The driver mutters something that sounds vaguely like a "kids these days".
You follow Rhlkklk up a few flights of stairs and to his apartment. It's actually surprisingly tidy an affair, though the two-room suite is painted entirely in a strange shade of mustard yellow. You also notice that Rhlkklk has what appears to be a hamster cage, but upon closer inspection, it houses a guinea pig-sized cockroach.
"Aaaaah, there has been a small misunderstanding. You are staying, vvvm, but not with me, nnbl."
Rhlkklk rummages through a drawer and produces a small, black, wooden box.
"Your delivery, vvrlm. For the woman in Apartment 316. You will stay with her, vvblm. I would allow you here but alas, I have no guest room. She does. As well, Naiko is, nnnnvm, much like yourself in many ways."
You're nervous and can't really place why. The apartment complex is oddly layed out, and the corridors are flanked by big, widescreen windows that the light of both moon and city shine in.
After stumbling about for a bit, you reach Apartment 316. What do you do?
You don't see much in particular. The window faces an alley. The building across the street (another apartment complex?) is lit up brightly, and you see the odd individual scrabble about outside, but nothing of note.
The woman before you is human, which comes as a bit of a surprise. Though her hair is an unnaturally white color considering her young age (she can't be older than her twenties). She's wearing a dusty patchworked robe, simple sandals, and what looks like the tattered remains of a fedora. Which she shifts around on her head as she opens the door.
"Ah, you must be one of R.K.'s friends. Is that my delivery? Please, come in."
You enter the woman's apartment, and as you look around, you cannot help but gawk a bit. Flatly, it's like nothing you've ever seen.
It's much larger than Rhlkklk's, and there appear to be a total of about four rooms, but the apartment is not necessarily more spacious. In the main living area, where you are now, every wall is covered in shelves, on which are lined up uncountable knick-knacks: very old looking books, bits of archaic technology, random scraps of paper with chicken-scratch notes or strange symbols on them, dozens of wooden and metal boxes labeled with names like "goats' horns" and "bat bones", strange metal contraptions, and a handful of ornate knives.
"Welcome to my humble abode" the woman gives a short bow. "I'm Naiko. I apologize for the clutter. The job of a sorcerer and tinkerer is a full-time one. The guest room is not so disheveled, I assure you."
You hand Naiko the wooden box you were given. She sits down on the floor with both boxes, first opening the one you didn't give her, which is labeled "ground coral" and contains a fine, pink powder.
She sprinkles the powder on the floor in a circular formation, before sprinkling some more in the center of the circle in a strange pattern that looks vaguely like a crossed letter L.
She then opens the box, and pulls out what you were earlier told was a violin, and looks the instrument over.
"Hmm. I suppose Rick doesn't know the difference between the two instruments. This will do, though."
She begins playing a low, haunting melody, and as she does, the pattern in the coral begins to shimmer and shift on the floor. Eventually, it begins glowing, and the area inside the circle seems to gain a liquid quality, eventually condensing into water.
After a few minutes, a blob of water with a large, single, glowing pink eye where the pattern was has formed on the floor, and Naiko stops playing.
"This is a water slime, and that is how you summon one."
The slime lazily rolls its eye to look at you, but does nothing.
Remember back in the 50s when they'd record like Elvis singing YOU AIN'T NOTHIN BUT A HOUND DOG and then they'd turn the record over and reverse it and it was all NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP and people were all like, "That is actually the voice of Satan coming from that song."
Recall that Naiko mentioned elementals and ask what other kind of elementals she can summon, if it's not too much to ask.
"Oh, anyone can summon any type. Magic is a skill, not a talent. I have an encyclopedia on summonings somewhere, this is just one of those I happen to know offhand because it's a very simple ritual."
"Of course, access to such materials is quite tightly controlled. So I take it you can keep this demonstration between us?"
Remember back in the 50s when they'd record like Elvis singing YOU AIN'T NOTHIN BUT A HOUND DOG and then they'd turn the record over and reverse it and it was all NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP and people were all like, "That is actually the voice of Satan coming from that song."
