Floating Around Somewhere Near the Seafang
"Ahahahahahaha, of course I'm a prize, any sorceress worth her weight in gold must be." Naga nodded enthusiastically at that, throwing her head back with riotous laughter while her assistant simply shook her head slowly. "But I can't even think of the last time I saw any of you, I was starting to think all of you had gotten killed by one monster or another - it's dangerous world out there, you know. It could prove fatal to people like you if you aren't careful. Thankfully I've been wandering these lands for quite some time, learning the lay of the land and becoming quite familiar with it."
She fired off an ice bolt at one of the incoming ruin hunters and wedging its laser mounts shut, then another, and another, until the sheer weight of ice was starting to make it wobble and teeter by the front of the ship.
"OH! We should go to the tavern after this! Now that's an idea."
Frontier Medical Center - Akihabara
"Can do, Gale. Can. Do." With a nod and a salute, M16 does one last straightening out of her jacket, and gives the nurse her space, heading on out to the entrance thanks to the helpful assistance of her staff. She also takes a moment to make some random hand gestures towards the assortment of T-Dolls over by the loading dock, then shrugs and puts a cigar in her mouth.
But doesn't light it. It's irresponsible to do that within 50 meters of a hospital air intake, after all. Still, it's about the feel. And honestly it just gives her something to do for a minute.
M16 lets out a low whistle when she comes out, smiling and doing a single quick golf clap in appreciation.
"Guess you know how to use more than the usual duds after all. Not bad. Not bad at all. Good thing you're a top-notch first responder, since you might need to help revive the weak-hearted out there when they spot ya."
She winked and held out the crook of her arm to link up with if Gale were so inclined, then started to stroll oceanwards at a leisurely pace.
"So the ocean caught your eye, huh? Wonder why.... Back in your world, ships must have been just about the only way to go around, wasn't it? Over the seas, at least. I'm sure you had trains and wagons for the rest, but something about ships and planes. Plenty of planes in 2062, at least, but... not much ocean in Serbia, you know?" She took in a deep breath of air and looked to the horizon. "Still, for a girl in a nurse's outfit, a ship might as well be a spaceship to a whole new world, couldn't it?"
She shakes her head slightly.
"Course, could just be overthinking it, and maybe you just like chowder and the ocean."
Edited by nman on Feb 6th 2021 at 2:09:07 AM
Seafang - Barry
"Yer forgetting that I'm a convicted criminal on the run here, missus!" By this point getting bored at just hanging onto a robot, Barry placed an elbow onto the bot and planted his head on his palm; looking for all intents and purposes relaxing in the middle of a sky fight with flying murder bots, one giant stonkin' flying ship and who knows how many stragglers out there.
"Really, ya kill one too many shmucks, got civvies in your kill list and all of a sudden, everyone's out to get ya. That, and I can't really drink in this body of mine, anyway!" a beat. "Buuuuut if ya still offerin' and boss is okay with it, this old tin bucket would be glad to hang around with a curvy young lass like ya! Eh? Eh?" One could almost feel the eyebrow waggling from his expression.
"Good luck convincing him, though!"
Frontier Medical Center -> Towards the pier - Nightingale
The nurse obliged, linking her arms with M16 and taking a stroll. She has her phone with her for emergency calls, all other tasks in the hospital are accounted for, there's nothing that was left amiss. So for this instance, she'll... take a break.
"Mm, sound guess. It might've been a sight for me, back then. Travelling abroad away from the shores for the first time." she recalls. "... But yes, in this case, you're overthinking it. I just find it far less of a hassle than the other options and more useful than listening to the radio alone."
At the leisurely pace and as they get closer to be able to see the sea, Nightingale's gaze fell at the beaches, the waves and the ocean. Not thinking of anything in particular, just... watching.
"Don't disappoint me."
Edited by JustSomeGuy732 on Jan 21st 2021 at 7:29:01 PM
Akihabara Waterfront
"Alright, you got it; I'll think less and enjoy the moment, then. Though jeez, that's a lot of pressure, huh? Good thing I'm used to working in some real stressful conditions, so I think I can pull this off...." M16 laughed as they walked along, and she tracked down a restaurant counter where an old man sold clam chowder in such large quantities it was served in a carved-out loaf of sourdough bread
◊ instead of a cup, and with a spoon and plenty of napkins on the side. Leaving the guy a generous twenty for the nigh-instantaneous service, she tilted her chin at Nightingale.
"No point staying still when you can get called away any second, so... how about I be the table, eh? Pretty sure I can walk and carry this without breaking my face, at least." She adjusted the tray against her torso so that she could prop it in place, her hands holding it steady in the opposite corners with as much precision and stability as she would her rifle, and then held it out.
"Now let's see about finding a good vantage spot... unless you're just so overwhelmed right now you need a minute to sit down and let your head process what your tongue is feeling."
