[True to his word, Rean makes his way to the bus stop after dropping his bag off at his dorm. He flops down on the bench as he waits for Crow, sighing.
Why the heck is it so hot out? It's the beginning of January and there was plenty of snow last month, so what the heck...]
You know, I wouldn't put it past Retrospec. They're responsible for the Yeti Olympics, after all.
[But with the engine heard in the distance and the bus quickly approaching, Crow swings himself to his feet, offering a hand out to Rean to help him up.]
Got your card?
[He'll just step onto the bus when it stops, flashing his really quick and waiting for him so they can choose a seat.]
True enough... what'd you do with all that fish, anyway?
[Rean takes Crow's hand to get up, nodding and mumbling a quick thanks before fishing out his wallet. It's black leather, with a chain attached. Ow, the edge.]
Yeah, always have it on me. Besides, it'd be pretty embarrassing to forget when you already reminded me.
[Rean follows behind Crow, flashing his and plopping down with a sigh in whatever seat Crow chooses beside him.]
Hmm? Oh, it was way too smelly so I gave it to the local fish place after I packed it up. Let them decide if they were gonna trade it to be chummed or something. Seemed pretty grateful.
[It doesn't take long for them to arrive in Tisse, thankfully--it's just a short bus ride away, but it would've taken quite some time if they'd walked.
When their stop comes up, Crow's quick to go pull to let them know to stop, gesturing for Rean to follow.]
Ah, makes sense. Glad it seems they didn't ask too many questions about it, though.
[After that, it's a pretty uneventful bus ride – and one Rean is thankful for, because even if the walk wouldn't have taken them ages, it is just way too hot to be bothered right now.
Rean's quick to follow Crow off the bus once they reach their stop, though. As they reach pavement once more, he's immediately looking around for any signs of Elliot, or the Wiffle-Waffle. Whichever comes first.]
[Lucky for you guys, Elliot wasn't lying about being already in Tisse. When they get there, he's already there, leaning against the wall of the Wiffle-Waffle as he listens to his headphones- headbobbing to music. Ah yes.
But he's not completely lost in the music, so when he spots them, he lowers his headphones around his neck and gives a wave. That violin case is sitting next to him]
[That's news to Crow. At least, the part about it just popping up. He'd already learned not to talk about the app unless approached first, at least when it came to being in public.]
Well, not like we're going there to chat about the app, anyway. There's waffles to be had after this.
[He'll put a hand on Rean's shoulder and lead him to the mailbox, though.]
[But it's the same with Rean. He's only brought up the app to people he either knows are on it or people he's pretty sure are on it, and with the latter he stays purposefully vague.]
But, yeah. No need to bother them if they don't know anything. Thanks for the information, Elli— ah...
[Well, okay, he's getting led along to the mailbox now. Hm, maybe it's a problem that he caves so easily under Crow...]
All right, so I just... pop in the number, then?
[He fishes out his wallet – black faux leather with a chain attached, because the edge – and pulls his ticket out from there. Well... here goes nothing...
In goes the ticket, and there's a soft thunk from inside the mailbox before Rean can pull open the door. And when he does... oh, hey! That sure is a steampunk flip phone.
Rean pulls it out, turning it over in his hands and examining it with no shortage of wonder in his eyes.]
[Well, no time like the present to flip it open, right?
Aaaand it's empty. But hey, that's fine, Elliot has quartz for days.]
Well, that means I can use magic now, right? Maybe? [A pause as he considers this, flipping it open and closed a couple of times.] ...I can't believe we had magic flip phones.
[This is all so much. But still, he steps back from the mailbox.]
[He looks at Rean's ARCUS as he opens it up. Sure enough, it looks like it's missing all its quartz.] Yeah, you should be able to, though it looks like you're missing the Master Quartz.
Good guess. Quartz are some magic rock that comes from our other world. The ARCUS is a tool that lets people channel that magic into spells [He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his own ARCUS. Flipping open the lid, he shows it to them. All eight outer slots are filled with smaller quartz of various colors. In the middle, there's a blue quartz the size of Crow's with a gold etching inside.]
