[July Open] 65% more rock per rock

[rutility]

Characters: Rutile, Leo, the Fool, Padparadscha, Raven, and anyone else who wants to hop in!
Date: Early July
Location: Die Rosa Tulpe, outside city limits, etc
Situation: A pre-business meeting with the Fool, discovering their talent with Leo?, discussing the barrier with Padparadscha, roommate shenanigans with Raven, and July's Faith 4
Warnings/Rating: Nope!



A ▸ ARRANGEMENTS, FLORAL | the fool

Despite their dedicated exploration of the city, Rutile still has not managed to see every location in Aifaran. Die Rosa Tulpe is low on their list for being primarily a food place, and given that Rutile has little interest in food (except for the proportion of it that spontaneously turns to ash, which they've gathered is rare), they've taken their time getting around to it.

When they enter, they're not certain why that is. The coffee shop is actually quite pleasant, with plenty of green and growing things, and at this time of day, uncrowded. It has just the right amount of proximity to the street that one doesn't feel isolated, but enough privacy to be a good place to work. Rutile stands in the door, observing the patrons. Their eyes widen when they see the Fool sitting at a table with his wares, but, never one to intrude, they keep to themselves unless noticed.

B ▸ MIND YOUR MANNERS | leonardo watch

Rutile appraises the milky white stone between their fingers with some disinterest. Quartz, they decide, based on the hexagonal structure and the scratch it leaves on their forearm, and they toss it behind them without a care for who or what it may hit. Small loss: one couldn't step outside without tripping over some variety of quartz.

They stand up and dust their labcoat, straightening it around their shoulders, and turn about to head back into the city. In their hand rests a small collection of precious stones that they contemplate as they walk away; deep in thought, they're hardly watching where they're going.

C ▸ ARE YOU MY DAD? (FAITH 4) | open

If Rutile has been homesick lately, their feelings are quickly cured by the Arybar child leaking some sort of chartreuse sticky substance all over their labcoat. Their skill with juniors is unremarkable at best; now, with hardly the authority to say for sure what is wrong (are they hungry? sick?), it takes something of a dive.

Still, they do their best. Rutile crouches down to eye level with the child. "Alright now," they say, and try to be gentle. "That's quite enough of that. I can't help you when you're upset like this."

The child cries louder. Rutile cringes inwardly. Few juniors have ever been this difficult.

D ▸ NOTHING VENTURED | padparadscha

Rutile is of several minds about their upcoming journey with Aly: first, and foremost, they are excited. It feels good to finally have something to do besides yell at other Dreamfolk across the Lae. But second, and of no smaller concern to them, is the danger of the proposed venture; they do not fear much for their physical safety, but it is a fool who wanders away in secret and expects to be found later. And the third, secret, smaller mind simply wants Padparadscha’s opinion.

It has been several centuries since Rutile last had to actively seek Padparadscha. Like another limb, Rutile feels it keenly when Padparadscha isn't by their side, and the ghost of their presence has haunted them for millennia. They’ve grown used to having them nearby, and though they easily recall a time when they and Padparadscha roamed separate from one another, it is so long ago now that they’ve forgotten what it’s like to be independent creatures. The difficulty of it surprises them. Though they’ve learned Aifaran’s layout well, they still don’t know Padparadscha’s haunts, and the landscape is so different from their island that there are few similar areas to try.

So rather than waste time combing the city, they send them a text message, via yimo:

I would like to discuss something. Can we meet somewhere private?

and sit down to wait for a response.  

E ▸ WILD CARD | open

[ PM me or hit me up on plurk for a starter, or just write one in yourself! I'm game for anything.]


 

Comments

A!