Dark Samus (Frontier Medical Center Outskirts -> Akihabara Waterfront)
As it so happened, Samus's path would take her to the pier as well, but she had ended up on the beach itself. With a thought, her armor morphed, so to speak, and soon it was absorbed back into her, leaving her in her familiar attire she'd arrived in all those years ago. With that done, Samus sat, and observed the water, her mind relaxing for just a little while.
Sonia Belmont - Fantasia
Catching a familiar scent on the wind herself, and then hearing Lappland come into sight and address her, she gave the lupo a flat stare.
"I was trying to sit down, but then found myself interrupted. What in all the Hells is that?" She asked, pointing to the flying ship nearby.
Tawna (Kaibadome)
Upon being approached by a younger boy, Tawna gave Mokuba a smile, pleased to have a friendly face to talk to.
"I'd say they are and then some. You and your brother have really made something special here." She said, and offered her hand. "Tawna. And you?"
Proud member of the AGOG community.Akihabara Waterfront - Nightingale
"Quiet, you." taking a bite out of the chowder(taking great care not to stain her clothes in the process), her eyes scanned about... until it settles onto a small hill of sorts; currently occupied by very few beach goers and such. Ships come and to, docking and offloading their hauls and passengers; the sound of the waves crashing against the beachside-
"... Can't. Am still thinking about it." she leans against M16. "It was supposed to be a distraction, but I still feel I could be of better use elsewhere. Despite the lengths you went to..."
...
"Were you always this considerate?"
Edited by JustSomeGuy732 on Jan 21st 2021 at 5:34:20 PM
Akihabara Waterfront
"Who knows," M16 said. "Who knows. M4 used to be the one calling the shots, but always forgot about herself, guess I got used to noticing when someone's wearing themselves thin. Everyone on the squad, really. Someone's got to be the one to watch the watchers, you know? And maybe you just start noticing things about people you c-spend time with. And if there's one thing I can do well, it's scoping in and getting my eye on someone."
She tilted her head back, carefully making sure to have the chowder balanced in one hand so that she could take her other hand off and tap her non-eyepatched eye.
"But hey, it's progress." She puts her hand back down, and starts to walk the way the nurse was indicating. "You wouldn't be you if you could just... wipe out your calendar, throw everything out the window, and head off to party at Gotham U for a week. Baby steps. Just take whatever breaks you're comfortable with now, and hell, maybe you'll start getting used to them."
Lappland - Fantasia
Sonia's flat glare only made Lappland's smirk grow wider, her tail flicking behind her as she turned to follow the woman's pointing finger.
"Oh, that's the Seafang. Wulfrik and his little cult on one of their murder pilgrimages." She rolled her eyes at that, letting out a derisive little giggle. "As for the golems running around, your guess is as good as mine!"
—
Yue - Akihabara park
It really was a day for surprises. Yue's eyebrows shot up as her new friend lifted her hood, revealing a face she hadn't seen in ten years. Somewhere nearby, a sentry fairy let out a gasp, as Yue took a quick sprint back down memory lane, putting the pieces together.
Ah. Of course.
"I didn't kill anyone." She replied after a moment, folding her arms over her chest. "And neither did the Ascendancy, it seems."
It all seemed painfully obvious in hindsight. Tekka's raid on the van to recover their 'prisoner'. The utter farce of their execution by orbital launch. Their penchant for psycho-digitization. Yue leaned back in her seat again, her composure regained even as her mind raced.
"At the risk of repeating myself - it's been ten years. Why come to me now? Do know what Aizen has been doing all these years?"
Gotham, Coventry: Riddle Me This...
"You're getting warmer~!" the voice of Edward Nigma hummed through the radio. "Just a few blocks to go. You're so close I can almost see your stupid little noseless face!"
Krillin ignored the taunt; he'd been called "noseless" since he was old enough to know what a nose is, and no matter how many times he tried to explain to people that, yes, he did have a nose, that only seemed to spark more prodding curiosity.
My little girl's got my nose, thank you very much. he thought...only to feel an immediate need to bury the realization that his little girl wouldn't be so little anymore.
FOCUS, Krillin! This guy was crazy enough to try planting a bomb in the precinct—you can't let yourself get distracted!
The likes of Edward Nigma were an increasingly rare breed—what kind of criminal would plant a bomb in the back of a police precinct alongside a two-way radio and a personal challenge to a battle of wits? It was almost charming, in a weirdly chivalrous kind of way. The bomb itself wasn't a problem thanks to the GCPD's advancements in tech over the years, but it seemed that Mr. Nigma was a little behind the times. That, or his options to grab any form of attention were really slim nowadays. With many of his contemporaries run out of town, taken out by the Outsider competition, or already locked behind bars, the native Gotham Rogues were practically an endangered species.
"Aaaaaaaaand stop. Congratulations, Supercop: you're capable of following the simplest of instructions! I'm sure even someone as slow-witted as you could find where to park."
Krillin winced at the sound of his moniker, but said nothing for now. Instead, he guided his GCPD cruiser into the street-side parking space drowning in spray-painted green question marks.
"Is this guy for real?"
