2496/The Future is Droids

The Future is Droids
Date of Scene:	29 April 2025
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	The hunt for survivors takes a swerve as our heroes find a 1000-year-old Naru Osaka about to fight an army of droids-- and then meet her Neph-- no, not nephew, grandson~
Thanks to:	KeyLimePie, Mamoru, and Nephrite
Cast of Characters:	280, Koji Silvia, Rashmi Terios, Mamoru Chiba, Amanda Faust, Chrono Harlaown, Nephrite

---

The Narrator (280) has posed:
It's the second day in Crystal Tokyo, sometime after morning, though it's hard to tell with the weak sunlight that only just manages to break through the dense cover of ash and smog. Earlier today - fairly recently - Amy Faust was among the first group to find a survivor. The rest of her group split up - some to join the survivors, one to go off and scout...

And Crystal Tokyo is, for this moment, graveyard calm, not a stirring of life, just rubble and collapsing buildings and perhaps worse, buildings that are undamaged, portraits of life stopped midway through.

The apocalypse started a month ago, and the city is dying in much the way the Earth is.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Camp Devicer was set up in one of those aforementioned nearly pristine buildings. Or rather, in what used to be a meeting room on a 10th floor of a building that on the side that was facing the mahou as they travelled towards the crystal palace, but on the back looks like as if a cake-slice of the building was carefully removed... and then toppled messily onto the street and the shops on the other side. But it did leave this space eerily intact.

It also made it a good place for Koji and Rashmi do things like brew some green and oolong tea and then Store those hot cups. Make some rice balls with some pickled vegetables and nori that the camping Device Mage managed to find in the dark corner of his inventory space. None of it is much, but it's something important in this bleakness... Comfort.

The thing that made sleep hard was that the open side of the building faced the onyx spire that was for the Black Moon.

Slinging his backpack, Koji swaps to his henshin, not even opting for any of his usual disguise-in-disguise thing as he says towards Rashmi, "Maybe we can catch up with the main group and give them something to cheer them up... with this place, I'd take any drop of cheer I could wrestle from it."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"That would be nice," Rashmi says, edging behind a wall to swap to henshin; one does not want the obelisk to have direct line-of-sight to magical shenanigans, after all. "Nicer would be to find some actual survivors."

Checking her wrist, she makes sure her communicator is on and locatable by the network, then takes in a deep breath. "By the way, when you want to stop for lunch? I still have like a *ton* of Cup Noodle, and a bucket of ice from Jadeite. If we can just find a good kettle, we'd be completely set."

The first day was not... the best first meeting, between Rashmi and this new world. Sleep was *particularly* hard to get when her brain kept monching on the speaking Droid saying they'll need 'special attention.' So... life-signs are now part of Nicomachea's passive-detection suite, so they know who to help, and who to shoot.

"Anyway... Shall we head off?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's an amazing miracle they haven't headed off yet before they have two more guests in their creepy obelisk-facing hideout on the tenth floor.

A brief gold flash and Tuxedo Mask is standing there with Amy, and he's dusty and dirt-smudged but apparently well-slept. "GOOD MORNING~! We found survivors. But there's someone else out-- oh shit what did you do, look for the creepiest place in the city to sleep? We slept in the subway restrooms and it was less scary!"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    So yeah, they found a survivor, who was happy to share with the King the location of the survivor... camp? Gathering? That he knew of, and it so happens that the Devicers are the closest ones. Amy volunteered to come along too, so... now here she is. "Rashmi! Koji! Chrono!" She runs up to hug the other girl.

    "It was actually really clean. Also there were couches and snack dispensers. In both rooms."

    She glances around the... room, such as it is, with the abrupt emptiness just there.

    "...Anyway, we met him! The Man Who Fed The World! He's still doing it, bringing supplies to the survivors from... I guess places like the snack dispensers that just produce snacks somehow? There is so much going on I forgot to ask how that works, I guess some automated infrastructure must still be working. A-anyway, you guys are the closest, the survivors are somewhere over that way..." She points almost perpendicular to the Obsidian Spire that looms south-southeast, she's pointing out a window to the southwest. "Oh, uh..." She gets a future tablet out of her belt pouch and brings up the map app -- basically all they've /been/ useful for with no connectivity or ability to download anything -- to show where the local area, with pins for the subway station, marketplace, and survivors.

    It's not great for telling what is and isn't ruins, of course, but it's sort of helpful for keeping track of where places are in relation to eachother. "Here, see?"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown was an enforcer, had been through these kinds of situations before. Had... actually been through these before.

... Which, in a way, was likely why he had done what he had done what he had done. At one point he had just disappeared. Every so often Rashm would get a ping, of course. An alert. He stayed in communication with her. But he was an Enforcer, he was used to operating alone, for short bursts, as an operative. Search and rescue, searching for people who needed help... and looking for signs of survivors.

And trying to setup things so if survivors do find them, their chances of surviving long enough for more help to arrive will increase. Small things. Little things. Would they make a difference in the end? He didn't know. It wasn't TSAB space and the TSAB wasn't coming in after him to offer relief.

But he'd told Rashmi he was coming in, and he'd made sure to keep out of sight as best he could on the approach, treating the area as very much a *hostile* environment. If there was one thing he had learned, it was that this place was *incredibly* hostile.

But he landed down, slightly dirtier, slightly smellier, slightly more tired looking, hair slightly messier, slightly sterner loo-- actually, he looked as stern as normal.

He didn't say anything when he came in, though, at least not verbally. He just took a cup of tea and grunted something to Koji, before sipping it.

He had, however, as he arrived, sent a single message to Rashmi. << Report. >>

And offered his own as well. No rescues. No survivors. A few signs. Nobody he could save.

... It was eating at him. He was an Enforcer and he was trained for this... yet he felt... as ineffectual as he had as when he was a child.

The Narrator (280) has posed:
The quintet of time travelers converge upon one another, and later, it will be hard to know what triggered it - the burst of magic, from the teleportation? The noise, as gleeful news is shared?

Maybe it's none of those things at all, but something known only to the only other person in this forlorn street.

Either way? All of those with sensitivity to dark energy - or devices set to warn them of it - will feel the sudden swell that means the a horde of Droids is around.

And then they'll hear them, too, shuffling and stomping and running, coming closer -

...going past them?

Anyone who looks will see that they're chasing someone - and then, from around a corner, they'll hear a distant voice shouting -

"FUCK, FUCK, FUCK!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Amy's hug is returned cheerfully, her spirits *incredibly* bouyed by the news that survivors have been found. And Chrono gets one too, as the exhausted Enforcer stays in Business Mode upon his arrival, his request for a report met with one; no survivors found, *hordes* of mass-produced quasi-organic robots swarming them, only to be called off by one with language and reasoning ability... who said that these 'thinking ones' deserve 'special attention.' But Mamoru and Amy *just* came in with news of a *group* of survivors, and Amy's currently pointing in their direction.

