thehometree | Glimmer, glitter, shine...

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Glimmer, glitter, shine...

One by one, new adventurers now arrive in the Tree. As one gain wings and rises to the second floor, another light brings in the next person. Soon, a steady stream of people from all kinds of worlds, times and realities come to join the others. Whether confused, angry, excited or scared, your arrival is welcomed with nothing but joy as the fireflies and glow worms descend to greet their new friends.

The Tree offers no explanation and no reason, but the truth is undeniable.

As you will soon realize, it isn't easy to be tiny.

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"Well naturally, it could... wait, did you just say firewood?" Owain looked incredulous for all of half a second, before very quickly transitioning to affronted. "Surely you jest! The legendary demon blade is no woodsman's axe! It chops injustice! It chops despair! It chops ARMIES OF THE ANIMATED DEAD!" The nerve of some people!

...Okay, the Sage who gave him the sword might have said something or other about digging a well with it, but Owain couldn't really be sure. He hadn't been paying much attention at the time. And that was totally beside the point.

And then he was back to incredulous again, gaping at Kaoru as though he were sprouting another nose. "...You've granted your weapon no name? But... but it is not just a spear! It is your closest ally, your most trusted partner! The fruit of your own labours!" Man, this guy needed some serious help. He made weapons, yet clearly didn't know the first thing about weapon ownership!

Owain sighed, collecting himself. "It's fortunate indeed that we have met this day," he said solemnly, reaching over to lightly drape an arm across Kaoru's shoulders, "for I am none other than Owain, scion of heroes, and when it comes to naming weapons there's no one better!"

Chopping wood was... kind of like chopping despair...

Kaoru looked at the spear. Then at Owain. Then back to the spear. What was wrong with this guy? Why was he talking like that? Why was he dressed like someone from a video game?

"...What would you name it." This barely qualified as a question; it was just that Kaoru was having a hard time figuring out what he could even say in the face of Owain's incredibly dramatic, heartfelt speech.

He stiffened a little when Owain put an arm around him, but it was cool. It was okay. He could deal with Howard, he could deal with this.

Touching tho......

"I'm glad you asked!" Owain remained blissfully ignorant of any discomfort on Kaoru's part, and his arm remained right where it was as he contemplated the spear. He leaned in close to it, eyes narrowed in consideration, hmming softly to himself... and then he tilted his head as if listening.

He stayed like that for several long moments before finally straightening and giving a satisfied nod. "...Yes, I see. It seems this spear wishes to be known aaaaas... Frostflame the Foe-Poker! A worthy brand indeed."

Owain finally removed his arm from across the other boy's shoulders, placing his hand on his hip and grinning. "So, do you have a name, or should I come up with that, too?"

...Because he totally would.

Kaoru jerked the spear away from Owain instinctively, like no Mr. Foe-Poker for him today, thanks. "That's ridiculous. This conversation is ridiculous. It's just a tool."

He would literally never live it down if any of his friends heard about this, so he'd better address this whole naming issue right now. "It's Kaoru. I don't need any fancy titles."

And now he was going to scootch a little further away from Owain, just in case he was going to try and put an arm around him again. "Why are you dressed like that?"

"'Ridiculous'? I think you mean 'epic'," Owain corrected, folding his arms across his chest. "And I told you, it's not just a tool! Especially not now that it has a name--a name that will strike fear in the hearts of fish everywhere, I might add. See, granting a tool a name imbues it with a soul. It elevates it above being a mere thing, and makes it a companion!"

He grinned. "Just you watch, I bet you and Frostflame will work extra well together from now on!"

And sure, maybe people didn't need fancy titles... like, to live or anything... but that didn't mean they couldn't be beneficial. And awesome. He'd want to get to know Kaoru a little better first--it wasn't quite the same as naming a spear--but Owain was confident he'd come up with something good.

At the question he glanced down at his clothes, and then back at Kaoru, looking mildly bemused. "I could ask you the same question, you know. Do you not recognize the garb of a Myrmidon?" he asked. "It's not typically yellow, true, but... the fur trim... well, anyway." He leaned in a little closer, as if sharing a secret. "I'm actually a Swordmaster, you see, but that armour's a pain to wear around everywhere."

