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[redwinekindofgirl]

Sooooo, guys, girls, others. What's the grossest thing you've ever eaten?

[Don't mistake this for her not being concerned about Caedra, and not being concerned about generally everything, but a recent conversation and a recent find has piqued her curiosity enough to ask the question.

For her own answer, she holds up a small, white, chalky-looking cube.]

This one's mine. It's called 'carbtien', and it's basically what we live on back home, because we can't grow enough food for everyone. It's military rations, and I don't know what they put in it, but it doesn't taste of anything and when you try to swallow it, it's like your brain forgets how swallowing works.

[Julie snorts softly and drops the cube down out of sight.]

I found a big bag of them just lying around a couple of weeks ago. Weird, right? I guess I'll keep it safe for if we ever end up starving or something. You might not thank me, though.

Comments

[Video]

[such_a_teez]

[It was very in fashion back in the day. When they had to walk five miles in the snow to get the eel, and they appreciated it! Tyki laughs at the face she makes, a warm laugh without a hint of maliciousness to it.]

The eel isn't pleasant, but it's hardly ration cubes. I'm certain you have me beat there. The only reason I went through with the blood was because it was a doctor's order. Not my idea of a good prescription, but you live and learn.

[redwinekindofgirl]

[It's a nice laugh, and Julie's expression softens into a crooked smile.]

You must have some weird doctors back home. That kind of thing was done with a few hundred years ago where I'm from.

[such_a_teez]

[And what a fantastic smile it is. Tyki likes her well enough for a stranger. She's good company among many stiff and boring people. And this video message certainly broke up the frustrations of a dull day.]

I think I'm from a different time than many. Perhaps I'm from your past directly.

[redwinekindofgirl]

[That was kind of the idea. There's so much shit going on right now, so much to worry about... having something mundane to focus on even for a few minutes felt like the kind of gift she could give.]

Sure, maybe? Where are you from?

[such_a_teez]

[In a place where chaos is the normal, mundane things become almost valuable.]

A girl I've spoken to here referred to it as the Victorian Era. I'm a traveler by choice, but I'm from Portugal. Any of that sound familiar to your past?

[redwinekindofgirl]

Portugal? Yeah, sure, it's in Europe. I never got to go before everything went to shit.

[The Victorian era, too, that's one she knows.]

Guess you could be from my past. Heh, that's wild.

[such_a_teez]

It's entirely wild. I can't imagine going from an eel filled past to a carbtien future. Thankfully, the food here isn't entirely awful. That's one minor benefit, if nothing else.

[redwinekindofgirl]

I mean, honestly? You're better off not being in my direct past. Carbtien isn't even close to the worst part of it.

[Shrug.]

Y'know... you don't... really sound like how I'd think someone from back then would sound.

[such_a_teez]

How did you think someone from my time would sound? I'm curious, it'll eat at me if you don't let me know.

[redwinekindofgirl]

Oh, you know, formal? Kinda more old-timey? I mean, I guess it wasn't that long ago...

[She snorts softly at her own fumbling, and then grins.]

Guess I'm just glad you're not talking like you just walked out of Shakespeare or something.

[such_a_teez]

Come now, we both know I'm ancient history. [He's visibly amused, eyes bright with mischief. He really did need a little fun.]

I'm so glad I don't. My brother studied Shakespeare in school, and I'm surprised I didn't suffocate myself with how long I hid with a pillow over my head trying to drown him out. Hamlet is lovely, but I can only listen to the monologues so many times.

[redwinekindofgirl]

Oh, yeah, practically a museum exhibit.

[Her nose wrinkles when she grins back at him, quite glad it was taken in good humour. How to respond to people from such different points in time can sometimes be such a guessing game.

She takes a breath in, and dramatically recites--]

To be, or not to be--that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of trouble, and by opposing end them.

[such_a_teez]

I'll have you know I'm a valuable relic.

[Tyki groans, rather dramatically. It's all in play, of course.] Enough of that. It's certainly more appealing coming from you than my weird brother, but I've still heard enough for multiple lifetimes. [He's going to have Shakespearean nightmares at this rate.]

[redwinekindofgirl]

I'd carry on, but I don't remember any more of it.

[She laughs, and tucks a curl of blonde hair behind one ear.] I knew that Juliet one better. You know, the one when she's on the balcony? I had to learn it for a play in school. I think they thought they were being funny.

[such_a_teez]

Thank god for that.

[That's charming. He likes Julie already, she has an easy way about her, a kind of casual charisma that makes her easy to chat with. He's thoroughly enjoyed this conversation.

