victory_road | ANOMALY DETECTED

"'This weekend'?"

That's a little baffling. But the thought of doing magic if he can't do it correctly is more concerning.

"I think it would be prudent to walk. I am very much out of practise, and so it might be wise to wait until I am sure that I can attempt anything complex like a portal."

A few magical exercises are in order.

"No one told you?"

Did the weird weekends ever come up in their conversations? Geddoe can't really remember. Certainly they'd first met during one, but he for one had been a bit more focused on making sure a fight didn't break out, or something.

"All right." He's not surprised by that answer, and a quick glance around tells him which way to go, so he starts walking.

It's no fancy intuition, mind, he just spotted the Exit sign.

"What were they supposed to tell me?"

And was he supposed to ask about it? Had he neglected to inquire about something?

Was he too busy acclimating to think about it?

"Are you saying that this is a thing that will happen again?"

Curse his oversight! Why didn't he think to question people about it?

Oh dear. Well, best to clear things up a bit.

"You remember when you first showed up here? You could use magic then, maybe some strange things happened, stuff like that. That only lasted a few days, though."

Around the corner and--ah, there's the next sign. Whoever made this building was apparently quite thoughtful!

"That happens a couple times a year, people like to call 'em 'weird weekends' usually. A lot of strange stuff happens for a few days, then the world's back to normal again."

In Keldor's estimation, this is a school designed to educate those on the lowest rungs of the IQ ladder, if they need to be told what an "exit" is, or which way to go to find it. But he's keeping that thought to himself.

"So I should expect this to happen at regular intervals."

He sighs.

"I cannot believe it did not occur to me to learn more about the last one I experienced."

Maybe that's why he ended up here. He belongs in a place like this if he could commit such an error as that.

Regardless of the intent of the exit signs, they're still terribly convenient just now, so Geddoe sees no reason to complain.

"Yeah, once in the spring and once in the fall, seems like."

Why? No one seems to know. Geddoe had just heard about them by asking around for information for a newcomer in general. It never hurts to gather what you can.

"I think places like this showing up might be new, though."

"At least I can expect them to be punctual."

That's a feature he can appreciate. It makes it easier for him to get ready if he knows what to expect and when.

Especially if it means getting back things like his magic.

"The school is new. But regaining one's magic is something I can expect to happen whenever these 'weekends' occur, yes?"

If the typist says you can have it, Keldor.

"Far as I know, yeah."

This is only his second go at this, so that's not really much to make a pattern from. But from what other people have told him, it seems to be the case.

"Good. It will give me something to anticipate."

Recovering your magic one weekend every six months. It could be worse.

"Well, considering my rather uncharacteristic oversight in learning about these weekends, and the fact that I may as well correct it now, what else is there to know?"

Would you like to play "What's Behind The Door", Keldor? :3

"Hmm..."

Geddoe thinks about that a moment.

"Mostly to be ready for anything. I hear it's pretty common for people to get teleported random places, and sometimes it can be a long hike back."

Say, is that the main entrance up ahead?

"That would be a useful thing, were it not for the lack of control."

I mean, who wouldn't want to just think of a place you want to go to before opening the door? Having it be all random takes all usefulness out of it.

Hmmm. More doors. And these ones don't look like the metal doors lining the walls.

In fact, these ones have windows.

That means we can see where we're going, right?

"Last time I talked to a guy who got teleported around before he'd even left his house for the day."

It had been an interesting conversation, to say the least.

And certainly, those doors sure look like they open out onto a typical school front entrance, but when one actually steps through the door...

Wait, are they now on the deck of some kind of airship? This is totally an airship. Just drifting through the air. Okay then.

"Truly a memorable adventure."

Which is what we're having right now. Although an airship doesn't exactly sound adventurous right now.

It is firing Keldor's curiosity, though, as he examines the dials and switches, despite not being much of a "tech head". Not like Trydor or his brother's friend, Duncan, are, anyways.

If they could see this thing they'd be over the moon about it.

Well, the fact that the airship is just cruising around the skies above Johto with no obvious way to get off it is certainly a thing. Though who knows, maybe a random door will lead them elsewhere again.

