[ Closed ]

[noholdsbard]

WHO: Ryan & Tristan
WHERE: At the edge of the forest
WHEN: Sometime during the event
WHAT: Defense Force training!
WARNINGS: None; will update.

[ It’s funny how all this somehow counts as “better circumstances” under which they could meet once more, but Defense Force assignments being what they are, Tristan sees very little reason for delay. In any case, this part of the town is isolated enough, given that most of the ghosts floating about are careful to avoid the woods.

Accordingly, Tristan arrives at their meeting place at the edge of the forest with a bow and a quiver of arrows in hand. ]

I am pleased to see that you are in good health. [ More or less. ] Then shall we begin?

Comments

[averagemedium]

I'm all set if you are.

[His voice is slightly hesitant, though; historically, he has not been great at anything martial. Ryan can manage not to stab himself, and he's pretty sure it's harder to injure yourself with a bow as opposed to with something like a firearm, but that doesn't make him too much more confident.]

I'll warn you in advance not to expect anything out of my aim, though. [The closest he's gotten to this was probably in video games, let's be honest.] So, um-- is there a specific way I'm supposed to hold this thing?

[noholdsbard]

Yes, but… [ He sets the weapons aside for now. ]

I can tell that you are nervous. Will you not tell me your fears? In archery, a clear mind and a steady hand must work in tandem.

[averagemedium]

It's that obvious, huh?

[He laughs sheepishly at that, reaching up to rub at the back of his neck.]

Mostly it's just that I'm not usually great at this kind of thing. Maybe it'll be better with something ranged, I don't know, but I'm still kinda working on being comfortable with weapons in general.

[While he does want to be able to help if he needs to, the idea of actually using a weapon sits poorly with him outside of those situations. It's a work in progress.]

[noholdsbard]

But that is not why you were inducted into the Defense Force, is it? [ He can relate to the desire to fight, but he understands the importance of having noncombatants among their ranks as well. ]

[averagemedium]

[That gets a little shake of his head-- nope, definitely not in it for fighting.]

I'm a researcher and a medium, so I figured I might be useful on the information end, you know? I can usually sense things that are out of the ordinary, too, so sometimes I can give people a little advance warning if something is close by.

[He tilts his head curiously there, though, looking him over for a moment before continuing.]

... and, well. That means I pick up on people here too, not just other creatures. I didn't want to bring it up in front of anybody else, but you're not just someone who can use magic, are you?

[There's more to it than that, he's sure; he hasn't come across anyone who registers the same way before.]

[noholdsbard]

[ There’s someone Ryan reminds him of, and it’s not just his job description. The way he carries himself…

Tristan shakes his head. ]

No. I cannot hide that part of myself, especially not against a clairvoyant. [ He knows he has no real defenses against clairvoyants. Though he wonders at how much Ryan can really see of him. ]

[averagemedium]

Some kind of spirit, right? But you're not a ghost, you can interact with things just fine... and you have a stronger presence than that, anyway. You don't feel like anyone else I've met. But that's about all I can detect for sure, it doesn't like, tell me exactly what anyone is.

[And, having laid that out:]

I won't ask if you don't want to tell me more, that's all your business-- but if you don't mind me knowing, I'm honestly pretty curious.

[noholdsbard]

I do not mind telling you. We are comrades, after all. [ He doesn’t think that anyone in town would actually use that information against him, anyway.

But he smiles a little, canting his head to the side. ]

But, simply put: I am indeed a spirit, though one summoned under rather unusual circumstances, which should explain why I can maintain a corporeal form.

[averagemedium]

So you really are physically here by nature, not just because of... whatever weird things this place does?

[That's highly interesting; the town has done some odd things in his experience, he knows people who probably shouldn't be able to be present at all. Much as he's trying to hold back, he's definitely a little closer in Tristan's personal space now, a little too curious to really pay attention to distance.]

And summoned from where-? You can't really call spirits back where I'm from, either they're around or they aren't.

[noholdsbard]

[ He doesn’t flinch back when Ryan gets too close, anyway. He knows the guy doesn’t mean any harm. ]

From… [ Ah, this is where it gets complicated. Please don’t make me explain the full mechanics of this bullshit canon ]

I suppose you could call it the world’s “memory.” I hail from a place called the “Chaldea Security Organization,” where they have developed the methods for summoning those like me. [ He cocks his head to the side then, wondering if the name of that organization alone rings any bells, especially for one like Ryan who has some connections to magic. ]