"All this collated and sent to Chrono in the time it takes to think, after which she switches to voice for the benefit of those around them. "So c'mon," she says, taking Chrono's hand. "Let's put a little light into this new da--"

'fuck fuck fuck!'

Smoothly leaning in to plant a quick kiss on Chrono's forehead, she turns, her Flier Fin already unfurling as she pelts for the open section of the building and simply hops off, taking to the air to get a fix on the shouter... and to see if she's actually a person, and not a better class of the swarm following her.

<< With luck she's an actual straggler, Hanzo can you see if you can peel that swarm off her and someplace none of us are going? >>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy stiffens as she feels that darkness. And then...

    Distressed swearing. Amy looks that way, running to that side of the building to look out the window and/or lack-of-a-rest-of-the-building, and then looks back to the others. "...Can any of you confirm if there's an actual lifesign?"

    Such a trick might be just the sort of 'special attention' that one droid was talking about, after all.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked when he heard the 'fuck fuck fuck'.

Welp. Down he goes. He was already taking off, the tea disappearing into his device for later as he flew towards it, already beginning his own scans... It might be a trap... Or might not be... If it was someone who needed help? They'd get it.

And he readied some binds, just in case, preparing to set them the moment he could get visual and scans to clarify the target was, well, both a person and in danger...

... It'd be nice to save someone today.

Obaa-san has posed:
And finally, they can see the person the droids are chasing and catching up to. There's a little old lady in a teal wheel-less mobility scooter, with her hair in a very long braid that's white at the roots fading to a sort of strawberry grey, and the bottom quarter of the braid is orange-red, tied with a teal ribbon.

The scooter stops.

The droids are catching up.

The little old lady gets off the thing, brandishing a cane and looking grim. She's wearing a nice blouse with a many-full-pocketed fishing vest over it and honestly a very lovely shimmery skirt, and the most intensely comfortable-looking old lady shoes in the history of footwear. Her makeup is perfect, and her jewelry glitters defiantly, and there's a pair of thick circular eyeglasses on a chain around her neck, as if they were hers, just waiting to be worn again.

She's sure they'll never be worn again.

She's sure she's going to take as many down with her as she can.

It won't be that many. There have to be fifty of them already, and more also already joining.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Getting a grunt for a cup of hot tea is about the most cordial he could get from Chrono here, and Koji just shrugs as he jerks his thumb back towards a door close by the meeting room that became their ad-hoc campsite, "It was high up, so only fliers could get in, there was working bathroom, and water in the breakroom. We wanted to be able to scan the area for-"

    << DARK ENERGY DETECTED. MULTIPLE SIGNATURES. >>

There's really no time to say or do anything with anyone else then as Hanzo books it for the open side of the building and leaps out, only to throw his hand up and back to grapple up onto stable part of the building.

    << PHANTOM. >>

He goes invisible, but rounds that corner so he can skid to a stop along the side of the building and look down on what's coming their way.

    <<I think I can do one better.>>

A Boost Shield appears under his foot and as he reels in his Device, Hanzo launches himself off the building and over the incoming group of robots. Arms fold in and then hands begin to glow, before he flings them both wide, sending a half-dozen blade-shaped Barrets out to land in a line between the fleeing person and the horde.

    << DISRUPTOR - BURST BARRET. >>

Falling once more, he lands on the street, braking his fall with another reversed Boost Barrier as his magic proceeds to detonate magical disruption blasts when the robots reach them, leaving him the best target to see going off towards the rubble-strewn storefronts as he reappears... as the old lady?!, "HEY!"

    "You wanna throw down with the famous Naru Osaka, you beaten up bags of bolts!"

Sounding disappointed and making a tsking sound, she adds, "Come and get your warranties voided, you trumped up roombas!."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru claps Amy's back lightly, then jumps out the broken building in full view of the obelisk. He almost falls on his face when he hears Koji yelling about Naru. He scrambles like hell over rubble until he can get his hopping feet under him, and then he springs forward to land in the street behind the little old lady and slams his hands on the wide, dusty, pedestrian-friendly surface. "Tuxedo la Smoking Crater!!!" he yells--

--and there's a rumble beneath the street, then some of the droids fall over, and then an immense explosion comes up from underneath those droids and the ones around them and the ones around them...

"Oba-san! N-naru-san? Osaka-san. We've got your back!"

The Narrator (280) has posed:
The one and only Naru Osaka (of this timeline) has indeed been pursued by Droids - but she has not exited left, not just yet. The droids that surround her are mostly made up of the more shambling variety, magitech exoskeletons and shabbily resemblances of humanity, synthetic flesh torn and gaping, and they lunge for her, prepared to meet her cane.

And then they are blasted two-fold - from below, as the ground erupts in front of Naru, sending showers of earth into the air and tearing asunder those nearest, and from behind, as the disrupter barrets fire and strike.

A chunk of them fall, their magic disrupted, leaving them as downed as a computer brought face to face with a magnet.

The others, a good thirty-four left and more joining besides, split - some moving towards KojiNaru, the others still after the Osaka Original, and the stragglers beginning to advance towards Tuxedo Kamen, as one with the pristine appearance of a young man dressed in a paint-spattered apron points unerringly to where he stands.

For those taking scans - they can see that by several metrics, she is a human being. There is no dark energy signature, there is a heat signature consistent with life. She has more in common with the Koji-Naru than she could hope to with the Droids.

Koji Silvia has posed:
The amazing, fantastic, and totally fake KojiNaru begins cackling as 'she' brandishes... of all things... her cane again.

Except she gives it a hard tug and turns it into four sections!

    "That's right ya Tesla-brained Somy Gamestations! Come'n get me!"

The cackling continues as she whips the handle-end of the cane out like she's in a kung-fu movie and hooks one of the droids, and then she whips it upwards with both hands, flicks and twirls, and then smashes he down into the crowd.

Loud, ludicrous, and impossible as this fishing-vest wearing, orthopedic-shoed old lady lets them surround her as she assaults with a gleam in her eye and a kung fu fightscene soundtrack in her heart!

    "YEEHAW! HOW ABOUT SOME OF *THIS!* AND *THIS!* COME ON SWITCHIE-BOW! I WAS BREAKING CONTROLLERS BEFORE YOU WERE A GLEAM IN YOUR PRINTERS EYES!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD >>

Rashmi's first thought is to defend the straggler, *and* Tuxedo Kamen, from the ravening horde. With only half of their number remaining to shamble toward the original target, her duty is fairly clear.