[afoolsgold]

The habitual pace of life at Die Rosa Tulpe has been upended however briefly by Klaus' unexpected departure from Konryu, but the little cafe's doors remain open, and the Fool still mans his little display table in one corner of the shop. Whether or not the cafe will remain in business a month for now is a problem he does not have the wherewithal to solve--not with the Dreaming bombarding him with visions of a stranger's suffering (to say nothing of what it has done to X). And so the Fool carries on as he has been: making his small, elaborately rendered wooden carvings, and collecting some small profit from the work.

He's engaged in a bit of relaxed banter with a potential customer when Rutile arrives, and his gaze slips past the stranger's shoulder to settle on them for a moment. His smile for his customer widens a touch to include Rutile, too; an acknowledgement of their arrival, though he doesn't break away from his customer until the fellow parts from his company with a pretty wooden trinket for his trouble.

Then the Fool affixes the glass covering back into place, securing his work from wandering fingers, and then turns to take a few light steps across the room towards Rutile. "If you are here for a drink," he begins, gesturing to one side with a slim hand, "the bar is that way."

He is reasonably sure that Rutile is not here for a drink.

[rutility]

The Fool is busy when they enter, though they aren't sure with what; a few moments' observation reveal a lighthearted conversation and a box of wares, and Rutile has seen enough commerce by now to understand what's going on. (Quietly, they suspect that it's behavior like this that draws the ire of the populace; the Talent Tourney had enough salespeople after them that Rutile longed for the relative peace of being surrounded by junior gems.) They smile back, though, and go on examining the plants.

They're still at this when the Fool appears beside them, showing where to get a drink. Rutile's follows his gesture, but they shake their head. "Oh, hardly," they say. "I don't drink. I'm not exactly made for it." That should hardly be news, but they mention it just in case.

"I'm still exploring the city," they note, "trying to get my bearings. I stopped in here because I saw the plants, and empty tables. This seems like a nice space to work."

[afoolsgold]

"...I stopped in here because I saw the plants, and empty tables. This seems like a nice space to work."

"It is," the Fool agrees, though his eyes shift to one side, and he looks rather apprehensively towards the lone, fumbling barista at work behind the counter. (The proprietor himself is nowhere to be seen.) One hand lifts to tap absently against his lips; his eyebrows dip into a slight furrow. "...it was. It seems our patron, Klaus, was taken by the Dreaming, and sent back to his own world. This happens, sometimes."

This is not the Fool's first brush with the Dreaming, and so while there's a certain sadness to his expression as he says this, it's clear that he has accepted this terrifying capability of the Dreaming as something that must be endured, rather than fought against--for the time being, at least. He sighs and turns his eyes back to Rutile, smiling thinly. "A grim topic to begin with--forgive me."

[rutility]

"There is nothing to forgive," Rutile assures the Fool, immediately grasping the regret in his tone. Perhaps this is why the place seems so empty, then; now that they consider it, the calm atmosphere takes on a sense of loss, one all too familiar. How many empty rooms abound at home, their occupants long lost to the moon?

They stop themselves before the recollection of it gets overwhelming. Rutile has been assured that Konryu is far removed from their island and the Lunarians that come with it, though they still regard the moon with suspicion and avoid being out at sunset. Against all odds, the Dreaming returned Padparadscha to them; for that alone, they cannot hate it. "It is unfortunate for us," they say, "that Klaus be torn from such a place, but I'm sure his family will be grateful for his return. He probably has duties in his own world that need his attention," they add rather gravely.

Rutile shakes their head and turns their attention back to the Fool - actually to the Fool, this time, rather than on what he's said. "Do you work here as well, then? Along with the person behind the counter?"

[afoolsgold]

It gives, and it takes. The Dreaming is not unlike fate--or chance--in that way.

The Fool's eyes linger on Rutile's expression, and there's a flicker of something like recognition across his features for a moment, but he doesn't press the topic further. Regret and loss have touched all who now call Aifaran home, for however long they are gifted (or cursed) to spend their time here. Some are readier to open up about their pasts than others, and while the Fool is at his heart possessed with an almost pathological curiosity, he knows when not to ask such questions.

