Scene #7475: Special Cases Outreach-2

Owner	Pose
Go Shijima	It's been a week since the Paladins worked with the SCD to create social programs aimed at addressing a number of civic ills. How are those programs doing? Pretty well! The virtual aspects of the plan are the most immediately apparent successes, since one doesn't even need to be present on this Earth to visit Kyuu's 'virtual neighborhoods.' People are using them, albeit slowly to begin with. There's one forum for each of the precincts in Tokyo, and some of the SCD members have even joined their respective forums to get to know neighbors. The garishly dressed IT specialist has also pushed a companion app to the SCD's noted Heaviness app, which can be used to ask for help in a non-emergency situation. This was developed based on input from a survey sent out on Tomari's suggestion. Users of this app can anonymously ask for help from anywhere, and be connected with resources that they may not have been aware of, due to the sprawling and often intimidating prospect of dealing with government bureaucracy. But today, you've been invited to observe the success of these programs in person--it's the opening day of the workers' cooperative suggested by Strawberry Princess. Your destination is a newly refurbished factory near the bay area. There is a smell in the air of something like livestock, along with the cries of animals--but they sound more like game cries than those of pigs, cows or chickens. Workers hurry in and out, some wearing white coats to keep their blue jumpsuits clean, all wearing hats with hairnets to keep the product clean. Standing outside, you won't need such a hat or a hairnet, but the Chief is waiting with a smile and a box of them if you want to see how the sausage is made. "Welcome, welcome!" The rest of the SCD is here too, including Go, who, despite his sour demeanor last time, seems pleased to see things going to well. "Allow me to present..." The Chief frowns with fierce pride, gesturing with both hands to the packing plant and striking a pose. "The Bay Area Cooperative!" You can practically hear the bang of a gong that he surely imagines with his hammy showmanship. Standing up straight once more, "It took most of the rest of the money to set up, but they're doing something here that addresses both an untapped market and a long-term problem! That Strawberry..." He lifts a finger to the air, wagging it as he searches for the right praise. "Truly a mind for elegant solutions!"
Xion	In a pair of well-loved jeans, sneakers, green-and-white snapback, and a earth tones gradient t-shirt, Xion arrives with the crowd, stopping at the door to take booties, gloves, and shoes and slide them on, though she just sort of puts her hat in a bag rather than take it off. She has to wear it backwards. It's a production. "I didn't know the DMV did this kind of stuff. Are you worried about Roidmude or Magear attack? Uh..." She leans in to the Chief, worried. "Do cops randomly show up to bust other cops for doing normal good stuff too? Don't worry - I'll protect you."
Roxas	Considering how he left last time, it's probably a surprise that Roxas is here at all-- and yet he is. He's also had the decency this time not to wear a Black Coat and look like a cultist, instead wearing a black-and-white jacket, t-shirt, jeans, and fairly ordinary shoes. There's certainly a skeptical air to his demeanor, though the Chief's attitude seems to prompt a reflected sort of enthusiasm. "Yeah," he agrees, "Strawberry Princess does seem to think a lot about stuff like this, so it makes sense that her solution would be a practical one." He looks a bit confused about what Xion is asking about, though. "We've never been to 'our' Japan, so it's hard to tell what sort of authorities are normal in a place like this. It sort of depends where you go, but that sort of thing is a little bit everywhere, too..." "And I don't think they're the DMV, I think they just got put in the DMV because it's where there was spare room," Roxas adds, thoughtfully.
Shinnosuke Tomari	Shinnosuke Tomari may not be in top gear today, but he's here. Tie loose, he arrives in his normal suit, clearly not planning to see how the sausage gets made. He's joined the virtual neighborhoods at least, and has been considering having two accounts - one for a 'policeman' and one for 'Kamen Rider Drive' for special events, after they figure out the logistics of it. Mr. Belt has been left in the car, because a fight is unlikely, hopefully. Instead, there's a lazy wave to Roxas and Xion. They might not really like him much (in his mind), but, they seem to mean well, and they're here. "It's pretty nice. This was a fast set-up, Chief. You sure know who to talk to, huh?" A light chuckle. "I don't think we have anything to worry about, Xion. This is all above board, otherwise the Chief wouldn't do it." Shinnosuke addresses her, as he hears another chicken noise and decides he definitely doesn't want to enter the slaughterhouse.
