[ He doesn't expect to have to wait long, but even still he's alerted to Taryon's presence before he's fully ready to distance himself from his current activity. And when Sasuke opens the door, revealing himself in all his sullen splendor, it'll become clear what that was.
His hair is mismatched, bangs shorter by a full inch on one side than the other, and given both the incredibly sharp knife he holds in his hand and the strands of sheared black locks neatly gathered on a pillow in the center of the bed it's clear it's his own doing. Finished cutting his own hair or not (decidedly not) he tucks that knife away on his person, mismatched gaze – one eye almost black, the other a strange ringed violet – dropping to the jug with which he's being presented. ]
So this is it. [ His now freed hand – the only one he has, if his loose and dangling left sleeve is any indication – lifts to take it, experimentally shaking it once to hear the slosh of liquid inside. ]
... fine. You can come in. [ He steps aside to make way, revealing a room bereft of little more than his hair scraps and a single sword propped up in the corner. ]
[The awful haircut hurts Taryon's soul deeply. It must have looked nice before a knife attacked it, and the symmetry would have complimented Sasuke's mismatched eyes - the ones that must have had a hand in messing up the implant. It's difficult not to catch the disappointment in his eyes at Sasuke's appearance.]
It is. [He steps inside to take in the appearance of the room.] So, you can make up to twelve gallons of saltwater a day, but not everything else I listed. Hopefully, you don't need two different liquids in one day, but the jug can't do that either.
[He stops near the bed.] What do you need all the water for, anyway?
[ Taryon looks at him with disappointment in his eyes, and it's strangely therapeutic. Finally, someone giving him the reaction he feels he's spent his whole life earning. ]
Twelve gallons? [ He pauses, pensive. Then: ]
What the hell is a gallon? [ what is this IMPERIAL NONSENSE, we can't go further until this is addressed ]
It's...[He points at the jug Sasuke is holding.] That much, times twelve. [Oh god. He realizes that every other measurement he listed on the sheet of paper he was using as reference won't make sense.]
Just - give me a moment. I'll write this out as fractions. [He unfolds a sheet of paper and draws a vertical line to the right of the table, now converting ounces, and quarts into "1/128ths of a jug" and "1/4ths of a jug." Hope you're good at math, Sasuke.]
This his how much of the other liquids you can make.
[ The jug is lifted higher, tilted, as if he can better understand the volume by assessing the mass instead. The variable mass, which is magic. It'll click for him soon. ]
... what you're saying is it produces a very small amount at a time. Twelve of these? That's not sufficient for me. [ Not to say that something like this is without its uses... but. ]
That's too small? What do you need all that water for?
[It's enough for alchemical uses, and it keeps the party hydrated.]
The poison won't kill a man by itself, but you can coat a weapon in it to cause more damage or make him really ill. I'd recommend it to kill pests, if you need to.
[ His assessment ends as soon as Taryon's answer does, and his regained sense of criticism and judgement is apparent in his expression. The poison won't kill a man. The water won't sustain a tidal wave. Disappointing. ]
We aren't going to be fighting pests. We're fighting beasts.
Why I need the water is my own business... but what I need is enough to fill a room this size, at a minimum. So this isn't what I require.
[ Even as he holds onto it and noticeably refuses to give it back. ]
[Taryon's hard work, all for a disappointed look. Maybe he should have tried something more impressive, like power gauntlets, or flying shoes - but Sasuke doesn't seem like the kind of person who would be easily impressed by a simple trick like lighting a sword on fire. He had high standards.
Well. Then all he has to do is to do better next time. Taryon straightens.] Then, you will need to look into finding a body of water for that. Otherwise, you'll just have to get creative with the jug's uses when you fight.
Ah, well, I suppose we'll figure out a fee in the future. If is not to your liking, I'll give it to you for free!
[He clenched his fist and nods. Yes, they're working together, even if they're not on the same team, and Taryon is fine with missing a few gold. Or kryptos, as they call it here.]