Which is why she drops out of the sky to stand between Naru -- NARU-CHAN, SERIOUSLY?!?! Yep, scans check out she is a person, at least -- and erect a half-dome of golden light, surrounding them all in a warm, summery glow that for the moment will only let *four* mana signatures through; Mamoru, herself, Osaka-san, and Chrono.

"Na-- Osa-- B-- Kni-- oh for--" Look she's just as flummoxed as Mamoru about *who* their rescuee is, even if they have a job to do... and it's only the job that helps her rally out of her thought-flail. "Osaka-san do you want us to bring your chair with you? Because we are *not* staying here."

<< Chrono dear I believe we have a survivor, would you like to help her out of here? >>

Because, of all of them, it's her boyfriend that truly needs to have little a rescue, as a treat.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown narrowed his eyes when he saw the person. Ah. A person. Oh. A survivor. Definitely... a person.

He... wasn't really the type to be worn down. Or, at least not the type to show being worn down. Rashmi could see it, likely. The way his smile was gone. The way he'd just grunted. The way he hadn't... been cordial. Polite.

It had worn on him. Had him tense. It had worn on him in a way that others could see. Not just her. But everyone. That was likely the biggest sign of how severe it was.

The next biggest sign?

            <<Stinger Blade!>>

When a dozen blue swords rained down on the droids in front of them. He didn't announce who he was, he didn't state his name, his position, he didn't say who he represented, he didn't give them any offer to surrender, or stop.

<< Keep close to her, maintain your defensive spells around her, Rashmi. Some of these things can perform long range attacks and the last thing we'd want is for her to get hit by a stray bullet because she was unshielded. >>

He landed down by her.

"Ma'am, I am Time Space Administrative Bureau Enforcer Chrono Harlaown and we are here to help you. If you would come with me, we'll get you to the castle."

He'd hold out his hand to the lady and, if she'd take it? He was definitely going to princess carry her out of there, while Rashmi covered him... Screw the chair. She could get a new chair. They were *not* losing *anyone* today.

... Or they could like... store the chair, probably.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    The others move in, and Amy rocket-jumps from the building, out over the horde -- the artillery cannon is in her hand, and she aims it down at the street below, "Amy la Smoking Crater!" and fires; as the name promised, the shell hits the street hard enough to crater it -- unless road materials science is so far up the tech tree it's a Giga Damage Capacity structure -- and explodes, taking out a bunch more droids.

    She dismisses the cannon and lands on the rubble of a collapsed building across the street. "Holy shit, that's Osaka-san?!" And she was facing down droids? "I hope I'm that badass when I'm an old lady... hey Osaka-san! Do you know how to use firearms?"

    Huh, that one droid seems to be commanding the others. Maybe that's fake, but... in the seconds before the droids can rush to her position (no gunners apparently, thank goodness) she sights her gyrojet rifle and tries to put a .59 penetrating rocket through his mechanical skull.

Naru-obaa-san has posed:
"The thing's useless without the city's power grid," Naru says shortly, crankily, but not at Rashmi-- she's finally done staring at Koji-as-her, and eyeing Tuxedo Kamen, and now her attention's fully on Rashmi and she takes her cane and leans on it like it's a cane instead of obviously a short bo staff.

"I would love a rescue, young lady. I have... a lot of questions."

A LOT of questions. And if any of them knows Naru, oh boy, do they know from her questions.

A blink at Amy. "Of course not," she says, "guns are illegal." She clears her throat, then takes Chrono's hand, while still staring at Koji-her. "She sounds like an advertisement for a childhood that never was. What on this blue marble is a roomba??"

When she's lifted up in a princess-carry, the short old woman yelps. "I escalated quickly," she apologizes, her eyes glinting.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"I'm not sure we can get you all the way to the palace, Junichi-kun said there's something in the way that isn't just droids, but we can keep you safe until we can get you to the palace," Tuxedo Mask adds, straightening up and glaring at the droid that Amy's shooting, the one that was pointing at him. But then he looks at Naru again, and his smile's lopsided. He doesn't say anything, he's just glad to see her.

"Hanzo!" he yells out past the sunny golden barrier, "We're leaving!"

The Narrator (280) has posed:
From above comes a rain of pale blue swords, and they fall with all the weight of a guillotine. Droids are skewered underneath those swords - though, those who were struck in non-fatal areas are squirming, trying to pull the sword through their bodies so they can continue on. Still others crushed in the Amy La Smoking Bomber, and more... more, are bashed about by Koji-Naru.

A can of whoop ass has been opened the likes of which these Droids truly do not have the capacity to appreciate.

The Droid which pointed Mamoru out is shot fully in the head, the back of it's braincase exploding out in a shower of - metal bits and dark, brackish fluid. It doesn't have a brain, thankfully.

There are still more droids coming - it seems that Crystal Tokyo is simply not at risk of every running out of them -

But they have a moment, to make their retreat. They've fought their way clear through enough for that.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown took off, flying into the air, trusting Rashmi to cover him. He carries, she shields, there's nothing that could...

... And he side eyes Naru, but keeps his mouth shut. Maybe he could drop her. It wouldn't be that hard, would it? I mean... how much of a problem would it be, in the grand scheme of things, if she didn't... she'd lived a long, hard life... so much was already gone...

... Probably makes her tea like a hummingbird, too....

... No, he didn't REALLY think that. If anything, though, the commentary, the silly pun, helped him almost relax. It was so silly ,such nonsense... It helped bring him some peace.

... They'd done a search and a rescue...

Koji Silvia has posed:
In the middle of wrapping a melee-specced droid in the strings of the cane, KojiNaru grumbles out, "Yes, yes, Tuxedo-Kun... let me just finish giving our guests here a proper welcome..."

She turns, flips that one over her shoulders and slams it down into a pair coming up behind her and then the cane somehow retracts through the wreckage and back in her hand, only to be tucked into a pocket on the vest.

    "Well, my digital dimwits, it's been fun, but you're not going to terminate me today! You're just a Phantom Menace!"

She then holds up a finger, and from out behind and under her vest... SOMEHOW... and it's an old electric kettle surrounded by powdered mochi sweets.

With a grin, she claps her hands together, and says, "Now... everyone only take one and..."

The Cane is whipped back out, up, and snags on the building to pull her away as this bizarre old woman yells out, "REMEMBER TO MIND YOUR MANNERS NEXT TIME!"

The cackling hits a crescendo, just in time for the teapot to start whistling...

Whistling...

    << DISRUPTOR - FLASHBANG. >>

The illusions all fade out as a wide blast of dazzling light, errant sound, and other things to jam up the droid's senses go off, and Koji swings away from the fight, and back to the group, the Mamo-worthy grin hidden under his facemask.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
    << *BONG!* >> << RED SHIFT >>

The golden shield *explodes* outward, loosing a wave of kinetic force in every direction the shield faced -- scraping the brickwork, and sending showers of rubble as the blast catches a jutting corner. "And we're out!" Rashmi calls, looping an arm under Tuxedo Mask's shoulders and hauling him into the air. << Just so I can tell Usachan I did *everything possible* to make sure you didn't get swarmed, >> she says hurriedly in a private telepathic message... then pauses for a moment.

