Meet the Creators a Short Visit - RPLOG
Participants
Date
25/8/478
Log
There has never been such a small Creator Vessel to visit Promise! Well, at least not Firmament. While many seem to be the size of small cities, this one is not much larger than a moderate market stall. In fact, that is precisely where it has set down. The remarkable vehicle has taken up a large market tent space and the. . . gangplank? Space plank? Creator Chute? Whatever it is called is slowly starting to descend. Who could have come to visit today?
flick of the tail, and Flora moves through the marketplace as usual. Her golem below her, she rides the metal beast with a smile on her lips, while two guards move alongside her, albeit a bit to the back... All in all, the cat looks rather... Dumbfounded, considering this was the spot normally occupied by the vendor of gears...
Already in the markets, the noise and spectacle of an arriving Creator ship drew Natska to the stall area. She gives Cassidy's arm a small squeeze, then watches the ship, her tail curling back and forth. "Huh! I wonder who this is."
Cassidy adjusts her floppy-brimmed sunhat, leaning against Natska as she observes the ship. "I'm really not sure how to feel about all of this," she murmurs to her wife, squeezing her arm in return. "But I am curious, too, so we shall see."
Bazalt WAnders by Munching on something. He Spots The ship and tilts his head, having no clue whats going on he walks closer, and eyes Flora, hanging back for now he Smiply watches.. and munches on whatever it is he's eating.. somesortof.. Crunchy thing...
Rokarion sighed as he moved after the salamander, the amphibian going over to check the creator vessel that landed today. Both of them stop near to the creator vessel, Rokarion sporting his usual apathy while Zuri was as excited as ever.
The normal occupant of the market space is standing dumbfounded off to one side, his barrow of cut gears and clockwork mechanisms forgotten amidst the strange spectacle.
Everything has come to a standstill around the ship as three figures descend the ramp. They are Creators, or at least Creator shaped. They are dressed rather strangely though. They each wear strange imitations of local garb, as if someone had seen it, described to a friend and then had that friend talk to a tailor. To top it all off, all three are wearing life like animal masks! There are two males, one in a horse mask and one in a pig mask, while the single female wears a red fox mask.
Bazalt tilts his head and steps a Bit closer. "what the..." He Muses as he Takes a final bite of his crunchy thing."This.. Will.. be.. interesting.." he mumbles, Blue eyes Staring at the... masked... creators while his tail just trails along the ground behind him.
Flora blinks. Quite a lot, actually, as she looks at the three 'creators' coming out of the ship, her tailtip twitching lightly. "Flora... Flora has no idea what's going on anymore."
Natska tilts her head to the side, her tail slowing until just the tip of it flicks. She nudges her hat up just a little and stares at the Creators, then sighs, squares her shoulders, and starts approaching through the crowd of gawkers. "Hello, there!" she calls. "What is the occasion?"
Rokarion looks at the three creators, raising a brow as his mind goes back to the time a creator tourist was tricked into dressing in a ballgown, and wondering if this was the same thing. Rokarion simple leaned down and exchanged some whispered words with Zuri before looking back up and moving closer to the three creators, "Greetings...honoured guests. May we ask what are you doing here? Are you waiting for someone?"
Cassidy folds her arms, watching quietly. "So strange," she whispers, scooting a little closer to Natska. "What do you... Think they want?" She asks of Natska, looking up towards her wife before turning her eyes to the strange Creators again.
Natska gives Cassidy a small shake of her head. "I have no idea, but we'll find out," she murmurs. "And hopefully prevent any trouble."
"Oh!" squeals the female in the fox mask, "It is JUST like on the Jestream Flash show! They are just so friendly!" Her companions are a little less enthusiastic, the male in the horse mask apparently doing his best to appear world wise and unimpressed, while the male in the pig mask is actually doing a much better job of it, appearing to be sulky and unhappy about all of this. "Come along, you two," the woman says gleefully, dragging the others along with her, "We don't have much time and I want to try EVERYTHING!" It is obvious who is in charge here. She charges down the ramp, letting it close behind the trio and approaches Natska, since she was the first to speak up. "HELLO!" the woman says, loudly and slowly, "WE ARE VISITORS. WE WANT TO SEE FUR-MA-MINT!"
Silently, and staring a little awkwardly, Flora steers her golem over to the female, her head shaking lightly. "Flora can understand miss creator just fine, yes. And Flora is sure friend Natska could understand just fine, too, yes," she rumbles, before shaking her head again, her tail swaying behind her.
Cassidy lays her ears back at their... Enthusiasm. "You're in it," she says, hugging Natska's arm as she eyes the creator masks with skepticism. "This city is Firmament. In the nation of Sweetwater. What... Do you want to see?"
Bazalt Frowns And sighs halftempted to wander off before things got... Louder.."Ahhh.. Nah" HE says Stepping alsightly closer his blues eyes fixed on the loud female. "You dont have to be so damn loud you know." he sighs as his tail Curls arond his leg slightly.
Natska perks her ears as she's addressed, and then they fold ever so slightly until the idea of leaving the trio in the middle of Drytounge crosses her mind. She gives the woman a pleasant smile, however. "I see!" she responds. "And how much time do you have to see it? Firmament is a large city, Lady ...?"
