865/Meeting Notes - Keaka

Meeting Notes - Keaka
Date of Scene:	08 December 2023
Location:	Obsidian Tower
Synopsis:	Keaka Hoshuiko crash lands outside Obsidian Tower. Fuyuko Yuuhi and Hotaru Tomoe have seen worse and weirder. But at least Norie Okana hates TSAB too?
Cast of Characters:	Keaka Hoshiko, Hotaru Tomoe, Fuyuko Yuuhi, Norie Okana

---

Keaka Hoshiko has posed:
                                SYSTEM ACTIVATED                                

Powering Genesis Drive
Articulating Manifestation Paridigm
Embedding autonomy subsystems
Determining concept mold
Warning: Data corrupted
Implanting Function Matrix
Implanting Form Matrix
Deploying generated subject
GENESIS IN PROGRESS.........................100%

    A young object streaks through the sky. Recently crafted, this tool will shortly find itself in the hands of a human being, currently unaware of that the tool is capable of, its purpose, and the means by which to efficiently make use of it. This human being is... what? You're sure? That's where we're starting? Okay, let's take it from the top.

    A young object streaks through the DUSK ZONE. Recently crafted, this tool is already on the hand of a human being, or at least something close to one, who is largely aware of what the tool is capable of, its basic purpose, and at least some means by which to efficiently make use of it.

    This young object will be tasked with protecting this person and advancing their cause. As is the case with artifacts of such a nature, it must have a name; it would, after all, be a rather bad idea to own such an artifact, and yet have no moniker by which it might enter the annals of legend that such objects ought to enter, when in the hands of their Users.

> John Eggbert

    That's a different series, guy! Also that's a person name! Think more like, magic artifact!

> Vision of Thorns

    Now that's more like it!

    (SARIDA: Thorn-Covered Vision)
    I am starred with blades and wicked thorns:
    this rough-hewn, blade-edged metal crown of ancient, storied ######.
    a spirit-seizing vision is unfurled.

    Yeah, look at that! That's a pretty decent name-poem. A pretty decent name! Now then, Sarida streaks through the Dusk Zone, on the arm of its new user. The world is approaching fast. They had better pick a destination. But something is... wrong. The not-world moves around it like river rapids. It is nigh impossible to aim, no clear destination save one, or the other one. Hey human, which way are we oh there's no time uhhh picking THIS ONE

                                      ...                                      

Somewhere near Fuyuko and Hotaru:
    Someone crashes out of the Dusk Zone and into the ground, perhaps a bit more violently than one usually reappears, as if they've been thrown. A 5' or so tall woman with very pale skin and dark, slightly reddish hair, wearing a black labcoat and a ragged-edged red scarf.

    On her left arm is a brass-colored gauntlet with a round crystal on the back of the palm, flickering between blue and grey color.

    "Thank you for assuming the duty of destruction. We have returned, together we'll end it."

    Lines within the gem appear, forming a sort of 'eye' that looks around, towards its user. "Hey there, new user! Sorry about the rough ride back there, I'm not sure what went wrong or why you were there with me. That's not how this usually works. I think. I don't know from experience, but it doesn't seem like it should work this way."

    The human(?) groans a bit.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe was outside at the time, sitting on a bench in a cute little black beany, a slightly oversized and insulated jacket and dark mittens. She was... prepared. For like. The cold. Also, she had her lunch, which she was enjoying.

She was not prepared for sudden BOOM! She jumped a little, nearly spilling her bento box. Slowly, she glanced over towards the poor... person. She then glanced to her meal, before putting it to the side and getting to her feet. She walked towards the body, before crouching down by her.

"Are you okay?" she asked in a low, hushed tone like she was talking to someone with a headache. Which, admittedly, she suspected the person might have. "Do you need me to get you someone or are you going to be okay?"

