let's do the time warp again

[notyetlegend]

MERIDA COURT Seelie, neutral INFLUENCE ★ ★ ★ TITLE Friend of the Dead, Hartslayer, Brave Heart, Lady Lioness of DunDealgan OCCUPATION Lady of DunDealgan. archer, huntress, swordswoman AGE 20 ABLE TO FAST-TRAVEL wings given to Angus via a boon in December 2,700 as of September 2,701 will have a ring that can teleport her to places she's been before in Seelie territory COMMUNICATION METHODS compass, given by Korra (sangilak) and made by Hermione (brainiest) that will give network access and point to 'home' (place/person/etc) capable of sending correspondence via bird, mainly ravens RESIDENCE IN 2,701 DunDealgan, south of Daonna RESIDENCE IN 2,702 DunDealgan, south of Daonna MAJOR EVENTS BEAST MASTER Due to being the only one able to get close to Cu Chulainn and calm him down while in werewolf form, locals around the area of DunDealgan start to regard Merida as a beast master of sorts. Considering how she feels about his warp spasms, she doesn't exactly like this apparent appointment but if it's to protect him from any sort of torches-and-pitchforks scenario, she'll take it on. [ ✖ ] TRUST IN BLOOD A search through Treun for the escaped convicts of Leathann turns into a dangerous situation. In a moment of desperation, Merida accidentally kills a convict who has the intent of doing something unsavory to her. Traumatized, it's Gilgamesh of all people who pulls her through and reassures her that she did nothing wrong. The golden king, unwittingly, earns himself her trust and loyalty. [ ✖ ] LADY LIONESS The year had seen to a great deal of change in Merida. Not just in something deciding that her fate lay within the other court, but in herself and the actions that she took, in the thoughts that she processed. Some part of her became...less idealistic, as it were, more open to the idea that this was war. It had taken her just near a year in the Drabwurld to accept that as fact, that she'd only be seeing home in her dreams, and half a year later to find it in herself to move on. This land of the fae was her reality now. These were her people. And that was why she needed to protect them. [ ✖ ] MAJOR CHANGES SORCERESS Merida has started to take her magical studies more seriously than before. By the end of the time skip, she should be appropriately trained in all the magics she has taken on, both fire and runic magic. WARRIOR Likewise, Merida has been honing her combat skills throughout the year. With a new sword from Diarmuid as of August and a new bow from Wan as of Yule, she'll feel as though she'll be better prepared for any of the future battles. Having killed her first human (accidentally), Merida starts accepting the idea that it's okay to kill people sometimes.

