10-28-2017, 10:03 AM
The initial greeting Stein received was a unanimous hello, and then a jumbled of mixed, personalized salutations. Only one person approached, but it seemed to be an almost group act, picking out which of their inner circle would jump on the new guy next.
A blue-skinned man was the first to approach. Stein took note of the man’s bald head, fin-like ears and webbed hands. With large, black eyes and a slitted neck to complete the look, the Hero could almost certainly assume this man was a sea-fairing type. “Shavai, stranger! Food is almost complete, I have procured fresh fish, and with Mister Richard’s grill, we are having the cook out!” He spoke somewhat strange. Not as much his accent, but the way he worded things and annunciated everything he said sounded as if this was not his primary language.
“… Shavai?” He offered back. It sounded like it would be some sort of greeting. “Name’s Stein. I’m happy to see everyone here’s so friendly. Last place I lived I had to keep telling my neighbor to turn down his radio so my wineglasses didn’t shatter.” He chuckled, offering the man a hand in greeting. The aquan looked at the hand confused for a moment, but seemed to remember what the gesture meant. He took Stein’s hand in both of his own. “And I smell salmon… Hope you don’t mind the growling, I haven’t eaten well in a couple days.”
The aquan’s hairless brow ridge rose. “Oh! Then please, eat something to tide yourself over.” He lead Stein by the hand to the table with a few completed dishes already. He plucked a small paper plate from the stack and proceeded to fill it with a few pieces of grilled and raw fish, as well as a small scoop of some yellow looking chunky mush. He then placed the plate in the hand he had been holding. “Here! My name is Z’tar, I live right beneath you!”
“Oh, 2C?”
“Indeed! But perhaps later it might be more, as you humans say… literal?” Stein blinked. Literal? The man’s grin was wide. He could see various sharp, almost shark-like teeth lined up. It was not intimidating… not when this aquan man was apparently flirting with him. “Go eat, I must attend the grill. We shall continue talking later, yes?” The hero nodded, unable to hide a smile in response to the Aquan’s own infectious grin.
As the blue man turned, Stein spotted a retractable dorsal fin on his back. It was not shark-like, more spined like some sort of fish. Z’tar’s race was apparently not based off of one aquatic creature. Interesting to note, he’d have to ask about that. The only other aquatic being he had met was … Urusula. And that had been quite some time ago.
“Hi!” Stein almost jumped out of his skin. The abrupt greeting was from a chipper young thing. A sandy-haired boy peered up at him as he fetched himself a piece of cooked whiting. He looked to be about fourteen years old. “I’m Sunny, from 2B. Mom said you moved into Mr. Freddy’s house?”
Stein nodded. He walked over to an empty chair, gesturing with a little nod for the boy to join him with his own plate. “That’s right. Just moved in, Mrs. Davenport showed it off yesterday, and I just couldn’t turn it down.”
“Do you think its haunted? I wanted to get a video for my Youtube channel, but Mom says it would be rude.” Youtube? “So if you see something, can you try to record it for me?”
Stein smirked. “Oh I’ll do more than that. I’ll get you an interview and everything and see if I can’t help Mr. Freddy cross over on film. How’s that sound?”
Sunny’s eyes lit up. “That would be soo cool! I’ll get a million hits and so many likes!”
“But, you gotta pop my name in there too, and a link to my channel. It’s what all the big Youtubers do, you know.” The way Sunny nodded aggressively, it seems he was no new bloomer to the interwebs. “My channel’s still pretty new. Its Turtle Stein, if you want to look it up. I’m Stein, by the way.” He sat the plate on the table to offer his hand to the child.
Sunny just stared. The young youtuber started bouncing in his spot. “You mean the guy who posted that viral Hero video? You recorded the falling hero?”
“I am the falling hero.” Sunny’s eyes lit up and for a moment Stein thought the boy might just explode. “I have another video from two days ago as well. If you don’t believe me…” He lifted the hem of his Hawaiian shirt to reveal a couple of scars from his previous encounter.
“Gotta go!” Sunny was up and gone, taking his plate with him as he darts towards the duplex. Stein assumed the rush was to watch the video. Might have found me a fan. That was exactly what his ego needed… inflating.
As Sunny ran off, another child approached. She seemed close in age, with the same sandy hair and brown eyes Sunny had. Siblings, no doubt. “Sorry if my dork brother was being weird.” Called it. “I’m Storm… We’re twins.” She plops onto a chair beside Stein. “And I’m next in line, I guess.”
“So you guys ARE taking turns. I didn’t know my arrival would be such an organized event.” He combated Storm’s little snark with a touch of his own.
“Touche.” Her arms crossed and a bored expression dominated her face. “So, what do you do for fun?”
He forked a piece of raw, finely cut fish. The preparation was different, but he enjoyed the flavor none the less. Storm gave him a ‘Really dude?’ kind of look. After swallowing, he hummed thoughtfully, as if he had only begun to think of a response. “Eating, sleeping, TV and videogames. That’s pretty much it.” Well, training, but it was not exactly fun all the time. “You?”
Storm seemed to brighten up a little. “Same… Competitive gamer, pretty high up in the amateur circuit.”
“Nice. FPS?”
“RTS and RPG too, but FPS is my best.” She seemed quite proud of herself.
Stein nodded, accepting her bragging. “Well let me get settled, a system and a TV that isn’t a million years old, and I’ll see what you’re made of.” Storm just scoffed. “Don’t be like that, I’m a pretty quick crack shot myself.” Considering his lightning reflexes and his sense of danger, well… he has FPS in the bag.