"OF COURSE I'M FOR REAL!" the radio screeched loud enough to make Krillin flinch. "And the next time to doubt my seriousness, there's going to be HELL to pay! You got that?!"
"G-got it." Krillin stuttered, though that was more or less due to an old habit. Mr. Nigma was using Bulma levels of shrill-yelling.
"Good. Now step out of your car and take a look at your surroundings."
Krillin complied, and glanced around the abandoned area. Seemed like it was probably a popular place back in the day; a few blocks ago he'd passed a giant building with the words "Iceberg Lounge" above the entrance—looked like an expensive place to keep warm in the winter. All in all, things around Coventry were pretty high-end, far as Gotham's buildings went.
Of course, that's partly because they were all built decades before the GLA set up shop in Burnley. Krillin hadn't been around when they planted their roots in Gotham, but from what he heard from his native co-workers, dealing with them was a problem unlike any they'd seen before. They weren't an overwhelming obstacle most of the time, but that was part of the problem: they didn't act like the hum-drum thugs scattered around Gotham working for the colorful one or two-note Rogues. There was a method to their madness that went beyond one collective act of supervillainy...or rather, their one collective act of supervillainy was so big that it eventually threatened to tear Gotham apart for good.
So looking around, the police officer didn't see the ghost of Gotham's prime hot spot for night life—he saw a grueling and desolated battlefield where not even the faded tag marks could bring color to the world. A subway entrance sealed off from the grid over a decade ago. A building crowned with a fat water tower and boasting more broken windows than working ones, without even boards over the entrance to shield it from the cold. A bus stop with the awning ripped from its foundation and toppled over the lip of the street. A yawning parking garage no doubt stripped of anything that resembled a vehicle. A cracked and pothole-heavy road under a sleepy overcast sky.
Nooooooooooot exactly a tropical resort.
"Now then, Supercop—riddle me this: From—"
"You're in the water tower."
"Wha—I was just getting started!"
Krillin sighed as his feet left the ground and he rose towards the building's roof. "I can sense people's energy, Mr. Nigma. You're—"
"That's The Riddler to you!"
"You're not exactly in the hardest place to detect."
"Tch. No matter! Even if you have found my secret hideout, you have a snowball's chance in Hell of breaking through my defenses! I designed the door's security myself, you know."
Levitating above the water tower's hatch, the martial artist took a moment to study the Rogue's handiwork: a keypad with a wire snaking into the door's lock, with another wire connected to something on the hatch's exterior—a little can Krillin had the sneaking suspicion didn't hold anything pleasant inside it.
"Here's what's going to happen: I'm going to give you a riddle, the answer to which opens the hatch to my hideout. Punch the correct answer into the keypad, and the hatch will unlock. But punch the wrong answer in, and that can of neurotoxins will open, coating the entire block in a poisonous gas that'll shrivel your lungs faster than you can say 'quagmire!' So, Supercop—are you ready?"
Krillin let out a deeply exasperated sigh. "Can I call a time-out for a second?"
"Oh? Giving up already?"
"It's not that. It's just...could you please stop calling me that? I tolerate being called 'Supercop' cuz it helps me teach kids to stay away from crime, but I'm not a superhero and...well, I don't pretend to be. And I really don't like it when adults call me that, as if it's a title to be taken seriously. So I'd really appreciate it if you would just call me Sergeant Krillin, Mr. Nigma."
"That's THE RIDDLER you pint-sized imbecile! Must I write it down for you?!"
"Oooookay. Looks like we're on opposite sides of this debate. Hey, if it helps, Mr. Ni—uhh, Riddler: I think I figured out the answer."
"What?! But I haven't even told you the—"
"DESTRUCTO DISC!"
A flat buzzsaw-like ki blast sliced through the top of the water tower like warm butter. A moment later, and a short mustache-sporting man
in a GCPD uniform peeled off the roof like it was little more than a tractor tire.
Inside was a fairly comfortable hideout, all things considered. It lacked much in terms of sophistication—the walls and floor were clearly just the water tower's metal casing painted over in the Riddler's favorite color—but it had a few security monitors surveying the neighborhood, a weapon's closet (unfortunately empty), a workbench with a few little gadgets strewn across the table, a minifridge, and a couch one could definitely crash on for a long weekend. Not half bad!
"You..." growled an aging man sporting a jacket better suited to a man trying to get you money from the government
◊, "you filthy CHEATER! What part of 'battle of wits' did you not understand?!"
"You didn't like it? I thought I was being kinda clever." The martial artist seemed deflated, even as he slid the roof off its base and gently onto the building. Though by the time he hopped back into the surprisingly spacey hideout, he'd recovered enough self-esteem to elaborate. "You said the door would unlock if I put in the right answer, and the gas would release if I put in the wrong one, so my real goal was to get inside without needing to touch the keypad at all. Since I don't need to unlock the door to get in, I don't need to figure out the right answer. And since I didn't put in a wrong answer by skipping the puzzle altogether, the gas stays safely in the can!"
