[IC] TotMV:G2: The Barracks (Travel Phase)

[kj1225]

Rory leans against a wall as he listens to 6D speak. He didn't really have much interesting to contribute to the conversation right now... After a few seconds he realizes that he was wrong though. "So wait, how do you know that the humans are still around if only one person has ever seen them?"

[Twinwolf]

6D

 

"Because we still receive yearly messages from them, thanking us for our hard work." 6D said automatically. Granted, they were usually pretty similar, but not much had really changed over the centuries so it made sense that not much changed in those messages. 

[kj1225]

Rory nodded. That's fair enough then. "Do they ever put together like, supply drops for your guys either? I'm not sure what you do for fun... Can you even have fun? Eh, whatever. But occasionally the other guys get like packages of stuff from their friends and family not on the new world, like candy and magazines and pictures and stuff, you ever get sent stuff like that?"

[Twinwolf]

6D

 

6D shook her head. "I'm sure they would if they could, but it's really hard to get stuff from the moon to Earth, or the reverse. So, they can't do anything like that." she paused. "Yeah, we can have fun. Most of the time for the ground units it's just talking with others we like, though. I've heard the Operators have started to get really into things like collecting pictures of flowers, or fortune-telling, though I haven't been to the Bunker in a bit to talk about it."

[kj1225]

Rory nodded. He supposed combat androids wouldn't have much need to be around humans or in noncombat zones. And they probably wouldn't be around civilian droids either.... Still, he didn't really know how to continue the conversation at this point, but it didn't seem like there were many others to talk to... It's just then that an idea clicks in his head, of course he should turn the conversation to something he's overqualified for. "So you two are fighters yeah? What's the biggest thing you guys have taken down?"

[Twinwolf]

6D

 

"For the most part, I'm more of a support - I don't so much kill the machines myself but keep the more attack-oriented units from being targetted. If you mean personally, something about..." she paused, and then nodded to the Pod, which displayed a hologram of a strange looking machine that was tall enough that 6D only made it to it's knee. "This is the biggest thing I've taken in personal combat, a Goliath-class machine. The building-sized ones, Engels, require Flight Units and several androids working together to defeat, but they're really rare. We would be roughly the size of a toe, if it was humanoid."

[Chevaleresse]

The biggest opponent she'd ever taken down? Well, she had almost beaten Lord. . . but she didn't want to think about that, and it was probably not the kind of "big" Rory meant. Though there was the massive dragon. . . thing. "We took, um, down this huge monster in the world we, um, just left, working as a team." She tried to picture just how tall the monster had been. "It was easily bigger than, um, anything I've seen. You, um, can ask the others about it. LOTUS, um, might have recorded footage or something." That was really the only thing she could claim; she was specialized in fighting human-sized opponents, as Tempest was rather lacking in anything else.

[kj1225]

Rory nods. Those were both bigger than he was really expecting, but they also had full teams so it's not like it was that big of a deal. "Biggest on I killed was yesterday. An Ursa Major, bear looking grim about 2 stories tall and prone to getting really angry, that had been ripping apart fortifications and causing some problems for other hunters wandered into my neck of the woods. Gonna be honest, I probably should have asked for support from someone back at base because I ultimately was getting Mauled by it when I got a shot off on a big rock over it and by luck knocked it onto the Ursa. Still though, I got some good pelts and teeth from it so I can't be mad."

[Lucky Lulu]

There was little sound.  A faint draw, like an intake of breath, buried beneath Rory's rambling.  Nothing worth noticing, nothing worth a moment of attention away from the conversation.  But that was what they heard.

 

What all but Rory SAW, however, more than made up for that.  A line drawn on the air, ribbons weaving at the ends.  The line splitting, growing wider and wider.  Opening into a cavern, into a blackened maw, filled with a thousand-thousand eyes, that seemed it might consume everything.  Until it stopped, a hole in the boundary between this boundary-place and another, hanging and menacing just out of the hunter's field of view.

