View source for 4339/If At First You Don't Succeed

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2016/07/19
|Location=Void - Deeper Void (South)
|Synopsis=Kazuko and Ren go on a picnic.
|Cast of Characters=165, 942
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Somewhere in a darkened room, a man was typing. He is using a multiversal pan-world instant messenger program.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;http://i.imgur.com/XKH8NgJ.png<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That was then. This is now...<br><br> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEXnnRqRZ14&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>Deep Jungle - Kingdom Hearts&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>Yoko Shimomura -2002<br><br> "I've got something very special for you after the last try didn't work," Ren Tanaka says to Kazuko Kawakami. The two of them emerge from a warpgate that isn't exactly a warpgate- the object behind them they've emerged from is simply a crystal-studded stalagmite in a clearing, surrounded on all sides by the most magnificent of trees and flowers.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I have to admit," Ren says, placing a little box on a rock to serve as a beacon. "I've been saving this one for a while. So, it's been a while since I did the tour guide business, but here goes..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;http://imgur.com/a/gjGhC<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Welcome to Taynoel, the twin world of planet Marronasi. A world that has purposefully never been colonized or touched by any living race, and only two and a half million years old. That may sound like a lot, but as the history of the universe goes, it's practically a baby."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> It's been quite a while since the last time Kazuko left Kawakami City and Njorun for something other than work. She's been training hard, studying... Enough, and handling shipment security every now and then, but she hasn't had much time to just go somewhere and stretch her legs. It's probably not too much of a surprise, then, that she's jumped on this opportunity to go somewhere without the spectre of DUTIES following behind her. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "We're not gonna end up in some weirdo's hunting game, are we?" She snickers even as she's trying to get that bit of chiding in, not looking too bothered by what had happened the last time. She peers at the box curiously for a moment, but her attention is easily drawn by the vibrant plant-life surrounding them once the introduction to the planet is given. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Whoa... That old? Wait, the universe is even older than that? Even the dinosaurs..." Kazuko trails off, distracting herself with a moment to try and ponder just how long ago the dinosaurs did exist before turning her attention back to Ren with wide-eyed curiousity. "Hey, hey! So how'd you find this place, Ren?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, see, this is why we do it. You've gotta get out of the house for the sake of relaxation. There are worse places you could go than a different planet...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren sees neither reason nor motivation to mention /exactly/ why or how he found out about this place, mostly because the answer is less than pleasant. Years ago before he joined the Union, he passed through Marronasi at the closing end of war; war so culturally wounding that the survivors had agreed to devote themselves to lives of simplicity and asceticism. So when Kazuko asks if they're going to meet anyone else; he simply says;<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The people of Marronasi prefer to live with both feet planted firmly on the ground. I think they even mothballed their space program? More important things for them to worry about-" and, when she asks how he found out about this place, he replies "At least that's the impression I got when I went there myself some years ago. We wouldn't even be able to get here if it wasn't for the Union's warpgate."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He bounces forward with that energetic, child-on-christmas enthusiasm that he often has when taking the first steps into a new place, the large bag he's carrying jostling at his side. He grabs a branch of a nearby tree, plants his feet against the trunk and turns back to look at her, holding the bag out. "I even brought some picnic stuff. So let's go and explore a world that intelligent life has never set foot on!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> It's a good thing Kazuko's prepared for the jungle as well. Aside from her usual yellow track jacket and shorts (just how many of those things does she have?), she's also brought along her trusty (blunt) naginata! She can't afford to be too careful after last time, after all, and it does serve some use in nudging aside the brush as she passes through it with Ren. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "That does sound a lot easier... Space is cool, though. It's got all those laser tools and funny helmet..." She goes on for a bit about that, but catches herself before too long. "You think they even know this warpgate's around here?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That would be hard to explain if they didn't. She'll just hope they won't need to explain if some natives decide to follow them back! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Following Ren and pre-emptively shoving some more intruding branches out of the way as they keep moving, she keeps a steady pace with her tour guide before stopping at the tree. "Picnic stuff? Ooh... Yeah, that's good thinking. We need to keep our energy up so we can check this place out and get back without a problem!" She takes the bag and peers inside, pausing to glance around just in case anything's watching them. "What do you think the animals here are like? Or... Taste like?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Priorities.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>It's true! Ren doesn't even have a rental machete this time. He actually thought about it and decided he didn't even want to cut any plants if it wasn't absolutely necessary, and even then he'd probably just walk around to get past it. Of course, Kazuko might not share his enthusiasm- it's one thing to walk three miles off course away from the warpgate, but of course that means you've got to go an extra three miles back once you're done as well. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh, you'd never catch me mucking about with the early sorts of space flight. I mean weightlessness is just uncomfortable when you don't have the option of gravity control, to say nothing of the rigamarole you've got to put up with going to the bathroom, a-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's around about here that he realizes he's about to start rambling again, and coughs to stop himself, as he begins to walk along past a clear stream and waterside flowers.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The Marronasians didn't know what they were either last time I came here. Only the Union seems to have knowledge of that warpgate, and they only let people use it on the old leave-only-footprints-take-only-memories policy."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He takes a look back at her and stops once she's crossed, pointing out something moving from one tree to another- it has a face like a cat, but with developed thumbs and fingers on the ends of its limbs. It takes a moment to look at them, but then moves on. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That may be the only intelligent life here, and it's clearly not interested in us. I wouldn't try eating one, either."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "Early...? Oh! Yeah, no, those suits are too clunky and weird. Even the ones from those Corpses guys were kinda chunky." At least nobody can say Kazuko hasn't been keeping busy! "I don't think I even saw a bathroom on that ship, either... You think maybe they had one of those...?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is she rambling, too? She's rambling, too. It all worked out better than expected! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "That kinda policy makes sense. If we interfere too much, they might think we're... Like. Magical space gods in all those movies." It's a somewhat concerning thought, but luckily, Kazuko catches herself as well with enough time. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Turning to look at the thumb-cat, the martial artist peers at the creature from a distance with an inquisitive eye before raising her hand to give it a little wave. "Whoa... That's weird. But no, I'm not gonna eat a kitty. It'd be weird eating anything with hands like that, anyway..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>"Bathrooms are, a /cornerstone/ of civilization," Ren replies haltingly, indicating he probably doesn't want to talk about that before lunch.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Someone's probably done it," Ren replies to the line of thought about magical space gods. "In fact, there's no shortage of people who think that sort of thing has happened before in /your/ world's history. And if that's not true, then I expect it's part of the Confederacy's wheelhouse." <br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Elsewhere...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maatze Bourbon would like to say that the device he has in his hands is more than what most people would call a mancatcher- he is, after all, a man of science and pursuing an incredibly funded course of research and he uses only the most cutting-edge of equipment in his research- but at the end of the day the only difference between the metal staff with a loop on the end he's wrangling and the alternative is that this thing isn't really being used on men. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's being used on cats.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"For goodness' sakes, Bourbon, stop being such a soft touch," the woman on the other side of the lab snaps at him. Her name is Elizabeth Petra, and she's had this humoralist modulizer set up for ten minutes now. Bourbon is a brown-haired man, just beginning to grey at the roots, with a round face and an patch on one eye. Petra is tall, with short 'bed hair'. Rather extravagantly for a scientist, it's bleached white with red tips. "You know as well as I do that the subject isn't necessarily supposed to survive this procedure."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's not it surviving that I'm worried about," Bourbon replies, tightening his grip on the pole as the hooked cat thrashes and spits on the end of it.<br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You weren't actually planning on lurking around in the bushes and catching something for your lunch, were you?" Ren replies skeptically, looking over his shoulder as they move on. "Trying to spear a fish with your naginata? I've brought more than enough for both of us here, anyway."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As he pushes past some ferns, the two of them come to another clearing...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And there are at least three nondescript, squat boxes of buildings nearby, in an area that has been slashed and burned clear, with tree stumps here there and everywhere and a distinctive ship about five hundred feet in the distance.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh," says Ren. "Someone clearly set up a table here before us."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "Probably! And I know there's a cople of games where someone with a lighter got confused for a witch 'cause fire and... Fire." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She's still going. HOW. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Eh? Well... Maybe a little. I mean, that's what all the cool people do in the movies, right?" Kazuko's still eager as ever, even if her brain is going in all the wrong directions. "When they crashland on a weird new planet, there's usually a scene where they're trying to eat something that looks like a tasty fruit but tastes horrible..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Thankfully, Ren's able to get her mind off of hunting for their lunch when they reach the clearing leading to a... Ship? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Um... Ren? Did we just find the natives' home or something?" THe martial artist starts moving much more carefully than before ven as she approaches one of the buildings, trying to get a feel for what it's even made of and if there's any visible entrances to it. She's still curious, after all, even if she's trying not to disturb anything too much. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "You think they'll be okay with us being here?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>It's kind of hard sometimes thinking about how this all works with regards to continuity of action, isn't it?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Exactly. You don't want this planet's future culture of cat people to base their entire belief system on the time this giant hairless monkey showed up and ate some of them, do you? Besides, that sort of thing could be just as dangerous to you. Foreign planets sometimes have very interesting safeguards in place that have evolved to protect them against alien beings."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That thing Ren said probably happened before they found out this atrocious thing that had been done. He probably squatted on a rock for a rest during some of it, too.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; For everything the two of them had just been discussing, this all seems that much worse- it's like an entire clean circle of Eden has been excised from reality and replaced with a prefab military bunker, scorched earth and all.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"For everything the two of us just said..." Ren says bitterly. "Take a look around, Kazuko! No native race on any world sits itself down in the middle of a jungle and thrashes the land into shape. They settle in places that already exist to suit their needs. No, this is from Marronasi..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And if they've broken their vow to never come here, who knows why, or what could ensue?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In one of the prefabricated buildings, an alarm goes off. Unfortunately, it's the same building as the one pretty much everything relevant is in, including the two scientists, and the shock of the klaxon causes Bourbon to drop the cat. It immediately makes for the nearest window, whether it's closed or not. Breaking glass is imminent.<br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Somewhere in a darkened room, a man was typing again.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;http://i.imgur.com/sKngQdz.png<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "Yeah... None of this looks right. It's all too clean and... Even!" Kazuko looks from the clearing to the jungle, the jungle to the clearing, the clearing to Ren, Ren to her naginata, and then her naginata to the building she's been poking at. "Like... How do you even make something this clean without machines?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's all starting to get weird again. She glances around once more before drawing the naginata, holding it ready while hurrying back towards Ren. "Should we find out where they are, then? We can get them to explain all of... Whatever this is, and the find out if they're up tosome weird plan! Unless..