Zuri steps out from behind Rokarion to greet the three Creators himself. He was about to say hi when he's silenced by Creator's loud and slow speech. He tilts his head, then nibbles on his lip. Must be a Creator thing! He smiles brightly. "HE-LLO, I AM ZU-RI. IT IS WON-DER-FUL TO MEET YOU!" His tail whips behind him excitedly. He loves meeting Creators!
Rokarion looks down on Zuri then back at Bazalt, now that is a person that would be funny to introduce the creators to, the social inept ex-bio weapon. Rokarion then looked back at the creator before leaning again to whisper something into Zuri's ear.
"Oh!" the female says, it seems to be the way she starts most sentences, "Aren't they just darling, darling? So very clever!" She turns back to Natska and happily reaches out to pat the feline's nose, gives a stern look at the other too and then looks back at Natska. "You can call me Miss Fox," she says, apparently very pleased with the name, "This is Mister Horsecollar and Porky! We want to see everythi-" Then she catches sight of Zuri and squeals with delight, sweeping the little salamander into her arms. After all, that is what you are supposed to do with small beings on Promise!
Both males seem a little embarrassed, but dutifully step forward, the invisible frown evident in the body language of poor 'Porky.' Horsecollar clears his throat and steps up to take the female's place before Natska and Cassidy, though he looks nervously between them and Flora. "Perhaps you could recommend somewhere to eat?" he asks, as if from a memorized text.
Bazalt Blinks, a small grin growing his face at the names. Before He Growls softly as his Friend is just swept up by.. the 'miss fox'. His tail uncurls and tenses, and he just frowns, Staring at her and saying nothing. Whatcould he doataack.. one of these.. Creator people? that wouldnt go well.. He Just Frowns, his slit Eyes narrowing to slivers as he stares at her, tensed and unsure what to do.
A blink, a small nod as Flora gestures at some of the stalls. "Flora... Flora could suggest the stalls, yes. Or the Freeswords inn... Or any of the restaurants in the academy district, yes," she concludes, still staring a little dazedly at the three creators...
Zuri turns to Rokarion, about to reply to the whisper when he's suddenly snatched up by the fox-masked Creator. He 'waaaahs!' on his way up, but naturally giggles as he's pulled into her lap. "Hi Miss Fox! I'm Z-. Oh, I've said that already, haven't I?" He peers at her closely. He gestures out to the city. "Welcome to Firmament!"
<Be cool,> Natska tells Bazalt, in Shadow-speech. <There will be no incidents today.> She gives Horseface a short nod, then looks over at Cassidy. "Who do we know that would be able to handle this properly?" she asks. "That cafe steak house? Is Tam back from his trip?"
Rokarion sighs as Zuri is swept away from him, he knew this was going to happen, and a frown manage to reach his face before nonchalance dominates it again. The plant being wasn't really annoyed at creators doing it, after all it wasn't their fault it was the beings who did it and spread this stereotype that deserved the blame. Rokarion looks back at the horse and rubs his chin, "Well, I would suggest the Academy district's restaurants for the most 'noble' dining experience so to speak. The Freeswords Inn is owned by a mercenary company so you might not want to visit that, and the stalls lack the proper accommodation for anything but a meal on the go." he adds before looking at Zuri, deciding to let him for a bit since he seemed happy.
Miss Fox giggle herself as she squeezes Zuri. "Oh! See?" she squeals, "Just like the Jetstream Flash show!" She gives the little salamander one last squeeze and lets him go.
Porky rolls his eyes behind his mask and gabbles something fast and obviously sulky to the other two. Horsecollar gives him a sharp look and the pig-masked male sighs. "Is too hard," he moans, "Why not using translate?"
Horsecollar snaps something back at Porky, then turns to the gathered beings. "So sorry," he says, "Forgive my son, he is very rude sometimes." He looks around at the gawking beings and then back to those who have stepped up to help. "Perhaps somewhere a little more private?" he asks, "We have some money to pay for guides and for food."
Zuri plops back down, seeming quite happy to have been snatched up by the Creator. The female Creators do seem to have a thing for him. He plods back to Rokarion's side and offers him a bright smile, completely unaware of his distaste for what just happened. He turns back to the Creators and nibbles on his lip, observing them for now.
Flora blinks another few times, before nodding lightly. "Can't... Really do private, no... Creators attract attention, yes. Especially creators with... Masks, yes. Though the academy district does have the more expensive dinners, yes. Less people, as a result," she mumbles, gesturing at the trio, before moving around the crowd, looking at 'Porky' with a small blink. "Mister... Porky would prefer being somewhere else, yes?" she concludes after a moment, scratching the back of her head in bewilderment at the whole situation.
Rokarion looks down as Zuri returns to his side, saying nothing before looking back up at Horsecollar, "No need to pay us, sir. It is a free service." he comments before nodding his head, "And yes, the Academy district is the one that would perhaps offer the most privacy. Thought do excuse our fellow beings, you are after all dressed quite strangely compared to other creators."
Bazalt Tilts his head atNatska and nods, Relaxing slightly. He just watches and frowns at them, disliking this more and more as his tail flicks in annoyance.He dosnt stop Staring at The woman however, a frown clear on his face.
Cassidy offers a little smile to Natska, shrugging. "I do not know, Natska. Fenris maybe. But... Well, I am not so certain I'm qualified to give tours of our city to... Non-beings. Foreign visitors from other nations, perhaps, but... This is different."
