Scene #5714: Tomoe's Anchor

Owner	Pose
Tomoe	Tomoe has been missing but now there's an idea of where she it the catch is they need to find something linked to her that could be used to help her escape the land of the dead that she's currently trapped in. Given this fact Pendragon and one other person a young man who goes by Yuu has asked for some help starting the search for such an item given Tomoe's personnel effect are mostly at her rooms at Haven Castle? That would be the place to start wouldn't it. Pendragon is there waiting outside the room with Yuu both are in Avatar State, Pendragon as his Gnome from ALO but Yuu? Clearly looks like he fell out of SAO from the looks of him. The pair are leaning up against a wall chatting waiting for those who have comer to help with digging through Tomoe's things. Yuu though might be known to a few at least by face as a regular at Dicey Cafe though. "A Fetch quest with a friends life on the line." "I don't like it any better than you do. No one does, we had enough of our family and friends being spirited away by jackasses wanting to populate their own worlds." Pendragon notes to the younger man.
Yuna Kagurazaka	"Don't think of it as a 'fetch quest,'" Yuna suggests as she approaches - just in time to overhear that comment, apparently. "Think of it as bringing a friend something she needs, without all the game folderol." Yuna - possibly better known in these parts by her ALO handle, Kagura - is in her Light Suit as a matter of course; she doesn't have an Augma, so if she's set upon by a monster or something, she has to be ready to defend herself for real. The blonde girl smiles, bowing politely to Pendragon and Yuu as she comes to a stop near where they were talking. "I wish we were crossing paths again under better circumstances," she admits. "Maybe one of these days I'll be able to do a concert out here ... something that isn't a distraction between a guild-on-guild battle," she adds wryly, thinking of her 'concert' back in ALO when it was still a VR-type game, rather than AR-type.
Iria	A game is supposed to be all about fun, but when someone goes missing like this, it's more than just fun and games. Iria's normally looking a bit stern and determined most of the time, but this time she's got a noticeable scowl on her face and her teeth are bared slightly as she arrives. She approached ALO thinking it was just another game taken to a new dimension initially, but after her adventures there, she found there was a lot more to it than met the eye. It even brought her to tears at one point. From there on, Iria has seen ALO and its successors as more than just a game. "Fetch quest nothing!" Iria snaps as she approaches. "This is about rescuing someone very close to us! This isn't just a game anymore!" The brunette bounty hunter is obviously not taking this lightly in the least bit. Unlike Yuna, who goes by the name Kagura, Iria simply uses her own name as her handle. The bounty hunter's bodysuit is not visible as it's covered by her crimson cape. Still, there's a clear look of of skill in the way Iria moves.
Touta Konoe	Touta had been dressed the way he had when he was acting on behalf of the Dark Lady. Black apparel all the way down with a hood that covered a decent amount of his face. It probably would have looked like a wandering NPC villain had appeared amongst the others who had decided to arrived at Haven's Castle to help look for Tomoe's anchor. Though the moment he opened his mouth it seemed like he'd be the last person you'd expect to be a villain. Though the fact he had his sword out was probably just the tiniest bit sketchy, but he didn't have a sheathe or inventory system to put it away into so...Yeah. He does arrive a bit too late to hear what Yuu and Pendragon says but arrives just in time to feel the tension. "Looks like I wasn't the only one who got the message." He acknowledges all those who had arrived before him trying to at least ease this feeling that's in the air before greeting Yu and Pendragon. "Don't think we've met before. I'm Touta, a friend of Tomoe's. Kinda wish we were meeting for better reasons but you don't have to worry we're definitely going to get her back." Without even a shred of doubt he's completely confident in the fact that the group will not only be able to find an anchor for Tomoe but this whole conundrum would be resolved without a hitch.