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The gears are starting to turn, and Kazuko's looking just a bit more excited now. "But what if it's not the natives? What if... There's /aliens/ here?" She pauses for dramatic effect, then points at the ship that they had seen on their way in earlier. "Over there! That means someone had to come here from somewhere, right? Maybe they're the ones that did all this and not the Marrow.. May.. Mayonnaise.. 'ians?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; So close.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...sometimes I wonder exactly what goes on in that head of yours," Ren admits. "Just don't go looking for a fight, alright?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He looks at the ship in the distance. "I'll admit, that ship doesn't look like anything I saw their space program working on, before the mothballs..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He shrugs his shoulders, and begins to walk towards one of the buildings. "No matter who's here, I can't abide it. Not just because they've made a mess of the jungle. Playing around with a planet that's barely developed like this... the prehistory of any world is always where the wildest and most primal forces are found..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;TA window shatters, and in a flurry of glass one of the cats bursts out, screeching and fleeing for its life.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Speaking of which."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The metal door of the building swings open and two people burst out, one of them carrying a tranq gun.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "Hey, hey. I won't get into a fight on purpose!" Kazuko pouts briefly, then giggles before resting the naginata against her shoulder. "But if they just decide to attack, I mean... I can't help it if we gotta defend ourselves, right?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She's getting smarter, but in the wrong ways. Somebody needs to stop her one of these days! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Not today, though. There's more pressing matters at hand, like the unidentified ship and whoever was on it causing a ruckus in the jungle. "That's right... If they're not careful, this place could end up with bears using laser cannons! There's already cats with hand, so...!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Speaking of cats, there's one right there! Kazuko winces just a bit at the sight of a cat crashing through glass, almost looking ready to check on it when she's interrupted by the sight of the two people coming out of the building. She settles into a defensive stance, but doesn't quite approach yet as she just watches them instead. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Uh.... Hi. Are you supposed to be here?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>Thankfully for everyone, probably, the two people who have emerged are definitely men (well, a man and a woman) of science, for better or for worse. Well, to be sure they're shooting at the cat, but the object that hits it- albeit after a couple of failed attempts- is definitely a dart rather than a bullet. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the animal slows to a stop it takes one of them a moment to actually become cognizant of the other two people there. Unlike Bourbon, Petra noticed them immediately and wouldn't stop staring from the moment she did. It's not even a surprised stare.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Who exactly are you, and how did you get here?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That's funny," Ren says. "That's exactly what I was just about to ask you. Natives of Marronasi, I presume?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't know what you're talking about," Bourbon says. "We come from Taliya-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Petra snaps her hand closed and gives him a very hard look, but that's already a name Kazuko might have caught. Ren, for his part, just seems to be confused. It's an expression that doesn't quite suit him.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bourbon steps gingerly over to the cat, which is stumbling around a little and moving very very slowly. But then, just as it seems he's close enough to pick it up again-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cat's eyes narrow. It shrugs off the dart entirely with an unexpected burst of speed, and lets out a horrible screech! Bourbon throws his hands up in front of his face, Ren puts an arm in front of Kazuko (not that she'd need it)-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But rather than attacking either of them, the cat runs straight for a machine connected to the side of the building- an external generator!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In a sight that nobody should have to see, the animal launches itself at the bundled cables and with a horrible crackle, it's instantly electrocuted, shorting out the machine.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren is momentarily stunned into silence.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Petra begins, "Well, that-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And entirely out of nowhere, as if in response, the stifling warmth of the jungle around them is cut through. A blast of wind whips into existence from nowhere, thunder rumbling from an almost-clear sky- the entire jungle seems to tremble!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;----<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_w bg_n ++ hw">PART 2</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cat-primate animal that escaped from the mysterious lab reacted quite explosively to the idea of being tranqed and dragged back inside for more tests on it, such to the point that it launched itself right into one of the primary external generators for the complex. Less than moments after it did so, phantom winds roared from a suddenly darkening sky, which are now accompanied by cracks and clacks like thunder. What's even stranger, little bubbles begin to drift down from the sky.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What in the world?!" Ren shouts, trying to keep his jacket from blowing off.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Another storm?!" Petra snaps.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "Eh? Kitty?" Kazuko's gawking quite a bit when the cat-primate fries itself, a dumbfounded stare just plastered on her face. Even as it starts storming, she stares for a little longer, then slams the bottom of her naginata into the ground to steady herself. "Wha.... What's going on here?!" She shouts towards the pair, reaching over to grab Ren by the arm and keep him steady with her impromptu anchor. Just how long will that hold up with all this wind, though? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "And who are you?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"B-bah!" Bourbon shouts, swinging his gun around in impotent anger. "P-perhaps this would be better discussed inside?!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If you had a hat to wear, you'd be holding onto it. Ren scowls as he stalks behind the two of them at a fair pace, and with a little effort to manually open what was a semi-motorized door otherwise you can head inside the lab.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The place is a pretty sedate affair actually as far as labs go- half- chemistry, half-medical, and with a lot crammed into a small place, with bookshelves and desks sharing space with MRI-type machines and examination tables.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It takes as much effort to close the door as it did to open it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ugh, those storms blow in out of nowhere," Petra grumbles.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren looks at Kazuko, face a mix of irritation and worry. "I'm not so sure that was a storm..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"In any case, I'm quite interested to hear where you came from, especially since you don't seem to know the name of the world neighboring this one. In any case, you are at Facility 1. My name is Elizabeth Petra."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bourbon takes a few glares at him to chime in with anything else, as he's gone right back to looking at logs, presumably about the weather. "Oh... bah. Maatze Bourbon."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Pleasure," Ren says offhandedly, too busy to look at some book spines to really give it much effort.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't quite see why we have to answer anything you say," Bourbon grumbles. "You're the intruders here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko keeps on using that weapon as a walking stick as she hurries into the lab with the others, shutting the door behind her and only relaxing once the sounds of the storm outside are muffled enough that she can hear herself think again. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What was with all that? It was so... So... Yeah, outta nowhere." Resting the naginata against a wall, she shakes herself off not unlike a wet dog to get some of the water off, then looks up when introductions are being given. "Eh? Oh. Uh. My name's Kazuko. Kazuko Kawakami. And this here's Ren!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Don't worry, Ren. Kazuko's got your back! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "We could say that about you. All this stuff doesn't look like it's supposed to be out here, either." She sounds rather suspicious of Petra and Bourbon herself, but the latter gets most of it just by virtue of being the first one to question their presence. "... What /is/ all this stuff, anyway?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>"There is a reason," Ren says briefly and quietly, apparently very interested in the books that have his attention, "That damage from storms and tornados on insurance forms is called an act of god..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We're here entirely under contract to perform our investigation," Bourbon says. "We have the approval of our benefactor, who-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Again, Petra motions for him to talk less. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's scientific equipment," she says stiffly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Investigation? Benefactor? Now they're starting to get somewhere! Petra's tone shift doesn't go unnoticed, however, and Kazuko peers at her for several moments before starting to walk. Where? She doesn't know! This whole place is unfamiliar, but at least it'll get her away from the entrance in case that door explodes or something. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Scientific, huh? So are you building a hospital or one of those science labs or something, then?" She sniffs the air a few times, then rubs her nose off with her arm. "Is that boat yours, too?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The building itself is basically just one large room- there's not much to it beyond four big concrete walls, and everything inside is haphazardly assembled with just office-plan fiberboard walls to separate things further. Sometimes there's not even that.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ah, perhaps not so much the former, but a little of it," Bourbon replies. It's just so happened that now he and her, as well as Ren and Kazuko, are moving- a strange conversation where every participant either has an aura of 'better things to do' or just doesn't understand that you should make eye contact with the person you're talking to at times.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"(What are you doing?)" Petra asks him, quietly, behind a specimen rack.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"(Let's just keep an eye on them until we can figure out why they're here,)" Bourbon replies. He steps out to look at- or for- Ren and Kazuko.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This is scientific research, you might say. You are familiar with humorism, I take it?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren raises an eyebrow. "The idea that health and temprament can be influenced by the four key fluids in a body?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He takes a glance at Kazuko to see if she knows this one.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko's doing her own investigating! Not that she knows what it is she's actually looking at between all the strange books and equipment she's never seen before, but she does try to take a look at a few screens to see if there's anything she can actually recognize. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When the topic of humors comes up, however, she actually turns to the three while perking up just a bit. "Eh? Oh, I know those! Air, heat, cold, and earth, right?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of course she'd be familiar with it. It's a food thing! "... Are you researching the food around here or something?" Of course it has to come back to food, then. She stares at Petra and Bourbon for several long moments, then narrows her eyes just a bit. "... You're not trying to eat those kitty people, are you?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>Bourbon and Petra look at one another for a moment. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Blink, blink.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(Not so much at the elements comment, but the one about the cats.)<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They think to themselves, either she's leading us on or she's lived under a rock.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ah," Bourbon says, his voice slowing down a little. "No."<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"On both accounts."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren, meanwhile, has his nose in a book- it's baffling to him. He can barely read it, but the writing's ... well, it's like reading a textbook written in medieval english. Just like most of the spines on the books, too. It's as if the people who wrote these came from some kind of historical throwback. Or...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Meanwhile, Bourbon is finding a whiteboard. He begins to draw quickly on it. "Similar, in fact! You could even say related. In fact, keep those in your mind, perhaps. We have blood, which is formed in your liver, correspondant to air. I'm sure you know what blood is. Next, we have bile, which is made in your spleen, associated to fire, black bile, which matches to earth and is made in the gallbladder, and finally we have phlegm, which originates from the head and corresponds to cold."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren's expression is incredulous. That all checks out, but as far as either of them know, that's something that's been discredited since the nineteenth century. He mouths 'is it real here?' to Kazuko.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Which brings us to our next point," says Bourbon, who seems to have drifted somewhat into the school lecturer stance. "Which is the idea of good and bad. Do you follow so far, though? You are perhaps familiar with all of these?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko lets out a relieved sigh when the pair reveal that they are not, in fact, planning to eat cat people. That'd just be creepy! It does raise the question of what it is they /are/ doing, then, but... Well, she'll just have to keep listening for now. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Unlike Ren, though, she doesn't seem to be nearly as skeptical of the concept of humors. She's even nodding slowly and staring when Bourbon starts drawing up that diagram. "Yeah... Yeah, this all checks out. I haven't heard it described that way a lot, though." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Is it a cultural thing? It's probably a cultural thing. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Strangely enough, Teacher Bourbon is holding her attention much better now as well. She raises an eyebrow slowly at what seems like a too-simplistic question, eventually nodding after a few moments. "Yeah... That's. That's basic stuff, isn't it?" She might be overthinking it now.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Any relief Kazuko just had will probably evaporate in the next minute or so.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm glad that you understand everything!" he says, nodding. "I'm sorry. Yes, it's a little basic, but I was unsure if you were familiar with things." In other words, he was somewhat worried that you were from another planet, but now he's fairly convinced you're from Taliyahni. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This expedition is an examination into the concept of bad and good. We have spent many years discussing morals, and there has been so much theory, but now we have the technology available to us to make genuine examinations into it. Our research team collectively believes that good and evil are a symptom of predetermined factors. If we can perfect a way to modify or change those factors, which I believe we may now be on the technological cusp of-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You think you can change the way people /act/ by scientific methods," Ren grumbles, a little perturbed.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes! Which is where our experiments come in-"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko grins proudly when she seemingly surpasses Bourbon's expectations. She might not always be smart enough to get the right answer, but it still feels good when she does without even trying! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The next part does throw her for a bit of a loop, though. Mostly because it's just going right over her head, although she does get the gist of it as it's being explained. Ren confirms it with his own observations, and the martial artist's face shifts to a more troubled expression as she crosses her arms over her chest. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Wait wait wait. So you're trying to make people do stuff the way you want them to by putting science into them?" She furrows her brow and starts glancing around again, trying to figure out where Petra is in all of this. "But doesn't that mean they're just gonna be robots or something, then?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Of course not!" Bourbon replies, although his voice has taken on a tone of irritation. He begins to make sharper strokes and scribbles on the whiteboard now, drawing out a crude anatomical figure and various arrows pointing to different parts. "If, by application, we adjust the rate of production within the body, and stimulate the endorphins within the correct humors, by using the correct transfusions, both of ether and supplimentary humor, plus stimulating the necessary organs with phi energy-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You would imagine that Ren might be looking at Kazuko right now and miming falling asleep, but he's not. He's just glaring at Bourbon and Petra.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...we can promote 'good' over 'evil'! We can generate a process that rewrites the factors that cause people to act badly instead of well!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"By animal testing," Ren says blandly.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko's eyes glaze over a bit when Bourbon starts getting into the more scientific aspects of the whole thing. She might understand what the concept of the humors and elements are and what foods to eat to balance out what, but this? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The hell is all this? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At least he has the sense to summarize it at the end instead of expecting her to just parse all of that stuff on her own. It's not until Ren speaks up that she actually snaps herself awake, though, another troubled look crossing Kazuko's face. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "But that's just mind control, isn't it? You can't just make people do good things without their own choices, you know?" She glances over at Ren, then... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A more curious look comes over her face. "... Do animals even have that same kind of thing in their heads?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well," Petra pipes up, having spent a lot of time silent. "How would you feel about shaping a different civilization?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren remains silent.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"These cats have begun to develop along the same evolutionary lines as humans. They've begun to use tools, and their brains are developed enough to engage mentally and emotionally with others of their race. They have all of the organs that produce the four humors... they've even begun to develop communities-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Which is where our research comes in!" Bourbon insists. "These cats may soon become sentient life-forms. If we can insert the predilection to be 'good' over 'evil' at this phase, then it will come naturally to future generations. They will develop into a race that is naturally inclined towards being good 'people'!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm not really convinced, sorry," Ren replies dismissively. "Unless my colleague has anything else to say about the matter, I think we're going to leave you."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Oh right. The cat-people. Wanting to test this good versus evil brain injection thing. IT's all starting to make sense now! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "That's.... I dunno. Something still feels fishy about all of this. You gotta teach them right and wrong, not just shove it in their heads with... Science stuff." She nods in agreement with Ren and starts pacing once more, already starting to get antsy from standing in place for so long. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Otherwise, you're just gonna end up with mind-controlled robot cat people. It's not really good or evil if they're just acting like robots, yeah? But then if they're being taught...." She rubs her head slowly while trying to parse all this, and it's clear that the martial artist is just starting to confuse herself. She's not a sciencetist, after all! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Then the school... And prison's like that... But robot cat..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"They'll teach themselves-" Bourbon begins to insist. "Oh, blast it, where's the other fellow when I need him? Whatsisname? He's so much better at explaining this sort of thing than I am-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Outside, the storm continues to rattle. Because of the broken window you can hear it plainly, and some bubbles are starting to drift in or gather on the windowsill as foam. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You don't have anything else to worry about from us," Ren replies, walking past Petra and towards the broken window. "In any case, I think the storm is beginning to subside, so we'll be leaving."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He takes Kazuko's hand, and heads back outside again.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, that was kind of a lie, the storm's still just as bad. It's such a bizarre one, too- wind, bubbles, auroras- it's not even raining.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sorry about that," Ren says to Kazuko outside. "But I'm worried that there's something more to this. For one thing, I don't think this storm really is a storm, at least not the usual kind."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Does all of this seem rather weird to you, Kazuko? I mean, like I said, I swear to you the planet I visited was named Marronasi, but these people think it's Taliyanhi. And to say nothing of their quack science..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He taps a piece of paper against his chin- which is, in fact, the map pointing to the cat peoples' dwelling. "I think we should go and check this place out for ourselves. What do you think about that?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> The whole situation is still just so... Bizarre to Kazuko. Sure, the intentions might be there, but everything about it is still bothering her. Following Ren outside, the martial artist's already looking a little skeptical when she notices the continued noises coming from the outside that certainly aren't a storm subsiding. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ... Ohhhh he was using that as an excuse to leave. That makes more sense! "Eh? No, that's fine. It was getting kinda creepy in there, yeah. I mean... Yeah, all of it was weird. And this is weird!" She holds her naginata out in the odd storm, letting it waggle a bit in the wind and taking note of the distinct lack of moisture. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Storms are supposed to be rainy, and.. Yeah, what's with that? Did this place have another name or something? Or..." She pauses to stroke her chin like some sort of old wise man. "Maybe... They came up with their own name without ever meeting the natives?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That's where the name came from, right? She's not so good at remembering these things. Noticing the map, Kazuko peers over at it and gives Ren a firm nod. "Yeah, sounds good! We can find out if this storm's normal around here, at least, and then... Maybe see what they know about these people!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren leans against the concrete wall, and lets a rumbling sound come out of the back of his throat, halfway between a sigh and a growl. <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I can only apologize, Kazuko. Once again I've entangled you in another situation that you shouldn't have been involved in."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Of course, this is what life is like. That's why he doesn't insult her by asking if she wants to go back to the warpgate: for ones such as them, after this point the only thing left is to try and find some sense in the situation.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's why, a few moments later, Ren is walking away from the buildings and towards the jungle. The closer one walks to them, the easier it is to realize that for its part alone, the rhythm of clacking sounds isn't coming from the sky- it's coming from somewhere out there, which means when you combine it with a map showing you the same direction. the only sensible thing is to follow it. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XlD40Tq4ZQ<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_w bg_n ++ hw">Having a Wild Time - Yoko Shimomura<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kingdom Hearts - 2002</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"When I came here, I swear the planet had a different name," he says, as he beats back on the jungle trail. There's rocks to skip over and mudslides to step over. And plants, of course. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I can't imagine why. The world of Marronasi was recovering from war when I got there, but even one so severe wouldn't make them forget their cultural identity... or their promise..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "Eh? Hey, it's our job to deal with stuff like this whenever it pops up. That's nothing to apologize for!" Kazuko certainly looks confident enough, at least, giving Ren a reassuring grin and a slap on the back. "Now come on. Let's find some stuff!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; What are they looking for, anyway? The cat people, presumably! Taking off ahead of Ren probably isn't a great idea, though, considering that he's the one with the map, and she eventually settles back into moving in pace with him while keeping her eyes, ears, and nose open for suspcious movements. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Or whatever qualifies as suspicious in unfamiliar territory, anyway. At least Kazuko's gotten more used to these sorts of hikes after the last few tiems! "Well... If they've never heard of Maronasal, they probably just made up Tallgoose on their own. But if those were the natives before, then..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She grunts lightly. "That wouldn't make sense at all, no... Do you think that ship'll have any clues?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren may have the map, but Kazuko's senses are surely just as sharp. Because he's got to keep track of where they're going, it's more likely that she'll notice the sound is getting closer than he will. And after a couple more minutes of moving, we come to...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Huh. Well.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It had probably seen better times in days before, but animals don't build stone on top of stone or four walled dwellings even if two of them (plus most of three and four) are tumbledown now. Other dregs of stone here and there are visible. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And so are the cats.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's dozens of them here, the primate cat-creatures of which they'd seen before. They are, to a cat, clutching together stones and slamming them together in chorus: and furthermore, most of them are either clustered around a nearby square rock or a smooth round one up against the side of one natural wall. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the square rock is a strange, glowing figure. It has a round body, which is mostly made of ribbons of ivory-like, glowing gossamer hovering close to one another. It has a total of eight limbs, but two end in long claws.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> That explains where all the noise is coming from! It doesn't explain what the noise is or what it's for, but once Kazuko notices that the cat people are doing... Whatever it is, she reaches for Ren to tug him down. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Stealth is still an option! Maybe. "Hey, Ren. See that?" She speaks in a hushed whisper while watching the... Ceremony? Dance? Whatever it is unfolding. The martial artist isn't quite sure whether to approach or to stay hidden for the time being, although she is trying to get a better glimpse of the figure and trying to make out if there's any cats with something fancier on or anything to denote them as the 'leader' in all of this. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What do you think they're doing...? Hmm. Think they'll mind if we get closer?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...well...!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren looks at what's going on briefly... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And listens to Kazuko. "...it's worth a shot..