"To get the biggest one out of the way," she says, directing her floating, armored tome to touch its large red crystal to the chair... and causing it to disappear with a *bwip!* of golden energy. "We're here because Princess Small Lady Usagi Tsukino found help. Also hang tight, he's a much better flyer than I am."

At which point Koji's finale catches her attention, and she watches with eyes wide.

<< ...Nicomachea I want that in .gif format as soon as possible, and a phone-size image of every frame. >>

    << *BONG!* >> << COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE >>

At least she remembered to look away when 'flashbang' was announced.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Survivor obtained! Now to get out! Amy rocket-jumps towards the others, firing a smaller exploding shell down at the droid horde on the way and tossing out incendiary grenades as she lands and then books it in the direction Rashmi is flying.

    << Seriously? It is the year 3000 or whatever and you're still using .GIF? >> Amy teases, in a good mood. << It's gonna be all dithered or palettized! Just use MP4 already! I know not every body uses H265 or AV1 yet, but I'm pretty sure everybody can use H264 these days! >> She smiles, making such conversation is a sign that right now, they can afford to talk about anything but fighting for their lives.

    Out loud, she calls out while superjumping along, "So, cool Osaka-obaasan, how'd you end up out here anyway?"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Mamoru's a dangly noodle hanging off of Rashmi like that, and he chuffs out a laugh at Rashmi's telepathic aside. "Thanks for the lift," he says warmly, and then blinks as Rashmi vanishes Naru's scooter. "I love your storage, Nico-san," he adds, then quiets down for the ride.

Naru-obaa-san has posed:
It's only a quick flight to the closest subway station that'll take them to the tracks leading where they want to go. That's a little bit of a problem, given the small army of droids they were just fighting and ran from, so that's why they're not going there.

Naru-obaasan tucks in against Chrono like she has long-ago-ingrained 'how to helpfully be princess carried' skills, her long red-white ombre braid trailing behind them as they fly. "I hate to ask," Naru calls over the smoggy wind, "because I'm very grateful, but if you have a solid destination in mind could we take a side trip? To pick up my grandson? I was on my way back to where we're staying these past few days-- I would ask you all in but I'm not entirely sure everyone would fit? Or would particularly want to..."

She trails off thoughtfully, then frowns. "And I know I was going to leave it until we stopped safely, but truly, do I sound like that? And why would you cosplay as Tuxedo Kamen at a time like this?" she turns her head to peer at Rashmi and Mamoru.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
The moment they're off and clear of the swarm, Rashmi drops a Flier Fin onto Mamoru, then holds him steady until he can get his 'feet' underneath him. If only because being shoulder-noodle cannot be comfortable in the long term. At Naru's question, she opens her mouth, pauses, then clears her throat.

    << *BONG!* >> << TELEPATHY >>

Setting up a *proper* communications net, she clears her 'throat' to announce her presence in the minds of her fellow travelers. << Naru-san, I'm worried they might hear us if we have a big conversation out loud, so... *think* like you're talking into a phone, and we should hear you. And personally I'd be *happy* to make a side-trip. Amy-chan, does that tablet have the actual location of the survivor group? And if so... d'you think you could come up with a good course to get there? >>

Koji Silvia has posed:
For a few moments between roof-running and grappling to keep up with the group, Koji checks over the blade-edges of Hanzo, finding some nicks and dulled spots from the armor and insides of the droids. Running his fingers along it for a moment, he mutters out, "Sorry, friend... once we get someplace to stop, I'll put you in Standby to fix you up."

    << Understood. >>

But now that they're paused here, and Naru makes her request to make a small side trip to find family, the young raven-haired man takes a moment to look up and down the street, << I am very sorry for taking liberties, Ms. Osaka. Machines with any sort of interaction with us are designed to be motion and sound reactive. So a lot of noise and movement was done on purpose. You add on top of that that two of the same target suddenly there in a different spot, and whoever or whatever is in charge of those things are going to have a lot of contradictory data to go through. >>

He stops himself, << We've never met, and trying to explain why would be too strange for both sides of the conversation. You may call me Hanzo, and once we have a moment to breathe, I would like to offer you a cup of hot tea as an apology. >>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    He's real. We're from the past. The words are on the tip of her tongue, but they're for Tuxedo Mask to say.

    Fortunately, there's Devicer Telepathy. Good thing too, since there's no Kyubey here to use as a telepathic relay. Which is a good thing, because this apocalypse doesn't need Witches.

    << I don't think it's that strange. This is Osaka-san, right? So she remembers the old days and the Sailor Senshi fighting monsters and all that. >>

    As for Rashmi's question, she answers, << I marked where Tuxedo Mask said Junichi said, but the map on these is from before the apocalypse; I guess we can cross ruined streets and buildings easily enough, but there's no way to know ahead of time where droids are waiting, or what buildings are still there to use as cover or vantage points. >>

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod as they flew through the air, holding a future version of Naru in his arms and well...

He had a reminder of the first time he met Naru, in the morning, years ago. And so he just told her what he imagined she'd be able to understand if she was anything like the Naru from their world.

<< We're allies of your Sailor Moon, from an alternate reality's past. In that reality, we knew you. And no, you weren't... much like that. Entirely. Yet. If you can direct me, we can pick him up on the way. >>

<< But trust us, the less questions you ask, likely the more effectively we'll be able to fix things here. So I understand you likely have many, but please keep it to things that need to be done in the immediate. >>

Ahhhhh, business Chrono was back.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
As soon as he gets his flier fins under him, with a bright smile to Rashmi, Mamoru's absurdly well practiced and does a barrel roll because he can. But, << Hey! I'm not a cosplayer, >> comes Tuxedo Kamen's 'voice' over the telepathic link. << I swear I'm Chiba Mamoru. We're just visiting long enough to save the planet and maybe officially borrow your princess. She's really cute. >>

He glances back at Amy. << Fortunately, at the moment you do have me, and I know where they are, and if we get knocked off course we'll just find another route. Or make one. >>

Naru-obaa-san has posed:
<< Oh, dimensional travel. I thought that was theoretical. Sometimes I like being wrong, >> Naru thinks at Chrono, then points down a wrecked side-street about two blocks away from the subway station. << There. It was the Gingold building, but you probably wouldn't know that if you're... at any rate, parts of the building are made of repurposed unrecycleable plastics, and the basement walls are thick. We were here two weeks ago too, it's a good spot. Heat sensors didn't pick us up. They would have followed me there, though, so thanks. >>

