The Quantum Reach

Aichi

Among the many strange and astounding people, one many notice a young teenage boy with blue hair walking around the city sidewalk. He seems incredibly... confused?

"Um..."

He's been walking around the city for a little bit, completely and utterly lost... After all, one moment he was just back home with his friends and the next he's in this strange place! He was in absolute awe at first, just like anyone else would be...

...But then he realized that he's... well, separated from everything he knows and loves. At the very least he has his beloved Royal Paladin deck with him so he's not completely alone...

Where should he be looking...?

He stops, bringing his fingers up to his chin in thought. He's not really sure what this place is or where to go, but maybe he can get some help from one of the locals...?

So he begins looking around for someone that isn't particularly busy, hoping that maybe someone could help him...

Edited by CrystalMemoria on Aug 28th 2020 at 9:20:39 AM

Katya

Well, it seemed like Setsuna had already managed to get into trouble. Katya merely exhaled and decided to not get involved with whatever mess the oni had instigated, instead adjusting the strap of her guitar case and turning on her heel to walk in the opposite direction instead. So caught up was she in looking up at the sights that she almost bumped into a certain blue-haired boy coming the opposite direction—but managed to duck aside at the last minute, giving him a friendly smile as she composed herself.

He seemed somewhat nervous in demeanour, so she elected not to introduce herself with too much enthusiasm. Still, she did so in a friendly manner—albeit while cocking her head a fraction to one side as she looked him up and down.

“Very sorry about that~! I nearly didn't see you at first. Are you alright? You look a little... lost. Not to presume, of course...”

(...-tick-...)

(...-tock-...)

Edited by Enirboreh on Aug 28th 2020 at 10:49:40 AM

Aichi

The boy nearly falls over when Katya almost bumps into him, but he manages to keep himself upright.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" He gets out in a bit of a hurry. He really should have been paying more attention to where he was going!

He then blinks, a little confused by Katya's apology. After all, she didn't do anything wrong!

"Ah, I'm all right, it's just..." Well... he is rather lost...

"This place... I suddenly appeared here, and I was wondering if someone here could help me." He says with a sheepish expression, honestly a little out of his element here.

Edited by CrystalMemoria on Aug 28th 2020 at 10:30:16 AM

Katya

“You as well?” Katya responded in a sympathetic tone, giving Aichi a slight half-smile before glancing momentarily back at the others. “I only just arrived few minutes ago! But if you're lost I wouldn't mind you sticking around if it makes you feel any better. But I should probably ask your name before we jump to that~!”

She stuck out her hand towards, seemingly unperturbed by the sheer bulk of the guitar case strapped across her back. She was smiling broadly like the weight was nothing to her, which was strange considering her fairly slim stature.

“Katya. Or Karina Tsvetkova, if you want to be formal. But please, just call me Katya~! Pleasure to meet you!”

Jerusha

By now, the magnitude of noise coming from the park had drawn Jerusha's attention, disturbing her from her reverie. Turning and walking to said park, she could see that the large woman from earlier was partially responsible, but there was also a large talking rabbit.

Coming up behind said rabbit, Jerusha leaned in close and spoke, her voice monotone but still carrying an edge of irritation.

"You are being very loud."

Setsuna

Setsuna still wasn't sure about the bigass bunny rabbit... mascot... thing. Well, okay, not him. Herself mostly.

Specifically, whether she would give him what he wanted and deliver a formal apology, or just whack the ground again till he went away.

But for better or worse, Jerusha had taken that out of her hands.

At the sound of Jerusha's voice, Mr.Hoppy... stopped. His gaze was motionless. Staring into space as though looking into some eternal void. Not the singing of birds or the thumping of jackalopes stirred him from his trance. Not even Setsuna was sure what to make of it. Was he having a seizure or what?

Her question was soon answered. Slowly, his neck twisted and craned, slowly spinning around as it pulled a 180. His dead soulless eyes locked firmly with Jerusha's, even as it's goofy-ass smile remained plastered on its sad excuse for a face.

"COULD YOU PLEASE SAY THAT AGAIN? MR.HOPPY DIDN'T HEAR YOU."

...HOLY SHIT.

How did this bunny asshole get so creepy?!"

Aichi

Aichi can't help but be rather surprised when it turns out Katya's only just got here as well.

"You too?" He asks, feeling a hint of... well, relief. At the very least he's not alone in this predicament.

Oh, right, introductions! Aichi's eyes widen a little when he sees how easily Katya holds her hand out despite the weight of that case, but he says nothing about it. No need to be rude!