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;TThere is, perhaps unfortunately, not an awful lot of ruin to hide behind. And, if the two of them get closer, it is plainly obvious- there's no way that these stubs, these bones of buildingwork could be something these animals had been working on. Even with another intelligence- if indeed that's what this is- the stonework is so claimed by time that there's no way it could be mistaken for anything but ancient ruins.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But if that's correct, then what exactly is going on here?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cat creatures themselves don't seem to notice them. It seems they've been successful, but...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Subsequently, it seems as if the animals don't so much come to a coordinated stop in what they're doing as much as the display begins to fade away- and as it does so, so too does the storm above, almost in sync with the animals dropping their stones. However, the cats don't just disperse into the jungle- they mill around the ruins, seemingly confused.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The crab, for its part, does nothing. It doesn't even move.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> That's good enough for Kazuko. Still maintaining a grip on her weapon, she starts getting up to approach the cat-people when their ritual appaers to be coming to an end along with that mysterious dry storm. She looks even more confused than before, clearly having trouble parsing what had just happened. Weren't they just doing... That thing before? Why do they look more confused than she does? <br><br>% Well, there's no sense in dawdling around without trying to get SOMETHING to happen. The martial artist gives Ren a light shrug before starting towards the cat-people properly, taking a deep (and loud) breath to make it clearer that she's not trying to sneak up on anyone before raising her free hand in a slow wave. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Hi, kitty-people! I'm Kazuko. Was that you doing that just now?" Leaving natives alone be damned. There's something that needs figuring out, and she'll just take the direct approach! "With all the wind and stuff? That was cool!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A little sweet-talking probably won't hurt, either.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Kazuko," Ren says gently, "They're just- they're not going to-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And yet, something happens. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The problem is, this is where things get a little difficult. It is next to impossible to describe in words exactly what happens in the next few moments, but sufficed to say, someone says something. The problem is this: the multiverse, by its nature, lets intelligent beings communicate with one another no matter what barriers might exist. The problem here is:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In this case, an awful lot of barriers exist. For one thing, although sentient beings on the level of primates definitely have a way of communicating and being understood by one another, the concepts they communicate might not translate exactly into human words. For another, just because a being is as intelligent as a primate doesn't mean they are one- what is being said exactly may be difficult to understand, even if it is translated by the multiverse into meaningful words. For another thing, cats have different vocal cords to hominids, and that makes this all difficult once again.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And the most important thing that makes this all very strange and complicated is, that when this cat talks back to Kazuko, they only say one thing. And then they repeat it, again and again. It's almost as if they were parroting something they are capable of miming but do not understand.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> That's... That's not going to help matters much, is it? Kazuko furrows her brow as the cat people mimic her speech, being amused for only a few moments until coming to the realization that they have no idea what she's actually trying to communicate to them. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "... Uhh. Ren? I think they're friendly! I just dunno how to... This." She gestures at the cat people, then strokes her chin slowly while trying to will herself into coming up with something clever to resolve this predicament! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's probably not a good idea to let her do this for too long. "I dunno if this gonna work. Hmm... You think maybe that crab rock's got something to do with this?" She asks as she turns back to Ren, gesturing at said crab rock thing before turning to one of the cat people and... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Pantomiming. She points at herself, then the crab rock, then picking something up. Maybe that'll work better than speech! Or... Not. She's just grasping at straws here!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cats are apparently... confused. Many of them just stand and watch Kazuko as she indicates to the crablike thing on the rock, which upon closer inspection doesn't seem to be an actual creature due to the fact that it seems to be hollow in the main body. It's etherial and glows, and when Kazuko tries to indicate it to the cats they seem to become restless, reacting to it as if they've just been pointed to their reflection in a mirror- except some of them are looking at it cautiously, others are pointedly NOT looking at it, and others still seem to actually start acting as if they are the reflection themselves, moving into a pose that mimics the squatting crab. Only some of them seem to pick up rocks in acknowledgement, and in general most of them seem restless and confused.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Another sound of thunder rolls across the sky.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This doesn't make any sense," Ren says. "It's mysteries on top of mysteries. As much as you can see that thing sitting there, Kazuko, it's like ..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Frustrated, he leans up against the round stone. "What's going on here almost seems too alien to understand."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And that's exactly when the stone crumbles out from underneath him, causing Ren to topple over backwards with pieces of rock hitting him on the head.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...Eureka!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Gesturing seems to be doing... Also something! More than trying to talk to them, at least, and for a little while? Kazuko's going to be trying to mentally sorting out which cats are reacting in which way for future reference. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of course, since it's Kazuko and doesn't involve food... That's not going to work at all. Thankfully, she doesn't waste too much time on that. She jumps slightly at the peal of thunder, then lets out a quiet grunt before turning back to Ren once more. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "It really doesn't... We can't really talk to these kitty-people, either. I think the crab's important for something, but..." She shrugs and starts pacing back and forth, stopping shortly afterwards with a slight wince at Ren's tumble. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Rika? No, I'm Kazuko. Uh... You okay, Ren?" She offers her free hand to help him up, looking both concerned and confused by his odd outburst. "You think we should head back and get some other smart people on this?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Yes! Except no, except yes I'm fine but no this could be something terrible except - look, just follow me a second!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren brushes rocks big and small off of his person and springs to his feet, moving inside the cave that the rock was concealing.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"As I was falling over I went to myself wait, if this is a big rock sealing off a cave then there has to be something awful inside, and if it's something awful then it has to be something /really/ awful like something people would want to make sure never saw the light of day again, except those animals back there aren't anywhere near as advanced to be afraid of anything except a really big fire, so how does this all add up?, and actually if I'm being honest here I'm hoping that there's nothing at all in here and I'm completely wrong because the alternatives are too horrible to even consider so-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The cave ends abruptly. In the centre of it, opened out like a peeled banana, there is some sort of fallen, burned-out thing- crashed, landed and dragged in here but unmistakeably a device, and an incredibly complicated one at that but worn by what seems like centuries of decay-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And surrounding it are dozens of large crustacean shells.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Somewhere in the dark room, far away, a man is typing again.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; http://i.imgur.com/sKngQdz.png<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "E-eh? Uh.. Okay!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's better than anything else Kazuko's got in mind, at least. Following Ren into the newly revealed cave, she makes sure to move carefully so as to not accidentally wedge her naginata across anything. The path needs to be clear if they ever need to make a narrow escape later! She starts to nod slowly as Ren spaeks rapidly, seeming to get the general gist of it while looking faintly confused nearing the latter part of it all. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "So there's gotta be something important or... Really bad in here, then? That means if we run into something down here, we either gotta fight it or-" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And there it is! The... Crab landing pod? It makes about as much sense as anything else Kazuko's seen today, but her curiousity is still getting the better of her as she starts moving towards the banana-device and the massive shells. "What do you think was in these...?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Being the smart one, of course, Kazuko's first instinct is to start poking at stuff. Surely nothing can go wrong with that!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;---<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PART 3<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren sits down on the floor of the cave.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Predictably, when Kazuko touches one of the shells she will find that they are exceptionally fragile. Very likely to fall apart.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Kazuko," he begins. Has to feel this out first. "Do you remember how, before most people bought their milk from a supermarket, a lot of people had their milk delivered to them in bottles? And how there were sometimes problems with this, because birds would land on the bottles, peck the tops off and drink the milk before the people got to it?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko holds still as a shell shatters, staring at its remains before backing up RAPIDLY. She doesn't want to risk breaking more things than she already has! "Erk.. Uh.. Y-yeah? Well, I remember hearing that milk bottles were a thing. The bird pecking's new, though..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A pause, and then she starts giggling. "I didn't even know birds could drink that. I mean... Birds are birds, not cows!" That little detour finished, the martial artist clears her throat before starting to circle around the banana-pod-device while making sure not to touch anything this time around (at least not on purpose). <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "So what about that?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, neither are you, but everyone always told you to drink it. All sorts of animals like milk. Anyway, I'm drifting."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren crosses his legs, and props his chin up with one hand. "As the stories go, after several people found, or claimed to have found, one set of birds doing it, other people said that other birds were also found to be doing this in other places as well. Even across great distances. Even across large periods of time, in fact, when the original birds would have died off long before they could teach other birds."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He begins to toy with a piece of rust on the floor. "That thing over there is a ship. Or what remains of one, perhaps. Maybe these cats out there are the first sorts of sentient life to evolve on this planet, but they weren't its first people."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Do you know what happens sometimes in the multiverse? Sometimes other worlds will disappear for a period of time, and then they'll come back, and an awful lot of time has passed for them but very little has passed for anyone else. All sorts of things can cause it. Magic. Sometimes technology malfunctions, sometimes, say, engines from a spaceship that crashes. It's supposed to warp time and space just a little to make the journey feel very short, but it breaks, and it makes things take very long. Sometimes the effect gets out of control. Long enough for a nearby planet's history to stretch on for so long it forgets an awful lot of things."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;None of this seems to have very much to do with birds.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "Oh yeah... Heh, yeah that makes sense!" Wait. wasn't this originally about birds? Kazuko smacks her cheeks before squatting in place to listen to Ren's explanation carefully, her eyes lighting up every now and then as things seem to click. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Oh, like crows!" "Oh, like people!" "Oh, like... Uhh." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Okay. Kazuko's not really able to come up with an analogy for the ancestors thing. "Like... Cave people? But those were still humans or something, I think..." Clearly, history is not her strongest subject! And Ren continues, she actually looks more intrigued than anything else, especially at the notion of worlds flat out disappearing. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Whoa... Really? So even your world or my world could just disappear for a while and come back... But with extra stuff! That'd be pretty cool..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And of course, the point goes over her head until he flat out explains it. "So what you're saying is... Uh. Whoever used to be here isn't, so the kitty people took over? And those original people..." Kazuko pauses dramatically, then points at the crustacean shells. "... Were crab people!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Exactly!" Ren says. "And to get back to my original story, the idea is something called 'morphic resonance'. The idea that some sort of field exists that things are bound to outside of what's just in their heads. When one thing acts a certain way, the idea stays in the field and influences future people."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;His voice grows dark. "Even if that thing dies. Even if /everything/ dies."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"These aliens landed on this world before intelligent life could grow, and then they died. So their behavior and ideas are still on this planet, influencing the cat people out there. But they're poisoning it. Before you walked right into the middle of them, shook them out of it, they were all just mimicking the lives of the crab people, however short those lives were."