Xion	"Roxas, I know how cops are like. They're the same everywhere. One in ten would be a hero if they tried, and one in ten of those gets to actually tell that story. The rest are cops." Xion pivots on her heel with a fully extended arm and jutting finger. "That's why you're one in a hundred!" It was the set-up to a joke. Dropping her finger, she tugs her gloves on and steps about to not block the entrance. "Okay, but when the Special Cases departments gets attacked, which building has the Cafeteria attacked?" She nods firmly, hands held up like a scrubbed-in doctor. "That's right. The DMV." Shinnouske says an odd thing. "Oh. I didn't mean that the other-cops would attack for good reasons. I was more thinking MetsubouJinrai.net would show up." MEANWHILE: Hiden's Zero-One is chasing a drill-head Magear across the city on his extremely yellow motorcycle that he had shot from space. MetsubouJinrai.net is handled for the afternoon.
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry lingers towards the back of the group as they approach the refurbished factory; the sights seem to bewilder her a little, and her pace lags as she tries to take them all in. When the factory itself comes into view, she slows almost to a halt, savoring the sight with slightly watering eyes. Her hands clutch the strap of her shoulder-slung wand case, squeezing it until her knuckles turn white. What's this feeling? She's sitting by a pond, talking to a bird. "I've always liked feeling like my actions have consequences. That they're- important, somehow. And I realize, in a place like this..." Strawberry reaches down, picks up a small rock, and hefts it in her hand. "If I threw this into that pond, how long do you think it'd stay there? If nobody fished it out again... it might stay there until the Sun burned out. And I could walk by every day, and look down into the water, and see it there at the bottom." It's a good thing that she's lost in marveling; she might not survive a head-on collision with the Chief's and Roxas's kind words. As it is, she takes a glancing, delayed impact: when her brain registers what's being said, she folds in on herself as if to minimize her profile and her eyes find anywhere else to look. "It's- I don't really, have a mind for 'elegant solutions'. Or for much of anything. But it's... it makes me really, really happy. To be a part of making something, and not breaking something. So- thank you, for letting me help with that." ... It's not clear if she actually intends to go inside, but she takes the excuse to busy herself with trying to put on a hairnet. She obviously has zero idea how. It looks like she barely even knows how to do a ponytail right.
Go Shijima	>Do cops randomly show up to bust other cops for doing normal good stuff too? Jun leans in conspiratorially when Xion does. It's just instinct. "My, not that I've heard of," quietly replies the Chief, stroking his chin and peering thoughtfully upwards. Sadly, Xion may be more close to the mark than he is. "They got put in the DMV because the Special Cases Department doesn't have a precinct of its own," says Go nonchalantly. He hops off of a bench he was sitting on. "And that's because the SCD is where you're put when you're too competent." Gen seems to take exception to that, the hard-boiled gleam in his eye shining fiercely--but the Chief, ever socially canny, is ready to interject with his larger-than-life presence. That is, once Shinnosuke gives him the chance. "Ah, it was nothing, Tomari. Take my advice!" He wheels around dramatically, to point directly at Gen. "A smile and a friendly attitude will carry you very far! My friends in the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare were very receptive, after a nice afternoon on the town and some pleasant conversation!" He elbows Gen, who gets the idea--but not without a grumpy expression. "...no," says Gen. "Thank you, Strawberry Princess." He steps aside, and gestures with a nod to a group of workers unloading a heavy crate from a truck. As busy as they are, they also seem happy. "Usually when the police are involved, there's not much of that. But this is a way to protect people's smiles that I hadn't thought of." "Where's all this stuff going, anyway?" asks Go, as his sister quietly helps Strawberry with the hairnet. "After the meat is packaged and prepared here, it'll go across the Multiverse," says Kiriko. "There's not much demand for game here, but there are more deer and boar than there are hunters--so a place like this, especially one that pays for itself, must have seemed like a very good idea to the Ministry of the Environment, too." She pauses. "Did you want to go inside and take a look around, Strawberry?"