She gives Chrono a faintly disapproving look when he tells her not to ask questions. << You have the wrong rescuee for that, young man. And yes, Amy was it? I am, in fact, still Naru Osaka. I do remember the old days. We had a good break with nobody trying to kill everyone or eat the planet or whatever, maybe five years, and then poor Moon-chan had to be Queen. She took very well to it though! >>

Naru holds her cane more tightly as she surveys the street below them, and she then glances at Koji. << They were very useful liberties, Hanzo. But I have too much elegant gravitas to cackle, for next time. I would love tea, though. >>

Finally she eyes Mamoru. << Get your own princess. >>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    << Cackling is fun though! And, Amy, yeah. Or Magical Rocket Girl Red. Or Sailor Chalcopyrite, Guardian of, how'd I put it, 'Freedom to live as your true self'? Although I suppose here in the future concepts like 'morphological freedom' aren't fringe transhumanism... Err, anyway, that last one is if I have to blend in with the Senshi. It fooled the Black Moon Clan back home for months, but I guess by now the bad guys here already know there are other types of magical gir-- other types of magic users. >>

    Future Naru tells them about a good hiding place! << Thank you! >>

    Do you see my grandson? << I have no idea what your grandson looks like, Ma'am. ...Or how old he is. Or appears. Or heck for all I know people can look like dragons if they want here, the only one I've met is Junichi -- err, The Man Who Fed The World. >> What was his last name again? It's slipping her mind.

Koji Silvia has posed:
Instead of him starting his own scanning protocols off of Hanzo, Koji looked up towards Rashmi to wait to see what she locates.

Turning to look back towards the rest of the group, he sends << Once we have the full group of us together, I'll put up a screen to make sure we can't be seen or heard except for up close. We'll have to stick close together, but that means we can get to where the others are without too much more trouble. >>

But there is a soft exhale, almost a sigh from him as he waits...

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< She's here too, >> Rashmi notes absently. << I mean, you were there, you know they're joined at the hip. Also good to... meet? Re-meet? you, Naru-san. I'm Rashmi, and on my world we go to Debate Club together. Chrono there knows, which is why he *ought* to know better than to get you to not ask questions, >> she says, flashing a smirk at Chrono. << But hang on... >>

    << *BONG!* >> << INVESTIGATION >>

A fist-sized ball of energy appears above the pages of Rashmi's open, floating book, and dips down toward the building in question, looking for signs of life amid the rubble. If the grandson is spotted, the sensor ball tucks itself out of sight of the street.

<< That's a *wonderful* idea, Hanzo, perfect! Illusion screen for everyone! >>

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown couldn't help it. He actually smiled. Just a littlke more. He was already smiling, but he just smiled a little more.

<< The dimensional travel part is the space in the TSAB. >> he offered.

<< And yeah... I know that asking you to not ask questions is impossible. But you'll have to limit them. We have limited time and every question we answer is time that could cost lives. I know you want to ask a lot of questions. But I trust your desire to keep lives safe more. >>

Well, there was a reason he said to limit her questions and not to not ask any. << For what it's worth, if this world is anything like the world we come from, five years without trouble is quite an accomplishment. We barely manage five days on good months. >>

Nephrite has posed:
A small laser dot, crisply red, appeared and followed along upon the one holding Naru for a short time. Subtle thing that it was, it did not last long. But for a brief time, it was there.

From cover below, in a partially collapsed second story window, signs of life could be detected.

A slight lean from behind the fractured wall, the glimpse of a droid's arm-- the sort that may have fired blasts at them beforehand, could be seen retracting. It would seem Rashmi had found somebody alive here, positive confirmation made. But that person was moving now, towards the roof.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
<< We will eventually, >> Mamoru retorts to 'get your own princess', << but we're sixteen and seventeen so maybe not right now?? >>

He lets it drop, though, when there's a laser pointer on Chrono; his eyes go wide. << Don't shoot! Droids don't care about taking cover! Rashmi-chan can you loop that person in? Does it work that way? >>

And then he does what drives all his boys up the wall: the prince dives in without looking twice. He, in fact, jumps off the air to land on the roof, and he hiss-whispers, "Hello??"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< MAMO-KU-- >> Why bother? Why even protest? It's not like Zoisite, in all his volcanic glory, would *directly blame Rashmi* for failing to keep his prin--

Yeah she banks down and comes to rest on the rooftop. Recalling the sensor ball, she directs it to come to rest *next* to the most convenient point of entry. << I can't loop him in until Nicomachea knows him, >> she answers. << Chrono could you keep you and Naru-san behind a shield until we know it's safe? Cover would be good too. Amy-chan I know you're not Bow-kun but you don't, like, happen to have glue bombs or something? >>

Look all Rashmi really *knows* about Puella magic is that properly directed bullshit can accomplish almost anything, but there are limits. So it's a good question to ask.

Hovering a few inches above the rooftop, she looks left -- the sensor ball orients in the opposite direction -- then right, and copies Mamoru's hissing whisper. "If it helps, we're here at the behest of Princess Small Lady Usagi Tsukino, and your grandma's safe?"

Koji Silvia has posed:
An old old reflex kicks in, and before he can stop himself, a spot under one of Hanzo's feet glows and he suddenly launches himself into the air right after Tuxedo Mask!

With a flip and a skid, he lands in front of his old roommate and has one hand up, ready to throw shields the minute he even senses something trying to shoot their way, his hair and scarf all nice and wavy in a non-existent breeze.

     << Can you not, like, JUST... >>

Forgetting he's on a 'public' line, his mental tone comes off sound VERY much like someone in her younger days, << If anything happens to you while you're with us, Usagi is going to be SO Mad at me. I do not have enough sweets for bribery to calm her down, so please keep your DANG head down, Mamo-san! >>

There may just be a little huffing there from him, quietly under his breath...

Amanda Faust has posed:
    << I'm happy to answer questions if there's time! >> Amy offers. But there's an aiming laser, and she turns and looks the other way for a source, ready to conjure homing missiles

Don't shoot!

    She relaxes. "Geeze..." Rashmi's question makes her stop and stare at nothing, focusing. She would describe the sensation of trying to get her magic to do that as scraping a key uselessly against a doorknob that's got no keyhole in it. << Nope. Maybe if you can explain to me how they work...? >>

    And then, without the laser or trying to do magic to interrupt, her brain finally processes what Mamoru said and she doubles over cackling!

    ...At least part of it may be the unexpectedness and nigh-absurd ridiculous juxtaposition of humor with this post-apocalyptic cityscape, but also she never expected it from her friends either!

    Amy then stops and stands up straight and tries to look composed. She can't completely wipe the smile off hr face though.

