#1 The Request

[horkbajir]

Name: Toby Hamee
Date: May 17
Format: Video

[Toby's set this up so her body is visible from the waist up. She's a long-limbed reptilian alien with piercing red eyes set under heavy brows, and curving blades coming out of her forehead, elbows, and wrists. Her voice is gravelly and deep, and very measured, not betraying that she has no idea what she's doing and just hopes for the best.]

I am a Hork-Bajir. My people are from on a planet far from Earth, though I was born in the state of California. My name is Toby Hamee.

[She extends her arm, flares her wrist and elbow blades.] These blades are sharp but designed to cut bark from trees - we eat mostly tree products, supplemented by some insects and the occasional egg. Blunting my blades is not an option, but I don't want to accidentally cut anyone when I'm in the city and surrounded by humans. I expect that magic could be used to prevent accidents.

If any other witches have an interest, I would appreciate hearing your ideas. Thank you.

Comments

video; 'katsuragi'

[topslug]

[ The difficulty of dealing with alien species is that one has to throw most of one's assumptions out the window. At a glance, Yako can't tell how old 'Toby Hamee' is or whether they're a boy or girl, but that's all pretty irrelevant to the matter at hand -- someone needs help dealing with a relatively practical problem. ]

Hm ... maybe it would make sense to start looking in places where people deal with dangerous equipment every day? Like a carpenter's workshop or a forge. I haven't heard of any spells like that myself, but if they're working with tools like that every day, I'm sure they must know a thing or two about preventing accidents.

[horkbajir]

[Toby tilts her head in a considering way, the gesture magnified by her horn blades.]

That is a good idea. I don't have much experience with humans, and it had not occurred to me that some do work with sharp objects on a regular basis. Tool use... yes, of course. Thank you.

[topslug]

Good luck! I hope someone can point you in the right direction.

[ And hopefully not give her too hard a time about looking like a monster instead of the witch she claims to be. ]

[horkbajir]

It's my hope as well.

What is your name?

[topslug]

I'm Yako Katsuragi. It's nice to meet you.

[ A pause. ]

I was born on Earth too, though not in the USA. I'm from Japan.

[ If Toby knows what California is, there's a reasonable chance she's familiar with other facets of Earth geography, surely? ]

[horkbajir]

A pleasure.

[She pauses in turn. Toby's familiarity with much of Earth is limited; Japan sounds familiar, she knows a little about world history, but it's all very abstracted.]

That is... an island, is it not? A chain of islands?

[topslug]

That's right. It's along the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean from California's coastline, so about ... [ Hang on, time to dredge up what she can recall. ]

About five thousand miles or a twelve-hour flight away.

video

[halfheartedmagician]

[Asra is curious and it shows in his eyes, bright and focused on the other's image. He's sprawled out on his stomach, long hands folded under his chin and there's a number of brightly coloured fabrics draped around him.]

Have you thought about wrapping them up when you go out?

[It's... difficult to tell if he's serious or not.]

[horkbajir]

[Clothing is something that Toby doesn't really get the purpose of, beyond protection and pockets. Colorful articles at least have some visual appeal, if not enough to justify carrying them everywhere.]

Wrapping them? In what?

[halfheartedmagician]

I'm certain we can find something.

[To demonstrate his point, Asra finds a small blade, used for slicing up food or herbs, and wraps the fabric of one of the scarves around it over and over and over again. The blade becomes bulky with fabric, and he presses his finger against it without concern.]

It might cut through eventually but maybe we can work on making something magical for you in the meantime.

[horkbajir]

[Toby rumbles thoughtfully. Her knee-jerk thought is No, that looks like it'd feel unpleasant; she overrides it.]

I see. That seems... bulky and time consuming, but it's worth considering in the interim. I feel like such wrappings would also tend to fall off though.

[halfheartedmagician]

I'm sure people here could make ones that would be easy to pull on and off and wouldn't fall off easily.

[Asra shrugs loosely.] But it's just a suggestion.

voice;

[wylderrant]

Look at you! You're wonderful! Fascinating!

[ There's the sound of someone clapping. She has her voice call on, but she's not tried on the moving picture function. ]

Admirable, even, to want to avoid inadvertent wounding.

[horkbajir]

[Clapping is weird. The scales on Hork-Bajir hands mean that they can't make the bright percussive applause more humanlike hands are capable of and tbh just from the sound Toby has no idea what the source is.]

I am glad you think so. Wounding would cause certain troubles.

[wylderrant]

[ Iramaat is a bit odd all around. It's in her nature. ]

Oh, yes. Quite troublesome. Blood everywhere.

[ The clapping finally trails off. ]

Hard to believe your only meant to fight trees, but that's the wonder of the world, isn't it? Nothing is quite what we expect!

[horkbajir]

I am meant to maintain trees, in fact. Sometimes this means removing pieces of them.

[She shrugs. It looks a little off, since she's copying this gesture from humans.]

We all work with what we were given.

[wylderrant]

Oh, that's interesting. And I think you're right, we all have the gifts we were given when we were created. All meant for something, for some destiny...

[ She sounds almost wistful. Weird. ]

Have you considered having someone make you leather sort of... sheaths or coverings for your blades? That will slip or tie on? Like a sword or a dagger.

[horkbajir]

Swords and daggers are fairly new to me. My enemies don't use them. [A brooding pause.] No, that isn't quite true. There are similar devices used to keep my people subdued in captivity.

[wylderrant]

[ Well, that sounds kind of depressing. ]

Captivity? Have your people been conquered?

[ She pauses. ]

Bit of a silly question, actually, considering what you just said. That sounds deeply unfortunate.

[horkbajir]

[It would get more depressing the more she talked about it, but Toby's realized that a lot of people don't want to hear about it. For now, she has to live here and try to get along.]

It is. I am the first Hork-Bajir born free in generations.

There are... lockable sheaths attached to our blades. Not of leather, though I can't identify their actual material.

[wylderrant]

Ah. Well... even if it is similar to the chains that bind you, it might do to get yourself some that you can take on and off as you like, if you want to avoid cutting people.

[ She's going to focus on the immediate problem instead. ]

[horkbajir]

I will consider it.

[She does not like this idea but it's too practical to reject out of hand.]

Where would I get such sheaths? I'm sure they would need to be made specifically.

[wylderrant]

I imagine a leather-worker could make some for you. But I haven't the faintest idea to start looking for one. Sorry!

[horkbajir]

[Mostly to herself:]

Actual tanners. Hm. Preserving the skins of the animals they kill... yes, that makes sense.

[That sounds repulsive. Again, though - pragmatism. She has to think about it.]

Who are you?

[wylderrant]

Oh, me? I'm Iramaat. Pleased to meet you, Toby!

[ She's cheery enough for both of them. ]

[horkbajir]

Iramaat. A pleasure.

[She'll have to be! Toby has to know someone quite well to not sound like she's gravely considering just about everything.]

Have you been... the phrase may be 'settling down'?

[wylderrant]

Ah, yes. Trying to, anyway. Adventuring, doing all that sort of thing. Learning the ropes, as it's said. Yourself?