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GoGo Tomago It hasn't been very long since her world Unified. In fact, Rose has barely had any time to explore, dedicating a great deal of time to other matters, like making sure her friends will be alright. But now, she has a little time to herself, and she's spending it in a park that she was told about. She ghosts through the trees and shrubs, a dazzling pink-haired woman in white.
Yari Takane Yari needs a nice, quiet place to train. Sure, she could get that back at the Citadel, but she's not looking for dark and uncomfortable today. Thus, a slightly less occupied part of Atlas Park is her target area. She has several targets with bullseyes set up, attached to trees at absurd angles.

One leap, a twist in the air, and her hand flicks. Needles and kunai lash out into the targets. One target is just a bit too high, and the ninja's tail flicks, hitting the last one.

It's about half an inch off the middle. Yari frowns, dusting off her kimono, and sighs.

"...I was close, too. Nnn?"

The sound of movement and the slightest snatch of pink catches her sharp senses.

"Show yourself." Calls out the Au Ra.
Soma Cruz Soma Cruz is in Atlas Park. Why? He has nothing better to do. As far as places he's ben go, it's pretty safe. The Skulls have quickly decided he's too big of a threat to bother, the Hellions want absolutely nothing to do with him either. (This is what happens when they get to see real demonic power. Even if he's not a demon, he stole it fair and square.)

After takin a nice walk through the sketchier parts of the neighborhood, he's found himself back in the actual park. He's readin the plaque on the statue of Atlas right now. He's hard to miss, with that brilliant white coat.
Alice Jones Alice is sitting in the park as she looks at the people passing by. Paragon City is certainly a showy place, given the fact that they allow literal superheroes about. Or at least, superheroes in all but name. The ninja practicing does draw her attention, as does the sudden declaration of someone being in hiding. Standing up, she dusts herself off and says, "Someone skulking around? Bit of a problem there." as she approaches the Au Ra and raises a hand in greeting. "I'm probably not who you were looking for, but..." then glances this way and that before blinking at the rather large woman. "...Uh." she says, "That who you were looking for?" as she tilts her head at said individual.
GoGo Tomago Rose Quartz looks up at Yari and Alice with a smile. She's enormous, at least eight feet tall, and a little on the curvy side, perhaps a bit heavy-set and motherly, but no less pretty. She carries it well, and her many-layered white dress swishes lightly around her ankles. She appears to be wearing no shoes as she comes fully into view. "I'm terribly sorry, did I interrupt something?" Her voice is soft and warm.

"I was just admiring the plants here. There are so many different ones than where I usually live."
Yari Takane Maybe she's been around Sanary too long, but Yari's not against watchers. The ninja gives a brief smile, and rushed bow, before looking around again. She tries to look pleasant, but the sway of her scaley tail and the kunai just barely poking out of one of her kimono sleeves might give her paranoia away.

And then, Rose Quartz. Bliiiink. She looks the large woman up and down. Lizardy eyes close, and she coughs politely. The kunai goes away.

"No, I've just been training a bit /too/ long I think. You get sensitive when you're assuming anything out of sight is a potential threat." She explains to the pair.

"Ahem, yes. My apologies, no, no. You're fine." A pause, and a more formal bow. She manages to not salute.

"Yari Takane. It's nice to meet you two. Nnn! It's a very pretty park. If you look in the right places you can find...ah, useful herbs for several applications." Pause. "Or so I'm told. My daughter likes this park." A tilt of her head.

"May I ask where you're from?"
Lunara Lunara has been wandering the Multiverse and has gotten a bit lost. In her quest to find her way back to someplace familiar, she came upon Atlas Park and decides to take the opportunity for a bit of rest. She's quietly laying in the grass under a tree when she overhears others nearby. Turning her gaze toward the voices her attention is first drawn to the large pink woman, as she was rather hard to miss. Curiosity stirs in her and she stands up and slowly makes her way toward the group of people around Rose, just watching them from a distance at the moment.
Alice Jones "...Buh?" Alice asks, "Some dress you're wearing to be walking around in plants. Could tear it pretty easily, but... I guess you've got your own skillset to keep that from happening." she notes. "Not everyone's your average, baseline human after all."
GoGo Tomago The woman covers her mouth with a hand, giggling quietly. "Oh no, I'm not human. I'm a Gem." she says, as if that explains everything. "And please, you don't need to bow," she says, going over towards Yari. "I don't need people bowing and scraping. My name is Rose Quartz, and I am from a town called 'Beach City'. We only recently... what is the word? United? But we've only recently arrived, so i'm taking a little time to explore."
Yari Takane Deep breath. "It's a kimono, Ma'am." She pauses, and shows one of the folds of the kimono, though.