Alright, then. Hand it over, and grab a glass or something. I'll show you how to get water.
It's not to my liking. I'll take this one for free.
[ BEFORE A DEMONSTRATION HAS EVEN OCCURRED, but if you give him even a single inch he will absolutely take a mile. Or rather if you give him a centimeter he'll take a kilometer.
Either way he's picking that jug right back out and extending it to Taryon, before slowly turning his head to take inventory of a room he already knows intimately after detailed inspections. There are no cups in here. This pointed stare is absolutely for the purpose of communicating that fact to Taryon. ]
[Taryon sighs - but out of the goodness of his own heart, he will give this as a gift.]
No? Ew, that's too much water. [At least he didn't offer to create mayonnaise or oil?] How about moving this to the showers? You can practice your magic there without damaging the floors.
[ The dismissive sound is quiet but unmissable, doing little to hide this inconvenience – however minor. For a moment, as he turns his back and approaches his bed, it seems like he's planning to refuse... but instead he plucks up the knife he was using on his uneven hair, unceremoniously treating the longer strands to an unmeasured, instantaneous slice or two.
Even still, it's uncanny how close to symmetrical he's able to get it. ]
Fine, though there isn't any magic for me to practice, unless you're talking about using this jug. I already told you that what I need is more water than a few... gallons. [ Points for Imperial name retention. ]
Lead the way. And while you're at it you can tell me what kinds of materials your work requires.
[Taryon needs to introduce this guy to a processional barber, even if he's really good at cutting his own hair. It would be way less of a hassle if Sasuke didn't leave his hair lying in his room, and the cut would be neater with scissors.]
So how do you manipulate water, if not with magic? [He turns into the hallway and heads towards the shower room.] Because all this - in my world, at least - is powered with arcane enchantments. I can use just about any material to make the base object, or I can buy it myself. That jug's from a department store. But I need to engrave the runes myself.
[He pushes the door to the showers with one hand and the jug tucked under his other arm.]
You're asking for a lesson in how my own abilities work. [ Is this a question, or a statement... He's hot on Taryon's heels regardless, their short jaunt down the hallway marked by a gaze seemingly determined to sniff out threats as it shifts repeatedly to their six, and his quick assessment of the bathroom is no less thorough. ]
... call it jutsu. As for the details... I doubt it's anything too unique to your "magic". Assume it's the same, and if there are inconsistencies we'll address them as they arise.
[ He slips past Taryon now, boldly peeking within each and every stall – cower before him, any who dare to shower at this time of day – before settling on the second to last. ]
Here. We'll do the demonstration here. Bring the jug over.
[Taryon stands in the entryway of the communal showers while Sasuke investigates the room for...bugs? Spies? Taryon isn't sure, it's whatever rogues look for when they search for traps.]
I'm learning that every world has their own magic system from all this. [He smiles to himself and follows Sasuke into the stall.] And what I'll see is but a microcosm of reality.
[It's like learning about the metaphysics of fictional worlds, only there isn't a narrator expositing nor a character cast filled with experts in different fields.
He tilts the jug towards the floor, empty as ever.] Salt water. [The runes inscribed on the metal flash, and a small waterfall pours out of the mouth of the container.]
You're excitable about that kind of thing then. [ Learning about other kinds of "magic" and abilities, that is. And can he critique that interest? It's a far cry better than dealing with some of the people here who seemingly have no drive or motivation for much of anything. He himself has already quizzed a number of arrivals on their powers, and he'd be lying if he said it weren't partly out of personal interest. ]
If this partnership goes well, we can discuss our combat styles in more detail. [ So he says as eyes focus a little too closely on those runes, watching expectantly as every last drop of water is drained by the pour. ]
... can you show me another liquid? [ what if he's transporting the saltwater into the jug somehow, we have to Test ]
[Taryon shrugs and angles the jug upright. He grew up obsessively studying fictional worlds and the magic systems that existed in the minds of writers, but those were all though exercises. Here, jutsu and aura-reading were real and distinct from the magic system of Exandria, and seemingly-useless studying has prepared Taryon for learning all this.]