Miss Fox is practically bouncing with excitement. "Oh!" she says (Again) "Yes! Let's try that! AK-AD-EMY sounds like a great place to eat!"
Horsecollar gently takes her arm and looks at Rokarion, who he has decided is the best choice for local tour guide. Because Free! "If you would," he says, "I think that a nice restaurant would be the best choice."
Porky sulks along after Horsecollar and the bouncing Miss Fox, who stops several times with a loud "OH!" to point out another new oddity or pretty bit of jewelry. Horsecollar finally tries to settle her down by offering to buy her a lovely necklace. The merchant seems as confused as he when he produces a pair of unstamped gold coins the size of a being's palm! "How, much is this?" Horsecollar asks, holding out the chunks of gold.
Porky would probably be frowning if anyone could see his face. "I would be anywhere else," he struggles to get out to answer Flora.
Zuri does not even for a second consider the possibility not catering to the Creators' requests. He tilts his head at Miss Fox's remark about the Academy, and leans in to Rokarion. "Rokarion, I think they think we told them the Academy is a restaurant.. should I go ahead and buy some food from Tam or the Freeswords', or even from that place you like in Saint's Square, and bring it back? I think they're going to be disappointed when they find out the Academy is all books."
Rokarion shakes his head at the Ladies Solacious, "Don't worry about it, it is not as hard as it seems actually." the plant being tells them before looking back at the creator and nodding his head, wasn't expecting him to choose based on prices, "Very well, sir. But I would like to point out that I am not from this country. I hail from a different nation to the west." he comments as he follows along, gesturing to Zuri to come as well, before shaking his head at Porky, looks like even the creators have those.
Bazalt Frowns and follows, As much as he disliked them.. and HER. they were interesting.. he falls in beside Natska as he walks but says nothing to her, instead he just keeps his eyes on the 'Miss Fox' watching her oh so closely.
Natska gives Horseface a low bow, adding a little flourish with her hat, then starts to lead towards the academy district. "More than most Beings will see in a year, mister Horsecollar. More than enough to cover dinner, a tour, and an escort to make sure there is no trouble and your afternoon is pleasant. I suggest not showing it off." She smiles, then starts pointing out a few things of interest.
"Flora... Flora could imagine, yes. Meeting people isn't fun, no... Flora would much rather do other things, yes," she concludes after a moment, looking up at the stars, and scratching her head. "Flora... Flora can't even imagine what the creators can do up in space, no," she concludes after a moment of contemplation...
Cassidy follows along, keeping herself close to Natska. "Yes, though I do not anticipate any trouble happening upon you, it's not really... Polite. And better not to offer the temptation at all, to more... To people more than happy to part you from the metal."
Porky sighs, but he squares his shoulders and looks like he is willing to talk a little at least. "It is hard to talk," he says, "I want translate, but father is say good practice." He sighs, his local dialect skills seeming to be exhausted. "Nice (Robot)," he says to Flora, nodding at her golem.
Horsecollar jerks a little when Natska tells him what those oversized coins are worth here. "Really?" he asks, handing over one coin and taking the necklace and passing it to Miss Fox, "But it is only gold!" The three follow along, Miss Fox squealing at most everything they pass and drawing the gazes of all the beings they pass.
Rokarion raises a brow at Horsecollar, "Well sir, you do have to keep in mind that we are not as advanced as the Creators." the plant being says as he points out at the city around them, "Our coinage is based on gold and silver, and that amount of gold is really valuable for any being." he answered as he pointed to the west, "In that direction is Saints' Square, we can go through it and then up north to reach the academy district. You might like it, it contains the church of this city. It is where most beings study the first text and 'worship' the Creator Saints." he adds as he peers back at Porky before focusing on the road.
Flora smiles and pats Bastet, before flicking her tail. "Bastet, yes. Flora built her herself. Just like the other one, yes. Tigris. At home," she concludes with a smile on her lips, before nodding lightly along with Porky. "Creator... Creator speak isn't that different, no... Mister... Porky can just talk creator, if it's more comfortable, yes... Flora can always ask if something is unclear, yes," she concludes after another short pause.
Zuri breaks away from Rokarion to get closer to Horsecollar, the being blinking at the enormous gold coin being handed around, but not adding any further comments. He peers back at Porky, then up at Horsecollar. "Sir, your uh.. uhm.. friend? Doesn't really seem to be enjoying himself. Is he okay?"
Natska nods in agreement with Rokarion. "Mmhm. We have only what we can supply for ourselves. It is only a bit of metal, but it is rare enough and wanted enough to be worth quite a bit to some people."
Bazalt looks at porky and tilts his head. "Hrrmmm.." he mumbles. What interesting things they were.
Horsecollar nods, the long snout of his mask bobbing comically. "That sounds good, um. . ." he starts, "What should I call you?" The poor man is obviously out of his depth and Miss Fox's constant need for attention is obviously draining. He looks at Natska, worry evident in his posture. "They told me that it was your currency," he says, "But I must have gotten the weights wrong. I knew I should have just bought some coins from Harkenson, but it just seemed cheaper to get the raw gold." He looks down at Zuri and shakes his head. "My son wanted to do something different today and he is sulking is all," he explains.