So he takes Katya's hand and gives it a small shake.

"I'm Aichi Sendou. It's nice to meet you, Katya." He says with a smile. It's always good to make a new friend, right? Even if the circumstances are rather strange...

"You don't need to trouble yourself, though. I should be fine..." Aichi says with a hint of sheepishness to his smile. After all, he can't expect Katya to stick around him that much! Maybe they can pal around for a while, while they're trying to figure out what's going on?

"I've never seen a place like this... It reminds me of Planet Cray, almost." Aichi can't help but say with a hint of awe as he looks around a little more. Such an eclectic combination of people and worlds... It only makes sense that such a thing would remind him of Planet Cray.

Edited by CrystalMemoria on Aug 29th 2020 at 12:27:28 PM

Jerusha

"You are being very loud." Jerusha repeated, meeting the bunny's eyes with her own blank stare. "The noise bothers me. Please lower your voice." Her gaze then shifted to the nearby Setsuna.

"Apologize to him." She stated.

Setsuna

Before Setsuna could even think of doing that, the bunny rabbit abomination hopped forward and leaned in, shoving it's big fluffy head straight into Jerusha's face.

"OH, MR.HOPPY IS LOUD, IS HE?! I'LL MAKE SURE TO LET HIM KNOW THAT! IT'S NOT LIKE HE ISN'T TRYING TO MAKE A HIPPITY HOPPITY LIVING, IS HE?!"

Okay, this was getting out of hand. Maybe Setsuna should have apologized, but she wasn't the one acting like an ass anymore, was she? "HEY!"

As soon as she reached out to grab him, Mr.Hoppy's head spun again, his body not moving an inch. "WHAT?"

...the fuck was wrong with this asshole?

"Um, look. I'm sorry, okay? I really shouldn't have done that. I've got... issues. But that doesn't make it okay. And it doesn't make whatever you're pulling okay either. You got that?"

The bunny didn't say a word. It just... sat there. Not looking at Setsuna, not listening to Setsuna, not anything.

"...uh—"

And then it was straight back to angel harassment. "OH, MR.HOPPY'S SORRY! APPARENTLY MR.HOPPY IS TOO LOUD FOR OUR LITTLE ANGEL FRIEND! DOES LITTLE ANGEL NEED SOME EARMUFFS?! DOES LITTLE ANGEL NEED A HEARING AID?! ARE LITTLE ANGEL'S EARDRUMS BUSTED?! OR IS LITTLE ANGEL GONNA SHUT UP AND LET MR.HOPPY DO HIS JOB?!"

...welp. Now he'd done it.

She'd give Jersuha a minute. Let her sort this shit out.

But she was just about ready to kick his fuzzy little bunny ass.

Edited by kkhohoho on Aug 29th 2020 at 1:52:27 PM

Jerusha

Being polite had failed, and now she was being yelled at even more. That was enough for Jerusha to decide that it was time to be not polite.

Her method of choice? Grabbing Mr. Hoppy by the neck, and slowly applying more pressure, all with the same uncaring look on her face.

Setsuna

Setsuna watched in shock and awe as Jeshua went and choked a bitch. She didn't think angels were supposed to be this fucking brutal.

Then again, she wasn't one to talk.

Torn by the hatred of seeing someone needlessly hurt in front of her and the joy of seeing Mr.Hoppy get his, she didn't move a muscle. Nevermind the hypocrisy if she did.

For now, the ball was in Jerusha's court.

Mr.Hoppy gasped and chocked as Jerusha kept applying more pressure, his face turning a slight blue before he finally gave. "O—okay! Uncle! UNCLE!"

Katya

“You've been to different planet before? That's impressive...” Katya repeated with a look of surprise after shaking his hand, before her eyes narrowed in contemplation. “Wait a moment, is this literal planet or is that just its name? Isn't Cray supposed to mean crazy?”

In whichever case, it sounded like this Aichi person had had a pretty interesting life so far. Blue hair, too. She mused over it a moment before deciding it just stuck out because it wasn't as odd as everything else around them. It was a nice blue, at least...

“Don't think you'll be burden or anything. I'd be happy to be friends if it means we look around here~!” she added with a grin, before pausing and looking doubtful for a second. “You... don't mind being called friend, do you? I'm very sorry, I jump to things like that lots of times...”

Aichi

Huh? Oh! Aichi shakes his head, feeling a little awkward for the misunderstanding...

"Ah, that's not it...! I've never actually been there, but I've seen it before..." Aichi explains... or at least tries his best to.