... It was Obsidian. They had a wolf man walking around. This wasn't even that uncommon. She still wanted to make sure they weren't like... dying though.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
Obisidan Tower is, naturally, a busy locale - the first three floors being a publicly available department store, containing everything from furniture to clothing, and the remaining 57 floors contained all the operating staff for the mundane operations of a multinational corporation with interest in every field known to man.

And then there were the magical floors.

Outside of the building itself was a cultivated garden of sorts, with seating, round tables under the shade of umbrellas, and of course, trees and plant-life shaped to elegant standards. Fuyuko most often took her lunch outside, as life on the sixth floor was often filled with paperwork, screens, and the cubicles of her subordinates, and frequently enjoyed these gardens. She hadn't intended to encounter Dr. Tomoe's young daughter, but she didn't particularly regret that she had - the girl had the distant ring of magic, a soft, lonely trill of the violin that was at once subdued and warped.

Fuyuko had heard it on multiple occasions, but it had been particularly... notable lately. Feedback distorting the violin's chords.

She was considering speaking with her when - BOOM.

Hm.

Well.

What was there to do but investigate? She strode to Hotaru's side, looking down at the groaning body with idle distinterest. "Careful, Tomoe-san. That didn't seem like a particularly controlled flight plan."

After a moment she considers toeing at the prone body, then decides against.

"You'd best not be dead. There's paperwork to be filled out for tht."

Keaka Hoshiko has posed:
The voice has that same slight tinny quality as a Device. Undeterred -- or perhaps not entirely aware of the situation -- it continues speaking. "Anyway, welcome, User! I am Sarida, your Abharimani, or World Destroyer as it translates to in your language. Thank you for assuming the duty of destruction. When you previously heard that, it was an automated message. But I want to thank you, personally, as I would not exist without you, or your decision to assist Us in returning this world to the void. I will enhance your existing abilities and grant new ones to further this purpose. I look forward to working together with you in this endeavor. You no doubt have questions about my abilities and will want to practice with them before--huh? Calm down, calm down, you don't need to shake me!"

    A sentence or two in, the young woman's eyes open. For a split-second, you think you see a night sky and falling stars, but then the eyes return to... not 'normal', actually. There shouldn't just be pupils against a background of red undifferentiated sclera and iris, right?

    "It worked?" she groans, looking at the hand. "Eureka...?"

    And then the look of realization that there are PEOPLE AROUND HER flashes across her face, and her hair stands on end. Like, really, the very dark red mass of hair goes all spiky for a second as she realizes the device on her hand is talking about ending the world. She sits up and turns to it and makes a shushing gesture with her right finger against her lips, "Shh! SHH! Shush! Ixnay!" but it plows on for a few seconds more until she grabs her gauntleted left wrist with her right hand and shakes it.

    She turns and looks at Hotaru with the expression of someone who's been caught doing something criminal and is trying to decide if the one who caught them will call the cops or is otherwise a threat. She LIFTS up from the ground, hovering just above it, hair and coat rustling in a nonexistant wind, or as if she's underwater. These two have no doubt seen the look on her face, that of a villain about to make a show and introduce herself. She opens her mouth, and--

    Looks uncertain as she processes what was said. The billowing effect lessens a bit. "I am..." Okay? Can I really say I'm okay? "...not dead."

    The young woman -- adult, but without any signs of aging setting in, although it's a bit hard to read exact age with her weird appearance -- looks between the two of them. "You, uh... You just heard all that and your only concern is paperwork? Who are you people? ...This doesn't happen regularly, does it?"

    "I do not believe any other Abharimani are presently deployed." The woman covers the gem with her other hand, which muffles it slightly. "But I will check to make sure. Error: Unable to connect to the network. Please contact a system administrator for assistance. Error: Unable to contact a system administrator. Huh, that's weird. I think that's weird. I am fairly certain that is not supposed to happen. Otherwise I wouldn't have these func--aah stop shaking me!"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe stared at her for a few minutes. The concern sloooowly drifted from 'concern' to rolling her eyes to mild annoyance to... disappointment. "A lot of people blow up here. And talk about destroying the world. Takashi-senpai calls it the stupid plan." Pause for a heartbeat. "He's not wrong." What? Her daddy wasn't going to destroy the world. He was going to make it a better world! She knew it and she knew him! Her daddy was awesome!

