• Graded • Niv meets a Zip

[Zip]

16th Zi'da 717

“Miss Niv, please take a-” the woman called Zipper sighed a tired sigh and picked up a banana that was hanging around the desk and placed it in front of the spot the Tunawa was standing on. “-seat.”

“Okay...” Niv hesitantly did as she was told and found a comfortable seating position on the yellow fruit. The tunawa had been summoned to this office to have a talk with one of the leaders of The brothers of Justice but Niv wasn’t really sure the reason. Something about Gangui’s associate wanting to see the new recruit for themselves. The tunawa tried to act confident but this was not an ideal situation for her to be in. Niv was essentially at this woman's mercy if she wanted to try something underhanded.

Moop the fear spirit hovered silently above niv’s head and Freckle the fairy took a seat next to Niv.

“Oh I think you’re in trouble Nivy poo.” Freckle whispered into Niv’s ear with a chuckle.

Niv tried her best not to react but she bit her lip as she tried to ignore the invisible fairy.

“What is dis all about?” Niv spoke up.

Zipper leaned down to better see the Tunawa, her head looming over her like some giant, hovering fruit with a scowl that could swallow her whole. “This is about why two tunawa are joining a peacekeeping force that sees violence almost everyday.” She tapped an accusatory finger onto the banana, sending a hard jolt up Niv’s entire being. “This is about determining whether this is a colossal practical joke by Mister Gangui, an ill-contrived prank by you and your Frimen friend, or something far more unbelievable: that I am confronted here with a sincere fuckin’ enlistment by a pair of twigs.”

“Dis is not a joke, I want to join dis group for my people.” Niv scowled back despite the uneasiness felt in her sap. She might have been intimidated by this women but she had Moop floating up top to consume her fear.

“Tell her to go eat dirt, Niv.” The fairy added with a nudge to Niv’s side. “She’s very rude and probably wants to steal Moop.”

For a moment, it seemed Zipper turned her head to glare at the fairy… only to look past it and dust off a cobweb near the edge of the desk. “Your people, Miss Niv?” she said, more interested in removing the silk than looking at Niv.

“Well slaves, I want people to be free.” Niv replied after realizing she didn’t just want tunawa free and clarification needed to be made.

“People are free. It’s in the name: the free city of Etzos.” Zipper said.

[Niv]

“Well dere are still slaves here, just better hidden.” Niv retorted without skipping a beat. “I also want to make deh world better, I may be a tunawa but I’ve seen many bad tings and I want to stop dem.”

“That’s a good thing to think, Niv.” Zipper said. “But this is not a toy box and I do not think you will be of much help. Mister Gangui spins a grand tale of a world better than the one wer’e living in but he is not an authority on practicality. Can you help in a riot? Can you put down a bandit? Can you slay a pirate? Can you keep the peace when even a child is a goliath next to you.”

“My height can be a trouble for me but it also helps me do things you can’t. I have a knowledge of poisons and chemistry and am learning the bow. I can take bad people down silently and without dem knowing, I can also scout areas out much easier den you tall folk.” Niv was aware that she likely couldn’t help as well as the taller people but she was far too stubborn to let it go now. Her little fists were clenched tightly and her brows lowered in determination.

“I think this lady can see me Niv….” Freckle said telepathically after Niv was done her tirade. “She might be Evil..maybe you should give up on this whole peacekeeper turkey group or whatever it's called.”

“No.” Niv replied defiantly to Freckle.

“No?” Zipper repeated.

“What?.” Niv stammered a bit as she realised what had unintentionally slipped from her mouth. She did her best to look confused at Zipper’s question so as to not rouse suspicion.. “What do you mean?”

Freckle snorted in laughter at the tunawa’s mistake and waited for what would happen next.

“I mean I’m not sure I believe you can handle this.” Zipper said. “And I’m not sure your ‘friend’ over there is in a clear state of mind.”

“Gangui?” Niv’s eyes narrowed as she tried to discern what the women was talking about. Surely she didn’t mean Freckle.


Art credit to Yoshitaka Amano

[Niv]

“This Frimen.”

“Oh, well he might need a bit of time but I can see deh fight in him.” Niv was relieved at the answer but still felt uneasy. “He may have lived his life as a little girls play thing but he’ll make a great scout I’m sure of it.”

“You can see the fight in him,” Zipper repeated scornfully.

“Yes as I said.” Niv stood up and glared back at Zipper.

Zipper glared back… before her gaze softened upon what was clearly the sad realization she was engaging in a staredown with a tiny twig. “I can’t believe I’m saying this but… you will both be put on a tentative probationary period.”

