seasonsrpg | other side of the universe (open)

Entry tags:

other side of the universe (open)

WHO: Agent Maine & YOU
WHAT: tattoos, training, and polar bears, oh my!
WHEN: early June
WHERE: all over Nightwake
WARNINGS: n/a

Frostreign — Winter Guild

Maine hits up the Winter Guild right away. Seems like the most sensible thing to do. If he's gotta learn magic—or seasonal powers, or whatever—then going to the Guild is the obvious first step.

The place is surprisingly cozy. A little on the cold side, but so is outer space. There are warm blankets scattered around, and the interior of the stone building gives Maine the impression of some faraway castle. Not that he's ever been in a castle before, but if he had, he imagines it would be like this.

He does some research, then sets about training. He's easy to spot: seven feet tall and built like a barge, with a shaved head and a determined look on his face.

Find him on the second floor as he attempts to create steam … but what he's creating instead is a fine veil of mist that swirls around his feet.

Or spot him later, when he's holding an elemental ribbon weapon and looking at it with extreme doubt plastered on his face.

Amberfall — Tattoo Shop

Magical tattoos? Now, this Maine had got to see.

They give him the option of a permanent versus a temporary tattoo. His instinct is to scoff. He doesn't need some pasted-on crap that'll flake off soon. But they assure him the process is the same. So he decides on the magical effects he wants (Danger Sense and Minor Regeneration Powers). Then it's time to figure out the design.

Catch him standing there in a tank top, muscles on muscles, as he studies various designs on the wall. Looking over, he asks in a deep, gravely voice, "These things work?"

Sunwaning — Weapon Training HQ

Today, Maine is training with a combat knife.

He has some experience with the weapon. That much is obvious from the ease with which he holds it, respectful but unafraid of the blade. But it's also apparent that this isn't his weapon of choice.

After practicing forms for a while, he moves onto the knife throwing range. There, he takes up a blade, aims, and flings it down the range.

SHINK!

It sticks! … Handle-first.

Solarpeak — Giant Pool

There is a polar bear in the pool.

How did the polar bear get there? Who knows! No one saw it arrive. One minute, everything was fine. The next, there was a polar bear in the pool.

The polar bear seems pretty content in the water, but should it be there? Maybe it'd be better to try and convince it to leave…

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The grumpy bear noise is kind of adorable but she will spare them the indignity of saying so.

"You want some help changing back? I'm a natural shapeshifter so maybe I have a trick that'll work."

Maine considers that for a moment. It'll probably mean getting out of the water, which will suck. Then again, it's not like he has a plethora of other options.

So he nods. Then he swims to shore, climbs onto it dripping wet, and … instinctively shakes off. Whoops?

The shapeshifter lady, having expected this, takes it in good humor. She's an animal herself after all.

"What helped me to get the hang of it was visualizing, corny as that sounds. Picture your features going from polar bear to person, slowly. A calm mind can help if you can get it."

"--I'd show you me shifting to give you a visual, but my clothes don't shift with me and that's a lot for a first meeting, even for me."

The bear blinks, then makes a grumbling sound of agreement. Yeah, that's a lot for a first meeting. Then Maine shuts his eyes and tries to imagine what she says. Tries to picture his features sliding from bear to man. Tries…

… And a single arm turns back into a human's.

She will not laugh, she will not laugh. She might, however, picture this forevermore when they run into each other in the city.

"That's the idea," she says encouragingly, being quite patient. "One arm is better than nothing, especially for a first attempt."

Maine lets out a frustrated bear noise, which sounds quite intimidating given that he's a giant polar bear. But it's definitely mitigated by the arm just sort of … stuck there.

Single fist clenching in concentration, Maine continues to try. He thinks of more than just the visual, though. He thinks of how it feels to be in his body. How air feels on his skin; how his muscles feel beneath it; how he moves; how he breathes…

Slowly, the polar bear's body begins to change, gradually transforming into a seven foot tall, extremely muscular man clad in black swim trunks. Maine stands up, straightens his back.

And then lets out another frustrated noise. Because his head is still a bear's.

Saya can't help a small sound that she saves by clearing her throat. Obvious yes, but better than laughing. She is wholly unintimidated by the size of the human behind the bear facade.

"The head is the hardest part. One more push and you'll be you again."

Maine absolutely catches that almost-laugh. He's grateful it's not a full laugh, but still. How embarrassing!!

More frustrated than ever, he reaches up and just. Pushes at his bear head. Like he can push the fur back into his skin.

And weirdly enough … it works! Feeling his head tells him what's wrong, allowing him to shape it into what it should be. And finally, there he stands: shaved head, intense eyes, cheeks flushed from pure embarrassment.

He pokes at his mouth. Makes sure his lips are in order before finally grumbling out, "Thanks."

His voice is so growly, she would be forgiven for mistaking that it's not quite right yet. But that's just how he sounds!

The blush almost makes her chuckle again but this time she avoids it entirely.

Being used to big guys with gravely voices, she just smiles. "Sure thing. I'm glad I didn't have to carry a polar bear back to the appropriate zone."