She stood back up and dusted herself off. "Hi. I'm Hotaru Tomoe, you're new to Obsidian, right?"

She then looked up at Fuyuko and blinked. "Wait... there's... paperwork if we die? Did... did Cyprine... fill it out?" she asked, a look of worry on her face now. And... and like she might, maybe, even cry a little bit.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
There's a subtle stiffening of Fuyuko's jaw as she takes proper notice of the Device - easy enough, as it just goes on and on, speaking without care, apparently reading out a greeting menu and instructional guide in one. As the device goes on aboout returning the world to the void, a flash of almost-concern crosses over her face, then fades.

This world would not fall to a novice Device Mage and their clownish device. The fact that the bizarre woman's first move is to hover inanely only proves to Fuyuko that she has little to nothing to worry about.

"Settle down, before you draw attention to yourself and us. Your world-ending device should figure out its internal voice setting - especially if you're hoping to keep your ambitions quiet."

She might have continued if not for Hotaru's innocent little question... which only makes her eye twitch. "No, Cyprine would not be filling out that paperwork. Your father, on the other hand..."

This is why she hated working for mad scientists.

"Tomoe-san, why don't you speak with me about this in my office later?"

Keaka Hoshiko has posed:
    The woman stops floating, feet again on the ground.

    "It's World-Destroying device." "What did she just say?" "Be observant. She is not alarmed and not attacking us. We are not among Abstractum-Users or other heroes."

    "Still, yeah. Can you uh... look, I know you have to say the ominous message when you boot up, but are we going to have problems with you blurting out stuff in public? I know some Abstractum can be pretty eccentric, so I wouldn't be surprised to learn Pures are the same."

    Firstly: Apologies for initial instability in my personality matrix. We appear to have suffered some kind of corruption. Also, I appear to be a dual Chromarchetype, blue and grey. I didn't know that was possible! I am attempting to stabilize without assistance from the Network. Second of all: You use his name for us?"

    "It's like she said. World-Destroyers is a little... It's a bit much?" She pats the gauntlet on the forearm. "There will be times for big speeches and dramatic names, now let's learn."

    The woman looks to Hotaru and holds out a hand to shake. The one that isn't wearing the talking gauntlet. "I'm the Gh--" she pauses and looks like she's thinking about things. "...You know what?" She smiles. "Let's go with Keaka. I like the sound of that."

    After Hotaru shakes or declines, she holds out her hand to Fuyuko. "Obsidian? Is that some kind of... hmm... Criminal syndicate? Although, you didn't mind what, umm..." "Sarida." "...what Sarida said, so... maybe it isn't that exactly?"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe shook her head. "Ummmm... I... I don't know if I'm supposed to... I'm just an intern," she said sheepishly. 'Just an intern' her butt. A well paid intern!

Hotaru then glanced back to Keaka. "Ummmm... no. It's a big mega-corporation. So only like... eighty percent evil. And legally not a criminal enterprise. I mean, it probably should be..." She probably shouldn't say this in front of the HR girl. But she was 12. What was she going to do? Smack her? Tell her to be quiet? Yell at the woobie? "I think it's legal crime, though?" She did NOT shake the hand. For both their safety. "Sorry, ummm. I have a... thing... when I touch people. And I mean... you're a magical chuunibyo... there's a lot of them." Takashi did it sometimes, but she at least never called him one to his face.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
Abstractum. It's not a term she's familiar with, and once upon a time she had been well-informed about the nature of a Device Mage's power and the common forms and purposes a Device might serve. The fact that Device and User both seemed content to just spit out all their thoughts was useful - far better for her to let them, than suggest telepathy.