Staren	Staren is here! He beams down in front of the castle. Unlike Yuna, he's opted for 'normal' clothes. Although, this is the man who considers an armored coat, personal forcefield, and laser pistol just basic precautions when leaving the house. He figures, given this is an established base and there's no huge time pressure, if monsters DO attack he can 1. stay in the back row and shoot or 2. beam up and come back with armor. He takes a moment muttering to himself and looking at AR displays only he can see -- just checking that things like the local wireless network and hydroelectric generator are behaving. Then he looks around, noting who else is heading into the castle. Once outside Tomoe's room, there's Pendragon... He doesn't know what to say to the man whose daughter is missing. "Mmh." Staren grunts in reply to Iria. "A fetch quest requires a specific item. Here, we need to find something of personal connection to Tomoe. Kind of a vague criteria, since only she really knows." He looks to Pendragon. "Does she really spend more time here than her home IRL? Maybe we should bring, like, her original NerveGear or something... or do you think that has the wrong kind of connection?"
Tomoe	Yuu seems amused for a moment at yuna. "Still could be fetch quest when you get down to it. Oh I'm Yuu I was Tomoe's guild master in SAO before she ran off to the front lines. My guild focused on crafting and materials for the assault team if your wondering." he seems friendly enough. Pendragon looks to yuna for a moment. "Hey don't be hard on yourself, your one of the ones who got my little girl back from that hell world. Seems my family is going to owe all of you again." Yuu is already heading into the doom after opening the door and the first thing is? It's a contrast of the old and the new there is a hall with various suits of Armour up on display dummies. Eisen's body suit can be seen on one, another has a shockingly fanserveis looking armour made from animal parts which seems to be some sort of white fur. Her old SAO armour is on another one, followed by her outfit from CCO. Above them on the wall are a selection of various weapons, spears, swords, shields, some knives and even a shotgun as well. Down in the living area is a living room, with what is clearly some Union hardware Tomoe got from somewhere or another. There's a large display screen on the wall which is used as a TV, near by a more conventional PC a couch and there's all sorts of Photos on the wall some, are traditional others are rotating digital ones as well. A few figurines from various Animes and such across the multiverse are on display here too. Pendragon takes a moment to think to what Touta says "She always had a habit of making friends. She basically lives here or at the room she rents from Kirito's family. Who knows where she stashed that damn thing it could be the wrong sort I don't know about this metaphysics I was the guy who'd just power grind his way through a game to hell with complex systems." Yuu looks at Iria for a moment there's something about him like most SAO survivors though in that look. "That term has a different connotation Ma'me. For people like Sheena and myself. Well start looking we still have her room and there is the kitchen though I doubt anything important is in the baths." PEndragon notes as he starts to look over the pictures in Tomoe's living room.
Iria	"It's more than just a game," Iria replies to Staren, still sounding rather annoyed. "We're looking for one of our own friends here!" She sighs and runs a hand through her hair. "It is vague, and it's up to us to figure out what the hell it is we need to find!" Turning to Yuu, Iria tries to lighten her tone as she says, "Just call me Iria, please." Although it's plain to see she's still having a bit of a tough time keeping herself calm. After a moment of thinking, Iria decides to check out the photos on the wall, hoping that, at the very least, she might find a clue as to what they're looking for. It's obviously not going to pop out and say hi to them, but they also don't know entirely what they're looking for. Hopefully Iria can find a clue.
Touta Konoe	Touta can't help but smile when he ementions her habit of making friends. "Yeah, she barely knew me but without even a second guess she asked if I wanted to join her guild. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we can't let someone so pleasant go missing. Besides if she's not around who knows what'll happen to everyone involved in her Dark Lady quests, right?" With that being said though, Touta can't really say he knows what would be considered an anchor for Tomoe because frankly...He still doesn't know her all that well. He knows she's a gamer. An avid fighter, she looks good in that Dark Lady outfit, but other than that he didn't even really know her real name till recently. Still when he sees her father right before him, he can't help but want to help. Tomoe must be really lucky to have a parent who cares that much. Perhaps it's because he doesn't remember his dad but he really wants to see these two reunited sooner than later. Still as he walks along the living area and sees all her paraphenalia he can't help but look at the pictures, almost lost in the memories she's made. Maybe one of these days he should ask Yukihime if there's any pictures from before his incident. Oh right, this is about Tomoe! Lost in thought Touta had spaced out there for a second while looking at the photos. But he's back on the case looking for something anchor worthy...In silence.
