brother_nature | Golden Peacock

Fulgur stone. You know... crystallized lightning? [ The witch drawls, flipping forwards by a couple pages. ] A bit on the weaker side, admittedly, but it's tough to beat for convenience.

[ Chobe squatting in her light gets an irritable noise in complaint and a lean further to the side without looking up from her book. Rude ass. Can't he see she's in the middle of something important here? If he asks for a refund she might snap at him for interrupting her study time! ]

Anything bigger takes way more time and energy, so... why bother with all that headache? I don't care about chips.

[ She's lazy!!!! Get off her case, Chobe! ]

Edited (typo ;;) 2025-04-12 03:07 (UTC)

Never heard of it til now. It may not have taken me out, but a normal person probably would be dead or scarred up to hell right now.

[He leans over in her light more!! Mostly squinting with his good eye--what is she reading up on?

Though, he's quickly distracted from his snooping at that last bit. Chobe doesn't really have to worry about chips--he'll just steal shit and deal with the consequences, but even he knows every world runs on money. He cocks his head.]

Hah? You don't care? How are you even alive?

I said "I don't care"; not "I'm totally broke".

[ UM????? Excuse you sir can you not?!
To nobody's surprise, the book she's reading is boring academia shit on thermodynamics, airflow, combustion, etc. Lots of confusing diagrams and word spaghetti that looks like a scientist got way too drunk and started making up terms with a can of alphabet soup.

Aaaaaaaanyway she's gonna shove his face out of her space pronto. Get outta here, dude. ]

Ggh--!

[It's like shoving a cat away from from a glass of water. Let him stick his nose in it!! He swats lightly, clicking his tongue.]

How the hell do you get chips? You look like you'd call gambling "too much trouble." And more importantly, what's all that gibberish? You gonna tell me magic's written in books now?

...don't tell me you're such a bonehead you don't know how fire works. If you think that's magic, then I can't help you.

[ That's absolutely not what he means. He knows it. She knows it. Still gotta sprinkle in a couple barbs here and there to keep up appearances, you know? God forbid things get too buddy-buddy.
AHEM. Anyway. Back to the topic of chips: ]

You realize hooking up with someone comes with a fat bonus of chips for your account, right?

[Well that fucking works!! He clicks his tongue, full offense.]

I know how a fire fucking works, and ya don't need a book for that. Should I demonstrate by burning yours?

[Not that he could. Chobe's talent lies in his raw strength and the manipulation of his plant like body. Even if most fire can't permanently kill him, he still rather not deal with it.

But he's distracted from thoughts of ruining her personal property, looking genuinely surprised.]

. . .Eh? You got some takers? Well damn, guess some folks like 'em young.

[He will not acknowledge she's as old as his brother. Hypocrisy what hypocrisy.]

[ OI what's that 'you' emphasis supposed to mean, Chobe?!

The book on her lap gets shut with just a tiny bit more force than necessary. Technically she's not done with smacking her head against this frustrating lack of progress just yet, but how is she supposed to concentrate with this bandit bastard throwing off her train of thought like this?

Mayou's reply isn't all spit and vinegar over having her game questioned like this, but boy she is not impressed. ]

I'm eighteen.

. . .

. . .

. . .

Nah.

[He simply decides to reject that reality. Not because it's unbelievable at all, she's a perfectly normal 18 year old, and he's from the 1700s, girls were getting married at 15 and 16. Nah, he's just firmly slotted her in his head as "younger" and figures it would annoy her. Because isn't that what matters?]

You shouldn't lie, it's real uncute of ya. You're just too much of a kid, I'm afraid!

What's that?

[ Mayou cups a hand by her ear performatively - the good old I can't hear you~ act paired with the most uninterested monotone voice she's ever uttered in her lifetime. ]

You don't want a better thunderbolt? Well alright, if you say so...

[ Look, she's already figured out annoying Chobe and then ignoring him gets results. Anyone could see this coming from miles away. ]

[Pinnacles of maturity, both of them!! Chobe does indeed twitch slightly at that, but he's not relenting yet, gosh darnit.]

Hoooh? That implies you could do any better. It's okay if ya can't, yer just a little tike after all!

[ Ha ha! Oh, buddy... like that's gonna make her spite any less potent? Gotta learn from past mistakes one of these days!

Behold her grand revenge: Mayou yawns theatrically, scoots around so her back faces him, and promptly resumes her very best Error 404: Chobe Has Ceased To Exist act without the slightest hint of remorse. Woooow the cloud screens are extra... uh... screen-y(?) today. ]

[!!!!

He really has no reason to be bothered. So she ignores him, so what! He has better things to do. And he's a grown ass man, he doesn't need the validation and attention of some brat.

. . .

So anyway he's down on all fours trying to peek over her shoulder like a horrible gremlin man. PAY ATTENTION TO THE BANDIT.]

Oi, you think playin' dumb is gonna get ya off the hook? Showin' yer back to someone is a good way to get stabbed, ya know!

[ Mayou turns her head... and gets an eyeful of nosy bandit occupying her personal space like a mouthy gargoyle. ]

Hmmm.