"Do you work here as well, then? Along with the person behind the counter?"

At those questions, he lifts his chin with a wry smile. "In a manner of speaking," he replies and gestures back towards his work table and display case. "Klaus and I had an arrangement, in that I performed some small ornamental woodwork in the cafe prior to its opening. In exchange, I am able to sell my work here. I also rent a room upstairs," he adds, evidently pleased by the convenience. "The reduced rent was much appreciated, although I am unsure for how much longer that will be the case."

Making rent and holding down a job--two rather mundane problems for a prophet to be enduring. He'd almost find it amusing, if the prospect of imminent homelessness weren't so frightening.

B

[iseeall]

There are better ways to meet someone than to have them accidentally fling a rock at his forehead, but Leo had long since decided that any amount of luck he had didn't matter.

"Ow! God, don't throw rocks at people!" Leo yelled after the figure, who at another glance looked rather rock-like as well. Still no reason for them to be rude, and he was having enough stress from Klaus disappearing, making him jumpier than usual.

[rutility]

Surprised, Rutile halts and turns to look at the stranger. Their hair shifts only slightly as they move, and their features are pristine and still; they are definitely made of stone, delicate as it is.

"Oh, dear," they say (with more chagrin than sympathy), and then they grimace. "Did I hit you? Are you hurt?" Rutile steps toward Leo, eyes peeled for blood.

[iseeall]

Leo had stuff ready to say, but almost forgot it when he got a closer look at the person. They were shiny and beautiful, almost ethereal; much unlike some of the other stone people Leo had seen. It was like they were a living, moving gemstone.

He may have been staring. (If one could do that with closed eyes.)
"Uh. Hi," He said eloquently. "Uh. I'm fine. Sure. I mean. You're really shiny."

Nailed it.

[rutility]

Leo was quite perceptive; Rutile was, in fact, a moving gemstone, though living could be up for some debate.

They pressed their lips together as they regarded Leo, then brushed their fingers over their hair - more for the sake of the action than anything else. As they moved, the sun glinted through the translucent red of their hair and onto their white lab coat. Shiny didn't quite cover it.

"Well, that's true," they acknowledged. Then, in a few long strides, they'd reached Leo and seized his arm, tugging him closer. "But you won't distract me that easily. Once again, are you hurt? Is there a doctor responsible for you?"

He didn't seem hurt - at least, not in a way Rutile could see. They imagined skin like that would reveal bruising if it was present, but they were hardly an expert.

[iseeall]

Leo wanted to shoot back that he didn't MEAN to distract, his mouth was just doing things his brain wasn't telling it, but now the gem person has him by the arm and his first instinct is to tug away. "What? No, I'm fine, I'm not that delicate. It just hurt."

Now that they were up close, the gem was even more mesmerizing, but Leo put a hand over his already closed eyes like it would help somehow. "I'm sorry if this is a dumb request but like...could you stand a bit farther away? I wasn't expecting someone so...bright."

C

[bestofthevein]

"Need a hand, salroka?"

This is the greeting that Kit offers Rutile as he stumbles upon the scene they've created, and though the smile he offers to his peculiar new friend is genuine, he looks equally concerned about the crying kid. There's not much in the world that can more effectively tug at Kit's heartstrings than the sight of a child in distress, even if the child is probably an alien.

He ambles over, already putting on his most disarming of warm smiles for the child; thankfully, being so short, he doesn't have to kneel down that far to be on eye level with her. "Hey there," he says, eyes crinkling fondly a little at their corners, "it's all right, we're gonna help you out."

The child has not completely stopped crying, but her tears have slowed some. She looks uncertainly between the dwarf and the gem, seeming suddenly too shy to speak her mind.

[rutility]

"Need a hand?"

Rutile looks up, gratefully, to see Kit approaching. They say nothing, but relief crosses their face as they stand and back away, letting Kit take over the situation. "I don't know what's wrong," they confess. "She was sitting next to me, and then she was crying. I don't think it's anything I've done."