Porky has actually perked up a little bit, now that someone is talking directly to him. "Yes," he says, "But you talk slow, and have (FUNNY) words. It is hard to say. Like reading old journal."
Zuri blinks as the proverbial scepter drops. "Ooooooooh!" He peers back at Porky, then back at Horsecollar. This is just like when Roka takes him to places to get 'cultured' when he'd rather just be out doing his own thing. He smiles sympathetically. "Well, uhm.. what sort of stuff would he rather be doing? Maybe we can accomodate! There's plenty to do in Firmament after all!"
Bazalt
Rokarion rubs his chin and nods his head, "Of course, it might have been cheaper for you." he adds before looking around, "And this is All Saints' Square as you can see there is the church of Firmament and the statues here are those of the Creator Saints." he comments as he looks back at the three Creators, "They are the Creators who are most important to us, Saint Erick who first made us beings. Saint Patricia who extended his blessing to my kind, the Patron Saint of all plant kind. Saint Leon who gave us beings the divine maths. Saint Hiroshi who first sent us beings into the stars to tame worlds for the creators. And finally Saint Alan who convinced your kind to give us Promise and let us live as free beings on it." with the quick historical/religious lesson done, he pointed out at some of the stalls, "Most of them are fake religious artifacts, but you might like them as souvenirs. I can offer to buy them for you, they are not really worth that much gold, unless you want to buy the whole stall.
Bazalt Hums and listens, alot more relaxed now, his attention is now focused only on Porky as he watches him closely, debating wether to head over and talk or not.
Cassidy gives a little nod at that, brushing her hair back with her free hand. "Yes, it would be wise to go through Harkenson for such things. He is the liason for a reason, after all," the fennec says, frowning. "We do want you to have a good time, of course, but this isn't exactly a carnival. It would be rather like one of us coming to visit you in your cities. So it helps when you have every bit of extra knowledge you can get! Like... Our currency, for instance."
There is a mixed reaction to the tour from Rokarion. Horsecollar nods and follows along while Miss Fox can barely keep herself from scooping up the nearest beings to hug and cuddle! "Look at all of the cute animal people!" she squeals, drawing even more attention to the odd procession.
Porky answers Zuri for himself. "I want to go to (Holodeck Arcade) on (System P-13 Megastation) but it is Stac- Miss Fox's turn to choose."
Horsecollar produces another of those huge gold disks. "How many of your local coins do you think this is worth?" he asks Rokarion and Cassidy, "I am sorry to trouble you with this. I may not have thought this through."
Zuri smiles at Porky as he begins to answer, the salamander's jovial expression fading as the two most important bits of information in that sentence turn out to be difficult to understand. "The.. the.. waterfall on the where?" He asks, confusedly. "I don't think I've ever been there before, but I can certainly relate! I love waterfalls too!" He smiles, feeling in his heart of hearts that he has connected with the porcine-masked Creator.
Cassidy rubs at the back of her head, then, staring at the gold. "Erh... Look," she says, producing a pair of crown. "Between these, you should be able to do just about anything you and your family really feel like doing. And you won't confuse people by offering them something like that," she says, offering the currency out.
Bazalt Just continues to listen, mostly on teh interesting conversation bewteen Zuri and porky..
A smile, a shake of her head, and a short blink. "(holodeck)? That is... What the creator scholars called the illusion-machine, yes? Flora thinks that's what it's called, yes," she concludes, before shaking her head. "Flora is... Quite sure we don't have those, no... Not owned by beings, no," she concludes, before shaking her head. "Are there other things mister Porky would like to do?"
Rokarion nods at what Cassidy said, "She is correct, those two coins are called crowns, to put it in perspective, ten of those coins are what a being working as guard would get." he says before looking back at Miss Fox and her father, "Would you two like to see anything in particular?"
Porky shakes his head. "Not waterfalls," he says, a little exasperated. He looks over to where Horsecollar is learning about money, then reaches up to pull his mask off, revealing a round faced Creator boy with dark hair and a pale complexion. He reaches into a pocket and clips something over his ear. "There," he says, the little device on his ear speaking up a fraction of a second later, "That should help. I told Dad that we should have just used these things. Mister Parson's rep provided them and everything!" He shrugs and looks down at Zuri, obviously much more comfortable without his mask. "Call me PJ," he says, "And the tiger is right, it is a place where we can play games in an ILLUSION MACHINE."
Meanwhile, Horsecollar has politely declined the offer of money. "I would be happy to pay you for your currency," he says, handing Cassidy one of those gold disks, "I will trade these for your koo-rowns." He turns to Rokarion. "Food, first, please?" he says, trying to reign in Miss Fox.
Natska flicks her ears as she listens and follows along with the tour, listening to the talk. She smiles as the mask comes off and gives the boy a nod of approval, then points. "Right over there. I like that restaurant."
Zuri blinks, then gasps. "Ooooooh, one of those! I remember that!" He peers up at Flora. "Do you remember Flora, when we went to the ship and we played that game with the boxes and the thing we had to touch, and we could ask for anything we wanted and it became true? And that box that had the thing inside that you said would be there even before you opened it?" He giggles. "That was awesome!" He turns to 'PJ'. "Okay, now I can -definitely- understand why you want to go to the illusion machine place. I thought you were a bit weird for liking waterfalls, to be honest. It's just water, mostly..."