"No no no no no no no NO NO NO NO NO!!! You're supposed to play by my rules! I'm the one who set this all up, so I'm the one who decides the win conditions!"
Krillin crossed his arms in almost paternal disapproval. "Sounds to me like somebody never learned the meaning of good sportsmanship. I don't win by outsmarting you, Riddler; I win by bringing you to jail for breaking the law."
The Riddler saw his challenger give an inch, and so he took a mile. The Rogue's previously crumpled and strained expressions smoothed, his back straightened—even puffing out his chest—and a small yet oh-so superior smile curled on his lips.
"So. It seems that not even the great Supercop—"
"Sergeant Krillin."
"can defeat me—"
"Edward Nigma."
"THE RIDDLER! Well, sorry to disappoint you twice, SuperFLOP, but you can neither beat me in a battle of wits, nor take me into custody. For you see..."
With a tap of his necktie, a previously unseen mechanism activated behind the Riddler's back—expanding and reshaping into a large backpack-like device with two arm rests and joysticks to help steer the clumsy thing.
"I always have a backup plan! HA HA HA HA HA!"
With the roar of the jetpack drowning out his evil laugh, Krillin could only shield his face from the burning light as the Rogue made his daring escape...though with the Riddler rising towards the heavens, Krillin allowed himself a quiet—if somewhat cheesy—victory quip of his own.
I might not have a backup plan, but I DO have backup.
Unclipping the police radio on his uniform's breast pocket, Krillin relayed his message in just four words:
"He's all yours, Arc!"
Edited by TheodoreHastings on Jan 22nd 2021 at 7:56:25 AM
Akihabara Waterfront - Nightingale
The nurse walked in tandem, M16 in tow. While previously she looked afar at the ocean, now she's looking after the raifu's expression, digesting her words.
"Make it a habit." she repeated after herself. "That, I can do."
Once they're at the hill, Gale stood, overlooking everything. "What will you do afterwards? Once you're done testing the prototypes." Then she looked at the specific part of the android's head.
"... I could fix that up, you know. Or even your contractor. I find it hard to believe the largest robotics manufacturer in the world are unable to patch that. Or is there a deeper meaning to it?"
Akihabara Waterfront
"That easy? Shit, I should have tried doing this years ago." M16 chuckled. "But be careful. Could be, what's the medical term... addictive."
At the hill, she takes a long moment to look it over, checking out the harbor area. Hard to believe that just ten years ago, this place had been an absolute war zone. She sometimes wondered what happened to that crazy guy with the bugs, he had been there with her, Kaga, and Reiko when they were shooting up those Fire Nation clowns back at the beginning. Now... people were buying chowder and ice cream, watching ships sail by and planes take off, fishing, or whatever else you did when you weren't fighting for your survival.
"Guess I'll do what I always do. See who'll take them, work on finding the next big thing, and then see who'll take those." She shrugged. "That's the routine at least, I can mix in some fun between those three steps. As for this...."
M16 taps her eyepatch, slowly lowering her hand and running her fingers down her scars.
"I could get it fixed, sure. But... it's a reminder of where I came from. If you're not going to pay attention with the eyes you have, you don't deserve them. So now I just keep the one always open. And I get by well enough. Unless...."
She smirks at the nurse.
"You're saying you don't like how it looks." She can only hold that smirk temporarily, and settles for quietly tracing the tips of her fingers along the valleys of scars under her eye, her tongue rubbing her lips in thought for a moment. "Though... if it really eats away at you, like seeing someone with their shoes untied and you just have to fix it, I... I guess I wouldn't mind if you want to take a crack at it. Just the eye, though. I've gotten too used to the scars. They give me a distinguished aura, you know? Plus, ladies like scars, don't they?"
Akihabara Waterfront - Nightingale
"You're asking if a nurse admires seeing lingering injuries upon a person, much less someone they know." Nightingale retorts rhetorically, making her thoughts abundantly clear on the matter. "Worse, you've given me permission to operate you. I expect no complaints when we return back to the hospital."
"I won't pretend to know the significance, to carry such scars when my job is to patch them up. Nor do I understand the need to punish yourself, when living by itself should be something to be cherished." the Servant looked at the raifu, almost harshly... then gazes back at the beach, nibbling onto the chowder.
"... I won't press the issue. It meant something to you, and that answer is enough."
Akihabara Waterfront
"Any excuse to strap me down, huh?" M16 grins, but softens up after a moment. "I'll... think about it. You're trying new things out here, might be good for me to do the same. A little bit of quid pro quo, you know? Remember to ask me again next time we do this, aye?"
Speaking of aye, she couldn't help but eye that bowl that Nightingale was working on and slowly smile.
"So what's the verdict, this beat your normal hospital food or did I tip that guy too much?"
Then with a nod of her head, she looks over at the water.
"You know, they say you shouldn't swim for 30 minutes after eating, but in my - admittedly, limited - medical opinion, I don't think that sort of thing applies to people in our condition, huh?" She inclines her head towards where the water meets the sand. "Plus, if you just took off your shoes to get a feel for the sand, that wouldn't really be swimming, no? Course, be a shame to get salt water on your nice clothes the first time you wear it out, if you just want to admire the view."