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He stands up. "Those researchers back there might be making all of this worse. We have to go back there and convince them to leave."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He offers her a hand up.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Now THAT's something Kazuko knows she hasn't heard of before. "Whoa... Really? That's kinda cool..." She murmurs quietly at the revelation, glancing around again to make sense of things with that newfound discovery. "The shells, the weird rocks, the confused kitty people... They were all just being confused by crab ghosts!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That doesn't make it sound any less silly to her, though. Taking Ren's hand, the martial artist hops back up and steadies her grip on the naginata before starting towards the exit of the cave. "So if that's how much the crab people affected them, then the researchers before... It'd be even stronger with them, then!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now things are falling into place. "No wonder we gotta be careful... Does that mean the crab people had weather powers the kitty-people are still copying now, then?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>"No, that's..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren's voice grows dark. "This planet is still young, and belligerent. With so little life on it to occupy itself with, I think the planet itself has a will of its own. And its temper tantrums are coming through loud and clear..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Back at the edge of the complex, Ren and Kazuko will see that some measure of power has been restored- of the squat concrete buildings scattered here and there in the wide, razed clearing, one of them has lights on. Petra can be seen working in front of the second one, replacing parts on the outdoor generator.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Alright," Ren says, peering out from behind a tree. "I'm going to go into one of the buildings and see if I can win over Mr. Bourbon with a little of my natural charisma. You go over and see if you can do the same with Ms. Petra. Alright?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "So... The planet's pissed. Cooool." Is that a thing that can happen? Well, considering how the Multiverse is so... The Multiverse? Kazuko can believe it! Not that that's a good tihng or anything, but still. It's still neat! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Wait. They're still on the planet. That changes her tune fairly quickly, and she's soon following Ren back to the complex! "Yeah, we gotta stop 'em from doing this weird stuff. Leave Ms. Petra to me!" She grins confidently and smacks her chest a few times, then starts heading for the building they had seen those two in earlier. "I might not know anything about all this science-y psychologology stuff, but even I know when something bad is gonna happen just by looking at it!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hopefully, it'll actually be that easy. First things first: Actually finding the target!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On some planets where life never develops at all, the entire world becomes a single sapient organism. Perhaps it could be said that as more life flourishes on a world, the sentience gets divided up between them. Or perhaps on a world where the learned people have not learned skepticism and cut themselves off from it, things like psychic phenomenons are still possible.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Didn't that young man you met on the internet talk about that sort of thing, once?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Petra is an electrician as well as a researcher, apparently- if you're familiar with this kind of thing, it's somewhat like when a small animal or an insect causes a short, causing blown fuses and things that need replacing. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fortunately this place has plenty of spare parts, and she's wearing a rubber hazard suit, so she's in little danger. And the work is almost done.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For Ren's part, he's heading to the building which is already back up and running. It's one neither of them have been to before, but if the lights are on then Bourbon is probably inside working on something. All he needs to do is jimmy open a window and sneak inside...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Unlike Petra, Kazuko's not quite prepared for anything the planet is throwing her way. She's had to use her weapon to smack away bushes, keep it low to not get hit by errant lightning, and even trying to communicate with the local wildlife has had mixed results at best! Still, even she can see the writing on the wall, and the writing's saying that this operation needs to be shut down! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Probably. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Eventually, the martial artist comes across Petra and hurries over to her, waving her free hand to try and get the woman's attention on the way over. "Hey! Heeey! You gotta stop this stuff now. The world's going crazy!" She gestures at the storms, at the forest surrounding the working field, the ship... Just about anything within eyesight.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Petra, bemused, looks up at Kazuko. <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh, good grief, she thinks, the girl's back. <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And she's bringing a - is that a long, metal object? <br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maybe she'll be struck by a stray discharge and I won't have to worry about her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She looks back at the work she's been busying herself with. She doesn't have an awfully large amount of time- the primitive cat-creatures had attacked the compound when Ren and Kazuko had gallavanted off into the jungle, and had only recently been forced away. In fact, Kazuko may be able to surmise something more had happened as she walks across the clearing- the building has cracked windows and bloodstains on it, and the ground is messier and scraped up.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Don't talk nonsense," she replies to Kazuko, turning back to her work. "This is just a tropical storm. I have other things to worry about."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko frowns at the mess she's come back to, and she steps over what she can only hope is mud before stopping in front of Petra. "Maybe it is, but storms like this don't happen normally. Or... All that!" She gestures at the cracked windows and bloodstains, the messed up ground that doesn't look to her like the result of natural weathering... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "What happened here? Did the storm crap blood all over here?" She's certainly persistent, at least, even if it means being a pain in the ass to one of the few sentient lifeforms she's actually been able to communicate with this whole time.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If it had, then I might actually have reason to be concerned," Petra replies, connecting some new fuses the size of her forearm in place. She stands up from her kneeling position and walks over to the breaker box, taking a key for it out of a sealed pouch. "But no, the animals came out of the jungle and caused a ruckus while you and your man friend were off doing whatever it was you were doing. I'm trying to re-establish power to building two and you're in the way."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko's torn. On one hand, cool fuse. She might not understand how it all works, but it sure is interesting to watch! On the other hand, all this danger means /something's/ up, and it doesn't look like Petra's going to stop it herself. "The kitty-people...? Isn't that kinda weird to you? I mean.. All the rain and weird storming! The kitty-people getting angry over all this!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; As if to emphasize her own stance, Kazuko keeps standing right where she is. "If you keep doing this, worse and worse stuff could happen until everything gets screwed up forever. How are you gonna get any work done when that happens?" A pause, and then just to clarify... "... You won't! Because... EVerything's screwed up!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The master debater is here.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As Kazuko talks, Petra opens the breaker box and throws the switches inside. But once she's stopped doing that and is actually paying attention...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When she's finished, Petra is looking at Kazuko strangely. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You know," she says, slowly. "You seem to be awfully invested in all of this."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"And for that matter, there's the question of how you got here, and who organized your transportation. And additionally, isn't it strange that the animals on this planet, which we are here to research, only became so restless after you got here?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you were to ask me, it's awfully suspicious."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Now it's Kazuko's turn to get interrogated! Not confused, though, since she's been more or less confused about this the whole time. "Well... Yeah, I don't want this place blowing up while I'm on it, either!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And then things start clicking in her head. Does this lady and what's-his-face not know about the warp gates? Quick, think of a good excuse! "... We fell." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dammit Kazuko. You're not even a good liar! "So we can't just leave until we figure out how to. And if all this crazy stuff's happening, then it'll be harder to leave!" The martial artist narrows her eyes a bit as Petra suggests what she thinks sh emight be, although... Is she? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Are you sure? how do I know you're not just saying that since I didn't see anything? Did you try talking to the kitty-people yet?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the secondary building...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Bourbon! Where did you get this?" asks Ren.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You can't have it!" he replies, clutching a weird opaque hexagon to his chest.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Listen, Bourbon. Something terrible came of this, a-"<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's a discovery more important than the research-!"<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You took this from the cave and sealed it back up, didn't you?"<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This could change the course of history..."<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I think it already has..."<br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You're not a very good liar," Petra says to Kazuko. Darnit! "Although I'm beginning to think you're some kind of dreamer or an activist. I don't know whether to call you arrogant, backward or short-sighted. These creatures can't even talk to one another yet. Perhaps we could teach them, but we have an agenda to accomplish first... or do you know that already? Perhaps you've been trying to get ahead of us. Who do you work for? Where was the information leaked from?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> It was worth a shot. Kazuko rustles a bit as Petra hits her with that trio of insults, and she points a finger accusingly at the woman in response. "Hey! I might not be the smartest person, but even I know when something dangerous is happening because people are messing with stuff they shouldn't! I mean... Teaching them isn't bad, but this doesn't look... Teachy!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She gestures at the fuse and the strange clearing, then gives Petra a blank stare when she levels those new accusations at the girl. "... Eh? Know about whatnow? I don't work for anyone." She hums for a moment, tapping a finger to her chin eventually."Well, I do some delivery work for Mister Fayt, and there's the Union, but I don't think they care about this place..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Tell Petra your life story, why don't you?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Except... bhaah, the problem is this is ancient history. Even if I told you this, it wouldn't make any difference," Ren snaps, mostly to himself.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Then let me be and leave me to my work, sir!" Bourbon replies, connecting the hexagon to power.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Bourbon, you must not try to use that technology-"<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Leave me alone! You've been nothing but a meddler ever since you first came here-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a quiet brown spark of energy from the broken alien component-<br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"So what you're basically telling me is you're a patsy," Petra replies, narrowing her eyes. "Perhaps that's useful to kn-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Petra," a smooth voice replies, from someone standing in the doorway. "Are you causing a ruckus?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;http://safebooru.org/index.php?page=post&amp;s=view&amp;id=1631745<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yobugCRpyvQ<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Planet Healer - Seth Feelie <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Homestuck - 2010<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He is a man Kazuko will recognize. Standing almost six feet tall with a pointed chin and fair hair, he wears a grey suit that is utterly unlike a doctor's labcoat. His voice is so much smoother without the filter of cross-universe voice chat programs to tint it.<br><br>This is the man that Kazuko will recognize as a friend she has on the internet.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Kazuko Kawakami, as I live and breathe."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;His name is Hollyhock.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "A pats...?" It's a word Kazuko's heard a few times before, mostly in her American shows. Not that she really ever understood what it meant, but in the context of those shows... "Nobody's using me for crimes! I mean, who even would?" It couldn't be Ren. He's never led her astray before. It couldn't be the Union. Even if there's always been bickering, none of them would really even know she's here. That leaves... The kitties? That other guy? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The martial artist doesn't quite get enough time to mull over that too long before she hears a familiar voice coming from the doorway. She does a double-take before looking over, tilting her head slowly as she finally recognizes who it's supposed to be! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Ecchi? You're here, too?" Now she's just completely baffled. Why would he be here of all places? Talk about insanely weird coinciedences! "What're you doing here? How'd you even get here?