Time for a Break

[alphacraft]

Who: Odile and OPEN
What: Just chillin
When: After Suri-fight
Where: The cafe and/or inn
Warnings: Will add if needed

The consequences of Enciodes' little mission have been far-reaching, it seems. Odile herself is satisfied that she's learned a great deal (though grumpy that some of it had to be learned at all) and relatively un-traumatized from the whole ordeal, but people around town are clearly not doing well. So while she normally keeps mostly to herself, this week she's decided to get out and about.

It's still bitterly cold, and she still wants to just sit somewhere warm and read a book, so the inn and the cafe will have to do for "out and about".

She makes herself comfortable, sipping occassionally from a cup of tea as she reads, but makes a point to look up whenever someone comes by or starts talking and nod, or raise her eyebrows, or otherwise signal that she is open to having company.

Comments

[aneikonic]

... Hm. That makes him pause, thoughtful. Then looks around the cafe and gets up to grab a cup and a spoon or two, then sits back down. Places the cup down. Places the spoon down with one end touching the mug. Ponders the distance and nods then, taps the middle.

"Roasted instantly zone from here to me, then further out it's burning. Beyond that it's safe. I... don't know how to translate that in distance and height properly."

[alphacraft]

She stares at the visual aid, then slowly raises an eyebrow.

"I see. Perhaps we should attempt an estimate that is to scale?" Her voice is filled with a terrible patience. Clive. A cup and a spoon is nowhere near good enough.

[aneikonic]

"Well, if you want it to scale, I could step outside and bring Ifrit in to the conversation."

He's staring at the mug and spoon thoughtfully. Okay, fair, maybe this isn't properly to scale. Hm.

[alphacraft]

She hums thoughtfully. When he says it like that, it sounds like a terrible idea, but it's actually kind of perfect. Firsthand experience would no doubt be the best teacher here.

"Yes, perhaps we should."

[aneikonic]

Odile you are supposed to the voice of logic and reason here. Her agreeance makes him blink but - well - practical demonstrations are sometimes best. He's silent as he thinks.

"Going to need a bit of open room, I'd rather not set buildings on fire."

[alphacraft]

She raises her eyebrows.

"You've managed it once before. There's no reason we can't do it again." Sure, he had a magical shield on him before, but it isn't as though there's anything to burn where Suri's temple used to be.

[aneikonic]

That takes him a moment because he truly is thinking she means for him to step out of the cafe into the Grove and simply ignite. He ah's softly when he clues in, amused.

"All right. I don't mind roasting a certain area a little further. Shall we pick a date or would you rather get it out of the way now?"

[alphacraft]

She's glad he catches on. She would hate to have to explain that she was not suggesting wanton arson.

"I don't have anything else planned for the day. Do you?"

[aneikonic]

"Nothing at all."

He offers her a smile and stands up, then politely offers her his hand. There is... some gentleman left in him despite the whole living as an outlaw thing.

[alphacraft]

She graciously accepts the hand, though she definitely doesn't need help standing. It's a matter of respect, and she always appreciates that.

"Very well then. This should certainly be educational."

[aneikonic]

"If not that, then it will certainly be a show."

He'll help her to the feet - it is indeed the principle of it - then let her gather her stuff. And even open the door for her, she is very old after all.

"Is there anything you'd like to gather before we go?"

It should be safe now...

[alphacraft]

She considers going for the book she uses to channel her Craft, but decides against it. She's powerful enough without it should they run into any minor troubles.

"No, I think I have everything I need."

[aneikonic]

"Right."

And forgive him for taking the lead, because they do have to trek through bits of the forest to get to the Shrine, and though he doesn't doubt her skill in magic... he's just naturally been situated at the forefront.

The Shield for a monster to focus on.

He was dead by the time Suri threw his tantrum, and so while he's heard it came down, he's not seen the rubble as they finally come upon it again and he huh's softly.

"That's one way to lock the door after you've tossed your guests out..."

[alphacraft]

It's natural for Odile to linger in the back, so it works well for both of them. She surveys the site impassively. She hadn't had the chance, really, when they were making their escape. She'd been dealing with the pain from a broken clavicle and dislocated shoulder, among other things.

"Consider it fortunate he saw fit to toss us out, first."

[aneikonic]

"Why removal and not simply kill us all."

His words are more rhetoric than an actual question, frowning at the fallen Shrine. It doesn't make sense to him, but that's God's he supposes. He shakes his head and gestures for Odile to stay there, walking forward as he does, trying to gauge the distance that he knows is safe by how far away he walked when facing Bahamut.