The big one in the middle is called the Master Quartz. It has enough energy to power the ARCUS and give the user a number of abilities. The rest are regular quartz, they usually only have a couple spells in them.
My Master Quartz is called Canon, and it's a water element one. Not sure what yours is called Crow, but from the coloring I'm guessing it's a time element quartz.
[Rean would like to poke it. Thank you for understanding his childish needs, Crow.
He listens to Elliot's explanation, and he can follow along with most of it. He's still a little bewildered and lost, but these weird RPG mechanics don't seem too bad yet.]
Huh. Wonder why mine didn't come with one...? [Because it was expensive and I need points for your other bullshit, sorry, Rean.] Magic flip phones full of magic rock batteries, though, huh... if I wasn't touching this right now and if I hadn't already seen weirder, I'd have a hard time believing this was real.
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[True to his word, Rean makes his way to the bus stop after dropping his bag off at his dorm. He flops down on the bench as he waits for Crow, sighing.
Why the heck is it so hot out? It's the beginning of January and there was plenty of snow last month, so what the heck...]
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Am I fashionably late? Hopefully you didn't miss a bus waiting for me.
[Despite the heat, he's...reasonably cheerful.]
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Hey. Yeah, we can call you fashionably late if you want. I haven't been here for that long. So no busses to worry about.
[He'll move over to offer Crow a little more room to plop down as well, if he wants it.]
Crazy weather we're having, isn't it?
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Tell me about it...I've been in Recolle for at least two years...last winter was nothing like this, you know?
Almost kinda freakish.
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[Then again, he also doesn't remember the sun being blocked out for a month, so, you know. Not being on the app is perhaps crazier than being on it.]
I'd certainly call it freakish. Gotta wonder if it's Retrospec stuff...
[Rean hears a familiar engine noise in the distance, and perks up.]
Ah, the bus is coming.
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[But with the engine heard in the distance and the bus quickly approaching, Crow swings himself to his feet, offering a hand out to Rean to help him up.]
Got your card?
[He'll just step onto the bus when it stops, flashing his really quick and waiting for him so they can choose a seat.]
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[Rean takes Crow's hand to get up, nodding and mumbling a quick thanks before fishing out his wallet. It's black leather, with a chain attached. Ow, the edge.]
Yeah, always have it on me. Besides, it'd be pretty embarrassing to forget when you already reminded me.
[Rean follows behind Crow, flashing his and plopping down with a sigh in whatever seat Crow chooses beside him.]
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[It doesn't take long for them to arrive in Tisse, thankfully--it's just a short bus ride away, but it would've taken quite some time if they'd walked.
When their stop comes up, Crow's quick to go pull to let them know to stop, gesturing for Rean to follow.]
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[After that, it's a pretty uneventful bus ride – and one Rean is thankful for, because even if the walk wouldn't have taken them ages, it is just way too hot to be bothered right now.
Rean's quick to follow Crow off the bus once they reach their stop, though. As they reach pavement once more, he's immediately looking around for any signs of Elliot, or the Wiffle-Waffle. Whichever comes first.]
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But he's not completely lost in the music, so when he spots them, he lowers his headphones around his neck and gives a wave. That violin case is sitting next to him]
Hey guys!
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Yo, hope we didn't keep you waiting too long.
[All things considered, the commute was pretty quick.]
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[Rean waves as well, trotting right behind Crow. While Crow and Elliot are exchanging pleasantries, he'll examine the surrounding area.]
Huh. I never even really noticed this place before...
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[Nothing like listening to music for a few minutes to cleanse the soul man. But he nods to Rean.]
There actually used to be a big Retrospec building here. Then one day, it disappeared and all that was left was the waffle place and the mailbox.
It's strange, but the waffle staff doesn't know anything about the app, so I don't recommend bothering them about it.