"Well! If you want to trade, sure," Cassidy says. smiling. "I could actually use one of theese, for reasons other than money." And once she has the gold disk, she offers the crown again, this time in return service. "Yes, I have an idea indeed. And I second Natska's recommendation. We've stopped there a few times."
Bazalt Watches the one as known PJ much more closely now. "hrrrm" he tiltshis head looks at him closely.how interesting..
Rokarion looks at Porky as he takes off his mask and starts breaking his father's rules before shrugging and nodding his head at Natska, "Well yes, that restaurant is nice. By the by, that a couple of blocks away is the academy. It is the center of learning here in Firmament." he adds as he stops for a moment and looks at the excitable girl and her brother before rubbing his chin, "Oh, by the way, have you three ever seen divine maths?" Rokarion asks, quickly resolving a simple equation in his mind then summoning a little flame near him. "Don't touch, it is actual fire." he quickly adds as he eyes the creator lady.
Flora smiles and flicks her ears, her tail swaying lazily behind her, before nodding to Zuri, then turning to PJ. "There were some scholars a few weeks ago with their... Ho-lo-deck. They did... Tests, yes," she explains, before smiling faintly. "And other things, yes," she rumbles, before smiling faintly.
"Flora could... Give a tour of LongTech, yes... Though that would involve some paperwork, yes," she concludes after a moment.
"You are the one who said they liked waterfalls!" PJ says to Zuri, seeming to finally start enjoying himself, "But yes, that is what I wanted to do. My sister demanded to see the 'Cute Animal Planet' from the ENTERTAINMENT DEVICE." He looks unimpressed by Rokarion's display. "Of course it's real fire," he mutters, "I can do the same thing with me NO TRANSLATION if Dad had not made me leave it at the station."
Miss Fox is much more appreciative of the display, clapping and laughing, though there is no way she is half so young as she acts. "Oh! Look!" she chirps, "How clever!" She turns and taps on Horsecollar's arm. "How come Miss Bliss can't do that?" she asks.
Horsecollar seems intrigued but is destracted by Miss Fox's questions. "I don't know, sweetheart," he says, and turns pleading eyes (under the mask of course) to their guide, "Let's just get into the restaurant, please," he begs.
"Of course sir," Natska answers. She quickens her pace, opening the door ahead of the group and then holding it. "After you all. I trust you can secure a private room, Rokarion?"
"Miss Bliss?" Cassidy asks, brow raising. That's what she was called? She didn't even have to ask who that was. "Because we are very different from... The ones that are like us, from where you are from. There's a reason we've been granted freedom and ownership of the planet," she says, folding her hands behind her back and nodding at Natska.
Bazalt hums and just cntinues to follow sliently(mostly) He ignores teh plants lightshow and moves over to flora, so he can listens better, he waves to her and nods, this was VERY interesting..
Zuri grins at 'PJ'. "Oh, I can do that as well, and other stuff too! I'm still learning tho. I'm currently studying Earth and Water Math. Definitely my favorite so far, so much better than Fire." He peers up at Flora. "Ooh, a tour of LongTech? Could I tag along Miss Flora? Please?" The small salamander bounces excitedly.
Though his face is not visible, Horsecollar is obviously embarrassed as he ducks into the dim restaurant. "Miss Bliss is just what Sta- Miss Fox calls her," he explains, "Bliz is our house helper." He finally notices that Porky has removed his mask and his disapproval is evident, but he does not say anything, picking his fight and his time while the surprised wait staff ushers them to a semi-private room.
Rokarion eyes Natska, face nonchalant as ever, "Miss Natska, it would be wise to remember that politics should not be brought into everything, but I see that you have our friends in good hands. So go at it yourself." the plant being answers her before moving back with Zuri, giving the salamander's head a quick ruffle.
Natska blinks at Rokarion, the feline looking a little puzzled as she tilts her head, then shrugs.
"There is quite a bit of paperwork to be signed. And mister Zuri -will- be expected to keep secrets, yes," the she-cat notes, before looking back to PJ with a confused look on her muzzle. "We are... Cute?" she concludes, looking more than a lottle bewildered at the explaination. "And as far as Flora understands it, most... Creator technology isn't allowed on Promise, yes."
Zuri giggles cutely as his head is ruffled. He peers up at Rokarion, giving him a quick snug in return. "Hi Rokarion! Did you know this Creator is actually called 'PJ'? He's really nice!" He peers up at Flora and nods. "Of course Flora, I would never give away secrets!" In a moment of clarity, he adds. "And to be honest, I doubt I will understand half the stuff that goes on at LongTech.. I couldn't explain it to others even if I wanted to."
Bazalt hums as he steps closer and listens a tour? sounded interesting. "A tour? wounds wonderful " he finally says witha smile. "Though..i'm probally the same as Zuri, i've have no idea.." he he says witha shrug, before nodding to 'PJ'
PJ does not seem especially interested in the proposed tour. "I doubt we have time for that sort of thing," he says, "We are only here for the afternoon. Dad had some kind of business with Harkenson. You heard of him? Big business guy." He looks a little confused at Flora. "What?" he asks, "The translator? These are cleared for visitors. We check them out and check them back in when we leave. No big deal."
