riverviewlogs | [open] we tried to bury it and rise above

[That's a weird reaction.

He's not a stupid kid, by any means, even if he tends to let Lup drag him around most of the time rather than having his own opinions about things, but right now he's having an opinion about this being kinda weird.]

Are you lying?

(She doesn't know how she'd possibly go about explaining this in a way that would be satisfying, so she just... lies.)

No. (All the while super aware that Taako basically invented lying.)

Do... do you want to go get something to eat?

[She's totally lying.]

Can it be hot?

[But now he's curious, he wants to know what she's lying about, and how she knows him, so he'll play along for now.]

(But she said it with a straight face and everythingggg cmon)

Course. Want to go through the stalls and pick something out?

[She was too hesitant, it gave her away. He'll teach her some tricks once he's back to normal.]

Okay! [He's probably a little too chill, or at least acting a little too chill, considering the fact that (after wiping his hands clean on his own shirt) Taako even grabs onto Lucretia's robe sleeve, so that he doesn't lose track of her.

While they're looking, he asks:] What is this place? It's not home.

It's called the Quarantine, (she explains, as they meander through the various stalls together, Taako all but hanging off her sleeve.)

And it's quite far from home, I'm afraid.

Oh, okay.

[That's a big word and he doesn't quite connect to its meaning, instead just assuming that it has some meaning relevant to this place.]

Is Lup here?

[The question is slipped in oh-so-casually, he's definitely not trying to trip her up.]

(Even though he's much younger, it's still just like having Taako about; that and Lucretia's mind is partly elsewhere, and so she answers automatically:)

No, she isn't.

(It's strange to think of Lup as being... dead, now. Or that she will die eventually, in a more permanent fashion.)

Ha!

[He's so pleased with himself, at having caught An Adult out on lying, especially when usually this is the other way around and that's a lot less satisfying and a lot more worrying.]

If you don't know me how'd you know who Lup is?

(She blinks, and looks down at him nervously. Well, so much for that.

Let present Taako never, ever find out about this, because he will surely laugh her right out of Quarantine.)

Oh– well... (Stuff it, she can't be bothered coming up with any more lies.) Well, uh. Yes. I do know you, in a way. And I know your sister too.

[With the admission, a realization occurs to him:] You know me when I'm grown up, right?

[He doesn't really understand how all this works, but he's assuming it's some kind of magic.]

(She nods slowly, startled at how quick he's caught on.)

Yes. Much older.

(And then she smiles, suddenly.) How old do you think I am?

[This feels like A Trick, but he still peers up at her with some scrutiny.]

You're human, aren't you?

[He wants to make sure of that fact, before guessing.]

(Yeah it's kind of a trick, made obvious by the way she's grinning.)

I sure am.

[His initial thought is "sixty" because she looks fairly old, but her grin makes him suspect that his initial guess is going to be very wrong, he's just not sure whether to go up or down.

It takes him a good minute of thinking before he decides on:] A hundred.

[That's a nice round number.]

Almost.

(It's a pretty good guess. For a moment she takes the time to add everything up.) One hundred and... forty. (Oops, Wonderland. That was a thing that happened.) Sorry– sixty, ish.

Pretty good for a human, huh.

How come you're not dead?

[That's a very rude question but look, humans are like little babies, they die so soon.]

I'm a very, very powerful wizard.

(WINK.)

[He accepts that answer pretty readily, since being a very powerful wizard sounds like the kind of thing that would extend someone's life.]

What kind of magic can you do? Do you have a school? What's your favourite spell?

[His second favourite topic to discuss is magic.]

(Thank God, because she is not about to get into the IPRE mission shit with him.)

I favour defensive magic- my school is abjuration. But I can shoot a couple fireballs too, if the situation calls for it.

(His interest is so, so endearing.) My favourite spell is prismatic sphere. Do you know any magic?

[He makes a face, groaning slightly.]

Defensive magic is so booooring, nothing even blows up.

[Why is he like this.]

Can you show me a fireball instead?

[And he doesn't answer her question, not because he doesn't want to tell her, but he just got distracted by the rest of what she said.]

Sometimes if you deflect something explosions happen.

(But aside from that, he's pretty correct in his assumption.

Anyway, fireball is a spell with a twenty-foot radius, so that would be.............. bad.)

Sure, but perhaps outside of the market place yeah?

[He groans, a little petulant and childish, but:]

Let's go then! I wanna see a fireball.

[Most wizards aren't just willing to burn spell slots willy-nilly.]

(Honestly, she's as keen to go muck around with spells as he is, because she knows she can cast from a higher level now. Imagine the fireball that will come out of that.)

Alright, alright.

We can always come back to eat later, I suppose.

[Food is great and all, but magic is cooler.]

Magic first, then food!

[Adults in this place are great.]

I wanna see a fireball.

i mean, true

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