Roxas	"I guess that's true... and I guess sometimes the 'hero' thing is literal," Roxas says, thinking of Galbadia when he says it. But he blinks rapidly at Xion's observations about the Cafeteria. "W-well, ordinary people value that a lot differently from how we do. They don't like being closer to the cafeteria for some reason." From the way he says that, Roxas finds this entire perspective absolutely baffling. To Strawberry Princess, he replies, "I dunno... seemed to me like you thought this through pretty well. But maybe I just don't have the head for it." He hums thoughtfully in response to Go's note on why Special Cases is where it is. Roxas hadn't really thought about that much. Cops are pretty territorial... though he's used to the cops also just being the military, most of the time. Jurisdiction is less of an issue over in Galbadia. Or Niflheim. After a moment Roxas moves off to the side, to stand near Go. He gestures loosely towards him, and says, "So... I didn't really give you much chance to explain what's going on here, last time. I thought I'd come back and ask a little more. How'd this whole Roidmude thing get started? Why're you hostile with each other?"
Xion	"Put people... when they're too competent?" This has to be processed for a few moments by Xion. Roxas says agreeable (and extremely Normal) things about cafeterias. Strawberry... "Well, if you're elegant, and making solutions, seems to me you make elegant solutions." Xion offhandedly remarks, the mutual lean-on between the Chief and Xion finally resolving. "Well, I'm glad the SCD is there. If the Roidmude attacked the police HQ because Kamen Rider was there, they'd probably get wiped out on the spot by a 'retaliation'. Maybe..." Xion nods. "Nah. It's definitely better that you're there, doing what you can. Plus, I think everyone would notice Drive's car at the police parking lot." Xion nods sagely. "Nobody pays attention to what's parked at the DMV."
Shinnosuke Tomari	"Meat packaging for the Multiverse...I like it." Shinnosuke sidesteps figuring out a reply to the chief, nodding strongly towards Gen and the others. When Xion responds about what's parked at the DMV... The Kamen Rider cracks up. "I've never thought of it that way. I guess it'd stand out otherwise. It's a very nice car." Shinnosuke says, clearly proud of the vehicle he's inherited.
Strawberry Princess	"I don't think... they're not my thoughts, exactly. Director Velt talks about this sometimes," Strawberry says to Roxas, neatly deflecting. She grimaces a little, but it's not clear if that's from what she's doing to her hair or from the compliment overload. "I don't think you're bad at this at all, though. You had some... I mean, you're good with priorities. Aren't you?" A moment later- as she's giving up on fixing her hair into a vaguely presentable state- Gen catches her attention. Her gaze drifts from him to where he's gesturing- over to the workers unloading a crate. They seem... a lot happier than I was working at a gas station. The muscles of her face struggle with each other, straining to represent a half-dozen feelings at once. They settle on something between an uneasy wince and an open-mouthed smile. "Yeah," she says. "It's- this is a good thing you've all done. Thank you so much, Mr. Gen." For a moment she looks like she's going to go over and talk to them, but then the detective starts fixing her hair net, and she stays appreciatively still for that with only the occasional noise of discomfort. In spite of all the distractions, Xion gets the hard parry: "That's not true. I'm tall, and I tell tales, but that doesn't make them tall tales. Right?" A wink follows. She doesn't look especially elegant right now, anyway- nobody looks good in that kind of hair net! Finally, she nods and braces herself to see How The Sausage Gets Made. She's seen worse, right? But that doesn't necessarily make it easy. "I'd love to go inside, Ms. Kiriko. It's- I feel like I have to. You know? A responsibility." She nods, indicating for her to lead the way!