"If it gets too hot, back up further. Let me know when you're ready."

[alphacraft]

"Evidently we just aren't worth the effort." She's not sure that it would really be any more effort to kill them than to play with them, but the fact remains that 'play' seems to be Suri's goal. But that's something to contemplate later.

"Go ahead," she calls, eyes on the ground between them. She probably shouldn't be trusting him not to burn her, if he doesn't know his range that well. At least she can trust him to rush her to medical assistance if he does.

[aneikonic]

He nods, centers himself with a soft exhale, and calls upon Ifrit. In the space of one blink and the next, the air erupts around him in flames that jettison towards the sky. Thankfully he's judged the distance properly and while she will feel a rush of heat, like standing too close to a forge, it doesn't become painful.

Ifrit slowly stands upright as if unfolding himself, mindful of the large tail as it turns back towards Odile, though it does send rubble scattering. It's flames are pacified for now, the red rocky scales of it's body looking more like magma cooling, even as 'lava' looks like it licks between them.

Then, very carefully, like an oversized canine, he lowers himself down onto his hands to bring his head down towards her, so he can hear whatever she might tell him.

[alphacraft]

She instinctively takes a step back from the heat and shields her face. It's uncomfortable, but not dangerous. Fortunate. She can't help staring at the creature as it lowers itself. She's seen it once before, but now that she has the time to look at it properly it's fascinating.

He, she reminds herself. He's fascinating. And more docile than she had been expecting, all things considered.

She tilts her head curiously.

"How well can you understand me in this form?"

[aneikonic]

As normally as before.

His mouth doesn't move as he speaks, instead it seems to echo in the air around them. Thankfully like this it prevents his voice from becoming too loud for her ears. He turns his head a little to be able to see her better, as she's small enough to him now that trying to focus this close with both eyes is ridiculous. The blue glow in his eye somehow manages to seem amused.

Is there anything you want to see? Don't ask me to juggle, though.

[alphacraft]

That is unnerving, but no more so than having Loop's voice in her head.

She grins wryly.

"No juggling? Then how about a handstand?"

This is a joke, of course, so she doesn't wait for him to answer. Instead, she looks at the trees a ways away. Ifrit seems so large now, but compared to Suri he practically looked like a toy. She frowns thoughtfully.

"Could you stand next to a tree without burning it? I'd like to get an accurate measure of your height."

[aneikonic]

I can manage that. I think.

It takes him a moment or two to cool his flames further, focusing on drawing them inwards as he stands up again. The glow of his body dims, fades, and he carefully approaches the nearest tree. When it doesn't immediately lit on fire he exhales a hot gust of air, and stands as near to it as he can.

He comes up to sixty feet or so, with his horns adding extra height but he doesn't count them. His tail sways lightly behind him, as he focuses on Odile from the distance.

[alphacraft]

She eyes the tree, then him, doing some mental math. By her estimation, when they entered the temple Suri was somewhere around 50 meters tall. She turns to survey the ruins around them- what little there is- her frown deepening.

The sizes don't really make sense.

Was the inside of the temple even here? Was it somewhere else? Was it real at all? The temple certainly was, since it left tangible remains. But what exactly happened that day? She wishes she could have seen it as an observer like she had originally intended, rather than as a participant.

Lost in thought, she has forgotten about Clive for the moment.

[aneikonic]

She's not wrong. Clive had noticed he only came up to Suri's height while the other was sitting. Upon standing, he was overly double Clive's height. It felt like facing against Titan's evolved form.

With her attention on the ruins of the Temple, he lets himself return back to his normal self. And with her gaze elsewhere, she can't see the grimace that passes over his face, nor the way he grabs his right arm as he feels the stone creeping higher. It's agony, but he makes no sound, and by the time he approaches her again, his expression is back to normal.

"Gil for your thoughts?"

[alphacraft]

She's a little startled to hear his voice so close when he was so far a moment ago, but only a little.

"Hmm? A what?" From context she can guess, given a moment, but she's guessing at a third language from the context of a second language.

"Ah, I was just thinking that the ruins are quite a bit smaller than I remember."

[aneikonic]

"Our currency back home," he offers, smiling a little. Then blinks and looks towards the ruins as well, frowning thoughtfully. She's ... not wrong. The ruins are large enough to have held the main chambers and "rooms" from the side but-

"Huh."

Eloquent. He steps forward to step up onto the rubble again, looking around. Scorch marks from himself, recent, but there doesn't seem to be damage from their fight. He stops and turns back towards her, shrugging one shoulder gently, "It doesn't surprise me. The God I fought with back home could make his own inner world as well."