"It's better not to give it a name. Then you won't be as upset when you break or lose it." Yep, apparently not buying Owain's reasoning. And also Kaoru was being kind of grim? What was up with that...

"What's a myrmi-dom?" Was that like... a mermaid. That would explain a lot about Owain's enthusiasm. (Though in any case, it seemed to have something to do with swords.)

"Do you do kendo or something?"

"But...but..." Oh gods, this was breaking Owain's brain. How could two young warriors who shared an appreciation for weapons be on such insanely different wavelengths? "...Why would you lose it?! Okay, weapons break sometimes, but--but it's your life partner! Your dearest friend! A shiny beacon of strength and hope amidst the tumultuous seas of anguish and bloodshed! How could you lose something like that?!"

Okay, breathe. Owain ran a hand over his face. He'd determined that Kaoru needed some guidance in the ways of weaponry, sure, but this was seriously bad. Not hopeless, though. He refused to believe the other boy was a lost cause. He'd get through to him, one way or another...

"...Ken...do?" Owain couldn't say whether or not he did it if he didn't know what it was. But man, Kaoru must be from a really out-of-the-way Outrealm if he didn't even know what a Myrmidon was. "Myrmi-DON," he corrected, "a swift specialist in the blade. The level below Swordmaster. Sheesh, where are you from that you haven't heard of Myrmidons?"

"It happens," said Kaoru. "If you're about to get eaten, it's better to lose your weapon than lose your arm." He definitely wasn't weirdly grim for a fourteen-year-old, what were you talking about.

"I'm from a space colony. No one really uses swords any more. Unless they're the powered kind." Maybe. Who knew, apparently power whips were a thing in the future, so.

"...We had to make our own weapons because Howard emptied the blaster cartridge on that sea serpent. No one here seems to have anything more advanced, either."

"Your weapon is a part of your arm, though!" Man, everything that came out of Kaoru's mouth was more and more upsetting! "If you're about to get eaten, far better to stab your blade straight into the roof of your foe's mouth!" This Owain acted out quite emphatically; with an imaginary sword, rather than drawing the real one again. "HYAA! Eat THIS, fiend!" he yelled as he stabbed.

...And then he had to stop and just blink. Because Kaoru was saying things, and Owain didn't think it was a different language, but it might as well have been. Space colony? Blaster cartridge?

"...Okay, hang on. Words are coming out of your mouth but I have no idea what you're talking about." It wasn't often Owain got to be on the giving end of that statement. Anyway, he naturally latched onto the part about swords first. "Powered swords... you mean Levin Swords? Or--OOH! Do you have swords that call down fire from the heavens? Or rending blades of wind?!"

"Running away is more practical," said Kaoru, though he suspected that this might upset Owain to hear. IT WAS TRUE, THO. He watched Owain thrust his glorious imaginary blade into his loathsome imaginary opponent with a face that was difficult for anyone who didn't know him to read.

...But then again, maybe it wasn't so hard. Basically, he was just sort of flabbergasted. What was even going on.

"You sound like you're from the past." Or... maybe an extremely weird dramatic version of the past, in which apparently people were calling fire down from the heavens and shoving their arms into animals' mouths and generally doing everything possible to ensure they had a super bad time. "Maybe whatever brought us here brought us through time and space."

"Practicality has no place in heroism!" Owain exclaimed, aghast. "When's the last time a hero swooped in to save the fair damsel at the last second by being practical?! NEVER, that's when!" He threw up his arms. "If everyone was practical, evil would roam the lands unchecked!"

Oh, gods help him. Kaoru, just what kind of crazy backwards land is your 'space colony'? Where's your lust for glory?

Well, if Owain couldn't get through to him concerning weapons, maybe they'd have better luck with time travel. "Such is often the way with Outrealms," he said sagely. "Actually, though, I'm from the future. I was sent back in time by the divine dragon herself to save the world from the impending apocalypse. Why, what era do you hail from?"