 

There was another sound, then.  Like a distant cry of shock, echoing from the void before them.  And before any could react to it, there was a blur of motion within.

And next?  Chaos.

The sonic boom echoed through the room as the blur of motion hurled through, slamming into Rory with a force that could, at its most optimistic, be described as "bruising."  The blur and Rory were sent flying, shattering furniture and floortile as they crashed and tumbled to the ground.

The gap closed.  The blur remained.  Dazed and still, lying atop the hunter.  Though admittedly, the blur was a good deal less blurry, now.

Masako Chichimura shook herself, giving her black wings a vigorous flap as she lept up, glaring at the place where the gap to the void had been not moments before. 

"Hmph!  The NERVE of some people."  The girl settled back to her feet, adjusting her glasses as her geta settled on what felt like a particularly lumpy stone.  Or someone's face.  But that hardly concerned her, for the moment.  "And to think, she wasn't even a suspect.  Why I even bothered asking questions when it was hardly necessary, I don't know.  But being bothered by one covering her bases hardly gives one the right to toss you through a hole to-"

 

She peered around.  Spotting the others.  Most of the others, anyway.  She looked around some more at the partially destroyed surroundings.  After a moment, she reached into her coat, bringing forth a pipe which settled between her lips.  She proceeded to sprinkle a bit of something in, lighting it in a flash.  The girl gave it a couple puffs, blowing out the smoke before continuing.  "A hellish dimension between realities, where I am no doubt going to be attacked by abhorrent alien automatons.  Truly, the nerve of that woman."

[Twinwolf]

6D

 

The Pod had reported anomalies, but not in time to change anything. So, that all happened. 6D was left staring confused. Annnd then the bird opened her mouth. "...I don't believe there are any alien machine lifeforms about, if you're worried. The Pod couldn't detect any. Unless you meant me, in which case I would be offended by the insinuation I am an alien." she said to the newcomer. She turned to Hiroki. "Hiroki, if you don't mind me asking, does this happen a lot?"

[kj1225]

Rory was very much stunned by the occurrence that happened. If his aura had been drained he was pretty sure he'd be pretty much just a stain on the ground at this point. That said, his face was amusingly undeformed due to the righteous blow he had just suffered triggering his semblance in excess. He's still for a few moments, his rage visibly increasing before suddenly he takes a deep breath. Having calmed himself down just enough not to instantly plant a wrymstake in the newcomer he spoke quite loudly. "Lady, I know you're confused but if you don't get off in 5 seconds I'm shoving a lance where the sun don't shine."

[Lucky Lulu]

"Ah, well, not alien alien, but also kind of alien alien.  Not that it matters, as I meant alien in the sense that-"  The tengu paused.  She could have SWORN she heard a very loud, clear, rude complaint issued from just beneath her feet.  Which was absurd, of course, because she'd just got here, and no one would have had the time to complain about anything related to her as of yet.  Unless it happened to be her manner of arrival, which was HARDLY her fault.  Not to mention, it would require her to be standing on someone or something capable of speech.

 

She looked down.  Stared for a moment.

Oh.

 

The tengu floated off, looking surprisingly sheepish for some sort of bird-person, and settled on a smoother patch of floor.  Giving a little cough, she quickly doused and emptied the pipe, tucking it away in her coat.  "Yes.  Well.  You shouldn't have been lying there.  And there's hardly any cause to call me confused.  I know precisely what I'm doing here, and precisely where I am!  I just don't know where it is that where I am is."

[kj1225]

Rory shoots the winged girl a dirty look before quickly picking himself up. He had to admit this felt a touch familiar, right down to getting blamed for something he didn't do, but he couldn't put a finger on it. He decided not to dwell on it right now as he turned to the new arrival. "I wasn't lying there. Someone happened to slam into me at sonic speeds and I got knocked off my feet, as tends to happen when that happens to someone unprepared.... Now then, what's your name little bird? An introduction is the least you can do after using me as a perch."