She's about to make a smart-ass comment about evil megacorporations when Hotaru beats her to it, and Fuyuko glances down at her, amused. "As Tomoe-san put it, Obsidian is indeed a multinational megacorporation, which is legally distinct from a crime syndicate in that all laws are followed in accordance with Japanese and international law. Frankly, you're the least convincing of the fools I've encountered seeking to end the world, so I've elected to ignore that for the moment. How exactly did you come to have Sarida?"

A pause. She gives Hotaru a second glance. What kind of thing, exactly? Not that she'll ask in front of the stranger, but still.

Keaka Hoshiko has posed:
    The little girl is an intern. This really is some kind of evil syndicate. Martin tried working for those after he left the TSAB, and Keaka has his memories of that going poorly up to the point a Lost Logia created them -- Such criminals used him and never treated him like a true member of their family, although to be fair, he secretly didn't fully trust them, either. Still... they can get information here, and... if signing up to end the world pans out, it really won't matter, huh...

> Be denied a handshake.
    "It's fine." She waves it off.

> Be called a magic chuunibyou.
    Keaka sputters. "Wh... wh?! What?! I'm not... you're *actually* an evil organization and you know about magic! This stuff is r--" She glances down at Sarida. "--Well, I guess my Device is a bit eccentric."

> Be asked how you got Sarida.
    Keaka looks at Fuyuko for a moment. They're not sure even Martin would have just gormlessly answered that question without a thought. Well, no, maybe he'd hope this achievement would make a good impression.

    And they do need allies.

    It occurs to Keaka now that this method of gaining power by signing up to fight in a war for existence that may not even be an active conflict at the moment may have been a little short-sighted.

    She glances away "That... is complicated." And then back at Fuyuko. "Why? Do you want one? And for context... do you know of the Time-Space Administration Bureau?"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe nodded along with Fuyuko. "I mean, of course we know about magic. We'd have freaked out or screamed or just kept walking if we didn't know about magic. Instead we came to make sure you were okay. Also, most organizations are kind of evil. But there are some good people here too, you know. But I mean... your device is talking about how it's going to destroy the world and all that. It kind of screams chuunibyou. But it's okay, you can be one. Lots of people here are. Oh! You'll need to work on your laugh though! I've been learning from Hosshiwa-san! Ah ha ha ha ha!" she said, moving the back of her hand to her mouth when she did the full 'noblewoman laugh'...

Before promptly having to pause and cough. "S-sorry. I'm still not very good at it..."

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
"We are an evil organization only in so much as capitalism itself can be construed as an evil concept," Fuyuko says diplomatically, then adds, dryly, "If we didn't know about magic, your efforts to intimidate - with the floating, ghastly winds, and voice from nowhere - would have been utterly ineffective, seeing as we'd have assumed you were practicing special effects for a movie."

Come on, do better! It's obvious that they know about magic.

"If by eccentric you mean pre-disposed towards the destruction of worlds, you're correct there. It screams, as Tomoe-san has decreed, a measure of chuunibyou-ness that the world can scarcely hope to contain."

She isn't usually this sarcastic (that's a fucking lie), but this sort of situation is...

Hotaru's laugh earns an amused little smirk - no one ever told her TDr Tomoe's kid was funny, but when that attempted laugh leads Hotaru to break into laughs, she removes a four ounce water bottle with the Obsidian logo from her coat pocket and offers it to the girl.

"Hardly," she answers Keaka, "But considering it's seeking to destroy our world, a few minor details seems warranted."

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana has arrived. She's in a labcoat, and a pair of safety glasses perched on her head, she has a messenger bag with her as she arrives at..the courtyard, perhaps hearing about or sensing the incident as she arrives just in time to sighhhhh.

"The TSAB is a crappy organization bent on trying to muscle their law here through a small, snot nosed brat who dresses edgy, according to my research." she says as she reaches into her messenger bag and produces a big binder which she moves to a fresh page.