PLANS co-parenting wolfhound pups with Lancer fire magic training shard training become known as some kind of beast master by the locals visit the new Barrel once a month bandit stomping along a trade route with Korra swan shooting competition with Gilgamesh in April Treun tourney Samhain White Hart Hunt II: the Hart's Revenge SUMMARY OF KNOWN DETAILS For the most of it, Merida will be working on training in both her fire magic and her shard, along with learning some runes from Lancer, when she's not taking part in any of the events happening. Gaining influence in the surrounding area. Strengthening and being able to control her magic will be one of her primary focuses. She'll also be helping out around DunDealgan since she'll feel partially responsible for everyone there, considering she's courting its Lord. Many of her efforts will be going towards building up better personal relations between DunDealgan and the natives surrounding the area. Another thing that I have planned is for her to open up a combat school for women of either court and/or natives only, offering it as a place of refuge during times of battle, and once she's lost her idealism and become a little more war hardened, offer her students out as mercenaries. This will all take time, possibly over the course of two time skips, but ideally I'd like to start planning things out now. TIMELINE OF EVENTS SPRING IN 2,701 (Mar, Apr, May) EARLY MARCH - waking up in Caer Glaem EARLY MARCH - chat with Saber EARLY MARCH - chat with Mako MARCH - making the fortress warm and toasty MARCH - helping Diarmuid control his fire MARCH - being defrosted by Gilgamesh, telling stories of the fae in exchange MARCH - holy Lugh it's a lion MARCH - bandit stomping with Korra LATE MARCH - chat with Ben LATE MARCH - the Barrel MARCH - monthly summary APRIL - things get frisky thanks to the harp (NSFW) APRIL - Diarmuid's birthday at the Barrel APRIL - breaking the harp MAY - swan hunting competition with Gilgamesh. interruption by bandersnatch MAY - running into Ben MAY - monthly summary SUMMER IN 2,701 (Jun, Jul, Aug) TREUN - spectating post tournament TREUN - exploring the markets and drinking TREUN - shopping and talking with Saber TREUN - chat with Hiro TREUN - dancing with Alyosha JUNE - monthly summary JULY - talking with Gilgamesh during beachdraidh JULY - bar fight JULY - helping Diarmuid with CSI: Daonna JULY - reassuring Lancer and going home AUGUST - training and talk with Diarmuid AUGUST - to the Sunsoak Markets. Diarmuid asks an important question AUGUST - monthly summary FALL IN 2,701 (Sept, Oct, Nov) SEPTEMBER - visiting Alice SAMHAIN - relaxing with the bae SAMHAIN - talking with the Shuck SAMHAIN - dancing and talks with Diarmuid SAMHAIN - relaxing and talking with Sam SAMHAIN - adventures in Scima with Gilgamesh SAMHAIN - what happens in Samhain stays at Samhain NOVEMBER - team up with Wan in Daonna NOVEMBER - archery lessons with Wan NOVEMBER - trouble in Treun (cw: sensitive topics) WINTER IN 2,701/2,702 (Dec, Jan, Feb) DECEMBER - rematch with Saber DECEMBER - meeting Diarmuid in fox form DECEMBER - celebrating first year anniversary with Lancer (NSFW) JANUARY - the Barrel FEBRUARY - the Barrel SPRING IN 2,702 (Mar, Apr, May) MARCH - QUEST: skeleton zombies MARCH - post quest wind down. serious talks with Sam (cw: sensitive topics) APRIL - Station date with Hiro LATE APRIL - lone fox LATE APRIL - furry time at the Barrel MAY - stopping Alice from doing something stupid ಠ_ಠ

( codes by whambam )

Comments

Early April Station Date and Stuff lets do this thing

[zerotohiro]

[Sometimes a person just has to separate themselves from everyone they know for a while in order to really collect their thoughts. And sometimes there were people like Hiro Hamada who wanted to tell the entire world to leave him alone while he worked on his next big breakthrough.

January through the beginning of April had been more or less a run through the ringer for him with testing his strength, morals, and his loyalties. To be honest? He just needed a break from the friends he'd disappointed and the things he didn't understand.

It was why he was glad to be at the Station for a few days to regroup with Nico. He'd left the other boy with the loose excuse of "needing to clear his head" and disappeared for another part of the Station, wandering around and getting his thoughts in order. With everything that happened since Samhain and potentially severing all ties with the most important person in the Drabwurld, everything was a huge mess and he allowed his focus to wander a bit to try and solve the problem.

In his exploration, he'd found something familiar from home and it made him grin a little as he unearthed it from a pile. Who knew a skateboard would be enough to cheer him up? It didn't take long before he carefully mounted the board and pushed off, beginning to weave his way through people and rolling right along.

The problem with that though is that the longer he moves, the more he finds that he's on autopilot and his mind's on overdrive and he's not paying that close attention. It's almost too late by the time he suddenly looks up and notices there's someone in his path.

Someone familiar, even.]

Merida! [With a hard jerk he redirects his body and jumps off of the board, stumbling only briefly as it goes whizzing by Merida's feet and hits the wall. Whoops. He's just…going to give her an awkward grin and a slight wave. He'll pick up the board in a second.]

Uh, hey! Sorry, I almost didn't see you. [Clearly. Hiro, come on. A hand comes up to rub the back of his neck nervously.] Please tell me the board didn't run over your toes or something.

slams in here

[notyetlegend]

[Merida hadn't been to the Station much in the last year, mostly avoiding it for several reasons. It wasn't as though her year hadn't been eventful without it in her life, but it had been the first place of refuge she had taken in the Drabwurld away from Caer Scima before she found her way to Ariadne's manor. It had also been the place that her best friends had used as shelter, before Hiccup had been taken from them.