“Whats dat mean?” Niv raised an eyebrow, not sure whether to be upset or happy.

“It means if you do good, you’re in. If you do bad…”

“Okay I dink dats Fair.” Niv nodded her head. “I will prove myself soon, you’ll see.”

“I’ll see,” Zipper repeated absently. “But then again maybe we should at least confirm that you have the skills you purport to claim. I’ve been told Tunawa have some rare gifts.”

“What do you need me to do?” Niv asked without hesitation.

“Let’s have a bit of an archery test. Do you have your bow?”

“Oh..uh Yes.” Niv stammered a bit, realising that archery was probably her weakest skill. She nonetheless removed her domain bag from her back and pulled out the bow made from a bent twig out for Zipper to see.

“Then let’s begin then.” Zipper tapped a finger against the table and, to Niv’s surprise, two tiny chunks of wood ripped themselves out of the surface and stretched, distorted, and reshaped itself into tiny little dolls with overly mean faces carved into them. The first one took a step forward, then another, the cadence of its step jagged and twisted, and it moved only when Zipper tapped the table, as if she held some unseen strings over the tiny doll. “Would you mind killing Mr. Bester, Miss Niv?”

“She’s a witch!” Freckle practically shouted in Niv’s head. “ I knew she was evil this entire time.”

Niv ignored the obnoxious fairy and got her bow ready. She slipped an arrow from her domain bag and readied her shot at the closest of the targets. The tunawa’s thin fingers were trembling as she pulled the string back but she quickly aimed and...the arrow flew just short of the creature. It impaled itself like a splinter into the desk and Niv cursed under her breath. Zipper didn’t say anything nor did her face show any change of expression, but her taps grew harder, grew surer, grew more frequent and the jerkish steps swiftly turned into a kind of haphazard zombie-like sprint that surged Mr. Bester across the desk.


Art credit to Yoshitaka Amano

[Niv]

She pulled out another arrow in a rush as Mr. Bester closed the gap between them quickly. Niv pulled back the string and let the arrow fly once more, she was aiming for head. She would have normally aimed for a leg or arm to immobilize but this was a creature as far as Niv was concerned and needed to be dealt with swiftly. The arrow sunk itself into the wood puppet’s shoulder instead and Niv grabbed yet another arrow to finish the job. The final arrow hit the beast in the chest just before it was about to throw a fist at Niv.

The moment the arrow struck home, the creature plopped to the side in an exaggerated manner. Niv suspected Zipper was having a bit of fun with this at her expense.

“Archery’s passable… Not that I would know,” Zipper admitted. “I’ve never had the chance to hold a bow in my life.”

Niv breathed a sigh of relief, knowing she was likely just lucky considering how terrible she typically was.

“Wait she judged you but she doesn’t even know anything about archery?” Freckle raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, you emean prick. I fuckin’ did.” Zipper said, turning towards Freckle in a way that left no ambiguity that she was looking at him. “Is this more Tunawa sorcery?”

Niv and Freckle both paused in silence with their eyes wide open and their mouths hainging a gape in shock.

“You can see him..?” Niv asked hesitantly.

“Barely, but he speaks loudly enough to get through the garble.” Zipper said. “Is this a Tunawa oddity?”

“No just a Niv oddity.” Freckle interjected. “But I see you’re odd yourself Witch, How is it that you can see or hear me.”

“I’m not much of a mage,” Zipper supplied. Niv… wasn’t sure she entirely believed her. Maybe it was because Mr. Bester was just a hair’s breath away from pummelling her. “But I do have a few small gifts.” She gestured towards the other Mr. Bester still standing, its mean mug staring dumbly at thin air. “Sensing the supernatural just happens to be one of those small gifts.”



Art credit to Yoshitaka Amano

[Zip]

“Can you see anything else?” Niv asked knowing Moop was still hovering silently over top of them like an ominous spector.

“Is there anything else I should be seeing?” Zipper said, staring intently at Niv.

“There are other things in this room if you look closely.” Niv smiled faintly.

“Is there, Miss Niv? Is there?”

“Of course dere is but you probably can’t see it cause your not a tunawa.” Niv’s smile grew wider with just a touch of smugness.

In response, she swiped her hand in the general direction that Moop was hovering around, missing the spot by a few inches.

“Close..” Niv chuckled. “How much do you see of her?”

“This one’s blurred and I have a bit of outside help with this… shade? It’s not what I’m used to. I can barely sense it even with this thing helping-” she didn’t finished.

“Its moop, she’s a spirit of fear,” Niv explained. “Have you heard of spirits?”