Naru-obaa-san has posed:
"Oh, he is Tuxedo Mask," whispers Naru as Mamoru gives people a round of heart attacks, before holding her mouth to stifle giggles. << Hopefully you've gotten out of the habit of purposely jumping in front of lasers-- oh that's him! Good, he's all right. Yes, please don't shoot him. >>

She's being very patient about still being carried, but that patience will only last so much longer. << Five years was wonderful at the time. Then we had a couple of centuries of absolute hell, and then-- hundreds of years of growing peace with only a few blips. Disaster always seems to come out of the clear blue sky... >>

"Kaito-kun," she old-lady hiss-whispers, since everyone else is doing it. And then another glance to Chrono, and she shakes her head. << You don't have to answer them, Enforcer. But they are quite wilful, and will out sooner or later. >> A beat. Then whispered, "Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity. They haven't been Tsukinos for a millennium. But very good attempt! It's a lot of names. I can't always keep them straight myself." Yes she can. She's being nice.

Nephrite has posed:
"Baachan-- You scared the brass off me," A whisper returns, and it is clearly relieved and, perhaps, a little confused, "For a second I thought you'd been captured, or something..."

When he finally steps out into the open, they are faced with the silhouette of somebody familiar. A tall, athletic build wrapped in a dark jacket and armed-- literally. It's pointed down, for the moment, but he's carrying a makeshift gun converted from a fallen droid's arm blaster. Attachments have transformed it into a personal weapon, matched by a gas mask with clear modification of similar nature. Sensory technology salvaged, likewise, from the eyes of robotic enemies.

Lifting this up from his face though to sigh, the group would be faced with a strange trick-- long wavy hair tied back into a low tail and the colour of Naru's own, and brown eyed, but otherwise? He was identical to Masato Sanjouin.

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown gave a soft sigh as Tuxedo Mask tried to protect him. Admittedly, this was why he had Rashmi trying to protect Naru, but he, personally? He was safe. But seriously... << I don't think that is a habit that could be broken from him as long as he lives, you might as well abandon the whole model at that point, >> Chrono said without an ounce of self reflection.

<< And don't worry, Naru-san, I'll be putting you down soon. In the mean time, please do not object to the travel. I'm, mostly, bullet proof. And I have a lot of training. Technically more training than the rest of our unit combined... granted, that is technically true after five minutes... >> Yes. He is, in fact, still salty that earthlings didn't get training and were still expected to deal with this BULLSHIT. Deal with it. He came to a stop, moving behind cover and placing Naru down, though he held one hand on her arm, and held his arm up so he could make shields to cover her in all directions... just in case. You never knew. yes, he was over protective...

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< *And* you've had centuries to get used to saying it, >> Rashmi rejoins, not upset but *definitely* amused under the embarrassment of having to be corrected.

As Kaito steps out, revealing his armament to be more scavenged than installed, Rashmi lets out a breath... Only for his face to be revealed, and her jaw hangs open, avoiding hitting the floor by the fact that bones are not stretchy like cartoons and *nothing else.*

"Wait-- but-- you-- how--" Glasses catch the sunlight, as she whips her head back and forth between Kaito and Naru. Possibly turning her long, long plait into a concerning blunt object to dodge.

"*I have so many questions.*"

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
<< HEY! >> Mamoru objects, taking a halfstep back from Koji, and then he looks aggrieved at both Koji and Rashmi but mostly Koji because he tried to stop Mamoru, and complains, << What the hell, guys, dodging is what I do. And she'd be happy I'm not taking risks alone, like SOME PEOPLE DO-- >> He is glaring at Koji. << I know what you did last Walpurgisnacht! Anyway I'm fine but thank you for caring. >>

He huffs at Naru over his shoulder, then looks to the figure coming out of the-- cover-- roof-- things...

...he just looks, he looks, he looks. "I... thought... you didn't have Shitennou...?" he whispers, looking to Naru, then back at this guy uncertainly. "Nephrite?"

Koji Silvia has posed:
The sassback from Mamoru is just met with a slight eyeroll, but he frowns under his mask... and then really gets to see who it is...

And possibly in a moment where he could impress even the unflappable TSAB Enforcer, he hops down to land in front of Kaito, leaving himself covered, but still in that rather gaudy ninja-adjacent outfit.

     "Hello. You can call me Hanzo, I was born November 14th, because I think that's important to you... and as much as THEY have a million questions, and I really want to take a look at how you recalibrated that arm-gun, your grandmother accidentally woke a horde of droids, and we know a place where we can get you and anyone here else to safety. So if you save your questions, we'll save our questions, and everyone can talk later."

He holds out his hand, "If it tips the scales in our favor... I have tea. You coming?"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy has imagined the 'grandson' being anything from little kid to almost as old as Osaka-obaasan here. You just never know in this world! She wasn't picturing this though. "Oh, sweet, one of you can use guns. I've never actually found out how long the stuff I conjure lasts, want one?"

    And then the mask comes off and-- "Wait, uh... Sanjouin-san???" She looks between him and Naru, confused. Although, it can't be him and apaprently is Osaka-san's grandkid. The conclusion that Nephrite is another grandparent of his is obvious. "Huh."

    Perhaps not unheard of. She remembers, distantly, being shown pictures at her grandparents' house of what her father looked like as a little kid, and then another picture that looked like one of her cousins and she'd asked why he was mixed in with the old photographs and told no, that's your grandpa. Although they didn't end up resembling eachother so much as adults.

    "What a... strong family resemblance." She's not sure what else to say.

Nephrite has posed:
He steps forwards, taking stock of those gathered around his grandmother with evident curiosity and, fairly enough, a few quiet questions of his own.

The word is nonsense to him. Nephrite. It's a sneeze. He almost asks if that's some kind of slang term he's not heard of, but it draws his gaze solidly to Tuxedo Kamen. He cannot place why he feels such weight in it, like a pavlov'd command buried deep in a sleeper agent. A pull from deep in his chest, a ringing bell in the back of his mind, before he starts to over-rationalise it.

The stories he's been handed down-- the real ones, not the myths and fantastical imaginings-- were very dear to him as a boy, and Tuxedo Kamen was a figure that loomed large in his boyhood mind. Once the very epitome of cool. Two centuries on into his adult life, not so much. It was a cosplay thing that nerds did, or the sort of things you see in those weird re-enacting troupes. Being face to face with somebody *actually* dressed up like Tuxedo Kamen was not something he expected to see, given the dire cirumstances. Different copes for different folks.

And then one of the others is suddenly in front of him, snapping him out of his reverie with a blink and a slight twitch of his weapon. He had no idea what to make of them, but they were clearly capable people. If... a little weird.

"Right. Uh. Happy birthday for... November," he manages, glancing to the girl offering a gun, "That's a lot of information very suddenly. Alright. It's Miyake Kaito, actually."

He does hesitantly take Hanzo's hand, giving his grandmother a look.