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Hollyhock, this woman is suspicious. I'm fairly sure she was se-"<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Nonsense, Elizabeth. Kazuko, it's wonderful to finally be able to meet you. You're currently on the twin planet of my homeworld. I had planned on inviting you here in the future, but I'm sure it's fate that brought us together today," says Hollyhock. He's practically glowing to see her here, with a big beaming smile and a tenderness to his voice. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The winds pick up again, and cracking and clacking can be heard from the air and the jungle.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Now, whyever did you insist that my good friend stay outside in these dangerous conditions? Let's go inside where it's safe and I'll do whatever I can to make you comfortable, Kazuko."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He beckons her in, and doesn't notice Petra seething.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the other building, Ren and Bourbon stand stock still, the former reaching out with one arm, the latter recoiling from the table. The broken component from the aliens' timeship has frozen both of them in place.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Now things are /really/ getting weird. What's Hollyhock doing here of all places? Wasn't Kazuko just that guy she played games with online? Why would he be out here in... What was it called again? Pfermturn.. Tum... Something. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Multiverse names are so weird. Still, having a familiar face around does put the martial artist at ease somewhat, and she even grins as he invites her in. "Hey, yeah! It's good to see you.. Uh." She glances at the door with all that clattering noise, then heads in after Hollyhock. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And probably sticking her tongue out at Petra on the way in. Who ever said Kazuko was a mature lady? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "So... Uh. What is all this? Are you working with Elizabethtra, too?" That one had to be on purpose.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>"I don't wonder why you didn't just read my mind, sir," Petra says cattily. Then, to Kazuko, "Did he tell you he's a psychic? You know what they say about those people and keeping secrets."<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's not impossible, is it? People who play video games online could have any sort of profession or calling in the outside world. In truth it really is just remarkable coincidence that Kazuko has wandered right into Hollyhock's life without things being organized to bring them together.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"That's correct," Hollyhock replies to her. The building they're entering into is the same one that they were in before- but it looks like one of the machines that was supposed to be used to 'adjust and transfuse the body's humours' has been set up or even been used recently. Honestly, it looks like nothing more than half of an iron maiden, really. Rather disturbing.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I am the supervisor of this expedition, and her superior," Hollyhock replies to Kazuko. "I'd endeavoured to visit this world so that modern science could be used to provide the means to pave a better future for everyone. We will use a combination of pioneering techniques and practical education to make this world into a utopia."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "... Eh? He is? You are? So... What number am I thinking of right now?" It's a trick. Kazuko's not thinking about numbers at all! She's thinking about takoyaki, actually. Also, cats. And cat people. And cleaning that little Christmas tree ornament thing dangling from her ponytail. Just what the hell is that thing, anyway? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; THat's not important right now. The important thing is that the person who she thought was jsut a gaming buddy is actually responsible for all this... This! "Is that what this is all about? Mm... But what about free will and stuff? And the prime director? Messing around in undeveloped places making them get all weird and that statue explodes..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now she's just mixing up her references. "Improving stuff's not bad, but... You're seeing all the crazy storms, right? That can't be normal for this place, can it? It might be the planet trying to warn you... Or ghosts!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You are in fact thinking of a diced octopus covered in batter snack, which I don't know the name of, but I would love to try it," Hollyhock replies, after a little visible concentration.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Petra lingers at the door.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I can understand why you might be worried," he continues to Kazuko. "But you needn't. It's fine. Let me put it to you this way, Kazuko: everyone of us can have the choice to commit a crime. Or so that is what people believe. But what if that isn't true?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What if free will is not as free as many people would like to believe? What if people are predisposed to acting a certain way, prisoners of their bodies?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sir, I would be very worried about revealing more about the project than is absolutely necessary," Petra interrupts. "I have reason to believe that this woman may be working with rivals or even saboteurs who are independently-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Petra, do be quiet," Hollyhock almost-snaps. "I won't hear you speaking poorly about her."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh, good grief."<br><br>TOutside, the wind begins to whip up again. There is something terrible brewing. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Are you familiar with the idea of morphic resonance, Kazuko?" Hollyhock asks.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "... Coooool." Kazuko's legitimately impressed! And just a little worried. But mostly impressed! She doesn't have to fake a reaction, at least. "It's takoyaki. Yeah, you should try it some time. It's really good!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Right. Serious time. Clearing her throat to dispel some of that lingering joking time, Kazuko listens to Hollyhock intently as he goes on about the nature of free will. The role of nature, possibly even nurture. Not that she knows that those are even theories, of course, but at least the core idea is sort of swimming around in there somewhere. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I told you. I'm not working with whoever you're..." She pauses. "There's other people out here doing this same stuff?" That's an interesting thing to take a mental note of. She suppresses a grin (badly) when Hollyhock scolds Petra again, but she does put on her serious face again when he mentions morphic resonance. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Oh! Is that the thing where... Oh, REn mentioned this. Uhhhm. When someone does a thing, them doingt hat thing stays in that place so later people sorta also want to do that thing?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It made more sense in her head than it did coming out of her mouth.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>There's a thunderclap from outside, and Petra lets out a nervous giggle. In all truth she's honestly beginning to feel more freaked out by the strange storms than she's letting on to anyone, and by this point she's gripping onto her idea that there are hidden conspirators or saboteurs responsible for some of the bizarre events as a form of deluding herself. She begins to take a step or two backwards and away from the other two, moving to one of the shelves.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Absolutely," Hollyhock replies, his voice full of enthusiasm. He doesn't seem to notice Petra- all of his attention is on Kazuko. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I know that what we're doing here may seem unsettling, but I- Kazuko, I've felt a wrongness, perhaps even a malice here on this untamed world. It is my hope- my dream- that perhaps if we can influence these creatures at this early stage we can /save/ them from this tendency that I fear is brewing within them. And if we can change this now at this early stage, and perhaps with a little more work, we can make sure that it is passed on through to future generations, so that-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Click.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Sir, stop telling the spy all of our plans," Petra says. Her voice is trembling, but she's walked out from behind the shelves with a gun- a real gun, steel-blue and bulky, aimed right at Kazusa's forehead. Outside, the cats emerge from the jungle once again, carrying sharpened stones with reeds tied around to protect their hands from the sharpened edges, and long branches with pointed flints on the end. The trees are shivering.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Petra, no. Petra, what are you doing."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You're compromised, sir. I'm sorry. I can't let all of our work be compromised by insurgents."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Hollyhock's got good intentions, at least! It's... Actually enough to keep Kazuko from worrying as much about all the crazy shit going on outside. Sure, Ren's got a point about the planet maybe fighting back against these intruders, but what if Petra's right about their arrival throwing things off? Or if Hollyhock's right? What if... Whatever it is he's got brewing here is actually going to stop that? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Then again, the mind contro thing still isn't sitting quite well with the girl. When she hears the telltale click of a gun, however, she brings up her naginata into a more defensive stance as she turns to face... PETRA. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "I told you, I'm not a spy! That's more Yamato's thing, anyway! Or Azumi. Maybe Margit...?" Kazuko narrows her eyes a bit, although it seems like she's a little distracted as she shakes her head. "No... No, she's too easy to see. Unless she had a wig or something..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Right. Current threat, not future spy potential! She braces the naginata while watching Petra cautiously, keeping herself in between her and Hollyhock. "Put the gun down, lady. I don't wanna hurt you-" True. "-and I've fought way bigger stuff-" True. "and blocked bigger shots before!" False.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In Petra's viewpoint, Kazuko is basically pointing a stick at her, which she might as well have picked up from the jungle. In fact, she probably did, didn't she? What is she, some sort of environmental rights guerilla? Or-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kazuko shouts off several names, and Petra's eye twitches. "I see. So there's at least four other people here. I see. I see. Alright. I don't know where they are, but perhaps they'll be more inclined to come out if I-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Kazuko," Hollyhock says fearfully. "This isn't the same as the games. You must- Petra, please, listen to r-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Oh, shut up and stop defending your internet crush," Petra spits back at him. There's the sound of things clashing against the walls, and her expression gets even more fearful. "God, she really did a number on you, didn't she? But she can't fool me. They brought her along to try and work you over. But if I threaten to put a hole or two in her, I'm sure the other four will come right out of hiding! Perhaps I'll put a hole or two in her anyway, yes!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Don't you HURT HER-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Everything suddenly gets horrible. Hollyhock lunges at Petra out of nowhere, taking her by surprise. Something from outside cracks one of the windows. Kazuko may even feel the need to get involved herself. The gun's dropped, reached for, someone shoves someone else, the lights flicker, the power hiccups, the other person trips, something is yanked on-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And Hollyhock stumbles and shouts and crashes backwards into the 'Iron Maiden'. Fifty different needles jam into him at once, pushing and pulling and stuttering as the machine makes a ghastly sound-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And a shock of pain runs through everyones' heads as the windows shatter and the wind whips into the room!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "... Eh? No, they're back home. But-wait, that's not important now! Just put that down or-" Internet crush? Wait, where'd that come from? Kazuko's not even sure what to think of that, and she doesn't have much of an opportunity to when things start going to shit really fast. Between Petra with the gun and talking about people that aren't there, and then Hollyhock going after the gun... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Yep. Things need to get resolved fast. As expected, the martial artist gets involved, and there's at least 70% more punches thrown with possibly more skill than either Petra or Hollyhock can muster combined, depending on how much actual training they've got! The gun might even get smashed once it's on the ground, but whatever the case is? Having her internet friend fall into the dangerous-looking machine isn't a good sign. "Ecchi! Hold on, I-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; And then suddenly PAIN. Kazuko drops to a knee as she tries to fight it off, clutching her head with a sharp cry. It's the feeling of wind suddenly coming in that snaps her out of her daze, though, before she starts fighting through the pain to get to the machine and try to pry him right off the thing. "Hold on! Keh... What even is this thing?!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the other building, something shorts out and explodes with a pop, and Ren falls against the table with a jolt. Likewise Bourbon, who is sporting a far more wrinkled face and more grey hair than he was five minutes ago. The pain likewise scores through his head, and for a moment Ren's eyes widen- this feeling carries with it a sense of terror, hopelessness and the fear of imminent death, not just for one's self but for others nearby. But was this a recent feeling, or one from hundreds of years ago?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And does it make a difference?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hollyhock is writhing in the grip of the machine, and Kazuko does her best to try and pull him out. But there's too many needles running him through, and the pressure in everyone's head is intense-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And suddenly, the machine emits a SNAP as it falls apart at the hinges, disassembling in a way that no normal malfunction could do. Kazuko's hands are still half-holding onto Hollyhock, who still has needles jabbed into him in dozens of places- but he's not bleeding at all, and there's an odd shimmer in his eyes as he blinks and looks up at her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Kazuko..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is what he tries to say, but the wind howling in from the broken window is blotting out his voice.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So he looks at it with irritation- and the wind stops. So too, do the movements of the cat primitives outside, who as Ren sees when he steps outside are now all frozen and confused.