Even now, a year and a half later, the Station was still strange, still foreign to her. It had been good for her to move away from the hustle of the place and the weird technology that floated around it. Really, the only reason she'd come back in the first place had been to do a bit of shopping, and it showed in the couple of bags that hung from the crook of her arm.

She would've been taken off guard by the oncoming board and its pilot had she not been paying attention to her surroundings when Hiro hadn't. Merida steps out of the way with a rustle of her bags and dress, looking a little surprised.]

Uh, it didn't. [Not that she knew what a board was or even what being run over meant, but if he was asking her if she'd been harmed in any way she hadn't. Merida raises an eyebrow though, unable to help herself.] Distracted much?

[zerotohiro]

[It's the little things that he's grateful for in the Drabwurld, such as other people paying attention to where he's going so that he doesn't always have to. There's a nervous chuckle as he moves backwards to collect the skateboard, shrugging at first.

'Yeah, you could say that.']

Maybe a little. [Once the board's back in his hands he takes a moment to look her over just to make sure she really wasn't damaged by the runaway skateboard, eyes lingering on the bags before raising an eyebrow right back and nodding toward said-bags. Two can play that game.] Stocking up on supplies or something more interesting?

[notyetlegend]

Nothin' that excitin', just a few dresses. I, ah, outgrew some of mine when I dreamed about home last year.

[She'd replaced them since then, but it never hurt to buy more, especially since she kept ripping them sometimes. The good thing about cloaks was that you couldn't really outgrow those, so she didn't have to worry about them much. Merida shifted her bags down to her hand rather than her elbow, placing her free one on her hip.]

An' gettin' out of th' fortress. I haven't been here since last year so I figured I'd take a look around...

[There's a small shrug.]

[zerotohiro]

[Oh my god that icon is precious. He almost questions her about what she means regarding "dreaming about home last year" but the thought settles in almost as soon as the words almost leave his mouth. A look of understanding crosses his features and he settles on a nod. Come to think of it, he should probably pick up some more clothing while he's here instead of just living in the same t-shirts and his probably-by-now well-worn blue hooded sweater.

But that's neither here nor there.]

Right. I haven't been around here much either lately. [He pauses for a moment, tilting his head as he allows himself a brief moment to think this through. Though they're not close, Merida's someone who seems to understand what, precisely, he's been trying to do this whole time even though he hasn't quite explained it well. Creating his own legend. Living up to his own standards.

That and despite the fact it took him a while he had puzzled out that she had to have swapped courts. He knows one other girl who's done the same and he's not even sure that Merida truly did, but he does know he hasn't seen her in ages and it seems a little dubious.]

This place is still probably really weird for you, huh? [He lifts his free hand to gesture toward one of the cafes behind them. Hiro Hamada has questions and he'll be damned if he doesn't get a chance to ask them. Besides, April's apparently been the month to catch up with everyone.] And I still feel bad about almost nailing you with the board. If you've got time, up for lunch? I'll buy.

[notyetlegend]

[I have more. The questioning look makes her think that she might have to explain what she meant, but she's glad that it seems like he figured it out himself. There's still a lot she didn't know about it, what she wasn't able to garner from listening and reading up on it, so she'd probably be at a loss to tell him what she meant. Merida rests one of her hands on her hips, letting the other hold onto her bags as she nodded.]

Aye. I lived here for a short time when I first arrived but I never got used to it, so I moved on.

[About the only thing she missed was the running water and bathrooms. The Station was more Hiccup and Jack's territory than hers in the end, and she hadn't spotted her wintery friend around. Gods knew he'd probably let her know he was there in his own way anyway. The offer makes her look a little surprised before she smiles, feeling flattered he wants to make it up to her like that.]

I'm a pretty big eater, so I'll split it with you.