Agree to her request. There doesn't seem to be a reason not to.
Remember back in the 50s when they'd record like Elvis singing YOU AIN'T NOTHIN BUT A HOUND DOG and then they'd turn the record over and reverse it and it was all NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP and people were all like, "That is actually the voice of Satan coming from that song."
Naiko leads you to a small room off to the side of the apartment. It's really little more than a closet, but it has a bed, and a single (empty, surprisingly) shelf above it.
"You can rest for now. I understand you've likely had a long day. Tomorrow, I'll show you around the city."
Remember back in the 50s when they'd record like Elvis singing YOU AIN'T NOTHIN BUT A HOUND DOG and then they'd turn the record over and reverse it and it was all NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP NYERP and people were all like, "That is actually the voice of Satan coming from that song."
Thank Naiko, then get into the bed and sleep as best we can.
The night passes uneventfully, and you wake up at what you vaguely assume to be near dawn, judging by the distinctly early-morning sun poking through the room's solitary window. You're not sure if it'd be right to get out of bed quite yet, and you don't hear anything aside from the passing of vehicles outside, and some odd bird noises that remind you of seagulls.
The top is an odd combination of a dress shirt and cloak, and comes with a hood. There are about two dozen pockets on the thing, and it's an eggshell white color.
The pants are more standard, though rather baggy, and are a mud brown.
"Now, your cover story while living with me, Miss...Ellie, is it? Is that you're my apprentice. I just bought you those clothes because I don't think anyone would believe that story if you were wearing what you were earlier. Black Flag indeed."
Naiko rummages through one of her many tin boxes, and pulls out a small velvet sack. It's full of something, but you're not sure what.
"And as my apprentice, we are going to go shopping. Again. Because I have someone you need to meet, who might be able to help us get you back home."
Naiko puts the velvet sack in one of her many pockets, and pulls out another from the box.
Comments
The driver mutters something that sounds vaguely like a "kids these days".
You follow Rhlkklk up a few flights of stairs and to his apartment. It's actually surprisingly tidy an affair, though the two-room suite is painted entirely in a strange shade of mustard yellow. You also notice that Rhlkklk has what appears to be a hamster cage, but upon closer inspection, it houses a guinea pig-sized cockroach.
"Welcome to my hunnnmble abode, vvvnrm."
Rhlkklk's cockroach would probably not answer your question.
"Aaaaah, there has been a small misunderstanding. You are staying, vvvm, but not with me, nnbl."
Rhlkklk rummages through a drawer and produces a small, black, wooden box.
"Your delivery, vvrlm. For the woman in Apartment 316. You will stay with her, vvblm. I would allow you here but alas, I have no guest room. She does. As well, Naiko is, nnnnvm, much like yourself in many ways."
"vnnnnbtm." He scratches his mandibles in thought.
"Of similar origin, I believe. vnnm"
"Yes. First, you'll need this."
Rhlkklk hands you the box.
"Secondly, vllnm. Keep a low profile, and don't speak to strangers, nn."
You begin a long walk down a longer hallway.
You're nervous and can't really place why. The apartment complex is oddly layed out, and the corridors are flanked by big, widescreen windows that the light of both moon and city shine in.
After stumbling about for a bit, you reach Apartment 316. What do you do?
A moment later, the door creaks open.
The woman before you is human, which comes as a bit of a surprise. Though her hair is an unnaturally white color considering her young age (she can't be older than her twenties). She's wearing a dusty patchworked robe, simple sandals, and what looks like the tattered remains of a fedora. Which she shifts around on her head as she opens the door.
"Ah, you must be one of R.K.'s friends. Is that my delivery? Please, come in."
You enter the woman's apartment, and as you look around, you cannot help but gawk a bit. Flatly, it's like nothing you've ever seen.