She takes out her flask with one hand, and takes a small swing before giving her a wink.
"I could do the same."
Edited by nman on Jan 26th 2021 at 5:31:30 AM
"The Ascendancy did kill someone. My body is dead...I'm here, but..."
A rare bit of inflection creeped into Reiko's voice; just a hint of uncertainty was present, now. "I don't know if I'm myself. They have a machine that can upload minds. I was a test...it took this long for them to build a machine that looks like me." She closes her eyes. "Reiko Kuchiba might have died there. I might be a copy, myself."
She remained silent as she thought about this, herself. For all of this time, she had been trying to wrestle with that Ship of Theseus-idea, that a rebuilt thing is no longer the original. With almost all of her companions for this interim being machines themselves, she had only spoken of her concern once, and it had been brushed off. Even with the utter uncaring that she exhibited towards whatever she faced in life, she didn't want death. Had she truly experienced it already?
Nevertheless, she answered fully: "Aizen is building a religion. I couldn't come until now for many reasons..."
"...and I want revenge."
Yue - Akihabara park
The cloud of suspended pages and photographs parted around Yue as she got to her feet, then flew back into their folder as she passed. The mage hooked her hands behind her back as she marshaled her own thoughts, shooting Reiko a slightly-softening look.
She may be a killer, but she was clearly going through some sort of existential crisis. Besides, the Frontier was steadily eroding that particular moral high ground.
"Some trans-humanist philosophers might say that, since consciousness is subjective, all instances of Reiko have an equal claim to primacy. As you are the Reiko that's currently conscious, they would consider you as having survived, subjectively and retroactively speaking."
She cleared her throat, shuffling the rest of the philosophy lecture into the back of her mind. Not quite the time or place, this. "In any event... I'll take the case. I could do with a little closure myself, and I don't like the idea of a someone like this Aizen running amok. The Frontier is too... malleable. As for Daud, I'll have to see what he says. He retired years ago."
Old man, you are going to hate me for this... but I think you might hate me more if I leave you in the dark.
"I'll need you to tell me absolutely everything you know, down to the smallest detail. I have a place where I can gaurateee our privacy, too." She held out hand hand towards Reiko, raising one eyebrow slightly. "Shall we?"
Edited by LittleMako on Feb 10th 2021 at 1:10:59 AM
Akihabara Waterfront - Nightingale
"I will. And I have nothing to complain about." she replied, in regards to her verdict on the delicacy bought. "Overly tipped, too sweet. But it suffices."
The raifu's next words did get a look from the nurse, as if she can clearly see through M16's intention. Or maybe that's her way of being natural around the nurse, getting her out of her comfort zone?
Removing her shoes with but a lift of her feet, Nightingale opted to respond via action; walking down her soles down the waves at the sandy beach. And turned around, hands still clasped onto the other girl; as if accepting the invitation and beckoning M16 to join her.
Thoughts about work swayed away, for the moment.
Akihabara Waterfront
"I'll keep that in mind next time I pay...." M16 awkwardly rubbed the back of her head. She knew she should have just given that old bastard a tenner! She just had to get cocky and drop a twenty like some jackass!
Having to take off her own boots with slightly less grace than the nurse did, she nonetheless approached the water when she was summoned.
"Ten goddamn years...." She muttered. "Ten years to finally take a break. And that's just in this place. Who knows how much you were working yourself to the bone before. At this rate it might be the end of the century before I can get you to take vacation. Course, if you spend the next ninety years planning it, I'm sure you'd have one hell of a trip. And who knows how big this place'll be by then. Might have cruise ships taking you around the solar system - go skiing on one of those icy moons, or find a beach just like this on Mars."
She kicked at the water's surface, sending a tiny splash outwards towards the rising sun.
"Alright, if I overpaid for this, I might as well see what the fuss is about."
With one hand dedicated to the task of holding the paper tray, she reached at the rim of the bread bowl with her free hand, starting to pinch a piece out of the crust.
"Course, ninety years, won't just be the scenery that's changed. Think you'll still have the same office - same building, even? Maybe by then you'll get yourself a nice skyscraper. Corner office - ocean view, of course."
She winked.
Wulfrik, Seafang
-The Seafang's crew fires at the flying guardians, finally bringing one of them down. Having carved through the neck of the huge one, Wulfrik puts out his light-saber and hauls himself back aboard to find the slattern-witch aboard HIS ship.-
What are YOU-
-Wulfrik emits a piercing sound, and one of the Cold Ones turns its burning eye towards Naga.-
Get off my ship, woman! There are no monkeys for you to behead here!
Nightingale - Akihabara Waterfront
"I don't require breaks." Nightingale counters. "My work is my life. If you worry of my sanity and exhaustion, don't be. The devotion to my creed in life is the reason why I can manifest as is, back in Chaldea and in the here and now."