[ She really should be more upset about this, but -------- nah. Playing it cool seems to be the best silver bullet for dealing with his particular brand of chaos, so she's content to observe Chobe's sunny disposition with the polite disinterest of someone roped into a surprise MLM party.
The expectant pause stretches.......... ]

Do you even have a knife on you?

[ ...she's legitimately curious, alright. What's with this fascination for stabbing—? ]

[Truly he's like a cross between a thug and a cryptid. Still internally vibrating at the silent treatment, mostly out of pride, he gives a big jagged grin when she finally responds. ]

Hoooh? That get your attention?

Knives, swords, pokers--all great for stabbin'! But I don't need any of 'em to get the job done.

[ Ah, yes, a perfect occasion to give him a (mostly) gentle elbow in the ribs, as is tradition. ]

...so the answer is 'no'. Don't puff yourself up over nothing.

[ Sounds an awful lot like this bandit King has no clothes or stabbing utensils. Bandits these days are so unprepared smh ]

[He'll allow that jab, though it baffles him how somoene like her could be so damn bold. Sure she's got magic, but does she have any self preservation skills??

Of course she does, but she's likely clocked that for all his posturing and temper? Chobe won't kill someone he likes. Or at the very least, someone he finds mildly entertaining or useful.

. . .

Doesn't mean he won't threaten them though!]

That ain't what I said, is it?

[Suddenly she'll feel something sharp and pointed at her back, just the tip lightly pressing at her. If she turns around, she'll see it's a dagger-like vine. And it's protruding from his chest.]

Lookie here, no hands.

[ Oh?
Oh?????
Mayou's eyes widen fractionally when she twists around to get a good look at whatever the hell he's whipped out now. That's... ]

Huh.

[ Nope. Not gonna do the reasonable thing here and be freaked all the way out by Chobe sprouting a Scallion Spear™ to menace her spine with. Ohhhh no. See, this little discovery promotes him from significant annoyance to person of interest whether he likes it or not.
Her questionable sense of self-preservation is once again on full display as she shuffles around to face him properly, leaning in to study the very pointy and very real vine growth with crystal clear fascination up to and including prodding it with a fingertip. ]

That's not any kind of transformative magic I've ever seen before.

[ Poke poke. Well, at least she's taking care not to accidentally impale herself. ]

[.....that is not what he expected, ABORT, ABORT.

Scallion Spear. How dare. Chobe scowls, scooting back, suddenly disarmed. For as used to weird looks as he is, he's always unsettled when someone isn't frightened or alarmed by his powers. You gotta be a different kind of fucked up to think it's actually cool or fascinating, he thinks.]

It ain't no transformative nothin', don't be calling it some made up book shit!

[And now poking?? He retracts the vine, letting it sink and disappear into his chest.]

[ Damn, no appreciation for academic curiosity! Sadge. Unfortunately Mayou isn't such a poorly socialized forest creature that she'll go straight for whacking his chest in enthusiastic inquiry, but man, is there a hot second where she considers it — probable impalement be damned. ]

Hate to break it to you, but throwing a tantrum like that at your age? Seriously uncute.

[ Ha ha oops did she just reverse uno Chobe's own sass back at him.... sure sounds like it! Incidentally, Mayou's still squinting at the spot where that vine disappeared into his body like she's trying to figure out what kind of black magic sleight of hand trick he pulled. ]

What, are you self-conscious or something?

I ain't supposed to be cute. See this face? That's for other folks like you. [And his brother!! Which just goes to show how fussed he is that he isn't bringing him up.

He crosses his arms, frowning.]

If I was self conscious I wouldn't be out here half naked and my muscles still spasming. Folks who ain't scared of my power tend to be even more fucked up than I am.

Hoh?

[ Crossing arms... leaning in... boy oh boy are those some very CHECKMATE, ATHEIST raised eyebrows happening right now. Cuteness? Irrelevant. She can use that for ammunition later when there's bigger fish to fry — one that he's served up to her in a silver platter, no less! How generous. ]

You'd figure spasms would've been long gone if that lightning was as subpar as you said it was.

[LEANS BACK. . .he scowls, the sheer audacity this girl has. ]

I'm still healing, it's just annoying. The point is your magic is weak shit, and this ain't about me! Are you not getting it through yer head that I could skewer you if I wanted?

[ Ah, yes. The most reasonable response when menaced with getting turned into a shish kebab must surely be: ]

Ok. So?

[ Nothing says zero fucks given like looking someone right in the eye and responding with a big, fat, "aight, bet". And he'd just be giving her another opportunity to nerd out about his COOL VINES, so... joke's on him. ]

Gimme a ballpark estimate. How much do you need a next shot juiced up for it to start meeting your questionable standards?

Edited (hecced up html rip me) 2025-05-06 22:10 (UTC)

If you weren't so tiny I'd say you have some big balls, girly.

[Honestly!! He thinks about it for like, a split second, but nope, no more plant sneak peeks for her right now.]

Hah. . .something strong enough to burn me down to my bones, if it can melt my skin off all the better. I need to know exactly what I can come back from here.

You've got it backwards. Your bones would be ash by the time the rest of you reached a melting point.

[ Why does she know that... you know what, better not to ask. Not when she's saying it so casually and still clearly thinking it over like a Totally Normal Academic Exercise. ]

Higher power and longer duration, huh? Power's not a problem, but duration is different.

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