"All silk, and some reinforced kevlar sewn in, in case of bullets. Though I suppose it /is/ a bit much out here." She finally admits. Tail-flick.

A laugh to Alice. "Given where we are, 'baseline human' is the exception. Besides. 'Baseline human' can be very, very dangerous as well. An Auri skull is just as susceptible to a sniper's bullet as anyone else."

But Yari's attention is utterly stolen as Ruby mentions her race. She turns hard enough that the ninja's neck pops a little.

"A Gem you say." Those eyes bore into Ruby's, the ninja falling silent, before she realizes she's being rude. That intensity drops, and she manages a small blush.

"Sorry, force of habit. I think the word you're looking for is 'Unified'. Welcome. Ah..."

"By chance, would you know of a Gem by the name of Peridot?"

Oh, hey, there's a dryad! One she'd never miss recognizing.

"Miss Lunara! It's been some time. You look well."
Soma Cruz Soma ends up meandering towards the very tall woman. Why? She's hard to miss, bein all pink and quite tall. Then again, in Paragon, she's not too out of the ordinary.

He sticks to the perhiphery, not joining in the chat. Mostly because he doesn't really know these people. Mostly.
Lunara Lunara was slowly drawing closer to the group when she finally noticed Yari, just before the Au Ra greeted her. She then quickly closes the remaining distance and nods to Yari. "It has been a while. You look like you're taking good care of yourself also." She replied before turning to the rest of the group, greeting them with a nod before focusing on Rose. "Did you say you're a gem?"
GoGo Tomago Rose Quartz shakes her head, her face darkened by a frown. "I'm afraid not. The last Peridot I knew personally was destroyed thousands of years before we unified. They are uncommon, though not excessively so. I and my followers... Did not part on the best of terms with our homeworld, to put it delicately." she says. Then, looking to Lunara, she nods. "Yes." she says, gesturing to a rose quartz gem embedded in her stomach. "Our power flows from the gem in our bodies. We are our gem, in a word."
Alice Jones "...Huh." Alice says, "I guess that's like how humans are more or less our brains, and not much else." she notes, pointing to her head. "Good to know, though it seems... Odd for anything living to have something that important on display. But then, that's me."
Yari Takane Yari lets out a saddened sigh. "...That's a shame. My condolences for your problems with your homeland. I...can relate." News of rebellion against her Empire back home has been nothing but unpleasant.

She pays attention, though, peering at that gem on Rose. She makes a mental note.

A look to Lunara. "Nnn! I'm still nowhere near strong enough. Not even on the level of a Servant yet." Huff. The ninja might just seem a bit frustrated on her training progress.

Soma gets a glance. And a bow to the man! "Good evening." No, Yari's not going to be rude. Then it's back to Alice. She rubs her chin.

"An obvious weakpoint, but I'm sure Miss Rose is aware. One tends to compensate for such things." She adds 'helpfully'.
GoGo Tomago "Oh, our gems are very resilient. It takes a concerted assault, or being unconscious, to damage our gemstones." she says. Looking down at Yari, she gives an indulgent smile. "Perhaps you would like to be trained in the art of combat and war? I could certainly obliege, if you have the time."
Lunara Lunara nods to Rose as she shows off and explains about her gem. "That's very interesting, and you say you've been around for thousands of years?" She questions with interest before turning to Yari and echoing Rose's offer. "Yeah, I was going to say if you ever needed a training partner, or even someone to spar with, I'd be up for it. I could probably use the practice too."
Alice Jones "Eh. I'm not one for practicing how to fight... Kind of a necessary evil when it does happen." Alice notes. "But I'd watch you two go at it if nothing else, it can be a bit like a boxing match or something." then looks at Rose and blinks. "...Thousands of years?" she asks. "Longer time than most can wrap their heads around, including me."
Yari Takane The ninja seems to perk up. She runs her hand along one of her horns thoughtfully.

