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One moment Loki is trying to kill the snake-monster before it gets any closer to civilization, and then next -
She jabs at its face, but with momentum intended to meet resistance, and there is none. With momentum intended to compensate for a dodge on the part of the creature, but it surges forward. She's engulfed, and then there is no snake, and there is no ground, and she's falling.
She gasps. The air is clean; she doesn't need to heal poison out of herself with each breath. She sees - floating land, of sorts, there, some kind of oddly geology-themed ship maybe. She could, potentially, turn Lævateinn into something with enough surface area to steer herself onto it rather than fall farther and suffer worse from the fall, but she just recently perfected a new...
She's a bird, a swift, and she catches the wind, and her spear is a twig clutched in her feet, and she wings her way to the land.
Rockeye's first glowfic. Loki (a Bell) falls on Nick in Cloudbank.
purposeful_glory
cloudwanderer
The veggie pie and fruit tart take about half of the money Nick pre-paid her. What little meat there is mostly comes from livestock. Milk and eggs are likewise surprisingly pricy.
Someone tries to steal the rest of her money by casually picking her pocket when they think Loki's not looking.
Someone tries to steal the rest of her money by casually picking her pocket when they think Loki's not looking.
purposeful_glory
She's been around long enough - and had to maneuver invisibly often enough - to cultivate an awareness of the people around her.
She grabs his wrist. She will not be letting go of his wrist.
"Really," she says. "My first day in town. Really."
She grabs his wrist. She will not be letting go of his wrist.
"Really," she says. "My first day in town. Really."
cloudwanderer
He tries to wrench out of her hold and flee. He makes enough noise that, even failing, they attract attention.
"Fuck. Look, I need to eat. My daughter needs to eat. Our farm burned down to bare rock, I don't have anywhere to go."
He does seem to be pretty underfed, and his clothes are scruffy. But he's shaking too much for that to seem like the whole and unaltered truth.
"Fuck. Look, I need to eat. My daughter needs to eat. Our farm burned down to bare rock, I don't have anywhere to go."
He does seem to be pretty underfed, and his clothes are scruffy. But he's shaking too much for that to seem like the whole and unaltered truth.
cloudwanderer
"No, a loan was. But I lost that, too. Bad luck." He glances over to the door and swears again when he sees some sort of official marching toward the table, wearing a green uniform stamped with the town logo.
"Ma'am, sir, please explain this unpleasant situation."
"Ma'am, sir, please explain this unpleasant situation."
purposeful_glory
"This gentleman is telling me his life story," says Loki, smiling. "Excuse me, I'm new in town, I assume you're some kind of official because you match the currency but perhaps you could clarify?"
cloudwanderer
"I'm a member of the security council. We maintain a strong presence to keep violence from getting out of hand, and deal with antisocial behavior that could upset the peace. Nobody wants the town to burn down because a grudge gets out of hand. Several people reported a scuffle in here, but since there doesn't seem to be a problem-"
The security councilman recognizes the pickpocket. His hand goes to a wooden stick on his belt, but he doesn't draw it. "Ma'am, that man has a record of violent and impulsive actions. I suggest you cease to associate with him immediately."
"What the fuck am I supposed to do?!" The pickpocket yells, "You want me to just shut up, keep my head down, and let my little girl starve?"
The officer's tone is stonelike. "My role is to keep the peace. Your daughter is not my problem unless she plans to incite violence. You could always sign up for a month in the pipes, or the farms, use your pay to feed her."
The security councilman recognizes the pickpocket. His hand goes to a wooden stick on his belt, but he doesn't draw it. "Ma'am, that man has a record of violent and impulsive actions. I suggest you cease to associate with him immediately."
"What the fuck am I supposed to do?!" The pickpocket yells, "You want me to just shut up, keep my head down, and let my little girl starve?"
The officer's tone is stonelike. "My role is to keep the peace. Your daughter is not my problem unless she plans to incite violence. You could always sign up for a month in the pipes, or the farms, use your pay to feed her."
purposeful_glory
"I thought the lack of a farm was the problem in the first place," remarks Loki. "If there are farms to sign up with...?"
cloudwanderer
"It might as well be forced labor," the man says, "They'll feed and house me for the duration, but not my five-year-old who's too little to work. And the pay is - not enough to feed him."
The security man has no comment. He'll just continue staring threateningly at the pickpocket.
