Enter the (Ex-)Imperator.

[eumenis]

There's a woman at the edge of the Parklands, knee-deep in grass. She looks like a soldier, one arm a metal prosthetic, a skull-shaped brand marking the nape of her neck, a machete in a sheath at her hip, and possibly other weapons hidden on her person. She's dirty, stained with dust and oil, and tension sings along the lines of her back and shoulders. Like she's waiting to be attacked.

At the same time, though, there's a distinctly misty look in her eyes as she stares out over the field before her. Flowers. Insects. Streams and lakes. Maybe she's hallucinating. Maybe she's dead.

She has one question, though, because beauty is so often a trap: "Is this water safe?"

Comments

[ixis]

This Overlander looks remarkably more like what he would expect from them. War-ready, mechanical prosthetics, armed. He's not afraid of her, heavens no, he's not afraid of anything or anyone! But Naugus keeps a respectable distance, as well as a defensive crouch. The fingers on his staff drum and adjust their grip often.

"Why would it not be?"

[eumenis]

By contrast, Furiosa has no idea what to make of this person. She's seen plenty of individuals with strange mutations. That's par for the course in the Wasteland. But this...does not look like one of them.

For the moment, she chooses not to question too deeply, just looking back at him in stone-faced calm. "Could be radioactive. Could be acid. Most of the surface water where I come from is sour. Bad."

[ixis]

"Were it to prove the same level of lethal here, I could always conjure some for you. For a price, of course." He's already adapting to how this place demands barter and he'd rather prepare himself for when he really wants something off another exile.

To demonstrate, he twirls a hand and a blob of suspended water simply gathers and appears from the atmosphere itself, hovering over his palm. Neat, huh?

[eumenis]

Okay.

Okay, that's not normal. Granted, neither is a field of green grass and flowers and butterflies, dotted with clear ponds and streams. But she knows meadows and ponds used to exist, whereas people with horns and huge ears who collect water out of the very air never have.

At least, if they have she's damn well never heard about it.

Her expression doesn't change much, except for widening eyes, but her spine straightens, tension singing along the lines of her body as if she's deciding whether a fight-or-flight response is appropriate in this situation.

Then his words register, and she decides, all weirdness aside, it's all right. Bartering isn't unfamiliar. Settling again, she steps closer and tilts her head to peer at the blob in the air. "You...conjure it. And how would I know what you conjure is safe to drink?"

[ixis]

Wonder if Furiosa have ever been to Bartertown. Go say hi to Aunty Entity and check out the Thunderdome.

"Yes. Conjuration? Magic?" He says this like it's something that should be plainly obvious and common knowledge, like breathing or sunlight. "And why would I offer unsafe water? Do I have to drink it myself to reassure you? Hardly dignified."

((You rang?))

[aunty]

((Yeah, I have an Aunty Entity, too. Hi.))

[ixis]

(( HAHAHA most excellent. I'm in love. ))

[eumenis]

"I don't know you," she explains concisely. "So I have no reason to believe you would care for the lives of my people. Also, as far as I'm aware, magic is a fairy tale where I come from. Never seen it before."

She kind of wants to poke at the floating cluster of water. A lot. "What kind of price would you be asking, out of curiosity?"

[ixis]

He looks her over, perhaps for any readily obvious goods that would be worthwhile to ask in exchange. Her mechanical arm gets an open sneer when his eyes fall on it. Urrgh. Robotics.

"Coin? Currency? A favour would be easiest. And goodness, honestly, woman. Here." He raises the glob of water to his lips and takes a sip of it, smacking his lips afterwards, satisfied with the taste. Perfectly normal and safe magic water! "Better?"

[eumenis]

She sees that look, and her expression hardens. It's not difficult to offend her that way, but his saving grace is that he doesn't make any comment. If he keeps it that way, she'll let it slide. For now.

"Water is currency, where I'm from. Water, fuel, food. And people, but I don't trade in them. But I might be able to come up with something you value. And a favor...might be negotiable." With some very rigid stipulations.