There won't be much left after all that water. But...beer?
[The runes glow, Taryon tips the jug, and a thin stream of ale pours out of the opening and down the drain.]
[ Of course, the limitations. Silently his lips form the word "gallons", practicing under his breath again and again just to force the new unit of measurement into his memory. As if there isn't already enough in this world for him to become accustomed to. ]
Beer, huh. [ Said in the tone of a man who has never had beer before in his life.
And the way his nose wrinkles ever-so-slightly at the smell just confirms the suspicion. ] So the limit of each liquid carries over to the next every day?
You have to leave it be for 24 hours before it fully replenishes its magic, but yes. You can't expect to use up all the water and then have a glass of wine afterwards.
[The stream of beer becomes a trickle, then disappears entirely.]
So, uh, we should wait for tomorrow before we try this again.
[ So another meeting between them is necessitated, then. Is this... is this socialization? It hardly seems appropriate to call it a transaction when goods have only been exchanged in one direction.
His hand is extended, palm up, awaiting the jug's return. ]
Your development process for this was quick. Is that a normal turnaround time for you? I want to know what to expect in the future.
Oh, this was easy to make. It's a simple spell using simple materials. Now, if you want me to make multiple jugs...that would take more time. Or is you wanted me to enchant a weapon to be more powerful, that would take more time.
[He hands the jug over to Sasuke.]
Some of my projects took several hours over months to make. It all depends on what you need.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
His hair is mismatched, bangs shorter by a full inch on one side than the other, and given both the incredibly sharp knife he holds in his hand and the strands of sheared black locks neatly gathered on a pillow in the center of the bed it's clear it's his own doing. Finished cutting his own hair or not (decidedly not) he tucks that knife away on his person, mismatched gaze – one eye almost black, the other a strange ringed violet – dropping to the jug with which he's being presented. ]
So this is it. [ His now freed hand – the only one he has, if his loose and dangling left sleeve is any indication – lifts to take it, experimentally shaking it once to hear the slosh of liquid inside. ]
... fine. You can come in. [ He steps aside to make way, revealing a room bereft of little more than his hair scraps and a single sword propped up in the corner. ]
no subject
It is. [He steps inside to take in the appearance of the room.] So, you can make up to twelve gallons of saltwater a day, but not everything else I listed. Hopefully, you don't need two different liquids in one day, but the jug can't do that either.
[He stops near the bed.] What do you need all the water for, anyway?
no subject
Twelve gallons? [ He pauses, pensive. Then: ]
What the hell is a gallon? [ what is this IMPERIAL NONSENSE, we can't go further until this is addressed ]
no subject
Just - give me a moment. I'll write this out as fractions. [He unfolds a sheet of paper and draws a vertical line to the right of the table, now converting ounces, and quarts into "1/128ths of a jug" and "1/4ths of a jug." Hope you're good at math, Sasuke.]
This his how much of the other liquids you can make.
no subject
... what you're saying is it produces a very small amount at a time. Twelve of these? That's not sufficient for me. [ Not to say that something like this is without its uses... but. ]
What kind of poison will it make?
no subject
[It's enough for alchemical uses, and it keeps the party hydrated.]
The poison won't kill a man by itself, but you can coat a weapon in it to cause more damage or make him really ill. I'd recommend it to kill pests, if you need to.
no subject
We aren't going to be fighting pests. We're fighting beasts.
Why I need the water is my own business... but what I need is enough to fill a room this size, at a minimum. So this isn't what I require.
[ Even as he holds onto it and noticeably refuses to give it back. ]
no subject
Well. Then all he has to do is to do better next time. Taryon straightens.] Then, you will need to look into finding a body of water for that. Otherwise, you'll just have to get creative with the jug's uses when you fight.
no subject
He clicks his tongue softly, turning to place the jug on the small nightstand beside his bed. ]
Are you charging me for this? You haven't demonstrated yet how to use it, either.
no subject
[He clenched his fist and nods. Yes, they're working together, even if they're not on the same team, and Taryon is fine with missing a few gold. Or kryptos, as they call it here.]