"I wouldn't turn it down, if you're willing to teach, Ma'am." Lunara's words have her outright smiling now.

"Then I think it's set. Sensei, I put myself in your care." A deep, deep bow, drawing on her /real/ homeland's ancient traditions. It feels good. She's reminded of her first master. Though a lot, lot taller and more red.

Chin-tap, a look to Alice. "...Though if we're going to do that, then we should at least give our guests some refreshment. One must take the time to do things properly. Sensei, please see to Miss Lunara first. I'll make tea for everyone." The ninja already has a small portable heater, some tea (loose-leaf. She's not a barbarian!), and is setting up to brew. There's also a bottle of whiskey for those wanting, and glasses, pulled from somewhere in her belongings. /Ninjas/!
Soma Cruz Soma, belatedly, nods once, slightly to the ninja. It's polite enough.

He's just kind of hovering right now.

Not litereally, even though he can.
GoGo Tomago "Oh yes. Since long before you humans crawled out of your hunter/gatherer stage. At least, in my home world." she says. "It's... Well it's interesting. It's been so long since I saw home. But it was worth it. I love The Earth, and all the living things in it." she murmurs. Then, squaring her shoulders, she looks down to Yari. "Then I will teach you, as I taught my Pearl. Hopefully you will have a better sense of self-preservation."

"Fighting may be a neccessary evil, but it is neccessary. Knowing how to fight... It will keep you say, and it will keep the ones you love safe." she says, rather severely, to Alice. "As much as I would care to live in peace, there are those to whom peace means weakness."
Lunara Lunara smiles at Rose. "I see, I think you're the first I've met in the Multiverse that has been around for such a long time. My father fought in the War of the Ancients some ten thousand years ago, and I myself am several thousand years old. We should share stories sometime, I'm sure there is lots we could talk about." She offers before hearing Yari telling Rose to teach her first about fighting. She blinks, looking over at her. "Actually, some tea does sound nice. But I would have to agree that making sure your fighting abilities are kept up is important. When there is a real fight, you need to be ready for it."
Soma Cruz Soma shakes his head at Rose's last statement. "It's sad that you're right. The fact that we have to, in essence, prove creatures like that correct by crushing them is almost disgusting."

He makes a sour expression. "Still, it's better than the alternative of tyranny." He looks like he's /very/ familiar with that one.
Alice Jones "...Mm. Yeah." Alice says, "Some people will just kick you while you're down, and try to use military force before everything else. Had to recover for a week after that." she mutters. "Still, wasn't very talkative towards the end. I guess he was on the ropes."
GoGo Tomago Watching the little ninja make tea brings a smile to Rose's face. "Oh yes... I suppose my primary weapon is defensive, but it is still a weapon. In my many years, my friends and I have trained with a multitude of weapons. They have their favorites, as do I, but there is a sort of elegance in turning anything that finds its way into your hands into a weapon." she says, then shakes her head sadly. "I did not fight for Tyranny. I fought for the life of the earth itself... Gems... Are not born as humans are. To be the Kindergarten for Gemkind is to give up the life-force of the area around it. Had I and mine not fought..." a tear rolls down her cheek. "It was awful, seeing the life of the world sucked out like that."
Soma Cruz "You misunderstand, ma'am," Soma says, shifting his shoulders under his coat. "What I meant is that sometimes our choices boil down to fight, or suffer under the yoke of tyranny for our failure to stand. Human history has proven this countless times."
Yari Takane "I'll be honored, Miss Rose! Nnn. I have no intention of throwing my life away uselessly. One should only give their life if the sacrifice is needed." Ninja honor is a funny thing.

She'll let the others talk for the moment. Tea is a brewing! She does glance to Soma, and gives a sad little smirk.

"There can be strength in War, but for it's own sake? Useless."

The ninja pays attention to Ruby's story. She makes a note to look up more about Gems later. She never had much time to meet Peridot, after all.

