61 - [video + action for beach house and visitors]

[blackshadow]

[ Tyr is in a better mood than usual as he walks around the empty kitchen. Talking to himself. ]

Relax, Gremio. It's just one birthday... Anyway, we can celebrate again now if you want to--Dad missed it, too. Just sit down; I'll prepare everything for once. I've actually gotten pretty good at cooking...

—I haven't slacked off with that either, Dad. You can watch Riou and I spar later if you wanna see for yourself.

... Ah- Nah, I don't think I'm really ready to go a round with you just yet... Maybe later... Let me start this cake first.

Comments

[negativegate]

Really?

[She automatically glances over to the table out of curiosity. She really does want to be able to see them.]

All right--you'll just have to be my translator.

[blackshadow]

[ He brightens up even more when she says that. ]

They can hear you too, you know- but all right. Just take that seat.

[ Points to one closer to the entrance. ]

[negativegate]

Weird.

[Why can they hear her when she can't hear or see them at all? With a slightly perplexed look, she goes ahead and sits in the chair.]

You'll just have to translate to me, then.

[blackshadow]

They think it's weird, too... —Gremio, you can stop. Sit down and give her some air... Let's put lunch off for now.

[ Which isn't weird to him at all. ]

...Anyway, Gremio still remembers you, and Dad's glad to meet you.

[ And thankfully not even trying to shake her hand. ]

[negativegate]

Some air?

[Just how close is he getting?! But Rita recovers and manages a smile, partly because she thinks this is a little funny.]

I'd say the same thing if I could. Anyway, I remember Gremio, too.

[blackshadow]

[ Fret fret fret. ]

He's sitting down now. And he's glad you remember him.

[ He goes silent and just kind of looks over at the chairs blankly. ]

[negativegate]

It's hard to forget someone who frets that much.

[Yep. Her mouth curves up in a bit of a smirk as she says it, though.]

What's up?

[blackshadow]

[ —Okay, that snaps Tyr out of it and makes him laugh. Maybe even more because Gremio is right there. And Teo is laughing too. (It's really nice to see his father laughing...) ]

He was just asking about you and how long you've been staying here. [ While his immediate reaction is to just introduce her and explain the situation, he gives Rita the opportunity to. ...partially because it's nice seeing his father and Rita talking. ]

[negativegate]

[Rita's glad enough to get a laugh out of Tyr, and she directs her attention to the chairs--though she isn't sure which one his father is in--and gives her usual introduction:]

Rita Mordio, genius mage. I've been in this house for a couple years, and Tyr moved in because we had plenty of room.

[blackshadow]

[ Better than saying 'because everyone but Riou left Tyr'. Tyr continues to smile, and with her looking towards them, it feels like they really are having a conversation... ]

They're a little surprised that you've been here so long.

[ Something about how even a genius mage couldn't find her way out. ]

[negativegate]

[Rita's tactless enough that it's something she could easily say, too... While it's probably good that Tyr has enough tact to not say exactly what they are.

Still, although this is a little strange, it isn't so bad at all.]

Really? But Tyr's been here about as long as I have, too.

[blackshadow]

[ Tyr doesn't notice that it might be awkward to laugh a little with his father when she says that. ]

That's beside the point...

[negativegate]

[It sort of is! Rita didn't see what was so funny.]

Huh? Why? It's no different.

[blackshadow]

[ Tyr shakes his head as his father teases him. It feels like old times even with Rita there. ]

It's a small difference. Anyway, why don't you tell him what kind of mage you are?

[negativegate]

[She's glad to see Tyr in a good mood, after she was worrying about how the curse would make him feel.]

Well, I study blastia, the technology of my world. I specialize in magical effects, so that means putting together the formulae to process aer or mana in order to get the desired outcome.

[blackshadow]

[ Don't worry, Rita, he'll cry later when they're gone. ]

Yeah, it is a little complicated... [ He says a few moments after she finishes speaking. ] It's not like runes at all. If we had these back home, Toran...

[ But he just trails off and leaves it at that, remembering that his father only remembers Toran as a lake. ]

[negativegate]

[Then she really will worry...

Rita doesn't know why Tyr pauses (and she doesn't know if his father or Gremio is talking, either), so she chimes in-]

They're certainly different from runes, since they need a fuel source, for one. As far as we know, aer and mana don't exist in your world.

[blackshadow]

[ He'll be happy enough that Rita thought they were real...

Tyr doesn't bother to clarify who made the comment, especially since the look on his father's face says he doesn't understand either. ]

...I know. [ His smile falters a bit, and he looks over to Rita. ]

They think it's too bad that the blastia might not work in our world...

[ A moment later, he's looking over again at the other end of the table again. ]

Because they're at work.

[negativegate]

[Rita doesn't believe they're a figment of Tyr's imagination--it's the curse that's brought them here and made them real to Tyr.

She frowns, though, and shakes her head.]

There's no use in worrying about something that isn't in your world. You'll have to find some other way to end the war.

[blackshadow]

[ Rita is nicer about this than Tyr, who accepted that Teo was just in his head before.

He looks over at her in mild surprise. That...wasn't what he expected her to say. And neither did Gremio or Teo. Awkwardly, he tries to explain: ]

...There's another war between the Jowston and Highland... Our country is fine... That war's over now. It's...

[negativegate]

[There's no disputing it's because of the curse, at least. And with that in mind, it'd be easy to think of it either way...

Whoops, she made things a little more awkward. She doesn't know quite enough about his world, though.]

So that's the one you're concerned about now?

[blackshadow]

[ It really is...

He gives her an apologetic smile before shaking his head and standing up. ]

What I'm concerned about now is making a cake as good as the one you had Eagle prepare for me.

[ With that, he starts towards the fridge again, trying to ignore Gremio and Teo's words. Well, mostly Gremio's. He can just feel Teo's eyes on him, and that's all he needs. ]

[negativegate]

[Tyyyr...

Rita feels a little weirder now with Tyr turning away. It's not like she wants to ignore his family, but if she can't see them, her attention can only really go to Tyr.]

You could call him up and ask him how he did it. But...you know, if it's as good as your ice cream cake, then nobody would turn that down.

[blackshadow]

[ Ritaaaa... My family is deeeead...

That brings a smile to his face again, and because these are his imagines of his father and Gremio, they relax, too. ]

You know, now that you've said it, they're both going to want to try it...

--That's right. Your recipe, Gremio.

[negativegate]

[Don't cry, Tyr!! :<

Rita can't help but grin to that, either.]

Who wouldn't want to try it?

[And she looks back at the chairs again.]

Oh, that's right. I remember you said you got the recipe from the ones left behind.