Late Spring, Afternoon

[Shihab]

(Sunday, possibly?)

Shihab had just finished the first sleep he'd had in weeks - having taken a break from model planes, he'd taken a few hours, set up a circle, and fallen asleep for about twelve hours. Fully refreshed, he headed out for a walk through the grounds - considering whether propulsion or mass was the better solution to his flight patterns. As he walked through one of the paths, twirling a dead stick absently, he whistled an old Woodie Guthrie song and considered attempting a controlled torch on the stick.

[Jean-Paul de Chêne]

Jean-Paul meandered through the school grounds, thinking about nothing much, possibly even less. The trees that dotted the lawn had obviously been regimentally organized and oh-so-carefully planted to look pretty, regardless of the wishes of the trees in question (who were complaining volubly to anyone who would listen), but it was still a welcome break from the pulped and processed wood that surrounded him in the school, and Jean-Paul was feeling good-natured and expansive. He crunched a positively enormous, ruby-red apple with relish, and, to judge by the bulging pockets of his hoodie, there was enough to share.

He scanned the lawn, taking another bite of his apple. He noticed another boy not to far away, recognizing him as one that Jean-Paul had argued with at the bonfire only a few weeks ago. The boy wouldn't have been Jean-Paul's first choice for a conversation partner, but he was bored and there didn't seem to be anyone else around. "Bonjour, monsieur...Shihab, is it not?" Jean-Paul called out, striding over to him.

[Shihab]

Shihab glanced up at his name, grinning widely as the other boy approached. "Ah, Amazing Orchard Lad! How goes it?"

Twirling the stick airily, he turned off the path and headed towards the half-tree, a spring in his step.

(Hey, if you want to come on IRC, we can do this by chat? 'S a fun method.)

[Shihab]

(We headed over to the IRC to progress this - anyone who wishes to interject is obviously welcome to do so.)

Shihab - "Amazing Orchard Lad! How goes it?"

Jean-Paul - "Stops and starts, stops and starts. I wanted to apologize for my behavior at the bonfire."


Shihab - "Ain't it -- ahhh."

Jean-Paul - "I don't want you to think I'm like that all the time.

Shihab - "See, here's the thing." *pauses, pondering* "I'm torn."

Jean-Paul - "Are you?" Jean-Paul says politely.


Shihab - "On the one hand, you're _half_ /tree/. It's comedy gold!"

Shihab - "But on the other hand, I'm really not -that- much of an arrogant brat, so I'd rather not come off like it all the time."

Shihab grins, taps the stick against his knee.

Jean-Paul smiles wryly.


Jean-Paul - "They are actually rather funny, sometimes."

Shihab glances dubiously at the trees. "...Are they really?"

Jean-Paul - "I like to think I've heard them all, but it appears that humanity has an unlimited capacity for creative mockery.

Jean-Paul looks confused.


Jean-Paul - "I'm sorry, what?

Shihab - "Ah, thought you meant trees. I suppose they -could- be funny, but I find the image of sitting around listening to the shrubbery cut up... er, odd."

Shihab - "And a bit unlikely."

Jean-Paul - "Tree humor contains a great deal of what humans would refer to as 'shaggy dog jokes'."

Shihab shrugs.


Jean-Paul - "And for trees, shaggy dog jokes can last years."

Shihab snerks.


Jean-Paul - "It's a pity, really."

Shihab - "Eh, there's probably a few around here who would get the punchline. You'd be surprised, I think, at the variety."

Jean-Paul - "They all live so long, but they waste their lives on deliberating, and descision-making, for so long...

Jean-Paul - Eh, what?

Shihab shrugs


Shihab - "I mean, you're probably not the oldest person in the school."

Jean-Paul - "Definitely not. I mean, there's Professor Freeman, for one."

Shihab raises an eyebrow

Shihab - "What about him?"


Jean-Paul - "Oh, just that he's definitely older than me."

Jean-Paul said innocently.


Shihab - "...Is he? I mean, I've always suspected it." Shihab shoved his hands in his pockets, nonchalantly, "Just curious as to how you managed to confirm that."

Jean-Paul - "I imagine that I draw my information from...different sources than you."

Jean-Paul waves a hand nonchalontly, as if to wave away further questions.

Shihab snorts loudly

Jean-Paul - "'Scuse?"


Shihab - "I imagine you do. But I also must imagine, since the man teaches magic - rather brilliantly - that he's not volunteering them even to -your- prestigious sources."

Jean-Paul - "He doesn't have to volunteer information for me to receive it."

Jean-Paul - "But that's beside the point."

Shihab - "Ah, yes. Gotta make sure you're a step above the mortal clime, of course."