Soon, the little group is seated at a large, round table. Even the ebullient Miss Fox has managed to settle down a bit. Horsecollar clears his throat and looks around. "Perhaps you would be good enough to order for us?" he asks, "We would like to try some of the things you like. You are all welcome to join us. I will pay for whatever you eat and drink."
Zuri pouts. "Aww, only an afternoon? That's awful. There's so much to see in Promise! There's the beach down by the harbor, there's Shralesta and the Monastary, there's Firebough M- er.. actually, not that one. Not right now." He grins weakly. "But hey, there's Cliffside! You have to try Cliffside Chocolate." He blinks, then turns to Rokarion and says in the most deadpan tone he can manage. "We need chocolate cookies."
"I don't know," Cassidy says, shrugging. "Not exactly sure what would be 'exciting.' I know I enjoy steak, potatos, wines... Things like that, though there are plenty of other options, too."
Bazalt Nods "huh.. I havnt even been to half those places... i Really need to get out more.. do more things.." he sighs, blinking as he looks to Rokarion "And Sweetcakes.." He adds witha smile. "And some nice tea?" He asks, nodding before looking abck to the otehrs.
"No... The... Thing... PJ would use for magic," the she-cat notes, before nodding along. "Of course. But PJ could always come visit to see. It's... Probably nothing special to a Creator, but... Flora is still quite proud of it, yes," she concludes after a short moment, sighing and shaking her head. "Flora will have... Chicken and apple juice, yes,' she concludes, placing a few scepters on the table. "Flora much prefers paying herself, though."
Rokarion nods his head at Zuri, "Yes, I heard." he said as he moved with the group inside, taking a seat next to Zuri before looking at him and shaking his head, "What happened to the batch I gave you this morning?" the plant being asked before looking at the menu, "Well this is Sweetwater, I would suggest some of the fish. For alcoholic drinks, you might want to try Cliffside fruit wines or for something heavier, Thera'Doran mead. For non-alcoholic drinks...hmmm." he says as he looks at the menu, "I guess any ordinary juice." he said as he went over the menu again.
Natska nods her head, then smiles at the waiter. She orders honey-glazed steak for herself, with a side of sauteed vegetables and herb rice, and a nice vintage of a red wine. "All highly recommended, although I'm no expert on what Creators should or should not eat. And yes, the fish is quite delicious as well, and very fresh."
Cassidy mimics Natska's order, though requesting potatoes instead of the rice, and a white wine instead of a red. Order placed, she leans against the jaguar and nods. "Yes, there's quite a few good options."
Horsecollar nods, his mask exaggerating the motion. "Fish then," he says, "And whatever vegetables are in season?" PJ opens his mouth to say something, but Horsecollar cuts him off. "And juice. No alcohol on this trip," he says.
Miss Fox is beaming beneath her mask, a person can almost see the corners of her mouth, she is smiling so wide. "See!" she cheers, "I told you this place would be a-MAAAA-zing!"
PJ looks at Flora. "Oh yeah," he says, "A NO TRANSLATION would be waaaay illegal to bring down here. I hear that you have to get special permits to even have removable tech on board a ship that lands down here!"
Zuri pouts at Rokarion. "But those were my cookies. I ate them. We need cookies for our guests, Rokarion!" He sighs. "Next time, maybe." He perks up and looks over at the menu, ordering up the fish like the others, along with some honey wine. Of course it was honey wine. He looks over at Miss Fox, smiling brightly at her. "I think so too! Isn't Firmament great? It's a shame you didn't come during the Cliffside Cliffdiving Festival, you'd love that one! Maybe you can come for next year's?"
Bazalt Sighs and shrugs, Then shrugs again "I'll have whateverone else I having I guess?.." He shrugs and then Looks At Zuri "Cliffdiving?... Wow. that sounds.. fun.." He says witha slight Grin as he nods to himself.
Flora smiles and nods, her tail still flicking lightly. "Yes. If PJ wants to see LongTech Industries at some point, something could be arranged too, yes," she mumbles, even as she pulls out a small notebook and a pen, scribbling some notes for herself. "We are... The only people on promise making Cameras, pens and... Thermometers, yes," she explains, before smiling faintly.
"Many beings try solving problems with magic. Flora can't do magic, so Flora solves Flora's problems with... Everything but magic."
Rokarion nods his head at Zuri, before opening his bag and getting out a small pouch then putting it in front of Zuri, "I know that I can't trust you to not eat all of them. So here is your emergency supply." Rokarion told Zuri as he looked back at the menu, looks like he will go with Sweetwater's cuisine like the rest, "I will go with prawns and in-season vegetables please, raw vegetables, and some orange juice." he adds as he looks at the Creator father, "So, sir. Are you a merchant of some sort then?"
Natska slips her arm around Cassidy as she smiles and relaxes, listening to the chatter as her ear flicks. Then she nods at Stacy. "So they call our world cute animal planet?" she asks, trying to sound amused. "May I ask what else they say? I am always curious to know what sort of impression I leave."
Miss Fox, okay, yes, Stacey, shakes her head, making her curly blond hair bounce. "No, they call it P-12 Beta!" she says, "But Cute Animal Planet would be better. I just knew how cute you all were from watching the Jetstream Flash show!" She gasps and puts a hand to where her mouth must be under the mask. "Do you think that little pink hyena girl in the frilly dress is still here?" she asks, "I should get her autograph!"