It's much larger than Rhlkklk's, and there appear to be a total of about four rooms, but the apartment is not necessarily more spacious. In the main living area, where you are now, every wall is covered in shelves, on which are lined up uncountable knick-knacks: very old looking books, bits of archaic technology, random scraps of paper with chicken-scratch notes or strange symbols on them, dozens of wooden and metal boxes labeled with names like "goats' horns" and "bat bones", strange metal contraptions, and a handful of ornate knives.
"Welcome to my humble abode" the woman gives a short bow. "I'm Naiko. I apologize for the clutter. The job of a sorcerer and tinkerer is a full-time one. The guest room is not so disheveled, I assure you."
"Ah. Rick was right. You really are from the same place I am."
Naiko abruptly turns around and grabs one of the boxes off of her shelf.
"A simple demonstration, then. If you could give me the viola?"
You hand Naiko the wooden box you were given. She sits down on the floor with both boxes, first opening the one you didn't give her, which is labeled "ground coral" and contains a fine, pink powder.
She sprinkles the powder on the floor in a circular formation, before sprinkling some more in the center of the circle in a strange pattern that looks vaguely like a crossed letter L.
She then opens the box, and pulls out what you were earlier told was a violin, and looks the instrument over.
"Hmm. I suppose Rick doesn't know the difference between the two instruments. This will do, though."
She begins playing a low, haunting melody, and as she does, the pattern in the coral begins to shimmer and shift on the floor. Eventually, it begins glowing, and the area inside the circle seems to gain a liquid quality, eventually condensing into water.
After a few minutes, a blob of water with a large, single, glowing pink eye where the pattern was has formed on the floor, and Naiko stops playing.
"This is a water slime, and that is how you summon one."
The slime lazily rolls its eye to look at you, but does nothing.
It blinks.
"Water slimes are intelligent creatures, but they do not speak. Most elementals don't."
The Water Slime blinks.
"Not quite that intelligent, young one."
"Oh, anyone can summon any type. Magic is a skill, not a talent. I have an encyclopedia on summonings somewhere, this is just one of those I happen to know offhand because it's a very simple ritual."
"Of course, access to such materials is quite tightly controlled. So I take it you can keep this demonstration between us?"
"Good."
Naiko disturbs the circle of coral dust with her finger, and the slime pops out of existence with a brief flash and shudder.
"Shall I show you to your room?"
"Come"
Naiko leads you to a small room off to the side of the apartment. It's really little more than a closet, but it has a bed, and a single (empty, surprisingly) shelf above it.
"You can rest for now. I understand you've likely had a long day. Tomorrow, I'll show you around the city."
The night passes uneventfully, and you wake up at what you vaguely assume to be near dawn, judging by the distinctly early-morning sun poking through the room's solitary window. You're not sure if it'd be right to get out of bed quite yet, and you don't hear anything aside from the passing of vehicles outside, and some odd bird noises that remind you of seagulls.
You see a few people (humans and otherwise) going about their business.
You also think you hear a door open somewhere nearby.
Your door is still closed.
However it may have come from the main apartment.
You exit your room, and find Naiko having just stepped in from outside.
"Oh good, you're awake."
She tosses you a heaped-up bunch of clothing.
"Go get changed."
You don your new clothes.
The top is an odd combination of a dress shirt and cloak, and comes with a hood. There are about two dozen pockets on the thing, and it's an eggshell white color.
The pants are more standard, though rather baggy, and are a mud brown.
"Ah, good."
"Now, your cover story while living with me, Miss...Ellie, is it? Is that you're my apprentice. I just bought you those clothes because I don't think anyone would believe that story if you were wearing what you were earlier. Black Flag indeed."
Naiko rummages through one of her many tin boxes, and pulls out a small velvet sack. It's full of something, but you're not sure what.
"And as my apprentice, we are going to go shopping. Again. Because I have someone you need to meet, who might be able to help us get you back home."
Naiko puts the velvet sack in one of her many pockets, and pulls out another from the box.
"And it is imperative that you get back home."
"Here, take this"
she tosses you the other sack.