Storm smirked. She clearly believed she had the upper hand. Stein might go easy on her… but not too easy. “Well, I’ll let you eat… I think my mom is next, so… be warned.”
A blue-skinned man was the first to approach. Stein took note of the man’s bald head, fin-like ears and webbed hands. With large, black eyes and a slitted neck to complete the look, the Hero could almost certainly assume this man was a sea-fairing type. “Shavai, stranger! Food is almost complete, I have procured fresh fish, and with Mister Richard’s grill, we are having the cook out!” He spoke somewhat strange. Not as much his accent, but the way he worded things and annunciated everything he said sounded as if this was not his primary language.
“… Shavai?” He offered back. It sounded like it would be some sort of greeting. “Name’s Stein. I’m happy to see everyone here’s so friendly. Last place I lived I had to keep telling my neighbor to turn down his radio so my wineglasses didn’t shatter.” He chuckled, offering the man a hand in greeting. The aquan looked at the hand confused for a moment, but seemed to remember what the gesture meant. He took Stein’s hand in both of his own. “And I smell salmon… Hope you don’t mind the growling, I haven’t eaten well in a couple days.”
The aquan’s hairless brow ridge rose. “Oh! Then please, eat something to tide yourself over.” He lead Stein by the hand to the table with a few completed dishes already. He plucked a small paper plate from the stack and proceeded to fill it with a few pieces of grilled and raw fish, as well as a small scoop of some yellow looking chunky mush. He then placed the plate in the hand he had been holding. “Here! My name is Z’tar, I live right beneath you!”
“Oh, 2C?”
“Indeed! But perhaps later it might be more, as you humans say… literal?” Stein blinked. Literal? The man’s grin was wide. He could see various sharp, almost shark-like teeth lined up. It was not intimidating… not when this aquan man was apparently flirting with him. “Go eat, I must attend the grill. We shall continue talking later, yes?” The hero nodded, unable to hide a smile in response to the Aquan’s own infectious grin.
As the blue man turned, Stein spotted a retractable dorsal fin on his back. It was not shark-like, more spined like some sort of fish. Z’tar’s race was apparently not based off of one aquatic creature. Interesting to note, he’d have to ask about that. The only other aquatic being he had met was … Urusula. And that had been quite some time ago.
“Hi!” Stein almost jumped out of his skin. The abrupt greeting was from a chipper young thing. A sandy-haired boy peered up at him as he fetched himself a piece of cooked whiting. He looked to be about fourteen years old. “I’m Sunny, from 2B. Mom said you moved into Mr. Freddy’s house?”
Stein nodded. He walked over to an empty chair, gesturing with a little nod for the boy to join him with his own plate. “That’s right. Just moved in, Mrs. Davenport showed it off yesterday, and I just couldn’t turn it down.”
“Do you think its haunted? I wanted to get a video for my Youtube channel, but Mom says it would be rude.” Youtube? “So if you see something, can you try to record it for me?”
Stein smirked. “Oh I’ll do more than that. I’ll get you an interview and everything and see if I can’t help Mr. Freddy cross over on film. How’s that sound?”
Sunny’s eyes lit up. “That would be soo cool! I’ll get a million hits and so many likes!”
“But, you gotta pop my name in there too, and a link to my channel. It’s what all the big Youtubers do, you know.” The way Sunny nodded aggressively, it seems he was no new bloomer to the interwebs. “My channel’s still pretty new. Its Turtle Stein, if you want to look it up. I’m Stein, by the way.” He sat the plate on the table to offer his hand to the child.
Sunny just stared. The young youtuber started bouncing in his spot. “You mean the guy who posted that viral Hero video? You recorded the falling hero?”
“I am the falling hero.” Sunny’s eyes lit up and for a moment Stein thought the boy might just explode. “I have another video from two days ago as well. If you don’t believe me…” He lifted the hem of his Hawaiian shirt to reveal a couple of scars from his previous encounter.
“Gotta go!” Sunny was up and gone, taking his plate with him as he darts towards the duplex. Stein assumed the rush was to watch the video. Might have found me a fan. That was exactly what his ego needed… inflating.
As Sunny ran off, another child approached. She seemed close in age, with the same sandy hair and brown eyes Sunny had. Siblings, no doubt. “Sorry if my dork brother was being weird.” Called it. “I’m Storm… We’re twins.” She plops onto a chair beside Stein. “And I’m next in line, I guess.”
“So you guys ARE taking turns. I didn’t know my arrival would be such an organized event.” He combated Storm’s little snark with a touch of his own.
“Touche.” Her arms crossed and a bored expression dominated her face. “So, what do you do for fun?”
He forked a piece of raw, finely cut fish. The preparation was different, but he enjoyed the flavor none the less. Storm gave him a ‘Really dude?’ kind of look. After swallowing, he hummed thoughtfully, as if he had only begun to think of a response. “Eating, sleeping, TV and videogames. That’s pretty much it.” Well, training, but it was not exactly fun all the time. “You?”
Storm seemed to brighten up a little. “Same… Competitive gamer, pretty high up in the amateur circuit.”
“Nice. FPS?”
“RTS and RPG too, but FPS is my best.” She seemed quite proud of herself.
Stein nodded, accepting her bragging. “Well let me get settled, a system and a TV that isn’t a million years old, and I’ll see what you’re made of.” Storm just scoffed. “Don’t be like that, I’m a pretty quick crack shot myself.” Considering his lightning reflexes and his sense of danger, well… he has FPS in the bag.
Storm smirked. She clearly believed she had the upper hand. Stein might go easy on her… but not too easy. “Well, I’ll let you eat… I think my mom is next, so… be warned.”