Horsecollar nods at Rokarion. "Something like that," he says, "I deal in slightly more abstract commodities than an actual merchant would. But I had some business with Harkenson and my daughter wanted to see your world, so I made some arrangements."
"She's... Around. Somewhere," Cassidy says with a shrug, laying her head on Natska's shoulder. "I'm not sure about 'Cute Animal Planet' though. There are a lot of dangerous things here, too, you know. Manebacks, kricks, shale spiders and more."
Natska lets her ears flatten for a moment. "Noosha." Then she smiles. "And yes. We have a maneback, but in the wild they are quite dangerous. There are a lot of vicious, dangerous things outside the cities. I imagine there are many other fascinating worlds you have seen?"
Rokarion rubs his chin as he looks at the three creators, remembering the reaction of previous creators, and spirits, to his art, "Mister Horsecollar and Miss Fox, if you two could perhaps remove your masks like PJ." He adds as he points at his sketchbook, "I might draw you a souvenir." he says before raising a brow, "Ah, are you one of the culture merchants, Harkenson talked about? I recall also when the creators held a contest with those little colorful building blocks, did you by any chance purchase something like that?" the plant being asked, wondering if his replica of The Academy of Cliffside still existed.
Horsecollar fidgets a little. "Well, we wore them to sort of blend in, you see," he says, "Wouldn't it be rude to remove them?" He is momentarily confused by Rokarion's questions. "Ah! Right," he says, "I did hear about that. No, I do not deal in art. I deal in ideas. I was hoping to purchase permission from the company that Harkenson and Parson represent to make. . . um. . . plays? of the experiences of the first Hu- Creators that landed here."
PJ just shrugs, looking around the restaraunt room. "This is kind of nicer than I expected," he admits, "I thought that everybody lived in huts or something and you ate bugs like one of those EXHIBITION SHOWS."
Stacey claps her hands once. "Oh! You know her?" she cries, "She is very popular! I have a lovely toy of her. There are several made from that show, you know."
Then the conversation drops away for a moment as the food is delivered. The three creators stare at the carefully prepared fish dishes on their garnished plate, though it is only the uncovered face of PJ that shows the shock and concern they must all be feeling, if the silence is any indication.
Natska makes a face, her muzzle wrinkling for a moment. "I have never had to survive off of bugs, although there were a few times I nearly starved while I was young. I am quite used to my comforts now though." She smiles at Cassidy, then picks up her utensils, glancing across the table at the Creators. "All is well, I hope?"
Zuri shows no concern for the plate of food, however. He digs into the meal voraciously, stopping only to wash down some of the fish with honey wine before resuming his devouring of the expertly cooked dish. It's only halfway through that he notices the oddity, and pauses (with a mouthful of food mid-chew) to look at the three Creators.
Cassidy raises her brow at the reaction, taking up her own silverware. "Is it alright? You seem... Surprised?" She asks, cutting into her steak. "You did not think we were all savages that ate things raw, did you?"
In one of the more secluded corners of the restaurant, doing their best to not draw too much attention to themselves, could be found a sly fox and a middle-aged lynx. The two seemed to be arguing, albeit in hushed voices, until, with quite a start, the fox rises and makes for the exit. With a look of annoyance, combined with some exhaustion, on his face, the feline rests back in his chair, muttering to himself.
It is then that he catches sight of the rather unique group. His attention is drawn to the three creators present - and the masks that two of them seemed to be wearing. Curiosity having gotten the better of this cat, he moves to make his introductions "I hope you don't mind, but I couldn't help being curious. I haven't had a chance to speak with a creator, and would love the opportunity to do so. The name's Reginald" Offering up a slight bow in greeting to the group, he only then realises the presence of nobles, being caught off guard at the revelation. "I do hope I'm not intruding?" the lynx quickly adds, a slight look of concern on his face.
Bazalt Digs in for a few bites before blinking adn looking at the Creators. "Something wrong?.." He asks before taking a sip of his Drink. HE just frowns before he notices REginal and waves to him, hopefully he'll talk to him.. right?
Rokarion nods his head at the creator merchant, "Interesting idea. You could if you want ask mister Parson about access to being books and plays. Cliffside has a lot of novelists with fan among many nations." he comments before looking at PJ, he wasn't that surprised really, some of the villagers in Cliffside honestly believe that is how Sweetwaters live. Rokarion then looks down at the food, "Is there something wrong with it?"
PJ is the first to recover. "What is this?" he asks, pointing to the beautifully presented fish on his plate, "I've never seen fish like this! I mean, it's LOOKING at me!"
Horsecollar shushes his impolite offspring. "Forgive him," he says, "He hasn't ever had fish served like this." He coughs uncomforably. "To be honest, neither have I," he confesses. The man looks around, and realizing that he won't really be able to eat through his mask, removes it and sets it aside, revealing a round, bearded face, not unlike his son's. He takes a hesitating bite of the fish, scraping out a bit of flaky meat and trying not to look at the rest of the icthyd on his plate.
