cooperation

[alicornucopia]

Two girls are moving their hands through the air and speaking together in perfect parallel.

Two girls are looking expectantly at a circle of red chalk on their floor.

Two girls have done something exceptionally stupid.

with Harry (andaisq)

with Isabella (Eva)

with Arcane (kappa)

with Miles (kappa)

with Nick (Rockeye)

Comments

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"If you say so." Huff, huff. The pile isn't that heavy, really, it's just bulky.

"How do you get around other than walking? Those little platforms run on magic probably?"

[alicornucopia]

"I mean, I don't use a hover platform, I can fly, but they're pretty popular," says Korulen.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"You can fly? Without a ship or a platform or anything? Is that a thing dragons do?"

[alicornucopia]

"I'm not a dragon, but yeah, in my other form, I have wings," she says.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Most flying things I know use hydrogen to fly, it'd be interesting to see it done with wings. Would you mind?"

[alicornucopia]

"I don't mind. Do you want me to grab your stuff as long as I'm shifting?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"It'll come along? Great, sure, here."

[alicornucopia]

She picks up his bags with a soft "oof", and then bags and elf disappear to be replaced with a large winged lizard with swept-back horns and scales the same color as Keo's hair.

"Like so," she says. Her voice is the same.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Wow. You look like nothing I've ever seen before. What's that called, the... Things covering your skin?"

[alicornucopia]

"...Scales?"

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Scales. Interesting. They look heavy, but tough."

[alicornucopia]

"They're sort of metallic textured," she says. "I don't have any loose or I could see if I could get it off for you to have a look at. Anyway, flying is like -" She checks the area around her, finds she has space for her wingspan, and lopes a few steps, flapping, to take off. She goes up over the buildings, makes a circle, and then comes in for a landing.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Nick claps his hands. "Beautiful. Muscle alone bears you aloft. That would be a bad idea where I come from, since there's barely any land to land on you'd risk getting tired before finding a safe place."

[alicornucopia]

"I can soar for a long time, but I wouldn't, like, try to cross an ocean," she agrees.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Exactly." He starts walking back to the school.

[alicornucopia]

She follows on all fours, wings folded. Possibly just to avoid carrying the bags.

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"You're not going to fly back? I can find my way. Hm, you'd have to wait for me once you're there, I guess. Oh, I never did see a map like I wanted to. Where can I find one?"

[alicornucopia]

"I'm supposed to escort you, and I have your bags," she points out. "We could get you an atlas at a bookstore."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

He makes a face. "I'd rather not buy books I only want to read once. Is there a library?"

[alicornucopia]

"In the school, yeah. You can use it."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Good."

"...I'm probably gonna spend a whole week in there reading about magic."

[alicornucopia]

"If you want you can totally do that."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

Silence for a while. "It's just so strange to not need to do anything. I could just stand here, I won't run out of hydrogen or get caught in a storm, I won't collide with anything, I won't get attacked by wild animals or pirates."

[alicornucopia]

"I mean, if you just stood here forever you'd get hungry eventually."

[rockeye_stonetoe]

"Keo told me the cafeteria would feed me. And there was a sort of fountain there. Infinite water just - coming out of a hole. You guys don't need to worry when it goes a whole week without raining. I have come to the conclusion that my home planet is just a terrible place to live."