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Much like when Kazuko disrupted things back in their village.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I feel so... I feel /incredible/..." whispers Hollyhock.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When Kazuko looks into his eyes, she can see the steady turn of the entire planet, embodied in one man's will.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;----<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;PART 4<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hollyhock walks out of the door to the building, faintly giggling at the way he feels. His head hurts a little, but it's nothing compared to the /energy/ he feels now. All of the cat-primitives are standing in place, seemingly with no will of their own, even when he comes outside. Hollyhock lifts his hand up and traces a line in the air- and a gale of wind blows along nearby. He looks at the sky and rain falls down- then stops- then starts again- off, on, off, on, like flicking a lightswitch.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He looks at the cats and looks a little puzzled at them, and with slow, deliberate movements he begins making them moving in directions of his choosing.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"My goodness! Isn't this wonderful, Kazuko?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v4eN6y6_bTg<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<span class="bold_fg_w bg_n ++ hw">Kingdom Hearts 2 -Sacred Moon<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yoko Shinomora - 2006</span><br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko is still in a bit of a daze as she steps out of that building with the... Awakened? Corrupted? Empowered? SHIN Hollyhock, having landed a little roughly after her attempt to free him from that strange device. "Hnn..? Did the sky get more broken since before...?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Shaking her head, the martial artist peers outside with a blank stare crossing her face when she notices that things have changed further. The rain looks like it's going haywire, the cat people are moving even more strangely than before, and her internet friend is... Pleased with all of it for some reason? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; She might not have made the connection just yet. It'll happen in a little while. "What's wonderful? The sky's broken, and the kitty people aren't moving right! Something's really screwy here..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Of course, once she does finally figure it out (or gets told outright)? "Ohhh. Oh. So does that mean you're like that black lady with the weather powers or that bird lady with the psychokiwhatsis and keeps dying but comes back a month later because of clones or something?" <br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Grasping the severity of the situation might take a little while longer.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Elsewhere on the planet:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Weather patterns continue to turn over as they always have.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Elsewhere on the planet:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Flowers continue opening as they always have.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Elsewhere on the planet:<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A chasm spontaneously rips open in a short line, and all of a tree's branches bar five spontaneously tear off.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I'm sure that last one's nothing to worry about.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"No, no, look, don't you see?" Hollyhock says, turning around to Kazuko, his voice going from 0 to 'a bit desperate to please' in 0.2 seconds. He makes a squeezing motion with his thumb and finger, and rain falls on a spot ten feet away from Kazuko- and only there, like a spotlight. He turns to the cats, and one of them scampers up into a tree and brings an interesting-looking fruit right to Kazuko's feet.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Look at what I can do! Isn't it wonderful, Kazuko? Now that this is happened I can complete my work in a fraction of the time!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He thinks. "I'm not quite sure, but I definitely think I'm something more than a mere superhero. I can feel... I can feel everything around us, almost to the edge of the clearing. It's spreading all of the time. Goodness. Given some time I'll spread out further and further... think about that! Continent to continent- the sky's the limit for me!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Absolutely nothing to worry about. EVERYTHING IS FINE. Probably. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; When Hollyhock confirms that it's actually a newfound power and not just the sky going crazy, Kazuko looks.... Impressed? Wait, this isn't how it's supposed to go at all! "Whoa, cool... So does that mean you can do ice, too? Or..." She blinks slowly as the cat people brings her a fruit, and her eyes light up. "Oh! OR snow cones?!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Dammit, Kazuko. You're supposed to be discouraging this sort of behavior! Thankfully, she does have enough sense to notice that something's off, and she peers at the cat again. "That's la lot of power, yeah, but... Uh. Wait, was that kitty-person bringing me a present or was it mind control or something?" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; At least not /all/ hope is lost for her. She strokes her chin, then glances back inside the building. "... What /was/ that machine, anyway?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sky is definitely not going crazy. Crazy is not a thing it is. He's perfectly sane.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;wait did I say he<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;obviously I meant it<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;he is perf- i- he, the sky, is perfectly sane.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ah, fuck.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Ice, ah," Hollyhock thinks. He's striding back and forth now, "Ice might be a little difficult. I mean that's a lot of water droplets I need to crystallize, and every one has to be unique of course, yes. Do you know I don't think the machine really matters? All I know is that for a moment I felt dreadfully alone and like I was dying, and all of a sudden it felt like I was sort of far away, and then all of a sudden I felt so much bigger, but also that there was a lot of emptiness around me, but of course that's not true at all because you're right here, of course-"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ren slips out of another window, now free of the timestop that kept him out of the erupting situation. He peers around a corner, too cautious to go straight over to Kazuko.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I mean, I really have you to thank, Kazuko. If it wasn't for you I don't know what might have happened ELIZABETH! Elizabeth Petra!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;All of a sudden, Hollyhock's head snaps around almost fifty degrees- just a little over the point where it's uncomfortable, but it doesn't seem to really phase him.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That's because he's looking at Elizabeth, who slipped out a couple minutes ago and is now watching both of them from behind a crate.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Elizabeth, come here."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She doesn't do that.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Dammit, science. What's all this about crystallizing? "It doesn't have to be that fancy if we're just gonna eat it." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Priorities, Kazuko. Priorities!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Her eyes glaze over a bit when Hollyhock starts going on about... Something. What he was feeling inside the machine? What he's feeling now? And what's that have to do with her? She does eventually get her expression to cooperate into something less dumbfounded, though, and she perks up just a bit when she hears Ren coming out that window. Not that she knows it's him or anything yet, but with Hollyhock behaving so strangely, it's probably better if she doesn't look around too much until she knows what it is he's even babbling about. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Really? Well... I mean, if I wasn't here, then you woulda just been working normally, right? Or..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Right, the work! It's still all going right over her head, but she doesn't quite have a chance to ask about that with him suddenly seeking Petra out. Kazuko does cringe a bit at the sight of his head turning that much, but... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; That's not going to stop her from creeping closer to give his neck a little poke. Just to see, really! And then it's time to see what Petra's up to.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>kazuko please remember your third grade science classes<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Things get a little strange, as Hollyhock then turns to begin moving towards Petra while turning his head back to continue talking to Kazuko, as if head and body just did a switch of orientation.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, I would have invited you eventually. That was part of the plan."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Petra finds her legs again and bolts, heading to the edge of the clearing and the trackless jungle beyond it. Hollyhock's face creases for a moment, and he turns away from Kazuko to begin walking after her. "One moment."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"This isn't good," Ren says, moving up behind Kazuko. "That man's powers bridged the gap between the terror he was feeling, and the lingering terror of that dying species. It means he's tapping into the morphogenetic field of the planet. Who knows what it could do to him...?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"If you wanted, you could stay here and wait, or we could walk and talk as well, it's kind of easier than I'd expect having these sort of disjoined chats while we're busy doing something, even if all of the things we talk about don't exactly line up," Hollyhock calls back to Kazuko. As he begins following Petra, the plants begin bending out of his way- even if they have to crack and snap to do so. "I mean I could tell you about all of the ideas I'm having! I'm starting to get really full of ideas!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT TO DO YOU'RE NOT ME REAL DAD MY PARENTS ARE DEEAAAAAD <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Oh! That's... You planned this, too?" That's actually a little creepy. Just how far ahead did Hollyhock think for this whole... Thing? Besides the needle stabbing part, anyway. Kazuko nearly jumps when she hears Ren's voice coming from behind her, then relaxes when she realizes he's not doing that weird head-turny thing. "Y... Yeah. I mean, the powers are cool, but... Let's see how it goes." She nods slowly at him while keeping her eyes on Hollyhock, lowering her voice briefly before hurrying up to follow after him. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Y.. Yeah! We can talk about... Stuff. Uh. So what kind of ideas are those?" She prepares to nudge those plants away with her naginata as she draws closer, but raises an eyebrow curiously when they actually move before she can touch them. "Weather powers, bird powers, and now plant lady powers...? What was in all those needles and stuff, anyway?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Are your parents actually dead, Kazuko? I'm so terribly sorry, please forgive me-<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;I AM THE NARRATOR GET OUT OF MY CONCEPTUAL SPACE, HOLLYHOCK<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Did you feel that?" Ren asks. "What a disturbing sensation."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;let's not continue any further down this line<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Well, no," Hollyhock says. For all intents and purposes depite keeping on talking to Kazuko, it's plain to see that this has become a scene from a daylight horror movie- Petra is clearly running for her life, not even concerned where she's going as long as it is /away from him/, whereas the landscape itself is shying away from Hollyhock's stride, as the man walks slowly behind her with scintillating eyes. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What happened with the machine was clearly wrong, and Petra must clearly be punished for it." As he begins to walk now, something makes an irregular, deep depression in the jungle floor, like a finger pushing down into the ground. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It's the biosphere of the planet itself," Ren says, warily- speaking up to Hollyhock for the first time. "If you keep on going like this, then you, and everything that makes this nascent planet what it is, will become inseperable."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I kind of like that idea," he replies. "I mean..."<br><br>"Isn't the idea wonderful? The dream I had? To be able to understand things on this level? To be able to make these kind of decisions? I could choose the destiny of this planet. I could give that kind of right to you, Kazuko."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Oh dear.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I wanted to show you this world- I wanted to give you this world. And now, that sort of thing is possible! Together, the two of us could have another chance! We could start all over again, be reborn in this new world, together! A whole world for us, to decide destiny- together!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> What line? There is no line in the DEAD PARENTS ZONE <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Oh. Then... Wow. That really was a close one, then!" Kazuko giggles for a moment to try and keep the mood up despite the weirdness of it all. It's not like she can blame him for wanting to get back at Petra considering she /did/ try to kill the both of them and sent him into the stabby needle machine. "Hmn... I think she's gotten the message by now, though, yeah? She's freaked out already." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; He wouldn't really try to kill her or anything, right? Hollyhock's not that sort of person. Maybe. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Blinking when Ren makes his presence known, her eyes flit between the two a few times with more of that confused stare coming in every now and then. Nascent? Inseparable whatnow? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Leave it to the guy with the growing god complex to actually make more sense for once. "Understanding stuff is good! Er. If you... Actually understand it. I dunno how long it'd take me to figure all of this stuff out myself..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Probably longer than most people would live. She's a hard worker, but even she has her mental limits! "But all this stuff you're talking about.. Isn't that kinda... A lot of stuff for one person to handle? That's what having a bunch of smart people around is for. Maybe you could bring in some of your other friends for this. Like..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Oh. Right. One of them's running away already. The other is... Somewhere. How else can she dance around this issue, then...?