"Now what's exactly been happening here, is it all under control? Do I need to call a team? Of course not. One would had been called by now if it was needed. Stupid question. Ignore me." she says as she scribbles into thje binder.

"Hi Hotaru-chan. Are you alright?" she asks with concern at the coughing as water is produced for her.

"But in all seriousness. What exactly is going on here. Did I sense something a few moments back?"

Keaka Hoshiko has posed:
> SARIDA: Be told the world can scarcely contain all this chuunibyou-ness.
    "Oh, all chuunibyou-ness is contained in the world! If it were not in the world, it would be Not-chuunibyouness!"

> KEAKA: Have your evil laugh mocked by a child.
    Keaka looks at her, shocked. And then appears genuinely insulted. "Damn straight. I'll show you a proper mad scientist laugh! And then they'll see! They'll all see! AH-hahaha*coughcough* she holds a hand to her throat. Glaring angrily at that not coming out how she wanted. "A moment. Sarida. Costume on. Engage Hype drives." And suddenly a man more than half a foot taller is standing there, as the Device(?) chimes acknowledgement.

    "Engaging costumery drive. Engaging hype drive. ...Wait, what's 'hype drive'?! And how do you know about it before I do?!"

    There is a sense of Keaka falling away, even though he doesn't seem to be moving in relation to other objects, and darkness shot through with stars pours over him, leaving him in a fancier outfit and with eyes of night and falling stars. The darkness fades and so too do the eyes, back to his 'normal'.

    He briefly asides to Sarida, "There have been some updates since you guys were originally programmed. I guess Burden didn't-- I mean, whoever designed the Pures copied the function without changing your... briefing?"

    Then he turns to Hotaru and throws his arm out to the side, cloak billowing in sudden wind. "You want a proper laugh? You must see your own works of science and magic bear fruit, and so be filled with elation! Only THEN will you be ready to show them all a proper mad scientist laugh!" There's the sound of thunder in the background. "AHHH-HAHAHAHahahahahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!" It really is a pretty good one, albeit edging a bit away from the straight-up classic laugh into evil cackle territory.

    He grins. "Still think it needs work?"

    He clears his throat and nods to Norie. "Exactly. They are a bunch of self-proclaimed 'heroes' who seek to keep the world stagnant and lack vision for anything beyond the status quo." Thunder sounds like it strikes again. "Huh? No I was just talk--Hype Drive off." Sarida chimes, and the wind and sound effects stop.

    He turns to Fuyuko with one hand on his hip. "I needed to get away from those self-important idiots, so I came to an Unadministered World, but my ship stopped working and fell into the atmosphere. So I..." he glances away, "...escaped burning up in re-entry by un-conventional means." He holds the gauntleted hand out in front of him. "I mean, I was resourceful! I used an invention of mine to step out of reality. It meant I had to rush the process of obtaining Sarida here..." As in, they desperately hoped that yanking themself out of reality would get them either chosen or a chance to bargain with Them... hmm, they don't remember just what happened, though... "...but as you can see, it was a success!" He continues grinning triumphantly. A good laugh puts you in a good mood, after all!

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe nodded along with Fuyuko. See? She got it. It really was all in the flair. She took the water, opening it and taking a deep breath. "A-and yeah, I'm fine. I've just had a bit of a scratchy throat the last few days. Please don't tell my daddy, he'd worry. I checked, I don't have a temperature or anything, I've just been talking too much." Crying too much.

She gave Norie a well deserved smile, though. She'd never heard of the TSAB... or well. Not really listened when Takashi ranted about them, if he did. But they seemed annoying, so she supposed she was lucky. "Everything seems to be in order, though. She pulled a crash landing and I think she's lost. I think she'll need to get paperwork signed or something. I think she might be an evil fairy or something."

... Listen, Obsidian was weird. Just cause it looked human, if it acted fairy she supposed it was likely a fairy or something.