Yuna Kagurazaka	"Saving lives - saving people generally - is still pretty much my job, and Tomoe is a friend," Yuna explains to Pendragon, a serious look in her eyes even as she offers a friendly smile. "It's not something I do to keep you in my debt or anything. - And it's good to meet you as well, Yuu," she adds to the younger man. "You can just call me Yuna if you'd like, although my ALO name is 'Kagura'." She makes her way in with the others, looking over the armor and weapons on display. She hadn't realized Tomoe was this much of a collector ... did she pull these out of the games somehow, re-equipping them on display? Or are they replicas? She's curious - but it's basically a side point. She does have something specific she's looking for ... but for the moment, she's looking around and just taking in what's here to be seen, gradually letting her attention gravitate towards that old computer ...
Staren	Staren is surprised at how much stuff is in here, his ears perking up. "Huh, I guess she really does spend a lot of time here... Is this what normal people's homes look like? All this stuff on display?" He scratches his head as he wanders in. "But where would she keep important keepsakes? Is keepsake even the right term? Maybe something she actually /uses/ every day would be better..." He feels increasingly disconnected the more he sees... well, armor and weapons sort of make sense, they're actually useful... and photos, he guesses, but there's just so much! Photos and figures and stuff! His own living space is sparsely decorated by comparison. Iria's mad at him because she misunderstood something he said. He can't even manage to get mad at it anymore, although the urge to clarify is strong enough that "I was saying it's not like a game." slips out. He had difficulty selecting the things that he'll give to Enark when they go exploring. If he was one of the missing ones, his parents and AI would probably suggest loading a computer up with memories or something and hoping that works. How could he know what objects would be important to someone? ... "...What about her computer? Do you think if we put frequently-accessed files on a portable device, that would work?"
Tomoe	Pendragon can cell Iria is not in a good state of mind here and won't say a thi8ng on it. Yuu nods. "Iria, got it." Iria checks out htge photos there one of the GU back in SAO, well future founding members.. There is one of Tomoe along side Ash and a ruined bike of some sort, don't ask about that one. Others show ones of a very different red head from Tomoe only the face really matches in a Japanese school uniform and in the background one can read the words Welcome Exchange Students. Yuu and girl are also in it as well. There's one of Tomoe and Klein with him somehow having managed to head lock and noogie her somehow. Family photos are there as well as others with as Touta go to check out the photos there are several others here and there. There's a action shot from the old WMAT (world Martial arts tourament) of her fighting another elite and she's airborne at the moment. Another one of her and Solid snake eating somewhere as well is near by. Pendragon meanwhile humms "You could but who knows that thing likely has old Union encription on it besides my daughter would have my head for snooping on her PC still give it a shot I'm going to scout the kitchen she could have left something there. Could try her room too." Yuu is busy looking about the living room though for thing he knows her well enough to have an idea or two. Yuna might find a figuring from some PR thing from Yuna's home world of her, it's near her desc with some old promo figure of other GU members from back in the day. "Give it a try Staren but if she tries to set you on fire because you found her personal enjoyment files, it's on you." So there's the bedroom as well a storage room and the kitchen which Pendragon seems to be into while yuu is looking about the living room.
Yuna Kagurazaka	"There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Staren, than are quantified in your measurements," Yuna comments gently. "We're not looking just for something which is intellectually relevant to Tomoe; we're looking for something which is emotionally important ... or even spiritually important," she finishes with a wry look. Staren doesn't take too well, as she recalls, to matters lying outside the material and physical realm of the Multiverse. On the other hand, they're talking about taking something back into a realm of the dead and giving Tomoe's soul a beacon to find her way back out of that throne she's somehow been trapped in. 'Spiritual' is very much part of the equation in Yuna's analysis. "Pendragon?" Yuna calls out softly. "Do you happen to know where her old NerveGear is?"
Iria	"Yeah, I get that," Iria replies to Staren, still trying to soften up, as she's gotten a bit out of it. "It's just I worry about people not taking this seriously enough and... well..." She shakes her head as she looks over the pictures. "Hmmm, not seeing anything here," Iria says with a sigh. "Still, was worth a try, I suppose." Shrugging, Iria goes to look in the bedroom as well, although she's mostly focused on things out in the open to avoid prying into Tomoe's privacy.
