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte frowns. "Gospel, settle down. No fighting. It's a pet." To the new arrival, she smiles. "What is it? I've never seen one before..."

[feathered_mages]

"Kitty's a Displacer Beast," Mistral says, and starts searching the air around where the feline seems to be. "They're called that because they project an illusion for defense. She's not really there, she's..,"

He's headbutted by something seeking attention, while the visible Displacer seems to headbutt nothing at all. "She's right here." And he'll give Kitty the insisted-on scritches.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte moves to take a better look at the illusion. "That's unique..."

Gospel whines quietly at that.

[feathered_mages]

"I really should put a leash on her," Mistral says, still petting invisible cat, while the illusion purrs happily. "But then people would be able to tell where she was, and that just doesn't seem like a nice thing to do to her."

[youngnotstupid]

Forte frowns. "Some of my family says I should leash Gospel. I don't do it. She's smart. Too smart for that."

[feathered_mages]

"Kitty's a smart girl too, aren't you, Kitty," Mistral says, then sighs. "There's always someone who just doesn't like pets." He's thinking of Arashi there.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte giggles. "She bit a few of them before for being mean."

[feathered_mages]

"I try not to let Kitty bite anyone. Arashi would probably zap her if she did, and then there'd be trouble, because I'd have to freeze him for it and there would be a fight. I don't like to fight with my brothers if I don't have to."

Kitty's still kept under control by scritches, but she's watching Gospel again, curious. The visible illusion looks like it's watching empty air some two meters to the left of Gospel.

[youngnotstupid]

Forte nods. "Fighting is never good. Ever. That's what my brothers told me."

Gospel is watching warily, growling quietly at the creature.

[feathered_mages]

And Kitty suddenly decides to wash her paw in a show of feline disdain. Fine with her if Gospel doesn't want to be friends, she didn't either! So there!

"No, it isn't," Mistral agrees. "Sometimes it's necessary, sometimes it's unavoidable... but it's never good."

[youngnotstupid]

Gospel growls a bit at that.

Forte nods. "Keeping yourself safe from injury. Protecting your family."

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods. "And sometimes people that can't do that themselves pay us to do it for them."

Kitty makes a big show of ignoring the wolf - while actually really not ignoring them at all. Cats...

[youngnotstupid]

Forte seems startled at that. "People actually really do that? I never knew it was possible."

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods. "We do it all the time. It keeps my brothers out of worse trouble."

[youngnotstupid]

Forte thinks it over. "It would help if you have aggressive family."

[feathered_mages]

"Arashi has temper issues," Mistral admits. "And Blaze, well, he's more interested in being paid, and doesn't mind throwing around fire spells."

"I'm the oldest, so I have to try to keep them in line, and this seems to work."

[youngnotstupid]

Forte nods. "My family tends to be temperamental too. I understand that. We just don't have the outlet. Not normally. Other than raiding..."

[feathered_mages]

"We had to find one through this place, just to make sure we didn't stir things up at home. Maybe your family could do the same."

[youngnotstupid]

"Now that the route here has reopened, that's likely. It closed for a while. Which really sucked."

[feathered_mages]

Kitty's done with her wash for now, and with typical feline arrogance decides Mistral isn't paying enough attention to her. The headbutt nearly knocks the small Waltz down, but he doesn't seem to mind... just scritching the displacer now that he knows where she is.

"Hmph. I guess that could be a danger, when visiting other worlds. It's interesting, but I wouldn't want to be trapped there... or anywhere else where I couldn't get home at least some of the time."

[youngnotstupid]

Forte nods. "It's a big danger... I wouldn't want to get trapped away from home. But I hate never leaving more."

[feathered_mages]

Mistral nods. "I know what you mean. The Black Mage village can be... boring. And I think we were designed with some kind of species pecking order." There's a hmph from him at that, a bit cross at the idea. "Being around the older Black Mages isn't easy. We... me and the other Waltzes... they're sort of our parents, but at the same time it just feels natural to try to boss them around. And they let us do it. It's one of the reasons Rydia started taking us to other worlds to start with."

[youngnotstupid]

[[OOC: I lost this until I started digging through my inbox recently. Next time, him me on AIM if I lose something like this. Going to reply if you want to continue, but I'm also interested in possibly trying something new instead if you'd prefer...]]

Forte frowned at that. "There was supposed to be a pecking order in my family. It's long since died... And even if my brothers are older, sometimes it's hard to listen." She knows the feeling.