Normally they're quite good at keeping an even tone, but Rutile hates to think they've caused any (unintentional) harm. Their pitch cracks just faintly.

As the child's tears begin to cease, Rutile relaxes. They try again, more gently this time, to encourage the girl to speak. "I apologize for scaring you," they say. "What's wrong?"

(Eventually, the child will talk to Kit - wary of Rutile all the while.)

[bestofthevein]

When the girl at last opens up about her ordeal, her tearful spiel is not so unusual: what should have been a pleasant day trip to the city with her parents took a terrible turn when they were separated in the middle of a crowded train platform. When Kit presses, very gently, to see if she can remember the platform, she can't--but she does remember a few things about the surrounding area, which prove useful enough.

"That's good. You're a smart kid, remembering all that stuff so well," Kit tells her with a warm, affable smile (the kind of smile an aspiring life coach would probably kill for), then offers out his hand to her. She shyly takes it, stealing questioning glances Rutile's way as she does so; she still very visibly isn't sure what to make of them, but having two apparently grown-up people around her seems to be making her feel more secure. The tears have stopped, at least.

Kit glances at Rutile and seems to extend his smile to include them, too; not everyone can be good with kids, but they tried, which is more than many other people in this city would do. "Want to help me get her home?" he suggests, before looking back to the little girl. "If that's all right with you."

The girl timidly peeks at Rutile again, before bobbing her head in a nod.

[rutility]

It is juvenile to feel comforted by the grace of someone so much younger than them, but Kit's smile is as reassuring to Rutile as it is to the Arybar child. They did try their best; it is becoming increasingly clear lately that what Rutile is used to with the Lustrous is hardly standard in Aifaran.

So Rutile allows themselves to be humbled by the child's nod and Kit's friendliness, and inclines their head toward them both in a slight bow. "I would love to," they say, and offer a small smile to the child. "It took me some days to understand how the Skyway works, as well. But it's a good skill to have. Do you know what neighborhood you live in?"

The child murmurs it, audible to Kit and half-so to Rutile, who nods and begins recalling their hastily-memorized map of the Skyway routes. "The nearest platform is in that direction," they say, indicating where with a gesture. "It seems as good a place to start as any, and roughly fits with your description. If your parents aren't there, we can contact them from one of the terminals. Does that sound reasonable?"

[bestofthevein]

"...It seems as good a place to start as any, and roughly fits with your description. If your parents aren't there, we can contact them from one of the terminals. Does that sound reasonable?"

Kit raises his eyebrows at Rutile's swift and logical breakdown of the next steps in this rescue mission, his lopsided little smile widening. He glances down at the girl, still grinning. "Rutile's got it all figured out, don't they?" he asks her, all good humour, and that at last seems to bring a little smile to her face that is shared with Rutile when she looks their way. That response seems to settle the matter: the Skyway platform is their destination.

Predictably upon arrival, the girl's parents are nowhere to be found, but the terminals are all free and in working order. Kit spots the child enough rhinn to make the call, then takes a few steps back to grant her some privacy while she contacts her parents. Standing next to Rutile, he exhales wearily and lifts up a hand to scratch at the crown of his head. "Poor kid," he mumbles to them as an aside, "must've been terrified before you showed up."

E (Their Room)

[mandatoryfun]

Raven didn't really have much to her name yet. Just some money, the "yimo" handset or whatever, and the clothes she was wearing. Honestly those were kind of already the essentials as far as she was concerned. That and a roof over her head, which she was about to head to. The idea of new roommates wasn't exactly thrilling to her. She was different, and she was private. Starfire and the rest of the Titans had accepted her unconditionally, but she couldn't really expect the same out of everyone.

For now, she simply let herself inside and took down her hood. Raven observed her surroundings carefully, finding nothing too out of the ordinary.