[Lucky Lulu]

"Quite unfortunate," she replied.  "Still, that's a matter between you and them."  

 

"As for myself-" The girl, apparently, wasn't going to give him so much as a moment to respond to that.  "I am but a humble consulting detective.  No mystery I can't solve, no puzzle I can't unravel, even when everyone else has long since given up.  THAT is me.  Chichimura Masako!  Finest investigator amongst all the tengu--no, in all of Gensokyo!"

 

There was a bit of a gleam in the girl's eye.  Though where Masako's claims of humility came in, who even knew.  "Accept no substitutes."

[kj1225]

Rory stares at Chichimura for a few seconds, no expression on his face. Of course, the lack of expression in this case expresses what he's thinking perfectly. Specifically, his main thought was "Is this bitch for real?". Other minor thoughts included "Fuck that hurt", "Man, I could go for some of those chicken skewers." and "She's kind of cute.". But after considering what to say he ends up with what comes out of his mouth. "Oh? Then this should be easy. Why is a raven like a writing desk?" Him saying that suddenly brought a rush of recollection back to him but he didn't kept it to himself as he tried pretty hard to suppress it.

[Lucky Lulu]

She blinked.  She blinked again.  Slowly, she removed the pipe once more, though she didn't light it this time.  Merely nibbled at the bit.  That is, until her expression brightened, and she snapped her fingers.

 

"Because both come with inky-black quills.  Obviously."  She sounded rather pleased with herself.  "Though that is HARDLY the sort of puzzle I meant."

Edited November 20, 2018 by Lucky Lulu

[kj1225]

Rory continues his stone faced expression for a few moment before he smiles. "Heh, better than my answer. So what kind of puzzles do you mean? The kind that ancient ruins inexplicably have in the movies and stuff?" Apparently Rory recovers from being pissed about getting stepped on quite fast. 

[Lucky Lulu]

"Oh, no, don't be absurd.  I am a detective.  I've never even seen a moving ancient ruin.  Except that one time, I guess, but that hardly counts and I wasn't even involved in THAT whole scenario, so it's not like I could have solved it.  Not that I couldn't have solved it, mind you!  I just wasn't around before someone else did."

 

Masako paused, as though aware she were getting a bit off track.  She gave a little cough, waving her hand around before she could start to look embarrassed.

 

"Regardless, I solve practical problems.  Where did my cat go?  Who committed a murder?  Why does the local umbrella keep trying to sneak up on me to frighten me when we already know she's there?"

 

The pipe settled back in her mouth, and she gave a thoughtful little nod.  "Though I suppose, for now, I would settle for why a snake-youkai seems to have chosen to become an experienced youkai-fighter equipped heavily enough to attack one of the Gashadokuro.  And more importantly, what he is doing here, as it is doubtful the old gap hag flung you to this place despite you clearly being a recent arrival.  What was your name, again?"

Edited November 20, 2018 by Lucky Lulu

[kj1225]

Rory had to take a moment to process what Masako had meant. And then the smile dropped from his face for a second before reappearing. He had to remember that these people weren't from his world so they were just using the closest possible word that they knew. And given the wings she likely was a "Youkai" as she called him. So obviously she didn't mean any offense unless she was odder than her first thought, which would be unlikely.  "First things first, I'm not a Youkai. Or at least I don't think I am, I don't know much about your world obviously. I'm a Faunus, it's a race that's very much like humans except we tend to have a physical trait of an animal and some heightened senses. I also don't fight Youkai... probably, since going off your features you're one and you don't seem very mindless or bent on destroying life as we know it. I'm what's called a hunter, essentially I hunt Grimm, and I'm specialized in hunting anomalous ones which are generally tougher, larger, and some are just flat out forces of nature on their own but those last ones are out of my league, for now. Anyway, my name is Rory."