Staren	"Even if it's encrypted, I could just copy the whole drive without breaking it... do you think someone can have the right bond with information?" He hopes so, since that's his plan for himself. To Yuna, he comments, "I already thought of that. It might be here, or at her RL home, or might've even been left in her Union quarters or something..." Well... since he suggested it, he may as well do it. He seeks out her computer. First testing to confirm she DID actually secure her login, but even if she didn't, it shouldn't be hard to open the case and copy the drives, even if they're encrypted. No gamer would buy a computer you couldn't easily open for upgrades, right? Then again, maybe in this world computers are so cheap you just buy a new one every few years anyway... Hmm.
Touta Konoe	Touta looks at the photos in more detail. He really has no idea who these people are which only slightly solidifies how he really doesn't know her that well at all. Even with that thought though... "Here, I'll help you look in there too." He announces in Iria's direction as she heads into the bedroom. It made sense that if there was something important it would be kept in her room after all. Unfortunately Touta is a bit less tactful than Iria. "I don't think you'll find something anchor worthy if it's just lazily lying around." With that said Touta really starts snooping into Tomoe's room. He's going at this from the if it's important she's probably hiding it outlook, so he's peering under her bed. Behind her pillow. He's trying to search through the closet. While Iria's trying to avoid messing with Tomoe's privacy, Touta seems to be disassembling the room as he scavenges the place for anything that could be noteworthy or just seems like it's old, worn out, or just hidden well enough that it had to be important. At least, that's the way he figures he should go about it.
Tomoe	Pendragon seems to be busy in the kitchen wait is that the sound of a fridge opening? Yes, yes it is and he calls back. "I have no idea now that she doesn't need to use it to be her lovely elfy self." He keeps rummaging for a moment then the fridge closes. Pendragon then return with some food in hand. "If anyone wants something there's a few other things in the fridge that are from ALO and ticking down." Odd thing maybe it's jut how he's coping with it. Tomoe did secure her log in it's secured a little SD Tomoe is running about the screen being chased by SD versions of the core of the GU Staren would find that the case does open and he could copy the drives without much trouble but it does have old union encryption on it. Touta will start to look there's a few things here and there, he ends up the closest digging for this that and other thing? Okay something of importance but would she shove in here? There's boxes of reading materials nothing big there, some old clothing in boxes, some clothing hanging off hangers in there. Under the Pillow he find Tomoe's spare smartphone it's run out of power though it could be useful. There's a desk with paper work there, it seems Tomoe is the one managing the castle and the small settlement there but nothing yet though when he notices something under the bed he does find the nerve gear box and manual but it's empty, though if she has that still? She has her Nerv Gear somewhere. An open drawer that Iria and Touta might notice has underwear, mostly sport sort and nothing really interesting here though a wallet it found in the drawer with id and some money in it. Pendragon meanwhile humms. "I think she still has it but who knows where she has not now as she doesn't need to use it really anymore, right? None of us do." Yuu meanwhile is digging through the storage room for the moment.
Touta Konoe	"Doesn't look like there was anything special over here." He keeps the phone just in case though as he leaves the room and heads towards the others. It's such an old model phone in comparison to the stuff he's use to but that was probably one of the things of lesser importance. It seemed like they really hadn't been able to find anything that could be found as an anchor yet, just clothes, and he's seen plenty of that already... Though Yuna has been mentioning that Nerv Gear for a while now. That was the headset they used to play that deathgame when it came out right? It's at this point Touta stops what he's doing to look towards Yuna, "Hey Yuna, why do you think her Nerv Gear would be something that would be considered an anchor? That's the thing that got all those people who played the game originally stuck their right? Why would something like that have any fond memories related to it?" He was confused on that aspect at least. It was true they were having a hard time trying to find an anchor since they didn't know what to look but could they really say that the Nerv Gear would be something that Tomoe would have been fond enough of to take with her? Touta couldn't say for sure. Maybe Yuu or Pendragon would know better than that however. For the time being he'll try to charge that phone up a bit while checking going into the next room over where Yuu was.
Iria	At first, Iria grumbles as she seems to turn up nothing. "Don't tell me they didn't bother to leave it here? I mean if she has it with her, then we're in a real problem! Or maybe it's someplace else and we have to--" Then Iria spots the drawer with the underwear and the wallet in it. She cocks an eyebrow and walks over to check it out. "Is this?" Iria asks aloud as she looks at the wallet closely, then she realizes it is Tomoe's wallet, complete with her ID in it as well as some money. To some it might seem like a clue, but it tells Iria that something isn't right here. "Leaving without ID and money?" She shakes her head. With that, Iria calls out to the others. "I got something! It looks like Tomoe left behind her wallet, complete with her ID. She also left money too. I think we're onto something..."