[Despite her small size, she could pack away a lot. Merida tilted her head, looking around them.]

What counts as food here anyway? Hiccup managed to destroy one of those food heatin' boxes...ah, microwaves, once.

[zerotohiro]

I lived here after the last big battle but then the fairy rings broke and I've only been back once or twice. [Which is a major bummer, considering. He'd grown so used to being able to shuttle himself back and forth whenever he wanted. At least here he could pretend there was some sense of civilization and not...well. A medieval world he still was only partially fitting into. There's a grin though and he gestures for her to follow, explaining as they go.]

Probably whatever we can find around here. I was talking to somebody like a year ago who made it sound like the kitchens are pretty endless but I'm not that great with actually cooking. We can probably find somebody that can dish out some burgers or maybe a pizza or something. Those are easy.

[...hold it.] Wait, how did Hiccup destroy a microwave?

[notyetlegend]

You should learn how to ride a horse or at th' very least a cleg. They make for gettin' around easier.

[She feels some kind of sympathy for the boy, considering she was always left behind once Hiccup got Toothless and Jack could fly anyway. Angus was fast, but not fast enough to cover five days of travel in one. Merida follows after Hiro, unable to help raising an eyebrow. Burgers? Pizza? Whatever those were, they sounded so strange, even after spending a year and a half in the Drabwurld.

The question makes her cluck her tongue against the roof of her mouth in a sort of 'tcht' noise, shaking her head as she took a couple of strides to catch up to him.]

Idiot put metal in it thinkin' cause it heated things up it was like a forge an' it'll be fine. [She rolls her eyes, though it's obvious she recalls the time with fondness now.] Singed some of my hair at th' time, th' bastard.

[zerotohiro]

I know. [He has enough grace to actually look embarrassed then.] But horses still freak me out a little? I've kinda been staying away from them as much as possible. Besides, I have people who can teleport that I can always catch a lift with.

[But even then it's not enough. Even then he has to work with other people's schedules and it's not always convenient. A cleg isn't a bad idea but…that's still a horse. He doesn't address the strange look, already seemingly making up his mind. They're getting a pizza. That'll be easiest and if Merida decides she doesn't like it, then…they'll figure something else out.

Pardon him though. When he hears the microwave story he finds himself bursting into laughter.] That's…definitely not how it works. [It will never cease to surprise him how many people here don't understand how the most basic tech works.] At least your hair looks fine now and I promise not to singe any of it. [A beat] I've got better control of my powers now.

[notyetlegend]

Ach, horses will let you know if they don't like somethin'. Angus is a scaredy cat around magical beings but I got him used to that, though he's a huge softie.

[Clegs were different to normal horses, she knew that much, just from spending time down in Caer Scima's stables during the fear dogs' reign. It feels good to talk about Hiccup with someone, considering Jack split after telling her he was gone and she hasn't seen him in over a year. She never did quite get as close to him as Jack was, but he had still been a good friend of hers. When Hiro points out her hair, she smiles a little.]

When I went home, my body here changed. I used to have a black streak here [She threads her fingers through the part of hair] because of it, but because it hadn't happened back home, it disappeared.

[The scrunch of her nose says she's still trying to figure out how that worked, but she eventually shrugs, though she tilts her head when he mentions powers.]

You have some kind of ability?

[zerotohiro]

That's the part I'm worried about. I'm from a city so horses usually stay in one place and I stay pretty far away from there. [Of course the horse is named Angus. Of course he is.] Was Angus the one you were using during the joust?

[It's funny, really, since he met all three of them during his first night in the Drabwurld but Merida's the one he's spoken to the most so far and likes the most by proxy. He still doesn't know just how deep their ties may or may not have run, but he also feels it's not his place to ask yet.]

I kinda wish I could do the same thing. [Being short sucks.] It's kinda hard to imagine you with a black streak but I bet it still looked cool. Like a punk vibe. My friend GoGo back home has purple streaks in her hair that look really cool. [But the red curls suit Merida much, much better. He still plans to ask her a lot about the home thing, but he's more interested in kind of sort of bragging a little.]