Gentle waves greeted her feet. Wonder if the same wave would exist in the far future as M16 said. "Likely not. Regardless, long as ills, diseases and injuries continue to exist, I'll still have a reason of being." She ponders. "Seeing others take in my torch and spreading it far and wide, however... I like the thought of that."
... She realized mid-way that this was supposed to be a break arranged by the raifu, for her. "I enjoyed having time to think for myself. The way you forced yourself like a wrench to my life. And neither would I be opposed to another vacation." Nightigale turned, looking towards M16 with a slight change to her usually neutral expression. Almost as if she's trying to be cheeky.
"Look forward to it in the next century."
Barry - On-top of the Seafang
"Sup, boss!" And came aboard was one Barry, with a fistful of... actually, the automaton wasn't sure what he's holding beyond wires and core-looking thing that he got from the head of one of those death bot but eh, he threw it back.
If nothing else, Barry looked just about as jolly as ever in this supposedly-tense situation.
Elsewhere, near the Akihabaran Portal
Considering the portal has been around for as long as the locals can remember and oft been used by either major factions, the eccentric or just tourists/adventurers seeking thrills and excitement, normally the appearance of people in uniforms are easy to remiss. And it would've, had it just been a couple or so folks appearing at a time and not an entire platoon worth of military types coming out in procession, in rank formation; each of them wearing dark jackets with blue overcoats and on their left chest is emblazoned their insignia designating their ranks.
And among the last to come out of the portal was a man with an eye-patch,
◊ moving about in the center of this formation with hands behind his back as if he's on a casual stroll. "My, what a surprise. I was expecting another pleasant hamlet, yet words fail me at how developed this town is."
The Amestrian delegation is here, clearly led by the man who looks at ease there.
Edited by JustSomeGuy732 on Feb 5th 2021 at 7:01:56 PM
Near Akihabaran Portal
As a platoon assembled right next to Akihabara’s main portal, a small convoy consisting of a mix of troop and cargo transport trucks approached the portal area. Some of these flags had smaller versions of the old Log Horizon District flag
◊ flapping in the wind. Upon getting close to the platoon, the head truck stopped, and so followed the others. Soldiers, some in armor and some in similar blue uniforms
◊ to the newcomers, peeked from out of the military trucks to see what was the hold up.
After a few seconds, a woman with a long black ponytail, wearing some armor over her uniform and an assault rifle slung over her shoulder, stepped out from one of the middle trucks and approached the head of the caravan. A short, rotund man with short blond hair, a wide brimmed wizard-like hat shadowing over his face, and a staff followed shortly after.
After taking a moment to survey the Amestrian delegation, the woman spoke, her eyes focused on the man with the eyepatch, “I am Rayne Frauss, Member of the Jadewood Guild and Knight of the Theldesian Empire.”
The short man nodded with a slight bow, “I’m Carlos Vilnov, also part of the Jadewood Guild and Knight of Theldesia.”
Rayne continued, “Would you do the honor of introducing yourselves? From your uniforms, it is clear that you are not from any of the nations we’ve encountered so far.”
Edited by CathariSarad on Feb 2nd 2021 at 2:50:24 PM
Near Akihabaran Portal - Amestrians
The Amestrian soldiers salute at the incoming convoys, identifying them as persons of importance(while marching a bit away from the portal entrance, to prevent portal congestion). Some of the soldiers carried their own rifles and pistols strapped, but not all. Noticeably still is how some of them had no weapons on their person at all while the leader of this procession has nothing but a rapier at his side.
"Hoho. Such polite company they keep." the man rubbed his chin. "It's as you say. King Bradley, of Amestris Central Command. I've heard tales of other nations existing far east of our borders, and it seems I rightfully guessed that the portal near us would be connected to one."
"We've come to establish contact and open a dialogue between our people. To the old guards, as one would put it." he began. "And to get a sense of the world at large. I take that ours is not the only nation to be wrested away so suddenly."
Edited by JustSomeGuy732 on Feb 5th 2021 at 7:01:19 PM
Floating Around Somewhere Near the Seafang
"Ha, as if I'd resort to selling monkey heads." Naga put her hands on her hips and scoffed. "They're so tiny and smell, and they're worth almost nothing! Jewels are far more valuable."
She waved off the notion. And then waved a fireball down at one of the approaching flying robots.
"As if I'd want to get my shoes dirty on this floor."
She calmly hovered away from the ship, making sure not to touch it.
As the machines were being battered around by everyone, there was a CRACK and a RUMBLE coming up from the ruins, and the towering fifty-foot big brother
◊ of the now diminutive-looking machines pulled itself up from between some shattered pillars.
It took one look upwards, and then stood stock-still, energy starting to charge up and gather on its face....
Akihabara Waterfront
"A wrench, that so? Sturdy, reliable, and I guess I am good at twisting knobs...." M16 her head. "Next century, let me check my calendar for thirty thousand days out..."
She mimicked tabbing through her phone for a moment, eventually stopping, looking at it for a moment, and nodding. "Alright, it's a date, then. I'll hold you to it."