Yuna Kagurazaka	"It won't necessarily be all good memories," Yuna admits, "but it's a waypoint in her life. She wouldn't be the Tomoe we all know if she'd never gotten stuck inside Sword Art Online - her battle identity as 'Tomoe' is really tied up in that." She purses her lips, looking for the game software - such as, say, the card or whatever that would have the original SAO software. If they can't find the NerveGear, that seems like the next best option. "When you get right down to it, Tomoe is an Elite because of Sword Art Online. If that game had never come out, or if she'd never played it, I never would have met her as a fellow Elite. She might have met Kirito and the others eventually, but it wouldn't be on the same level - she'd just be another person, maybe another gamer, but not as somebody who'd been tested and bloodied in battle." Yuna pauses, letting out a breath. "The most important memories in any of our lives aren't always the happy memories. Pain shapes who we are as much as happiness does - sometimes even moreso. But it's ultimately how we confront our own suffering that defines how we react to the suffering of others, isn't it?"
Staren	Huh. She IS using Union encryption! Staren's pleased to see people having the sense to adopt crossworld developments like that. He has no idea if the data on a copied drive will work for their purposes, but it's worth a shot, right? While it copies, he looks around to see what others are finding. Like the NerveGear box, and her wallet. "Or it means she was taken when she didn't have her wallet on her. Maybe in her sleep? Hey, wait... are any of her armors /missing/ from the display out there? Maybe she doesn't even have that..."
Tomoe	Touta has a very good question even if he doesn't speak it. Why would that Nerv Gear have anything good about it ot Tomoe? Then again why did she /keep/ it all this time too and not use safer Amusphere gear? It's a very good question and charging the phone might yeild some information once it has some power again. TIria finds Tomoe left that day without her ID then again did she bring it with her clearly left in a hurry the day she went missing or just plain forgot to. Tomoe would just have been Sheena if she'd never got caught in the death game after all. No one here save Yuu and her Father would likely have noticed her face out of the crowd. "Hate to say this but like myself before this turn of event we'd have been faces in the crowd or as Sheena put it Cubical bait." Notes Pendargon but Yuna seems to have something once the that infernal machine for all the suffering that it caused Sheena Armstrong it made her Tomoe in the end. The phone and the wallet left behind speak of Tomoe leaving quickly, Staren does have the password maybe he could guess at Tomoe's password he does know her failry well does he not? AS Yuna finishes up a cry comes out form yuu and there's a crash from the storage room, once the group arrives they would find Yuu under several boxes of stuff and there seems to be more, this is the last room if the Nerv Gear is in her home it's got to be here as it sure ain't going to be in the bathroom.
Yuna Kagurazaka	That sudden yell and the ensuing crash are enough to make Yuna forget subtlety or manners and just bolt for the storage area. "Are you all right?!" she calls out as she sprints; she may have actually jumped over a couch or something if it was in her way. Once she gets there, she starts moving boxes - again, not bothering to check what's in them, but focused entirely on getting Yuu un-buried. Maybe she's overreacting a little, but she's not thinking about what she's doing - just helping somebody who is, suddenly, in trouble. Once Yuu is freed from the fallen boxes, Yuna checks to see if he's actually gotten injured beyond bruises. Checking what was in all of those boxes comes after making sure Yuu is okay.
Iria	Iria doesn't know why someone would leave without their ID unless it was urgent... or Tomoe wasn't going anywhere voluntarily... Before she can think further, she hears a cry from Yuu and she rushes to investigate. "What happened?" Iria calls out, hoping that this isn't a case of someone attacking or looking for trouble.