For now though Geddoe's taking a look around the deck. Thanks to prom this isn't the first time he's been on an airship, but it's still not exactly a familiar thing to him.

"Apparently these weekends are good at that."

They entered through a door. They should be able to exit through a door.

"Most interesting. Trydor would appreciate seeing this."

It's above his skill level, which means Trydor would be able to figure out which thing does what on this ship [and maybe tell his leader to not touch that].

"A shame he is not here for this oddity of a weekend."

Given what time of year it is, they could be whisked away while doing absolutely nothing in particular. Stranger things have definitely happened.

"A friend of yours?"

Luckily for them both, Geddoe is here and is, in fact, smart enough to realize the potential danger of messing with the controls blindly.

"You know how to fly this thing?"

If the answer's no, Keldor is definitely going to be told to stop pushing random buttons.

"Yes, and an exemplary scientist and technician too."

Especially considering the man is effectively blind without his visor. But Trydor wouldn't need a visor to know that Keldor is close to pressing one of those ominously-red buttons that never leads to anything good happening when pressed.

That reminder of the other man's skills, and Geddoe asking a question Trydor himself would've asked makes him pause. Then back away from the button. He's the sorcerer of their group [well, him and Evelyn], and really should know better to not muck with things he doesn't understand.

"No. No I do not."

Edited 2022-12-16 08:30 (UTC)

Oh good, he does have some sense, at least. Geddoe really doesn't want to wind up crashing to the ground, after all.

"Why not take a look around then?"

There's probably plenty to see that doesn't involve playing with the controls.

Nobody does, to be frank. Even Keldor's adverse to the idea of entering into a collision course with terra firma.

"Yes. I think I will do that."

Maybe someone brought [and left behind] a book. It might even be the instruction manual.

If anything, giving him something to read will keep him busy and away from things magic users shouldn't be touching.

If he needs to rely on poking at controls or finding a convenient book, he has a thing or two to learn about investigating a new place.

"There's probably more decks below." Geddoe nods to where stairs lead down to the next deck. Given the size of the airship, there should be plenty to keep busy exploring, from cabins to storerooms to... apparently a cafe? Go figure.

And assuming they don't get ported somewhere else again just as soon as things get interesting.

Most "new places" Keldor explored were not airships, but things like ancient ruins. This is technology, not sorcery, and thus is outside his area of expertise. That doesn't mean the book quest won't lead him to inspect the rest of the place [apparently airship passengers aren't the type to bring books—or rather, books with anything useful in them—along to read. I mean, who reads this dreck anyways? Um].

In other words, don't worry. He's exploring. Indirectly.

So a head full of arcane, rather than a more... practical, if mercenary mindset. Got it.

For his part, Geddoe's taking a more pragmatic approach of thoroughly looking over each room before moving on. There isn't anything in particular he's looking for, so much as keeping an eye out for anything of interest. Not that there's a lot of it here, to be honest. (Though those books admittedly remind him of the kind of stuff one of his teammates back home reads. And attempts to write.)

Still, there's only so much fruitless poking around one can do before needing a break from it.

"Find anything?"

So long as he knows where his strengths lie and where they don't. A good leader does and thus knows when to let others who are more learned about something take charge.

"I have, much to my displeasure, discovered what passes for 'acceptable literature' amongst those who utilise this vessel."

Honestly. How do some people even get published?

"But the food and drink here is passable. Perhaps even rather decent."

Not exactly akin to the sort of fare he would've eaten in Eternos as a prince, but would be deemed "haute cuisine" on the Sleeping Bag Tour of Eternia.

In other words, the potato chips they serve here aren't really that bad.

Potato chips are never really a bad thing. Go great with a beer, too.

"No luck finding a way down?"

The closest Geddoe's found is a hatch that leads to the exterior of the airship. Which isn't terribly useful with as high up as it currently is.

Again, potato chips aren't something Keldor would've eaten back at the palace, but compared to the "this shit might poison you" fare that's part of foraging for sustenance, it's pretty good.

"There may be a way down, but I would not want to chance some of those doors that appear to lead outside."

Sure, they could lead to something safe and on the ground, but that's just a little bit teensy extremely dangerous.

ANOMALY DETECTED

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holidays amirite?

ADHD amirite... +_+

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