Alright, then. Hand it over, and grab a glass or something. I'll show you how to get water.
no subject
[ BEFORE A DEMONSTRATION HAS EVEN OCCURRED, but if you give him even a single inch he will absolutely take a mile. Or rather if you give him a centimeter he'll take a kilometer.
Either way he's picking that jug right back out and extending it to Taryon, before slowly turning his head to take inventory of a room he already knows intimately after detailed inspections. There are no cups in here. This pointed stare is absolutely for the purpose of communicating that fact to Taryon. ]
... use your mouth.
no subject
No? Ew, that's too much water. [At least he didn't offer to create mayonnaise or oil?] How about moving this to the showers? You can practice your magic there without damaging the floors.
no subject
[ The dismissive sound is quiet but unmissable, doing little to hide this inconvenience – however minor. For a moment, as he turns his back and approaches his bed, it seems like he's planning to refuse... but instead he plucks up the knife he was using on his uneven hair, unceremoniously treating the longer strands to an unmeasured, instantaneous slice or two.
Even still, it's uncanny how close to symmetrical he's able to get it. ]
Fine, though there isn't any magic for me to practice, unless you're talking about using this jug. I already told you that what I need is more water than a few... gallons. [ Points for Imperial name retention. ]
Lead the way. And while you're at it you can tell me what kinds of materials your work requires.
no subject
So how do you manipulate water, if not with magic? [He turns into the hallway and heads towards the shower room.] Because all this - in my world, at least - is powered with arcane enchantments. I can use just about any material to make the base object, or I can buy it myself. That jug's from a department store. But I need to engrave the runes myself.
[He pushes the door to the showers with one hand and the jug tucked under his other arm.]
no subject
... call it jutsu. As for the details... I doubt it's anything too unique to your "magic". Assume it's the same, and if there are inconsistencies we'll address them as they arise.
[ He slips past Taryon now, boldly peeking within each and every stall – cower before him, any who dare to shower at this time of day – before settling on the second to last. ]
Here. We'll do the demonstration here. Bring the jug over.
no subject
I'm learning that every world has their own magic system from all this. [He smiles to himself and follows Sasuke into the stall.] And what I'll see is but a microcosm of reality.
[It's like learning about the metaphysics of fictional worlds, only there isn't a narrator expositing nor a character cast filled with experts in different fields.
He tilts the jug towards the floor, empty as ever.] Salt water. [The runes inscribed on the metal flash, and a small waterfall pours out of the mouth of the container.]
no subject
If this partnership goes well, we can discuss our combat styles in more detail. [ So he says as eyes focus a little too closely on those runes, watching expectantly as every last drop of water is drained by the pour. ]
... can you show me another liquid? [ what if he's transporting the saltwater into the jug somehow, we have to Test ]
no subject
There won't be much left after all that water. But...beer?
[The runes glow, Taryon tips the jug, and a thin stream of ale pours out of the opening and down the drain.]
no subject
Beer, huh. [ Said in the tone of a man who has never had beer before in his life.
And the way his nose wrinkles ever-so-slightly at the smell just confirms the suspicion. ] So the limit of each liquid carries over to the next every day?
no subject
[The stream of beer becomes a trickle, then disappears entirely.]
So, uh, we should wait for tomorrow before we try this again.
no subject
[ So another meeting between them is necessitated, then. Is this... is this socialization? It hardly seems appropriate to call it a transaction when goods have only been exchanged in one direction.
His hand is extended, palm up, awaiting the jug's return. ]
Your development process for this was quick. Is that a normal turnaround time for you? I want to know what to expect in the future.
no subject
[He hands the jug over to Sasuke.]
Some of my projects took several hours over months to make. It all depends on what you need.