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Kaja's swordstaff decapitates a zombie as Ragnar swoops down. She hears teeth scrape against the metal of her armored boot, but they don't get enough purchase to crunch through, and Ragnar's up again, wheeling for a better strafing angle. There's only three left. She barks commands to her griffin and he banks, flaps, dives.
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castmyown
Darren gets to making the list of things he can very definitively do with his magic. He'll have to ask for paper, later, when getting the specifics of each spell, but for now he can just stick with his notebook of runes and cheatsheets. He's pretty sure he'll freak out a bit the minute he stops having things to do, but that hasn't happened yet, so he can stave that off for a while longer. Runes! Magic! Obsessively exact penmanship!
castmyown
He notices this (after a delay) and decides he should probably go investigate dinner. So he goes to do that, notebook in hand. He could probably safely leave it in his boring room, but then that would mean that if he gets bored at dinner he won't be able to work on more spells, and that also someone might find it and take it. Darren considers it his most valuable object. It's staying with him while he's doing ordinary things like going to dinner, thanks. If he were going to do dangerous things, it'd be different - but he's not. He's surrounded by paladins. This is probably the safest place to be.
segreant
The line at dinner is long, orderly, and apparently in approximate age stratification. The old people first, followed by people who look between the ages of eighteen and fifty, followed by kids Darren's age and younger. When he gets there the last of the gray-haired folks are just starting to sit down and the cohort that is probably active paladins is being served. Neither of Kaja's guesses were right - dinner is cabbage and sausage and nutty bread. There appears to have been cheese, but it's all gone by the time Darren gets there, and he's one of the last people to get sausage, too.
Kaja is sitting with some other paladins and one bold novice in a clump at the end of one of the long tables in the mess hall.
Kaja is sitting with some other paladins and one bold novice in a clump at the end of one of the long tables in the mess hall.
castmyown
Darren is reminded, absurdly, of high school. And showing up and having absolutely no idea of where to sit or what to do. Or what to say. Right, when in doubt - get food. Then, cling to the one person he knows. Savannah's not here (he wishes she were) so that person is, by default, Kaja. So he does both of those things, getting food and going to sit with the one, singular person he knows.
segreant
"Hi, Darren," says Kaja. "Everybody, this is the person I brought back with me today -" Her voice does the "overlay" thing she mentioned, simultaneously English and a strange liquidy language.
The novice says something in not English at all, not gifted with the language thing.
"I've already told you about the zombies. There were fifteen of them and I caught them on their way from the outbreak and got them all," Kaja says.
The novice is very enthusiastic.
"It was very messy and very dangerous and very necessary," says Kaja.
The novice says something in not English at all, not gifted with the language thing.
"I've already told you about the zombies. There were fifteen of them and I caught them on their way from the outbreak and got them all," Kaja says.
The novice is very enthusiastic.
"It was very messy and very dangerous and very necessary," says Kaja.
segreant
The novice blinks at him in confusion.
"Gunnar hasn't taken his vows yet," Kaja mentions. "And Darren isn't even a novice... We'll have to translate if the two of you want to talk to each other."
"Gunnar hasn't taken his vows yet," Kaja mentions. "And Darren isn't even a novice... We'll have to translate if the two of you want to talk to each other."
castmyown
"Ah, right, that - will be inconvenient. I should add 'learn the local language' to my list of things to do."
segreant
"The sisters and brothers who run the dormitory still have their blessings, so you'll be able to talk with them, and practice with the novices," suggests Kaja.
Gunnar says something.
"Gunnar wants to confirm that you're a deer with wings."
Gunnar says something.
"Gunnar wants to confirm that you're a deer with wings."
castmyown
"I am indeed a deer with wings," says Darren, amused. "I'm guessing he wants to see me be a deer with wings?"
castmyown
Darren raises an eyebrow. "Uh. I'm fine with showing him, probably not in a crowded mess hall, though. The ride - um. Maybe? I'm just sort of worried about being treated like a beast of burden, which I am not."
segreant
Kaja translates.
"He wonders," she translates again when Gunnar says something, "if you are a mini deer and not an elk or something and therefore can't carry people."
"He wonders," she translates again when Gunnar says something, "if you are a mini deer and not an elk or something and therefore can't carry people."
castmyown
"No, I probably can if he's not wearing armor or secretly five hundred pounds or something, but - I don't know, I don't really know him, and I really don't want to get caught in a - 'Novices, novices everywhere, ride the fantastical talking and flying deer!' situation. Because I'm a person."
segreant
One of Kaja's paladin friends, the woman, says, "Clearly you are a person. No one would ride you without permission; we wouldn't even do that to another paladin's mount, and those don't speak."
castmyown
Darren declines to care. If people expect him to carry them just because they want him to, they are in for disappointment. Pouting changes absolutely nothing about the situation.
Nom, nom. Cabbage, sausage, nutty bread. Dinner.
Nom, nom. Cabbage, sausage, nutty bread. Dinner.
segreant
The food is pretty okay, if not very creative. The paladins and novice all clear their plates and Gunnar says something that Kaja translates as, "Can he at least see now, he wants to know."
castmyown
Darren doesn't think he likes Gunnar that much, but maybe Kaja's translating him unfavorably. "Sure," he agrees, and he finishes his last sausage, gets up from the table, and neatly shifts to fullform. He is a pretty blue-grey deer with wings. Behold.
segreant
This attracts a lot of attention from neighboring tables, too; Kaja stands up and makes placating gestures and nobody attacks Darren.
Gunnar appears to want to pet Darren, though he utters no sentences to this effect.
Gunnar appears to want to pet Darren, though he utters no sentences to this effect.
castmyown
"... Probably should have waited until I was outside," sighs the deer that is also Darren. "Sorry for the ruckus."
Gunnar can - go on wanting to pet Darren, Darren's not going to care, as long as he doesn't start trying without asking.
Gunnar can - go on wanting to pet Darren, Darren's not going to care, as long as he doesn't start trying without asking.