Nothing I didn't learn here, but I've been practicing a lot. [He grins, but even so it's a tiny bit hesitant.] Fire magic. And some other stuff. Magic doesn't exist where I'm from but I started learning the first day I got here. At least I'm not lighting trees on fire anymore.

[notyetlegend]

You just need an experienced handler lookin' out for you. Even dad had someone lookin' after me th' first time I got on a horse. [She nods at his assumption.] Angus is from home, though he didn't always have wings. I asked for those as a boon.

[Back when she'd been Unseelie and slew the Hart, though she doesn't say that. It was true she'd gotten used to the idea that Solais had somehow had her stolen away, but that was neither here nor there. She does raise an eyebrow at his terming again, though. Punk? And what kind of name was GoGo? Merida threads her fingers through her hair a bit embarrassedly this time, leading her hand back to rub the back of her head.]

I think I'll stick to red. Purple's an expensive dye...is she royalty?

[DunBroch's colours were more of a blue green than anything, their tartan unique since they were home to the royal family. She'd seen others wearing purple around the Drabwurld and assumed they were well off. Merida's light up when Hiro says he's been learning fire magic though.]

Magic exists back home but I never practiced it myself before I came here. [To demonstrate, she draws a tracking rune in the air, watching it light up but not going anywhere since it hadn't been given orders on what to look for.] It's actually a lot rarer in DunBroch.

[zerotohiro]

[The first thing that comes to mind is Jason, but he immediately squishes down that thought. Jason's not experienced with horses. He just knows what he's doing. It's not the same like it is with Merida. He didn't even have to guess to know she's been riding for ages. It was evident just from the way she handled herself during the joust. Though it is reassuring to know she wasn't naturally good without some help.] I'll think about it. [If a person can boon wings for an animal...can a person boon wings for other things? The next question might come as a surprise though.] Did it hurt him?

[That's precisely what he'd like to know. If Solais can steal people from Morla, can Morla steal people right back? At this rate he's used to people giving him skeptical looks and he's just as used to ignoring them.]

Nah, she's just kinda tough. It's been purple for as long as I've known her. [Which...isn't that long, to be fair.

In turn, his own eyes light up the moment he sees the rune being drawn. He's more familiar with runes now that he's spoken with and tentatively befriended Grell and though he doesn't know the art behind it himself he's fascinated.] Dude...that's what I want to learn next.

[They reach their final destination and he even has enough thought to drag a chair with his foot out from the table so Merida can sit.] I'm gonna grab food for the first round. You can pay for the second if you're still hungry. [A flash of a grin and then he's bounding off. Over his shoulder though, he calls--] You've gotta teach me how to do that later! [He'll be back momentarily.]

[notyetlegend]

I asked for it not to. You need to be specific with things like that otherwise they might take it literally, like th' witch did with me back home.

[They meaning the monarchs, but she doesn't say that much, and she doesn't mention that they were made by sacrificing the lives of several dozen faerie. At least the imps had been right and they would forget about it, considering how well they'd treated her when she woke in Glaem. She tilts her head a little.]

An'...punk an' tough are considered royalty where you're from?

[Sorry Hiro, she kind of equates purple and blue with royalty thanks to her time. The rune disappears without a destination in mind after a few minutes spent hovering over the palm of her hand, enough time to reach their destination and for him to pull a foot out for her.]

It's taken me a year to start learnin' how to use them without these. [She fingers one of the earrings dangling from her ears, then draws her hand down and takes a seat, setting her bags near her legs.] Good thing is I don't have to wear my gloves like I do with my fire magic.

[zerotohiro]

I'm almost glad they didn't take me that seriously then when I asked them to load me up with some of Baymax's programming. [That could have been an outright disaster. She doesn't have to specify who she means. He gets it immediately. But he could do without the gorey details so thank you, Merida.]

Not even close. They're just styles. We don't really have royalty in America unless you count the president, but that's a totally different system. I don't think I've ever thought to ask why she chose purple. [That's. That's a great question though.]

