((for visual cue: the thing he's wearing is a lot like what's in my only icon but it's what he wears after [major plot event] so it's THE BLACK COAT OF DOOM and looks like this - he's of course the one on the left in that shot. Yes, it has black feathers on the shoulders. No, I do not know why Anders finds feathers to be such an attractive option in defensive magewear.))
"It feels special," Anders agrees, thoughtfully. He's a mage; he can sense Fade energy; and this sword isn't of the Fade, exactly, but there's something like a spirit in it, something animating it.
The grey boy's voice is rather odd, a hollowness and a flatness to it, and the closest thing Anders has heard is the emotionless tenor of a Tranquil mage. Justice stirs and, mercifully, subsides; Anders is sure this can't be a Tranquil, the signs are none of them there, it's just a similarity of carriage and address. Best find out what the boy really is, then.
"I'm a human," he offers. Best way to go, volunteer the information and then courtesy paves the way for it to be returned. "And I'm a mage. You're neither of those things, unless I miss my guess."
((Because feathers are awesome. He needs another reason?))
Quote nods a little, the energy from the blade flickering somewhat. Whether the spirit inside is aware -- or even sentient -- is unknown, however. It seems to be content and shows no malice.
He notices the slight wince, wondering what had caused it. But the human was offering information, and Quote remembered enough about trading to know that you traded one thing for another.
"I am... an armed... recon robot," Quote offers in kind. "I am... unaware... of what... precisely... a mage... is."
He tilts his head a little, looking as curious as a robot unfamiliar with expressing emotions can.
Of the words armed recon robot, the only one that makes ready sense to Anders is armed, and he's already seen the sword. Reconnaissance is a word he'll likely have heard before, but the shortening to recon, much less likely. Robot is right out.
"A mage is a person who can use magic," says Anders, feeling a little like an abridged single-language dictionary, and hoping (but doubting) that the armed recon robot will know what magic is. It's worth a try before getting deep into definitions. "What's a recon robot? I can see you're armed, what with the big sword and all, unless there's more weaponry hidden under your hat."
"I am... somewhat familiar... with magic. A... woman I saw... named Misery... used it often. I... do not... have any further... information about it... however.
"A... recon robot... is a robot... who is built... for the sake of... reconnaissance and... information gathering." That last part, of course, was added in case Anders still wasn't getting it. Quote liked to cover his bases.
"Most of... my systems and hardware... for recon... are damaged... and offline... however. I do not... hide weaponry.... within my hat... but I was created... to be able... to utilize... various weapons... to defend... myself."
Anders waits patiently for the labored pauses between the robot's phrases. He knows what it's like to have difficulty speaking, though his difficulties are generally more along the lines of an angry Fade spirit has commandeered my vocal cords.
It's kind of adorable that he took the hat remark literally, but Anders is more interested in finding out about the weapons.
"What do you equip besides a sword? Most warriors and rogues I know will specialize in one or two sorts, haven't got the time to master every single weapon there is."
"I am... somewhat different. I am... able to interface... almost directly... with most weapons... in question. Therefore... I know... what they may do... and I... can use them... in ways I see fit."
You want to know what weapons he has, Anders? He will oblige. Quote slowly goes through his armory -- Spur. Super Missile Launcher. Bubbler. Fireball. -- letting each weapon 'disappear' as the next 'appears,' in and out from his mental hammerspace until he's back at King's sword.
"Those... are my... weapons. They are... very useful... in certain spots."
Most of them look like things a rogue might use, and even then, he doesn't see any arrows or obvious projectiles.
Anders is not an unintelligent man by any stretch of the imagination, but there is no way he can discern what these weapons do, unless the robot uses them to bludgeon people over the head.
"No. But they... are quite... dangerous. If there was... a place... to train or... practice... away from... living and... dwelling areas... I would not mind... showing you... precisely how they work."
He nods a little, replacing King's sword on his back and letting the magic stick it there.
Actually, Anders does recall discussion of one such place.
"There's a jungle habitat," he says. "People hunt there, I'm told. I wouldn't prefer to hunt anything if it's all the same to you, but it seems the safest bet, as you're right, we ought not use weapons in the living areas, or ... anywhere we might hit a wall. There's no air outside, only Void."
"It feels special," Anders agrees, thoughtfully. He's a mage; he can sense Fade energy; and this sword isn't of the Fade, exactly, but there's something like a spirit in it, something animating it.
The grey boy's voice is rather odd, a hollowness and a flatness to it, and the closest thing Anders has heard is the emotionless tenor of a Tranquil mage. Justice stirs and, mercifully, subsides; Anders is sure this can't be a Tranquil, the signs are none of them there, it's just a similarity of carriage and address. Best find out what the boy really is, then.
"I'm a human," he offers. Best way to go, volunteer the information and then courtesy paves the way for it to be returned. "And I'm a mage. You're neither of those things, unless I miss my guess."
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Quote nods a little, the energy from the blade flickering somewhat. Whether the spirit inside is aware -- or even sentient -- is unknown, however. It seems to be content and shows no malice.
He notices the slight wince, wondering what had caused it. But the human was offering information, and Quote remembered enough about trading to know that you traded one thing for another.
"I am... an armed... recon robot," Quote offers in kind. "I am... unaware... of what... precisely... a mage... is."
He tilts his head a little, looking as curious as a robot unfamiliar with expressing emotions can.
"Is it... of immense... importance?"
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"A mage is a person who can use magic," says Anders, feeling a little like an abridged single-language dictionary, and hoping (but doubting) that the armed recon robot will know what magic is. It's worth a try before getting deep into definitions. "What's a recon robot? I can see you're armed, what with the big sword and all, unless there's more weaponry hidden under your hat."
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"A... recon robot... is a robot... who is built... for the sake of... reconnaissance and... information gathering." That last part, of course, was added in case Anders still wasn't getting it. Quote liked to cover his bases.
"Most of... my systems and hardware... for recon... are damaged... and offline... however. I do not... hide weaponry.... within my hat... but I was created... to be able... to utilize... various weapons... to defend... myself."
Reply
It's kind of adorable that he took the hat remark literally, but Anders is more interested in finding out about the weapons.
"What do you equip besides a sword? Most warriors and rogues I know will specialize in one or two sorts, haven't got the time to master every single weapon there is."
Reply
You want to know what weapons he has, Anders? He will oblige. Quote slowly goes through his armory -- Spur. Super Missile Launcher. Bubbler. Fireball. -- letting each weapon 'disappear' as the next 'appears,' in and out from his mental hammerspace until he's back at King's sword.
"Those... are my... weapons. They are... very useful... in certain spots."
Reply
Anders is not an unintelligent man by any stretch of the imagination, but there is no way he can discern what these weapons do, unless the robot uses them to bludgeon people over the head.
"Would it be rude to ask how they work?"
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He nods a little, replacing King's sword on his back and letting the magic stick it there.
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"There's a jungle habitat," he says. "People hunt there, I'm told. I wouldn't prefer to hunt anything if it's all the same to you, but it seems the safest bet, as you're right, we ought not use weapons in the living areas, or ... anywhere we might hit a wall. There's no air outside, only Void."
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"We... do not need... to hunt. An area... like that... will suffice... for a demonstration. Please... lead on."
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