She nods, conceding he's not trying to poison her. "You've got me curious now, though. What else can you conjure?"

[ixis]

Oh, he looks DELIGHTED now! He gets to show off!

Grinning and without a word, the globule of water starts to glow, an orange light flickering within. Then it abruptly grows, both in brightness and size, the water evaporating and giving way to a ball of flame that had somehow grown from within it.

Naugus looks at the flame, considering, then blows on it. The fire, for lack of a better work, appears to grow brittle, solid. Like it's going to ash, but the ash is brown, craggy and cracked. And just like that, it's an orb of stone instead, slowly rotating, bits of sand and chips of rock falling from it.

And finally, with a click of a claw, the stone goes clear, then appears to fade, except for a last few fragments of sand swirling and blowing around in wild loops. Like a little contained whirlwind...

That suddenly bursts and scatters where it will, the spell no longer contained as Naugus is done with his demonstration. A puff of wind gusts past Furiosa (along with a few grains of sand.) Naugus dusts off his hands (well, hand and claw) theatrically.

[eumenis]

She moves back in self-defense when the glow starts up, calm but wary with her prosthesis held between him and her as makeshift shield. Where she comes from, sudden glows are usually a prelude to an explosion. This seems very controlled, though, and she continues to watch with quiet appreciation.

Water, fire, stone, wind...very nice. The possibilities aren't hard to imagine. Furiosa is fundamentally a fighter, so of course the applications for fire, rock, even wind in the midst of war strike her at once. Presumably this being can do this conjuring on a larger scale or he wouldn't offer trade. That could be immensely powerful, even a game changer.

Which makes him more of a potential threat than a potential ally, but she's used to that kind of thing. Used to using it and averting disaster mostly.

She rewards the display with a slow smile. She won't be applauding, but she lets her expression show that she's impressed. "You create elements out of nothing. Can you also...mn. Reshape them where they already exist? Build sand into rock or glass, maybe?"

Just because her first thought is of the uses of magic in battle doesn't mean she's going to wholly disregard the idea of building up infrastructure that way as well.

[ixis]

"Yes! Astute woman. I can summon, I can shape, I can transform. Perfect harmony between all elements." And more! But why let all his cards fall on the table at the first meeting? She seems sufficiently appreciative and impressed with even just this display.

"You seem interested in the display." Not sure if it's just fascination or she sees an application, but he's willing to hear either.

[eumenis]

"Furiosa," she corrects mildly. "They call me Furiosa." She moves closer again, at a slight angle as if to get a better look at his accoutrements.

Clean, she notices. As clean as anyone else here. Fabric as sturdy and in as good condition as she's ever seen. The staff and gem are unusual, nothing she can identify as a weapon, and yet he clearly doesn't need it to prop himself up, so she has to assume there's some defensive use to the thing.

"I'm picturing what a bolt of flame could do to the vehicles of my enemies," she admits quietly. Gastown is always on her mind. "We use incendiary lances, but the reach is minimal. And guns, but we don't have infinite ammunition."

Shrug. "And the shaping of rock. We're surrounded by sand. Walls, banks, even a pit trap in the right place would be an asset. The question is what you value, whether I have it, and whether it's worth it to me to trade."

[ixis]

"Hah!" His ears perk up and that grin nearly splits his face in half for how wide it is. "You speak well my language, Furiosa! I am always willing to assist in efforts of conquest, should a portal allow me back to your realm. Unless you think you can simply bottle my abilities and use them for yourself." Granted, he could figure out ways to do it; he already boasted a means of doing so to a man named Schön. But once again; keep aces in your sleeves, even if you are a massive show-off.

"I will construct for your walls of such height and strength, it would take days of siege to scratch them. I will rain fire from the heavens to scorch the earth of your enemies. I will summon great typhoons to drown them and suck the air from their very lungs. All I ask are simple things in return. A contract, perhaps."

For what it's worth, he's warming up fast to Furiosa. She may be an Overlander, but he reminds him of someone. Another battle-ready, war-hardened woman who was quick with a sai and short of many words. Someone he held a great deal of respect for.