I don't see how earrings can help with runes. [Granted...there are other items that help. He knows that much.] Wouldn't gloves just get in the way?

[Shaking his head he ponders that over while he's gone. When he returns, there's a very, very large square box that's almost bigger than he can actually carry along with two plates balanced on his arms. He sets everything down at the table before flipping open the box to reveal a pizza large enough to feed probably at least five people divided into sections with different toppings.]

Okay. I know this looks weird, but I promise it's actually really good. The staple of pretty much every college student's diet.

[notyetlegend]

[She'll let him go off and get the food rather than continuing the conversation, knowing they can always do that when he comes back. While Hiro's getting food, Merida glances around the area, recognizing it as one of the ones Hiccup had tried to convince her to eat at, when she'd been more willing to hunt her own food outside the Station. Her fingers subconsciously go to a heart stoned ring hanging from her neck as she waits, twirling it around the chord between her fingers.

Merida glances up when he comes back, unable to help but stare at the food in the box. Her head pulls back, blinking a bit. He's not wrong in that it looks weird - she doesn't think she's ever seen anything like it before.]

Are ye sure that's food?

[It doesn't look like food, sure, and the smell coming from it is kind of...putrid.]

[zerotohiro]

[It's not entirely subtle that his eyes linger on the ring for a minute when he returns, but he doesn't say anything yet. He's busy rolling his eyes and reaching into the box to load up a plate with a few slices before setting it in front of her and repeating the action for himself.]

You've lived here for over a year and you've never tried a slice of pizza? What have you been living on? [He's teasing her but he's also already taking a bite.

Food. Real, sweet, delicious food...he's missed this. Camping out and traveling for several months has made "real food" a pain in the ass to come by.] Trust me. It's not as bad as it looks. [Or smells.]

[notyetlegend]

Rabbit, deer, boar, vegetables...real food?

[She doesn't think about the two rabbits she hunted down with Diarmuid when she was transformed into a fox by the White Hart, not the way they shook in her teeth as she swung them to break their necks and bones before gobbling them up. Merida watches him before gingerly copying what he does, fingers sliding under a piece and pulling it only to leave it attached by a string of cheese.

There's a small frown and she tugs a little on it before picking at it with her free hand, pulling it from the rest of the pizza. She pauses, eyeing how Hiro eats it and then taking a bite herself, albeit hesitantly.]

...Oh...

[zerotohiro]

Never had it, not my favorite, I'm not really sure what a boar tastes like, and...pizza can have vegetables on it. It counts.

[Typical argument for a teenager and even though he's chewing and swallowing he's busy watching Merida carefully to gauge her reactions. Pizza was apparently the true test of people who could be his friend.

(Man, when was the last time he had pizza anyway...? That night in the garage with his friends? How he's gone that long without it baffles him.)

At her reaction though he grins a little more broadly.] Not bad, right? Just be careful, it's hot.

[notyetlegend]

What on earth have you been eating then? No wonder you're skin an' bone.

[Last she checked, those were staples in many areas, which she'd learned by selling meats while traveling earlier on in her time in the Drabwurld. The pizza in her hand in the meantime gets another bite taken out of it, then another, and another once she's sure it's no longer hot. It's actually not as bad as she thought it was going to be. Either that or she's incredibly hungry, which she is. Starving even. The slice is devoured in a few minutes, Merida not really showing any restraint like a princess should.]

I used to go out an' shoot my own dinner when I lived here. [There's a bit of a sigh as she licks her fingers.] Because everythin' was so weird inside. At least outside th' Drabwurld was like home.

[zerotohiro]

[An embarrassed chuckle, though he looks mildly offended. He's totally put on some muscle, Merida. It's just...really small. And flat. And okay, he's pretty much still skin and bones types of skinny.] Usually whatever Clarke brings me and then I make it last for a while. And people sent food during Yule like pastries and stuff. And fish? I figured out how to make fish without eating the bones. And a bunch of instant noodles that I brought back to where I was staying the last time I was here.