Only for... Keaka... to go... Her eyes widened. Nope. Her laugh was jsut as bad as hers. Needed to work on it and... and her device was confused?

... Her device seemed worse off than the one Riventon made for her, and Luminous Titan was made of spare parts. Yeah. This girl was definitely going to end up getting in sooooo much trouble. But at least she looked funny to watch and--

... And now she was a boy. Hotaru opened her mouth to comment, paused, stopped. Nope. She had no snark to this. "Huh. That's... huh. Interesting... henshin. The laugh showed improvement, but the mad rants need work. You should watch daddy, he does some of the best ones and Takashi-senpai does pretty good ones too." And now she knew she had to give some notes on this to Takashi. Gender swapping henshins. Was that a thing? "I should probably get back to the lab and finish my lunch, though. It was nice meeting you, though! Both of you!" she said before walking back to the bench to pick up her bento. "I'm sure we'll do silly things together later! Good luck on making your villain name!"

Hotaru... was definitely not taking any of this seriously.

Fuyuko Yuuhi has posed:
The device is... paining her. There's no other way to put it. This one clearly has a good deal of personality, and it's all going into...this.

So this is her life now, huh? At least this is happening on the clock. Fuyuko Yuuhi is actually getting paid to endure this. Look at how much better off she is than the intern and the... other intern.

Norie's entrance is granted a smidge of attention, as Fuyuko turns her gaze towards her, if only to hear her opinion on TSAB. A crappy organization trying to muscle their laws in? Ironic statements coming from a mad science apprentice at Evil Inc., but Fuyuko will let it pass in favor of gaining more information. "It's not an incident worth reporting, just yet. Between the three of us, we've assessed the situation."

And then, apparently, a twelve year old's impression is enough to wound an ego, because there's a transformation sequence happening.

If this were a DreamWorks movie, her eyebrow would be in that classic waggle right now. Luckily, this is not DreamWorks and she just looks skeptical. "Definitely needs work. You're trying to impress a pair of middle schoolers."

It's not a bad evil laugh, per se, it's just... how cliche, to have an evil laugh. When she was behaving in a way that others labeled evil, she didn't bother to perfect an evil laugh. She just tried to express her pain through the shedding of blood and the eradication of everything she'd once devoted her blood, sweat, and tears too.

Like a reasonable person.

"You know, flooding your device with costume and special effect initiatives isn't helping you beat the chuunibyou accusations at all."

She wasn't going to make the mistake of underestimating an unknown, but she also isn't particularly... worried about what this unknown can get up to.

"Well, this world may be unadministered by this Time Space organization, but it is occupied. If all you want is to destroy a world, go back home. If you have an actual, practical purpose, you can consider submitting a job application. Don't forget to include a cover letter and list of references alongside your resume."

Is that sarcasm? It's got to be sarcasm, right? Surely it's sarcasm.

Unfortunately, even the greatest sarcasm can't match the sheer cold burn that is a twelve year old's honest opinion on things.

"Here, take the Human Resources's department business card. When you decide to put in that application, you'll be put in touch with someone." It's not her personal card, but it's the appropriate level to get this Device User patched into Obsidian's magical hiring division, rather than the mundane one.

She's leaving too, but first, she turns to Norie. "Okana-san, if you're going to keep engaging with Sarida and her wielder, make sure to complete a detailed report on the endeavor. Obsidian values your contributions."

And then she's gone. Yay, validation?

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana nods, and nods. This sounds familiar. Crash land on the planet. Get stuck. Count Otto-sama was like that. So was Precia Testarossa. She makes notes. She hears a device talk. This one is. Chatty. She rarely ever hears Takashi talk unless it has something to say. She makes another series of notes on this as she starts writing in her binder of informational gathering.

This is the work binder. So she keeps things professional. She sighs a little. "So you're running from the TSAB. Understooood." she says.