Naru-obaa-san has posed:
<< ... don't be ridiculous, >> Naru's mental voice comes over the connection, and she's tense in Chrono's arms, though she hasn't wiggled or tried to get down even once. << Mamoru-san, the shitennou died a thousan--... >> she starts defensively, protectively, and then she trails off. But now she does move, literally shaking her cane. "You leave him alone, he's not a villain! He's my grandson! So what if he looks a little bit like someone you fought?"

She looks quite vexed. "Kaito!" No honorific. "That's truly the young king. Time travel. These children are magic. They're very good at exploding droids! Especially the kind that I did not aggro on purpose. Let's go."

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"O-kay," Rashmi sighs, "I can see I'm not the only one with a million questions, but like... Kaito-san, we're eventually headed for the Palace, and we're going to stop by the survivor group Mamo-kun found to try and get them to go there as well."

Lifting her glasses, she massages the bridge of her nose for a moment. "Naru-san... it's a long story, but we weren't accusing your grandson of being a villain. Just... the resemblance is *amazing,* and when you hear the rest of the story you'll understand the shock. But like... we should probably go."

Glancing back at Chrono, Koji, and Amy, she raises her eyebrows for confirmation. "Go, right? Yeah. We should probably go."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown just stared out and... << What? Wait, you mean the shittenou are still villains here? I figured we'd be rescuing them as well while we were here. The sailor senshi aren't evil as well, are they? >> he asked. He hadn't been informed of everything!

<< ... Oh. Well. Then. Apologies, Osaka-san. Your... ummmm. Ex... errrrr.... seemingly... ex... is an ally of ours, where we're from. And... good... >> ... And he would not be surprised if they ran into him later.

... Maybe Mamoru should carry the lady from now on before he gets hit with her purse...

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Things are said back and forth and are only getting more confusing. Although Amy does smile at the 'very good at exploding droids' comment.

    "Wait, the Shitennou were villains in your world?" Beat. "Oh, right, but... they never got better? Also... Nephrite's not another of his grandparents, then?"

    Chrono raises a concerning possibility. If the shitennou are evil... Are the senshi too? "Oh shit, are they? Wait, no, Small Lady -- err, Princess Small Lady Serenity would've mentioned that if they were, right?"

Koji Silvia has posed:
After helping Kaito-san out of the building and to the street, just casually out in the open, Koji sends back through Rashmi's telepathic link, << Okay, I need everyone around me and to stay within about... a ten meter radius. I know it's a little tight for fliers, but the less space I have to effect the easier it'll be to maintain. We'll be able to 'see' outside of it, but don't do anything that goes outside of the bubble. This isn't a shield or a barrier. >>

Finding a spot in the middle of the street, he closes his eyes and Notphrite gets to see the effect of a faint blue glow and motes of light flickering up and off of Hanzo's body and Barrier Jacket. Pressing his hands together, he takes a deep and calming breath, before he puts his hands through some Mudra, patterning his fingers through the Kyo, Rin, Kai, Retsu, and then spreading his hands in Jin, as he exhales and releases the spell.

     << PHANTOM ZONE. >>

Around him and spreading outwards is a circle with three smaller circles in a triangle around him, stopping at the barrier's edge, and then it seems like... nothing. Especially for those who've never been inside of it like Naru or Kaito. But externally? It looks like they've vanished, and any sounds, puffs of dust from movement, and even smells of them are muted down to a fraction of what they once were.

The only thing he can't do anything about is footprints if someone steps in a dirty spot, or some mud, but it's the cover he promised and the cover he provides.

If people get close enough to the barrier edge, it will be like you're standing inside of a soap bubble, that oily rainbow-ish filter giving odd colorations to the wrecked world around them.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Getting that look from Nephrite's face has Mamoru quiet, but it'll be all right-- he has his Neph. He does. He has him. And maybe this guy does just look like him. But given they've all reincarnated similar before...

He doesn't say anything else, not even when the topic stays on the Shitennou, not even when he could point out whose glasses those are, and he just quietly stays within the bubble. Actually he kind of needs his Neph right now. He could just teleport. He could. Actually,,,

"Do you guys mind if I meet you there? Bet you Miyake-san and Naru-obaa-san could lead you," he asks. "Just. Call me on the communicator if you need me."

Naru-obaa-san has posed:
<< Still? They've been dead a thousand years, they died evil, and Usagi-chan said they were ghosts, but of course not everyone can see ghosts-- what do you mean my ex? I have no ex! Apology accepted, as confusing as it is, but please: I'm merely temporarily a widow. You children certainly like jumping-- even to conclusions! The Senshi aren't evil. My goodness. >> All this while she clutches the glasses on the chain around her neck, getting them all smudgy. She sighs, and she drops her head against Chrono's chest. << Please put me down, if we're walking I can walk. I just can't run anymore. >>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Usagi-chan can see ghosts in this timeline?!" Amy exclaims.

    Temporarily a widow? Does she have someone lined up, or does she mean they'll be together in the afterlife? Wait, if people reincarnate, isn't there not an afterlife and no guaruntee they'll be together again... unless there's some kinda Solar-Lunar soulbond thing going on, which seems to maybe be the case for Usagi and Mamoru for all she knows...

    Even without the mask, she couldn't read what Mamoru's thinking. Maybe he wants to check on the others? Amy nods, "We'll probably be OK. There's the communicators." She agrees.

    To Naru-baasan, she continues, "It's to try and get ahead of, and maintain some control over, the crazy situations we find ourselves in every day. Although I confess it doesn't usually help, it did when a friend of mine got turned into a cat for a month, so there's that."

    "...So uh. In our time transhumanists can only dream of it. How has living almost a thousand years been? Would you reccomend it?"

Nephrite has posed:
Their confusion only adds to Kaito's own-- Nephrite this and that, villains, Grandmother's exes. That last one is among the list of topics that should go in a box of stuff nobody should talk to him about, ever. He's entirely thankful that Naru herself shoos the subject away with a concise closing, and despite her trust in the group, he stands very close by the old lady as she's lowered to walk under her own power.

"Easy, Baa-chan. It's a good thing the city's mostly empty, or everyone'd have seen your bloomers, being dangled like that." He tries to ease some tension, but his attention drifts back towards the others. "Listen. My Soba might be old, but she's not senile yet."

And, to that note, she wouldn't be wrong about the Young King. That, he recognises, is the *real* Tuxedo Kamen.

He stares at him quietly, swallowing a dry feeling in his throat that form when he appears to be diverting from them. Perhaps it's nostalgia, or the desperation for safety. Something of relief that he's not quite able to feel yet, or hope he hasn't absorbed. But he doesn't want this man to go.

It's not awe, like he expected it to be. It's almost... grieved. "Wait--"

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times and then, his cheeks went red. He quickly lowered himself to the ground and let Naru start to walk. "As you wish," he said.