"The twenty-second century. Probably hundreds of years after you." What the hell was even a divine dragon.

"Your background sounds like a fairy story. There are no such things as dragons." Well, unless you meant bearded dragons or sea dragons or something. "That explains why you're dressed so impractically."

THE SHADE. THE SHADE OF IT ALL.

"The twenty-second century of the Akaneian calendar? Nope, that still puts me ahead of you by..." Owain paused for a moment to mentally do the math. "...Five hundred years. Give or take." His eyebrows raised. "Wow, that's a long time. No wonder I don't know what you're talking about! Your quaint old weapons have evolved considerably since then, and certain ancient magics have been lost to the eroding winds of time."

He hadn't even considered that Kaoru might be from the distant past... it must be unnerving for him to be speaking with someone from modern times. Owain resolved to be more patient with him.

"I'll grant that there may be Outrealms that lack dragons, or even Manaketes. I've never heard of one... but stranger things have happened. Dragons are very real in my realm, though, and I can prove it!" He pushed up his sleeve, revealing the mark on his arm. "BEHOLD! The Brand of the Exalt, marking me as one who bears the blood of Naga, the divine dragon!" He grinned, standing straight and proud. "Impressed? 'Cause you should be!"

And there was absolutely nothing impractical about his clothes, but Owain managed to contain himself this time--he'd just told himself he was going to be patient, after all. He spun around once to give Kaoru a good look at his outfit, coat-tails flapping behind him. "No doubt my futuristic garb must appear strange and wondrous to your eyes," he said, "but it's designed for speed and ease of movement. I've fought many a battle in it, and I can attest to its practicality."

Kaoru facepalmed quietly, but didn't correct Owain, resolving instead to avoid him in the future as much as possible. Which... might have been kind of a callous decision, really, but there was no one here to call him out on it and anyway, if Owain was about to get eaten by a toad or meet some other horrific demise, he could still pitch in to help. Maybe...

Just... this conversation was getting weirder and weirder. He looked at the Brand as directed, but it wasn't really shaped like a dragon or anything, so what was he even looking at?

"...That's a nice tattoo," he said, unable to come up with something less noncommittal. God, what was up with the fur, though? "It just seems like someone would step on your costume."

"It's not a tattoo, it's a Brand," Owain corrected. "THE Brand. Of the Exalt." Man, being patient with someone who lacked even basic knowledge was hard work. He rubbed at the bridge of his nose. "It is no mere mark made by mortal hands! It surfaces naturally, when the time is ripe. My cousin's is in her eye."

He twisted to look over his shoulder at his coat-tails. "Come on, they're not that long," he insisted. "And I'm far too alert to allow such a thing to happen. Besides, they're cool! See how they flutter majestically in the breeze?" There was no breeze. They weren't fluttering at all. "They're like a cape! Just... lower down."

"A cape for your butt," Kaoru said in a complete deadpan. He was being helpful...

...But that's basically what Owain was wearing, right? A butt-cape?

"Are you using all that fur? Would you be willing to trade for it?" Kaoru hadn't seen many animals around, but what if it got cold? It'd be nice to have a fur-lined mantle.

"Yes--I mean no. No!" Owain gaped at Kaoru in disbelief. A cape for your butt... it was an insult! An outrage! "You would mock the defining attire of an entire order of valiant warriors?!"

Why had he wanted to try to be patient with Kaoru again? It was getting harder to remember by the second. "And yes, I'm using all this fur! There's... not even that much of it..." He paused briefly to mentally take stock of just how much fur trim he had, and deciding that is really wasn't that much, jumped straight back into his tirade. "...But this outfit is a vital part of my heroic persona! A legendary hero must look heroic at all times. That's item six of the Justice Cabal code."

Right, okay. Don't bring up the words 'butt cape' in front of Owain.

"There's more of you?" Well, assuming that the Justice Cabal had a membership of more than one, that was. What a frightening thought...

"If you're sure. But I could probably catch you a grasshopper or something in exchange." You'd like a grasshopper, wouldn't you, Owain? Think about how delicious and... crunchy... it would be.