"Nnn. You're in luck. The multiverse is a strange place. Perhaps your kind can find alternatives to that...necessity." Then, the ninja walks to each person, offering them tea in a ritual manner. She's not the /best/ at tea ceremonies, but it's been a useful disguise in the past.
Lunara Lunara accepts her tea and sips it slowly, though for now her focus is on Rose. The talk of sucking the life out of the world certainly had grabbed her attention. "So, I'm not sure I understand. Are you saying that for a new gem to be born and gain it's power, a large amount of enery is drained from the world around them?"
GoGo Tomago "No, not a large amount per gem. There is a Kindergarten near where I live. Several hundred, or even a thousand and more, gems where born and bred there. Including my dear Amethyst." she says, eyes distant for a moment. "But it sucks the life-energy. We are... Like viruses in that regard, born into the death of that which spawns us."
Soma Cruz "I'm coming at this from a strange place. On one hand, I'm just a normal college student. On the other, the soul I bear is of the greatest tyrant, the greatest evil my world has ever known."

He lets his control slip just a little. Soma's Presence becomes almost tangible. It's terrible, bone chilling even. He reigns it in quickly, it was just an example.

"Regardless of what someone does, or has done. What wars they've waged. What terrible things they have done. There is always a second chance. I'm living proof of that."
Lunara Lunara is shocked and a bit disgusted by the reveal that Rose just dropped, but she understands that life does often draw from the energy of other life, and on that scale it makes sense. "You couldn't, spread this out over a larger area, or a longer time, so that it wasn't so deadly to the life around the birthplace?" She poses, trying to come up with a solution to a problem she doesn't fully understand.

    "As for second chances, I suppose I agree with you." She offers as she turns her attention toward Soma. "Sadly few get such a chance, and some who do squander it, which just makes people regret giving them that chance."
Yari Takane Yari is mostly looking /sad/ at the whole Gem Situation (tm). She's permanently chin-tapping, tail swaying in between sipping tea. She's no White Mage. This is /way/ out of her depth.

Lunara speaks, and Yari straightens a bit. "Don't be too harsh, Lunara. I doubt they have that much control over things. If the solution was that simple, they'd have minimized the area. In fact, it'd be absolutely foolish to do anything less. They're probably already at minimum death-to-birth ratio. Am I correct, Sensei?"

And then, Soma has her full attention. That slip lets loose the bone-chilling feeling of a man she's respected, and to be honest, feared at seeing his power. What Soma lets loose in that moment is enough for Yari to sweat, her blood frozen in her veins.

She's on her feet, at attention, and giving a proper Empire salute in an instant. Yet, there's /also/ a fan of kunai hidden in that sleeve again. Her eyes bore into Soma's.

"Yari Takane, reporting S..." She's already mouthing, before it all goes away and reflex ends. She's awkwardly standing there. A blink. She slooowly hides the knives. Then relaxes. Tenseness turns to awkward glances, and she finally looks like her age.

Thud! She just falls backwards, her tail snags the whiskey, and adds a /lot/ to her tea.

"...Sorry. You reminded me of someone." Her cheeks are blushed to hell as she sucks down drink.
GoGo Tomago Rose Quartz is a warrior born, but she senses... No immediate malice. Instead of reacting, she calmly reaches out to catch Yari as she falls. "Easy there, little one. You're safe." she says. "All deserve a second chance. No matter how evil or ugly, there is beauty in all things. Even a tyrant."
GoGo Tomago With another smile, she sips her tea. "You really shouldn't drink so much. It's not healthy, and it slows your reflexes."
Soma Cruz Soma squints a little as the dragon gi--Yari salutes him. He adjusts his coat a bit and crosses his arms across his chest. It's probably a familiar pose.

"I'm pretty sure I know who, though," he says, voice questioning. "I'm not exactly sure /why/. Only one other person should /feel/ like me, and unless he's from a different time than me, he's dead. Forever, thanks to Julius Belmont. That's the only reason I'm alive."
Lunara Lunara gazes between Rose and Yari for a moment as she ponders the discussion and sips her tea some more. "Well, I've never really encountered a sentient race that worked in such a way... I'm not sure how I feel about it, and it's strange that you tried to prevent more of your kind from being born to protect the world from having it's energy drained dry. It must have been a tough decision, and I find your choice... amazingly selfless."
Yari Takane Whump! Right into Rose's arms. The ninja is not exactly what you'd call 'heavy' given her stature, even including the weapons on her. She's not really packing heavily anyway, out of respect for the City.