[Because god they've been interrogated so many times]
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[That's news to Crow. At least, the part about it just popping up. He'd already learned not to talk about the app unless approached first, at least when it came to being in public.]
Well, not like we're going there to chat about the app, anyway. There's waffles to be had after this.
[He'll put a hand on Rean's shoulder and lead him to the mailbox, though.]
Here it is.
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[But it's the same with Rean. He's only brought up the app to people he either knows are on it or people he's pretty sure are on it, and with the latter he stays purposefully vague.]
But, yeah. No need to bother them if they don't know anything. Thanks for the information, Elli— ah...
[Well, okay, he's getting led along to the mailbox now. Hm, maybe it's a problem that he caves so easily under Crow...]
All right, so I just... pop in the number, then?
[He fishes out his wallet – black faux leather with a chain attached, because the edge – and pulls his ticket out from there. Well... here goes nothing...
In goes the ticket, and there's a soft thunk from inside the mailbox before Rean can pull open the door. And when he does... oh, hey! That sure is a steampunk flip phone.
Rean pulls it out, turning it over in his hands and examining it with no shortage of wonder in his eyes.]
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Yep! Easy as that.
[He lets Rean go through it, figuring it out for himself. And when he pulls out that item? well, Elliot knows what it is]
Oh great! That's your ARCUS!
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[Well, no time like the present to flip it open, right?
Aaaand it's empty. But hey, that's fine, Elliot has quartz for days.]
Well, that means I can use magic now, right? Maybe? [A pause as he considers this, flipping it open and closed a couple of times.] ...I can't believe we had magic flip phones.
[This is all so much. But still, he steps back from the mailbox.]
C'mon, Crow. Time for your cereal box prize.
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So this was an ARCUS, huh...]
It's like we went back to 2010, but in a past life.
[There's nothing in Rean's...but his had said a 'surprise inside', so when Rean nods for him to go, he punches in the number himself.
Sure enough, an ARCUS pops out for him too, a little more worn down than Rean's...but when he flips it open, there sure is a quartz inside.
Blackish purple, with a little gold etching on the inside.]
Whoa...
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[He looks at Rean's ARCUS as he opens it up. Sure enough, it looks like it's missing all its quartz.] Yeah, you should be able to, though it looks like you're missing the Master Quartz.
[And he looks over at Crow's]
Oh! But it looks like you have yours!
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Hm?
[Don't mind if he peers over into Crow's, too. Oh, wow, that stone is lovely.]
Woah... so that's a Master Quartz, then? They're beautiful.
[A beat.]
...Haha. If that's the surprise inside cereal boxes these days, they've really upped their game since when we were kids, huh?
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[He smiles, reaching to run his fingers along that quartz.]
So...how exactly do these things work? They feel pretty energized but... are they like batteries or somethin'?
[He'll hold it out for if Rean wants to touch it as well.]
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Good guess. Quartz are some magic rock that comes from our other world. The ARCUS is a tool that lets people channel that magic into spells [He reaches into his pocket and pulls out his own ARCUS. Flipping open the lid, he shows it to them. All eight outer slots are filled with smaller quartz of various colors. In the middle, there's a blue quartz the size of Crow's with a gold etching inside.]
The big one in the middle is called the Master Quartz. It has enough energy to power the ARCUS and give the user a number of abilities. The rest are regular quartz, they usually only have a couple spells in them.
My Master Quartz is called Canon, and it's a water element one. Not sure what yours is called Crow, but from the coloring I'm guessing it's a time element quartz.
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He listens to Elliot's explanation, and he can follow along with most of it. He's still a little bewildered and lost, but these weird RPG mechanics don't seem too bad yet.]
Huh. Wonder why mine didn't come with one...? [Because it was expensive and I need points for your other bullshit, sorry, Rean.] Magic flip phones full of magic rock batteries, though, huh... if I wasn't touching this right now and if I hadn't already seen weirder, I'd have a hard time believing this was real.