Scene #3467: Of Peasants and Plasma

Owner	Pose
Geralt of Rivia	The world that Geralt of Rivia calls home - simply known as 'the Continent' - is a pretty standard world that roughly corresponds to Medieval Europe. It's dank, muddy, and down in the southern marshes of Velen, it seems to rain far too often. Luckily, this afternoon, the sun is shining. Still stinks like mud, though. Geralt's signal draws the curious responders to an inn in Velen. The Witcher stands outside, clad in leather, swords across his back, white hair twisting in the wind. He's waving a woman - an elf, by the looks of her ears - back inside, handing her an empty flagon as he does so. He stinks of ale. "Someone just came runnin' in," Geralt drawls gravelly. He's not slurring - perhaps alcohol doesn't affect him. "Said a peasant set someone on fire at one of the farms on the outskirts of the village. Green fire. Pointed some kind of staff at him."
Toph Beifong	It's somewhat easier to deal with worlds that are on the same level as her original one when it comes to technology, really. What Toph doesn't like about this world is the muddy ground, and she does grumble for herself as she makes her way to the spot where Geralt told them to meet. An inn, it seems, and Toph walks up to it, looking perhaps rather out of place considering her bright green and yellow clothes. Not to mention the fact that she's clearly not old enough to drink. Ugh, guy smells like he's in worse need of a shower than she is most of the time. The explanation causes the young earthbender to arch an eyebrow. "So... you guys don't have magic in this world, do you?" she inquires, crossing her arms across her chest. Setting someone on fire... well, that's particularly unpleasant, now isn't it?
Gakupo Kamui	On the other hand. Gakupo is... very much NOT from this world, or a world anything like it. However, he does have some knowledge of worlds that are roughly in this time period. And he knows that going in dressed in a technological bodysuit with blue running lights is probably going to get some weird looks. He doens't have a LOT of time to change, but he can at meast put on something a little more period-specific. So it is that when he arrives, he's wearing a deep blue kimono with a powder blue inner kimono and navy blue hakama. White tabi and wooden geta complete the look. He's got Gakutou Miburi, his sword, tucked into his obi. It's probably still unfamiliar to this world, but it's better than walking in lit up light a Christmas tree. Unfortunately he had to keep his black and orange, winglike headphones on, though. He bows politely to Geralt and Toph. "Please forgive me for being late," he says. "I had to change clothes." And he nods to the question from Toph as well, and looks to Geralt for the answer. If he notes the scent of the booze coming from the Witcher, Gakupo doesn't mention it.
Geralt of Rivia	Toph's right about one thing. Geralt, like all good inhabitants of a fantasy world, certainly doesn't bathe regularly. Sweat, mud, leather and ale is one hell of a fragrance. The Witcher's golden eyes, disconcertingly looking like the eyes of a cat, give Toph a strange look. "Yeah, we've got magic. Fair bit of it. Know my share of sorceresses. But farmers don't do magic." People openly gawk at Gakupo though, and shut the windows on their thatched-roof cottages as he passes by. A kimono? That's strange, and probably a harbinger of something terrible! Especially if he's talking to that Witcher! "Could've put somethin' more suitable on," Geralt says, evidently mistaking the outfit himself. "Come," Geralt tells the pair, "This way. Way the wind's blowing, I can smell where it happened."
Toph Beifong	When the vocaloid arrives Toph can't help but turn her head slightly. Sure, she can't see the clothes he's wearing, but she notes other things, like the fact that he's not a human. And... is that a slight smile crossing her lips? "Heya, nice to meet you." It's different than just knowing people as a voice on the radio, that's for sure! And well... it's always somewhat bittersweet to meet other versions of people she used to know. Right, so magic isn't for everyone, huh? "So only some people know magic in this world." It's a bit weird, considering everybody in her world could be a bender. But different worlds work differently, don't they? Off they go, and Toph lets out a snort. "If there was a dress code you should have let us know instead of whining about it, it's the multiverse and there's too many different clothing styles to know them all," the girl points out. "My wardrobe would be at least then times the size if I had to keep a different outfit for each world..."
Gakupo Kamui	Gakupo is paying attention. Really! Even if the next words out of his mouth are on a completely different subject. "You have beautiful eyes," he states. No, the android is not attempting to flirt with Geralt. Not in the slightest. There's nothing remotely flirty in his tone. 'Beautiful' just means something different to him, that's all. No indeed, Gakupo's not human. Toph's sensitive hearing will easily be able to catch the electronic buzz in his voice, the soft whirr of servomotors when he moves. Her ability to 'see' through the ground might even pick up the odd way he moves, too. He moves just a little bit like an animatronic-- his movements, particularly fast movements, tend to overcorrect themselves, resulting in a little bit of a wobble. Geralt might be able to pick that up too, the overcorrection wobble and the whirr. But the synthesized voice is something neither would really be able to miss. "Hello there!" Gakupo offers in return to Toph. Then he remembers, "Oh, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Gakupo Kamui." he bows politely in greeting. Geralt's mention of 'more suitable' clothing gets a blink. "It beats what I had. Since that has blue lights and glows in the dark. Besides, what's wrong with this? It's what the people of my country wore in the past." And a nod to Toph's comment as he follows the pair. "Also that!" he replies, snickering.