Jean-Paul - "I didn't come here to compare...ah, magical abilities."

Jean-Paul smirks.


Shihab - "Of course not! I mean, we both know who'd win that one, so it's hardly necessary to give me additional ego boosts."

Shihab - "Though I do appreciate the thought." *smirks riiiight back*

Jean-Paul - "If you say so..."

Jean-Paul makes a strange rustling noise, probably impossible to duplicate with human vocal cords. (The closest a human could get to the word would be something like /pluzan/, a derogatory word in the language of the European oak trees meaning 'son of a djinn')


Jean-Paul - "In any case, you're probably wondering why I /did/ come over here."

Jean-Paul - If you aren't, I am.

Shihab - (...Son of a djinn?)

Jean-Paul - (The trees have very specific curse words. Lots of time to think of them.)

Shihab - "I suppose I am. I do have a magnetic personality, but I'm assuming you're not withering away from lack of companionship. After all, you are surrounded by your more flowery brethren, no?"

Jean-Paul - "Bah, them? These ones won't stop complaining about this and that. Transplants tend to be either whiny or painfully shy. You have to go into the forest to find good...conversation."

Jean-Paul eyes his apple and chuckles, then takes a big bite.

Shihab - "What's the joke? You'll have to pardon me, I don't speak leaf."

Jean-Paul makes a sort of a grimace, as if trying not to laugh.

Jean-Paul - "Ah...well, it's like this."

Jean-Paul - "Just think about which part of a tree the fruit is from, and how that would corrospond to a human."

Jean-Paul - "You're a smart boy, you'll get it eventually."

Jean-Paul smiles vaguely again.

Jean-Paul - "Doesn't really matter. I just came here because I'm bored. Here, apple for your thoughts."

Jean-Paul tosses him an (uneaten) one.

Shihab - "Ah, so you're amused by the idea of eating genitalia. How... wonderfully youthful of you." *catches apple, munches* "Thanks."

Jean-Paul - "Well, um...that's not really correct...at all...but sure, we can go with that."

Jean-Paul - "So, what are you thinking about, Shihab?"

Shihab - "Hmmm? Flight, I suppose."

Jean-Paul - "Interesting subject. Who or what?"

Shihab - "I've become rather interested in the idea of creating a solo-glider, lately. Done a few experiments, here and there. I wish we had a Physics teacher."

Jean-Paul - "A...solo-glider?"

Shihab - "Yep! One-person means of flying. The only person I've considered asking so far is Freeman, but I think this is beyond even his experience. What about you - know anything about flying?"

Jean-Paul - "That...depends. What's it made out of, and how's it going to work?"

Shihab - "Depends, and depends." *grin* It's complicated.

Jean-Paul - "Let me guess. Is that code for you don't know yet, because your still just thinking about it vaguely and haven't begun going over the concrete mechanisms yet?"

---

Shihab rolled his eyes. "No, it's code for I've made several designs, and can't decide which one I want to replicate - obviously some fly better than others, but I'd rather not overlook some huge flaw and fall to my death when testing the prototype, once it's built." He didn't feel the need to mention that he'd probably survive a fall from any height reached on campus, nor the fact that the glider was only a cover for his real goal - shape-shifting a pair of usable wings.

"I'm not as flighty as I look, you know."

[Jean-Paul de Chêne]

Jean-Paul was beginning to become interested. He'd contemplated flight before as well, although it hadn't ever gotten past merely thinking about it. His comment was more a reflection on himself than it was on Shihab. "The precise estimation of your actual flightiness as compared to that of your appearance shall be measured at a date which is both later and extremely boring, if at all. However, that is beside the point."

"I'm not sure how much help I'd be on the design, but an extra pair of eyes on the plans can't hurt. The actual building of it is a different story. If it's made out of plant-based materials, I can probably pull together anything under a couple of tons in less than an hour," Jean-Paul said in an off-hand manner. In reality, he knew that he could work with several hundred times that much weight at least, but if Shihab didn't know the full extent of his powers, so much the better.

[Shihab]

Shihab glanced over at Jean-Paul, his air not so much wary as curious - outwardly, anyway. How many of his blueprints did he really want to share with this kid? Hmm-- the mundane models, then, and the blueprints minus the magical components he'd planned on going over with Professor Freeman. Building a glider, aside from all his doubts, would probably be good practice for the full experiment, which-- he paused, a new thought arresting him-- would be done as far from any tree as possible. Yeah.

"Sure thing. I've got the blueprints in my dorm room-- up for a walk?"

[Jean-Paul de Chêne]

Jean-Paul smiled beatifically. "Certainly. It's not like I've got anything planned for today, anyway."

(Continued in the Library thread 'Blueprints and Wary Conversations')