Go Shijima	>How did the whole Roidmude thing get started? Why're you so hostile with each other? Go frowns. Of course he'd ask that with Kiriko right here... But he deserves an answer. Maybe if he knew, he'd understand... After a pause, he gives his answer. "They killed our father," says Go, setting his jaw. "And they tried to kill Kiriko, on the day of the Global Freeze. Even in America, people weren't safe from them." Roxas might get the impression, even though his hands are in the pockets of his hoodie, that Go's fists are clenched. "Two of them killed my best friend... just because he was in the wrong place at the wrong time." Go shakes his head, likely holding back some kind of outburst. He does look Roxas in the eye, though. "And they laughed. They were glad to have done it. I couldn't care less why they're hostile to me, or to anyone else. I just know there's nothing worth saving there." "That isn't true, Go," says Kiriko, frowning at him. "Chase had plenty of opportunities to hurt us or sabotage our equipment. Twice, now, he's helped us fight those hacked androids--Magear, right?" She looks at Xion for confirmation. "Anyway... I haven't forgotten what Roxas said, or Strawberry. The problem isn't the Roidmudes themselves, it's... what they're doing. And I think we can address that differently, somehow. Or at least, we should try." Anyone who wants a tour can get one, from a middle-aged man wearing glasses, with shoulder length hair held in a hairnet like everyone else's. It's a pretty organized operation, owned entirely by the workers (that might be why they're in such high spirits). The smell is pretty strong in some areas, particularly where the enclosements for the deer and boar are. Special measures were taken to contain both species; to account for the skittish, nimble deer and the aggressive, territorial boars. "Monkeys are said to be a problem too, but I don't know of anybody who'd eat those," jokes the foreman. "Anyway, the plant will operate on a seasonal basis, to keep the population levels from dropping too law--but demand for these species, native to Japan, is enough that we should--" "Ah! There you are." It's on your way back to the entrance that you're accosted by a man in a three-piece suit quite starkly different from the jumpsuits and white coats around you. Though he's smiling, there is little good will in the expression. It seems, if anything, smug. His hair is slicked back, and he wears a pair of designer glasses with opaque frames. In his hand there's a paper fan, which he unfolds with a flick of the wrist. "Chief Honganji, I've been looking for you. Ah, forgive me, I see I haven't introduced myself to your Paladin associates," he says. He doesn't seem to know that Xion isn't one. "My name is Mitsuhide Nira, manager of the First Division of the Tokyo MPD, and attache to the National Bureau of Defense." He takes a look around him, sneering at the plant. "Such an ambitious undertaking you of the Special Cases Department have pulled off!~" Nira fans himself, turning back to face the rest of you. "Of course, if that's the case, it's clear evidence of a need for more oversight on your budget. I've come to inform you that effective immediately, your funding is to be reduced by forty-five percent! So sorry.~" He actually seems glad to be delivering the news--there's no doubt about it.
Roxas	"I don't think the police here are that powerful..." Roxas remarks, on the subject of roidmude getting wiped out for attacking the police department. He's not certain, of course. He's only seen a limited slice of this world. Blinking rapidly, he wonders, "Is that why Mog is always sending shifty guys to the DMV in Detroit?" Yes, it is. He asks Shinnosuke, "Do you get a lot of not-superhero use out of it? This city is pretty cramped. Xion and I have done a scooter once or twice, but even that usually ends up too slow unless we've got to move on open roads." "Director Velt...? Well, if you say so. But people get ideas from each other, you know. That's how these things go." He summons his silver-and-black Keyblade, flipping it about to display the Keychain as it transforms into the same Keyblade that Xion uses. "That's how connections work." Away the keyblade goes, again. Roxas surveys Go very seriously when the other man starts to reply, crossing his arms over his chest. The first statement -- about their father -- doesn't get much of a reaction. It seems that he doesn't really relate to that sort of relationship. But his expression grows more understanding when it comes to best friends. He nods slowly. "Yeah... okay. I doubt I'd be able to talk about it, if that happened with me." "But," he rubs the back of his head uncomfortably, "I'm not considered a person by a lot of people too, so it's something that's hard for me to really deal with." Roxas inclines his head towards Kiriko in acknowledgment, but hasn't been present to confirm what she's asking on Xion's behalf. As soon as the foreman jokes about eating monkey, Roxas raises a hand, "Xion and I have. In, um... the Congo I think? I forget exactly where. It was okay." He stares blankly at the appearance of Mitsuhide Nira, not seeming to know what to make of it. Roxas looks between the Chief and Nira, almost in search of some sort of explanation. "Ohh..." Roxas slaps a fist against an open hand, in sudden (incorrect) realization. "It's because the other departments aren't efficient enough, isn't it? Well, I guess that makes sense, if the SCD has that big a surplus." In spite of the words, Roxas isn't being snide here. He's entirely sincere. Everyone here has seen him being actually scathing; he's just not this indirect.
Strawberry Princess	Strawberry squints at Roxas's transformed keyblade for a couple of seconds before recognition finally flashes in her eyes- she's not too quick on the uptake, it seems like. "You and Xion," she says slowly, "seem like you're really close. How do you know each other? Are you related?" Well, they do have the same eyes. Maybe their parents were just X-cessively fond of a certain letter. For the remainder of the tour, Strawberry is extremely engaged- the smell obviously makes her a little green around the gills, but she bravely pushes through anyway. "If it operates on a seasonal basis," she muses, "then people here... won't have anything to do part of the year, right? Are they paid for that leave? Or have you thought about importing meat from-" She freezes mid-sentence and mid-step at the sheer aura of petty menace that the slick suited cop exudes, before he even opens his mouth. Forty-five percent?! Strawberry looks like she's been punched in the gut. The idea that her actions led to the SCD being hurt like this... she wrings the strap of her wand's case with restless anxiety, unsure of how or whether to intercede. What finally comes out of her mouth, though, is surprisingly authoritative. "Sir. You're not wearing a hair net. You'll need to leave."