Touta Konoe	Yuna's word aren't wrong, but the way he recalled how anchors made it feel like it'd be so hard for something like the Nerv Gear to be considered one. Something that had been affiliated with so much adversity, if it truly could be used as an anchor than it probably said more about Tomoe's mindset than anything else. Still when Pendragon makes his statement he can't help but interject. "What are you, an idiot? When was the last time anyone ever said 'My life only became meaningful after playing a game?' It makes it sound like you guys were NEETS or something. Listen I get what happened to you guys was traumatic but even without what happened you guys would have bee-" Sudenly the sounds of the boxes crashing down comes in like thunder. Touta had already been heading that way after putting the phone onto a charger but he's beaten inside the moment Yuna goes into her wild sprint. He'll help everyone move the boxes out of the way and help get Yuu back up at the very least.
Staren	Staren's honestly not that eager to invade Tomoe's privacy -- he figures just having some information meaningful to her, in some form, will be enough. Staren scratches the back of his neck awkwardly at Pendragon's words. "If it's any consolation... if 'cubicle bait' got kidnapped, there probably wouldn't be this many heroes rushing to rescue her. You'd just report her missing to the police and who knows if word would ever reach us." He then rubs his chin. "Hmm. Do we KNOW that only elites poking into Lumiere were taken? Maybe a BUNCH of people were, and they're just the only ones we noticed..." And then, boxes! Yuna's in power armor, she'll be fine, so he doesn't rush, but just walks over there to investigate.
Tomoe	Yuu is thankful for the help and he's all right he's showing a few wireframes, which reveals he's in avatar state himself . He gets up he looks sheepish b ut there is some good news in the storage closet there are various things some old toys, some dolls carefully packed in a box, an Guides blanket covered in camp crests, Yuu looks over to Touta it seems he heard him. "It stopped being a game the moment we couldn't log off and people started dying, their brains fried by the microwave relay system that is part of how the Nerv Gear works." Pendragon just is silent. "Iria? I am all right some boxes fell it looked like Sheena was playing Jenga I think is the game with her storage room." AS the group goes through he things In the back corner of the cloest in a box of various computer parts maybe going back to the early 2000s is the Nerv Gear hardware, actually more than one. Staren would know though one of the three units is the orginal model the other two are Kanto Bootlegs the Union produced...
Staren	Staren continues talking as he approaches the closet. "Most people just want to quietly go about their lives. They're content to be 'NPCs' in game terms. Even in Lazlo... for every adventurer, there's plenty of armorers, engineers, scholars, artists, accountants, lawyers, bankers... Heck, a society with ONLY adventurers wouldn't really work, would it? You couldn't buy groceries... or even adventuring gear, /someone's/ gotta make and distribute the weapons and armor... There's gotta be a stable enough economy that there's something to use as money to pay them..." Eventually, he's confronted with the mess of boxes. As Staren glances over it, his eyes fall on... "Three?" He steps up to the closet and leans over, carefully picking up each of the NerveGears in turn to examine them. "...Two of these are Union Kanto Bootlegs, but this one's an original NerveGear..." He turns around to face the others, holding it.
Yuna Kagurazaka	Avatar form. It makes sense - but Yuna wasn't about to take someone's potential injuries lightly just because it's not their normal body that got clobbered. "You sure you're okay?" she asks Yuu, helping him back to his feet if he needs the assistance - and if he doesn't, she's still close enough to provide it. And while she's thusly preoccupied, Staren spots the NerveGears. Yuna might reply to his analytical approach towards the necessity of NPCs, but he's not technically wrong .... just, not sure it applies to Tomoe. And more importantly: "That original model must be the one she was using when SAO happened." The 'Kanto Bootlegs' were only constructed by the Union to help rescue the people trapped in SAO, Elites and normal players alike. Tomoe - Sheena - as a native of that world, and as one of the trapped players, could only have been using the original NerveGear when she was trapped in the game like everyone else. "Staren, would you be willing to hang onto that until we head back to Lumiere to rescue everyone from the Throne?" Yuna asks him. He may have been planning to do exactly that already, but it shouldn't hurt to ask.
Tomoe	Yuu looks to Yuna and smile a bit. "I'm fine don't worry about it and Starne got apoint there." Pendragon comes in to see the old headsets and nods. "I recall those and the people who I made him, I hope that one kid's okay where ever he is now but go ahead take it and keep it safe use to to help get my daughter home..." He would offer food from Tomoe's fridge note some of it would likely be spoiling soon so it was better to eat it now, with that the Anchor has been found and the way forward is set.