"Planet Cray is a world a lot like Earth, but it has so many differences, too. It's amazing!" Aichi says with a smile on his face. Ah, good ol' Vanguard... Nothing quite like it and its magical effect on him.

However, he does get a little confused about the whole 'crazy' thing. He blinks.

"Eh? Oh, um... It's a real planet..." Aichi says, feeling a little sheepish. It's so difficult to explain... He can feel that it's a real place, and yet, he can't physically be there...

"I'm not sure about it being 'crazy', but I suppose a lot of things there could seem strange to someone unfamiliar with Vanguard..." Aichi says with a sweat drop.

Aichi can't help but feel relief when he hears that Katya doesn't mind sticking around with him. At the very least she seems very nice, and it's always good to have someone friendly like that around. Although he does miss his friends...

Wait, what? No, she doesn't need to worry at all! Aichi shakes his head rather quickly.

"No, no, it's fine! I'm glad to be friends!" Aichi says, following up with a nod and a smile.

Katya

“Perhaps you can tell me more about that place later. It sounds all very interesting~” Katya smiled, seeming to perk up significantly as Aichi effectively accepted her offer of friendship. “And thank you so much~! I have few other acquaintances nearby, but I don't know them properly yet. That and... last I checked they were... busy.”

Connection established: “Aichi Sendou.”

“Are you hungry at all? Maybe we could get bite to eat?” she suggested, having seemed to pause in a somewhat unnatural way for a moment before continuing on smiling as if nothing had happened.

(...-tick-...)

(...-tock-...)

Aichi

Aichi nods with more energy, definitely glad to talk about Vanguard and Cray. For now though, they have other things to focus on.

"Please don't worry about it. I'm glad to make a new friend." He says with a smile. Although Katya apparently has made some other friends during her time here, it seems.

"Are you sure we should leave them alone? They might wonder where you've gone..." He says with a bit of worry. After all, this place seems to be so large... They might think she got lost or something!

However, Aichi does notice Katya's unnatural pause. He feels rather awkward during it, but thankfully Katya continues before too long. He says nothing about it, choosing not to be rude.

"Oh, um... Yeah, I guess I am a little hungry..." Aichi says with a sheepish smile.

Little Wolf

Little Wolf jumped as Setsuna smashed a hole in the wall, opening a fresh exit to the outside world. Like the others, he peered through, and gasped in wonder at the Reach. He'd seen pictures before, but seeing it in person was a whole other experience.

He gazed across the mishmash of buildings for a few moments, before realizing that Setsuna had leaped out of the hole she'd made. He paused, biting his lip. "Uh, I don't know if we should leave. They might be sending someone to pick us up..."

He trailed off, as all the others began leaving. Little Wolf considered this a moment, then shrugged. Well, if everyone else is...

Casually strolling out, he took in the varying scents of the place. He could smell soil, trees, food, people, animals, coming from all over. Almost unconsiously, he followed the most familiar scent, which happened to be Setsuna (he'd gotten her scent when she'd hugged him). After a few minutes, he'd stumbled into the same park Setsuna had.

Just in time to see the angel lady pick up a bunny-man by the throat, while Setsuna watched. Leaping forward, Little Wolf placed one hand on the arm Jerusha was using to choke the man. He tugged on it with surprising strength. "Please don't hurt him, miss angel." He pleaded. "I don't know what he did to you, but I'm sure he's sorry. There's no need to be cruel."

Jerusha

In the middle of the bunny-man's pleading, Jerusha felt a tug on her arm, as one of the others from before was now asking her to spare his life.

She wondered what would happen if she said no...but because he had asked nicely, Jerusha relented, letting go of the strange bunny-man.

Setsuna

Dropping to the floor, Mr.Hoppy struggled to his knees, coughing up spittle before breathing in deep. He looked up towards Jerusha, his blank stare and plastered on smile betraying the sheer rage that was simmering under the surface.

"YOU... BAD... ANGEL! MR.HOPPY IS VERY, VERY MAD! MR.HOPPY IS GONNA TELL MR.WHISKERS! YOU'LL BE SORRY! YES YOU WILL, YOU BAD, BAD LITTLE ANGEL! YOU ALL WILL! YOU'LL ALL BE SORRY!"

And with a big bounding hop, he was gone.

...well.

That wasn't something Setsuna saw ever day.

But she had to admit. She wasn't expecting something like that from an angel.

It kind of turned her on WAS VERY... AMUSING. THAT WAS IT. AMUSING.

Gods.

Still though. She wasn't your ordinary angel, was she?