It was, uhhhh, Nephwrong's comment about 'bloomers' that made him blush. He hated it when people said things like that... reminded him of a joke his mom might make to tease him.

Still, as they'd walk... He'd keep his own scans going. "Stay near him," he told Naru, motioning to Koji. "He's the center of the concealment. If any of us are outside of it, we might be attacked, but we'll be further from him. And we're a lot more durable while in henshin," he said matter of factly.

Two survivors, though. Yay! Today WAS looking up.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Moving in close to stay under the Zone, Rashmi seems... like she has an idea of what's eating Mamoru, if the vaguely sad look on her face is any indicator. "We'll take care of them," she says with a slow nod. Mamoru may not *need* permission to go spend time with his Emotional Support Astrologian, but if he wants it, he's got it. "Go on."

As Kaito tries to stop him, though, she simply touches his shoulder momentarily. "It's okay... you're *definitely* gonna see him again," she says, her smile sincere. "Where we come from... well. He had it tougher than most of us. I'll let him decide if he wants to tell the story, though. He just... needs to take some time and recharge his social batteries. But one thing you can count on, if you're in trouble? He'll be there. Saving people's what he does best."

With that, she guides Naru and Kaito closer in to Koji, and takes up her position farther out... but not before passing behind Chrono, and *getting up on tiptoe* to place a kiss on the top of his head. << Two survivors! And we're on our way to a bunch more! >>

Koji Silvia has posed:
Koji just... takes a deep breath, and this time sends through the telepathic link that Rashmi had set up with Nicomachea, requesting her Device to send his next message just to the other past mahou, leaving poor Nana Naru out of the chatter for a moment, <<Hey, no offense... but less is more. Don't overload them with things they're not going to understand or are going to scare them. These people are going through A LOT, and us just blasting them like we're their nieces and nephews showing up at grandpa and grandma's place out in the sticks isn't going to help. Yes, I -KNOW- who he looks like, but that's not HIM. This is Kaito-san. JUST Kaito-san. And we're a bunch of costumed teenagers who just showed up like this has gone from real to some TV show. >>

With that out of the way, and turning the group down the street towards the subway entrance, he does say in a low, QUIET voice to Miyake, "Sorry about us. I still think it's really cool how you managed to rebuild that blaster for yourself, and you're really cool protecting your oba-san like that. Did you rebuild her scooter too?"

Naru-obaa-san has posed:
"Thank you, Enforcer Harlaown," Naru says politely as she's set down while he blushes, and she reaches over to bat ineffectually at Kaito's arm, affectionately scolding. "Old. You're no spring chicken yourself, Kaitan~" she says, and she's definitely less feathers-ruffly now. She's perfectly happy to walk along between Kaito and Koji, and it's clear she's using the cane like unnecessary training wheels at the moment -- it's there if she needs it.

She glances to Amy, and her eyes sparkle at the girl with the fire-engine hair. "A++, 10/10, do recommend. Once Neo Queen Serenity saves us all, you should stay a while, you could be a griffin on another planet if you wanted to be."

Is she teasing? She's probably teasing. Maybe.

She slides a look toward Koji surreptitiously talking to her grandson, and there's a different glint in her eye this time. "You're all really teenagers, right? You don't just look younger than normal, you're really sixteen?" Kaito is TOO OLD for Koji.

Nephrite has posed:
The touch and reassurance that come from the Devicer pull his attention away from Tuxedo Kamen, somewhat reluctantly, and Kaito searches her features as she guides him away.

"Of course it is," he agrees with her quietly, as if it were the simplest fact in the world, "That's Tuxedo Kamen." Not King Endymion. No. Tuxedo Kamen. A distinction that means a small world of difference, to him.

After a long moment swallowing down what felt like a rock lodged in his throat, brown eyes turn to Naru. "I'm young! I'm not even three hundred, thank you very much," Though, he nods to Hanzo. "Oh, right... yeah, I guess you wanted to talk shop with me, huh?" Kaito managed to pull out a small smile for him.

He seems blissfully unaware of his Grandmother's micromanaging.

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Rude." Amy says, right after Notphrite comments on bloomers.

    Although she's suddenly glad her usual outfit has a bodysuit underneath it. Perhaps that's a way in which her life is not like a manga, after all. Unless it's one of those genre-blendy ones mixing magical girl and toku tropes.

    Speaking of which, Koji draws the comparison, and << Dude. Our lives went from real to TV show almost two years ago and they've been in this post-apocalypse story for a month. It's a bit late to worry about his life getting disrupted. >>

    Amy can't help but smirk as Koji asks about the arm. << Ah yes. 'How did you rebuild this space blaster you took from a killer robot'? You're absolutely helping him not feel like his life has gone from real to a TV show right now. >> But her tone is teasing, not critical.

    Nana Naru, though, blows her away and gets a look of utter shock on her face. "Wait, you've made contact with KiraKiraFantastica in this timeline too? I thought people only turned into po-- Ohhhhh. Wait, really?! That's a thing? The future's badass... How easy is that to change? I already got my ideal body through some amazing luck, so it'd need to be temporary..."

    She looks a little awkward when Future Naru brings up age, though. "My situation is... complicated. I have... a lot... more in common with other teenagers, it turns out, but uh, depending on how you count, not more than thirty-seven. I mean, Mamoru and the Senshi all have years of extra memories too, and I didn't get to grow up this way, uhh--"

    "--YOU'RE THREE HUNDRED?!" Amy turns and stares. "Right, sorry, still kinda... getting used to that."

Chrono Harlaown has posed:
Chrono Harlaown cringed when Amy yelled. "Amy, hush. Stealth," he hissed at her. Even if there was magic to nullify sounds, there were, well... why take extra risks? Like vibrations and what not...

Still... he was smiling, none the less. And his hand did reach down to grip Rashmi's, very gently, as they walked. Giving it the softest squeeze as they walked.

<< Two survivors. I haven't seen a planet this bad in... a long, long time... >>

... It was telling that he had before, though.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"Yeah," Rashmi agrees quietly. "He really is." And her eyes flick to Koji, once, as he sets down his request, but she says no more about it, until-- << ...Amy-chan you do know there's a better than 75% chance she's teasing you? People say stuff that isn't true for comedy. >>

"Yeah," she confirms aloud. "We're 16, some of us are a little older or younger... But our world's approach to magic is *way* different, in that there's... not really *one.*"

When Chrono squeezes her hand, she looks his way, and returns the gesture. << There's gonna be more, though... And then we're gonna save the *whole world.* >>

It's easy to tell, the way her feelings shade her mental voice. It's not a hope, it's not a wish. It's an article of faith.

This world may be dying, but they've brought the dying back from the brink before. They *will* leave this world better than they found it.