Edited 2015-03-25 02:34 (UTC)

"HA!" It was not an actual laugh. Owain was just loudly saying 'ha'. He stood with his hands on his hips. "More of me? I am one of a kind, sir! Legends the likes of me don't just fall out of the sky, you know! ...Okay, except for that one time." He wasn't sure why a portal through time had to spit him out in mid-air when he'd entered it from the ground, but that seemed like a really huge design flaw. "And the Justice Cabal is a highly exclusive top-secret club. Membership is very limited. I've probably said too much already."

~~Now there's an understatement.~~

He looked momentarily confused by Kaoru's offer, but quickly shook his head. "The Scion of Heroes can catch his own grasshoppers! Sheesh, if you want some fur so badly, why don't you just, I don't know, sneak up on a sleeping squirrel and give it a haircut?"

Edited 2015-03-26 01:12 (UTC)

"You're the closest thing I've seen to a squirrel so far," Kaoru said, which was actually true because he hadn't seen any squirrels.

"None of them come close enough to the tree." He looked like he was seriously considering the idea, though. "It wouldn't be helpful to shave fur off. It'd be best to kill it quickly. Then we could skin it and eat the rest of it."

Wouldn't that be wonderful...

"Well yes, of course, that would work too," Owain said dismissively. "And just because we haven't seen any squirrels yet, doesn't mean we won't. We're in a tree. Squirrels love trees. So it's only a matter of time before one shows up!"

A pause... and then a smile slowly spread across Owain face, his indignation over Kaoru's earlier comments apparently forgotten. "Man, if the size of the bugs here is anything to go by... a squirrel would feed us for months! Ooh, and just think of the epic struggle it would take to fell such a mighty beast!"

"Not months," said Kaoru, especially if they were sharing the spoils. "But a good while. It would be best if we had a trap to hold it still. But we don't have the materials for that."

But squirrels were fast, and they probably bit. Kaoru had never been small enough for that to matter before.

"You could fight it. It would require quick reflexes." It seemed like a good idea to use someone like Owain for bait. He probably wouldn't even mind, as long as he could tell everyone afterwards about how he'd bested the foul mammalian menace. Loudly. And repeatedly.

Hmm.

To say that Owain wouldn't mind being used as squirrel bait was an enormous understatement. He'd be thrilled.

"Indeed, I am the epitome of quick reflexes!" he declared loudly. "A paragon of split-second timing! Not to mention formidable strength and rapier wit. No manner of beast great or small can long endure the awesome power of my twitching sword hand!"

He poised said sword hand in front of his face as dramatically as possible. It twitched.

"So if ever the time comes that you have need of my squirrel-smiting services, just call out my name! One quick swing of Mystletainn, and you'll have more fur than you know what to do with!"

Kaoru sort of wondered about that twitching, because if it wasn't an affectation, it was a good thing that Owain wasn't an archer. On the other hand, he would make good bait. Lots of waving shiny things around and yelling, A++ would hire again. "...It's a deal."

"So you've killed people with that sword?" With all that talk about smitings, he assumed that the answer was yes.

"I--huh?" Owain's smile was gone just like that. He blinked, caught off guard by the question, before glancing away with a frown. There were so many awesome tales of bravery and honour he could tell Kaoru about the war against the fell dragon... but how many people had died wasn't one of them.

It was one thing to slay creatures for food or because they were endangering lives. Even Risen--they may have been people once, but they weren't anymore. Just slaves to the will of Grima. But killing actual living people, people who probably had families of their own, and friends and loved ones and hopes and dreams... Owain hated it. He had done it more times than he could count, and would do it again in a heartbeat if it meant protecting his own loved ones, but there would be no dramatic declarations of how glorious it had been to stab his blade deep into an enemy's chest and watch the life fade from their eyes. Winning was glorious, and saving the world was glorious, but that particular detail... not so much.

"Well... yeah," he answered, uncharacteristically quiet, looking down at the sword at his hip and lightly resting his hand on its hilt. "A lot. There was a war."

Glimmer, glitter, shine...

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