"Uh, thanks, I guess. Sorry for getting you into that mess. You probably heard me back there, but, um. I kinda tend to get pissed at... everything. It's not like I try to be! It just, I don't know. It just happens."

She cricked her neck before glancing down at... an egg?

A bright, very speckled egg.

Was that there before?

Whatever.

"Uh, so, my name's Setsuna. What's yours? If that's okay."

Jerusha

Watching the angry bunny hop away, Jerusha's attention turned to Setsuna, and she stared at her...before blinking and nodding.

"Jerusha." She said in response, going quiet for a moment as if thinking of what to say next.

"He was unpleasant." She eventually continued, before looking at the person who'd been pleading with her to let him go. "He was unkind to me, so I was unkind in turn."

Little Wolf

He sighed in relief as the angel dropped the bunny. Though the bunny-man (who upon closer inspection might have been someone in a bunny suit?) swore vengeance before running away.

As Setsuna and Angel Lady - Jerusha - introduced themselves, Little Wolf gave a small smile. "I'm Wolfgang. But everyone calls me Little Wolf."

Then his smile dropped, and he looked at his feet a moment. "My grandpa told me an old saying, once: 'Meeting hatred with hatred is like trying to put out a fire with matches.'" He said, before looking up at Jerusha. "I know he was unkind. But if you're only kind to those who are kind first, then the people who aren't kind will never learn to be kind."

Little Wolf paused, as his tail swished nervously. He pulled it in front of his body and grabbed it, to keep it from twitching. "That's just my two cents, though."

Setsuna

Setsuna had been listening in. She wasn't sure what to say to Jerusha. Not after her frustratingly deadpan response.

But something about Wolfgang's words... they spoke to her. Not because she believed them.

But because they were against everything she knew to be true.

"But what if... what if that doesn't work? What if there's some people that, no matter what you do, no matter how hard you try to make them happy, no matter how much you beg and plead for them to stop but they keep putting you down and stealing your stuff and beating the shit out of you anyway—!"

Setsuna clenched her fists, claws digging into her palms without even realizing it. Only becoming aware of it once she felt the trickles of blood dripping on her bare feet.

"...sorry. I guess what I'm trying to say is, what if there's some people that, no matter how kind you are, it doesn't work? What if the assholes keep being assholes? What are you supposed to do about that?"

Edited by kkhohoho on Aug 30th 2020 at 7:38:18 AM

Little Wolf

He smelled the copper tang of blood before he saw it drip out of Setsuna's clenched fist. Little Wolf took a deep breath, but his resolve didn't waver as he looked Setsuna in the eye.

"You can fight back." He said. "But there's a difference between defending yourself and being cruel."

Little Wolf gestured towards Jerusha. "The bunny guy clearly wasn't a threat to her. He may have been a jerk, but he wasn't dangerous."

He wringed his own tail gently in his hands. "Words can hurt. But making someone else hurt won't make you hurt less. Only love will. And you can't get love by swinging your club around. You have to give love to get love."

Katya

“Hmm... you make good point...” Katya mused, glancing back over her shoulder before turning slightly and gesturing with her head for Aichi to follow. “Let's join them now, then we get something to eat? That way we can be all together. I just hope they're not in trouble...”

There was a slight twinge of guilt in her tone at that, but she made to return to where the others were with (hopefully) Aichi in tow. She could hardly help herself, but she still felt bad for leaving the others behind. It'd been like this indescribable pull had urged her away from the group and off to god-knows-where.

At least she'd made a new friend. Those were rare.

Setsuna

'Give love to make love'?

Uh-huh.

Now that was fucking bullshit.

"But what if it's not just words? What if it's worse than that? If they keep on beating the shit out of you, day after day after day—"

She could feel her muscles bulging. Her claws were getting sharper, her teeth were getting longer, everything was bursting at the SEAMS—

Deep breaths, Setsuna. Deep breaths. Look at Wolfgang, look at him, look at the cute little pupper...

There. Better.

Seriously though.

How was thinking about him enough to set her off?

"Sorry. Again. But I just can't. I can't believe that showing love and kindness and singing happy-happy-joy-joy is gonna solve all your problems. Because sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it doesn't work. It didn't work. It never worked! So why should it start working now?!"

It didn't occur to Setsuna that she was speaking in the past tense.

As though she were speaking from experience.

Because she was.

How was offering love and kindness supposed to work against someone like him?

...by the Gods did she need a fucking drink.

Jerusha

"I don't want love." Jerusha said, offering her two cents on the matter. Seeing that Setsuna was bothered by something, the angel turned to face her, actually looking concerned for the first time.

"Who hurt you?" She asked.