“Only in passing,” Zipper said, looking in the general direction of Moop. “I’ve never had the pleasure of knowing one was there.”

“I can see spirits everywhere, Dere fairly common but usually don’t do much.” Niv shrugged. “Moop feeds on my fear so I don’t feel it as much.”

“You know, when you came in I dismissed you as a tiny plant lady with an ego. Now? You may very well be invaluable to this-” She took a deep sigh “-Turkey company.”

“Why is it called Turkey company? Gangui never explained dat?” Niv raised a brow.

“I still have no idea.” she said honestly. “I just assumed he was slow.”

“So how do I start?” Niv continued to interrogate.

“I don’t deny your skills as a warrior,” Zipper said, although Niv sensed just the slightest touch of patronising rudeness that always came with tall-man talk. “But your stated value as a gatherer of information has skyrocketed with these-” She pointed at Freckle, then waved her arm at where she thought Moop was. “-recent supernatural revelations. You can see spirits, talk to them. You have an emean being shackled to you-”

“Shackled? Hardly.” Freckle snorted back.

“-that no one can see. The frontline is wasted on you. You can do so, so much good with your gifts, miss Niv.”

[Niv]

“Oh why dank you.” Niv didn’t really know how to take this news after Zipper had been so doubtful only moments ago. “I could be an informer of some sort or a scout?”

“Something of the sort. I would advise you to keep these things from Mister Gangui, Miss Niv. He’s not completely taken with the otherworldly.”

“I already know, he isn’t very quiet with his hate for deh immortals," Niv Nodded "A hate for magic would come wid dat.”

Something about her talk of Immortals and hatred perked Zipper’s attention, but the woman didn’t press it.

“I’ve never had an opportunity to talk to an Emean creature before,” she said, regarding the space where Freckle was. “Usually they’re more roar than chatty. What lies in the depths, um, you have a name?”

“It’s Freckle, I’d say it was a pleasure but you’re a big old crusty crab and I don't like seafood.” Freckle rolled his eyes and started to snap his hands about like tiny pincers.

“I don’t need-” She grimaced at the continued snapping. “-need the love, just the talk. What’s in there, freckle? You’re from Emea beyond, no? What’s in there?”

“A whole lot of Pish posh and Hobble gosh, Nothing you mortals would understand.” Freckle dismissed the question with a swat of her hand.

“Try me.”

“Lets just say its a chaotic place and anything can and will happen.” Freckle shrugged his shoulders and absently looked in a different direction. He gave her the best explanation he could give her at least at the time.

“I hope to continue this conversation in a bit more detail, Mr. Freckle.”

Gangui said that Zipper was a mean, blunt woman - but aside from her early doubts and the way she talked, all Niv has seen was a girl curious over all sorts of new things, who gave her the credit she rarely got.

“Maybe..If I feel like it.” Freckle smirked, he clearly enjoyed toying with this human woman.

“You’re a pretty curious human. Not many of dose I see.” Niv chimed in with what she was thinking.

“We’re a dull sort,” Zipper admitted. “Ignorant, inefficient, messy, I’m sure you can fill in the insults as they go along.”

“I actually don’t mind humans, I have made quite a few human friends. Doh dere are times when I feel dat humans only dink of me as a toy or a cute pet.”
Art credit to Yoshitaka Amano

[Zip]

“And that,” Zipper said. “Can be an advantage. And before you look at me with those eyes and think ‘This huge human is gonna give you a generic speech about how your size is an asset rather than a liability and you can go where no one else can go, fit where a big, strong mercenary can never dream of going’ I am going to stop you right there, Miss Niv. This has nothing to do with physicality or strength.”

She winked. It was an incredibly off-putting gesture.

“It has to do with celebrity.”

“Celebrity? Like making parties?” Niv raised a brow and stared at Zipper for more explanation.

“It’s…” Zipper pursed her lips, clearly thinking of how she was gonna convery this. “Do Tunawa have theatre? Songs of folk heroes? Stories of the great facing the bad?”

“We have stories and songs...do you mean people will make songs of me cause i’m a tunawa?”

“People will make songs of you because they will see themselves in you. Gangui’s there, for a number of reasons, because he is big and loud and proud. He appeals to a-” Zipper considered the word she was trying to use. “-market. Let’s call it a market. He appeals to a market of people that want big, loud, and proud. They see the armoured knight crusading for justice, they see a man who no one can deny is big and strong enough to keep them safe. You?” She poked a finger at the Tunawa. “You’ll capture the hearts of the dumbass children. They’re small, they’ve always fuckin’ been told what to do, they not taken seriously - but then along you come, walking proudly side by side with fellow-” She closed her eyes again. She must really hate the name. “-Turkeys. As an equal. As a fuckin’ equal, Miss Niv. You will be an icon in a pantheon.”