[That is to say he's been skirting around the issue and has a tendency to get so wrapped up in his work he either a.) forgets to eat or b.) doesn't quite realize what he's actually putting in his mouth. Noticing that she's eating, he relaxes further and works through his own slice before reaching for another. She's in good company, it seems.]

I went on an accidental hunting trip with somebody during Yule and that didn't exactly end well. I know a lot of people feel like this place is normal but...okay. Imagine a place like the Station but even bigger. Maybe even thousands of times bigger. That's what home's like...you can walk outside and there are six different types of restaurants to choose from or you can call people to bring you food. Our grocery stores have everything already prepared for us, too.

[There's a short break as he pauses to catch his breath.] I also used to live in a cafe back home. My aunt owns it...Lucky Cat makes all kinds of food but Aunt Cass always made meals for us, too.

[So. It's a long-winded answer to what he's been doing.] I was gonna restock on stuff I can make really fast or stuff I can dig up and will travel well before I head out again.

[notyetlegend]

So you know how to eat fish properly. [Which was good. Choking on bones would be the worst way to go, she'd imagine, and for a moment she realizes she sounds a little like her mother when she kept telling her that a princess didn't stuff her gob. Merida swallows her next bite of pizza, leaning her head on one of her hands.] I don't suppose you know how to skin a rabbit an' take care of it's guts, do you?

[Possibly not the best thing to talk about while eating, but it was good to make sure. If he didn't have the survival skills he wouldn't last long out by himself - though it sounded like he had several people looking out for him, they wouldn't always be around. That was why Fergus had taught her how to look out for herself in the forest surrounding the kingdom.

She eats the crust as he describes his hometown for her, glancing around them. Something a thousand times bigger than the Station? It almost seemed impossible, but so had the concept of other worlds before she'd arrived in the Drabwurld. Merida leans back in her seat to crane her neck, then draws it back down with a bit of awe in her eyes.]

It sounds so much bigger than DunBroch...though I'm not sure what "grocery stores" are. [Or cafes for that matter, though she figured it was like a tavern due to his description of it. She tilts her head.] I can teach you a few short campfire things if you want...I'm afraid that's th' only way I know how to cook.

[zerotohiro]

They're not that hard to clean. [There's a shrug. Yup. That sure is the reason he hasn't put on a lot of weight since showing up. If he notices the shift in her demeanor he doesn't say so, instead meeting her eyes with a somewhat curious look.] Uh, no? Not exactly. I've never really thought about it.

[It's probably a good thing that he's not easily grossed out (and that his tolerance for pretty much everything has grown since being here.) He doesn't seem to think anything of it, nor does he actually realize what Merida's puzzling out for herself. He has a lot of people looking out for him, but at the same time his survival skills are pretty much absolute shit. He's figuring it out, but it's a slow process.

He grins when she moves, seemingly knowing what she's thinking. She's not the first to think that a place like home was impossible and sometimes when he was really self-aware Hiro realized how much of San Fransokyo he'd taken for granted. How often he took Aunt Cass and Tadashi for granted, too, and it bums him out (thus he doesn't think on it too often.)]

San Fransokyo's not even as big as some of the other cities in our world. We only have like a couple of hundred thousand people...there're places like New York that have over eight million people living there. That's just America, too. Tokyo's home to...probably between fifteen and twenty million people by now. I've never been though. Tadashi and I were just looking up the statistics when we were planning on going someday.

[...someday. There's a slow halt to his movements as he seemingly gets stuck on that thought but it's easier these days to pull himself out and continue on like nothing happened.]

Grocery stores are basically just shops like...you've seen the stalls and open markets that are around here, right? The trading posts and everything? It's like that, but it's one big building that has everything instead of having to go to different places. There're a lot of different kinds, too. [And then, said around the bite of crust in his mouth--] Maybe that's what I don't really like about this place. There aren't a huge variety of choices. [Swallowing, he blinks in surprise at the offer.] ...you sure? I mean I know how to roast marshmallows and fish is pretty easy to cook over flames but. [But the rest is a mystery to him. And if he's going to go back out on his own? It wouldn't hurt.] That's not a bad idea.