Shinnosuke Tomari	"It's my primary vehicle, now." Shinnosuke responds to Roxas. They need both transformed and untransformed shots, after all! Nira shows up. Division manager. Attache to the NBD. One of the people above the Chief...and he's using his power against them. Shinnosuke grimaces. And then, he faces Nira, after hopefully Strawberry's statement causes him to start backing up. "Officer Shinnosuke Tomari, sir. Is there any way we could convince you to reconsider this? These funds are being used to help the populace at large." He doesn't expect much, but...maybe the man just wants something. They can work with a want, if it's not pure malice.
Go Shijima	Go blinks at Roxas, stunned into thoughtful silence. I don't agree with Roxas... but... even with that disagreement I still think he's a person. "Do people really think you're not?" He seems confused by it. What's there to debate? "Person or not," says Nira, with absolutely no qualms about leaving someone's personhood an open question, "He's rather impertinent, don't you think, Chief?" The Chief heaves a sigh. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Mr. Nira, but I'm afraid Strawberry is right. You'll have to put on a hairnet, unless you'd like to have this conversation back at the DMV." His tone is well matched to hers, a gentler kind of authority which seems to say 'sorry, but this is how it is.' "You're ordering me around?" asks Nira, flapping the fan as a dangerous gleam appears in his eyes. "I wonder how wise that is..." "Of course not, Mr. Nira--but this meat will bring smiles to people all over the Multiverse. To find a hair, even one as well groomed as yours, in their food, why, that'd be precisely the opposite of what people want!" The calculated compliment does seem to smooth things over. Great. "I know who you are. Kamen... Riderrrr." He stretches the word out, into a parody of itself, sneering at Shinnosuke in an open display of contempt. "And I'm afraid I'll have to decline your request. You see, the young perhaps-person there," he says, with a fan-gesture to Roxas... "Isn't totally wrong. It's the job of the police to apprehend criminals, not to 'protect people's smiles.'" He mockingly imitates the Chief's accent, although the Chief doesn't take the bait. "If that's what the SCD is getting up to, then they're clearly very efficient at apprehending criminals, and gestures like this... 'co-op' are just a sign that they could do it with less funding." He smiles 'proudly.' "You should take pride in that hard work!" The fan is folded up, tapped against his wrist, and he spreads his arms wide. "This place is already paid for, hm? Too bad, too bad!" He grins. "It's a shame you can't just ask for all of this stuff back. But," he says, nodding towards Tomari, "Maybe you could kill those forums your internet friend made? Or that 'help app?' Keeping those up each month... expensive, expensive!" Nira clasps his hands together. "Anyway~ I've got a meeting with Secretary Makage, and the miss is right--it won't do for me to linger here without a hairnet." Tomari's intuition might be correct. It might be pute malice, the way he seems to derive enjoyment from shutting this down. "Good luck when the season's over!" He calls, loud enough for the workers and foreman to hear, before making his exit. He literally skips. With that immense budget cut, the plans to help the co-op through the lean season are dashed, as are Kyuu's neighborhood message boards and Tomari's survey-inspired companion app. But... "To hell with that guy," says Go in a sudden fit of irritation. "People like him... are the reason we're having to do this in the first place!" An agitated noise and a swipe of his fist, as if he'd throw something, if only he had a thing to throw. "There's got to be some way we can keep this all going. I dunno what we could do about the forums or the app... but Strawberry mentioned something about these guys buying meat from somewhere else..." "Well," says Kyuu, who'd up to this point been quietly fussing over one of his cartoon dolls, "The forums and the app are paid through the end of the month, so that's our timeframe. I'm willing to look into it, if you guys are..."