Glancing out over the water, whistled once.
"You know, since we're out here, be a shame to come this close just to look at the bay. And get your ankles wet, I guess."
"And vith how much standing you do, vould you like to sit down, ja?" Eugen appeared out of thin air next to M16, both of them winking as she had her rigging out, a cup of coffee perfectly balanced on a turret, and a nice wide, flat surface on the shark-like hull by her side, at just the right height to take a seat. "You know, come to think of it, it is in wogue for doctors to go out on the bay on their yacht time and again, no? Vould be good for you to learn to play the part, yes?"
Edited by nman on Feb 6th 2021 at 2:12:14 AM
Near Akihabaran Portal - Siluca’s Knights
“A King you say?” said Rayne.
Both Knight-ranked grunts seemed astonished by this.
“Uhh..” Carlos said.
“Forgive us for our impropriety, but if you’re a king…”
“Are you the main guy in charge though? Cause you say you’re a King but it almost sounds like you’re a high ranking officer instead of the main leader,” said Carlos.
“Anyway,” said Rayne, “as you’ve said, your nation isn’t the only one to have arrived here. There are others like the Fire Nation to the southeast, Gotham, Melkia, Britannia, and our former homeland of Camoa.
“Theldesia as a country was established in this world, though our government traces its roots from the ideas and vision of Shiroe the Founder, a man who once lived in this city and shaped the first Akihabaran government."
“Oh yeah,” said the short mage, “this isn’t technically part of the Theldesian Empire’s territory. We’re in sort of a weird neutral zone established by the Akihabaran nations about ten years ago. Pretty much all of the Akihabaran nations use this portal for one reason or another; we were just about to escort this shipment on over to Melkia.”
Carlos gestured on over to the cargo trucks with his thumb.
“Just wanted to say that so you didn’t get the wrong idea,” Carlos said.
“As my comrade has said,” said Rayne, “Theldesia isn’t the only nation that originated from this city. It is said that this city is a beacon of sorts for people with great talent and ability, or those who had made some mark on the worlds they came from. Some among those went on to establish the various Akihabaran nations. In fact, our beloved Empress had been among those first arrivals, who helped protect and rebuild this city after the Akihabarans from the time of Shiroe had vanished.”
There was a somewhat awkward pause as the ponytailed woman thought for a moment, before then pulling out a somewhat bulky smartphone/phone and pressing on it.
“I’m going to get in contact with the local embassy for a moment. We’re not exactly specialized in handling formal diplomatic arrangements outside of first contact, so there’ll be some more people coming by in a few minutes.”
“Yeah,” said Carlos, “plus there’s bound to be some people from the other nations coming once they catch wind there’s new guys in town, not to mention anyone else still based in this city.”
Edited by CathariSarad on Feb 4th 2021 at 4:10:36 AM
Akihabara, Portal Area: Take Me to Your Lea—Wait, He's Literally Right Here?
Wake clenched his jaw as the coffee pulled a Sherman's March down his throat. His mornings didn't often leave him free to grab a fresh cup of joe, and the one or two hour-old batches were a lot more tolerant with the "gulped, not sipped" approach. Yet despite the risk, the taste of fresh (if scalding) coffee was enough to put a little spring in Wake's step.
It was rare for the Chief Adviser to Gotham's Mayor to be so far away from his office and not off on some official business. Once in a while he liked to take a personal day, step out of his gloomy overcast clawing-out-of-the-depths-of-anarchy comfort zone and explore the Frontiers a little bit.
The civilized portions of the Frontiers, of course. Let's not get carried away, here.
Such was his plan today when he hopped through the cemetery's portal and into Akihabaran territory...and straight into not one, but two sets of military types facing off in a way that almost made Wake step straight back through the portal. Neither side looked like the Street Fighter's people, which meant this was bound to become a three-way conflict he wanted absolutely no part of. He'd made a bold habit of mocking the Pathfinders' temperamental "neutrality" over the years; the last thing he wanted to do was tempt Chun-Li with a chance to call him a big fat hypocrite.
Yet as the dialogue progressed and sabers remained unrattled, the Chief Adviser dared to take some soft and curious steps towards the Amestris flank. He didn't try to hide, exactly, but he also made no moves to step center stage. Far as both sides might be concerned, he was just a (finely dressed) civilian with a paper cup in hand, just as curious to see the soldiers facing off as the soldiers were themselves. Though whichever Amestrian or Theldesian troops spotted the man in black might note that he seemed a touch confused by this back-and-forth between apparent strangers.
...these guys aren't from the same place? Christ, their uniforms are damn near identical! Blue overcoats are a great uniform gentlemen, but they're not the ONLY one.
Wake took another swig of coffee (a gentler one, this time) as he soaked up the story from the sidelines. He'd heard about a civilization showing up far to the northwest, but since no portal gate had shown up and it wasn't exactly in their backyard, the Chief Adviser hadn't given it much thought. Besides, how was any city state—let alone Gotham—supposed to introduce themselves to a nation that seemed happy to stay strictly to themselves? Storm through the gates with a big parade?
