nativized | IC Contact (Folkmore)

I'm not the one roaming around helping with restorations. [ A scoff. ] I look handsome, even like this.

[ He actually isn't joking about that at all — if there is one thing Cale is confident about it's his face. Even without any muscles, the body of Cale Henituse can make any clothes look good. ]

I don't know what you like, so I made a bunch of things.

Oh, we're not denying that.

[ He's thin. Malnourished? The face is handsome and the eyes are piercing, but there's signs of chronic ... tiredness? Overwork? Both? It's possible he's reading more into several things, because the overall appearance of the man isn't gaunt or anything, but it doesn't look like a noble "ought to" in Lex's opinion. Nor really what anyone ought to in a realm where food and leisure time are as abundant as they are in folkmore.

... He's one to talk, though. He's clearly not slept in a "proper" bed in a day or two, on top of how none of them had over the time in Amrita. ]

You cook?

[ Honestly, that if anything surprises him, as he motions for the other to lead on to whatever set up he probably had prepared. ]

[ Cale isn't blind to Lex's current condition despite making no comment about it. Instead he focuses on leading the man to a large table he had preemptively claimed by setting it with cutlery and dishware. ]

It's not like my personal chef is here to do it for me.

[ A memory of when he was nineteen and working hard at a restaurant flashes in Cale's mind as he begins carefully pulling out the various sealed cookware he safely stored away in his spatial bag.

First is a generous amount of marinated, stir-fried sirloin strips (bulgolgi) set in a dish alongside the lettuce and other sides needed for proper Korean BBQ (samgyeopsal).

Then is the tteokbokki — spicy, stir-fried rice cakes. Then comes the savoury pancakes (jeon), a large number of seaweed-wrapped rice rolls (kimbap), and sticky fried chicken (yangnyeom tongdak).

He also pulls out a teapot of boiled water, two teacups, and a few boxes of teas Lex can choose from, along with packets of sugar and little disposable cups of creamer.

And a six pack of beer. ]

[ Another bunch of things he doesn't recognize , with spices and scents to them which are unfamiliar to him. Of course, all food's only as alien as what you try. But it did bring to mind when Makie showed a whole alien platter of food for him. These look different, of course, but...

Huh.

He takes up a seat, reaching out to take one of the cans of beer and looking at the rest of it with some curiosity, taking it all in. ]

I still don't think I'd trust most scions to know their way around cooking.

[ He prepares a sweet tea for himself and eats a couple of kimbap while he waits for it to steep.

Cale shrugs at the comment. ]

Most scions don't know what it takes to survive.

Isn't it more like their survival is a whole different set of skills?

[ ... Well, he'll copy the other to take some of those. Sure. And then he'll just slowly take samples from each of these so he can poke at an examination of the flavor one by one. ]

Most of them lack those skills, too.

[ He doesn't think very highly of a majority of the nobility he's had the misfortune of dealing with. Luckily he found some noble and royalty he doesn't mind working with, and who keep most of the annoying things away from him.

Reminded of Alver, a small frown crosses his face. He decides to ignore the unwanted feelings by stuffing a tteokbokki elegantly into his mouth.

It's not like his sworn brother could just show up here even if he did notice Cale was missing. ]

People who don't have skills can't survive but for luck or the skills of other people. And usually the unskilled one don't gravitate talent around them. Or... so's the theory, anyway.

[ He doesn't even know if he's arguing for any real reason, more just feeling out the other's opinions by doing it. As he tries all of these things in turn to see how he likes or dislikes the flavors here. ]

They will attach themselves to those they perceive have power or strength in order to survive, and seek every opportunity to gain more political power at the expense of innocent people if necessary.

[ Sure, Cale had expected it during the battles in the northeast, but it doesn't make him any less disgusted with those pathetic nobles during the very rare moments he gives them any thought. ]

The world of nobility is mostly bullshit. The good ones are almost always suppressed before they have a chance to make real change.

[ Fortunately Cale solved that issue in the Rowoon Kingdom. And in the Mogoru Empire (by throwing the entire empire over and picking people to put in power). And in the Whipper Kingdom. And in the Molden Kingdom... And the Endable Kingdom...

...

He decides not to think about it anymore and just stuffs some more kimbap in his mouth. ]

Oh, it definitely operates by its own logic, and its not my place to say if it's bullshit or not. But I don't think anything you've said necessarily shows them incapable of survival. If anything, manipulation, exploitation, and appealing to those who can defend them precisely are their survival means, yeah? At least a lot of the time.

Rare is the thinking being that doesn't seek its own survival.