Shinnosuke Tomari	Nira comes in, and stomps on their hopes and dreams. It is malice. There will be no negotiating. Nira leaves. Shinnosuke sighs. They've lost. No, scratch that. "That's one of the bosses, huh...looks like we'll have to do this ourselves." For everyone who knows Shinnosuke, they know what's going to happen next. He straightens his tie, a serious expression on his face. "Kyuu, do what you can. Check the feasibility of donations, though we can't live off them. Go..." A metaphorical loading wheel on Shinnosuke's face turns into a lightbulb. "What if we start making inroads in other worlds? There must be people looking for export, or trade, or even just somewhere to process their meat. If we can do that, we might be able to offset some of the costs, right? And if we do some diplomacy, we may be able to get some patrons interested in our project and world. Though that leaves the question whether or not he'll cut our budget more, we can't focus on that." Shinnosuke moves to grab his phone and start tapping. "We need to focus on the truth. As citizens, as people, as Kamen Riders, it is our job to put smiles on peoples' faces, whether or not it is his. We help people. And we're not letting bureaucracy get in the way."
Roxas	"That's not really a concept that applies to us. Um, how do I put it..." Roxas's discomfort intensifies, but he doesn't seem put off exactly. Just sort of dismayed. "When a person has their spiritual core partially extracted unwillingly, what's left usually just falls apart. Like muscle and skin unsupported by a skeleton. But sometimes what's left is structurally strong enough that the absence isn't fatal, and restructures itself to re-optimize for the situation. That's what we are. We don't have parents. The people we came from weren't related either." "We met in a big spooky castle that makes your memories leak out sometimes," he adds, answering the question more directly. There's more to it, but it's not his story to tell on Xion's behalf. Since he just explained 'what' he is, Roxas is easily able to pivot to why people don't treat Nobodies well. He nods towards Go, "Well, basically... one of the ways to restore the 'original person' is to kill 'us'. But even though we usually look exactly like whoever we were, we're not really that person. Or at least, some of us aren't. It's sort of a debated thing. Either way, most of us have 'died' already and don't really want to do it again. Thing is, the people connected to the person-we-were don't really see it that way or care a lot of the time." The first time that Nira openly ponders Roxas's ponderhood it gets a perturbed look, but isn't responded to. The second time, Roxas pushes away from the wall. "Hey. Manager Dyejob." Yes, in spite of a fairly cloudy-headed presentation, Roxas really did pick up on the vanity the Chief exploited instantly and flipped it around when he got offended enough. He steps in the way, takes Nira's fan from him, and slaps it lightly against his chest in a 'hold on' gesture. "I'm not Kamen Rider Drive's friend. I've been hanging around to figure out whether or not they're giving the roidmude a fair shot so I could decide whether to make trouble for him or not. Honestly, still not sure about that." The fan rises and falls a second time. "Funny thing is, the first person to weigh me as a nonperson here is you." He uses Nira's fan to punctuate 'you'. Roxas smiles cheerfully at Nira. He replaces the fan in Nira's pocket and deliberately straightens him out. "So I'm going to cause problems for you until I make a decision about these guys." Roxas steps out of the way and waves his hands in a deliberatley 'shoo, shoo' dismissive gesture. Whether Nira leaves or not, Roxas does, finding a spot with sufficient cover to disappear mysteriously (through a Corridor of Darkness). Inside the Corridors of Darkness, he hotswaps his outfit to his CULT ROBES, and then spends the next fifteen to twenty minutes following Nira and locking things wherever the Manager of the First Division happens to go.
Strawberry Princess	A MOMENT EARLIER: "Oh. You're sort of... a ghost? But not really." Strawberry rolls that idea around in her head for a moment, and it seems to abruptly spark some kind of delayed comprehension. Sometimes something bad happens to you. And you're not really the same person after. The hole fills in, but not with what was there before. She shuts her eyes, then opens them again, looking- grateful, maybe? "I appreciate you sharing, Roxas. I don't know what that's like, but... I'm glad you're here, at least. And I'm sorry some other people aren't." Does he have good memories of the people who loved his "other self"? How does it feel that they want to kill him now? NOW: Once the malicious man has skipped out of frame, Strawberry's anxiety-ridden posture slowly collapses into a slump as she lets out a jagged sigh. So much good work, erased with the stroke of a pen. Maybe Director Velt was right. We've got to destroy NATO after all. It's Shinnosuke who pulls her back to reality, however inadvertently. "Yeah," she says, her voice slightly hoarser than before, but regaining a little of its enthusiasm. "That was- what I was thinking. There's other Japans where it's a different time of year, right? And we've got all the processing stuff set up right here. We might want to sell the nonlocally-sourced stuff under a different brand name in case the quality turns out different, but... with a warpgate so close, transportation shouldn't be hard. Then there won't be a lean season. ... I think."