"Home sweet home, I guess."

oh my god roommate logs i love roommate logs

[rutility]

Whether the bed near the window belonged to Rutile or not, they had lain themselves down there on their stomach, ankles twined in the air like a child's. Their yimo lay face-up before them along with a notebook, pen, and a couple of books that looked far too delicate to be moved - and of course, moved them Rutile had.

One might be forgiven for thinking they were a small statue or a large doll; Rutile's ability to lie perfectly still, unbreathing, unblinking, was unparalleled, and the only indication that they were animated was the slow movement of their head as they turned to face Raven.

"Are you a new Dreamfolk, then?" Rutile asked, expression perfectly neutral. Any interest they had - and they were always interested - was buried beneath serene stone.

[mandatoryfun]

It was brief, but Raven did legitimately think that someone had left a statue in the room, for whatever reason. Her eyes widened when the "statue" finally did move, revealing themselves to not be a statue at all.

"Doesn't really feel like I'm dreaming." She said in remark to what she'd been called.

"I'm Raven."

[rutility]

"I didn't think so at first, either. Now I'm not so sure." Rutile pushed themselves up and sat back on their knees, the bed creaking under their weight.

"Raven," they mused. "That's curious. Though I suppose you look enough like one. I am Rutile," they went on, gesturing to themselves with a gloved hand. "It is a pleasure to meet you. If you have any questions, I'm happy to do my best to answer them."

[mandatoryfun]

"Uh, thanks." She mentioned in response to looking like her namesake. Not the first choice she would've gone with, but there could've been worse things to resemble, she figured.

As far as questions went, she did have one particular question.

Actually, more than one.

"I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way but... What exactly are you?"

D

[corundrum]

[Padparadscha isn't fixed to their yimo in the manner of some Dreamfolk, but it's a useful device that they've made a habit of keeping on them. So when they receive Rutile's message, their response is quite prompt.]

Of course. There are some places by the shore that could serve well for a private talk, unless your roommates are less likely to walk in on us than mine are.

[It's difficult not to be curious what would require such secrecy, but then, they don't imagine they're going to find out over yimo.]

we can just skip to them arriving? or not

[rutility]

[It's not a secret, but it's not something that needs to be gossiped to the rest of the Dreamfolk, either.]

I would prefer somewhere by the shore. One of my roommates is out at all hours trying to grant wishes, but the other is new and seems to stay close. I can meet you there, if you have a particular spot.

[A miracle, these little things. Within moments, Rutile has replied and is heading out; it will be some moments to get to the seaside, which should surely be enough time for Padparadscha to get more specific.]

sure!

[corundrum]

[The place Padparadscha describes is fairly specific - a rock platform visible from near a certain building that's ostentatious enough to be easily noticeable. They're out in that direction themselves right now anyway, so it's not long before they get there to wait and help mark the location for when Rutile arrives.

They're watching the ocean for the moment, back turned to the rest of the shore. It does make their hair very easily visible from the building mentioned, though.]

action!

[rutility]

[Rutile arrives minutes later, grateful for the meticulous directions - that they don't end up needing, for there stands Padparadscha, a beacon of pink against the pale sky. They climb over the dunes as they approach, sand crunching under their weight. When they arrive near Padparadscha, they greet them cheerily.]

This is a pleasant spot. Almost like the beach back home... were it not for the building, and the Dreaming Bridge, and of course the other things that are not at all like home.

[Despite the slight sarcasm, their tone is lighthearted.]

[corundrum]

[Once they hear the crunching of sand, Padparadscha turns their head, attention shifting from the waves. It's a relatively calm day for tides and surf, and out here is a useful place to visit if they have need of thinking about something without the distractions of the city.

They can't help but laugh a little at Rutile's remark on it.]

Well, you were always the one who did better with learning strange things, huh? Me being a simple sentry and not a gem of science.

[Not that they'd have made much progress in that role falling asleep every few hundred years either, so it's probably better that way.] I'm drawn to the familiar.