The security man has no comment. He'll just continue staring threateningly at the pickpocket.
cloudwanderer
"I - uh, have two children..." He sags in defeat. "No. Dammit. I give up."
The security guard grabs the man by his other wrist. "Steven Ortega, you are under arrest for theft and making a public disturbance. Do not resist." He starts to lead the thief away.
The security guard grabs the man by his other wrist. "Steven Ortega, you are under arrest for theft and making a public disturbance. Do not resist." He starts to lead the thief away.
cloudwanderer
The other patrons go back to their meals. One comments, "Good job catching him before he got away with it."
It's not quite sunset yet, but it's starting to get close.
It's not quite sunset yet, but it's starting to get close.
cloudwanderer
Nick is hanging down the side of the ship with the temporary wing, showing it to someone else with animated hand gestures. They shake hands. Nick starts to detach the wing.
He notices Loki after he finishes with the wing.
He notices Loki after he finishes with the wing.
purposeful_glory
"Hello. It's a nice enough town, save the pickpocket," she remarks. "Did you sell the tentacles?"
cloudwanderer
"A pickpocket? I imagine he regretted his choice of target. I have arranged the sale but not actually performed it yet. The buyer is supposed to be here to pick it up and pay me any minute now."
"We agreed on the price of one silgram per ten kilograms of tentacle, which works out to 49.3 grams of silver. The local currency is Liams, about 500 liams to a gram of silver, so you get 24 grams of silver and 325 Liams, or 12325 Liams."
The veggie pie and fruit tart cost her two Liams total. Paper was advertised in a shop at 9 Liams per sheet.
"We agreed on the price of one silgram per ten kilograms of tentacle, which works out to 49.3 grams of silver. The local currency is Liams, about 500 liams to a gram of silver, so you get 24 grams of silver and 325 Liams, or 12325 Liams."
The veggie pie and fruit tart cost her two Liams total. Paper was advertised in a shop at 9 Liams per sheet.
purposeful_glory
"Yes, I caught him and then someone showed up to arrest him. That sounds like a good deal on the meat. Your half will cover your damages, I hope?"
cloudwanderer
"It should take care of the wing and then some. Especially since I managed to sell my temporary replacement. I haven't taken a good look at my internals yet, though. If something important on the inside is subtly destroyed I could be taking a loss. But accidents happen, right?"
cloudwanderer
"Heh. I guess it's not really an accident. Wildlife attacks happen, then. Well, in an hour you'll have a decent startup fund. Do you have a good idea what you want to do around here or was it a wasted trip?"
purposeful_glory
"I'm considering the logistics on taking up squid-hunting, actually, with that price tag. In the shorter term I'm thinking inventing."
cloudwanderer
"Meat is pretty valuable in general, but squid in particular is only so ridiculously expensive because hardly anybody human is stupid enough to try to hunt them. You stand a much better chance, obviously, but if you take them down regularly you'll flood the market. There's other airborne wildlife that most people don't bother, though - I can suggest a particular book if you want to take up hunting, and you can prowl bookstores for it. Unless this town has a library? Not all of them do."
cloudwanderer
"You can always check later. The book you want is Logs of Life Lighter than Air by Isabella Sand. It's boring to read, but it has very accurate and detailed descriptions of those kind of animals' behavior and morphology and so on."
Nick's squid buyer arrives. She looks rich, given the very fancy-looking clothes and the guards. Squid tentacles are hauled out. Money changes hands. After being excruciatingly polite until the rich lady leaves, Nick comes over to give Loki a small pile of coins - mostly wooden, but with a few copper squares and one small silver circle. He explains which coins are what denominations. "I'll be here for a couple of weeks fixing my ship, if you want to talk to someone who's less than a total stranger. Other than that, I think this is where we part ways. Good luck in all your ventures, Loki."
Nick's squid buyer arrives. She looks rich, given the very fancy-looking clothes and the guards. Squid tentacles are hauled out. Money changes hands. After being excruciatingly polite until the rich lady leaves, Nick comes over to give Loki a small pile of coins - mostly wooden, but with a few copper squares and one small silver circle. He explains which coins are what denominations. "I'll be here for a couple of weeks fixing my ship, if you want to talk to someone who's less than a total stranger. Other than that, I think this is where we part ways. Good luck in all your ventures, Loki."