[Chevaleresse]

Hiroki had summoned and then desummoned her mech on the newcomer's arrival and apparent lack of hostility. She'd figured that would occasion more of a comment, but they seemed to be too busy exchanging riddles and biographical info to notice. Odd, given the massive death machine was what it was, but that actually ranked fairly low among the odd things that had occurred in this room. After a few moments of consternation, she realized that 6D had asked her a question. "Um, not usually like this, um, but yes." She retreated back from the group somewhat, instinctively. "People usually show, um, up in groups, so there, um, might be more."

[Lucky Lulu]

"Interesting."  The black-winged girl peered at Rory's face, then gave a satisfied nod.  "Perhaps not quite remarkable, but I was still right.  Not that I know how to USE that yet, but..."

 

She shook her head and gave a little hum, tapping at the edge of her lips.  Behind her, Masako's wings gave a few delicate flaps, carrying her up to the top of a pile of rubble made by her entrance where she could properly sit and have a good think.  And there she remained, for a time, staring off at the wall.  At least until she managed to distract herself again, peering back down at the hunter.  "Well, boundary between possible worlds or not, yes.  I did say I was the finest investigator amongst the tengu, after all, and that certainly makes me a youkai.  Though it's just as certain that us tengu are a higher class than most.  Not that it's as big a deal, nowadays.  Still."

 

The girl shrugged, kicking her legs back and forth from atop her little perch.  "I would hazard that your grimm are closer to the youkai than you yourself are, based on your description, though still a good bit different.   What many used to be anyway--tengu were never like that!--since no one really acts like it now except for fun.  Or they've got some scheme going on.  Either way, that still doesn't explain why you're here."

[kj1225]

Rory shrugs at that statement. "Same reason you're here. Kind of. I guess. Well, probably not since me and the two over there weren't purposefully taken here to my knowledge. We're here to fight creatures called trespassers that are threatening the multiverse I guess. So uh... from what I'm getting I'm doing the same job, just on a different scale. I'm sure we could use someone who's a good investigator though, if you're sticking around for a bit. It'd be nice besides, you remind me of one of my old teammates."

[Lucky Lulu]

"Oh, no, probably not."  The girl seemed pretty nonchalant about her dismissal.  "You don't really need a consulting detective for a trespassing case, and they're usually too dull for my work anyway.  Be better off just hiring someone with a large club.  Or-"  she amended, quickly.  She tended to be accused of trespassing pretty often herself, after all, and didn't want people to start getting ideas.  "Don't.  It's probably nothing, anyway.  Sometimes people just need to get a quick and perfectly innocent look around without permission.  Besides, it's not like someone PULLED me here.  I was just tossed off by an extremely, extremely rude gap hag too lazy to answer a few simple questions.  I doubt she had any ulterior motives."

 

There was a long, quiet pause.  One filled with the knowledge on one side that the tengu really had no idea what Rory was talking about vis a vis trespassers, and on the other with the dawning realization that she had just accused the youkai of boundaries of having no ulterior motives in even one single circumstance.  A classic blunder.  She'd probably be beating herself up for that later.

There was a sheepish little smile on her face as she adjusted her glasses again.  "W-well, we'll see."

Edited November 20, 2018 by Lucky Lulu

[kj1225]

Rory went to clarify what he meant but, he decided it probably didn't matter much anyways. He leaned against a wall for a few moments before he sighed. "Hey, Hellfire Knight, you know where some food is around here? I just woke up when I got here and I don't like fighting on an empty stomach."

[Twinwolf]

6D

 

"If there are, then I hope they don't cause... issues, like has been going on." She then turned to the new arrival. "Hello. As explained, we are apparently here to fight trespassers. Except apparently, when dealing with multiversal trespassers, it indicates a desire to wipe out all of existence. I don't think a club large enough to deal with them exists. That is about all that I know as of right now."