Geralt of Rivia	Geralt stomps his way down the muddy road. "No dress code. Hate the damn things. Doublets always chafe under the arm..." Gakupo's compliment doesn't seem to faze Geralt in the slightest. He just says, "Well, haven't heard that in a while. 'Specially from a man." He leaves it at that. His sharp ears picks up on the strange sounds from Gakupo, too, but he doesn't say anything. Unlike some Witchers, Geralt doesn't kill every monster he finds. It's still strange, though, but Geralt's lack of emotional affect means his face stays as stoney as ever. "It just wouldn't stop a blade or an arrow, that's all I'm sayin'." It's a short walk to the farm in question. A few cows call to the trio as they approach, obviously expecting food. They're quite thin. There's a war going on to the north, after all. The stench of burnt flesh is high on the wind and Geralt reaches up and behind him, gripping the hilt of his steel blade. A farmer stands over a smouldering body, holding some kind of high-tech glowing rifle. "Stay back, Witcher!" he snaps, "This magical crossbow burns with the light of the Eternal Fire!" Geralt stops in his tracks. "Easy. Let's take a moment t'talk about this." The plasma-wielding peasant eyes the trio warily. He obviously has no idea how to use the weapon, but that doesn't mean that he won't stumble onto the trigger by accident or simple luck!
Toph Beifong	For somebody who focuses on seeing the world through vibration, though sensing earthen materials and metal, Toph has an easier time telling just what Gakupo is. And just to blow his mind she nods. "I know your name, I knew a different version of you when I first joined the Union. First non-human I met, I actually!" she smiles, then offers a hand his way. "Toph Beifong, the greatest earthbender of all time." And somehow she looks amused as Gakupo explains his other costume, grinning. "Yup. Totally more appropriate with blue lights and all, huh?" See Geralt? Sometimes the alternative could be far weirder. "If you think those are bad, you should try a dress," Toph asides to Geralt when he complains about doublets. The state of the farm is not an optimal one, is it? Toph notes the skinny cows, the stench in the wind, and the state of the earth too. When her senses pick up the farmer however she narrows her eyes, then sighs. Just great. That's a rifle, isn't it? And since he tells Geralt to stand back, even if she isn't sure what a pitcher really is, Toph raises her hands up, adapting a worried expression on her face. "Just take it easy..." Hmmm, just what is that thing made of? Is there some familiar metal there she can manipulate to stop the guy from firing at them and hurting anybody else, maybe?
Gakupo Kamui	Since Geralt seems keen to leave the compliment where it is, Gakupo does the same. Though he does chuckle slightly at the comment about doublets. "You should try a blazer sometime. Talk about uncomfortable!" The sense of an electric field from him (he runs on electricity, after all) might attract some monsters that are particularly sensitive to that sort of thing. But he's not going to be killing any monsters that don't attack him first. This isn't an RPG or anything, sheesh. As for his outfit not stopping blades and arrows? "Oh not at all," he agrees. "But I'm not made of flesh. I'm a machine. I can be repaired or rebuilt relatively easily." Regarding the 'other' version of himself? "Oh, that's right. I heard about him," he acknowledges. "It's so weird to hear about a prior version of yourself. I hope he was a decent sort." Poor cows! That's the first thing Gakupo thinks when he sees the cows. He sort of smells like the air before a lightning storm, so he definitely doesn't smell like food. And when they reach the site of the trouble, Gakupo raises a hand to cover his mouth in surprise. He may not know exactly what it is, but he can tell a rifle when he sees one. A rifle that shoots green fire? He pauses, his eyes seeming to go a little unfocused, as he zooms in on an image from his visual feed.
Geralt of Rivia	It's definitely made out of metal. Toph could probably very easily stop it from working, or maybe even yank it out of his hands. Of course, whether that's the smart thing to do... To Gakupo's eyes, it seems like a plasma rifle, although he can't quite place the make. Must have come from somewhere in the Multiverse, maybe even been left behind by a careless Elite. Who knows, but it's probably something that shouldn't be in the hands of an uneducated farmer! "Fancy crossbow you've got there," Geralt points out, speaking calmly and slowly. "You wanna tell me what happened to the other guy?" "Hmm? Oh," the farmer says, although he doesn't take his eyes off the strange travelling group. "That man offered me enough coins to save my farm over the next winter, if only he'd get to take my daughter. Hah! I'm no fool, and the Eternal Fire delivered unto me this boon. I'll have to clear this whole town of the monsters and the unclean, beasts like you, Witcher!"
