nativized | IC Contact (Folkmore)

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. ]

I believe it is a simple matter of acknowledging your mutual consent of the bond to each other. Beyond that I'm not sure.

[ He frowns slightly. ]

What are you doing?

[ He pulls the spoon out, thumbing it between his fingers on his left hand a moment before looking over at Cale. He's not actually done this yet, but when it forced, he did learn the information of how and the basic mechanics of it intuitively.

So he asks the relatively absurd question- ]

Will you accept my invitation to go somewhere with me? Just for a spell.

[ Cale scrutizes the man for a long moment.

Then he sighs and shrugs, consciously deciding to trust Lex. ]

...Sure? Why not.

[ Holding out his right hand- ]

Alright then, take my hand here.

[ As he holds up his spoon in front of him ~~as if he were a Kadabra~~ with his left hand. ]

[ ...

Cale arches an eyebrow at him but, again, decides to go along with whatever bullshit Lex is pulling and takes his hand. ]

[ And with that Lex closes his eyes...

And then as he opens them again, both her and Cale and - he hopes - the table they were touching (he sees no reason this shouldn't be the case, he could take his own gear into here before even if it couldn't remain when he wasn't here) into his Safe Space.

The room is on the small side. Basically it's a living room with the sort of furniture one might expect in a middle class American household in the early 2000s. There's a faint sea breeze coming in from a window of the room which is lightly ajar and faces out into a view of a beach overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. A sea breeze comes in from it, for all the sounds and smells that implies. ... And heat, really.

Naturally, that view is just that, a view - it isn't actually there. The only things real here are them and maybe by implication anything they brought into this relatively small room. And, of course, the door which they can leave out of.

As usual, Lex feels the inherent relaxation of this space wash over him. Honestly, it's more than he would like to show other people normally, the way his shoulders un-tense, the way that his body language doesn't hint at his willingness to spring at any moment. Even so- ]

Tadah.

Edited 2024-10-30 04:16 (UTC)

[ It takes a second for Cale to process what just happened, and another to register what he's seeing. It's shocking enough that he hasn't yet let go of Lex's hand. ]

This is—

[ — Aww! Is this a date?
— Kehehe! Our kid is on a date?
— Should we fuck this guy up?
— Guys... Be quiet...

At his ancient powers' teasing Cale quickly recovers from his shock and retracts his hand. He looks away from Lex and analyzes his surroundings in more detail.

Technology Cale, Kim Rok Soo, remembers from when he was small. A style he remembers seeing in American television dramas. Scenery out the window that seems familiar but he doesn't recognize.

It can't be anything else but some version of Earth. ]

...A pocket dimension?

Yeah-huh!

[ Ugh, Lex sort of hates the exuberance he feels right now. This space is so relaxing it makes him light up a little bit more and laugh some as he's shown off the display before him, even if he was doing so for purely practical purposes. Or well, he would hate it if he could feel that self-loathing, but within this space, free from emotional trauma in addition to physical, he can't quite bring himself there emotionally.

He waves the hand holding the spoon around the room. ]

I wished on the spoon trick with the water for a more secure place a while back in my travels. I ended up able to conjure up this space, even if the Lore absolutely cheated me on that one. This space kicks me out if I linger in here more than about twelve hours and nothing I leave in here can remain when I leave.

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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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