She waved to both Hotaru and Fuyuko as they both leave and nodded. "Yes, Yuuhi-sama." she said, noting the card that this person was given.

She makes a note about the gender changing henshin too. And the fact it's flashy. Something called a 'Hype Drive'? D..did Takashi-senpai have a Hype Drive. Do Devices just make special effects for you?

"I'm. Norie Okana. I'm an. Intern. Workoing under. Takashi-senpai." she says. "I am a Duskologist in training!" she says. "I don't have an evil laugh, I guess I should get one? Maybe someone can teach me."

"Wait you wanna destroy a world? Hold on. Why. this world isn't TSAB Affiliated. Find another if that's your goal. Or go chase the edgy TSAB agent and throw him down a flight of stairs. He's dumb and stopped me from finishing a goal I had."

Keaka Hoshiko has posed:
> Keaka: Get HELLA SASSED for bothering to program Costumery and Hype Drives.
    "I didn't program them!"

> Keaka: Be told even your proper laugh needs work. These ladies are MERCILESS.
    He's insulted, and crosses his arms. "You just can't appreciate the laugh." He -- or at least Martin -- always felt a connection to mad scientists since he was a teenager! The laugh was before people started accusing him of being evil!

> Keaka: You'll find no world to destroy here. Go home.
    He looks down at the ground. "It's complicated..."

    Only after Fuyuko has walked off does he realize, "Wait... all of my references are in dimensions you can't access..." And they don't exactly like the person Keaka's memories are copied from, thus the whole coming to Earth thing.

    Yeah, running from the TSAB and some of their enemies. He turns to Norie curiously as he listens to this. "What's a Duskologist? Wait, there's a TSAB agent here?" He holds his right hand to his forehead. "Uggggh. Whatever. He's probably some dumb hero, but they're really good at messing up plans."

    He takes a breath and sighs. "As for destroying the world... It's complicated. It's not me, individually, who's going to achieve that. But..."

> Keaka: [S] Tell us some backstory
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icy4-CQHVh4

    He begins to pace. He talks with his arms. "I was a hero once. One of those TSAB agents, I'm afraid to say. Well. There was an encounter with a Lost Logia. I'm a copy of someone, but I have all the same memories, so... That's why my eyes look like this and stuff. Anyway, I got involved in a lot of things, worked with them for years, but they were always just waiting for an excuse. For me to try to change the status quo for once, and then they'd declare me an outlaw and hunt me down."

    "...But I kept working with them because I was young and idealistic, and figured that was the price of the opportunities I had as a TSAB agent to help people, fighting off villains and helping save their victims and all that. The heroic thing, the good thing, was to do what's right even if it wasn't appreciated, right?"

    He turns around, pacing back and forth. "Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. I went rogue, worked with people that were willing to better things outside the Bureau's laws. They said they were like a family... and I guess maybe they really did trust eachother, but they didn't trust me."

    He whirls to face Norie, arms out, palms up, fingers in a clawed gesture. "All I did, all those years, was kept trying to be a hero! To help people! I devoted my life to that and for what?!" He stands up straighter and adjusts his coat. "Anyway, recently I could no longer sense my original. I conclude he finally paid the ultimate price for his good deeds. And if this is a world -- I don't mean the planet, I mean the multiverse, you know, existence -- where such devotion to others is repaid with short and miserable life... then why shouldn't I help end it? Save anyone else from suffering like that."

    He holds out his gauntleted left hand. "Everyone called Martin Wreuse evil. Some said he would make a better villain." And clenches the gauntlet into a fist and growls out, "SO LET'S SEE IF THAT'S TRUE!"

    He takes a breath. Straightens himself again. Adjusts his coat. "That said, I'm obviously not ending entire worlds alone, and as far as I know the invasion hasn't started yet." He looks at the gauntlet. "Although, if I got you..."