Alright, despite a name like 'Gem', Rose is kinda comfy. Yup, she's staying right here for now. A small flash of a memory, obscured by extreme youth makes her feel comfortable.

It's a true motherly feeling, not that Yari'd recognize it, given her military upbringing.

Eyes close. Sigh. "...I have a few bad habits, admittedly. But you shouldn't underestimate Superfaction Technology." Even so, she puts down the bottle out of respect.

An honest smile to Soma. Oh yeah, there's memories. Respect mixed with absolute terror looks on the man for a moment.

"I'm sorry you suffered like that. Still. The person I knew...for all that terror, he was strong. Amazingly strong. And a fine commanding officer. I saw him fight once. I was unworthy of the display." Yup, honest respect, and even admiration.

A deep breath, and a sigh. "But Miss Rose has a point. I shouldn't judge you by his standards. That'd be unfair. You seem a polite, good person, no matter the...residual soul. Nnn. Mysticism." Not her strong point. Ptuh! Yup, she doesn't like thinking about matters of the soul.

Lunara gets a double nod. "It's definitely a difficult problem. I know a bit about what it's like to war with your own kind. That's the worst kind of pain. Even if you feel like you're doing what's right." She turns to Rose.

"Nnn. I've decided. You're definitely worth the title 'Sensei'." Her words are solemn suddenly, and it's only a sixth the alcohol talking.
GoGo Tomago Wrapping her arms around Yari, Rose slowly pets her hair, soothingly, like she's got a puppy in her lap. "Yes... Miss Lunara. It was... It was also the hardest choice I ever had to make. I regret it every day. So much life was lost. So many gems shattered before their time. But each and every living thing in the world has a unique experience. There are other places to plant gem colonies. There were other options. But a rich, resourcefilled world like this was too good to pass up. But there..." she squeezes Yari tightly. "For what it's worth, I hope you never have to use what I've taught you, little one."
Soma Cruz Memories flash through Soma's mind. None of them his. They're all fleeting, images and feelings more than anything. Images of war. Of violence. Of brutality. Feelings of triumph. Glee. Joy in the suffering of lessers.

Soma visibly shudders. He then fixes Yari with a stare. Penetrating and almost cold. Likely a familiar expression.

It was Dracula, wasn't it? The Dark Lord of Castlevania. Bearer of the power of Chaos."

He Does Not look pleased.
Yari Takane Oh Emperor, hairpets! The ninja just relaxes. She may or may not have weaknesses to comfort. Curse thee militarism!

Squeeeeze. There's a squeaky lizard sound. She's smiling, briefly. There's a bitter edge to it, though.

"Honestly? If I had a choice, I'd prefer peace. Settle down with the person I love, open a tavern, raise my daughter." Sigh.

"But even if I tried a peaceful life like that, I neither deserve, nor will have a life like that. I'm already too guilty and invested in honor for things more important than my own concerns. So I must see my life of war through to the end, no matter where it goes."

Deep breath. Out.

"I get a bit melodramatic when I've been drinking. Ignore me."

But she then meets Soma's gaze. Slowly, she smiles, and this time it's more akin to a shark or a predator.

Purely reflex. Show weakness and you're dead around someone like the General.

"Correct, Sir. I've never realized the heights of power a person can attain before being around him for just a moment. It put everything, the most worst situation, to shame by his mere presence. Humbling, really. Thanks to him, I now know what I must reach for if I want to attain true pea..." She stops, teeth gritted.

"If I want my dreams to come true."
GoGo Tomago "Everyone deserves happiness and joy and peace and love." Rose Quartz says. She seems to have no issues with showing weakness. But like a rock in a river, she lets that cold, penetrating expression flow around her. "Perhaps you too, can be helped." she says to Soma, patting the ground next to her. "Can you imagine? What it will be like to be at peace?"
Soma Cruz Soma shakes his head. He looks almost sad. "I'm sorry. He was a vile creature. The things he did. The things I almost remember him doing are sometimes too much to bear. I have nightmares about them."

