001

[puro]

Who: Manolo and you!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: Today

[The Marsiva is suddenly up one (1) wooden Mexican. One that's looking more than a little disorientated, but it's not due to the sudden change in surroundings. Just a few seconds ago, this guy was dead as a doornail, but not any more. He feels the thudding of his heart in his chest, he draws breath into his lungs for the first time in hours. The gods had held their word, they gave him life. But-

He glances around, finally taking note of his surroundings. After the bright vibrancy of the Land of the Remembered, the spaceship is drab and clinical. There's no wonder in it for him, even if it's no place he could have ever dreamed of before. He puts a hand to his back, his guitar is still there, but both his estoques are gone. Not only is he lost, but he's unarmed, not a good combination. He frowns.]

This isn't San Angel. [This wasn't where he was supposed to be. He can't afford another diversion. His town can't afford one. He needs to get to María, to Joaquín and he needs to get to them now. He glances downwards, raising his voice, panic and frustration seeping in.]

I did everything you asked of me!! We had a deal! You promised!

[He takes in a shuddery breath, his lungs ache from sudden use again, and he realises how tired he is. It's been a really long and exceptionally crappy day and this is the absolute last thing he needs. There's no answer. Not from any of them. Why would they desert him, after everything?]

You promised. Just send me home.

[Ok. Now is not the time to panic. He'll just starting looking for an exit, don't mind him.

Comments

Action

[innercactus]

.....

[ You are made of wood. Very visibly made of wood. Just like he's very visibly made of wood and leaves. ]

You are not Sylvari.

[ He's not sure how to feel about this. ]

[puro]

[Sure is, and look at you, with all the leaves. He's seen people adorn themselves with metal so much that it rusts into their wood, but leaves is a new thing. He'll offer leaf guy a smile anyway.]

No, I'm Mexican.

[innercactus]

[ You know who has no idea what Mexican is? This guy. ]

Did you come from another Tree? [ Is there a Mexican Tree?

This could explain everything- ]

[puro]

[That's...a really weird question, and Manolo frowns in thought. ]

...I was near a tree? But that was a few hours ago. I don't think I'll come back up by there.

[He did die by a tree. Maybe it's that one? ]

[innercactus]

[ Hmmmn. This is a weird thing for him to even think of related to people made of wood. ]

Do you not have a Mother? Or do you have the human thing, where there's two?

[puro]

[That gets a laugh out of him. ]

I have a mamma and a pappa, yes. Being a human thing, and all.

[Had. He had both parents. He's trying not to think about that right now. He can't let those thoughts catch up with him, not yet. ]

[innercactus]

... Humans can be made of wood?

[ HE IS SO CONFUSED NOW. ]

[puro]

We...are made of wood? All of us.

[Where he comes from. ]

[innercactus]

[ Asteffiel needs to stare harder.

Nope, he's so confused. ]

... But humans start at fleshlings for a reason.

[ Children. He means children.

He's lost in thought now. ]

[puro]

...Fleshlings?

Anyway, this is what humans look like, where I come from.

[innercactus]

When they are tiny and can't move around a lot? Fleshlings. Like being a sapling. Only I have sap, and they have flesh.

[ Makes complete sense.

Still doesn't get the whole humans-made-of-wood thing. Still got to make sense of this somehow-

oh he got it. ]

You're wood and I've got some wood [ He's not entirely wood, that's what he's saying. Also, you look like you're missing bark. ] so we're probably related anyway. Hello Mex...ican? Mexican. brother!

[ .... He neglected to mention something vaguely important, didn't he. ]

[puro]

...You mean babies?

[And suddenly he has another family member. You know, he takes this better than most people who have a grain of sanity probably should.]

Oh. Uh. My name's Manolo, I'm from a place called Mexico, making me a Mexican, you see?

[GEOGRAPHY! ]

But...yes, hello?

[innercactus]

They are tiny and pink, then yes?

[ ... He hasn't seen human young. It's pretty clear. ]

Hello! I am Asteffiel. [ ... Lets just mimic how he introduced himself. ] I am from The Grove, which is built around Mother's roots. ... I don't know why we are Sylvari. [ because no one speaks latin in his world and has pointed out that silva is forests. ]

[puro]

Well, not all babies are pink. It depends on their parents.

[If only Manolo spoke Latin. Alas, he does not. ]

It's a nice name, anyway. Got a nice ring to it.

[innercactus]

Ooh. Like how I am purple and Crocus is red. [ But Sylvari can't have kids, so also not like this. ]

... It does? [ Things he hasn't thought of, how 'sylvari' sounds. ]

[puro]

I... Yeah. Sure. Why not.

Sure, I've got an ear for things like that.

[innercactus]

.... An ear for? Which ear?

[ Tiptoes and invading personal space to stare at his ears.

Can't see which one is for names. Hmmn. ]

[puro]

[Luckily, personal space bubbles don't exist for Manolo, so he doesn't seem to mind.]

Oh, no, it's a figure of speech. It means being good at noticing something.

[innercactus]

[ Good because Asteffiel forgets about personal bubbles a lot. ]

... but ear-things, instead of eye-things. Ah, sight things.

[puro]

[Who needs personal bubbles? Not them. ]

Pretty much, yeah.