    "I will attempt to contact our colleagues. Error: Unable to connect to the network. Please contact a system administrator for assistance. Error: Unable to contact a system administrator. Huh, I've still got no connection. Apologies. Hopefully we will have a chance to learn why, and then perhaps we can re-establish connection." Keaka frowns at Sarida, but nods with a quiet grunt.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana listens and takes all this down in her notebook binder. She's writing furiously as Clarthas tells their tale. She sighs a little at the end and finally answers the question asked.

"I am a Duskologist, I study life in the Dusk Zone, It is in my nature to want to conserve lift there while learning about it." she says. "But it's in my nature to research other creatures and monsters around this world. Some are dangerous and made to be sure not to be released or dealt with if they just happen to be released in this world."

She pauses. "Is that an Intelligent Device. I know my team leader uses one. It's chatty for one though." she advises.

"You might wanna have it looked at. Or better yet, my team lead is probably going to want to look at it." she says softly.

"Um. Takashi Agera. Just ask for him.

"So you used to work with them. Then worked for a different group." she taps her chin and takes more notes.

"You're probably out of range here." she says. "Sorry."

Keaka Hoshiko has posed:
"And-- hmm. We don't need to maintain the henshin." And it's the young woman again, though still wearing the fancier version of the outfit, sized for her. "Costumery drive off?" Sarida chimes, and the outfit returns to the plainer one.

    "And what, pray tell, is the Dusk Zone?" Keaka asks.

    "It's not a Device. Although they are superficially similar. It's an..." she pauses. Sarida helpfully supplies, "Abharimani. It means--" Keaka interrupts, "I call it a Pure, but that name won't make any sense without a lot of technical details. It's sort of a kind of Abstractum." If it's a Device, it's certainly Aberrant. If not abhorrant.

    He chuckles. "As much as I'd love to see the look on a meister's face trying to make sense of this... Well, maybe I will. But I watch, and he'd better not try to take them apart." She looks proud. "As far as I know, I am presently the multiverse's most knowledgeable expert on Abstractum. And whoever read my reports at the Bureau."

    Out of range? "That should be impossible. I am... connected, but not in a way that can send data. The Outside is adjacent to this world. We just traveled through it." "Maybe it would help to take a look around from there, yeah. Can you use your connection to Unshift, or...? Drat, I was hoping I'd be able to get the Gauntlet's function in you." "Yeah, I should be able to do that. Hold on. Unshifting us."

    The gauntlet slowly disappears, and the effect slooooooowly moves up Keaka's arm as she begins some kind of needlessly slow Duskport. This is uh. This is going to take a minute.

Norie Okana has posed:
Norie Okana says. "The Dusk Zone is a kind of world between worlds." she says. "As for the meister, you'd wanna speak to them. At the very least they might learn from studying your... Abstractum?" she says. "-if it's anything like a device at all, he might understand it." she says.

"The Dusk Zone, has it's...own... enviro---" she watches Keaka Hoshiko start to duskport and she can sense this. She looks kind of dumbfounded.

"I mean, you're duskporting right now?" she interrupts her train of thought. "Why is it so slow." she asks. "Is this dimensional lag?" she says. "Dammit. I wish I had a device, I could. Scan this crap as it happens." she says as she furiously makes notes.

Keaka Hoshiko has posed:
    Keaka listens curiously. "I'm what? What do you mean, slow?" Once the effect's got partway along her torso, the rest just all disappears at once.

THE DUSK ZONE
    "...What is this? I can't sense her, or the place we were just at." Keaka looks around an escher maze of rooftops and gardens.

    'uh-oh'?"

    "Tethering failed. Or rather... I stopped us from being pulled closer to Us, but we are drifting parallel to reality."

    "What?! How... fast?"

    "I don't know. I can't tell.

    "Drop us out, now!"

    Sarida chimes.

OBSIDIAN TOWER, NEARBY
    Keaka and Sarida appear again. But not in sight of Norie. "...What the heck. Okay, we gotta find her and get more info on this 'Dusk Zone'..."