[notyetlegend]

[Well no wonder he's skin and bone. She gives a small sigh at that, picking up her next slice of pizza and not really realizing it. It was actually better than what she'd thought it would be - a little strange still but still a lot better. They didn't have any flavor combinations like this in DunBroch; spices were rather limited after all, salt being the most expensive.] Well, they're easier to gut than seals I can tell you that, easier to kill too.

[Leaving it at that, she takes her first bite of her next slice, chewing thoughtfully. For all that the Drabwurld resembled her home, there were some things that she hasn't seen at feasts. Merida chews and swallows her bite, coughing into a hand when he mentions eight million people, waving it shortly after.]

DunBroch doesn't even have four hundred, let alone eight million! Not even all four clans combined. [She notices the halt in his movements but she doesn't ask, recognizing it from her own days of avoiding the subject of her mother if it came up in conversation. Instead, she nods in understanding, a smile flicking across her face.] We have markets too. Travelers bring their goods an' barter or trade. [She looks down at her slice, fingering the crust.] Th' castle gets our food from people who bring it as payment for audiences, or dad goes huntin' with some of th' clan.

[It really hadn't been obvious when she was growing up but her mother had stayed home to run the kingdom while her father went hunting. She had had valid reasons to refute her suitors, being that she simply hadn't been ready yet.]

Marshmallows...oh, those spongy things they put in hot chocolate. [Merida inclines her head.] Rabbit takes a bit because it's thicker than fish, but I think that'd be a good place to start. Deer takes an hour or more, if you're cookin' th' whole thing. Better off cuttin' it into sections an' preservin' th' rest if you're not sharin'.

[zerotohiro]

[He's not acknowledging it verbally but the tiny smirk on his face is enough to say that he's pleased she's enjoying the meal and he is, once again, right about something. It's been rare lately so it's nice to not double-check his instincts. Though he coughs suddenly around the bit of crust he's swallowing down, eyebrows flying up into his hairline.] Wait, seals? [Don't tell him that! He's just thinking of all of the seals back home...the wild seals...he could never eat them. Or...kill them. Ohgodwhy.]

There're some places that have only a few hundred people but they're always surrounded by bigger cities. As time goes on populations just keep getting bigger and bigger, especially as suburbs pop up. [He looks down, a smile growing again as he thinks about what he's really saying.] San Fransokyo's a suburb of San Francisco, actually, but it's been around for like over a hundred years. We have all kinds of stores and stuff but we have farmers markets and stuff, too, for people to barter and trade stuff. That's what pawn shops and flea markets are for, too, and sometimes if you go down to the beaches they have all kinds of tables for people selling and trading stuff. I guess it's just weird because for most people it's not their main source of income. [Hunting is such a foreign concept to him that when he looks up it's clear he's not sure how to react.] Aunt Cass and Tadashi made everything at Lucky Cat...I tried to help once but Aunt Cass told me I wasn't allowed in the kitchen anymore after I broke the blender and some other stuff. We also get a ton of our ingredients shipped to us but sometimes we trade some stuff with our neighbors. And since the cafe's open every day Aunt Cass works a lot to keep things running. When Tadashi and I weren't in school we'd pick up some shifts, too.

[From the way he's talking there's no doubt that he appreciates everything his aunt has done for him way more than he did before. Much like it wasn't obvious to Merida, it wasn't obvious how much grief he'd put his aunt through by being a major brat and how much Cass sacrificed and went through to raise the two boys that weren't her own. It's also clear that Aunt Cass has been a major fixture in Hiro's life since he was a young child and the only person he really remembers, besides Tadashi.]

Yup, those things. They're really good if you light them on fire and they're super-melty and crispy. [No. No they're not, Hiro, you're just gross.] I have no idea how I'd take down a whole deer in the first place. I don't do a lot of hunting. [But, despite the fact he shouldn't be, he's more interested in this whole "rabbit" thing. If he wasn't wasting money on food all the time, he could save it for other stuff.] Aren't rabbits kinda hard to catch though?