He looks at Yari, steely grey eyes sad. "See, I /am/ Dracula. I'm his second chance. To live a life of peace. To face the things he faced and /not/ break. To not give in to hate and rage. I have Dracula's soul. I have his powers, but I have a chance to choose differently than he did and maybe his soul, our soul, can rest at the end."

He glances at Rose. "That's the plan, honestly. I just want to live my life."

He approaches and sits, accepting the invitation.
Yari Takane "Agreed." Comes Yari, almost without thinking. For all of the Empire's ways, and her own people's problems, the ninja has had a singular end goal. For once, realizing that three people want the same thing is comforting. Especially given Soma's particular peculiarities.

The ninja clings to Rose, less like a child, and more like a stubborn knife embedded in the cold rock.

"It's the method that's always in question. Pathetic, maybe." Shrug. Almost helpless. She relaxes. Entirely helpless.

A look to Soma. A smirk. "Even the greatest General, the greatest /Legatus/, must retire at some point, I suppose. If you can somehow navigate the tragedies and victories of his soul to attain /that/? Then I applaud you. This may seem strange from someone like me, but I wish you luck. Maybe I'm just thinking wishfully...but some part of me thinks that someone that strong and driven might want for peace, too."

Sigh. "I'm probably projecting, though." She ends. And then offers (increadably spiked at this point) tea to Soma.
GoGo Tomago Putting an arm around Soma if she lets him, Rose will draw them in close. "I can see that there is a great deal of work for me to do in this new multiverse. Oh my poor little ones." she says, holding Yari at least. "So much work to do, so much hurt to undo."
GoGo Tomago "Don't worry. I will do as much as I can. You don't have to hurt anymore."
Soma Cruz Soma takes the tea. He goes to take a sip and the smell of whiskey assaults his nose. He doesn't react. He instead just sits it down.

"Thank you," he says quietly. "I doubt my past self would appreciate it, but I do. I have a feeling that it won't be easy, and just in case I fail, I've made a friend promise to deal with me."

He does allow it. His body language is only slightly uncomfortable. "Hurt is a fact of life, ma'am. Without pain, we can't learn what empathy is."
Yari Takane Squish! The ninja-lizard is drawn upon a Rose, and doesn't object to any Soma relaxations, either. No matter factional problems, she can respect these two!

"If you want to undo the hurt in the Multiverse, then you're on the path to true insanity, Sensei. Or at least that's what I think. I'd love nothing but to be proven wrong." One final shrug.

Yari just laughs. It's honest, and boisterous enough that she ends it all with a choking, polite cough. Too much time around /Sir Gawain/, perhaps.

"...That's likely. But a commanding officer that doesn't at least observe his inferior's opinions? Well. I suppose his soul will just have to abide by it, or reach out and kill me." Despite the morbid topic, she's laughing more.

Despite Rose's previous advice? One more cup of whiskey-laden tea is downed by Yari.

"Too many forms of 'hurt', at that, Sir. It's a dire spiral to empathy. What I've found? I think even a murderer is worthy of so-called 'redemption'. If they just realize the weight and the faces of those they've taken from life."

A long, long pause. There's visible self reflection in the kunoichi. Then she just relaxes into Rose's lap.

"My mother would be annoyed at my amount of whining right now. Goodnight." Eyes close.

The young ninja is then snoring against Rose, far too comfortable for her own well being. That motherly aspect just has her /relaxed/, after all. Zzzzzz!
GoGo Tomago Leaning up against a tree, Rose Quartz hugs both of her new friends. While she doesn't often sleep, she does like to stargaze. She does so now, listening to their heartbeat (or closest equivalent). She smiles up at the stars, out to where she once lived. 'Can you see me?' she thinks up at the starry void.
Soma Cruz Soma doesn't fall asleep. It's very odd, honestly. One moment, he is there, relaxing. The next time Rose Quartz checks on him, he is gone. Vanished into thin air.

Or changed into a small white bat and flew off. Either way.