Toph Beifong	"I heard there was an older version of me that was chief of police," Toph offers when it comes to previous versions of Elites in the multiverse. Though let's focus on the farmer so he doesn't get himself or other people killed. For a young blind girl Toph doesn't seem too distressed by the weapon. Sure, she's encountered weapons before and had problems with them, but the people who had them knew how to use them properly! It's easy to tell this farmer has no idea how to properly wield the dangerous weapon. Which makes it even more important to get it away from him. So it's made of metal indeed, huh. That ought to make things easier. But Toph knows better than to rush into things. Waiting for the right moment to do the right thing is essential in her way of handling situations like this, after all. So she stands still, listening as Geralt talks with the farmer. Ugh, take his daughter? "That thing is no boon, it's a weapon from the multiverse," she explains calmly. "And you don't know how to use it, you can just as easily kill yourself... or your daughter for that matter using weapons you aren't familiar with," she states, pointing at it. It's not just a simple gesture, however. If he keeps it still, then perhaps she can bend the trigger into an unmoving state which ought to make matters far less dangerous.
Gakupo Kamui	Gakupo nods when Toph tells the man it's not a crossbow or a boon. "That's right," he confirms. "It's called a plasma rifle. But that's a horrible deal, yes. So he probably got what he deserved." A pause, though, as the man threatens Geralt. Gakupo frowns. "Sir, that's not very nice. He didn't do anything to you." "Let's calm down here, and think. Like she said," he indicates Toph, "you could hurt yourself or someone you don't intend to hurt. And if you go hunting with a weapon you don't know how to use, it could malfunction at a crucial time and then the thing you're hunting will hurt you."
Geralt of Rivia	"Multiverse?" The farmer states. "Ain't that where all the monsters came from?" He frowns, and then spits at the ground. "Think I know how to use it. No matter what you lot call it." He kicks the corpse with his boot. "Yet," the farmer tells Gakupo. "Yet. Them Witchers, they're all just as bad as the monsters. Look at his eyes! You think those're normal eyes? They're immoral eyes!" He looks rather smug as he then adds, "How 'bout you three keep walking?" Geralt frowns. "I'm not goin' to do that." "One move, Witcher, and I'll chant out to the Eternal Fire and you'll burn where you stand!"
Toph Beifong	Great, this guy doesn't seem to listen to reason. "The multiverse is where other stuff comes from, including that weapon," Toph points out. "And I dunno where the monsters come from, but they're not all from the multiverse from what I can guess," she states. Never mind that her opinion might not be highly regarded in some worlds due to her being young and female, Toph will speak her mind nonetheless. This guy thinks he understands new things better than he actually does, that's for sure. When he kicks the corpse the blind girl frowns slightly, and she can't say she likes the tone of his voice at all. "If I could look at his eyes I would," Toph states in a sarcastic tone. No, they're not going to walk. "I think you missed a memo there, dunderhead," the girl says, having heard enough, "but you're a total newbie at this." All it takes is a subtle move as Toph twists her hand upwards as she raises her arm slightly, and she aims to bend the rifle forcibly upwards and hopefully out of the man's grasp. "I'm a master, and I don't need to chant to the earth to kick some sense into that thick skull of yours!" Hopefully this will give Geralt and Gakupo an opening to do their thing. She'll focus on the rifle.
Gakupo Kamui	"Sir, really... this isn't necessary," Gakupo replies. Though as Toph begins to move, his attempt to explain may just be interrupted. He isn't really familiar with her abilities. But if he sees the rifle bending in conjunction with Toph's movements, he'll assume she's doing something. Not only will he assume Toph is doing something, but he'll act accordingly. Should the man with the plasma rifle be distracted sufficiently, Gakupo will raise a hand to his headset. The orange part will glow... and then the inside of his mouth will glow. And he releases a rippling, near-invisible burst of sound, aimed at the ground near the man's feet.
Geralt of Rivia	"It's complicated," Geralt asides to Toph as she comments about the multiverse. And then a bunch of things happen at once. Toph rips the plasma rifle from the man's grasp. With the man still shocked about what has just happened, Gakupo blasts him with a sonic burst which sends him stumbling. Geralt takes the chance and /moves/. With a few long strides, Geralt is on top of him, crashing into the farmer with his shoulder, and then placing his boot firmly on the man's torso. The farmer has gone from swaggering to terrified in just a few short seconds! "Think we should let him go?" Geralt asks the pair.