[ Lex says all this while mostly scooting some of the more interesting dishes closer to himself. Or at least a little bit of them. Let's go for the sticky chicken next, actually. And maybe the... Barbecue? He doesn't quite get what's up with the lettuce yet so he waits to see how the other is handling it. ]

You would assume so. But many nobles are so focused on their power games that they forget their factions won't matter if the kingdom falls in war.

[ Cale eventually clues in and — wanting some anyway — deftly fills a piece of lettuce with the grilled, marinated pork belly, julienned carrot, some rice, and red chili paste. He rolls it up and eats it like one would a soft-shelled taco. ]

Hm. You've been here longer than me, Lex.

What do you know about Familiar bonds?

[ ... Oh huh. That's actually a pretty fun use for the lettuce. the man follows suit. He was going to continue the argument by habit until that came and- oh yeah, the Pandora's Fox thing the other day. ]

Basically nothing but what I've seen on the network or on that matchmaking game the other day. It's something they can do with Legends or Myths and produces some metaphysical connection between them. But I don't know any of the real details on it - didn't ask the Fox when I was coming here and I was only became it existed a month or two into being here, because it just didn't come up much.

Hmm.

[ Cale weighs the possible pros and cons. The cons currently outweigh the pros.

But he can't help but be curious. ]

I am willing to try it.

[ The 'with you' goes unsaid. Lex should know him well enough by now despite the short time they've actually known each other. If Cale thinks about it it's strange that he gets along so well with this guy already.

Cale chooses not to think about it. ]

Oh yeah?

[ The man says, as his first response as he's working out this lettuce taco. It's said without thinking, just sort of humming it before taking his bite. ]

[ But then, as he's chewing, Lex processes more what's being said while being unsaid there. They've really only talked a handful of times so far. He's seen him around the camp and such back during the Amrita stuff, but they haven't really hung out or anything. It's not a deeply interpersonal relationship or anything just yet, just... talking.

But he's been listening to the guy and opted into his own sense of familiarity very quickly with him as well. The very fact he does understand that really is... something he recognizes himself and doesn't like. It wasn't like Lex was technically closest to Cale or anything. He'd outed more of himself to that Gojo guy (even if he's gone), freely said some deep things to Betsy and on that drunken night to that other woman. Hell, even Mitsuko was in his body.

... Being connected like that instinctually makes him feel like the telepathic connections Betsy could do. Those are scary. ]

[ Swallowing, ]

-Insofar as proposals go, I've actually had better ones directed at me.

[ He said, with a smirk. Because of course as he took the spare few seconds to process things he opted to deflect off to some comedy. ]

[ It's neither a 'yes' or a 'no', though Cale hadn't really expected an answer immediately anyway. ]

And yet still no fabled booty calls.

[ Shit.

Wait.

Knowing this guy— ]

Shut up.

Eh? You're assuming a lot about me there, my man.

[ Arching his brows and his eyes turning bright pink. ]

[ Cale doesn't look at him, instead choosing to drink his cup of ~~(warm water because he forgot to finish preparing it)~~ tea. ]

[ And then he ... laughs a little, before going for his next bite, chew, swallow combo. ]

[ ...He puts down the empty teacup and grabs a can of beer.

If both Lex and his ancient powers are all going to laugh, Cale decides he needs some alcohol even if it's nowhere near enough to get him the least bit tipsy.

Now he can blame any flushing on the alcohol. ]

[ Oh fine though, if the man won't argue back... Lex swallows and, while opening his own beer, ]

To be honest, I've not given it a lot of thought. Not sure if it's just the one person, what it fully entails - you've got some clout with locals, it's entirely possible you've learned more, yeah?

Just that Familiar bonds are considered to be the most important ritual here by the spirits. It forms a psychic bond between a Familiar and a Myth or Legend which can manifest in various ways?

I've been looking for information on if these bonds can be broken later on, but apparently that's a taboo thing to discuss.

[ He sighs. ]

With such an emphasis on the significance of these bonds there must be an important purpose to them beyond what's obvious.

And how they're formed? Is it a matter of the spoon trick and willing it, or is it something else, centered in the Roles themselves?

[ As Lex says this, he's actually reaching into his back pocket to reach for his own Spoon. After all, if they're going to talk about this, then he's got something he might as well show Cale. Reveal one little secret. ]

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oops pretend i got what samgyeopsal was correct earlier

Hahaha you've got me beat I don't know most these dishes that well myself

I had to make a sticky note for a bunch of these haha

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2/3 I like these combo tags too much

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they're great!! 1/2

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