"You're new at the shifting thing, I'm guessing."

The mention of her carrying a polar bear earns a quick, assessing look. She doesn't look like she could carry him, let alone a bear. Then again, she said she's a shapeshifter. Maybe she'd turn into an elephant or something.

He nods. "First time." A pause, then he adds, "Was trying for walrus."

Hence being in the pool. But instead … bear.

Nah, she could lift a polar bear in this form. She could lift several, if they'd stack neatly. Chiropteran queens don't play by any rules except their own.

She gives him an appraising glance because one good turn deserves another.

"You weren't all that far off, in the realm of "huge animals that can swim". Not bad for a first attempt." She seems genuine as opposed to being patronizing.

"I'm Saya."

For Maine, who is competitive to the point of recklessness, 'not far off' isn't where he wants to be. He wants to be on the money, accomplishing the things he intends to accomplish. He wanted walrus; he got bear. It's frustrating.

But he recognizes that she's being genuine. And he supposes that if a shapeshifter says so, there must be some merit to it. She's obviously more experienced than himself.

"Maine." He offers a hand to shake, both to be polite and because touch energy is an important thing here.

Unfortunately humans gotta practice these things.

She reaches out to shake his hand, and has a grip that speaks to far more strength than her petite frame appears to have, which he probably expected by this point.

"Maine? Are you American, or is it a coincidence?" She instantly switches from what she had been speaking (French) to American English, not that it matters with the translation, it's just a habit.

That sure is a grip! Maine takes note of it, reassessing his initial evaluation of her. Maybe she's got magic super strength or something, in addition to being a shapeshifter.

He shakes his head. "Never been to Earth," he says.

He could launch into an entire explanation about how Agent Maine is a code name. But he's not sure it's necessary. Besides, it's more than a code name at this point; it's how he thinks of himself.

He is Maine. That other name was from some life before.

"Yeah? A spacefaring era, or are you a lot less human than you look? Not that I'd blame you."

She gestures to herself. Confirmed non-human despite looking extremely human. Except for the strength and her red eyes.

So, she's … not human. She looks a lot more human than other nonhumans Maine has met. Which is honestly more confusing than it has any right to be.

So Maine puts it aside, focusing on the oddity of one of her questions.

"Spacefaring," he says. Then he tilts his head to the side. "Others aren't?"

"Not when I was last on Earth, in the early 2000s. Humans were basically Earth-bound, except for a few trips to the moon and a locally orbiting space station."

"But it's been a few hundred years so one would hope they've advanced by now."

… Right. Time is weird here. Somehow, it hadn't crossed Maine's mind that he might be meeting people from so far in the past.

"2547," he says, gesturing to himself. That's the year he's from.

Then he repeats, "A few hundred years?" with a tilt of his head. What does she mean by that?

"Ah. So all sorts of things that are mundane to you would be jaw-dropping to someone from the last time I was there." Cool.

"Ah," she says, somewhat self-consciously, used to letting stuff like that slip now but not usually with strangers. "I'm around 5,000 years old. And some change. I can't remember most of my life because of a quirk of my species, but yeah."

"Before you have to ask, I'll just be polite and tell you that my species are often confused with vampires. None of the garlic- or sunlight-sensitivities and if you try to stake me I'll just be annoyed, but I do drink blood. Only with permission." Nothing to be nervous about, she has plenty of willing donors.

Maine blinks.

Slowly.

Then again, a bit more normally. Because that's either a whole lot to take in, or a hell of a baldfaced lie. He can't decide which he'd prefer. On the one hand, being lied to would be irritating. On the other … a five thousand year old not-vampire who definitely sounds like a vampire.

Not that vampires are real.

… Are they?

"Huh," he eventually says. And then: "Really old."

Shoulda been here a bit ago, dude. Not that she'd wish those vermin on her worst enemy.

She laughs at his statement, always trying to be in good humor about people's reactions. "I am, yeah. I spent most of that time on Earth, and then bounced around to three other worlds before landing here. This is the nicest place by a longshot. The multiverse is a fucked up place."

Maine's brow furrows. This is the second time he's heard about someone bouncing around the multiverse, the first being his friend Wash.

"That common?" he asks. "Bouncing around?"

Is that something Maine should be wary of happening, or maybe even expect to happen now that he's here?

She thinks for a second. "The other three worlds I was kidnapped to before this one, it wasn't common at all to have had any place between their home and that world. But here, there's a much higher percentage of people who have been to at least one world other than their homeworld before coming here."

"It must be a quirk in the way the Power Holders pull people in. Or an enormous coincidence."

Maine hums, considering that. What would be the advantage to having people experienced in dimension-hopping? Maybe they're not as hooked to their own reality?

"First time," he says, pointing a thumb at himself. That said, "Been to different planets."

Spacefaring and all.

She's thought about that very question and gave up guessing before she got anywhere. This beats prison, a cursed city, and literal hell, so it's whatever.

"Ah. I can't imagine that's the same experience as being brought to another dimension, and one that relies on magic instead of tech at that."

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