Niv rubbed her chest where she had been poked and pondered what Zipper had said. She couldn’t really deny that children liked her, Though Niv had mixed feeling about that.

“Children outside Desnind can be a bit...scary but I get what your saying and it cheers me up.” Niv smiled to Zipper. she couldn’t believe the 360 that happened in just a short conversation. This lady Zipper got very nice after she warmed up a bit. “Doh you might be going a little too far I don’t dink i’ll ever be dat important.”

[Zip]

“A wise young girl once told me that it isn’t about what you are, Miss Niv.” Zipper said. “Pretty, ugly, fat, skinny, smart, dumb.” For some weird reason, Niv had that incredibly specific impression that she was thinking about Gangui with that last word. It was the way she stressed it like she was saying Turkey. “Everything in life boils down to what you want and what you’re willing to do to get it. It’s a deceptively simple thought to a world that can, at times, be needlessly complex.”

“You’re good at making speeches, I dink you’ll be deh icon before me.”

“Pfft I wouldn’t follow her..” Freckle mumbled loudly under his breath.

“May I hit him, Miss Niv?” Zipper said.

“You can try.” Niv sighed.

Zipper reached out with a finger, poking at Freckle. The fairy giggled at the attempt.

“Nice try mortal, i’m not that easily disposed of” The fairy stuck out his tounge and made obscene gestures with his hands that his harsh glow hide… only to suddenly spasm as Zipper’s finger briefly touched him. Something seemed to flow through the fairy and into her finger as she did it, a little flash of grey light.

“You touched me! With your icky hands!” Freckle screeched and flailed about in a bizzare tantrum of flailing limbs. The fairy flew away not soon after in huff.

“Not an ideal companion.” Zipper said.

“What did you do to him?” Niv questioned.

“Small gifts for small fairies.” Zipper said. “Regardless, I think we’re about wrapped up. Welcome to the Etzos, Miss Niv.” Zipper extended her index finger for a shake.

Niv shook the offered finger with both hands with a smile. “Thank you Miss Zipper. I’m happy to be apart of the...turkey group.” Niv said before jumping off the desk and looking for wherever Freckle had found himself.

...

It occurred to Zipper that she actually really liked the little Tunawa.

First time for everything.

[Gangui]

Niv

Knowledge:
Persuasion: proving your worth to the scepticle.
Deception: Pretending you didn't say something stupid out loud.
leadership: seeing the potential in others
Ranged (short bow): Arrows never hit when your hands are trembling,
Ranged (short bow): When at first you don't succeed, try again
Ranged (short bow): third time is a charm
Ranged (short bow): Knowing when to aim for more vital areas.
PC Zipper
Zipper: The Best person you've met in Etzos
Zipper: A mage with strange gifts
Zipper: Gangui's really nice boss
Zipper: Can see and interact with the supernatural

Loot:

N/A

Injuries:

N/A

Fame:

N/A

Magic:

These points can NOT be used for Domain Magic

Devotion:

N/A

Skill Points:

15/15

Zipper

Knowledge:

Business Management: Building the foundation of your brand image
Business Management: Creating a brand mascot
Business Management: Conducting an interview with an employee
Business Management: Sealing a deal with a handshake
Business Management: The importance of tailoring your mascot to the target demographic
Discipline: Uttering a really, really, really awful name with a straight face
Leadership: Giving an inspirational pep talk
Transmutation: Absorption: Absorbing from an emean fairy
Transmutation: Ether Sense: Sussing out unseen emean entities

PC - Niv
Niv: Twig, tenacious, talented
Niv: A Company mascot in the making
Niv: Archer, chemist, poisoner
Niv: Has a fear spirit named Moop
Niv: has an emean fairy named Freckle

Loot:

N/A

Injuries:

N/A

Fame:

-1 for use of magic

Magic:

These points can be used for Domain Magic

Devotion:

N/A

Skill Points:

15/15

Comments:

I enjoyed reading this thread. The interaction between Niv and Zip is fluid and somehow Nivs cuteness rubs off on the pragmatically cold Zipper. It's also fun to see although Niv has an aura of naïveté, the spirits that follow her counteract that thus giving Niv the ability to remain ultra cute. The fact that Zip doesn't trust Gangui's decisions hits the feels temporarily, but then as we keep reading it makes me think that we are all a bunch of kids playing politics haha keep doing collabs! Huzzah!