[OPEN] His Mission, the Transmission of Technology

[lasthumanvoice]

1. He stood upon the last bastions of the place [Time Off Work]
Cecil has, at Gerry's suggestion, taken a few days off from working as Yorick's right hand, the Community Radio Host and the reporter for the Gazette. The process was much easier than requesting time off from Station Management and dealing with their eldritch wrath. So, with some time off, he's going to of course spend some time working with Elias on learning magic and poking at the matter of Lot 37.

But first, he's going to climb some trees.

Perhaps you're in the Festival Green, or out in the forest near town, or even out in Paradesium, when you hear the grunts of a full grown man shimmying up a tree, or see him lose a shoe in the process. Or you look up and notice there's just an impish redhead in a branch above you. Wave hello, he's waving at you!


2. Looked out on the ruins with thunder in his face [Chaos Magic Training Mishap]
The spell had apparently failed, when he cast it with Elias. It was a simple transportation spell, and it had had no effect at the time. But it had, in fact, settled lightly on Cecil, waiting.

Waiting.

Waiting.

KERCHOO!

As Cecil lets out a sneeze (thank you, seasonal allergies), he teleports sixty feet within line of sight, in a manner that some might identify as similar to a misty step. Perhaps he's just landed on your table at one of the cafes with sidewalk seating. Perhaps you were talking to him and now he's over there. Perhaps you now have a bewildered radio host sniffling on your balcony.

Whoops!


3. An introverted spectacle in the flowers on the rocks [Community Project]
Once Cecil returns to Town Hall for work, he begins a new project, inspired by the success of the Potluck. If you're an offworlder in the Town Hall part of town (to include the Library and Festival Green) for any reason, you might get a journalist running up with a notepad.

"Hi, hello, hi, sorry to interrupt your whatever-you're-doing, but I just wanted to ask if I could have a recipe from your homeworld for a project I'm working on. Bonus points if it's something that could be created with the ingredients on hand here!"

Even if you're in the Library, he's at full Cecil enthusiasm here, his smile bright and chipper and insistent.


4. The daisies on the ramparts blowing free [Wildcard]
Come at me at darkersolstice on discord

Comments

[lasthumanvoice]

"Pro: I won't drop the other apple I have on you head in an attempt to be sure you eat. Con: you won't discover gravity that way."

He's absolutely joking.

[pineapplesalmon]

"Unfortunately, I already know all about gravity and how to break it." César puts his hand on the tree, running his palm and fingers along the bark. "... but I would like to avoid getting an apple dropped on my head."

It's a good tree, sturdy and strong.

[lasthumanvoice]

It's a good apple, crunchy and juicy, from the way Cecil bites into his.

"The view from here is pretty nice. Not quite as good as the clocktower, but the climb feels more like accomplishing a thing."

[pineapplesalmon]

After a very long think, César just quietly starts climbing the tree. He wants to be in the tree. So he is going to be in the tree.

[lasthumanvoice]

When he's close enough, Cecil reaches down a hand to help him up, grinning like a loon.

"Congratulations, achievement unlocked: climbed a tree today!"

[pineapplesalmon]

César's grinning like a loon himself and laughs gleefully as he takes a seat on a nearby branch.

"I haven't climbed a tree since I was a boy!" César's smile is bright and warm.

[lasthumanvoice]

"That sounds like a terrible shame. I think everyone needs to do things like this sometimes."

The apple is handed over, and Cecil tilts his head to one side.

"What else haven't you done since you were a boy?"

[pineapplesalmon]

"Thank you. And thank you for the hand up." César turns around the apple in his hands takes a bite of it; it's juicy.

He considers the question, echoes of his own childhood, and later his baby brother's, echoing in his mind. "... maybe fiddling around with older school crafts, like only what's available here. Most of my personal projects were all high tech. My baby brother used to rope me into playing with him all the time... he liked climbing, too, but...."

César trails off and takes another bite of his apple.

[lasthumanvoice]

"Your brother may not be here. But you can still indulge in play."

Cecil looks up at the blue-grey sky. "Gerry got me to take some time off work. That's why I'm playing, today."

[pineapplesalmon]

"... play is something I need to relearn." He admits after a moment to finish his bite, smile softening. "So you had to be bothered into taking time off, too?"

[lasthumanvoice]

"Yeeeeeah." Cecil lets out a sound that isn't a laugh, but might have been intended as one. "The famine, you know. And getting the radio up and running. And...Yorick."

[pineapplesalmon]

"Getting my townhouse and farm fixed up, then planting season. And a dozen other things." César knows that laugh too well. "... how are you doing?"

It's asked casually, but he means it. César holds off biting into his apple.

[lasthumanvoice]

Cecil shrugs, trying to put together the verbal components of an answer to that question and failing after a moment. Which is better than the automatic 'I'm fine', right?

[pineapplesalmon]

César... is surprised that he is. Not completely, but he would've struggled with this question when he first got here. But that thought only lasts long enough to realize that he has the capacity to be here for Cecil at this moment.

"Anything you want to talk about?"

[lasthumanvoice]

There's a thoughtful pause.

"How often do you think about that dream we had, about the past of this island?"

[pineapplesalmon]

Ah—César pauses, then nods in understanding. "Once or twice a week. Sometimes more."

[lasthumanvoice]

"And how often do you compare yourself to the you who you are not currently being?"

[pineapplesalmon]

César thinks about that, then makes a little noise. "... Sometimes? But I've honestly purposefully kept myself too busy to think about it. I probably will now."

[lasthumanvoice]

"We are taking a break. Is this not the time to do that thinking?"

Cecil gestures with his apple casually.

[pineapplesalmon]

César remembers his apple and looks down at it with a soft smile. "I suppose it is. ... is there something in particular eating at you?"

He takes a bite, intending to listen.

[lasthumanvoice]

"Too few legs."

Is that a particularly useful answer? Probably not, but it's easier to ease into things than to jump to the bigger emotional shit.

[pineapplesalmon]

"... I was the opposite direction. Prosthetic hands." César sees the easing.

[lasthumanvoice]

"I was a centaur, and a close colleague of Dr. Coldwood. That was before he and Neil divorced, you know?" Cecil leans against the trunk of the tree quietly.

[pineapplesalmon]

César looks mildly confused. "I didn't know Neil was married. ... but that's an aside. Please continue."

[lasthumanvoice]

"Well, he isn't now. But he's involved with Jon Sims." And if that isn't a complicated expression Cecil makes, mentioning Jon.