He has a look of false shock and then shakes his head when she brings up that play.] Even in the future no one can escape the bard. You'd think something better would come up after all that time, but sometimes classics stand. Even if I can't stand the classics. [Tyki is both amazed and a little disappointed. Mass military rations and forever regurgitated star crossed lovers? The future is looking bleak]

[redwinekindofgirl]

[She'd be flattered. It's not often she manages to make such an immediately good first impression.]

Huh, none of them? I always kinda liked The Tempest, you know?

[If they're staying on Shakespeare, that is.]

I-- heh, I found a battered old copy of it while I was travelling with my parents. Kept it until it fell apart.

[such_a_teez]

I wouldn't say that I hate them. There are just so many more interesting plays and stories to be had, by writers I personally consider more talented. That and, as I said, my brother absolutely tormented me with his terrible renditions. That left me pretty biased.

[He's fine staying on topic. For now, at least. It's interesting enough, and the conversation seems to move with ease. That helps it stay pleasant.] I've had books like that. I read and reread The Woman In White until there was nothing left but scraps and binding and memories.

[redwinekindofgirl]

[Julie grins again, but it's a bit softer this time. She feels like you can learn a lot about a person from their treatment of things like books. Is Tyki a little sentimental?]

Oh, sure, I mean Shakespeare was a total hack. You know they say he plagiarised a bunch of his work?

[She kind of likes that, though. It's better for people like him to be like that, than to be held up as some kind of untouchable monolith of talent.]

Did you ever read Marlowe?

[such_a_teez]

[Tyki can be sentimental. He'd like to come across as aloof or cold, but that's just not how he is. He's a fun young man with a dry sense of humor and a love for family and friends-Once you take the whole biblical murderer out of the equation, at least.

He blinks at her comment about the plagiarism. He learns something new every day in Hadriel.] I hadn't a clue, and I'm not surprised in the least. A good many famous people take more than their fair share of someone else's work. But yes, I've read a bit of Marlowe. I'd just sooner take a modern murder mystery on any given day. [Tyki stops for a moment, a thought coming to him that really amuses him.] Modern for me, anyway. Which means it might be taught to others in classical literature. [Very modern books would blow his mind.]

[redwinekindofgirl]

So... [She muses for a moment, tilting her head to one side and twisting a curl of hair around her finger.] Sherlock Holmes? That's about the right time, yeah?

[Adjusting for Tyki being Victorian and not, in fact, straight out of the Middle Ages, Arthur Conan Doyle sounds about right as a guess.]

Don't think it made it that far yet, but he's still pretty popular.

[such_a_teez]

Clever. While he's hardly the only detective I spend long nights reading about, he's certainly one of my favorites. [He wonders if she'd be so pleasant to speak to in person. She's fun to watch, amusing to chat with, and entirely interesting, but it's hard to gauge how a person might behave when they're not at a distance. He pushes the thought away quickly though. Back to literature, it is.] My brother considers Doyle's works to be base and vulgar. If he knew what other things I've read he'd have fits. [Among other things.]

Do you like mysteries? Or are you more interested in another genre? [He's surprisingly set on actually keeping the conversation going. That doesn't happen all the time.]

[redwinekindofgirl]

[She's wondering the same thing. It's easy to not make connections here, much like it's easy to not make connections back home. You never know when someone will be gone, so why keep on trying? Still, people keep on reaching out. They can't help it.

Julie wonders if Tyki would be as fun to talk to in person.]

It's hard to find books, now. I'll read anything I can get my hands on, but I don't... really get the time. I prefer to paint, if I have some time spare.

[such_a_teez]

So you're an artist? Fantastic. I can't say I'm exceptionally talented in that department, but I enjoy seeing other people's work. [Tyki is an exceptionally poor artist. He's not the best in most arts. He can't play any instruments without making ears bleed, he's only alright at singing. But he thrills at people who are talented to any degree artistically. In his mind, it's something to be cherished.]

[redwinekindofgirl]

I... paint and draw, sometimes. I wouldn't really call myself an artist. [She grimaces slightly. It doesn't feel like a title she's worthy of, though he might disagree if he saw any of her work. Julie is, in all honesty, a fairly good artist.]

What are you good at?

[such_a_teez]

[He'd love to see her work sometime.] Most artisans feel that way, I think. It's easy to criticize ones own work. Would you be willing to share some of your pieces with us common men? [He suddenly really hopes that she is good. He really likes her, and doesn't want to lie or speak unpleasantly about her work. He rarely hits it off so well with someone, and he'd rather not have their friendship end in so early a stage.

Then again, if she's that easily offended they might not get along for long anyway.]

That depends on who you ask. I'd say I'm good at gambling, working, reading and avoiding family functions. My brother would say I'm a talented diplomat and a good dancer. My niece would say I'm a fantastic punching bag. It really just depends on the person's perspective. [He pauses for a moment.] Do you dance at all? It seems to be a missing art here.