Flora smiles and nods, before pulling out her camera, a tail flicking lightly behind her. "Flora can also take a picture, yes... Though we'll have to sit still for a few minutes... And Mister Creator Harkenson will probably have to deliver it... Needs to be developed, yes," she concludes, looking to the creators. before looking at the fish, then at her whole chicken. "Flora prefers the chicken, yes..."
Zuri slowly chews down on the bite of fish, swallowing as he listens to the Creator's explanation. "Oh? Well, there's other ways to serve fish, you know? You can bake it, you can pack it in salt, you can make soup, you can make a stew.. which is kind of ilke soup but different, somehow... " He takes another bite of fish, wiggling happily as he resumes his devouring of the delicious treat.
Rokarion looks down at the fish and nods his head, "Ah, you could have asked instead for a fish fillet instead of a whole cooked fish." the plant being answered, "There are also the methods mentioned by Zuri. You can still change your order if you wish."
"Mmm... Yes, I prefer my fish prepared differently," Cassidy says, frowning. "Without the head. Or... Well, most of it. I usually have mine filleted and prepared like that. But I've always been a bit of a picky eater." A nod towards Rokarion as she nibbles down on her meal again.
Reginald gives Bazalt a quick nod and smile in acknowledgement of his greeting, but chooses not to start a conversation in lieu of the uncomfortable atmosphere currently hanging over the table. Turning around, he grabs an empty chair from an unoccupied table, pulling it up to join the group. The lynx takes one look at the food before the members of the group, no doubt far too rich for his blood, before turning to Horsecollar "I can't help but wonder, what exactly do creators eat?"
Natska flashes a smile at the group of Creators. "Just be careful with the bones, they are small and easy to miss if you're careless." She looks over at Reginald then and nods her head. "Good afternoon."
Bazalt Grins and nods. "Prefer Stake myself.. but since there's not alot I dont eat." He shrugs. "still I'll admit.. it does.. STARE.. at you.." HE chuckles. and resumes eating.
Horsecollar sighs as he tastes the fish. "It is very good!" he says, giving meaningful looks to his two children, who both dutifully start to pick at their plates, Miss Fox finally removing her mask to show the fair, blond girl beneath. The elder Creator laughs at Reginald's question. "All sorts of things," he says, "But I don't think I have ever had a fish that was not battered and fried in oil!" He seems more comfortable now that he is out of his mask. "This is very good," he says, "Sorry if we insulted anyone. This is just very new to us." He looks between Rokarion and Flora. "Well, I think a drawing might be nice," he says, "How many koo-rowns should I pay for a portrait?"
"The photograph is... On the house, yes. A gift. Cost us a few scepters to make, nothing we can't miss for a one-time thing, yes," the she-cat notes with a smile on her lips, looking to 'Horsecollar' with a small gesture to one of her guards, handing the camera over. "When everyone is ready, yes?"
Natska makes a small motion with her hand, then shakes her head. "Of course there was no insult. You are visitors to our world, it would be rude of us to expect you to know everything."
Rokarion nods his head at the creator before standing up and moving around, simply glancing all the beings before focusing back on the creators, "Not at all, you don't need to pay a thing." the plant being answers back as he goes back to drawing the picture. Giving a nod to Reginald in greeting.
Bazalt nods "it's fine..think nothing of it." he says softly "butt.. i'm gonna saythis.. the food is nice. " he nods
Zuri finishes his meal with a look of pride, having vanquished the mighty breast. He looks around the group, trying to catch up on what he missed while focusing entirely on the food in front of him.
"Battered and fried in oil" Reginald thinks to himself, trying his utmost to imagine such a thing - so strange. What next, do they take perfectly good potatoes and, say, chop those up into long rectangles, before putting those in oil too. The lynx lets out a quiet chuckle to himself, before turning to Flora "What's a 'camera'?"
The three Creators look up briefly from their food and bare their teeth at the camera, then go back to eating. "It is very nice of you all to be so helpful," Horsecollar says.
Stacey giggles, which seems inappropriate for a girl who is obviously no longer a child. "Of course they are, Papa," she says, "I told you that they were all nice! Just like on the (Holovids!)"
"That is a camera," the she-cat rumbles as she points to the small, wooden box she's handed to her guard, tail flicking lightly. "It makes photographs. Light-pictures, yes. Takes a few minutes though, yes. Need to sit still for a few minutes, or the photo will not look right," she notes, looking at the three creators with a rather confused look on her muzzle. "When everyone is ready, it will make a 'click'. On the second click, the photo is taken... Flora will make sure it's developed overnight, yes."
Zuri sits back with his mug of honey wine, sipping happily. He smiles at Stacey. "We have to be nice to guests, you know? What kinds of beings would we be if we didn't show you around and made sure you enjoyed yourselves?" He leans forward saying pintedly. "Good-for-nothing beings, that's what!" He sits back again. "And besides, not every day we get to meet new Creators, let alone three right at once!"
Bazalt finishes his meal and smiles nodding to himself. "that was wonderful, and a new flavour. I shall have to Write this down when I get teh chance. " he nods again Before looking at Floras Camera. "So that's what you invented in teh loft- Amazing little device." he says, awestruck
Reginald tilts his head at the box Flora had presented. "Pictures made of light ... huh" he replies, not sure if the tiger is pulling his leg or not. The things the upper class get up to. Shaking his head in disbelief, he sits back in his chair, eager to see how, indeed 'if', this 'device' works.
