picknicking

[dark_light]

There's something unutterably pleasant about landing in a bit of woods in the middle of Nowhere, Manitoba, removing a sandwich and an apple from her backpack and having a picnic before she's ready to move on. She could eat in midair, but it makes it too likely that she'll drop something and find it unrecoverable.

Path's on her knee, and her cloudpine is propped up against the tree next to her.

Comments

[dark_light]

"Okay, I explained video cameras, right? Imagine aiming one at a theatrical production. Now, take away the audience, record every scene as many times as you want, and remember you can go back and edit the recording later to put in things that you can't easily do in real life. Movies!"

[prodigal_miser]

"Ah! So it's a play that's pre-recorded. That all makes sense and I think I'd like to see one!"

[dark_light]

"Okay, lemme see what's on today." She unsnuggles just enough to pull out her phone and hold it so he can watch her make the search. "Harry Potter's still out in a couple places, but that's a sequel. Star Trek is... connected to a preexisting series, but this one is a reboot, so it shouldn't be that much less comprehensible than any other science fiction. I think the Wolverine movie requires more background knowledge. I'm not seeing anything that's an obvious good look at what it is actually like to live here, these are all what if we had weird technology or weird magic."

[prodigal_miser]

He is fascinated by the use of the pocket library, and watches curiously. If he makes more trips to this plane (and he's planning to) he's going to want one of those, even if it'll just work when he's here. It looks interesting and he is charmed by it.

"At the risk of sounding exactly as extremely foreign as my accent, is the 'Wolverine' movie about a literal animal? I'm not sure I could take it seriously, if so. But I do like the idea of seeing something with weird technology or magic! It should be interesting, and considering the both of us have just been introduced into a literal 'Weird magic has been dropped onto your lap' situation... Fitting?"

[dark_light]

"Oh! No, it is not about a literal animal. It's about a guy with superpowers whose code name is Wolverine. I don't even know why; his actor's daemon is a dog they made up to look more like a wolf and in the comics it's not a wolverine either, I'm not sure what it was there. Harry Potter is actually about weird magic being dropped into one's lap but the movie that's out now is the sixth. Tomorrow we could get the first one out of the library, though. In Star Trek it is advanced technology, not magic, and the characters are pretty used to it."

[prodigal_miser]

"Hmm. I don't believe I have enough knowledge to be particularly picky! I'll leave it up to your discretion? I'm sure I'll be fascinated by everything there."

[dark_light]

"Let's see Star Trek today and get Harry Potter from the library tomorrow?"

[prodigal_miser]

"Sure! That sounds fun. Is there anything specific involved with seeing a movie besides actually... Literally looking at it?"

[dark_light]

"You go sit in a dark room and it plays. Theaters traditionally sell popcorn and candy and sometimes other food. People there on dates sit in the back and make out. If you have a pocket library you have to turn it off, because everyone will be mad at you if it makes a noise during the show."

[prodigal_miser]

Adarin raises his eyebrows at her explanation of what people on dates do.

"Hm. If the point of being in a dark room to watch a movie is to do exactly what the description for watching a movie is, then why spend the time making out? That seems..." says Adarin, looking a bit embarrassed, "Like it would be better done somewhere else."

[dark_light]

"I dunno, I've never done a movie date. I think it's ten percent actual thing, ninety percent silly cultural stereotype."

[prodigal_miser]

"Ah, I see. Then I don't have to awkwardly ignore everything going on behind me in case a couple decides to go on a date. Good, that makes me feel better."

[dark_light]

"There's usually no reason to look behind you, and it'd be hard to hear them in most movies - movies get very loud."

[prodigal_miser]

"That also helps. Thank you, Isabella. I'm probably going to think about the silly cultural stereotype sometime during the movie, but at least I know I won't hear it," he says. "If you were wondering, I've been in that situation before and it was extremely awkward."

[dark_light]

"So you are not a fan of public displays of affection, huh? How big a problem is it, are you going to have trouble if we go outside and there are couples making out in the park or whatever?"

[prodigal_miser]

"I'm not likely to make a scene, it's just not something I'd like to be sitting next to for a long period of time. If there's a couple making out in the park I'll probably just ignore them entirely."

[dark_light]

"Okay, you'll be fine then. Want to go now?"

[prodigal_miser]

"Sure!"

[dark_light]

Isabella collects her daemon, her cloud-pine, and a little packet of assorted herbs. "Now, since I don't have any actual money, what I'm going to do is offer to do a spell for the theater or for anybody with the authority to give me a voucher. This usually works on the first try, but it might be that we have to try a second theater."

[prodigal_miser]

Adarin collects his own daemon, and nods at Isabella's explanation.

"That sounds fine, I don't mind. Is my hair likely to attract unwanted attention, or something? I understand I'm supposed to keep my extremely foreign status somewhat secret."

[dark_light]

"It looks like you bleached it and keep it long-ish, nothing particularly extraterrestrial."

When they have departed the indoors she mounts her branch and waves him aboard too.

[prodigal_miser]

He is ushered aboard, along with Vern!

"Hm, alright. Hurray, I don't have to change my hair. I get to keep feeling pretty," he deadpans.

[dark_light]

"It works on you! I don't know that I'd recommend it for the general population's new most commonplace haircut, but it works on you." She guides the cloudpine up and heads for the movie theater.

She does a spell to climate-control the lobby for them, which takes fifteen minutes and will undoubtedly save them hundreds of dollars in both air conditioning and heating for as long as the spell lasts, and receives a voucher for any non-ludicrous quantity of movie theater products she may desire over the next yearlong period. She waves this at the correct people to get herself and Adarin tickets to Star Trek, a large popcorn to split, sodas, and boxes of Milk Duds.

"May as well make it the works," she explains as they head for their screen.

[prodigal_miser]

"Thank you," he says with a smile. "I've grown fond of the style."

Adarin is fascinated by just about everything in the movie theater. While Isabella's busy getting them permission to see a movie via spell payment, he wanders around the lobby looking at posters, looking utterly charmed. Tickets are gotten, and he grins at her as they go.

"Makes sense. Magic has wonderful, wonderful benefits; I feel spoiled already."

[dark_light]

"I'm so glad you approve. Now, before the movie starts, they play some boring crap advertisements that you will probably find intensely fascinating, and then they play enticing snippets of movies that haven't come out yet to get us interested in seeing them when they do, and then we get our movie. You can talk a little during the commercials and the previews if you need to ask questions but it's rude during the main event. You could, however, write down anything you want to ask me about later."