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>"Well," Hollyhock says again. "She took a few decent swings at attempting to kill me. I'd say it's only fair." More of those sharp stabs into the ground are cropping up as he walks along. Ren mouths the word 'crab' as he looks at them, only half looking at Kazuko as well.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"(You remember what I said?)" he asks her. "(The planet isn't old, and nothing with complicated thoughts came along before those crab creatures left their mark on it. And now, humans. The planet has a mind of its own and it's bridging the wrong connections.)"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"The two of us could do it together," Hollyhock replies.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As is perhaps inevitable, it ends in a cliff. Petra wasn't paying attention to where she was running and now there's nowhere left to run, with the only choices being Hollyhock behind her and a significant drop into a ravine in front. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't have any other friends," he says to Kazuko. "You were the only person I had. The only person I felt like I could connect with."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's six divots in the ground around him now. Petra has sank to her knees at the edge of the cliff, terrified of what's happening beyond words.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm promising you the world, Kazuko! I control it, we can make it into our own image! I can give you the power!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He turns around to face her, and when he does the air around him ripples, as if he's stood in the centre of a huge, phantasmal...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Crab.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I'm doing this because I love you!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> "Mm... Well, just don't go too far, okay?" Kazuko warns, looking increasingly uncomfortable with the whole everything as they continue along the weirdly holey path. She nods towards Ren lightly, and for once, it seems as if they might on the same wavelength. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Hollyhock is becoming a crab person. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Together? But I don't know anything about government or conservationalism aside from what the school tells us." It's true! She's taken those lessons to heart, at least, but pulling garbage out of a local river is a different matter entirely from handling fish populations on an entire planet! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Also, the whole planet thing is still throwing her off. That, and that abrupt declaration of love. Oh boy. It's Kuki all over again. Well, except one with a god complex and powered by long-dead crab people instead of having a vast fortune and robots and a ex-merc ninja maid. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "... Eh? Oh. That's... Ah. That's..." How awkward. Kazuko looks left, then right, then at Petra, then at Ren, tehn back at the path they had just came. Ohhh boy. This needs to be handled delicately. Very, very delicately... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Mmmmaybe we can talk to some smart people I know? They know a lot more about this sort of world-building thing than I do. Like Ren! Or Yamato! Or Master Lu?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>The thing is, Hollyhock looks entirely the same as he always has. That's the worst part, that there is a terrible, mixed-up sincerity on that baby face. It's the expression of someone who thinks he knows what he's feeling; of someone who has never had a real relationship with a woman in his life.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And at the same time...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's impossible to see it, really. It's like an image was superimposed over the camera shot of your mind's eye for a moment, visible only by the edges and the curves: something that resembles the crumbling carapaces in the sealed-up cave, perhaps even worse for that memory. It is so much larger than life, because of course it would be.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But it's still him. It's still the friend she made on the internet. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Don't you believe me?", he asks.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He closes his eyes, and then he pinches them shut: the headaches are getting worse. There's a quiet, scared sobbing coming from behind him."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Just a minute," Hollyhock says, looking back at Petra. "You're bothering me. You don't belong here, this is my world. Kazuko, I'll get back to you, I just need a second to kill her."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> A worried frown crosses Kazuko's face as things continue to unfold before here, and not in the good sort of way where things seem like they'll work out for the better. No... This is not going well at all. She tosses a quick look Ren's way before lookg over at Petra, offering her a sympathetic look before sighing and approaching Hollyhock. "Ecchi... Come on. I know you can figure out how to make things better sooner or later, but right now..." The martial artist draws closer, reaching a hand towards his face, and... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Gives him a light whack on the side of the head. Not a hard one, but the sort that a sister would give to a brother that's being stupid or stubborn or whatever. Even Kazuko can play the straight man sometimes! "You're being really weird now. Just think first, huh? This stuff's all new, but there's lots of time to learn it first! And Petra... I mean, sure, she did bad stuff, but... Why not a huge wedgie instead? That'll show her a lot better!" <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's half pleading, half joking. Still, it's clear probably clear that even she's having trouble trying not to freak out over all this herself.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>Ren Tanaka is worried, himself. The situation is reaching the point where, objectively, someone else should step in, and he /is/ the only someone else here right now. But Ren knows Hollyhock's power is growing outwardly, and as a psychic he may be powerful enough to destroy /Ren's/ mind before the headaches grow enough to destroy /his/.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kazuko approaches her friend instead. When she gets closer- and, indeed, when she bops him on the head- she can see that the pattern in his eyes has changed to resemble that of the swirlinge centre of that stooped crab in the ruins. Giving him a bop -<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's something in that gesture, and what lies behind it- and what /doesn't/- that makes those eyes widen. He might understand, now.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But his hands are shaking. "Kazuko. I- everything y-you're saying makes sense, but... I can remember s-something that's not /me/- something t-that wants to..."<br><br>"...there's a memory of something else on this world, from long before anything else," Ren says. He thinks, eyes closed himself in a moment of calm.<br><br>It's not vengeful spirits. Were it only so simple. It's memories- the memories of those beings who died unfulfilled, wishing for another chance, hating death- but at the same time bitter and full of hate for something that isn't them. Ren thinks, and carefully chooses his words next. "If you wipe them out, you will eliminate the chance that they will influence life that develops here in the future. But. Remember that if you do, you'll be destroying the last memory of those people."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a lump in his throat. "But what if this is what I've always... been afraid of? The evil choice that changes destiny before someone can experience it?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"...and what if you're wrong?" Ren asks.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hollyhock looks at Kazuko again. "...what would you have me do?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Maybe it's Kazuko's upbringing. Maybe it's the circumstances she was raised in. Whatever the case is, when she's presented with a nigh-impossible choice like this where neither choice seems particularly palatable? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's time to try plan B. "Ecchi. Holly. Hockey. Stay calm. Remember! You've got us to help you, too! Me! Ren!" She flashes him a broad grin, fighting off her own fear to try andr eassure him as she gestures at herself, Ren, and even... Even... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "... Paprika?" Sounds about right. She gives him one more bop on the head, albeit a gentler one this time, before ducking down and reaching... Between his legs? Waaaait a second. Why's she hooking her arm around his leg? Why's she standing and-oh. She's trying to get him into a fireman carry! Why? <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Even Kazuko's not sure. Still, she has to do something to get this adrenaline out of her system, and she's even starting to get some ideas as she goes on this confusing path! "I dunno which choice is the right one or the wrong one, but... But I know we can figure it out! We just gotta get back to the kitty people and that... Uh. Other guy, then we can figure it out between all of us. You better come, too, Pepper!" And with that, if Hollyhock's not resisting too much? She'll just start bolting with him in tow, trying desparately not to trip on the way back down.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At first, it looks like everything is going to work out okay, it really does. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With some effort, Petra is convinced (mostly by Ren) to stand back up and, with a lot of help by him and a guarantee that she doesn't have to go anywhere near Hollyhock, starts shakily walking back away from the ravine. A little bit of cajoling on his part and he'll insist to Kazuko that she doesn't need to carry him. But he is, so he says, still a little scared, so if she could just hold his hand a little.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And they manage to get about twenty paces back in the direction of the base before it goes badly wrong.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Kazuko will feel it first. He's squeezing her hand ... just a little too tight, and--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And you can look ahead, and see the cats in front walking just like he's walking. And either side... there are trees on either side of them tearing themselves up by the roots just like he's walking.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And the clouds above them are moving just like he's--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hollyhock's hand is SQUEEZING Kazuko's, two-and-three fingers squeezing either side of her hand like a pincer. And that's when another surge of shaking energy knocks everyone off of their feet, shaking the bent jungle once again, making the wind whip and tear around them like a hurricane out of nowhere, howling.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"It... it hurts!" Hollyhock shouts helplessly. "It's- it's so much-!"<br><br>"His power is still expanding outwards," Ren says. "Hollyhock! This is your mind, isn't it?! You can still stop this! You can disconnect yourself!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"But what do I do?!" he shouts back. "If I can destroy these memories like you want me to this is the only chance I'll have!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"I don't want you to do anything!" Ren shouts back. "Someone has to choose!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;He can't bring himself to look at Kazuko. He has to hold ono Petra, who's freaking out again.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But someone has to choose.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:942|Kazuko Kawakami (942)}} has posed:'''<br> Kazuko is, if nothing else, the helpful sort, and she doesn't even question it when Hollyhock asks for that assistance even if it's just some handholding. Between the five of them (if they can find that guy) and the rest of the cat people? Maybe everything will work out without having to choose! <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Until things stop working and instead start blowing up. Although she manages to ignore that pain in her hand as nothing more than frayed nerves from everything that's happened, it's a lot harder to ignore that energy knocking everyone over and the screaming from Hollyhock. "Wha..? We'll get you some..." <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; It's all coming from that connection, isn't it? The crab people that longer were, the cat people who's safety hinges on deciding what's to happen now, and everyone in danger because of everything that's going on... <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Then... Then destroy them! There won't be anyone around to remember later if everything gets blown up now!" And there it is.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:165|Ren Tanaka (165)}} has posed:'''<br><span class="bold_fg_w bg_n ++ hw">Taynoel will not remember that.</span><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A psychic connected to a dangerously fathomless source of power he may be, but Hollyhock is still a psychic. Now that he knows and wants to disconnect himself from the source of power, he can do it- but before he does so, he uses that vital thing he brings to the entire connection- /intelligence/ and turns the power back on itself. It's impossible to say how he does it or how to explain it happens, but with one shout of effort from Hollyhock he shreds the centuries-old echo in the planet's morphogenetic field. Whoever those beings were, they disappear from memory- literally, in truth.<br><br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The scientists return to their base of operations. When she recovers her wits, Petra requests removal from the expedition immediately, and her associates declare it be so due to her suffering from a nervous breakdown. She is only happy to take it, and she and Hollyhock are happier for the fact that they never see one another again.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Bourbon is unable to explain why he has experienced what seem to be several sudden additional years of aging due to the malfunction of the broken timepiece. Nevertheless he insists on remaining part of the investigation into the planet, staying on board with Hollyhock in an attempt to pursue a less invasive examination of the primitives developing on the planet.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hollyhock experienced a decrease in his psychic powers having disconnected himself from the planet's morphogenetic field. Because of this, he is able to learn how to read people socially and develops proper relationships with other people. He is also finally able to realize he needs to attend grief counselling rather than distracting himself from it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The exploration into the twin planet Taynoel is later advised to change its ways to become a remote observation of the developing society. Eventually, it withdraws due to concerns that it may be influencing the primitives, and the planet focuses on rediscovering the lost history that disappeared.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Some days later, Ren and Kazuko get to go on a proper picnic.<br> <br>
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