But His Majesty here was ready to sit at the Big Boy table now—better late than never, at least. The guys in charge of the cargo trip to Melkia couldn't have given Wake a better cue if they tried.
"Speak of the Devil, and the Devil will appear."
The man that approached the front lines of each side was well kept, middle-aged, and slightly taller than the Fuhrer of Amestris. Judging by his black three piece suit and gold pocket watch, he was on his way to a ritzy gala...or coming back from one, given the time of day and the paper cup of coffee in his hand.
"Alan Wake, Your Majesty." he smiled to King with a small bow. "I'm the Chief Adviser of Cody Travers, Mayor of Gotham. As his right hand man, I've had more than my fair share of delegation duties; it would be an honor to share what Gotham might have to offer your kingdom...Amestris, did I hear correctly?"
Only now did Wake seem to notice the paper cup in his hand, and his gentle smile shifted into an apologetic wince. "Pardon my eavesdropping. I stumbled on your guard on my morning walk; curiosity's a bit of a flaw of mine."
Akihabara Waterfront - Nightingale
". . . I will be under your care and mercy throughout the whole trip." the nurse stated plainly. Just her and two M16s, surrounded by the sea all around them. She trusts them to not simply drop her out of nowhere, nor does she actually mind that much since she can simply just swim back inland with minor hassle.
She just has a distinct feeling that she'll give them more ammo and opportunity to be as flirtatious as ever.
... Nevertheless, Nightingale had already gotten this far. And amused the soldier's invitation in spite of herself. That in mind, she leapt into the lion's den and sat on Eugen's deck.
"Never been a sailor. I have no idea how to act like one and commandeer a yacht." she looked at Eugen. "Nor have I ever had someone personally be one."
...
...
"Should I hum? I'm terrible at singing." she recalls her staff and patients alike singing this one tune that's been getting popular, for some reason. Shanties or something.
Fantasia; The Seafang - Barry
"I certainly wouldn't mind getting down and dirty on the floor with ya, if you know what I mean." Classic move and non-existent eyebrow wiggle there, Barry! Surely even his undeniable wits could charm even Naga herself!
Unfortunately, the living automail's impeccable advances had to be put on hold when the death bot's bigger brother decided to show up and lookin' to prepare to blast the ship away. "Darn, and I was just about to get to the good part!"
Much as he wants to continue, he'd rather prefer that the only thing that keeps him away from pesky police and authorities not being blown up. So he bungee-jumps out of the ship(the rope on his body still attached to said ship's mast) and shot a harpoon at the thing's 'face' using his harpoon-gun; getting its attention even as Barry swings about.
"Oi! Over here, yer oversized rustbucket!"
Akihabara Portal - Fuhrer and his Entourage
"At ease, knights. I suffered through enough formalities back home as is. 'Sir' will do just fine." the man laughed and looked on in apparent bemusement at the respectful tone and surprises, being referred to as one of high blood and royalty; illiciting a few coughs from his escorts. "And let me correct myself, King Bradley is my name and Fuhrer is my official title. Given how intertwined our state's history is with its military, I suppose that does make me the leading authority in Amestris. We're most certainly not a monarchy, I can attest to that much."
Another fanciful man joined them, getting the Fuhrer to turn his head to give a slight nod and a relaxed smile to Alan. For a man bearing the leadership role of an entire state and surrounded by well-disciplined soldiers, he sure is casual and approachable.
"Already, I've learned more than what my scouts ever reported beyond rumours and names. With a portal like this, it almost makes our on-going railway network obsolete." He looks upon the portal with fascination. "Oh, but don't let this old man distract you from your cargo. Run along now, we'll wait for your embassy here."
An officer then approached him, whispering in the Fuhrer. "Sir, they're ready."
"Good, send just the transports in. We're in safe, neutral grounds here." he ponders. "Maintain our checkpoint but send word that the area is no longer restricted. It would do good, to let our citizens mingle."
With an affirmative nod, the officer walked to the portal... and in, came three vehicle carriages(with the back having the capacity of a stagecoach) that looked as if it came straight out of the early twentieth century.
Another officer came forward, opening the back door for the Fuhrer to be let in.
"Care to join me, Mr. Wake?" Fuhrer Bradley beckons, one foot already in the car; taking note of his paper cup. "I could stand to know some good coffee shop recommendation around this parts before having my schedule swamped with meetings."

Frontier Medical Center -> Whereever M16 will lead her - Nightingale
Taking a moment to look at herself, she makes two conclusion. "A coat. And a word to the staff to keep me updated on any emergencies while I'm away. Wait outside, I'll be there." Not taking no for an answer, the Head Nurse practically shoos and ushers her out, further helped by the hospital's own security details.
Not too long a moment later, a dressed-up Nightingale would appear outside,
◊ a noticeable nod given to M16 that she's ready to let the raifu take the lead.
... Were Dark Samus still around and if the nurse made any signs to notice the lingering presence outside, she doesn't show it.