Toph Beifong	Whatever Gakupo is doing seems to work, and it's good to know that he isn't aiming to kill the man. As she is successful in bending the rifle out of the man's hands Toph quickly steps forward, and with a gesture the rifle lands safely in her hands. Whew, at least now they don't have to worry about other people getting hurt by the weapon. It's never good when powerful weapons find their way to people who don't really know how they work. "Nice going," she asides to Gakupo, then turns her attention to Geralt's question. But mostly she can't help but notice the change in the farmer. So she sighs, turning to hand the rifle over to Gakupo, trusting that he isn't about to shoot up the place. Heck, he could probably do it with whatever weird shouting thing he just did if he wanted to. "He just killed a man," she begins, walking over to where Geralt is pinning the farmer down, then she crouches down next to the man, placing her hand on his shoulder, a look of concentration on her face. "Did you act in self defense?" she asks. If he's lying, if he doesn't show any remorse... then it might be better to let the local authorities deal with him. If there are any here.
Gakupo Kamui	"The one he shot was trying to get him to basically sell his daughter's chastity," Gakupo replied. "Honestly I'd probably have done something to that man in his place, too. I don't know that I'd have killed him, but I'm not in this man's place." In addition to Toph's question, Gakupo asks one of his own. "Where did you find the plasma rifle?" he inquires of the man. His voice is almost gentle, oddly enough. Making sure that there wasn't anything else like that out there that someone might find is a priority.
Geralt of Rivia	"So've I," Geralt tells Toph, shrugging his shoulders. "And I've known terrible men who haven't killed anyone. Thin line. I know what I'd do in his place." He crosses his arms. The farmer nods at Toph and Gakupo, head bobbing frantically. "That's right! What was I supposed to do? No one cares about us anymore, they're all worrying about the war! Both sides just march through here and demand everything we have. And what if he came back with more men? What was I supposed to do?" Geralt grunts, mostly to himself. "If you've got the... thing," he says to Toph and Gakupo, "I can bury the body. Means no one'll find out what happened here, or they'll never believe it if they do."
Toph Beifong	"I'm blind, not deaf," Toph replies to Gakupo, a serious look on her face. What the other guy did request was rotten, but killing should be a last resort, right? "You could have told him to leave and never come back. You had the weapon after all," Toph points out. There are various degrees of crime, even of murder. And heck, she hates the complicated stuff. The blind girl closes her unseeing eyes. "He's telling the truth." That's what she will offer to Geralt as she rises to her feet again, a look of discomfort on her face. "It's your world," she states, "You decide what's the right thing to do." Murder, rape... no, it all leaves a sour taste in her mouth just thinking about it. "We can take the weapon back to the Union and have it be dealt with, maybe figure out where it came from to make sure it doesn't happen again."
Gakupo Kamui	Gakupo nods. "Probably for the best," he agrees. "The story stays here, and he probably won't tell anyone else about it. Nobody would believe him..." He pauses, as Toph speaks up. "I know. Addressing my opinion, that's all. I'm sorry." A smile. But he does nod. "Getting the weapon out is the priority." Though he does have a last thing to say to the man. "Please -be careful- with finding stuff you don't know what is." He sounds more concerned for the other man's safety, actually. "In all seriousness, you could have killed yourself or someone you cared about. So be careful next time... please?"
Geralt of Rivia	"Lot of responsible for a simple Witcher," Geralt tells Toph, seeming like he wants to shirk being a moral arbitrator as much as she does. He takes his boot of the man's chest, though, and steps back. "I'm not gonna kill someone for trying to protect their daughter," he says. "I'd do the same for my own." The farmer tearfully begins sobbing out his thanks. Thanks to the Witcher, thanks to the blind girl, thanks to the strange man in the odd robes. "I'll be careful, I'll never pick up anything I find in the woods again!" "You two take the weapon," Geralt tells Gakupo and Toph. "I'll handle everythin' here. And thanks."
Toph Beifong	Perhaps it's for the best. It's way better with simple things, but not everything in life is simple, is it? So Geralt is a father too? Well, Toph should know how protective fathers can be considering she has two of them herself, and she snorts. "Killing somebody to show that killing is wrong doesn't make sense anyway," she adds. Heck, she's glad she doesn't need protecting herself. Just a little help and there. "If you do have problems... then contact the Witcher. He can get you in touch with Elites. The Union is always up for helping those in need anyway..." Seriously, these farm lands... maybe she should try to fix them a little to make things easier for the poor bastards.
Gakupo Kamui	Gakupo seems pleased with the man's answer, and offers a smile. "Good." Toph tells him how to get in touch with other Elites, and he nods! "That's right. If you want to ask for me by name, I'm Kamui Gakupo." He bows. As he straightens, he says, "Take care, you and your daughter both, all right?" He offers a wave in the man's direction as they head away. He may not realize it, Gakupo's got similar ideas as Toph. But he has less knowledge about farms! He does know that there's some nice modern things like fertilizers though...