[eumenis]

Furiosa is consistently fascinated by what people will extrapolate from the things she does not say. She just mentioned enemies, for example, and boy does she have them, but her interests are not precisely in conquest. War is wearisome; she's had more than enough of it and it bothers her to think that's all she's good for. True, she'll raze Gastown and the Bullet Farm to the sands if she has to, but she'd prefer an accord, and she knows the rest of the widows are more dovish than she is.

So, this may not work, unless she gets truly desperate to save her people. The response, in fact, strikes her as a clear warning sign. A person this interested in helping her conquer might easily take it in mind to do some conquering himself.

Her face shows none of her misgivings, though. She still needs more information before she comes to a solid conclusion. Actually, she smiles, a small, dark, ambiguous little smile as she latches onto the second half of the sorcerer's proposal. "I believe you can do what you say. But tell me what you mean by a contract. I'll make no agreement today, but I'll consider this."

[ixis]

"It is simply a formality, truly. We agree on terms and offer a shaking of hands." Perhaps to be cheeky, he raises his crab-claw instead of his actual hand, giving it a little snap. "Such as where your stipulations and requirements lie, what I will expect in return, and I will expect very little. The joy of the work will be enough, I feel."

He is lying. Contracts with him are like contracts with Satan. Buyer beware INDEED. He gets a lot out of the very act of binding agreement in and of itself. But like he's going to disclose that.

[eumenis]

"The joy of the work? How altruistic of you." The wry smile lingers. She's known too many warlords to take what he says at face value, and she's definitely not going to shake his hand, just wary enough of arcane powers to wonder if the simple act of touching would seal the contract.

No. She's been owned before and isn't interested in going through it again.

"But you haven't given me your name yet, and you have mine."

[ixis]

"Ah! Forgive my oversight." A theatrical bow, along with a twirl of the claw, before he states it. "Ixis Naugus, sorcerer supreme and master of the elements. As you well know by now, I'm sure.

"Were you to desire my work for your base, simply say the word. A business-like handshake and agreement and off I go. Assuming you have portal access back to your world, of course."

[eumenis]

"Ixis Naugus," she repeats. People from some worlds might find that a strange name, but it's downright prosaic next to names like 'Rictus Erectus' and 'Organic Mechanic'. "Well met. You've certainly been enlightening."

She's not offering a hand, having decided shaking in greeting might be inadvisable. "I'll need time to consider your offer. Are you dwelling here, or simply visiting?"

You know, just on the off-chance she wants to see him again. She's in no hurry to take him up on any kind of contract, but just knowing his abilities exist presents some interesting possibilities.

[ixis]

"I will be here at the time. I intend to study this zone further, see if I can discern its nature and properties." Rather than admit he's stuck here. Even if he already did at any point, might as well make it a much more dignified sort of stuck. Stuck with purpose!

"And should you ever need to find me and I am not readily seen or found, simply whisper my name into an open flame. I'll hear you." He gives Furiosa a cryptic grin.

[eumenis]

Technically, Furiosa is stuck here, too, for the moment. She's not going to let that stand, though, and she's definitely not going to admit it to him.

"Whisper your name into a fire?" That's creepy, if it truly works, and yet strangely appealing. "Hm. I'll keep it in mind. Thank you, for the interesting discussion."

She gives a slight incline of her head, a bow of farewell rather than the hand-clasp she's too wary to offer.

[ixis]

He gives another theatrical bow before suddenly bursting into flames. Though they seem very controlled, keeping to just the size and shape he was, though slowly shrinking and rapidly wafting away as dense smoke. Soon, there's just a charred spot on the ground where he stood and a roiling black cloud drifting away with a good deal more purpose than most plumes do.

Show off.

[eumenis]

The slight start she makes as he catches fire and vanishes may just be gratifying if he can see it. She doesn't dodge or hide, though, just watches with visible curiosity as he drifts away.

Show off, indeed, and despite her reluctance to make a deal, she doesn't want to court conflict with him, either. She'll keep him in mind, either way.